The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 07, 1980, Page Page 8, Image 8
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John Ka<
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By James Rokosny
Eniortainmertl Editor
The high energy performance in
the Golden Spur Wednesday night
: J i ~ * i r a ii i i -i
?avu eviueiict* iu uie iaci uiai joiin
Kay and Steppenwolf are back on
the road and better than ever.
A most enthusiastic crowd began
to form a line outside the Spur
three hours prior to the opening of
the doors. Even though the
majority of the crowd appeared to
be ol an age that would have made
them ten to twelve-years-old at the
time Steppenwolf was at the height
of their popularity, they awaited
this rare opportunity to see the
band with anxious anticipationand
they weren't let down.
KAY AND CO.took the stage and
immediately grabbed the attention
of the audience with one of the
manv Steppenwolf classics, "Rock
Me", and never let go throughout
the evening.
The crowd was treated to some
of the more popular traditional
Steppenwolf songs as well as some
t & -: j &y
Joseph Heller, author c
signs autographs at the bo\
.ti r imi 'iir t " r r nrrt vv '
VY:
5/ and Ste
ur crowd
of the tunes they just recorded in
L.A., for an album-in-themaking."Hot
Night in A Cold
Town" and "You"' are two very
impressive new songs that were
performed Wednesday evening.
The new music has a more
funky, disco influence, but is still
great rock'n'roll. Six tracks have
been recorded, but no recording
contracts have been signed as of
yet. The band is currently touring
the country reviving their
popularity and clearing up the
confusion of who the real Step
rvntMirAlf to
pv II WWII 10.
TH10 (iKOUP IS NOW billed as
John Kay and Steppenwolf
because after Steppenwoll
dissolved some years back, bands
began to pop up all over the
n.xmtxn /"I 1 I 1 II It thomcolvpu
LUUUU ^ Vdlilll^ viivn.uv.f
Steppenwolf. This did a con
siderable amount of damage to the
reputation and made people
wonder who Steppenwolf reall>
was.
The line-up of Steppenwol!
ER9MHHSHHHHHB f IMH
;,. /vOC\Q fj]
htii
}f three bestselttng novels
ikatore on. Wednesday\
t'J *' * **jw
j :.
ppenwoli
I hou/lino
changed constantly throughout iti
history. But one member, Johr
Kay, the founder,voice, and mair
songwriter of Steppenwolf
remained constant And withmi
him, no band could seriously b(
considered Steppenwolf. He is
calling this band 'John Kay anc
Steppenwolf' (which consists of <
line-up never before part o
Steppenwolf) so people will knov
this is the real Steppenwol
because he is in it.
Steppenwolf now consists of
John Kay, guitar and vocals: Stev
Palmer, drums; Michael Palmei
: lead guitar; Danny Ironstone
keyboards and Chad Perry o
bass.
; "This is the best group c
' musicians I've ever worked wit
i on the road," commented Ka
prior to the show. After witnessin
the band live it would be hard t
: dispute that statement. The ban
r is very tight and has an extrem
air of confidence on stage. Th
t guitar playing of Michael Palme
a j 1
/\umo\
latest
By Jeffrey Chan
Assistant KnU rtaimnent
Enter the world of Joseph Hell
both humor and emotion, oddly er
overriding theme of death. Yoi
years in the past and introduce*
the comic hero Yossarian in
suddenly snitted to tne present wi
Gold in Heller's newest masterpu
Joseph Heller was brought to
night and his personality certain!
I comical and fascinating as his su
At 56, Heller has experienced
as a writer. A graduate of New
a Fulbright scholar, his talent v
Catch-22 , published in 1966. Cat
to be a literary phenomenon and
embedded in modern English lan
Catch-22 not only exposed t
surdities of war, but proved a
entire civilization and cluture.
eh copies in print, m more man a <
J book has not only made Heller
11 characters as well.
NINETEEN years have passe
H published, but Heller is still I
11 author who only wrote Catch-2
Bu: unjust, for his second novel, So
was just as witty and inventi
gj w Heller was not just a one subje
uic iiuvci was nui da j^upuiai
9 received critical acclaim as ^
fc 2,000,000 paperback copies.
? This year, Heller continued
| Good as Gold. Through the rru
q Gold, Heller is able to cleverly
workings of the U.S. governmei
cities (particularly his home t?
