148 ITe Michigan Daij Weeke Mag a -ni*41 hiday, October 16197
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The Michigan Daily Weekend Maga
A weekly guide to who's
where, what's happening and
* why you need to be there ...
SOUND OF THE STREETS
Ann Arbor's local bands create varied, ecle
thursday
friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Kiss Me, Guido (1997)
culture and sexuality in
Mich. 7 and 9 p.m.
An exploration into
Greenwich Village.
MUSIC
Dan Bern Wacky L.A. singer-songwriter
recently opened for Ani DiFranco. The Ark. 8
p.m. $5 with student ID.
Guitar Summit IV: Michael Heges, Herb Ellis,
Sharon Isbin, Rory Block Masters of the
instrLument come to campus. Rackham
Auditorium. 8 p.m. $22-$34.
Fool's Progress You may remember them as
Acoustic Junction. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m. $10
in advance.
Maypops Features three former members of
Kiss Me Screaming. Michigan League
Underground. 8 p.m. Free.
A L T ERNATIVES
Ave Maria Played Softly A family struggles
to survive Nazi Occupation and then the
Communist Revolution. World Premiere at
Performance Network, 408 W. Washington. 8
p.m. Thursday pay-what-you-can. Friday-
Sunday: $12, $9 students. 663-0681.
Baltimore Waltz Paula Vogel's award-winning
play about AIDS. Ann Arbor Civic Playhouse,
2275 Platt Rd. $14 for students. 971-AACT.
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk
National tour opens at Detroit's Fisher
Theater for a month-long run. Fisher Theater.
8 p.m. (313) 872-1000.
Lou Kasischke Mountain climber describing
his climb of Mount Everest. Ann Arbor
District Library. 7:00 p.m. Free.
The Marriage of Bette and Boo This witty,
yet hysterically dark comedy looks at the
marriage of a Catholic couple from the
1950's. Presented by U-M Department of
Theatre and Drama. Trueblood Theater, inside
the Frieze Building. 8 p.m. $7. 764-0450.
David Reynolds Wayne State University fac-
ulty member talking about his book,
"Derocracy Unbound: Progressive
Challenges to the Two Party System."
Borders. 7:30 p.m. Free.
Sweeney Todd The University's Department
of Musical Theater presents Sondheim's
musical thriller about a demented barber..
Menm Issohn Theater. 8 p.M. $7. 764-0450.
CAMPUS CINEMA
Branded to Kill (1967) Japanese satire of
that nation's censorship practices. Nat Sci
8:30 p.m. Free.
The Killer (1989) John Woo's stylized thriller
about an assassin's struggle after he acci-
dentally blinds a nightclub singer. Angell Hall
Aud. A 7 and 9 p.m.
Youth of the Beast (1963) Reminiscent of
the spaghetti westerns of Italy, this
Japanese western details the exploits of a
new gunslinger in a town ruled by rival
gangs. Nat. Sci. 7 p.m. Free.
MUSIC
Cesaria Evora World-renowned Cape Verde
diva enchants, Portuguese Creole-style.
Michigan Theater. 8 p.m. $30, $20.
Local H Keep it copacetic with Fig Dish and
Triple Fast Action. Blind Pig. 9:30 p.m. $12.
U-M Chamber Choir Jerry Blackstone con-
ducts Lauridsen's "Midwinter Songs." Hill
Auditorium. 8 p.m. Free.
58 Greene U-M a cappella group gives another
fine performance. Power Center. 8:30 p.m. $8.
ALTERNATIVES
Ave Maria Played Softly See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Baltimore Waltz See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk See
Thursday. 8 p.m.
Jessica Hagedorn Author of the acclaimed
"Dogeaters" celebrating the paperback
release of "The Gangster of Love." Shaman
Drum. 8 p.m. Free.
The Marriage of Bette and Boo See Thursday. 8
p.m.
Sweeney Todd See Thursday. 8 p.m.
satu rdy
science fiction drama features Harrison Ford
as a futuristic bounty hunter. Mich. 11 p.m.
Gabbeh (1996) This stunning Iranian film
traces the history of one family through their
sacred rug. Mich. 5:15 p.m.
