How High...
Go to University Activities Center and
get free tickets to "How High," starring
Method Man, for Monday night at the
Natural Science Auditorium.
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ARTS
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 2, 2001
5
White Stripes to
perform at the DIA
Preston School of Industry
'Spiral' into Detroit tomorrow
By Keith N. Dusenberry
Daily Arts Writer
There's a rumble in the Motor City. A
throaty purr that seethes with tension, as
White
Stripes
Detroit Institute
of Arts
Tonight at 6:30 p.m.
'- (
if any minute the
great growl could
come barreling
down its pipe.
Detroit knows
this noise. It's the
sound of a late-
'60s Ford sitting
at a traffic light,
all style and
threat, potential
and anticipation.
When the lights
change and feet
push pedals, it
comes - the
sings while ex-wife Meg White bangs
the drums. Though Jack and Meg are in
their mid-20s and the band is only four
years old, the White Stripes sound
simultaneously ancient and modern.
Jack's songwriting combines his appre-
ciation of the Delta Blues with his
garage and indie rock sensibilities. He
plays a menacingly toned, hook-laden
electric guitar and sings about girls,
boys, love and leaving town. Driving the
music home are Meg's super hard, fill-
free drum parts that leave little room for
question. When she hits the drums, she
hits the drums and does so with confi-
dence and primal power.
But the White Stripes aren't only an
all-out assault on the listener's gentler
sensibilities like many neo-garage bands.
They have a softer side as well. Jack
sometimes breaks out his acoustic guitar
(and often his slide, too), Meg tones
things down on the drum kit and the
White Stripes woo the audience with
gentler guitar strumming and crafty little
melodies.
They have released three full-length
albums in as many years and their latest,
White Blood Cells is getting them much
national and international attention. As
well it should, since (like their other two
albums) it utilizes the most fundamental
of rules for rock and roll innovators:
Ignore what's currently cool and look to
the blues for a sound you can appropri-
ate, electrify and build upon. It's a classic
move that every rock and roll pioneer has
used from Chuck Berry and Buddy
Holly to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
sound of 100 years of sweat and study
and accumulated knowledge barrels out
a of little two-inchpipe, and now, a little
two-man band.
The White Stripes are the humble
muscle car of rock bands - stylish,
powerful and made in Detroit. They take
a love for 80 years of the blues, 40 years
of garage rock, a slightly out-of-sync
sense of style and a little of the old Dee-
troit snarl, lube it all with sweat and
screaming and fire it through the two
stroke rock engine that is Jack and Meg
White's petite aural explosion.
Though comprised of only two peo-
ple, the White Stripes are more powerful
and dynamic than bands three times
their size. Jack White plays guitar and
Courtesy oFlying Bomb Records
Ex-spouses get it on for a dollar.
But ever since Hendrix died or Elvis
got fat there have been purists who won-
der when the next musical messiah will
come to save rock and roll. But rock
never gets (and never got) saved, it just
gets lazy and gluttonous and consumes
pieces of its surrounding genres until it
gets too fat to fit on a record (that means
you Pink Floyd), and that's when the
innovators come and rebuild it from the
blues up. The White Stripes aren't saving
rock and roll - they're remaking it.
Tonight, the White Stripes are playing
a soon-to-be-legendary show at the
Detroit Institute of Arts. Rivera Court,
with its famous mural of industry and
Detroit assembly lines, will shake and
roar. At only S 1 for students (yes, you
read that correctly), no excuse will be
good enough when you- grandchildren
ask why you weren't at this show. Hitch-
hike through the Delta or sell your soul
at the crossroads, just make it there
tonight or spend an eternity wishing you
had.
By Luke Smith
Daily Music Editor
After Pavement disbanded in late 2000 co-founders Stephen
Malkmus and Scott Kannberg went their separate ways. Malk-
mus manifested the Jicks and recorded
his eponymous solo record, which tar-
ries in the same turf Pavement did.
