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The Michigari paily ,Weekend,-etc. I
A weekly guide to who's Thursday, Feb. 18
where, what's happening ande.through
why you need to be there ... h~s Wednesday, Feb. 24
GREAT CHOPS
History, tradition sing in the halls of tf
Films opening
Analyze This A special sneak preview of this new Billy Crystal/Robert
DeNiro comedy about a gangster and his psychiatrist. At Showcase: (Sat.
only) 8:15 p.m.
Jawbreaker A look at high school popularity "Heathers" style. At
Showcase: 1:25, 3:25, 5:30, 7:45, 9:50, 11:55.
October Sky **,A Based on the true story of astronaut Homer Hickam's
escape from a life as a coal miner. At Briarwood: 1:20, 4:10, 6:50, 9:20.
At Showcase: 12, 2:20, 4:40, 7:05, 9:25, 11:40.
Office Space ***i A hysterical new comedy about the workplace from
Mike Judge, the creator of "Bevis and Butthead" and "King of the Hill." At
Briarwood: 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:40, 10:10. At Showcase: 1:20, 3:20, 5:20,
7:20, 9:20, 11:20.
The Other Sister Juliet Lewis returns to the screen in a sneak preview of
a movie that explores sexual and parental love. At Showcase: (Sat. only)
7:30 p.m.
Films holding
***** A Classic
**** Excellent
*** Good
** Fair
* Not Worth Your Time, or Your Money
Babe: Pig in The City An open cap-
tion screening for the hearing
impaired. At Showcase: (Sat. &
Sun. only) 1, 5.
Blast From The Past ** Alicia
Silverstone and Brenden Fraser
fight a losing cause for their
careers in this romantic comedy. At
Briarwood: 1:30, 4:20, 7:15, 10. At
Showcase: 12, 2:15, 4:35, 6:55,
9:10, 11:35.
Central Station ***, Oscar nom-
inated for Best Foreign Language
Film and Best Actress. this is the
story of a retired teacher and a boy
who travel across Brazil in search
of the boy's father. At State: 1:30
(Sun.), 9:15 (Fri.-Sun., Tues.-
Thurs.), 9:45 (Mon.).
Gods And Monsters *** This film
racked up a slew of Oscar nomina-
tions, telling the story of gay film
director James Whale. At State:
1:30 (Sat.), 11:30 (Fri. & Sat.).
Ufe is Beautiful **** Only the sec-
ond movie of all time to be nominated
for the Best Picture and Best Foreign
Language Film Oscars, this is the story
of a father who tries to protect his son
from the horrors of the holocaust. At
Ann Arbor 1&2: 12:15 (Sat., Sun.,
Tues.), 2:30 (Sat., Sun., Tues.), 4:45,
7, 9:15, 11:20 (Fri. & Sat.). At
Showcase: 12:15, 2:35, 7:15, 9:30,
11:50.
Little Voice *** Brenda Blythens
earned an Oscar nomination for her
portrayal of the boozy mother of a
wallflower turned singing sensa-
tion. At Ann Arbor 1&2: (Thurs.
only) 4:45, 7, 9:10.
Message In A Bottle ** Kevin
Costner woos Robin Wright Penn In
Costner's return to romance. So 1
guess "The Post Man" actually did
end. -At Briarwood: 1:40, 4:30,
7:10, 9:50. At Showcase: 1:15,
1:45, 4:15, 4:45, 7, 7:30 (except
Sat.), 9:40, 10:10, 12:15.
My Favorite Martian A kid's movie
no one can enjoy. At Briarwood:
12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7, 9:30. At
Showcase: 12:35, 1:05, 2:45,
3:15, 4:55, 5:25, 7:10, 7:40, 9:15,
9:45, 11:15, 11:45.
Patch Adams * Diagnosis: Stupid.
At Showcase: 6:15.
Payback ** Reshoots galore on
this Mel Gibson revenge movie
prove that studio bosses have zero
artistic talent. At Briarwood: 1:10,
4, 7:20, 9:40. At Showcase: 12:45,
3, 5:10, 5:40, 7:25, 7:55, 9:35,
10:05, 11:40, 12:10.
The Prince Of Egypt ** This dis-
grace is still in theaters? At
Showcase: 1:10, 3:30.
Rushmore **** An inspired com-
edy about a boy and a millionaire
who both fall in love with a first
grade teacher. At Ann Arbor 1&2: 1
(Sat., Sun., Tues.), 3 (Sat., Sun.,
Tues.), 5, :20, 9:30, 11:20 (Fri. &
Sat.). At Showcase: 12:10, 2:25,
4:30, 6:45, 9, 11.
Saving Private Ryan **** The
best film of the year rides a wave of
Oscars back to theaters. At
Showcase: 12:25, 4, 8, 11;25.
