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The Daily Tar HeelTuesday, February 28, 1S895
ete
Lovett
s unique s
tyle
J; When Lyle Lovett was a kid he
wanted to be a sea captain and a
cowboy. Reconciling such conflicting
dreams would be a problem for most,
but not for Lyle, who sings:
If I had a boat
I'd go off to the ocean;
And if I had a pony
I'd ride him on my boat.
' The power of the imagination, one
supposes, is stronger than the nausea
of seasickness.
As a singer songwriter, Lovett
does the same. Not content with
having to choose either jazz or
country as his style, he chooses both,
and rides a country pony on a jazz
boat. And he goes on his merry way,
rowing across the prairies and gal
loping over the waves.
; Sunday Lovett performed his
compelling fusion of jazz, country
and ' everything in between for an
appreciative audience of 1,500 in
Memorial Hall "a nice joint," Lyle
said.
;- Lovett's Large Band eight of
them, but the sound is big as they
come opened the set with "The
Blues Walk," written by bebop
trumpeter Clifford Brown. Then
JQvett came on, with his "broccoli"
hair style, and dead panned into the
first verse of "Here I Am."
The gutsy blues chorus backed by
the band's large sound alternated with
AIDS group
to get boost
with concert
By CLARK BENBOW
Staff Writer
Sweet Honey in the Rock has been
delivering live entertainment as well
as a powerful message to audiences
all over the country this Black History
Month and will perform its last tour
concert tonight in Durham. The six
women who make up the 16-year-old
group combine reggae, scat, jazz and
African tribal elements to produce a
harmonious and appealing sound.
The AIDS Services Project
(TASP), The Mary Lou Williams
Center for Black Culture and The
Independent are co-sponsoring the
event. All proceeds will go to TASP.
TASP, based in Durham, provides
various services for AIDS victims,
such as support groups and buddy
programs for People with AIDS
(PWAs), people who are HIV
infected, and their families and
friends. Non-medical emergency
grants to PWAs, educational pro
grams and social service advocacy are
also TASP projects.
: The AIDS benefit and Black
History Month celebration were
combined for a simple reason. The
music of Sweet Honey in the Rock,
which speaks from black experience,
can be felt and understood by all who
suffer under prejudice, AIDS victims
included. Though Sweet Honey's
politically aware members "lean very
heavily to the left," according to
Linda Belans, publicist for the con
cert, their message is universal. The
group appeals to all through music
which "delivers a unifying message,"
says Marjorie Scheer, associate
director of development of TASP.
The coordinators of the benefit
concert "are trying aggressively to
make some headway in the black
community with AIDS education,"
said Belans. This concert is a large
part of their effort. In North Carol
ina, the incidence of AIDS is twice
as high among the black population
as in the white. Also, 1 2 times as many
babies with AIDS are born to black
and Hispanic women as are born to
white women. According to Belans,
who is very active in AIDS education,
"There are cultural reasons for denial
of AIDS in the black community."
This concert is an attempt to heighten
awareness of AIDS in the black
community as well as in the audience
as a whole.
'. Sweet Honey in the Rock has
played to audiences in London and
New York and will finish its national
tour Tuesday. The group's latest
release is Feel Something Drawing
On Me, and Good News and The
Other Side were two of its most
successful previous albums. "Seven
Day Kiss," "Are There Any Rights
I'm Entitled to?" and "Let's All Come
Together" are songs in the group's
musical repertoire that "suggest a
Utopian community where individu
ality sings out and cooperation is a
pleasure," Scheer says.
Furthermore, the women of Sweet
Honey, who write and compose all
their own music, have recently written
two songs about AIDS that will be
performed at tonight's concert.
Belans recommends the perfor
mance highly: "They're unbelievable!
You ought to come to this; it'll change
your life."
Sweet Honey in the Rock performs
tonight at 8 o'clock at Page Audit
orium in Durham. Tickets are $10,
$15 and $20 and can be purchased
at the following outlets: Page Box
Office, 684-4444 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday); the Know
Bookstore, 682-7223, 306 S. Dillard
St., Durham (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.,
Monday through Saturday); and the
Durham Arts Council (Mastercard
and Visa accepted) 560-2700 (4:30
p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through
Friday).
