Yo, Adian... The Italian Stallion from Philadelphia is hitting the ring Friday and Saturday in a special performance of "Rocky" at the Michigan Theater. 7 p.m. $2.50. michigandady.com/arts Ro? MONDAY AUGUST 6, 2001 H E' S NO PLACE LIKE OZZFEST Drowing Pool seeks ality within newfoune fame Reverend puts the 'freak' in sideshow By Rob Brode Daily Arts Writer The song "Bodies," with its raging chorus of "Let the bodies hit the floor," is quickly becoming a mosh pit anthem - and the band behind it, Drowning Pool, is enjoying every- second of their success and their run on the Ozzfest tour. "It's like a dream come true, its amazing, I rOOg wake up every POOl day saying I can't DTE Energy believe we're Music Theater here," guitarist July 0t, 2001 C.J. Pierce notes with a sense of wonderment and a hint of eupho- ria. Their record Sinner has only been out eight weeks, but the records are flying out of stores faster than lightweights fly- ing out of the mosh pit. Although the band is very grateful, this level of success wasn't really expected. "I said, 'I hope we sell 5,000' that would be cool, respectable. We sold 19,000 and everyone's jaw hit the floor. You think your first week always sells a lot, then it drops off and kind of levels up - and we sold more the next week and the next week ..." Pierce stated. Right now the album has shipped 800,000 copies. The band has planned a gold party to celebrate the 500,000 mark, but they may want to hold off a few more weeks for the platinum party. The band is certainly happy that "Bodies" has been picked up by rock radio, MTV and even WWF program- ming, but mainstream success was never the goal. "We never wrote any of these in that kind of fashion. We all come from the underground. We love that kind of music," Pierce said. With mainstream success comes the worry of being perceived as sell- outs. "People say you lose credibility but I think its pretty cool we're get- ting in touch with a lot of kids," Pierce said. Many kids connect with Drowning Pool through the albums and radio, but those who come to the shows have a chance to connect with the band personally. "We sign in the morning and the evening. After the show I am on the lawn hanging out with all the kids. At a club show, after the show, we're all hanging out at the bar. None of us go on the bus or the backroom." The only disadvantage of the Ozzfest tour Pierce said is that he "can't meet ten to twenty thousand people and shake their hand at each show." The band is so "real" that even after they signed their record deal, Pierce returned to his old job as an electrician to take care of all his commitments. When home from touring, he says he will go back to his Mom's house and make some repairs she has asked him to do; now that's REAL. By Rob Brode Daily Arts Writer Her eyes were clenched shut, only daring to open them after she had removed the whirring electric drill from Reverend B. Dangerous's nose. As the drill exited his nose so did a stream of blood. "You messed up," Dangerous said as he glared at 3s the cowering Reverend B. sixteen-year-old through black- Dangerous ened eyes and a DTE Energy smile outlined Music Theater with a red sub- July 30, 2001 stance resem- bling blood. a. "it does that everyday. It [the drill] rips out more and more every day. Today was actually a good day," Reverend B. Dangerous explained after his set. To be the most sadistic, sadomasochistic, deranged individual on an Ozzfest tour that fea- tures bat-biting Ozzy Osbourne and the man billed as Satan's roommate, (Marilyn Manson), is no small feat - but Reverend B. Dangerous holds that honor. The man's catch phrase is "Want to see something fucked up?" and with good reason. On an average night, the Reverend staples his shirt to his arms and tongue with a staple gun, attaches briefcases to his nipple rings and car- ries them around, sticks a screwdriver up his nose, hangs a video camera on a rope from his tongue while whip- ping his head around and lays face down in a pile of glass while he cal out the heaviest member of the au ence to stand on the back of his hea What is the Reverend thinking while three hundred man stands on the ba4 of his head? "Get the FUCK off head!" he says as he laughs. While performing in front of sands has its advantages, being ringleader of your own freak show its disadvantages. "I've ripped my ni ple off three times," the Revere says, with a hint of pride in his voi "I've ripped my tongue to the poin can stick my pinky through tongue. I put a scorpion in my mo and it stung me four times in tI throat." The Reverend no longer to hospitals to patch him up, as always throw him in with the addic So the Reverend does his own medit work. "I super-glued it [a nipple] ba on. That's what superglue is ma for." He smiles as he lifts his shirt "It's pretty mutated; it's not the pre est nipple." Reverend B. Dangerous hopes entertain but unlike most perform he hopes he isn't influential. "I do encourage anyone to go out and mer nails in my face ... That's bleed [on stage], the kid out there w was thinking 'that was cool I want' do that,' when they see blood t think 'NO I'M NOT! NO I'M NOTl With each passing show, the R erend tests his body's limitations. want to do this thing where I put f hooks in my back and have cha hooked up to it and pull Stitches partner) around the stage." Ho even the Reverend has his limits. wouldn't hook anything up to 4 dick, my dick has done nothing 1 give me a good time." Casual dining at its best! REWARD YOURSELF! Corner of 1st and Huron St. Downtown AA (734) 623-7400 "Exceptional!" www.damatos.com Ann Arbor Observer ****Detroit Free Press Piano Bar Thurs- Sat 9 out of 10 Ann Arbor News JOHN PROATT/Day From top: Reverend B. Dangerous is fixIng a few loose screws while performing at the Ozzfest Freakshow, meanwhIle members of Drowning Pool "let the bodies hit the floor." While Ozzy eats the bats, Marilyn catches the flies. 1 I