If
1
John Kay, the foui
\ gives the new Steppenwolf a much
' fuller sound.
*
KAY (.AVE BRIEF inf
troductions to several songs so the
} audience could become familiar
^ with the newer, or less popular
numbers the group performs. Of
course, some songs need no introductions;
the first few bars of
e "Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born to
\ir:i J" 11 ai? a i ?
r, r>u v> nu were an mai was neeaea
i, to send the crowd into an uproar,
n Other old-time Steppenwolf
numbers that got great response
>f from the audience were, "Sooki
h Sooki" (which Kay introduced as
y "our first single, which was
g banned here in the Bible Belt for
o some reason"), "Hey Lawdy
d Mama", and the first of the two
c encores, "The Pusher."
e The show, presented by Conr
temporary Sounds Committee,
r Joseph f
'Catch' is
iev such a manner th
Kd,1<,r Heller. Good as
er and you discover originally intend'
lough mixed with an work.
i C .1 ?? III! TII TllL^Cf
i are U CIIIMUI I eu IU nun iiic-orj
i to characters like Bombed in New ICatch-22
and then has experienced a
ith the absurd Bruce few authors can c
see, Good as Gold . enjoyable books,
USC on Wednesday what type of pers<
ly proved as diverse, Fortunately, I w;
bject matter. interview on V
his share of success enlightening re*
York University and Auditorium,
vas first revealed in Rather than be
_99 rirnvaH nrncci irorl writpr
the title has become readers had im
iguage. questions in an ho
he horrors and ab- THIS WAS N01
i repudiation of our he received his r
With over 8,000,000 Columbia Air Fo
iozen languages, the memories of the
a cult hero, but his shrimp cocktail,
perienced my firs
id since Catch-22 was Heller has not i
best known as "the began by writing
.2This is rather were an imitatior
mething Happened , to make a living c
ve and proved that PERHAPS HE
tct author. Although slow process of >
as Catch-22, it still year hibernation
veil as selling over that he sets asidi
sessions," durinj
Uio kxtlliAM/iA iiftlk nartA to o/>nntvi?1ii
iii3 uuiiiaut^, wiiu p?5c 10 a^vuiiipiii
iin character, Bruce unusually slow ai
attack the senseless and if they did,
nt and decline of our span of only a ye
*yo<Qf.New York) in >:v
Dave Matthews-<;AMKC<H'K
ider of Steppenwolf
was a rare treat of one of the
greatest rock bands (because of
John Kay) made famous in the 60's
and early 70s. Although the
beginning of the show was marred
by poor sound. Kay and Co. gave
an excellent concert. After the
show Kay said. "We had some
difficulties with the sound system
at first, but the kids were so up, we
had to push on and give them what
they came for."
THE NEW STKPPENWOLF has
great potential because they are
sincere about what they are doing.
They don't intend to succeed off the
old material strictly, but are
willing to play it because that is
what a lot of their fans want to
hear. Hopefully the confusion is
over and John Kay can get on with
his career and supply us with some
new, fresh rock n' roll.
-f syllsyv 'o
'Gold'
lat is only characteristic of Joseph
Gold, although longer than Heller
ed, is clearly his most personal
three bestsellers and his play, We
iaven to his credit, Heller certainly
i vast amount of success with which
ompare. With such fascinating and
the Heller reader often wonders
mi is actually behind the typewriter,
as able to discover for myself in an
/ednesday afternoon before his
iding that night in the Belk
ing the fast talking and constantly
' that I, as well as many of his
agined, Heller calmly answered .
mest and open manner.
r Heller's first trip to Columbia, for
lavigator's training here at the old
rce base in 1944. He still has fond
city and states, "I had my first
m v fir?t fillet mionnn anrl f?v
>t love in Columbia."
ilways been writing novels. He first
short stories and added, "I felt they
i and in the practical sense, it is hard
mlv writintf short script: "
"V " - """O -~W.
ILLER is criticized the most for his
vriting, as exemplified by his eight
with Catch-22 . Heller commented
e only two hours a day for "writing
I which many times only one typed
shed. He feels that his process is not
nd adds, "Nobody can average more
they would finish each novel in the
ar ana a nan.
. s- ? ' - tpfpf If ..,
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