March 18,191
>uatro
w
r'-fi
3?SK
■:^0Ki§!
||CH<»
Gts L-, ^Asy'"
H£/J Poe if
)2
Thurs^y
Mar-2li£
8ANA3M 1
Part IV
5pm-7E!IL
ECON 202
Part IV
7pm-9pni
md Thursdays
OT, Night News EdW*
iiF.i.iFF. Editor
s. Sports Editor
H5io Editor
nich, Graphics EcttO'
raphics Editor
Pamela Benson, EleaW
ther Pace, Danielle Po"
uma Wiggins
el Barry, Kristina
aber, James Francis, Lfe
ft, & Alex Walters; P* f;
i, Stephanie Chrislophe 1
•esigner: Jody Holley
. Baxter, Rob Clark, Er ;
;on, Elaine Mejia, Cl« i '
dez & Kieran Watson
?ony Angkriwan, Am
ve, Cory Willis & Evat
itin Deluca, Jody Hoik!
n, |ohn Lemons, Jenni'f
syard & Chris Yung
away, Mandy Cater, Ar
texas A&M University
ion! of Journalism,
phone: 845-3313; Fa-
a or endorsement by H*
sing, call 845-2696. E f
ire in 015 Reed McDor
Friday. Fax: 845-261
M student to pick upa^
icster, $40 per school )*'
over or American
jgh Friday during then 1
g the summer sessions
s A&M University.
Tonald Building, Texas
The Battalion
MONDAY
March 18, 1996
If
:
W
GGIE
A\y ■
JL
■ M
« J||
Page 3
MU330 brings long history, diverse style to B-CS
By John LeBas
The Battalion
I t’s not often that bands formed in high school last
for years.
But MU330 (pronounced m-u-three-thirty) has
relied on good music, energetic performances and old
friendships to achieve a level of success that most
such bands only dream of.
The St. Louis ska band was formed by a group of
high school friends eight years ago and was named
for a music class some of the members were in.
MU330 is playing its second College Station show
tonight on Northgate.
With guitar, bass, drums and a three-piece horn
section, MU330 chums out a high-powered mix of
ska and rock, Dan Potthast, the band’s guitarist and
vocalist, said. Ska, akin to reggae, is characterized
by guitar upbeats and horn melodies.
“One thing I always tell people is that we start
ed out playing rock and later on got into ska,” Pot
thast said. “We never lost the rock, but there’s still
lots of ska.”
Jason Nelson, MU330’s lead vocalist, said the
band’s music “rocks,” but also focuses on melodies.
“That’s what we’re all about — having something
that’s melodic and that the crowd can sing along to,”
Nelson said. “We’re really into structured songs, too.”
Nelson said fans are often surprised at how
MU330 speeds up some of the slower tunes from the
debut album, Press, while performing live.
“But that’s all about getting hyper,” he said.
And getting hyper is exactly what MU330 likes to
do during live shows, he said.
“The crazier, the better,” Nelson said. “We’re al
ways running into each other and breaking stuff
(on stage).”
Nelson said performing also helps the band learn
new material.
“We’re always doing the new stuff live because
that’s how we, as a band, work it out,” he said.
Performing has also helped propel the “old stuff’ to
success — Press has sold well since its 1994 release.
Potthast attributes this to the band’s rigorous
touring. MU330 has been playing throughout the
country over 200 days a year for the past two and a
half years. This busy schedule is well illustrated by
Nelson’s first three days in the band.
“I auditioned on a Tuesday, rehearsed with them
on a Wednesday and went on the road on Thursday,”
he said.
But no complaints there, Nelson said — MU330
loves staying busy and playing as much as possible.
“We’re not into staying at home and playing every
once in a while,” he said.
And this won’t change soon, drummer Ted Moll
said, as MU330 is preparing to release its next CD.
“Our new CD comes out in April,” he said. “It’s
called Chumps on Parade and will be released on
Dill Records, home to other popular ska bands like
Skankin’ Pickle and the Tantra Monsters.”
Nelson said the new material, most of which
MU330 has been playing live for over a year, has
evolved into more of a rock style, but is not de
void of ska.
