ANI
DiFranco
By Rick Herranen
Fmerald Contnbutoi
Am DiFranco. the headliner ,il
the 19*12 Vancouver Folk
Festival, will perform Ian 29 in
(late Auditorium at the
University
DiFranco was horn in Iluffalo.
NY. and moved to New York (lily
at the age oMH In the following
three years she recorded three
alliums and established herself as
a leading draw at clubs, theaters
and festivals across the United
States and Canada
With her first two albums.
DiFranco demonstrated a biting
guitar style and charged lyrics.
With her third album.
ImfMJrfcctly, she achieved a level
of intensity that folk-rock rarely
reaches.
ODE: How did you get your start
as an artist?
Ani: Well, when I was a kid. I
was hanging oul with these
degenerate "folkies" in Buffalo
and they started taking me
around to the liars and folk clubs
and i nffivhimv’s and stuff
ODE: Was thorn an established
sennit thorn?
Ani: Yeah. you know thorn's
always an established scone of
music everywhere that happens
sub-commorcially; just people
out there playing music. 1 had
managed to meet a bunch of thorn
and they just corrupted me com
pletely (laughter)
ODE: There always seems to bo
good stuff on the fringes and
that's where you find the interest
ing viewpoints and that’s where
social issues are addressed more
openly.
Anl: Absolutely. I think music
has a .social basis. And you know,
the music business is like any
other business — it’s just making
money off of something.
Commoditizing it But the "real"
Court*** Pnofc
Famout "demon " drummera ot Japan. Ondokoza will perform Jan. 30.
Court »*y Pnoto
Anl Di Franco bringa bar folk mualc to Cato Auditorium Jan. 29.
music is nut there.
ODE: Yeah Real is not created to
become a product in a consumer
society
Ani: Definitely!
ODE: When did you start playing
the guitar?
Ani: When I was, like, nine years
old
ODE: Let's see, can you tell me
alKHil the university you attended
hack in New York City?
Ani: Yeah, the New School For
Social Research I went there for
awhile and it was a very cool
place to lie. but then I got really
busy. So 1 left there like a year
ago. But sort of an open universi
ty for political studies, very polit
ically and socially oriented A big
’Leftie” hang-out in New York,
[laughter)
[)DE: Is that where you began
dealing with social issues? And
also, discovering your feminism?
Ani: Yeah, that place did a lot for
me. There were a lot of issues
that were forced everyday. The
pressure was really on there. It's
great! It's a very, very intense
place to be. There’s all this emo
tional investment in learning be
cause the things we talked about,
that I talked about, wurc really
important, were everyday life. So
yeah. I guess it helped me to
learn how to talk about these
things. To talk about working for
Turn to ANI, Page 8
DEMON
DRUMMERS
The 13 mem hors of
Ondekoza. world-famous
"demon'’ drummers of Japan,
will bring their stamina-defying
performance to the University
Saturday
The members of Ondekoza
play "taiko." an array of tradi
tional Japanese drums ranging
in size up to ms feet tall and
weighing up to 700 pounds
In addition to percussion,
their performance involves
many artistic mediums, includ
ing wind and string instru
ments, voice, dance and athletic
movement Their music origi
nates from traditional drum
routines and classical kabuki
and Bunraku plays
Marco Leinhard, the group's
only English-speaking member,
said the members of Ondekoza
wish to "bring this aspect of
Japanese culture to different
countries. It allows us to give
Japanese culture a human face,
as opposed to the stereotypes
about Japan that are projected
in Western media."
Taiko drumming is more vig
orous than Western style drum
ming. and its stylized motions
are similar to those of the mar
tial arts The performers share a
communal lifestyle, and their
physical and mental training
includes long-distance running
Ondekoza kicked off its three
year American tour by partici
pating in the New York
marathon, and will conclude
the tour by returning to the
race.
The performance is at 8 p m
Jan 10 in Beall Concert Hall.
Tickets, available at the door,
are $5 students, S7 general.
