Not lost but 'Found'...
Creators of Found magazine will be on
hand with local bands performing
songs inspired by the magazine.
Tomorrow. Shaman Drum. 7:30 p.m.
michigandaily.com /arts
A~idtjun m&Ii1
RTS
FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 16, 2001
5
Strokes s
By Luke Smith
Daily Music Editor
Rarely does a band come along that
garners so much hype and so much
backlash in a few moments. The
Strokes are five normal guys from
New York, with
an upper-class
background and
Strokes a penchant for
looking like they
St. Andrew's Hall stepped out of
Tomorrow at 9 p.m. CBGB's circa
1973. Their
debut record Is
This It supports
nearly every
chubby ounce of
the overbearing
press' cellulite-chalked hype. "It's
beyond tired, but it really doesn't mat-
ter," bassist Nikolai Fraiture told The
Michigan Daily. While the Strokes are
the victims of the iber-trendy fashion
police, the public's perception of their
image matters not to the band "It's not
contrived or formulated,. we were all
friends long bcfore we started playing
music, it was more we were influenced
by each other. We're just friends that
truggle t(
play music," said Fraiture. The Strokes
are making music rock again and are
bringing that rock to Detroit's St.
Andrews Hall.
Hailing from New York City the
band had a collective mind to yank
their U.S. release of their debut CD Is
This It, because of a potentially con-
troversial track in "New York City
Cops." The band's decision to pull the
track in the wake of Sept. 11 shows the
Strokes consciousness as a band. The
Strokes approach in choosing artwork
mirrors their everyman status - they
stumbled across an image in an airport
and then. collectively decided to
replace the racy. U.K. cover for the
U.S. release.
The Strokes' world doesn't revolve
around critical heaps of praise or how
their album is holding on the Bill-
board; the Strokes' care about their
fans and their friends. "We care about
what we think, and people who we
respect, we care about what they
think." Despite the hordes of praise Is
This It has garnered, Fraiture was rela-
tively apathetic towards the critics and
their opinions. "A lot of times, they
probably don't even listen to the whole
album, don't come to see the show;
) embrace stardom
they just write their review which they
think is funny or good for them. It usu-
ally has nothing to do with the band."
Beneath the underlying everyman
characteristics of the band there is a
romantic story. The band has said that
if they could only take four people to a
desert island that they would take the
other Strokes with them. Nikolai Frai-
ture and Julian Casablancas have been
friends since first grade. "When we
were young, we'd build forts, play with
thundercats, GI Joes, just like all the
little kids .used to." GI Joes? Did you
have a favorite? "Yeah, Snake Eyes
was pretty cool, but Sgt. Slaughter was
the man."
Their debut album Is This It, hums
somewhere between the Velvet Under-
ground and the Stooges, although
never completely rips either band off.
Instead, the Strokes have combined
their influences with urgency - the
urgency of a band who wanted a con-
tract so much that they stood outside
of Weezer shows handing out fliers.
Their efforts eventually led them to
sign on to a major label, after Rough
Trade Records. Their Modern Age EP
dropped on British soil in January of
2001, and stateside, a super-sized bid-
ding war ensued.
The Strokes were eventually lured to
RCA, who were in Fraiture's words
"the least of the worst. They were
ready to commit to us and give us
financial backing immediately."
Money wasn't the lone factor in the
Strokes big move to the major-label
sector of the musical food chain. "It
was very person to person, most of the
people at RCA were really cool, every-
one there is on a first name basis."
Their debut followed.
Julian Casablancas is the songwriter
in the Strokes. There is no debate,
there is no qualm, there is no problem.
"He'll bring in a main melody, like a
guitar and vocal, or a bass and vocal or
bass and drums, and from there we'll
just work in the studio usually until the
sun comes up. That's how we did all of
Is This It." One would expect that the
other musicians in the band would
have a problem with the internal-
autonomy, but Fraiture insisted it was
quite the opposite, "Each player, each
person has their own individual place,.
and they know; everyone of us know
where we belong." This type of team-
mentale is something that several
bands should take note of It seems
Sloan trie!
The Strokes relaxing as they prepare for their show at St. Andrews.
that there is no me-ism within the
Strokes, instead they ride the five
horsemen of the musical apocalypse.
Rock 'n' Roll's saviors the Strokes
are not. They know it, they are com-
fortable with it and they like it. The
Strokes maintain their everyman
repute in the honesty of their claims,
"We just do what we like to do, that's
all." What they like to do is bang out
three and four minute songs chapped
with urgency and bounding along on
an album that clocks in under 40-min-
utes. The songs explore a series of
fleeting moments, moments which end
all too abruptly like the album-stop-
ping track "Hard to Explain" Is This
S to keep
It's tracks clip along, sans filler and
full of punch.
Already, the Strokes have been inap-
propriately sitgmatized as a band
caught too frequently engaging in
fisticuffs. A recent article story
detailed a squabble with the band and
some guys on the street that was
"blown way out of proportion,"
according to Fraiture. While the band
maintains that they aren't a motley
crew of pit fighters, when asked who
would do the defending if a concert
go-er took a swing at a Stroke, Fraiture
said there would be no need for body-
guards, "We will definitely kick the
shit out of you."
