JfflL 17 th & P • 237 S 70ih • 3814 Normal Bivd .
|, j/% ^fcj'ffl^^Webraska^sLar£es^fus/cWefa//e^^^A,«^, ,-.^.
1. Buy a Macintosh.
2. Add a peripheral.
3. Get a nice, fat check.
Now through March 31, when you buy selected Macintosh*SE or Macintosh II computers, you’ll get
a rebate for up to half the suggested retail price of the Apple* peripherals you add on - so you’ll save up to $800.
Ask for details today where computers are sold on campus.
Apple Pays Half
The Computer Shop
University Bookstore, Lower Level - Nebraska Union
472-5785 Hours: M—F, 8am - 5pm
O 1989Apple Computet Inc Apple, the Apple logo, and Macintosh are registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Certain natncttoru nppt, All rehatm subject to
Onct compliance with weTirms and CondMtms ofthe Apple ftrys Half Program Guidelines. mailable firm your asdboriztd Apple reeeilet Offer ttlb thereprohibited ^ Jar
Lincoln band strives for variety
By Mark Lage
Senior Reporter
J.J. and the Blades is a relatively
new Lincoln band that plays music
ranging from Elvis Presley to U2 to
the Violent Femmes. The band also
works on its own material.
The band formed in early Decem
ber. They have played at Sweep Left,
Bash Riprocks and many parties, the
members said.
The members are Michael Sto
dola, lead vocals; Ore, lead guitar;
Jeff Smalley, bass; J. Scott Weldon,
drums/vocals; Wayne J. Vandell,
keyboards/vocals. Vandell also plays
some guitar and bass for the band,
earning him the title ‘‘MVM -- most
valuable musician” from his col
leagues.
Stodola, Smalley and Weldon are
all University of Nebraska-Lincoln
students. Vandell will attend UNL
next fall.
The band members couldn't seem
to come to an agreement as to which
one of them-is J.J., but Stodola said
that Blades means “fine young gen
tlemen." He attributed the term to
Ulysses Grant
J.J. and the Blades formed primar
ily through newspaper ads, although
Weldon, Smaliey and Ore had played
together before in a band called One
Night Veto. The Blades is Stodola’s
first band.
‘Things can hap
pen here.’
—Vandell
Vandell was the last to join the
band in December. He said that he
has played in many bands over the
past nine years. But this one is differ
I
ent, he said.
“This group of guys works well
together,” he said. There isa sense of
both cohesiveness and lighthearted
ness in J.J. and the Blades.
“In the other bands I’ve been in,
there have been gaps in both musi
cianship and attitudes,” he said.
“But we’re still fresh. We’ve still got
a few dreams and goals, although
we’re trying to stay down to earth.
Things can happen here.”
Other band members agreed.
“We still don’t know what every
body else (in the band) is going to be
doing,” Weldon said. “There are
always new ideas. Things are always
changing.”
“We’re very varied and versa
tile,” Vandell added. “We’re always
changing songs and trading instru
ments.” “We like all kinds of mu
sic,” Smalley said. “You can’t cate
gorize us.”
Vandell added that while other
bands focus on one area, such as
progressive music or classic rock ‘n’
roll, J.J. and the Blades are strong in
everything.
i ne goais tor j.j. anu uie oiaues
right now arc fairly simple ones.
“We want to play really great
music that people can enjoy right
away — either dancing to it or just
sitting back and listening to it,” Sto
dola said.
“We want to get as good as we can
as fast as we can,” Weldon said.
“And I think we’re going to be really
good.”
The band members also wanted to
thank other bands in Lincoln for their
help and their experience.
“Bob from Lie Awake has been
very helpful,” Weldon said.
4 4 We’re not in this for the compe
tition with other Lincoln bands,”
Stodola said.4 4 We support others and
we hope that they support us.”
Cover misleads;
this ‘necessity’
not really needed
By Janet McAllaster
Suff Reporter
Jet Black Berries
Animal Necessity
Restless Records
The cover was misleading - it was
interesting.
But the harmonica was the first
clue that Jet Black Berries' new al
bum, “Animal Necessity," is not
worth listening to unless one is into
mediocre, annoying country-punk.
The first song, "Tore Up the
Tracks," wears after less than one
minute. The quick, repetitive beat
never varies, but seems to go on
monotonously forever and ever.
The "tune" is pathetic. The
wimpy bass tine never changes, ei
ther, but only starts over again and
again.
And forget about finding quality
in the vocals. This guy has no hope of
ever being able to carry a tune and his
voice is indistinctive and, needless to
say, below average. It's not clear who
this vocalist is since Kevin Patrick
and Gary Trainer are both listed as
vocalists for Jet Black Berries.
The other members of the band are
Mark Schwarz on organ and harmon
ica, Chris Yockel on guitars, Roy
Stein on drums, and Wayne Naylor
on bass and backing vocals.
The second song starts out promis
ing, but ends up going nowhere. A
Dead Kennedys fan could get into the
beginning of * ‘Murphy Man,’ ’ but all
excitement fades once again in less
than 60 seconds.
See JET on 15