An unknown "garage" hand 11 years
ago in Houston. Texas, the l)irl\ Rotten
Imbeciles lacked a garage So the four
some practiced their thrash in vocalist
Kurt Brecht's bedroom
Brecht's father didn't apprec iate the
ear-blasting uproar when he came home
from work, but his profanities only
added to the general ruckus Little did
he know the band would later adopt one
of his epithets and become known
worldwide with it
The Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (translate
as contemptible, morally corrupt per
sons of defective mentality) has added
Eugene to the top of its hit list for anoth
er one of its "planetary musically sonic
attitude assaults." Launching from its
home base in San Francisco. Calif., the
band will tour North America and
Europe to promote Definition, its new
release on Rotten Records
Only the band hopes this time the bus
won’t go up in flames, as it did on their
tour with Ice-T's band Body Count
when they were in Los Angeles.
“It was some sort of grease fire.”
Brecht said "All of a sudden we saw lug
clouds of smoke billowing out. so we
pulled over. Then the fire department
came and cut a hole in the bus with a
power saw and put out the fire Our
replacement was a Greyhound, so we
were sleeping in those narrow isles the
rest of the way "
On that tour. Body Count had just
released their single "Cop killer." and
everywhere they went peoplr were pick
eting their concerts
"Well, we got a lot of publicity for
free," Brecht said But Warner Bros
eventually took the cut off the album
A /.ealous poet and lyricist. Brecht
tackles a variety of subjects — from seri
ous to playful — on OKI's new album
" Acid Rain’ is all about what we are
leaving on Earth for our children."
Brecht said. “What will they think of
the world and its pollution, radiation,
acid rain and what we've left for them?
Time Out.’ which was written by
(bassist) John (Menor). has a similar
vibe, about how people are screwing up
the world."
Pm
DRI and Pro-Pain
will bring thrash
to the WOW Hall
Jan. 31
On "Tone !_)«»•«f" Brecht reveals an
amusing story that shows the lighter,
more comical side of L)K1 Cuitarist
Spike Cassidy has always maintained
that Brecht is tone deaf, which turns out
to be a well-founded accusation.
"When I was young I had to take a test
at school to find out if l should be
allowed to take musical classes: to see if
I had the pitch and aptitude for music."
Brecht said. "I didn't do too well." He
he finds this ironic. considering he
is making a living in music
Thu same fervor with which Brecht
writes lyrics has also lead to four pub
lished books of stories and poetry,
including "The 30-Day Diarrhea Diet
Plan” and "See the Loud Feeling
(which includes DKI lyrics and poems)
His books are available through his own
publishing company, Dirty Rotten Press
Ihinsh /mu' was OKI's Iasi ndi-aso in
Sinctt than thoy hiivn bwtn touring
and (hen writing and recording
Definition, thoir sixth album to dalu It
is tin' first original mlnaso on their now
I iil»'I
DM ami Pro-Pam will i>lay at the
WOW Hall Sunday, fan 31 The show
starts at H p.m. and tickets are $11 at the
dear
Court*«y Phc*o
Life revolve* around the eaknon In thlt mualcel comedy, a production of Feet Flret from Humboit County.
SALMON
Continued trom Page 5
salmon itself was also an inspiration, Simpson said
The play is titled Queen Salmon instead of the
proper term king salmon, tie said, because he
observed that the female of the spei ies is always
more wary of the traps that are used to do salmon
counts "The female is more cautious and more
aware of her mission to ensure the continuation of
her kind." he said.
For this reason, the script doesn't limit itself to
the human condition, but characterizes scaled and
feat tiered friends as well. Slithery salmon lament
how numerous they once were with Shakesperean
eloquence while spotted owls have family squab
bles and go for therapy to overcome their "hang up"
with old growth trees
Feet First, a Pelrolia-based dance and theater
troupe, is presenting Qaocn Salmon as part of its
Human Nature Series Company director and chore
ographer lane Lnpiner worked with the original San
Francisco Mime Troupe in the HMiOs along with
Simpson and |udi Quick, who performs the Spirit
of Salmon.
This character intersperses the light-hearted play
with a gut-wrenching commentary on the fate of the
salmon, whose habitat has been threatened by
extensive erosion, industrial pollution and power
dams Her solemn solo is offset by the quarreling
owl family, which has audiences hooting with
laughter. In one scene, for example, the adolesc nil
owl daughter says, "Cod. 1 need my own space'" to
which her parents respond: “Well, too bad There's
nowhere left to go."
