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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 1995)
3 iFS icinei Friday October 20, 1995 The Battalion THnandy,, are h neGolffc 'wSalu*,' aurnanifD! ’ a Bryant, on r Ire gollcof geofM* ion. is to veto Medicai President oward pjg ■drafted til savines tlie elder tli care. ?d the pe m that lout i redly ard Band soaks up small-show energy on college tour By Michael Landauer The Battalion D on’t tell them they’ve had a quick start. “I think the last word I would use is ‘quickly,’” Mike Cross, Sponge guitarist said. “As far as history, we’ve been together a long time. We’re no spring chickens.” Sponge released Rotting Pinata last year and has been gaining momentum as an up-and-com ing alternative band ever since. It toured with Live, and before jumping on the Candlebox tour that will take it into the holiday season. Sponge is stopping at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater Sat urday as part of a college tour. The band members grew up in working-class neighborhoods in Detroit, Mich., where they trounced around the local club scene in several variations of what eventually became Sponge. Besides impressive sales of the band’s debut single / MTV Buzz Clip “Plowed,” Sponge landed gigs on The Late Show with David Letterman — which Cross calls, “a definite milestone” — and The Jon Stewart Show. Rotting Pinata reached gold-record status five months ago and is soaring toward platinum. But Cross sees the band reaching success through its stable road presence. “We’re happy with [the album], but at the same time, we’ve toured the United States six times already,” he said. Although Cross said the band has stayed fo cused on finding success, he said the music busi ness has thrown several obstacles in its way. “We’ve always done things in order to be suc- Icessful,” he said, “but unfortunately, we’ve had I people around us who’ve based their decisions on- failure. Right now, we’re surrounded by a great group of people.” The Bahw No matter who surrounds the band, Cross said the driving force behind its sound is the creative energy that comes from Vinnie, Sponge’s lead singer and primary songwriter. With Vinnie and Sponge’s other guitarist, Joey Mazzola in the cre ative mix, Cross said the group has been able to grow as a band. “I just think the chemistry between the three of us in writing songs happens kinda naturally,” he said. “You’re going to see some growth with our next record.” But Cross said the band members’ minds are on their current college tour, which he says gives the band a nice break from touring with bigger shows. “We were able to do some smaller clubs on this college topr, which I think is important,” he said. Since the band originated from the small club scene in Detroit, Cross said that having the crowd close to the stage helps raise the perfor mances’ energy. There has been talk of covering the moat that separates the crowd from the stage at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Cross said covering the moat would make the show seem more like a club concert. “One of the things that we miss is that the fans can’t get close to the stage,” he said. “It’s creating the energy together instead of us playing for you.” Given the amount of touring Sponge has done, fans might expect a Sponge concert to be routine. But Cross said the band mixes things up to keep it interesting for themselves and the audience. “We don’t subscribe to the style of just show ing up and playing,” he said. “We know you’re there to be entertained.” Cross said the shows are what make the strug gles in the music industry worth it. “If we didn’t have that 75 minutes up on stage, it would probably suck,” he said. A family man :ation , Studei* n measiw nt. r f </s Edik* vjEVPS Edi 1 ® -ieufeE# ,ts Editor DR England performs at D&D as part of concert series By Jan Higginbotham The Battalion L ife in the spotlight can be difficult for performers, but country singer Ty Eng land has adjusted to the good life that has come with his recent success. “I was always one of those guys that loved to dream,” England said. “I never really be lieved that my dreams of making it in the music industry would come true. Now, I feel like I’m spoiled rotten.” England is performing at Denim & Dia monds tonight as part of the club’s Friday Night Concert Series. Although England only recently started his solo career, country music listeners have been familiar with his work for several years. England’s career started in 1988 when he joined the band of his college room mate, Garth Brooks. Brooks and England met at Oklahoma State University, and together, they dreamt of making it big in the music