Page 2D The Battalion
Music Focus: Summer 1990
Monday, August 27,1S
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Strong releases, controversy fight for
Battalion File Photo
Fugazi (from foreground) is Brendan Canty, Guy Picciotto, Joe Lally and Ian MacKaye.
The post-hardcore group is one of this year’s strongest bands.
By John Righter
TThis summer continued to
excel along with the rest of the
year in terms of music.
Unfortunately, our infidelity with
pop music and MTV
overshadowed tremendous efforts
by Public Enemy, Fugazi, Lou
Reed/John Cale, Soul II Soul, 24-
7 Spyz and a few others.
Nevertheless, this summer was a
banner season for music.
Allow me then to guide you
through a short retrospect (and I
know all you hip kids of today
love those retros) of the past
summer.
10. We Got It (Enough
Bucks):
Somehow, and believe me, I
don’t know how, those not quite
as cute and adorable as they used
to be, but all the more richer.
New Kids on the Block continue
to tinker with Beatles-like glory.
I must admit. Step By Step is a
major improvement over Hangin ’
Tough, but I wouldn’t exactly
call it Sgt. Pepper’s. Folks,
there’s something more
frightening here than Saddam
Hussein.
9. You Can Market This:
You can also “run to the
border” with suburban godsends
M.C. Hammer and his
illegitimate brother, Young M.C.
While middle America was
pounding nails into the likes of 2
Live Crew, Public Enemy and Ice
Cube, Hammer was “breaking
down” the big bucks for British
Knights, and Young M.C. was
the summer laureate for Pepsi and
its subsidiary. Taco Bell. I just
love a nation that’s well hung.
8. A Chip Off The Proverbial
Block:
Thank God for our ability to
reproduce. Gee, where would we
have been this summer without
whiz kid groups Wilson Phillips
and Nelson.
I know they were the highlight
of my MTV viewing. The fruit of
these loins were the prunes of my
summer. Nelson might literally
be the must disgusting sight I’ve
ever seen. Just imagine if Hitler
and Mussolini had been able to
redone as well as old Brian, Papa
John and Ricky. Uggh.
7. Fear Of The Black Point
Of View: Public Enemy was
rightfully criticized and scorned
last year for the insensitive and
prejudicial statements of ex
member, Professor Griff.
Nevertheless, P.E. has proved
once again with Fear Of A Black
Planet that they are one of the
most important, original and
exciting groups in the world.
Fear dropped some of the
militancy of P.E. ’s two earlier
efforts and instead got right to the
facts. America is still shaking.
6. One Quick Suggestion:
Without doubt the hottest
alternative group, and my early
pick for band of the year, is
Fugazi. The work of former Teen
Idol and Minor Threater, Ian
MacKaye, Fugazi’s Repeater is
nothing short of sensational.
Forging hardcore and funk into an
exhilirating molten, Fugazi is the
savior of young, white America.
5. It’s So R. A.D. To Say No
To Drugs:
Helpful hint — If you really
want to be cool in California, you
got to go through rehab and come
out swearing against drugs.
Honest. It’s the R.A.D. thing
to do, even if you’re not really
serious. That’s okay, you can
always go through rehab again. I
hear that anyone who’s anyone
hangs out at the Betty Ford
Clinic. Just ask Motley Crue’s
Vince Neil, star of those chic
looking “Rock Against Drugs”
commercials.
4. We’re AH In The Same
Gang:
A right on idea by the rap
groups to speak out against
violence. Getting top-name
rappers Tone Loc, Young M.C.,
M.C. Hammer, Digital
Underground, N.W.A., Ice-T
and others to contribute to this
sharp, poignant video and very
well-written song was the perfect
medicine for rap.
Rap needs a splinter scene not
as self-righteous, but positive like
the hardcore straight-edge scene,
beginning with a stance agianst
summer
violence, gangs and drugs.
Now if only N.W.A. and Ice-T
will prove me wrong and not be
the hypocrites I expect them to be
on their next album.
3.1 Want A Ticket Please
For The Next Music
Bandwagon:
The question of what makes a
band or record popular or not
deserves higher philosophical
contemplation. Forget if there’s a
God or not, I want to know how
the hell New Kids on the Block,
Paula Abdul, M.C. Hammer and
Poison get so geez-awful popular
when so many other great bands
go totally unnoticed.
Don’t give me the old “Give'
the people what they want”
routine, ’cause obviously the
people don’t know what they
want (remember Duran Duran?).
The “bandwagon theory” helps
explain away the sexually-
frustrated males in love with
homy glam metal, the sexually-
distraught females in love with
safe, make-believe teen idols and
the sexually-revitalized mothers
that listen to all your old AC/DC
albums while you’re away at
school.
But still, there’s something
more evil than America’s bad
taste working here. Could it be ...
MTV!
2. Led Zeppelin Anyone?
Now that David Bowie, the
Who, the Rolling Stones, Paul
McCartney, Crosby, Stills and
Nash and all the other dinosuars
have had their fun, nineties style,
let us return to fresh originality.
Everyone take a deep breath,
suck in those retrospective fumes,
and exhale out those cobwebs
that’s been clogging the
passageway to your brain.
There’s nothing wrong with the
sixties, other than it was 30 years
ago. You people going to
headlines
Battalion FUePhotc
‘Fear of a Black Planet’ is the
latest, and best, release forthe
controversial Public Enemy.
McCartney and the Stones today
will be the ones getting into
R.E.M. and U2 in another25
years.
