Page 10-The Michigan Daily- Friday, November 15,1991 Ja Jesus goes straight to heaven bO Nima Hodaei 'J do have maybe a different ap- proach, particularly lyrically, com- pared to a lot of people," says Mark Griffin (a.k.a. MC 900 Ft. Jesus). "I think maybe that helps sometimes to: give (journalists) something to write about. Even if you really like a4,and, a lot of times it's hard to think up something to say about them that couldn't apply to eight hundred million other groups. I re- ally consider myself to be trying to do something not really like what anybody else is doing." And thus, out of the sweltering heat of Dallas, Texas, a creative idea was conceived. MC 900 Ft. Jesus - whose name comes from a ridicu- lous vision Oral Roberts once had - breaks any and all stereotypes when it comes to music. Griffin de- scribes his music as an act in futil- ity, because his style has changed so greatly from his 1990 debut album, Hell With The Lid Off, which mixed a sinister assortment of industrial grooves, hip-hop dance beats and rap. Griffin's latest release, Welcome To My Dream, is a rap-jazz fusion- dance-experimental collection of songs. "I did want to change as much as I possibly could anyway," Griffin points out, "and still kind of keep the spirit of what I was trying to do. Just because, on the one hand, af- ter working in a record store for eight years, I was just totally para- noid and afraid of the whole sopho- more slump. So I wanted to change as many things as possible." Griffin is provocative because of his ability to mix rhythmically ap- pealing beats that make you want to dance with lyrics that make you want to cringe. For example, on "The City Sleeps," a tune off his new album, Griffin raps, "I pause, I The Eating Disorders Program is seeking members for a 10 week psychoeducation group focusing on managing eating disordered behavior, beginning January 22, 1992. For more information contact Vivian Folsom MSW at 936-4861 Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. E"University of Michigan Medical Center SPRING TERM IN :NE HAISIRE NEW ENGLAND LIFRJUEPROGRM Earn credit as you study Thoreau, Emerson, Frost, Hawthorne-"in their native habitat. - MASS MEETING &SLIDE SHOW Thursday, November 21 st 8:00p.m. Aud. C Angell Hall FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. CALL 761-9579 think about the past in gloom/ The smell of gasoline permeates the room/ Everyone has a little secret he keeps/ I light the fires while the city sleeps." Is Griffin, the man away from the MC 900 Ft. Jesus personality, also this insane?! "I never consider myself as actu- ally the person that I'm talking about in a song," he explains. "I al- ways feel more like I'm telling a story or something. But it obvi- ously comes from me somehow. I've just never been able to get a grip on how any of that stuff really relates to me. I know I have this little cyni- cal sense of humor and I think that finds its way into most of the songs, but not all of them." Welcome To My Dream, Grif- fin's second release on the Nettwerk label (which also supports acts such as Skinny Puppy and Severed Heads), brings in a variety of interesting el- ements and concepts. The most cre- ative element Griffin employs is the mix of hip-hop with a live feel. "Falling Elevators," the album's first track, starts with Griffin's jerky rap style and ends with a cap- tivating jazz solo, played by Griffin. This type of approach is, at times, almost too experimental. Griffin, however, has single-hand- edly reinvented the use of standard industrial-rap technology, including such instruments as samplers. "It's kind of shifted in the way I use (samplers)," he says. "I was try- ing to get at this real sort of hybrid between a live band sound and a hip- hop-type sound. And I found that instead of sampling records, why not just sample and loop yourself (playing)? You get the same aural effect. It's like a very human sound, but it's got this unnatural repetitive quality." The live performance given by MC 900 Ft. Jesus is an unbelievable sight. Touring with an actual sup- porting band that includes long- time collaborator DJ Zero (Patrick Rollins) and incorporating unusual visual elements with the aid of cam- eras, Griffin has put together a show with which he is quite pleased. "I'm following up this idea of the fact that it's a hip-hop show," he says, "but it's melded with a live band. So we have a drummer and I'm playing the horn parts that are in the new tunes. I'm really, really happy with it. I think musically, it's a lot See JESUS, Page 11 Tripping the light fantastic On Saturday, November 2, the Indian American Student Association (IASA) presented its annual Diwali Cultural Show, a celebration which featured both traditional and modern Indian singing, dancing and music. This year's show - which was centered around the theme of "Student Life in India" - ran