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# — THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, November 1,2002 ' 5 m TTT71 i\ /TT V theysaidit CONTACT US I-1 fA l/| I \ NIKITA KHRUSHCHEV: “Politicians ' I I I i ml mm/ m 31-6 the same 311 over-They Promise Story ideas? Questions? Comments? ■ m U A 1 W I m / to build bridges even when there are E-mailusatgamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com ® Y H ® ^— no rivers.” R isins Abo ve Bebo Norman, coming to Columbia Sunday, wants to perform “real” music for his fans BY ERIN CLINE THE CAMKCOCK Bebo Norman began making road trips six years ago to play his music for anyone who asked and would listen. “I basically got in my car and haven’t gotten out since,” he said. The Columbus, Ga„ native will make his next stop on his Circa 2002 tour in Columbia Sunday night at First Baptist Church. Norman will be joined by Ten Shekel Shirt and LaRue. The show starts at 7 p.m., and admission is free. A popular Christian artist, Norman is promoting his third album, “Myself When I Am Real.” According to his Web site, www.bebonorman.com, the album combines the intimate songwriting of his previous album, “Ten Thousand Days,” with the slightly progressive production of “Big Blue Sky.” It is pos sibly the most accurate representation of Norman so far, and, more than any thing, the album “reveals a musician who has truly found his pace.” the Web site says. Norman began playing guitar at age 17 and said he was heavily influenced by James Taylor. While he was a biology student at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., Norman’s friends encour aged him to pursue his musical talents. “I decided to take a year off before medical school, and the year turned into seven,” Norman said. While he might not return to school for his medical degree, he still feels con nected to students through his songs. “My primary objective is just to be honest with what I’m writing about,” he said. “I write a lot about the things I struggle with, that I have a hard time with. In college, getting out of college, and trying to fit into the real world, life can throw you a lot of curves.” He said the college audience “is looking for something that’s real and not contrived, and hopefully, at best, what I do is real.” Norman is not ona to change his mes sages or style to fit the common concep tion of a Christian singer ^id thinks there are misconceptions about the Christian music industry, which he said has “come along and is now musically compelling.” of the listener. “I really think whoever hears the music needs to define it,” he said. Ten Shekel Shirt is a Texas-based band with a light alternative-rock sound. It is on the Circa 2002 tour until Nov. 15, and plans to introduce a new song at each city on the tour. LaRue is a brother-and-sister duo. Phillip LaRue, 21 and Natalie LaRue, 18, comprise the rock/pop group and are promoting their newest album, “Reaching.” People have the tendency to bend and flex to what people want to hear in stead of being consistent to what you hon estly feel,” he said. “There’s definitely a way to do both, the music and the message.” This true-to self attitude has guided Norman through his ca Ten Shekel Shirt will play Its new music while on tour with Norman. The concert is a result of the effort of First Baptist’s college group, headed by USC alumnus and Interim College Director Wes Church. Church and the group have been plan ning and organiz ing the show since last April. Church said the concert, which is incorporated into a daylong Greek xeer. ne siayeu busy on the road and let things happen as they came. “I write stuff I’m passionate about and what it has to do with life,” he said. “Every single thing I deal with on a daily basis has been filtered through what I believe and my faith.” Christian music is often separated because of its content rather than eval uated for style, Norman said. He holds fast to his idea that music is in the ear I cUUgllJLllUIl piu gram at the church, has particular draw to the college population because it’s free and features up-and-coming artists. “I’ve gotten e-mails from Charlotte to Augusta to Charleston,” Church said. “The whole day is going to be exciting and a great opportunity for USC.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Above: Bebo Norman, currently on tir, will make a stop In Columbia nday. Norman Is on the road promoting his new album, “Myself When I Am Real.” Top right: Normal performs one of his songs, which he said are about the things he struggles with in life. Right: LaRue, pop-rock duo on tour with Norman, I brother-and-slster duo Phillip and Natalie LaRue. Police, rap world diverge over shooting motives BY MICHAEL WEISSENNSTEIN VWWIATED PRESS NEW YORK — While police in vestigated whether a feud led to the fatal shooting of hip-hop pioneer Jam Master Jay, skeptical friends and family mourned him Thursday and puzzled over the slaying. “There’s no reason,” said the victim’s teenage son, Jason Mizell Jr. “He didn’t ready do anything wrong.” Witnesses said two men in dark clothing were buzzed into the rap star’s second-floor Queens recording studio on Wednesday night, police said. A single bullet was fired into the head of the Run-DMC co-founder as he played a video game with another man. Jam Master Jay, ^•%ose real name was Jason ?Jized, was 37. The other man, Uriel Rincon, 25, was shot in the leg and was re leased from the hospital Thursday. He was among five witnesses be ing questioned by police, said a law enforcement source who spoke on condition of anonymity. “They’re checking out varying theories, including, ‘Was it the re sult of a personal feud? Was it linked to this East Coast-West Coast rappers?’ and other possible motives,” the law enforcement source said. Another source, also speaking anonymously, said: “They’re look ing at some sort of dispute, any thing from a personal dispute to some kind of rap rivalry.” Many in the rap industry ques tioned whether Mizell, known as a family man and social activist, would ever be caught in a violent flare-up — especially a coastal feud that seemed to have little to do with him. “Before the media rushes to at tribute this to East Coast-West Coast violence, they should exam ine Run-DMC’s two decades of con tributions and Jam Master Jay’s personal character,” said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons, whose brother Joseph founded the group with Mizell. Associated Press Writer Tom Hays contributed to this report. Horror’ at the Russell House r -*-- ■ From left, Jubrielle Slnadal, an electronic journalism student; Justin Cooper, a prepharmacy student; and Anita Autrey, a baccalaureus student wait for the Halloween costume contest to begin Thursday night in the Russell House. Students gathered after the contest to watch Carolina's Production's showing of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” WUSC to throw post-Halloween bash BY WILLIAM MILLS Columbia resident finish These Athens rnrkers are also donated 300 Cits as nri7es THE (iAMECOCK No one wants to retire a Halloween costume after only one night of spooky fun. On Friday night, the WUSC-FM radio show “Under the Covers” will throw its second annual post-Halloween ex travaganza, featuring Weezer, Pixies and Misfits tribute bands. The party will start at 10 at New Brookland Tavern. Opening the concert will be members of W inged DNA and the Lesser Light, disguised as a Misfits tribute band. No. 13 Baby, a Pixies tribute band, will per form second. Headlining the show is Tired of Sex, a Weezer tribute band. Tired of Sex will play all the songs from “Pinkerton,” Weezer’s sophomore album, and will also include a few of the chart-topping songs from the self-titled Weezer debut album. "I’m sure it’ll be crazy rock-’n’ roll fun,” said Tired of Sex gui tarist Patrick Hill, a former Tired of Sex is a group of Atlanta musicians that banded to gether to perform a few Halloween tribute shows. They are, or have recently been, in one Atlanta band or another. Hill and drummer Greg Stevens were recently in Red Level Eleven, and Stevens is tak ing a few days off from play ing in his band Hex Error. Even the bands will be in costume at the Halloween bash. “It’s not necessarily hard, but we will be dressed like Weezer,” Hill said: Tired of Sex also performed in Atlanta on Thursday night, and members wore their full Weezer attire. No. 13 Baby will perform the Pixies’ “Doolittle” from start to experts in the art of the cover band. Last year, the group per formed the Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street” to a sold-out crowd and blew away the audi ence with a three-piece horn section and an amazingly accu rate perfor mance. Although they dearly have the skill to play oth ers’ songs, the quartet’s mem bers also have separate pro jects. Members of No. 13 Baby regularly play for the Rock-a Teens and Marcy. At the show, the bands won’t be the only ones dressed up; WUSC’s Halloween extravagan za will also feature a costume contest. The audience member wearing the best costume will win $100 cash. Sounds Familiar Weezer, Pixies and Misfits tribute bands will play at New Brookland Tavern. “I’m sure it’ll be crazy rock-’n’-roil fun,” said Patrick Hill, a member of Weezer tribute band Tired of Sex. Last year, the hosts of “Under the Covers,” Jonathan Dunagin and Sean Rayford, brought creepy transvestite rock to the Elbow Room with Columbia’s Fling doing “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The winner of the costume contest that night was an audience member dressed as a Ghostbuster, and the costume was even equipped with blinking lights. Even though the Ghostbuster stole the show, quite a few other costumes were turning heads that night as well. “Last year, we had an entire range of costumes, from Dracula to the Backstreet Boys,” Dunagin said. This year, part of the show’s profits will go to charity. The members of Tired of Sex will do nate a portion of their proceeds to the Columbia Free Clinic, a health-care provider for poverty stricken workers. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor(a)/iotmail.com Gran Torino forges a timeless funk sound BY MEG MOORE TIIK GAMECOCK Touring in support of its latest release, Gran Torino will bring its brand of funk-infused rock to Senate Park on Friday. Invariably catchy, “The One and Only ... Gran Torino,” the Knoxville, Tenn., band’s first re lease on the Redeye label, is be ing touted by newspapers and music magazines as the group’s most cohesive effort to date, and it does not disappoint. “The One and Only ...,’’ Gran Torino’s third studio album, po tently exemplifies the group’s jazzy rock sound and adeptly employs the band’s brass section through out. Known for its rhythm-and blues-tinged sound, Gran Torino maintains the unique style it has established through its past re leases and live shows. The refreshingly original band infuses its rock-based music with a ’70s-style vibe that is innovative as well as classic. Its distinctive sound not only transcends the usual pop-rock fare, but also soul fully stands alone amid the cur rent inundation of uniformly un original bands. The group is quite large. It combines the talents of Chris Ford on lead vocals; Stephen Decker on electric guitar; Whit Pfohl and David Heyer on drums; PJ Alexander and Scott Pederson on brass and key boards; Bob Mason on saxo phones and flute; Dexter Murphy on the Hammond organ, trombone and keyboards; and Todd Overstreet on bass. The group benefits, however, from having a variety of musical backgrounds and creative ideas to implement its songwriting. The band members told The Gamecock in an e-mail that dif fering ideas accentuate the pro cess and that this gives them dif PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK The sizable Gran Torino will travel to Columbia for a show Friday. The band keeps a '70s vibe but remains original. ferent ways to approach a song. The band cites such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Funkadelic and Jimmy Smith as significant influences. These artists embody the main ♦ GRAN TORINO, SEE PAGE 6