Jon Waller/DN
Trombonist Gene Watts (left) and tuba virtuoso Chuck Daellenbach sport their sneakers at
Saturday’s Lied Center performance of Canadian Brass.
Brass ends season
on light, playful note
By Eric Shanks
Staff Reporter
Saturday’s performance of the Ca
nadian Brass at the Lied Center for
Performing Arts was, to say the very
least, uplifting.
Composed of two trumpets, a
French horn, a trombone and a tuba,
the five-member ensemble played the
final performance ofthe Lied Center’s
1994-95 concert season with a touch
of class, and considerably more than a
smattering of tomfoolery. Their antics
inspired uproarious laughter through
out the performance.
Of particular note was the playful
rivalry between the group’s founders,
tuba virtuoso Chuck Daellenbach and
trombonist Gene Watts. Both took
turns giving humorous monologues
introducing the various selections.
Watts, always the most objective
and humble, was at times aloof to the
fervent competitiveness of his coun
terpart. At other times he jokingly
pleaded with the audience to agree
with him that Daellenbach was quite
the fool.
Daellenbach, the all-too-eager tar
get of Watts’ coy mockery, feigned
humility and persisted in praising the
vital, too oft “unrecognized,” impor
tance of the tuba.
After entering from the back of the
theater somberly playing the New
Orleans funeral dirge, “Just a Closer
Walk With Thee,” the ensemble
moved toward the stage. It was as if
they were leading a funeral proces
sion to the edge of town for a burial.
Members changed positions
throughout the evening. With the ex
ception of Daellenbach, whose tuba’s
girth prevented him from the mobility
of the others, the ensemble used the
entire stage as well as some seating
areas. Sneakers worn by the members
proved to be an essential part of their
performance.
One of their most memorable se
lections was Samuel Barber’s “Ada
gio (for strings),” a brooding selec
tion recently made famous by the
Oliver Stone film “Platoon.” The en
semble also performed classical tradi
tional selections including “Giovanni
Gabrieli’sCanzonapersonareNo.3",
complete with stately choreography
begun with trumpeter Fredrick Mills
standing up and simply walking around
his chair.
After symbolically beginning the
season’s final performance like a New
Orleans-style funeral, the ensemble
ended their performance with the lively
ragtime march, “Tiger Rag.”
The piece was a fitting symbolic
return from the graveyard after bury
ing the departed 1994-95 season.
Daellenbach,undaunted,wouldnot.
be outdone. The encore featured ...
you guessed it, tuba virtuoso
Daellenbach.
Daellenbach blew loud bursts in
obvious attempts to display his domi
nance and virtuosity. While pretend
ing to ignore him, ensemble members
traded melodies and jockeyed for po
sition on stage. Characteristic of his
eagerness, Daellenbach made every
attempt to outmaneuver them. He com
pleted his solo performance by twirl
ing his tuba 360 degrees while still
playing his part.
It was, to say the very least, an
uplifting finale to the unwelcome end
of a successful season.
Poetry
readings
planned
By Bryan Peterson
Staff Reporter
Rhythm & the Rhyme, a
series of readings by local po
ets, will debut Sunday, May
14, at Le Cafe Shakes, 1418 0
St. -
Conceived as a means of
introducing and unitingpeople
who write, listen to or publish
poetry, each performance will
feature two scheduled readers
followed by open mike time.
Lincoln poets Cinnamon
Dokken and Robyn Larsen be
gan organizingthe readings two y
months ago. Although both
have read and been published
in the local area, they said they
felt the need for more commu
nication among local poets and
publishers.
“It is very open to people
who are students, people who
are not students, younger and
older members of the commu
nity,” Dokken said. “We want
to offer people a wider range
of expression.”
Kristi Truex, manager of Le
Cafe Shakes, has coordinated
five prior readings at the cafe,
See RHYTHM on 20
Control your destiny, turn off the radio
By Jeff Randall
Film Critic '
When filmmakers run out of
ideas and decent scripts, all too
often they fall back on the audi
ence-drawing power of big stars.
And when the makers of “Des
tiny Turns on the Radio” hit that
obstacle,they did exactly what was
expected by turning to director and
Oscar-winning screenwriter,
Quentin Tarantino.
Unfortunately, the word “actor”
didn’t appear in that job descrip
tion , and for good reason. Tarantino
has a lot of talent behind the scenes.
But when he is put in front of the
camera, the quality of his work tends
to approximate a downward spiral
rather than a shooting star.
In “Destiny Turns on the Ra
dio,” Tarantino has taken the role
of Johnny Destiny, a mysterious
and mystical gambler who may or
may not be the physical embodi
ment of Lady Luck (with a few
anatomical corrections).
Dylan McDermott stars as Julian,
a recently escaped convict who
makes his way back to Las Vegas to
find his girl, Lucille (Nancy Travis),
and his partner in crime, Thoreau
(James Legros).
But there are two problems in
Julian’s plan: Lucille has a new
boyfriend, casino owner Tuerto
(James Belushi), and Thoreau lost
the money he and Julian stole three
years earlier to a mysterious figure
who happens to be none other than
The Facts
FUm: Destiny Turns on the
Radio
Director: Jack Baran
Stars: Quentin Tarantino,
Dylan McDermott, Nancy
Travis, James Legros,
James Belushi
Rating: R
Grade: F+
Five Words: Tarantino
vehicle runs outta gas.
Johnny Destiny.
When Julian discovers all of this
information, madcap fun is bound
to ensue. But unfortunately, all that
results is 1 1/2 hours of unbeliev
able dialogue, mediocre acting and
camerawork that resembles prime
time television rather than a feature
film.
One of the film’s few bright spots
is found in a cameo by comedian
and occasional actor Bobcat
Goldthwait as an undercover po
lice detective who uses the alias
Mr. Smith.
But Tarantino and the other ac
tors give lackluster and often de
grading performances that leave
little or no impressions on the audi
ence. Especially questionable is
Belushi’s continuous habit of geni
tal grabbing (was that an ad lib?),
Sparks fly when old flames Lucille (Nancy Travis) and
Julian Goddard (Dylan McDermott) reunite in “Destiny
Turns on the Radio.”
which provides little humor and
only sinks the quality of this film to
new lows.
Throughout most of the movie,
the audience is left with incomplete
characters who have no viable rea
son for being involved in any rela
tionships with each other. The au
dience subsequently has no reason
to develop relationships with them
either.
The final verdict — Quentin
Tarantino should stick with direct
ing, writing and the occasional
monologue appearance. James
Belushi should keep his hands on
his desk. Bobcat Goldthwait should
be in more movies. And, audiences
everywhere should avoid “Destiny
Turns on the Radio.”