8 Thursday, September 18, 1997 ■ :fj r V C k ;,'||k •,/ ■ ,--. ay V 1 V w9t •JB vjjp L $ r The Mighty Mighty Bosstones strutted into the Ritz on Sept. 10 and put on a show that was indicative of their usual high-power intensity. Weekend Excursion polishes pop Once the word about an up-and-com ing band gets out, it spreads like wildfire. This being the case, the Greensboro based band Weekend Excursion has become the talk of the town. With their new self-titled, self released CD full of genuine rock tunes, Weekend Excursion is leaving almost every one who hears them in | BROCK PIERCE] CD Review Weekend Excursion A- complete awe. They accomplish all of this without flashy musical displays. Instead they reach for the essence of pop rock with a musical sound that has been compared to a combination of artists like Hootie and the Blowfish, Dave Matthews Band and Blues Traveler. A Sunny Place _ for Shady People / I I Peppers Pizza Downtown Chapel Hill 967-7766 127-129 E Franklin St., Next to Var6lty Theatre tiwxyc tonight at cats cradle! 80s hits! • Atari! • breakdancing! 9pm * 2am * damage: $3 Doxy’s 'usß Kitchen |j is playiny at Cat’s Cradle 967-9053 THIS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 I' I ts fw i fj! • CD release of a new album as you mere “Better than lucky charms...” ■ Chuck Dean report,'it) fn>m Rollmy Stone The most surprising thing about Weekend Excursion, however, may be their sophistocated sound despite the fact that they have yet to be called up to the big leagues of musical artists. This is instantly apparent from the album’s first track “Realize,” on which lead singer Aaron Shepard’s polished sounding vocals strike the listener as coming from a seasoned front man of a long established rock group. The next track, “Getting By,” takes the sound yet another level higher as an acoustic guitar opening soon becomes intertwined with Shepard’s lamenting vocals. With Michael Ferry’s violin intermittently breaking in, the song then gives way to a poignant electric guitar solo that fades out tastefully at the end. The result of all this is a mature pop rock sound that maintains a fun-loving DIVERSIONS Music Bosstones rock Ritz with sounds of ska Concert-goers needed the drenching rain as they left the sweaty confines of the Ritz Theatre after bowing to their gods, the kings of ska, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. These masters of ska grooved into Raleigh on Wednesday, September 10, one of the first stops on their latest tour. The Boston grown octet has built a humongous following by catering to its fans, and the group’s shows reciprocate ; ERINWYNIA j Concert Review The Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Ritz Theatre, Raleigh A the admiration and support of then devotees. Lead singer Dicky Barrett paused in the middle of the band's set to explain how they had been having difficulties since the tour began. "But tonight, things have just clicked. attitude without jeopardizing artistic integrity. Unlike many new bands who suffer from incongruance between vocals and instrumentals, Weekend Excursion’s vocals and actual music feed off and complement each other. The song “Nothing to Lose” is cer tainly evidence of the band’s ability to mesh the finest elements of their talent together. Cutting guitar teams up with segments of violin which become lay ered with Shepard’s smooth vocals and results in an absolute treat for the ears. Another striking element of the album is the consistent quality of tunes that persists throughout. Substandard tunes and songs used just to fill album space are nowhere to be found. Instead, songs like “Nine Days” and “Hard Times” prove the entire CD is an absolute blast to hear. With so many new rising bands try ing to make their way in the music world, it is often difficult to distinguish one from the other. But, with its distinct and shining style, Weekend Excursion is no flash-in-the-pan band and promises to distinguish itself with its catchy tunes and sharp melodies. 