Page 8- The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, February 7, 1990
From Warsaw to Washtenaw
BY SHERRILL L. BENNETT
THERE exists, among artists of
all disciplines, a mutual respect
that overshadows political cir-
cumstance. Nations that close
their doors to foreign citizens
openly embrace touring musi-
cians, regardless of political be-
liefs. The last decade saw mem-
bers of the Metropolitan Opera
complete a tour of China, where
gracious audiences threw flowers
and sought out performers' signa-
tures like groupies. The U.S. also
unties political knots long
enough to listen to a concert.
The Warsaw Philharmonic has
been Ann Arbor's knot-loosener
since 1961. Tonight's perfor-
mance marks their fifth in town.
Conductor Kazimierz Kord returns
for the second time since the
orchestra's last performance in
1983. Each time, they bring an
exciting program of classics from
the orchestra repertoire, new con-
tributions from their heritage, and
deserving soloists.
Tonight's concert follows the
same format. The program in-
cludes Brahms' Symphony No. 4,
which bears the same significance
to Brahms' musical output as the
Eroica symphony for Beethoven,
or the Jupiter for Mozart. Also
featured will be a new work by
Polish composer Karol Szy-
manowski, Scherzo Tarantella.
Finally, soloist Zoltan Kocsis,
who has performed with many of
the world's most prominent
orchestras, will give his rendition
of the beautiful Concerto No. 2
by Rachmaninoff.
THE WARSAW PIIILHAR-
MONIC concert will begin
tonight at 8:00 P.M. at Hill Audi-
torium. Tickets from $11 to $13
are available at Burton Tower.
Student rush tickets are avail-
able.
Mission
possible
The Innocence Mission
makes
itself at home
AVANT-GARDE
Continued from page 7
ing in the '20s because of all of the
abstract art, because it's interesting
to me that these people, (Viking)
Eggeling or (Hans) Richter, started
with abstract filmmaking in which it
was assumed that this was not narra-
tive. With them we begin to under-
stand that avant-garde film has noth-
ing to do with transporting a story,
that the story has nothing to do with
the film itself...It is important to
understand that film is not only there
to tell a story, that it has its own
aesthetic, its own possibilities.
Why do you think it is important
for people in general to see avant-
garde film? Is it so they know that
Hollywood isn't all that's there?
First I think that it's good to
know that there were, and that there
still are, filmmakers who work in a
special, different field. Because of the
situation in the market you won't
easily find them. The Hollywood
films you'll find everywhere, but it's
not so easy to see art films, which is
why I think it's necessary to have
them at the university, just to get.in
touch with them. They're often not
well-known, not easily accessible.
The other thing is that I think
it's always good to know about the
whole context of history. Today we
are still working with film and we
are still watching films, and avant-
garde film opens your mind so that
you learn how to look and how to
watch, which helps you differentiate
more and be more critical.
....What they (the filmmakers)
are doing, is important to all of
film, for the language of film and for
the development of the language of
filmmaking. Many of the techniques
that avant-garde filmmakers devel-
oped in the past are now in commer-
cial film, so what was boring 10 or
20 years ago people now think is
normal. You can see it everywhere,
in every commercial...
BY SCOTT KIRKWOOD
POETRY set to music. That's the best way to describe
the sound of The Innocence Mission, whose first na-
tional tour gets into full swing with a performance
down at the Blind Pig this evening. The band's humble
beginnings are all but a memory now. "We started off
playing a school festival," lead singer Karen Peris re-
calls. "It was different before. We had to play the music
that people wanted to hear. I think we played about 12
songs, then played them all over again."
Things have changed. Right now the foursome from
Lancaster, Pennsylvania is riding high on the success of
their self-titled debut album. The band recently finished
filming their third video in Los Angeles before getting
the seven-week tour underway with a weekend show in
Cleveland.
Of the band's name, Peris notes, "It's just some-
thing I came up with and we all liked it... It makes me
think of a big house out of children's books, a comfort-
able house you can get lost in." The description is apt.
