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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 1973)
doily fi(f bfskfu fildf li(fwi)siil j vtlailBIIIIMiaHBIBBaavivaOTBMaayaaaaHaiHaMaBllMBailIBHH; St. George: adventure, romance, 25-cent beer By Val McPherson One of the many problems involved in opening a now entertainment spot in Lincoln is getting people to temember your name. St. George and the Dragon probably has felt this dilemma more acutely than most Perhaps this '.vas snticipated by owner A I Johnson, because on the back of each menu the namo is explained. St. George was chosen because it "is the loftiest symbol of the realities of noble adventures, romance and chivalry. ..the fitting figure to take charge of the orderly affairs of the day.'' Tnc dragon symbolizes "man's release from himself and restraints of conventional form... night falls and the drapon awakens, and struggles to free man from his establishment-bound existence." These definitions may be misleading. Your orderly affairs and struggle for freedom will have to take place between the hours of 11 and 1 a.m. when St. George is open. People first began to wrestle with this name three years ago when the fianchise began. Since that time five other clubs have been opened. The Lincoln location's Nov. 20th opening made it the sixth. According to Johnson, there nre four or five other St. Georges either under construction it bi'ini planned, so someone must be remembering the name. Johnson, who also owns the St. Geocji' in Sioux City, Iowa, said he (pels most locations are chosen Ijecausc they are college towns. The Lincoln club's 1023 "6" St. location puts it tfiree blocks from UNL's campus. "The young people are a good market," Johnson said, "and for the most part a good bunch, of people." p.e prices the franchise, established especially are pleasing to Johnson, he s.iid, because he can offer a young couple a steak dinner, a couple of drinks and live entertainment for less than $10. St. George does not restrict its interest in college-age peopie to being customers. The club also likes to have th in a employes. Johnson said he trier, to hiie college students for several reasons. Mr.t of all. they usually need the money, he siid. Students also can irpresen4 hi:, club on campus by .. U4T ttJAT'f.J9 l ife Student musicians' concert tonight getting their friends to come. The club needs a lot of part-time help, and this usually is the type of employment that will fit into a college student's schedule. "Young people are sharper and wittier," Johnson said, "and most of our customers like the youth." One of the reasons customers like young employes is their abundance. Everyone who sits down at a table is assigned two waitresses-one for cocktails, the other for food. According to one waitress, this also has been the reason for a few complaints concerning senhe. She said the cocktail and food waitresses got mixed up as to who was to approach the customer first, and consequently, neither did. The customers also will find the waitresses attractively dressed. This attractiveness is based primarily on the aesthetics of the outfits, not on their exploitative characteristics common in other Lincoln clubs. When you first walk into St. George there will be many differnt stimuli commanding the attention of your senses. The one that may dominate is the smell of meat on a grill. The reason the odor is more obvious and tempting than in other restaurants is the grill is out in the open. A unique feature about his club is that if you order any of the four steak dinners you get to cook them yourself. There are several advantages to this, as long as you don't burn the steak. For one thing, you can set your own eating pace. A salad bar and baked potato bin stand next to the grill, and you may want to take advantage of these before you are ready to enjoy your steak. The self-erviceApproach also allowsSt. Georgfrrto serve good yet inexpensive steaks. There also are a variety of ways with which you can wash down your dinner, or anything else. St. George offers draughts for a quarter and pitchers for SI. 40. Bottled and imported beer, as well as wine by the glass or bottle alio is available. Mixed drinks sell for 75 cents and specialty drinks start at 90 cents and stop at $3.50 for a pitcher of Sangria. Johnson said these prices are some of the lowest in town. This in itself can be a problem, because it forces him to charge a cover for those who want to see the live entertainment in the basement. There is no cover charge on Mondays, and on Tuesdays the ladies get in free and guys for $1. Wednesday and Thursday everyone pays $1, and on Friday and Saturday the charge goes to $1.50. So far there has been some resistance to this policy because it is uncommon in Lincoln. Johnson said he feels once people understand his price structure for drinks, and that he is trying to bring in good entertainment, the crowds downstairs will increase. If Johnson is correct in saying good entertainment will increase his basement crowds, then after this week he may need to build on an addition. The reason is the 'band currently playing there, named Entrance. The first time I saw Entrance was this summer in the Silver Dollar Saloon in Estes Park. Since that time I had been hoping someday they would play in Lincoln. They gave an excellent performance every night in Colorado and their act has improved with time. Most of the people in Entrance originally are from Indiana. In different ways, most of them first became involved with a group named Beerbelly. Beerbelly was basically a local, campus band in the Bloomington, Minn., area. Last summer, when the boredom of summer reached a critical point, Beerbelly decided it was time to take their music more seriously. They knew of u talented female vocalist in Colorado who needed a band, and West they went. Their vocalist knew of a keyboard man in California. When he arrived, the group was complete. This new group still needed a name, and Entrance was chosen. This is the name of the First album by Edgar Winter, one of the group's favorite artists. When you hear their show, you will find Edgar Winter represented along with a lot of other very danceable music. The group has eight members. Seven of them are on stage, and the eighth serves as a combination roadie-audio engineer. The group has a close personal relationship among its members. Entrance is one of the few groups that shares its fortunes equally with all personnel. Entrance will be at St. George until Saturday. Their diverse selection of music, fantastic impressions of rock stars and light and sound effects should please you. If not, their elaborate jams to familiar songs will. St. George and the Dragon provides other entertainment besides good, live music. A well-stocked game room and television area may suit your style. The chances of your having a good time are quite great no matter whether you are a St. George or a dragon. m ... , i..iuiii...iiimli.ii nun II I ii 1 1 m m l"lUJl,""'jjar-"--tl " '..111 s mi -n IV lija-Jf ! l , ; Customer cooking steak, garlic bread UNL music' students will get a chance to perform their own works tonight at 8 p.m. in Kimball Recital Hall. The program will consist of one piece by each of five students. Some of the students will perform their works, according to Robert Beadell, professor of theory and composition in UNL's School of Music. The first work on the program is "Brass Quintet No. 1" in three movements by graduate student Rex Cadwallador. It combines 12-tone techniques of composition with a variety of 20th-century musical styles, Beadell said. Twelve-tone technique blends 12 different tones to form the original theme, which then is varied. The second number is "Sonata for Prepared Piano" by graduate Teresa Hietbrink. The piano is prepared for the sonata with various objects, such as paper dips attached to the strings to produce new kinds of sound. Freshman Paul Mattern will play piano for the third offering, his "Piano Quintet." Four other students will accompany him on two violins, viola and cello. The work played tonight actually is the first movement of a piece which he has not finished writing yet, Mattern said. "Variations for Four Tromljonos" by graduate student Noyes Bartholomew will follow. The variations arc in one movement. The work is based on 12 tone technique. The final work on the program is two "Songs from March Hare" by sophomore Laurie Edwards. The choral piece is based on the poems "Alice" and "Beautiful Soup," from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland Edwards said she chose the poems as material in seeking to create a fantasy through her composition. She said "Alice," the first song, ' is reminiscent of impressionistic music. "Beautiful Soup" uses voices in unconventional ways. The singers do not hit pitches, but chant a dramatic chorus which gets its effects from the combining vowel sounds, Edwards explained. The concert tonight is free and open to the public. monclay, ducembcr 10, 1973 daily nebraskan