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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1987)
Page 4, Portland Observer, December 2, 1987 ENTERTAINMENT SEEN ABOUT TOWN Cafe V iv o . Dakota .. Christmas Crazy/ Saga of the Mad Shopper Part I Tis the season to be jolly . . . and other Christmas carols peacefully □race the chaotic atmosphere of Anybody's Shopping Mall in Everywhere. USA. As you pull into the shopping mall, hopefully by yourself (God forbid, with a carfull of bouncing, jolly-spirited children), your face tightens and the o eaqle-eye goes onto automatic scan as you realize you ve pulled into a line o at least six other vehicles, all searching for that one spot. Knowing full well some quick maneuvering will be required, you hunch your back over the steering wheel, your pulse rises 100 times and you are no longer named Mom, Dad, Honey or Sweetheart. It s Mario Andretti, and the parking lot is your racetrack. After you almost run over Mr. and Mrs. O.L. Lady and p— off the driver behind you, a sigh of relief escapes your tight jaws, and you rest your head on the steering wheel only to lift your head and see the H A N D IC A rrtu ONLY sign. Oh Well! If any one asks you, by now you are CRAZY, and had better steer clear. Anyway, you've arrived and it's time to do what you ve come for: shop. But, please be careful as you cross the parking lot into the mall. The lot is full of Mario Andrettis, and you might as well be a stripe on the Atlantic Starr ^ ^ T h e cool air does you good on your walk/run into the mall, and you feel "This is the album we’ve been waiting all our lives to do. Sometimes you spend years reaching for something, a certain feel, a special sound, and it gets to where you're not sure you'll ever grab it. Then all of a sudden, all the pieces fall into place - the songs, the people, the situation - and you half human again as you stroll in the entrance. By the time your eyes adjust, you are reminded of old westerns when they had those big round-ups. Herds of cattle are replaced with hoardes o human beings that move in a steady stream that you have to move fast enough to get into. As you stop to gaze (if you dare) into any store window, you are bumped, stomped, and glared at enough that you ve decided to go in realize you've arrived." All In The Name Of Love is everything and more; proof positive that just when you think you've heard the best, something better comes along. The "something better," in this case, is an eleven-song collection that puts the whole of Atlantic Starr's songwriting, performing and recording abilities on dazzling display. "It's the best thing we've ever done," asserts Wayne Lewis' brother and partner-in-sound, David Lewis. "We had the free dom to go for it and we d id ." That's quite a claim, considering Atlantic Starr’s way with hit music: from sizzling, dance-enhancing hits like Circles and "Freak-A-Ristic" to such smash trademark ballads as "When Love Calls" and "Secret Lovers," Atlantic Starr radiates an energy, originality and hit-making intuition that's nothing short of legendary. Atlantic Starr s crea tive nucleus is comprised of the team of Wayne, David and Jonathan Lewis, who, in the mid-Seventies each played in separate banks in their hometown of White Plains, New York. Members of each of these bands joined forces in 1976 to form Atlantic Starr, creating a solid musical foundation with their original material. Two year later, after a flood of raves from fans and critics, the band was signed to A ttM Records and released their first album Atlantic Starr. That was the beginning of an astounding recording career that began on a roll and hasn't slowed sinc^. It was in 1985 that Atlantic Starr went through several creative changes, including both broadening their .stylistic base and trimming their personnel. As The Band Turns, their smash album of that year, contained perhaps their best know ballad, "Secret Lovers," along with "Silver Shadow" and "If Your Heart Isn't In It" as well as a blistering dance floor work-out called and get a closer and uninterrupted look. Welcome to Tidal Wave City where almost nothing hasn t been touched by shoppers' hands (and tossed to the side). Almost nothing is where it should be. You can t find what you're looking for, and Danny or Demce Dumb-Dumb is trying to help you and five others at the same time. You decide to tryanother store or another department, and as you wander dumbfoun- dedly up and down store aisles, you are almost knocked down by screaming, yelling, running children and adults who have lost their minds in the mad, mad Christmas rush. What do you do? Where do you go? Should you give up? No, there is an alternative, and I’ll tell you all about it next week. Rest easy. JAZZY FM £9 ........................... 555 S.W. Oak St., 228 8486 Wed., Cool 'R; Thurs.-Sat., Linn . . . . 239 S.W. Broadway, 241-4151 Sun., The Mayther Bros. Dandelion P u b ............................................... 31 N .W. 23.d Place. 223 0099 Wed. The Mayther Bros.; Thurs., Curtis Salgado, Fri. Sat., Tom McFarland Blues Band H obbjt ............................................. S.E. 39th & Holgate, 771-0742 Thurs., GEORGE CABLES IN CONCERT Fri.-Sat., Mel Brown Quintet J.B.'s Paradise...............................................3530 N Vancouver, 288-1196 Thurs.