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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, October 3, 2001 CONTACT US H H , VI I \ THEY SAID IT ■ B ■ j «/■ B / m DR. ROBERT H. SCHULLER: Story ideas? Questions? Comments? I B I A I V I B / “When you can’t solve the Write us at gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com -I B ■- —B___-^B A f B B A m problem, manage it.” « * JUMP, little children Jump, Little Children, from left to right: Jay Clifford, Ward Williams, Evan Bivins, Jonathan Gray and Matt Bivins, photo special to the gamecock BY VICTORIA BENNETT THE GAMECOCK In recent years, hundreds of talented musicians from South Carolina have wait ed for a ride to the top of the music world, but few have made it. First came Hootie and the Blowfish. Next was Edwin McCain. And then there was Jump, Little Children. The band's first major label release, Mag azine,, achieved national acclaim, and one track, “B-13,” was even featured on Party of Five in 1999. But the band’s ties with Break ing Records, a branch of Atlantic Records, didn’t last long, and they’ve since gone back to underdog status. But with J, LC’s brilliant new independent release, Verti go, fans and critics will likely see the Charleston, S.C., band climb back into the national limelight. Making the band The quintet comprises lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jay Clifford; some time lead vocalist and quirky instrument extraordinaire Matt Bivins; drummer Evan Bivins, Matt’s brother; Jonathan Gray, who plays upright bass; and gui tarist and cello player, Ward Williams. They met at The North Carolina School for the Arts and played in piecemeal bands during college. Jay and Matt, along with a previous member of the band, traveled to Ireland. After adding Evan to the band, they then headed to Chicago, holding the band together through some of its toughest times. They realized they needed to leave Chicago; so, in 1994, they left, planning to go to Atlanta. Their car broke down in Charleston, however, and the band members decided to visit their friend Jonathan Gray. Once in Charleston, the band fell in love with the city and decided to stay. The Licorice Tea Demos An evolution of sound is evident in the three studio albums Jump, Little Chil dren has released. All three are consis tent, well-developed albums, but each has a slightly different flavor. The band’s first release was the inde pendent The Licorice Tea Demos in 1996. This earthy debut incorporated the Irish folk music the band started with, but still ventured into the realm of rock, a direc tion the band would explore further. But the music J, LC was making was far from mainstream. Using nontraditional in struments such as the harmonica, recorder and upright bass as staples in their songs rather than as random, novel additions, made J, LC’s folk-inspired mu sic stand out as truly alternative. The band, newly relocated in Charleston, S.C., a city in which they felt at home, found a fan base of people who heard them perform in local bars and coffee houses. Soon, “Quiet” and “Dancing Vir ginia” were featured on Charleston’s cut ting-edge rock staion, 96 Wave (WAVF), and J, LC started playing the Music Farm when it was a home for up-and-coming music. The Licorice Tea Demos proved to be so popular, six editions have been re leased. Magazine didn’t forget roots After touring with nationally known bands such as Rusted Root and Seven Mary Three, J, LC signed with Breaking Records, a division of Atlantic Records run by John Caldwell and Rusty Har mon. It was with its new label that it put out Magazine, a more pop-rock album that received critical acclaim on a na tional level. The band didn’t abandon its folk roots, though. The accordian and harmonica are still there, but they’re lay ered with faster, heavier guitars, such as on the singles “Not Today” and “Come Out Clean.” Balancing these tracks are slower, moody songs that showcase the band’s poetic lyrics, like in “Violent Dreams” and the stripped-down “Cathe drals.” And though it’s more angst-filled than J, LC’s previous album, Magazine doesn’t leave out Matt Bivins’ charac teristic spoken-word compositions; “Body Parts” and “Habit” resemble his style in “U Can Look” on The Licorice Tea Demos. J Vertigo premiers new style Vertigo, released last Tuesday, is yet another album complete in itself, a stone’s throw away from Magazine. Gone is the pop feel, which has been replaced by a more mature blend of thoughtful lyrics and haunting arrangements. Though the album has a more grown-up sound, it’s every bit as much J, LC as the band’s earlier work was. Each song is well-crafted, proof of the time J, LC spent refining each and every song. The CD begins with the title track, which is similar to J, LC’s older work. It’s catchy and melodic, yet remains low key. “Angeldust (Please Come Down)” embodies one of the signature qualities of J, LC songs: a dramatic build-up and climax of emotion and sound, followed by a soft and quiet resolution. Clifford’s airy but stable vocals, along with Matt Bivins’ spoken-word additions and the symphonic mix of instruments and back ground vocals, mark the tracks as dis tinctly J, LC, but other influences shine through. “Lover’s