Friday
February 7, 2003
michigandaily.com
mae@michigandaily.com
ARTS
5
Sibling string Quartet plays A2
MOONSTRUCK
INDIE ROCKERS LUNA PLAY THE PIG
By Archana Ravi
Daily Arts Writer
In the piece "Eight Colors for String
Quartet," the music is divided into
eight individual sections, similar to a
set of brush paintings, through which
musical notes are shared and cultivat-
ed. Together, the eight sections create
a drama, a kind of ritualistic perform-
ance structure.
The Ying Quartet, four siblings
from Chicago, has also established a
ritualistic performance structure. As
a group, their individual talents coa-
lesce into a harmonious ensemble,
linked through both musical and
familial ties. The three brothers,
David, Timothy and Philip, and sis-
ter, Janet, grew up in Chicago and
began their quartet career in Jesup,
Iowa in 1992. In 1993,
they won the Naum-
berg Chamber Music
Award, and they cur- THE
rently teach music as QUA
the in-residence quar-
tet at the Eastman At Ra
School of Music in Audi
Rochester, N.Y. Sunday
In addition to teach-$16
ing music at Eastman, University M
they also make up the
Blodgett Quartet-in-residence at Har-
vard University. There, they interact
with student musicians and offer four
free concerts on campus over the
course of their residency.
In a project called the LifeMusic,
the quartet performs a series of com-
missions contributed by various com-
posers. The Quartet asks each
composer to draw from their own per-
sonal American experiences when cre-
ating their pieces. The project is
intended to celebrate the diversity of
the American experience.
Y
4R
ac
to
at
us
Aside from their international fame
and hectic concert schedule, the mem-
bers of the Quartet maintain a down-
to-earth demeanor. When asked if they
tried to incorporate their heritage into
their music, the eldest sibling, David,
responded, "Food is the main way we
keep our heritage." In
fact, they keep a running
record of their favorite
SING Chinese restaurants for
TET every city they visit
(which is posted on their
kham website). One can get a
rium better sense of their 'sib-
4 p.m. ling revelry,' by visiting
32 their website, which
ical Society gives visitors a personal
glimpse into the lives of
this internationally renowned quartet.
Each member took up their own
instrument by choice when they were
younger. While these instruments hap-
pened to be the exact ones needed to
form a quartet - two violins, a viola
and a cello - the idea of a quartet was
not conceived until after they arrived at
the Eastman School of Music in 1988.
The Quartet will be performing
"Quartet in B-flat Major" and "Eight
Colors for String Quartet" as their
University Musical Society musical
debut this weekend.
Courtesy of Jetset Records
When you look at the sky in a poetic kind of way, you know, when you grope for Luna.
Courtesy or
Ying string str8 up bling blingin' It.
SSuikoden' adventures return for P82
By Joel M. Hoard
Daily Music Editor
As pop music trends have come and gone, indie-pop
icons Luna have happily existed just below the radar for the
past decade, surviving a grunge-rock explosion, a teen-pop
craze and, now, the garage revival with an effortless grace.
Formed in the wake of the 1991 breakup of Galaxie 500,
frontman Dean Wareham's previous outfit,
Luna drew heavily on both the Velvet Under-
ground and the New York punk scene of the
late '70s. The band's original lineup, includ- Lui
ing Wareham, former Feelies drummer Stan- At the B
ley Demeski and ex-Chills bassist Justin
Harewood, made a good first impression with Saturday a
their 1992 debut Lunapark. $1
From the original lineup, only Wareham
remains, and he has been joined by bassist Britta Phillips,
guitarist Sean Eden and drummer Lee Wall.
Currently on tour to back their recent EP, Close Cover
Before Striking, Luna is visiting small clubs in secondary
markets, including Tampa, Fla. and Milwaukee, before con-
cluding the tour tomorrow night at the Blind Pig.
