...s. 3p Atdi u N A littleiackopierce Wanna hear some southern-fried acoustic rock? Jackopierce, those Texan melodic rockers are making their way to the Blind Pig tonight. Come check 'em out for a mere $10. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are available at Schoolkids' and the Michigan Union Ticket office. Tuesday February 20, 1996 5 Dead fun when Mn 'Denver' By Kristin Long Daily Arts Writer Some movies can leave you feeling g ; some can leave you with a tear in your eye; some can make you angry; and some can even leave you a little scared. The film "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead," however, touches upon each of these emotions, leaving its audience with a feeling of awe as they exit the theater. It is a profound story of the life of a mobster-turned-business man who has *en hired to do a job that should make him financially set for life. Andy Garcia stars as the smooth-talking Jimmy "the Saint," whose task is to round up his old buddies and carry out the tedious duty. The film begins with rather degrading digs toward homosexuals. The audience is given the initial impression that the film will be nothing but killings, repeated ob- scenities andthebashingofvariousgroups in society. After the initial introduction, bashing ends and the film explodes Wto the heart of its story. "Denver" has its share of blood and guts, but because it is displayed in a tasteful manner, we cannot classify the film as a kill-fest. The central characters are given a job by "The Man With The Plan" (Christopher Walken) to scare his psychopathic son's ex-girlfriend's new love, so that she may run back to the son. Confused? Good -- that's how you ll be for a great deal of the movie. het, it is not a bad confusion where you are lost in the mix, but a confusion that REVIEW Things to do in Denver When You're Dead O Directed by Gary Felder with Andy Garcia and Gabrielle Anwar At State enhances the intricacies of the plot. Needless to say, the plan goes sour. As "The Man" says, the fellas become "buckwheats." He sends the gruesome *r. Shhh to seek and destroy them. ayed by Steve Buscemi, Mr. Shhh has Ann Arbor Summer Festival 1996 Season The Ann Arbor Summer Festival kicked off its season last Saturday with a "wlnter warm-Up" concert featuring the incomparable Patti LuPone and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. The following is a partial list of the Summer St season. June 14. Top of the Park Opens June 15: The Chenille Sisters June 16: Poncho Sanchez JXune 17: Mur-Mur. Jun 18 Johnny Cash: June 20: The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra June 21: TBA June 22: Urban Bush Women ne 23: Kid's Day at the Top of the Park June 24; The Sisters of Glory June 25: American String Workshop. June 26: The Mavericks June 27: Dance Gallery/Peter Sparling &Co. June 28: The Billy Taylor Trio June 29: TBA June 30: David Parker - Melissa Rose Bernard Punk Mr. T: Are you experienced? By Brian A. Gnatt Daily Music Editor Known as much for its name as for its music, Berkeley's Mr. T Experience isn't just another one ofthose three-chord Cal- punk flavor of the month bands. They're the original East Bay thing. Before Rancid, Green Day or Opera- tion Ivy even formed, The Mr. T Expe- rience was playing pizza parlors and laundromats in the town that would sometime down the line, turn into a hotbed for a new and innovative punk rock movement. Dr. Frank, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of The Mr. T Experience, remembers the days ofGreen Day open- ing for his band in living rooms and basements around Berkeley. Things have changed a bit in the past few years, but the bands are still playing together, albeit with Green Day headlining this time on their upcoming European sta- dium tour. Dr. Frank said he could deal. After 10 years of playing his punk heart out in The Mr. T Experience, 3.1- year-old Frank said he is content put- ting out great records, even if he isn't a MR. T EXPERIENCE Where: The Shelter When: Tonight. Doors 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $6 At Michigan Union Ticket office. larger-than-life rock star. As a part of Berkeley's Lookout Records original core ofhard-hittingpop-punkers, Frank said The Mr. T Experience has come farther than he ever expected. "The idea of The Mr. T Experience being mega-super-pop-stars is so far- fetched, and The Mr. T Experience even making another record each time we do it is so far fetched, that I don't think any record mogul is really going to take us seriously," Dr. Frank said in a recent telephone interview from New Jersey. "With a couple of notable ex- ceptions, I think the magic of East Bay punk hasn't really reaped the awards they expected. Some of the bands that made thatjump to majorlabels haven't done all that well. "We sure could do a lot worse than being on Lookout Records," he contin- ued. "Lookout loves us like a mother loves her retarded child. No matter how many bad things we do, no matter how many things we break, and no matter how much we drool on ourselves, they'll still stick by us and let us go on to break more things and drool on ourselvesagain. I can say that David Geffen probably wouldn't allow you to break more than a few things, and I don't think he'd like this drooling thing we're always doing, so I think Lookout Records is a much more homey place to be." With band-mates Jym (drums) and Joel (bass), Dr. Frank writes and records the band's thrilling and energetic pop- punk masterpieces. Released last month, the band's latest record "Love Is Dead" cooks up another batch of