page 12
daily nebraskan
friday, november 14, 1980
Voyager I takes 'message from God' to planet
The Voyager I spacecraft, now steaming
past Saturn, is carrying a record album.
The album isn't what we're used to
hearing, though-no Led Zeppelin, no
disco, no new wave, no deejay between the
tracks.
It's a recording full of earth sounds
a heartbeat, wind and water, stuff like that.
It also contains as wide a variety of music
as possible, from grand opera to African
tribal songs.
The idea is that the spacecraft, which
in theory can last as long as a billion years,
may be found by the inhabitants of
"When in doubt, eat it," says Fred.
"It looks like a big tortilla."
"But it's got markings on it."
"Then it's a tortilla with markings on
it," says Fred. "You can have half."
"I don't want half. I don't want any,
because I don't think it's edible."
"You have a better idea, do you?"
"We follow the instructions on it.
There are diagrams right on the disc tel
ling us what to do. Just between you and
me, I think it's a message from God."
Fred and Kaz take the album home.
As luck and the requirements of newspaper
production would have it, Fred and Kaz
player, and
the diagrams
dark
another planet. The album comes with
instructions. The aliens are supposed to
decipher the instructions, play the album,
and thus get some idea what planet Earth
is like.
To me this is a little bit pretentious.
On the odd chance that other beings act
ually find the record album intact, they're
either going to know what to do with it
or they aren't.
The scene: Another planet. Any other
planet, I'm not choosy. Voyager I has fust
terminated its journey, splintering to
fragments on the surface of the planet.
Miraculously, the record album survives.
Two aliens, one named Kaz-Rar and the
other named Fred Smith, find the
album.
"Hey Fred," says Kaz, "this fell from
the sky." He hands the album to Fred.
"What do we do with it?"
O "I 1 ! 1
oeii-aescriDea
By Pat Higgins
The Ripchords, a young, fast and scientific rock 'n' roll
band, will play tonight in Omaha at the Emporium in the
Old Market along with Charlie Burton and the Cutouts.
The concert is being sponsored by some NU Medical
Center students.
The Ripchords are a four-piece band that is out for a
good time. They are a self-described "dance combo" and
refuse to be labeled as part of any genre. They say they
have been unfairly categorized in the past.
"We're not New Wave or punk" said guitarist Dave
Free. "We're just trying to put on a performance that
people will enjoy. We're trying to have fun."
The other members of the Ripchords are Dan O'Kane,
vocals and guitar, Jim Robson on drums and Wade Mauer
on bass. Various members of the band have past associat
ion with local bar band acts that they declined to discuss.
No past
"We're a band without a past," O'Kane said. "We've
only been together for a few months, but we think we're
making a lot of progress."
The Ripchords play a high energy brand of pop that is
somewhat reminiscent of Cheap Trick and Nick Lowe.
The Ripchords compose almost all of their material, ex
cept for the occassional classic from the past.
Jesse's undergoes
name change
Jesse's Fourteenth Street Lounge has undergone a
change of owner and name this past momth, and the
future of live acoustic music at the club is left somewhat
in doubt.
Jesse's, one of the last outlets for acoustic music in
Lincoln, is now called O'Rourke's, and according to Doug
McLeese, one of the managers of the club's , the room is
really not suitable for live music.
He said, however, that they "may periodically" feature
live music, and that no decision has been made concerning
the future of the many benefits and program of "Wim
min's music that Jesse's had been running.
The bar itself has gone through little change. McLeese
said that the bar is "cleaner" now and they have added a
pool table to the room. He said that they would like to
keep some of the same clientele, but would also like to
add to it.
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haooen to have a record
haooen to figure out that
on the record show that it is supposed to
be put on the player.
They listen through a few of the1
tracks-a recording of the beat of a human
heart, a song by Fats Waller, and a
selection of bird calls. Finally, a voice says
in English, "Greetings from the children
of Earth. . ."
"Earth!" says Fred, ecstatic. "I've heard
of that place. It is mentioned in the Holy
Recordings."
"What Holy Recordings?" asks Kaz.
"I don't keep up on that stuff."
"We've " ?en receiving messages from
the sky for years, in the form of radio and
television signals. The priest told me all
about it. He thinks that God communicates
with us through special servants called
broadcasters, who send signals to us, to
tell us all about the afterlife.
"At the institute they have deciphered
hours and hours of signals about a woman
named Lucille Ball, who they guess is a
kind of minor demon, and a saintly figure
named Monty Hall who goes around giving
things away."
"So what do those things have to do
with this?"
"Those things take place on Earth."
"Ho, I get it now," says Kaz. "This
really is a message from God!"
"Right. I'll bet the priest knows what
everything on this disc means."
"So let's give it to him."
"Now wait a minute. This is a document
from Earth, so we have to do this just the
way the priests say they do things on
Earth. We'll sell it to him."
ipchords are out for a good time
"We'll do an Elvis Presley or Buddy Holly song,"
O'Kane said. "Those tunes are guaranteed to get an audi
ence dancing. They are good stimulants."
O'Kaiie is the chief songwriter, but the entire band
contributes.
"We're basically interested in doing our own music.
Lincoln has an audience that supports bands that do orig
inals," O'Kane said, "particularly when their aren't any
tests the next day."
Two-and-one-half of the Ripchords attend this insti
tution. "We're glad that the band conflicts with school" Mauer
said. "We are definately interested in college girls,"
though."
No place to play
"The only problem with Lincoln is there is no place
to play," added Robson. "The El Ranchito is there and
of course there is the Drumstick. But bands can't play the
Royal Grove unless they have a keyboard player and stick
exclusively to FM Top 10. We've been thinking about
putting on some shows ourselves if we can find the
right place."
"The lure of the big city has an appeal for the Rip
chords, O'Kane said.
"We're thinking about moving to Omaha simply be
cause there are a lot more places to play than Lincoln."
There is a solution to prevent the Ripchords exodus
up the interstate.
"We would be pleased to play at a decadent Greek orgi
astic bash," O'Kane said.
The Ripchord ackowledges few influences, Robson
said.
"I like a lot of the music that came out of New Wave.
But the New Wave movement has been dead for a while."
O'Kane gives tribute to an idol.
"Frank Sinatra is my only influence," O'Kane said.
"Our main ambition is to be able to get new sports jackets.'
V'; p n O
V
The Allman Brothers and The Outlaws are schedul
ed to make an appearance at Lincoln's Pershing Audi
torium on Dec. 7.
The Allman Brothers, who pioneered what has come
to be called Southern Rock in the late sixties and early
.seventies, are touring to promote their latest album.
Reach For The Sky. The Outlaws, in recent years,
have become one of the most popular of the South
ern Rock bands, whose last Lincoln appearance pro
duced a sell-out .
The concert will start at 7 pjn. to allow for full
sets for each band. General admission tickets are $9
in advance and $10 on the day of the show. Tickets
will go on sale Saturday at Dirt Cheap, the Nebraska
Unions on the City and East campuses, Magees and Mil
ler and Paine, downtown and Gateway stores, and
Pickles Records downtown and at the Esquire Plaza.
The Allman Brothers-Outlaws concert is being
sponsored by Contemporary and Jam Productions and
KFMQ.
