SIDELINES Friday, October22,1982 5 'PM'gal bags old career for television stardom

By TERRY MORROW learned of auditions at WDEF- MONTHS passed, and high mountains, traveled Feature Kdilor TV in Chattanooga, the CBS Debbie was offered a job by extensively locally and abroad, Wouldn't it be nice to gel an affiliate. They needed a the NBC affiliate in Chat- all in the name of a story. exciting job with thousands of weather girl, and the auditions tanooga, WRCB. This job also PM Magazine only em- people loving you and have no were opened to the public. involved weather reporting. ployssixfull-time staffers. So, Formal training? "A lot of people encouraged After heavy thinking, she Debbie has a large hand in the If that sounds impossible, me to try for the job," she made the transition from CBS production of the series. Not you probably don't know remembered. "I ran home and to NBC, and her popularity- only does she host, but she also Debbie Baer McCurdy who dug out a map of the United grew. writes, produces, edits, brings hosts r\l Magazine on WRCB- States and started to memorize Her popularity grew so in story ideas andhelps with TV in Chattanooga. the locations of all the states." much, in fact, she was offered the overall quality of the ALMOST overnight, Debbie After getting the job. Debbie another job with the NBC show—pretty big tasks for a went from grocery clerk at a stepped into the world of local station soon after coming there former check-out clerk. Beds Food Store in Chat- television, a competative as host of a newsmagazine THE HOURS are often long tanooga to instant local market where the name ot the show called PM Magazine. and the work is challenging, television stardom. But it game is ratings and tough This all came about within she said. But, her toothy smile, wasn't easy, she admitted. schedules. a two year period. In that which helped make her a There was a lot of work in- "THERE IS a lot of com- time, she went from check-out household word in the volved. petition among the stations clerk to host of a highly-rated Chattanooga area remains. Alter leaving high school. lure." Debbie said. telex isionseries. Meeting new and different Debbie, now 25, decided logo She became a hit as the "I LOVE doing PM," she people is what Debbie loves t<> Tennessee Temple and weather girl and her career said. "It has so much variety most of all. Doing a game show major in communications. took an instant leap. People and 1 love meeting the or other "hosting" duties is Chattanooga's PM Magazine co-host Debbie Baer McCurdy "I thought about teaching," started recognizing her as "thai ]>lc." what she would like to do in stands in the WRCB-TV Channel 3 cutting room as she reviews she said. "But. 1 wasn't really girl on channel 12." 11 variety is what she wants, the future. tape for a future excerpts from the show . If experience is what experts sure." Debbie is an easv lad) to /'.\/ Magazine is tailor-made 0000004 DEBBIE didn't have to recognize, unlike man) for the talents of Debbie Baer say is needed in today's linger over a decision loo long. females who do local McCurdy. In the two years the competitive job market in Be A Great and While working as a ban telex ision. She's a bruni show has been on in the order to be successful, Debbie girl/clerk at a store and with a child-like Ian am Chattanooga area. Debbie has Baer McCurdy has just proven Gory studying hard in college, she welcoming, tooth-filled smile. jumped out of a plane, forged them all wrong. Halloween Cynical Billy Joel pulls curtain on anger Spook!! See the wide variety of B> GINA FANN costumes and costume! Special In Sidelines "Goodnight. Saigon." which Listening to Billy Joel's new some reviewers have called the accessories album. The Nylon Curtain, one definitive Vietnam veterans' is aware that the formerly angry anthem, is simply amazing. Joel young man has become only captures the feeling ol cynical. He's changed his set- camaraderie which pervaded tings from New York City and its the armed services during the suburbs to the rice paddies of 1960s and early 1970s, especially Vietnam and the mining towns in his use of a chorale effect of Pennsylvania. during the refrain. The tune But the change isn't shocking- smacks of early Bob Dylan -just acceptable. material in the first measures, IN ITSELF, the album is a and the bitterness against the good one. It's balanced, it has war and the friends who were the requisite amount ol cynical lost in it make the song lyrics (especially in the first cut. something to think about. "Allentown,") and the music THE SINGLE release from

