Newspaper Page Text
/
I
I
6 • The Red and Black • Friday, February 23, 1990
A&E
McMurty’s ‘Texasville’ is entertaining
story of an eccentric nymphomaniac
By CAREY DICHRISTINA
Contributing Writer
Texasville by Larry McMurtry in
paperback by Pocket Fiction, (edi
tor's note: paperbacks are reviewed
for the benefit of those who can’t
pay hard coi'er prices.)
The best Fiction begins with be
lievable characters.
This philosophy best describes
Larry McMurtiVs ‘Texasville.”
McMurty (Terms of Endear
ment, Lonesome Dove, The Last
Picture Show) takes the reader out
west to Texas, introduces him to a
town filled with eccentrics, who are
both interesting and believable.
The plot itself centers around this
small town as it deals with plum
meting oil prices and more impor-
BOOK REVIEW
tantly a centennial celebration.
Small town life is shown through
the eyes of Duane. He’s the most
successful man in town. He’s a self-
made millionaire, who earned his
fortune during the oil boom. Now
he has to deal with the impending
doom of the market and being the
chairman of the county’s centen
nial celebration. If he’s not sitting
in his hot tub shooting at his dog
house, he’s fighting with his bois
terous wife, or having sex with one
of hiB girlfriends, or worrying
about his high school sweetheart,
Duane's one-time sweetheart,
Jacy, returns to town after her di
vorce in between starring roles in
Italian films. She is an indepen
dent Texas girl who gained lessons
in life in Europe. She’s not afraid to
speak her mind.
The character of Karla, Duane’s
wife, is an orginal. She’s an out
spoken woman, who wastes no
time putting people in their place.
She nas as many boyfriends as
Duane has girlfriends, and wastes
no time in discussing her sexual
exploits with anyone who does or
doesn’t want to listen. She’s not
afraid to let people know what
she’s thinking about. She will ei
ther blurt out her opinion or wear
T-Shirts that spell it out.
Between these three people, a
theme is developed about what’s
important and what isn’t. Duane,
who orginally ignored the inevi
table, is able to face his life and
start again. The longer Duane
Psychedelic Grapes are serious about music
INTERVIEW
By SHANNON BLAND
Contributing Writer
The Grapes will play at the Georgia
Theatre tonight.
“We’re just down-to-earth people
playing rock ’n’ roll and having a
good time doing it,” said drummer
Preston Holcomb of the pysche-
delic-blues band, The Grapes.
The Grapes first got their start
when Holcomb and bassist Charlie
Lonsdorf met in Atlanta in 1986.
Big fans of The Grateful Dead,
the two met rhythm guitarist
Rom in Dawson, lead guitarist
Mike (Ted) Norton and drummer
Steve Baird through mutual
friends.
“We were playing in Atlanta and
about 300 to 400 people came to
one of our shows at Tne Arts Ex
change, and it really prompted us
to get serious,” Norton said.
Since that time, crowds of 700
have showed up at Atlanta’s
Cotton Club to see The Grapes.
They have also played throughout
the Southeast, and this past fall
they had 40 gigs in various states
including Alabama, Virginia,
North Carolina and South Caro
lina.
Although fans of The Grapes
compare them to The Grateful
Dead and Widespread Panic, the
band feels their sound is newer
than The Dead’s and more mellow
than Widespread’s.
“We’re similar to The Dead in
that it’s all free form music. But
this is the 90s, and I think we have
a fresher sound,” Lonsdorf said.
“We have a really danceable sound.
People are always jamming out at
our shows."
‘The main similarity between us
and Widespread Panic is the genre
of the music, but our styles are
very different. Our songs are a
little more melodic, and their songs
have a harder edge,” Norton said.
Although Lonsdorf and Dawson
write most of the songs, the final
creation is usually a result of the
group’s work as a whole, Holcomb
said.
“We work on a song, and it
slowly evolves. Everyone adds
their input, and it finally develops
its own character, Holcomb said.
