Wednesday April 2, 2003 michigandaily.com mae@michigandaity.com RTS 10 BY SARAH PETERSON DAILY FINE ARTS EDITOR IE A PREV IEW Out of the 269 groups that auditioned, only 30 from the entire state of Michigan made the grade. Now, as "Evening at the Apollo" comes to Ann Arbor's Michigan Theater, those 30 will compete for a chance at winning $1,000 and the opportunity to participate in Amateur Night at the one and only Apollo Theatre in Harlem, N.Y. The inspiration for this com- petition is rooted in the history of the Apollo Theater. The the- ater opened in 1914 and quick- ly garnered the reputation as the soul of Harlem's musical and entertainment mecca. It was the "must-play" perform- ance hall for aspiring young black talent. While the theater became a permanent stage for The legendary Apo black variety shows, beginning in 1935, the Apollo was one of the first racially integrated theaters in New York for both patrons and artists. Ralph Cooper established the first Amateur Night at the Apollo in 1934, and the first star to outshine E the competition was Ella Evening at Fitzgerald. Others who have the Apollo graced the Apollo stage Friday at8 p.m. include Billie Holiday, Louis Tickets from $14 Armstrong, Duke Ellington, At the Michigan Aretha Franklin and, more Theater recently, Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo. Having been host to so many big names, the Apollo Theater was officially given landmark status in 1983. Continuing in its tradition of greatness, the Apol- Lhea Copeland is now a college freshman, but she has been writing poetry since she was twelve. She started "as a way to heal (herself)" after the loss of her mother and brother. As she grew, her poetry ARBOR changed and is now more about connecting with others and speaking out about her role as an activist. As she began to reach out to others through her work, becoming a spoken word artist, a poet that "takes it one step further and takes their words off the page," seemed a given. In her own words, "To me, it was natural to take the poetry to the stage." Unlike Copeland, who has been performing for the past few years, De Novo, in their current four-member whole- ness, is newly formed. Scott Doerrfeld, the keyboardist, put up flyers to find other mem- Courtesy of wirednewyork.com bers of the band. Nick Kittle, the drummer, answered the ad and brought with him the knowledge of a possible guitarist. Spencer Bastian was that guitarist, and very quickly the group became a trio. After some searching for a lead vocalist, the group found Serene Arena, and as of a few months ago, Arena made the group a quartet. The band decided to audition for "Evening at the Apollo" on kind of a lark. Arena saw a flyer and, even though the group had only been together for a short time, they decided to take a chance. Now, per- forming the first song that all four of them wrote together, "Driving On," they will be competing against the best. In the words of Scott Doerrfeld, "If you don't have the right chemistry, (the band) does- n't go anywhere." This Friday, along with twelve other acts, these six students will do battle through their words and music as "Evening at the Apollo" takes the stage. I didn't know John Malkovich played guitar. Court eusy ofjohnJscofeu.com lX Theater in Harlem, NY. Scofield proves jazz guitarists can rock lo Theater went on tour this year, traveling to 40 cities, to find the best contestants for this year's Amateur Night. From each city, 15 acts were select- ed to compete. Of the 15, only one gets to go on to compete at the Apollo, and the audience decides the winner. This year, the fate of Ann Arbor will be decided by this system, as several of the 15 contest- ants are Ann Arbor's very own. Of the local groups that made it into the show, three are composed of University of Michigan stu- dents. Sidney Bailey, a.k.a. B.I.Z. the Messenger, a 21-year-old MC from Grand Rapids, will be per- forming a self-composed piece entitled "Belief." The other two acts include Lhea Copeland, an 18- year-old spoken word artist from Detroit, and Serene Arena, Spencer Bastian, Scott Doerrfeld and Nick Kittle, four members of the band De Novo. By Jared Newman Daily Arts Writer CONCE RT PREVIEW Can jazz guitarists rock? Can jazz- fusion itself break away from the "I could get stoned to this" stigma? While John Scofield may not inten- tionally set out to answer these ques- tions, his 2002 release, aberjam, speaks for itself. Its jazz-infused blend of rock, The John Scofield Band Tomorrow at 7 p.m. Tickets from $21.0 Tnbe events redefining Ann Arbor hip-hop scene By Joseph Utman Daily Arts Writer In Ann Arbor, there ain't no party like a Tribe Entertainment party because no one else expertly blends hot music, talented DJs