Kiss Me, Guido See Thursday. Mich. 7 & 9 p.m.
Men in Black (1997) Director Barry
Sonnenfeld's humorous, self-referential take
on alien-invasion flicks stars Will Smith and
Tommy Lee Jones. Angell Hall Aud A 8 p.m.
MUSIC
Dance Hall Crashers Want to get your butt
a-shakin' with MXPX? Clutch Cargo's,
Pontiac. (248) 333-2362.
Howling Diablos Award-winning Detroit rock
band plays nearby gig. The Palladium,
Roseville. (810) 778-8151.
Motley Crue Plan to kickstart your heart
with Cheap Trick. The Palace at Auburn Hills.
8 p.m. $25.
moe. Upstate New York quartet recently
joined the roster at Sony. Blind Pig. 9:30
p.m. $10 in advance.
ALTERNATIVES
Ave Maria Played Softly See Thursday. 8 p.m.-
Baltimore Waltz See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk See
Thursday. 8 p.m.
Jay Finkelstein Signing his new book "Idle
Gossip." Aunt Agatha's Books. 12:30-2:00
p.m. Free.
The Marriage of Bette and Boo See Thursday.
8 p.m.
Paula Poundstone She gives her collegiate
audience a look at life's quirks for a special
Parent's Weekend performance. Hill
Auditorium. 8 p.m. $16 at MUTO. 763-TKTS.
Saturday Morning Physics: The Fate of the
Universe Dr. Greg Laughlin discusses the evo-
lution of the universe. 170 Denison. 10:30
a.m. Free.
Sweeney Todd See Thursday. 8 p.m.
sudayt
CAMPUS CINEMA
An American in Paris (1951) Vincente
Minne iss rousing musical stars Gene Kelly as
a WWII veteran who finds art and love in gay
Paree. Mich 5 p.m.t
By Gabrielle Schafer
IFor the D~aily
College towns have always been
breeding grounds for new and exper-
imental music. Ann Arbor's own local
music scene has a rich variety of
music groups, with everything from
avant-jazz to hip-hop influenced,
sample-heavy pop.
Eclectic is the key word in describ-
ing Ann Arbor's local bands, as musi-
cians experiment with different ksinds
of music in order to meld their influ-
ences into new forms of musical
expression.
Bands like Butterfly, Transmission,
Maschina, Poignant Plecostomus,
Morsel and Getaway Cruiser - com-
posed largely of students and recent
graduates - have established them-
selves in and around Ann Arbor and
have garnered a loyal fan base in the
process. While Ann Arbor bands may
differ in their apparent musical
styles, they share a commitment to
experimenting and pushing bound-
aries.
Jayson Tolzdorf, a club agent with
Prism Productions, books bands at
local venues such as the Blind Pig,
The Ark and the Michigan Theater.
According to Tolzdorf, who definite-
ly has his finger on the pulse of the
local music scene, "bands with a
groove-oriented' sound are doing
the best for themselves and local
clubs."
Tolzdorf said he likes to book
bands with an "eclectic style," and
cites Transmission, Getaway Cruiser,
Butterfly and Morsel among his
favorites. "The local music scene
here in Ann Arbor has a lot of eclec-
tic, cross-over bands who work a
number of different styles into their
music," said Tolzdorf.
This spirit of experimentation with
unformed musical genres among
local bands might explain the lack of
ska or purely hip-hop groups coming
from Ann Arbor. Tolzdorf cited
Ypsilanti and Detroit as examples of
cities where one might find more ska
and straight hip-hop music.
While any college music scene is
relatively transient, several Ann
Arbor bands have stood the test of
time. Morsel, whose sound is
described by Tolzdorf as "pop-decon-
structionism, rhythmically beautiful
controlled-chaos," has played in Ann
Arbor for several years and is still
regarded as a hugely original band.
Bands like Poignant Plecostomus and
Transmission possess what Tolzdorf
described as "an underlying hippie-
vibe with a funky groove," and have.
like Morsel, developed a faithful
local following.
Transmission is one band that has,
through tireless performing in and
around Ann Arbor, rightfully earned
this following. Playing an average of
six times per month, Transmission is
one of Ann Arbor's hardest-working
bands.
