ARTS Visual feast with a touch of Glass by John R. Rybock Every once in a while, you come across something so wonderfully unique, that trying to describe it is a serious challenge. Such is the case with the film "Powaqqatsi: Life in Transfor- mation." The film is, to oversimplify, a visual and auditory feast. No plot, no dialogue -just a perfect marriage be- tween image and music. ,Directed by Godfrey Reggio, "Powaqqatsi" (Hopi for "abeing or way of life that draws its own existence from the life forces of others") is the second in a planned "Qatsi" trilogy, the first being the 1983 film, "Koyaanisqatsi." Throwing out the crutches other di- rectors rest on (such as an actual story), Reggio manages to paint an effective picture. From Hong Kong to India and from Kenya to Brazil, the audience is given images of "life in transforma- . . t1 11 111. l Composer / Conductor Philip Glass brings a masterpiece to life in 'Powaqqatsi /.Live' tion." The film follows a journey of society from a subsistence life of indi- viduals to the just-another-cog exist- ence in the technological age. If looked for, the message is clear. However, one can just relax and enjoy the images for their basic aesthetic value alone. However, the stars of the film expe- rience are not the images, but rather the extraordinary music of composerPhilip Glass. Glass' career is a mixed bag of credits, from compositions for opera ("Einstein on the Beach") to dance ("In the Upper Room") to film. Glass returns from his work on the original "Koyaanisqatsi" to bring a world flavor to the images of "Powaqqatsi." As the Reggio traveled the world looking for images, Glass traveled look- ing for sounds. The result is a rich score which adds to the global flavor of the images. G1ass has become known for taking a minimalist and repetitive path in his music. This holds true for "Powaqqatsi." However, while such a description might mark other compos- ers as mundane, Philip Glass seems to thrive on it, using it as a unique trade- mark for his distinctive music. Glass draws heavily not just on rhythms from around the world, but also on the wonderfully fresh sounding instruments he encountered in his trav- els. Over the strong bass from the Third World, Glass weaves melodies with a Western flavor, making his music that much more unique. And while it tends toberepetitive, the sound is rich enough that the audience never tires, and when the journey has been completed, they are left yearning for more. The film itself is highly unique. But Ann Arbor's cultural life seems to thrive on going beyond that point. Such is the case tomorrow night, when the film is not only playing at the Michigan The- ater, but Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble will visit the theater's orchestra pit to perform the score live. The images on the silver screen are incredible. But with Glass live, playing one of his best compositions, it will certainly prove to be a feast for all the senses. POWAQQA TS/LIVE is playing at the Michigan Theater tomorrow at 8pm. Box office hours: M-F 11-6; Sat 12-4. Call 668-8397 for more information or to charge tickets. f r J.D. and Ludwig Sunday English ensemble the Endellion String Quartet will perform Beethoven's first "Rasoumowsky" Quartet, and two less well-known quar- tets by Joseph Haydn and Sir Michael Tippett. The Beethoven was so radical in its time that the musicians suppos- edly thought that Beethoven was play- ing ajoke on.them. The Haydn Quar- tet, Op. 72, No. 2 is one of Haydn's nearly 80 quartets, but not one of the better-known "Thirty Famous Quar- tets." The Quartet No. 2, written in 1943; of England's most famous liv- ing composer, Sir Michael Tippett, completes the program. The perfor- mance is at 4 p.m. Tickets are $14 to $22. Call 764-2538. Instant Carmen In case you missed it last night, you've still got two more chances to check out Bizet's "Carmen" at the Power Center this weekend. The New York City National Opera Company has been bringing the classics to us provincial types for several years now, and though their shoebox touring pro- ductionsarehardly ideal, they'reabout all we've got in Ann Arbor. And for those of you who don't know the mu- sic, don't worry; you'll surely recog- nize the theme from "The Bad News Bears." Performances are tonight and tomorrow at 8 p.m.; tickets are $20 to $42. Call 764-2538. Philip Glass draws on rhythms from around the world in his music. Hawks and Crowes. by Kristen Knudsen The Jayhawks are currently on the road with the Black Crowes, but please, don t accuse them of sounding anything like those Georgia rockers. "We dOn't want to sound like them," snapped Jayhawks drummer Ken Callahan. "Why would you want to go out and hear two bands that sound the same anyway? I think our music kind of speaks for itself." Excuse me for asking. Would you care to tell me, Mr. Callahan, exactly what the Jayhawks' music is saying? "I don't know what those