Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Senate Park_ JUMP, LITTLE CHILDREN Senate Park ★★★★★ out of ☆<?☆☆☆ COREY GARRIOTT THE GAMECOCK Nobody enjoys the stage as much as Tinker’s Punishment front man Michael Robinson; no body owns the stage like musical dynamo Jump, Little Children. Jump seems to be proud of it self to the extent that it creates. It’s no ordinary bass, guitar and drum troupe — Jump backs its melody with an art-school educa tion. Just look at cellist Ward Williams or upright bassist Johnathan Gray (who dances a jig with his bass while he plays). As for Jump’s lead, Jay Clifford, vers es could be written about his gold en voice. Some bands have the compul sion to compose, like breathing or eating. During the tour, the band dreams up comedic songs to punc tuate its high acoustic rock. Thursday night, Gray introduced “Moose on the Loose,” a blues par ody with lines about mooses and gooses and — well, you get the pic ture. Some of Jump’s band, as they are prone to do, even played as the opening band Thursday night at Senate Park. Caryann Hearst, a Charleston local, sang as the lead of the Barroad Angels. Hearst’s voice is perfect for Jump’s Celtic roots — the band started out by playing Irish folk ditties in the snack bar of the North Carolina School for the Arts. PHOTO BY AISHA AKHAWALA/THE GAMECOCK Ward Williams and Jay Clifford play the beginning of “My Guitar” at their show Thursday night at Senate Park. The band would have just re turned from a foreign tour to do yesterday’s show, except for polit ical problems. “It all got started with this club in Shanghai,” said drummer Evan Bivins. A Chinese venue was in terested in Jump, so the band booked shows at Navy bases in Japan and Korea to make good on the trip. Unfortunately, political trou bles erupted between the club, the band and the government. “I don’t know the whole story, but Coke pulled out as the sponsor,” he said. Without the Shanghai club, the Navy bases didn’t pay enough to justify the trip. “We’d lose money, not make money,” Bivins said. As for opener Tinker’s Punishment, its albums are un fortunately subdued (and don’t do the band any justice) compared to its live performance. Thursday night, the band turned up the punishment for its gospel of decay and rebirth — it sounds like postmodernism: de caying, atheistic, electronic and somehow still alive. Bass player Jordan Rivas pumped and jumped like a six cylinder engine. Lead singer Robinson wanted to melt onto the microphone; “I’ve gotta unexpand my mind/ to get what you say.” Tinker’s Punishment and Jump, Little Children made sure to promote each other’s CDs. It might be because of the market; Jump, Little Children was recent ly dropped by its label, Atlantic, and published its latest album, “Vertigo,” by itself. “There used to be a ban on any one company owning more than five radio stations,” Bivins said. After the ban was rescinded with the 19% Telecommunications Act, “companies like Clear Channel bought up hundreds of stations.” The band first built its popular ity working through a local Charleston station, a station that now plays a strict top-40 regimen, he said. “It’s the worst thing that has happened to popular music,” Bivins said. Barring a more for giving market for independent music, corporations will hock strict, safe content instead of tak ing risks on local bands. It’s tough for an independent band, even with a large following. “It’s funny when you think about our heroes,” he said. “Like REM, building its fan base with college radio and touring the Southern circuit. It’s a very different ball game.” But things are looking up; record labels are running out of immediately popular artists and are searching for local bands with a following, Bivins said. “John Mayer, Howie Day — they’re get ting really big, and both had a huge fan base. We’ve been sitting here going... ‘What do we do?’ ” So the band is once again tour ing the Southeast and co-wrote some songs on the Howie Day al bum. With this kind of press cov erage, Jump’s next album might be its breakthrough. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.corn CD AND SHOW REVIEW Switchfoot melds musical creativity with search for answers CD: “THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN” Switchfoot ★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ SHOW: SWITCHFOOT New Brookland Tavern *•★★★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ BY ERIN CLINE THE (JAMECOCK Ever wonder what your pur pose is here on Earth? Just pick up Christian rock band Switchfoot’s newest album, “The Beautiful Letdown,” and you will get 11 songs that challenge and in spire you to truly examine all that is around and inside you. The band was at New Brookland Tavern on Friday night promoting its album, entertaining the crowd and just having a good time. The band was supported by opening acts Cool Hand Luke and Denison Marrs. After waiting in a line that stretched around the corner and down the alley, fans poured into the venue for a breathing-room-only show. A passionate performance by Cool Hand Luke started the night off, followed by an equally en thusiastic set from Denison Marrs. When the California-based Switchfoot took the stage, the en ergy in the room exploded after the first few notes of “You Already Take Me There” off the band’s third album, “Learning to Breathe.” The band continued to play a few of its older songs, with the crowd singing at the top of their lungs. “I dare say this is the best crowd we’ve had on tour so far,” lead singer and guitarist Jon Foreman told everyone. The band soon introduced ma terial from its fourth and newly released album, “The Beautiful Letdown,” which came out Feb. 25. The album had been in stores less than a week, and the crowd was already singing the words along with the band. “Meant to Live,” the first song on the album and the first of the new songs played during the con cert, evidences Switchfoot’s explo ration into new musical territory with its much harder rock sound. The band pleads: “We want more than this world's got to offer/ We PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK From left, Swltchfoot drummer Chad Butler, guitarist and vocalist John Foreman, and bassist and vocalist Tim Foreman chat before their performance Friday evening. want more than the wars of our fa thers/ And everything screams for second life/ We were meant to •five.” Skillful lyrics display the band’s beliefs about humanity and faith without the obvious religious references that often deter the mainstream market. “This Is Your Life, the second song off the new album, urges in vestigation into existence and val ues: “This is your life/ Is it every thing that you dreamed that it would be?/ When the world was younger/ And you had everything to lose?” The song mixes incredi ble bass work, steady drums and keyboard into a standout melody. Foreman slowed the show’s tempo by playing a few acoustic songs, old and new. Most recog nized was “Only Hope,” which was featured on the “A Walk To Remember” soundtrack. He then played “Twenty-Four” from the new album, a mellow song that features his skills as a ballad king. The tranquil mood didn’t last long before the band tore back into its brand of rock, again showcas ing its dynamic stage presence. “Ammunition,” from the new al bum, renewed the crowd’s electri fied emotion. Title track “The Beautiful Letdown” was one of the last songs in the hourlong concert, but it was performed with no less energy than the first. The driving guitars and Foreman’s strong vocal pres ence complemented the song, which talks about who we are and the beginnings of our future. Overall, Switchfoot dominated the stage, backing up an amazing album with a well-performed, en ergetic, yet intimate show. Foreman connected well with the crowd and kept his intensity throughout the set. After three albums and four song contributions to the “A Walk To Remember” soundtrack, Switchfoot has become a force in the Christian music industry. “The Beautiful Letdown,” which appears on both the Christian label Sparrow Records and on the mainstream Columbia Records, will surely grab the at tention of both Christians and rock fans in search of a powerful band that combines musical creativity with its own search for answers. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com PETER KLEIN PRESENTS THE GERSHWINS’ PORQYwd BESS a LIVING ARTS PRODUCTION London.$442 and NOT Amsterdam...$303 jusd online Rome...$378 Rio de Janeiro..$508 Fare is roundtrip from Columbia. Subject to change and availability. Tax not included. Restrictions and blackouts apply. Monday. March 3 • 7:30 p.m. Koqer Center for the Arts On sale now at Carolina Coliseum and all Capitol Tickets outlets. Call 251-2222 to charge using Visa or MC (M-F, 9a.m.-5p.m.). 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