10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, September 12, 1997 Rockets to explode at Fox By Anders Smith-Lindall Daily Arts Writer "I want it to be like Foghat with Hank Williams singing," the gruff voice at the other end of the phone said, the speak- er's slight drawl punctuated with a laugh. The voice in the receiver was that of Brian Henneman, the singer, lead gui- tarist, and chief songwriter of the Bottle Rockets, trying to describe how exactly he wants his band to sound. While the Bottle Rockets have been their old buddies in Son Volt and Wilco into the so-called "alternative-country" or "No Depression" genre, they "never aimed to be this little cult country-rock band," Henneman said. "We're an old- fashioned rock band - a BTO, Foghat kind of thing, but without the stupid lyrics." lumped along with PRE Opeir Tomorrow at Thef son,' Henneman said. "It's like, 'Man, it just can't get no worse than this.' It becomes a funny moment to me when you hit the rock bottom. I just keep that in me, and it comes out (when I'm) writing lyrics." In this way, his wry tales recall folk troubadour John Prine, who Henneman cites as an influence. Other songwriters and bands among the eclectic array of performers to whom he tips his cap include Hank Williams, Tom Petty, the Kinks' Ray Davies, Cheap Trick and Lynyrd Skynyrd. "A lot of people just hear the name Skynyrd and instantly write them off," E V I E W Henneman said. "But they combined it - The Bottle a decent lyric with hard, good rock." Rockets And so do the Bottle Rockets. In fact, it is the lyrics that set the band apart. ing for John Fogerty Henneman is known for not only his Fox Theatre, Detroit humor, his plain-spoken observations on Tomorrow, the Bottle Rockets appear at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, continuing their cross-country stint opening for John Fogerty's "Blue Moon Swamp" tour. Fogerty, who made his name with Creedence Clearwater Revival three decades ago, attracts fans of a demographic unfamiliar to the thirty-something Bottle Rockets - senior citizens. "It's interesting 'cause it's anywhere from teenagers all the way to people like 60, 65 years old in the crowd," Henneman said. "So you think, 'Wow, that's kinda weird,' but then you realize, 'Well, if they were 30 in '67, they're in their sixties now.'"1 But this hasn't stopped the Bo-Rox, as they are affection- ately known by their fans, from taking advantage of the chance to bring their brand of barn-burning stomp to a new, broader audience. In fact, they're eager for the chance to play the songs from their new album "24 Hours A Day," released on TAG/Atlantic Records in August after myriad delays. Turmoil at the label, which included the departure of the A&R reps who signed the band and a complete reshuffling of Atlantic's roster and priorities, caused the album to hit stores a year after it was actually recorded. Although the album is now out and the band is touring, their business difficulties are far from over, according to their leader. "Right now, it doesn't even feel like we have a record com- pany," Henneman said. "I can't tell what the hell the deal is with it.The record company has shown me nothing." Of the Bottle Rockets' status as a critically acclaimed but commercially ignored band on the giant Atlantic label, he said, "It's kinda like being a janitor at the White House.' Such self-deprecating, laugh-in-the-face-of-death humor has been a trademark of Henneman's songwriting on all three Bottle Rockets albums. His lyrics, often dominated by poignant and precise depictions of hardscrabble, small-town life, are leavened with healthy doses of laughter. ,"If things get really bad, I find myself laughing for no rea- affairs of the heart, and his dead-on depic- tions of rural Middle America, but also his intelligent and incisive political commentary. From the band's very beginnings, their songwriter's active social conscience has been evident: The b-side of their first single was the song "Wave That Flag," an anti-Confederate anthem that included the couplet "Maybe being a rebel ain't no big deal / but if somebody owned your ass, how would you feel?" Other progressively themed songs would follow, including "Kerosene ""Welfare Music," and the new album's "Rich Man." "This is redneck country out here," Henneman said of the rural Missouri area in which he grew up. "I can't explain why I don't just drink beer and hate everybody like all my friends. It's not like I was exposed to anything different than they were. But even in 'Wave That Flag,' I'm not going back to my friends and saying, 'Hey buddy, you're bad.' It's almost like casually talking under your breath at a party, wondering if they're even thinking about what they're doing. I don't want to preach about it ... it's never directed at anybody. "The thing I can never explain is just why I feel that way," he continued. "There's no reason for it; I have no guiding influences in that direction. I'm just trying to be, like, Rock Dude. But because I'm this goofball in the middle of it, it throws it into a weird, weird, weird place - which is very much