'Anatomy of a Murder," starring Jimmy Stewart, plays tonight at :he Michigan. Stewart is a lawyer defending a young army lieu- enant who experienced some mental breakdowns.. The film is )ased on a true story written by a Michigan judge, and it was ilmed in the Upper Peninsula. George C. Scott also stars in the )tto Preminger movie. The screening begins at 4:10 p.m. ~bz £ Cmxkl IU 0 Check out a review of Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin's lat- est mediocre film, "Mercury Rising." Tuesday April 7, 1998 5 -itzel catches listeners mlynes ly Brian Cohen )aily Music Editor Mark Eitzel has maintained a cult following ince his early days as founder, writer and 60ontman for American Music Club. He also is ently the acting commissioner of all things lark and gloomy for legions of listeners who >refer their musical lifestyles to transpire in the Licohol-drenched side alleys of the Prozac iightscape. And although Eitzel may not be the happiest nan in the music industry, he has every reason * Mark Eitzel Magic Stick Today at 8 p.m. to be pleased with the path his career has wandered since his solo bid began in 1994. Following last sum- mer's release of "West,' a stunning collaboration with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, Eitzel has continued to develop his musical craft on his newest release "Caught In a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause I Love You Too Much Baby." "I actually recorded this album about a week before the album with in which the two albums were released. "This album was very specifically in a certain mind- set," he added. "I made it one thing." And although Buck's intrinsic upbeat pop sensibility is noticeably absent from "Caught," the album's own depressive nature is more comforting than it is suffocating. - In fact, it is even possible to detect a glimmer of hope underneath the singer's perma-rasp on songs like "Sun Smog Seahorse" which closes the album in a gorgeous swirl of guitar and emotion. Because a lack of sonic details and textures have been introduced on this album, the listen- er is forced to concentrate on Eitzel's words and the many subtle and raw harmonies creat- ed by his often finger-picked guitar melodies. But did Eitzel purposefully try to make "Caught" even more of a lyrically expressive offering than previous albums? "Maybe I did," Eitzel said. "I recorded nine songs with the band, so I was gonna do nine songs with them and two acoustic. And then, after I recorded the nine songs, I kinda felt like five of them sucked, so I had to do something else" That "something else" ended up becoming the bulk of "Caught," which remained mostly acoustic simply because Eitzel's band, guitarist Kid Congo Powers (Gun Club, Cramps and Congo Norvell), bassist James McNew (Yo La Tengo), and drummer Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), was unable to stay with him in the stu- dio due to-vaiious touring commitments. Nonetheless, Eitzel's bitter incisiveness cuts through most of "Caught," especially on "White Rosary," where he croons, "Rest a cold hand on your forehead/ A comfort instead of a cure." Yes, its true - Eitzel not only understands life's bittersweet ups and downs, but he also knows how to sing about them with just the right amounts of gritty despair and seduction to make the listener grateful for his sympathetic musical therapy. For all those with and without a myriad of psychological trauma in tow, tonight Eitzel will bring himself and his acoustic guitar to the Magic Stick in Detroit, along with opener Sue Garner, of the Runons. And although you probably won't have to fight through crowds of thousands to experi- ence Eitzel's unique unobtrusiveness, do expect exposure to brilliant songwriting, untainted by the ills of commercial success. Forget about fancy light shows or glittery back-up singers. Eitzel and his acoustic shall speak for themselves. Perhaps the talented artist said it best - "I'm a songwriter - I just write songs." Muck," Eitzel said in a recent interview, xplaining the close proximity (eight months) Courtesy of Warner Brothers Mark EItzel brings his cunning style and charisma to the Magic Stick tonight at 8 p.m. celebrating his latest release, "Caught In a Trap and I Can't Back Out 'Cause 1Love You Too Much Baby." I Mentzer carries her stellar voice to A2 >:: > By Malcle Jones Daily Arts Writer The University will play host to an up- and-coming operatic performer whose presence has caused a stir of cxciteriient within the musical community. Mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer will be singing a wide range of materi- al tonight as a part of the University Musical Society's annual season. Born in Philadelphia, Mentzer began singing in church choirs and high school plays. She moved to Santa Fe where she AP PHOTO Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli perform on the Arsenio Hall Show in October of 1992. Pllatus died on of an apparent drug overdose. Ml1 i Van11lis Piatus found dead at 32 Susanne Mentzer Mendelssohn Theater Tonight at 8 started taking voice lessons and classes at a com- munity college. Later, she enrolled at the University of the Pacific where faculty members urged her to become a performer. From there, Mentzer went on to be trained at Juilliard ,were she spent four years. the Vienna State Opera, La Scala and the Covenant Garden. She has worked with many conduc- tors, including Christoph Eschenbach, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Bernard Haitink, Sir Georg Solti, Neville Marriner and Daniel Barenboim; she also has been repeatedly conducted by Riccardo Muti, most notably as Zerlina in "Don Giovanni. Mentzer has usually been known for her trouser roles, performing