Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 1994)
T he P ortland O bserver • D ecember 28, 1994 P age B3 Jilortlanb (©bseruer ENTE SPEARHEAD The Nutcracker Returns (Above) Dancing in Oregon Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker is Davida Haas as Marie and Fabrice Lemire as the Nutcracker prince. »<)’A/ (Left) Alexandrous Ballard and Maricar Drilon portray the Mandarin boy and the Peony girl in Oregon Ballet Theater’s production of The Nutcracker. The holiday classic performs at the Portland Civic Auditorium through Dec. 30. For tickets and more information call 2- BALLET. -V KW ■ MS* ing today’s crazy, violent, high-tech era.” Michael spells out his mission even as he suggests some new strat egies on his new album ’s title track: “ If I don’t have enemies, I’m not doin’ my job/I might throw out a curveball, but I never throw a lob.” Accordingly, “Hole In The Bucket” adds a modern moral dimension to a lighthearted Jamaican folksong pop ularized by Harry Belafonte a gener ation ago. “Caught Without An Um brella" is an ultimately hopeful song about an attempted suicide, inspired by a poem by Los Angeles-based poet Ruth Foreman. “Love Is The Shit" is a wry meditation on the perils o f falling in love. “ Dream Team” imagines a day when African-Amer icans wield as much power in Wash- A esth etic p leasu res asid e, S pearh ead is distin g u ish ed by Michael Franti’s social conscious ness. L ike A frica B am baataa, Michael has been inspired by King Shaka, thee great leader and war rior who jum pstarted the Zulu na tion’s march to greatness in 1816. It was Shaka who redesigned and made more deadly the traditional southern African spear known as the assegai. Nearly two centuries later, Michael wonders, “Flow do we reinvent our own struggle in 1994? Obviously, we have to hon or the spirit o f those who have gone before us, but it's not the same now as it was in the Sixties or the Forties or the Thirties or the Twenties. We need new tools and new strategies that are equal to the task o f remak MTA M A ©MBgA QHIAFAW i ngton as they do now on basketbal 1 courts. “O f Course You Can” is an upbeat response to “all the experts who go around saying that my gen eration o f black men is a lost gener ation.” “ Positive” faces the threat o f AIDS with a rare honesty and maturity. The title o f “Crime To Be Broke In America" speaks for it self. Even relatively carefree party tracks, like “Run Fa Ya Life" and “ Piece O ’ Peace" are made weighty by the know ledge that the cops might bust in at any moment. Finally, there is “ Red Beans And Red Rice," which would seem to be about noth ing more - and nothing less -- than an a u th o r’s appetite for good, healthy food and w hat he calls “the sacred space in your kitchen." invilcs'ifoulojtiin us ul our . 0 S em i-form al Music, dancing, dtx»’ prizes, parly -favors, cham pagne loasl, food and more! Jefferso n H ig h Sch oo l P e r fo rm in g Arts O u t e r 5 2 1(1 N . K e rb y A ilm is s io ii: $ I iliiiiiit io ii <>r 2 D ec . 13-30 «•ans o f iio ii-p c r is lia h lc food A I' k h I iic I kmi ol’ Woild A ils I outid.ilioit. Inc A ccompanied B y T he O bt O rchestra N iel D e P onte , C onductor by I ’ i - h I rih I •»( Trndiet», ( ¡••Ili«« I'lMllldltlh-ll, CALL 2-BALLET P»>iilt«inl I mil IN iix c r * . ’I'r i n p l p l u n l'iH III< llllH * ll, or T icketmaster 224-4400 All .S tille lii M i r n iM i’, |-4-iiiiH*iii«-nl Miiiwlrim • / / ’ / O rtcon O rrp ii J) BALLOONS GALORE & MORE Complete Decorating Service For All Occasions And Events ■ WEDDINGS - GRAND OPENINGS - CORPORA TE - - FUNCTIONS - BANQUETS - BIRTHDAYS - - FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL - C e le b r a te C h r istm a s and New Y e a r s w ith B alloon s PALLET“ THEAT 1 I'oi moie in io iim ilio n call 222-1457 23rd & NW Johnson 248-0163 NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION A ilin '; LAVISH PRODUCTION OE 12:01 !-(>:( ID p m 32nd & E.Burnside 231-8926 0 O regon B allet T heatre ’ s .liiiiin ir y It i, 1 0 9 5 M u s ic M ille n n iu m K A irnX 0 ilm iw iA LPiiA Saturday, December 31,1994 9:00 pm - 2:00 am Shenanigan’s on the. Willamette 4575 N. Channel Ave. (Sw an Island) $15.00 Advance $20.00 A tlhedoor "¿Keep C iv illy the I Tream" JOih dnn ive rsu ry .ië James Canfield, Artistic Director Mever Memonal Trust T0 K ()|\ fljft AmencanAirlinas Rarlttn* Sop Soil Find Something For Everyone At Django! We buy & sell new & used records, tapes & CDs. Gift Certificates G/ve a gift that Make Great Gifts! all year-round^ • Great selection of new releases always on sale e We buy and sell all types ol music Walk in with music you don’t want, walk out with music you do want! • Specializing in a wide variety of posters, cards, buttons & incense ANGO RECQBDS He Al so: B alloon B anquets A nd D elivery , T o r I iekcls «'till: 285-5747 289-1466 A ll procrnls gu In our »rlii»liirslii|i fu n d — B i lk B alloons available in L atex A M ylar B alloons , just 547 per 50 ( minimi m 50 balloons bi lk ) OPEN: MON THRU SAT; 10AM - 6PM • (503) 331-1101 2 2 7 -4 3 8 1 1111 SW S ta rk • D o w n to w n (C o rn e r o l S ta rk A l l l h l O p e n 7 days a week W e e k d a y s 10 8 e S al 10-7 S u n 11 .—,
