So many stories, so little sbace.. Check Out the fruits of our labors online. You'll find a preview of "Absolut Comedy," as well as previews of "The X-Files" season premiere and the new UPN Friday night lineup. michigandaily.com/arts RTS 0 FRIDAY NOVEMBER 3, 2000 8 NOVEMER 3,2000 TOO MANY TUNES Elliot Smith's rock show at St. Andrew's headlines a big day for music in Daily Arts Hunter's all new, the Still's all through 0 By Christian Hoard Daily Arts \\nrter Elliott Smith does not, as a rule, rock out. Most of his songs are mellow if not morose, full of heartache and bad mem- ories that are channeled through sparse acoustic guitar arrange- ments and Smith's ethereal vocals. The uninformed might even Eliot call him a folkie. Smit It was somewhat St Andrew's Hall surprising, then, that Nov. 1.2000 Smith's show at St. Andrews Hall on Wednesday rocked -- or, at least, it rocked inasmuch as an Elliott Smith show can rock. Sure, some of the non- devotees in attendance were probably left won- dering what the big deal was, since, in one sense, this was-a pretty standard rock show: White dudes on stage with drums and guitars, boomy sound, half-decipher- able lyrics. But it was a stellar perfor- mance for Smith, whose records speak so loudly that there's usually little he can do to make the songs sound much better on stage. After a short set by Grandaddy that drew mostly on parts of their very like- able Sophlware Slump album, Smith took the stage dressed in a black t-shirt and red pants, looking haggard as ever though less frumpy (and more like a rock star?) than usual. Smith and his three band mates then kicked into "Needle in the Hay," a rarity whose lyrics fell victim to the slightly muddy St. Andrews sound. The sound, however, proved no real obstacle for Smith, since he and his band weren't too con- cerned with delicacy and instead spent the better part of 90 minutes plowing through the brighter side of Smith's cata- logue (including "Stupidity Tries" and the almost poppy "Happiness") with straight ahead, trad-rock sensibility. Among the standouts in Smith's 20-song set were "Son of Sam" - a brilliant White Album-era Beatles knock-off- and "Cupid's Trick," which was treated with just the right amount of hard-rockin' angst. Despite apologies for several minor mis- cues during the set, Smith's voice was in prime form and sounded particularly fine on mellower numbers like "Waltz #2" and "Say Yes." Through it all, Smith was his usual reti- cent self, performing as though he didn't notice that he was perched on stage in front of a packed house and only occa- sionally mumbling a word or two between songs. That's wasn't particularly a prob- lem, though, since the crowd -- mostly 20-something white kids - seemed to want it that way, as nary a soul danced and most preferred to stare in quiet awe at the biggest anti-hero in rock. (Ques- tion: How many Elliott Smith fans does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: 1,000 - one to screw in the bulb, 999 to stand around wearing hooded sweatshirts while staring at the floor and shuffling their feet). For his final encore, Smith and his band covered Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" while some guy in a grim reaper costume, scythe and all, pranced around the stage. Was Smith poking fun at his image as a gloomy melancholic? Maybe. It's equally likely that Smith, ever the mis- understood rock poet, just likes to keep us guessing. By Jeff Dickerson For the I )aily 0 JOYCE LEE/Daily Elliott Smith rocked Detroit like a hurricane at St. Andrew's. 'High Priestess of Soul' Simone emerges from exile In celebration of the release of her third album Alive, Lisa Hunter is set to play Ann Arbor's legendary Ark. The folk rock artist is dressed to leave a mark on the local music scene. She will be getting a little help from her friends as members of The Still back her up on her latest tracks. Lisa Hunter refers to her music as "truths or dare folk rock." Her musical career ignited in 1996 with her praised debut album, Solid Ground. She has made a name for herself in folk music in the Midwest with herenergetic performances. Described as "bare-bones" and "truly real," Lisa Hunter's newest album fea- tures simply her soft voice and acoustic guitar alone in the studio. Unlike her first two efforts, Solid Ground and Flying, the music featured in her current work is simple and raw, focusing on the basics ofO her craft. Joining her onstage will be local heroes The Still. In case you've missed out on their live shows in past years, now is your final chance to see them perfoni together. This Saturday marks the end for Ann Arbor's favorite folk rockers. After nearly six years of resounding vocals and acoustic guitars, the band is calling it quits. They'll be playing one last show at The Ark to close their successful careers. The Still describes their sound as Folk- rocksteady. The six man band started up in 1994 when the Kaplan brothers, Ethan and Noah, set out to form a band with some oftheir close friends. They joinedAl Massey, Jesse Schriffrin, Zach Platsis and Nathan Adams to form what has become one of Ann Arbor's favorite bands. Since then, the University of Michigan grads have released three albums includ- ing their latest, Transit. Their music exhib- I its the roots of their unique sound. In each song you can hear a taste of their influ- ences: Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead and rocker of the free world Neil Young. The Still found success after the Ann Arbor New Music Fesitval in 1996. Known for their potent shows, they've sold out concert halls all across Michigan from Detroit to Kalamazoo. Saturday's show marks the end of one popular local group, and the growth of one of the most promising local folk artists. The com- bined talents will make for a memorable folk concert with a touch of local flavor. Don't miss out, you won't have another chance. By W.. Jacarl Melton Daily Arts Writer