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Want to see some great dancing? Check out Impact Dance Theatre
at the Mendelssohn Theater tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. Impact,
UAC's dance company, will present its annual show featuring jazz,
lyrical and funk performances. Tickets are $4 in advance or $5 at
the door. For more information, call UAC at 763-1107.

Friday
February 21, 1997

5


.X-FILES' MARKS THE SPOT
Sci-fi thriller is the place to be on TV

By Michael Zilberman
1Daily Arts Writer
By the time "The X-Files" effortless-
ly swept three major categories at the
' Iden Globes last month, the paranor-
1 drama has officially transcended its
dubious tag of "TV's hottest show" for
a status of, quite simply, the best.
Over the course of its 3 1/2 years, the
series has pulled off a rare stunt ha
ing risen from a bottom-dieo
Nielsen oddity to a frequent T Z0 vis-
itor without spilling a drop of artistic
credibility. TV critics will perhaps
spend more time than that trying to pin-
int the magic formula concocted by
'Trmer surf-mag writer Chris Carter,
Cookie-cutter "X-Files" clones a
already descending on prime time likv.
the parachuting Elvises ofr
"Honeymoon In Vegas." The only real
purpose they serve, however, is to mag-
nify the strengths of the original - the
sharp writing, the cinematography
that's moodier and more stylish than a
weekly show is permitted to be, and the
nique intellectual chemistry within the
lst.
Not the least of all, the series owes its
success to a bevy of first-rate support,
ing actors. There are discoveries like
Zeljko Ivanek and effective cameos
from talented, if purposely oddly cast,
guests: Peter Boyle as a doomed clair-
Wacky
Giants
tealr UP
psl anti
UBy Use Harwin
Daily Music Editor
, When They Might Be Giants are
headliners, you can always be sure that
you'll get your money's worth and
Wednesday night was no exception.
Playing no less than 25 songs, the
Giants kept up a high-speed pace
throughout the evening, bringing new
fe to Ypsilanti.
From the start, the show was a treat
not to be missed. Opening with "Spider,"
from the album "Apollo 18" the Giants
started off on a decidedly weird note
which carried through to the rest of their
performance. Though there were no
impromptu performances of ditties such
as Elvis' "Burnin'
Love," which the R
Giants have been
known to do on
zcasion, the band
still managed to Pease A
have enough tricks
up their proverbial
sleeves to keep the audience amused
throughout the two hour show.
The show's material was split fairly
equally between songs off of the band's
latest album, "Factory Showroom," and
older favorites. Though the audience was
not as familiar with the new tunes, main-
y due to the fact that the singles have
received virtually no airplay as yet, the
response to previous hits like "Birdhouse
In Your Soul" "The Guitar" and "She Us
Actual Size" was stupendous. Other
songs from previously released albums
were "Dig My Grave," "Twistin',
"Istanbul" and "Sleeping In the Flowers."
The rest of the show was comprised pri-
marily of songs off of "Factory
Showroom" with some unreleased tracks

rown in for good measure.
In fact, it was these songs from the
newest album with which the Giants had
the most fun. Take, for example,
"Exquisite Dead Guy," which was sung,
well, by two ventriloquist puppet heads.
You see, the two Johns (Flansburgh and
Linnell) had these two heads mounted

voyant and Jodie Foster as a disembod-
ied killer voice, for instance. And then,
there are the recurring actors.
As an old Hollywood maxim goes, a
good sidekick and villain equal a good
hero. "The X-Files" gives u :;hetor-
tured A.D. Skinner ( i ||||ggO, an
FBI functionay trt. .nduty and
discipii ia 1-written bad
asionally e g the tragic-
bero realm; and K one Gunmen,

professior

ing itheprota
every othe at
Complyig
The Mihigan
e rs Wose ci
a|| |an1ythe
vide the sho,
tion: an intr
comic relieft ' .

