arts
Jacksons captivated JFK Stadium
By MICHAEL J. BORZA
Collegian Arts Writer
Victory was in the air the moment
the stadium lights went out this past
weekend as pop superstar Michael
Jackson and his brothers brought
their Victory Tour to Philadelphia's
John F. Kennedy Stadium.
Their long-awaited tour boasted
an incredible display of sky-piercing
red and green laser beams, dazzling
pyrotechnics, a finale of monumen
tal fireworks, and most of all, a
night filled with the music of Mi
chael, Randy, Jermaine, Marlon
and Tito Jackson.
The Jackson Victory extravagan
za began with a deliberately pro
longed wait much past the
anticipated starting time. Two enor
mous helicopters circled above the
stadium like Goodyear blimps, spel
ling'out the lighted messages "Phil
adelphia loves the Jacksons" and
"Michael has the Power." As the
crowd of 62,000 grew more impa
tient, several spectators in my sec
tion began scouting through their
binoculars the backstage area,
yearning for the sight of anything
that looked like a Jackson.
And then very unexpectedly every
light went out, and the stadium was
enveloped in darkness. For almost
five minutes there was nothing to
see.
When the stage lights did come
back on, in place of the expected
brothers were five mammoth crea
tures, each lit by different colored
lasers. As they stomped downstage,
a glowing stone rose out of the floor,
and in it a sword pulsating with
light. Several knights appeared,
each attempting to extract the
sword. Finally, a hooded knight
Eastwood's latest, 'Tightrope,' lacks high
.quality but illustrates, his fine acting ability
By SHAWN ISRAEL
Collegian Arts Writer
The biggest moneymaking film
in the United States and Canada for
the past three weeks has been
"Tightrope," the latest action
thriller from the one and only Clint
Eastwood and his Malpaso Produc
tion company. What is genuinely
refreshing about this news is that
"Tightrope" is the first film from
Eastwood in a long time that really
deserves its hefty profits.
"'Tightrope" is typical action
fare for Eastwood, whose every
second project since 1971's "Dirty
Harry" has probably been in the
crime thriller mode. Apart from
his four outings as perhaps the
screen's single most popular law
enforcer ever, his other delvings
into the genre have included "The
Gauntlet," in which a patsy cop
falls into the trap set by his corrupt
superiors; "Thunderbolt and
Lightfoot," involving a robbery
scheme that backfires tragically;
and the classic "Play Misty For
Me," about a disc jockey who drifts
into a relationship with an obses
sive, psychopathic listener. Only
on paper, however, is there any
indication that Eastwood's latest
can be classified with most of the
rest of that crowd.
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Correction
Due to an editor's error, the site of the German Print Maker's exhibit was omitted from the Aug. 31 article. The
show is on display in Chambers Gallery until Sept. 23.
pulled it out, the sword reflecting
red and green laser beams into the
night sky. The audience response
was deafening but nothing com
pared to what happened next.
A bank of space-ship bright lights
rose from the stage floor to reveal
five silhouettes. The moment had
arrived. The Jacksons, in sparkling
uniforms and trademark sung
lasses, stepped in unison toward the
front of the stage, each step marked
by an insistent pounding of drums.
Tearing off their sunglasses, the
Jacksons erupted into their first
number of the evening, the appro
priate "Wanna Be Startin' Some
thing" from Michael's Thriller
album. The shy and elusive boy
wonder of pop was at last where he
belonged, center stage, singing,
dancing and clutching his micro
phone with his white-gloved fist.
From that point on the Jacksons
were in top form, dancing and sing
ing their way through all the songs
that have made them so famous.
After the opening number, the
brothers sang "Things I Do for
You" followed by the title track
from Michael's other multi-plati
num album, Off the Wall. Michael
then paused to allow the intro to his
1972 hit, "Ben," to begin, only to
stop the music. "I want something
better than this," he said. It turned
out to be "Human Nature," the fifth
Top 10 hit from Thriller.
