(ther Arts & Review Timbre Pa WITH SPECIAL AN TIC RECORDING FROM SCOTLAND ic T StS AND SUB POP REC. ARTISIS SUPERSUCKERS SN OU SPRINKLER]! wi cess OND SAT DEC 5 THE CRUEL ELEPHANT the Other Press November 27, 1992 A LTTE TE a SN DE a OE 2 EP SE TR Screaming Trees: From Musty Garages to Sweet Oblivion “ Reassuring ... very nice” - These are the words Dares Martin, drummer for the Screaming Trees, uses to describe their recent sucess with the Singles movie soundtrack. To hear him tell it the Trees got the gig by “ lucking out” . His understatement is remarkable. Interview with Barnet Martin by Angus Adair Truth be told, when Cameron Crowe listened to an advance copy of their latest album, Sweet Oblivion, he stopped the presses. He remastered the entire film and soundtrack to incorporate the song, Nearly Lost You. One million six hundred thousand copies of the soundtrack later, it is clear that the days of practicing in the back of their parents | videostore because they had nothing better to do than start a band, are gone: and they still haven't released the good stuff. When I spoke to Barnet Martin he told me that the next video and single forthcoming from Sweet AP dae ae ces 6. S ~ SOs. “NEVER BE AFRAID TO <2 = Sia fo a ee cr Review by Jenna Walsh The Number 14 For those of us accostomed to the devotion of several hours a day to B.C. Transit, seeing “The Number 14” isa rather uncanny experience. It is our story being told as each of us is represented by at least one of the sixty-odd characters paradingacross the stage. The title refers to a bus moving along familiar Vancouver streets. It provides a setting which forces the NEXT. ssn vee Won MOON & ROGER FREDERICKS + DIRECTED BY LYLE MOON: ON STAGE UNTIL DEC 30 © BACK ALLEY THEATRE © 751 THURLOW ST. TL diverse passengers on board to acknowledge one another and interact, resulting in a flawlessly directed collage. Taking neither breath nor break, the actors reeled on and offstage, sang, danced and mimed like manic chameleons. We were shown in a spectrum of Vancouver existence, a high fashion Robson Streetromance, the secret fantasies of private school girls, spirited Canucks fansand much more. The humo was often subtle, suchas the man who politely picked up a piece of garbage off from floor Oblivion , produced by Don Fleming, will be Dollar Bill which he thinks is the best song on the record. Martin had nothing but praise for Fleming who in he credited with ensuring that the band “didn’t get down.” during the production o} album. Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden, co-produced their last album , Uncle Anesthia and is currently working withhisownband onanother release. I spoke to Martin recently. I was on one end of the phone in the office of the Other Press and Martin was “ somewhere in Virginia.”He was “ recovering” from thepreviousnight’s fun. Thenextnight they were i for Norfolk VA in their current “stutter- step” world tour. Amazing as it seems, The Scr ing Trees have gone from playing the Town Pumpin1991 toa world tourin 1992. They are touring with Alice in Chains and opening for themon their current North American tour, switching places with them from their last gig in San Francisco when Alice in Chains opened for them. The tour Memories of Wingfield Itwasadarkand stormy night... but enough idle banter: how was your weekend? Mine got off to a pretty good start, thanks largely to a one-man performance at the Vancouver Playhousecalled Letter from Wingfield Farm, whichiscurrently until November 28. This play isin factone of a trilogy of plays iii performed at ‘dhe Playhouse un’ December 5. Letter from Wingfield Farm The Vancouver Playhouse Nov. 4 - 28, 1992 reviewed by Sean P. Veley The weather was awful, raining like there was no tomorrow (bei from Manitoba, I don’t think I'll ever getused totherebeingsomuch in November). However, while the weather outside was disa i the production inside the was not. Letter from Wingfield Farm is the story of Walt Wingfield, a Toronto stockbroker who leaves the bright ee and big city tobecomea farmer. altmovesto Persephone Township in southern Ontario and meets his colourful neighbours for the first time, all of whom are played by actor Rod Beattie, such as Freddy and the Si are who become Walt’s chief advisors on farming. Among other characters to whom weare introduced is Don, the local vet, whom Walt frantically calls when one of his ducks takes ill with the ayhouse and casually tosses itout the window. Just at the moment when my laugh muscles were screaming for mercy, the rapper