Kannberg (a.k.a. Spiral Stairs) was left
Preston to his own and formed his solo project,'
School of the Preston School of Industry. The
Industry shadows Kannberg stood behind in
Pavement have been lit and Spiral Stairs
Magic Stick was spotlighted.
Tomorrow at 8 p.m. Since the release of Preston School of
Industry's debut All this Sounds Gas,
Kannberg and company have been tour-
ing virtually non-stop across Europe
and now are deep into their U.S. tour
which stops in Detroit tomorrow. After
coming back from Europe, Kannberg
chatted with The Michigan Daily.
THE MICHIGAN DAILY: With Preston School of Industry
you're forced to step to the forefront, while in Pavement you
and what you were doing was hidden by a series of effects and
guitar playing, now it's basically you and your voice up there all
by your lonesome. Was this an adjustment for you?
SPIRAL STAIRS: Well, it's kind of an adjustment. In Pave-
ment, that whole approach leading to the final outcome was
because of how we made records. We made them in a really
frenzied fashion and state. When it came time to do my songs it
was always the last day, it'd be really hard to do. Now, I have all
the time in the world to work on my songs and make sure I'm
happy with them. I don't think I was ever that happy with the
way my songs with Pavement were recorded, except maybe in
the beginning when it was a little different. It is an adjustment
for sure.
TMD: How is the adjustment crossing over live? You just
got back from Europe, how'd that go?
SS: Yeah, it was great man. It was easy in Pavement to sit
back, play guitar and belt out a few songs every night. But now,
there's a lot more responsibility. I'm kind of surprised I'm able
to do it. It wasn't as hard as I really thought it was. I mean it's
fine, it seems natural.
TMD: Where exactly in Europe were you guys touring?
SS: We went to the U.K., Ireland, France and Germany.
TMD: How was the fans' response?
SS: It was great. I don't know, the world's pretty weird right
now, people aren't as excited about music, not yet, they will be
eventually. People overseas are a little more serious about
music, they always have been, but more so now. People who are
going to shows are going to them for the love of music and not
just a reason to go out and get drunk, which is alright (laughs).
TMD: Which would you rather have your audience do, dig
the music or get really drunk?
SS: (Still laughing) I guess a little combination of both.
TMD: A good even share of the drunk kids?
SS: Yeah, I mean it's kinda hard. In Germany, you play and
people will just kind of stand there and you'll get some hand
claps. Then you'd be like, 'What's going on?' and you'd play
your songs and at the end they'd want you to come on for like
three encores. So it's just different. The perception is different.
TMD: The shoe-gazing Germans are a tough crowd. (SS:
laughs) Did you learn a couple of German catch phrases like
,'Ich spreche kein Deutsch?'
SS: Yeah, like where's Brathouse. Where is the good brat in
this town? We only played one show, in Germany so it wasn't
that big of a problem though. I love Germany anyways.
TMD: I want to talk about the record, All This Sounds Gas.
First of, what's "Whalebones" about? (SS: laughs) there's one
line in the song, "played their final show, of a lifetime," I think
it's really telling of the whole record. Is this song your assertion
of Pavement's conclusion? Is this you saying you've moved
on?
SS: It's the story of Pavement, each verse is like a tour. We
did a tour. We'd come back from tour driving the 'whalebones,'
(our tour bus). In Pavement we always did these huge long
tours, and by the end of it people were just drained, we never
even thought we'd do another record, let alone how many we
did in Pavement. Even after Slanted and Enchanted, we were
like, "oh, we don't want to do another record" it's just kind of
the story of Pavement, that moving on and finally they played
their last show, that kind of "how does it feel" question, when
really you shouldn't feel bad a bit. That song should be last on
the record, but it's kind of the end of the story (Pavement's
story).
TMD: How important is maintaining Preston School's
'indie' credentials, Pavement had quite an 'indie' oriented audi-
ence, are you trying to maintain that?