Michael's most serious and emo
tional moments came during his
rendition of "She's Out of My Life."
Between writhing on the floor and
pausing to cry, he threw bouquets of
roses to fans in the first few rows. At
one point he sat on the edge of the
stage and asked his audience, "Can
I come down there with all of you?"
Dilligent New Orleans police offi
cer Wes Block' (Eastwood) is as=
signed to locate a killer whose
specialty is doing in prostitutes in
the city's infamous Red Light dis
trict. The only common elements
Block has as leads are the profes
sions of the victims and a. thread of
crimson fiber found on or near
every victim's body. To further his
investigation, Block traipses fre
quently into the very seediest of
pleasure palaces for information.
However, he discovers that he is
attracted to the lure of easy women
and instant gratification (possibly
as an extension of sexual frustra
tion he is feeling over separation
from his wife and having to raise
his, two daughters alone), and he
himself succumbs to cheap thrills.
As Wes moves perceptibly closer
to discovering the killer's identity,
he must inexorably confront his
own troubled soul. Such is the nov
elty that makes much of "Tight
rope" work. For the first time in
Eastwood's career, he is playing a
seriously emotionally vulnerable
human being. Even more fascinat
ing are the formal and genre impli
cations the complications
establish. The most direct connec
tion one wants to make, of course,
is to the character of "Dirty" Har
ry Callahan, whose trademarks
Clint Eastwood
The response was overwhelming.
The Victory Tour was not, howev
er, all Michael Jackson. Brother
Jermaine was ,given his time in the
spotlight as he opened his three
song set with "Let's Get Serious,"
followed by his current hit "Dyna
mite." He closed with the sassy
"Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming," a
duet with Michael that certainly
expressed 'what most people in the
stadium felt.
The Jacksons then launched into a
medley of, as Michael said, "the old
stuff" Jackson Five Motown clas
sics from the early '7os "I Want
You Back," "The Love You Sa
ve," "ABC" and "I'll Be There." At
the end of the last number, Michael
stopped the show with an a capella
solo, showing his intense vocal
range with beautiful cascading
phrasing. He then cut to a scat-sing
ing style that led into the next song,
"Lovely One," from the Triumph
album.
After a brief blackout that once
again plunged the stadium into com
plete darkness, the brothers re
turned in new costumes, the most
striking of which was Michael's hot
pink plastic jumpsuit. They began
their fiery conclusion with brother
Randy performing an illusion with
Michael. Covering his brother with
a pink satin sheet, Randy levitated
Michael high above the stage floor.
When Randy pulled off the sheet,
Michael had vanished only to reap
pear atop a pillar stage left. He
instantly burst into the blistering
"Beat It," "His Hotness" and broth
ers recreating the dance sequence
from that popular video.
The next song, however, was the
one that everyone had come to see.
With Michael in black sequins and
have always been his steely deter
mination, larger-than-life inde
structibility, contempt for
conventional legal procedures
(such as trials and arraignments)
and unswerving belief in his end
justifies-the-method approach to
solving problems. The latter two
qualities, especially, have given all
in the series but the original "Dirty
Harry" a disturbing, reckless qual
ity that's unsettled some viewers,
self included, despite my admira
tion for Eastwood's work as a
whole.
For a film to try to at once satisfy
the above qualities ( which are vis
cerally entertaining, if intellectual
ly nebulous) and question them is
to be rewarded with praise for its
makers' intentions, if nothing else.
Further, the film becomes a so
phisticated examination of just
about everything the Eastwood
persona has meant to movies for
the past 15 or so years. And for the
most part, the filmmakers pull it
off in "Tightrope." Director Rich
ard Tuggle nicely shows the con
flict between id and superego with
a somber visual style and crisp
editing. Only in the last 20 minutes
does "Tightrope" really disap
point, because the pursuit of the
killer becomes the film's sole con
cern. One gets the creeping feeling
that Wes' conflict has not so much
been resolved as set aside. The
letdown is both, alas, dramatic and
thematic.
