November21,2002 The Blue Banner Page 3 F ea tu r es Eighties night Drag show offers risque, naughty fiin rovides a blast Eom the past Pleather, spandex, sequins and Sarah Grano feathers created a fun visual spec­ Margaret Lauzon Features Reporter tacle. Features Reporter “The clothes make the person,” Club Hairspray’s drag show pro­ said Crystal. “It tells who you are Someone said a beautifiil girl was vides good, dirty fun with big hair, and what you’re all about, and then hiding away from the rest of the thick makeup, sparkles, feathers and after that comes makeup, hair, the world. Actually, Cyndi, she wasn’t lots of heartfelt lip-synching. Lo­ performance and the attitude.” hiding. She was at ‘80s night with cated on French Broad Avenue, Everyone looked outrageous rest o f the Lauper-esque fun girls. Hairspray hosts drag shows every whether they wore hot pink g- Every Wednesday night, the up­ Saturday night at midnight. strings or pale pink taffeta. stairs o f Broadway’s bar, located at The Nov. I6th show provided the Several performers wore leotards 107 N. Lexington Avenue trans­ audience with semi-clad drag that showed off their legs aijd forms from the seemingly normal queens who had the look and feel of hugged their hips. Natalie Smalls Asheville pub into a dark and smoky real. wore a jum psuit that looked like new wave club akin to Hollywood The emcee kept the atmosphere something Elvis wore when he felt circa 1984. pleasantly bawdy by making dirty especially flamboyant, and Tiffany At least, so the patrons appeared jokes and hitting on nearly all the Stone’s shiny leotard looked like it to believe. “’80s N ight” has quickly len in the front row. came from “The Jetsons.” become one of the more popular ‘Everything’s so weird because Fm W hile it may surprise some. Crys­ haunts of everyone from the aver­ 3 sober,” he told the crowd. “I tal says that there is more to being age UNCA student to the middle- thought you all were much prettier a drag queen than getting gussied aged business man trying to regain when I was drunk.” up and pretending to sing. his Regan-era coolness. The night’s special guest, Heather “I practice all week before the “The reason I go to ‘80s night is to Daniels, opened the show. The show,” she said. “Sometimes I’m break from the monotony of the emcee declared the blonde bom b­ nervous, but usually I suck it up. I usual happenings here in Asheville,” shell the sex kitten o f the South. realize that everyone makes mis­ said Tiffany Ford, an ‘80s night She certainly lived up to her name. takes. N obody’s perfect.” attendee. “I get tired of the jam Daniels first appeared on stage in The drag queens performed most bands and ‘80s night is a little dif­ body suit that gave her the figure of the songs in an old fashioned ferent.” of Dolly Parton. The censored ar­ strip tease manner. M ore than once There certainly appears to be a eas were covered with black spandex the performers started by coyly great deal o f area residents who spider webs, and she tucked the showing only their legs extended share her sentiment. Asheville has money audience members gave her out of the curtains. become a hot zone for bands who Both Daniels and McDaniels wore require songs to be eight minutes or into her thong. COURTESY OF HEATHER DANIELS Daniels, who traveled from At­ long coats covering themselves at longer. However, let’s not forget the beginning of their songs, and lanta to perform, was clearly the Drag queen, Heather Daniels, performed for an enthusiastic crowd at Club Hairspray Nov. 16. the fun of dancing to your favorite of the show. However, many then threw them off to show reveal­ song of three chords or less, upping other drag queens also provided body suit ended and the real body fully grabbed both her own and me, is about being delicate and ing outfits. your heat beat within said time The best performers had audience sparkly eye candy. began. She let all her assets hang out others’ body parts. She even gave beautiful. I don’t try to be sexy. I frame and leaving the floor to await members literally lined up to give Natalie Smalls, Tif­ and gave a true bur­ one older woman a lap dance. just try to go with the flow, and your next favorite (which will no them money. Sometimes the money fany Stone, Crystal, lesque performance. Such behavior contrasted the de­ don’t put myself out there like that. ” doubt be played within the next was given to the drag queens with a and Adera McDaniels Adera McDaniels, mure performance of Crystal. W hether tlaey showed a lot of skin three minutes, with the exception polite kiss on the cheek. Other times all sh im m ie d a nd the only other per­ Rather than wearing pasties and a or not, the performer’s all wore of “Rapper’s Delight”). an intoxicated audience member sashayed under the former that matched g-string. Crystal wore a long se- over the top costumes. W hile jam bands, classified as such would ham it up with the per­ by the fans themselves, plant roots disco lights. Daniels’ daring per­ quined dress. She was smaller in d Daniel’s managed to look like a former. Some of the drag formance, scandalized shyer than the other drag queens, Las Vegas show girl. M akeup made in the improvisational style of jazz, queens made more convincing the less jaded members of the audi- and looked more elegant. her face gorgeously feminine, and Many of the night’s performers blues and world music have their than others. W ith Daniels, ence. “Burlesque is really, really out by some technical miracle, she had will appear again next weekend secure Asheville fan base, so too do mpossible to tell where the D uring her performance, she play­ there,” said Crystal. “But drag, with the body o f a playboy bunny. Hairspray. the remnants of a culture that her­ alded the likes o fThe Ramones and Prince on