mV 1984
THE BELLES
PAGE 3
SONGS FROM THE CELLAR
by Elizabeth Brown
When the name Dr. Steven
Esthimer is mentioned, most
students at St. Mary’s think of a
witty religion teacher. Few are
aware, however, of the extra
curricular activities that take
place in the basement of his
home in Durham. Dr. Esthimer
is a member of the group of
musicians who call themselves,
appropriately, “The Basement
Band.”
Dr. Esthimer’s musical in
terests date back to 1965 when,
as a high school freshman, he
Dr. Steven Esthimer
became involved in a band
called “The Intruders.” With
“The Intruders”, he,played gui
tar and banjo. “I tried to create
my own ‘electric banjo' by keep
ing a microphone inside the in
strument while I played it.” Dr.
Esthimer stayed with “The In
truders” until 1967, when he be
came involved in another group
called “The Agrarian Revolt.”
“The ‘Agrarian Revolt’ was
mainly a jug band,” he ex-
lained. He remained with them
until 1969, when he graduated
from high school.
During his undergraduate
studies at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
he conducted solo perfor-
UTances at coffee houses and in
talent shows. Dr. Esthimer also
taught folk and traditional
®ongs to children at the YMCA.
He enjoyed the music of Bob
f^lan and Woody Guthrie, “but
^specially Woody Guthrie. He
''''as really down to earth.” Dr.
Esthimer employed their tech-
f^'ques in his own perfor-
^nces, using a banjo and a
fiddle. He temporarily aban
doned his musical interests
during his graduate studies at
Duke Divinity School, but later
f^a-entered the musical world in
Niarch of 1981.
“The Basement Band” was
formed in early 1981 when Chris
otter, a friend of Dr.
Esthimer’s from Duke, sug
gested they get together with
Pence Fosque, a drummer and
haries Blackburn, a guitarist,
^hris knew that Dr. Esthimer
^ e growing collection of in
struments, including a banjo,
fiddle and a guitar. A piano
which Dr. Esthimer purchased
for $100 complemented the col
lection. Chris thought it would
be fun to get together and play
some. Spence Fosque, who
worked as a nurse at Durham
County Hospital, asked saxo
phonist Dr. Hiro Tenaka to join
the band.
Dr. Esthimer rounded out
the original group by playing
both guitar and piano. “‘We
played Sunday afternoons and
evenings. It was a really friendly
group.'We just enjoyed each
other’s company.”
The band met once or twice
a month for the first year,
during which time they added
guitarist Steve Smith. This ad
dition allowed Dr. Esthimer to
concentrate on the keyboard.
“But now, every time we get to
gether, it seems we have a dif
ferent group. If you made a list
of ail the people present at each
session, you wouldn t have the
same list twice.” He added that
since 1981, members of the
band have also included three
different bass players, two
women singers, two harmonica
players, three guitarists and a
woman saxophone player.
“We’re just in it for a good
time.” Members of the band
come from Raleigh, Durham,
Chapel Hill and Rocky Mount.
With “The Basement
Band”, Dr. Esthimer hoped to
move in a new direction with his
music. “I wanted to get down
and dirty, and play nasty, dirty
rock.” The music that the band
plays is a combination of blues
and rock-n-roll. Approximately
half of what they play is com
posed by the band members
themselves. “It is strictly im-
rovisation. Someone starts
playing something, then the
others come in where it fits.
Dr. Esthimer stresses the fact
that no one in the group is a real
musician. “All of us have an in
nate talent (with music). I can t
even read music. I haven t had
lessons. I do it by guts. Crea
tive inspirations are a major
spark in the band’s composing.
“Sometimes you play
thing you’ve never practiced be
fore and it works. When ev^-
one clicks, it’s rejiy exciting.
Another portion of the
thev play has been com-
?2^e as Bob Dylan, Tbe
Sling Stones, Eric Clapton
S Creem', Chuck Berry and
Jbert McClinton.
