The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 25, 1997, Image 3

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The Battalion
Page 3
Friday • April 25, 1997
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>r: If
ary
unn
This Texas favorite
brings his 'toe-tappin"
country music to the
Dixie Theatre tonight
Band finds itself
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into a new groove
Gary P. Nunn's "The London Homesick Blues" was once nominated for Texas state song.
By Melissa Price
The Battalion
1 ans of Gary P Nunn know better than to ex-
H pect the stereotypical “tear in your beer, my
wife left me and my dawg died” kind of
mtry and western music. They
«ct to hear upbeat, danceable
ies that keep the feet moving
the butt shakin’.
unn will perform at the Dix-
heatre tonight at 9:30. Open-
forNunn is Highway 6, a local
iaditional country
Wusic band.
unn, who was
n in Oklahoma and
drag secrets out of
your soul.
ed in Texas, said he
aspired of becoming a
ntry music performer
e being in a garage band in
7th grade.
iter teaming up with such well-known ^
sts as Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker and
hael Martin Murphey in 1972, Nunn’s musi-
career began to take off. His first big break
le with “The London Homesick Blues,” which
Is first recorded on Jerry JeffWalker’s Viva Ter-
album. The tune, also known as “Home
with the Armadillo,” was at one time considered
for the distinction of Texas state song.
Although many of his songs are written by
friends and other professional songwriters, Nunn
said songwriting gives him an opportunity to ex
plore and evaluate his life. Nunn said writing songs
can be a difficult and tedious process, especially
due to the personal nature of songwriting.
“The hardest thing to do is dig deep into yourself
and drag secrets out of your soul and let the whole
world look at them,” Nunn
said. “You are completely vul
nerable when you are express
ing your true feelings and
thoughts up on stage.”
Patricia Stanley, an edu
cational psychology gradu
ate student, has seen Nunn
perform four times in Bryan-
College Station. Stanley said al-
"The
hardest thing to
do is dig deep
into yourself and
Gary P.
Nunn A though she primarily considers her
self a fan of rock music, she enjoys
Nunn’s unique blend of country twang
and rockin’ rhythm. She said Nunn’s mu
sic is particularly difficult to describe.
“I guess you could consider it country, but then
again, my definition of rock is Aerosmith,” Stanley
said. “He is between some of the country artists and
Journey—it is more mellow rock.”
Nunn said although his music is designed main
ly for country dancing, its versatility allows for a
wide audience to enjoy the tunes. He said the songs
and personal, laid-back attitude of the band appeal
to college students looking to relax.
“It is a kind of good-time-oriented music that
is designed for my audience to enjoy them
selves,” Nunn said. “I don’t try to drag them
through my life's misery while I am performing.
It is just Texas proud.”
Stanley said Nunn’s friendly persona and
close interaction with audience members make
for a sensational, toe-tappin’ show. She said
Nunn’s music appeals to college students be
cause of its similarity to the music twenty-some
things grew up with.
“Nowadays all that is out there is Smashing
Pumpkins,” Stanley said. “I like them, but it’s not
who I grew up with. A lot of his music has a nice,
smooth rhythm to it. Some of it you can dance to
with a partner, and sometimes you will just wig
gle in your seat — but you’re never going to just
be sitting there.”
Stanley said audiences should expect to see an en
ergetic show filled with good tunes and good times.
“There won’t be a lot of glitz, not a lot of glam
our,” she said. “He is not trying to impress you
with a spectacular light show. He is just there to
play music, and play it well.”
By Aaron Meier
The Battalion
E xisting in a constant state of
flux for the past three years,
the members of Forever
Falling, a rock band from Houston,
said they have confidence in the
new line-up making its debut at
the 3rd Floor Canti
na Saturday.
Lead vocalist
Jeff Boortz is the
only founding
member of Forev
er Falling still in
the band. He said
he has confidence
in the band’s abili
ty to stand the test
of time.
Starting out as
three high school
friends playing cov
ers of songs by such bands as The
Cure and The Smiths, Boortz said the
evolution of Forever Falling’s music
mirrored his own taste in music.
“We started out in the gothic
European rock kind of stuff,”
Boortz said. “Then I started lis
tening to more of the rock ’n’ roll
style of music like U2 and The
Beatles, and the music I wrote re
flected that.”
Soon, the realities of high
school life began to affect the
We clicked from
the start and I
immediately fed
off of his playing
in changing the
sound of things."
jeff Boortz,
Forever Falling lead vocalist,
on band's new drummer
fledgling rockers. The original
drummer, Jamie Sralla, graduated
and went to college, leaving a hole
in the band. Boortz said finding a
replacement drummer was not
easy, but the discovery of current
drummer Jason Flanagan in 1994
ended a long series of drummers
who did not work out.
“We clicked from the start, and
I immediately fed
off of his playing in
changing the
sound of things,”
Boortz said.
Soon after bass
player Jay Hrivnatz
left the band,
Boortz found him
self responsible
not only for replac
ing lost members,
but also for point
ing the band in the
bearing that would
lead to success.
“It became my job to direct
the musical style,” Boortz said.
“It has been a lot like a solo ca
reer almost.”
Just four weeks ago, Boortz
found two new additions to the
solidifying band. Mike Belile was
selected to become the band’s
new bass player, while Bill Spur
lock was added as a guitar player.
See Falling, Page 3
Forever Falling is playing tomorrow night at the 3rd Floor Cantina.
P/t,/Bata. C/i
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