Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1996)
Feature/A&E Tull never too old to rock Dan Clark Staff Music Writer The classic rock era was alive and well in LB Day Amphithe ater at Salem on Saturday Sept. 28. Emmerson, Lake and Palmer joined forces with “progressive rock” titans Jethro Tull for an Oregon stop on the last leg of their USA tour in what has become a banner year for nostalgic rock and roll. This tour marks the 27 anni versary for Jethro Tull and prob ably something near that for ELP. To old to rock and roll? Not even a little bit. Emmerson, Lake and Palmer was, probably for the first time in a decade or so, was the opening act. It was apparent that the ma jority of the audience were long- lived Tull fans and had only lis tened to ELP from time to time when “Fanfare for the Common Man” or something of the sort came over the radio. The trio opened with the in strumental “Hoedown” and con tinued to play most of the high lights of their Best of... album. Keith Emmerson’s solo-tribute halfway through the set was a nice break, but way too short. As a surprise, the band played the nor mal encore tune “Lucky Man” about two-thirds the way through. To the disappointment of what ever die-hard ELP fans that were in attendance, the trio left the classic “Karn Evil 9” out of the entire set (including the encore). Instead, they went for “Fanfare for the Common Man” as an unex pected encore, which included a Palmer drum solo that was, by far, the highlight of the show (I’ve never seen a gong solo before!). Not a bad performance, but you could tell who the audience came to see. A half-hour and a set change later came Jethro Tull, opening with the radio-worn tune “Aqualung.” Ian Anderson, the band’s frontman and flute-play ing minstrel, seemed to be in rather high spirits and full of en ergy despite his recent run-in with thrombosis and throat problems. His voice, however, was appar ently starting to fail him. This didn’t seem to bother any one in attendance. The crowd still cheered when he played the open ing chords to “Thick as a Brick.” They still laughed at his on-stage antics and scripted side remarks. They knew that despite whatever vocal problems Anderson had, he was still the essence of Jethro Tull. As a refreshing change of pace, Tull dropped most of their newer stuff and went for tunes from earlier albums. Songs from Stand Up and Songs from the Wood were nicely done, as well as the obvious staple tracks from the Aqualung album like “Loco motive Breath” (with a fantastic piano intro by Andy Giddings) and a flamboyant version of “My God.” The band even included a tune from lead guitarist Martin Barre’s new solo album. The en- • core of “Cross Eyed Mary” brought the crowd once-again to their feet and kept them standing as the final chords of “Thick as a Brick” echoed through the am phitheater. It was, as has been stated before, a trip back in time. For the older fans it was per haps one last look at a band they had love for decades. For younger ones, the daughters and sons of the aforementioned, it was a chance to see the band they had heard and grown to love. It was a chance for all in attendance to reassure themselves that Ian Anderson’s group of aged min strels was not liable to stop the passion play any time soon. Stay away from The Valley Brian Ray Staff Writer As with most successful, original films, a crop of imitators sprout up in no time to try to reap the success of the original. The new film “2 Days In The Valley” is one example. After Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” came along and blazed its way through cineplexes everywhere, anybody that follows movies could predict it would start a trend in filmmaking. Two recent examples were last year’s brilliant crime drama “The Usual Sus pects,” and the recent “Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead. ” “2 Days In The Valley” copies “Pulp Fiction” in structure feel and tone yet doesn’t add any thing new to the mix. It is a stale film through and through. It seems like a movie with enough promise. With an all-star cast, including Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, James Spader, Glenne Headly, Marsha Mason, Eric Stoltz and many more, you would expect some thing much better than this film ■ The following is a list of clubs " on campus and their advisors. turns out to be. All of the actors try their hardest, and all of them turn in good performances yet the film never takes off. Part of the prob lem is the lifeless script and sub standard direction by first-time writer-director John Herzfeld. ‘2 Days in the Valiev’ Grade: D Rating: R Lowdown: A badly written and directed pathetic movie with an all-star cast. Now showing at local theaters, call for show times. The film feels like a mishandled cross between Tarantino’s worst work and Robert Altman’s bril liant “Short Cuts.” The film centers on two days in the life of several people in the San Bemadino Valley. The catch is all the parties involved are into some kind of shady deals. To go into depth about the complex and unfocused plot would require a lot Christian Fellowship Advisor: Norm Bemey x2250 Chrysalis ■ Recreational