wanna-be appeared. The audience continued to chuckle as he started his rap, but we were soon listening to a description of what goes on outside the bus’s protective windowsas it sliped through Mount Pleasant and on into Gastown. Although some of the sketches weretoolong, especially in thesecond half, the script kept us wondering who would come next and rarely let us down. The costumes were perfect will cover Toronto and Montreal and of course, Vancouver.From there, the band is off to Europe fora month.Australia and Japan are on the agenda after Europe. While in E The Trees plan toplay datesin England, Paris, Frolland abciSeandinuia Lasttime Martin was in Scandinavia he was in the band Skinyard and they played in a cave that had been converted intoa bar. Thelead singer ofSkinyard, BenMcMilliam, isnow fronting Grunt Truck which - surprise!-is ing for the Treesas they tour with Alice in Chains. All the incest in all three bands combine to produce a great show . However, a large deal of credit for the success of the tour must go directly toThe Screaming Trees. With their new line up they are playing even better than before, when Martin was just a fan of the band. Now he is playing in an amazing rhythm section witha real hot “swing groove” where “everbody follows the bass player”. If you've ever seen Van roll around a strange disease that leaves him wobbling (the duck, that is, not Walt). eThen there are Walt’s nephews, Willy and Dave: they're 8% not particularly bright, but re foe ei lten o; their iastghioe according to Walt, similar to guinea hens. Andold Jimmy, whose stories of how he came to Canada stilled the audience. Rod Beattie, who plays all the characters in this production, is simply fantastic. He is abletomove from one character to another with virtually nodifficultiesatall, running a complete range of emotions, reminiscent of Garrison Keiller and his stories of the mythical Lake WwW Indeed, Beattie seems quite at ease with these characters. Perhaps this is because the characters were taken from actual people around and the masks, desi by Emily Carr graduate Melody Anderson, were divine, each with its own personal truth and absurdity. Used to its full potential, the set provided everything from a playground for children to a substitute stage for two Thespians and their duel of words and reviews. This scene also allowed for some good-natured shots at the upper echelons of local theater. “The Number 14” ended its route and saved the best for last. A lengthy but gorgeously acted scene began whena street wise little girl from the on stage, while playing bass, you'll understand. The bandisa really unified force. Even as they play in the crowded stagespacein frontoftheotherbands gear, it is obvious that this band is capable of rocking much larger buildings. This is a substantial nee foraband which many had ta simply being another “Seattle and” ,which would notbeableto withstand the acoustics of anything larger than a musty garage. The Screaming Trees have not “lucked out,” rather they have every right to be where they are and are withoutadoubton their way tobigger and better things. It is their talent which has gotten them this far and which will continue to propel them. Luck has nothing to do with it- although it is reassuring that a band like The Screaming Trees are getting fair recogntion. It is also “very nice” that they are coming to town with Grunt Truckand Alicein Chainson Dec. 18th at 86th Street Music Hall. whom playwright Dan Needles, who has known Rod since his childhood, ew up. In fact, the only character who is truly fictitious is the main character of Walt. This show has been wherever it has toured throu; the country, and for good reason. Make a point of seeing it, if you can. But take an umbrella. out Production Dates: Letter from Wingfield Farm: November 4-28 Wingfield’s Progress: Nov. 30, Dec. 4, 5 Wingfield’s Folly: Dec. 2, 3,5 For more information call The Vancouver Playhouse at 872-6622. For ticket information and reservations call 873-3311 or any Ticketmaster Outlet. Out Of My Brain on the Number 14 East End discovered she had wandered, not onto a bus, but onto center stage for all our eyes to see. As she desperately tried to convince the little boy from Point Grey that what she saw is real, that the fourth wall hadcomedown, weshared firstin his painand reluctance, then in his joy at the freedom she gave him from social regulationsand, finally, inhis innocent shame at being caught enjoying her company. They asked us if they can ever be friends. At the end, there was no answer.