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. 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