Traditions show featuring the Aggie Wranglers, Singing Cadets, Texas A&M Symphonic Band and a laser light show.
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riday • May 1, 1998
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Highway 6: The Last Stand
It’s goodbye to
Allege Station for
Highway 6.
Tonight, the band
will give its
farewell show at
Shadow Canyon.
By April Towery
Staff writer
[ * That began as a couple of good ol' boys silling
1/1/ aroun( l with a guitar became two years of mak-
V V ing friends and making music.
Senior recreation, parks and tourism sciences major
—- )ub Miller and senior poultry science major Chris Sartor
a ilayed in the Aggie band and decided one day to take
| heir music a step further.
, “We sat around one summer and drank beer and
I laved songs for ourselves,” Miller said. “We had parties
nd gave away beer so people would come see us.”
The duo met senior animal science major Matthew
jg lenke, who claimed to be a fiddle player, at a Robert Earl
i a ti ieen show.
idn, “He could play fiddle better than we could, but that’s
esa i bout it,” Miller said.
!' S Ul Bass player and senior agricultural economics major
Li ti en Hogan said Menke’s talent became evident after a
:w practices.
“Now he’s the show stopper,” Hogan said.
The group began playing gigs around town and prac-
dcing at the poultry science farm.
“We had the most entertained chickens in the area,”
Miller said. “We believe egg production was up while
we played.”
The band members headed to Lubbock to record a CD
and ended up losing their drummer. Menke called senior
agricultural economics major Thomas VanArsdale to fill
in, and thus became Highway 6.
The band has a Texas sound to its music, which
they describe as the roots of country and “good beer
drinking music.”
Highway 6 will play its farewell show tonight at 9 p.m.
at Shadow Canyon. After two years of playing together,
the band has had a few interesting experiences.
Hogan tells a story of a gig the band played in
East Texas.
“We thought we were playing a benefit for a six-year-
old girl who had brain cancer,” he said. “So we went to
play at the school gym, and there were more people than
teeth in this town. But we decided to play for free because
we’re good Samaritans. There were a lot of biker-esque
type people and a lady named Peewee with tattoos all
over. It turns out that the benefit was for this guy whose
trailer on stilts had collapsed on him and killed him. We
were raising money for his casket.”
Highway 6 is a crowd-interactive band. They play orig
inals and covers of old country songs by such artists as
Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings, who
are the main influences of the band members.
“My dad was my biggest influence,” VanArsdale said.
“I played in a country band with him. When I was
younger, I didn’t like the old stuff because there were no
good drum parts.”
Sartor especially acclaims his girlfriend Stephanie for
supporting him throughout all the practices, shows and
his loyalty to the band.
The band became like a family to these live men, and
though they will part ways after tonight’s show, they each
will remember their involvement in the band as some of
the best times they had in their college years.
“It dawned on me at our last show when everything
was meshing together and it just felt good,” Hogan said.
“It’s a marriage, and I realized how much I’m going to
miss it. It’s all built on friendship. If you’re not friends, it’s
going to show in your music.”
The thought of playing onstage lights a fire in the eyes
of the band members.
“Hearing our name, coming onstage, everyone
whooping — that’s pretty cool,” Sartor said.
Menke said it’s more than just playing an instrument.
“You’re exposing yourself,” he said. “You’re setting
yourself up for other people to judge you.”
The group’s claim to fame is “The Fighting Texas Ag
gie Song,” what they describe as one big inside joke, a
satire on the life of an Aggie.
“We were just kind of making it up as we went, kind of
joking around,” Sartor said. “We never expected it to take
off like that.”
The album has remained the best-selling record at CD
Warehouse and Marooned Records since it hit the stores
in November.
Fans can expect to hear “The Fighting Texas Aggie
Song” at tonight’s show.
“It will be informal,” Miller said. “We think of this as
our last party for whoever wants to come.”
As for future plans, Menke and VanArsdale are set to
play in the Black Rose Band; Hogan and Sartor will play in
an alternative rock ’n’ roll band and Miller will be attend
ing music school at South Plains College in Levelland.
It may be the last party for Highway 6 collectively, but
the guys will come back around even after they graduate
and leave town. After all, Highway 6 runs both ways.
f]‘
'latuizs. itutdznt 1 fiznona [fay
By April Towery
Staff writer
y
N
rian Troyan is taking brotherly love to anoth
er level. The senior theater arts and English
major was recently awarded the Charles Gor-
|one Award for his original play Epilogue, which is
rawn from his personal experiences with his twin
Irother Brent.
