14 --The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 14, 2000
Majestic to host cheesy jams
ARTS
8y Chsim Hoard
Daily Arts Writer
The jam band scene has grown at a
remarkable rate over the past few years,
as Grateful Dead and Phish clones have
,4 -141,
String Ceese
Majestic Theater
Tmorrow at 9 p.m.
cropped up
almost as fre-
quently as new
boy bands. With
so many young
musicians taking
the free-form
route, however,
it's tough to lend
a fresh ear to
every group that
talks of its dis-
taste for pop
radio or a "magi-
cal, spiritual con-
nection" with its
audience.
the patchouli-scented crowd is sorely
mistaken. Since 1993, the Colorado-
based quintet of Kyle Hollingsworth
(keyboards), Michael Kang (mandolin,
violin), Keith Moseley (bass), Bill Ner-
shi (acoustic guitar) and Michael Travis
(drums) has carved out a niche for itself
in the jam scene with a sound that's
equal parts rootsy and stylistically
diverse. At times, the SCI sounds like a
down-home bluegrass band, having been
invited to play at Telluride Bluegrass
Festival in its home state several times in
recent years.
But bassist Moseley said the SCI
members "don't claim to be a bluegrass
band. We're more of a rock band that
happens to play a lot of styles."
Indeed, the SCI's two studio record-
ings, 1996's "Born on the Wrong Plan-
et" and 1998's "Round the Wheel," find
the group drawing on folk-rock,jazz and
calypso swing in addition to the revved-
up bluegrass in which it specializes. But
as much as these albums bear testimony
to the jam band ethic of freedom, instru-
mental virtuosity and feel-good cen-
trism, it's during the SCI's live
performances when things really get
interesting.
"We're definitely a live band. (Playing
live) is what we're best at," Moseley
said. Accordingly, the SCI's jam-soaked
performances - dubbed "incidents" by
the band's faithful - have drawn more
and more fans during past tours. Mose-
ley sees the band's fanbase increasing in
numbers in the years to come. "It's defi-
nitely been growing at a steady rate" he
said, "and it looks like it will continue to
grow in the future."
Released on its own SCI-Fidelity
label, the SCI's new double live album
shows why fans have been turning out in
droves at group's concerts. "Carnival
'99" offers plenty of live standards and
straightforward bluegrass numbers as
well as an eclectic mix of cover songs
everything from jazz standards ("Take
Five") to Meters classic ("Hey Pocky
BALLET
Continued from Page 12
save her people. Srirama said she
"always wanted to do a piece where a
princess was not just a princess, but
also a warrior. I am interested in how
women always had to be stereotyped
as an extreme - one woman can only
be this, or only do that - but, really,
woman can take up several different
roles."
In her own way, and not intentional-
ly, Messina is also violating what some
people see as norms. Messina, a first
year graduate student pursuing her
masters in Urban Planning at the Uni-
versity, was initially attracted to the
troupe in a way that probably many of
the other dancers were also drawn to
the troupe. She went to a 1992 perfor-
mance, "got chills watching it," and
began to take classes. Where Messina
differs from her dance colleagues is in
her non-Indian background.
In regards to this Messina remarked,
"I have come across some people who
kind of question whether they want me
to perform as a white person, because
it may not seem authentic. But this has
never come from an Indian person -
Indians are usually really excited that
I'm interested." She said that being
non-Indian can sometimes make learn-
"ho"*courtesy or Maison Mouse
Old hippies are a dime a dirty dozen.
Way"). The jams, likewise, range from
raucous rave-ups with Kang's electric
mandolin leading the way to the laid-
back, jazzy noodling that the Dead made
famous.
In addition to writing material for a
new studio album, the SCI are preparing
for their annual "international incident,"
which will be held Memorial Day week-
end in Costa Rica and which Moseley
expects about 700 fans to attend. If you
can't swing the plane fare, however, you
can catch the group a little closer to Ann
Arbor when it appears Saturday night at
the Majestic.
ing the moves very difficult and she
"really has to put in extra effort t
learn to associate movement with syl-
lables I don't know, but this also goes
for Indian students." At one time
Messina almost quit, but her, friends
convinced her to continue.
One of the reasons Indian dance can
be so difficult is because it is so
detailed. Srirama said that it is a dance
with "definite rules." Messina added
that it is "very much based on religion
A lot of positions and movements are
trying to imitate ancient sculptures on
the temples of India. It is very rhyth-
mic, it accentuates the beats. It is very
structured, very precise. There are, for
example, different levels of facial
expression. We show anger, sadness,
surprise - it is a big part of this style
of dancing."
Both women agree that another
important aspect of Indian ballet i
the elaborate jewelry and costumes
On average the performers must
spend at least two and a half-hours
before their entrances dressing
themselves for the stage. This is
one of the more traditional aspects
of a dance style that can be quite
unique.
Tickets to the performance of
"Vahini" can be purchased by calling
the Union ticket office at 763-TKTS. g
But anyone who writes off the String
Cheese Incident as just another face in
Congratulations!
The Handleman Company
wishes to welcome our own "Fab Five"
University Of Michigan graduates who
will be beginning our Management
Associate Training Program
(now in .its 6th year) in June 2000.
Go Blue!
Kimberly Eder
Meredith Koenigsberg
Galen Maynard
Sarah Moore