Mr. T songs all about love, loss, relationships, and Prozac. The band's seventh record is their most cohesive release to date, packed full with 16 new ditties in the band's classic 2 1/2 minute packages of punk delight. "It's the best execution of the concept that we've ever managed to come up See MR. T, Page 8 Gabrielle Anwar Is a babe. the physique of a total wimp; however, he is rather eerie and intimidating. The majority of the plot deals with the guys hiding from the assassin. Jimmy, as the middle man, feels it is his job to help them find refuge. They have all found new lives, and this devastating event gives their stories an uncomfortable twist. Joe Heff (Jack Warden) narrates this tale to patrons at a malt shop, appropri- ately a favorite meeting place ofthe gang. At first, it is hard to understand what he is trying to say: once the plot starts moving, however, he is a constant figure that puts the movie in perspective. One of the guys, Franchise (William Forsythe), has a wife and kids to protect. He is the stable, full-liearted individual whose sensibility keeps the group grounded. The othermembers ofthegroup have rather peculiar life-styles. For ex- ample, Pieces (Christopher Lloyd) runs films in a sleazy porn theater. Critical Bill (Treat Williams), a de- ranged lunatic, works in a funeral home and preps bodies. He is paranoid and insists on having extremely high secu- rity in his home. Then there is East Wind (Bill Nunn) who has a small role as the one-time jail man who now works at Ike's Pest Control. This flick even has its share of ro- mance, which is, perhaps, the most en- joyable aspect of the film. In a bar, Jimmy encounters the ever-beautiful Dagney (Gabrielle Anwar), who steals his heart at the wrong time in his life. He has the most powerful line: "You can go years without a Dagney and then you meet one." Their rendezvous is classy and more than appropriate in the film. Garcia's character is astonishing. He is the guy that gets thejob done;even though it's a dishonest job, he'll be there to take the blame when things fall apart. He wants all that any decent man would want, but is willing to surrender his own aspirations to make his loved ones happy. In a way, everything moral, social and political about "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead" is wrong. This is probably what makes this film so incred- ible and thought-provoking. Although it does not have that happy-feel-good effect about it, "Denver" is definitely worth the price of admission. 311 opened the show for Cypress Hill at the State Theater on Friday night. MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily Cheryl Wheeler Mrs. Pinocci's Guitar Philo countless other folk records. Here, though, old sentiments like those are somehow given new grace by the quiet glow of the melodies. It's hard not to become entranced by the gentle sway of songs like "So Far to Fall," "Piper" and "Further & Further Away." Wheeler is a mature singer who avoids over-sentimentalizing her easiest lyri- cal targets. On the standout title track, her simple vocal filigrees bring out the sweeter side of the lyrics, which pay loving homage to guitars and old friends. As an added bonus, Wheeler has a sharp satirical side that, by some accounts, shows up more in live performance than it does on record. The best example of it here is "TV." In that song, she pokes fun at America's TV culture by way of a lament over all the prime-time goodies ("bowling shows, old guys fishin'/ bald guy stuff, psychic network") that get missed when the power goes out. She takes even more direct aim at those who hate all things liberal on "Makes Good Sense to Me." Such people are obviously some of Wheeler's least favorite folks. Sarcasm pours out of the speakers as she sings lines like: "While we're repealing those gun laws/let's re- peal those murder laws too." Those songs add a bit of an edge to a record that probably needed it. If Wheeler were to marry her best melodies to lyrics with convictions as strong as the ones in her satirical songs, she would probably fulfill the great promise she shows on this record. - Brian Duignan See RECORDS, Page 8 Listening to a fine out-of-nowhere al- bum always reminds me ofthe possibility that the best singer-songwriters are often those whom most people have never heard of. With her new record, Cheryl Wheeler joins my list of exciting artists who have - throughout the course of their careers - penned far more songs than auto- graphs. That list includespeople like Mary Karlzen and Grant MacLennan. All are talents who deserve not to be forgotten. With the exception of the hummable pop anthem "Does the Future Look Black," the record is nearly all straight folk. Its lyrics are filled with the same sort of memories and melancholic musings on love that can be found on YMCA e STORER CAMPS is recruiting and interviewing on your campus for Summer Camp coun- selors and Outdoor Environmental Education program instructors. Our beautiful 1200 acre camp is nestled in the Irish Hills of SE Michigan. r,,.. SUMMER *ADVENTURE TRIPS *EQUESTRIAN PROGRAMS *WATERFRONT ACTIVIrTIS 'CLIMBING TOWERS/ROPES COURSES OEE *ROOM AND BOARD *LARGEST YMCA OEE *EXPERIENCAL TEACHING *HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS ** * * Zero ... Classic Excellent Good Fair Poor A Bomb AT U of M's INTERNSHIP & SUMMER JOB FAIR-FEB21 Centa, de tnSe 1all 3 ()t . t'traIll)S -In ecUitingl )(>rtnlitt/ tI stn« h1 si.ceek intenlsile (e('if )CS inc/I inU Spauiisl 2 (e rican an( ItinL Ierici' a. liist(Piry iteratUre. leop-a >nip and ChICano studies.