'BOS MUSIC FROM PAGE 5 case in point exists with ’Bos rock gurus Van Halen. The showboating David Lee Roth singing lead vocals and Eddie Van Halen playfully strumming through gui tar riffs on the song “Jump” bring back memories of a time when rock music meant having fun and letting loose. Gone are the days of huge popularity for hard rockers like Bon Jovi, Poison and Def Leppard. These are the bands who sported parachute pants and whose mere existence caused sudden hairspray By \ 3 N TJI When he the V mi g*T BHHHBH thar’BWM^maapl^ “Guy With Money?" f TWO THUMBS UP WAYUPT] ■A SMART FUNNYGEM! {3 A ngiSHMßfril i C2EEEZEI ***~ !> | JB ThsHnt fSSSSm F) c/moa/N/j “THE MOST VIBRANT CRIME | DRAMA SINCE ‘PULP FICTION.’ I *★ ★ * ‘LA. CONFIDENTIAL’ IS SMART, J FUNNY, TWISTED ANO ULTRA-COOU"^^H .-T.JL cmhmiiui mh *►**- | 7:00, 9:45, weekends 1:30, 4:15 w3llHxnlmlll!^mlllmß■ ■MCHOIS AWUaUADSONAU SHUT OK*,TH DBKXOtD DME IB atwicwofwiwl wnwMJjß^aawi- 9:20, weekends 4:20 ttEB >1 AIE ST r brown 7:00, 9:10, weekendi 2:00, 4:10 Shan w Dance? 7:05, 9:30, wkendt 2:05, 4:30 And we thank you,” he told the boister ous crowd. The Bosstones pride themselves on being a fan-oriented band, and they staged quite a show for their Triangle followers. Prodded by the “Mighty, mighty, boss-tones” chants of the crowd, the group strutted onstage to the “James Bond" theme song, clad in the charac teristic threads of ska: plaid suits and sunglasses. The wooden flames placed around the stage as backdrops underscored the steamy warehouse, and Barrett soon lost both sunglasses and jacket as the band kicked into overdrive. The group, which plays at least 300 gigs a year, proved their merit as sea soned, charismatic performers. They played a satisfying mix of old and new songs beginning with “Noise Brigade,” off their new album “Let’s Face It.” The horn section, trombonist Dennis I \* s >• " -jtfli.. j£ tAm’*’ jSIT jpvS •- ', %iirr v wdBHBI -. With a mature blend of pop and rock, the Greensboro-based Weekend Excursion is attracting a lot of attention. The band frequently plays in the Chapel Hill area and has gained the respect of a number of area music listeners. shortages. They have all now been replaced by an assortment of toned down “MTV Unplugged” albums by the likes of everyone from 10,000 Maniacs to Eric Clapton. But, the ’Bos are by no means dead. There are a growing number of people who are pulling those dusty Huey Lewis and the News CDs from the back of their shelves and letting them blast on the stereo. Sick of the increasing social cynicism in the ’9os, quite a few music lovers con tinue to turn back the clock and listen to all those synth-rich tunes. Local radio , Slits Is Lovely m aa m DOWH BilOW” g THt GAME E JS fijSpjji I® 4 THEORY tm. 35 J MMKISIS'ffIt ".I; LeaveltToßeaver mo,*.!! HOODLUMS'-' MEN IN BLACP 5 mamulniT*, mtu S3. 75 ALL SHOWS BEFORE 6PM SHOW TIMES FOR TODAY ONLY Equipped tor the Hearing Impaired Brockenborough and saxophonists Kevin Lenear and Tim Burton, wailed as they expertly provided the brass sound which adds texture to the punk base of the band’s sound. The remainder of the group showed excellent technical skills, igniting the music. By the time they played their more familiar material, such as “Someday I Suppose," “Where’d You Go?” and their new radio material (“The Impression That I Get”), the Bosstones had whipped the crowd into a bouncing, ecstatic frenzy. Periodically, fans would hop onstage to dance, and Barrett humored them by allowing them to sing along with him before he sent them back to crowd-surf. After one hour of continuous jam ming, both the band and the crowd appeared drained from the energetic show. Still, they returned for an encore per stations have even budgeted special blocks of time for ’Bos retro weekends and shows. The Chapel Hill area is also catching the flashback fever which is made evi dent by the ’Bos dance that will take place tonight at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro. So, when you get a little annoyed from watching the newest episode of “The Real World” or “Road Rules" just take a minute and think back to the time when lively ’Bos music, and not a group of spatting roommates, was the main topic of interest on MTV. Perhaps R.E.M. summed up the carefree mindset better than anyone: “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” And such was music in the ’Bos. WMY tUWOAY AILSHATS SIJSO . ■rosse Pointe [Chasing Amy 1 IMmtn.tM.l.n.M j IpAU aid'” l ••, ' UUIH MBBI S.l/tim 2:00, :M Patman & Robin http ://www. movieminder.com moriemMsG’.com accurate, up-to-the-minute movie times for the Triangle | Stop ih Xhd try