It's been over 25 years since her self-imposed exile from the United States, but legendary songstress Nina Simone has done anything but fall out of American musical consciousness. In recent years, contemporary artists such as Lauryn Hill and Talib Kweli have paid homage in verse to a woman who has seen her share of controversy yet continues to express her pas- Nin sions and beliefs through song. For this abil- Simone ity, Nina Simone can be regarded as one of Hm n A r the most dynamic figures to appear in 20 Century music. Tonight at8 p.m In 1954, while a student at the Julliard School of Music, Eunice Waymon began her career as a pianist in an Atlantic City bar. When the bar owner urged her to sing as well as play the piano, she did so. Waymon began to develop a repertoire in which George and Ira Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" became a standard. Soon, she found herself per- forming at Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival. Also, Waymon changed her name in an effort to keep her family from discovering that the classical pianist Eunice had become the "pop" singer Nina Simone. Simone started recording her music in the late 1950s. Her talents as a musician allowed her to not only perform songs in the increasingly popular rhythm and blues format of the time but she also used techniques of classical, operatic, gospel, jazz songs would take a much more Afro-centric tone while pro- testing the conditions in which Blacks found themselves, espe- cially in the southern United States. After the murder of four black girls in an Alabama church, Simone wrote the very poignant "Mississippi Goddam." In it, she sings of her dis- gust with the South's foot dragging in providing equality for Blacks. The lyrics, coupled with the show tune nature of the instrumentation, openly mocks Jim Crow in a way few per- formers would attempt. Other songs, such as "To Be Young, Gifted and Black." carried themes of Black Nationalism that would be extremely popular in the latter 1960s. Simone's stances various on issues didn't come without crit- icism, though. "Four Women," a song which deals with skin tone and its connotations, was banned from radio in both New York and Philadelphia because it was seen as demeaning to black people. Reactions like this, in addition to American racism and the nature of both show business and record com- panies, led Simone to leave the United States in 1974 for Bar- bados and eventually the South of France, where she currently resides. Although it could be argued that American society has improved since her career began, Simone's presence and music has not lost any of its potency. She maintains devotees that remember her in the lre-exile years while, simultaneously, attracting a younger audience. The unifier of these two distinct legions of supporters is a woman who knows how to convey her message in a manner like no one else. Hence, the one dubbed the "High Priestess of Soul" receives the utmost respect from her appreciative con- gregation of fans. Courtesy 0f urns org Raising the roof with one hand: Nina Simone's got a little sugar in her bowl. and traditional African music to derive her distinctive style. Coupled with her well-honed stage presence, Simone became known as one of the best artists of that time. Simone's music, however, would make a great thematic shift during the civil rights struggle of late 1950s and 1960s. Her I Band-o-rama bonanza hits Hill By Jim Schiff Daily Arts Writer With the crash ofa cymbal and the call of a trumpet, the University's top bands will envelop Hill Audito- rium in some spectacular sounds on Saturday night. Long part of Mich- igan's tradition of musical excel- lence, the .concert, symphony and marching bands are ready to strut their stuff. This year's Band-O-Rama is something of a milestone with the recent addition of William M. Camp- bell to the School of Music faculty. A professor of trumpet, Campbell has previously spent seven years in Italy playing in the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. After teaching at the University of Kansas and performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, lie became a faculty member at Ohio State Uni- versity in 1996. His recent move to Ann Arbor has been an extremely positive experience for Campbell thus far. "I've been blown away by the school of music ... it is such a priv- ilege to be associated with it," lie said. The highlight of the Symphony SAY NO TO SEX AND t Directed by Malcolm Tulip UM Dept. of Theatre November 9 - 11 at 8 PM November 12 at 2 PM L Mendelssohn Theatre - Band's performance is Campbell* solo in "Concerto for Trumpet," by Alexander Arutunian. The piece is known to have a great deal of energy and excitement throughout, and also features solos from the clarinet and euphonium. "The music is very approachable for the audi- ence," Campbell said. "It's the kind of piece the audience can whistle as they leave the hall." The Symphony Band, 'conductel, by H. Robert Reynolds, will also perform the Overture to "Candide" and Profanation from "Jeremiah, Symphony No. I" by Leonard Ber- nstein. Certainly a central figure in, the U's instrumental program is Dr., James R. Tapia, a co-conductor of. the Concert Band and the director of Marching Band. Also under the, direction of Scott D. Teeple, the. Concert band will perform Var* ations on "America" by Charles Ives, "Passacaglia" by Ron Nelson and "National Emblem March" by Eugene Bagley. Tapia finds that "America" in particular has "a sense about it of great depthi...it has a true understanding of musical craft in making people smile or frown." Last but certainly not least, the Michigan Marching Band will lea from the football field to the stagi According to Tapia, the band finds this transition beneficial because the sound can be more dominant in an enclosed environment. "When in. Hill auditorium, the sound is per- meating every fiber of your body," he said.