Oingo Boingo’S Plasticity
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See How They Are OINGO See WhafThey Were BOINGO Somewhere, a while ago in the heart of came on stage it was go go go, hit after hit of concert-planning land, someone more Pop Art. Andy Warhol would be proud of the knowledgeable than the listeners decided purity of Oingo Boingo’s plasticity. that they would create a show of not one, but Remember, Pop Art, like Rococo, takes a two headlining bands. Brilliant! What a reflection of society and exaggerates a fabulous idea! Oh. There’s only one minor feature of it. flaw. What about the Santa Barbara County ★ ★ ★ Bowl time limitations? Those neighbors need On stage, X feel like the children of the their beauty rest, so the opening band can Grateful Dead. They don’t look much like only play forty-five minutes. Eight songs, them — they dressed in partial uniform that’s an album’s worth. That’s enough for styles of red western wear. And they don’t ’em. sound much like the guitar improvisations of Perhaps the Oingo Boingo/X concert at the the Dead. But as the Dead are still a vison of county bowl last Saturday night was the hopes of San Fransico’s Haight-Ashbury, designed to be a “ two for the price of one” X is a mirror for the multi-faceted vision of value deal. Decidedly, Oingo Boingo fans left Los Angeles. the sale with their ears full, while X fans Watching them on stage I have a recurring were left with the drooling mouths of an feeling. I ’m on the Greyhound bus, heading appetizers-only lunch. And who could pair X out of downtown Los Angeles. It’s sunset and — a haystack rolling, black boot kicking, the smog-laden air burns a beautiful in L.A. punk group with a band that sings tensity of colors. Out the window I see the “ Nothing Bad Ever Happens To Me?” created smut of the human condition. In the Oingo Boingo. Plastic polyurethane. distance within the reach of a short, yet Bopping pulsating continuous white noise. endless stretch, high-rises gleam an eternal Smiles and urban happiness. Computerized wealthy blaze. Irony is no longer an English rhythm to a programmed lifestyle. Multi paper term; it’s an ugly way of life. colored and transparent, but still wearable, See How We Are. danceable, and accepted by many as The fans of X have fought a long blood freedom from a life of feeling. battle over the importance of the Los The opening of Danny Elfman’s show Angeles-based band. They’ve been through brought the crowds of the county bowl to punk, rock-a-billy, swinging country, and their feet — if not their knees — as the now these sbunds have fused on their lastest people were determined to dance faster than album See How We Are. As usual, ac the rebounding band on stage. But there’s cusations fly about the commercial sell- always interference in even the clearest of ability of a new album. Yea. It’s gonna sell. white noise. EVENT STAFF — big men in It’s going to sell because it has a butt-kicking big yellow jackets, just doing their jobs, single “ The Fourth of July” and a few acting as the border patrol making sure we minutes of this year’s best-penned lyrics on don’t get too close to the edge. Oh — but we the title track “ See How We Are.” understand the protection factor here. I wouldn’t want to be in a dangerous crowd. Most of X ’s set featured songs from this But come on, this is Santa Barbara and this latest album. A rousing version of the is safe and sane music. album’s opener “ I’m Lost” started Exene Excuse me, but if you in the red shirt Cervenka and John Doe off with screaming would sit down, we could all see what we harmonies. These harmonies are an in came to see and not your red back./This teresting phenomenon of the California man is breathing down my neck and he is sound. We had the Beach Boys, the Go-Go’s, not what I came to get close to./ This is not the unmentionable Bangles; X takes the fair. If God had wanted you to stand guard in pairing voices to make a sound that crosses front of me, he would have made me taller Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Doors and than five-foot-one so I could get a glimpse of some Janis Joplin. Throw in some rock-a- the happy people making this noise. billy guitar work by their newest member, I have a sister who adores the upbeat, Tony Gilkvson, and X creates a foot- unthinking attitude of Oingo Boingo. “ Who stomping feast of Los Angeles sound. wants