14B - he MidhiganDaily 4 M endk etc. Magazine -- Thu ay, April1, 1999
A weekly guide to who's
where, what's happening and
why you need to be there ...
The
List
Thursday, April 1
through
Wednesday, April 7
" " "The Michig Daily - Weekend
MOTOWN7S NEW BAG
Detroit parties provide surreal musical
Il i
IIIYIiI I 1 1 err A I !^ A
Films opening
10 Things I Hate About You *** A high school update of Shakespeare's
"The Taming of the Shrew." Opened Wednesday. At Showcase: 12:40,
1:10, 2:55, 3:25, 5:10, 5:40, 7:20, 7:50, 9:35, 10:05, 11:45, 12:15.
The Matrix ***I A terrific new film about machines that control human
thought. Opened Wednesday. At Briarwood: 12:40, 3:40, 6:50, 9:45. At
Showcase: 12:30, 1, 1:40, 3:30, 4, 4:30, 6:30, 7, 7:30, 9:30, 10, 10:30,
12:15, 12:35.
Never Been Kissed A special sneak preview of the film about a newspa-
per reporter to goes back to high school and has one more chance to be
cool. At Briarwood: 8 (Sat. only).
The Out Of Towners An update of the Neil Simon story with Goldie Hawn
and Steve Martin as the leads. At Briarwood: 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:10,
9:20. At Showcase: 1:20, 3:20, 5:30, 7:35, 9:40, 11:35.
Films holding
**** Excellent
*** Good
** Fair
* Not Worth Your Time, or Your Money
Analyze This **I A funny and
entertaining film about a mobster
and his psychiatrist. At Briarwood:
12:20, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 10. At
Showcase: 12:10, 2:30, 5, 7:25, 8,
9:45, 12:05.
Baby Geniuses Terrific, a film about
smart babies! At Showcase: 12:05,
2:15, 4:20, 6:15.
The Corrupter *** Marky Mark
and Chow Yun Fat take on Asian
gangs in Chinatown. At Showcase:
12:10 (Fri. & Sat. only).
Cruel Intentions *** A guilty
treat update of "Dangerous
Liaisons." At Briarwood: 12:30
(Thurs. only), 2:40 (Thurs. only),
4:50 (Thurs. only), 7:10 (Thurs.
only), 7:20, 9:20' (Thurs. only),
9:30. At Showcase: 10:20, 12:30.
Deep End Of The Ocean ** A
weepy about a kidnapped boy who
returns to his family after 10 years.
At Briarwood: 9:30 (Thurs. only).
Doug's First Movie The children's
TV show comes to the big screen.
At Briarwood: 12:10, 2:10, 4:10,
6:40, 9. At Showcase: 12:45, 2:50,
4:50, 6:50, 8:45.
EDtv *** The un-Truman film
about a man who is in front of the
cameras 24/7. At Briarwood: 1:10,
4, 7, 9:40. At Showcase: 1:15,
1:45, 4:15, 4:45, 6:45, 7:15, 9:20,
9:50, 11:50.
Elizabeth *** The early years of
the Virgin Queen are explored in
this costume drama. At State: 1:30
(Sat. & Sun.), 7.
Forces Of Nature i A romantic
comedy about a man trying to brave
some wild weather and get home in
time for his wedding. At Showcase:
12 (Fri.-Wed.), 12:20 (Thurs. only),
12:50 (Thurs. only), 2 (Fri.-Wed.),
2:40, 3:10 (Thurs. only), 4:05 (Fri.-
Wed.),34:55, 5:25 (Thurs. only),
6:10 (Fri.-Wed.), 7:10, 7:40 (Thurs.
only), 9:15 (Fri.-Wed.), 9:40 (Thurs.
only), 10:10 (Thurs. only), 11:25.
The King And I **I The classic
musical about a Eastern king and a
Western governess bumping heads
becomes a cartoon. At Briarwood:
1, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20 (Thurs. only).
At Showcase: 12 noon.
The Last Days *** A documen-
tary about survivors returning to
the concentration camps,rthis film
won the Oscar for Best
Documentary. At State: 4 (Sat. &
Sun. only).
Life Is Beautiful **** A touching
story of a man who tries to save his
son from thehorrors of the
Holocaust by turning the experi-
ence into a game. At Ann Arbor
1&2: 12:15 (Sat., Sun., Tues.),
2:30 (Sat., Sun., Tues.), 4:45, 7,
9:20. At.Showcase: 12:25, 2:45,
5:15, 7:55, 10:15, 12:25.
Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking
Barrels *i Despite its poor
review, this is a very funny and
entertaining crime comedy. At
State: 9:30.