The play focuses on the epic characters Beowulf
ndGrendel meeting in the afterlife.
“Brent’s my arch enemy, but he’s my best friend,”
toyan said. “That’s how Beowulf and Grendel end
It’s about the two people least likely to have a
onversation.”
Ironically, it was Troyan’s brother who heard the
ews of the play’s award.
“He told me on my answering machine,” Troyan
aid. "I was thrilled.”
It might have even been a fluke that Troyan’s play
centered for the award.
“I almost didn’t submit it,” he said. “The disk I
ad it on was so fried and I only had one hard copy
fit, so I had to re-type the whole thing the after-
oon it was due. I still wasn’t happy with it, but I
imed it in anyway.”
Actors in Troyan’s play are Josh Shirley as Beowulf
nd Britton Douglass as Grendel.
The play is showing through Saturday in the New
laywright’s Festival, a showcasing of students’
orks, at Fallout Theater in 144 Blocker. Also play-
gisGuillermo DeLeon’s Watson’s.
Troyan aspires to go to graduate school and
ffiieday act himself. But for now, he is interested in
aining experience in every component of film.
“I think it’s important to be familiar with acting,
esign, playwrighting and direction,” he said.
Country music's Casey Lee Green
drops in to College Station at Hastings
.
By James Francis
Aggielife editor
A lthough Casey Lee Green’s debut
album has entered the interna
tional marketplace with what his
record company describes as rave re
views, he obviously still enjoys the
small-town feel as he will make an ap
pearance at College Station’s Hastings
on May 2 from 6 to 8 p.m.
A native Midlander, Green was a
1995 graduate of Midland High School.
He has performed at Fiesta Texas in
San Antonio and at South by Southwest
in Austin.
As for the realm of performing arts,
Green has been active in music and
plays since the age of six.
In addition to past performances,
Green will make appearances with
David Kersh at the Celebration of Arts
street dance on May 16 in downtown
Midland, Tx. and with the Thompson
Brothers on May 30 in Odessa, Tx.
At the Hastings’ appearance, prize
giveaways are planned and Green will
host a live performance, as well as sign
autographs for fans.
Widely known for his single, “Come
Home,” Green can be found on the In
ternet at his official Web site at
http://www.lonestar.net/clgreen/.
A&M’s Women’s
Chorus performs
at Rudder
The Texas A&M
Women’s Chorus will per
form in Rudder Theater on
May 1 at 8 p.m.
The group will be present
ing its Spring Concert show
with the theme of “Around
the World in Eighty Minutes
— A Journey Through Cul
tures and Movies.”
Ticket prices for the show
are $5 each.
Black Leaders in Science hosts its first talent show May 2 at the MSC
By Rhonda Reinhart
Staff writer
T his weekend, Texas A&M students will
have the chance to see their talented peers
in action.
The Association of Black Leaders in Sci
ence is presenting “An Evening of Stars,” a tal
ent show featuring a variety of acts by A&M
students.
The show is scheduled for Sat. May 2 in MSC
room 201 at 7 p.m. Admission is $2.
B.L.I.S. President Anthony Edwards, a junior
biomedical science major, said the talent show
case will include singers, dancers and poetry and
fiction readings.
About 12 acts are scheduled to perform. The per
formers will be competing for prizes including din
ners from various local restaurants.
Edwards said proceeds from the show will
help B.L.I.S put on a fall science symposium.
Participants in the symposium will come
from Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas, and the
event will include seminars, oratory contests
and a quiz bowl.
B.L.I.S. was founded in the fall of 1997.
Edwards said the group’s goals include pro
viding a support network to help black stu
dents majoring in science, to foster younger
students’ interest in science and to do out
reach programs in the community. He added
that the group’s doors are open to anyone in
terested in joining.
Edwards said he hopes B.L.I.S. will help
build A&M’s reputation as a university that
welcomes minorities.
So what are you doing this summer? How about taking classes at Collin County Community College?
With campuses in Plano, McKinney and Frisco, chances are there's a campus near you. Why not get
ahead this summer? Learn something. Make your mother proud. Call today for more information.
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Maymester begins May 18. Summer classes begin June 8.
Collin County Community College District
Frisco • McKinney • Plano
(972) 881-5790 • www.ccccd.edu
P
live in Concert
oin us for an evening of fun and festivities as Brazos Bash
Celebrates Tradition with live performances by country’s hottest
ng stars Rick Trevino and The Lynns.
Saturday, May 2,1998
The new Heed Arena
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