Tuesday April 20, 2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 8A KATIE MARIE GATES Sadly, the party's over0* I feel pretty, oh so pretty, It's unwitty how pretty I feel. ROc-A-FELLA STARS LET FANS DOWN AT STATE By Evan McGarvey Daily Arts Writer CONCE RT REVIEW It's generally not a good sign when artists spends more time hyping the official after-party than they do on stage. As Young Chris, one half of the Roc-A-Fella rap duo the Young Gunz, barked the address of the official after-party into the mic on Friday, the Young Gunz and their obligatory posse walked off stage after a 20 minute "set." Unfortunately for those who arrived later, the opening act proved to be the best performers of the bunch. Longtime under- ground rappers Dilated Peoples opened the show before the Young Gunz and the headliner, Kanye West. The group, whose newest album Neighborhood Watch is getting plenty of radio Kanye West, Young Gunz and Dilated Peoples Friday, April 16 At the State Theater rotation thanks to grabbed the mic. While neither Young Chris or the awkwardly named Neef are stellar rappers, they both managed not to trip over their insipid verses on their debut, Tough Luv. This night, however, was a different story. Their micro- phones did nothing against the hail storm of bass in each song. Neef's raps were quickly mumbled and most of the onstage posse often carried the heavy rapping load. Chris, the superior of the two, did climb on the speakers to deliver a verse from their hit, "Can't Stop Won't Stop." For the ode to booty "Tip Drill," the gents had an assort- ed group of young women from the audience come onstage and do their best Beyonce impres- sions. Apparently the women did quite well, as the Young Gunz kept them onstage for the rest of their thankfully short set. Their conversations with the audience between songs stuck to the duo dividing the crowd into two sides and prompting the halfs to toss insults at each other. Repeated flashing of the Roc-A-Fella sign followed. The duo closed their set with the lead single from their album, "No Better Love." Fittingly, both men were flashing their jewelry and staring at their chains as they rapped about affec- tion and devotion. The women still gyrating in the background looking awfully lonely, and like that, the Young Gunz were gone - women in tow - shouting out the after-party location about 15 times in the span of 10 seconds. Kanye West is one of the most in-vogue rap and R&B producers on the planet. After a wait in which the audience heard the same album twice, the man himself took the stage to a chorus of boos and screams. All was forgiven as West began spitting "Two Words" off his debut album, College Dropout. West has received far too much credit as a rapper. His occasionally witty reflections don't mitigate the fact that he possesses an unwieldy, often ham- handed control of his verses. In fact he let the audience do most of the rapping on a few songs. Even more frustrating, Kanye played a game of "name-that-tune" when he had the crowd shout out the names of the hit songs he produced not long after the DJ starting spinning them. Perhaps the brightest spot in the set was his uninhibited freestyle over "Stand Up," a track he produced for Ludacris. Expectedly, he brought Dilated Peoples back on stage for their hit "This Way." The crowd seemed grateful to see them again and reveled in their on stage joy and humble attitudes. If nothing else, the show was a glorious display of ego from a man who has one hit album and a handful of production successes. Kanye seemed to let his arrogance off the chain the entire night, whether it was making the crowd wait an obscene amount of time or his lazy, poor performance on the microphone. Kanye already has the corpulent, shoddy attitude of a commercial rap fat cat. Inever thought that I'd admit this in print for the entire campus to read: I cry at the end of every school year when I have to go back home for the summer. While I don't desire to sit through another month of boring lec- tures, it does make me melancholy to see the fun college life come to a close at the end of April. I've been like this since I was a child. I never wanted the party to end. This not only holds true for my life, but for the lives of TV characters on my favorite shows. Sometimes it is hard to let go after the series has gone on too long. This year, the party ended for "Sex and the City" and will soon be over for NBC favorites "Friends" and "Fraiser" as well. While the pilot may be importantfor the success of a television show, the series finale is essential in shaping its legacy. I still remember the finale of "Who's the Boss?" that ran back in 1992. It was sentimental yet funny, as Angela and Tony ended up together - just as we always wanted - in a scene that mimicked the pilot. Perhaps it is a level of predictability that makes finales successful. How would we look back on "Who's the Boss?" if years of sexual tension between the two leads resulted in noth- ing? Predictability was certainly the case for February's farewell to "Sex and the City," where Carrie ended up in, the arms of Mr. Big. Sure, it is what we all expect- ed, but it was what we all wanted too:. With shows like "Sex and the City" the finale is the bow on top of the package, tying everything up nice and neatly so viewers, though slightly saddened, walk away feeling content the series is over. The alternative is much bleaker. Messing with predictability can leave viewers wanting more and forever remembering the terrible final moments rather than the seasons that preceded them. Case in point: "Dawson's Creek." Unlike "Sex and the City," which chose to go home when the night was still young and everyone was still looking, good, "Dawson's Creek" stayed until the wee hours of the morning. After years of conditioning viewers to believe Joey and Dawson are "soul mates," the show decided to pair Joey with Pacey in the end, leaving the leading man alone. The two-hour farewell was also plagued by the drawn out death of Jen and a lame closing scene. Similarly, writers tried to do the unconventional with the series finale of "Seinfeld." The ensemble was on trial after uncharacteristically mocking a per- fect stranger as he was being robbed. Charged for their failure to act, the show used the courtroom