Wednesday
October 26, 2005
arts. michigandaily.com
artspage@michigandaily.com
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Poetry's grand slam
MONDAY
BLOODY
MONDAYt{{.P
It's not that I haven't been looking
for it - diversity. The Supreme
Court case arguing the impor-
tance of diversity put the-University
on the civil rights map. But for all
the diversity banter that I've been
subject to, I can't say that I'd ever
really experienced diver-
sity in its fullness until
last Thursday at the U-
Club Poetry Slam in The
Michigan Union.
*Going to the event
itself was completely by
chance. There were about
75 students crowded
around the stage, the
lights were dim but then
tmosphere was charged. ViC
I sat down somewhat
awkwardly, not quite sure EDW.
what to expect in a sea of complete
strangers.
And I was shocked into life, when
a boy with a biracial complexion
took the stage. His manner was com-
pletely natural as he spoke to the
audience about the tribulations of
mixed parentage. His voice was so
natural, matching the content octave
for octave. Oh, he lamented about
society, about his friends calling him
a "peach" 'cause he was neither white
nor black, about the hardships his
parents went through engaged in the
taboo of a mixed race relationship.
But the way he did it was so beauti-
ful, and whether or not the audience
agreed with him and his lament, they
plauded his artistic style - and that
respect, that admiration, was thrown
back at him with applause.
Never before had I seen a forum
at this University, which was not for
a class but completely voluntary,
here students engaged in such a
ree-flowing exchange. The ideas
were controversial, some of them
were political, but there was no
fighting. I've been to the Diag, I've
seen confrontation - tons and tons
and tons of confrontation - but I've
never seen anything like this before.
I covered news events for two-and-a-
half years, but never once was there
this place of understanding where
different groups seemed like there
T
wasn't conflict attached.
I remembered the problematic
history between the Native Ameri-
can Student Association and Mich-
igamua, a secret society that has
been accused of mocking Native
American rituals. This conflict has
been going on for years
and years and cannot be
resolved.
In a poetry slam could
these separate groups
find a level of under-
standing? I'm willing to
argue yes because the art
serves as a connector. It
is something greater than
the separate politics and
ORIA histories that each group
claims. Michigamua's
ARDS members may not be able
to understand where NASA is com-
ing from based on a purely political
view or vise versa, but with an artis-
tic forum they are able to commu-
nicate about something greater than
the politics that separate them.
Maybe this seems like a stretch,
but my observations at this slam sup-
port the notion that art can in fact
bridge certain seemingly impen-
etrable boundaries. There were white
students, black students, Latino stu-
dents, women and men all dressed
completely differently. I saw North-
face and I saw hemp. I saw the so-
called oppressors and the so-called
oppressed breathing the same lan-
guage of poetry, and it was amazing.
And for the first time I felt so
proud of being an arts editor. I'm
gonna be honest, this section wasn't
my first choice, but there is some-
thing about arts and the forum that
it can create that allows a unique
exchange where people can actually
understand each other on some level.
Where the main issue is not color or
background or race, but poetry -
something that can address all three
issues while being above them.
- Victoria is becoming a poet
but feels that she needs to express
her words by singing them off-key.
To become a band member e-mail
her at victoros@umich.edu.
IRISH ROCKERS PROVE
THEIR METTLE AT THE
PALACE
By Adam Rottenberg
Daily Arts Editor
From the first chords of "City of Blinding Lights"
Monday night, U2 had the rabid
crowd at the Palace of Auburn
Hills eating out of their hands. U2
The four lads from Dublin The Palace of
rocked through hits both old and AubumnHills
new while offering an incredibly
entertaining and elaborate stage
show. Lead singer Bono summed up the electric atmo-
sphere best when he said, "Well this feels not at all like
a Monday night, but a Saturday night."
The show opened with guitarist The Edge and bassist
Adam Clayton standing front and center with drummer
Larry Mullen right behind them. They began to play
the aforementioned cut from their latest album, How
to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. And suddenly a lone
spotlight shone on an outer oval-shaped stage, which
surrounded the main platform, and lead singer Bono
appeared, hands raised in triumph as the crowd roared
and confetti dropped. The colorful lasers and screens
then began to light up full tilt and it appeared as though
it was raining colors behind the band, and the audience
ate it all up.
U2 quickly followed the upbeat opener with a couple
of similarly up-tempo tracks "Vertigo" and "Elevation."
The latter song marked the first of many times in which
Bono led the audience in a game of call-and-response.
The band didn't forget to play its back catalog either,
busting out "I Will Follow" along with two other songs
from their debut album Boy. Longtime fans appreciated
the jamming and free-flowing spins on old favorites,
and The Edge even took the opportunity to solo at the
front of the elliptical outer stage.