gor

paranoiacs assist-
(and bunghig
e ave nixim,
interewed two
- Cancer Man
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villain q < god

tuoso, he had just managed to squeeze
in an evening performance between two
back-to-back shoots on the series'
Vancouver set.
Haglund never knows when his fraz-
zled alter ego will appear in an episode.
So far, Langly was featured in more than
20, sometimes written in at the last
minute and forced to react on fairly
short notice. Haglund's contract with the
show has a clause that probably makes
:im booking nightmare for comedy
ubs ross the continent - he has a
_ht fo pull out of any theatrical com-
mitment if it conflicts with the shoot.
No matter how tight and controlled
the show's schedule, the producers still
encourage actors to create their own
twists on individual lines and situations.
Some of Langly's features are pure
Hag . "The Ramones T-shirt is
rd the actor. "I just wore it the
and now they keep bringing it
back. The costume designer now proba-
bly has a closet full of identical
Ramones T-shirts."
The shooting of all the scenes involv-
ing the Lone Gunmen is a convoluted
process, as one of the trio, Frohike
(Tom Braidwood), also happens to be
the show's assistant director. "It's
funny," Haglund commented, "he will
be acting in a scene one moment, run-
ning around with his cellular phone

Sa
g v

David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson pay a visit to Dean Haglund on "The X-FlIes."

The first ::nversation w|||| t|ean
Haglund lasted about 15 seconds, but
provided an i trtoig visual. "Sorry,"
efp1ained the actor playing the part of
Langly, the flipped-out computer hack-
er. "They're calling from the set. Gotta
go sit in the sewer with a lap-top for
another five hours."
Sixteen hours later, Haglund sounded
vaguely apologetic but happy. A work-
ing stand-up comedian and improv vir-

shouting 'We need more lights!' or
something like that a moment later, then
immediately return to character and do
another take."
The "X-Files" insiders are under-
standably prohibited from divulging the
information on the show's not-yet-
broadcast episodes, as Haglund proudly
pointed out. Several minutes later, how-
ever, he got a little carried away. "The
Gunmen are helping Mulder in the
field. He has to break into this top-
secret medical facility, and we hack its
security system." Medical facility?
Could it have something to do with the

much-discussed new plot development,
Scully getting cancer? Haglund imme-
diately clammed up, which was taken as
a "yes."
The toll the Lone Gunmen mentality
is taking on the popular consciousness
can be seen in the eponymous conspira-
cy-obsessed magazine available on the
Internet. "Yeah, I've heard about 'The
Lone Gunmen' on the Web," said
Haglund. "I think it's great. I myself
maintain a homepage with some show-
related stuff. It's at
http://ww deanx.com. I also answer all
my e-mail."

Haglund's live performances boast an
"X-Files"-themed improvisation
involving members of the audience,
"The people shout out plotlines, and I
play most of the characters," explained
the actor. "You know how in the first,
minute of every episode, some shmoe
dies and then they roll the title
sequence? I play that guy, then Mulder,
Skinner, whoever."
Could anything taken from the
improv end up in an episode?
"Doubtful. The ideas people are throw-
ing at me are pretty far-fetched. Last
See X-FILES, Page 8

'U' Bands celebrate anniversary with concert

By Stephanie Love
Daily Arts Writer
On February 22, 1897, the premiere
performance of a University band was
celebrated by a parade through the mud
on State Street. Tomorrow night, the
world-renowned Symphony Band,
under the direction
of H. Robert PR
Reynolds, director
of University
Bands, commemo- Sy
rates that first per-
formance with a
Centennial
Concert in Hill Auditorium.
The performance marks the kickoff
event in a year long series of concerts
and celebrations in honor of the 100th
anniversary of Michigan Bands.
Saturday's concert features the first of
four commissioned works, Michigan
faculty composer Evan Chambers'
"Polka Nation." In addition, more than
60 band alumnus will return to take part
in the final piece of the concert,
Grainger's "Irish Tune from County

R1
mp

Derry." Other commissioned com-'
posers from University faculty include
William Albright, Michael Daughterty
and William Bolcom.
According to Reynolds, a band
member from 1952-56 and 1957-58,
"perhaps the greatest tradition the
band maintains is
E u Ethat of change. The
band has been
University evolving and
>hony Band changing constant-
Saturday at 8 p.m. ly throughout the
Hill Auditorium, Free eras. Now it has
become a tradition
to be current, and a leader in innova-
tions, creativity and new thinking
while honoring the contributions of
those who have given so much to the
Michigan Bands."
The fall of 1897 marked the first
appearance of the band at football
games, and after the historic win over the
University of Chicago in 1898, Louis
Elbel decided that the band needed a
new song besides "A Hot Time in the
Old Town Tonight." "The Victors" was

