1983_10 The Daily Collegian October 1983

              |LPa^(s4>    Oct. 7,1983"
\£rfot(Btf(±cmmmi(£m(± \
Tilvern performance brings Iceman' to life
t for a
evening of
The Iceman has come to CSUF.
"The Iceman Cometh." written by
Eugene O'Neill, debuted last night. But
a preview performance on Wednesday
 rivolved  in  the
before t
y Sbov
i pub:
The actor
ction takes place within Harry
saloon in 1912 Manhattan. A
>f 14 is gathered together lo
c Harry's birthday. All of the
lave sern betterdays Now, they
tnt to sit around the bar, getting
id swapping stones thai they've
There's the one about Jimmy (Ran¬
dall Stump), and how he found his wife
in bed with another man. He was so
devastated that he quit his job on the
newspaper where he worked. Some¬
how, he just never got over it, and hasn't
worked since But, he says, tomorrow
hell get his suit from the cleaners, and
go down to his old boss, and ask for his
job back.
The gang is full of hopes about how
things will change—tomorrow.
But one thing they can look forward
to for sure is the arrival of Hickey (guest
artist Alan Tilvern), who arrives twice a
year on a drunken spree, with plenty of
money for drinks and tales about how
he caught his wife cheating with the
"Iceman." The "Iceman" story is just a
joke, of course. No one could ever love
much as his Evelyn loves
Mendonsa) who latches onto Larry,
loner of ihe group, who spends mo<
his energy philosophizing about
ery-
This >
e dif-
Larry knew Parntt's mother a long
time ago, and Parritl never forgot him
Now that Pamirs mother is in jail
because of her left wing politics. Parntt
has gone in search of Larry, the only
person that the earnest young man is
sure will understand why he took the
action that he did.
Into this sad group of faces strides
Hickey. cold sober. He's not-going to
drink any longer, but that doesn't mean
stopped. He calls the gang "boys and
girls," and seems to genuinely want to
the holes they have dug for themselves
But his presence is unsettling. Two
army buddies (from different sides) begin
to Tight constantly. Others who have
been friends for years bicker and quar¬
rel like children   Hickey won't leave
When you're in a tight spot,
good friends will help you out
them alone until they go out into the
world and face whatever it is that
brought them to Harry's bar in the first
place. Slowly they venture out to con¬
front their dragons.
The play consists of little else than
words, which is consistent with O'Neill's
style. All of the drama takes place
within the walls of Harry's bar. Because
there is so little action, the success of thr
production rests directly upon the ac¬
tor's skills. This is not a play to be taken
lightly.
Without Alan Tilvern's rivoting per¬
formance as Hickey, it is doubtful that
the show would be as good as it. Before
just that -actors. Only after Hickey
showed up, did they come alive and
become believable. Larry (Mike Bea¬
vers) started out slowly, but his delivery
of ihe difficult lines became smoother
and more professional wi:h each pas-
set, designed by Howard Brewei
ic perfeci feeling to the audienct
ced as if there was dust every
and the air would be heavy w
ell of human flesh and desp:
not a place that would stand
ith
This is not a pi;
would the characters.
Students, alumni and faculty joined
o perform this play, and they
: so admirably.
When you pulled m"two h,
have this problem And with
the last thill); you wanted to do w.
Neither did the rest of the guys
| So when thev offered to give vou
exactly what they did.
| proving not only thai they were
n nix>d shape, but that they
I were good friends.
So show them what appree.a-
lon is all about, tonight, let it
Lowenbrau. Here's to good friends
r Frank Bibl
mber band will play televi
n and film theme songs.
II Childsand Lis* "
i trumpel solos.
Acuna to perform Monday
Noted jazz drummer and perci
ist Alex Acuna will perform Monday
night in the College Union Lounge.
1979 with Al Jarrcau. w
joined by CSU F's Jazz Band "A" -
•eturncd from a tour of Japan -
ihe Don Stuart Quintet.
Showtime is 7:30. Admission is $3 for
CSUF students and $5 general.
Besides working with Jam
"Weather Report"and appeared in 1979
'    " ; Jazz Festival with Lee
Ritcnhour's "Friendship."
Acuna  has  recorded  seven  record
"-
Oct. 7, 1983
Paul Collins performing hard driving rock and roll, says that energy and spirit are most important when playing live.
Success comes the 'hard way' for Collins
P  " '  *       ■■   -   '
n going u
s would probably have a hard time
ig arrested in most cities around the country,
his band The Beat, Collins has recorded three
nanaged to elude the 27-ycar-old singer-song-
k e're doing things the hard way." Collins said in
terview before his sold-out show at the Warnors'
Palace Wednesday night   "We're playing pop
c that isn't popular "
illins. a talented songwriter who also puts on a
lave gained considerable airplay on album-oriented
-M radio stations, including "Rock V Roll Gir!"and
On The Highway." a moody, haunting masterpiece
vhich also enjoyed an extended run on MTV.
