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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 1996)
t i Alternative music label fading fast Alternative music is past the time when it earned its name. Perhaps the first and definitely the longest running alternative band, R.E.M., has since altered its musical style to sell records. And any respectable bands that could possibly be classified as alternative— Fugazi, for example — run from the stigmatizing. Yes, alternative, as it originated, is dead. The music originated with bandson independent labels that chose not to take the typical route of punk rock. The name alternative itself means change, something other than the norm. But with the realization that mass amounts of money could be made by playing this “new” style of music, all of the integrity that it ever had left. Nirvana started the ball rolling with its landmark “Nevermind” album. This album was revolutionary, as it forever changed the face of popular music. Nirvana was unusual for a pop band. It was not trying to sell millions of records, but managed to do it anyway. R.E.M. was one of the tlrst alterna tive bands, but even it has lost sight of reality. How “alternative” is charging $40 a ticket to sec the band in concert? That sounds like Pink Floyd, not a grass-roots, down-to-earth, alternative band. No sooner was Kurt Cobain’s blood dry, than Michael Stipe began to recall their “close” relationship. Any thing for a dollar. The biggest joke is Pearl Jam. It is the single biggest Nirvana coattail rider, and it’s a band made for the radio. The members downplay their corporate tendencies by not promot ing their albums. But if your albums nearly go platinum on their first day of release, not much promotion isneeded. Oh sure, I forgot they were in that tough battle with Ticketmaster, fight ing for all their fans. But even when using a different ticket agency, their tickets were more than $20. If they don’t want their fans to pay so much, they shouldn’t play in monstrous audi toriums with massive sound systems. But then Eddie’s voice probably wouldn’t sound as good. I’m curious whether all the radio stations that have suddenly sprung up will disappear just as fast. These sta tions arc just like any other “teeny bopper” station. They play songs that are in the “buzz bin” at least once an hour, having no sense of musical his tory, and rarely introduce anything ris que. Their set lists are just one big commercial for major record labels. Alternative is nothing special or pro vocative; it’s just pop for the ’90s. The fact that alternative music is pop, is of little consequence. It’s the fact that the artists act like the music is not money-driven garbage, when most of it is. The music being released does not inspire thought or serve any pur pose other than pop’s typical role of songs to sing in the shower. Maybe you can think of this quasi alliteration next time one of those pop tunes enters your thoughts. Majors make millions making alternative mu sic mainstream. Hitt Is a sophomore physics major aad a Dally Nebraskan staff reporter. Socially relevant Matt Miller/DN Wendy Jane Bantam’s art will be displayed at the Berkholder Project, 719 P St., throughout the month of March. Bantam is trying to organize a mural created by members of the Lincoln community. Artist wants to create group-painted mural By Patrick Hambrecht Senior Reporter Lincoln artists need to take im mediate steps to overcome the elitist nature of the local art scene and galleries, painter Wendy Jane Ban tam said. Bantam’s own art is being dis played until the end of the month at the Burkholder Project, 719 P St. Often “the only people who know about your art being shown at a gallery arc the people who have money,” Bantam said. Bantam has tried to make art more socially relevant in Lincoln by be ginning a community-access art ex hibit and organizing a new group “Childhood memories are very crisp, clear and clean. They have become a language that form a part of who I am now. ” WENDY JANE BANTAM artist painted mural, she said. She is trying to find a building where all members of the commu nity can display their art for the month. Visitors would be encour aged to attend with offers of free food and live music, she said. Similarly, Bantam is also trying to organize an art mural where all members of the community would be invited to create the theme and then paint the finished product, as she did during a community art fes tival in Lawrence, Kan. “There are a lot of good build ings for murals down in the Haymarket,” Bantam said. But stringent building codes and a wary business community make it hard to spruce up the downtown area, Bantam said. Bantam was inspired to art activ ism by a mural painter she knew who moonlighted as a social graffiti art ist. The graffiti artist would make stencils of the images he wanted to paint, then spray-paint the images quickly on a public wall or sidewalk and flee. By usingguerrilla techniques, the artist was able to make statements to the community that would othcr See BANTAM on 13 Offbeat comedy explores pornography By Brian Priesman Theater Critic Pornography. That’s what “Miss Autobody,” the latest production from UNL’s Theatre and Dance depart-, ment, is all about. Well, not com pletely. “Miss Autobody” also I explores tne roles that gender plays in society. Did I also men tion that it’s a campy, comic musical? “Miss Autobody” is a fun romp through the town of Pompomville, as the mayor prepares to open his newest bar, The Sex Complex. Unfortunately for him, some of the town’s residents have a problem with The Sex Complex and the im age it presents of women. Thrown into the mi x is the town’s new auto garage, Miss Autobody, owned and operated entirely by very feminist females. That’s the basic story of “Miss Autobody,” an offbeat comedy that was originally presented by the ac claimed French-Canadian comedy troupe “Lcs Folles Alliees.” •> What makes this production work is the fact that it’s all women. The seven-member cast plays all the roles, including the men. But this also leads to the piece’s greatest fault. By using all women, the produc tion, at times, resorts to almost preaching about the harmful effects of pornography on women and soci ety. Leading the cast is the sprightly Kristi Lee Covey as Pompomville’s mayor, Maurice Malo. Covey is ex eellent as the chauvinistic-pig who feels that pornography is good for the economy and, therefore, demo cratic. His wife, played with zest by Lori Norcia, tries to support her husband, but eventually admits that his obsession with pornography is wrong. Other standouts include Becky Key as the strange Pandora Red, a slightly psychotic feminist who helps run the garage; Michelle Eckley as the spunky waitress Jcanine; and Kristin Hensley as Timothy Tremblay,a car-obsessed, hormone crazy hot-rodder with a “little thing knocking around in his engine.” “Miss Autobody” is a thought provoking comedy that forces the audience to look at the effects of pornography realistically. “Miss Autobody” runs Tuesday through Saturday in the Studio The Play: “Miss Autobody” Stars: Kristi Lee Covey, Becky Key, Kristin Hensley Director: Karen Libman Company: UNL Theatre and Dance Grade: B Five Words: Pornography on a campy parade atrc at the Temple Building, 12th and R streets, with performances at 8 each night. Tickets are available from the Theatre and Dance Department Box Office. Admission is $6 for students, $7 for faculty, staff and senior citi zens, and $9 for the public.