h & E a&e@op.douglas.bc.ca

 

  
  
   
  
    
   
 
 
  
 
 
  
  
  
   
 
  
   
  
  
   
  
   
 
   
 
  
  
  
 
 
   
  
 
 
  
   
   
  
   
   
 
 
   
  
 
  
   
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 

ason Kurylo
f you've ever read the Bard, studied
| the Bard, or even heard of the Bard,
you've got to get yourself down to
e Jericho Arts Centre for The
ompleat Wks of Willm Shkspr
Abridged).
RPS Productions, the spawn of the
riginal Rock, Paper, Scissors troupe,
resents this rollicking romp through
verything the Willy one ever wrote.
riginally written by the Reduced
hakespeare Company in New York, The
‘ompleat Wks condenses the Bard’s
eer into just over 90 minutes (with
intermission), and stars Nicholas
arrison, Toby Berner and David C.

Rheostatics
Double Live
DROG Records

I. The album as it first
ppears to thought
is album is one of those that got away
ast year. It managed to slip out without
isturbing the waters of the mass media
d has been accruing much positive
ord of mouth since its November
elease. Live albums are typically, one
ight even say traditionally, reserved for
e ardent followers of a group or
ndividual performer. In this case the live
bum becomes the best way of intro-
ucing this underexposed band to
ational exposure.

The overall sound of this band is
ifficult to categorize: they exhibit a
trong Neil Young influence, as well as a
istinctly postmodern flavour to their
yricism; one of the lead guitarists (either
artin Tielli or Dave Bidini) is
bviously a big Bill Frisell fan as well.
ut these are just pieces of the larger
hole, which gets short shrift in cursory
ummnaries (such as this review).
herefore I will stay clear of trying to
ncapsulate the band’s sound and just
tick to a light musical analysis of one of
he more exceptional songs on this two-
isc package.

The opening track, ‘Saskatchewan,’ is
he only song taken from their set at Le
olisee in Quebec, opening for the
tragically Hip last fall. It opens with a
itar playing a light atmospheric
elody that again echoes strongly Bill
tisell’s semi-jazz, avant garde stylings.
he song is exceptional, as the first tune
n the set in that it creates a very fragile
tmosphere that subverts the usual
xpectation for an up-tempo push to get
he show off on a vibrant note.

II. The question of the
ock review as a contri-
ution to the existential
roject
ock music has changed so many times
ince the term was coined that it is
early impossible to define it any longer.
aybe this is as it should be. After all,

e live in the shadow of existentialism
d its all-encompassing approach to all
hings human, specifically by grappling
ith our dual rational and irrational
odes of thought, action and experi-
nce; which leaves, in the case of human
ature for example, even the most
igorous description or exegetical work
jorely wanting. Music, as the most
phemeral and baldly emotional of the
forms, should be the least tangible in

 

Jones.

Harrison has an extensive stage and
television background, and displays a
true actor's understanding of the
material, You may recognize him, maybe
you have seen his stints on the X-Files or
Highlander. Typically, he’s called upon
to play the straight man. However, here
you can see both his comedic skills and
snippets of his classical training and
performance from days in London.
Physically adept with both sword and
silly codpiece, Harrison's best contribu-
tion this night is probably a surfer
Romeo desperate to get in Juliet’s pants.

Berner started off weak the night we
attended, flubbing a couple introductory
lines, but quickly picked up the pieces to

 

terms of definition: the most complete
academic treatise on music would
inevitably miss the uniquely human
quality of the experience and no
language yet extant can escape this fact.

The revealing that is the province of
music enables an emotional/psychologi-
cal (and thus uniquely human) experi-
encing to take place. It escapes language
because it operates beyond language.
Language, although itself a profound
form of revealing, runs aground in the
wake of music because language
attempts to express ideas and experi-
ences, both sensory and emotional, in
categories or terms that in essence trap
music like a bug in amber. Music
happens on so many different levels, but
is always contingent upon the listener in
order to enable its (music’s) happening,
Music lives in the ears and minds of its
hearers and in their memories afterwards.
To attempt any further analysis of its
effect is simply to bring one’s opinions
into the light and this does nothing to or
for music, except to bias a potential
hearer to a certain mental disposition
towards any as-yet-unheard music.