SS: It doesn't mean anything to me. Cred is cred, you know,
I don't think that being 'indie' means anything. I mean, I think
it limits you in the long run, you know?
Emo and nu-metal collide at
Halfway Inn with PopProject
By Sonya Sutherland
Daily Arts Writer
The word popular, abbreviated pop, is making a com
back. Whether used to describe the targets of school shooter
or Britney Spear's last lusty endeavo
what better place to discover the mean
ing of pop than the suburbs o
The Po Motown.
The Pop Hard at work in the student slumsc
Project Ann Arbor, The Pop Project ha
Halfway Inn become more than a simple an exper
Tomorrow at 8p.m. ment. Fresh off their debut Let' Ea
Green Beans, a 14-track record tho
was named after a strange Intern
encounter, The Pop Project provide
the essential bubble gum listenin
experience. Devoid of any heavy mes
sages of torment or misdirected ange
The Pop Project demonstrates tha
there is a place for melody in betwee
the growling trends of emo and nu-metal, and their catch
omeo and
hooks invites one too easily to sing along.
Described as "basically we're a band that likes to say poop
on stage," by bassist Christopher Graves, the boys' major
ne band philosophy is simply to have fun. "We get up on stage,
rs say a few things, play our songs and talk some more. We just
r, want everyone who is out there to just have a good time,' said
n- guitarist Dave Lawson.
of Encouraged by such groovers as Apples in Stereo, the Bea-
tles, later Beach Boys and Steely Dan, The Pop Project
of explores such pertinent pop subject matter as unobtainable
is girls, confusion and crushes in an eclectic mix of jazz, classic
i- and hard rock. "We are influenced by lots and lots of drugs.
at Just kidding. We are very welcome to sharing ourselves," said
at Graves. "Instead of talking about emotions, we just write
et about them. Our songs are meant to be meaningful," contin-
es ued vocalist Zach Curd.
g With evocative lyrics and appealing tunes, it is no surprise
s- that The Pop Project has already been dubbed "The Future of
r, Motown." Their unique sound provides breezy entertainment
at and their light-hearted lyrics give everyone something to
;n smile about. When asked about the future of pop, Graves
.y responded quite confidently "We are man, that's the answer."
let sees a retun
Sweeps starts with NBC drama
of Warsaw Ghetto Up rising'
By Jennifer Fogel
Daily Arts Editor
Inspiration. It's a word that we hear
quite often nowadays in the wake of
America's tragedies. Often we assume
that inspiration can only come from
idealism or charity. Almost 60 years
ago, a group of ordinary people
wrought with extraordinary strife took
it upon themselves to start a revolution
against an indecent foe. On Sunday,
t
Uprising
NBC
Sunday at 9 p.m.
to Shakespeare's original text
inspiration can-
not encompass
the overwhelm-
ing outpouring of
emotion when
NBC airs the first
of its two-part
mini series,
"Uprising."
"Uprising"
chronicles the
compelling story
of a group of
fighters within the
"Uprising" a far cry from the likes of
"The Diary of Anne Frank," though as
gripping as "Schindler's List." The_
entire miniseries is emotionally
charged, leaving little room for the
viewer to catch his breath. From point-
ed shots of executions to the wheelbar-
rows of lifeless bodies, "Uprising"
actually puts the viewer backing into
that time frame, refusing-to forgive or
reduce the truth of the tale.
While most will say that "Uprising"
is just a star-driven vehicle'for Novem-
ber sweeps - the cast includes: Hank
Azaria ("Tuesdays with Morrie"),
David Schwimmer ("Friends") and
Donald Sutherland ("Space Cowboys")
- it is important to look past the
uneven acting and ratings-hungry net-
work and "consider the unspeakable
'tragedy that you are watching. In an
outstanding performance, Sutherland
portrays Adam Czerniakow, the moral-
ly conflicted head of the Ghetto's Jew-
ish Council. For Czerniakow, total
submission to the Nazi decries would
lead to better conditions, but even his
greatest intentions and efforts were
thwarted by his own naivete.
