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Show Park City News Thursday, February 3, 1983 Page C5 BDiinsncB MoDtos by Jay Meehan Riders In The Sky captivates crowd by Jay Meehan In poker it may not happen that way, but at the Kimball Art Center Friday evening three of a kind beat a full house. The Nashville-based trio Riders In The Sky completely complete-ly won over the capacity audience in the KAC's main gallery with a highly entertaining enter-taining program of, in the main, cowboy music made famous in 1940s western movies. The concert, part of a Utah Rural Arts Consortium tour, also featured Utah's own musical historians the Des-eret Des-eret String Band. And, as is most often the case with the DSB, they put together a program which would embellish em-bellish that of their stage-mates. stage-mates. In this case, they traced cowboy music from its earliest roots in the British Isles up to the point where recordings and motion mo-tion pictures came on the scene. Bedecked in pioneer ga; b because "one cannot out-western out-western the Riders In The Sky," the DSB kicked off the evening with the rollicking "Parowan Gallop" featuring Hal Cannon on guitar, Mark Jardine on fiddle, Leonard Coulson flailing the five-string five-string banjo, and Steve Jardine on the pitchfork (or "pitched fork" as Hal would say). Accordians, concertinas, harmonicas, mandolins, tin whistles and other, somewhat some-what more esoteric instruments, instru-ments, also were passed around as the Deseret String Band proved once again that entertainment and education may be integrated with flair. The Delmore Brothers old "men's lib" tune "Back To The Range" featured the polished sagebrush lilt of Mark, Hal and Steve in three-part harmony. On "Western Pioneer," which Hal said is the oldest cowboy tune he's ever run across, it was the brothers Jardine providing the harmonica-fiddle counterpoint to Cannon's vocal. The humorous "My Last Old Dollar's Gone' and the : sing-a-long ""Georgia Buck" produced some foot-stompin' and hand-clappin' as the DSB once again broke down that performer-audience barrier. Coulson's fine intro to that tune was one of the instrumental highlights of the show. The evening's Irish medley med-ley had "The Jug of Punch" leading into "Barley Grass." It provided a good example of both the tonal and harmonic intricacies of this fine traditional musical form. The breakdown "Julie Ann Johnson" once again put the crowd in a rowdy mood and set them up perfectly for the poignant western lament "Goodbye Old Paint" which ended the set. As an encore, the boys chose to leave them laughing with Leonard singing the cult classic "Amongst The Awful Mormons." Following a short intermission inter-mission it was time for the beautiful music and outrageous out-rageous antics of the Riders In The Sky. Comprised of "Ranger Doug" Green on an F-hole hollow-body Gibson guitar, Fred "Too Slim" LaBour on "doghouse" bass, and "Woody Paul" Christman on fiddle, this group provides as entertaining and satisfying a show as one could hope to find. Featuring the running patter pat-ter of a hilarious, double-entendre-filled imaginary radio show throughout their performance, they proved once and for all that, in their hands anyway, hokeyness has indeed become an art form. Their radio commercial commer-cial for "Deadwood Dar-lene's Dar-lene's Organic Rope Stiff-ener" Stiff-ener" is the single funniest bit I've heard in years. But "Ranger Doug," "Too Slim" and "Woody Paul" are much more than a stand-up comedy act. When they are applying their unique brand of vocal harmonies, yodels, and jazziest jazz-iest of instrumentation to the music of Gene Autry, Bob Wills, Bob Nolan (Sons of the Pioneers) and the like, the smile on your, face changes j to one of reverence. , Of course, during such tunes as "How The Cowboy i St Is ) I Alex Malin Artists' Cooperative to hold poetry reading Local poet Alex Malin said he started out artistically with a great deal of idealism. "I then lost a lot of my romantic notions," he said. Today he sounds hopeful but realistic. It's important, he said, to recognize the world as it really is. One problem, for instance, is that "people are afraid of a lot of things, and aren't living because of it." As he matures, he said, he becomes more and more sure of his themes. "But to put them in a few sentences here is hard," he said. Interested observers should look to Malin's poems. He will give readings from his work on Thursday, Feb. 10, 7:30 p.m., at the Artists Cooperative (the old library) on Main Street. There will also be an open period for other poets to read from their works. Recently, he said, he's been moving from poetry to theater. He recently wrote a drama called "Catness" which he called, " a pretty far-out play in a domed world." Still