and enticing giveaways like Tribe does. Whether it is the now-regular Wednesday night hip-hop jam at Touchdown Cafe, monthly parties like Grand Theft Audio at the Necto, or timely special events like this Thursday's Give Me the Light - the Hash Bash jump off at the Blind Pig - Tribe Entertain- ment's promotions are the premier hip-hop functions in Ann Arbor, a city rapidly emerging as Michigan's second-best hip-hop hotbed, trailing only Detroit. That Ann Arbor exists as a vibrant hip-hop scene partially owes to the original music made by locals like Athletic Mic League, Funktelli- gence and S.U.N., yet another notable element is the high prepon- derance of parties and activities put on by promoters, and no group excels like Tribe. A typical Tribe Entertainment function is characterized by its ener- gy, and that crucial component in the equation for success comes from con- sistently teeming crowds who are enlivened by the deft spinning of D.J. EQ - a member of Tribe's leadership triumvirate named Nityanan Tapia - and D.J. Graffiti - named Martin Smith, the president of Tribe partner Rapture Enterprises, LLC. Mixing unexpected drops, like the bridge from Black Sheep's "The Choice is Yours," adored classics, like Dr. Dre's "Nuthin' but a G Thang" and the lat- est club bangers, like Baby's "What Happened to That Boy," EQ and Graffiti always create an infectious, jovial atmosphere. Thus far, Wednesday nights at Touchdown Cafe have been a great success for the company, and Tribe executive Joe Hahn attributes that to the evening's unique character. "It's kind of a low-key night. It's just $4 at the door, so it's never too expensive. It's no frills: Just bring your girls, bring your fellas, bring your crew, come out and get your party on." All ages and those more intent on finding an unrelenting hip-hop experience may be better served by Tribe events like the Grand Theft Audio series and the Blind Pig par- ties. At all, there is a greater intensi- ty, perhaps because they each attract a crowd seemingly more interested in hip-hop than that casual one at Touchdown Cafe comprised of many people simply searching for a good time. Another distinguishing feature of GTA and the Blind Pig events are the prizes and gifts available. Because Hahn and executive Josh Remsberg work as on-campus company repre- sentatives for Sony and Universal respectively, they have not only legit- imized the parties through corporate backing, but have also enabled Tribe to enhance the party atmosphere with exciting drawings, like one held last month for a PlayStation 2. Were the Tribe parties devoid of their giveaways, they would still be worthwhile because, quite simply, Tribe and D.J. Graffiti have a lucid understanding of hip-hop and its myr- iad audiences. Given the unfulfilling nature of many events, that hip-hop acumen may be what best distin- guishes a Tribe party. Even if it does stop at some point. funk, dance and Atth 1' dP drum and bass is AtteBin ig anything but laid back, causing the listener to wonder if this is the same man who used to play with Miles Davis. Scofield, made famous to jazz enthusiasts through his stints with Davis and recently, to jam-savvy hip- pies through his work with Medeski, Martin & Wood, might not have been aiming for anything other than a solid record with a young and energetic line- up (Avi Bortnick on rhythm guitar and samples, Jesse Murphy on bass and Adam Deitch on drums). "Nobody wants to start a band and say, 'I'm going to play this kind of music,' because then you're limiting yourself," Scofield said. "Beforehand, if you're saying 'I'm going to make surf-metal,' it's not natural. What's natural is to get together with people and see where it goes, and then the sound forms." The sound on aberjam is indeed something more powerful, more energetic and more electronic than any other Scofield album to date. And there's more: the John Scofield Band has just finished recording a fol- low-up album, titled Up All Night. Building upon the ideas established on iberjam with mostly the same lineup (Andy Hess replaces Jesse Murphy on bass), this release, slated for May 20, can only be an improvement. "This is an extension of aberjam, Scofield said. "I think it's more risk taking. And it's also just better ... because we're tougher as a band. It's more meaty, I think." The record will also have more sampling provided by rhythm master Avi Bortnick, as well as a horn section to beef up some of the tracks. No matter what style Scofield undertakes, however, his unmistakable playing will always be prevalent. The notes that emerge from his guitar could perhaps be equated with a human voice - raising its pitch at the begin- ning of a riff and then trailing off, only to leave the listener hungry for