Nebraskan
Monday, February 15, 1993
ARTS0ENTERTAINMENT
Lincoln band about to cut major label deal
Music industry
notices group’s
powerful sound
By Dana Franks
Staff Reporter
Almost Blue is on the verge of
cutting a major contract deal, and
doing so would be a dream come true
for all the members.
' Their powerful music has caught
the attention of many a “big wig” in
the music industry, and the whole
process of grabbing a major label was
not at all what Dave Witt and Scott
Gwartney had perceived it to be.
“It’s all business out there, brutal
business,” said Gwartney.
Where is “out there?”
New York. Cold Springs Harbor to
be exact. Home to Black Rose Pro
ductions, Inc., and the source of anxi
ety for Almost Blue.
“All we can do now is sit back and
wait,” Gwartney said.
So how does a band /rom Lincoln
get out of its garage and into a studio
in NewYork.oroutofDuffy’sTavem
and into an 11:30p.m. slotatCBGB’s?
It lakes three simple ingredients—
raw talent, a little bit of luck and one
person who knows Tito Batista of
Black Rose Productions.
Gwartney said he knew one per
son, « profesaoe at Doane Collogo,
who could move a demonstration tape
into the hands of Batista.
October rolled around, and Almost
Blue found itself in New Y ork signing
a three-record production deal with
Batista and Black Rose Productions.
Once a production package was
established, the band flew home, only
to return to New York two days after
Christmas for six weeks.
Gwartney said they put down
$5,000 so Black Rose knew they were
serious, or as they say in New York,
“bleeding with us,” and received
$30,000 worth of studio lime and a
limited-edition compact disc.
The CD, with publishing rights
belonging to BMG Music Publishing
South East Asia, completes the pack
age. All the band can do now is wait,
Gwartney said.
-44
I’ll do what it takes, as
long as I don’t have to
wear Spandex and
The time spent in New York gave 1
Almost Blue a taste of the music
industry , and Gwartney said they were
a bit disillusioned by it all — a whirl
wind of meetings with lawyers, pro
ducers and presidents of major labels.
“It’s just like the Lincoln scene,”
Gwartney said. “Everyone knows
everyone else, except out there, (
everyone’s famous.”
Gwartney explained how im
pressed they were with all the string
pulling that took place.
Batista asked the band members if
they wanted to pipy any shows while
. they were in New York*and ifceband #
decided to play at CBGB’s and The
Bitter End. Batista tried to talk them
odt of playing “in those dumps,”
»ikes on my shout
— Gwartney
Almost Blue
ff -
Damon Lee/DN
The members of Almost Blue take a break from work, rehearsal and performance planning.
Almost Blue is, from left: Scott Gwartney, vocals; Dave Witt, guitar; Jamie Bundy, drums; and
Jake Guenther, bass guitar.
awartney said.
The bands already scheduled were
mumped,and Almost Blue was moved
into the 11:30 p.m. slots for both bars.
“It was amazing,” Witt said. “We
realized we knew absolutely noth
ing.”
Both shows went over well,
jwartney said, and as far as testing a
ijand’s musical talent, there’s no bet
ter place to do it.
Witt and Gwartney said they felt
he neeo’lo control their music.
“They love gimmicks, and they’ll
pul a lot lof pressure on you to do
things Lhcinway^ Gwartney said..
The band members said they real
zed they couldn’t make it by.lhem
>clves, but as Gwartney said, “I’ll do
what it takes, as long as 1 don t nave
to wear Spandex and spikes on my
shoulders.”
By listening to Almost Blue, it’s
easy to understand why they want to
keep their music just the way it is.
There’s no need to fill it with gim
micks. It’s pure, honest rock ‘n’ roll.
“Judgment Day” is a sure single
hit. The lyrics stick with you all day as
you strum along on your invisible
acoustic guitar.
“Go Away,” on the other hand,
expresses the best of all emotions —
pure anger. The music beats furiously
and G wartney ’ s voice pushes the fine
line between screaming and singing.
The biggest thing going for Al
most Blue is the tightness the band
nas. ineir music is weii-structurea
and is not just an interior-design job.
This tightness is one reason why
Gwartney, Witt, James Bundy and
Jake Guenther are biting their nails
and waiting by the phone for the call
that could send them on their way to
fame.
Between now and then, Almost
Blue will be busy making its first
video with the help of Rick Padilla
(Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam), play
ing in the Austin, Texas, South by
Southwest in March, and the New
Music Seminar in June.
Almost Blue will perform at The
Edge, 227 N. 9lh St., Wednesday at
11:30 p.m.
Director s, symphony s performance
makes second visit in Lincoln welcome
COHgfe&*i
By George K. Stephan
Staff Reporter
There’s something really marvelous about
hearing a really great 101-member symphony
orchestra.
