Ex-Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart visits Borders Books & Music. With his new book "Spirit into Sound," Hart will perform some readings and sign copies for fans. ~IW £icdgan Nag Lbdomat Tomorrow in Daily Arts: Check out a review of the Plastikman show in Detroit this past weekend. Monday November 8,19995A Boys' 'Millennium' tour woos Detroit audience By Curtis Zimmermann Daily Arts Writer Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, it is impossible to deny that the Backstreet Boys are one of the most popular and recognizable musical sembles in the world. Saturday night, this flagship group of the late '94s boy band movement brought its "Millennium" tour to the Palace of Auburn Hills for * the first of the three sold out shows. While the Backstree1 boys have shown Boys in the last year Palace of Auburn Hills that they are Nov. 6, 1999 indeed "Larger Than Life," with this performance they demonstrat- ed they are not larger than hype. The show did have a few high points. The introduction was like something out of a science fiction epic, or a really Violin uartet Stea 'U' B Jim Schiff Fr the Daily The world-renowned Emerson Siring Quartet graced the stage of Rackham Auditorium last Friday. P rforming their all-Shostakovich ogram, they played with a blazing ensity required to pull off the composer's powerful music. Violin pjayers Philip Setzer and Eugene Drucker, violist Lawrence Dut on apd cellist David Finckel delivered a performance that makes it easy to s4e why they've earned four drammies. As a prelude to future recording high class male strip joint. As green lights flickered and smoke filled the arena, the march of Darth Vader began blasting through the speakers. Four members of the group then emerged on space-aged Burton boards and flew over the crowd of mostly screaming girls. Greeting them as they landed on stage was Kevin Richardson, who was side- lined from all aerial stunts do to a recent arm injury. After undoing all the harnesses and saluting the audi- ence they went into a rousing rendi- tion of their current single "Larger Than Life." Now fast forward two hours to the other solid aspect of the perfor- mance, their closing number "I want it that way." The song, which is per- haps their biggest hit, culminated in a massive sing-a-long, orchestrated by the group from the top of a pyra- mid at center stage. Beyond this, everything in between the, opening and closing of the concert was rather bland. The elaborate stage in the round moves as their pop chart topping counter parts N' Sync and Ricky Martin. Even when the group did dance, the choreography lacked consisten- cy. Also, many of the arrangements were simply too long. This, com- bined with their elaborate costumes, which ranged from Star Trek style combat uniforms to hot pink tuxe- dos, sent the group off stage for long periods of time. Unlike most boy bands, the Backstreet Boys have released two albums. While enabling them to per- form a wide range of material, it showcased a real lack of musical diversity. Most of their songs like "Quit Playing Games with My Heart," "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and "The Perfect Fan" are R&B edged power ballads that appeared to be generated from the same formula. Even songs like "Spanish Eyes," which despite its title is not an attempt by the group to break into the Latin pop market, couldn't bring the show out of the doldrums. Also they ruined what could have been show stopper 'Everybodv (Backstreets Back)" by only singing about 30 seconds of it Despite these hindrances, nothin, stopped legions of female fans from going absolutely ballistic. In fact, it was the group's lack of visibility that seemed to contribute to the hysteria. Because it was rare to see them on stage for extended periods of time, catching a quick glimpse of the stars was all the more exciting for the fans. Perhaps the Backstreet Boys are just a little too big for their own good, and one only has to go as far as the Howard Stern show to know that the backlash has already begun. While some anti-Backstreet propa- ganda borders on the ridiculous, it might be the beginning of the inevitable. With such a dragged-out show, which appeared to cover for the boys' lack of moves and material, one has to wonder just how long "Millennium" mania will last. DANA UNNANE/Daly The Backstreet Boys show that they are "Larger Than Life-" was more of a hindrance than an asset because it became difficult to follow the band's movement. To add to this, 10 dancers clull tered the stage surface and covered Up p the fact that the boys didn't quite have the same Maher serves laughter with his 'Political' humor at Hill Courtesy of IMG Emerson String Quartet is considered one of the world's finest. Emerson String Quartet Rackham Auditorium Nov. 5, 1999 wrote these last sessions, the quartet is touring with their repetoire of Shostakovich's last three com- positions in the upcoming winter- m o ,a t h s. Shostakovich's traumatic later years were char- acterized by ill- health and dis- ease. While in the hospital, he three of his string the addition of the violins, then back down again into the sweeping melody. The listener felt as though the musicians were conversing: the viola called, and the others answered. The middle section of the piece was dominated by 4 separate themes going on at the same time, yet blend- ing beautifully together. Towards the end, the viola and cello engage in a spectacular duet featuring their lower ranges. And finally, a violin taps on the belly of his instrument while the viola ends the piece. As the viola opened the first selection, he started