‘The songB are powerful musically
and lyrically. There aren’t any
The Grapes: Playing tonight at the Georgia Theatre
bubble-gum lyrics. This is our life,
and this is what we want to do, so
we take it seriously,” he said.
‘"There are a lot of abstract lyrics
where people can formulate their
own ideas. We try to leave the
doors open and not push lyrics on
people,” Lonsdorf added.
Having two drummers also adds
a distinct sound to the group.
“It’s like we have a drummer
with four arms. It leaves them a lot
of room to be creative, and it works
really well. It’s a real tight sound,”
Lonsdorf said.
The band has been recording in
a studio in Atlanta and plans to re
lease an album of recorded music
and live material through “Grape
vine Productions.” In the mean
time, they will be playing tonight
in Athens at The Georgia Theatre.
Go see these down-to-earth guys
who just enjoy playing music.
2 Bedroom
Apartment
Available!
2 Bedroom, 1 Bath,
Fireplace, Dishwasher,
Garbage Disposal,
Cable ready,
'Vasher/Dryer Hookups.
Duplex Community
with pool, tennis courts,
basketball courts and
laundry facility
Willow Mist
549-6363
Cheerleading
Tryouts
are coming soon!
Learn handsprings,
gymnastics, cheers
and stunts.
Classes and private
lessons available.
GYMNASTICS
1235 Cedar Shoals Drive
549-5565
KING A
DIFFERENCE!
The Minority Assistance Program
Georgian Residence Halls
Applications available in the Myers, Reed and Hill Community Oltices.
The University of Georgia
Student Affairs Dtparimtnt of University Housing
Deadline:
March 2
************
You are invited to the First Annual Athens Area *
Habitat for Humanity Fundraising Dance
FEATURING--LIQUID PLEASURE at
SPANKY’S Catering in BEECHWOOD'
Thursday, March 1st • 9pmtiMam
$35 per couple, $40 at door
OPEN BAR • Dress: Semi-Formal
y ^ ■
A P1«»mreturn check m»d« outto Aituns Ar*a Hsbltai lor Humsnlty to: ★
Meg Mann, 111 High* Ct, Watklnsvtille, GA S0677. A Ikt will Sx maintained * the door
*★*★*★★*★*★***
BILLIARDS • TABLE TENNIS • FOOSBALL
VIDEO & PINBALL GAMES
MONDAY-FRIDAY
9 AM-11 PM
OPEN
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
NOON-11 PM
BEST BETS
Go see "Revenge” with screen god, Kevin Costner. If you can
catch a ride go to New Orleans for Mardl Gras, but if you can’t,
go see the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Georgia Theatre.
Don’t forget your rice, toilet paper and water guns.
dwells in self-pity, the more de
pendable Karla and Jacy become,
instead of sympathizing, they
show him a way to beat the odds
and emerge confident. Texasville is
a story that isn’t afraid to cross
boundaries of comedy and drama.
It draws the reader in with an un
compromising sense of humor and
leads them to the genuine souls of
people who are not afraid to live
and try to find happiness. The
point of the book is best summed
up when Jacy says/'-.-Gameshows
are what’s really like life. You win
things that look great at the time
but turn out to be junk, and you
lose things you might want to keep
forever, just because you’re un
lucky.”
Texasville is one of the best en
tertainment values around.
GWAR: This group won’t soon be playing the Vatican
INTERVIEW
Expect to get dirty at
GWAR performance
By Bill Kenyon
Entertainment Writer
I don’t think the Pope would
enjoy this one very muen.
GWAR. Before their perfor
mance at the Georgia Theatre, I
actually got up the nerve to talk
to a couple of the Gwarians,
namely the lead singer, Oderus
Urungus, and two of the stage ac
tors that perform while he sings,
the Sexecutioner and Sleazy P.
Martini. I started by asking their
names. Then I asked exactly how
to spell Oderus Urungus.
Oderus glared at me. “You do
not know how to spell my name,
fool?”
No, I replied, and he scoffed.
He didn’t spell it for me either.