the same radio station. A “Soul Train” styled people-path waxed and waned as patrons fought to and from the dance floor. This Pearl Jam’s‘‘Riot Act” focuses on politics provided the only clear floor space because the upstairs of the club filled to capacity. Ironically, the Corbie Hill downstairs o f the bar looked like it would any other givi;n day. N o­ Features Reporter body can hide from the truth. If they go to Broadway’s on a Wednes­ Pearl Jam' released “Riot Act,” day night, they do so with purpose. their seventh studio album, on Nov. If you do end up accidentally there, 12. “Riot Act” is exactly what I the chances for future return double expected, the next step in Pearl ith each passing song. Jam’s evolution as a band. They M any discover ‘80s night acci­ have been growing since their de­ dentally, but somehow return week but, which is one reason they have after week. Some choose to make been able to stay together. the event their one night out a week There are people who complain as opposed to the typical Friday that Pearl Jam hasn’t been a band and Saturday night rendezvous. worth listening to since their first “’80s night is more o f an event album, “T en.” “T en” was a fine than just going to a bar,” said Ford. album, but the band was young. W hile I m ust agree, I will say I was Eddie Vedder was an angry kid disappointed to see few dressed the screaming “it’s not fair.” He did so part, aside from the normal very eloquently, but that’s not the Asheville retro style. point. W hat makes the ‘80s so different “Riot Act” is a balanced album. from, say, the mid-1990s? Perhaps Every member of Pearl Jam wrote because the ‘80s allowed people to either music or lyrics. dance expressively and w ithout a The Pearl Jam that recorded “Riot partner. Prior to the “Dirty Danc­ Act” is as political as the Pearl Jam COURTESY OF GOOGLE.COM ing” inspired thrust frenzy of the that recorded “Ten,” but much Pearl Jam’s r iv album, “Riot Act,” vocalizes the band’s political opinions. late ‘80s, it was possible to dance more outspoken about it. There is a with a partner, or multiple part­ lot ofdisenchantment with the Bush the album. It’s short, only about a the immenseness of suffering.” ners, and not worry about explain­ administration voiced in the songs. minute long. In “Arc,” Vedder har­ The Pearl Jam that recorded “Riot ing your innocent intentions after T he title “Riot Act” is appropriate monizes with a vocal chorus. There Act” is optimistic. Vedder is angry, the song ended. but balanced. for the political m ood of this al­ COURTESY OF OFFICIALRAMONES.COM are no words or instruments in­ “You’re not expected to grind with volved. Pearl Jam is eleven years old, a someone to have fun dancing,” said bum. The new songs have the Pearl Jam lead singer, Eddie Vedder, cut his hair to protest war. crunch of 2000’s “Binaural,” the “Bushleaguer” is the most political respectable age for any rock band. Raegan Hodge, another ‘80s night optimism of 1998’s “Yield,” and and offbeat song. Vedder takes They’ve lasted much longer as a participant. “’80s music is different the eclectic variety of 1996’s “N o Rock and Roll hall of fame, accord­ lifting. So, even though The cracks at President Bush’s policies band than fellow Seattle rockers because it’s so high energy. You Alice in Chains, Soundgarden or Code.” ing to the yahoo website. Ramones tonight are being inducted in a spoken beat poetry style, with don’t mind looking like a fool danc­ the constantly overrated Nirvana. Singer Eddie Vedder ga :e himself “It actually stemmed from my frus- into The Rock And Roll Hall Of the forceful and spooky prechorus ing because you haven’t heard the Pearl Jam survived tragedies, such a mohawk out of frus­ trationofwo rid events Fame, it doesn’t mean the punk o f “A blackout weaves its way songs for so long.” as the m osh pit deaths at the tration with American and bombings and rockers, or looking like a punk through the city.” Broadway’s isn’t a dance club, Roskilde festival, and have contin­ aggression in middle things like that, and I rocker, has become respectable.” Vedder also makes his distaste for but Wednesdays are unique. ‘80s ued to write music that is complex eastern countries, took it out on my own “Riot Act” is a lot calmer than the American elite obvious in night condenses one decade of and current. which he said he hair. Sometimes you “Binaural,” the last album, but that “Bushleaguer,” saying that the Bush music into a three-hour overview. This album is not for everyone. wouldn’t cut until the feel powerless and you doesn’t mean that it’s weaker. There family is connected to too much The music played reflected all There are subtle bits of musical US stopped bombing do sometimes silly are a lot more acoustic guitars and money to understand world issues. genres. Every age, color and creed genius that some people would in Afghanistan. Vedder also com­ things,” said Vedder in an inter­ pianos. A hammond B3 organ “Swinging for the fence/got lucky participated, and all appeared never notice, but there are also mented that others treated him dif­ view on the yahoo website. haunts “Love Boat Captain,” and with a strike,” sings Vedder. “Drill­ equally amused. moments of undeniable rhapsody. ferently with a mohawk, despite “Two days after it was done I “T hum bing M y W ay” jangles ing for fear/makes the job simple/ T he style of the ‘80s m ight return. It’s not your parents’ pearl jam, but the fact that he had it when he walked into a shop to buy a Christ­ along like a Bruce Springsteen song. born on third/thinks he got a Perhaps, it’s already here. I don’t inducted the Ramones into the mas gift: and I was accused of shop- “Arc” is the least expected song on triple.. .The haves have not a clue/ it sure does rock. know. M y heart never really left it.