Bono, a rock star in the purest sense of the term,
could do no wrong by the audience. He owned the stage
and the arena. Even when he launched into an incredi-
bly bizarre narrative prior to "Miracle Drugs," he never
seemed all that ridiculous because of his larger-than-
life status. "Edge is from the future; he's a spaceman,"
Bono said in all sincerity. "I asked him what it's like. He
said, 'It's better.' "
Though the band managed to play through nearly 45
minutes of material before Bono began waxing poet-
ic about peace and hunger, it never bogged down the
show. The moment of change occurred in the middle of
the classic anthem "Sunday Bloody Sunday," as Bono
FOREST CASEY/Daily
U2 rocked the Palace of Auburn Hills on Monday night.
began to talk about coexistence and sang lyrics about
religious unity while the band continued to play.
These political sentiments continued throughout the
rest of the show as the band pulled out hits including
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" and "Beautiful Day." All
of these songs featured elaborate and unique lighting
displays, such as the red light that engulfed the arena
during "Bullet the Blue Sky" or the African flags that
flashed by on the lighting displays during "Where the
Streets Have No Name." At one point, the video screens
even began displaying the text from the Universal Dec-
laration of Human Rights.
Regardless of politics, U2 was at the Palace to play
music. Old favorites peppered the show, but the set list
was definitely focused on their latest album and 2000's
All That You Can't Leave Behind. Most of their '90s
efforts were completely omitted, save for the closer
"One." Bono asked for fans to make the arena look
like the "Milky Way" and the lights dimmed, leaving
only the glow of thousands of cell phones to illumi-
nate the stage.
The band returned for an encore, featuring acoustic
versions of "Walk On" and "Stuck in a Moment You
Can't Get Out Of" Neither of these songs lifted the
audience to the heights of the main show, but the finale,
"With Or Without You" definitely lived up to the night's
potential. Bono grabbed a fan out of the audience and
held her close during the entire song, as the crowd sang
along to every word.
U2 may not be the same band they once were, but
they know how to put on a show. Bono's charisma and
the group's musical talent are so strong that they don't
even need the theatricality that they employ. They truly
are part of the rock elite. If The Rolling Stones ever do
stop touring, U2 stands ready to pick up the torch and
run with it.
Pedigree saves Lies'
By Zac Borden
By Zach Borden
Daily Arts Writer
Probably best known to American
audiences for winning an Oscar for his
"Gosford Park"
screenplay, Brit
Julian Fellowes has
ie kind of career
so many can only
dream about. As a
hailed novelist and
actor, Fellowes can
now add director to
Separate
Lies
At the Michigan
Theater
Fox Searchlight
his list of captions with his debut behind
the camera, "Separate Lies."
Based on the novel "A Way Through
The Wood" by Nigel Balchin, the story
follows James Manning (Tom Wilkin-
son, "Batman Begins") and his wife,
Anne (Emily Watson, "Red Dragon"),
whose marriage is complicated by the
introduction of Bill (Rupert Everett,
"My Best Friend's Wedding") and a
mystery of a man on a bike who was hit
by a car near the Manning household.
"Separate Lies" is more of a morality
tale than a whodunit, and Fellowes does
a remarkable job in creating a tense
mosphere among the stuffy upper
class in Britain. The tragic accident -
shown in quick flashes - is the catalyst
of the film's real drama.
The ever-enigmatic Tom Wilkinson
gives an Oscar-caliber performance
with incredible precision. As a hus-
band with a breaking heart, Wilkin-
son brings sympathy to a man, who,
for once, is forced to break the rules.
Watson is luminous as a housewife
who cracks under the pressure of not
being perfect enough, and Everett
shines as a man who also has plenty of
emotional baggage.
Unfortunately, like the accident that
triggers the events of the film, "Separate
Lies" is a short affair at 87 minutes -
but it often feels longer. The film's story
arc is reasonably developed, and the
emotional sprawls of the characters are
fully realized. But there are moments
when the story moves too quickly, and
perhaps a bit too much of it is based on
mere coincidence. At once, the ending is
overdone and anti-climactic.
With awards season just getting
under way, and without tremendous
buzz behind it, "Separate Lies" is bound
to get lost in the shuffle despite the
enormous pedigree behind it. While its
scope isn't exactly Best Picture mate-
rial, the film can only hope that Wilkin-
son and Watson's performances will be
remembered at the year's end.
Make a Piff erene!
Learn to Teach Grades K-12
Are you a current UM student interested in learning more about what it takes to become a teacher?
If so, you are invited to join us for
an Undergraduate Information Session at the School of Education. The
session will include pizza, presentations, a student panel, and
informal conversation. We hope you can make it!
School of Education Undergraduate Information Session
Thursday, October 27, 2005, 5:30-7:00 PM.
Whitney Auditorium, Rm 1309, School of Education, 610 E. University
Questions? Call 615-1528.