Shakespeare In Love **** With
a high 13 Oscar nominations, the
story of Shakespeare falling in love
is a romantic comedy with brains.
At State: 1:30 (Sat. & Sun.), 4
(Sat. & Sun.), 7, 9:30, 11:45 (Fri. &
Sat.). At Showcase: 12:20, 2:50,
5:15, 7:50, 10:15, 12:30.
She's All That ***I Pygmalion set in
high school. At Briarwood: 12:50, 3,
5:15, 7:30, 9:45. At Showcase: 12:40,
2:55, 5:05, 7:35, 9:55, 12.
The Thin Red Line *** Loaded
with Oscars, this year's other WWi
film explores humanity and war. At
Showcase: 3:10, 8:15, 11:30.
Waking Ned Devine ***I An Irish
comedy about a winning lottery
ticket and a dead winner. Not to
give too much away, but the whole
island is in on it. At State: 4 (Sat.
& Sun.), 7:15.
Thursday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Dancing At Lugnasa (1998) Adapted
from the play, this film follows the lives
of five sisters living in rural Ireland.
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 7
p.m. 5.50
Elizabeth (1998) This powerful
drama about the rise of Queen
Elizabeth I recently received a slew
of Oscar nominations, including Best
Picture. Michigan Theater, 603 E.
Liberty St. 9 p.m. $5.50
MUSIC
Al Hill & the Love Butlers Now that
Valentine's has passed, come let the
butlers put a little lovin' in your life.
Arbor Brewing Co., 114 E.
Washington St., 213-1393. 9 p.m.
Free.
Barnhil Band Ever listen to a show
in a barn? The livestock really gets
into things by the second set. Peae
Auditorium, Eastern Michigan
University College P. at W. Cross,
Ypsilanti, 487-4380. 8 p.m. Free.
Jim Hamm One person you won't be
seeing here is Jules Winnfield, cause
the man just don't dig on swine.
Mainstreet Comedy Showcase, 314
E. Liberty St., 996-9080. 8:30 p.m.
$8.
Larval Or Lavral, if the band decides
to spell its name backwards.We're
not sure what a Lavral or a Larval is,
but it's probably Greek or some-
thing. Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St., 996-
8555. 10 p.m.
Mudpuppy Really, everyone needs a
little mud in the face from time to
time. These guys are literally just a
drum beat away from breaking
through and being bigger stars than
the Beatles - honest. Cavern Club,
210 S. 1st St., 332-9900. 8 p.m.
$5.
Twistin' Tarantulas Do tarantulas
really twist? Do angels live in my
town? Is the movie called "Sidney"
or "Hard 8?" Answers could be found
at this Thursday night show. Karl's,
9779 Gotfredson St., 455-8450.
9:30 p.m. Free.
THEA TER
Boy's Life A hip Basement Arts
comedy about growing up in the big
city, struggling between the realities
of adulthood and the wily ways of
your youth, and, of course, girls.
Arena Theatre, Frieze Building, 764-
6800. 7 p.m.
The Hole The Purple Rose Theatre
Company performs this play about a
couple in the American West. Purple
Rose Theatre, 137 Park St.,
Chelsea., 475-7902. 8 p.m. $15-25.
Private Eyes The characters practice
deception in this play, directed by Malcolm
Tulip, exploring infidelity. Performance
Network, 408 W. Washington St., 663-
0681.8 p.m. $12-15.
Oedipus the King Sopocles's Greek
tragedy is reset in Egypt, where the
Pharoah tries to escape a horrifying
prophecy. Men wearing their moth-
ers' broaches will not be allowed in
without safety goggles. Fathers be
advised to look out for daggers.
Quirk Theatre, Eastern Michigan
University campus. 8 p.m. Call 487-
1221 for location information and
courtesy of Universal Pictures
Left to right Chad Undberg, William Lee Scott, Jake Gyllenhaai and Chris Owen star
in "October Sky." This shot makes the movie look like a prequel to "Swingers."
directions. $5-12.
A LTERNA TIVES
Artscapade In Winter Open to all
students, the program will be a
party at which art is the guest of
honor. Make Mardi-Gras masks, play
Arts Jeopardy, enter to win goodies
like posters, art books, concert tick-
ets, CDs and other museum goodies.
University Museum of Art, 525 S.
State St., 764-0395. 7-9:30 p.m.
Robert Boswell Author reads from
his six books including "Crooked
Hearts" and "American Owned
Love." Rackham Amphitheatre, 121
Fletcher St. 763-3333. 5 p.m.
-----~~~~~~~~-
Friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Elizabeth See Thursday. 5 p.m.
Dancing At Lughnasa See Thursday
7:30 & 9:30 p.m.
Happy Together (1997) A bitter-
sweet love story of Lai and Ho as
they try to save their relationship by
making a fresh start in Argentina.
