Thursday February 9, 2006 arts. michigandaily. com artspage@michigandaily. com R TS91iigan Bailg 5A .S A... ..... Treat albums like art Belle & Sebastian aren't exactly the kind of band you'd expect to cause controversy. The lithe, pretty, melodic lines that support clever, sometimes heartwrenching lyrics seem more likely to serve as lullabies to the hip- ster set, not material for rabid contention. But for the intense emotional attach- ment their first two albums created in a fanbase of music aficiona- dos set the stage for a little controversy. For their last two albums, the band has moved in a poppier, brighter direction - what some fans, bereft of the music they thought was theirs, might even call "commercial." In a recent interview with Under the Radar, frontman Stuart Murdoch ALEX commented on the phenom-J enon: "There is absolutely J no point in pandering to anybody, no matter if it's your loyalest fan ... We try to please ourselves." He has a point. Fans and artists have always contended over shifts in direc- tion, changes in a group's lineup, but lis- teners' dissatisfaction would be mostly reflected in record sales. Hitting musi- cians in the pocketbook, whether they stand to make thousands or millions, sends a quiet, yet direct message. But now, anyone with a LiveJournal can slash to ribbons the year's work of an artist. As listeners, of course, we're going to form opinions about what we hear - and if we hate something, we don't just shrug and add the disc to our coaster collection. We dissect condemned songs, albums and even whole catalogues, separating the sublime from the trash, the great from everything else. And no matter how much material tips the scales in favor of the artists' ideas, media, con- struction or overall sound, we'll vilify them for the missteps they've made, no matter how few. I'm not saying that listeners, especially critics, shouldn't be, y'know, critical. But at the same time, pop-music connoisseurs - those who, by definition, are followers of not only the best and brightest, but the weirdest, worst, most extreme and laugh- able recorded music - all have to battle our inner demons. Inside every critic, published or arm- chair, is a two-faced, ego-driven, raven- ous force, both spectator and analyst, enthusiastic acolyte and an artist's worst nightmare. This force sparks our love of music, creates our constant need for new albums to consume, drives the search for new imports and provides the motiva- (A tion to take eight-hour road trips to see Bob Dylan live when you already know he's coming to your town a few weeks later. You want it now. Admit it: Inside, you're part smarmy teenager whose fragile ego is bolstered by the size, scope and rigorously maintained quality of her record collection and part hopeful naif who crumbles with sentimentality at the thought of ever again bask- ing in the revelatory glow she got the first time she heard Revolver or Bikini Kill's singles. In short, we derive plea- sure from exulting in and detracting from the work of our favorite musicians - not just in consuming their product, which is the kNDRA reason we tend to come back for more even when NES The Green Album robs our pathetic lives of a precious 28 minutes or when Prince just kind of decides to start sucking. And there's nothing wrong with trash-talking when a Yoko infiltrates your favorite band or a great songwriter sounds like he's taking way too few mind-altering substances. But the notion that we - listeners, critics, consumers - are owed a goddamn thing by the art- ists whose work we purchase and enjoy is simply false. We pay for the album; they provide us with the music of thousands of listens, recommendations, makeout sessions, car trips, emotional break- downs. Brian Wilson's magnum opus Smile was put off for 35 years because the other Beach Boys (and eventually Wilson himself) thought it wouldn't be well received. Of course, there's another side to this: Weezer, guilty of one of the most egregious fan betrayals of the past decade, lost a million sensitive geek-rock- ers and gained 10 million listeners who didn't give a fuck that what the band was producing, suddenly, was shit. We have to make responsible deci- sions as critics. While the intensity that a visceral but innately immature reac- tion to music we feel we have a stake in might make us feel powerful, or make us feel connected to something greater, we should fairly appraise the work of the artists we respect enough to shell out a paltry $13.99 to hear.:They make art; we criticize art - and art demands more than a visceral reaction. If anything, we owe them a few more spins to fairly evaluate their work. - Jones promises never to say "sell out" again. E-mail almajo @umich.edu. Courtesy ofthe School orM The cast of "Gold Diggers" poses in full dress. They will perform the play starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. STRIKING 'GOLDE AVERY HopwooD's FAMED PLAY HITS -MEN DELSSOHN By Caroline Hartmann For the Daily University alum and Phi Gamma Delta broth- er Avery Hopwood began his career in the early 1900s with the support of his frat brothers, who were known to march down the- Gold Diggers ater aisles clapping and Tonight at 7:30 p.m. chanting his name to attract Friday and attention from the press. Saturday at 8 p.m. Hopefully he won't need Sunday at 2 p.m. such an overture to captivate Tickets $16-$22 audiences Feb. 9 through 12 Students $9 with ID when the Department of At the Lydia Theatre & Drama puts on Mendelssohn Theatre Hopwood's "The Gold Dig- gers" at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. Hopwood's vision for the University led to the establishment of the prestigious Hopwood awards, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. Hopwood went on to be immensely popular and prolific, and is still the only playwright in history to have four shows on Broadway simultaneously. His play "Gold Diggers" follows Jerry, a 1920s chorus girl who never fails to attract attention and envy with her ability to woo the wealthiest men without lifting a finger. Violet, her friend and housemate, is the only chorus girl who believes love conquers all - even money. Violet wants to marry the well bred but awk- ward Wally, whose uncle is convinced that chorus girls only chase after rich men for their money. The timid couple needs Jerry's help to persuade Wally's uncle, Steven Lee, to give his consent in marriage. Jerry - usually lusty, opulent and vivacious - behaves as outrageously and melodramatically as possible to show Violet isn't an unsophisticat- ed "gold digger" like herself. But when the uncle breaks out of his shell and admits he loves Jerry, her plan is ruined and she's forced to consider her own feelings as well. Music senior Adam Caplan, who plays the uncle, described the character as a "stick-in-the-mud character who finally has a coming of age and rebirth of childhood." Hopwood is famous for writing risqu6 and osten- tatious works that still maintained a mass appeal, and "The Gold Diggers" is chief among them. Its lack of an overarching theme gives it a frivolous air, but its uncommon entertainment value alone elevates it above standard fare. "Don't go looking for anything more than what you see and behold," said Philip Kerr, the play's director. "But for goodness sake, be open to what you behold. It sometimes is bliss to be in the hands of a master craftsman who can cause you to be entertained." Although the play doesn't claim to be a musi- cal, Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings, a frequent sight at Ann Arbor's Firefly Club, will provide the show's big-band feel. Musical Director and Music Prof. James Dapogny worked with Kerr on previous productions. The '20s-inspired, upbeat pieces are the perfect backdrop for the light and airy bedroom farce. There's no denying "The Gold Diggers" serves primarily to entertain. Jerry's circle of friends, who range from cynical and sarcastic to buoyant and playful, each have a unique comic personal- ity. Uncle Lee's lawyer adds more humor to the mix, falling headfirst into a determined chorus girl's tricks. Music senior Alexandra Odell said she hopes the audience "walks out of the theater chuckling, giggling, laughing." But before buying your ticket, heed Kerr's advice: "Just enjoy the craft, enjoy the effervescence. So it's rather like having a very, very good glass of a very splendid champagne - enjoy the bubbles." DAILY ARTS. WE WERE IN DECA. F I McKenny Union. and U299 earna- - U U .. ./ '11 . . : . ... ..