Thursday, October 11, 1990
Censorship comes to
the Civic Center
Robb Frederick
The Collegian
Censorship is alive and thriving in Erie.
The Erie Civic Center, which hasn't booked a hard-rock act
since Aerosmith came to town in January, scored a coup with
metal fans by scheduling KISS, Winger, and Slaughter for
an 8 p.m. show Oct. 8.
Fortunately, a few decent citizens have come forth and
enlightened city officials of the vile threat KISS poses to Erie's
youth.
Lee Coleman, president of the Erie County Citizens
Coalition Against Violent Pornography, has asked that
KISS ticket sales be limited to persons over 17 years of age,
since our impressionable youth would probably leave the Civic
Center in a suicidal, satanic frenzy.
I can see Erie dads breaking the news already... "Sorry son, I
guess you'll have to wait for the motorcycle ice racing."
If the Coalition's members are so waned about the innocence
of Erie youth, why hasn't there been an effort to limit sales for
Sam Kinison's Oct. 13 performance? The comedian's material
is considered obscene by many, and it's a lot easier to hear what
Kinison is saying.
The Coalition's actions are a disgraceful representation of the
Erie community. By focusing on the KISS concert, the
Coalition has merely jumped on the bandwagon and taken
advantage of the scapegoat stigma the rock industry has been
burdoned with. The sensible, direct move would be for worried
parents to discuss the show with their children, but I guess that's
just not convenient enough.
And now for the news...
• Acclaimed conductor Leonard Bernstein has announced
his retirement after a lengthy reign over orchestra pits throughout
the world. Bernstein. who fronted the New York
Liner Notes
Philharmonic from 1958-1969, is battling emphysema and a
lung tumor. As a composer, Bernstein found success with West
Side Story.
• Rosanne Barr has filed a $3.5 million lawsuit against the
National Enquirer, charging copyright infringement, conspiracy.
property invasion and emotional distress. The action stemmed
from unauthorized publication of "stolen" love letters written by
Barr and husband Tom Arnold.
• Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry took similar action against
the Star after the tabloid printed a story claiming Fleetwood
Mac vocalist Stevie Nicks was pregnant with his child.
• Remember last year's "CD greening" hoax, which claimed
compact discs gained sound clarity after the disc's inner rings
were colored with a green marker? According to Radio &
Records, another new technique has been found to improve
digital sound quality. All you have to do is buy a tank of liquid
nitrogen (for a mere $35,000), drop a CD in and gradually cool
the liquid to -320 degrees. Sound reasonable enough? For
$35,000, Edie Brickell had better slink out of my disc player
and sing "Circle" on my living room table. With bells on.
• The fourth annual Bridge School Benefit, slated for Oct. 26,
will include performances by Neil Young, Steve. Miller,
Edie Brickell and New Bohemians, and Elvis
Costello. Proceeds from the all-acoustic show benefit the
Bridge Foundation, a school and charity organization for
handicapped children run by Young's wife.
• A previously unreleased Pink Floyd track, "Nick's
Boogie," will surface later this month as a bonus cut on the
revamped soundtrack for the 1968 film Tonight Let's All Make
Love in London. The 11-minute song was recorded in 1966
before the band (including Syd Barrett) signed with EMI.
• Peter Gabriel has split with girlfriend Rosanna
Arquette (Desperately Seeking Susan) after the actress posed
nude for a recent Playboy magazine feature.
• I realized earlier this week that Columbus Day is only
celebrated so that appliance stores can advertise sales on audio
equipment, televisions and microwaves.
• Steve Winwood's second Virgin LP, Refugees of the
Heart, will be released Nov. 6. The first single, "One and Only
Man," was co-written with Winwood's former Traffic bandmate
Jim Capaldi.
The Collegian
Entertainment
New music series provides
palatable lunch alternative
tr Jon Flick
The Collegian
At noon on Tuesday, October
2, the musical appetites of a full
Wintergreen audience were
satisfied by the Cavani String
Quartet. This was the first
performance in Behrend's new
Logan Wintergarden Music
Series, "Music at Noon".
The quartet enchanted the
audience with their relaxed, light
manner and their mastery of the
bow. "String Quartet No. 2", by
Donal Edo, and Antonin Dvorak's
"American" string quartet in F
major were the two pieces in the
hour-long program.
The goal of the Logan
Wintergarden Series is to make
fine musical performances
accessible to anyone who desires
to enjoy them, with the hope that
a love for fine music would be
instilled in the audience.
