OVER THE EDGE NEWSPAPER. OCTOBER 11, 2006 ARTS ‘Ss Schulz Crash and Burn Shocore Somewhat Redeem Show KYRA JANOT STAFF WRITER On Wednesday night, September 27th, two bands (both of Vancouver) made a valiant attempt to rock an un- enthusiastic crowd of roughly twenty people at The Generator. Unfortunately, the effort went more or less unnoticed. Despite the ear-shattering volume of thumping bass-lines and growly vocals, the silence in between songs was pain- - fully loud. The night's event was kicked off with a 45 minute set by Schulz, a patchwork band made up of former KMFDM, House of Commons and Econoline Crush members. With very little intro- Gordon Lightfoot Dazzles Senior B.C duction, they let loose with a barrage of industrial rock that, though energetic, failed to rile up unimpressed onlook- ers, In between playing hide and seek with the microphone (claiming a few times that the location of the concert was causing him to “lose his mic”) the vocalist would frequently gesture in an attempt to draw in the unwilling, going so far as to jump down onto the empty floor himself in evident hope that others would follow suit. On a positive note, those not distracted by the singer's slow, jerky marching about the stage were able to enjoy a well-executed performance by guitarist and band namesake, Guenter Shulz. The music itself was not horrible, but simply best enjoyed in a larger venue with a much larger crowd, or pre-record- ed in the privacy of one's own home. ae ae BUOLER pres "nis After the initial crash and burn of an act, Shocore came out for about an hour to bring a bit more energy to the room. As low-profile metal bands go, Shocore is surprisingly genuine and entertaining to watch. Were it not for the fact that enthusiasm had seemingly been sucked out of all present by the previous band, Shocore could easily have brought down the house with its crunchy, mosh-worthy rock. As it was, a grand total of eight people were present on the dance floor as the set concluded, a record-break- ing number for the evening. One girl was even rewarded with a kiss from the vocalist, simply for being more awake more than the majority of everyorie else. Though most of the songs played were unknown to many, they did perform the 2001 single Bonecracker, and fin- IN CONE ERT lhe Legenda COR IDO MN ces= as BY TYLER CLARKE PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Gordon Lightfoot took the stage in Prince George for the first time in his decades-long career on October Ist, giving the audience exactly what they expected. He played all of his classic songs, from “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” to “Sundown,’ filling up two solid hours [minus a 10-20 minute intermission] with music, and witty ban- ter, assuming you find learning it'll dip down to -3 degrees witty [he told us this twice, as if to taunt us] witty banter. One of only a couple of problems with the show was that, although Light- foot gave the audience exactly what they expected, he didn't give them anything more than that. Gordon Lightfoot wasnt entertaining and funny the way Stompin’ Tom Connors, another Can- adian country music legend is. Connors will interact more with the audience, and share funnier stories and anecdotes. COCIT Lightfoot resorts to talking about the weather. Another downside to the concert, and I'm sure is a major downside for an artist such as Lightfoot who is going up in the years, is the elderly audience. They were much too calm and reserved for a con- cert. My shouting of “LIGHTFOOT! YAY-AH"” at the top of my lungs in a deep Metallica-style voice was greeted with odd looks, and a couple of glares. The highlight of the show, and the moment at which the audience was the loudest, was both when the audience ished up with an excellent Charlie Dan- iels cover of The Devil Went Down to Prince George (formerly known as The Devil Went Down to Georgia). They returned (after much table-banging...oh, the enthusiasm!) for an encore which featured a switch-up of vocalists and a cover of the 70's metal band Nazareth. Despite a tough crowd, Shocore man- aged to do what Schulz could not, mak- ing the show a little more personal and a lot less painful to watch. Even though the event itself was less than impres- sive, I doubt there is anyone who was still present at the end that would not see Shocore again, given the chance. Unfortunately, when a show is only two hours long, there is not much time for energy to gain momentum after such a mediocre start. Audience recognized “Sundown,” and when “Sun- down’ was over. It was the best received | song, alongside “The Wreck of the Ed- | mund Fitzgerald,” and “If You Could Read My Mind,” which was recently covered by Johnny Cash on his record American V: A Hundred Highways. Say what you will about Johnny Cash taking over songs,.and making them his own; Lightfoot owned this song, and made clear he wrote it with his, and his band’s excellent playing. One thing I noticed during the show was how Lightfoot's voice was strained | during the first song, then perked right back up for the second one. This led my cohort, Tabatha, to imply that he was | lip syncing. I proceeded to either hit; or think about hitting her for suggesting such a thing. It seems Lightfoot doesn't warm up his voice before shows. After the intermission was over and Lightfoot was back on the stage, and I realized I'd already heard “Sundown,” I became restless, and considered catch- ing-a late-show at the movie theater. I decided against it, figuring I'd forgotten about a song of two I like that I hadnit heard yet. It was good I considered this, otherwise I would have missed the aforementioned “If You Could Read My Mind.’ Also, the thought of “this is a legend before me, I must take up every bit of this show as possible” helped keep | me in my chair. Lightfoot seemed increasingly bored throughout the second half of the show, much like myself. It was most likely a result of the drugged-out sedated vibe of the elderly audience. On the plus side, the sound system was crystal clear, letting the audience hear every sting plucked, and every note hit. Lightfoot summed it up best, be- fore going into his last song, by saying “Alight, let's do this last song, and then get the hell outta’ here,’ commenting that he had 12 more of “these shows to do.’ He's a busy man with lots to do. He didn’t disappoint, and didn't surprise. Partying For The KYRA JANOT STAFF WRITER Friday, September 22nd saw two thousand dollars raised for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, courtesy of all who went to the World Music Dance Party event located at Artspace (right above Books and Company). The Stephen Lewis Foundation is an organization dedicated to funding grassroots (local) projects in Sub-Saharan Africa that battle HIV and AIDS, researching each projéct fully so as to ensure that the money goes to-whatit's meant for. On occasion they also support larger projects deemed responsible enough to handle the funding correctly. The event itself was unique, with music inspired by countries across the globe, African and Jamaican being the most prominent. It took awhile for most people to get out onto the dance floor, but once a few brave pioneers started in the floor became packed quickly. The musical highlight of the night came when a band consisting of only drums, a bass and an accordion came out to mix it up with some European tunes. Fun was had by all, particularly the lone preschool-aged youngster (who had the best dance moves out of everyone). As the event sold approximately 100 of the 150 tickets available, there were plenty of interesting door prizes to be had, and less than half of those present left empty handed, Door prizes includ- ed handcrafted jewelry donated by local artists, various gift certificates, CDs, gift baskets, a few small kitchen appliances and various other items. There was also a draw for a large and very cozy looking handmade quilt. Throughout the second half of the night appetizers were made available, and comprised of various sav- oury pastries, chips, dips and plenty of vegetables. As a fundraiser, the World Music Dance Party can definitely be called a success. As a fun event for people to go to the same can be said, though it would have been nice to see some of the young- er crowd involved. After all, it was an opportunity to get out and experience something a little bit different, and def- initely good fun for a good cause.