Seth Zuckerman. a forestry restoration worker in
the Petrolia area, said the play's humor helped
bring his community together. "One logger came up
Id me after the show and said. 'I saw mysidf on lhal
stage.’ and he was able lo laugh at himself," he
said, "Not only do we get a good laugh at the sake
of foresters and government officials, not alsi> at the
sake of environmentalists “
The play also makes people aware that no one is
exempt from a responsibility to the environment.
"You can’t go there and feel comfortable and say
'Oh. yeah. I'm not to blame.' "
Simpson said he hopes the tour of the play will
help "tiring about a coalescence of groups." as with
its Petrolia performance. Queen Salmon encourages
people to "come in off the extreme edges and liegiii
to talk," he said.
The play has undergone constant revision since
its original 1001 California tour lo include new
developments, such as the devastating 1992
Humbolt County earthquake
"There were three quakes in one day. It was .1
leveling experience." said Simpson, whose home
was destroyed "It was a warning of how vulnerable
we all are."
"We are at a precipitous moment." Simpson said
"We have moved onto an unstable land and taken
away its ecological stability Then we built a very
thin skein of support on top o! this damaged sys
tem
"Uut the power of nature is ultimately going lo
prevail (with or without us) So we have lo find
ways for people to locale and bring out that
power " To this end. Queen Salmon swims progres
sively,
Queen Salmon will be (ii esented til I hr Hull
Center /an. 29 and 30. The 1902 lour includes tin•
lluniholl Huy Area. Eugene. Portland. Seattle.
Iterkeley. Marin County. Sonoma County and
Sacramento.
Cooking With A Social Conscience
Nurturing your health while supporting the earth
•Jan's Salsa
• Marinara Sauce
•3 Bean, Black
Bean & Chili Dip
All made with organically
grown tomatoes & beans.
1% sales lot Ecology & Hunger Projects
AVAILABLE IN THE EMU
F
12XCL}/SrviiL.vJn
t
It doesn't halt to be dirty to be good
726-6969
OPEN 24 HOURS
CltuJ Sun. 4*m l$ 10mm
Mtn 12m it H*m
1166 S. A Street
Springfield I
Suit ItuUy mmU W !
frmrnun yum! Ry'
GENTLEMAN'S
ENCORE
Qualify Ratal* Ckjfhng lor Man and
Woman ol Otcnmmatmg Tasla
1111 WLLAMETTE • imm
CUSTOM PRINTED
r T-SHIRTS
LOWEST RATES!
I
I
snutsui. \it 11
344-2691 *
18M frontfn Btvd.
twdto7-Han\Atadt
Expires 2/12/93
oSsrxoiSSESsrTir^^MSirwsrsrsunnB^u^SfcKrssTrTSMiiS^iScSMS?^"
-on aatji now, § lipy^a ip* n yso, >o yq« no. froop vj t_h_
Nightly S:tO (in Ml •» WiUHia
-WONOCRFUC MAGIC Al, MARVELOUSI
ONIIMbMMaMiiw. It»*r
K
nirtina.
s
492
E iah
686
2458
HCMUPTX BUOU mu W C AtlMOAM \
FT IHELD OVfm Mf fcU» »2» (Ml • « ''1
'* * * * WONOERFULLV HUUOROUSrl
LtnKgn'foWOMr'HICWTWrBFf pxJ
UO FEB 211 COIMN ON BJOU CMJNOM
t !XT«» MN CUVTOItfN mur
—s«r wrr»fs«v!r, T®—
lui MM l.ll
An OulrngwKM AiitMlad Mu*k«I (flMd|r
by Bill
mnnfcri
--Bob
Marley
Time Will Tell
r Mci
Mlabll* KM 1
RESERVOIR
DOBS a
L WMVtt tfft'M
Offer good
with Barb
ILLUSIONS.
1311 Lincoln
Willamette Towers Building
40% OFF
• Haircut
(reg $15 w/ shampoo &
conditioner)
• Perms loop rods & spirals
(reg. $50-65 w / conditioners,
cut & style Longer, color treated
hair slightly more)
■ Illusions* 345-1810 ..|
Sta# GW4 (WCmv* *»*»■ u«4 I.*# A Ac* Mam |
Good through February 27, 1993. *