Sing Out! loud-
By Joseph Kraus
T HINK ABOUT how far away you
would have to be to see all of this
country in one glimpse.
You'd need to take off in some kind of
rocket and get into orbit before you
could look down and see if all at once.
How far away then do you imagine
you would have to go if you wanted to
hear all of this country at once?
Not quite so far as outer space, but
rather to that earthbound haven of folk
music known as the Ark.
To be honest, it would ordinarily take
you several nights to hear all of the
country's folk music. But if you had
been to the Ark on Monday night, you
could have done it in one fell swoop.
Monday night was the first night of
Sing Out! magazine's editorial board
meeting. Because Sing Out! is a
national magazine that wants very
much to keep its national perspective,
the individual board members are from
all different parts of the country.
Geographic distribution is great for
keeping that perspective, but it makes
it difficult, as well as expensive, to
bring everyone together.
And so, in order to resolve those two
problems, the board chose to meet in
Ann Arbor because of its central
location, and to put on a show, a
miniature folk festival in fact, to help
defray expenses.
If it were only because of our location
that we were chosen for this event, then
I'm willing to suffer through another
Michigan winter to make it to next
year's board meeting.
The board divided itself into two don-
tingents, the West and the East. The
West, a.k. a. Sam Hinton, Faity Petric,
Utah Phillips and Guy Carawan, star-
ted off the show with several rounds of
first-rate patter, rare bits of folklore
and of course a bundle of great songs.
The West put on such a strong show,
in fact that not much could have won
over the audience after them, except
maybe the East. Sparky Rucker, Bob
Norman and Michael Cooney respon-
ded in turn with an energetic set of
traditional and original numbers.
In both sets, the performers were laid
back and comfortable. They carried on
conversations and most of them forgot
a line or two at least once during the
night. But it was all to great affect, as it
just made them seem more like people
and less like "stage rulers". Also, with
seven singers of their merit, there were
quite a few highlights to the evening.
Hinton shocked the audience when he
calmly took a harmonica and put it into
his mouth, with the intent, it seemed, of
eating it. He didn't - instead he played
it entirely by manipulating his tongue.
He later commented on his unique
talent, "Like skill at pool playing, it's
evidence of a misspent youth."
Carawan, a gentle singer who gives
off an air of truly loving the music and
people around him, sang a medley of
children's songs which included the un-
forgettable "Rhinoceros Song". One
verse of which runs, "My rhinoceros
likes to eat donuts she eats them noon
and morn, but since she hasn't no
pockets she carries them 'round on her
horn."
In all, it was a night of personality
and music. The board made back a lit-
tle money, the audience got its money's
worth and everybody left singing;
The Michigan Daily - Friday, May 11, 1984 - Page 9
"Gimme a D
Gimme an A
Gimme an I9 *L. .Y
Givethe MICHIGAN DAILY
that old college try.
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Bars and Clubs
The Ark - Berline, Hickman and
Crary, bluegrass wizards, do it up on
Friday and O.J. Anderson, the world's
only talking mime on Saturday.
The Blind Pig - The $10,000
Watusis christen the new ballroom
both Friday and Saturday nights.
Joe's Star Lounge - There's
nothing suburban about the Ur-
bations, Friday and Saturday night.
Rick's American Cafe - Chicago
bluesman Jimmy Johnson heats up
the place with his "axe", both Friday
and Saturday.
The list
Concerts
Blues Doubleheader - Bobby
"Blue" Bland and Albert King, two
blues superstars pair up for what
promises to be an unforgettable
evening of music. Bland is often
credited as being the inventor of the
blues ballad and his influence on later
blues and rock musicians has been
profound. King, known as "the king of
the blues" perfected many of the elec-
tric blues riffs that late served the
likes of Eric Clapton so well. The show
begins at 7:30 Saturday night at the
Michigan Theater. Tickets are $11 in
advance at Schoolkid's Records,
P.J.'s Used Records and the Michigan
Theater, or $12 at the door (668-8480).
University Friends of Opera 10th
Anniversary Celebration - Univer-
sity graduates and current opera
students perform a full program on
behalf of the society which has
provided many of them with scholar-
ships. Reservations are required.
Held at the Women's City Club (1830
Washtenaw) Tickets are $12.50. (665-
6646).
Theater
Hello Dolly - Starring Judity Dow,
this tale of Dolly, chat irrepressible
matron of turn-of-the century New
York is always a favorite and this Ann
Arbor Civic Theater production
promises to be top-notch. Tickets are
$9 for the Friday and Saturday night
shows at the Power Center. The show
begins at 8 p.m. In addition there is a
Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. with
tickets selling for $8. (662-7282).
Junkie: Portraits of Women and
Transition - This Common Ground
produced show presents the problem
of addiction in some of its various
forms. Directed by Elise Bryant and
featuring several outstanding per-
formances, the show makes a power-
ful dramatic point. Tickets are $6 at
the Union ticket office, WhereHouse
Records, Hudson's, all CTC outlets
and at the door. Friday and Saturday
shows are 8 p.m. and a Sunday
matinee begins at 2 p.m. All perfor-
mances are in the Trueblood Theater
of the Frieze Building. (763-2071).
Etc
Canoeing Clinic - The Ann Arbor
Parks and Recreation Department is
sponsoring this chance to learn
canoeing from an expert, the safe
way. 10 a.m.-noon at the Argo Canoe
livery. The $7.50 charge includes
equipment rental. (668-7411)
Swingin' A's Square Dance Club -
Ted Shaw does the calling and anyone
interested can do the stepping. Guests
and newcomers are welcome. 8-11
p.m. at the Forsythe School (1655
Newport Rd.) $5 per couple. (663-3172)