Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, April 7, 1987
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By Charles Lieurance
Senior Reporter
Despite the fact that Cello
phane Ceiling's lead singer
guitarist John Wolf dedicated
their song "Don't Play God" to Rulo
lunatic Michael Ryan, I could have
sworn it was a cover of some lost
'60s classic.
I spent numerous nights at home
dishing through Lenny Kaye's "Nug
gets" LPs, leafing through rock
encyclopedias put out by everyone
from Rolling Stone to Tiger Beat,
and hummed the song to know
ledgeable friends.
I got nowhere.
Concert Review
There is something so classic
about it. It's epic format resembles
antiques like Ten Years After's "I'd
Love to Change the World." Its
change from acoustic guitar ballad
to electric thud'n'roll hints at influ
ences as varied as Jefferson Air
plane and Iron Butterfly.
The word is heavy. It's not used
much anymore, but that's the word.
Wolf admits an affection for the
heavier side of rock.
"I was really into Gun Club, Iggy
and Aerosmith for years," he said.
"'Don't Play God' was something I
had floating around in my head for a
long time but the song really came
out when the ordeal with Ryan sur
faced. It's really just about people
who have too much power or influ
ence over others. Some people think
it's about Reagan."
Whatever "Don't Play God" is
about, it is a perfect rock'n'roll
song. You can enjoy it with your
mind, body and feet, drunk or sober.
It is also the highlight of this
Omaha band's new LP, "The
Beauty of it All," the kind of
album you really don't expect out of
a Nebraska band. It's a national
achievement, not a local one. 500
albums were originally printed and
now the band is in the middle of
their second printing. College radio
play on the album cuts "Happiness"
and "Don't Play God" has been
"reassuring."
The trio of Wolf, Chris Sterba (on
bass), and Steve Coleman (drums),
are now in the process of shopping
for a bigger label, or at least some
one who'll license the album for
bigger distribution, according to
Wolf.
"We're alternating between hun
tin' and waitin' around," he said.
With an album out, Cellophane
Ceiling's live shows have become
more aggressive than ever. So
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Cellophane Ceiling
aggressive in fact that Wolf had to
retire his trademark cherry red vin
tage guitar.
"It was just getting too abused
onstage," he said. "I've brought it
back out of retirement again now
though. It'll be with me Wednesday
night at the Drumstick."
Cellophane Ceiling has been
trying to put together the
tightest, most energetic 90
minute live set possible and Wolf
says that will be evident at the
Drumstick show.
For those who are as yet unfamil
iar with the power the Ceiling can
generate, here's a primer: combine
early Gun Club (Wolfs vocals re
semble Jeffrey Lee Pierce's), a sharp,
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(above) will play Wednesday night at the Drumstick, 547 N. 48th.
often jagged guitar sound that begs
to be compared with power tools
and then change tempos every two
or three minutes. Because Cello
phane Ceiling have mastered the art
'Basically we want
to luck as much
ass as possible in
as short a time as
possible,'
Wolf
of tension (assault, retreat, build,
assault again), their volume and
aggression never have the same
effect as novacaine. There's always
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a place to rest and a reason to wake
up again.
"Basically we want to kick as
much ass as possible in as short a
time as possible," Wolf said.
As for the ceaseless battle between
the national and the local that goes
on with most Nebraska bands, Wolf
sees the recent signing of Lincoln
band For Against as a very positive
sign for the music cornbelt.
A lot of labels and radio stations
and managers are kind of hes
itant about bands from Ne
braska but now I think For Against
has opened things up. We've gotten
some positive bites from record
companies since then, even though
there's nothing carved in stone yet."
LINCOLN!
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Dave BentzDaily Nebraskan
Cellophane Ceiling expects to
perform one of their best shows ever
Wednesday.
"We've been playing a lot of shows
out of Nebraska and that helps our
local shows," said Wolf. "Once you've
been out in front of complete
strangers, you can come back to the
local scene and feel fresh."
Oh, did I say Cellophane Ceiling
wrote "Don't Play God"? I think
; Wolf said it. If nothing else that
song is worth all the money you have
in your pocket (I'm assuming you're
a college student, of course).
New Brass Guns, one of Lincoln's
finests, will open the show on Wed
nesday and the cover is $3.
. You don't have to be God to get
in, just 21.
Lightfoot comes
to Music Hall
Friday, May 8
Gordon Lightfoot will perform May 8
at 8 m; ir,9rYMsic Hall. :
1986 bfougKtWMe&e of Light
foot's 18th career album, "East of Mid
night," a collection of 10 new Lightfoot
originals. Lightfoot says of his newest
work, "There's an uplifting message in
these songs and they've got a lot of
drive." Lightfoot blends the simplicity
and sincerity of folk and country styles
with the intensity and drive of pop and
rock. Hits like "Early Morning Rain,"
"If You Could Read My Mind," "Care
free Highway" and "The Wreck of the
Edmund Fitzgerald" have won Light
foot numerous nominations and awards
three platinum and five gold albums,
Tickets for an evening with Gordon
Lightfoot are available at the Civic
Auditorium Box OfHce, Ertndeis and -all
TIX outlets. Tickets can be charged
by phcr.9 b?-"-"32!3-7197. .i-y;''