Greed” sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.” And perhaps the most intriguing song on the album, “Mother’s Eyes,” channels early Radiohead when the vocals pick up after the instrumental beginning. Although most of the songs on Verti go are written by Clifford and Matt Bivins, two are written by Evan Bivins, ♦ J, LC, SEE PAGE UL — Hayseed Dixie brings home hillbilly rock BY AUBREY FOGLE THE GAMECOCK Take off your shoes, socks and shirt, throw on your overalls and jump into the mosh pit, ‘cause Hayseed Dixie is coming to New Brookland Tavern on Wendesday. Hayseed Dixie is a bluegrass AC/DC cover band with an origi nal style everyone can relate to. Imagine a hillbilly with missing teeth singing songs such as “Back in Black,” “Highway to Hell” and “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” in a thick Southern drawl while plucking on an unplugged guitar. The band describes its music as “a sound that is old, yet new.” It comes from “the fertile valley of Deer Lick Holler, deep in the heart of Appalachia,” and it’s signed to a “genuine recording contract” in Nashville, Tennessee. As the story goes, the mem bers of the band were four red necks cut off from all cultural and musical influences except those passed down by their fam ilies. One day, a stranger rolled into town and crashed his car, dying instantly, leaving a trunk load of AC/DC record^ for the hillbillies to plunder. Relating to the music instantly, the band immediately started learning the songs and adding their own isolated Southern style. Equipped with acoustic and steel guitars, a mandolin and a fiddle, Hayseed Dixie now tours the country, bringing its weird musical concoctions to the world. And finally, for the first time, it’s come to Columbia. Dave Britt, talent coordinator for New Brookland Tavern and The Elbow Room, said: “It should be a great experience for people who come to the show. We’re expecting a good crowd. I mean, it’s not every day you get to see a bluegrass band covering AC/DC songs.” The venue’s management expects that peo ple from all over will be able to jam to Hayseed Dixie, including regular country and bluegrass fans and college kids who “want to sing along with AC/DC.” Obviously, the odd concept is what the band hopes will draw fans, but the music is what the New Brookland Tavern knows will keep them. “They’re extremely musi cally talented,” Britt says. “They * ♦ HAYSEED, SEE PAGE 8 Symphony begins its 72nd year BY JENNIFER BOWEN THE GAMECOCK * USC Symphony Orchestra will begin its 72nd season with spe cial guest world-famous pianist Jerome Lowenthal on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Roger Center. Lowenthal is head of the piano department at the Julliard School of Music in New York City, where he has taught since 1991. Lowen thal will play Tchaikovsky’s “Sec ond Piano Concerto” in a program that will also include Sir Edward “Elgar’s Enigma Variations” and Samuel Jones’ “Fanfare and Cele brations.” Following tradition, conduc tor Donald Portnoy will begin the concert with “The Star Span gled Banner.” According to pub licist Zane Rnauss, Portnay also . plans to lead a memorial piece in honor of those who died in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. This performance will showcase one of the largest orchestras Portnoy has ever lead at USC. This year, 105 students play for the orches tra. This ensemble is nick named “The Big Music Ma chine” because of its big size and sound. According to sophomore cellist Chris Miller, the group’s sound must be perfect before a guest soloist is added. “When you perform with a soloist, the orchestra has to listen to each other and have rhythmic stability. You have to pay attention to the artist and listen so you don’t play louder than the artist.” Throughout its season, the or chestra will perform with sev eral special guests, including Columbia native and child vio lin prodigy David Kim. He will perform on Oct. 30. The season runs through April 11. Tickets are available at the Coliseum box office, at Capitol ticket out lets and the Roger Center lobby. Call 803-251-2222 for tickets. Big acts planned for Fair A fair ride is being prepared fOr USe. PHOTO BY AARON HARK BY JUSTIN BAJAN THE GAMECOCK The opening day of this year’s state fair is Thursday, with the gates opening at 12:00 p.m. Every body is encouraged to bring their family to this annual event, be cause there will be activities for everyone to participate in. Thurs day will start off with perfor mances by USC students, an ac tivity sponsored by WIS. Parents can take their children to the var ious Marionette performances, or the Grinn and Barrett comedy cir cus. Everybody will enjoy Richards’s racing pigs, or the al ways amiable, Denny the Clown, who will be roving throughout the fairgrounds. Those who attend the Fair in anticipation of good music won’t be let down this year, as a number of prominent artists are scheduled to appear at the Grand stand. Featured performers in clude Toby Keith, Michael W. Smith, Brian McKnight, Lee Ann Womack, Lou Rawls, Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Bros., Plus One and Rachael Lampa, and The Beach Boys. The Fair will run frpm Thursday to Sunday of next week.