Olay blues tunes from B. a
^•nn Willie Dixon, Muddy
Blues Band.
rai?ed on this stuff. He s^
SSJson^nd r,"’
head member of the band.
“There is a kind of co-operation.
I get to be Eric Clapton for five
minutes, then I fade back and
someone else takes my place.”
When the band gets to
gether, however, they don’t
really practice. “It would feel
too much like work,” Dr. Esthi
mer says. They play a piece for
as long as they want, and when
they are finished with one song,
they move on to another. “We’re
just there to have a good time.”
He remembers that when they
first began playing, they would
play Jimi Hendrix’s song “The
Watchtower”. every time they
got together, “sometimes for
half an hour. It was great.”
The band has been known
to play until 1;00 a.m. “We’d
turn it down after 11:00 p.m.,
though.” He insists that “when
you’re really into the music, you
enter a new dimension of time.
Your consciousness of time
changes when you get charged
up. Four hours can seem like
twenty minutes. When you
play, you’re simply enveloping
yourself in the music.”
They don’t mind if others
come and watch them while
they play. “If someone wants to
bring an instrument and jump
in, they can.” Sophomore Lori
Oates went to one practice ses
sion and joined in, singing and
playing guitar with the band.
Last year, senior Catherine
Davidson sang with the band for
a fevv numbers. They are now
practicing about once a month
in Tyler Lounge, and he encoirr-
ages students to come,” listen
and even join in with them.
Dr. Esthimer doesn’t see an
end to “The Basement Band” in
the near future. He says that
since they all are in the band
primarily to have a good time,
there really is not that much
work involved. “We’ll just quit
whenever it gets to be too much
trouble. But I don’t think this is
the kind of thing we’ll outgrow.
Kuwaitan Finds Great Success In A Booming
American Business by Anne S. Kuntz
ler to the editor
[Continued from page 21
[Coniwixd irom page ^
ito having their will ^ cpekinq contracep>-
■* their sexual of youths . should
3 people wish fives. T^^ „ will do
sue with their never
,uldbefreeto more harm than go-
ment needs to -
“squeal rule"
Katherine White
As I ask, “Jamal, are you
ready for your interview yet?” he
replies laughingly, “Hold on let
met get a beer first!” Jamal
Haddad is the owner of Blim-
pie’s located at 2402 Hills
borough Street. Jamal has
owned Blimpie’s for around
eight months, and claims he
had done more for this bar than
the previous owner did in eight
years! And I know from per
sonal experience that this is
fact.
Twenty-five year old Jamal
was born in Kuwait, right out
side Saudi Arabia. He is recent
ly divorced, but still respects
and admires his previous wife
greatly. Jamal says, “Being
single has its advantages and
disadvantages.” He still misses
his ex-wife, though. Jamal
came to America in March of
1978. He loves the United
States and considers it his
home. “Home isn’t where you
were born, but where you want
to be,” Jamal replies enthusias
tically.
After strolling behind the
bar for another beer, Jamal
lights up a cigarette and we be
gin to chat about what it’s like
to. own a local “hangout”. He
l^es his work because it gives
him the satisfaction of knowing
that a “foreigner can be suc
cessful” in a booming American
business. Jamal loves to work
with people. “It’s one way to
deal with them, yet get to know
Americans at the same time.
Haddad also enjoys his co
workers - “if they are respon
sible and do their job right.”
“What about the competi
tion of the other bars? Does it
bother you?” I ask. “VVithout
competition, Anne, I’d be
bored. It brings in more busi
ness; makes you think ahead of
time.” Jamal is on good work
ing terms with next-door bar
owner Barry Green, who owris
Barry’s II. “I promote Barry s
beer specials, while, he pro
motes my sandwiches.” J^al
claims he “depends more on the
food he serves, for incoirc,
rather than the beer he s^ls.
I was curious about
whether the drinking age being
UP to nineteen has had
any effect on business. Jamal
reolies with a more serious tone
in his voice, “Of course it h^,
but I’m ore anxious with the
new drunk driving laws. I care
am more concerned for peoples
lives, rather than a dwindling
income.
