MichiganDaily.com

Arts Stories for 2-11-2000

'Movie' a hilarious, surreal experience

Making an independent film takes tons of time and devotion. It's even harder to do when you have absolutely no money to your name. Such is the case with Mark Borchardt, a Milwaukee-based, know-nothing film fanatic who has a penchant for making trashy horror movies.

Infectious grooves Flow into the Pig

With the exception of Earvin "Magic" Johnson and a slew of couch-burning jokes, the farmlands of East Lansing haven't produced anything especially noteworthy for some time now.

Cupid aims for local band's 7th House show

Olupus, featuring Davidson, PJ Jacokes on bass, Tim Berlinghof on lead guitar and Jake Miller on drums, takes the stage at Pontiac's 7th House Friday night for their second annual Cupid's Night Out Festival, an idea that came about after writing their quirky Valentine's song. The holiday event started last year at Xhedo's Café in Ferndale, where Olupus plays regularly. With the steady gig, the band has formed a good relationship with the young, enthusiastic crowd at Xhedo's, resulting in a high level of band/audience participation. According to Davidson, "Last year's (Valentine's) show was my favorite gig to date, but this one will be even better." In terms of favorite performance, Jacokes recalled another show from the band's history when Olupus played at Loyola University in Chicago on a bill with They Might Be Giants and Tone Loc. "It was pretty strange," Jacokes said, remarking on the combination of different artists.

Off Skid Row, Bach brings new sound to Harpo's

A father of two sons, a lover of Mexican food and the proud bearer of a tattoo proclaiming "Youth Gone Wild" isn't quite exactly the typical image of the All-American Dad. But then again, Sebastian Bach is no ordinary man at all. The once former lead singer of Skid Row has lived quite the charmed life, starting his rock and roll career in his late teens, originally in a band called Madam X before the rest of Skid Row picked him up to front one of the late '80s / early '90s most well known groups.

Gritty 'Homicide' returns to NBC

"The room's the same, so is the work," philosophizes Frank Pembleton when he returns to the highly acclaimed cop drama "Homicide: Life on the Streets." After a startling cancellation last year, "Homicide" returns to NBC in a made-for-TV movie, with the entire cast (even those dead and gone) making an appearance.

2-11-2000