Roderick Cameron
Concert
strange recitations, which one pre
sumes are come-on lines, though
good luck to anyone who tries out
lines like: "If Ford is to Chevrolet
What Dodge is to Chrysler What the
clear blue sky is to the deep blue sea
What Hank Williams is to Neil
Armstrong Can you doubt we were
made for each other?"
Lovett introduced a few of. his
songs, somewhat hesitantly at first,
but always with a strong dose of his
idiosyncratic humor. For his first
introduction he said: "Thank you.
(Pause furtive glances to both sides
count 10.) This song sort of scares
me. (Pause count 12 incom
prehensible mumble.)" And then he
bluesed into: "She hates my mama,
she hates my daddy too . . . She's no
lady, she's my wife."
Toward the middle of the set most
of the Large Band left the stage,
leaving Lovett alone with cellist John
Hagen to give a disturbing rendition
of "Good Intentions." They were
joined by Dan Tomlinson on drums
for the irresistible "You Can't Resist
It," featuring a stirring drum solo and
some wild and weird sounds from
Hagen's cello.
In one of the show's strongest
moments, backing vocalist Francine
Reed convinced the audience, and in
no uncertain terms, that "Wild
Women Don't Get the Blues." She
wailed and hip-swinged her way
through the song, carrying the crowd
and the rest of the band with her.
The audience was reluctant to let
Lovett leave, and was treated to three
encores, including a tongue-in-cheek
but heartfelt rendition of Tammy .
Wynette's classic "Stand by Your
Man."
Lovett's songs deserve the most
outrageous superlatives, but the
controversy as to what to call his
original music is unnecessary. Rather
than wanting to create a new musical
genre, Lovett is just writing songs and
taking from the American tradition
whatever musical forms suit his songs
best.
Lyrics are Lovett's strength. Many
of his songs are colored with the
strong imagery of the classic country
lyric: "This old porch is like a big
old red and white Hereford bull
Standing under a mesquite tree Out
in Agua DulceAnd he just keeps on
playing hide and seek With that hot
August sun Just a-sweatin' and a
pantin' 'Cause his work is never
done."
But Lovett can also write slick,
articulate jazz lyrics, such as the
almost cerebral "Good Intentions,"
which includes tongue-twisters like,
"If I could forgive the unadulterated
adulterating apprehension," or the
sophisticated and urbane tone of "No
finance, no romance . . .If you want
that girl What you need is M-O-N-E-Y,"
which surely owes something
to the bebop lyric, "Romance With
out Finance is a Nuisance."
So many of his songs have some
sort of ironic twist, such as the
country-flavored "L. A. County,"
which Lovett introduced as "your
typical fatalistic country song: Boy
meets girl boy shoots girl."
Lovett's concert was an evening
with a master songwriter an
evening of wry wit and country
wisdom, of tender love songs and
saucy, picturesque tales an invi
tation to go on a cruise, where "we
could: all together Go out on the
ocean, Me on my pony oh my boat."
Leo Kottke, who opened for
Lovett, played with a six-piece band
and at times with a I2-piece band.
An outstanding feature of Kottke's
music is his command ; of rhythm,
especially in songs such as "Times 12,"
a piece played on 12-string guitar and
written in 128. According to Kottke,"
"I'd neverVe been able to write it if
I'd known what I was doing."
Campus Calendar
The DTH Campus Calendar is a daily
listing of University-related activities
sponsored by academic departments,
student services and student organizations
officially recognized by the Division of
Student Affairs. To appear in Campus
Calendar, announcements must be submit
ted on the Campus Calendar form by
NOON one business day before the
announcement is to run. Saturday and
Sunday events are printed in Friday's
calendar and must be submitted on the
Wednesday before the announcement is
to run. Forms and a drop box are located
outside the DTH office, 104 Union. Items
of Interest lists ongoing events from the
same campus organizations and follows the
same deadline schedule as Campus
Calendar. Please use the same form.
