INSIDE: METRO DETROIT MOVIE THEATER AND TV LISTINGS APRIL 12-18, 1998 THE DETROIT VOL. 3 NO. 22 75 CENTS SUNDAYO1 mm ^ 1W 1 JR NA^ ■ L 2 ©TDSJ INSIDE Journal Photo by PATRICIA BECK NO SAPS Greenfield Village shows students the mysterious and mar­ velous world of maple Journal photo by GEORGE WALDMAN sugaring.Page 6. Unity for Racial Justice marchers hold a candlelight vigil in Ann Arbor last weekend. A peaceful mass rally is planned for May 9 when a small Ku Klux Klan sect from Indiana will be in town to demonstrate. ENTERTAINMENT It's a no-grease feast at La Fiesta Mexicana, an The Klan Plan authentic south-of-the- border eatery in Ann Arbor's strategy for hate group: A love-in By Michael Betzold prompted rock-throwing by a fewducting peacekeeping workshops, Ypsilanti. Page 11. Journal Staff Writer members of a crowd of protesters. discussions and rallies to counter the ivic, religious and communityPolice tear-gassed the protesters andKlan’s message of hate with a leaders are preparing a mas­ seven of them were arrested. demonstration of racial unity arid Csive nonviolent response to Thea incident not only gave Annpeace. INDEX planned May 9 visit by the Ku KluxArbor a black eye, it gave the Klan Last weekend, on the 30th Between the Lines Page 24 Klan to Ann Arbor. the attention it wanted, in the opin­anniversary of the Rev. Martin “The idea is to have a love-in nextion of some local activists. Luther King Jr.’s assassination, the City & State Page 3 to the Klan,” said Ray Mullins, pres­ “You’ve got 10 or 12 ragtag peoplecoalition held a unity march and ident of the Ypsilanti-Willow Runin dirty sheets, and they plan on pro­rally. About 250 people participated Classifieds Page 25 chapter of the National Associationvoking people to respond with angerin a candlelight procession through Crossword Page 26 for the Advancement of Coloredto them as a means of getting freedowntown Ann Arbor. People. publicity,” said Mullins. At a program afterward, speaker Entertainment Page 10 A small Butler, Ind., sect of the A coalition of some 80 religious,Mattie Jones of Louisville, Ky., dis­ Horoscope Page 23 Klan has applied for a permit to rallypeace, justice and community groupscussed her experience in leading a in Ann Arbor next month. In Juneis determined that things will be dif­unity rally in response to a Klan Editorials Page 8 1996, an appearance by a dozenferent this time around. For 18rally there in 1996. Ann Arbor orga- members of the same Klan groupmonths, the groups have been con­ Susan Watson Page 3 See KLAN, Page 5 PAGE 10 APRIL 12, 1998 What SFX’s IMHBBBHBBBi 1 i i ’ . ■' .vi clout could mean to you What does SFX Entertainment’s big, bold move into the concert busi­ ness mean for you? Well, maybe nothing - or maybe we’ll be talking about it later in the cheap seats. “I’m not sure there’s going to be any discernible effect for the consumer,” says PollStar editor Gary Bongiovanni. “We’re still in a market-driven business. The prices people pay for SFX controls the U.S. concert business with a web of 42 concert venues and 100 clubs and small theaters. tickets will be based on demand for the artists. If someone tries pricing an Elton John concert at $60 a ticket and it doesn’t sell out - well, then we’ll know they can’t charge $60 for an SUPERPROMOTER Elton John ticket. “But nobody’s really sure what all this means.” SFX Entertainment: Tim Klahs, SFX’s director of investor relations, says there actually may be some and it s changing consumer benefits to SFX’s By Ted Drozdowski octopus-like presence. “We Alternet News Service want to maximize concert attendance,” he says. “One s the atomic bomb changed the way of doing that is lower­ world, so the explosive emer­ ing ticket prices. We’re not gence of a new concert-busi- in the business to do that to ness conglomerate threatens the extent that profits are to transform the $1.3 billion live-music damaged, but we see industry.A economies of scale providing A half-billion-dollar spending spree that opportunity.” has made SFX Entertainment a super­ What’s in it for SFX? “A power - the first nationwide concert lowering of the ticket price promoter. And when the mushroom would not only bring addi­ cloud of its birth clears and the giant tional concertgoers,” he says, begins flexing its muscle, the shock “but hopefully allow them to waves may affect everyone from book­ take advantage of the other ing agents to artists to competing pro­ services our venues offer,” moters and - most important - you. such as food, drinks and The man behind SFX Entertainment souvenirs. is power broker Robert Sillerman, an SFX can book national tours with a single