industry. When Brooks signed a record deal, he im mediately called England and asked him to join his band. England sang harmonies and played acoustic guitar for Brooks as he rose to the top of the country charts, but England said he never lost sight of his dream to launch a solo career. “It was decided before I ever went to Nashville to be Garth’s sideman that I would eventually launch my own career,” England said. “It was just a matter of waiting for the right time to do it.” England said he learned a lot from Brooks and his ideas about making music. “I learned about the shows and how to treat people,” he said. “He always made sure that the fans were content, and that’s what I try to do.” England’s self-titled debut album in cludes his first single, “Should’ve Asked Her Faster,” which skyrocketed up the country charts. “When we picked ‘Should’ve Asked Her Faster,’ I knew it was right for me because I am that guy in the song,” he said. “I was the guy who would plot whole school years around asking a girl out.” England finally overcame his shyness when he met his wife, Shanna. He said the worst thing about his career is the limit on the amount of time he gets to spend with his family. The couple has a 5-year-old daugh ter, Aspen, and a 2-year-old son, Tyler. “I’m on the road all the time — it’s what I do,” he said. “But that’s all they’ve ever known. It’s hard because I miss the everyday things. I’m spoiled that I can actually take them out on the road sometimes.” England said his goals for the future are simple. “I hope to keep making music and touch ing people with my music as long as I live,” he said. “I don’t expect any gold records. I’m just trying to make music that touches me. “Simple music from the heart — music that I’ve lived, felt or needed to hear. That’s what it’s all about.” Publisher calls Stern's humor tasteless NEW YORK (AP) — Howard Stem has gone too far this time — too far even for one his biggest promoters. Stern’s editor, Judith Regan, nixed two doctored O.J. Simpson photos from Stem’s new book — including one of Simpson suppos edly instructing the shock jock on how to slash the throat of Stem’s wife — as “beyond tasteless.” Regan let one in: Stem’s wife, Alison, her neck slashed, her body being run through a meat grinder by Stern as Simpson gives a thumbs-up. Regan said in Thursday’s Daily News that the meat grinder photo did not offend her because it was a parody of militant, feminist anti-pomography pictures. Regan runs her own book im print, Regan Books, for Harper- Collins. She edited Stern’s hugely successful first book, Private Parts. Sagan emerges from disorder treatment ITHACA, N.Y. (AP) — He’s thinner, and he has a little less hair, but Carl Sagan’s sonorous voice is still unmistakable. The 60-year-old Cornell Uni versity astronomy professor spoke to a group of new Ameri cans at a naturalization ceremo ny at a courthouse Wednesday. It was one of his first appear ances since undergoing treat ment for a rare bone disease over the summer. Doctors said Sagan’s recovery has been strong. During his 20-minute address, he made no mention of his health. He challenged the immi grants to keep their heritage while respecting American ideals. The astrophysicist and au thor of the Pulitzer Prize-win ning Dragons of Eden has cut down on his teaching schedule and public appearances. Marshall sues Smith's lawyers for slander HOUSTON (AP) — Pierce Marshall, whose rich, 90-year- old father married 26-year-old model Anna Nicole Smith, has filed a lawsuit accusing her lawyers of slandering him. The Aug. 4 death of Howard Marshall set off a court fight by the widow to claim half of the income he earned during their 14-month marriage. Pierce Marshall is demanding unspecified damages for harm to his reputation he says was in flicted by Ms. Smith’s lawyers, Diana Marshall and Suzanne Korablit. Ms. Komblit was said to have characterized the younger Marshall in the media as “greedy and miserly” and “a real control freak.” The lawyers denied smearing the younger Marshall. The lawsuit suggests that Ms. Smith’s lawyers were using the news media as a tool to get a quick piece of the Marshall es tate, which has been estimated at $300 million to $700 million. er,TaraV* lf ' Heathe'P* 1 ibotham. * jchel ,ne, Lisa Nai 1 " iscm, L r ' n ,n Bro^ ,j & Lydia toonis ts: ibyn Call° w) ' Estes t T*' 1 ers, Abbi^ diversity in|l ' i srllines < U 2 CAN LIVE & WORK ABROAD Five weeks with a host family and an internship in a field related to your major! GERMANY! ENGLAND! DOMINICAN REPUBLIC! Let the WC L.T. Jordan Institute help you make it happor! TpplicatiTns available NOW in the L.T. 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