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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 7, 1984)
Paqo 8 Daily Nefarcskan Tuesday, February 7, 1034 A f9 ri rV V v I Nil -Mi I! sr, I I ! ! i I 1 ! ! : L v . m Vf - kJm m L-4 Irvine 's wild Irish smmd fills Sheidom - ii iii By Dawn Watson For 2V hours at the Sheldon Art Gallery Sunday night, loud applause, whistling and country-western hoots were appropriate signs of enthusiasm. Irish musician Andy Irvine mesmer ized an auditorium packed tight with fans of traditional music. Fans with rigid definitions of "Irish" or "traditional" music were undaubt- Review edly disappointed, though. Diverse might be the only way to categorize Irvine. His diversity was reflected in instrumentation, nationality of mate rial, age and theme, and musical styles. Irvine accompanied his rich, un adorned voice with the hurdy-gurdy, mandolin, harmonica, and two other mysterious mandolin-related instru ments. Selections varied greatly. Irvine in cluded traditional and contemporary Irish ballads, old Irish hornpipes, songs by American folkies Woody Guth rie and Si Kahn, and a remake of a Bulgarian dance tune. Song subject matter ran the gamut as well A motif of pain and sorrow unified the pieces. Irvine sang of un employed mill workers, the torture of supporters of former Chilean leader Salvador Allende by Pinochet and CIA henchmen, the plight of the Irish im migrating to the United States, and two songs of deserted women one woman shunned by her family, the other ditched by her lover after becom ing pregnant. Much of Irvine's music is rooted in traditional Irish sounds. Melancholy, hollow minor chords and quick, trilly Twilight Zone tempo shifts accomp lished by complicated pick-stroke pat terns, and delicate and sparse melodic runs between chord-strumming rhythm or back-up playing were some of the old-fashioned Irish techniques Irvine used. Irvine also borrowed freely from other styles not commonly heard in Irish music. Jazz and lounge chords, Eastern sitar-like sounds, bossy rock 'n roll riffs, and adaptations of bluegrass licks set Irvine's style apart from main-. stream Irish music. His harmonica play ing and use of a chorus box for reverb are unusual within the genre, too. Irvine's own compositions were also inventive. "Accidentals," which he intro duced as "Accidentals Will Happen," is an energetic descending David Grisman esque instrumental with many chord changes. "Rainy Sundays," with slides a la Leo Kottke and abrupt tempo changes, was also instrumentaliy interesting. However, Irvine succumbed to the clich es often associated with unrequited- love songs. Some of the lyrics were sloppy, such as "like dust that dances 7 w i ' ' Av - J - r h Ar.dy Inins Allison Lee Agency in a hazy sunbeam," and rhyming "skat- small transgressions. eral instruments and his warm voice ing" with "incapacitating." Irvine's com- Irvine delivered an exciting, innova- combined nicely, offering a variety of pelling voice helped smooth over these tive performance. His mastery of sev- fresh Irish-flavored music' 6EMg CMff rates efigM9 6 Excerpts from the cable television program At Hie Concession Stand. ' Announcer: And now, the prophets of a new age, Glenn Stuva and Tom Mockler. Out of the West they rode, armed only with the will to do right, and an eye for the finer things in life. Tom: Yes, that's right. And now to figure out what we're going to talk about Should we talk about film, like we're supposed to? Tom Mockler Cz Glenn Stuva Glenn: Yeah. We might as well. I certainly don't feel like discussing 20th century Soviet painting. Tom: If you want to, I'm going to get a can of pop. Glenn: You can't just get up and walk away like that! What will our millions of fans think? Theyll say we're selling out. Gaffer: IH fill in for him. I've been waiting for this opportunity for weeks. Glenn: But nobody wants to see you. A "gaffer" is an old guy without teeth. Gaffer: No, that's "gipper." I'm a "lighting electri cian on a motion picture or television set." Tom (returning): Who is this punk? Glenn: Some prima donna who wants your job. Tom: Not for $3 million a year he won't. A good right to the snotlocker should remedy this. (Tom connects and the imposter falls to the floor.) Glenn: I knew he didn t have any teeth. Look. (Bending down, he picks up a pair of dentures lying on the stage.) I told you so. Tom: So I was wrong, (abruptly) Which brings us to the movies we saw this week: The Big Chill and The Lonely Guy. (A stagehand cautiously approaches Glenn and hands him a note.) Glenn: Hey Tom. IVe just been informed that Harry Callahan, the real life detective who inspired Clint Eastwood to make his Dirty Harry films, is in our studio audience. Let's get him up here. (The audience applauds the suggestion enthusiastically.) (Clint Eastwood comes out of the audience and joins Tom and Glenn on stage.) Glenn: Hey, Harry. Let's have a look at that gun of yours. Eastwood: I dent think you understand. I'm Clint Eastwood. Harry Callahan is just a ficticious chsr- " ... - 1 N Vi .. t : J v i. ' v : vi I ) yv, ' v v I v Agency for Performing Arts CtCTS lliti Ds!r3 kzillz with Ueil Clmcs. acter I play in some ot my movies. Tom: "Go ahead, make my day." Pretty good, eh, Haxry? Glenn: Come on Harry, blow away somebody for us. That guy in the third row over there looks like a red scumbs.g. (The audience applauds the sulfa tion enthusiastically.) - E.twood: You gap cxe just a littla too weird for me. I'm getting out of here. - Glsnn: V.l.at's the ms.tter Hsrry? Lest your nerve? Eastwood (afraid of appearing a coward): OK, but only for you guys. (Aims, then fires before the man has a chance to get away. Audience explodes'. East wood then shakes hands with Glenn and Tom and walks off a hero.) Tom: Can we talk about the movies now? Glenn: OK. As you know, The Dig Chill was a 1083 release, but since it has been rereleased recently, Tom and I thought it would be an appropriate topic for this week's show. Tom: The Dig Chill is essentially the story of the coming of the Second Ice Age. Like most survivalist sagas, this movie has a healthy dose of violence and is not suitable for younger viewers. William Hurt plays the role of Captain Medcalf, a former stock broker turned hunter. I won't tell you how it ends. "Suspense" is the word to describe this film. Hurt is especially good and should be nominated for Best Actor. The rest of this star-studded cast is really swell too. The film should be nominated for Best Picture. I'd give it an 8 or a 7 on a 10-point scale, or A of a beer on our beer rating system. Glenn: I couldn't agree more. My favorite scene is when the giant walrus explodes. Tom: The Lonely Guy i3 essentially a struggle between Steve Martin and Neil Simon. Martin tries valiantly to make Simon's screenplay funny, and it comes out about a dra'ty. I'd give it a 5 on a 10-point scale, or half a beer on our beer rating system. Glenn: I wish Steve Martin would make more movies using his own scripts. Martin's really a tal ented performer and is funny on his own. He doesn't need the likes of Neil Simon to write material for him. When was the last time any movie Neil Simon had anything to do with was any good at all? The man just isn't funny. If you like Steve Martin, the movie is worth seeing. If you don't, the move isn't worth the price of admission. Tom: Dont forget Marsha Mason. Glenn: The beet thing Marsha Mason ever did for her career was divorce Neil Simon so she wouldn't have to be in all of his pathetic movies. Of course, thinking about it, she's pretty worthless herself. She's such a lousy actress that without Simon shell probably never land another job. Tom: Bye. (walls cH) Glsnn: I guess that means we're out of time. See ya. (walks oil) ; Announcer: So until next week this has been At The Conc-esdon Stand with America's favorite fab filna critics Glenn Stuva and Tom Mockler. And remember, ave the ztlz seats for them.