young men and boys such as Octavian and Julius Caesar. Her impersonations of males in operas such as "Idomeneo" have been hailed by the New York Times as being "fiercely felt and splen- didly controlled." She has recently begun to take on more feminine roles including Dorabella in "Cosi fan tutte" and Adalgisa in "Bellini Norma." Besides performing, Mentzer spends much of her time organizing benefits for charities that bring relief to those suffer- ing from AIDS. Performers at her bene- fits have included Placido Domingo, William Sharp and Carol Vaness. The performances commemorate all the members of the opera world that have been lost to this horrible disease. "A mezzo-soprano like Susanne Welcome AMA Pledges Jennifer Julie Sara Emily Nicole Livia Tricia Mentzer should be able to give a great performance in Mendelssohn," said first-year Music student Stephanie King, "because the acoustic quality of the building is outstanding," Mentzer's performance will be accompanied by pianist Craig Rutenberg. This should allow the audi- ence to hear the full range of Mentzer's singing ability without the overbearing noise of a large musical accompani- ment. Her program for tonight includes three selections from Gluck including "Vieni che poi sereno" and "3 Klopstock Leiden." Mentzer will also sing "Je te veux," "La Diva do U'Empire" and two other pieces by Satie. Two selections by Du Parc will be presented along with "Arianna a Naxos" by Haydn. Mentzer's combina- tion of pieces should make the evening entertaining and enjoyable. Because demand for Mentzer's talent Courtesy of 1MG Artists Mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer will perform tonight at the Mendelssohn. far exceeds her availability, she has lim- ited the number of appearances she makes each year, and her performance should be worthwhile. Ticketsfor Susanne Mentzer are $15- $25, and are available at the UMS Box Office. Call 764-2538 for more details. HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - Rob Pilatus, a former model whose career as half of the pop music duo Milli Vanilli crashed in disgrace and drug addiction after it was revealed that the group lip- synched its songs, died, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper said Sunday. He was 32. Pilatus was alone when he died in a Frankfurt hotel room late Thursday after consuming alco- hol and pills, the newspaper reported. An autopsy was being conduct- ed to determine the exact cause of death, the newspaper said. Pilatus and his Milli Vanilli partner, Fabrice Morvan, won a 1989 Grammy for Best New Artist after hits like "Blame it on the Rain" and "All or Nothing." But in late 1990, the performers were stripped of the award after it was revealed that neither actually sang on Milli Vanilli records; that was done by studio musicians who were not credited. In 1979, Mentzer gained national attention when she appeared in a tele- vised performance with Luciano Pavarotti. She made her professional debut with the Texas Opera Theater a Rossini's "Cenerentola" and her European debut as Cherubino in Cologne's presentation of "Le nozze di Figaro." Mentzer has also performed with the Metropolitan Opera, debuting as Cherubino, and later playing such roles as Rosina in "The Barber of Seville." Other prestigious houses that have host- ed Mentzer in performances include Read Weekend, etc. on Thursday to learn about some of the interesting people who add character to Ann Arbor. Play College JEOPARDY! Online by April 13th for a chance to compete head to head in the Finals in New York - City! Win a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am! Play College JEOPARDY! Online at: www.station.sonV.com/collegeieopardv A Single Eye Of Light: Sacred Visions (Poems & Letters) Ronne R. Gleason a University cf Michigan graduate with concentrations in psychology, philosophy and religion fills the void within each of us with his new book. Poems steeped in cosmic fragrance, letters woven in silken yarn, make for a literal feast of the mind. A smorgasbord of mystical and psychological verse that reverberates long afterwards in the mind of the reader buttressed by letters that test one's own sense of reality. In the long letter, "Letter to a Young Woman," the author introduces Psycho-Spiritual commentaries on the inner life with a brief introduction to the Gurdjieff-Ospensky teachings. Two of the gems are as follows: Self-Remembering: the need to transport consciousness into the waking state or self-remembered mode. This state has nothing to do with what you would imagine it to be. This has nothing to do with contemporary psy- chological self-help meandering"(s)." The second gem: The metaphysical sexual interplay of energy between male and female resulting in the karmic consequences of becoming one flesh. In "Parody The Critic," the author gives a satirical expose' of man's artifice buried beneath his or her divineness. Although the author presents a somewhat caustic view of the human condition in Parody The Critic, it is speckled with humor and buttered with comedy, laughable. In "A Child is Born," the author shares in poetic fashion the futility of base pleasures of this world and his eventual transformation into the splendors of the heavenly worlds. In "Overheard in the Gym," the author introduces an imaginary conver- sation between a basketball, a basketball backboard, a basketball floor, a basketball rim and players. A sensational review on managing both the win and loss columns of one's heart. In the "Thank You Poem," the author extols the teaching value of a myriad of personal encounters in life. The LIBRARIAN INTERFACE DESIGNER PRESERVATIONIST WEBMASTER. RENOWtNFD Infornation Age Is Here. join It.