University of South Carolina Libraries
6 I jgfl ^L^" "" m ^K ?i? ''ti~ ? i- --jP ^S3P^*? |f a j|||t- #j Complete with Immaculate dress sense, t members' names. Too Shinnee We combine the flamboyance of Elton John with the lyrics of rap, mixed with the psychic inspiration of Dionne Warwick." So savs Special J. vocalist with the Brooklyn band Too Skinnee J's. From this you may gather that these are not your average underground American band... From their name, to the way they dress, to their music, Too Skinnee J's ooze class and flamboyance. They get their name from the appearance of their two frontmen, the aforementioned Special J and J Guevara, and according to the ever quotable Special J, they have been together for four years "on earth," but are intergalactically famous. The band walks onstage to a noisy reception from an expectant crowd, and do not disappoint. They don't simply play guitar and sing a few songs, as far as too many bands seem to do, but rather they put on the type of performance that is rare these days. Both Special J and J Guevara jump around the stage with an infectious exuberance, which quickly transfers to the crowd and makes for a great atmosphere inside the packed venue. Inf /jjjjjjvl ijESri "jj .A A A C f AN HISTORIC RE! Efficiency One Bedroom Two Bedroom Rents include all utilities i All rates quoted are mon (Leases available, prices sut Summer Speci $100 per month Dii May 1 - Augusi Located across fro University of South Caroli and the State Capital, C< offers the premier loc downtown livir (803) 799-144: 1230 PENDLETON S COLUMBIA, SC 2S l! 1 jjj? I JH he Too SMnnee J's are mado their mark on J's approach Central to the bands' live appeal is their immaculate dress sense, which appears to be chosen from an extensive wardrobe that does not seem to consist of anything made prior to 1979. Their presence on stage is matched perfectly with their funky style, complete with polyester leisure suits and 'old school' adidas track uniforms. This contrasts superbly with the self-styled "manager, owner and spiritual advisor," of Too Skinnee J's, A J. "Stumpy" Johnson, who simply stands casually on the centre of the stage, smoking a cigarette and drinking his beer, while wearing a white polyester suit that would make even John Travolta jealous. He is the epitome of cool; an integral member of the band who does precisely nothing. "Stumpy" claims that he won the right to manage the band in a card game with the bassist's brother in Las Vegas. You can make your own mind up whether to believe this or not, but anyway, it makes for a great story. The band opened up with a song called "force" which is good enough, but it is the subsequent song, "the best" that really sticks in the mind. Any band who calls a track "The best" certainly act. one of [he things that mahes Too Shinr Your < oerson f iff wus 5IDENCE Major B1 $405 F $465 $500 FR md cable TV. ith to month ( jject to cnange) | Columbia's a] Oldest & Fi scount Italian t j Restaurant m the na Horseshoe * dSWrffj) ornell Arms 11 j. AI j1 ation tor - ca TREET "".7,7, 1201 > 256-767 ETC. mm . HT JU ^ J i tBfc 1 flBLJ the Columbia music scon# whan they appe iig... Big bij Mart Cheverton, staff uiriter does not lack self confidence, but rather than falling flat on their faces, Too Skinnee J's pulls the song off with a style and swagger all their own. The memorable chorus featuring the lines, "Ain't nobody/Does it better" is an admirable statement of intent in a similar vein to The Stone Roses "I wanna be adored," whom Special J mentions in passing when we are discussing the band's influences. In fact, one of the things that makes Too Skinnee J's so intriguing is that they appear to draw from such a wide range of influences. Special J mentions everything from Tribe Called Quest to Metallica, and this enables them to produce a sound which is equal parts funk, hip-hop and rap, with a little bit of ska and punk thrown in for good measure. "Pit boss" is another highlight of the bands' s performance, during which the bands' keyboardist s makes great use of his trombone playing ability, and is quickly followed by arguably the best 1 received song the band played, namely "You're i a champion." 