Keyboards provide shining clarity and guitars add
rhythm to a dynamic sound that showcases Peris' pure,
sultry, and at times eccentric vocal approach. Peris, gui-
tarist Don Peris (her husband), bassist Mike Bitts, and
drummer Steve Brown list their influences as ranging
from John Lennon to Paul Simon and Kate Bush, so
it's no wonder lyrics are such an integral part of the
band's repertoire. "Clear to You" recalls the moving
lyrics typical of James Taylor, while "Curious" and
"Broken Circle" detail the intricacies and difficulties of
family relationships.
With public exposure increasing and records selling
at a rate ensuring commercial success, the band still re-
mains something of an enigma. Since the release of the
The Innocence Mission isn't at all related to Ann
Arbor's Mission Impossible; they're not even distant
cousins.
album in August '89 critics have had a difficult time de-
scribing The Innocence Mission's sound, likening
Peris' vocals to those of Natalie Merchant of 10,000
Maniacs, Kate Bush, and even Edie Brickell. Peris ad-,
mits, "It's frustrating a little but it's anticipated....
Anyone new is going to get that. Comparisons are
inevitable."
The band members themselves find their sound diffi-
cult to describe but acknowledge that college radio has
contributed a great deal to their finding a wider audience.
And it's not unlikely that the band will find themselves
quite a few more followers before tonight's show comes
to a close.
THE INNOCENCE MISSION appears tonight with
PETER HIMMELMAN at the Blind Pig, 208 S. First.
Doors open at 9 p.m. Tickets are $6.75, available at
Ticketmaster. The band will make an in-store appear-
ance at 4 p.m. today at Espresso Royale Cafe, 324 S.
State St.
t
t
s
VAA
i i
V
d
d
nb
COOKIES '
for Valentines Day!,
Send your sweetheart a gift tin of
Mrs. Peabody's cookies
We ship anywhere in the Continental U.S.
..)
..:
going on in commercial film and You've already talked about
Get your Cookie Heart Roses while they last. ...and MTV, too, television. This is important, be- these things a lot, but where do
S GYes, MTV, too. I think that this cause the people use these techniques you think the medium is going,
761-CHIP (, 715 N. University is because artists know, or think for manipulation, and if you know and will it be necessary to teach it
We cater to parties Ask about our group discounts about, these things earlier than most about everything, if you understand in the future?
people so if we find out what the it, and you've learned how to watch I think that avant-garde film does
a K ~ a i a a a a a a aartist thinks, we can judge what is it, then they cannot manipulate you. not exist - does not really exist
anymore today. There are still some
artists who are working on it, but
they are very old. It's like painting
on canvas, some still paint on it to-
day and I think that it's alright -t
even necessary - even though it
seemstvery old-fashioned to me. r
think that there will still be impor-.
tant avant-garde filmmakers, but I
think that we have to work in video,
computers, and in other new media.
This is more difficult, but we have
to find out what it's all about. We
haven't started yet; the history of
these arts has not begun.
One final question: I know that a
lot of people think that avant,
garde films are boring. How did
you choose the films for this series
- did you choose films which you
thought were not going to be bor-
ing?
No, I have chosen some boring
films because even though they are
boring, they are necessary to see be-
cause often the artist is trying to say
something which cannot be said
other than in this boring way. Look
at the films of Andy Warhol: you
don't have to watch the whole thing,
just watch enough to get the idea
about time that Andy Warhol is try-
ing to tell you. So I had to choose
some boring films. In the end, it de-
pends on the individual as to who is
bored by the film and who is not.
STUDENTS:
"If your hair isn't becoming
to you you should be
coming to us."
- 7 Stylists--No waiting-
DASCOLA STYLISTS
opposite Jacobson's 668-9329
0
STATE COUPON
WEDNESDAY SPECIALI
I U of M CLOTHING I
$2.00 OFF
I ANY IN STOCK I
EXPIRES 2/7/90J
r
GARDEN
Restaurant
VALE~