page six

entertainment

Billy Joel; The in thing

Let me see if I can get
this straight. If something
is popular that means that
it’s out; therefore, if some-
thing is unpopular it must
be in. Right? O.K., that
means that since Billy Joel
is so popular he must be
out. To my mind something

 

by Mike Kennedy

 

that is out is something that
is unpopular, therefore, Bill
Joel must be in, if you know
what I mean.

Anyway, that is why I
went to the Billy Joel con-
cert; cause it was the ‘‘in’’

thing to do.

Well it is nice to know
that doing the ‘‘in’’ thing
can be somewhat rewarding,
as was the case Tuesday
night at the Coliseum. The
concert, although it began
with the star coming on
stage and dancing around
like my fourteen year old
brother doing his ‘‘Rolling
Stones’”’ impersonation,

-picked up as soon as Mr.

Joel settled down behind
the piano. He took a couple
of cheap shots at the
‘‘Beach Boys’’ but that’s
allright; he’ll be getting his
in a few years.

The performance consis-
ted mostly of all his tried

and true songs, without too
much variation in delivery.
He even played ‘‘Oh Cana-
da,’’ but needless to say,
nobody bothered to stand.
(I don’t think they even
recognized it.)

The highlights included
two and a half staged en-
cores, which make one won-
der what ever happened to
the earned encore, and an
overly exuberant version of
“Big Shot’’ during which
Joel hung from the lighting
and sound wires, and dan-
ced on his piano. Despite
the obviously extravagant
antics, however, there see-
med to be something mis-
sing in emotional commit-
ment that one might have
expected from the perfor-
mer. Mind you, it may
just have been that I was
standing too far away to
really sense the sweat and
feeling that the man was
putting into the song.

At any rate, the perfor-
mance can best be summed
up as a safe stage presen-
tation of Billy Joel’s grea-
test hits. The fans were
there and they loved it; they
would have loved it if he
had sung the McDonald’s
jingle for Christ’s sake, but
that doesn’t matter, it was
still entertaining, and well
worth the time.

The Other Press

.

Local Caribean folk band to

perform at Vancouver Folk

Festival in June

The Coconuts are alive
and rolling along.

What kind of a group
would possibly dare to call
themselves Coconuts? Is it
a declaration of intent of
simply a name intended to
attract if not describe an
audience? What ever the

 

by Mike Kennedy

 

answer, Vancouver's newest
West Indian folk troop has
arrived.

The best things in life are
spontaneous, and the Co-

- conuts are no exception.

When the Caribbean movies
‘‘The Harder They Come”’
and ‘‘Bachannal Time’’
were showing at the Savoy
late last year. The manager
asked around for musicians
to play during the inter-
mission. La Tropical and
The Trindidad Cavaliers
were unable to attend, but a
last minute phone call
brought together three peo-
ple who were willing to

 

learn a medly of Calipsos in
two hours for presentation
that night. Volume appa-
rently varied depending on
whether or not all members
knew the songs. None-
theless, the crowd was very
enthusiastic, responding
especially to the visual por-
tion of the presentation.

Suffice to say--the crowd
got carried away--as did the
Coconuts.

Many rehersals and a few
original songs later and the
Coconuts reappeared, as
advertised, ‘‘Almost Live’’
for a similar engagement at
the Hyda. This was pro-
gress; the Hydia being con-
siderably larger than the
Savoy.

Ethnic music is seldom
heard live in Vancouver so it
is obviously a positive deve-
lopment that someone has
been stirred and has begun
to present lively and origi-
nal music with a Caribbean
flavour.

In the words of Coconut

writer and guitarist, Ber-
nard Fernandes, ‘‘We de-
cided that rather than sim-
ply sing and play guitar, we
would present stories to be
acted out. We find we get
the best response when
people can see as well as
hear the song.”’

Cynthia Joseth, who is
equally good at singing and
acting, and Alan James, the
vocalist and pan _ player,
both agree.

It is my suggestion that
anybody that is interested in
more information about the
Coconuts, phone 526-3506.
For those who are _ not
interested in more informa-
tion, I suggest that you take
the time to attend the
Vancouver Folk Festival,
Thursday, the 25th of June,
from 8-10 pm at the Centen-
nial Theater, 123 East 24rd
Ave. at Lonsdale in North
Vancouver, where you will
be able to see the Coconuts
and a number of other
ethnic acts.

This is him. The man of the hour; _ Billy Joel

April 9,1981

 
 
   

 

 

The Rocket Norton Night

Rohan’s
Saturday.
has created this excellent
mid-sixties flashback. Van-

this Friday and

 

by Ian Hunter

 

-couver’s illustrious mid-
sixties rythm and blues
past. To those unfamiliar
with our local recent musi-
cal heritage, Vancouver was
the West Coast’s mowtown
during the beat generation,
but enough about the past.

Rocket Norton’s Night

 

Train Review is an eleven

Night Train

Train Review is playing at,

Prisms’ Norton .

pieve band of dedicated
musicians; dedicated to
faithfully blast out the mu-
sic they love from such
notables as the Blues Bro-
thers and the Rythm and
Blues All Stars.

This band has mastered
forty-four of these unjustly
forgotten tunes and brought
them back to life. The
tunes shoiw none of their
age.

So if you're into a ‘‘blast}
from the past’’ or just want
to see one of the best new
bands in vancouver, then] '
experience this one.

 

 

 

4@ #£=Le 3 juin:
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