41 Page 10 -The Michigan Daily -Tuesday, June 19, 1984 Joe Jackson gives quality, not quantity By Byron L. Bull J OE JACKSON opened his Saturday night Pine Knob concert with a song entitled "Body and Soul" and proceeded to pour ample amounts of both into what was a supremely enter- taining evening. It was a relatively short concert, not more than 90 minutes, but what is lacked in quantity is more than made up for in quality. Jackson is one of those entertainers so full of enthusiasm and so at home on the stage that he seems to have been born there. As he cavorted and gyrated about the stage with seemingly ceaseless energy, Jackson's gawky frame became absolutely graceful. Witty, amiable, not the least bit self- indulgent, he exhibited a commanding presence on stage. And he sang in a strongly resonant voice, full of delicate emotional nuances. Backing him up was a six man band, as versatile as it was virtuosic. Band members frequently swapped in- struments during the course of the show, dashing over to a keyboard, picking up a flute, or tapping on a xylophone to add appropriate little ANN AROR2 INIVIDUALTHEATRES $1.75 TUESDAY ALL DAY 1 WEEK RETURN ENGAGEMENT! "A SPECTACULAR FUSION OF IMAGE AND SOUND" -Newsday "RICH IN IDEAS AND OVER- POWERING BEAUTY" -senesiskel -flourishes. The entire entourage played with a mixture of intensity and flair that marks a well oiled ensemble. The evening's repertoire consisted mainly of recent material, with assor- ted old favorites thrown in for surprise. The emphasis was on uptempo. Jackson and company were out clearly to have fun, and did so with a con- tagious excitement. "You Can't Get What You Want" and "Heart of Ice," both from the recent Body and Soul were particularly strong sets. Their slightly nostalgic, soulful flavors were captured with a glowing brillance, due in large part to the two- man horn section and Jackson's own saxophone playing. "T.V. Age" and "Stepping Out," from the Night and Day release, lacked some of the brightness and crystaline quality of the recorded versions, but were done with a driving rhythmic delivery that more than comensated. "Steppin' Out" in fact was executed with so much force and power that it became one of the show's highpoints. And to lighten things up, Jackson ser- ved up a ingeniusly quirky arrangement of "Is She Really Going Out With Him" scored for piccolo, violin, tamborine, and accordian. The sound was nothing less than pristine. The mixing and amplification were expertly handled, almost com- pletely free of glitches. My only com- plaint would be with Pine Knob's steel and concrete structure, which robbed some of the clearness at times. Interestingly, Jackson seemed slightly ill at ease with Pine Knob's fesitval atmosphere, clearly used to the more intimate surroundings of an en- closed auditorium. At breaks between songs he made sarcastic (although not malicious) comments to audience members who shuffled about the aisles socializing and running to and fro. Jackson and band gave a very professional, thoroughly satisfying per- formance. If this is his last tour as has been reported, then the live music scene has lost one of its more engaging assets. W-arner trims roster Warner Bros. records has long been one of the industry leaders when it comes to sporting a strong roster of talented singers, songwriters, and ban- ds, but recent poor sales have caused them to drop several well-known ar- tists. As of today, Van Morrison, T-Bone Burnett, and Bonnie Raitt are all stars without labels. A spokesman for the label explained the decision to let the trio go, "economics," he said. "We're here to make money - I know it's a very strange concept for people who aren't in the record-making business." - Joseph Kraus 0 6 0 Linda Ignasiak (right) prepares for her role in the upcoming production resulting from the Barrier-Free theater work shop. " Barrer-free theater explores handicaps' DAILY 1:00, 7:05, 9:05 "A PURE DELIGHT" -TheDetrotNews "THE FUNNIEST FRENCH FILM SINCE 'LA CAGE AUX FOLLES' AND A LOT BROADER IN ITS APPEAL" -Newhouse Newspapers PIERRE GERARD RICHARD DEPARDIEU A film by FRANCIS VEBER (PG) DAILY 1:00, 7:20, 9:20 By Jeff Frooman f'VE ALWAYS been a little uncom- fortable around people who are handicapped. I've never been sure whether I should go out of my way to give them special attention, or go out of my way to not give them special atten- tion. Questions like these have bothered me. Even the issue of whether I should be bothered by these questions has bothered me. UNTITLED: A Theater Arts EXPO is a play that investigates the issues of being handicapped. It introduced able- bodied people to differently-abled people through the theatrical medium. In the words of artistic director J. Drew Picard, "In general, society has seen the handicap issue in black and white. We are exploring the grey mat- ter that is often overlooked and carefully avoided. Our purpose is to bridge the gap of understanding bet- ween the two communities." And so while the play may not provide you with any clear-cut answers, it will at least give you some fresh perspectives on the questions. The script for the play was written collectively by the performing ensem- ble. While the actors have no previous acting or playwriting experience, they make up for their lack of professional polish through their sincerity. Indeed, the performers aren't simply acting, they're actually playing themselves. They've all lived the roles they play. And so on one level the performance is very personal. - On another level, though, the play touches emotional chords universal to us all. The actors express emotions we've all felt; the only difference is that we may have felt them in different situations. Perhaps one reason we've experienced the emotions of hurt, anger, and frustration is that we're all handicapped in one sense or another. It's just that for most of us, our han- dicaps aren't as readily visible from the outside. But they are there. And that's why this play is also a play about everyone, and not simply about the differently- abled people on the stage. The play is produced by Barrier Free Theater, a project funded by the Michigan Council for the Arts. Barrier Free Theater is a new theater troupe that is affiliated with the Common Ground Theater Ensemble. The pur- pose of the Barrier Free Theater project is to knock down the. barriers that exist between people - barriers that are the result of a lack of contact between groups of people in our society. Barrier Free Theater provides an op- portunity for people to get together and get to know one another. UNTITLED: A Theater Arts EXPO will be showing at the Performance Network on June 28, 29, and 30 at 8p.m. There will also be a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on July 1. Each performance lasts less than an hour. Also each show will be interpreted for the hearing im- paired. Tickets vary from $3.50 to $4.50 depending on what you're able to af- ford. The Performance Network is located at 408 W. Washington in Ann Arbor. 0I