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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2003)
the battiii Sandstorms Continued from page) :iir from about one tottiretnj high, so airplanes flyinsu that range are okay," Ci But on the ground,thesii :y can be just a few feettoi 'em. Sand moving at o niles can be a real nightmn Aggielife The Battalion Page 3 * Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Play that funky music Sandstorms and their® janying dust can clog up hing mechanical, from, lier’s M-16 rifle to an ighter jet. Once the sanfe i as passed, a thorough ci if just about anythi equired. Nielsen-Gammon says lit re two types of )ne is the result of severef erstorms that create ® , inds. This type is ci haboob,” an Arabic v leaning "blowing dust." The second type is itti nmy Americans are fi ith. It is causedbyacmvitj ic jet stream, wl rong winds to the Earth ice. "It causes the kindofss onus you see in West To. ielsen-Gammon sandstorms tend to be u jring the daytime because ound is heated up by the id the dust can be can eater distances.” Masks are a necessity «ti cing a sandstorm, Niela ammon said. -Report by Aggie Dail\ nounced the capture iqi military hospital used litary staging area. U,S.i ds said Marines confisc; ire than 200 weapons ickpiles of ammunition ire than 3,000 chemicalss th masks, as well as Iraqi! ry uniforms. The M» o found a T-55 tank Dili n pound. Secretary of State StateQ well predicted that thec« n eventually v apons of mass destnict# ing “there will come ati en the enemy has te eated, to make a more ah search.” Elements of the U.S intry Division wereabo es from Baghdad am Hiblican Guard units deles the Iraqi capital withani lit artillery barrage. 'nee falters omy worrie ence Board’s Consul!* :h Center, said a quick i the war will easeui t consumer confidence w ,e if economic fundamenti e end of the Gulf roduced a surge in but labor market cor diminished the spark.’'ii o if history repeats itself,® job scenario will do liltlfi i any post-war surge in# By Kendra Kingsley THE BATTALION With his dark good looks and throaty vocals, Bob Schneider may appear every bit the part of a quintessential rockstar. But there’s more to the singer and songwriter than meets the eye. “I try to be the exact opposite of whatever someone expects me to be, which has gotten me into trouble,” he admits. By all appearances, that rebel attitude hasn’t cost him much. In 1999, Schneider sold 15,000 copies of his independently- released album, “Lonelyland,” at an Austin, Texas music store. One year later, he was sweeping Austin’s South by Southwest music con ference with nine awards. These achievements, coupled with a loyal fan base, caught the attention of Universal Records. Soon, Schneider signed with the company, releasing “Lonelyland” nationwide. Tonight, Schneider can add to those experiences when he per forms at Concept Nightclub. PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL RECORDS Singer and songwriter Bob Schneider will perform at Concept at 8 p.m. 2008 S. r Te?(as 2lve. (979) 696-558? ‘King (Dance SpcciaC ( 78.95 ‘Everything IncCudei Open Monday - Friday (10-6) Open late on Mondays & Thursdays until 8 Saturdays (10-3) \ While it may seem that Schneider hit the music scene overnight, his past is firmly rooted in an artistic upbringing. At age 2, Michigan-born Schneider moved to Germany when his father decided to pursue a career in opera. Bob Schneider, Sr., who led the choir of oompah loopahs in the 1971 film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” continues to be one of his son’s biggest influences. “My dad was a musician all of his life, and he was teaching me how to play the guitar and sing as soon as I learned to walk,” he said. “You could put him and his guitar in a room with a whole bunch of people, and he’d rock the house.” As a child, Schneider was often awoken in the middle of the night to perform for his parents’ friends. This experience, he says, has con tributed to his relaxed stage presence. “When Tm on stage, I feel like I can do or say whatever I want,” he said. “In real life, I have to watch my p’s and q’s.” His road to the stage was not without detours. Schneider’s family returned to the United States during his elementary school years, but later returned to Germany so that Schneider could attend high school abroad. After high school graduation, Schneider attended a German branch of the University of Maryland’s art school. After two years, he returned to the States to attend the University of Texas at El Paso, working on a degree in graphic arts. While Schneider never complet ed his degree, he has no regrets. “I only wish I would have left (college) earlier,” he said. “I don’t spend any time thinking about the past. The magic about doing music, or any other kind of art, is about teaching yourself and being creative. Those are the things you don’t learn in school.” Schneider, who writes all of his songs, said he draws inspiration from the process of creating music. “I record and write all the time, and I’m always most excited about whatever my latest project is,” he said. “For me, all the joy of music happens when you’re creating it. That’s what I live for.” While Schneider’s passion for music runs deep, his initial motives were less complex. “Initially, I got into music to meet women,” he said. “If you play in a band, girls are more willing to give you a chance.” Once romantically linked to actress Sandra Bullock, Schneider is not at a loss for dates. But, for good measure, he said he tries to sur round himself with members of the opposite sex. “If anything involves a whole lot of men at one setting, you can count me out,” he said. “I’d rather watch women’s