to listen to depressing music in this After their raging version of “ Reckless,” world?” And who could argue that much of John Doe prodded the crowd with “ Some true popular music (as being the top-sellers) people have been asking us if we’ve is made for after-work Miller time. But this mellowed out,” then ripped into a X ’s ver concert was not for the elite of kick-back sion of “ Wild Thing,” with Cervenka’s re music. This was pure, unstoppable, plugged written melody. Regardless of EVENT in, let loose energy. STAFF, some of us aren’t afraid to be on the From the moment Elfman and his huge edge. entourage, including a large brass set-up, — Laurie L. McCullough I J 2A Thursday, July 30,1987 Daily Nexus Summer Edition F o o d to G o . _ Lunch • Dinner Dater: 'Working with Feeling' O p en 7 D a y s [ • 1 B a nqu et -at the SBM A- e s ilili/ The Santa Barbara course a feather duster, the camera, right at Dater, familiar — “ Dear Diary, I Museum of Art has done it and — you guessed it — a but they are not at all know I haven’t written in again! box of Clingfree. Yes, you stilted and seem to be you for a long time...” Their latest exhibition, have to see this one to posing from within. Their Dater explores the use of CHINA CASTLE Judy Dater: Twenty really appreciate it. Other expressions range from video stills in a sixteen Years, is a retrospective titles are “Scream,” pensive to flamboyant, but panel series entitled RESTAURANT view of her photographic “ Leopard Woman,” and all are unquestionably “Somewhere over the genuine and revealing. Rainbow Blues,” 1985. It AUTHENTIC MANDARIN SZECHUAN HUNAN CUISINE works from 1964-1985. It is “ Queen of the Night,” the most complete body of which include a cow head “Excerpts from a depicts a few days in a Mid- her works ever shown to Western school. The — HAPPY HOUR- images have that T.V. Free Hors D’Oeuvres * Well Drinks $ 1.50 the public, and en compasses all of her screen quality and the Long Island Ice Tea & Tropical Drinks $2.50 corresponding type is that 3 P.M. • 6 P.M.__________ _____________ changing values and ar tistic preferences, ex great glow-in-the-dark Open Sun-thurs 11:30 am to 10 pm computer green. The story Fri-Sat 11:30 am to 10:30 pm pressing an outlook that is uniquely Dater. line is subtle, yet dramatic 1202 Chapala St., S.B. and worth reading. 290 G Storte Rd„ Goleta Judy Dater is best known at the corner of Anapamu) for her radically revealing But, of course, what ‘(Next to K-Mart) 968-1 308 962-6602 & 965-9219 portraits, an achievement exhibition would be done through “ working complete without the with feeling.” She feels showing artist’s renditions that freedom from social, of other famous artists. political or sexual And Judy Dater is not left stereotyping is a most behind. She has portraits of critical need in society Minor White, Beaumont today, and these views Newhall, Ansel Adams and swim through her h e r very famous photographs. She doesn’t photograph of Imogene like to view her models as Cunningham with Twinka. men or women, but as, Again their expressions are Sizzler people, and the results are revealing, and probably portraits that concentrate only shown to Dater and Steak • Seafood • Salad on an inner emotion rather her camera. than the outer skin usually This is a retrospective captured on film. show and encompasses One of her most famous most that is Dater which gives you the perfect op series is the cibachrome Imogene Cunningham, 1971 self-portraits done in 1982. portunity to become 5555 Hollister Each is set up in front of carcass, a leopard skin Teenage Diary” is _an familiar with her work and O p en plain theatre-like back jumpsuit, and a boa. These emotional journey back in see a very worthwhile drops which perfectly you simply can’t miss. time. A diary floating in a show. Sunday-Thursday: 11 am - 9:30 pm offset her flowery, vibrant A large portion of the pool is left open to various Judy Dater: Twenty Friday & Saturday: 11 am - 10:30 pm costumes. In “Ms. show is a series of in pages, and each is Years is on exhibition at Clingfree,” she sports a dividual portraits of scrawled with that great the SBMA until August 30. pink terry-cloth mini people, some famous and “ teenage” handwriting Admission is free, and a something and totes a many unknown before their that changes style every wealth of talent lies within. broom, a dustpan, Cheer Dater encounter.