Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Niohthai ^ i? S'" k; - lltlf *r%"1 1 ? ' ? - f 1 *'J'-:' '-- :v,: ?.-*- : s:-.-: If. > -' :'V.; 1 ~%v-. -""; ,-|S -." r | ;^. :' ;. ~.. -vfy^v . ." , "? jfe .,** j ; . P0Wj| Harmonica player Mark Wanner Director Sydi By David Baker there to b Gamecock FHm Critic them," Po In the May 1979 issue of American Film, Indeed, Steven M. Silverman writes: 44The Electric encounter Horseman began as satire. Along the way it screen, fil turned into romantic comedy. It's now a film was r :?L " " v.m i.iundM piiuKugu wun nouen tteaiora wiinout a and Jane Fonda." caused, h< While Sydney Pollack, the film's director, could eve: agrees with that description to a point, he is amount of quick to add that the original ideas in the anenormc script have not been softened. "I think what To allev we wisely did ? or at least I hope it was a Pollack fl< wise choice ? was not to make it a polemic Garland f piece, but to try to accomplish whatever we Utah local were trying to say through sheer en- the script, tertainment. I think Jhe serious ideas are can spent 1 bp ? ?. ^s^hbh lv, :}? t '^MKr ^^fei MK^^HUl^^ :'v ?**--i Robert Red ford confers with direct juks rock the I By Ward Borden Gamecock Staff Writer The performance of the Nighthawks in the Russell House Ballroom Wednesday night was the site of some of the most outrageous behavior I've ever witnessed at a concert. The tight rhythm and blues of The Nighthawks was greeted with shouting, dancing on furniture, and heavy drinking. When the Washington, IXC. based band cranked up shortly after 8 the crowd moved as one toward the stage and remained there until the end of the show. During the second half of the show most chairs were occupied by people standing on them to get a better view. The band played two long sets and came out for three encores. What The Nighthawks did to capture the large crowd at the Russell House is simple, and yet rare. They played a brand of music which forbids the listener to sit still. They also showed the crowd a combination of showmanship and excellent musicianship, in a setting more intimate than the Coliseum or Township. Curiously, few people in the crowd interpreted the music of The Nighthawks in quite the same way. While one person commented, "This is what I call blues," the person next to him screamed, "Hock n'Roll." This can probably be attributed to the fact that The Nighthawks play a blend, mixing their blues with more upbeat rock tunes, making the change effortlessly. They are truly proficient in a variety of styles. Versatility acknowledged, the foundation for The Nighthawks' music is a strong bass line and drums, accented with first rate lead y riffo K*f 1:? 'rii ? - * -- ..iU K,y jmi macKery ana narp player Mark Wenner. Thackery waded into the crowd on occasion, as well as playing behind his head and with his mouth. On "Take Me To The River" his lead left most mouths gaping; more than any of his cohorts, Thackery lifted the show to new heights. This is not to detract from the rest of the band, however, Wenner often matched Thackery note for note on the harp, which is no easy task. Solid drumming by Pete Ragusa and bass playing by Jan Zukowski also held things together. Thackery and Wenner. distinguished on stage by their evil looks and tatoos, looked completely exhausted after the show. Zukowski was soaked with sweat and Ragusa said little. In reference to the background of band members, all Wenner had to say was "We've been playing together for about six years . We've done some weird .. n tilings. According to Wenner the band is on the road about 300 days a year. They traveled 50,000 miles last year. "We're working on an album now that will come out in May. When it's released we'll go back on the road to promote it," said Wenner. He added that they will be coming back through the Southeast because they get a lot of support in the area. Asked if they have a lot of friends in Columbia, Wenner replied, "We do now." The Nighthawks put on a good show. For a band that travels as much as they do, they show an amazing amount of energy. Their performance is similar to their tatoos. Getting a tatoo is a big step, ?1 ;?. a.. 1 -r ? ? ? - emu ao is piaymg me iypt? oi music mey piay. i ney nave taken the step, and there is never any compromise. ley Pollack overcoi e had if one is in the market for perfecting how you're going to sty Hack said. shoot scenes, but in this case, ther given the problems the director much attention given to the actua ed in bringing Horseman to the that that wasn't really the ideal mgoers can be grateful that the work. 1 think we got lucky in that i made at all. Pollack began filming out all right." comDleted script, a fact that ? said, "more problems than you Another problem Pollack enc< r imagine ? not only a certain during the filming was with the CI disorientation with the actors, but tree-like suit worn by Bedford in 01 ?us amount of tension on the set." film's most important scenes. "We iate the problem.as best he could, it (the suit) to be almost gro ?w writers Paul Gaer and Robert Pollack said, "so we put around J rom Los Angeles to the various tiny lights the size of a pencil eraser tions every weekend to work on "Each one had to be wired indi> "Normally," Pollack said, "you and the wires ran down the inside of i evenings and weekends just Redford had to walk around like he . , #?/\i ?1 ^-1 on ai^iujacivci ? ii^ tuuiuii icau uc MfflafflWiPHB would crush all the lights or short-ci a entire suit. Now, Hedford sometime little absentminded, and he happ .. ^ spill coffee on the suit during a breal !??||1?|BKS^ "So when he got on the horse 1 plugged in the battery pack, the suit in smoke. It didn't hurt him, but th; he got the nickname 'Hot Pants.'" Horseman is Pollack's fifth fi |ISl If Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We M j?l% Three Days of the Condor are the fir ?l anu ronacK insists it win not be -?"I've been friends with Bob for i years now," Pollack said, "and asi the fact that I think he's an extraoi ^ gifted actor, we've established som -7 working rapport, which is very tim for both of us ? it cuts out an awful I diplomacy you usually have to go when vou're working with snmw?i? first time." Pollack did not have to go throi diplomacy with Fonda, either, previously directed her in 1969's Th or Sydney Pollack 1 ^W^f ll * 2 ij?i | jgBmMBWb^ fej t'* yj^l \'i&^&A'. . ..< v-;t * . y'' ^wSjbjg^y^;fjpfej ^ Skip O Rourka-GAMECOCK Lead guitarist and vocalist Jim Thackery rnes problems listically Horses, Don't They?, for which she received e was so the first of hor four Osmr nominal inns 1 writing Pollack attributes Fonda's enormous way to popularity "to the understated intelligence t worked that the public grants her the minute she shows up on screen. You never helu*\o she's dumb," he said. nintered Even though Horseman is i;..s eleventh iristmas feature film. Pollack admitted that direcle of the ting has not gotten easier with each 1 wanted assignment "It's gotten more difficult " he tesque," said, "because in the beginning you don't 250 little know how much you don't kn -v , and that ii. nuivtuy manes directing a 101 easier, /idually, ey Shoot Director Sydney Pollack of 'The Electric Horseman"