'^Rine's Folk-Rock. *Jfallads, Humor Please Audience Superstar Rod
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
hursday, November 19, 1981 The Pendulum Page 5 '^rine’s folk-rock. *jfallads, humor please audience by Jo Craven “good night” in hopes of The Whitley Auditorium once again finding her in his • Mwd booted and laughed dreams. (die waiting for an enter- On a lighter side, Prine ^ jiner who was unfam iliar to teUs how he found an old Jiany on Nov. 11. As friend while reading a news fiends shouted to one paper and he wrote her a ^ther across the theater, song; her name was Dear ^ough the curtains strode Abby. .In “Dear Abby” ^hn Prine. Prine, dressed Prine seems to be poking 3 1 black, stood alone on the fun at Abby while also fee with only his guitar to telling others to just be Ip convey his folk-rock themselves. Letters are Des. written from people with problems ranging from im I pending baldness, leaky In a voice reminiscent o f lb Dylan’s, Prine opened pens, and freaky kids, to th an evenly paced song one whose stomach makes noises when he kisses. At TELLER OF MUSICAL TALES — Singer John Prine entertained liia audience in Wliitley illed “Be My Friend Auditorium with musical stories both funny and sad. Photo by Ken Lipstein. bnight.” The following one desperate point a writer although of varied even exclaims, “ If it weren’t |emes, all relate stories, so expensive. I’d wish I was of Mrs. Walker and his habit which his children Wynette’s “ D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” nth humorous or sad. ' dead!” daughter Pamela who are hit visualize as a “hole in Mike Cross’ “Nobby,” and memorable one is Abby responds to all of at a four-way stop by a car daddy’s arm where all the Bruce Frye’s “Hog-Calling Christmas In Prison.” This the perplexities by saying of drunken drivers. The money goes.” The con Time In Nebraska.” kllad describes how a that none of the writers has police “arrive at five” and clusion of “Sam Stone” is Deacon also performed a nely prisoner dreams of “a complaint,” and in fact pronounce all victims okay. not as fortunate as previous comedy disco medley in K wolman he loves. He tells “they are what they are, and “Sam Stone” reveals tunes, and Stone dies of cluding “Tractor,” “Pig I her heart that is bigger they ain’t what they ain’t.” Prine as a product o f the 60s a drug overdose. Out,” “Bad Girls,” and )an the jail, how sweet she Another of Prine’s songs with its story of a Vietnam Opening for John Prine “City Slicker;” the medley i and how she is like a relates the events of an veteran who returns home were Roy Deacon and Mike ended with White’s rendition pcnic in the rain. He begs accident that unexpectedly hooked on morphine. The White performing, such of “She’s A Milk Cow” to come to him , run to ends favorably. This is a tale family funds are blown on established hits as Tammy before introducing Prine. to, but concludes by saying Superstar Rod Stewart mesmerizes Greensboro From where I was sitting, in the back of the stage to kicked soccer balls to the by Louida Louiia ranged from teenagers to I could see roadies and let those viewers with an audience. Rod Stewart launched his persons in their early forties. rand tour of North members of the band, obstructed view get a He ran from one side of gathering up at a side en merica and Canada in the Stewart was half an hour ghmpse of him. the stage to the other trance of the stage. I looked reensboro Coliseum last late. At about 8:30 p.m. the appealing to the emotions of down closely and saw a Stewart performed a wide Wednesday night. W hat was lights went out, and a surge the crowd by getting them broad shouldered figure like to be there? of excitement coursed range of his songs. Some totally hyped. wearing a black and pink- Before the concert began throughout the entire arena. were “Maggie May,” 9ccer balls, a tradition at striped jacket, a white T- “Passion,” “Do Ya Think Stewart took his micro shirt with a pink belt, white ny Stewart concert, were The stage lights were sub I’m Sexy?,” “Young phone stand and would and black skin tight leopard ®ssed throughout the dued with blues, pinks and T u rk s ,” “ I W as O nly swing it around his body as pants with white slippers. idience, which was made deep red circles of light. A Joking,” “If Loving You Is if it were a part of him. His head sported a pink ) of a wide range of fans: black screen with diamonds Wrong, Then I Don’t Want On some numbers, visor with his unruly blonde lard-core preps, punk formed by silver trinmung To Be Right,” “ Just Like A especially the older songs, hair standing on end. :kers, people sporting the hung in the middle of the Woman,” “You’re In My the words were placed at his •aditional blue jeans and stage, allowing the audience Lighters were burning Heart” and many more hits feet, and if he forgot the that spanned his career. The l^el shirts, and some to see Rod Stewart’s steadily, and the smell of words he would make fun of lecked out in semi-formal message to his fans: pot was distinct. Women first number was an un it and talk to his listeners, Wire. All in all, the ages “Tonight I’m Yours.” went crazy screaming, recognizable new song, while he bent over and read “Rod, Rod I’m right here.” instead of one of his off the sheets. classics. I was really afraid they would do something drastic There was no break in the Flowers, jackets, hats, concert once it got started. Coffeehouse like trying to jump to the scarves, and even a bra were stage from the upper level. Stewart and all the band thrown up on stage. Stewart members went off the stage would pick them up, hold There was no warm-up for about 10 minutes while the flowers, wear the band, nor was there a need Carmine Appice soloed on for one. Stewart carried the jackets, and on occasion, the drums. Then everyone 'Rain Tempo^’ entire show by himself, throw them back out. returned, including Stewart while taking care not to who had changed into a overshadow the band mem He offered his drinking black jacket and gold and bers. He sang next to them glass to a member of the black leopard skin pants. and drifted off to a platform audience, shook hands and At the concert’s end, T onight Stewart and his band came back to sing a couple more songs, one of which was his 8:00 Bkycle Repairs—All makes current “Young Turks.” E x p e r t factory-trained iervice ^HWINN* He bowed graciously with Varsity Grill a tremendous smile on his part»-acceflM>ries-tire8 face, then he was gone. The black and silver screen went 1 slice of down, the lights went up, Burlington Schwinn Bicycles and, for me, all the clocks in the world started ticking pizza & coke 75* 226-4116 again..