Thursday, August 28,1997____ Page 15
Is UNL going
to the ‘burbs’?
Since Bill Byme became the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln athletic director five
years ago, he’s increased football ticket
prices, started mandatory “donations” from
certain boosters and moved student seating.
These changes are switching the sport’s
fanfare away from students and average
Nebraskans toward the arena of the fortunate
few. With such elitist plans as skyboxes, the
transformation seems to be progressing well.
Et tu, Bethea?
The Lied Center for Performing Arts,
under the executive direction of Charles
Bethea, seems to be operating with similar
discrimination.
If you are unaware, the shows of three of
the Lied’s 29 performers this season have
already sold out. Tickets to see the artists -
Itzhak Perlman, Peter, Paul & Mary and Hal
Holbrook - were gone weeks ago. In fact, the
Lied box office made individual access to the
26 other performers available only Monday.
This isn’t an issue of delinquent buyers.
Because the performances sold out so quick
ly, students would have had to be Lied sub
scribers to gain access.
That would have required purchasing one
ticket to the three performances, as well as a
fourth, costing them at least $47. for exam
pie, to see Peter, Paul & Mary.
Certainly, Bethea has worked magic with
the Lied’s lineup. Having been there less than
one year, he has helped sign such greats as
Latin jazz man Tito Puente and master pup
peteers Theatre Sans Fil.
However, by using the subscriber system,
the Lied forgets an important segment of
Lincoln and the university - students. All
UNL students pay university program and
facilities fees. While the amount that goes
toward Lied student discounts is minimal -
$ 1.98 per student per semester, with a pro
jected annual revenue of $96,233 - the fund’s
purpose is to maintain student access to qual
ity arts and entertainment.
The subscriber system works against this
goal, as well as the Lied’s mission to make
“the experiences (of lifetime learning
through the arts) accessible to all members of
the community.” Likewise, it jeopardizes the
student interest in the Lied that Bethea has
said he wished to nurture
I hope Bethea remembers his studeni
constituency when planning for ticket sales
next season, and doesn't “Byrne” us like oth
ers have.
Goodwin is a senior news-editorial
major and the Daily Nebraskan Arts &
Entertainment editor.
I
I
Kate Milford/special to
the DN
PERFORMING ARTIST
SHARON HEYES is
touring almost 50
cities, gathering the
experiences of les
bians for a piece she
will later write.
■ Traveling production gives
Lincoln women an opportunity to
share their experiences.
By Jim Goodwin
A&E Editor
Lesbian students looking for a larger com
munity will have the opportunity to see New
York City writer and performance artist Sharon
Hayes at the Wagon Train Project. 512 S. 7l“
St., Friday night.
Hayes’ project, “Lesbian Love Tour,”
includes a five-part spoken word and move
ment piece exploring what it means to be a les
bian living in America today.
Abbigail Swatsworth, a University of
Nebraska-Lincoln social work senior who is
helping sponsor the artist, said Hayes’ produc
tion and a pre-performance potluck will pro
vide women the opportunity to speak freely
and share experiences with one another.
“(Hayes) seems to want to start a discussion
of the people who are there,” Swatsworth said.
“The question will be, ‘What is our communi
ty like?'”
Actually, Hayes is looking for input from
aboul 48 communities. The artist’s perfor
mances - taking her from New York City to Los
Angeles and back over a 3'/2-month period - is
only one aspect of her Lincoln arrival.
At the end of every performance, Hayes
asks for audience participation in a group dis
cussion. The material she collects from such
talks will comprise the performance’s second
part, which she will perform in New York City.
Not only will the evening give Hayes access
to Lincoln’s lesbian community, but the women
will have the opportunity to meet one another,
said Amy Lamphere, director of the Wagon
Train Project.
“I'm hoping it will help identify issues that
are specific to Lincoln,” she said.
Hayes’ evening-length performance
includes a piece about sexuality and shame and
three segments of her unfinished “SENSE”
Please see TOUR on 16
Country rocker electrifies diverse crowd
By Sean McCarthy
Music Critic
The Junior Brown concert
was hotter, if not wetter, than a
sauna Tuesday night.
The heat didn’t affect the
huge reception country rocker
Brown received once he took the
stage shortly after 11 p.m.
Iggggg/ft
“It’s great to be back!” Brown
yelled, his trademark double neck
slide steel guitar in hand, imme
diately launching into a set that
consisted of traditional country
and old school rockabilly.
The diversity of Brown’s fans
showed in the audience. About
half of the crowd were country
music fans, who cheered for the
slow ballads, such as “Darlin’ I’ll
Do Anything You Say.” The other
half were college students, who
cheered wildly for “Highway
Patrol” and other more high
energy rockabilly songs.
With his steel-shined suit and
20-gallon cowboy hat, Brown
displayed showmanship with
tacky perfection. His perfor
mance was more along the lines
of The Reverend Horton Heat
than Brooks & Dunn - more
Mojo Nixon than Garth Brooks.
Before Brown played, local
favorites Shithook entertained
the sweat-drenched crowd. The
band’s performance was greeted
with hoots and raised Budweiser
bottles throughout the bar.
Brown’s mix of blues, rocka
billy and country could convert
country music haters. With his
customized guitar on his lap,
Brown let loose some amazing
riffs reminiscent of Stevie Ray
Vaughn and Bonnie Raitt. His
Grammy-nominated song, “My
Wife Thinks You’re Dead” drew
the largest applause.
