The Orion Steel Pulse keeps beat RICHARD strong GEHRELS pumping Schuman said he Staff Writer jumped on the opportunity to bring the band to Chico. He said he thinks tonight's show will be Steel Pulse brings its reggae beats from successful. If people want a fun show with Britain to Chico tonight at the Senator Theatre political messages, then they promoting its new album, "African should Holocaust." go. Steel Pulse is the only English The band formed in 1975 in Birmingham, band to have ever won a Grammy, England, and consisted of lead singer David winning for their "Babylon The Hinds, lead guitarist Basil Gabbidon and Bandit" album in 1985. They've bassist Ronnie McQueen. also been nominated for "Earth The band now tours with an eight-piece Crisis," "Victims," "Rastafari ensemble, including Sewlyn Brown on vocals Centennial" and "Rage and and keyboards, Clifford" "Moonie" Pusey on Fury." lead guitar, Alvin Ewen on bass, Sidney Mills The band has appeared on on keyboards and Conrad Kelly on drums and the soundtrack to Spike Lee's percussion. film "Do the Right Thing," as Steel Pulse's publicist in New York, Robin well as guest appearances on "The Tonight Blackwood, said the band is influenced by its Show with Jay Leno," "Arsenio Hall," and roots, as well as some dancehall music. Hinds' "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." parents immigrated to England from Jamaica Steel Pulse has appeared with Bob Marley when the island was still a British colony. They ' & the Wailers, Peter Tosh, Sting, INXS, brought with them Jamaican culture. Santana, Robert Palmer, Herbie Hancock She said the band has a lot of politics in and Bob their Dylan. Steel Pulse has also been music, but it's not all political. Steel Pulse, influenced by dancehall music and its Jamaican roots, brings British-flavored reggae to the Senator Theatre the first reggae to "It's not like band play at a presidential they're going to come out and tonight in support of its new album. The band, which tours with an eight-piece ensemble, formed in 1975 in England. inauguration; President Clinton's in 1993. support a candidate," she said. Schuman said whether Blackwood said the "David you're happy with night will be filled with (Hinds) just sings whatever he '80s, when he first heard "True the Democracy." outcome of yesterday's elections or upset songs from the group's new CD, "African wants," she said. He said he found the lyrics powerful. He by it, it will be a great post-election show. Holocaust," including the social awareness Steven Schuman, owner of North Valley said he liked the group so much that in the "The Senator will be rocking (tonight)," he said. song "Global Warning." She said there will Productions, the company that is bringing Steel past he drove to Berkeley to see the group play. also be some older songs, but she wasn't sure Pulse to the Senator Theatre, said he's been a He's already seen the group play four times, Richard Gehrels can be reached at what specifically the band will play. since big fan of the band the early the early "They are always fun, really fun," he said. rgehrelsOorion-online.net

Poe's poem flies off SOUTHERN: Explores deep page in The Raven' family dynamics COREEN LARSON the dark comedy with banter and continued from CI Staff Writer human-to-bird elements. During the introduction to this side of the Southern dialect tapes from the library." Edgar Allen Poe's classic poem cast, the crows are lying around in "The Raven" Along with the accents, of course, comes the is brought to life their nests, one of them is flipping Southern hospitality. The entire play is set in onstage at the Chico Theatre through a bird encyclopedia in the Lenny's kitchen, complete with a kitchen table same fashion a man Company. would flip and If chairs, coffee pot and telephone for those you've ever wondered through a dirty magazine. impromptu calls. All of the visitors even come in about the lovely Lenore or who Following the reading of the the through the back door. tapping raven original Poe poem, Just like the set, Shelton said the costumes are is that utters only the story opens with simple and show each individual "nevermore" as he sits the Vincent brothers The crows are character's personality. at the chamber door, beside themselves "Lenny is frumpy and kind '« go see the original with excitement over lying around of outdated," she said. « rock 'n' roll musical the woman they love. with book Tbr Meg, portrayed by Giovanna and lyrics in their nests, We soon find out they Orion-EMILY WHEELER Leah, may be Lenny's younger by director Jerry . are both in love with Actors in Chico Theatre Company's "The Raven" production of bring Edgar Allan Poe's poem to sister but they are quite the Miller and musical OH€.. Lenore. She is asked life on the stage. Musical numbers enhance the play's dramatic .flipping power. It runs through Saturday. opposite. to choose between the "She is kind of marked as a ^ Marcef Daguerre. " two of them. She asks Allen * gets his shotgun and, ending wraps up the writer's promiscuous one," Leah said. The stage is set with a slew of theoretical bird enCVClO- despite the karmic warning vision for this adaptation. The "She had traumatic things happen raven perches and the # > questions that lead to from his housekeeper Mrs. poem is reflected in the second to her so she has a wall up." < Vincent brothers' her decision. p6(Hci ill the McGillicuddy, he shoots one of act and the play begins to come Leah said chamber door. that, other than r , . The defining the crows that dwell in the trees together and lead to the beginning the promiscuity, she relates to Meg a lot. The performance Same above the JOShlOn question is "If I were garden where they are of the poem. "She's the black ; sheep of the family, and she's begins with a chilling to be married. a man Live music gives the original and flawless recital of would to come,.to youo" really kind of melancholy," Leah said. "She our wedding night musical numbers flair. Unfortunately, the bird he The sexy always carries weight on her shoulders, and she's the original poem "The and tell shoots is you that our "Tommy," the love of a "bat girls" add an element of a little Raven" flip