The Michigan Daily-Friday, March 26, 1993- Page 9
___Carter stretches human potential
by Laura Alantas
With phone number in hand, I reached for the phone. Just
then, it rang. Joe Gold wanted to tell me that Christopher
Carter, the "psychic entertainer" whose show "Theatre of
Thoughts" I would be previewing, was at home and now
would be a good time to call him for the interview I needed.
I laughed. I told Joe thatI was just about to give Carter acall.
In fact, I had the telephone number in front of me.
"You see," said Joe, "I read your mind."
Reading minds is what Chris Carter does. Well, sort of.
"In essence, what I do is read minds by using psychologi-
cal techniques and body language to interpret what people's
thoughts are and to influence peoples' actions," said Carter.
"I also use psychological techniques to make certain actions
happen."
Such a craft, Carter insists, does not result from some
mystic hocus-pocus. Rather, he has developed his brain to
respond to minute details and signals that most people
ignore. "I have no special powers. What I do can be mastered
by anybody who spends alot of time on it," Carterexplained.
Through the synthesis of these multiple techniques, Carter
has developed an hour long theatrical show in which he
showcases his talents. He performs different "skits" to reveal
the diversity of his talent. For example, a "Russian Roulette"
sequence involves Carter subconsciously influencing an
audience member to shoot him with the one paintball gun of
the four offered that is not loaded.
"The audience participates and is responsible for what
happens. For this show to work well, it requires coopera-
tion," said Carter. "Everything is an experiment, which is a
nice way of saying that it doesn't always work."
Audience involvement does not necessitate the audience
believing all that they see. Said Carter, "I like people to
maintain a skeptical attitude. It's incredibly healthy. There's
nothing supernatural going on here, though. Anyone could
learn to do this. There's really nothing to be skeptical about."
Carter became interested in the ability to change people's
actions without their knowledge while he was a drama
student in college. "I was always anticipating the other
actors' actions, so I eventually tried to enhance it and see if
I could influence those actions," said Carter. From this
experimentation, he developed a full time career. Carter now
holds workshops for corporations that focus on motivational
skills, and he also performs at private parties.
No matter who his audience may be, all of Carter's
performances have the unifying theme of the stretching of
human potential. "My audience should be prepared to see a
lot of para-normal, psychic things that are exciting and cool.
They should also be prepared to admit that there's more they
can do with their minds."
THEATRE OF THOUGHTS will be peformed on Friday,
March 26 at 8p.m. in the Pendleton Room of the Union.
Tickets are $3. For tickets or more information call Joe
Gold at 995-4519.
Mad, bad and louder than you
The time has come. Gather up those tired discs by Nitzer Ebb, KMFDM, Frontline Assembly, or any other sequence-
happy, so-called 'industrial' band that fronts like they really matter. Burn 'em. Or better yet, trade 'em in at Wazoo
and snag your bad self a copy of Cop Shoot Cop's latest mindfuck, "Ask Questions Later" (you'll have to wait 'til
March 30, when it hits the streets). This bad-assed power(tool) quartet churn out the genuine article. CSC isn't
another doodle-brained dancefloor schmaltz outfit. This tribe of two-bass players, a metalbox percussionist and
sound-byte sample guru create gut-wrenching, avant-shard terrorism. "Ask Questions Later" attacks your frontal
lobe like some sort of post-Phillip Glass classical train wreck, due to the dense and elaborate orchestration.
Lastyear, CSC reduced the Blind Pig to a pile of smoldering rubble. Tomorrow night, they take on the foundation of
Detroit's St Andrews Hall, along with art-grungesters Quicksand and Helmet's sonic cousins, Surgery. Tickets are
$8.50 (in advance), all ages are welcome, and doors open at 7:30 p.m. Bring your pith helmet, unless you wanna
leave with a plaster-caked and bleeding head. Notfor the faint of heart.
Pantera's angry vision
by Kristen Knudsen
No one who has trudged through a rally in the Diag would argue with the
assertion that the world has some problems. Racism, AIDS, the deficit, police
brutality (and/or stupidity). Whose piss-poor excuse is this for a world? Indeed a
good question, posed by Pantera on their first album "Cowboys From Hell." The
anger continues on their second, "Vulgar Display of Power," wherein Pantera is
self-described as "fucking hostile." But, again, this is not without reason. Vocalist
Philip Anselmo, guitarist Diamond Darrell, drummer Vinnie Paul and bassist Rex
have witnessed and endured enough of what Rex called "corporate fuckin'
bullshit" to know that they don't like it. Their fairly resolute decision to stop
making videos for an unsupportive MTV and release them instead on home video
is just one response of many to the unfortunate state of affairs in America today.
