q V t-- 11 A:-L.:..r..- i%-:t.. ?L...._-1_.. h,__._.__i__..^ ^^^^ ^. A RTI he Michigan Daily -- Thursday, November 9, 2000 -A ART S Tear the roof off: Original members of P-Funk return to Detroit A By Chris Kula Daily Arts Editor I want the bomb, I want the P-Funk - I wants to get funked up. That's not too much to ask, is it? Fuzzy Haskins doesn't think so. The Originat P 50-something Haskins has been bringing the funk for more than 30 The Majestic years as a founding Tonight at 8 p.m. member of the ground- breaking Parliament, and he's currently crisscrossing the coun- try with Original P, a bootylicious 14-piece band that reunites many of the original members of P-Funk. :"Man, I can't explain it, and I shouldn't cen try to explain it," Haskins said of the tong-lasting Parliament dynasty. "A lot of it just comes from our love for one another, so when we got together as Original P, it was like we never stopped." 'That's quite the claim, considering that 'Batle of !, sexes stiff in].Greek comedy By Lisa Rat Drivy Arts 'WXriter Original P dates back to the early '60s when George Clinton, Haskins, Grady Thomas, Calvin Simon and Ray Davis formed a doo wop-style vocal group called The Parliaments. When Clinton began to emphasize the brand of hard, rhythmic funk that James Brown had earlier originated, the group took on the tear-the-roof-off-the- sucka identity of Parliament. Huge smash albums, sold-out stadium tours and various offshoots (the Brides of Funkenstein, the Horny Horns, Bootsy's Rubber Band) ensued in the '70s as Parlia- ment set the standard for bigtime funk bands. When Funkadelic, Clinton's psyche- delic black-rock side project, rose to prominence, the two groups essentially merged, forming Par] iament/Funkadelic. The group disbanded in the late '70s, with Clinton touring with the P-Funk All- stars while the four other founders pursued solo projects. In the mid-'90s, the group began touring as Original P, sans Clinton - and they like it that way. "I hear that George's shows are just a lot of chaos, like 100 people on-stage and a lot of screaming and cursing," Haskins said. "We go out and do it right: The four origi- nal Parliaments singing the harmonies, doing the songs that got us inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame." And there's no shortage of those classic P-Funk songs to throw in the setlist. Hask- ins said the average Original P set ranges well past two hours, simply because the band has so many hits to get through. Tunes like "Flashlight," "Up for the Down- stroke" and "Atomic Dog" routinely pack the dance floor, as do "Cosmic Slop," "The Mothership Connection" and "One Nation Under a Groove." As well as "Chocolate City," "Do that Stuff" and "Maggot Brain." And "Dr. Funkenstein." And "Give up the Funk." And - well, you get the idea: There ain't no party like a P-Funk party 'cause a P- F:unk party don't stop. "The last time we played, I got dehydra- tion because that show went on forever," Haskins said. "We've got seven musicians, three girls and the four of us on-stage the whole night, and we use it all." Interestingly, the longer that Original P forges on, the younger its audiences become. Haskins points to the tremendous popularity of hip-hop among young adults as a key to || courtesy of David Pebert The mothership lands tonight in Detroit: Original P will bust out the bop gun and get the ladies grooving. Original P's lasting popularity - after all, P- Funk grooves have been sampled by everyone from Digital Underground to Dr. Dre. "The kids want to know about the funk, so they come and check us out, and they hear, something that they think is from sone rap- per, but it was a Parliament tune first," Ha'Isk- ins said. "People say we're from the old school, but I say that we're old school for new fools." REGGAE GROOVES, MEAN STREETS Begin with prosthetic genitalia. Add equal parts great acting and a visually pleas- ing set, and 'Lysistrata then throw in a whole lot of Mendelsohn Greek comedy. Theater What do you Runs at8p.m.. tonight get? A hell of a through Saturday: 2p.m. good time. Wel- on Sunday come to "Lysis- trata," the latest production by the Department of Theater and Drama. The plot of the original play is fairly well-known. Set in war-torn ancient Greece, a bunch of women decide to use their most powerful weapon to help stop the war in which their husbands are fighting: Sex. That's right, until the fighting stops, these women will not be making love to their hus- ds. Led by the character Lysis- rata, played by Jessie Cantrell in his production, women from all over Greece win their own little 'war, with weapons of a most innov- ative kind. In the production, the setting will be a turn-of-the-century music hall, instead of