“We’ve been writing a lot more guitar-influenced
stuff, focusing on a rock sound,” he said. “But the
horns are still kicking, even more so than on Press.”
A possible tour with Skankin’ Pickle should follow
the release.
MU330
“We’re going to try to hit it really hard for about
four months,” Moll said. “And our goal is to be able
to play arenas.”
Potthast said he hopes to implement pyrotechnics
and car chases on stage at that point.
Whether or not that materializes, the band is con
tent to continue touring and having a good time.
“It’s everybody’s dream to get in a band with their
best friends and go places you never thought you
could,” Potthast said.
No distance too far to bring Ground Turkey members together to play
By Libe Goad
The Battalion
Ground Turkey
I nStyle magazine, the daughter of
People Weekly magazine, occa
sionally carries a special section
titled, “What’s in your purse?” Last
month, actress Delta Burke un
zipped her purse so the public could
take a peek inside.
It spilled over with, among other
things, lipstick, a wallet, cigarettes and
mints, letting the public in on how the
rich and famous live. Right.
Steve Rice, a freshman archaeology
major and a tenor saxophone player for
the funk band Ground Turkey, opened
up his wallet and told a few stories
about the 11-member band that will
play tonight on Northgate.
Rice, Jason Puller, a freshman con
struction science major, and Robby
Knight, a freshman mechanical engi
neering major, make up the College
Station arm of the band, its members
being spread across the country.
With a band member in Ohio and
others at different schools in Texas, the
two vocalists and guitar, drum, bass,
trombone, trumpet, tenor saxophone
and baritone saxophone players man
age to build their musical repertoire
and keep a performance schedule.
“Let’s just say we often practice
without some people,” Rice said.
With the diversity of residences
comes equally diverse musical in
fluences.
Ground Turkey’s lyrics carry a hip-
hop flow and a Weird A1 Yankovic
mentality, painting humorous por
traits about anything from a bowling
alley worker to a crack-selling con
gressman who dies at the hands of a
roving mariachi band.
“The lyrics can be about anything as
long as they are not serious,” Rice said.
The most serious aspect of Ground
Turkey is its desire to stay away from
the mainstream music scene. Rice said
Ground Turkey wants to avoid the cat
egory of overrated musicians who play
to simply please the audience.
“We don’t appreciate what other
people think is funny,” he said. “I guess
that’s a little selfish.”
Coincidentally, audience approval
helped the band get on the ground and
running in 1993 during a battle of the
bands at a Woodlands teen center out
side of Houston.
The competition drew the original
members of Ground Turkey together for
an impromptu appearance at the center.
“They threw it together in a day,”
Rice said. “It was more of a joke
than anything.”
Chance smiled on the band. Much to
its surprise, the audience liked its
style, and it won the contest.
From there, it decided to take play
ing music to a different level.
After a few member changes,
Ground Turkey set out into the Hous
ton music scene, playing for a year at a
club that sets fledgling bands into the
public eye.
The group slowly gathered a follow
ing and took its music into the Studio
to record an eight-song demo tape. Last
December, Ground Turkey recorded
again, and since then has moved into a
larger forum for its music.
In September, the band played at
the annual Westheimer Arts Festival
in Houston and caught the attention of
The Houston Press, which awarded the
band with the Best Horn Lane and Best
Rap/Hip-Hop Act.
Rice said the band hopes to gain
recognition in other cities like it did in
its hometown.
“Ground Turkey became a house
hold name in Houston,” Rice said. “1
don’t know whether people liked us,
but they knew us.”
Chance smiled again on the band
and gave them a name.
After sitting around and failing to
think of a name for the newly-formed
band, bassist Mike Wallace returned
from the grocery store with a sticker
stuck to his leg. The sticker said,
“Ground Turkey.”
The rest of the story goes from there.
Ground Turkey keeps the spirit of
chance alive in the wackiness of its
stage performances.
At every show, the band makes a
point of dressing in the craziest garb
possible. Band members sport Afros
and Halloween masks.
In the past, the band has dazzled au
diences with homemade pyrotechnics,
using a makeshift combustion chamber
to rain glitter over the audience.
Rice said Ground Turkey made a
habit of bribing people to see the
band’s shows with freebies.
The band has given away toast,
Twinkies and old appliances.
