friday, february 29,1980
pegs 8
daily nebraskan
My o owner kopeM despite ireeen t moEey strmB
ByBobCrisler
The Joyo Theater in Havelock has had more than its
share of financial difficulties in the recent past, but owner
Don Montgomery is optimistic about the future of his
business.
"Any business that's trying to regroup from a previous
failure is bound to find it hard to get going again" Mont
gomery said. "We need all the help we can get.
'Montgomery bought the theater last June after declin
ing attendance had forced the previous owner into a three
night-a-week movie schedule.
The 3 60 -seat theater at 6102 liavelock Ave., was built
in the 1920s, by a local entrepreneur named Slim Frazier .
to tap arealnterest in "moving pictures."
liavelock was then a community separate from
llricoln, and town residents valued the theater for its
cultural influence. It was a run-down, money-losing oper
ation, however, when Montgomery acquired it.
Remodeling
"The first time it rained, there was two inches of water
Musicians' split
spurs own styles
By Casey McCabe
Musicians often leave an established band when they
want to try their hand at a more personal artistic achieve
ment. The following are the results of three such solo
attempts.
Freeze FrameGodley CremePolydor
Kevin Godley and Lol Creme comprosed half of lOcc,
the arty English pop group. In 1976 they left the band,
calling its approach too "pat and formulated ,
Both men are known for their love ot tinkering around
in the studio and making new electronic toys with which
to play. Another reason they left lOcc was to further ex
periment with an invention they had created called the
44Gizmotron,' an electromechanical bowing device for the
guitar which produces indefinitely sustained notes and
chords simulating the sound of an entire string section.
Godley and Creme are big on doing things in a grand
fashion and once again on Freeze Frame they become
masters of the studio with an ungodly amount of over
dubbing. Their initial sound is very close to the one they
nrodiireH in four alhurm with IfW
But as the album goes on, it becomes apparent that
their split from the band was necessary to get them away
from any previous semblance of conventionality. They
create a multitude of musical textures and deliver them
with all-too-clever artistic lyrics. For a moment, they
catch you with their wit and obscure melodies. But just as
'quickly they let you go, to wade through the rest of their
avant-garde vision.
, Continued on Page 9
under the screen. There were leaks all over the roof, so 1
closed down to repair it and to get some remodeling work
done," Montgomery said.
Remodeling consisted of installing a large-reel projec
tion system, cutting in half the number of reel change
overs, adding a new concession stand, a new screen and
the second largest private stage in town. This allows Mont
gomery to book live entertainment to augment the regular
fare of second-run hit movies.
"I plan to book the whole gamut of live entertainment,
from rock bands to one-act plays, beginning in the second
week of March ," he said.
Chuck Foley, a member of "Charlie, a blues-rock
band has been testing Lincoln's receptiveness to the idea
of rock performers in dry establishments by periodic
appearances at the Joyo. He praises the stage as "one of
the best in town.
"It's huge. I smashed a guitar on it and didn't leave so
much as a nick, he said.
Though neither Montgomery nor Foley are satisfied
with the size of the audiences at the concerts, they are en
couraged by the enthusiasm of the crowds.
Good crowd
"The last time we played there, the theater1 was only
about a quarter full, but the crowd was very responsive
one of the best I've played for in fifteen years, Foley .
said.
Foley said he would like to see the Joyo get a beer
license, but Montgomery sees that as a violation of the
character of the theater. ,
"I'm keeping the original family theater concept, and
beer sales just don't fit in. Havelock's got enough of that,
Montgomery said.
"I dont care if somebody wants to bring a little booze
to one of the concerts. As long as they're of age, it's their
business, he said.
The mainstay of the Joyo remains its movie schedule,
however. Playing in the near future, after the animated
"Allegro Non Troppo ends on Satuday, are a series of
second-run hit movies.
Starting with "When a Stranger Calls,' the Joyo will
present "Alien, "And Justice for All, "Star Trek-The
Motion Picture," and "Starting Over." "Can I Do It Till
I Need Glasses,' a comedy featuring Robin Williams will
open March 19.