the gamut, from a Bengali folk dance to a fashion show to a hilarious skit spoofing the Bradys entitled "The Patel Bunch." Diwali, or "the Festival of Lights," is "one of India's major festivals," according to IASA Vice President Minoti Amin. She says that the event "symbolizes the victory of good over evil." And good triumphed with attitude - the Show was moved from the Mendelssohn Theatre, which it sold out last year, to the more spacious Power Center, which was sold out this year. Can Hill Auditorium be far? Crisler Arena? The Pontiac Silverdome? But anyway, the next IASA function should be much more low-key, a Holiday Dance, December 6 at the Trotter House on Washtenaw. The dance will be open to the public; admission is $4 for non- members, $2 for members. ,i They may not be Republicans, but they get five stars from us by Alexandra Beller If you're looking for easy access into the dance world, this weekend may be your perfect opportunity. Tomorrow evening, the Laurie Eisenhower Dance Ensemble will be performing an eclectic array of high energy and fun pieces. Formed last summer, the Detroit-based company has done much work in the city's high school system. A recent $25,000 grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts, however, proves that the group is no kid's company. The choreography covers a diverse range of topics and styles, with something for every taste. Works for this concert include the premier of 11ey, a rhythmic piece showcasing the athleticism and virtuos- ity of its performers. "It's such a fun and exciting piece and the dancers do such a great job in it that we're all very excited about the premier," says Eisenhower. Shan Pass is a pure movement piece based, in part, on images in Chinese literature. A special addition to the concert will be a performance of Shane O'Hara's Art, Money and the DaDo Da, a comedic work about art and arts funding. The show's variety of styles is due in great measure to the diverse training of Eisenhower herself. After re- ceiving a BFA in Dance from Arizona State, she moved on to the professional scene, performing with such companies as Pilobolus and David Parsons. Returning to Arizona State, she then earned her MFA in Dance, whereupon she joined Detroit's Harbinger Dance Comi pany (eventually becoming the artistic director). Although Harbinger no longer exists, perhaps its intentions have been carried out through the Eisen- hower Ensemble (several of Harbinger's former; members dance with Eisenhower). Among her plan; for the company, Eisenhower wants to create an outlet for young choreographers, especially, she says, "those contemporary artists who are really on the cutting edge." Eisenhower will bring with her six dancers; including University alumni Desiree Buonbrisco and Greg Patterson and guest artist Bruce Rabey (whose previous credits include Performance Network concerts). i YOU'LL FIND THE CUTTING EDGE IN MUSIC ON A&M RECORDS AND ALWAYS AVAILABLE I THE LAURIE EISENHOWER performs tomorrow night at 8, Dance Building. Tickets are students with ID. Call 763 5460 DANCE ENSEMBLE p.m. in Studio A of the general admission$ )for more info. " AT AA N N A R B O R FIN HfICiIIIGAN&AILYIAFF. CALl I II I w I/A L _. .r ~ r ;:r r L- A N N A R B O R HOLOJA!T rFr-joRIAL F O U N D A T I O N CD $11.99 C SS $7.99 sale ends 11121 . 1 ,I i Io ~ i E 11 'd The Michigan Daily has published a revisionist ad denying the reality of the Holocaust, and has subse- quently defended its acceptance of that ad based on the First Amendment. The ad advocated anti-Semitic and racist ideas and deeply offended the memory of the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, their surviving relatives, and indeed all decent human beings. The Ann Arbor Holocaust Memorial Founda- tion strongly condemns the Michigan Daily for col- laborating in the dissemination of this racist attitude. Particularly at a time when The University of Michi- gan makes every effort to counteract such expres- sions of racism in any form, we fervently believe that revisionist viewpoints have no place whatsoever in any publication associated with the University. I 01 L- 6- :11 ; e strongly endorse the editorial statement of the Ann Arbor News of October 28, 1991, which reads in part: "Newspapers have a responsibility to the public to ensure that whatever is published-in advertising or on news pages-is accurate to the best of our knowledge and not purposefully racist." The Holocaust Memorial Foundation is a multi-religious and multi-racial organization that was established in 1989 by the Ann Arbor City Council to erect a "Place of Remembrance" to memorialize the victims of the Holocaust and to educate our community about this tragedy. We are very pleased that University of Michigan officials have informally agreed to locate the memorial on University property ____j Buv-anv A&M £CD or Casstte and aet $2.00 off a I