The Mod Squad **I The late '60s
TV show makes it to the big screen,
and would have been a contender if
it didn't get bogged down by a stu-
pid plot. At Briarwood: 12:50, 3,
5:20, 7:40 (except Sat.), 9:50. At
Showcase: 1:05, 3:15, 5:20, 7:45,
9:55, 12.
The Rage: Carrie 2 ** A less than
successful sequel to the 1976 hor-
ror classic. At Showcase: 11 (Fri. &
Sat. only).
Rushmore **** A wonderful
comedy about a 15-year old and a
millionaire who fall in love with a
first grade teacher. At State: 12:15
a.m. (Fri. & Sat. only).
Shakespeare In Love **** An
enjoyable romantic comedy about
Shakespeare falling in love and find-
ing his muse. At State: 1:30 (Sat. &
Sun.); 4 (Sat. & Sun.), 7:15, 9:45.
At Showcase: 12, 2:20, 4:40, 7:05,
9:25, 11:45.
True Crime *** A really enter-
taining presentation about a
reporter trying to save a man from
execution while working out his
personal problems. At Ann Arbor
1&2: 11:50 (Sat., Sun., Tues.),
2:15 (Sat., Sun., Tues.), 4:45,
7:20, 9:45. At Showcase: 12:15
(Fri.-Wed.), 1:20 (Thurs. only), 4:05
(Thurs. only), 6:40 (Thurs. only),
8:05 (Fri.-Wed.), 9:15 (Thurs. only),
10:25, 12:40.
Thursday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Tango (1998) An Oscar nominee
for Best Foreign Language Film,
this film follows the progression
of this most alluring dance.
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty
St. 7 & 9:30 p.m. $5.50.
MUSIC
Stun Gun Glitter, loud guitars and
lovely ladies dishing out both!
There's more - Queen Bee will be
the opening act. How can you
resist? Motor, 3515 Caniff,
Hamtramck, (313) 369-0080.
10p.m.
Train With Jump Little Children. It's
at the Pig, its nearby... why not?
Blind Pig, 208 S.First, Ann Arbor,
996-8555. 9:30 p.m. $8
Low Indie group here to perform
its songs for your enjoyment.
What more could a little music
fan ask for - well lots more, but
settle for this. 7th House, 7 North
Saginaw, Pontiac, (248) 645-
6666. 8p.m. $9
Oratorio Studio Recital Vocal stu-
dents from Lorna Haywood's class
perform oratorio repertory. Britton
Recital Hall, E.V. Moore Bldg. 7
p.m.
THEATER
How I Learned to Drive In a difficult
and lyrical play, Paula Vogel exam-
ines a sensitive and intelligent girl's
discovery of her own identity.
Performance Network, 408 W.
Washington. 663-0681. 8 p.m. Pay-
what-you-can.
Orphan Train Michigan play-
wright Dennis North tells the tale
orphans in the historical
Midwest, combining elements of
poverty, community, family and
hope. Trueblood Theater, Frieze
Building. 764-0450. 8 p.m. $14,
Students $7,
Seven Blowjobs Only seven?
Basement Arts presents Mac
Wellman's comedy about a group's
ineptitude in grasping the concept of
a blowjob. This is, however, largely a
family production and won't feature
what you're thinking. Arena Theater,
Frieze Building, 764-6800. 7 p.m.
ALTERNATIVES
Paul Durcan As part of the
University's Visiting Writers Series,
noted author will read his poetry.
Rackham Amphitheatre, 764-6296.
5 p.m.
MFA II Dance Performance
Graduating Masters of Dance stu-
dents perform solos and present
their totally original choreogra-
phy. Betty Pease Studio Theater,
Dance Bldg. 8 p.m. $5 at the
door.
The Politics of Humor by Enrique
Chagoya Widely known Mexican-
Courtesy of Caroline Records
Hard rocking contingent Placebo hits the intimate St. Andrew's Stage in Detroit
tomorrow night.
By Jason Birciuneier
Daily Arts Writer
Detroit raves have recently become an adventurous
weekend activity for University students seeking
something extraordinary. A decade ago these extrav-
agant dance parties began to occur in Detroit on a
small scale. Along with the accompanying electronic
music culture, popularity has grown year after year.
Only a 45-minute drive from campus, these modem
cultural events present an alternative to the mundane
repetition of weekend campus life.
Some people choose to stay on campus and do a
little drinking. Others catch up on their studies or go
watch bands play some good old rock 'n' roll.
Basically everyone does something to unwind from a
stressful week of class. Yet of the various on-campus
weekend alternatives, not many are as relieving as a
night dancing to electronic music at a Detroit party
with anywhere from 500 to 3,000 other people.