and production quality are the album. "Pressure," is rather y exceptional. unusual in that it is different Billy Joel's latest LP. The Nylon Curtain, is not as angry as his >£Vy|BUSCH To the die-hard Billy Joel fan. from anything Joel has done previous releases, but it's certainly one of his more cynical. however. there's something before. But it's good. missing. There are no examples "She's Right on Time." the the changes fn'fheir relationship "Laura," "Surprises," "Scan- Homecoming Special of that lamous sensitivity which nearest thing to a love song on make for some strange phrasing. dinavian Skies" and "Where's MTSU Students propelled The Stranger and even the entire album, is also rather "You got yoga, honey/1 got the Orchestra" balance the rest 52nd Si reel to the top. bitter and cynical. After Joel's beer/You got overpriced/and I of these! well. 6 pak FREE w/case He should not be In reed to recent separation from his wife, got weird" are definitely It may be only because of the of Busch,Sat.Oct.23 conform to past successes. that's understandable. "A Room unusual, but also poignantly phenomenal success of The however, and Joel does an of Our Own" has some of the funny. Stranger, but I rather miss the admirable job of getting into most bizarre lyrics on the Other cuts on Nylon Curtain old Billy Joel. 1 -that he'll be cuts that are a little strange, a album, simply because of the are in the vein of the- work on able to balance the old and the Pepsi $1.29 6-pakNR little different and which ob- subject matter. Joel is discussing Glass Houses: rather new-wave, new a little better in the next Sundrop .99c 2 Itr. or 6-pak viously mean a lot to him. his life with his ladyfriend, and but appealing all the same. album. Double Cola 2 Itr. $1.39

Canadian trio sells out in a rush after lean years PAT'S MARKET By MIKE JONES 1820 N. W. Broad. Murfr—boco. TwinwiM 37130 Concert Review simply amazing behind the kit. Freewill." show, did the fans erupt 890-9323 Alter long years on the road Every beat is expertly placed The band quickly lapsed loudlv. and some 10 albums. Rush has and on Wednesday, his into a brief set of new material finally sold out. ferocious pounding was the from the new album "Signals." "" and In the Nashville concert highlight of the show. "Signals" is by far the bands' "The Trees" from the Farewell Wednesday night. the The lights dimmed to a weakest effort to date, yet the to Kings and Hemispheres Canadian power trio showed blaring tape of the theme from songs were brought magically albums brought perhaps the that its eventual on-coming the Three Stooges and when to life in the concert setting. most response from the sell-out to commercialism had the explosive lights came up, RUSH PLAYED all but one audience, as rolled U.C. CINEMA finally arrived in a the band was in place for a song from its new LP. into some simply devastating sledgehammer show that saw blistering "Spirit of the Radio" The highlight from the new closing trips around the kit. PRESENTS the band limit itself to its most material was the song "Sub- to get things underway. The band closed with a recent material. divisions,"' in which the screen THE BAND beat the song unique semi-medley of some HAVING seen the group into the crowd with a was again incorporated to older material. "2112" was the perform on its last four tours, it sledgehammer, and the show a strikingly accurate first song of the closing set, was hard to give the show a backbeat of Pearl's full out portrayal of youths' lives in with the "Overture" section high merit based on the pounding and the throbbing suburbia. "Subdivisions" is one and "The Temples of Syrinx" material it performed. bass of drove the of the most powerful and well following close behind. The Nonetheless. Rush always written songs of recent years. crowd to fever pitch. shortening of this Rush classic manages to please, and has The patented Rush movie Other songs Irom the new does nothing but hurt the forged for itself a niche as one album included "The Analog screen was used on the number, and the band has of the most exciting and ex- following number as the cover Kid," "Chemistry," "Digital chosen to delete the major plosive concert bands around. of the popular alburn "Moving Man." and the new single portion of the song on the last Part of the reason it has Pictures" appeared and the "." two tours. become such a concert hall group went into the hit "Tom RUSHS" salute to the favorite is the drumming of the Sawyer." The third number launching of the space shuttle Right behind "2112" was the wizardly Neil Peart. Peart is was the Rush classic was the centerpiece for one of lofty "Xanadu," in which the — "1 the closing numbers, threesome blazed through the "Countdown."" The screen was meat of that number. . filled with a NASA film of the liftoff while the band blazed RIGHT behind that was a away on the number. Un- portion of the instrumental fortunately, the effects and "La Villa Strangiato." The power of the music did little to final number saw the band dip enhance the moment and one back into its first album for the of the greatest events in the Zepplinesque "In The Mood," history of the United States which has become a concert was somewhat muddled. standard. Most of the material from After a brief exit from the the show was derived from the stage, the band returned to last two albums, "Moving play yet another song from the Pictures" and "Signals." Many Moving Pictures LP. of the songs were rehash from the last tour, as were many of The instrumental "YYZ" the effects. was highlighted by the Monday-Tuesday The group was not loyal to devastation of Neil Peart October 15-16 the die-hard fans at the show, behind the drum kit with the 1:10 admission $l.OO as it really neglected its early- annual solo. Peart simply Rock group Rush has achieved commercial success after many- material. Only when the band knocked the crowd all the way :QO and ll:00 admission $1.15 years. Their concert and album, Signal, have been very popular settled in for two of the to Memphis with the dynamic within recent months. acoustic numbers during the session behind the toms. I 1 i