P-Days Concerts In Review

Glimpse of Seals and Crofts enneth P.C exceptional backup guitarist; he his kne.es in front of guitarist way in which the concert must be ¡t Thursday il, following ranges Iri/m hard jazz-fusion to a Marty Walsh. Then they were viewed: was it worth the price of ininspiring not benign slow wail with an immaculate gone for good. admission? Was it worth the price rmantc by K iny Rankin, sense of timing. The rest of the The concert was excellent in ol admission to watch Kenny and Crofts pi d for almost group, a drummer, bass player, ichns of the quality of the music Rankin try to fulfill the rule of ly an hour id thirty keyboards player, and a clarinet played, in terms of the money concert performer, a role to which its to an; iicipatory, player who also spends time on given to the Children's Center, he quite simply is not equal? Was us audience i rly the same the violin, are equally impressive, and in terms of the atmosphere it worth the price of admission to s last year’s etwood Mac though they don't get the same dial ttied to smother rookie watch Seals and Crofts play for nee. Hovvevc he compari- freedom as Walsh. drinkers absolutely incapable of barely an hour and a half, as slick between last ar’s concert ■'il/ash Crofts, resplendent be­ liansTating the dice is of alcohol and rehearsed as that hour and a his year’s m end there, hind pink sparkling glasses, is an imu anything other than violent half might have been?

e past toilet that more outstanding mandolin player, and obscenities. But there is another Not a chainc. wmmmm than not sun nbed to wild Jimmy Seals, his miner's cap en brawls, t year’s con­ pulled down over his brown hair, was comr « front the played not only guitar but added satisfying if not overwhelming isiration s leads with his saxophone. After w n Pioneerpts to lone wn Pioneerpts "Summer Breeze” they played a and the wisl-of many on number uf songs from their ff campus ut urn Pioneer earlier albums, the selections into an eve| that profits from "Down Home,” being the rather than stroys it, the strongest tuts. “Ridin' Thumb,” rt was kept in and as much with its driving electric guitar, Mr, Kenny Rankin Slides By .sible. Only iv people were and "Gabriel Go On Home,” a alized — the snsequences beautiful ballad with shrill though By Scoop Fowler can be described only as “vocal’ Beautiful" and Paul McCartney’s brings us to the crux ol tlic lit and run q vtng mishap p illed harmonics-, were a wel­ With a clear voice, smooth riffs," a high ranging staccato ‘Bln kbird,' and then an excel- glaring problem with the opening ning, of rse, that a come remembrance of the days lyrics, a clean guitar and very voice which jumps all around the lent mi ld ol "She 's a Lady" and half of the Pioneer Days concert en driver era ting through between Seals and Crofts time in little accompaniment, Kenny alto end of the scale. "Birimbau." this year. rier and run ngSover two The Champs, best known for their Rankin led off the Pioneer Week The majority of the material Rankin returned to the stage It was dry, literally and figur­ :nt people merely a single "Tequila,” and their AM concert Thursday night before a presented during the show was sans bass player after a polite atively. ap"). radio ways of laic. rather subdued, if not lethargic Rankin's own.'with the exception response from the audience, to The Pioneer Days Committee ertheless, th concert was T hey are professionals now, not audience. ol the hauntingly beautiful ren­ conclude with "Through the Eyes has carried the flaming standard oth smooth! and profes- that their performances were ever Ranjcin appeared relaxed and dition 6i Stevie Wonder's of an Eagle,” a new tunc from his that this Pioneer Days would be a y. No one, ol 'iously, could anything less than professional, quite comfortable as he ran "Creepin.” upcoming "The Kenny Rankin whole lot more mellow. Com- e that the a ident would but they are professionals in the through his new and familiar While most performers have Album." The song was dedicated mendably so. n. The concq itwas design- sense that they contract out for a material, joined on-stage only by taken full advantage of conver­ to comedian/activist Dick Greg­ But jeez, Louise, never has jive support i the form of certain number of minutes and bassist Peter Marshall. sing with the rowdy crowds of ory, a dedication which seemed to there been such a sterile at­ ’ to the Chili en's Center. songs, and couldn't care less After nearly a half hour delay in Pioneer Days concerts-gone-by, slip right past the crowd. » mosphere for a concert. The act ximately {I )0 00 will go about the audience in any terms the start of the show (attributed Rankin kept his mumblings to a Through no fault of his own, seemed to be chosen on the basis organization and as such, other than whether or not they largely to the time-consuming minimum, and chose to concern Rankin’s set was simply lost in of not having the potential to get ee of success »as achieved. buy albums. They moved through search of the entering patrons irate on his delivery. Madcap the vastness of the University people up and boogieing, or even ny Rankin ca ie on stage a a series of their most popular who were attempting to smuggle audience-performer dialogues Stadium. While the sound carried giving the patrons the chance to after six o'< >c k, and he songs, "We May Never Pass This in the forbidden le beverage de can be one of the most distracting very well, Rankin is more of an attempt one faux pans. It is beneath the lark brooding Way Again," "Hummingbird," concerto, Rankin began with a annoyances during a show, and intimate performer, better suited amazing the Pioneer Days Com­ ' almost an b tr. The stage and "Diamond Girl," then caught nice opening set which included thankfully Rankin did not break for clubs and smaller auditor­ mittee did not lose money on the uickly set uf for Seals and their breath and finished up with "Haven’t We Met” and “Silver up the consistency of his per­ iums. He has developed a style show, for while both acts are and almost immediately a country-western tune that dis­ Morning." formance (with the exception of and delivery which is more first-rate performers, Rankin is rst strains f ‘‘Summer tinguished itself in no way other Both of these opening numbers one remark alluding to the effective and powerful in closer still relatively unknown to the i,” were spt ading across than the screaming fiddle in their have become Rankin standards, condition of those in the audience settings, and an outdoor festival mass populace and Seals and iwd. band. and allow the ballader from New who successfully made it through atmosphere is no place for Crofts are performers who have songwriting apaciries and Suddenly, as fast as they had York to employ not only his guitar the shake-down at the entrance somebody of Rankin's calibre. more a cult following than a mass is harmonies ¡have always set up and walked onstage, they and piano, but also provide an gate). Much to the dismay of the Brice audience appeal. he strengthJo i Seals and were gone. opportunity to display one of the The final portion of the show Avenue Hot Dog Factory Chorus, It’s a shame the concert and now? touring to Then they were back — a fast widest ranging voices this side of was a tasteful medley of popular Rankin never acknowledged their audience must pay the price of a ie a forthcoming album, three song encore during which Minnie Riperton. Rankin numbers including “Why constant screams for "Disco ticket and then be subjected to a e as polished as they have Dash Crofts tried to dance around Rankin has the unique ability to Does a Fool Fall in Love," a Dog," a tune foreign to Rankin's vibe-vasectomy. ecn. Marty Walsh is an the stage, at one point going to fitl-in. around his lyrics with what skilled segue between. “You're repertoire.. And that perhaps