ARTS The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 2, 2002 - 7A Chicago's Allister confides their turkey tales By Tony Ding Daily Arts Writer There were no parking maids directing traffic, no tour bus and auspiciously no line out the front steps of St. Andrew's Hall on this chilly Friday evening after Thanksgiving, as I scurried across Congress Street under the looming glow of the GM Renaissance tow- ers. Upon closer inspection, my fears for arriving too early were calmed by the sight of a black Dodge van towing a U-Haul trailer and the muffled hum of bass guitar emanating from within St. Andrew's doors. This was a punk rock gig in its simplest form. Safely inside, the scene was, well, cozy - per- fect for interviewing Chicago-based Allister, on tour promoting their new record Last Stop Subur- bia, released this October on the Drive-Thru label. With influences from the Queers, Screeching Weasels and Green Day, as well as Nirvana, Allis- ter follows a simple edict of high velocity rhythms and comprehensible, not-so-poetic lyrics. They've been embraced by the new punk-rock industry, with quiet followings spotting the two coasts. Sitting in a row in St. Andrew's upstairs lounge, the quartet nursed cold beers to their sweaty fore- heads and shared what they did for Thanksgiving on the road. "We ate at the Golden Corral in Cincinnati after our gig there," Murphy the bassist replied. "We had a $9 buffet, it was so good," adds Chris Rogner, on guitars with his older brother Tim, who confesses that they also got drunk and went bowling. "Then we rolled some dice and gambled some money," quipped Dave Rossi, the drummer. Allister credits its success to a lot of luck, but it's evident that its good fortune are partly a result of the positive energy they produce on stage for the impressionable youths below. Like this show in Detroit, most tour stops have been intimate garage venues and basement clubs, with the exception of this summer's Vans Warped Tour. Allister is psyched about playing larger crowds though, for their next stop will be at Chicago's House of Blues, where as Rossi explains, "it's the first time we get into such a big venue. It's rippin'!" The band is definitely on an upswing as just this summer, they faced breakup after co-founder John Hamada left Allister to go back to school. "He fights crime as a ninja now," jokes Tim Rogn- er. The group was saved, however, when Tim's younger brother Chris Rogner picked up the vacan- cy. "I joined in June of 2002, right before Warped Tour started," explains Chris. "We were desperate," says Murphy. "I pretty much just got a call from these guys one day begging me to join," Chris adds, "I've known them since they started." It didn't take too much begging five years ago however, when Allister wooed, the then also young, Californian indie-punk label Drive-Thru to sign one of its first bands, with a debut album that cost only $700 to record, and with which Allister garnered its follow- ing. "Drive-Thru helped us out tremendously," recalls Tim Rogner, "We had recorded the shittiest quality 4-track demo tape that you could ever imag- ine and we sent it out to a bunch of labels and they were one of the only ones that responded. They were like 'this is a real shitty recording but your songs are really good.' The nicest thing (now) is we don't have to work real jobs. This is our nine to five." One of the unique aspects of Allister that sets it apart from the rest of punk rock is their home- town of Chicago. The band pays homage to a local hangout called the Fireside Bowl in its song "Somewhere on Fullerton," which has a special place in the hearts of many Midwest punk fans as an outpost for good live gigs, a rari- ty in the region. When asked whether Allister feels like a significant contributor to the often non-existent scene, Tim Rogner asserts, "I think we've carved a little bit of a niche for ourselves within the scene." Yes, but what about that scene? It is truly paltry in comparison to those in Southern California or on the Jersey shores. "Kids take a while to warm up here," notes Scott Murphy when asked what he disliked about Detroit. "I think kids in the Midwest are kind of hesitant to start pits and kind of go crazy, like say on the East or West coast," Murphy adds, "But I think generally they're still having a good time." A telling stimulus for whatever punk scene may exist in the Midwest lies with the suburban kids whom mysteriously flock the genre. Allister encapsulates this notion in their new album, which, as Tim Rogner explains, "has to do with the fact that a lot times there's a negative