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26B - The Michigan Daily Best of Ann Arbor 1997 - Thursday, April 17, 1997
THF
1IST!
A weekly list ofwho's
where, what's happening and
why you need to be there ...
The Michigan Daily Best of Ann Arb
Sound and Fury
PLACES I'LL REMEMBER:
A FAREWELL TO ANN ARBOR
BY DEAN BAKOPOULOS
thursday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles' classic
tale surrounds the investigation of a newspa-
per magnate's life and mysterious last words.
Mich. 1 and 4:30 p.m. Free.
Unhook The Stars (1996) Nick Cassavetes
directs his mother Gena Rowlands as a widow
searching for purpose and fulfillment in life.
Also starring Marisa Tomei and Gerard
Depardieu. Mich. 7 p.m.
MUSIC
Dave Olney and Les Sampou Two
singer/songwriters who both play dynamic
and popular music. Sampou is touring in sup-
port of her release, "Fall From Grace." The
Ark. 8 p.m. Free.
Paula Cole Lots of female artists perform
with guests Holly Palmer and Tara Maclean.
Clutch Cargo's. 7 p.m. -(810) 333-2362.
Philo Beddow Indie rock from this Ann Arbor
band. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m.
Reverend Right Time
Saginaw. Rick's. 9:30
Superfunk from
p.m. Free.
THEATER
The Music Man "He's a what? He's a what?
He's a music man!" University Production's
last show, presented through the Musical
Theater Department. See Harold Hill and his
Boy's Band march through River City. Power
Center. 8 p.m. Sold out. 764-0450.
Old Times Harold Pinter's classic play, as pre-
sented by Basement Arts. A sweet reunion of
old friends turns sour as memories are manip-
ulated in a contest for power. Arena Theater.
7 p.m. Free. 764-6800.
The Pirates of Penzance A comic operetta by
the Gilbert & Sullivan Society. Young Frederic
is mistakenly apprenticed to pirates but all's
well 'til he falls in love with the major gener-
al's daughter. Mendelssohn Theater. 8 p.m.
Call for ticket prices. 763-1085.
Hot L Baltimore Jeff Daniels directs Lanford
Wilson's witty, moving adult comedy in his
directorial debut. Set in a once-glorious hotel
lobby, the play centers around residents and
staff who are facing eviction with its sched-
uled demolition. Purple Rose Theater, 137
Park St., Chelsea. 8 p.m. $10-$20. 475-7902.
ALTERNATIVES
Book Signing Bryan Cheyette and Jonathan
Freedman discuss their book, "Between
'Race' and Culture: Representations of 'The
Jew' in English and Ameriman Literature."
Shaman Drum. 4 to 6 p.m. Free.
Writing Lecture Author and University prof.
Charles Baxter lectures to teens about writ-
ing. Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth St.
7-7:45 p.m. Free.
CAMPUS CINEMA
When We Were Kings (1996) An Oscar-winner
for Best Documentary, this is the untold story
of Muhammad Ali's struggle to win back the
heavyweight title from George Foreman in Zaire
- "The Rumble in the Jungle." Mich. 7 p.m.
Dial M For Murder (1954) Grace Kelly stars
in this Hitchcock classic, which is being
shown in its original 3-D format as part of the
month-long 3-D festival. Mich. 9:30 p.m.
Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954) The
frightening kitsch classic gets the 3-D treatment
with this special presentation. Mich. 11:45 p.m.
,M U S I C
Brother Rabbit Feel-good college rock.
Rick's. 9:30 p.m. Free.
Violent Femmes A little punk, a little folk ...
just don't tell these guys to "Kiss Off." Hill
Auditorium. 8 p.m. $22.50 in advance. 763-
TKTS.
Jeru The Damaja With DJ Shadow who
brought us the fascinatingly experimental
"Endtroducing ... ." Majestic. 8 p.m. (810)
645-6666.
Joyride Funk covers and originals from band
containing several ex-Bucket members. Blind
Pig. 9:30 p.m.
RFD Boys Local bluegrass. The Ark. 8 p.m. $9.
THEATER
The Music Man See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Old Times See Thursday. 7 and 11 p.m.
The Pirates of Penzance See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Hot L Baltimore See Thursday 8 p.m.
ALTERNATIVES
Poetry Reading Ann Arbor writer David
Gewanter reads from his latest book of poems,
"In the Belly." Borders. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Writers Reception Shaman Drum hosts authors
in town for the "Contested Fights: Negotiating
Cultures" conference. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free.
saturday
dV
CAMPUS CINEMA
Storming Home (1997) Locally shot, this
satire about homelessness is unveiled to the
public for the first time in a free premiere
screening. Mich. 3 p.m.
Creature From The Black Lagoon See Friday.
5 p.m.
Unhook The Stars See Thursday. Mich. 7 p.m.
Michael (1996) John Travolta stars as a fall-
en angel in this blockbuster film from writer-
director Nora Ephron. Open-captioned. Angell
Aud. A. 8 and 11:30 p.m.
When We Were Kings See Friday. 9:15 p.m.
Alien (1979) Sigourney Weaver became a
star with this sci-fi classic directed by Ridley
Scott, about a space expedition that is inter-
rupted by a strange visitor. Mich. 11:15 p.m.
MUSIC
Botfly Funk-rock from East Lansing. Blind Pig.
9:30 p.m.
Deep Space Six Grateful Dead and '60s cover
tunes. Rick's. 9:30 p.m. Free.
Rankin Family Celtic originals by three sis-
ters who sing in harmony. The Ark. 8 p.m.
$13.50.
