The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, May 28,1980--Page ,,.,v , .. ..: .. .:. ..... ::m:.n ": {.". :; t. "< :"r w,.;", .:3". :'Gf"":+>ti t7:S, .w, *, w ,"t;, : :: $. .;:uy," ", :y , "f ;; '< ;i. "S u' ..: ,.,,,; t" ; x. , m.. w . t N. y, r8.:' .::: . ,9'i: 7r : K':' 'is';; c' : ; S3. r< ? 'a" r::i ' ."'f,' o-,(" :3' . i f , ., / '' ;' > ". tiv: " G:" rho- 4, :"':" ;:,"r < ."": :." .3 : ne, w" ' ',3, :. ."," .., a:+vs""'v. ,.".,.f::x', :t:;.° ':":.:.' ,::..Ft,,...,.k... 'i3 :. nc,.. ...,....:.'..,::.,,:'....,..x,. ' '.+'. i;.'?i;" a ".:' ' . Q,." . a,,.,. x:9 .'".:i F" ,1:0;xc;;i #i t..; ts q"'. r2. "..x { :. .. x.,ixvt ''.... ., Arts Ing taste oofpun re resh k By MARK COLEMAN For those living in Ann Arbor, being a rock and roll fan is akin to surviving an extended drought or food shortage: Not only does one learn to get - by on the bare minimum, but the barest means of gratification become. profoundly ap- preciated. There are some very talen- ted bands around town and some decent clubs, too, but not consistency-you've got to take what you can get when you can get it. May has been a particularly dry month, so the bill at Second Chance for Memorial Day evening seemed like a godsend. Five "new wave" or "punk" bands were scheduled to appear, in- cluding Detroit's infamous Sillies and local favorites the Cult Heroes. Not a deluge, but a welcome oasis in a veritble desert. First up, the Offbeats, a three-piece made up of assorted ex-members of various Detroit bands whose sound did little to dispell'their anonymity. Their guitarist, a balding, uncomfortable looking man with horn-rimmed glasses, attempted to add a little wire fire to the Offbeats' bland uptempo eccentricities but his short solo jabs created little more than a minor diversion. The Of- fbeats are a good example of what I'd call the new wave pseudo-sincerity syndrome; they play original songs yet their approach is wholly derivative, but so diffuse one can't pin them down to a single influence. The results sound like a half-digested regurgitation of every record they're heard in the last two years. The Offbeats do know how to play, though, so maybe a little more experience will give them the confiden- ce to overcome their influences and really rock out. THE FOLLOWING band, R.U.R., provided the biggest surprise of the evening. Usually a four-man guitar- oriented band, on Monday night they added synthesizers, toy keyboards, and a female violin player to their progressive sound. On a series of super- ficially structured jams the R.U.R. "Arkestra" blended screeching strings, and piercing electronics with a restless beat in a throbbing, unsettled jell. Per- forming in whiteface on a stage set with borderline-tacky tables and chairs, it was a bit hard to decide if R.U.R. was emulating the artiness of experimental rock or lampooning it, but either way the performance was arresting both aurally and visually. Any band that flaunts local conventions (and expec- tations) so brazenly has some guts and a sense of humor, too. $1 MILLION GRANT GRAND RAPIDS (AP)-Strong community spirit in Michigan's second- largest city has helped the Grand Rapids Art Museum win a $1 million grant from the state. The money will be used to renovate the former downtown post office and courthouse building as its new home. Strong local and regional support for the project was a major consideration in Gov. William G. Milliken's recom- mendation for the grant. A local fund- raising drive matched state dollars by more than a 2-to-1 ratio. The move to the historic building will be complete by fall 1981. The Sillies have built up a kind of notoriety in the area, giggling very in- frequently with a constantly changing line-up. They were the first punk rock band I ever saw, as such, way back in 1977, and their anarchistic aplomb and total musical inability created an am- bience of abandonment wholly ap- propriate to that bygone era. Times change, and the Sillies are back and vastly improved. They are still playing it primal, but what a difference practice has made. The Sillies are tight and tough now, and while their ap- proach is hardly ingenuous they exude so much energy and attitude it's hard , not to bounce to a ditty like "Sex for the Handicapped" no matter how tasteless its subject matter. The polishing of the rhythm section and the addition of an effective organ player adds and builds on Ben Waugh's brutal but effective vocal delivery and Tommy Kilowatt's tongue-in-cheek guitar rampages, while the continued presence of the nefarious Gloria Love on stage is a reassurance that these people aren't getting too serious. The Sillies area hell of a lot of fun to watch, and they put it all across with a kinky impact that makes them fun to listen to, also. THE "SPECIAL appearance" of the evening featured Bob Wilson, a. new Ann Arbor resident that .has done session work with the likes of Bob Dylan (circa Nashville Skyline) and Flatt and Scruggs. To complete the non sequitur he performed Monday with a pick-up band that dished out the most overwrought hard-rock cliches imaginable-"This one's for all the ladies here tonight ... '-you get the idea. I thought bloated respect for "chops" and studio work was one of the things bands like the Sillies rejected by their very existence. Rounding out the evening in a set cut by closing time were the Cult Heroes, one of the first of the local new wave. Specializing in straightforward, sim- plistic rock and roll with an obvious debt to the Stooges, the Heroes continue to improve each time out. Lead singer Hiawatha has an intriguing, gruffly suave delivery-when he can be heard above the din. Drummer Larry Steele keeps things from bogging down with a steady, sure-fired attack that gives the band a rock-solid backbone. Though they tend to be a little overbearing, the Heroes put their fascination with noise and distortion to some interesting uses, all the while chugging along like a well-oiled piece of machinery. Their single "The Prince and the Showgirl" is a remarkable departure from their live sound and indicates that this is a band worth keeping an eye on. While the musical results of Monday night were decidedly mixed it was refreshing to hear a wide cross-section of music and musicians that one wouldn't encounter on the average spring evening in Ann Arbor. Hopefully the show was enough of a financial suc- cess to encourage more, equally adven- turous bookings. We can now return to that rock and roll desert partially fulfilled and fortified, at least for a while. WHAT A COMBIN ATION PRIME RIB AND CRAB What a blend of tastes! You get our tender prime rib, cooked to your order, served along side a generous portion of succulent Alaskan king crab leg. And$0, of course it includes a fresh green salad, bread & butter and your choice of baked potato, French fries or rice. And at a very special $8.95. COMPLETE DINNER Imit - Seafood 300 South Maple Ann Arbor, 665-1133 This is our regular Prime Rib and Alaskan King Crab dinner-at a special saving price all day on Sunday and Monday thru Thursday during our regular dinner hours. Call today for reservations. )Crntinental Rests rant Systems 1980 ._ _,.