reflected in (our) albums," he concluded with a laugh. Although the reasons behind Henneman's left-leaning political views may be unclear, he does remember the band that inspired him, at age 10, to pick up a guitar for the first time: Badfinger. "I was a little kid and I just loved this Badfinger song," Henneman remembered. "I didn't even know who it was - I thought it was the Beatles. When you're a little kid you think everything's the Beatles." By his mid-teens, Henneman had formed a "frat rock cover band," he recalled. "We played at high school talent shows, The Bottle Rockets, led by Brian Henneman (center), have developed an avid, diverse fan base while honing their music into "a BTO, Foghat kind of thing, but without the stupid lyrics." skating rinks, all those goofy places. We did 'Get Off My Cloud,' 'Louie Louie,' anything you could learn when you barely know how to play guitar." The ensuing years spent writing, playing, and touring cul- minated in the 1993 release of the Bottle Rockets' self-titled debut and 1994's rollicking "The Brooklyn Side." In the wake of the effusive praise for both records from critics nationwide, Atlantic signed the band away from the roots-oriented indie label ESD and re-released "The Brooklyn Side." Last summer's recording sessions for "24 Hours A Day" were the first the band had ever done for a major label and, according to Henneman, the process was dif- ficult. "We were bankrupt, we had changed management, we were making this record and the record company was just turning us loose in the studio?' Henneman remembered. "We didn't know if we were pleasing 'em or pissing 'em off. We didn't know if they even gave a shit - (we thought), 'Maybe we're just doing this and they're gonna throw it right in the trash can.' So we were very, very confused; almost depressed. It was almost like going back to the first days when you're (recording) in a basement and you don't even know who you're making it for." The result? "We went all over the board with it," Henneman said. "The difference between this one and the others is that we record- ed way more songs for this one. We recorded, like, 24 song when we did this, and then we actually picked and choses Tha made it difficult. ... But I like it." And so, with new record in hand, the band is back on the road, playing their songs and traveling towards an uncertain: destination. Henneman doesn't know when their leg of the Fogerty tour will end, and the prospect of a headlining tour to follow i equally cloudy. Complicating matters is the fact that the band's longtime bassist quit only a week before the current tour began. "I don't even know what our bass player situation is," Henneman said. "It's pretty freaky times for the Bottlerocke# right now. And I'm always the last to know everything. Just the other night, some guy from Atlantic was at the show and he comes up and says, 'So! I hear you're going out with Blues Traveler after this!' And I'm like, 'What? That is the FIRST I've ever heard of this, all right? I ain't never ieat ANYTHING about that.' Laughing, he continued, "I hope that this guy's predictions are not about to come true. But we got a good excuse, the per- fect bail-out plan: 'Uh, dude, we gotta get our bass player sit- uation straightened out.' It's good to have that emergency parachute back there." Instead of being subjected to John Popper for six weeks? "That's right. I can't even imagine it." Ontario's Stratford lies north of outstanding By Christopher Tkaczyk Daily Campus Arts Editor Every summer the traditional Shakespearean festivals start presenting their annual fare of the Bard's master- pieces. Among those that are more rec- ommended on this side of the world is the well-decorated and known Stratford Festival. This prestigious theatrical cen- ter has made it's home in Stratford, Ontario, since the early '50's, and R offers an average 1 of 10-12 produc- tions each season. Presenting a mix of S both classic unique shopping day among its interest- ing specialty shops, as well as first rate entertainment in an attractive setting. This season brings a large variety of classic and modern plays by Shakespeare, Sophocles, Arthur Miller, and Sean O'Casey. In order to make selection easier, should it be desired to travel to Stratford, four plays have been chosen as "Must The University of Michigan School of Music Sunday, September 14 Faculty Recital Arthur Greene, pianist; Hong-Mei Xiao, violist " Music by Schubert, Hindemith, Britten and Brahms Britton Recital Hall, E. V. Moore Bldg., 4p.m. Tuesday, September 16 Faculty Recital: Fenwick Smith, flutist Music of Copland, Marais, Brotons, Gubiadulina, Schubert Britton Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg., 8 p. m. All events are free and wheelchair accessible unless specified otherwise. The E.V. Moore Bldg. is located at 1100 Baits Drive, North Campus. t EVIEW the Stratford Festival ratford, Ontario Through Nov. 9.1997 See," and should be regarded as highly recommended. Considered by some to be one of Shakespeare's best works, "Richard III" exhibits the characteristics that Shakespeare come- dies and