the String Quartet No. 14 in F-sharp Major in a bright mood. The violins soared over the viola/cello foundation, and later the cello introduced the melody. Though the piece began on a happi- er note, the chilling theme returned in the 1st violin, played by Drucker. The second and third movements, played without pause, featured some gorgeous major chords in two and three-voiced combinations. A pizzi- cato section was again present in the violins. Near the end, all four instru- ments connected in perfectly pitched harmonies. While the first two pieces had frantic moments coupled by long tones, the String Quartet No.15 in e- flat minor focuses on the latter of the two. The entire piece, with the exception of the fifth movement, was characterized by a feeling of death and mourning. The minor chords among the top three voices sent chills down one's spine in the second and third movements. The limberness of cello player Finckel was evident in his solo work. Rhythmic pizzicatos and a cycling of earlier themes punctured the fifth movement, the funeral march. Lastly, all instruments played a tremolo up and down the scale, ending on a haunting minor chord. Throughout their performance, the Emerson String Quartet effec- tively captured the power and pas- sion of Shostakovich's music. Each member played exquisitely on his own, and in combination, the chords were always dead-on accurate. Overall, it was a delight to see four of the best string players in the world right here in Ann Arbor. By Julie Munjack and Daniela Ashe For the Daily Jesus is a hippy. E irds iasturbate. Clinton got stuck v vith "the chunky chick who got the n >ail." With his provonative language, Bill Maher left a bl ittersweet taste in the mouths of his audience, in his performance Satui day night at Hill Auditorium. Maher, the cre ator and host of television's Polil ically Incorrect, captured a full house of stu- dents and par- ents with crass Bill Maher humor, publiciz- ing people's innermost Hill Auditorium thoughts about Nov. 6, 1999 sex, politics and society. Maher was invited to cam- pus by the Student Alumni Council to enter- tain parents and students during ; this year's Parents Weekend. Strutting acnass stage with confi- dence and cly arisma, Maher shed light on popub ar issues such as gen- der difference s, abortion, religion and public hea Ith. Exposing I he truth about the nature of men, Maher addressed the ladies in the crowd. "I love women ... I'm pro-truth. Sometimes those two concepts collide." He continued by telling women it's time to under- stand commonly unaccepted male behavior. "You don't blame a moth for eating your socks. Yes, we are pigs and we're sick of apologizing for it." Maher's cynicism also surfaced in his discourse on abortion. "I'm for abortion," he said. "Up to the third trimester in high school." Both parents and students applauded his sarcasm, specifically when he attacked religious fervor. He mocked football players and celebrities who credit Jesus with their accomplishments. "Jesus could give a rat's ass if you win a Grammy," he said. Maher also interprets the language of the Bible, equating it to a book of MadLibs, a childhood pastime in which random words are inserted in sentences to create illogical stories. "And then God created woman from...a rib?" he asked. Maher also questioned society's backward priorities regarding public health. Should we be concerned that the U.S. government puts more emphasis on creating "hair pills and boner pills," than on finding cures for AIDS and cancer? In Part Two of his emphatic perfor- mance, Maher, with slicked back hair and a voice strung with cyni- cism, transformed the auditorium into a Jerry Springer-like forum. People of all ages shouted quips at selected audience members partici- pating in a simulated talk show. Set up like a living room, the stage fos- tered an intimate environment for participants and viewers. Liberals versus conservatives, par- ticipants debated issues such as Miss America's sex life, premarital inter- course and parental notification of college students' experimental behavior. Maher, playing mediator, added sarcasm and wit to the serious, and sometimes dull, discussion on stage. But despite his valiant effort, Maher could not overpower poor acoustics, inexperienced performers and an antsy audience. The micro- phones projected muffled voices of participants who were already shaky and generally inarticulate. These fac- tors, combined with the show's lengthiness, led a stream of viewers to exit prematurely. Despite these obstacles, the audi- ence seemed to appreciate Maher 's act overall, frequently bursting into applause and contagious laughter. Maher's show, both a lecture on life and comic relief, left his audience with a more cynical view of society and jokes for the car ride home. quartets. His preoccupation with death is most evident in the final piece, with its haunting minor chords acid brief periods of shrieking strings. }The program opened with the String Quartet No. 13 in b-flat 'or, Op.138 to a harrowing viola. Sxt entered the cello with accom- panying long, dark tones. Characteristic of Shostakovich, the piece jumped into frantic shrills with Read aily lArt I eV~Oready Immm q/to start earning extra cashfo for holidays? Then take a wow.. ,, look at m some extra cash for the holidays, open some possibilities in manage- n the road. You can ea and maybe ment dowr And right now is a great time to join our team at Domino's. Whether you're looking for a lot of hours or you're just looking for a part-time job, Domino's has an opportunity for you. 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