www.michigandaily.com A R T S
TUESDAY
MAY 27, 2003
5
Herb David, finally where it's Strat
How do you feel about shoes? I am for them.
Dancing with danger
By Neal Pais Rejas (Javier Bardem), police officer
Daily Arts Writer working in the nation's capital. Disil-
M__V__ERE ______*** _ lusioned with the theoretics of the
law as partner at one of the city's
For his directorial debut, John most prestigious law firms, he
Malkovich looked first to the pages of switches professions in order to prac-
Nicholas Shakespeare's novel, "The tice the rudiments of the law in the
Dancer Upstairs." "Hooked from page streets. Rejas represents the prototyp-
one," the twice Oscar-nominated actor ical detective; he is exceptionally
promptly bought the rights to Shake- dedicated to his work and remains
speare's political thriller and spent the utterly incorruptible in a country
next five years crafting a triumphant built on corruption.
adaptation of the The country is rocked by a series
author's story. The Dancer of shockingly violent acts of terror.
While the No claims of responsibility are
Briton's book is Upstairs made, nor is any manifesto released;
based on the Theatern the only clue that is left at the site of
extraordinary hunt Fox Searchlight each attack is the declaration, "Vivo
for Abimael Guz- el Presidente Ezekiel." Adopting the
man, the former leader of Peru's Shin- prophetic moniker from the Old Tes-
ing Path, which was once considered tament, the mysterious Ezekiel
to be the most vicious terrorist organi- (Abel Folk) spreads his cryptic
zation in the Western Hemisphere, propaganda through the city while
Malkovich's film is ambiguously set his disciples conduct high-level
in an unnamed Latin American nation. assassinations that wipe out nearly
The film also neglects to offer any half of the government's top minis-
clues as to when the events take place, ters. Rejas is assigned to the case by
rendering "The Dancer Upstairs" as a the chief of police (Oliver Cotton)
sort of reflection of Latin America's and assembles a small counter-ter-
collective political struggles. rorist unit charged with catching the
After a vaguely unsettling pro- anonymous revolutionary.
logue, the film introduces Augustin See DANCER, Page 10
By Steve Cotner
For the Daily
Herb David Guitar Studio has
arranged to carry Fender products for
the first time in its 41-year history.
The shop has seen many famous faces
in that time - Herb fixed a Strat for
Clapton, made a special "Les-tocast-
er" for Jerry Garcia and "just argued"
with Lennon. But despite local and
international admiration, the shop had
never made a deal with Fender.
For 15 or 20 years, Herb had
talked up Fender at manufacturing
shows in California and Nashville,
but Fender looked to chain stores
like Guitar Center instead. These
warehouse-style stores are the Star-
bucks of guitars; when you walk
inside any of them, you feel a well-
planned insipidness. But instead of
Tazo tea there are Sammy Hagar
posters. And unlike coffee, which is
just as good at Dunkin' Donuts or
McDonalds, guitars from the chain
stores can be seriously damaged
when they are pawned off as new.
The beautiful guitars hanging in
Herb David tell you it is a one of a
kind place. In the back, there is the
chair where John Lennon sat during a
Free John Sinclair rally; in the front a
little boy waits for his lesson, barely
seeing above his guitar case. The
upstairs echoes with world-class
instructors, and on the main floor you
might hear a couple of employees
pick up guitars and play "Werewolves
of London" until it gets old. Hair
styles are mostly long, sometimes
shaggy, but always "clean" according
to hiring standards.
Despite its rootsy simplicity, the
store is not a type or a relic. It is the
ever-changing brainchild of Herb
David, who in 1962 began giving les-
Do you have any of those guitars that are, like, double guitars?
sons in a dusty State Street base- the guys at the national office were
ment, where the cockroaches were so calling her "honey." Some reps came
big "you could use them for san- to check out the store, and the secre-
dals." Even then, Herb had gained a tary made sure they had the applica-
reputation by his self-made talent as tion papers in hand. Herb gave her
a guitar maker and restorer. Gibson and her new husband a paid honey-
appreciated the character of the base- moon as thanks.
ment shop and arranged for him to And now Ann Arbor can share in
be a vendor even in those modest that appreciation. The new amps and
surroundings. guitars are already in the showroom
Now the place at 302 E. Liberty St. - everything from Mexican Telies
is one of the best-known music stores and Indonesian Squires to the high-
in the world, and it is a perennial est-end Stratocasters, all checked and
favorite in the Daily's "Best of Ann okayed by Herb himself. And if you
Arbor." It has become a standby while want something special, Herb can do
other stores offering ethnic and vintage it for you. He once made a guitar
instruments have folded or moved to with pickups at every fret, so it could
Detroit. Here, at least, goodwill has tri- be played "like a piano." On the
umphed over market forces. more practical side, he still makes
So what took Fender so long? quality acoustic guitars, and like
Herb attributes the new deal to "the everything the store offers, they are
power of the woman." After so many in high demand - when he went to
years of trying himself, his secretary show me one of them, it had already
contacted Fender, and within minutes been sold off the rack.
THEATERS
MOVIES PLAYING NOW UNTIL WEDNESDAY 5/28
TE AMO (MADE IN CHILE) (NR) .................................................3:00, 7:00
TATTOO, A LOVE STORY (NR) .............................................1:00, 5:00, 9:00
MOVIES HOLDING THROUGH THURSDAY 6/5
DOWN WITH LOVE (PG-13) ......................................1:15, 3:15, 5:15 7:15, 9:15
X2: X-MEN UNITED (PG-13) ...........................................1:30, 4:30, 7:15 9:45
THE MATRIX RELOADED (PG-13).........................1:00, 2:00, 4:00, 5:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:45
THE IN-LAWS (PG-13) .......................................... 1:10, 3:10, 5:10, 7:10, 9:10
ASSASSINATION TANGO (PG-13)...... ............................1:20, 3:40, 7:20, 9:40
MOVIES STARTING THURSDAY 5/29
SOFT FOR DIGGING (NR) ..................................................1:00, 5:00,9:00
BUNNY (NR) ...............................................................3:00,7:00
(734) 994 1000 www.madstonetheaters.com diemnhma:.aglnwAo bfoha 6pmn, 01A4 $5.50!