Tuesday
10 a.m. Soviet Exchange
Program invites the
public to attend a cof
fee social with the
Soviet exchange stu
dents in the Study
Abroad Lounge, 12
Caldwell. -
11:30 a.mBaptist Student
Union will have Tues
day Table lunch at the
Battle House, across
from Kenan Dormitory.
Anyone is welcome;
cost is $3.
Noon Fine Arts Festival
1989 will present a
fashion show of 1960s
styles in the Pit.
3:30 p.m. University Career
Planning and
Placement Ser
vices will have an
4 p.m.
5 p.m.
interviewing skills
workshop for seniors
and graduate students
in 209 Hanes.
UCPPS will have a
career planning work
shop series for fresh
men through juniors in
209 Hanes.
UNC Entrepre-.
neurs Clnb will have
a mandatory meeting
for all its members in
205 Union. Call Chris
or Scott if you cannot
attend.
UCPPS will have an
experiential learning
workshop in 210 Hanes
on internship basics
and how to find one.
STV's"Offthe
Cuff" will meet in 224
Union.
STV's "Campus
Profile" will meet in
226 Union.
Lab Theater will
present "The Tempest"
in 06 Graham Memor
ial. Ticket distribution
begins at 4:15 p.m.; .
admission is free.
Fine Arts Festival
1989 will present Julia
Demaree, visual artist,
in 117 Hanes Art
Center.
5:45 p.m. Anglican Student
Fellowship will hold
its weekly meeting at
the Chapel of the
Cross. Newcomers are
welcome.
6 p.m. UNC College
Republicans will
meet in 108 Bingham.
6:30 p.m. Student Chapter of
the North Carofiua
Association of
Educators will meet
in 220 Peabody. AH are
welcome; Dr. Dixie
Spiegel will speak.
HaThaYosaClub
will have its first meet
ing in 211 Union.
7 p.m. UNC Pre-Law Club
will sponsor guest
speaker Professor
Stevens Clarke of the
Institute of Govern
ment in 208 Union.
UNC Psychology
. Club will have a hyp
nosis workshop by Dr.
Jim Lowman in 110
Davie. Everyone is
welcome.
8 p.m. UNC Young Demo
crats will present Sen.
Henson Barnes, presi
dent pro-tern of the
N.C. State Senate, in
224 Union. All Demo
crats and interested
students are welcome.
11p.m. WXYCFM 89.3 will
play the new album
from Full Fathom Five,
Four 'AM', in its
entirety with no
interruptions.
Items of Interest
Carolina Athletic Associa
tion is accepting applications for
cabinet positions, including vice
president, homecoming, publicity,
tickets, Carolina Fever, fund raising
and treasurer. Applications are
available at the CAA office and are
due by March 3 at 5 p.m.
Office of North Carolina
Fellows has applications for the
Peer Leadership Consultant pro
gram at the Office of Leadership
Development and the Union Desk.
Applications are due by March 3. .
Fine Arts Festival 1989
Flashback: the '60s will present
"Then and Now: 1960s-1980s," an
exhibit of works by regional artists.
Contemporary art will be on display
at the Horace Williams House, East
Franklin Street, and the 1960s
exhibition will be in the Carolina
Union Gallery. The exhibits will be
on display until April 2.
UCPPS is accepting resumes in
211 Hanes from seniors and grad
uate students interested in careers
with non-profit organizations after
graduation. The resumes will be
compiled in a book that will be made
available to 200-300 organizations
on the East Coast. Deadline is
March 1.
The Judicial System will
begin to accept applications for the
Undergraduate Student Court and
the Attorney General's staff on
March 3. Applications can be picked
up starting then in Suite C and Suite
D in the Union or at the Union Desk.
Applications are due no later than
noon, March 10, in Suite D.
Iiust wanted
661 wasn't rubbing
itin-
Eddie to know
the score of
last night's game."
1 "
' ' - ''X
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Alex Sim University of Washington- Class of 1990
Max
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Reach out and touch someone.
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