TRacy 'Chicago'
blows into
Power Center
By Marie Bernard
Daily Arts Writer
While "Cats" has left New York and "Beauty and the Beast"
has begun its economic decline, one Broadway classic has
remained strong - "Chicago." This sexy and jazzy musical,
which was originally produced in 1975,
has re-dazzled New York audiences
since its 1996 revival. Now, MUSKET,
Chicago a theater group associated with the Uni-
versity Activities Center, is bringing
Power Center this popular production to our campus.
Tonight through Sunday The Tony Award-winning musical is
running this weekend, directed by Sean
Clifford and starring University stu-
dents.
This will not be an imitation of the
original, however. "Our number one
priority was to make our show different
from the 1996 revival," said Clifford. "I wanted to integrate
more of Vaudeville and the Roaring '20s into our production"
With original set design and new choreography, the cast and
crew have made this production fresh. Alena Ackerman, who
plays Matron Mam Morton, said, "I tried not to listen to Broad-
way recordings or watch them, because I wanted to make this
character my own - not completely influenced by other inter-
pretations."
Clifford spent the summer reading up on Bob Fosse, the leg-
endary choreographer who passed away in 1987. After audi-
tions and casting, the entire production was put together in four
weeks. "It is a HUGE show to do in four weeks," Clifford said.
"But the cast has really risen to the challenge." Ricky Denardis,
MUSKET's producer, said, "The show is going to be simply
incredible. The cast is extremely talented, the technical aspects
of the production are shaping up to look great and the show
itself is truly entertaining"
Chicago, set in the heart of the Jazz Age, is the story of cho-
Sweet Honey in
it together on tour
By Keith N. Dusenberry
Daily Arts Writer
"I think you have to listen to your
hairline," is Andrew Scott's take on
knowing when it's time to bow out of
Courtesy of MUSKET
MUSKET actors getting all dressed up for "Chicago."
rus girl Roxie Hart; played by Christy Faerber. The show traces
her story as she murders her boyfriend and manages to avoid
prison with the help of her slick lawyer, Billy Flynn. Soon, Hart
discovers the truth of the cliche "there's no such thing as bad
publicity" when her trial propels her career towards stardom.
Velma Kelly, a fellow chorus girl and double-murderess, is shot
from her position in the headlines as Hart rises to fame. But, as
the show continues, Roxie becomes more aware of the fleeting
nature of fame and must face the new world that she has creat-
ed around her.
This country has always battled with its obsession with the
media, and that makes, this show especially relevant for these
times. The 1975 production was initially regarded as too satiri-
cal, but its revival has been seen as far more real. And the show
hasn't changed -just the audience.
The show features many popular musical numbers, such as
"All that Jazz," "Razzle Dazzle" and "When You're Good to
Mama" The score was written by John Kander and Fred Ebb,
who are also known for "Cabaret" and "Kiss of the Spider
Woman," among others. "It's one of those shows where every
single song is awesome," said cast member Kevin Field. "It's
easy to walk away humming any of these wonderful songs, all
filled with great melodies and humor."
As the posters around campus have clearly displayed - this
is a sexy production. Above all, however, this is a show that
propels incredible energy and serious fun while communicating
cynicism and irony at all levels. The demanding dance numbers
and complicated choreography will create a visual stimulation
at the very least. "We have 20 acting/singing/dancing machines
on stage," Clifford said. "Their commitment is unparalleled to
anything I have witnessed from an ensemble cast before."
the Rock perfoi
Sloan
State Theatre
Tonight at 7.30 p.m.
(9
the business of
rock. And he
should know,
since his Cana-
dian band Sloan
have been at it
for over ten
years, hairlines
intact. "I feel
better about the
band now than I
ever have," Scott
says confidently. Far from ready to
retire, the band finds itself with a new
record, a new tour, and new father
among its ranks.
Poised to become the first Sloan
dad, Scott claims that he's, "beyond
the freakout stage." He now occupies
a more reflective mental realm from
which he has been able to sort out the
band's place in his life, "the band isn't
the be all and end all to me. It's not
the most important thing." The band
has always meant different things to
its four members, never more appar-
ent than during their temporary break
up in the mid-'90s. Sloan, trying to
crack the enigma that is American
popular success, signed to Geffen
Records and found themselves strug-
gling to reconcile their dreams with
their reality. "Along the way, that
dream ... it maybe shattered in cer-
tain ways by just the way the world
rms at Hill
Inspiration for music comes from the
everyday lives of these women, in their
schools, churches and families. "The
women in the group are very affected
by what happens in their own commu-
nities, as women, as parents, as African
Americans, as socially active people, as
educators," Maillard said.
The audience will have a lot to look
forward to tomorrow night, both as lis-
teners and active participators. Crowds
are encouraged and expected to join
Sweet Honey in making sweet music.