tragedies as well as more mod- ern pieces, the festival runs in repertory in three separate theaters using experi- enced Canadian players from the festi- val's troupe of professional actors. This year's theatrical season began in May and will continue until Nov. 9. If you and your group of friends are look- ing for some sort of quick, one day road trip, Stratford shouldn't be overlooked. Student prices are offered for certain performances, as well as other dis- counts. The city offers not only theater but delicious dining experiences, a define an archetype of bitter power. Serving well as Richard I, Stephen Ouimette shined and proved that the festival does indeed possess extraordi- nary talent. The entire production was visually dark with deep reds and mid- night black serving to encompass the sheer terror and ambition with which Richard III seeks vengeance. The story of Richard Ill surrounds a family of monarchs who Richard conspires to overcome in order to become king. The one main problem that surrounds his ambition is his physical congition. Having a slight hunchback and half crippled, Richard is physically handi- capped and comes up short when the image of Glorious King is bestowed upon him. The entire company of this production functions well; the acting is enormous and powerful. If you are not familiar with "Death of a Salesman," then you haven't been catching up on your University of Michigan history. For those who aren't catching on-this play was written by UM alumnus Arthur Miller. After see- ing Salesman performed by this extra- ordinarily talented Stratford cast, one cannot come away from the theater without having had a moving experi- ence. The story of Willy Loman fol- lows the life of a salesman who is los- ing everything he has ever earned and achieved. Al Waxman as Willy Loman 911116 U11vu611 IIVV. 8 a1. 1110 *7a1aa1V1u rOauY4 proves to be the best Willy since Dustin Hoffman performed the role for a filmed performance a few years back. The most moving performance of the entire festival is given by Martha Henry as Willy's wife Linda, the mother worn by serving her husband and sons for her entire life. Henry shouldn't be working at Stratford; this marvelous actress should be gracing American stages and screens and should eventually be earn- ing her share of Tonys and Oscars. If you can only afford to see one play at all this season - this is the one. Each year the festival presents one musical theater piece - this year "Camelot" was presented. The story of King Arthur is told splendidly by this cast as the genius of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe is remounted in classic American musical theater tradi- tion. What is most impressive is Tom McCamus as King Arthur-the leg- endary king who both pulled the sword from the stone and established his round table of knights. "Camelot" begins when Guenevere is brought to Camelot to marry King Arthur. Soon afterward, Guenevere falls in love with the handsome French knight Lancelot. Eventually the two lovers are discovered and King Arthur allows them to live happily without charging them with treason. McCamus' Arthur is respectable and likeable. You leave the theater admiring the man for his actions and the royal yet humble way in which he handles his situation. Besides the singing and acting, the costumes and set are spectacular and keep the r. V I IIn;IG!al. tragedies is "Coriolanus," the story of a Roman leader whose rise to power is surround by constant struggle within the Roman senate and the working class. Eventually, Coriolanus is odtra- cized by his supporters who turn 'on him, and he joins forces with her past arch-enemy. Political uprisings set he mood of this production, as the et ;c composed of iron rods that sprout from the stage in different patterns that eon@ stantly change throughout when 'tie actors use them both as props, and scenery. Reflective glass mirrors are fixed to the floor, creating a mystical world in which these Roman politicians and fighters are brought to a modern stage. Costumes are very modern-,-&rmy fighters are dressed in modern camou- flage and the senators all wear suits. The main aspect of this production lie in its dramatic fight scenes that carry the audience with excitement, and fright. Other productions include the fol- lowing: Putting together a production -of "Romeo and Juliet" so soon after-the recent Claire Danes/Leonardo DiCaprio Hollywood version was a dangerous move. Unfortunately, this production is disappointing and Teav° much to be desired. The casting of this new production of "Romeo and Juliet" seemed the ill-fated factor that e at's disappointment. The two lovers(por- trayed by Jonathan Cromi atd Marion Day) are sickeningly swet. "Harks You shall worship me, for I am the lovely Canadian star of 'Camelot,' run- nine thrnuaN N 9at The tratftord Fstival Do not make me wait." PARTHENON ~ FINE GREEK FOO GYROS & SHISH KABAS W~.Y'~"~SANDWICHES sCARRY OUT SERVICES- CHICKEN - STEAKS - PASTA LAMB CHOPS * LAMB SHISH 4KABABS MOUSAKA - PASTMO". DOLMADESK-SPINACH PIE GREEK SALADS &APASTRIES COMBINATION PLATES RILC. 'PCiTAiIfLJINU I II