:hearsing for the upcoming tour, playing smal- history
ler areas where they've drawn well in the past. For the surviving this long. I know we've got
last couple of weeks, though, the group has been make it."
relaxing around Fresno and the surrounding moun- One reason The Beat hasn't react
tains. mighl be confusion over the groups's
"It's been great the last couple of weeks." Collins album, released in 1979. was sinmlv
said. "We've been hanging oul. resting and playing a but Columbia decided to change the group s name lo
few shows here and there I've also had a chance to get Paul Collins'Beat for its 1982 album. The Kids Are
a suntan for the first time inabout five years. I like the The Same, to avoid confusion with the English Beat.
ly. After
ass appeal
:. The first
The Beat
lie I
B
doftt
nil.
ic of the goals t
the Los Angeles-based Collins and The Beat ha\
yet achieved. That could all change in the coming
months as the band begins a national tour to promote
their latest record, a five-song mini-album entitled To
Beat or Not To Beat.
With strong support from Passport Records and
Fresno's Off Shore Productions, the band's new
management company. The Beat might just become a
household word in the next few months.
video for "Dance, Dance'
ingle from tl
andil
w record, has I
:xpos
enaddedtoMTVs
re could result in the
:st of The Beat.
The Beat's manage-
the band last played
first big hit for Collins and the
Off Shore has been scrv
mem firm since last spring,
at the Star Palace.
"We came to Off Shore in a very natural way,"
Collins said. "We were sittingaround after a show here
and they (Off Shore's Don Bean and Mike Larsen)
asked what was going on with our management and we
said nothing. So they asked us if they could help out.
"Things have really worked out good," Collins
continued. "They are willing to back us up and help us
every step of the way. It wasn't that way with our
previous management (Bill Graham Productions and
Columbia Records). To them, it really didn't matter
what we did. Whatever we did wouldn't make or break
them, so we were kinda on our own."
But Off Shore was willing to spend time with The
Beat and help promote their records and tour, giving
ic group a second chance. Since completing thr	
esides being able to relax, Collins and the band
have had a chance to rehearse new songs and allow
new band members Jay Dec Daugherty (drums) and
Warner Fritzching (lead guitar) to become familiar
with the older material before they set out on their
national tour.
Over the course of the band's three albums, only
Collins and bassist Steve Huff remain from the
original group. j
There have been three different drummers and lead
guitarists since The Beat's inception in 1979.
"The people who have left the grou'j "-.ave left on
their own,"Collins said. "I lost some sleep over them
leaving, but I feel now that it's the best thing that could
have happened for the group. The current band, with
Jay Dee on drums and Warner on guitar, is 10 times
better than it was before. We've played three s,hows
with the new guys, and the reaction from the people
has been pretty good."
As far as the music, Collins said, the band plays    ana Daugherty'-
someof the material from the first two records, but the    tar „avc j(,e Beat
bulk of Wednesday's concert was from the new album
and songs that have been written since this summer.
Most bands don't perform material that isn't on
their albums because their fans aren't familiar with it,
but Collins and The Beat are different. At least half of
the songs they performed Wednesday were either off
the latest album or were even newer than that.
"To keep a band going, you have to spend
is changed the name back to The Beat for the
new album, and stressed that the decision to be simply
The Beat was made before the F.nglish Beat broke up
last month.
"each weeV."Collin7said.':A"nd''ive    perfection <s boring
been pretty lucky so far. People will come to our shows    spontaneous.
itingm
JL rior to taking the stage Wednesday, a large-
screen television was set up on stage to preview the
videofor"Dancc. Dance." Filmed in Parlierand using
a cast of local rock fans, the video was produced by Off
Shore's Larsen and made by Pappas Iclcl'roduclions
of Fresno.
"We wanted the video to have a natural feel about it.
so we found this little cafe and used local people to
dance while we were playing," Collins explained.
Once onstage, Collins went for the audience's
jugular vein early, opening with "On I he Highway,"
which set the tone for the evening with its frantic,
urgent sound. Cutting a striking figure on stage with
black leather pants, black shirt, while jacket and scarf,
Collins came across as an honest, sincere rocker who
plays mean rock V roll with no apologies.
""ith a solid rhythm base laid down by Huffs bass
riming. Fritzching's blazing gui-
.ugh-edged powerful sound that
had most of the crowd on its feet dancing.
For those who missed Wednesday's show. The Beat
will appear at the Star Palace again Sunday, Oct. 16.
Before the show, Collins said that energy and spirit
are most important when playing live.
"A group's energy is the only thing that counts. I
mean, you could be the best studio band around, but
The best music is natural and
a song and say 'I didnt know they did that
Despite not having a hit record, the New York-born
dllins is still pleased that The Beat is still around.
"The positive thing is that even though we a rent real
popular, we're still in the game while some other
Collins proved his point during the 1'/4-hour per¬
formance, playing with a raw intensity that most
concert-goers never get to see.
record during the summer, the band has been taking it    started when we did have either peaked or are already
Text by
Jeff Reynolds
Photo by
Robert Dowai as