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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 1995)
1 fel r sEbfe Expanded pulse ATM Locations on Campus Four newf)ulse ATM Transact locations are now available on the Texas A&M campus.They are located in the Commons’ main lobby, the underground market in Sbisa, the Student Recreation Center and the Biochemistry-Biophysics Building (Ag Cafe). These are in addition to the ATM location in the foyer of the Memorial Student Center. Other guise ‘ ATM Transact Locations 400 Dominick St. 1508 Harvey Rd. 2700 South Texas Ave. 208 North Tabor St. 3000 Briarcrest 200 Southwest Parkway 1801 Rock Prairie Biochemistry- Biophysics Building oulse- Student Recreation Center OLSEN M II M I M I I I M M I I I I I II I I M I M II WELLBORN RD. FM2154 MSC COKE ST. The Commons BIZZELL ST. pulse Sbisa Dining Hall Victoria Bank &Trust Serving generations of Texans for more than a century. Member: FDIC & Victoria Bankshares, Inc. Bryan/College Station 3000 Briarcrest 200 Southwest Pkwy. 1801 Rock Prairie 409/776-5402 409/776-3424 409/776-3499 Page 4 •The Battalion Friday • October 6, Soma strives for mainstream appeal By Amy Collier The Battalion F our A&M students are do ing what they love most while they’re in college — playing music across Texas. The students came together in the fall of 1993 to form Soma, a heavy metal band. Chris Kline, drummer for Soma and a junior industrial en gineering major, said the mem bers are influenced by old Metal- lica music, Smashing Pumpkins and White Zombie, creating a sound he describes as a “hard core, psychedelic groove.” After the band formed, it im mediately wrote 15 songs and recorded 11 of them on Nibble With the Happy People, which was released in January. The tape is being sold at record stores in College Station, and 150 of the 200 the band distrib uted have been sold. Despite the success the band has had selling its music, Kline said the members have encoun tered some problems performing in College Station. “I don’t know if it’s just people in this town,” Kline said, “but for some reason, I get the vibes that people don’t like us.” Kline said he gets these neg ative vibes because the fliers the band puts up to advertise its shows are often torn down. He said the reason for this may be that the band’s audiences sometimes get rowdy, and fights occasionally break out during its shows. But Kline said the members can’t control its audience. “We just have real good inten tions,” Kline said. “We don’t have any bad intentions. We just want people to support the local music scene.” The band is trying to over come these difficulties and es tablish itself in the music indus try. Kline said the members’ im- Soma mediate goal is to get signed onto a record label. “We just want to have some one who could back us,” Kline said. “There’s a lot of things w need right now — like bettei equipment.” Spears brings high energy honky tonk to Shadow Canyon By Rachel Barry The Battalion A self-described honky-tonk original Texas musician will perform at Shadow Canyon Saturday night, mark ing the first live performance at the dance hall. Ronny Spears of Honky Tonk Hardcore said he wants to give College Station a taste of Texas music. Spears said his music is upbeat and sincere and that his shows are high-energy. “You won’t cry at any of our shows,” he said. Spears said that in Fort Worth, where the band is based, it has to keep its performances on a positive level to keep its au diences entertained. “You’ve got to be on a positive scale, or they’ll walk to another place where it is rocking and kicking,” he said. Spears said his music stems from his roots and is influenced by musicians Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen. “I’ve never been real comfort able with people from Harvard telling me how my music should be played,” he said. “I stick with my roots and go with it. ” The band has had surprising success overseas. Spears said the success is because Texas mu sic is rare outside of the United States. He also said that when there is a song that is -heartfelt, it goes over well overseas. “When they hear something that is straight out of J.R.’s living room, they get fired up,” he said. Spears said the six-piece band tries to keep people dancing. He said that he gets the same rush from performing that he experi enced when he was involved in sports in high school, only this is more fun. “When I’m singing, it’s just like I go to another place, and when I finish, I come back to see how I did,” he said. Spears said the only fear he has when performing is forget ting words to the songs. He said, however, that he has been able to ad-lib and keep the songs going when he has a memory lapse. “It’s not that I’m an actor,” he said, “it’s just that I am afraid of failing.” John Muzyka, one of Spears agents, is bringing Spears here as part of an effort to brinj more music to the area. Muzs' ka graduated from A&M in May 1993. While he was a student,! Muzyka put together a showcase for local amateur musicians.lit said that after moving to Fort Worth and being exposed!) Texas music and the peoplewb play it, he wants College ShtE to experience it. Muzyka said Spears’mnssi has a lot of genuine roots. “The music embodies whatil means to be a Texan,” he sail “People here have so muchpril! in their state.” He said the musicians willb able to relate to Aggies because they share Texas pride. Muzyka began his job asai agent for some of the musicians in Fort Worth as a hobby andasi favor to his friends. 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