gymnastics than a men’s basketball game. Anything that improves the female-to-male ratio is a good thing.” One place Schneider does not mind the high male ratio is on stage. Along with Bruce Hughes (bass), Michael Langoria (drums) and Billy Harvey (guitar), he spends his days and nights practicing and performing. Yet the commitment required by his unconventional job doesn’t bother Schneider. “I don’t know how people can do the nine-to-five thing,” he said. “I guess there’s some sort of security with a stable job, but I think it’s horrifying.” Schneider said he works more than a typical work schedule of 40 hours a week, but enjoys every minute of it. “I think I have the coolest job in the world,” he said. “Other jobs just play some weird game of making money, but what have they done to make the world better? If all I did was spend my life making money, I would feel like a total, utter failure.” While his job allows him to escape a conventional office job, it is not without certain hardships. “When you’re in a band, people think you have it made,” he said. “They don’t see the driving you do to get to the club, the four hours you spend setting up and doing sound check or the effort that goes into lugging all of your equipment on stage. There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into every performance that the audience never sees.” The pain is worth the pleasure, however. “Playing that show at the end of the day and sharing something magical with the audience... that moment in time is worth everything else,” he said. That attitude, as well as his memorable stage presence, has earned Schneider plenty of fans. Jay Board, a senior political science major, discovered Schneider when he saw him on “Austin City Limits,” a television series that features up-and-coming artists. Board said he prefers to listen to Schneider’s music rather than mainstream radio because of the singer’s unique style. “I like the fact that (Schneider) is not on the Billboard Top 40 charts,” he said. “He definitely has his own style.” Board said that after hearing Schneider on television, he had to see him perform in person. “He sounds great live because the music on his CD is not overly- produced,” said Board, who saw Schneider perform twice in Austin and once in Dallas. “He’s just got so much energy and can put on a great show.” Cheryl Kempe, a senior journalism major, said Schneider’s sound will be a welcome break from the typical music genres that circulate College Station. “His sound is really original and has a laid-back, funky beat,” she said. “Most people around here are used to country or straight-up alternative rock. His music will be a nice change from what we’re used to hearing.” Schneider, however, is approaching tonight’s performance with only one goal in mind. “I just want people to have a good time,” he said. “Maybe they’ll wake up in jail or somewhere equally bizarre. No matter what, I hope they remember the show at least for a day or two.” Bob Schneider and solo artist Drew Nix (opening act) will per form tonight at Concept. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at conceptnightclub.com, Journey’s in Post Oak Mall or at the door for $12. Doors open at 8 p.m. guf (h in bjfDUt nexf j'uncf. 66 g> 99 e Jan 1 We have SPECIAL OFFERS for Sororities Fraternities and all University Clubs 2003 • GIFT ITEMS 2003 • GRADUATION Graduate with a CRRD & PlRTY FACTORY YOUR COMPLETE PARTY SUPPLY STORE FOR ALL AGES & OCCASIONS! 717 Texas Avenue South, Suite A College Station • (979) 696-3842 Street moved higher; it George W. Bush predi# forces will prevail in fc w closed up 65.55, or f at 8,280.23. The bn was also higher, wit! gaining 21.23 , and the Standard & P# x rising 10.51 to 874.74. Vitner, an economist 5 | a Securities in id he doesn’t believe effj mfidence will improve* 1 that the war is coming!# that businesses are o# A ing to hire workers # capital.” Chief h Friday during the fall andspiinjs# t University holidays and exam petti* IX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send a** Station, TX 77843-1111. sA&M University in the Division ofStidf' 314 Reed McDonald Building Nets®' iite: http://www.thebatt,coin r endorsement by The Battalion, Fortif- ed advertising, call 845-0569,Adisitt n. Monday through Friday, Fax: 845-267 A&M student to pick up a single 00;" s are $60 per school year, $30 W I- 1 :harge by Visa, MasterCard, DiscM' i' Student tickets only $101 The Future Is Now They're young. They're beautiful. They're talented. And, once you witness their concert, you'll know why eighth blackbird is fast becoming known as the future of classical music. But don't take our word for it,find out for yourself. eighth blackbird Performance to be followed by Q&A with audience members Monday Evening, March 31 at 7:30 PM Rudder Theatre TICKETS 845-1234 www.MSCOPAS.org MSC OPAS Three Decades of Performing Arts 2003 - 2004 Aggie Hostesses Congratulations! Missy Adams Monique Jackson Micah Allen Meredith Johnston Lisa Allison Judy Kimbrough Rachel Armstead Christy Lubbering Julie Armstrong Lindsay Lubbering Courtney Arning Katie Lucas Ashley Asebedo Andrea Mark Desola Awofeso Kristal Martinez Abby Barnett Megan Meadows Lesley Berg Randi Monceret Taryn Billing Abby Moore Andrea Boudreaux Courtney Mounce Shelby Chillion Cne’ Mulvey Deshaun Galloway Ashley O’Connor Christel Gay Crystal Orsak Erin Gracey Lindsey Reed Lindsey Grimes Melissa Reyes Amy Hallock Lauren Roche Lindsey Hawkins Adelina Rosental Katie Hayes Marina Salyer Megan Hayes Kristen Schrag Molly Hebert Sarah Smith Ashli Henderson Melody Stroud Jennifer Highnote Amber Thompson Amanda Hollrah Alicia Thompson Julie Holzer Amberly Washington Lucinda Howell Kristen Willmann