8
University Daily Kansan / Friday, March 27, 1992
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
HAPPENINGS
BARS
Benchwarmers, 1601 W. 23rd St.
Friday: The Spin, 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
cover charge: $3
Bogart's of Lawrence, 611 Vermont Saturday: Black Cat Cbone 9:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.; cover charge: $3
The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire
Friday: Hearst Grazes
10 p.m.-2 a.m., cover charge: $3
Saturday: Punkinhead with Cosmic
Giggle Factory, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
cover charge: $3
Tuesday: Bashin' Pop, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
cover charge: $3
Monday: open mike, 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m.
free
**Wednesday:** Joe Worker, Ricky Dean and Season to Risk; 10 p.m. - 2 a.m. cover charge: $3
Thursday: Black Cat Bone
10 p.m.-2 a.m.; cover charge: $3
The Brass Apple: 3300 W. 15th St.
Tuesday: Karaoke, 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m.
free
Flamingo Club. 501 N 9th St.
Friday/Saturday, toplest dancing,
noon-1 a.m. cover charge: $2 or a two-
drink minimum
Henry T's, 3520 W. 6th St.
Thursday: Karaoke; 9 p.m.-2 a.m., free
International Club21, 106N. Park W.
Friday. A2 One. cover charge: $3
Saturday. Steal Mary, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
cover charge: $3
Sunday. Reggae classic with DJ Rasm-
ike, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. free
Monday "The Untouchables" screening
9.9 p.
The Jazzhaus
The Jazzaus
926 l/1 Massachusetts St.
Friday/Saturday Room Full of Wailers; 10 p.m. l-130 a.m. cover charge;
Monday; Sir Douglass Quintet, 10 p.m. l-130 a.m. cover charge; $3
Tuesday; Amnesty House presents the Homestead Grays 10 p.m. l-2a.m. cover charge; $3
Johnny's Tavern, 410 N.2nd St.
Friday/Saturday Smoot Mahuti,
9:30 p.m.-2:30 m. cover charge: $18
The Power Plant, 901 Mississippi St
Ages 18 and over admitted
Friday/Sunday: Alternative
Music Night
Shiloh 1003 E.23rd St.
Riverside Bar and Grill 520 N. 3rd St.
Friday Nite Crew, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
covercharge; $2
The Yacht Club. 530 Wisconsin St.
Tuesday: Karaoke, 9.p.m.-1.a.m.,free
Shilton 1005E, 2381R
Friday. Ajrie Anderson with Midnight
Special. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. covercharge $3
Saturday. Dance lessons. 7:45 - 8:45
p.m. Band. Over Easy. 9 p.m-1 a.m.
covercharge $3
MUSIC
Friday: Spring Concert: University Camerata, Swarthout Recital Hall, 8.p.m.; admission: free
Sunday Student Recital Chris Butler, viola; Swainthout Recital Hall, 8p.m.; admission: free
ART EXHIBITIONS
Spence Museum of Art
Tuesday-Saturday. 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
closed Monday, Sunday, noon-5 p.m.
Cameras as Weapon: German Worker Photography Between the Wars, Kress Gallery, until May 10
Albert Bloch, South Balcony Gallery, until May 24
Ceramics by J. Sheldon Carey North Balcony Gallery, until August2
The making of a music mecca
Lawrence bands strive to sign with national record labels
Mike Tobin (left), Tim Mohn, Kim Cznopnys, Darrrell Brannock and Mark Swirl for the band Kill White. The group met Saturday with a representative from Virgin Records, although it did not sign a recording contract.
By Ranjit Arab
Kansan staff writer
Tim Mohn thinks it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world knows what Lawrence music fans have known for years.
"There are a lot of good bands here, and as soon as one of these bands make it big, a lot of bands will start playing." I think that is going to happen here this year.
Mohn, drummer for the Lawrence band, Kill Whitey, said big record labels on the East and West coasts often overlooked bands in the Midwest. However, that could all change with the recent attention his band and another Lawrence band, PAW, are receiving from national record labels.
The members of PAW are in Los Angeles trying to negotiate a recording contract with Gefen records. Kill Whithe met Saturday with a representative from Virgin Records. Although Mohn said Kill Whithe did
moisture seal. It will not sign a contract with the record label, it was not the first time that a record label had expressed interest in the band.
Both bands recently were mentioned in national magazines. PAW was mentioned in this week's issue of Newsweek, and Kill Whitey was mentioned in the "New Faces" section of the Oct. 3 issue of Rolling Stone.
The search for a sound
If these two bands sign contracts with record labels, Lawrence could quickly turn into a mecca for both bands and recording companies.
The situation in Lawrence could resemble events in other cities such as Athens, Ga., and Seattle, two cities in which several bands signed with the national record labels after the initial success of just one band.
Recently, Seattle has become a breeding ground for "grunge" rock bands after the initial success of bands like Soundgarden and Nirvana, whose debut album on a large record label has grossed more than
In the early 1960s, Athens became the premier place for college alternative rock bands after the success of R.E.M. Record companies flocked to the Georgia college town in search of other bands that could emulate the twangy "Athens sound" that R.E.M had perfected.
