Theatre and Dance Freshmen perform in 'University'

Jon Jory's play to be presented in I.G. Greer Arena Theater October 19-21

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

Since the freshmen have finally gotten into the groove of college life, the department of theater and dance has decided to put their talents to good use. "University," a play by Jon Jory, will be presented in the I.G. Greer Arena Theater Oct. 19-21 at 8 p.m.

The play is a freshmen showcase and the project of Joel Williams's Directing I class. Ten upperclassmen will direct the play, with each director focusing on one 10-minute segment of the play.

Each segment is a self-contained story that deals with the issues that come with college life, such as freshman hazing, stereotypes, abortion and rebellion.

A segment directed by Bryan Crossan called "Pressure Defense" deals with sexism in athletics. A college guy joins an all-female basketball team in an effort to challenge social barriers.

A segment directed by Jen Allman called "Blondes" addresses the issue of stereotypes. A man and a woman look at their sexual stereotypes and end up with new, life-changing conclusions.

"Blondes" is the first directing opportunity for Allman and an interesting experience for her. "The thing I enjoy most about 'University' is getting to work with the freshmen and getting to know them," said Allman.

Tickets for "University" are $3 and are available at the Valborg Theatre box office. For more information, call the box office at 262-3063.

Kara Hodge - Entertainment Beat

In the darkness of Appalachian State University's Wesley Foundation, six young adults stood on the stage and watched as their audience of equally young adults sat mesmerized by the sounds they produced.

Wednesday night, Silers Bald (SB), the self-proclaimed Christian rock band, played a concert that rocked the small building and the audience both. From quiet ballads to loud praise songs, SB played a wide variety of sounds, mixing acoustic to grassroots rock with country pop and folk music.

The band consists of six members, the original three from the University of South Carolina. Guitarists and vocalists Shane Williams and Warren Bagemore, along with drummer Jason Jacobs, started the band in 1996. With the addition of violinist Marcus Myers, pianist and bassist Laura Story and percussionist Sean Anderson, Silers Bald was complete.

Promoting their third album entitled "Nothing Left Behind," SB played over an hour and a half, performing tunes from their newest release along with some of their old songs.

The audience was as laid-back as the band was, following their command to sing along with songs or to sit and listen as the band told personal stories about the music.

Story explained her song "Grace" as a result of a personal struggle to understand God's unconditional love. Williams talked about his life as a child and the first time he understood forgiveness. Bagemore witnessed to the crowd about finding purpose in life. The audience listened like young children to a teacher; their heads tilted back with smiles as they watched the pictures being painted in the air.

SB was as lyrically transparent as they were personally. "We're here to tell people about grace. It's the most important thing," said Bagemore.

Their lyrics spoke of struggles, love and loss, which are the typical issues that rock bands cover. But SB strayed from the norm--they mixed the subject of God in every song. Despite the fact that the concert was intended to be a witness to those in the audience who weren't Christians and an encouragement to those who were, it was a concert that was well constructed and played for all.

Williams and Bagemore led the band in a few songs, but it was Story, Myers and Jacobs who were the surprising stars of the night. Myers and Story switched instruments numerous timesÑMyers from the violin to the bass, then to the dulcimer, then to the guitar. Story lazily picked up the bass halfway through the concert and played with humble talent on the piano. Jacobs was the constant in the band, his drumming a powerful force from song to song.

The good stuff: The band played to the audience and for the audience. They felt out the crowd with each minute and accommodated accordingly. They covered the late Rich Mullins's "Creed" perfectly with Myers on the dulcimer, which sent the crowd into a dancing frenzy. SB was real, intimate and fun. They even came out into the crowd after the concert to hang out with their fans and play music with them.

The not-so-good stuff: There was no encore. Every good band needs at least one encore.

Overall, it was a good, solid performance. Even if you don't like Christian rock, you'll like this band. Check out Silers Bald the next time they come to the High Country.

Ian Hutchinson - Entertainment Beat

There are albums that are meant for the Billboard charts and there are those that are not. That isn't to say that Radiohead's latest album is a bad one, but the chances of "Kid A" becoming a big, mainstream hit are slim.

However, "Kid A" is by no means a slouch of a record. It is the result of a very successful experiment. The concept of the record is based on the first human clone, which is dubbed "Kid A." The album is a statement that science and technology can sometimes go too far; that they can be as destructive as they can be beneficial. At times on this album, science runs amuck.

Imagine that you took Radiohead's previous effort, "OK Computer," deconstructed it and made the album more of an atmosphere rather than rock album. "Kid A" would be your result. "Kid A" shares many qualities with its predecessor, but it is not a traditional set of songs. It is much more than that and much less as well. Confused yet? If you are familiar with Brian Eno's "Music for Airports," you will remember that album having less emphasis on verse/chorus/verse structure and more emphasis on minimal, ambient instrumentation. Likewise, "Kid A" has very little verse/chorus/verse structure and there are plenty of ambient sounds, but it is hardly a minimalist album.

"Kid A" has an intense blend of organic and artificial elements. You can hear pianos, computer voices, jack-in-the-box melodies, bells, trombones, guitars, grinding bass, drum machines and much more on "Kid A." This album is meant to be heard on headphones. If you don't experience it through your headphones, you'll miss out on some of the best subtle elements of the album.

The best tracks of "Kid A" are "Everything in its Right Place," "Kid A," "How to Disappear Completely," "Optimistic" and "Idioteque." Songs like "Everything" and "Kid A" retain that Eno "Airport" quality while songs like "Idioteque" are less relaxed and more urgent.

"Idioteque" is one of the most structurally intense tracks of "Kid A." It sounds as though Thomas Yorke's vocals are the last remaining human element in a robotic world. Yorke urgently warns of an "Ice Age coming" and pleads to send away the "women and children first." The song is one of the few to have a verse/chorus/verse element, but eventually the computers win the battle and Yorke's vocals are assimilated into the artificial landscape. It might sound depressing but "Idioteque" has the most solid beats and vocals of the album.

"Kid A" is not a Top 40 album by any means, but it is a fascinating experimental effort and is recommended for the hardcore music fan and not the fickle. The chances of you banging your head to it or dancing to it are virtually non-existent because this is the sort of album you study, read, write or relax to with your headphones on.

If you like intellectually challenging, experimental music, Radiohead's "Kid A" is highly recommended. But if you are looking for something much less cerebral, fret not, the new Limp Bizkit CD, "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," will come out Oct. 17.