phone call. Industry watchers, how­ entertainment-biz wizard who amassed ever, are skeptical that SFX a fortune’s worth of radio stations, sold Oates, and Stevie Nicks - is expected will pass savings on to con­ them off last year and then began sys­phone call. That could bring a stagger­ sumers. “SFX could conceiv­ tematically buying a half-dozen of the ing end to business as usual for a 30- to be aggressive. ably eliminate the booking country’s best-run, most powerful inde­year history of booking agents’ hagglingSillerman also is chairman of the agents, which would only pendent concert-promotion companies.with a series of regional promoters Marquee Group, a New York-based fatten their wallet,” one con­ When those acquisitions were com­ throughout the United States to agency that, among other activities, cert promoter says. “I’m sure pleted this month, SFX was suddenly inarrange such tours and to those agents’brokers corporate sponsorship deals for they’re not going to pass control of a national web of 42 major and promoters’ getting their piece of arenas. Last year Marquee purchased that saving along to the con­concert venues and more than 100 the pie. QBQ Entertainment, a small but pow­ sumer. As a publicly held clubs and small theaters. And as a publicly held company witherful booking company that handles company driven by the bot­ Now SFX indisputably dominates a need to recover its huge recent invest­acts such as Billy Joel, Luther tom line and the stock price, the concert market. It has the clout to ments and drive up its stock price, SFXVandross, Madonna, Metallica and that wouldn’t fit their pro­ book a major national tour for a star as- which this summer already is pre­ Courtney Love. Rumor has it that file.” big as Alanis Morissette - who will hit senting tours by Michael Bolton and Sillerman also is poised to acquire Ted Drozdowski the road’this summer - with a single Wynonna Judd, Chicago and Hall & See SFX, Page 23 APRIL 12, 1998 PAGE 11 Take a siesta from grease at La Fiesta Mexicana lived in the Southwest for a few way there and is worth recommend­how delicate years and was shocked by the ing. Mexican terrible food that passed for I heard about it from a friend whocooking can authentic Mexican cooking. used to travel on business all over be, try the IShortly after I was hired as a South America and happens to be tamales.a reporter at the San Diego Union, I first-class amateur cook. There are It is called La Fiesta Mexicana, a three vari­ tiny place on Cross Street, the main eties, all drag that skims along the campus ofmade from C h r is Eastern Michigan University in scratch, in Ypsilanti. corn husks, Co o k La Fiesta Mexicana sits in what of course: used to be a pinball parlor. chicken in a Restaurants It is run by Michelle Roman and spicy green her husband, who hover over thesauce; din­ refried ing room, graciously attending to bean, with a was taken by a fellow reporter to a their customers. They do all the ser­piece of place he proclaimed the best vice, from taking orders to bussingjalapeno pep­ Mexican cooking in town. tables. The restaurant has no liquorper; and Journal photo by GEO RG E WALDMAN He encouraged me to order an license, so call about taking a bever­Chihuahua Lightness distinguishes food at Ypsilanti restaurant. age. enchilada platter and taste his chili cheese. They The chicken in mole here works. It rellenos, which I did. Like almost The food gets an unqualified “yes”are among the best tamales I’ve tast­ is a careful, delicate balance of chick­ everything else on the menu — I wasfor its brightness, vivid flavors anded in years. en simmered long and gently in the dragged back there three or four overall lightness. Delicacy is both Another delicate appetizer is the mole sauce, giving it a union between times — they were terrible. spoken and understood at La Fiestapeneques, quesadillas rolled in egg the two flavors, rather than a clash. The enchilada alone was a heavy, Mexicana. batter, pan-fried, served on lettuce Union and harmony summarize stomach-wrenching, gloppy mess of I tend to use guacamole as the firstand topped with a warm garlic and the preparation and cooking here, soggy tortilla, falling apart from boil­measure of Mexican restaurants. If onion sauce. The pan-fried quesadillaand they’ll harmonize your wallet, ing in yellow-green greases and they can’t do a good guacamole, serves as a hot under-layer that too. Appetizers range from $1.50 to trapped on an oval platter with chances are the rest of the food isn’temphasizes the sweetness of the $5.50, and the vast majority of din­ muddy refried beans and a pile of going to be good either.