Arts & Entertainment Thursday, December 3,1992 The Battalion Page 3 ember 3,] nts isk students. Ohnysty sal; npasses n Htics, and ded thatir lerstanding nts can gaii tanding ofl y, and what; Us can unde nnysty said, by celebrat,: /ould becom ons that alb know whs: \LL/The Battik project fo! il of the St Toad the Wet Sprocket Band brings ‘fear’ to Texas A&M By JENNY MAGEE Reviewer of THE BATTALION Todd Nichols, a guitarist for Toad the Wet Sprocket, said he recalls the band playing in College Station in a pizza parlor packed with about 50 peo ple. Tonight Toad the Wet Sprocket returns for a live performance in DeWare Fieldhouse. The band, brought to Texas A&M by Town Hall, is probably most commonly recognized for their Top 40 hit "Walk on the Ocean." However, the band's name (which was taken from a Monty Python skit) also attracts a certain degree of attention. "I think the band's name shows you where we were when we formed the band," Nichols said. "I don't think we would have named the band Toad the Wet Sprocket if we had had any real aspirations of succeeding." Nichols was reluctant to classify the band's music into any specific category. It is rock; it is pop; it is folk; we just do what we do," he said. In 1985 four young musicians from Santa Barbara came together to form Toad the Wet Sprocket. The ineup consists of Dean Dinning on bass/key boards/vocals, Randy Guss on drums, Nichols on guitar/vocals, and Glen Phillips on vocals/ guitar/ mandolin. Their entrance into the music world began with heir self-produced album "Bread And Circus" in 1989 and the follow-up album "Pale" in 1990. Nichols said the music on "fear", the band's most ecent release, is different from the first two album's because this is the first time that the band has used the studio as an instrument in the recording process. Bread And Circus" and "Pale" were recorded live at a friend's studio. Nichols said Phillips is responsible for the lyrics )ut declined to comment on where the band gets in- ipiratipns for the music that they produce. "It is a secret," he said. "But, we want people to nterpret our music they way they want to; they can wen misinterpret it if they want to." The members of Toad the Wet Sprocket have onging aspirations for the immediate future. 'Jichols said, as his voice betrayed a tinge of content- Toad the Wet Sprocket plays at DeWare Fieldhouse tonight. The Gin Blossoms will open. ed exhaustion, that the band is going home after 14 to 15 months on the road. However, plans for a trip to Europe in February and work on a new album are in the band's extended agenda. Nichols said the band hopes to see the new album about out by late summer. While they are perform ing three new songs in their live show, the album-to- be is still in the idea stage of development. He said that the band has played at a lot of uni versities prior to tomorrow's concert in Deware Fieldhouse. "Playing at a college can sometimes be a real drag," Nichols said. "A lot of the time you get a lot of people at the show who are only there because it is the cool thing to do that night." Tickets for the concert are $10 for students and $13 for the public. The Gin Blossoms will be opening. Baryshnikov, Tharp dazzle crowd with dancing and raphy By ANAS BEN-MUSA and JULIE POLSTON Reviewer and Feature Writer of THE BAT~TAUON Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshnikov and. a marvelous troupe of dancers performed a dazzling display of intricate and interpretative dance Tuesday night at Rudder Auditorium. The production, "Cutting Up," was not the traditional or classical repertoire. Instead of extravagant costumes and im mense set designs, the perfor mance was a casual, laid-back interpretation of various eras of music. Tharp choreographed the en tire production, demonstrating her ability to coordinate a vari ety of dance styles. She utilized Baryshnikov's classical form in a very contemporary perfor mance. Baryshnikov was never con fined to a certain technique; he was able to blend his traditional ballet techniques with modern dance. In addition, "Cutting Up" showed the contrasting styles of the two famous dancers. Baryshnikov floated through the air with graceful leaps and beautiful poses revealing his training in classical dance. Baryshnikov's background in ballet is displayed by his ele gant posture and presence. Even the most basic dance steps were impressive. On the other hand, Tharp was whimsical and carefree, re- Mikhail Baryshnikov, along with Twyla Tharp danced at Texas A&M Tuesday and Wednesday. vealing her contemporary style. At times when she danced with Baryshnikov, the same dance took on a new meaning. Both dancers had the same basic steps and rhythm, but interpret ed the routine differently. The second act, "Bare Bones," exhibited Tharp and Baryshnikov's contrasting styles in a refreshingly comical rou tine set to selected works by Pergolesi. It was like looking at backstage antics between two good friends. Throughout the act, Tharp and Baryshnikov were playfully challenging each other. Tharp would dance a few steps and then Baryshnikov would try to outdo her. But, it was never a serious or tense duel. For example, at one point while Tharp was dancing, Baryshnikov stopped dancing to tie his shoes and readjust his clothes. Tharp and Baryshnikov were not concerned with impressing the audience with grandiose routines. They created an at mosphere for the audience to relax and enjoy the act. Like a piece of modern art, "Cutting Up" was individualis tic in nature. Each performer, including the dance troupe, contributed their own unique style to the performance. The dance troupe wore brightly colored costumes re flecting a variety of dance styles. Pairing up, the dancers jitterbugged, waltzed and tan goed simultaneously into an ex plosive finale. The finale, "Morton's L.A.- 1992," demonstrated the vast talent of the entire dance com pany. Switching from ragtime to modern movements, the dance troupe exhibited the evo lution of social dancing during this 'century. Tharp, Baryshnikov and the company danced a breathless performance. The audience was left standing in ovation for ten minutes. It was not a serious or deeply emotional production, but rather a light hearted and exhilarating look at two great performers in their element — creating and developing a new understanding of dance for the audience to enjoy. Solutions from your Apple Campus Reseller The Apple Computer Loan. “Why should I wait in line at the computer lab when I can own a Macintosh Kevin Campbell for *15 a month?” Aerospace Engineering Major What allowed Kevin to own an Apple® Macintosh® PowerBook" 145 computer for such a low monthly payment? The Apple Computer Loan! Kevin knew that owning the power and portability of a Macintosh PowerBook for his full course load and his work in the Civil Air Patrol was a smart thing to do. And the Apple Computer Loan was the smart way to do it: easy application, fast turnaround and low, flexible payment terms. So Kevin went to the only place that offers the Apple Computer Loan, his Apple Campus Reseller. Macintosh. It’s more than a present, it’s a future. M icroComputerCenter / *** ■** *<•- , ** v ** &? ** '&; '** ££'** Xs ** 8$''*^ / ^ i. r r. Located in the Memorial Student Center Open Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm. Phone 845-4081 © 1992 Apple Computer, Inc. Apple, the Apple logo and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. PowerBook is a trademark of Apple Computer. Inc. •Based on Kevin Campbell’s Apple Computer Loan of 12,342.40, his monthly payment was (15 (interest only) as of 10/12/92. Principal payments may be deferred up ton years. The interest rate is variable, and ts based on the average of the higher of the 30