Newsboys entertain with
sci-fi equipment and space
suits.
By Ann Stack
Music Critic*
The floor literally shook Friday night at the
Pershing Auditorium with the force of the sane
2,000 fans there to see the Newsboys perform
their brand of Giristian rock.
People from all walks of life turned out fa a
night of holy rockin' n’ rollin’; everyone fron
the pre-teen crowd to the baity boomers. But
the overwhelming majority of the crowd was
young people. The average age was about 16, a
refreshing and hopeiul sign.
Promoting their sixth album, “Take Me To
Your Leader,” the Newsboys put on an amazning
show, packed with high energy and a zest for
life. The theme was obviously sci-fi, with the
band descending from three stages that later
served as tambourine-shaped screens.
i They opened their 90-mmute set with the title
cut from their fourth album, “Not Ashamed,” to
an enormous crowd response
They that played a decent mixture of clas
sic Newsboys material, including “Spirit Thing”
and an audience-participation version of
“Shine,” phis several songs from the new album.
The crowd reaction—a stage diver who made
it around security, a young bodysurfer and a mini
mosh pit—brought to mind the question: “Does
have a movie caning out next month called
“Down Under The Big Top.” R’s a film version
of their song, “Reality.”
Songwnter/drummer and co-founder Peter
Furler said the movieand song are a kick-off
op the story of the prodigal son. But this is a
J90s version; The boy runs away to join the cir
cus and gets a job shoveling elephant dung.
During the song, bits of the movie flashed cm
the three screen overhead.
“People wander a long ways from God and
his love,” Furler said. “He forgives all the things
we do, even though we find it hard to forgive
and forget.”
Of course, they performed the power-pop
bass-infused “Take Me To Your Leader” to the
delight of the arm-waving audience. And in typi
cal Newsboys fashion, too — in blue leather
suits.
For the encore, they performed the power
ful, soul-searching “Lost The Plot.”
“When you come back again would you
bring me something from the fridge?” the News
boys wailed. “Heard a rumor that the end is
near but I just got comfortable here./ Sigh J Let’s
be blunt./ I’m a little distracted./ What do you
want?”
They finished with the rousing “Breakfast,”
throwing cereal on the audience while a balloon
spaceship circled overhead.
The real show-stealer and personal favorite
was Geoff Moore and the Distance, who per
formed after opening act Plankeye. Moore is
truly blessed as a songwriter and musician.
Their too-short set was highly energized, the
music just on the harder side of pop. The lyrics
were fresh and insightful, the songs melodic and
innovative. They performed several cuts from
their ninth album, “Greatest Hits,” including a
couple of new tunes.
Moore slowed down mid-set to perform two
jygjUieart-fdt acotirtig songs that brought
more than a tear to this reviewer's eye. He also
paused to share his fidth with the audience.
“I feel really fired up about being a Chris
tian, but mostly when it’s convenient,” Moore
said, while candles burned on the stage behind
him. He urged everyone to “remember your vow
...remember the night you became a Christian.”
Lane Hickenbottom/DN
OWEN CLEASBY of the band Gregory screams into the microphoneSaturday night
at a benefit concert sponsored by Amnesty International at the Culture Center.
Great script
makes Hanks’
ThatThmgf
• _ - •
impressive
fcagg
Film: “That Thing YouDo!”
Cast: Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler,
Tom Hanks, Jofanathon Schaech, Steve
ZaJI&i, Ethan Embry, Chariize Thenm,
Chris Isaak, Kevin
Rocco, Peter Scoiori,,
Director: Tbm Hanks
RatiagiPC
Grade: B+
Five Words: Hanks’ debut is a win
ner i. v r -
By Patrick Miner
Movie Critic
If anyone was cynical of this movie
before seeing it, it was me. It looked
like a Beatles biography undo- a dif
ferent name, and the end to a possible
directing career for Tom Hanks.
I was wrong.
“That Thing You Do” is one of the
best movies of the year, and one big
reason is Tom Hanks' great directing
and writingjob.
The film opens in Erie, Penn., with
Guy (Tom Everett Scott), a struggling
musician, practicing his drums down
stairs in his father's appliance store.
Guy had played in a few bands before,
but none of them stayed together very
long.
Meanwhile, an unnamed foursome
was thinking up a band name so they
could play at a local high school talent
show. When the prospective drummer
broke his arm leapfrogging over a park
ing meter, the guitarist Lenny (Steve
Zahn) and lead singer/songwriter
Jimmy (Johnathan Schaech) ask Guy
to join the band.
Hie rest was history.
Jimmy wrote a ballad called “That
Thing You Do,” Guy upped the tempo
at the talent show, and the band had
themselves a hit. Soon after, they
joined the Play-Tone label courtesy of
Mr. White (Ibm Hanks), changed their
name to “the Wonders,” toured the
country, played on national television
and became teen idols.
This movie could have been cheesy
if it weren’t for Hanks’ excellent script.
The film is humorous, with most of the
cracks coming from Zahn’s Lenny.
Other characters, such as Guy, Jimmy
and Faye (Liv Tyier),made up the more
serious side of the film.
Hanks’ directing job was very ef
fective as well. His talent was best ex
emplified in the scene at the nitons
State Fair. The actors who played the
members of the Wonders each tod little
or no previous experience as musician s
but looked convincing. The camera
work in the scene was vety well done.
The cast of newcomers who ap
peared in the film, namely the mem
bers of the band, woe very impressive,
with Scott taking top honors. Liv Tyler
also made a huge contribution to the
film, showing she is a lot better actress
than most people would probably
credit her as being. Portraying Faye,
Jimmy ’s girlfriend, she is more a mem
ber of the band than the bass player,
who is called just “the bass player.”
Tyler shows die can play the serums
role, a far cry from her days of acting
in her dad’s Aerosmith videos.
Ibis film is worth the money. If
you’re in the mood to see a feel-good
movie or just want to rock out, “That
Tiling You Do” is definitely for you.
riot makes
confidants out
ofopDosites
By Liza Holtmehr
Theater Critic
Picture two women. One speaks
with the crispness of a New En
glander and dresses in brown and
gray suits; the other has a Texas
twang and wears bright pink pants
and puffy,painted shirts. The two
would hardly seem candidates to be
come best friends.
But friends they were in this
weekend’s Theatrix production, “A
Coupla White Chicks Sitting
Around Talking” by John Ford
Noonan.
The play dealt with the relation
ship and eventual friendship of
Maude Mix, convincingly played by
Kathy Dudley, and Hannah Mae
Bindler, comically played by Becca
Babbitt.
The play began with Hannah
Mae moving from Texas to become
Maude’s next-door neighbor.
Hannah Mae was determined to
become a part of Maude’s life, but
it was evident from the moment the
play began that Maude had too
much in her life already to handle
Hannah Mae.
Eventually though, she suc
cumbed to Hannah Mae’s persis
tence. Not even Maude’s adultery
with Hannah Mae’s husband, Carl
MetuesttCHSCB&onlS.