he has those moments when "a poem will come upon me." Malin, a Baltimore native, said he traveled for five or six years before his arrival in Park City. In 1978 and 1979 he traveled to Paris, London (where he studied at Antioch College) and Greece, a country he remembers for its friendliness. Through Antioch, he attended the Aegean School for Fine Arts. "I lived on a Greek island writing most of the time, and attended the school once a week," he said. Some of his poems have been published. "But I've never made a dime off them," he said. Finally, Malin commended the cooperation and the energy of the Artists' group. "Art helps the experienco of living," he said. Tcir r .rx jfO; Q kit- V-, ;,V V - ,. v ..5 ftV i '-A Tb? ill i V If I i il iii ii li m ii ,1 irnnnii niiinrTimiiiili i ri i m m S iiiififiiimnTmiirirni i inn uniiiit n i nm nliiimi ft Riders In The Sky in concert at KAC photo by David Hampshire Learned How To Yodel" both as a couple of saddle tramps emotions unite when "the as the stylings of these two cowboy and the horse met at famed jazz fiddlers would the old saddle horn." creep into Woody Paul's A band seemingly at home technique, in any of the various genres The great American South- of western music, the Riders west got its turn as the the most loco of the three. In somewhat rapid succession succes-sion our hero played the theme from "Bonanza" by slapping his cheeks, got the other two to join him for "Cowboy Beer Barrel Pol- Featuring the running patter of a hilarious, hilari-ous, double-entendre-filled imaginary radio show, they proved that, in their case anyway, hokeyness has indeed become an art form. showcased them all. For ballads they presented "Little Prairie Princess" with Woody Paul on vocal. Ranger Doug took the lead for "Sierra Nevada" and Too Slim got his turn with the classic "Heading for the Last Roundup." , During the old western f,iddle dance tunes pne almost al-most had to imagine Steph-ane Steph-ane Grepelli and Joe Venuti Riders performed "Pecos Bill," the mariachi standard "Cielito Lindo," and their great version of "Compadres In The Old Sierra Madres" amid stage trapping which included cardboard yucca cactus cut-outs and horse skulls. Bassist Too Slim, possibly due to an over-abundance of cactus juice during his youth, might just have been ka," did a very funny skit utilizing a horses skull as a ventriloquists dummy, and announcing, "If there's one thing I know it's varmint dancing," proceeded to demonstrate the "turkey," "rabbit," "armadillo" and "possum." During the latter, of course, he saw fit to hang upside down from the rafters. Ranger Doug promptly drew his six-shooter and, firing at Woody Paul's feet, made him dance while he was fiddlin' "Devils Dream." It was just one of those nights. The Riders In The Sky, this thinking man's ZZ Top, were then joined onstage by the Deseret boys for a rousing finale. The set ended with a medley of "Liberty" and "Golden Slippers," Bob Wills great "Take Me Back To Tulsa," and Dale Evans adios classic "Happy Trails." The encore segment was led off with an old western fiddle-dance tune and concluded con-cluded as all the cowpokes were sent home to the strains of "Home On The Range." It was a singular evening. We need more of them. I Capture their hearts with a V gift from men's & ladies sportswear located in the Park City Village daily 10-6, 649-3279 7 7 WWTTFWW"T IS lit i iMra Cr3 l at Prospector Square J i iif ' 649-8060 i i.' 1 J' -urn New at the Gazebo China-Silk Nail Tips The non-acrylic natural-looking way to have long nails Introductory offer thru Valentine's Day $35.00 Gift certificates available W3ikm tup r.A ypRrv 444 Main St. Park City 649-9501 Park City's largest full service steakhouse serving the best of steaks, prime rib, seafood, and the famous 35-item Salad Bar. I II 3-2 i Daly Ttienue Duplex New Separate Garages Sauna Decks Stained Glass (2) 2 Bedroom, 1 Bath Units Tinancing: $140,000 or $75,000 per side; $20,000 down, 12.5 percent interest over 30 years, owner contract with no balloon. CONTACT: DUSTY ORRELL, 649-7220 1 o Monday-Thursday 5:30-10:30, Friday Saturday 5:30 1 1 p.m. Sundays 510 p.m. LUNCH Monday - Fnday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. SUNDAY SUfTE? SftUNCK 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. every Sunday year-round CHUB STEAK CATERING Hot and Cold Hors d'oeuvres Light Dinner Buffet Platters Complete Dinners Dessert Items Menu & Party Planning WaiterWaitress Service, Pickup at Restaurant, or Delivery-only Service Available Call Sue Haygood at 649-8060 Huntsman-Christensen Corp. At Prospector Square in Park City Just off Park Avenue on Highway 248. Ample Parking, next to the State Liquor Store. On the city bus line. For Information, call 649-8060 MiiiiAtiiwrt-"""''-'''''"11'"" |