But it may be that doing nothing to
music is in itself the most profound act
that one can perform in relation to
another entity: to do nothing (as
impossible as this sounds) is to bring to
presencing the negation of all entities
(and of being itself) and this juxtaposi-
tion with non-existence renders it
(music) in its fullest dimension as an
opening or clearing in the light of being,
for all perceptive entities. For it is only
in the contrast between being and non-
being that revealing occurs and allows
music to be. Music in any other context
is either unwanted sound or candy for
the ears. It is neither important nor
particularly human, to put not too fine a
point on it.

What does any of this have to do with
the Rheostatics, and their new live
album? Everything. And Nothing. My
advice is this: go down to Zulu Records
(half a block west of 4 and Burrard, on
4th) and ask to listen to the album and
thus make up your own mind.

E.B.

turn in a hilarious performance. His
slight resemblance to a poor man’s
Christian Slater only underlined the
cheesy premise of this show. His turn as
the King in Titus Andronicus, (recreated

as a cooking show, of course) is priceless,

Jones is a veteran of TheatreSports
and local theatre. A crafty physical and
character comedian, he relies heavily on
his mainstay: he’s the effeminate moody
one. Every heroine wears a shitty wig
and vomits copiously on the crowd
during her death scene: “I refuse to be a
part of a boring, vomitless production
for these people!”

The second half of the show is
completely devoted to the Bard’s
masterpiece tragedy, Hamlet. In fact,

Compleat Wks has thm rllng in the sls

they run through Hammy four times:
once in thirty minutes hitting all the
highlights, once in three minutes as a
recap, once in three seconds as a spoof of
an easier, less costly production, and
lastly backwards, perhaps to show off.
(The backwards production is amazing
to watch; despite popular opinion, my
mouth does not naturally hang agape for
minutes at a time, but it did here.)

 

together in a half-assed softshoe number.
The Jericho Arts Centre is an intimate
venue, allowing in depth appreciation of
the actors’ energy and ability. Diana
Frances’ direction is strong, and Tyler
Tone’s costumes are impeccable.
Regardless of your previous experience
with Shakespeare, The Compleat Wks is a

great opportunity to broaden your view

 

There's a bit of everything in this
production: In addition to the shows

already mentioned, the historical plays

are condensed into a rousing game of
football, Othello becomes a rap song,

and in perhaps the only letdown of the
whole show, the comedies are brought

Eric Milner photo

 

of the Bard. It’s not often a thorough
examination of Willy is as entertaining
to the lowbrow masses as it is to the
highbrow crowd.

And this show, I think, does that
nicely.

Chantal K.
wows crowd

24-year-old phenom Chantal Kreviazuk

i: held the lucky audience rapt with her

stunning vocals and classically trained piano
January 10 at the Starfish Room. On the
strength of her impressive debut disc, Under
These Rocks and Stones, Kreviazuk is
selling out nearly every venue in her first
headlining tour across Canada. She's young,

| she’s talented, and she’ just one of a vast new

sea of outspoken female talent on the music
scene. Dont be surprised to see her onstage
with the likes of Sarah McLachlan soon;
Chantal opened for Amanda Marshall in the
summer, and recently played at the Florida
Lilith Fair charity one-off; the industry buzz
around her is almost deafening. To quote one
of the many eager fans at the second of two
sold out shows at the ‘Fish: “Chantal! You go,

B girl!”

Jason Kurylo

Trey Gunn
puts on
crafty show

Trey Gunn brought his eight-string Warr
guitar to town Thursday, January 15, along
with his three (other) piece band, including

__ second Warr guitar player Chris

Cunningham.

The odd-looking guitar is primarily played
by tapping notes with both hands, allowing
the musician to play two separate parts at
once. The band did two phenomenal
instrumental sets, drawing heavily on Robert
Fripp’ guitar craft influences and Gunn's
Crimson lineage. Drummer Bob Muller
moved effortlessly from kit to boderin to
tabalas to assorted percussion and back again
as the music moved from quiet and ethereal
to kicking-down-the-gates-af-hell loud, often
within the scope of a single song. Guitarist
Tony Geballe rounded out the four piece.

Trent photo

 

 

The Other Press January 211997 5