Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Silverspri brings re oy raui maynew Gamecock Staff Writer When was the last time you saw a band whose every member contributed both lead and backup vocals without missing a beat, while playing a repertoire that covered everything from Texas swing and country rock to sixties pop and honky tonk rock 'n' roll? If you were lucky enough to be in the Golden Spur on Wednesday or Thursday night you can attest to having seen this rare talent, and more, in the form of SilversDrine. a fine five piece band from Washington, D.C. USC's Contemporary Sounds Committee must have a good talent scout in the D.C. area because Silverspring more than uphold the standards set at USC this year by two other D C. acts. Root boy Slim and the Nighthawks. During the first set, in which they displayed both talent and vif'.llitxf f ho r/\cnnnon ipmc ? nuiiij , uiv v/?u i voja;iio\z ? ao hardly proportional to Silverspring's efforts. The audience seemed to be predominantly deadbeat. After a half hour of excellent music and showmanship drew little more than reserved applause, guitar player Josh Kossy said rather disgustedly; *Td heard USC people liked to party-' as il to Antiqui in Tow By Lisa Miles Gaivrjcock Staff Writer As the curtain parted on what would prove to be a monumental task, that of presenting a Shakespearean play. I had more than a few doubts that my expectations could possibly be fulfilled. But a pleasant surprise greeted me early in the play and antiquity reigned supreme in Town Theatre's premiere performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Friday night. Gaius Julius Caesar, a bona fide dramatis personnae back in the 30's (B.C.), was a figure exemplified by grandiose illusions and realities. A Roman general, statesman, and dictator, Caesar was a man marked by "illimitable ambitions and ruthless irresistible genius," said T.S. Darsch in his book, Julius Caesar. He was a "monstrous tyrant who destroyed his country," he added. So it' happened that Shakespeare's task in 1599 was no less awesome in presenting the leader of the Roman state than Town Theatre's task in presenting Shakespeare's endeavor. The story line of the play deals mainly with the development of Brutus tfeprimary character. He, rather tliaM Caesar, is the hero. The play successfully shows how an honest man can be warped by shrewd trickery to the point of committing deeds he views as noble but that, when seen in the true light of the situation, would be abominable in his sight. As is * * - r ni typical or anaicespearean tragedies, there are five acts of conspiracy, fraudulence, and a plurality of deaths. In part the characters, Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, and Marcus Antonius were derived from Sir Thomas North's translation of Plutarch's Lives in which he gives three separate accounts of the conspiracy against and ng rocks o served croi say, I've heard wrong. Judging from the inhibited Spur crowd, it was easy to see his point. I hate to think there are people here who are too self-conscious or imatie-conscious to take nart in some fun and rowdiness. However, there is one thing that USC students have not forgotten to do and that is consume large quantities of beer in short periods of time. As a result crowd response improved remarkably as the night progressed. Silverspring seemed to get turned on as the night progressed. As 1 mentioned before, every member of the band had a turn as a lead vocalist which really kept them aroused and cohesive. Silverspring is: Josh Rossy, guitar and vocal, John Fritz, guitar and vocals, Sal de Fraffele, bass and vocals, Phil Schimmel, drums and vocals and last but certainly not least, Naton Ari, violin and vocals. Although every musician in the band showed a great deal of talent, it was Naton Ari's incredible fiddling that clearly set the band apart from the average rock and roll band. Ari's unusual mastery was the major reason the group could do such a wide variety ot musical styles so proficiently. Using an electric violin with a wahwah pedal, he got some unty reigns si n's 'Julius assassination of Caesar. Brutus, in his sincere belief that he is serving his country by killing Caesar, is sketched as a blind, not an evil accomplice to the heinous crime. The play also serves (o illustrate Brutus' innate gullibility to the manipulations of Cassius. Manipulation proves to be a constant occurrence as the play progresses. Marc Antony's manipulation of the placid crowd into a raging mob is a work of sheer genius. While feigning to want peace and rationality, he, through this pretext, raises emotions to such a height that a poor man who happens to be ijcisaiiig un a sueei in ttome is attacked and mercilessly stabbed to death simply because he has the same name as one of the conspirators. Cassius, the more clear-sighted of the two main assassins, is obsessed by his hatred of Caesar. He knows how to use a pigeon to its optimum benefit, and Brutus seems to have no other talents to compare with his ability to coo. Marc Antony, the great orator, statesman, and soldier who takes it upon himself to avenge Caesar's murder, joins forces with Octavius, an efficient and cold personnage. Together they represent the white hats of ancient Rome. 1- At- ? i ui lici ciiin ^mpnuniia, me wives of Brutus and Caesar, add an element of tender, loyal love to the play. Besides their primary iunction of augmenting the development of the major characters, they also serve to balance the more dreary side of human nature. These are the characters and the plot with which Town Theatre's new director, Emmalee Robbins, had to work in the