DTH Omnibus Page 7
Thursday September 14, 1989
Page 6 DTH Omnibus
Thursday September 14, 1989
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The Swans will rock the Cat's Cradle in Chapel Hill this Friday with their unique
brand of primal energy. See album review and concert information on page 4.
Music festival paints the
town all shades of blues
The Bull Durham
Blues Festival
Historic Durham Athletic Park
Friday, Sept 16, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Saturday, Sept 17, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Two-day tickets $20 in advance
Daily tickets V 2 in advance, $1 5 at the
door
P
ickets available at Schoolkids Records
From Staff Reports
The second annual Bull Durham
Blues Festival will groove into Dur
ham this weekend at the Historic
Durham Athletic Park. Some of the
world's finest blues artists will per
form in the event that's expected to
draw even larger crowds than last
year's festival, which lured more than
3,000 people to Durham.
More than 15 bands will take to
the stage during the weekend. The
extensive program begins at 6 p.m.
each day, Friday and Saturday, and
the music won't stop until 1 a.m.
The impressive lineup includes
Algia Mae Hinton, one of North
Carolina's most talented and versa
tile blues guitarists, who combines
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her playing with buckdancing. Like
many folk artists, Hinton originally
performed only for family and friends,
but recently she has appeared in Folk
Arts in North Carolina Schools, a
program organized by the N.C. Arts
Council. In the winter of 1985, she
appeared at Carnegie Hall in New
York. Hinton will kick off the Festi
val at 6 p.m. on Friday.
Classic R&B vocalist Nappy
Brown, noted for his high energy and
wild antics on stage, will follow Hin
ton on stage at 6:35 p.m. During the
1950s, Brown had a number of hits
on Billboard's R&B chart and toured
with the likes of Little Richard and
Jackie Wilson. His hits include,
"Don't Be Angry," "I Cried Like a
Baby," and "Night Time is the Right
Time," which is probably best remem
bered as a hit for Ray Charles. Brown
has a reputation for risque song-writing,
and the title cut from his latest
album, Deep Sea Diver is no excep
tion. With his powerhouse vocals,
Brown should give the festival a rol
licking start.
Friday night's program will also
feature: Anson Funderburgh and the
Rockets with Sam Myers, from Texas,
at 7:45 p.m.; Hank Crawford, the
alto saxophonist from Tennessee at
9 p.m.; and Lonnie Brooks, an elec
trifying Chicago-style bluesman from
Louisiana at 10:10 p.m.
The Triangle
l hey may be older, b
Months of media exposure have
made it virtually impossible for any
one to be unaware of the 1989 Roll
ing Stones tour, which will stop at
Raleigh's Carter-Finley Stadium on
Saturday.
It has been several years since the
group's last tour, allowing America
time to regain interest in the band,
and the release of Steel Wheels has
given the Stones its most tour-ready
record in more than a decade.
The wave of '60s nostalgia which
refuses to die makes now the perfect
time for the tour. As a string of sell
out concerts for this tour has proven,
this middle-aged bunch of rockers
still fascinates the nation.
The tour officially began Sept. 1
To highlight the international fla
vor of the event, Johnny Clyde
Copeland, nicknamed "The Interna
tional Ambassador of the Blues," will
close Friday's party at 11:45 p.m.
Copeland has taken his free-wheeling
brand of Texan blues to both
sides of the Atlantic, north and south
. of the equator, and evenbehind the
Iron Curtain. He is also the first blues
man to tour and record in Africa.
Copeland received a Grammy in
1986 for Showdown!, an album which
has sold more than 100,000 copies.
Copeland collaborated with Robert
Cray and fellow Texan Albert Collins
to produce the album. With his band
The Blues Machine, Copeland prom
ises a show "to be remembered long
after you wring the sweat out of your
dancin' clothes."
Saturday night's schedule offers an
equally strong program. Featured art
ists include: Nathan and the Zydeco
Cha Cha's, a Creole accordianist and
his band, which will open the show
at 6 p.m.; Valerie Wellington, a singer
from Chicago, at 7:05 p.m.; Latimore,
a Tennessee singer, at 8: 1 0 p.m.; A.C.
Reed and the Sparkplugs at 9:20 p.m.;
The Kinsey Report with Big Daddy
Kinsey, guitarists, at 10:30 p.m.; and
rounding out the bash in suitable style,
a singer-guitarist favorite of blues
festivals the world over, Son Seals
from Arkansas.
Brian Springer
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in Buffalo, N.Y., and was originally
scheduled to play 27 cities. Most of
the dates on the first leg quickly sold
out, including the performance at
Carter-Finley Stadium, which sold
all of its tickets in less than four
hours.
Music Television, MTV, agreed
to be the sponsor for the American
leg of the tour. The deal included
the taped Stones performance that
appeared recently on "MTV's Video
Music Awards Show." It has been
estimated that more than three mil
lion people will see the "world's great
est rock'n'roll band" this year.
The Stones have been playing
three-hour-plus sets, which has
brought into question the members'
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shakes,
ut its still a
stamina. When asked if the band
could sustain the required energy
level, Bill Wyman said to "ask (his)
wife," referring to teenaged bride
Mandy Smith. So far, all have agreed
the Stones can still roll with the best
of them.
A second stumbling block has been
the cost of tickets, which many have
thought too expensive. The price of
one ticket averages more than $28
(tickets in Raleigh were $28.50 plus
service charge). However, the high
price has not prevented automatic
sellouts at all tour stops.
The Stones have been guaranteed
at least $65 million to $70 million
for the tour, not including T-shirt
and poster revenues. Asked if the
group was performing only for the
money, Ron Wood replied, "That's
the Who."
