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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 12, 1998)
vT! CLASS OF 2000 E - WALK Sweatshirts. T-shirts. BBQ Tickets MSC Hallway November 3-20 10-3:00 p.m. HEEEETWWl—W We’re selling an extra week! Be sure to get your BBQ tickets hffp://class00.famu.edu LOOKING FOR A FEW DEAD ELEPHANTS Page 4 • Thursday, November 12, 1998 AggieliP Rooted Success Spirit Tree blends acoustic-rock stylings with modern rock for a unique musical sty BY RILEY LAGRONE The Battalion TANKING FRIENDS TAN The BIGGEST, most POWERFUL beds in town... Featuring the JET POWER 6000 Aggieland’s only European ultra Sun Beds .. Come Experience the Ultra-Sun Difference & Get the “Scut Treatment WOODSTONE SHOPPING CENTER (Between Nutritec & Subway) College Station, Tx 77840 (409) 680-1492 tt We will tan your hide good 39 I t isn’t often that a band has “second string” members who are ready to play a gig if the usu al musicians cannot make it. Spir it Thee, however, is the exception. In fact, it is exactly that kind of flexibility that has allowed the band to make the most of every op portunity presented to it. Spirit Tfee’s usual lineup consists of Dave Baxter on lead guitars, Randy Wasserman on drums, Rick DeLellis on bass and Rachel Williams on keyboards and vocals. • The band also has backup drum mer Mike Holleman and backup bass player Brian Lippman to pick up the slack when schedules collide. The whole act is held together by lead vocalist/guitarist and primary songwriter Ron Piwko. Piwko, for merly of the Texas Woodies, has used Spirit TVee’s acoustic-turned- electric-rock sound to score open ing-act positions for groups as var ied as Storyville, the Dixie Chicks and Cowboy Mouth. As demonstrated by Piwko’s songwriting style and the wide range of bands Spirit TYee has opened for, the key to the band’s music is versatility. Because the intensity of the band’s music can be adjusted de pending on the venue and crowd, Spirit Tee seems to be booking gigs faster than it can play them. Piwko said since the demise of the Texas Woodies and the forma tion of Spirit Tee, his music has be gun to progress far beyond its acoustic-rock beginnings. “The biggest thing is to get away from being concentrated on acoustic rock ... and taking a song in [its own direction],” Piwko said. “We used to take heavy-rock songs XJf" BRANDON B0U.0M.TiiiJ Ron Piwko and Rachel Williams will perform with fellow Spirit Tree tel members at The Tap tonight. They will open for the Austin bandSisteif ... or songs with Southern-rock roots ... and tone them down to acoustic-rock songs. Now, if a song comes out sounding a certain way, then that’s how we’ll do it.” Thanks to Piwko’s newfound musical freedom, Spirit Tee has begun to receive an even better re sponse from its crowds than the Texas Woodies did. The band’s first single, “Tall Southern Grail recorded with Austin’s LisaTirJ has received airplay on locale station KTSR-FM 92.1. The bar: currently putting the touches on its first album, UiJ as well. The record shouldbertj for release after the holidays. Spirit Tee is performingtoii| at the Tap with Sister/. Friday, IS Ticket, $2.50 ir Box All f Yoii don’t have to buy pizza for everyone on your floor. But isn’t it nice to know that you could? Give yourself financial flexibility. Call us for The Associates Student Visa®card. And get all this: • 3% cash back on purchases No annual fee JLOOJ COl Supplem something* ih does Credit line up to $2,500 To apply, call toll free 1-888-SEND-ONE 'See Rebate Terms and Conditions accompanying the credit card For more information, and great discounts, visit our Web site at www.studentcreditcard.com.