Angell Aud A. 8 p.m. Free
MUSIC
Fully Loaded in a year loaded with
bad movies, "Living Out Loud" ruled
the bottom of the barrel. Bythe way,
"Patch Adams" was also close to
the bottom. Elbow Room, 6 S.
Washington St., Ypsilanti, 483-6374.
9 p.m. Free.
J.D. Lamb Jules Winnfield could be
in attendance seeing as he has yet
to speak his mind on lamb. Cavern
Club, 210 S. 1st St., 332-9900. 10
p.m. $5.
Jim Hamm Lamb or ham? Have one
for dinner and go to the other's
show. Mainstreet Comedy Showcase,
314 E. Liberty St., 996-9080. 8 p.m.
& 10:30 p.m. $10.
Michigan Chamber Players Faculty
from the school of music perform a
program of Beethoven, Dohn~nyi and
Faur6. Rackham Auditorium, 915 E.
Washington St., 764-2538. 4 p.m.
Free.
Might As Well Come to this show,
even if you partied a little hard on
Thursday night. Theo's, 705 W.
Cross St., Ypsilanti, 485-6720.
10:30 p.m. $4.
Mose Allison Trio Mose squares up,
and nails the three ball. Bird of
Paradise, 207 S. Ashley, 662-8310.
9 p.m. $20.
Original Brothers & Sisters of Love
Peter Brady in the house. Sounds
like the Bradys have decided to cool
it on the reunion shows and start a
band. Gypsy Cafe, 214 N. 4th Ave.,
994-3940. 9:30 p.m. $4.
THEATER
Boy's Life See Thursday. 11 p.m.
The Firebird A spellbinding fairy tale,
replete with folk dances, costumes,
masks and music by the Firebird
Balalaika Orchestra. Towsley Aud.,
Washtenaw Community College, 763-
TKTS. 7:30 p.m. $6 for children, oth-
ers $8.
FurToso The Meryl Tankard Australian
Dance Theatre will perform a program
with choreographic invention, physicali-
ty, passion and rough edge virtuosity.
Power Center, 121 Fletcher St. , 764-
2538.8 p.m. $16.32.
God R.C. Players put on this one-act play
by Woody Allen, which explores the rela-
tionship between fictitious characters and
real people. Residential College
Auditorium, East Quad. 8 p.m. 764-0635.
$5, Students $3.
The Hole See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Oedipus the King See Thursday. 8 p.m.
Private Eyes See Thursday. 8 p.m.
By Steve Gertz
Daily Arts Writer
. Ann Arbor has always been a cultur-
al oasis of sorts - a plateau that pro-
trudes through the lackluster blandness
of small-town midwestern life, that
provides a unique stepping stone
between the industrial sprawl of
Detroit and the thriving bustle of
Chicago.
While this is due largely to the mag-
nitude and diversity of our beloved
"U," the quality of Ann Arbor's
"scene" owes a lion's share to the reci-
procal dialog between the artistic
movements - specifically musical
ones - that have taken place over the
years in those two midwestern giants.
As a result of its location, Ann Arbor
has been enriched by such legendary
hotbeds of hipness as the Chicago
blues scene, Motown R'n'B, early-
'70s Detroit punk and early-'90s
Detroit techno.
Jimi Hendrix once played here, as
did John Lennon. Punk prognostica-
tors Iggy Pop and The MC5 played
some of their earliest gigs right inside
our own Student Union. George
Clinton lives right down the road in
Jackson, as does that notorious king of
'70s cheese metal Ted Nugent.
Throughout the years The Blind.Pig,
a popular local nightclub and concert
venue, has played an instrumental role
in the ushering in and showcasing of
this musical activity. Since its incarna-
tion almost 30 years ago, The Blind
Pig has gone through several phases,
each of which has been equally notable
in the annals of Ann Arbor's cultural
diary.
Two University seniors, Tom Isaia
and Jerry Delgiudice, started the club
in 1971. They purchased what was
then an abandoned furniture store and
did some renovations, which included
building a small stage and bar in the
basement. They named it "The Blind
Pig" after a Detroit slang term for
police officers that had been bribed by
speakeasy proprietors during the pro-
hibition era of the 1920s, and, with
that, a legend was born.
The Blind Pig of the '70s was a con-
siderably different entity than the one
that we know today. It was not strictly
a nightclub, but also doubled as a cafe.
Serving cappuccino, pastries and other
such coffeehouse delicacies during the
daytime, the establishment helped
open Ann Arbor up to the "coffee cul-
ture" that can now be found on virtual-
ly every street corner in the country.
The night scene at the Pig also
leaned a bit more toward finer and
more eccentric tastes than the average
town pub. There was an extremely lim-
ited bar that served only top-quality
items. Guinness was the only beer on
tap and several varieties of French
wine were available, as were premium
brands scotch, Irish whiskey and other
liquors.