$350 million
"There is a lot of diversity here," he said. "Nic Cosmos doesn't sound like us and we don't sound like PAW. With Athens and Seattle a lot of those bands had the same sound."
However, when record companies come to Lawrence, they may not find a single "Lawrence sound" to cash in on, Mohn said.
Leigh Lust, a talent scout for Capitol records in New York, said he had spoken with members of the two Lawrence bands, as well as members of the Kansas City-based band, Sin City Disciples.
Lust said Lawrence was not quite like Athens or Seattle because, unlike those cities, it is not the only city offering a new sound.
Cities such as Providence, R.I., also are catching the attention of big record labels, he said.
However, he said the success of one Lawrence band was all it would take to bring record label representatives to the city.
"Three bands don't just come out of nowhere all of the sudden without any other talent there," he said.
Although Lust said record labels might be looking for a Nirvana type in Lawrence, bands would be discovered.
"After the success of Guns 'n' Roses, every label was out to sign their tattooed
junkies," he said. "But with the spotlight semi-focussed on Lawrence, it is going to be a little easier for bands to garner some attention."
Seeking attention
Lust said he would like to visit Lawrence to see other bands.
Joel Hornbostel, of United Entertainment in Kansas City, Mo., manages several Lawrence bands.
He said the attention Lawrence bands were receiving was the result of a liberal atmosphere.
"For some reason Lawrence is a real liberal force," he said. "It is a little oasis in the desert."
Hornbostel said Lawrence clubs and Student Union Activities were doing a good job of promoting Lawrence bands, as well as attracting national acts.
If PAW signs with a record label, it could make Lawrence a major attraction for other record labels, he said.
"Athens was not on the map until R.E.M. hit it big," he said. "PAW could do the same thing for Lawrence."
Peter Fitch, editor of the Seattle music magazine, "The Rocket," said he had followed the music scene in Seattle for the last 19 years.
Fitchsaid Seattle bands were ignored by
the record labels for years but that their successes were the result of initiative and a supportive community.
"The club scene for a number of years was not very strong and it forced a lot of bands to make their own recordings," he said. "It also gave the bands a chance to practice without being forced by greedy club owners to play Top 40 songs."
Fitch said the attention directed toward PAW and other bands might be the result of record companies trying to find the next Nirvana.
"It is the old classic Hollywood joke of 'bring me a Marilyn Monroe type.'" he said, "but with record labels it's the 'bring me the Nirvana type.'"
Not everyone is quick to make the parallels between Lawrence and Athens.
"It would be more accurate if we had some signed bands to major labels
first," said Scott Heiple, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Lawrence band, Groovehead.
Heipel said record labels might not find all Lawrence bands easy to market.
"As far as bands with label potential, there are very few," he said. "But that does not mean it is not a good music scene."
Music remains same
however, in the wake of the Nirvana success, PAW has a good chance of being noticed by a major label.
"PAW is very marketable, and I wish them the best of luck," he said.
Doug Vinke, manager of the Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, said he attended the "South by Southwest Music Conference," in which PAW performed two weeks ago in Austin, Texas. He said the Lawrence band was very popular among record label representatives.
"If they make it big, it will get the word out that this is a hip place and not just a bunch of farmers," he said.
Mark Swirl, rhythm guitarist for Kill Whitey, said that the fuss made by record labels about Lawrence bands did not change life in Lawrence.
"The only thing that changes is when the labels come and pick bands out, but the music has always been here," Swirl said.
'The Power of One'tells story of apartheid
First hour is slow but good actors convey healing spirit of film
By Cameron Meier Special to the Kansan
When the whites of South Africa voted last week to end 44 years of apartheid, they sent a message that they no longer wanted people's lives torn apart by racial division. A boy named PK was one who was torn apart.
But unlike most, he fought against division, and whether the recent political referendum succeeds in reversing his views of hate, his is a story worth telling.
And the new film, "The Power of One," tells it well.
MOVIE REVIEW
Based on the semi-autobiographical book by South African-born Bryce
The Afrikaners, of Dutch, German and French background, the first Europeans to settle in southern Africa, were fighting the English for the soul of the country. In addition, the Blacks were desperately scrambling to save their future. The English had stolen it from them, and in 1948 they seemingly lost if forever when the new Afrikaaner government took over and established apartheid as the official policy of the nation.
Into this world came PK, a South African boy who was raised by the English, became best friends with Zulus and fell in love with an Afrikaner. The film traces PK's transition to manhood through 18 years and three different actors, all of whom bring the
Stephen Dorff, in his first star role, plays the 18-year-old PK, and although he lacks the innocent charm of Guy Witcher as 7-year-old PK, his performance taps into the overwhelming triumphs and tragedies his character experiences.
Although Dorff is excellent, it is PK's friends, played by an assortment of great actors, who truly bring the story to life.
Morgan Freeman is also exceptional as Geel Piet, the one who introduces PK to keyboard, the sport to which PK dedicates much of his life.