Ask anyone returning from a Detroit rave about his
or her experience and prepare for a poetic tale of
adventure and enlightenment. Most parties create an
extreme environment unlike anything found in Ann
Arbor. An experience such as this will most likely be
more memorable than another one of those nights at
The Brown Jug reminiscing.
So what exactly goes on at these raves that's so
fun?
For some the appeal can be all-night pill-popping
and the use of whatever designer drugs always seem
to be on-hand at some raves. For others, it can be the
simple thrill of flocking to an illegal party. But for
most, going to raves is not about the illegal activity
and hard-drugging you've read about and scene on
almost every TV channel. And, what is also often
overlooked by everyone -most raves are not illegal.
Music First year student, Anne Lauckner, serves as
a perfect example. When asked about what goes on a
rave she described a common myth among students.
"I thought it was all about drinking and all about
drugs'" she said.
Engineering Senior Shane Eaton has been inti-
mately involved with Detroit's party scene for years.
Recently he has begun throwing parties of his own in
Detroit as one half of his company, PLURKids
Productions.
"That's the first question to come out of everyone's
mouth," Eaton said. "The basic question is 'aren't
raves just a place to go to get high and do drugs?"'
And LSA junior Doris Payer said though raves
often offer a clean way to have a good time for many,
what really goes on is not what makes it into the.
newspapers.
"I think it's mostly the media that makes raves out
to be these crazy drug-infested orgies with deafening
music and strange props like pacifiers and face
masks to complete the rituals," Payer said.
Another University student involved in Detroit's
party scene, LSA sophomore Gabe Sandler, said
these myths have become problematic.
"The main problem I see with the scene is the
judgmental attitude that American people who have
not participated in it tend to have," Sandler said. "It's
the type of thing you should see for yourself and form
your own opinion on."
Located in the farthest depths of Detroit's inner
city ghettos, some may be hesitant to investigate these
non-traditional musical gatherings. Locations don't
get revealed until the day of the event and even then
directions can only be found on a voice mail record-
ing. Tactics such as these help foster an atmosphere
of mystery as well as functioning to keep the parties
as underground as possible, where only the most
courageous dare venture.
Once you arrive at the party, park the car and final-
ly enter, a whole new world presents itself. "It was
kind of dark with minimal lights, loud music, dirty
floors, potholes on the way to the party with steam
coming out of them," Engineering senior Gary
Givental said, referring to his first experience at a
Detroit party.
Givental found the environment to his liking, moti-
vating him to become an aspiring DJ and Eaton's
partner in PLURKids Productions.
"People are there listening to the music, they're
dancing, they're sitting on the floor chilling,"Givental
said. "Whatever it is they're doing, it's just a totally
different atmosphere. I totally got into it because it
was such a friendly environment, like I'd never seen at
a concert before.
"It totally blew me away because right away you
could feel it in the air - you could feel the vibe. That
sounds weird to some people but you definitely feel
the atmosphere," he said. "After that I wanted to go
back. I wanted to hear more - I wanted to learn more
about it."
Eaton's first experience prompted him to begin
throwing parties as part of PLURKids Productions.
"This was a whole new experience," Eaton said.
"This was an exciting new world. This was me expe-
riencing something I'd never experienced before and
meeting all these new people.
"There were no fights, no belligerent drunken peo-
ple, no gangstas walking around trying to be all hard,
just fantastic people. The more I got into the music
and the more I realized what I love, the more I want-
ed to spread this stuff around," he said.
Sandler puts this environment - which Givental
terms "the classic Detroit feel" - into further per-
spective: "A good Detroit party for me requires that
two ideals are met. First, the music played there
should be aesthetically pleasing in the sense that it's
art and beautiful. Second, the crowd should reflect
many different types of people there for the same rea-
son - the love of fun."
Also, the fact that Detroit parties last all night sep-
arates them from traditional dance clubs. Since danc-
ing can sometimes go from 10 p.m. until noon the
following day, most people come dressed more for
comfort than glamour. Tennis shoes, comfortable
pants and light t-shirts are the norm.
Also, don't expect a meat market. This isn't the
Nectarine or Rick's. People come for the music, not
to fulfill their sexual desires. "You will never ever see
a guy freaking a girl at a party, and if you do, you're
at the wrong party!" Eaton explained.
Depending on the particular party, the music can
range from hip-hop to jungle but in Detroit, techno
and house music reign as most popular. Usually, most
raves have more than one room in order to offer mul-
born artist and professor, Chagoya
addresses both current events and
history, especially relating to Latin
American culture. Museum of Art
Apse, 7:30 p.m. Free.