connota- tion to the word 'suburbia,' where people think of rich kids and white picket fences, shit like that." When asked if they've found an older fan-base Rogner laughs "I think it gets younger!" Teenage fans, surreal sheltered neighborhoods and a ramped lust for rebellion, independence, and sin are the fuel feeding this ever-popular chic with punk rock, pushed into mainstream by suburban kids and a media hungry for their fat allowances. Unfortunately, the money and fame won't last forever, even for Allister. But with their former band-mate John Hamada quitting the business for a more stable future, Allister's current line-up still denounces formal education. "Fuck school man, get out of school!" toted Tim Rogner, who is him- self ironically the only band member with a col- lege degree. Scott Murphy, on the other hand isn't shy about dropping out. "I think taking some time off was the best thing I ever did, because I was going to school just going through the motions, like I didn't really know what I wanted to do and felt like that wasn't where I wanted to be," rea- sons Murphy. "Now when I do go back to school, I want to be there, so I'll try harder. For some kids I definitely think it is a good idea." Davey Stone has so much strength in him. Nights' a Hankkah hoot By John Laughlin Daily Arts Writer There's a new grinch in town only this one isn't green and doesn't reside in Whoville. His name is Davey Stone and he lives in the little town of Dukesberry. Adam Sandler's "8 Crazy Nights" (stemming from the phrase he coined in his famous "Hanukkah Song") is a new addition to the animated holiday cannon complete with all the humor one would expect from the creator of "Happy Gilmore" and "Billy Madison." Before the main feature, "8 Crazy Nights" opens with the short, "A Day in the Life of Meatball." In the short, San- dler documents the events of his pet bulldog throughout the day - from going to the gym to having a tryst in a hotel. Short and hilarious, it helps to set the tone for the film that follows: funny, juvenile, S totally Adam Sandler. Davey Stone is a men- * ace to the small town of Dukesberry. A once local EIGH'I basketball legend, he has NI( become a bitter drunk who detests the holidays At Shoi due to the death of his Qua] parents on one of the Coll nights of Hanukkah. One night, Davey skips out on a bar tab and destroys the town's holiday ice sculptures. This leads to a courtroom scene where an all-too-forgiving judge finally has had enough. Enter Whitey, a short, crippled little man with a big heart. He offers to take Davey under his wing as an assistant referee for the town's youth basketball league, thus saving him from being sentenced to prison. Davey wants nothing to do with this funny little man and opposes him at all times. Davey makes fun of the fat kid, steals from the good-hearted woman and turns Whitey into a "poopsicle." These are just a few of the bad deeds Davey continues to commit while under the supervision of the very sweet old man. The misdeeds persist until Davey's home catches fire and he is forced to move in with Whitey and his sister. Davey's cold heart finally begins to melt and his antics slow down. Whitey is intent on winning the annual Dukesber- ry badge of honor and after Davey's catharsis, the reformed delinquent is able to help Whitey achieve his dream. While short, "8 Crazy Nights" holds many humorous moments through both its musical numbers and the outrageous toilet humor that can be expected from Adam Sandler. Both Christmas and Hanukkah are treated in the film, but the emphasis is clearly placed on the, Jewish holiday. Few, if any, holiday movies cen- ter on the Festival of kk ALights as can be seen with such recent releases CRAZY of films like "The Santa HTS Clause 2" Sandler leaves the holiday in the back- case and ground, however, and ty 16 never brings it up in mbia terms of an "issue" or treats the subject with any sort of severity. It is for this reason that the film is refreshing in that it isn't saying, "Hey everybody, there is this whole other holiday out there," but there is clearly a statement being made in terms of recognition. Sandler provides many of the voices in the film, and his talent for characteri- zation really shows. Each of the unique voices he creates is very funny and one might be surprised to find out just how many he did for the film. While a bit juvenile and most likely a Sandler-fan film, "8 Crazy Nights" offers a humor- ous getaway for the holidays. )w lit iun the michigan daily AVAILABLE MID DECEMBER- Summer. 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