-Sun., Benny Wilson „ . ..........31 N.W. 1st, 223-9919 Fri -Sat., Curtis Salgado; Mon., Blues Alley, 6 8 pm Mary's Place........................................................ 5700 N.E. Union. 281-1176 Fri.-Sun., The Staple Bros. O 'C a lla h an 's...................................................11650 S W C anyon' 626 2223 Mon., Linn „ c 1204 S.E. Clay, 235 7831 Thurs.-Sat., Dick Blake Trio Pine S tre et................................................................... 221 S.E. 9th. 230-0661 Sun., Women in Blues R e m o 's................................................................ 1425 N.W. Glisan. 221-1150 Fri -Sat., Calvin Walker; Sun., Ron Steen Royal Esquire.....................................................1708 N E A lb e rta ' 287 5145 Fri.-Sat., Dr. Rock & Morris Mak Jamm Salty s ............................................................ fo o t of S.E. M arion, 239 8900 Fri.-Sat., Don Latarski Quartet Shanghai L o u n g e ................................. 0309 S.W. M o n tg o m e ry, 220-1865 Sun., Tom Grant Starry N ig h t ...................................................................8 N.W. 6th. 227-0071 Thurs., ATLANTIC STARR IN CONCERT W ord o f the Week: m a trix - m old w ith in w h ic h anything develops or is contained. Color o f the Week: Crim son Red New Toll-Free Aids Hotline Opens in Oregon Oregon residents can now call a new toll-free hotline to ask questions about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The Oregon AIDS Hotline, a joint project of the Oregon State Health Division and Cascade AIDS Project, will operate Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6:00 p.m. The Hotline's trained volunteer staff is ready to answer questions on a wide range of topics, such as how the virus is transmitted, how the disease progresses, and how to avoid exposure to the virus. The Hotline does not provide medical advice or diagnosis, but can refer callers to local County health departments, private resources, and social service agencies for test ing, medical follow-up, and other assistance. , Janet Bowman, hired in August as Hotline Coordinator, states, It s time to fight fear with facts. Many people are just beginning to realize that AIDS affects all of us in some way. It helps to have somewhere to call with questions and concerns. We hope that Oregonians will look upon the Hot line as an identifiable resource for timely, accurate information about AIDS." . . _ Callers can read the Oregon AIDS Hotline by dialing 223 AIDS (223- 2437), Portland metro area; or 1-800-777-AIDS (1-800 777-2437) toll-free in Oregon. "Freak-A-Ristic." It was a sign of things to come. As The Band Turns turned out to be Atlantic Starr s most successful release and it was followed by an extensive world tour that saw the band on the road in Europe, Asia and America for a solid year. In September of 1986 they were back in New York with a sheaf of new songs and an expired re cording contract. Label shopping landed them at Warner Bros. Records even as they began work on a new album, recording in both Gotham and Los Angeles. One of the keys to the over-the-top success of As The Band Turns was the fact that, for the first time, Wayne and David were at the pro duction helm. "W e'd always worked with other producers before," com ments Wayne, "and would usually only produce our own demos. We were just waiting for our time. And it came. "I usually like to hedge my bets a little with each new album, admits David, "but this one's got me really excited. I really think it s got something for everyone: club jams, ballads, some hot dance tunes. You can really Earth, Wind & Fire's Album Ready expect the unexpected this time around MT HOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Concert Goers Asked to Feed Needy Double Tee Promotions is asking December concert goers to contribute a can of food to the needy. Through an arrangement with the Sunshine Division, cans of food gathered at the December 14 Tina Turner Concert and the December 17 Fleetwood Mac Concert will be distributed to citizens in need of food this winter. The Sunshine Division is a part of the Portland Police Force which distri butes food and supplies throughout the city The Sunshine Division has been serving the area since 1923. Double Tee Promotions presents a variety of concert performances in Port land. Other upcoming performances include Kenny G. and Neil Sedaka. Earth, Wind & Fire's first album in four years - Touch The World (on Columbia Records) has entered the Billboard pop LP charts higher than George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Neil Diamond and Bryan Ferry - all of whom hit the charts with new albums in the same week. The Earth, Wind & Fire album was second only to George Michael. Meanwhile the first Earth, Wind & Fire single since 1983, "System of Survival," was riding the dance charts at an impressive number one. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT 31 NW FIRST NIGHTLY ENTERTAINMENT The sixth annual Association of Oregon Black Lawyers Scholarship Dance will be held Saturday, December 5, 1987, 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the Viscount Hotel, 1441 N.E. 2nd, Portland. Music by the PURE MAGIC band featuring Janice Scroggins. Tickets $10 each. Public invited. Questions, call Robert Browning 229-6633 (w), 283-4665 (h). 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