relatively short space of four weeks. She commented, "We tried to keep the traditional with the classic, including togas and sets. We've kept , p > i >>'>** * / ? > >*% \ ut in Spur wd to life believable sounds to spring from his bow, as he traded licks with the guitars of Josh Rossy and John Fritz and played a very lyric, almost flute-like backups. It was really great to hear a band get back to the grass roots of rock 'n' roll. Silverspring opened up their second set with a medley of old Animal's tunes like "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," followed by several successive rock 'n' roll classics from the 60 s, most notable "Hang on Sloopy," and "Tossin and Turnin." These all-time favorites really seemed to remind the crowd of what rock 'n' roll is all about.feeling good. This is the kind of music the band members were raised on and they really got into the reminising. In the course of the night every member of Silverspring had the chance to steal the show. Bass player Sal de Faffele, a New York City boy, drove the crowd wild with his lead vocals in two successive Rolling Stones' tunes, "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "(I <.an i uei ino) :>ausiaction. Guitarist John Fritz sang a good deal of the lead vocals and did a fine job on them all, including an original Silverspring number; "You Got Me Doing What You upreme Caesar' the earth tones in costumes which are authentic." Ms. Robbins added, 4,We tried to be realistic in the presentation of scenes." Realistic is the word to describe Hal Brooks' portrayal of Brutus. His presentation effectively communicates the anguish and remorse felt by a man who did in fact love the man, but loved the country more. He speaks in a conversational manner with perfect intonation and enunciation that removes any possibility for. stiffness in Shakespeare's lines. His delivery was smooth and his voice commanding, until the final third of the play in which he seemed to have some trouble. But his performance is nonetheless a refreshing alternative tn cr?mo 0 V/l his more mundane co-actors whose most practical function perhaps is to accentuate Brooks' professional eloquence. Cassius, the arch-conspirator, is played by John Marion. His delivery is markedly inferior to Brooks' mainly because of his slight cockney accent. Marion's mannerisms seem forced in all instances except when he gets angry - at those moments he is at his best. The character of Marc Antony is played by Tom Patterson, who possesses an excellent speaking voice. Qualities of loyality are well-presented and oratorical abilities are truly an inspiration. Both reach a culmination in Antony's famous speech to the Roman people. Patterson carries the absurdity of the word "honorable" to the extravagances Shakespeare envisioned. This speech and the one Brutus makes prior to Antony are very impressive. Their presentation by these two actors is in itself well worth seeing the production. * Laura Taylor as Portia easily achieves the effect of the first "femme fatale." She and Helen * Iftp ^ [tt . a" nS fejf iBfl 9 flPSc^ Brjjj Guitarist Josh Rossy am Want Me to Do." Drummer Phil Schimmel cranked out such rockers as "Josephine" and "Who Do You Have?" Josh Rossy sang lead vocals frequently going from the Texas swing style of Asleep at the Wheel on "Don't Roll Those Bloodshot Eyes at Me," to the boogie rock of Little Feat's "Dixie Chicken." Ari brought the house down with his outrageous fiddling in a Charlie Daniel's number, "The i. jfji life]?.. m ^HHl - " <& ?"r-' - '1^BB, S IBT ^W ^ .-'j^ "Ettuk Hardin, who plays Calphurnia, are fine additions to the cast. Another relatively minor role is played by Michael Bethea. As Casca he is adequate although the subdued complacency he attempts to create could be more sarcastic. Likewise, the role of Julius Caesar, played by Andrew Reilly, is adequate. Unfortunately his portrayal of a pompous, over-ambitious man who views himself in the same category with the immortals is a little short of the mark. Two special effects that deserve attention are the handling nf tho storm scenes and Caesar's ghost. What could best be described as a large mood ring of blue and green shades constitutes the backdrop with intermittent flashes of ; remarkably authentic lightning J bolts. The creation df an uncertain, ' pwBRr wsr WR^rHlfl^ B . WK. fe:"^fi?4 V? w % 'j^u'4^-t-'yyj"y j^|jMBy;Tf -r 1 >jB;:' ^ W^W-: ^ M i fiddle player Naton Ah South's Gonna Do It Again." The band has been together for abut two yfcars and really seemed to have a good rapport. Founder Josh Rossy, a Philadelphia native and former leader of Johnny and the Flirtations, talked about how playing in bars night after night was rough, but said it's what he loves. He said that the band's stint in Columbia was a nice change of pace for them and complimented the friendly atmosphere. Da A M Hi < >CK rrute'' tumultous sky lends itself well to the atmosphere being presented in the scenes. Likewise, the apparition that visits Brutus is illuminated by an eerie green light that glides onstage. Reilly's voice and the hiss of his words is very conducive to the mood without waxing melodramatics. Costumes are indeed authentic. Although everyone looks alike, as can be expected in a play where everyone wears a toga, the costumes lark ln^lr nt ? *>*v ?vvn VI U I' ^11" ney's white sale. The play, despite a few underpar performances, is a real treat. As a whole it is very lengthy, but is divided as evenly and conveniently as possible into three parts. Keep in mind that a love of Shakespeare and of sitting is necessary to get any satisfaction from the play. Then enjoy. v /.v. .. ,