Blimpie’s is open seven
days a week, from 10:00 a.m. to
1:00 a.m. Jamal carries eight
kinds of bottled bear, five kinds
of draught beer, and seventeen
varieties of homemade sand
wiches which are fabulous!
Prices on beer range from 50
cents to 1.50 cents and sand
wiches from $2.00 to $4.00.
Jamal remarks that the acti
vities provided at Blimpie’s
bring in more business also.
Video games, pool table, foos
ball, a wide-screen t.v., and
Movie Review:
Footioose
Contrary to popular belief,
the movie Footloose is not the
male version of Flashdance. I
has a substantial storyline as
well as excellent dancing. This
film does not depend on sexual
undertones; instead it is about
a high school guy who loves to
dance. And he is willing to take
on a whole town who tries to
make him stop.
Fresh from Chicago, Ren is
astonished to learn that his new
home - the small town of Beau
mont - has banned rock-and-roll
music and dancing. The parents
of the town are convinced that
the music is the root of evil and
corruption and must be kept out
of reach of their children. Ren,
however, does not think so and
decides to challenge them. His
toughest opposition comes
from the town minister who just
happens to be the father of the
most rebellious girl in town,
Ariel. She, of course, is at
tracted to Ren from the begin
ning. Together, they attempt to
change the town’s way of
thinking.
It is rare these days to see
a film with such harmless sub
ject matter. All they want to do
is to dance. The high school
setting and atmosphere puts
you right back there with them -
from the lockers in the hall to
the hamburger hang-out. The
major conflicts are between the
parents and the students and
the school bully and the new
kid. These high school “kids”,
however, are mature enough to
communicate their feelings to
an audience of any age and to
fight for what they want.
The film did have a few
scenes that were incongruous
with the rest of the film. But
overall, it was refreshing to see
a movie that wasn’t dripping
with sex and violence. Instead,
the film was fun and uplifting.
(Note: Footloose is now
playing at the Imperial Theatre
in Cary Village Mall.)
great music add to the excite
ment.
Blimpie’s is a place to have
fun, but it can also be a place to
get away from things. Its relax
ing atmosphere makes it an
ideal place to talk to friends at
leisure. But on the weekends it
rocks! One should make a point
of meeting Jamal Haddad,' a
very happy and successful per
son, and a dear friend.
About Tanning
Booths
by Beth Morris
Have you ever wanted to
look just a little more tan for a
special occasion? Or get the
foundation for one before you
went to the beach? For many
people this means a trip to the
tanning salon for a quick zap of
artificial sun rays. Have you
ever wondered about their ef
fects or what could happen to
you in the future because of
(Continued on page 4)
BRITISH TEENAGER FINDS
LIFE DIFFERENT IN U.S.
[Continued from Page 1]
ments,“The food is much bet
ter here compared with Bad-
inton.” The girls have three
meals a day, plus tea from 4:00
to 4:45 p.m. One ‘ positive
aspect of Badminton was that
the girls studied more,
especially on the weekends, be^
cause their course loads were
heavy. Suzanne remarked, “We
got out of class each day
around 6:45 p.m. This was a
long day but we had four thirty
minute breaks throughout the
day.”
Suzanne likes the activities
offered at St. Mary’s. Her hap
piest moment this year came
when she got into the Spiders, a
club for St. Mary’s sophomores.
She was “truly delighted.”
“At Badminton I was on the
field hockey team and the net-
ball team (a variation of basket
ball) but we never had anything
like the Spiders. It is a good
idea to have such a variety of
clubs as we do at St. Mary’s.”
Suzanne plans to stay in
North Carolina and has applied
to become an American citizen.
Aside from visiting more of the
U.S. she would like to visit Eng
land again this summer.
Suzanne plans to work in a job
having to do with travel, one for
which she is certainly well
qualified.