PT Arts & Entertainment
Blues-based group The Call to rock Omaha
By Julie Naughton
Staff Reporter
The Call, a California-based rock
group, will perform Wednesday at
the Ranch Bowl in Omaha.
The Omaha stop is the 15lh of a
16-city tour The Call is making to
promote its latest album, “Let the
Day Begin.” “Let the Day Begin” is
the sixth album for the four-man
group.
Members of the group arc Michael
Been, bass guitar, guitar and lead
vocals; Tom Ferrier, guitar and vo
cals; Jim Goodwin, keyboards and
vocals; and Scott Musick, drums and
vocals. The Call began in Santa Cruz,
Calif., in 1980, when Been moved
from Los Angeles with Musick. They
joined forces in Santa Cruz with Fer
rier and bassist Greg Freeman, who
left the group in 1984. Goodwin
joined the lineup in 1984.
Compared to musical legends
such as Bob Dylan and U2 and hailed
as “the future of American music”
by Peter Gabriel, The Call combines
meaningful lyrics with blues-type
i
melodies. The Los Angeles Times |
says that “The Call is able to deliver
what U2 only skirts: an integration of
spiritual yearning with blues-based
grit.”
“We never asked for music to
give us a free ride or make us big
shots,” lead vocalist Been said. “All
we ever asked was to be working
musicians.”
The Call has indeed worked,
opening concerts for Peter Gabriel, 4
recording itsown albums and making 4
guest appearances on other people’s I
albums. jj§
Past albums for the group arc the H
self-titled disc “The Call” (1982), B
“Modem Romans” (1983), “Scene ■
Beyond Dreams” (1984), “Rccon- B
ciled” (1986) and “Into the Woods”
(1987). I
Famous fans of The Call have ^
contributed to its albums, including
musicians Peter Gabriel, Robbie
Robertson and Jim Kerr on 1986’s m
‘ ‘ Reconc i led ” and actor Harry Dean n
Stanton on “Let the Day Begin.” m
The 9:30 p.m. show opens with B
The Graces. B
Tickets for the show arc available H
at Pickles in Lincoln and Omaha as B
well as Homer’s and Tunes in
Omaha. Prices are $10.50 in advance
and $11.50 at the door.
Courtesy of MCA Records
The Call
- - - - JUS*. ■ _
7^ MYX ^ ~
A&J (1 1
A '
Andy Manhart/Daily Nabraskan
It’s never too early
for Christmas greed
By Jim Hanna
Staff Humorist
I was strolling down O Street
last Friday with one torrid babe on
each arm. We were heading for the
Centrum to have elevator races.
True to their “survival of the
fittest’’ genetic codes, each
woman was trying to impress me
more than the other, hoping in
stinctually to blend chromosomes
with me at a later time.
As we came upon the intersec
tion of 13th and O streets, I looked
up to sec city employees busy at
work hanging Christmas decora
tions on the street lights; you
know, those true-to-lifc gold and
green metallic Christmas trees.
-j i_
I grew up in this town and those
decorations arc a well-loved Lin
coln tradition. It seems, however,
that the decorations arc going up
earlier each year. I can remember
when they used to go up around
Christmas.
But here it is, almost a week
away from Thanksgiving, and the
city is splattered with festive holi
day adornments.
“Christmas is becoming so
commercialized,’’ I said, just like
an enlightened social critic.
The female on my left cooed
with awe and said, “You’re so
smart and insightful, Jim.’’
The female on my right
squeezed my bicep and trembled
like a leaf on a tree.
A surge of testosterone made
me light-headed fora few seconds.
When my head cleared, I started
thinking about what 1 had said.
So what if Christmas is com
mercialized? I can rcpcct those
who find religious significance in
the holiday, but for me it’s usually
just a time to receive presents
while realizing that I’m again too
poor to return the favor.
Once, my brother bought me a
digital watch; I got him a Mr. T
button (seriously). But that’s be
side the point
It may be more blessed to give
than receive, but I still don’t mind
receiving an awful lot
It occurred to me that the earlier
the Christmas season starts, the
more lime people have to shop for
me. If the city can put up decora
tions Nov. 16,1 see no reason why
I can’t make up a gift list Nov. 21.
That is what I have done. I am
providing you all with my Christ
mas list more than one month be
fore Christmas. Then maybe my
friends and family will see it and
have plenty of time to work on
getting me what I want
Here, in ascending order of
value, is my wish list for the holi
day season:
WORTH LESS THAN SI (for my
cheap “friends”):
• Four video game tokens at
Joyce’s subs and pizza
• Meter change
• A gift certificate for 20 copies at
Kinko’s
• My degree from UNL
WORTH SI to SI00:
• A new picture to accompany my
column (This one looks like I’m
about to puke).
• A gift certificate for 2,000 cop
ies at Kinko’s
• Pay off my delinquent bookstore
credit card bill
• A brick in the Lied Center (Oh
please, please, please)
WORTH S100 to $1 million (for
good, good friends):
• A dinner/dancing date with ei
ther Kay Orr, Nancy Hoch or Irene
Cara
• Life insurance
• Pay off my delinquent short
term loan
• Pay oil my delinquent tuition
statement
• Pay off my delinquent cable bill
• Bribe my psychology teacher
into giving me an A
• A gift certificate for 20 million
copies at Kinko’s
See HANNA on 7