1. Bored With The U.S.A.:
Self-righteous middle America
displayed its usual brilliance and
outward cowardry by trying to
censor 2 Live Crew.
Instead of letting a rotten
album die its natural death, a few
lawyers decided business was
slow and America was in need of
a Drano job.
Of course, these are the same
thugs that banned James Joyce,
J.D. Salinger, Mark Twain, D.H.
Lawrence and other classic
novelists. Not that 2 Live Crew
should be mistaken for Mark
Twain, but I can’t understand
why a select, sexually-limp
minority thinks it knows what the
rest of the country needs.
2 Live Crew stinks, but let us
allow them to dry up and float
away as dust, not reuse them as
fertilizer for our fears.
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Restaurants, clubs offer diverse live music for fall term
By John Righter
Despite the slide of Waivers into
the graveyard of live clubs soon for
gotten, there still exists several pur
veyors of live music in Bryan-Col-
lege Station.
Front Porch Cafe
Most noticeably, Hugh Stearns
has somehow kept his head and the
Front Porch Cafe above water after a
year of financial and legal turmoil.
Highlighting the Front Porch’s
fall schedule, Stearns says, is appear
ances by guitarist Preston Reed,
A&M grad and rising folk artist Rob
ert Earl Keen Jr., the Austin Lounge
Lizards and a funk fest on Septem
ber 27, featuring House in Orbit,
Retarded Elf and Joe Rockhead.'
In addition, Stearns says regular
Front Porch performers such as
Trout Fishing In America, Ten
Hands, Killbilly and Dana Cooper
will make appearances this fall.
The Front Porch will feature live
music six nights a week, Stearns says.
Tuesday nights will be an open
acoustic stage. Wednesday nights
will be local band night with Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday nights fea
turing out-of-town acts.
Stearns says that Thursday nights
will be funk and reggae oriented,
and Friday and Saturday nights will
have a more blues and folk appeal.
Stearns says that a portion of the
proceeds each Thursday night will
benefit KANM, the student radio
station at Texas A&M. In return,
KANM will help promote the col
lege-oriented shows, Stearns says.
The Front Porch Cafe is located at
4410 College Main. All ages are ad
mitted. For more information, call
846-LIVE.
Kay’s Cabaret
Kay’s Cabaret at the Post Oak Mall
will focus more on the local scene
this fall. Kay’s features live music ev
ery Thursday, Friday and Saturday
night.
Thursday night usually showcases
acoustic performers, and Friday and
Saturday nights feature local groups
such as the Road Kings, White
Bread, Tommy and the Toma
hawks, the Rhythm Addicts, Agent
Orange and Dream Horse.
Ages 18 and older are admitted to
Kay’s Cabaret. For more informa
tion, call 696-9191.
Gallery Bar
For softer spirits, the Gallery Bar
in the College Station Hilton at 801
E. University Drive offers easy lis
tening and contemporary jazz on
Wednesday through Saturday
nights. Scheduled to perform
through the fall is Carla Lack and
Mark Bendickson.
21 and older are admitted into the
Gallery Bar. For more information,
call 693-7500.
Fatburger
Along the same lines as the Gal
lery Bar, Fatburger will present live
jazz with Don Pope and friends ev
ery Friday and Saturday night. Fat
burger is located in College Station
on University Drive and College
Avenue.
All ages are admitted. For more
information, call 846-4234.
Texas Hall of Fame
For kickin’ and whoopin’ country
style, the Texas Hall of Fame offers
live country every Tuesday, Thurs
day, Friday and Saturday nights.
The Hall frequently features ma
jor country artists, as well as local
bands Special F/X, Hall of Fame
Gang and Randy Pelt and Gold
Rush.
Persons 18 and older are admitted
into the Texas Hall of Fame. For
more information, call 822-2222.
Flying Tomato
For tradition’s sake, the Flying
Tomato will once again feature
Sneaky Pete each Wednesday night
with his popular sing-along show.
The Tomato will also book live
groups on Thursday nights.
All ages are admitted into the Fly
ing Tomato. For more information,
call 846-1616.
Mama’s Pizza
The Lippman Jam, an open stage
for local musicians sponsored by
Lippman Music, will move to Ma
ma’s Pizza in the fall.
The jam will continue on Wednes
day nights. Mama’s Pizza will also
feature the Mama’s Boys on Sunday
nights this fall.
All ages are admitted into Mama’s
Pizza. For more information, call
696-0032.
Another haven for local musicians
is Tippy’s at 1803 Greenfield Plaza
in Bryan. The Bryan bar is for 21
and older only. For more informa
tion, call 846-7203.
In addition, several places have
tentatively scheduled live music for
this fall. The Baja Yacht Club, Club
Fahrenheit and Sneakers will peri
odically book both local and regional
acts.
Photo by Eric Lems
The Front Porch Cafe Is one of few live music venues.
BOOKS & COMICS
701 Inwood, Bryan 846-7412
Comer of Texas & Inwood
New and
Collector
Comics
15% OFF New Comics
We offer subscription
service!
Role
Playing
All games discounted.
Video Rental
$1 SO
New releases— JL
Nintendo Rental
Large Selection
We trade paper backs
2 for 1
by price—plus 200 trade fee
TEXAS AVENUE
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Mon.-Thurs. 10a.m.-8 p.m. Fri.-Sat 10a.m.-9:30p.m. Sun. lp.m.-8p.m.
H&R Block Income Tax Course
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classes are available and will be
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