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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1998)
fl UNL dance department still kicking By Liza Holtmeier Staff writer A little more than a year ago. University of Nebraska-Lincoln dance majors faced rumors involving the possible dissolution of their pro gram. Now, after a year of speculation and changes, the program's faculty members and students feel rney are on more solid ground. With the intro duction of two new faculty members to the program, dance majors say they feel a new energy and vitality. “We have two ladies working for us who are really strong-willed and ready to take cnarge, sam oranuy ivmici. a semoi uancc majoi. "I see a lot of potential in the program right now.” The two new faculty members, Kelly Holcombe and Julie Kane, were hired to replace visiting Professor .Ann Shea and former Dance Director Charlotte Adams. Shea returned to her home state of Tennessee this summer, while Adams took a job as assistant professor of dance at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. While students have missed Adams and Shea, most have responded positively to the new instructors. Lisa Fusillo, a UNL dance professor, said the‘ ii two women have challenged the students with Please see DANCE on 10 i _ I U “Right now, everything is starting to click” Kelly Holcombe dance instructor Sandy Summers/DN MONYA DEBOER, left, Sarah Harris and Kevin Gibbs pose with their legs in attitude during barre exercises for Ballet IV class in the Johnny Carson Theatre on Monday morning. j Pianist Lorie Line, orchestra i | to take stage at Lied on Sunday By Patrick Miner Staff writer i When some people hear the word piano, they think of one other word: recital. But for Lone Line, from Minneapolis, the word I isn’t even in her vocabulary. Her assortment of colorful costumes and eclectic sounds will return to Lincoln as Line, along'with her 14-piece Pop Chamber Orchestra, appears at the Lied i iui i ci icu. iiiiiiti rvi ij, 301 N. 12th St, Sunday for an annual holiday performance. The Lied Center perfor mance will be only the second on a 40-day tour that Line expects to be simply “magi cal.” A gifted pianist and enter tainer, Line and her accompa nying orchestra incorporate widely diverse instrumenta tion such as a fiddle, harmoni ca, mandolin and saxophone. Even a gospel vocalist gets thrown into the mix, which is entirely arranged solely by Line. “The music is like spices when cooking,” Line said. “If you know how much to put in the dish, it’s fabulous and becomes a gourmet meal.” If playing a veritable buffet of instruments on stage weren’t enough, the crowd always gets a chance to offer its own talents - or at least their voices. The tour’s theme-0 f “Be There With Bells On!” is Of course. Line still steals the show. She spent all year planning costumes, with each garment worn by a performer acting as a reminder of the instrument’s time of origin, and each costume fitting the show’s color scheme of cobalt blue, turquoise and silver. Line's accomplished recording career spans 15 albums, including her latest effort, “The Heritage Collection II,” which debuted on the Billboard New Age album chart at No. 7. The album is a collection of personal interpreta tions of peaceful, traditional tracks that she finds especially suited for a November concert. “Those songs have a good tiding, mankind and universal feeling,” Line said. “I don’t want to be too Chnstmasy too early.” Directly contrasting “The Heritage Collection II” is the more upbeat “Sharing the Season III,” which features holiday favorites such as “Carol of the Bells,” “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Frosty the Snowman.” They are all part of the newly released three-album gift set, “The Lorie Line Holiday Collection.” In addition to the sched uled music from her albums, Line’s show always includes a few spontaneous songs sug gested by the crowd. Since last year’s Pershing Auditorium show, the pianist has even learned to play “There Is No Place Like Nebraska.” Line plans for the show to last just over two hours. Courtesy Photo MUSICIAN LORIE LINE will bring some Christmas cheer and her usual good spir its to the Lied Center on Sunday. . Line s way 01 nouiymg aucnuccs ui uicu uuiy on live i icKets ror tne /: ju p.m. penormance are j»zo of the songs to be played. According to Line, the audi- and S22 and are half-price for students. Call the Lied ence should be ready from the get-go: The second Center box office for more information at (402) 472 song of the set demands crowd participation. 4747. Beck “Mutations” DGC Grade: B+ Having established “Where It’s At,” Beck is back from another musical journey to places no other musician could ever find: islands with Latin beach parties on one end and sleepy campfire get-togethers at the other. This new musical venture is as fresh and relaxing as a resort stay in the Caribbean. Considering the overwhelming success of his 1996 release, “Odelay,” and the numer ous artist-of-the-year awards he accumulat ed, it’s no wonder Beck made an album like “Mutations.” It marks a break from the hip-hop crazi ness and over-the-top, vocals of “Odelay” hits like “Where it’s At,” “Devil’s Haircut” and “New Pollution.” As a whole, “Mutations” is a collective good morning and good night all wrapped up in 11 tracks. The prevailing mood throughout the album is as comforting as a cup of coffee in the morning and as therapeutic as being tucked in after a long night. For probably the first time in Beck’s career, his record keeps the same initial feel from beginning to end. It is predominately mellow, soft and soothing with a few sparks of honky-tonk kookiness here and there. The songs sound familiar after hearing them just once, and the mixture of country acoustic basics with echoed and spacey string arrangements creates a tranquilizing. half-drunk and glazed-over feel that tastes as sweet as a Shirley Temple. “Cold Brains,” the album's opener and a definite standout, is a slow and surreal lament that combines Beck’s signature monotone vocals over basic acoustic guitar strumming. The washed over wah-wah notes keep the song moving, and a steady snare beat and harmonica tune give the song a gen uine bluesy feel. The album was made in two weeks fol lowing Beck’s extremely successful “Odelay” tour, a time frame Beck usually doesn’t work in. The entire album was played by Beck’s touring band and that, coupled with the short time in which it was recorded, helps in the album’s progressing vibe. To the press. Beck said the idea behind the album was to show the more delicate side of music, which he feels is highly ignored and underrated. Songs like “We Live Again,” a sleepy ballad with a waltz beat and phased-out gui tar picking, reinforce Beck’s focus on musi cal intricacies. So does “Sing It Again,” a weary old drinking song with a country feel and a polka beat mixed in with a reverberat ing slide guitar sound. The album’s strongest remnant of “Odelay” comes in the form of an unnamed, hidden song found a few minutes after “Static,” the album’s last tune. This mystery song combines the ’60s garage surf-style guitar, drum and bass remnants of “New Pollution” with feedback and laser sounds for a pretty groovin’ rock tune. “Mutations” as a whole sounds consider ably less low-fi than Beck’s previous works, and producer Nigel Godrich’s (Radiohead) influence is very present and pleasant. The songs sound smoother and more synthetic than both “Mellow Gold” and “Odelay,” and Beck’s vocals are much more prevalent. Despite the fact that “Mutations” is con siderably less exciting than “Odelay,” it’s still enjoyable in its own right. While “Odelay” serves to get the party started, “Mutations” helps with the cleanup and inevitable recu peration. It is definitely worth checking out for any Beck fan, and it adds a lot to Beck’s already impressive repertoire. - Jason Hardy