Wednesday morning, 8 a.m., Frank's
Restaurant, Maynard Street, Ann Arbor:
Waking up this early on an April morning
when frost still clings to the grass, you need
something hot hitting your belly. Breakfast at
Frank's Restaurant, with its simple decor. No
frills, interior the same as it was some 30 years
ago. Nowhere in the joint does one find smacks
of franchises or chains.
You order two eggs, sunny side up, wheat
toast, hash browns, short stack of pancakes and
hot coffee. Mabel never lets the coffee cup get
more than half-empty. The grill sizzles, the
crowd gets bigger. You sit there with two
friends, the conversation turns from the weather
to poetry to French toast. The conversation
turns to your impending graduation, and how
much you're going to miss this town. Sitting
there, in the corner of the smoking, section, a lit-
tle niche you've carved out in this small city;
you watch Ann Arbor waking up.
Ann Arbor is all about these niches, these spe-
cial places like Frank's, that make you feel like
you own the city, like the city's magic is meant
for you and your friends
only. The nice part is,
everyone feels that way: Ann Arb(
Everyone has their own a
favorite things about this
city, and mix those things n
together, and you have one
happy populace.. p ca
True, some cynics pop
up, slap rough epithets on Frank's
our fair city - call it k
provincial, pretentious or -
pompous. But notice they don't leave. They, too,
have something deep inside of them that makes
them stick around. A personal, special niche
they've carved out inside of the city.
And we share those niches. I'm sure there are
others out there who feel at home in the fiction
section of "Books In General" on State Street,
but when I'm in there, I feel like it's been built
just for me, like I'm uncovering a hidden mine
with precious gems from Malcolm Lowry to
Elmore Leonard.
There's countless places in Ann Arbor that
make it special to me. Sitting at Steve's Lunch
eating Be Bim Bop. Splitting a pitcher at the
Brown Jug, stopping to chat with Shakey Jake
as he visits from booth to booth. Watching a
flick at the Michigan Theater.
Sitting above the campus in a study carrel on
the sixth floor of the Grad, watching winter start
to shroud over South University Avenue in
shades of gray. Or skipping class and heading to
the banks of the Huron on the first day that a
strain of spring slips back into the air, riding
along the road on your bike, your headphones
tuned to the jazz and blues on WEMU.
Growing up in Southeastern Michigan, I
played among strip malls and asphalt. This area
0
----- our own. We can all find
a place in this city, be it the shelves of Shaman
Drum, a bar stool at Ashley's, a table at Mr.
Rib's, or a quiet spot under a tree in the Arb.
This city and its people, full of special places.
My list could go on and on, and it still might not
match yours.
Next fall, when the leaves change and rain
across the Law Quad, the banks of the Huron and
the sidewalks on South State in harmonies of
reds, oranges or yellows, I won't be here anymore.
Many of my friends will be gone too. I mean, you
can't stay in the same place forever, rights?
But lately, with the knowledge that I'll be leav-
ing town in a few short weeks, staying in the same
place forever suddenly doesn't seem so bad.
Good-bye,. and thanks for reading.
Out, out brief candle!
Lifes but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiotfull of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.
- Shakespeare's "Macbeth," (5.5.23-28)
Dean Bakopoulos may be reached via e-mail
at deanc@umich.edu.
is a land of cities either created or decimated by
the auto industry. Factories dotted the stretches
along the highway, franchise grocery stores sur-
rounded the schools. Places to play were limit-
ed to playgrounds or parking lots. It was an
impersonal way to grow up, coming of age in a
world where nothing seemed unique, or special.
Perhaps that's why Ilove Ann Arbor so much;
it was lucky enough to escape that erasing of
character, and emerged with a sense of indepen-
dence. In the center of this small, sometimes
sleepy, midwestern mecca, it seems we've part-
ly staved off the rest of the world. People who
don't like Ann Arbor are often quick to point out
that it serves as a false Eden to its residents, or
that ignores the rules of capitalism, earning it
the name "The People's Republic of Ann
Arbor."
And this is true to some extent, Ann Arbor is
almost a fairy-tale land when contrasted with
other cities along the Rust Belt. We have three
independent pharmacies, in a world where insur-
ance companies have made that sort of business
unprofitable. We have independent video stores,
burger joints, book
S ashops, bars, music stores,
iSa groceries, movie the-
aters, radio stations and
use coffee joints; all of them
surviving among a world
Bese of BurgersKings and
acesike There's so many
places to be in this city,
. . so many niches to make
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The Best of
Ann Arbor 1997
IAkekend
M AG AZ INYE
Best of Ann Arbor 1997 Editors:
Greg Parker
E
Best of Ann Arbor 1997 Photo Editor: Margaret Myers.
Writers: Dean Bakopoulos, Brian A. Gnatt, Use Harwin, Bryan Lark, Elizabeth Lucas, James Miller, G
Jim Rose, Elan Stavros, Christopher Tkaczyk and James Wilson.
Photographers: Josh Biggs, Jennifer Bradley-Swift, Aja Dekleva Cohen, Mark Friedman, Rob Gilmore, ,
Jonathan Summer, Joe Westrate and Warren Zinn.
Cover design by Greg Parker. Cover photographs, clockwise from bottom-left: English Prof. Ralph Willi
Brenden Morrison - photo by Mark Friedman; Graffiti in "The Gallery" - photo by Mars
Graphics Editor: Tracey Harris.
Arts Editors: Brian A. Gnatt and Jennifer Petinski.
Special Sections Manager: Meagan Moore.
Editor mn Chief: Josh White.
iris DeMent will perform at the Michigan Theater this Wednesday.