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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 1994)
Arts ©Entertainment Wednesday/November 16,1994 Page 9 Duarte group to play at Zoo Bar tonight Courtesy of Siivertone Records Chris Quarts brings his Stratocastor and his bandmates, John Jordan and Paul Mills, to Lincoln for a performance tonight at the Zoo Bar, 146 N. 14th St. By Jill O’Brim Staff Reporter On Feb. 17,1993, Austin, Texas, guitar ist Chris Duarte, bass player John Jordan and drummer Paul Mills had finished a gig in Aspen, Colo., and were cn route to Lin coln when they pulled in front of a semi trailer truck. “It was a bad thing,” Duarte said. “That was the day after my birthday. ‘Boom! Here you go, here’s 30. We’re going to start you off a little rough this year.’” But it takes more than a semi to slow Duarte down. “There I was, kind of in shock, thinking. ‘ Well, come on, let’s get Paul out of the van. Let’s pick up all this equipment. Let’s turn the van back over on its wheels ‘cause we've got to get to Lincoln tomorrow.'” Instead, the Stratocastcr slingcr and his band were whisked to a Denver hospital. While Duarte recovered from internal inju ries, his drummer, in a coma for two days, worked on recovering his memory. “It was a traumatic experience,” Duarte said. “It makes you think a lot. but it didn't change our goals of wanting to conquer the world or wanting to make history ... blaze across the heavens. That’s what John and I really want to do. We want to put our own mark on music and strive for immortality, however tall the order might seem.” Now, the mended Chris Duarte Group is back on the road, playing almost every night, sliding from one tour into the next. So obsessed with playing, Duarte performs 300 nights a year. This tour marks the release of his debut album on Silvertonc Records, “Texas Sugar/ Strat Magik.” “I found out one thing,” he laughed. “The more famous you get, the less sleep vou get. The past three or four weeks, it’s been less sleep, less sleep, less sleep, but that's okay. I can deal with it.” Show: Chris Duarte Group At: Zoo Bar, 136 N. 14th St. Time: 9:00 tonight Tickets: $5 at the door The album, like Duarte's live perfor mances, begins with hard-driving guitar and ends twice as hard, he said. “We’re real aggressive, real on-edge and real in-your-face, he said. “That’s why we call it punk blues.” Call it punk with a passion, because all he wants is to take every note of his music to the outer reaches. “I want to explore music,” he said “You can’t just love a note; you have to really pick it... and pick it.” Fueled by his passion to play, Duarte quit school at 16 and moved from his home in San Antonio to Austin. “My first gig ever in Austin, I placed in an Italian restaurant, background music. My pay was a plate of spaghetti. I couldn’t believe I was playing in that restaurant.” He advanced from the ranks of playing “Michelle” to playing jazz, and then he ventured into blues. “I was still a very white player, a young kid. Fast was best, and I just wasn’t saying anything. When 1 got the blues, it allowed me to get in touch with my soul and start communicating a lot more, and that’s when I discovered my voice,” he said in a 100 mph Texas drawl. “I've seen some good players, but some times they get into this mode and just play jive — they just ain't saying anything When somebody's playing music, it's communi cation, and you should be telling a story,” he See DUARTE on 10 -r Romantic Spanish film lush, witty By Jim Clhlar Staff Reporter “Belle Epoque,” the new film by Fernando Trueba that is showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater, is a playful and funny, romantic and wild romp. The film has won a ton of awards, includ ing nine Goyas (the Spanish equivalent of Academy Awards). It is about a young man who stays at a house where four daughters live, and he sleeps with each one. But it is done in the usual scnsual/lyrical/poetic style that is dc rigucur for foreign films. Therefore it is likely to appeal to audience members of all sensibilities. What more do you need to know? It is good. Go see it. To fill in some of the blanks: The setting is 1931 Spain. A Republican soldier, Fernando, deserts the army and is picked up by two guards of the Carlist (or monarchist) army, a father-in-law and son-in-law team. As the father-in-law begins to loosen Fernando’s handcuffs, the son-in-law pro tests. The son-in-law shoots the father-in law, setting up the movie’s bookend device: Can son-in-laws get along with father-in laws? Fernando finds his way .to Manolo’s house, and the young, handsome deserter develops a friendship with the older, wiser man. Then Manolo’s four beautiful daugh ters arrive. Just so you get a sense of how “Belle Epoque” leans toward romantic teasing rather than gratuitous fulfillment: This is a movie with a lot of sex in it, and yet nobody takes off their clothes. It is playful sex rather than in-your-face sex. There is much wordplay about Fernando’s former status as a priest-wanna be who dropped out of the seminary and his Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classic Fernando (Jorge Seitz), right, and Rodo (Marlbel Verdfi) share a dose moment In the film “Belle Epoque.” current status as a homdog. For instance, as the three older daughters and their mother observe Fernando and the youngest daughter, Luz, in a tender em brace in the woods, the daughters mumble to each other, “That seminarian.” One other creative and well-developed scene of note involves Fernando and Violeta, the tough, independent daughter who refers to herself as a man. “Belle Epoque" is a cool, funny, lush, playful, sensuous movie. It is showing at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater tor the next two weekends. Movie: “Belle Epoque" Rating: not rated Stars: Fernando Fcmdn Gome/., Jorge Sanz, Maribcl Verdu, Ariadna Gil Director: Fernando Trucba Grade: A Five Words: Soldier sleeps with four daughters New videos cover gamut of quality By Gtorry Bsltz _ Staff Reporter This week's new video releases con sist of a couple of good solid flicks that help offset a poor sequel, an epic west ern and a Chevy Chase movie. The pick of the week is something with some fangs to it. “Speed” (R) — The big hit of the summer comes home to video, but w ill it work on the small screen? Sadly, the odds are against it working, but it’s still worth seeing. Keanu Reeves stars as Jack Travcn, a Los Angeles police officer who winds up on a city bus wired to explode if its speed drops below SO mph. Decent supporting cast members (Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper) help things out in one of the best cinematic adrenaline rides in a long time. It is true that “Speed’’ nas more than one technical flaw, but the film is still a blast. “When A Man Loves A Woman” (R) — A story detailing a family's struggle with alcoholism and rehabili tation, this is a film to sec. Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia play the standard married couple with two great kids, and they seem to have everything going their way. However, Ryan’s drinking problem becomes more and more severe, and eventually, it reaches the point at which she must enter rehabilitation to save See NEWVID on 10