to bring together memorable characters of the past - the episode's only redeeming quality. When Jerry, Kramer, Elaine and George ended up in a jail cell at the end, everyone was shaking their heads. Going crazy at the end of a series may seem inconsequential to networks - after all, it is the end - but it's the fans that are left disappointed. "Felici- ty" tried to keep everyone happy two years ago with four flashback episodes in the end of its run that gave the hero- ine the chance to go back in time and chose a different man. The uncharacter- istic supernatural theme and "Wizard of Oz"-type ending prove that a finale can't do both; it has to choose the path of predictability or go astray. A month from now, "Friends" will be making its way out the door and we all can predict that Ross and Rachel will be back together in the end, and all the friends will go on with their more grown-up lives while keeping that spe- cial bond they found in New York City. Is there really any other way to end? Perhaps Rachel will take the job in Paris but then realize she can't leave behind her friends and come running home to the Big Apple like Carrie. The other option is for the series to go astray like its NBC counterpart "Seinfeld." In the end, will we be crying because it is over or outraged by a misguided attempt at originality? Even non-fans are a little curious to find out. Much to Katies dismaythe-finale of "Dallas " sucked too. E-mail sympathy to gateskm@umich.edu. the West-produced single "This Way," thankfully did nothing to forget its roots or its fan base. With clean, articulated raps, well-timed verses and a joyous stage manner, they looked like the only people having fun that night on stage. Most of the lifeblood left the stage as soon as the next act, the up-and-coming Young Gunz, S HORT TA K E S N E E MCKAY<' suburban life. G "Q T AwAY VRtO ME The subject of men frequently COM"A crop up in her song writing. "Wnt U Please B Nice" has the spike of So much about Nellie McKay, a mace behind the smile. However, an unknown, 19-year-old pianist, she neither dismisses men on the is completely audacious. With no whole nor sounds indebted to small-label releases 'or substantial them. She can't stand overbearing underground buzz, the faith that men or weak women. Colunbia has shown in McKay by McKay has cited equal intfluence; releasing herdebut EP is shocking. from feiiale torch singers like imultaneoufsly touted as a poten- Peggy Lee and modern rebellious lial post-feminist icon and the next artists like Eminem. She even Burt Bacharach, McKay has upped busts an occasional rap, like on the the ante even more by making her self-deprecating "Sari." The raps debut a full-.ledged double album. on the album are certainly one Perhaps McKay's most refresh- type of a diversion, but ultimately ng duality, and she has many, is they dilute an otherwise thick apnd /her utter onviction as a song promising mix. writer. Iraq, President Bush and Their forays are all good for -dogs (she's a merher of PETA) shock value and most of the overt- are all enunciated or brutally cut ly political lyrics do contain a Town, in her disarmin cabaret wonderful passion, especially in voice. ven songs with obvious today's politically sterile music titles quickly twist into some- world, but a bit more restraint frn. ;thing unexpected."I WarnWaGet McKay might be the next step, Married" turns into a subtle* *** tirade against the monotony of'EvantMctarveLa Dancer experiences revolution in 'Cuba' By Sarah Peterson Daily Fine Arts Editor To most dancers, practicing without a mirror is inconceivable. "A dancer has no way of examining her work except in a mirror because she herself is her own medium and instrument," explains Alma Guillermoprieto in her book "Dancing with Cuba: A Memoir of the Revolution" This _._...__..._ was just one of the obstacles that Dancing Guillermoprieto encountered in th Cuba: her months in Cuba - the wit a. months that would shape her A Memoir political conscience. of the "Dancing with Cuba" is Revolution Alma Guillermoprieto's first- By Alma person narrative of her journey Guillermoprieto to Cuba and how it deeply Pantheon Books affected her way of thinking. The story begins in New York City with the author, having come to the states from Mexico to dance, trying to make a living as a modern dancer. Jump- ing from the studios of Martha Graham to those of Merce Cunningham and also to those of Twyla Tharp, the reader is introduced to the intricacies of the NYC dancing scene. Guillermoprieto's dreams of being a principal in a modern dance company are shattered when one of her teachers suggests that she take a teaching job in Cuba, but after deciding to take the job, Guillermo- prieto's journey really begins. At first, the ways and ideals of the Cuban people seem foreign to Guillermoprieto. At the age of 21, she had never really thought about issues beyond her own dancing, let alone those of a revolution. The fact that there are no mirrors in the dancing studios seems bar- baric, not patriotic. The feelings of the school where she is teaching and of the people around her almost drive her home, but the children - her students - keep her coming to class. Throughout her months in Cuba, Guillermoprieto's ideas about the revolution and about politics in gen- eral shift and come into focus. She comes to under- stand and appreciate the experiences of living through a revolution. "Dancing with Cuba" is a beautifully written account of one woman's experience with revolution. It is an easy read, as the author's voice reverberates in her words, revealing the powerful emotions and intense passion that make up this dancer. Even though the events are real, the narrative reads like a novel. The lyrical prose of the story perfectly accents the dancing - the catalyst for the author's self-real- ization - and the honesty of the language is refresh- ing. "Dancing with Cuba" is definitely a story for anyone who enjoys dance, but it is also a touching narrative that anyone who has ever experienced a major life change can relate to. the michigan daily itVA Have you or someone you care about We are here been sexually for you-Call:auted J S APAC: (734) 936-3333 (24- hours) or (734) 998-9368 \1 (days) min ? ..any kv.. 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