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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1991)
Arts & Entertainment op band ‘Big Thing’ rocks at local bars I By John A. Skretta Staff Reporter For the third night in a row, Big Thing jammed to the crowd at Os par’s, 800 O St. The small venue was packed, the dance floor was swing ing, and the sound was appropriately “big.” You had to shout to order a beer, but nobody seemed to mind, least of all the band members. Big Thing ravaged its way through a musical smorgasbord that included selections from R.E.M., the Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Devo and George Michael. Band members — Justin Hankins on guitars, Ray Yaruso on bass, Craig Enders on keyboards, Davcy Sumner on drums and CJ Hauptmcicr on lead vocals — all seemed to thoroughly enjoy their work. A bandana was draped from Hauptman’s microphone Steven Ty ler-stylc, and he toweled off before the band launched into the night’s closer, a rousing, seven-minute ren dition of the Kingsmcn’s “Louie, Louie.” Yaruso plied a funky bass groove and Enders added a bluesy keyboard solo in this musical flurry. Admittedly, this band can swing. But do they have what it takes to become the area’s next “big thing,” as their name indicates? Big Thing rose out of the ashes of Lie Awake, a formerly well-known dance band in the Lincoln area. Both bass player Yaruso and keyboardist Enders were in Lie Awake,according to vocalist Hauptmcicr. “They were just going to quit the ' band, and give it up, lead a normal life for a while,” Hauptmeicr said. Lie Awake’s lead singer had left Lincoln for a spot in a Los Angeles band, and Hauptmcicr chanced into an opportunity to jam with the remnants of Lie Awake. , “It w^nt great,” Hauptmeicr said. It clicked really well, so I landed the spot.” As a result, Hauptmeier left the band he had been singing for, and Big Thing was bom. A month later, members played their first gig at Nebraska Wesleyan University’s homecoming. “Wc had 30 days to learn 30 songs, so wc kicked out the sftngs real busi nesslike, one song after the other every night,” Hauptmeicr said. Since the fall gig, Big Thing has played several different venues, but none so frequently as Oscar’s. None theless, Hauptmeier affirms the band’s desire to slay mobile and avoid be coming a house band. “We’re still a really young band, and we definitely haven’t played all the places we can,” Hauptmeier said. “Wc played Chesterfield’s in Febru ary for the first lime, we’ve played the Ranch Bowl (Omaha) and most likoly we’ll try to hit Kansas City by the middle of the summer,” he added. Playing a variety of locales is an important element in keeping the music fresh and the fans excited, Hauptmeier said. He hinted at the disparity be tween Omaha and Lincoln venues. “Wc’vc played the Ranch Bowl several times, and Omaha’s crazy. Just crazy! There’s a wider array of people in the audience and ages in the audience from the greater population base of Omaha,” he said. “We get people in Omaha from the college scene up to quite a bit older, like in their 30s and 40s. Here in Lincoln, our audiences have been almost strictly college students.” One of the problems with landing gigs at different venues, according to Hauptmeicr, is a phenomenon he labels ‘‘the band recession.” Michelle Paulman/Daily Nebraskan “Big Thing” rocks the crowd at Oscar’s, 800 P St., Saturday night. “As far as college bands in the area, especially dance-oriented col lege bands, there just aren’t really that many,” Hauptmeier said. As a result, many venues that would be willing to host bands haven’t had a w'idc range of groups from which to select. As Big Thing develops musically, Hauptmeicr said he hopes to include original songs in the band’s set,but he said he feels that in Lincoln, “you almost have to slick with cover mate rial.” “In this whole region, Omaha, Lincoln, ct cetera, people want to hear their favorite songs. On the other hand, if you’re a decent band, then they’re going to be more receptive to See BIG THING on 10 Movie strips shoot-’em-up image, gives cowboys a contemporary look By Jim Hanna Sonior Reporter Hollywood’s treatment of cow boys has historically been one dimensional: strapping, handsome