The rest of "Tightrope," howev
er, is dandy entertainment. Thanks
to Eastwood's performance (his
best yet), Wes Block is utterly
fascinating, and it's thrilling to
watch his frustrations and actions
crescendo throughout most of - the
film. The man's notorious steely
gaze has never been more express
ive than here, and is proof that
Eastwood is, once and for all, a
performer to be reckoned with for
doing a lot with so little.
Less successful are the support
ing players, who (unfortunately)
remind the viewer that, Eastwood
aside, "Tightr l ope" is potentially
nothing more than a B-movie at
best. Genevieve Bujold as a rape
counselor is particularly disap
pointing, primarily because her
character degrades into just anoth
er helpless woman that the man
has to come in and rescue. This
illustrates perhaps the film's ma
jor drawback: its insistence on
classifying women as either saints
or whores, neither able to survive
without a male guardian angel.
LO4 ,
,
. .
fedora, the unmistakeable beat of
"Billie Jean" began, causing in
tense shrieks throughout the stadi
um. For anyone who did not see his
Emmy-nominated performance of
this song on Motown's television
special, watching it live last 'week
end was seeing history in the mak
ing. Michael had perfected every
step, every flick of his wrist, every
grind of his pelvis. He ended "Billie
Jean" with the impossible a
moonwalk across the entire length
of the stage, not once, but three
times.
The concert ended triumphantly
with "Shake Your Body Down to the
Ground," a rousing number that
had 62,000 people dancing and sing
ing along with the brothers on stage.
A finale of brilliant lights, explo
sions and piercing laser beams shot
out from stage to audience, all un
der a monumental megawatt explo
sion of fireworks above the stadium.
Most surely they did not hear Mi
chael tell them, "That's the end, I
love you all."
One of the most impressive ingre
dients of this powerful concert was
the stage itself, a giant 175-ton su
perstructure (92 feet wide and 158
feet high). A 22- by 30-foot video
screen, which to many may seem
superfluous to the live action, gave
the show a more intimate feeling
with its intense close-ups.
A notable omission from the Vic
tory Tour was brother Jackie Jack
son, sidelined by a knee injury.
Absent from Michael's solo num
bers was the title tune from Thriller,
which broke all records by selling 37
millibn copies and was translated
into a lavish 14-minute video. While
the tour's name corresponds with
their new album Victory, no songs
from that album were performed.
Film fest at Scorpion boasts the jazz greats
By PAT GRANDJEAN
Collegian Arts Writer
An entertaining evening of jazz
music and history gets underway
Monday, September 10, at 9:30,
when Blues Blaster Productions
presents the third in its series of
jazz film festivals at the Scorpion,
232 West Calder Way. This festival
is an all-new program of over two
hours of rare and classic short
films and "soundies" (short song
films created for exposure in video
jukeboxes, much like today's MTV
fare) from the 1930's through 'sos,
featuring great artists such as
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Eu
bie Blake and Cab Calloway.
In particular, this festival is a
celebration of the late Duke Elling
ton, who would have celebrated his
85th birthday this year. Certainly
one of the seminal figures in 20th
century music, Ellington is consid
ered by many to have been the
greatest American composer in
any musical genre. An ultra-prolif
ic songwriter, he penned such clas
sic songs as "Satin Doll," "Mood
Indigo," "In a Sentimental Mood"
and "I Got It Bad," while still
finding time to record and tour
with his band year upon year and
compose scores for stage shows
("Jump . for Joy") and movies
(Anatomy of a Murder, Paris
Blues).
