janesaddiction.org

Orlando Sentinel - Orlando, Fla.
January 29, 1989
NUDE TWINS ASIDE, JANE'S ADDICTION IS AN ACQUIRED TASTE
Author: Thom Duffy of the Sentinel Staff

There was an attitude - an arms-crossed, show-me attitude - exuded by the crowd that packed elbow-to-elbow into Visage, the rock club tucked into a strip shopping center on Orlando's North Orange Blossom Trail.

The musical loyalties of the gathering were mixed; this was a bandanna-and-jeans hard rock crew, a leather-clad punk crowd, a hipper-than-thou alternative music bunch. All awaited the arrival on stage of Jane's Addiction, the highly touted Los Angeles club band that gained national attention - and notoriety - with its debut album Nothing's Shocking.

Lead singer Perry Farrell took the stage in a blur of orange dreadlocks, herky-jerky motions, leaps and mime movements. He sang in a baritone rant while guitarist David Navarro spun off speed-metal leads and blues-rock chords on a fluorescent green six-string.

That was the scene when Jane's Addiction last performed at Visage in October, as the opening act for Iggy Pop. Now, the band is coming back, this time as a headliner. Jane's Addiction will play Saturday at Visage and next Sunday at the Masquerade club in Tampa's Ybor City.

Nothing's Shocking drew attention not only for its music but its cover artwork, a sculpture of nude twins that kept the LP off the shelves of several major record chains. But Jane's Addiction has been touring widely, bringing its case straight to the fans.

The band's energy in concert is undeniable. Its focus and originality are less certain. Farrell and the band have acknowledged their musical lineage, covering songs by earlier Los Angeles rebels ranging from the Doors to the group X.

And like the Doors' Jim Morrison, Farrell has an attitude of his own, one that's both rebellious and thoughtful when it comes to his music.

"I guess some people call it shock rock," he told syndicated music writer Lisa Robinson in a recent interview. "I don't call it anything. I don't know what to call it. I didn't try to start a new thing. It's so much less planned than people believe. It comes off the top of my head. If it is a good idea or it is funny or it is something I think would affect people, it goes down on film, paper or in music.

"There is no definite style. Anything goes. It can be fast, but I'm not afraid to play something slow or sing about being in love. Punk rock was great and I loved it, so we take the best elements from it, but our music definitely is coming into a new era."

Local tracks: Six local bands - Prowler, Boomers, King Cowboy, Sons of Doctors, U Know Who and Amber Rose - will play at Orlando's Central Florida Fairgrounds Saturday beginning at noon in a concert presented by the non-profit Christians Against Poverty Inc. . . . Cheek to Cheek in Winter Park will showcase area rock bands each Sunday beginning tonight with a show by Amber Rose. . . . John Schilling, master of the double-necked guitar, is playing Monday nights at Dubsdread in Orlando. . . . The Joshua Tree restaurant in Altamonte Springs now features live jazz Monday through Saturday. . . . This Wednesday's blues session at the Winter Park Brewing Company will feature Dr. Hector and the Groove Injectors.

Best Patrol bets: "Silent Morning" by Noel, the Bronx-born dance- pop artist, was one of the best dance singles of the past year. The singer's debut album yielded two more dance-chart hits - "Like a Child" and "Out of Time" - and a fourth single, "Change," is set for release in February. Noel will perform tonight at J.J. Whispers in Orlando. . . . "Travelin' Man" Roy Book Binder, the finger-picking guitarist and story-telling humorist, will perform tonight at Dubsdread on a bill with Michael Mendoza and Cameron. . . . The first chords of country music will sound in the Orlando Arena when Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton and the Oak Ridge Boys perform in the new building Friday.

St. Petersburg Times
February 1, 1989
Series: POP/ROCK CALENDAR
February's short on pop, too
Author: ERIC SNIDER

Big-name rock stars are conspicuously absent from the bay area's February concert slate.