The strength and size of the sound—a string
section with no fewer than SO agile musicians,
large powerful brass sections, unified reed and
flute sections—all crowded on a stage with the
express purpose of producing the rivers of
emotion that flow from symphonic music. ,
The symphonic sound is truly one of the
greatest of all staged musical experiences, and
this same Adrenalin-pumping experience was
enthusiastically shared between the St. Louis
Symphony and its audience at the Lied Center
for Performing Arts Saturday evening.
Under the baton of charismatic music direc
tor Leonard Slatkin, the orchestra performed
brilliant music varying from Berlioz’s more
melodic “ Roman Carnival Overture’ ’ to Bartok ’ s
more atonal suite from “The Miraculous Man
darin.”
Slatkin, who has guest conducted around the
world with such great orchestras as the New
York, Los Angeles and Chicago symphonies
and the London, Berlin and Vienna Philhar
monics, showed the audience why he is so
acclaimed as a great conductor.
Slatkin is a short man with the intensity of a
giant, and he radiates this intensity out to his
orchestra. His famed, direct “now-to-business”
conducting style was apparent from the mo
ment ho stepped up to tnc podium.
Tossing open the first page of music, the
conductor, in traditional coattails, threw for
ward his hands for the first bars of music.
Pointing with the baton like a painter touching
canvas with a brush, he produced some won
drous colors of sound.
A mirror to the music, Slatkin stretched to
the tips of his toes on several occasions in the
waves of the tension and release that filled the
Bartok.
Li
Courtesy of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra perform at the Lied
Center for Performing Arts.
Slaikin s sense of timing throughout the
concert was masterful. This, combined with a
surplus of talented musicians, produced results
that were wonderful to listen to.
Perhaps the highlightof concert was Dvorak’s
great Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the
New World.”
The late romantic symphony was written by
the Czechoslovakian composer while he was
visiting America, and it reveals in the melody
of beautiful musical descriptions of the Mid
west.
The piece’s movements dramatically con
trast each other, and the St. Louis Symphony’s
performance precisely portrayed this—at limes
vigorously, at limes delicately — but always
richly and melodically.
As program director, Slatkm has always
shown nis support for new compositions, and
the program reflected this with the symphony’s
performance of a new work by composer David
Vayo.
Auer tnc conclusion 01 sympnony: Blos
soms and Awakenings,” Slalkin brought the
composer out to take a bow.
The symphony also performed one encore,
which was another work by Dvorak — his
Slavic Dance No. 5 in G minor.
When visiting the Lied Center, one is some
times exposed to less inspired performances by
great artists visiting Lincoln, as though the
artists see Lincoln as a pit stop on the way to a
larger, more culturally diverse city. But none of
this was present in the St. Louis Symphony’s
performance., *
St. Louis is part of the Midwest, and from
Saturday’s performance, it is evident that the
symphony cares about Midwest performances.
This performance was the second time the
St. Louis Symphony has been at the Lied
Center. With such an inspired performance, a
return visit by the St. Louis Symphony would
bring nothing but pleasure to all fans of classi
cal music in Lincoln.
Symphony, blues,
alternative, metal;
upcoming concerts
offer varied music
Tonight — Gared at the Red & Black
Cafe; Mala Hari every night through Satur
day at the Royal Grove; Dashboard Saviors
at the Zoo Bar; All-Star Blues Review at
.Omaha’s Howard Street Tavern; Trixter at
Omaha’s Ranch Bowl.
Tuesday — Lincoln Symphony Orches
tra with Leo Ncjar at the Lied Center; UNL
graduate student composers at Kimball Re
cital Hall; John Walker’s country blues at
the Zoo Bar; Grumpy/Peoplc Bomb/Secret
Slain at Howard Street Tavern; On the Fritz
at the Ranch Bowl Tuesday and Thursday
nights.
Wednesday—u NL Saxophone Quintet
at Kimball Hall; Mud Jack/Fishbox at Duffy’s
Tavern; Joanna Coniior at the Zoo Bar;
Techno-Rave (DJ Ted Eil) at Panic!; Acous
tic Breakdown Night at Howard Street Tav
ern; Nightmare/Frumunda/His Boy Elroy at
the Ranch Bowl.
Thursday — University Program Coun
cil presents Rock-a-rama through Saturday;
Moran Woodwind Quintet at Kimball Hall;
Cactus Nerve Thang/Billy Pilgrim at The
Edge; Too Smooth at 9th Street Blues; Tribu
lation at Rockin’ Robin through Saturday;
Chris Duarte Group at the Zoo Bar through
Sunday.
Friday — American Siring Quartet at
Kimball Hall; Grieg and Friends atO’Donnell
Auditorium; Kevin Muldrow (happy hour
only) and Kingfish (Friday and Saturday) at
9th Street Blues; For Against at the Red &
Black Caf6; Secret Skin at Howard Street
Tavern;Zwarte through Sunday at the Ranch
Bowl; The Rumbles through Saturday at
Beau-ice’s Getaway Club.
Saturday — UNL Flute Ensemble at
SeeKONZERT on 10