Careful planning was executed
to insure that this goal would be
met. For example, the
Wintergarden atrium provides not
only a beautiful setting for the
performances, but also a
convenient location for an
audience, with the ability to draw
in those who are merely at the
Disney's Fantasia
brilliantly restored
_~ i i I._
The CMegien
Remember the animated
Disney film Fantasia? Well, if
you do. you're not alone. This
unforgettable flick was restored
by Walt Disney for their fiftieth
anniversary this year.
The film is the only one of
it's kind. It becomes almost
impossible to pinpoint a concrete
theme, because the film tackles
so many ideas. Granted, this was
created for children, but the
concept is anything but simple.
Fantasia is a sort of animated
opera for kids. Through music,
the viewer sees what sound looks
like. Although this seems
impossible, Disney is famous for
bringing fantasy to life, and it's
never been done better than
Fantasia.
The film opens with Leonard
Strovosky, conductor of the
Philadelphia Orchestra. giving an
overview of what the audience is
about to see. He explains that the
concept of the movie is to show
the viewer what he or she would
experience while sitting through
an opera.
This idea is illustrated through
various classical compositions
and animated abstract characters.
There is no sound in the film,
other than the voice of
Strovosky, who is the narrator,
RUB Desk or those coming out
of the bookstore.
With free admission, even
those who went broke in the
bookstore can enjoy beautiful
music.
The noon hour at which all
the performances will be held
opens up an alternative location
for lunch; the audience is actually
encouraged to bring a lunch.
The Wintergarden
atrium provides a
convenient location
for audiences.
All of these elements combine
to open up communication
between the artists and the
audience by taking away the
barriers that normally prevent
people from going to a concert of
fine music.
The performance of the
Cavani String Quartet certainly
captured the spirit of the series.
Watching the members play,
one could see a genuine love for
music in their faces as they
played. The four members seemed
and the music.
Essentially, Fantasia starts
with the beginning of time, and
ends somewhere in between then
and now.
Opening the film, we see a
collage of musical strings
dancing wildly to Bach. This
changes to what appears to be the
representation of how the world
began.
The film ends with Shubert's
"Ava Maria," which goes along
with an animation of what
appears to be the Ganlen of Eden.
In restoring Fantasia, the
music of the "Fantasound" track
was redone completely by the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Each
section of the film was polished
and restored to its original
splendor. The color is vivid, and
the animation is magnificent.
Although the film sounds
confusing, and even absurd, it is
exactly this quality that makes
Fantasia worth seeing. There is
no real plot to speak of, there is
no real mair. character, and there
is no voice from the characters
(except from Mickey Mouse,
who speaks for a total of ten
seconds tops). But Disney
manages to mesmerize the viewer
with the brilliance of animation
and music.
So, if you are the slightest bit
intrigued, or even confused, go
see Fantasia. It's a one of a kind.
Page
to interact, giving each other
looks of approval when they
played their parts well. One got
the impression that they were
talented human beings, not
untouchable masters.
The generosity of the Harry
A. Logan Foundation made the
Logan Wintergarden Series
possible. The foundation was
established in 1989 in memory of
Harry Logan, President of United
Refinery and a Warren County
native. Surely the foundation is
proud of its accomplishment.
Five more performances from
various artists are slated for the
1990-91 Academic year. These
are: the Eastern Opera Theatre
presenting "La Boheme" on
November 5; the Eastern Brass
Quintet on Dec. 3; harpist
Yolanda Kondonassis Jan. 28;
Western Wind, an a capella
singing group March 13; and the
Cleveland Piano Quartet April
10.
The Logan Wintergarden
Series promises to be a popular
alternative to the regular
lunchtime routine. Those who
appreciate fine music and those
who want to broaden their minds
will find this a pleasant
experience.
Definitions
(Yes. we are joking•)
Ihmirwiwm: The larval stage of
compiler nerds.
B.S. degree: A frighteningly
accurate assessment of a
student's college
accomplishumts.
amipm pollicc Usually the last
people to arrive at a really great
PastY•
Chun President: The jerk who
edges out Bullwinkle Moose,
Mickey Mouse, Pee Wee
Heiman and all the other write
in camikkites.
Finals: The ulthnate test of
whether a student can learn 20
weeks of Western Civilization
in 12 hours.
Fraternity: A group of rugged
individualists who band
together because there is safety
in numbers.
Independent Study: A full
credit project that can be
polished off over one rainy
weekend.
Meal tickets: Moms. Dads.
Pre-law majors: 1. Optimists.
2. The first people to leave a
party through the back door
when the cops arrive.
Rush Week: The week before
Christmas.
Senior: Spanish for "mister."
Sorority: A fraternity whose
members eat with utensils.
Theater majors: Fun= wallets
and waitresses.
from 'The Unofficial College
Dictionary" by Larry Cohen
and Steve Zweig