I asked if they had real names,
and they told me no. I had heard
one of the roadies talking about
Dave, and their manager Liz re
ferred to the Oderus as Dave. I
asked him about this.
Sexecutioner turned to him.
“He’s referring to some of the
mad-capped, fool slaves,” he said.
Oderus nodded, saying: “Yes,
slaves. They follow us around the
country in a big grey bus. It is
their duty to scrape dried brains
and fecal matter from our ar
mored suits."
At the sound check I saw Dave
— sorry, Oderus — practicing
along with the drummer, Jizmac
The Gusher, the bassist, Beef-
kake the Mighty, and guitarists
Flattus Maximus and Balsak, the
Jaws of Death.
“I am a crooner,” Oderus
said,‘In the school of such greats
as Burl Ives, Frank Sinatra, and
Ricardo Montalban. These hu
mans have exhibited characteris
tics that I, Oderus Urungus, find
pleasurable and tickle my tri-
pronged scrotal mount.”
“He tortures thousands just by
opening his mouth,” Sexecu
tioner added.
To be fair, I inquired about
Sexecutioner’s job. He droned for
a while about his greatness. He is
the connoisseur of cruelty, a
being who has dedicated his life
to the destruction of others. Self
lessly, too.
Then I asked Sleazy about his
greatness. Sleazy, I said, what
have you got to say?
“Nothing," he answered.
Now I know it’s foolish to ask a
band where they got their name.
They usually don’t know, or they
just flipped open a dictionary.
GWAR in a way is no different.
“It is an obscure Antarctican
word, meaning penuckie,”
Oderus told me, “In human
translations, it means absolutely
nothing.”
Supposedly, GWAR is from
Richmond, Virginia. When I sug
gested this, Oderus grew en
raged.
“Again you stray from reality,
fool! One more such remark, and
I shall have you upon my nipple
rack!" he yelled.
After the interview, which
went on like this for a while, I
saw the show. I wore a white T-
shirt to get the full effect. It’s not
white anymore. These guys put
on a violent, sadistic and messy
show.
i iMf Leadership
Do you want to^ Resource Team
-utilize your leadership skills?
-gain public speaking experience?
—implement leadership training programs?
...Then the
Leadership Resource Team
is for you.
Applications available at the Tate Student Center
Information Desk. Deadline for applications Is
Friday. February 23. For more Information call 542-77" T 4.
Sponsors of
Dimensions Leadership Conference...
Emerging Leaders Program...
Leadership Workshops...
MARDI.
GRAS f
W
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2lrt
Thru
FAT TUESDAY, FEB 27th
DAILY DRINK SPECIALS
A VERITABLE MAST
OF C0URMET CONCOCTIONS
REI A QUEEN CORONATION
SATURDAY AT ! Ml.
VARIOUS t SUNDRY ENTERTAINMENTS
. PRIZES E0R REST COSTUMES
DRAWINGS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK ,
LAISSEZ LES BON TEMPS R0ULLER!
AC SERVICE
Recharge System with
up to 2.5 lbs. Freon
and
Check for leaks
$30.00
Expires 3/30/90
NOT VALID WITH ANY
OTHER COUPON
OR.SPECIAL. _ _ j
<^<HttNkWs
ACURA
Japanese Auto Service Center
4 Wheel
Alignment
$36.00
Trucks Slightly
Higher
Expires 3/30/90
NOT VALID WITH ANY
OTHER COUPON
OR SPECIAL
Honda Mitsubishi
Toytota Hyundai
Tire Balance
$25.00
Rotation
Nissan Mazda
Isuzu Subaru
Expires 3/30/90
NOT VALID WITH ANY
OTHER COUPON
OR SPECIAL
We Service and Repair all Japanese Imports
Quality Service at a Reasonable Price
Athens 2950 Atlanta Hwy. Athens
(404) 546-1033
Atlanta
(404)577-1955
Oil Change
$19.95
with filter
Expires 3/30/90
NOT VALID WITH ANY
OTHER COUPON
OR SPECIAL