“We’re not out to be rock stars,” Rice
said. “We love to put on a show.”
Hey TAMU,
PLAYBOY
m Hiere uncimier/Diei/Dino
Attention female student body! Ever fantasized about being pictured in the number-one
men's magazine in the world? Now's your chance to turn fantasy into reality.
Representatives from Playboy magazine are in College Station to interview and photograph
female students for its fall 1996 pictorial, 'The Women of the Big 12." Thousands of coeds
have tried out for Playboy since it began its college conference pictorials 1 9 years ago.
Many have gone on to become Playboy Playmates, models and actresses. Even more have
become doctors, lawyers, scientists, professors, business and government
professionals, wives and moms. Who knows what the future holds for you? Of
course, you could always dig out your issue and relive your glory days.
Candidates must be 18 years or older and registered as a full- or part-time student at
a Big 12 university. Clear copies of identification—one verifying enrollment in school
and a photo ID that shows date of birth—must be brought to the interview. All photos
become property of Playboy and cannot be returned.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CALL TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION:
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
CALL DAVID CHAN • PLAYBOY SUITE
MONDAY, MARCH 18 THROUGH THURSDAY, MARCH 21
HOLIDAY INN COLLEGE STATION
1503 SOUTH TEXAS AVENUE, COLLEGE STATION, TX 77840
409-693-1736
NSC Variety Show
Tickets go on Sale this Wednesday!
For more information call:
845-1234
BRAZOSTKADEU
.AHTiGKJB&COLLECTmm.
M. Framed Art Glassware '<*■ Pottery
F*- Books )*■ Records >»• Military Gifts
Furniture f*- Tools China
F* Antiques dr Collectibles
Beetle Memoriabilia Lamps etc.
M - F 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays by chance
210 West 26th St., Bryan (409) 775-2984
SPECIALIZING IN
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
ONE DAY SERVICE ON MOST CARS
Quality Service since 1987
693-6189
601 Harvey Rd.
•TUNE-UPS
• TRANSMISSION REPAIR
• WATER PUMPS
• ALIGNMENTS
• FREE ENGINE DIAGNOSIS
• FREE 9 POINT SAFETY CHECK
• MAJOR & MINOR ENGINE REPAIR
• QUALITY FRIENDLY SERVICE
BRAKES
A/C REPAIR
ALIGNMENTS
FREE BRAKE CHECK
Texas Ave.
★
Hwy 6
OPEN MON. THRU SAT.
8 AM TO 6 PM
Welcome Back Aggies!
Did your vehicle act up during Spring Break?
Call us for a FREE Inspection which includes:
check all fluid levels • check all belts & hoses
check all brakes & brake lines • check engine
Have peace of mind
1996 PLAYBOY
AIR CONDITIONING SERVICE
$
95
Service includes Diagnostic
evaluation of AC system, leak
detection & check freon levels up m ost cars
to 8 oz. free Freon $15.00 per lb.
34
I
I Includes. . . (Rear 69.95) MOST CARS
I • New pads • Rotors resurfaced
I * Inspect front calipers • Inspect master cylinder
• Repack front wheel bearings & seals Special
Metallic Pads *20™ Extra
r
i
i
$
39
I I
WHEEL ALIGNMENT
gtj Adjust caster, camber & toe
setting to manufacturer specs.
All cars, four wheels (excluding
FRONT/REAR BRAKE JOB
RADIATOR FLUSH & FILL
$29 95
Includes 1 gallon anti-freeze
■J L
“i r
11
most cars
^ 4-wheel $49.95 Ford I beam).
| eng In e fu n eT-up “
I In most electronic ignition cars, we'll install new resistor spark plugs, adjust
■ idle speed, set timing, test battery and charging systems, and inspect other
* key ignition parts. We'll make it PURR!
I Vans and Trucks’10™ Exlra $^^\95 ^ GY!
■ $59.95 6 Cyl.
1 $69.95 8 Cyl.
LUBE, OIL & FILTER SPECIAL
i i $14
i i
i i
■J L
95
ERA $2 fee extra
Most Cars
Chassis lube • Up to 5 c
New oil filter • Check al
9 point safety check
t. oil
I fluid levels ,