through crazy." given by Brian marriage would never sassy crow named Tina, narration with their emotive played by Although Meg is trying to pursue a singing D. Miner, who plays a be consummated, Gina Henson dirty Tropea. expressions and interpretive career out in California, she comes home when Edgar Vincent, the would The you still want wedding scene shows dance moves. there are problems with the family - mainly her young man in love with to Lenore with magazine. marry me?" Edgar "Tommy" fashionably This creative take on the Edgar little sister Babe the beautiful Lenore. murdering her husband. During is the only one of sitting on top Allen Poe of her veil. When poem we have all heard the course of Meg's visit, an old flame named The characters are the Tina and her fellow crows see at one dueling brothers time or another will change Doc Porter comes back to haunt her. * imaginative and the who answers their friend ' yes and stuffed and the displayed way you hear or read the Doc, portrayed costumes are by David McCormick, is eye catching. There Lenore excitedly chooses Allen, on Lenore's famous words. head, they attack the described as a Southern gentleman who has some are the human characters, brothers vowing to have a loving-yet- wedding party and Allen is killed. The lavish sets and creative, bad luck. Edgar and Allen Vincent, played platonic relationship with Edgar. Karma is obvious when we unforgettable characters will "I like the fact that he's just really strong," . by Paul Wrona; the lovely Lenore, The wedding is to take the see Allen resurrected after the place engage you from the beginning McCormick said. "He's always there for played by Melody Hardy; and the next intermission as a crow. day, and Lenore's only request The irony to the end, which is also the people." humanitarian to I housekeeper Mrs. is have a tiny stuffed bird to wear is clear when Tina offers Allen a beginning of "The Raven." McCormick also said Doc is an easy character McGillicuddy, played by nest to Crystal fashionably atop her veil. "Like the stay in and they begin to for the audience to feel for. J Szymanski. fashionable women in the are fall in love. Careen city Larson can be reached at "The burden that Doc has - " everyone has gone The cast of crows adds humor to A wearing," Lenore says. poignant and emotional [email protected] through that," he said. Overall, Leah said she thinks it is a really good show. "It draws in a couple of really important things," RIDE: Indie band controls she music, self promotes said, "like not holding onto the past." continued from CI McCormick agreed, "It's a very moving piece." you are, in most instances. it. The and Even drumming keyboards add texture, though this is Ellen Wilcox's fifth play at The band's music is mood and variation to the songs, while the Chico State, she said it was the biggest challenge the thing that they love." confessional, testimonies of WHEN: guitars seem to give the band its signature she's had portraying Babe, the youngest sister. Harmer, Chris Walla (keyboard/guitar) relationships that have gone sound. The melodies tickle the ear with Monday guitar It's the most realistic so and Gibbard formed Death in play I've been in Cab 1997 in so sour that their riffs that are not too hope of powerful, but to that makes it a the 7:30 p.m. enough challenge, because in a realistic college town of Bellingham, Wash. A year finding love was thrown out make a a beat. WHERE: body feel play it's more important to get the truth across," ago drummer Jason McGerr was added to the the window. The BMU concept of the songs rarely ever changes, she said. to Gibbard line-up replace drummer Michael Schorr, really makes the but the band shows there are different Auditorium ways of Wilcox said although it is demanding, she has who wanted to go a new direction. words of the songs come to life getting the true meaning of the situation or a The band HOW MUCH: really good time portraying Babe. got its name from a song by a through his warm, comforting emotion across. "I $13 to $18 think she has a band in the '60s called The Bonzo really big imagination," Dog Band. and sincere voice that's just Walla said their latest CD "Transatlanticism" All ages Wilcox said. "She talks about how she has "It was in The Beatles' "Magical Mystery begging for a second shot at has taken them to whole new level of creativity. visions. That gives me freedom to go outside Tour" movie and we to use it as a just decided finding his true love. He said that, at the end of the the box with band day, it's all Babe, which is fun for me. She will name," Gibbard said. Gibbard, who writes most of the band's about a making living out of something the always put her own problems aside to be there for Although they have toured with Blink-182 music, said he's not really a trained band loves to do, and everything else that someone else." and won the hearts of many indie-band fans, songwriter. comes with it is just a bonus. Wilcox summed Gibbard said it's up the feeling of the play by rarely understood how much "I'm lucky if I can write a song a month "The fact that people are enjoying our saying it gives people a sense of hope. effort an indie band that I puts in to gain some really like, but I just don't music and our records and really buying coming to "It is a play that people can relate to because respect and get noticed. push it," Gibbard said. "I doodle on guitar, our shows is kind of frosting, really, because it's very humanistic," she said. "It shows you, no "Indie bands don't have tour support and coming eventually I'll get something I like and we do this for fun," Walla said. "As soon as matter how bad from things get, that there's always MCA; they don't have a tour bus coming start putting something together and start we stop having fun, this will be over." something to from a hope for." publishing deal that they got," Gibbard writing lyrics, depending on whatever I feel is said. "It takes a lot of years of hard work and appropriate for the song." Cherre Stoneham can be reached at Shannon Savage can be reached at playing to nobody before somebody realizes who The band's music has a '70s-Beatles feel to [email protected] iiavag«®orion-online.net