more. His pure originality is what makes him one of the best in the business, but at least he's modest about it. "Everybody has their own sound on their instru- ment right from the beginning, and most of the time we hate our own sound! I think that we have this imprint, this stamp, like our personali- ty, that comes through our instruments when we play, or our voices when we sing, and we really just have to make the most of it." He will certainly be making the most of it in the months ahead. His spring/summer tour consists of over 40 shows in the United States, Canada and Europe, including a stop at the Blind Pig on Thursday. .01 Despite glossy packaging, AFI still appeals to purists Program, encore delighted Guster fans By Josh Neldus Daily Arts Writer By Andrew M. Gaerlg Daily Arts Writer MUSICREVI EW * Oh, the purists won't like this at all. Another underground band emigrating to the majors, beefing up their "punk" with immaculate production and the occasional string section. Profes- AM sional packaging. Photo shoots. This Sing the is the stuff the Sorrow scenesters avoid DreamWorks Records like the plague. At first glance, AFI's (A Fire Inside) immense, impenetrable arrangements - as well as their California mailing address - point to an all-too-familiar fate. The band's prep school goth dress code, as well as their ridiculous aliases (Davey Havok? Please.) are embarrass- ing for everyone involved. A closer inspection, however, reveals that the band has been mining this goth-punk hybrid since 1991, never adhering to the traditional sounds of either genre. Sing the Sorrow, the band's fourth full-length, doesn't expand the band's sound so much as improve it. Their songs are immeasurably anathemic, with a chorus of band members often drowning out the guitar attack. Singer Havok has a tendency to sound like Jim Adkins channeling Trent Reznor, which is ridiculous until you realize that the band is more interested in populist catharsis than narcissism. "Girl's Not Grey," "Bleed Black" and "This Cellu- loid Dream" inspire enough shout- along bedroom cinema to suggest the band is still grounded more in sweaty basements of pumping fists than bas- ketball stadiums. That, more than any- thing, should keep AFI from flaming out on the fumes of major label grandeur; that, more than anything, should keep the tattooed arms in the air. CONCERT REVIEW How does one describe Guster? Start with the perfect blend of the vastly contrasting guitarists. There's Adam Gardner, the preppy, clean- G cut, quiet one. His Guster more reserved, Thursday, March 27th backseat style At Clutch Cargos allows Ryan Miller's outgoing, fun-loving style to shine through. It is apparent that Miller loves being on stage, and he makes sure the audience has as much fun as he does throughout the concert. Behind the two guitarists/singers is Brian Rosenworcel, but he's hardly just a beat-keeper. Switching between his bongos and drums, his unique style of stickless playing projects a powerfully contagious exuberance that sweeps through the crowd in a totally unique fashion. Together, this trio put on a show that grabbed the audience's attention from the opening song, and didn't put them down until long after the concert had ended. Guster played a variety of songs from their first three albums, including favorites such as "Two Points for Hon- esty," "Airport Song" and "Barrel of a Gun." Varying their normal perform- ance style, they did some extra jam- ming on "Demons" and "I Spy," and surprised fans by covering both U2 and Ben Folds. They even gave the audi- ence a taste of what's to come on their new album due out in June. In the mid- dle of the set, and in true Ryan-style, he performed rousing renditions of the Tri-Lambs' rap from "Revenge of the Nerds," and the theme song of "The Lost World." The highlight of the night, however; was the first encore. After being intro- duced as the Gusters, they appeared on stage in black blazers, ties and black wigs, looking just like the Beatles. With their heads bobbing side to side, they played a few more songs, including a second performance of "What You Wish For," in the British pop style. As if dressing and singing like the Beatles wasn't enough, they even did a spin-off of the Monkees' signature song, "Hey, hey, we're the Gusters." While Guster may have only risen to its present fame through low-key public- ity, the band's following and popularity are growing rapidly. A Guster concert has become a guaranteed place for great music and a good time. U U The Bradford Group is an international company and the leader in direct marketing of limited-edition collectibles. We hire top talent; we support initiative and encourage creativity. 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