Azaria takes on the role of the ideal-
ist Mordechai Anielewicz, who with
Yitzhak Zuckerman (Schwimmer),
leads the resistance fighters through a
heroic battle against an insurmountable
enemy. Although their accents could
use a little work, these two stars portray
their respective characters with deter-
mination and emotion.
"Uprising" is a sea of gut-wrenching
action that will take your breath away.
This is not a miniseries to take lightly,
nor is it one to miss out of fear of seri-
ousness. "Uprising" gives a voice to the
thousands that died and it seems quite
poignant today, bringing perspective to
our own ongoing crisis. As we yearn to
deal with our own acts of heroism and
terror, maybe taking inspiration from
the past will help.
By Autumn Brown
Daily Arts Writer
Would a rose by any other name smell
as sweet? According to the Bard, proba-
bly not. This is why the Rude Mechani-
cals have chosen to present "Romeo and.
Juliet" in its origin
Romeo and
Juiet
Mendelssohn
Theatre
Tonight through Sunday
lal form - doublets
and all.
The Rude
Mechanicals are
an independent
theatrical student
group under the
University Activ-
ities Center. "We
are geared
towards people
who are not the-
ater majors," said
co-producer
Devon Seybert.
all about the audience. They got much
more involved by yelling things at the
actors. In a sense, it was more like a
rock concert," said Aaron Sherry, direc-
tor of the production. "Today's audience
sit politely in their seats and refrain from
talking once the curtain has been
raised."'
Sherry's audience preference will
hopefully experience the same passion
he had for the story from an early age
rather than just be interactive. "The real
reason I chose 'Romeo and Juliet' was
because I have been in love with this
play for a long time and the play is a
personal purging of my own Romeo and
Juliet story," he said.
Although these reasons would have
sufficed, it may not be enough for reluc-
tant theater goers (read: The boyfriends
of Shakespeare fans). For them, Sherry
offers the confidence that he too is a fan
of action and in this case, the sword
fights.
As one proficiently skilled in sword
fighting, Sherry guarantees that a high
level of professionalism that will go into
each choreographed sword fight. Some
would say, however, that the sword fights
are but an added bonus to the com-
pelling and romantic imagery found in
the Bard's masterpiece.
"Each day I realize something differ-
ent in the play," said Senior Dan Krauth,
who plays Romeo. "For example, every
time Romeo and Juliet meet, it's at dawn
and this says something about love being
fresh. Then there is the reiteration of
allusions. In other words, one character's
speech will echo another character's
speech. Occasionally I will hear my
character say something which alludes
to one of Mercutio's lines or one of Juli-
et's lines."
Not only is the language of the text
unique and beautiful, Krauth contends,
"It is one of-the most lustful plays
Shakespeare has ever written," he said.
"More than anything, we want the
audience to realize that the story per-
tains to today; fighting about something
that is not important," said Seybert.
,Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occu-
pation of Poland during World War II.
After the German invasion of Poland in
1939, 350,000 Polish Jews were round-
ed up and forced to live in dire circum-
stances, surrounded by walls and
secluded from the rest of the city. Fac-
ing starvation, mass executions and
relocation to concentration camps, the
Jews of the Ghetto clung to the hope
that human decency would prevail upon
unspeakable tragedy. Out of the depths
of human cruelty, a small group took it
upon themselves to create the Jewish
Fighting Organization. "With no food,
supplies or arms, these brave men and
women could no longer rest on hope,
instead turned to the only thing that
they could believe in, their honor.
It is easily possible to be over-
whelmed by "Uprising" and it is not for
the faint of heart. Even those familiar
with the other Holocaust texts will find
Jewish resistance1
Morrie, I could use some help here!
The student-based group says that
their aim is to remain as true as possible
to Shakespeare's First Quarto. "When
the play was originally performed, it was
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