Friday
CAMPUS CINEMA
Dazed And Confused (1993) A
film about the last day of high
school in 1976 and finding ways
to get drunk and high. Wa-hoo!
State, 233 S. State St. 12 mid.
$5.50.
Film Farm III (1999) Back for the
third time is this festival of stu-
dent films. Hosted by Bruce
Campbell ("Evil Dead" films,
"Brisco County, Junior"). Nat.
Sci. 8 p.m. $3.
A Simple Plan (1998) One of
1998's best films comes back to
the big screen this week. Two
brothers and their friend find $4.4
million and plot to keep it. Come
for Billy Bob Thortan's Oscar-
nominated performance, but stay
for Bridget Fonda naked.
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty
St. 9:30 p.m. $5.50.
Tango See Thurs. 7 p.m.
MUSIC ------------
Baby Hec Romero Time to rave
your sorry ass goodbye. Motor,
3515 Caniff,sHamtramck, (313)
369-0080. 9p.m. $10
Clutch The elephant riders them-
selves. Perhaps the group will
have more than one long song to
play this time. Harpo's, 14238
Harper, Detroit, (313) 8824-
1700. 8p.m. $15
Placebo With lyrics on its hit song
going, "A friend in need is a friend
indeed, a friend with breasts is bet-
ter," sung by the androgynous
Brian Molko you know you want to
go. St. Andrew's Hall, 431
Congress, Detroit, (313) 961-
MELT. 7:30 p.m. $16
Simple Neptune Its the group's
CD release party! Go ahead ..
support your local music scene, it
really needs your help. Or you
could just come out to soak up
some Ferndale atmosphere.
Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward,
Ferndale, Mich. (248) 544-3030.
8p.m. $8
Two partiers test out the dance floor at "Comin Fri
parties, both legal and illegal are never h ard to flr
tiple DJs and genres along with separate chill-oul
area away from the booming bass. Since raves do gc
until dawYf, people often need a break from the louc
music and dancing to hydrate and recharge.
Some of the better Detroit raves offer other sorts of
entertainment besides just music and people.
Professional light shows add an aura of otherworldli-
ness to raves, eliminating any remaining mundane
elements. Depending on the time of night or the
party, light shows can range from near-darkness with
carefully positioned strobe lights to all-out barrages
of every imaginable color.
The sum of these various elements creates a surre-
al world capable of overloading one's senses. Being
lost in the middle of a strangely lit ocean of youths all
reacting wildly to the channeled energy of a DJ's
music can become utopia for a hedonistic individual
interested in sensory overload. The combination of
stimulating environment, forward-thinking music
and thousands of peaceful dancing youths continues
to convert music lovers of all kinds to party culture.
Richie Hawtin, better known as Plastikman, engi-
neered some ofthe first and most legendary parties in
the history of Detroit. During the past decade, parties
such as "Spastik" and "Consumed" are now consid-
ered historical events for their ambitious attempt to
create surreal environments capable of immersing the
partyers, making them forget about the outside world
for the night.
Held in an early 20th Century temple,
"Consumed" needed four floors to accommodate its
various environments. The first floor consisted of a
gigantic lobby. After ascending the stairs, partyers
had the option of entering the main dancefloor 72 feet
Stabbing Westward Second
industrialC popband playing
Flick. Clutch Cargo's,
E.Huron, New Pontiac, (248)
2362 8p.m. $16
rate
with
65
333-
Low fresh from its show the pre-
vious night at the Sevent House,
Low comes to East Quad's very
own Half Way Inn. East Quad. 9
p.m. $5
THEA TER
Orphan Train See Thursday. 8
p.m.
Seven Blowjobs See Thursday. 7
p.m.
How I Learned to Drive See
Thursday. 8 p.m. $15, Students
$12.
A LTERNA TIVES
MFA 11 Dance Performance See
aJbe idt4gtnIiau g
Weekend
Magazine
Editors: Aaron Rich, Will Weissert
Writers: Jason Birchmeier, Steve Gertz, Bryan Lark, Elena Lipson, Alan
Photo Editor: Adriana Yugovich
Photographers: Louis Brown, Steve Gertz, Adriana Yugovich
Cover: Partier Carolina Wheat dances the night away at the "Comin From
night. Photo by Adriana Yugovich
Arts Editors: Jessica Eaton and Christopher Tkaczyk
Editor in Chief: Heather Kamins
.. .. _ > n s m a s s a > +# , . M -, ' -h
Phone Numbers: Ann Arbor 1 & 2: 761-9700; Briar wood: 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.