men with six-shooters blasting savage Indians and securing this great land of ours for future gen erations. “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” is a different breed of western. Stripping away much of the classic Old West romance, the movie deals with one particular contemporary cowboy and his struggles as a normal guy. H.D. (Scott Glenn) is a rodeo “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” Staning Scott Glenn, PG : 3 1/2 slar who lours the lower Midwest abusing animals for cheering throngs. One day, while substitut ing fora rodeo clown, H.D. isgorcd by a bull and is knocked oul of commission. He decides lo return to his hometown of Guthrie, Okla., to recuperate and check in on his aging father, known only as Dad (Ben Johnson). Alas, H.D.’s conniving sister Cheryl (Tcss Harper) and her hus band Clint (Gary Bussey) have pul Dad into a nursing home and have begun proceedings to sell off his land and make a whole bunch of money. Huffy H.D. will have none of it See COWBOY on 10 Award-winning band brings blues to Zoo From Staff Reports & Blues music will be rich in Lin coln tonight, as Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets featuring Sam Mey ers take the stage at the Zoo Bar. In 1988, Funderburgh and his band cleaned up at the prestigious W.C. Handy Awards Show in Memphis, Tenn., capturing four categories. Anson Funderburgh and the Rock ets were voted Blues Band Of The Year, and their album “Sins” was voted Con tern porary BluesAlbumOf The Year. Vocalist and harmonica player Meyers combined with Fun derburgh for “Changing Neighbor hoods,” which took the Blues Song Of The Year award. Meyers’ ability with the harmonica earned him the top honor in the Blues Instrumentalist category. The Rockets are definitely not lightweights when it comes to play ing the blues. Thc band is on the road more than 300 days a year. Along with Funderburgh and Myers, the Rockets current lineup includes Mike Judge, bass; Matt McCabe, piano; and Danny Cochrcn, drums. Tonight’s show starts at 9 at the Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St. 14th St. Cover charge is $4. Courtesy of I.R.S. Musically adventurous Havana 3AM can keep listeners dancing all night By Matt Larsen Staff Reporter Havana 3AM’s debut release uses an offbeat mix of musical styles to produce a musically adventurous, catchy piece of work. Former Clash bassist Paul Simonon and singcr/guitari st Nigel Dixon form the nucleus of Havana 3AM. They wrote the songs with the help of lead guitarist Gary Myrick while Travis Williams provided percussion to the affair. The result ranges from dark and moody to bouncy and light. They also manage to carry off the trick of being political without being pretentious. The distinctive sound of this quar tet comes from its mix of pop, reggae and Mexican music. That may not sound like the formula for guaranteed musical success, but Havana 3AM makes it work. Many of the songs sound familiar, but are tinged with just enough of this offbeat stuff to be Havana 3AM “Havana 3AM” IRS Records Rating: 31/2 Ratings are 1 (bad) to 5 (excellent), interesting. “Reach the Rock” is the first single from the album. It is the talc of youth gangs in the city, highlighted by Simonson’s funky bass line. It is the best of several “youth gone wild” type songs on the album like “Joyride,” “Blue Motorcycle Eyes” and “Surf In The City.” At tnc other end of the musical spectrum arc songs like “What About Your Future,” “The Hardest Game” and “Living In This Town.” They are upbeat and danccablc, while talking about depraved children and welfare. This may sound strange, but it’s a neat alternative to the usual pop piffle about girls with cute names and cruel hearts. Havana 3AM may be feeding the listener a political message, but they at least give it to us in something that you can dance to. For example, “What About Your Future” starts out with an acoustic guitar solo that segues into a bass thumping, guitar-ringing outcry for the homeless and impoverished. Strange but true lyrics like “Women on the corner left out in the rain/ homeless and loveless can you take the pain” share time with a jumpy dance beat. Probably the best song of the col See HAVANA on 10
