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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1993)
Arts®Entertainment Knowledge of Irish ignites Emerald Fyre By Bryan Peterson Staff Reporter _ Being good Nebraskans, the three members of Emerald Fyrc are working hard to bring a touch of “Celtic Magick” to the state. Formed in 1989 as a five-piece group, the band recently emerged from a brief hiatus with great energy and a desire to share the raucous joys and melancholy sorrows of the Irish folk music to which the group is dedicated. Playing at the Red and Black Cate last Saturday, Emerald Fyre presented its trade mark fusion of the most traditional folk melo dics with newer, fuller sounds, including songs by such Irish musicians as U2, Clannad and The Pogues. All of the band members claim Irish ances try and hope to visit Ireland. Even so, Stan Morey II (vocals, guitar, violin and synthesizer) said he feared visiting Ireland. “I’m afraid I won’t come back,” he said. Although the group plays regularly in Omaha, Saturday night’s performance was its first in Lincoln. “We would love to come back and play,” said David Stratton (vocals, tin whistle and percussion). “The crowd was great.” The band encourages an audience participa tion with itsown banter and provocation, which are natural activities when pelting out drinking songs that call for clapping and stomping. The Red and Black Cafe was the first non alcoholic setting for the band, yet audience and band alike seemed uninhibited. “We’re still rowdy, but we don’t drink, ourselves,” said Tami Whitney (vocals, guitar, -synthesuers). „ .... “Now wait a minute,” Morey began, just as Stratton interrupted to say he had his own mug at an Omaha pub. v Of course, band members do not limit them selves to exploring the legendary tendency ol Courtesy of Bob Whitney Tami Whitney, David Stratton and Stan Morey are Emerald Fyre the Irish to drink. A wide knowledge of Irish music, writing, politics and geography enriches the band’s music, v Emerald Fyrc has performed at readings of Desmond Egan, an Irish poet and Creighton instructor, and hopes to work one of Yeats’ poems into a song. The fascination with all things Irish runs deep, but approval is not ex tended to one of the more contemporary and controversial Irish icons: Sinead O’Connor. Referring to O’Connor’s recent politically charged actions on television, band members were initially angry but gradually softened in their stance. “1 agree with her philosophy, but not her delivery,” Morey said. As lor Emerald Fyrc, the group’s delivery was met with hearty approval Saturday despite a small, crowd. And philosophy? One clue to the group's philosophy might lie in the evening’s two per formanccs of Monty Python’s “Philosophers’ Song.” The following words are from the song: “Immanuel Kant was a real pissant/ Who was very rarely stable/ Heidegger Heidegger was a boozing beggar/ Who could think you under the table/ David Hume could out-consumc.” A more serious clue might lie in the group 's chorus of a more traditional song: “Life, life, life is loo short/ Life’s just too short and my God, so sublime...Life, life, life is too short/ Life’s just too short not to have a good time!” Movie rejoices will to live Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures Josh Hamilton, Bruce Ramsay and Vincent Spano decide howto stay “Alive.” “Alive” By Anne Steyer Statl Rtporttr __ “Alive” (Plaza 4,12lh and P streets) is not a movie about cannibalism. Instead, the movie based upon a true story celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit. An aircraft carrying a college rugby team and some family members crashes in the Andes Mountains en route to a game in Chile. Both pilots, most of the flight crew and several passengers die instantly. Some of the survivors arc mildly stunned, while others are badly wounded. They wail for rescue squads to come. Espe cially hopeful after a scout plane tlies over head, they arc crushed when they learn, via a transistor radio, that the search for their downed plane has been called off after only eight days. A couple chocolate bars and bottles of wine last only so long in the freezing, snow-covered wasteland. Forced to survive on their own, they resort to the unthinkable — relying on the dead to sustain themselves and give them strength. The film is not without humor. These young men have a familiar relationship; they are friends and teammates. They do what so many others do in the face of death: They laugh. And the audience laughs with them, loving the characters and also fearing for them. There arc momentary glimpses of more gruesome things, but for the most part it is a touching and inspirational story. The survi vors’ will to live persists in the midst of disaster surrounded by death. Definitely worth seeing, “Alive" is a tre mendous film. y Week contains uneasy, troubled new releases It’sa week riddled with troubled video releases. There’s not a happy film in the bunch — although one was supposed to be a comedy. “Kafka” comes from Steven Soderbergh, the director once hailed as Hollywood’s new wunderkind with his creation “sex, lies and videotape.” It’s a foray into what Soderbergh portrays as the twisted, angst-ridden psyche of Czech writer Franz Kafka. Jeremy Irons stars as the title character. (Available now) “Man Trouble” was supposed to be a comedy. From the way it booked itself out of theaters last year, it looks like it cried all the way to the bank. Ellen Barkin stars as an opera singer who hires con man Jack N icholson to protect her. (Avail able Wednesday) “Raising Cain” John Lithgow proves he’s more than the nice-guy-ncxt-door in Brian Dc Palma’s newest take on the thriller genre. Lithgow i& a child psy chologist whose discovery of his wife’s affair turns him into a psychotic kidnap per and murderer. Lolita Davidovich costars as his not-so-loving wife. (Avail able Wednesday) There are a few other minor titles coming home to video tomorrow. Among them: “3 Ninjas,” a story about three little boys, trained by their grandfather in martial arts, who battle baddies; “Diggstown” with Louis Gossett Jr. as a boxer and James Woods as a promotor hoping for another win in the ring; and “Storyville” a drama about a politician (James Spader) who is the victim of blackmail. — Anne Steycr ‘ “Detour ’ runs through UNL film theaters From Staff Reports_ ___ . __ “Detour,” Edgar G. Ulmer’s cult clas sic, will be shown today as part of the film studies program. Starring Tom Ncalasapianist/driftcr/ hitchhiker enticed by femme fatale Ann Savage into crime and murder, it is argu ably the best B picture ever made. Showings arc at 1 p.m. at the Ross Film Theater and 7 p.m. at Bessey Hall 117. It will also show Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. at the Ross Film Theater. All lilm studies showings arc free and open to the public. FILM STUDIES SCHEDULE, SPRING 1993 Jan. 19-20: “Detour” Jan. 26-27; “While the City Sleeps” (CinemaScope) Fcb.y 2-3: “First Comes Courage” Feb. 9-10: “Homicidal” Feb. 16-17: “Face the Music” (35mm) Feb. 23-24: “The Big Tip Off” (35mm) March 2-3: “Teen-age Doll” (35mm) March 9-10: “The Raven” (CinemaScope) March 16-17: “House of Dracula" March 30-31: “The Saxon Charm” April 6-7: “Scandal Sheet” April 13-14: “Comanche Station” (CinemaScope) April 20-21: "My Sister Eileen” (CinemaScope) April 27-28: “A Woman Rebels”