As seen on MTV, Tonic appears at St. Andrew's Hall in Detroit tonight. Producing hit after hit from their debut album "Lemon Parade," including "Open Up Your Eyes" and "If You Could Only See," Tonic puts on an intoxicating live show. So, don't sit around saying "If I could only see Tonic ... ." Just open up your eyes and go. 8 p.m. at St. Andrew's Hall. (313) 961-MELT Monday November 3, 1997 pop' goes the Silverdome: U2 revs up Motor City that durmg one son . This cxploitatio n-of-society thread has reached its height in Bono's sassy performance. once again posing for his own video camtemr, clhanting outfits and intmnersi n1 hnimself in the crowd at time. Yet the c,1al ai k al ed cth hlcm to reach out an1d touch t he atd icce '..veni more -_-intimtlhel cluatcd duct Ol 'Starintt at the Sun.' The full-color, nearly 50-foot-high video screen displayed countless imagcs and mo111ni-cartoons, allowing even the people in the upper level to see the entire show clearly in close-ups, Technicolor and spotlighting. And then there was the huge lemon, rotating and reflecting throughout the stadium as it opened and the band emerges, descending to the catwalk to play again. Later, that disco ball-iemon continued to spin and shine during U2's signature "Joshua Tree" ballad, "With Or Without You." Images of the 1992 "Zoo TV" tour's devil character appeared on the video screen during the "Batman Forever" soundtrack piece "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," a commentary on the societal corruption of a rock star. "PopMart" is very similar to "Zoo TV" with all the advanced technology, staging and efforts to reach the audience. Bono displayed this by repeating his ges- ture of inviting an individual, usually a woman, to dance on stage with him dur- ing one piece. With this and other gestures, U2 has achieved yet another precarious balance between two dichotomies: putting on the mega-show while making it feel like the audience is in a small club. This intimacy was reinforced by rous- ing sing-alongs of "New Year's Day" " Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "All I Want Is You" and the climac- tic "One." As a natural extension of "Zoo TV" and 1993's less-popular "Zooropa" album, U2, with "PopMart," has reached the pinnacle of bigness, while maintain- ing a sense of community with its sprawling fanbase. I can't wait to see where U2 can go from here. U2 lead singer Bono put on a strong, colorful performance In front of thousands of fans and one enormous TV screen at Friday's Silverdome show. still needs to be heard. The crowd bopped through most of the 2 1/2-hour set, trying to keep their eyes on the chameleon-like performance of Bono, sashaying and dancing about from the main stage to the winding b- stage/catwalk and back. Edge and the others joined him from time to time on the catwalk, which extended nearly halfway into the floor seats. Birthday-boy Mullen pounded away enthusiastically almost nonstop on the main stage, sporting his trademark gri- mace. Adam Clayton, however, was the only one to appear disappointingly unin- terested in the performance, standing still and aloof as he played his distinctive bass lines. Bono broke into "Happy Birthday" twice for Mullen, who was presented with a cake, complete with candles. As for the Halloween party, Bono coerced the crowd into coming on stage during the encore performance of "Mysterious Ways" -- five fans dressed in costumes danced with him and Edge. If U2 were any more friendly with the audience, they'd be sitting on its lap - oh, wait a minute, I think Bono did do Arresting 'Men' makes for good company As their game plays itself out, it becomes evident that Chad is so conniving and untrustworthy that we cannot accept at face value anything he tells his osten- sible friend Howard, let alone Christine. And Howard, in a way more frightening because he followed Chad into this arrangement, appears to develop genuine emotion for Christine. But Chad, handsome and V I E W charming, wins Christine's affec- e Company tions. Howard begins to unravel, of Men and the two men are set against one another, as their authentic per- sonalities emerge. We find that he Michigan Theater Chad is even more cruel and power-hungry than we at first sus- pected, and Howard is even more pathetic and unwill- ing to take a stand. In essence, Labute has constructed a comprehen- sive typology of the business world with these two characters. His sparkling and surprising script contin- ually manages to stay one step ahead of the audience. Its secrets are not revealed by the storyline. They are locked away in the hearts of its characters, dark and cold though they may be, so the truth is revealed grad- ually and in fragments. All the while, we fear that which we know to be the case. Though the film's portrayal of corporate culture pulls no punches, its anatomy of cruelty extends in significance beyond this sphere. Indeed, one hopes that viewers will not merely ascribe such cruelty to the corporate man, and fail to consider how the film's message applies to them. Everyone has been both the cruel instigator and the spineless follower. Of course, the function of satire is to bend, height- en and exaggerate these traits without severing their connection to reality. In his ambitious debut, Labute manages to do this and much more, creating a stag- gering, stunning masterpiece. Though this descriptor is overused in contemporary criticism, particularly by the Shalit-Siegel-Medved school, it can be deservedly applied to "In the Company of Men." Much of the film's success is due to its three lead actors, each of whom offers up a near-flawless perfor- mance. Eckhart, who can also be seen in "In and Out," can make Chad so charming, at times, that we want to believe that he has jettisoned his sadistic compact with Howard. His good-natured demeanor leaves one feel- ing even more betrayed when we realize how nakedly cruel Chad is underneath it all. Malloy, whom Hal Hartly fans may recognize from "The Unbelievable Truth" and "Trust," renders Howard as an extraordinarily convincing specimen of corporate America. Ultimately, Howard's noncommit- tal posture does more damage than Chad's blatant cru- elty. Malloy delivers an uncompromising perfor- mance, his character not saved by charm or heroic good looks, which gave me chills. Edwards does a tremendous job as Christine. She ensures that her character is no mere sacrificial lamb, but an independent and intriguing woman, which makes the denouement all the more devastating. Above all, "In the Company of Men" is an actor's film. Labute wisely does not intrude on his perform- ers, but allows his camera to sit and soak in Chad and Howard's psychological machinations and maneuvers. No camera tricks, no special effects, no shootouts, and yet it's hard to imagine a more bruising and brutal film. Nature calls Chad and Howard In "In The Company of Men." .. MICHIGAN r aa sbec thagewthou ciRECORD a a a a -H0 real music scheduled for ttuesday) h z.- o1u r r U Watl WAL.wL. 2 "Watch z and Jewelry Repair Department > ::: :..:. r -.- . _ _ _-