songs mean but they0 have a meaning to me," he said. Thanks, that clears everything up. "It's like any art form, and especially in Mark and Gary's songwriting (Mark Olson and Gary Louris, both singers and guitarists, are the principal songwriters for the. Jayhawks. They're joined by Callahan and bassist Marc Pernman). What you pull out of that song and what I pull out of that song, and maybe what they even initially wrote, and what it's really about don't even have to be the same thing. That's the great thing about their music I think. Like any good art, it just creates images in you - it doesn't have to be verbatim what they meant." Yeah, whatever. Iguess it's agood thing that we don't have to analyze lyrics like "back home there's a funeral" (from "Two Angels"), which probably wouldn't be easy or fun. Above all, it seems, it is the Jayhawks' music that is meant to intrigue us. "It's a familiar sound," Callahan proposed, and this concurs with their album "Hollywood Town Hall"'s liner notes, which describes that "fella" we all know. He's somebody "you've known all your life," said Callahan. "It's just that some of the images or some of the feelings you get from the album is something that's very comfortable right away to people." The Jayhawks'music may sound familiar because it's heavily influenced by early '70's artists like the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons, to whom they're often compared. "Obviously, we come from a Neil Young, blues, soul, white soul, country background. Rock, there's rock in there, too," Callahan explained. "It all influencesus.Gary,alotofhislicks,he probably stole afew things fromJimmy Page in Led Zeppelin. And Ihave. I've stolen alot from John Bonham.Notone person in this world, not one musician, can say he doesn't (borrow)unless he's lying.Nobody's completely original unless they came from the moon andnever heard anything playedon thisplanet. Theresmno way."My,laren't we defensive. As long as the comparisons make sense, they don't bother Callahan, but I guarantee it will be difficult to describe them in terms of today's music. The Jayhawks' sound is very relaxed and mellow, an extremely counatrified rock that's not without blues and soul. Callahan summed it up, "We're not trying to follow any trends and we're really not trying to set trends. We're just trying to make music that sounds good to us." O.K. We'll see how it sounds to the rest of us tomorrow night. TH'E JAYHA aWKS will appear with the BLACK CROWES tomorrow at Hill AudTtoriu.ckt r 22. p c "I'sa amlirsond" alaanprpoed ndths onus it tei alu Holwo Tw al ' iernts wihdscie ha fla"w," all now He' soeboy "yu'v knon al yur lfe, sai Calahn. "t'sjus thatsom oftheimaes r soe o th felins yu ge frm te abumis somehin tht's erycomortale igh awa topeole. The~yhaks'msicaysund amiiar ecase t'shaviyipfuenedb eary 70s rtst lketheFlin BrrtoBrthrs ndGrm aro., o ho The Jayhawks sound nothing like the Black Crowes. Big Mouth Strikes Again Put on your pith helmets, kids - Motorbooty bad boys Mouth are back to give you more. This frantic five-piece from America's underbelly (aka El Lay) torque it up like Soundgarden on cheaper drugs (and that's a real good thing). You might have been baptized in the saliva a few months ago when Mouth blazed through the area with our posse of personal Jesus' known as Big Chief. The real lucky ones got to see both bands blow a hole through the ceiling of the Lab in an intimate night of debauchery. If not, you get two (count 'em - two) chances to catch this death-defying bomb squad. Tonight they rock the Lab yet again (and remember - People live here. Show some respect). It's at 411 Hill, and things get under way at the usual party time. On Saturday, they move on up to the big Detroit city, turning up the big boom at St. Andrews Hall (961-MELT. Local grunge gods Phunhogg, Brickyard and Bog Blast round out this night of bone-crunching fun. Doors at 9:00 p.m., and tickets are a mere $5. Still supporting their mind-blowing ep, "Foreword," Mouth are sporting a spankin' new drummer to lay that groove trail even deeper. Grunge never sounded this good ... I II HIRING NOW! For Spring/Summer and Fall Michigan Daily Account Executives Deadline for Applications: Friday, March 12 More Information and Job Description Available at the Senior Staff Office, The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard Equal Opportunity Employer - MULTI COLOR SPECIALISTS - ARTIST ON STAFF - RUSH ORDERS NEAR U OF M CAMPUS 1217 PROSPECT, ANN ARBOR 665-17 FF with this ad. DON T v MIS OUY- The Medical School Information Fair 71 -PI -II Saturday, March 6 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Michigan Union Information Fair Pendleton Room 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. noon - 1:00 p.m. Admissions Deans' Panel Anderson Room Aloha Entertainment's 9944024 24 HOUR on State St. at Liberty MOVIELINE *M s4 a50 _ Metwihrpresentatives from1 6