University of South Carolina Libraries
Entertainmer Sprinq r"^ rj *7*, ?!?? -zx^ ^.V^-nr ^^PKul^^ln -<flSL 1 1'&m I' 1 mH.:: ./ Hp::: Bg^BBBSEBgHH^^^ - ' : :^|^BH|HM-- ***' ' > ^5BLc Wtmjttr % ?:r $M?l^^-^s.Sj^iKtBHB^iEBMKH^ *&? KMn^gnnit. Mitch Ryder belts out a song during his Spring Concert performance. Ryder and Catfish Hodge provided three hours of music for the crowd of students and public at Intramural Field A. (Photo by WW mi& (t% .rv-'y ^B^y.^^.izv;^: i Not everyone was a (JSC student This young spectator preferred to hang on to his frisbee rather than iet it fly. (Photo by Tony Williams). tan* l "'Ifcrji': ? & ? J Laura Jeff ties end Debbie Wuerch were among thi Chip Lowe/I) concert By Michael Romatowski Assistant Ent??rtsJnm?nt Editor Several thousand USC students and Columbia townspeople took advantage of the beautiful weather and attended the annual Spring outdoor concert on Saturday. It was a day of sunny skies, cool breezes and ice-cold beers. The music, furnished by the Washington, D.C.-based Catfish Hodge band and Detroit rock 4n' roller Mitch Ryder, began at 3 p.m., but a large part of the audience gathered at Intramural Field A well before then. Blankets were iaid out all over the field and adjacent hill&iHo an<4 1 " , u..v. vure> siuucuu) vieweu ine concert from the walkway above the stage or from the top of the Blossom Street Parking Garage. Bare feet and bare backs were the rule, and it was a perfect day to bask in the sun and enjoy the music. FEW SPECTATORS could be found without some type of refreshment in hand, whether it was cold beer or a mixed drink of some type. Many in the crowd brought their own kegs. At the rear of the field, dozens of frisbees and footballs sailed back and forth across a sort of recreational danger zone where more than a few innocent bystanders fell victim to FUH (Frisbee-Upside-the-Head). The music WAS hiohlv ontarfiinlnn ? -? * ?0?j v..vvi milling, vaitiau nuuge ana ms seven-member band cranked out an hour of energetic bluesrock in the Little Feat mold. The massive Hodge, weighing in at more than 250 pounds, showed surprising agility for a man his size as he hopped about the stage. One characteristic of outdoor concerts is that only the crowd at stagefront really keeps most of its attention on the music; this concert was no exception. Most of the audience was too busy chugging down booze, appraising members of the opposite sex, or just generally having too much fun to pay strict attention to what was happening onstage. THE MAIN ATTRACTION, Mitch Rvder and his six-man band, proved to be an outstanding rock *n' roll group. Ryder performed with a force and power which, in an indoor setting with full audience attention, would have been awe-inspiring. Ryder is a pure rock singer whose Jim Morrison-style vocals soared over his band's hard-driving, aggressive music. It was readily apparent why he has been such a great influence to other performers such as Iggy Pop and Bruce Springsteen. Songs like "Devil With the Blue Dress," and "Good Goliy Miss Molly" were delivered with contagious shake-em-up energy. The only drawback was that most of the songs were to the same tempo. Overall it was a most enjoyable day; the crowd was extremely well-behaved and everyone seemed hannv tn ho ?Kio to drink and lounge about as they pleased, free for a while from the hassles of schoolwork and upcoming exams. v* *w OO ' Many people kept a cold drink in one hand at the annual concert, which was presented by the Contemporary Sounds Committee. (Photo by Tony Williams). cfi^:i?r^"^7"' ^JSB^Bm^ ji - T---^f ~ r.iL~ ^ ;^>^?S5Kff ^Hi^^HHB^f ^f:^ r^aft aB^HHT * && * i Sif CM i?:y..A?v ^a3ay .. .. > UUHMSHfisaV 9H If) 9 thousands who attended the concert. (Photo by 5 n : rocks 41 .,.;^MraH # ^j{|B m -y^ ** <, > > ?:. jw?Kz ^K^?^pywWS*?35f=i1 It should be pointed out that a majority of the crowd was generally unconcerned with the on-stage action. (Photo by Tony Williams). M J .jjiCjl^Ka?TTvH t'V^! fir v"' ^ i i ] 1HHR ? S Catfish Hodge howls into the microphone during his 75-minute performance. Hodge, backed by a . seven member blues-rock band, seemed to enjoy himself as much as the crowd. (Photo by Chip Lowell)