arts & lives
Review
By Tom Jeffries
Of The Print
Dave Baumgarten’s musical lecture on John Steinbeck
and all-too-short concert of traditional sea chanties is an ex
cellent example of the kind of enjoyable and intellectually
stimulating entertainment the students can be treated to if
they would take the time to listen. With his associate, Anita
Rose, Baumgarten was able to give a thoroughly enjoyable
show that didn’t resort to cheap shots about sex and drugs.
His music was the music that people have been singing for
hundreds of year, and, with his help, will continue singing.
Anyone who watched him sing could tell that he enjoyed
what he was doing. It wasn’t a iob to him, it was a recrea
tion, and it came through in his music t making it that much
more enjoyable for his listeners. He played and sang until
asked to stop (a film was scheduled to be shown), and was
genuinely disappointed to have,to leave. He was more than
happy to stay around afterwards and share songs with
anyone who wanted to play his “girl.”
Even for someone who usually listens to AC/.DC and Ted
Nugent, Baumgarten’s shows were a refreshing, entertain
ing and exhilirating experience.
Review
THC
By Mike Rose
Of The Print
The three ladies looked like
the types that regularly attend
church functions.They left the
show early, shortly after the
choir broke into “Loaded at the
Time.” The Hallelujah Chorus
was not quite what they ex
pected.
Bawdy, direct, and simplistic
is the Hallelujah Chorus’ brand
of humor. The Hallelujah
Chorus (THC) performed for a
large audience Feb. 4 in the
Community Center Lounge.
“They were raunchy, but
good,” was a typical comment
made by one in the audience.
THC’s show consists of
songs that are mostly about
drugs, sex and bodily func
tions. THC is the intoxicating
chemical in marijuana. As the
group’s name suggests, drug
humor is dominant in the
show.
Their absurdity and shock
value was responsible for the
biggest laughs. An example is
“Obscenity Still Pays” . which
feature funny words like
“motherf...” The audience was
invited to sing along to the dit
ty, “I Love to Come.”
Getting laughs is what really
THC likes to sing, too.
Page 6
Baumgarten: an odyssey
through Steinbeck
Baumgarten performs most of social protest, ballads an
often at colleges. “I always get many others. He has als
“Jodie thought I was God a good reception, and I have recorded albums on Steinbec
and 10 feet taller! If he wanted very few problems with his and sea chanteys that hav
to know something he didn’t relative anonymity. Most peo- been distributed nationally.
go to his Pa. No sir! He went
for me, Billy Buck!” Dave
Baumgarten drawled, slipping
easily into a character for a
monologue that faded, ef
fortlessly into a song. His .one-
man show on the works of
Steinbeck, presented on cam
pus, Friday, is a different ap
proach that includes his own
interpretation of the man and
his writing.
Rather than copy the stan-
dard format of the one-man
show, Baumgarten does not at
tempt to imitate John
counts. The majority of the au Steinbeck. Instead, he has built
dience laughed. Unfortunately,
a show that uses his own
I was among those who didn’t. monologues and songs, taken
I endured the first 13 songs. At from Steinbeck’s works.
intermissipn I took off and tried
. A graduate of the University
to recover. I made it back in of Redlands with a bachelor’s
time to hear the last two songs. degree in Theater Arts,
The 16 songs that I missed may Literature and Humanities,
have been the paramount of Baumgarten was inspired by
Staff photo by Duffy Coffma
humor. The sun may explode Steinbeck. He produced and
Dave Baumgarten and friend
tomorrow, too.
directed 25 professional pro
I appreciate crude, tasteless ductions, and served as a pie don’t know what to expect,
“T got into folk singin
humor. THC vyas crude and .t^chefj fgrti§t-in.-rggi(i^.Qcg ^*nd .so. tbeytake the jfim^itA'ijstgn,” because^it’s, thempsic that
tasteless, but not ’ very "gi/est Mcttrer foV various skills he -said, “It catches their atten love ther rriostf I donV rhea
humorous. The act had a bla until turning to his present oc tion because it’s not imitative, modern folk music that ha
tant quality. For quality humor, cupation of concert folksinger. and it’s not dry, like a straight been composed to be fol
it takes more than just mention
“He turned me on at an early reading would be. Of course, I music, but real, tradition*
ing drugs, pubic crabs, or even age,” Baumgarten said, ex have gotten some criticism music that has been hand®
“motherf...”
plaining his 20-year identifica because many people are so in down through the generations
I have a personal prejudice tion with Steinbeck. “I came to love with Steinbeck, that they
against drug humor. It’s about his writing through “Cannery want complete faithfulness to Of course, some modern mus
as funny as plywood. I realize Row.” It opened a lot of doors -his writing. Instead I give them is well on its way to becomin
that some people enjoy drug for me. I didn’t start out to write my personal odyssey through real folk music. ‘Count
humor (God knows why). a show. I just wrote songs and his works.”
Roads’ is a good example.
However, THC relied too monologues and injected them
His show on Steinbeck is not
heavily on drug humor and it into my regular concerts. Pretty the only musical lecture he of
“When will I stop? When
got a little wearing.
soon I realized I had an entire fers. He has put together other
A couple of the songs were evening show, 'just on shows on such topics as the becomes a job, rather than a
not without merit. “Pissing on a Steinbeck,” he said.
sea, the dust bowl years, songs activity that I enjoy.”
Barbed Wire Fence” had some*
funny lines' “I Love To Come”
was a spectacle of absurdity
and tastelesSness, but enter
taining. On the whole, I
wouldn’t recommend ,THC to
The first Clackamas Com There will also be instrumental- the Beginning: Erstwhile Rel
anyone I liked.
munity College Festival of the selections from the .same tiofishi'ps.'” Rickenbaul
describes this as having
Performing Arts has been set
Thé Theater Department is “primitive, ritualistic feel
for three performances later
this month. Under the coor planning a Reader’s Theater which will be accompanied I
dination of Debbie Baker and production entitled, “Freewill.” slides, rear-screen visual
David Buckley of Student Ac The theme of the production tions and video tape delay. Tl
tivities, the approximately hour reportedly revolves around a dance was choreographed I
and a half program will involve rather profound question of Rickenbaugh and by membi
of her Modern Dance Reps
four of the humanities depart philosophy.
The Dance and Video tory group.
ments on campus: video,
Besides the work with tl
Departments have planned
dance, music and theater.
The motivation behind the both separate and joints pro Dance Departmet, Video h,
multi-media concept is to bring ductions. Jane Rickenbaugh of planned some abstract vidk
more of the College’s per dance has three dances on the presentations involving tl
formers out of the wings and agenda, one entitled, “Joshua tape delay and video feedbac
into focus for other students, Fit the Battie of Jerico,” a About 20 video students arei
the community and high school modern dance originally volved in the project. It is at
students.
choreographed by Helen reprted that Mr. Science «
The Music Department, Tamaris in the 1930s. A present some of his physic
under the direction of Jean modem/jazz production call improprieties.
The festival’s first perfo
Elliot, will present the Swing ed, “I Believe in Love,” accom
Choir doing selections from “A panied by the Kenny Loggins mance will take place at non
Chorus Line,” and a 16-voice version of the song, is also on on Feb. 18 in the Communi
Center. Mall, and will t
madrigal emsemble, which will tap.
Dance’s collaboration with repeated on Feb. 20 at 8 p.n
sing selections from Baroque
the Video- Department will and again at noon on Feb. 21
composers, including Thomas
Staff photo by Duffy Coffman
Morely and Henry Purcell.
come on a piece entitled, “In
By Tom Jeffries
Of The Print
Festival to feature CCC performers
Clackamas Community Colles