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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1994)
Tempest blends rock with ancient rhythm By Meg Dedolph OreQori Ptm* fm&akl Some things |ust don't go together. Chocolate sauce on fried shrimp, for example. Other things seem like they shouldn't, but do. like honey and mustard, or hard-rocking guitar riffs and older-than-the-hills Irish jigs and reels. But Tempest, a five-piece Bay Area band, is indebted to tradi tional folk music, mainly from Ireland, Scotland and England as the basis for their "rock n' reel" music, which has not only gui tars, but luiss and drums as well. The band includes l.«if Sorbye on lead vtxali and electric man dolin. Jon Berger on fiddle. Rob Wullenjohn on lead guitar, tan Butler on bass and Adolfo l.azo on drums. Despite his background in r<x k music, especially when he was younger. Sorbye, the hand's founder, said he wont through a period in which he listened almost exclusively to acoustic traditional music. But. some time in the mid 1980s. he said he "opened up and got it to where I wanted to combine the two (rot k and tra ditional music)." Tempest was the result "As much as I like traditional music ns it was played in the old days." Sorbye said, "it could ht*( ome a museum piece if it doesn’t evolve." Sorbye. who spent eight years with Coition Bough, an acoustic (Celtic, hand, lie fore forming Tem pest in 1988, saiti rock and tra ditional Celtic music are a natural mix because the struc tures are similar "It's the sourt e music for rock and roll." he said. "The founda tions, the six-eight and four-four times are standard backbeat rhythms. "Fans probably have a lot of different opinions on what a Tempest song is,” he said. "For me, a Tempest song is something that sounds natural when we all play together and we have a < er tain feel together.” "We take our music seriously, but not ourselves.” he said "We're having fun with what we’re doing and not preaching it. We re pretty loose as far as what we put across." Sorbye admits, however, that Tempest’s approach, combining traditional music and rix k. is not necessarily new Bands like Jethro Tull. Fairport Convention and the Pogues — all Tempest influences — have su< i ossfull) merged folk and rock comifsv pmoio Tempest will play John Henry's Saturday. July 23. Admission tor the show Is $5. Celtic harpist David Hellord will open for the band "There's a lot of room to explore within this form," Sor* hye said "There's tons of tradi tional material, plus, everyone in the band writes." On Surfing to Mecca, the band's latest album, the group's traditional ties are apparent, com bining tunes taken from the Oxford Book of Carols with Eng lish Morris dance tunes. The album also draws heavily on Irish. Scottish. Shetland and Norwegian musical traditions, and nods briefly at Middle East ern music on the title track. In which a minor-sounding fiddle melody mixes up with a surf-ruck bass line and backbeat. "The guitarist (VVullenjohn) w rote ' Surfing to Mix ca." Sor bye seid. "He'll discover wmn thing and go with it without run essarilv being steeped in that tradition." But despite the bend's four pre vious albums. Sorhye said Tern (Hist is best live "l personally feel we're stronger live than in the studio," he said. "In the studio, recording is just one performance, but on tour, it change! from night to night depending on the audience It 's a very energetic tyf**r of musu - we go out and t rente an effect on the audience " Tempest will !>e at John Hen ry's on Saturday, July 23, at 9:30 p in Celtic harpist David Helford will he opening for the band. Admission is $5. Tennis & Racquetball Restring Specials Synthetic Gut 95 K.-j;. $20.00 '/////,X/0//.K 1311 Lincoln Willamette Itnwr* Building 345-1810 Haircuts.,.s8 with shampoo & conditioner \r spirals...... reg SSOGS w/ conditioners, cut & style Longer, coior treated hair slightly more. Coupon good wttti Herd and KHty •4d#f (Jimm Slwni4 a«A. tU*Nw 1 fkmtrum. *«*•» (pa^Wsi. 4r»n Wn4«-r\ 4 M.tr'.t Atoih Good Through KiS aH>. 1‘>M ■ J RAGESA SATURDAY ONLY lime to net rid of all the stuff cluttering up our shops!" UP TO 35% OFF BICYCLES PARTS, nACCESSORIES, O SHOES, CLOTHING u \m\ ir & 50% OFF BOTH LOCATIONS 2480 ALDER • 342-6155 152 W. 5th • 344-4105 f Donate Blood Make a DIFFERENCE! Blood Donors URGENTLY needed. Be a volunteer donor. Come to the Donor Center Monday through <£; Friday. A ppoir it merits Please. 484 9111 Lane Memorial Blood Bank 221 1 Willamette St Next to Civic Stadium SUMMER TERM SPECIAL *•« * 3 Months for.*99 2 Months for.*69 NO INITIATION FEE Oregon West -fitness • Personalized Training • Aerobics!!! • Tanning Packages • Complete Co-Ed Spa Facilities • Next to Biking & Running Trails • Universal Circuit & Free Weights • Stairmasters, Aerobicycles, Lifecycles & Versaclimber Expires July 31. 1994 1475 Franklin Blvd. across from campus 485-1624 Tanning packages available: You don't need to be a member)