ancient Greece. This will "Lysistrata" examines what happens when the ladies tell the fellas, "Nuh-uhh." By Andy Taylor-Fabe Daily ArtsWriter Before Bob Marley and the Wailers brought reg- gae to the U.S. mainstream, a brilliant low budget film about the struggle of a man in a Jamaican slum was made on the streets of Kingston. Although it has remained somewhat of a cult film, Criterion has just released "The Harder They Come" on DVD. The Hander "The Harder They Come" is They Come about a young man named Ivan Grade. A- (immy Cliff) who comes from theacountry to the bustling but Criterion DVD treacherous city of Kingston in the early '70s to seek his for- tune as a musician. After struggling with poverty and the violence of the streets, he manages to record a single, but instead of striking it rich, he find that the music business is as corrupt as every other part of the system. Frustrated and destitute, he gets involved in the Kingston's gan.'a trade and eventually achieves his sought after fame, but as a brutal and infamous out- law instead of a celebrated singer. Many people could be turned off by the film's cover, which resembles so-called exploitation movies of the '70s. However, this film gives an inci- sive but subtle account of Ivan's struggle, and Jimmy Cliff does a masterful job of giving Ivan three dimensions. This film has one of the greatest soundtracks in history. Including songs by Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, The Melodians, Scotty, and The Slickers ("Johnny Too Bad" is still one of the greatest reggae songs ever), it is one in a million. The DVD version of the film is impressive, for although it was originally shot in 16 mm, the digital transfer gives it much more vibrant colors and clear images without making it seem too polished. It features biographies of all the bands that appear on the soundtrack and audio commentary by direc- tor Perry Henzell and star Jimmy Cliff. There is also a recent interview with Chris Blackwell, who found- ed Island Records. "The Harder They Come" is a unique portrait of the slums of Kingston and the culture and language of the people. But speaking of language, here's a piece of advice for the viewei: Activate the English subtitles when you watch it, because the Jamaican dialect is sometimes so thick that it is impossible to Understand. serve to "complement the interior of the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater," said director Malcolm Tulip, who adapted the production for the music hall setting. The plot will remain unchanged. Originally written as part of a fer- tility festival, this play will use some standard accoutrements of Greek theater. including both erect and limp prosthetic genitalia, which will help the men look ridiculous. There will also be body padding and masks for those in the chorus. The humor will not be watered down for today's politically correct audience, either. It promises, Tulip said, to be "joyful, bawdy, and short!" Don't worry about the show being distasteful, however. Students of all types will enjoy the humor of this play and the energy and enthusiasm of all involved will shine through. "It is fast paced, funny, and damn good-looking," Tulip said. The set and costumes, done by Nephelie Andonyadis, were intended to please the eye and add pizzazz to the audience's experience. In addi- tion, the cast of over 20 students will each be decked out in costumes that, despite the turn-of-the-century settig, are definitely not the usual stuffy and prim style of the Victori- an era in which the play is set. Aristophanes, the author of the play, as born in Athens around 448 BC and was known primarily as a satirist. No political party or social group escaped from Aristophanes' weapon of choice, the pen. He wrote over 40 plays in his lifetime, and Lysistrata is widely recognized as being his most famous work. The political origins of this com- edy stem from the Peloponnesian War. Written in 411 BC, Aristo- phanes sought to influence politics by writing the political and social satire "Lysistrata," in the hopes that the war would end as a result. As always, the play will feature excellent acting by students within the department of Theater and Drama, a division of the School of Music. As if there weren't enough reasons already Y ARTS IN WITfH A L;n IL Color & Design Groutp 00 we4nu a#d HEIDI ATCHISON 49 ea& 64id aad Offers top quality spa w eme, Manicures & Pedicures 208 E. Washington Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734.997.7030 Receive a complimentary paraffin treatment with a purchase of a manicure. Special good through Nov. 30, 2000 Save up to $250 now when you purchase an Apple PowerBook. 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