Local talent polishes their skills and impresses discerning ears.
J. L. Watson Special to the Kansan
the audience is sometimes small. There is no pay. Most of the time, no one has heard their name. They are the musicians who take the stage for open mikeings and restaurants and restaurants in the Lay.
sponsor an open mike night where budding musicians, poets, and other performers can showcase their talents. People who take the stage during these performances say they are living out a dream: performing in front of a live audience.
“It’s kind of weird,” said Andy Bricker, drummer for the band Lowlie. “It’s like we’re playing for the bar owner. If we can impress him, then we might get bookings for shows.”
Lowlife has played open mike at The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire St., several times.
The Bottleneck has had open mike for four years.
Doug Vinke, The Bottleneck's manager, is enthusiastic about the concept.
"It exposes new talent that we wouldn't see otherwise," he said.
"The bands play for free, and a lot of people come to watch."
The Bottleneck books five acts every Monday night. Vinke said that the later performers drew larger crowds. "Most people come in around 10 or 10:30," he said.
Chris Sack, Leavenworth sophomore, and his band, Catch 22, have played at open mike night at The Bottleneck, and believe that the exposure has helped them develop and polish its stage skills.
For Tim Perdue, guitar player and employee of the Full Moon Cafe, 803 Massachusetts St., performing in front of his friends helps him develop new material, and express himself.
"We have a very eclectic style," he said. "Almost all of our music is originals — about 90 percent."
"I express my feelings through music and if I can get that across, then it's great," he said. "It's great to get people's reactions, and sometimes I get in a groove and I just feel elated."
The Full Moon Cafe has had a Sunday evening open mike night since last spring. The owners and employees decided it would be a fun thing to do, Perdue said. The audience is encouraged to participate.
"We have everything from acoustic
poetry to poetry readings," Perdue said.
The Glass Onion, 624 W. 12th St.
also sponsors an open mike night the last
Wednesday of every month.
He said he thought the main reason people came to open mike night is to see their friends perform.
"We don't have restrictions," he said. "Anyone that wants can come in and take the stage."
In addition to helping hopefuls home their skills, the concept of open mike night brings in customers on nights that might otherwise be slow.
The Flamingo, 501 N. Ninth St., has poetry slams every other Monday night. These readings are not for the faint-hearted. The audience is sometimes ruthless in its critique, but even this is done in the spirit of fun.
Irene Lanier / KANSAN
Whatever reasons people have for wanting to express their talents, the main focus of open mike nights is fun.
"If everyone who comes in has a good time, then that's all that matters." Perdue said.
Top, Rob Burchain,
Abuquerque N.M. junior,
(right) and Jeff Strickland,
Olathe senior, members of
the band "Stewed McCoy
the Creemy Twinkees"
perform during Monday's
"Open Mike Night" at The
Bottleneck, 737 New
Hampshire St. Left, The
band Lowlife, a regular
attraction on Open Mike
Night performs in front a
crowd of about 40 people.
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
movie review
Movie attacks big-city woes
"Falling Down" is an intense, comedic, though, sometimes questionable social commentary that will hit you in the head with a baseball bat to get its point across.
Actually, it's Bill Foster (Michael Douglas) who wields the bat and the guns against the terrors and annoyances of downtown Los Angeles. And whether you agree with how D-FENS, as he is nicknamed in the film, reacts to the urban realities on the hottest day of the year, chances are you will find yourself sympathizing and even identifying with his self-destructive plight.
"Falling Down" is the story of an ordinary man's descent into insanity, that begins when D-FENS leaves his car in the middle of a stagnant traffic jam on the LA freeway.
At this point, he encounters an obnoxious convenience store owner that won't give him change to call his ex-wife. Bath (Barbara Hershey). He promptly bashes the aisles with the baseball bat he snags from the owner, but then nobly places 50 cents in the drawer to pay for his soda.
Throughout the day, D-FENS has confrontations with gang members, snoty restaurant employees, country club golfers, and and the street crew who caused the original traffic jam. In fact, director Joel Schumacher ("Flatliners") strains to take a shot at any big-city problem he can drum up.
city problem. With each new vengeance D-FENS visits on these unsuspecting, though apparently deserving city-dwellers.
he picks up a new weapon, starting with the bat and ending with a rocket launcher. Not only is D-FENS armed with traditional weaponry, but also with a scathing anger toward society that is directed at anyone who gets in his way. Consequently, D-FENSE's acts
Michael Douglas' powerful performance leaves little doubt that this man had long since gone off the deep end. Douglas is so convincing you can't help but get lost in his mind with him.
become increasingly more violent, making it impossible for him to turn back. Those acts also give a retiring cop (Robert Duvall) a trail to follow
This roller coaster of modern-day disturbances makes a powerful statement. Although the wry wit and almost spoof-like violence make it sometimes hard to take seriously, "Falling Down" will leave you tense and uncomfortable, yet ultimately relieved that you have your sanity.
Michael Douglas stars as D FENDS, in the movie "Falling Down."
music
Clapton steals show, wins six Grammy awards
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Eric Clapton won six honors last night at the 35th annual Grammy Awards including record and song of the year for "Pears in Heaven," and album of the year for "Unplugged."
Clapton wrote "Tears in Heaven," in memory of his 4-year-old son, Conor, who died in 1991, after falling 53 stories from a window in New York City.
"I just feel incredibly guilty. I don't know why. I feel so guilt about taking so many of these," Clapton said. "I'm very moved and very shaky and very emotional.
Other Grammy Award winners included:
MARK BENNETT for Development
POP VOCAL, FEMALE: "Constant Craving." k.d.
lang.
POP VOCAL, MALE: "Tears in Heaven," Eric Claparron
ROCK VOCAL, FEMALE: "Ain't It Heavy," Melissa Efringer.
ROCK VOCAL, MALE: "Unplugged," Eric Clapton.
ROCK VOCAL, DUO OR GROUP: "Achtung Baby," U2.
HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE: "Give it away."
Red Hat Clients Partners
METAL PERFORMANCE, WITH VOCAL "Wish."
Nice Inch Tee
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM, "Bone Machine," Tom Waits.
RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE: "Baby Got Back."
Sir Miyu A Lot
LEGEND AWARD Michael Jackson
FEBRUARY 25.1993 PAGE 7
Your guide to Entertainment in the Lawrence Area.
calendar
Nightlife
Benchwarmers Sports Bar and Grill
1601 W. 23rd St.
Fuzz Boxx, Thursday
That Statue Moved, Friday, Saturday
The Crossing
12th and Oread
Arkansas White Trash, Friday
Foodhead, Saturday
$1
Dos Hombres
815 New Hampshire St.
The Cross Roads
Thursday, $2
Gusto's
**Gusto's**
925 Iowa St.
Tony Brown and the Landing Crew, Thursday $5
Which Doctor, Friday
IdXplosion with Terramaks, Saturday
$3
The Jayhawk Cafe
1340 Ohio St.
Dixie Cadillacs, Friday
$3
The Jazzhaus
926 1/2 Massachusetts St.
Monterey Jack, Thursday
Love Squail, Friday and Saturday
The Jazzhaus
Liberty Hall
Dorothy Han
642 Massachusetts St.
The Brazilian Carnival, sponsored by the
Brazil-Portugal Association
8 p.m., Saturday, $6 advanced, $7 at the door
21 and over
Rick's Neighborhood Bar and Grill
623 Vermont St.
Fast Johnny, Saturday, $3
Movies
Friday through Sunday only
Cinema Twin
31st and Iowa streets
Home Alone 2 (PG), 7:20 p.m., with a 2:30
p.m. show on Saturday, Sunday
Continued on Page 8.