For instance, when Sir John Gielgud's headmaster character is forced by the Afrikaners to halt PK's efforts to teach impoverished Blacks how to read, one feels his pain. It seems the veteran British actor's career will never end. No one is complaining.
"The Power of One" is directed by John Avildsen, the Academy Award-winning director of "Rocky." Clearly, he had a distinguished cast to work
Courtenay, "One" masterfully recreates 1930s and '40s South Africa, a land divided into three distinct groups.
character vividly to life.
with, but he did make a few flawed choices, particularly toward the beginning of the film.
Most noticeably, the use of a heavy, though beautiful, soundtrack, and narration by the young PK is overwhelming. The film's first hour is weighed down by a narrative that won't quit. Instead of establishing the characters and allowing their actions and lines to tell the story, Avildsenopts for first-person narration. This is a mistake because it puts up a screen that the audience has trouble getting past.
Also, the story of young PK is told in terms of past events instead of allowing the story to unfold during the present. The movie at times is slightly heavy-handed and tries too hard to be interesting, when all it needs to do is tell its story.
However, when one gets to know the young boy and sees him relate to others without the narrative, the movie gains warmth. And even if it takes a few minutes to become absorbed in the
story, the breathtaking photography by Dean Semler, the cinematographer for "Dances with Wolves," is alone worth the price of the ticket.
Although artistic criticism is justified, the message the film presents is more important. In a week when the top-grossing film, "Basic Instinct," depicts rich, successful people sinking into the muck of life (and unfortunately not taking the screenplay with them), "The Power of One" shows poor, downtrodden people rising out of it.
After PK was able to heal the differences between the Black tribes and bring them together, Freeman's Piet tells him, "All the tribes together, first time, because of you." It is a simple statement, but it embodies the healing spirit of the movie.
TOP 20 VIDEO RENTALS
So even if racial unity, brotherhood and Sir John Gielgud aren't good enough reasons to see "One," see it because it documents the birth of a flawed political system that has just died.
1. "Thema and Louise"
2. "Boxy in the Hood"
3. "The Rocketeer"
4. "Regarding Henry"
5. "Point Break"
6. "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead"
7. "Dead Again"
8. "Hot Shots"
9. "Double Impact"
10. "Barton Fink"
11. "Harley Davidson and the Mariboro Man"
12. "Mobsters"
13. "Jungle Fever"
14. "The Hitman"
15. "Pure Luck"
16. "City Slicers"
17. "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare"
18. "Child's Play 3"
19. "Defensesless"
20. "Body Parts"
Visiting lecturer gives encouragement and criticism
By Julie Wasson Special to the Kansan
Eric Rosenblit, visiting lecturer in music, said that television had robbed today's generation of college students from experiencing good classical
Tenight Rosenblith will bring some of his music to the University of Kansas when he performs violin solos with the University Camerata at 8 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall. The University Camerata is made up of students and faculty in the department of music and dance.
"Television may be a wonderful thing, but I think it is unfortunate that students today do not experience the real part of their lives." Rosenbelt said.
Rosenblit made his debut in Paris at age 15, but actually began to play the violin when he was just 4 years old. He
"He incorporates some amusing stories into our work. He's so fun to work with."
Meghan Birmingham Overland Parkjunior
said that a somewhat privileged childhood led to his early start in music.
When I was a child, I visited many hotels and cafes in several European countries.
music being played." he said.
"My mother was a pianist, and both my parents were avid concert and opera fans. Therefore, I was exposed to a great deal of music at a very early age." Rosenbilt said. "So it wasn't all that unusual when I demanded to get a violin at age 4."
"Until then, I was a dedicated bum. I didn't take my practicing very seriously," he said. "But I became reformed, and I worked very hard."
When he was 11, Rosenblith entered the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris. He said that the most prominent French musicians of the time were students and teachers at the school and that entering the school was a turning point in his life.
Andhis work paid off. After graduating from the Ecole Normale de Musique, Rosenblith went on to study in London and New York, where he made his debut in 1941.
Rosenbilt has visited the University of Kansas a couple of times each semester since the fall of 1990 to conduct master classes.
Master classes are chamber music coaching for KU string students, but the lessons are open to all students and to the public.
Blanka Bednarz, Lawrence sophomore, worked with Rosenbalth during a previous visit and will be playing violin in tonight's concert.
"He incorporates some amusing stories into our work, and at the same time we manage to get stuff done," she said. "He's so fun to work with."
Meghan Birmingham, Overland Park junior, attended master classes with Rosenbluh last semester and will be playing viola tonight. She said his relaxed approach made learning and practicing fun.
"He's charming and very encouraging of students, and the classes are an excellent opportunity for everyone to observe watching him work." Bertram said.
Rosenblith said that he learned as a student that students could become worried and discouraged rather than encouraged by their teachers. He decided that if he ever got the opportunity to teach, he would try to teach in a manner whose avoidance of constructive criticism
Christopher Burtner, a Kansas City, Kan., senior, who will play viola tonight, said he had spent a summer working with Rosenblith.
"He's a living legend," Burter said. The master classes will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow in Murphy Hall, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday in Swarthout Recital Hall. Both the University Camerata and the master classes will be free and open to the public.