"Ann Arbor is one of the great audi-
ences," said Maillard. "We know peo-
ple know exactly what to do."
works," admits Scott, "it's not all
fuckin' just like the Beatles books
you read when you were a kid."
The difference, of course, is that
when Beatles broke up they went on
to make solo records that can mostly
be rated on a scale of bad to worse,
while Sloan actually reformed and
made one of the best albums of the
'90s, the perfectly poppy One Chord
to Another. Scott says, "Somehow we
managed to bounce back and re-eval-
uate our whole existence and our
whole outlook on what we might
want to get out of playing in a band."
Since then, the band's music has con-
tinued to grow to the point where
their latest, Pretty Together, sounds
stadium-ready. .,c
Sloan's new musical dection has
left some fans wondering from
whence all the Thin Lizzy-style gui-
tars and reverb-drenched vocals are
coming. "Maybe it'll all make sense
when we play," Scott hopes, "I still
stand behind what we do. I still stand
behind the records we make. I don't
think we're getting worse." But that
doesn't mean that the band is getting
any closer emotionally.
"We're not like best friends," Scott
says, "We don't all live in the same
house like the Monkees or anything
like that. We've been together in a
band for ten years and we just kinda
know ..." What they know is the
value of having lives outside of the
band, and that those outside pursuits
are actually helping to prolong
Sloan's existence. Scott loves the
Courtesy of Vik Recordings
Sloan is Pretty Together.
band, but he also loves his girlfriend
of 11 years, with whom he will soon
have a child. And he has a passion for
painting; "if this band ends, I'm
painting pictures," Scott remarks. But
don't count on drummer Scott to fol-
low Ringo's path and make solo
records, "I'm certainly not gonna rule
something like that out, but I don't
really see myself playing in another
band after the demise of this band,"
Scott says, "I'll still make music - I
love music = but I like this band and
all its fucked-up-edness."
So, don't expect Sloan to break up
again anytime soon but be wary of
them taking their tour advice from
those Beatles books. "I'd prefer to
just make records and never go on
tour," admits Scott. If you don't catch
Sloan's concert in Detroit tonight,
your next chance to see them live
might be on a rooftop in London -
and if you've read those Beatles
books, you know that when that show
happens, the end is near.
By Jim Schiff
Daily Fine/Performing Arts Editor
Sometimes you can just walk into a
room and know you're in the presence
of something powerful. When the six
members of
Sweet Honey in
S;the Rock walk on
stage, the audi-
Sweet Honey ence immediate-
in the Rock ly knows that
Hill Auditorium they'll leave feel-
Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ing uplifted,
inspired and
most of all, thor-
oughly enter-
t a i n e d
Tomorrow night,
these strong-
willed African American women will
envelop Hill Auditorium with an a cap-
pella sound that touches the soul.
"We affirm the complexities of life,
and part of that is trying to touch the
ancient, as well as the newest breath,"
said Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder
of Sweet Honey. Drawing on themes
from the Bible, all the way to present
day political and social issues, the
group has -constantly evolved from its
beginnings 28 years ago. Their sound
becomes a unique blend of individual
talents, drawing in gospel, blues, jazz,
rap and theatrics. The scope of Sweet
Honey's repertoire is not limited to
growing up in Philadelphia, where
inspiration to become a performer
came from her congregation and her
home. "We all have similar back-
grounds, in terms of religious upbring-
ing," Maillard said. "There are certain
sounds that you hear in your home, that
you gravitate towards on the radio,
songs that are part of the thread of your
being and those sounds come out in
what it is that you write."
Much of the political spirit of Sweet
Honey also comes from each member's
experiences in young adulthood. Some
of the group's members, including
Maillard, grew up at a time when they
could see the Civil Rights struggle in
the South on television. In even North-
ern cities like Philadelphia, one could
hear the powerful rally songs against a
backdrop of sit-ins, protests and picket
lines. Reagon, in particular, was a dri-
ving force in the Civil Rights move-
ment, allowing her to fuse her
experiences into her music.
It seems natural, then, that Sweet
Honey has become involved in social
activist projects, including the recording
of the soundtrack to the TNT original
movie, "Freedom Song." The film,
which premiered in February 2000,
shows the impact of the Civil Rights
movement on a small Mississippi town.
For Sweet Honey, this recording was an
opportunity to recapture the spirit of the
time, by composing and performing
original songs. Reagon drew on her own
experiences in writing the music and
then shared them with Sweet Honey.
"She taught us how to sing the songs of
that era the way she sang them," said
Maillard. "The same force and power,
chord arrangement and structure."
Sweet Honey is as much concerned
about the present as they are about the
rich history of African Americans.
What do you call a situation where
everyone wants to run your life?
; * . - - * - - * a g -
COMING NOV. 28
MISS NUDE
MICHIGAN
PAGEANT!
THF
FAMIe
4 ,t Z: . .
t _,
r/
I x~i~&iiA~. ~1TNW .7.1 U W.J..~ ~I.. .J .1 ~ .mE