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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1994)
Arts ©Entertainment Wednesday, October 5, 1994 Page 9 Courtesy of Relativity Records Mercy Rule, whose members are from Lincoln, will release an album on Relativity Records. From left, the band Is: Ren Albertson, drummer; Heidi Ore, bassist and vocalist; and Jon Taylor, guitarist. One year after discovery, Mercy Rule moves up m By Jill O'Brien Staff Reporter Bass player and vocalist Heidi Ore of Mercy Rule called from Washington, D.C., to give an up date on “Providence,” the band’s new album on Relativity Records. “It’s weird doing an interview with the DN when I’m all the way at the other end of the coast,” Ore said. The interview coincided with the one-year anniversary ofthe day Mercy Rule, a Lincoln band, was “discovered" playing at CBGB’s, a New York City bar, at 3 a.m.. Ore said. “It took a while to iron out the details, because they had to see us again, and we weren’t sure if it was what we wanted to do,” Ore said. “We hadiust successfully released ourownCD, ‘GodProtects Fools.’” Not many bands would take more than a few minutes before deciding to sign a record deal, but Ore, guitarist Jon Taylor (also her husband) and drummer Ron Albertson carefully weighed the pros and cons. “It wasn ’t really our goal; it was an option we were presented,” Ore said. “Being educated and older, and all those good things, probably put a great deal of caution in us. We talked to our friends aild what they had done, and gathered as much information as we could.” Signing with Relativity never was intended to be a career move. Ore said. “But we like writing music and touring and playing,” she said. Indeed, the band has logged more than 37,000 miles since Feb ruary. ■ “It causes unbelievable unhap piness. Just being a couple of people's favorite band in the world would be fine.” Amy Bloebaum, publicist at Relativity Records, said Mercy Rule packed a full house at New York’sCoIlege Music Journal show in September. The Village Voice, previewing the show, picked Mercy Rule as “Choice of the Night,” she said. “Mercy Rule has been getting a great deal of press,” Bloebaum said, citing a dozen publications includ ing Sassy, Entertainment Weekly and Alternative Music. Anarticle published in Billboard magazine compared Mercy Rule to X and fellow Midwestern band Husker Du. The article quoted Taylor as say ing; “Our whole thing is power ballads. None of our songs are the fastest, peppiest things you'll hear. On the first record we just had a bunch of riffs.... But the new ones are led by the vocals, because Heidi 's voice is our strongest ele ment.” Bloebaum called “Providence” a good record and said the album was generating many calls for ra dio airplay. “Things are going exception ally well,” she said. Bloebaum's praise is not sur prising, because Taylor, Ore and Albertson are, in her eyes, “the essence of Midwestern people.” “They’re down-to-earth, smart, sincere, nice, and it comesacross in their music,” she said. “Heidi writes a lot about self-doubt and intro spection ... a lot of real good per sonal stuff.” “Providence” will be released Tuesday, after Mercy Rule returns home to celebrate. The band plays Friday at Le Cafe Shakes and Oct. 12 at Duffy’s. Exhibit features detailed etchings, death and nature By Paula Lavigne Senior Reporter , Dead birds, toys and Latin phrases highlight two exhibits showing at The Gallery of the Department of Art and Art His tory. “AnneConnell: Recent Paint ings” and “Susan Hansen: Photo graphic Constructions” will be on display until Oct. 27 in the Richards Hall gallery. Connell’s paintings feature a juxtaposition of figures and ideas on a small plane. She plays with elements of drafting design and mixed patters. Her work uses layers of paint, metallic gold leaf and gesso — plaster of Paris mixed with glue — on wood. She has etched de tailed designs in the surface. The effect is similarto a woodcut print but not as dramatic. “Excelsior" contrasts etched bees on a blue background with a small toy ball and a globe on a gold backdrop. The effect is stun ning and works well. Etched chickens and painted Exhibits: “Anne Connell: Recent Paintings” and “Susan Hansen: Photographic Constructions” At: 102 Richards Hall Times: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays until Oct. 27 Comment: Abstract examinations of objects and ideas dominos contrast on “Rapid Les sons in Abbreviated Drawing," a compilation of colorful chaos and playful objects. With her many patterned bor ders, Connell has a longing for organizedjuxtaposition —a para dox that works well for her. Connell carries out her diver sity in the flip side of her abstract etchings in her paintings that See EXHIBIT on 10 New videos scream: ‘Quality not quantity’ By Oarry Baltz Staff Reporter It’s a slow week for new video release quantity, but it’s a great week in terms of quality. We’ve got one dinosaur flick with top of-the-line special effects and a basketball flick with great cam era work and music. The pick of the week is a pool-oriented film from the early ’60s. "Jurassic Park” (PG-13) — The runaway monster hit of the summer of 1993, “Jurassic Park” is a film to be enjoyed for thrills and special effects and not acting ability. Although the humans-vs.-di nosaurs film is barely a pale re semblance to the Michael Crichton novel, “Jurassic Park” already has placed itself among the top 10 moneymaking films of all time and will not be going extinct anytime soon. Some video dealers in Lincoln have procured copies of “Jurassic Park” that have been letterboxed —wide-screen format that elimi nates lost footage — so it might be worthwhile to spend a couple of minutes on the phone to find out who has the special version. “Above The Rim” (R)— Not a very original story line—a high school basketball star (Duane Martin) is being lured into gang life (led by rapper Tupac Shakur) — but it is all handled well. The camera work for the bas ketball sequences isexcellent, and See NEWVID on 10 . PeopleWatch _ NFL’s Sayers trades Chicago for slower life WAKARUSA, Ind. (AP) — Fleet-footed football legend Gale Sayers is looking forward to a slow, simple life as a small-town news paper publisher. The former Chicago Bears run ning back plans to retire in three years and move to the small town he first visited as a rookie in the 1960s. Sayers built a house in Wakarusa, about 100 miles east of Chicago, in 1987 and started a weekly paper in July. His co-publisher, Melissa Troxel, handles much of the day to-day operation, but he plans to get more involved after settling in. “In Chicago, Gale Sayers can’t go out, for the most part. Auto graphs. People kind of bothering you,” he said. "But I can go to Wakarusa and go uptown to the coffee shop. “I talk to the people, and they know me. There’s no intrusion on my time. I’m just one of the people because I’ve been going since the ’60s.“ Singer’s home to be finished by December BEDFORD, N Y. (AP) — Mariah Carey and her husband, Sony Music president Tommy Mottola, are building a mansion with a recording studio, a ballroom and two pools. The 50-acre estate, about 40 miles north of New York City, is expected to be completed by De cember. According to plans on file with the town, the 22,000-square-foot home al so wi 11 have ni ne bedrooms, seven fireplaces, a conservatory and a pistol range. Streisand says Clinton’s look is root of issue NEW YORK (AP) — Bad hair days were one reason why Barbra Streisand stopped touring. And she thinks hair is at the root of Presi dent Clinton’s bad press. Streisand, a devoted Clinton supporter, said in the November issue of Vanity Fair that the media held the president’s youthful ap pearance against him. “They’re far tougher on this Democrat than they were on Reagan and Bush,” she said. Clinton ^“con stantly portrayed as floundering. Why? 1 think they’re jealous — jealous of a president who is very young, very smart, very nice, with a full head of hair!” Streisand, 52, said her acclaimed return to live concerts this year was actually a farewell tour. Why? “You have to put makeup on, comb your hair. You have to wear high heels. My feet get cramps.” she said. “I’m a shy person. I don’t need to keep doing this.”
