Poetry for Mitch's Victims
Poetry reading to benefit victims of Hurricane Mitch. Catch poet-
ry readings in both Spanish and English for a good cause. The
reading is organized to benefit victims in Honduras and Nicaragua.
It all takes place at the Kerrytown Concert House at 415 N.
Fourth Ave. Admission is $10. For more information call 668-
1628.
Ufte Ldigman ai
Tomorrow in Daily Arts:
Check out the final Weekend, etc. of the semester, com-
plete with the List and a feature about the absence of a
blockbuster in the upcoming Holiday movie season.
Wednesday
December 9, 1998
Boston group energizes crowd
By Jewel Gopwani
Daily Arts Writer
The success of a million one-hit wonders put
together can't compete with the wisdom consistent
and positive experience in the music business
offers.
With more than 10 years in the industry to its
name, Buffalo Tom knows that real success in
music comes in the form of life-long dedicated
fans, a lesson brought to the forefront on the
band's current tour.
Since the start of it 1998 tour, Buffalo Tom has
opened for the radio-friendly Goo Goo Dolls. But
Buffalo
Tomr
St. Andrew's Hall
Tomorrow at 8 p.m.
its performance tomorrow
night at Detroit's St. Andrew's
Hall marks the group's third
show as a headliner.
Just as the band's opening
stint concluded in Los
Angeles, lead singer Bill
Janowitz discussed the obsta-
cles of playing for the Goo
Goo Dolls' crowd.
Opening acts often receive
the raw end of the perfor-
mance deal, especially when
the headliners have loads hit
singles. But Buffalo Tom saw
the slot as an opportunity to
Courtesy of School of Music
Director of University Choirs Theodore Morrison will conduct the return of
Beethoven's Mass in C Major tonight at Hill Auditorium.
Great work
reurs ocampus
By Jeff Druchniak
Daily Arts Writer
It's painful to pile another
potential burden onto students'
already ludicrous end-of-the-year
schedules.
But music buffs be warned:
Anyone not at tonight's joint con-
cert will miss a critical part of the
classical music repertoire that
they might never get another
chance to hear in Ann Arbor.
University
Orchestras and
Chamber Choir
Power Center
Tonight at 8 p.m.
The piece
at hand is
Beethoven's
Mass in C.
The setting
will be 8 p.m.
at Hill
Auditorium.
The concert
showcases
t h e
University
C h a m b e r
Choir and
University
Philharmonia
can't understand why so much
time has elapsed without another
mounting of the work.
"I have no idea why it's not
done more often ... for so com-
pelling a piece," he said.
Morrison selected the entire
program for the upcoming con-
cert. He speculated that the more
widely known Beethoven's late
"Requiem" may be partially
responsible for overshadowing
this work from the same middle
period as the composer's Fifth
Symphony.
"The only trouble with that
piece is that no one can sing it or
play it," Morrison added, only
half-joking.
"This is a much more appropri-
ate selection for young voices and
young musicians."
The second half of the program
will include the Symphony
Orchestra, conducted by Kenneth
Kiesler, performing the
Metamorphosen and Till
Eulenspiegel, two compositions
for strings by German composer
Richard Strauss.
The preparation for this concert
included an added obstacle in that
the Philharmonia has gone
through the year so far without a
resident conductor. The University
is in the process of conducting a
search for new candidates.
As a result, Morrison stepped
in to conduct rehearsals and pre-
pare for tonight's concert. He
added that rehearsals had gone
outstandingly.
If you need other information,
contact the School of Music.
Admission is free, and remember,
if you see it now, you won't have
to wait around another 10 years.
reach some younger music fans.
"We didn't know what to expect, because it's
somebody else's crowd," Janowitz said. "It's a bit
challenging because we have to try to win them
over."
Buffalo Tom's emotionally engaging songs and
its rip roaring stage presence create an energetic
live atmosphere only reached through years of
touring experience.
"It's a very passionate- show," Janowitz said.
,Very rarely is the audience not involved."
Touring in support of "Smitten," Buffalo Tom
has tweaked its live show a bit to display the
instrumental evolution evident on the new release.
The band practically added a new member to the
line up.
Keyboardist Phil Aiken brought a more tradi-
tional sound to "Smitten." And with Aiken's help,
the band is able to play new tracks to its full poten-
tial and to illuminate older more classic tunes on
stage.
"He ends up playing on almost every song,"
Janowitz said. "It adds a whole different texture,"
Another development in Buffalo Tom's show
includes Chris Colbourn's new singing role.
Janowitz and Colbourn know they have a good
thing on "Wiser," a det between the two. The
song, which is played at every show on the tour
thus far, balances Colbourn's soft almost childlike
singing with Janowitz's down and dirty vocals.
Although the band's maturity is very clear on its
at uetroits t. UAndrews Htllu tomorrow night.
latest release, touring allows Buffalo Tom, whose
members are in their 30s, to feel like young rock
'n' rollers again.
"We're immature on the road," Janowitz said.
"We're still jumping up and down and sweating
like we were at 25."
