KZUM celebrates
20 years of service
with fund-raiser
By Bret Schulte
Senior Reporter
After 20 years of supporting local
events, music and artists, community
radio station KZUM-FM (89.3) is getting
a little bit back.
At its 20th anniversary banquet this
Friday, more than two dozen artists are
rallying behind KZUM by donating their
work for an auction and fund-raiser to
benefit the community-supported sta
tion. The fund-raiser will be held at the
Ramada Plaza Hotel, 141N. Ninth St.
The 7 p.m. dinner banquet will be fol
lowed by a performance from jazz/blues
trio The Lightning Bugs, which will play
classic R&B hits like “Paper Doll,” “Cab
Driver” and “Basin Street Blues.”
Those in attendance will be able to
bid on art pieces until 10 p.m., at which
time they will be awarded accordingly.
KZUM Program Director Jon Morris
said the station hopes to raise between
$8,000 and $9,000 for operating fees, a
little less than half of KZUM’s monthly
operating costs.
Lincoln resident and Marvel Comics’
artist Bob Hall said KZUM and die artis
tic community are deeply interwoven.
“There is an inevitable base of sup
port there since people need to know
about local arts, and local artists have
opinions to express,” he said.
“KZUM is one of the local arts.”
Hall is donating two original sketches
from his comic book series “The
') _^
Avengers,” published by Marvel.
All pieces donated by artists will be
placed on the auction block at the ban- J
quet, at which time those in attendance/^
can bid on the pieces.
Artist Keith Jacobshagen, also a con- 1
tributor to the auction, hopes the funds -
will be used to increase the programming
variety of the station, and has a few of his
own ideas.
“It’s the only place you can hear any
interesting ethnic music,” Jacobshagen
said. “I want to see them continue with
their programming, and I’d like to hear a ]
little more jazz.”
KZUM is not a station targeted only
at Lincoln’s artistic community, however.
Boasting a rotation of blues, jazz, folk,
Latin, urban, hip-hop, oldies,
Vietnamese, New Wave and even rock,
KZUM truly is die people’s radio station.
Morris said all disc jockeys are vol
unteers, bringing with them their own
preferences, tastes and even music, and
pulling the station close to its audience.
“This means these are real people, so
of course it’s going to be a little unpol
ished; but it creates a stronger bond with
die listener,” he said.
BIRTH OF A STATION
It was on Feb. 14, 1978, that
Lincolnites received perhaps their great
est Valentine’s Day gift - a radio station.
Dedicated to local service, local
Please see KZUM on 13
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MattHaney/DN
Mango brings‘tasty*
funk-pop to Zoo Bar
By Jason Habdy
Assignment Reporter
About 10 years ago, a young
man and his father had a long talk
about jams and jellies.
During the conversation, the
boy's father commented on his
love for mango jam. Two years
later that condiment took on a
whole new meaning when the
young boy started a band with the
same fruitful name.
Nowadays Lincoln fans show
their love of Mango Jam through
offerings of cold cuts and couches.
The Minneapolis-based band
- Mango Jam will bring its unique
brand of “roots rock with a kind of
funk-pop twist” to the Zoo Bar
tonight to build some excitement
for the April 21 release of its
fourth album, “Preserves."
Jason Bush, bass player and
lead vocalist for the band, said the
group’s sound had been described
in a variety of ways and that was
due, in part, to die band’s musical
influences.
“We’re kind of inspired by
stuff we like, and it doesn’t really
matter what type of music it is; it’s
all about the vibe we incorporate,”
Bush said.
That vibeis what has continu
ally packed the Zoo Bar for almost
Please see MANGO on 13
‘Smokey Joe’s9 brings retro rock to Lied
By Sarah Baker
Senior Reporter
Their songs have been recorded
by El vis, the Beatles and 2 Live Crew.
And just some of those songs are on
the menu this weekend at “Smokey
Joefc Caffe.”
“Smokey Joe's Caffe,” a musical
opening Friday at the Lied Center for
Performing Arts, features music writ
ten by songwriters Mike Stoller and
Jerry Lieber, who had a string of hits
in the 1950s and '60s.
The musical features more than
40 songs, including “Stand by Me,”
“Fools Fall in Love,” “Yakety Yak,”
“Love Potion No. 9” and “Jailhouse
Rock.”
State Sen. David Landis, the
speaker during the pre-show talk,
said the musical was right up his
alley.
“I love the music in the show,”
La^said. “I think Stpller and
Lieber were pivotal in the history of
rock‘n’ roll”
Norah George, director of mar
keting and media relations at the Lied
Center, said the show is a variation of
die traditional musical production.
“There is really no plot to the
show, instead it tells a story through
music,” George said.
“Smokey Joe’s Cafe” is currently
playing on Broadway, and George
said she thought that might draw
some audience members.
“This is a top quality tour,” she
said. “It has that great, larger-than
life Broadway quality.”
George encouraged people to go
see the musical for more than just foe
music. - v
“For the older generations, the
show will touch memories of songs
they heard while they were growing
up,” she stud. “The younger audience
members will have a chance to hear
old songs that are coming back into
popularity. It has musjc that we all
know and love.M
Landis said he thought people
would be able to identify with the
music in die show.
“People will just keep saying, ‘Oh
yeah! Oh yeah!* as they hear the
songs,** Landis said. “There are so
many different, wonderful artists, yet
the underlying thread is Lieber and
Stoller. It's going to be a hoot” x -
“Smokey Joe’s Caf6” opens
Friday at 8 p:m. Its run continues
Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and
Sunday at 2 p.m. Pre-performance
talks begin at 55 minutes and 30 min
utes before the performances in the
Lied Steinhart room.
Tickets for performances are $36,
$32 and $28, half-price for students.
For more information, call the Lied
box office at (402) 472-4747.
. v-j/J *£ sr.ti 4. # J . t ,y .3