Arts ©Entertainment
Thursday, January 12,1995
Page 12
Buffalo gals’
native tunes
rock KZUM
By John Fulwldor
Staff Reporter
Former UNL student Jill O’Brien is
going by a different name these, days.
Radio listeners know her as “Buffalo
Jill.”
O’Brien, who attended UNL last se
mester, co-hosts a new KZUM-FM 89.3
program called Buffalo Soul. The show
features American Indian and Canadian
Indian music.
O’Brien’s reason for volunteering at
the community-sponsored radio station
is simple.
“I want to let people know about this
music,” she said.
Each Monday from 6:30 to 7 p.m.,
O’Brien and her co-host, Susan Braine
(a.k.a. “Buffalo Braine”) play a mix of
traditional, blues, jazz, rock, heavy metal
and rap music — all by native artists.
They’ve hosted the program since mid
November 1994.
The program is different every week.
O’Brien said sometimes she’ll have a
call-in from an out-of-state artist, com
bined with a few songs by that artist.
unce, 10 memonaiize me msioncai
massacre at Wounded Knee, she and
Braine read a chapter from the novel,
“Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,”
selecting appropriate music to accom
pany the emotional reading.
Sometimes they play only music.
She said there were subtle differences
between Native American music and
mainstream music.
“It’s quality music,” she said. “Some
times the difference is in lyrics, where
we’re talking more about eagles soaring
or about the great spirit. But they are set
to rock rhythm.”
Current Native American music re
flects the past as well as the future, she
said.
“It’s more of an evolution showing
where Native American people are at
today,” she said. “There are songs that
cover historical events, there are politi
cal songs, and there are very spiritual
and ecological songs.”
One way that Native American art
ists reveal their history, she said, is
through traditional powwow music,
based on drum beats and chants. Mod
See BUFFALO on 14
Tl» members of No Left Stone
guitarist Doug Agne.
Travis Haying/DN
Singer Craig Korth, bassist Chris SommeHch, drummer Mike Daeges and
Band leaves no stone unturned
Editor’s note: This is the fourth story in
a weeklong Daily Nebraskan series ex
ploring the eastern Nebraska rock music
scene.
By Joel Strauch
Senior Reporter
Like almost every other local band, No
Left Stone dreams of breaking into the
national music scene. But this Lincoln band
has a plan.
That plan hinges on the band’s new
album, “Weaver Festival Phenomenon.”
Chris Sommerich, No Left Stone bassist,
said the band planned to use the album to
expand their radio play, their audience and
their touring.
“The big key is the radio campaign,”
Sommerich said. “We’ve been waiting un
til the new semester to expand on college
radio stations because of all the changes
over break.”
The band, which also includes singer
Craig Korth, drummer Mike Daeges and
guitarist Doug Agne, needs to perform in
cities where they are getting extensive air
play, Sommerich said.
“Our last album charted in a lot of differ
ent places that we didn’t devote the right
amount of attention to,” he said.
THE
It we can get that hap
pening on any substan
tial scale, we can set up
touring behind it,” he
said.
louring is one or tne
main things a local band
can do to get national
notice, Sommerich said.
“Bands like 311 or
Mercy Rule get atten
tion by playing nonstop all over the coun
try,” he said.
“We need to be able to get out of town on
a more serious basis.”
But the band will have to wait until they
aren’t so busy with work and school,
Sommerich said.
“When spring comes, we will be able to
tour a week or two at a time,” he said.
“We want to get to the point where we
don’t have to play both sides of the fence,”
he said. “We want to make enough money
to support ourselves.”
No Left Stone has not tapped a poten
tially large under-21 audience, Sommerich
said.
“It’s a big market that shouldn’t be over
looked,” he said.
“We recently played an all-ages show at
Le Cafe Shakes to get known among the
high school kids,” he said. “It’s great to see
young kids all excited about our band.”
No Left Stone has been together for
almost three years. Getting the first show
can be tough for a band, Sommerich said.
No Left Stone had a lucky break when they
first started out.
“We had a lot of support from bigger
bands,” he said. “Our very first show, we
opened for the Millions.”
The band has shown similar kindness to
smaller local bands as their own popularity
increases, Sommerich said.
“It ’ s been nice to return the favor to other
See NO LEFT STONE on 14
BretGottshall/DN
Singleton schools audience on issues
By Elizabeth Qamboa
Staff Reporter
Rarely does a movie come along
that boldly addresses the issues of our
time. To a generation defined by
apathy and laziness, John Singleton
asks the question, “How many people
came here to change the world?”
“Higher Learning” is written, di
rected, and produced by John Single
ton (“Poetic Justice,” “Boyz N the
Hood”). Singleton proves his versa
tile directing skills in this movie
through powerful close-ups and hand
held camera work. His camera is
always moving, always asking the
audience to see the world as he sees
it.
This perspective is a great asset to
the movie since life is too often por
trayed through the eyes of the major
ity. Singleton offers a fresh look at a
generation that many are anxious to
discount as useless.
The movie centers on Columbus
The Facts
Movie: Higher Learning
Rating: R
Stars: Omar Epps, Tyra Banks,
Kristy Swanson, Ice Cube,
Laurence Fishbume
Director: John Singleton
Grade: A
Five Words: Thought
provoking, a must see.
University, a diverse college campus
where newcomers, struggling to find
their places, fall easily into persua
sive groups. The outcome is a battle
fueled by hatred and ignorance.
This film gives a truthful look into
college life, examining date rape,
financial problems and racism among
students. Although Singleton does
exaggerate to make his points clear,
the events portrayed are definitely
based in reality.
Omar Epps give the film’s best
performance. He portrays Malik, a
student on a track scholarship, who
feels the white establishment is block
ing his path to success. Epps gives a
very sensitive performance of a vul
nerable and strong man trying to find
his place in the world.
Ice Cube plays the leader of the
black students on campus and offers
the most resistance to police officers
who constantly harass and attack
black students while allowing the
white, real criminals to go free.
Kristy Swanson (“Buffy the Vam
pire Slayer”) plays a rich girl who is
led to date rape and bisexuality. She
realizes racial tension is aproblem on
campus and organizes a peace rally
to bring people together.
Supermodel Tyra Banks (“Fresh
See LEARNING on 14