Clubs Advisor: Sue Hagen x2269 " Rally Club: German Club ■ Advisor: Norm Bemey x2250 Advisor: Dick Stones x2392 ■ Rodeo Club: Fellowship of Christian Athletes “ Advisor: Norm Bemey x2250 Advisors: Kathie Woods x2418 ■ Ski Club: Kurt Lewandowski x2431 ■ Advisor: Bob Misely x2376 Rainbow Club (previously * Racquetball Club GALAB) ■ Advisor: Kathie Woods x2418 (Kate Gray is on sabbatical) ■ Women’s Soccer Club H-P user group (Hewlett-Packard B (no advisor yet) calculators) ■ Men’s Soccer Club Advisor: Denise Conillin ■ Advisor: Ged Desforge International Club B Co-curricular clubs Advisor: Ellen Wolfson x2550 ■ Baptist Student Ministries- LDSSA ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■a more time than I have as I am still not quite clear what the point of the film is. The biggest problem I have with the film is the overall look, which seems to have borrowed an awful lot from Tarantino, Martin Scorsese’s gangster sagas and “Leaving Las Vegas.” There re ally isn’t an original idea in this entire film. It is just an excuse to show a lot of graphic violence, a lot of explicit sex and fill the char acters’ mouths with endless pro fanity. The irony is, even with all those ingredients, “2 Days In The Valley” is terminally boring. The film seems to drag on endlessly, making its two hour running time feel like two days. The film has no edge and no bite, which is something the films it copies de liver in spades. For trujy edgy and innovative filmmaking, try Danny Boyle’s hallucinatory “Trainspotting,” or rent “Pulp Fiction” again. Just don’t decide to spend “2 Days In The Valley.” The film is rated R for graphic violence, sex and language. Advisor: Dick Stones x 2392 Native American Students Club Advisor: Jan Godfrey x 2389 Ornamental Horticulture Club Advisor: Elizabeth Howley x2389 Phi Theta Kappa Advisor: Dave Arter x 2210 Spanish Club Advisor: Cariota Holley x 2381 Speech Club Advisor: Kelly Brennan x 2726 Tai Chi Advisor: Judy Himes Writers’ club Advisor: Allen Widerburg The Clackamas Print Wednesday, October 2,1996 Photo by Katheryn Stavrakis Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig Lesley returns to teach at CCC Joel P. Shempert Staff Writer The return of Craig Lesley to the college following his sabbatical year marks the reap pearance of a renowned instruc tor who has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The acclaimed writer, who has been teaching at Clacka mas “pretty much since the col lege started,” once again re sides at the English Depart ment and will be teaching such courses as Introduction to Lit erature: Fiction and Advanced Fiction Writing. This will be the continuance of a tradition that has existed at Clackamas since before many students were bom. “I’ve got a 25-year pin,” says Lesley. “That’s kind of a milestone.” Another milestone for Le sley is the book, The Sky Fish erman, which was the object of his book tour this summer and the subject of a Pulitzer Prize nomination. The tour, which swept through the Northwest and covered such areas as Missoula, Montana, and the towns of Lewiston and Mos cow in Idaho, was met with a very positive reception, says Lesley, especially in smaller communities. “In small towns it’s easier to get press,” says Lesley. His appeal is not limited to rural readership however. Alan Cheuse of National Public Ra dio is one person who attests to this. “City boy though I am, I fell into Craig Lesley’s wonder fully told story as though it were my own,” states Cheuse. If further proof were needed, Lesley’s work can be found at major bookstores here in the Northwest. While he enjoyed his sab batical, Craig Lesley is glad to be back in the saddle. He says his experience at Clackamas has always been a positive one. “The faculty and adminis tration are both a strong plea sure to work with,’’and very sup portive of my work,” affirms Lesley. Students, too, receive the writer’s praise. “There are a lot of students who’ve come back again. I call them veterans,” he says. Lesley becomes enthusias tic when discussing his students. “They’ re producing excit ing and publishable works,” he explains, “which is a testimony of the great students we have here at Clackamas. “I like teaching working people,” Lesley added. He jokes that they are enjoyable because they are not “spoiled by their af fluence.” It is apparent that the marriage of instructor to college is a happy one. Lesley’s advice to aspiring writers is manifold but ulti mately condenses into two things: “inspiration and perspi ration.” If that definition lacks specificity, Lesley also adds “It’s important for writers to lis ten to what people have to say and to listen to the meaning under the words.” Listening to people talk is chiefly how the author claims to receive his inspiration: both by how they speak and what they mean. Continuing his list of a writer’s necessities, Lesley points out that “My wife is a wonderful editor. That helps, to have someone critical to read your work.” Lesley has parting advice for aspiring writers. “Try to get as much life ex perience as you can. Listen and pay attention to what people say. Be willing to work. That’s what people don’t understand.”