1 Perhaps inevitably after this, the latter half of the bands' set somewhat fails to live up to those i leeJsso intriguing is that meq appear tod congenial Plant *xPr at stereo... 252-3999 ^ Potted Plants & U 90.5FM 1426 MainStree yberLyrrx A Your Link to the Future, Now http://wwio.clynx.com 3S Internet Provider Wet H ull Graphical Internet Access as low as $14.95. O busy signals. NO slow modems. NO setup fees. NO frustrations. 1EE 2 mg web site. FREE software. Call 254-3020 (voice line) )r dial 254-8553 with your modem for your FREE trial account. |\ | Traditional Favorites y flpBjj; * 'Homemade Pastas & Br 'Seafood Specialtie: 1 jy^illatroncoiT 'Carmella's Famous Che r m l IStif M '' Lunch Dinner Caterin h'TwBBH . L.?iii MpSnKi11 Located just d blocks i 4 Adams Mark Hotel. 7 1213 Blanding Street, U to* ' ; Iftr W L S ? **, : ^ *m*M ^ inlfi"'i'1!^ HHH J3BB I'-? * ,^K /S//J ? ,;> IKK - ' *? HO ?lliiHp? * ' Ji a rod at th? Elbow Room Sept. 13. Tho bt fat si irresistible early songs. This is not to say that the tunes played are bad, far from it, but they seem to lack the dynamics of some of those that have gone before. However, this is quickly forgotten when the band closes their set with the once heard, never forgotten "seven one eight," which is not only the bands' most commercially viable song, but also their best. The ensuing encore somewhat passes me by after such a moment. For many in the crowd, including myself, this was their first glimpse of the band, but several had seen them on their previous three visits to Columbia. Nicole McCabe was one of those that had seen the band before and said that tonighf s jxcellent performance was typical. "They never let you down. Four times I've seen than and they've always been killer," McCabe said. The general feeling was that it was great "or music fans in the city that the Elbow Room was managing to attract such a wide variety of oands. "Columbia is finally starting to diversify musically a little," Irvin Thompson said. "This Iraui from such amide range of influenc " I: The New i ? * Flowers ; I ; USC 5 Watcl ; on 22 colo ! Pav Per1 ; Presei ostins ; 6 FREE i s ; 7475 Carlisle St ; StlK I . j eads ^ " 1 i A I ::: A| esecake g Available < I lliwlili|cd v>l i 9 ?0? wm WO< flow flow MOOC WOO WOO JOOOO from the 7 mile "7 Take a ptown th Friday, September 20, 1996 ~ ^ * ~~ m, ' m m-: , i? jflfljjjjjfljjjjj SPECIAL TO THE QAMECOCK ind got tholr nam# from two of tholr band iccess is more like metal funk and the crowd here is accepting it. It's cool that this is happening." The band has been touring almost continuosly for nearly three years, and when they finish their current tour they are going out to the mid-west for the first time as the support act for the Phunk Junkeez. They said they are excited at the prospect of taking their unique brand of music to a different area, and hope to win over new fans. They do not have a record qontract as of yet, but have put together a five track CD, which can be purchased from the Elbow Room, and plan to have another CD out in the Bear future. While the prospect of "seven one eight" blasting out of the radio may seem somewhat remote at the moment, given time, and a break from a record company, you never know what might happen. But for the moment let us be content with the band as they are: a great, energetic, live act with several insanely hook-laden, yet highly original, tunes. What a refreshing change from the many drab alternative guitar acts that currently litter the top 40. Susan Franks contributed to this article. es. irmo Sports Bar i Welcomes ! Students & Staff ; 1 every NFL game ! r TVs & large screens. ; i/iew College Games. ; nt this coupon for ! wings w/purchasel ; * * :reet - Irmo 732-5721; lent Special ! 110.00 wtime Mon-Fri 1 reen Fees. Cart and Tax} I OOOOC 000? OOOOC 30000 >0000 >0000 OOOO, OOOOC OOOOC 00000 >0000 30000 >0000 oooo. 794-8087 s from 1-26 on 321S right on Woodtrail en follow signs