Buffalo Tom is well aware that their stop con-
flicts with the ensuing end-of-semester panic, cur-
rently engulfing the University's student body. But
the band guarantees it's show will be worth taking
a night off from studying.
"We're definitely a good band for catharsis,"
Janowitz said. "There's a lot of emoting and
yelling. We put a lot into the show."
All fans can look forward to an energetic show (
and a great stress releaser) when Buffalo Tom
takes the stage as the feature presentation at the
very intimate St. Andrew's Hall.
Now that Buffalo Tom has most of the night to
itself, the band can play more from older albums,
including the fan favorite, "Taillights Fade."
And something that experience has given
Buffalo Tom is a deep appreciation for its fans.
Not only does the band work hard to please the
crowd, but through its WebsiteJ
(iww.buffalotom.com), Buffalo Tom holds con-
tests for fans to get on the band's guest list.
Janowitz posts his tour journal on the site to
keep fans up to date on all of the band's exploits,
In an entry he wrote sitting in the passenger seat
of the tour bus on the way to San Francisco,
Janowitz revealed the driving force behind the
band's career.
"People's enthusiasm is contagious and it breaks
the tedium for us," he wrote. "Our fans are our
saving grace."
Doors for the Bufflalo Torn show open at 8 p.m.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster outlets or by
calling (248) 645-6666. Jack Drag and Carrie
Newhouse will prep the crowd for the headliners.
Courtesy of Pdiydor
Buffalo Tom band members Chris Colbourn, Bill Janovitz and Tom Maginnis are psyched for their headlining gig
'A 'nrit t A rnas mli m rnrnch
Element combines eclectic talents
0
Orchestra, together with the
Symphony Orchestra.
The three groups unite for a
two-part program that will be the
fall concert for each one.
First, the Chamber Choir and
the Philharmonia will combine
under the direction of Theodore
Morrison for the Mass in C.
So what is the big deal about
the Mass in C? Well, it's one of
Beethoven's signature religious
works, yet it's been more than a
decade since it was last per-
formed on campus.
As director of choirs for the
University, Morrison, who actual-
ly was the conductor of the last
campus performance of the piece,
By Amanda Scotese
Daily Arts Writer
Tomorrow and Saturday, Ann
Arbor's The Element will be creating
musical chemistry at two different
local venues, Touchdown Cafe and
Mitch's Place.
The Element
Touchdown cafe
and Mitch's Place
Tomorrow and Saturday
at i10 p.m.
/
The four-piece
band of
University stu-
dents will be
concocting a
mixture of rock,
jazz, funk and
blues with its
guitar, bass,
drums and
unique vintage
keyboard.
Its sound1
heavy
'60s/early
influence,
bluegrass, but added that LSA senior
and guitarist Evan Greene brings in
an element of classical music.
Art senior Jeremy Bronson brush-
es the drums, while Music senior
Jordan Shapiro rounds out the group
on keyboard.
Greene said that each band mem-
ber has their own musical strengths
and weaknesses that together bring
unity to the music. "Jordan's ear for
harmonic complexity, Jeremy and
Dave's rhythmic foundation, and my
pop sensibilities ... that is what we
try to combine," he said.
Manager Lee Seelig describes The
Element's lyrics as "a mix between
contemplative aid partying," but
emphasizes that the group is not a
pop band.
He said that the members pride
themselves on improvisation while
jamming, and that they definitely
want people to leave the shows feel-
ing the music rather than focusing on
the lyrics.
All the members write lyrics, but
usually Dave Bronson and Shapiro
contribute their poetry to the songs.
The Element has been playing
around Ann Arbor since its members
were first-year students at the
University, and have actually been
rocking out together since the wee
age of 12.
Shapiro joined the trio last year
has a
late
'70s
from
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CEP-1K<--Take orders for advertising services and balloons.
' ,iv,262--Drive one of those cool little university trucks!
02AP4,iC AriSr--Design diag boards and banners.
Contact sundholm@umich.edu for more information!
These are student positions. Deadline is December 21.
both the organ-like keyboard sounds
and its classic rock energy.
The Element uses the wahwah
with the keyboard and a mellow gui-
tar to create a sort of '60s swirl of
melodies.
In other moments, the bass speaks
up and gives the music a more
straightforward declaration of funk.
LSA senior and the band's bassist
Dave Bronson said that The Element's
sound usually ranges from Led
Zeppelin and Hendrix to Phish and
after playing in the Ann Arbor band
Enchanted Iris for three years.
Although all of the members are
seniors, they plan to keep the group
together after they graduate.
In the future they hope to release a
CD, perform several benefit shows
and expand their audience outside of
Ann Arbor.
Tomorrow, The Element will play
two sets at the Touchdown Caf
beginning at 9 p.m. The 21-and-over
show requires a $3 cover.
On Saturday, expect the same at
Mitch's Place, except that this is The
Element's final show for 1998.
Courtesy of Lee Seelig
Jordan Shapiro, Evan Greene, Dave Bronson and Jeremy Bronson comprise the-
band called The Element. The group plays tomorrow at Touchdown's.
Check out the Daily Online at ~
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