Over the years Ellington's band
featured singers such as Billie Hol
iday and Ella Fitzgerald and a
variety of virtuoso musicians:
trumpeter Clark Terry, Billy
Strayhorn (who-hecanrie Elling
ton's close collaborator and confi
dant), percussionist Louis Belison
and Dizzy Gillespie. Monday
night's Ellington films feature his
orchestra in all stages of its devel
opment over a 20-year time span.
One group of "soundies" from the
'4os features the renowned Ben
Webster on tenor sax.
Cab Calloway is also prominent
ly featured in Monday's festival. A
popular bandleader of the '3os and
'4os primarily known for his sly
vocals, Calloway also featured
some gutsy and suggestive songs in
his prime, the most notable being
"Minnie the Moocher" and "Kick
in' the Gdng Around." His band,
the Cotton Club Orchestra, boasted
its share of fine musicians, such as
Gillespie and alto sax player Chu
Berry. One element of Calloway's
performances that doesn't often
gain credit is his dancing though
if the pictures of the time are any
indication, he discovered "moon
walking" long before Michael
Jackson.
Other artists make brief but im
portant appearances in these films.
Eubie Blake, a ragtime jazz pianist
. and popular composer ( "Memories
of You," "I'm Just Wild About
Harry") whose career spanned
over 85 years, is seen in one film
with the dancing Nicholas Brothers
Michael Jackson wins over another crowd during The Jackson's Victory
Tour. The tour recently played to 62,000 at Philadelphia's J.F.K. Stadium.
During the two years of planning
that went into the Jacksons Victory.
Tour, many officials feared that the
concerts would cause tremendous
security problems. Not so. Last
weekend's crowd, according to sta
dium officials, was calm compared
to previous concerts at JFK by such
groups as The Who and the Rolling
Stones. Nightmare visions of uncon
trollable fans breaking down the
gates and small children being
swept up in frenzied crowds never
materialized.
The audience was a mixture of
young, old, black and white (in
keeping with Michael Jackson's
unique ability to be a cross-over
artist). Most everyone donned
something representative •of Mi
chael. There were a plethora of 27-
zipper leather jackets, sunglasses,
and singer Nina Mac McKinney.
Rhythm and blues bandleader and
saxophonist Louis Jordan (affec
tionately saluted by "new-waver"
Joe Jackson on his album Jumpin'
Jive) and blues shouter Sister Ro
setta Tharpe are featured in "soun
dies."
Another somewhat surreal short
features Don Redman and his or
chestra in a "dream .nightclub."
Though certainly not a household
name, Redman was actually a pi
oneer arranger of big band jazz,
who determined much of its sound
in the '3os. More than anyone else,
he was responsible for establishing
the relationship of brass and reed
instruments to percussion in the
jazz orchestra.
The most noteworthy "one-shot"
appearance in this festival would
have to be that of great bandleader
and musician Count Basie, in a
classic 1950 film that also features
Billie Holiday. Discovered in 1937
by impresario John Hammond, Ba
sie's band became noted for its
mighty rhythm section and also
for acting as a springboard for
future stars such as saxophonist
Lester Young. But Basie's popular
ity ebbed and flowed from the '3os
to the 'Bos, despite his prolific re
cording history and his public con
tributions (among them, the
creation of "V
-Discs," which were
big-band jazz records cut for
Cab Calloway is shown here preempting Michael
. Jackson's flashy foot•
work with his unique dancing style which, combined with such hits as
"Minnie the Moocher," made him famous in the '3os and '4os.
The Daily Collegian
Friday, Sept. 7, 1984
white socks, black and red pants,
and, of course, the superstar's most
famous trademark, the white glove.
It was not just the teenagers who
were wearing these items either.
Babies in strollers and grandmoth
ers had them also.
The Victory Tour has success
stamped all over it, and it is there
fore hard to believe that Michael
has said that these will be his last
performances with his brothers. But
if they are, Michael is certainly
going out with a million-dollar bang.
He is by far the star of this show.