Transmission's groove-oriented
avant-jazz has been described as
"Ornette Coleman meets Primus."
Band members agree their sound is
hard to describe, as they incorporate
everything from funk to free jazz.
Transmission is highly acclaimed
among Ann Arbor jazz aficionados,
and was well received at this year's
Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival.
The band, with Eric Perney on
bass, Stuart Bogie on clarinet, Cohn
Stetson on saxophone and Andrew
Kitchen on drums, is involved in a
number of pending projects - aside
from its show every other Tuesday
night at Bird of Paradise (located at
207 S. Ashley St.). A CD is planned
for release in a few months, and a
tour with shows in Cleveland,
Pittburgh and New York City is
scheduled for Oct. 23-27.
Transmission will also play in Ann
Arbor's first annual "Edgefest" on
Saturday, Nov. 8. "Edgefest" is an all-
day event with shows at the Gypsy
Cafe, Kerrytown Concert Hall and
the Heidelberg, and will feature both
national and local acts.
Poignant Plecostomus, another
local favorite, will join Transmission
in playing at "Edgefest." Poignant
Plecostomus' sound is just as eclectic
and difficult to pin down as
Transmission's, and as guitarist
Tobey Summerfield said, "You just
have to hear it."
Members of Poignant Plecostomus
have been playing together for nearly
two years and draw on a number of
different influences for their music.
"We like ethnic music, we like east-
ern European music, and we like it
when the crowd has fun so we try to
keep it danceable," said
Summerfield. Because of its unique
instrumentation - a violin accompa-
nies keyboard, bass, guitar and drums
- and distinctive sound, Poignant
Plecostomus is definitely hard to cat-
egorize.
This eclecticism may not be as
accessible to student audiences as
straightforward pop sounds might be.
Stewart Bogie, Transmission's clarinetist, performs at a recent Blind Pig appe
"Jazz and jazz-related music will
always be the freaky little brother to
pop music," said Summerfield.
While Ann Arbor musicians are
experimenting with groundbreaking
new forms of music, student audi-
ences are not wholly receptive to the
new sounds. "People will spend 20
bucks to see the Samples but they
won't pay five bucks to see a local
band," Summerfield said.
This may have more to do with
lack of exposure for bands than any-
thing else. Rodel Borja, a junior in
the School of Architecture, mirrors
the sentiments of many students who
have just never heard of many of the
bands playing in Ann Arbor.
"Sometimes I'm skeptical of going
to see a local band because I'm not
sure what they'll sound like," Borja
said. "Even if they are publicized,
which they usually aren't, they're not
well-described. I would like to see
more written on what the b
sound like." For students like B
word of mouth proves to be the
dependable way to get informatic
local music.
Local bands in Ann Arbor
moved away from pop-oriented a
native sounds, or what is typi
thought of as "college music,"
are redefining musical styles
themselves. This shift in styles
explain why bands like Maschina
Poignant Plecostomus are not he
hold names yet among many
ments of the student population.
Seth Hitsky, lead singer
Maschina, agreed that v
Maschina is successful in its
right, "we would probably do
better if we were just a dance b,
Members of Maschina are all
dents or recent graduates of
School of Music, and their sou
described by Hitsky as having "
CAMPUS CINEMA
Animania Japanimation fun for the whole
family. MLB 3, 5 p.m.
Black Orpheus (1959) Classic award-winning
film that updates the Greek myth of Orpheus
in modern-day Rio De Janeiro. Nat. Sci. 7 and
9 p.m.
1WekeIlN
M A G A Z I m,
Weekend Magazine Editors:
Kristin Long
Weekend Magazine Photo Editor: Margaret Myers.
Writers: Joanne Alnajiar, Caryn Burtt, Chris Farah, Stephanie Love, Jennife
Gabrielle Schafer and Curtis Zimmermann.
Photographers: Bohdan Damian Cap, Bryan McLellan, Emily Nathan and P
Cover photograph by Bohdan Damian Cap: Colin Stetson, a member of Trar
Ann Arbor Bluesyand Jazz Festival.
Arts Editors: Bryan Lark an~d Jennifer Peisi :* .
Blade Runner- (1982)
Ridley Scott's classic