During the first 10 years, the pre-
ferred style of musical entertainment
at the Pig was blues, more blues and
strictly blues. The club was a premier
showcase for local blues artists from
Ann Arbor, Detroit and Chicago.
Legends such as Koko Tayler, Boogie
Woogie Red, Hound Dog Taylor and
Roosevelt Sikes, among others, were
regulars there.
Clientele at the Pig ranged from
University intelligentsia to older, hard-
core blues enthusiasts. The establish-
ment accumulated a diverse variety of
regular patrons, often packing the
tightly confined space to capacity. A
handful of musical legends in their
own right, including Frank Zappa,
Bonnie Raitt and Vladmir Horowitz
were said to have been spotted in the
crowd at Pig functions.
The thriving blues scene at the Pig
in the '70s inspired Delgiudice to take
things one step further and start his
own record label under the moniker of
Blind Pig records in 1975. Many of the
same artists that performed regularly
at the Pig released material on the
independent label. Still owned by
Delgiudice and now based in Chicago,
the label remains intact and continues
to release records by a variety of area
blues musicians.
In 1981 Isaia and Delgiudice moved
on, transferring ownership of the Pig
to an area couple, Roy and Betty
Goffett. The Goffetts, along with coor-
dinating manager Todd Headrick, led
the club through a period of consider-
able change.
The '80s saw the significant expan-
sion of the establishment, both physi-
cally and artistically. The Goffetts
more than doubled the interior space of
the club by purchasing an adjacent
building and bringing the stage area
from the miniscule basement to the
upper level. They also added an addi-
tional bar, The Eightball Saloon,
downstairs.
This new version of the Pig made it
possible to drastically alter the musical
Blind Pig coowner Roy Goffiett checks out his club's shrine to Narvana. The no
knew who they were, and later told MTV viewers that Goffett's club was one of
itinerary. Whereas the basement area
of the '70s was tightly confined, and
therefore not conducive to loud rock
shows, the new setup was ideal for just
that.
The Pig quickly became a hot spot
for both local acts and touring bands.
Names as notable and varied as Joan
Baez, Bo Diddley and George
Thoroughgood - who even filmed the
video for his "Treat Her Right" there
- graced the Pig's banner during the
early '80s.
Aside from already well-established
artists, the Blind Pig also played host
to a wide variety of bands from the
then-underground punk, new wave,
and "college rock" genres. Bands such
as REM, 10,000 Maniacs, Sonic Youth,
Soul Asylum and The Rollins Band
played there early in their careers, well
before they hit the big time.
During the late '80s and early '90s
"college rock" turned into "alterna-
tive" and "grunge." Again, the Pig
showcased a series of bands during
this time that, while barely having
enough money to tour, were unknow-
ingly destined for world fame and
acclaim. Among these were
Soundgarden, The Screaming Trees,
The Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam
and a scraggly little band of upstarts
called Nirvana.
It was Nirvana, years a
played there, who gave the
most flattering moment in
light when they, on a televi
interview, cited the club as t
ber one venue of choice a
ever.
Perhaps it was because,
in '89 when they were bare
ing across the country in a
van, the Pig gave them th
audience turnout that they
had. Whatever the ca
Goffetts payed homage
framed shrine to Nirvana tl
tured inside the club, th
piece of which is a record
ing songs that the band
formed at the venue.
Despite all of its succes
were a few times in the pas
when the Pig was dangerousl
the brink of catastrophe. W
concerts pass by uneventfu
once in a while the exciten
goes through the roof ai
ensues.
Legendary California pi
The Circle Jerks, for exam
got the crowd so charged up
ence members took to destr
interior of the club, tearing
Weekend
Magazine
Editors: Aaron Rich, Will Weissert
Writers: Chris Dorle, Christopher Duprey, William Nash, Erin Podolsk
Photo Editor: Adriana Yugovich
Photographers: Chris Campernel, Chris Dorle, Dana Linnane and Adria
Cover: The Blind Pig, located at 208 S. First St., has been one of Ann Arb
doors in 1971. Everyone from Bo Diddley to The MC5 to Narvana has gra
Arts Editors: Jessica Eaton and Christopher Tkaczyk
Editor in Chief: Heather Kamins
r4
Phone Numbers: Ann Arbor 1 & 2: 761-9700; Briarwood: 480-4555; Fox Village;
994-8080; Michigan Theater: 668-8397; Showcase: 973-8380; State: 761-8667.
Showtimes are effective Friday through Thursday. Late shows at Ann Arbor 1 & 2
and State are for Friday and Saturday only. Noon and mid-day matinees at Ann
Arbor 1 & 2 are for Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday only; matinees at State are for
Saturday and Sunday only.