Brothers Randy and Marlon did
receive ecstatic screams them
selves, especially when Michael
ripped the shirt off Randy's chest
and threw it into the crowd. 'Mi
chael, nonetheless, was the cause
for the Victory celebration.
American servicemen during
World War II).
The main force behind Blues
Blaster Productions and its series
of jazz-film festivals is actually
Josh Ferko, who doubles as man
ager of Arboria Records and Books
as well as sometime DJ for the
WDFM radio blues programs.
He notes that those who think
that Michael Jackson (or other
musicians from the realm of rock
music) "broke the color line" in
music broadcasting should realize
that these films, many of which
were shown as shorts in movie
theaters r represent a much earlier
attempt to get black music across
to a white audience. "This was a
crucial period in black music, and
many of these shorts represent the
artists' first appearances in
films," he adds.
Impressed particularly by Uni
versity student support, he admits
he'd like to see more of the older
local community members come to
Monday's festival especially
those who might have had first
hand exposure to the artists rep
resented: "I just think they'd real
ly enjoy it."
Admission to Blues Blaster Pro
ductions Third Jazz Film Festival
is $3. Tickets are available at the
door or in advance at Arboria, 151
S. Allen St.
Christian Stephens to present
By PAT GRANDJEAN
Collegian Arts Writer
Cube C Productions, a local min
istry devoted to presenting contempo
rary Christian artists in concert, is
proud to announce the University
appearance of Christian Stephens
tomorrow night',at 7 in the HUB
Fishbowl. The concert is sponsored
by the Alliance Christian Fellowship,
and admission is free. During the
evening a love offering will be taken.
concert preview
Christian Stephens is a musical duo
consisting of Joan and Robert Miller
wh6 are husband and wife). The act
Was originally established six years
ago by Robert Miller and a fellow
college student, Michael Shaw, with
whom he was praying for ministry.
Their creative sharing of the gospel
led to joint songwriting and perform
ing, which in turn led to local appear
ances on television.
The group ultimately obtained a
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recording contract with Ascension
Records and has released two al
bums, both of which consist of origi
nal songs and include the
performances of Shaw and the Mill
ers. A third album is in the works.
Robert Miller described the process
of going into the studio as "akin to
having a baby. So much time is spent
in getting things down perfectly, get
ting them to sound right."
When asked to discuss the themes
of their songs, Miller stated that they
were centered around the group
members' relationship with Jesus, in
particular what they are learning in a
spiritual sense. Miller noted the im
portance of being contemporary and
creative in one's songs. "Our songs
are very personal and unique to us,"
he said. "Listeners turn off when they
hear cliches."
Miller is most enthusiastic_ about
the potential of contemporary Chris
tian music. He claims a quality to
these songs that "when discerned
spiritually, is deeper, more meaning
ful. When a Christian listens to these
songs, something great can happen."
He adds, "Our music is our plat-
The Stephens
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an evening of spiritual music
form, an exploration of what our life
is like. Christianity doesn't look radi
cal to the world at large, but we are
definitely radical in the way we
love."
Christian Stephens does promise to
provide a unique experience in con
cert. They incorporate both synthe
sizer and acoustic guitar into their
music. Miller praised in particular
his wife Joan's • instinctive musi
cianship, and her i "rich jazz-blues
voice."
Centered in the suburban Philadel
phian community of Westchester, the
Millers were full-time performers
until recently, , when Robert com
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menced graduate study at a Philadel
phia seminary. They currently tour
locally and perform on weekends, but
hope to get back to a broader sched
ule next summer.
To help in professional decisions,
Christian Stephens makes use of a
core of 4 spiritual advisors (3 pastors,
1 friend) publicly known as the "Two
Crowns Ministries." Whatever the
Millers' future plans, they seem pri
marily concerned with maintaining a
schedule that will allow them to re
tain an intimate bond with their audi
ences. To Robert Miller, "reaching
an audience is the most important
part of what we do."
an Frkt
The Da
7, 1984-25