Luna frontman Dean Wareham is content with his band
existing outside the realm of the latest trends and flash-in-
the-pan pop successes. "When grunge rock was big it did-
n't really do anything for us. We weren't the flavor of the
month then, and we're not now," he said. "I wouldn't
switch places with the Hives, not that it wouldn't be nice to
sell some more records."
But that's not to suggest that Wareham doesn't appreciate
what the garage resurgence has done for rock music. "Two
years ago everyone was like, 'Rock is dead,' and all the
A&R people were losing their jobs and everyone was just
trying to find the next 'N Sync," he said. "I actually prefer
some of these (garage) bands to the grunge explosion.
(Garage rock) is sort of a fad, like ska was a while ago. But
to me it's a preferable fad."
Wareham finds Luna somewhere between
the hip young rockers and the seemingly age-
NA less Rolling Stones. It's a bit ironic then that
lind Pig on Close Cover Before Striking, they cover
f P the Rolling Stones' "Waiting on a Friend."
t 10 p.m. Pushing 40 years old, Wareham remains
5 realistic about getting older in the music
business: "I think it's kind of sad if you're,
like, 63 years old, or however old (Mick Jagger) is, and
you're trying to pretend that you're 25 still with your atti-
tude and your lyrics."
Wareham expressed dismay about how the Rolling
Stones have lost touch with their roots on their long-run-
ning string of stadium tours: "I would love to see the
Rolling Stones play at a small venue. I think that'd be great.
But I can't stand going to see the stadium shows. It's like a
simulation of rock to me."
But will Luna be playing well into their 60s? "I doubt it.
At least (the Rolling Stones) are making millions of dollars.
They're not loading their equipment out of clubs at 2 a.m."
By Brian Stephens
For the Daily
Which title from Konami combines
real-time strategy, amazing graphics,
108 characters and incredible story-
lines to make a great RPG? Yep,
"Suikoden" is back and now on the
Playstation 2 in its third installment.
Fans of "Suikoden II" will appreciate
the time that was put into
"playing itself" can easily set in.
The controls are indicative of the
majority of RPGs on the market, where
abilities are selected from a list on the
screen, and the characters execute the
commands. Neither magic nor combat
maneuvers are visually stunning and
they are essentially the same recycled
spells and duos from the previous
"Suikoden" games.
meshing both the old
storyline with a new one.
The game unfolds in
one central story,
through the eyes of three
adventurers: Chris, Hug
and Geddoe. A war
between a bureaucratic
government, the Zexen
One will find the
music in "Suikoden III"
comparable to Square-
soft's affinity for live
vocals and lulling sym-
phonies. Konami has
composed an original
musical score that has its
own unique flavor co.-,
AFLAC! AFLAC!H
C.ourte~sy ofKonamniI
SUIKODEN III
For PlayStation 2
Konami
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Protests
Federation, and the plains-walking
people to the west, the Grasslanders,
* arises after unprovoked attacks on
both sides. Gainers get to sit in the
captain's chair of the protagonist and
antagonist of the story, influence the
plot with unique decisions and pick
up over a hundred playable characters
to join in on the quest.
"Suikoden III"'s strongpoint is its
in-depth character development.
Most of the new characters con-
tribute to the game's vivid world,
whether it be a quest, learning how
to play a new mini-game, or even the
history to explain the background of
a specific character.
For those who are accostomed to
"Final Fantasy" and other less plot-
driven role-playing games, "Suikoden
III" might come off as having a slow
pace. Gainers can expect an hour of
dialogue for every 20 minutes of com-
bat. While a unique characteristic of
"Suikoden III" is its strong emphasis
on plot movement, it can become tire-
some as the sensation of the game
sisting of raging tempos
all the way to delicate nocturnes.
While the game doesn't finish with the-
same energy and excitement as the
beginning, gamers will surely find
memorable moments in the over 80
hours of gameplay.
T} T
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by
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up anti-American protests in our own coun-
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If you succeed, you will truly prevent war. If
he stays in power, the next attack on Amer-
ica will not be as contained as 9/11. Can you
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Take a FREE practice test at Kaplan's
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call or visit us online today!
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www.garylillie.com
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