In terms of material, expect to hear
most of Steel Wheels, as the Stones
concentrate on emphasizing the
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band's artistic progression, not glori
fying its past. Of course, the band
will draw also on its three-decade
supply of hits. Both guitarist Keith
Richards and vocalist Mick Jagger
have decided not to perform solo
material during the tour. Anything
from "Brown Sugar" to "Ya Gotta
Move" is fair game.
The band's lineup has remained
the same since the mid-'70s. Jagger
will, of course, handle lead vocals,'
with Richards and Wood on guitars.
Holding down the lower end will be
bassist Wyman and drummer Char
lie Watts. Keyboardists Chuck Leav
ell and Matt Clifford will augment
the band.
; Judging from Steel Wheels and the
first few shows, it appears each of the
members is in top form. Jagger has
said that the Stones cannot use age
or fatigue as excuses they will have
to earn the respect and love of mil
lions by virtue of strong performances.
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Sharing the bill with the Stones
will be Living Color, a band which
has built a reputation as an excellent
live act. Jagger discovered the band
and produced its debut album. Ver
non Reid, the group's lead guitarist,
may even pop up for a guest solo. We
can only hope.
It appears, as always, the Rolling
Stones will invade Raleigh with the
same enthusiasm and classic perform
ances that accompany every Stones'
tour. While the band tends to be a
bit rough in concert, the energy is
there, making up for the slight, musi
cal deficits.
One standard rock'n'roll dream is
to see the Stones live, and on Satur
day many of us will realize that dream.
For those who were unable to get
tickets, pay-per-view cable television
(provided locally by Carolina Cable)
will broadcast one Stones concert.
Also, keep faith, the band has not
ruled out future tours.
Energy, excitement, and genius
Alex Chilton and
Love Tractor
Tonight at 10 p.m.
Cat's Cradle, 206 W. Franklin St.
By BRIAN SPRINGER
Staff Writer
Tonight, Cat's Cradle will pair
bona fide cult hero Alex Chilton with
the college radio darlings Love Trac
tor in an outstanding double bill. Only
one question remains who is head
lining? Alex Chilton rose to prominence
in 1967, at the age of 16, when his
band the Box Tops recorded the
number one single "The Letter."
Despite a few subsequent singles,
notably "Soul Deep" and "Cry Like a
Baby," the grouplisbanded in 1970.
Chilton's next band, Big Star, re
leased three critically acclaimed al
bums in the early '70s, but, as the
Velvet Underground, the band was
left in obscurity. Drinking and drug
problems marked Chilton's next few
years, and he conquered his troubles
with self-therapy, which included
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'What's your favorite colour, baby?' Jagger proteges Living Colour open for
working as a dishwasher.
A rediscovery of the Chilton leg
acy has surfaced during the past few
years. From the Bangles rendition of
Chilton's "September Gurls" to the
Replacements' tribute titled "Alex
Chilton," many artists have paid
homage to the man who remains an
unknown legend. Chilton's more
recent solo works, including 1980's
Like Flies On Sherbert, 1985's Feudal
ist Tarts EP, and 1987's landmark High
Priest, have been college radio favor
ites. For the past few years, Chilton
has made the rounds of small alter
native clubs, including several pre
vious visits to the Cradle.
For those who haven't seen him,
Chilton displays his genius in con
cert. His recent work is rooted in the
classic Memphis sound, with a healthy
dose of influence from his New Or
leans home. Displaying wry wit,
humility and spontaneity, Chilton is
never less than exciting, loose and
fun in a live setting. Tonight, expect
to hear "The Letter," a smattering of
Big Star (such as "Radio City"), and
solo gems from "September Gurls"
to "No Sex."
Love Tractor was formed in
weekend
Athens, Ga., in the early '80s. Its
first efforts were primarily instrumen
tal, focusing on shimmering guitars,
poppish melodies and funk-based riffs.
The band's eponymous debut on DB
Records, containing the song "Fun
To Be Happy," attracted a regional
following. 1983's sophomore effort,
Around the Bend, contained several
songs with vocals, proving the band
was more than just an instrumental
combo. Choice cuts included the
midtempo "Highland Sweetheart"
and the Gang of Four-inspired "Paint
(your face and stand in the corner)."
Love Tractor's Til the Cows Come
Home, an EP released in 1984, con
tinued in the same vein as previous
releases. The band's big break came
in 1986, with the release of This Ain't
No Outerspace Ship on Bigtime rec
ords (incidentally, also Alex Chilton's
label for several years). The album
contained catchy pop songs includ
ing "Night Club Scene" and "Small
Town," with vocals on eight of 10
songs. Love Tractor finally carved its
niche apart from the R.E.M. scene.
Despite great success on the col
lege radio charts, the label folded
during the next year. The band re
the Stones at Carter-Finley
at Cradle
turned to DB Records for Themes From
Venus, 1988's disappointingly main
stream return.
In concert, Love Tractor often
resembles an updated version of the
Ventures, but, in more recent per
formances, the band has placed more
emphasis on vocals. Chief songwriter
Mike Richmond handles lead vocals,
with Mark Cline on guitar and key
boards. Drummer Andrew Carter
joined the group in 1986, replacing
original drummer Kit Schwartz.
Armistead Wellford rounds out the
band, playing bass, keyboards and
guitar. Like Alex Chilton, Love Trac
tor has built its reputation touring
the college circuit, including several
Cradle appearances.
This solid double bill promises to
be exciting and energetic. Both Alex
Chilton and Love Tractor have been
wowing audiences for years, even
when vinyl efforts proved disappoint
ing. More interesting than the mar
riage of a legend and an up-and-comer
is the choice of the headliner. Con
cert listings have failed to clarify this
point, a tribute to the strength each
act promises in live performance. This
concert is a definite must-see.
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