"'It's a pretty fucked up system," Rex said of the country's corruption in
general. "Wejust have control freaks, police trying to arrest you for ajoint instead
of tackling some fuckin' major problem down, just 'cause of the way you look or
whatever."
Pantera's view might sound negative, but deeper inspection of their lyrics
reveals their constructive desire to see a change; even a hope that we can "unite
and rise." In this way, Rex said that Pantera's aggression is released "through a
positive channel." But the statement-packed songs are not in any respect meant to
be political.
"It's written from Phil's perspective of whathe sees everyday and the songs are
just stuff that pisses him off from his point of view that certain day, but it's not
saying politically let's go (and revolt, etc.). That's not the kind of band we are,"
Rex clarified. "It's not saying we can change the world; it's saying if you see this
same kind of thing maybe you can relate to what we're doing."
Basically what they're doing is making some pretty intense music, not
recommended for those of the fragile heart (or eardrums). The music features a
sound known by those-in-the-know as Power Groove, the heavy background
which both matches and demands the harsh lyrics. "It's just an aggressive style of
music and you can't write about daisies, or talk about walking through a field in
the mist and the dew," Rex joked.
Although he promised that Pantera's next album, which could be ready by the
' end of the year, will be "fuckin' heavy," Rex assured that Pantera's anger does not
control their lives. "We get angry about different things but we have a good time
just like anybody else, and we don't sit around just pissed at everything," he
laughed.
The outlet for Pantera's anger is their music, but like Rex said, the point is not
to change the world. As far as change goes, Rex so eloquently concluded, "It's a
long fuckin' road."
Man, when these guys are mad, they're really mad - and when they're right,
they're right.
PA7NTERiAwiTf appear tomorrow night at 7p.m. with SACRED REICH at the
State Theatre in Detroit. Doors open at 6. Tickets were $18.50, but sorry it's
completely sold out.
Morsel More Than a Mouthful
Morsel. Baby. Where have ya been all my life? Why did you have to wait
this long to nonchalantly waltz into my life? Why did I have to discover one
of the most creatively fantastic and downright brilliant bands Ann Arbor's
ever produced now, mere months before my departure from our fair burg?
When an advance copy of their "G.IB.LE.T." ep mysteriously showed up
on my doorstep, I had to wonder, "What is this?" Well, let me tell ya - this
is crash and burn, this is apocalypse noize, this is it- Think Jane's
Addiction on more estrogen and less smack. Crunch 'n' munch riffs
battling power saws and she-devil, flute-treated vox. Kamikaze guitars
plunging gleefully to their deaths, while one big mess o' drums drop-kick
the whole mess into another dimension.
Tonight Morsel celebrates the release of this slice of hellish heaven at
Ypsi's Cross Street Station (511 W. Cross) with equally amazing bliss
merchants Billy opening. If you ain't got a car, walk, catch the bus.
Aloha Entertainment' s 4~4 24
T AT E T H E AT E 4 HOUR
on State St. at Liberty MOVIELINE
Golden Globe
Shirley MacLaine ass
Kathy Bates " Jessica Tandy
Tom CRWSE * Du MooiE
JACK NicHoLsoN
NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE
2:00* 4:30 7:00 9:39 11:45* 2:00* 4:30 7:00 9:30 11:45*
*PLEASE NOTE: 2: Show Sat/Sun Only " 11:45Show Fri/Sat Only
Pantera says: whose piss-poor excuse is this for a world?
mill
T
t
;'
he Office of Minority Affairs
is now accepting applications
for Student Leader positions for the
Wade H. McCree, Jr. Incentive Scholars
Summer Program.
Student Leaders work with a diverse group of high
school students from the Detroit Metropolitan area who
have been designated as University of Michigan Incentive
Scholars. Student Leaders reside in the residence halls
with the scholars and serve as role models and guides.
Thva orrvide information about the trials and
11
11
11