In fact, if you crave a packed arena, you'll have to head east - either to Orlando for Bon Jovi (that's if you already have your ticket for the sold-out show), or to the Lakeland Civic Center (on the same night, Feb. 10) for Metallica's headbangers' ball.

In Tampa Bay, though, you'll have to settle for the odd (Jane's Addiction, the Feelies), the old (Stars of Lawrence Welk and "We Remember Glenn Miller"), the blues (James Cotton, Lonnie Mack), the blue (Andrew Dice Clay) and the bland (Chicago) - but nothing really big.

Best bets if you're looking for something a little out of the mainstream: that purveyor of country quirkiness, Lyle Lovett; and one of boldest black protest singers ever, Gil Scott-Heron.

The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is trying something novel: two free shows by guitarist Al Di Meola in Festival Hall for "Pirate Fest." (The last time Al D played free here he drew about 20,000 people to Straub Park.) The Performing Arts Center wasn't so reckless as just to throw open its doors, however. Free tickets were made available through the box office and were all grabbed up by mid-afternoon Monday.

Here's the schedule:

Today, Mantovani Orchestra - Strings, strings, strings. The late Mantovani's orchestra still fills the air with lush sounds. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Kenny Rogers - The silver-haired gentleman of country-pop can always draw a good crowd here. He'll play the Bayfront Center at 8 p.m.

Friday, Gil Scott-Heron - L. L. Cool J was still learning the alphabet when Gil Scott-Heron was rapping about social injustice and black awareness in such songs as Johannesburg and The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Although Scott-Heron does not rap in a rhythmic style, he must be considered an early precursor to the hip-hop movement. He blends jazz, blues and R&B, sings with a deep, rumbling baritone and spellbinds with his eloquent street poetry. The charismatic musician has kept a low-profile in recent years but is playing Tampa Theater in a fund-raising show for listener-sponsored WMNF radio. It's his first concert in Tampa Bay since a midnight show at Tampa Theater in 1980. This time he'll start at 8 p.m. Opening will be the Kuumba Dancers and Drummers, a bay area African dance/percussion troupe.

Friday, Ramsey Lewis - One of the first pop-jazz pianists, Ramsey Lewis has been a big-name player since scaling the charts with The "In" Crowd in 1965. A regular performer in the bay area, he'll play Ruth Eckerd Hall as part of a benefit for Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless. Joining him will be multi-reedman Ira Sullivan, the bay area's Fred Johnson Group and comedian Tommy Blaze. 8 p.m.

Saturday, Al Di Meola - The jazz-rock guitarist known for his blinding finger speed will do two free performances (6 and 7:30 p.m.) at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center as part of "Pirate Fest," an event tied to Gasparilla. Backing up Di Meola will be brilliant bay area percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, who has toured the world with Di Meola in the last year or so. If you didn't pick up free tickets through the Performing Arts Center box office, you're out of luck.

Saturday, Paul Revere & the Raiders - Also at "Pirate Fest," one-time '60s hit makers Paul Revere & the Raiders (It's Just Like Me, Kicks) will play Q-105's outdoor stage at Franklin Street and Kennedy Boulevard in downtown Tampa in two free shows, at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Also appearing will be dance-popsters Paula Abdul (Straight Up) at 5 p.m. and Samantha Fox (I Wanna Have Some Fun) at 4:30.

Saturday, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers - The brother team brings its wholesome brand of country-pop to Van Wezel Hall in Sarasota for shows at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Jane's Addiction - It's the second trip through the bay area for the left-of-center Los Angeles metal band. Since last year, when Jane's Addiction opened for Iggy Pop at Jannus Landing, the critical raves have piled up and the band has been nominated for a Grammy in the hard-rock/metal category. This time, the group headlines at Masquerade in Ybor City at 8 p.m.

Feb. 6, Victor Borge - The ageless pianist/humorist plays Ruth Eckerd Hall, 8 p.m.