written to commemorate the occasion.
Between 1906 and 1915 football
crowds saw the formation of the first
block "M" at halftime, and in 1915, the
band was officially incorporated as a
part of the University. 1915 also
marked the band's first performance-in
the newly built Hill Auditorium.
"The standards of the bands have
been well-known for generations and
have set bench marks for bands
throughout the country and the world.
Well-known for their high level of
musicianship and standards were
Nicholas Falcone and William Revelli,
both former Directors of Bands at
Michigan," Reynolds said.
Under Falcone's leadership, the band
increased in size as well as beginning
the transformation into a symphonic

organization. Revelli continued that tra-
dition, expanding the band program
even further. Under his direction, the
Michigan Marching Band became a
household name.
The Symphony Band will mark the
centennial with a variety of events. The
group will tour in Pennsylvania and
Virginia, culminating with a concert at
Carnegie Hall on May 9. Saxophonist
Timothy McAllister, a School of Music
graduate student, is the featured soloist
on the tour.
"If organizations such as the
Michigan Bands are to be consistent
with the philosophies of the great uni-
versities, they must not only look'to
their rich heritage but also to the innov-
ative contributions they make to the
future," Reynolds said.

They Might Be Giants - NOT!
on 10-foot poles which "sang" when
they pulled on the mouth strings. Sounds
bizarre? It was truly something that
words can't describe, but this is the kind

of craziness that
EVIEW
They Might
Be Giants
uditorium, EMU
Feb. 19, 1997

makes the Giants'
shows so amusing.
You never know
what they're going
to do next or how
they're going to top
what they just did.
Case in point:
After the heads on

I W-M"

the sticks, they set off a cannon filled
with confetti for "James K. Polk." Other
songs from "Factory Showroom" includ-
ed more mundane versions of "Your
Own Worst Enemy," a super-fast "Until
My Head Falls Off" and a sizzling ver-
sion of "S-E-X-X-Y" which was natu-
rally dedicated to John Flansburgh's "one
true love - the ladies"
All humor and fun aside, true They
Might Be Giants aficionados do have
much to look forward to in the future.
As the Johns reminded everyone, there
will be a CD coming out in approxi-
mately three weeks which contains 72
songs (the first two albums plus many,
many B-sides), and if our luck holds
out, the unreleased songs heard at the
concert (one in particular about the
band getting lost driving) may well be
found on CD in the coming year. But,
until then, die-hard fans can always go
visit the Giants in New York City. As
both John Flansburgh and the song
"New York City" suggest, "Why don't
you come to stay?"

VARSITY
TENNIS
CENTER

The University of Michigan
School of Music
Friday, February 21
University Choir and Chamber Choir
Jerry Blackstone and Theodore Morrison, conductors
James Kibbie, organist
* Kodaly: Missa Brevis
* music of Schubert, Dohnanyi and Chatman
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 22
Symphony Band
UM Bands 100th Anniversary Concert
H. Robert Reynolds, Kevin Sedatole,
Tania Miller, conductors
* Chambers :"Polka Nation"
- Shostakovich: Festive Overture
" Hoist: Suite No. I in E-flat
" Tanese/Falcone: Grand Symphonic March
* Grainger: Lincolnshire Posy
* Grainger: "Irish Tune" from County Derry
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Music Link Contemporary Concert
McIntosh Theatre, E. V. Moore Bldg., 3 p.m.
Tuesday, February 25
University Symphony Orchestra
Kenneth Kiesler, conductor
Xiang Gao, violin, Concerto Competition winner
Heather Zimmerman, violin, Concerto Competition winner
" Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger
" Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2
* Elgar: Violin Concerto (first movement)
" Britten: "Four Sea Interludes" and "Passacaglia"
from Peter Grimes
Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m.
Thursday, February 27
Music Engineering Seminar Series
"Exploring Instrument Consistency in Synthetic
Instrument Design"
,- ,---.nrt-r-1 T. ' vrc.. yof AAMi[hiorn



SIEMENS
Engineering Information & Recruiting Sessions
University of Michigan
February 24th & 25th
Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc, the world leader in the design and
installation of postal automation equipment, is recruiting Michigan
graduates. Based out of Southeast Michigan, we are currently seeking
Software, Controls, and Mechanical Engineers who work well in a team
environment and have excellent technical, organizational, and interpersonal
skills. As part of our team, you will travel 50-70% of the time in the US
working with senior engineers in designing and integrating postal and
package automation systems.
We offer excellent career growth opportunities at the forefront of
technology with a competitive salary and attractive benefits. Please stop by
n, i nfnrmatnno C-ccinn andi andi learn more about ie menrouirpnoduc't,