In his efforts to wean students from the downtown
theaters and get them, to Havelock, Montgomery offers a
one dollar admission price to students with IDs
for his nightly 7 and 9 pjm. shows. Transportation is pro-'
vided, too. A coupon available on the Havelock bus is
good for two bus tokens with a ticket purchase at the
Joyo box office.
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Don Montgomery, owner of the Joyo. Theater in Havelock, hopes to attract students with a $1,00 student
admission price.
Rock stars demand a lot Pershing manager
By Peg Sheldrick
i
. Editor's Note: This is the. second of a two-part series
on Pershing Auditorium concerts.
"The trouble is," said Pershing stage manager Paul
Young, "they make so much money they become really
powerful people and demand a lot,"
The rock star of today is an entirely different creature
from his counterpart of a decade ago. Time was, a rocker
was grateful if his dressing room had running water. These
days he can pull out of a concert if his Perrier isn't chilled
to the right temperature.
According to Young, "probably not half of the cere
mony and hoopla surrounding the appearance of today's
musical acts is actually necessary. But "performers enjoy
all the hubbub over them."
The "hubbub" begins with the contract, a meticulous
list of demands that must be met before the artist can be
expected to perform. Along with the basics, such as salary
and staging arrangements, the document spells out re
quirements for everything from the color of the limou
sines the entourage will ride in to the assortment of cold
cuts to be provided for the nourishment of the roadies.
Demands roses
Pershing business manager Doug Kuhnel said the most
demanding performer he ever worked with was Waylon
Jennings, who stipulated, among other things, that the
Jromoter provide "a dozen long stem roses for Miss
essie ," (Jessie Colter.) Young pointed out that these days
the promoter is expected to pay for the fuel used to trans
port the group. Even the warm-up group can ask for and
expect to find a specific brand of wine to be awaiting
them in their dressing room after the show.
The seeming excess of some contracts is more the work
of middlemen than the artists themselves,
"We've seen that each contract writer's something
else, Kuhnel said. "If you have a real problem to deal
with, if you can get to the artist, you can work it out
easier than through the maze of people ahead of him,"
The requirements come from "people up front trying"
to justify their existence." Kuhnel predicts that in the
future, the promoter will have more contact with the
artist himself than is currently the case.
Pomp and circumstance
This tendency toward inflated pomp and circumstance
is probably related to the inflated amounts of money
changing hands these days. At one time $10,000 was con
sidered top money; today the name bands start at
$25,000 and go up. Lighting and sound used to run $500
to $1 ,000 extra, but now it's "nothing" to ask for $5,000
for the lights and $3,000 for the sound. It Isn't surprising,
then, that ticket prices are averaging $7 and go as high as
$10 in metropolitan areas.
Of course, the shows themselves have become more
theatrical and do give the ticket buyers more for the
money. "It's more a whole production than an actual con
cert," said Kuhnel.
In the past the emphasis was on volume. When that
reached saturation level, the attention shifted to lighting.
Now all manner of stage gimmickry is used, and many
shows, such as the Electric Light Orchestra, have actually
grown too big to stage at Pershing.
The eauipment is as sophisticated as the mad
run it. Young likes this trend, U's a lot easier to set," he
said. "It goes a lot $ noother "
Both artists and ludiences set m to be mellowing with
the years, Lincoln Yudiences haw grown older with the
groups they follow, according U Kuhnel, md they are
"responsive to the old material,"
Better attitude
"I think the attitude of the people coming in is
better," ticket manager John Grady commented, "People
come here to enjoy a concert, and once they get in they
tend to mellow out," '
His main concern is keeping projectiles out of the audi-'
torium, since they are a hazard to both performers and
audience members.
Young remembered a less mellow crowd at a 1974 Led
Zeppelin concert that broke open the auditorium doors
and even tried to break through to the backstage area.
"That really was a mess," he said,
Some performers have behaved "mere like they bought
the building instead of just leasing it," One gentleman tore
up the dressing room and ripped pipes from the wall.
Young asked a roadie why he did it and was informed,
"That shows he liked the food," ,
Overall, Young said today's artists are growing more re
sponsibi and said that at least the roadies perceive
Lincoln as comparatively peaceful. Young has been with
Pershing for more than a decade,
"The music I don't pay much attention to," he said.
And as for the groups, "They Ye all about usually what I
expect ... one way or another,"
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