Feb. 6-7, Stars of Lawrence Welk - Myron Floren and his Orchestra, Arthur Duncan and vocalist Gail Farrell bring the spirit of Welk's venerable TV show to Van Wezel Hall on the Feb. 6 at 2:15 and 8:15 p.m. and to Ruth Eckerd Hall on the Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.

Feb. 8, The Feelies - Several times voted New York's best underground band, the Feelies' sound is tough but intelligent. Yo La Tengo opens at Masquerade, 8 p.m.

Feb. 8-19, Florida State Fair - This year, the fair in Tampa will present several country, oldies and nostalgia acts during its run: Charlie Pride, Louise Mandrell, Lee Greenwood, Mickey Gilley, Jerry Reed, the Drifters, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Chubby Checker, Joey Dee & the Starliters, the Platters and others. The shows are free with admission and will take place on various stages (at various times) throughout the grounds.

Feb. 9 and 18, Tampa Smokes II Record Release Parties - Pop Records, a local independent label, will soon release its second compilation of cutting edge pop music from the bay area bands. To promote the album, Tampa Smokes II, the label is mounting two concerts. The first, on the 9th, will be at Masquerade in Ybor City (at 8 p.m.), featuring April 13th, the Barons of Love, the Fugitive Kind, the Immediates and Psycho Tribe. The show on the 18th at Jannus Landing (5 p.m.) will present Wal t Bucklin, Deloris Telescope, Johnny G. Lyon Band, Mad For Electra, the Wankers and the Woodies.

Feb. 9, Pete Bardens - New Age and pop-jazz merge in Bardens' smooth, keyboard-dominated sound. He'll play Cha Cha Coconuts atop the Pier in St. Petersburg at 8 and 10 p.m.

Feb. 10, Metallica - To prove conclusively the basic appeal of heavy metal, simply consider Metallica, a headbanging quartet that sold several million copies of its most recent album, And Justice For All with virtually no radio air play. On top of that, the band only recently did its first video clip. Queensryche opens at Lakeland Civic Center, 8 p.m.

Feb. 10, Bon Jovi - Jon and the boys, the current kings of pop-metal, have bypassed the bay area this time through (although there is speculation that they will stop here on the second leg of the tour). Instead, the band will play at the new Orlando Arena. The show is sold out.

Feb. 10-11, Smothers Brothers - Tommy and Dick bring their regular blend of zany comedy and music to Ruth Eckerd Hall on Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. and Van Wezel Hall on Feb. 11 at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Feb. 11, Lyle Lovett - As is often the case with musicians who chart a singular course, it has taken time for Lyle Lovett to establish his career. But the Big Break-Out appears to be around the corner. The witty singer/songwriter has been most often pigeonholed into a country-and-western mode, but his sound also includes a lot of swing, blues, R&B and folk. It has taken a while, but the public at large is beginning to catch on to this gangly guy with the shocking pompadour. Lovett and h is Large Band will perform at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Festival Hall, with guitarist Leo Kottke opening, at 8 p.m.

Feb. 11, Fats Domino and Bo Diddley - The two rock 'n' roll hall-of-famers join forces for a show at Ruth Eckerd Hall. New Orleans singer/pianist Domino boasts a strings of hits - Ain't That a Shame, Blueberry Hill, I'm Walkin' and more. Diddley, who celebrated his 60th birthday at a Mahaffey Theater show recently, never set the charts on fire, but his influence as a songwriter and guitarist has been felt by several generations of rockers. Show time 8 p.m.

Feb. 11, Mustard's Retreat and John Gorka - Two little-known but highly respected acoustic folk acts play the Friday Morning Musicale (809 Horatio Street, Tampa) in a WMNF concert. 8 p.m.

Feb. 14, Andrew Dice Clay - "Dice" makes Sam Kinisonseem like a Sunday school teacher. He's the rudest, nastiest, filthiest comic to be found anywhere. Dressed up in greaser garb, he chain-smokes his way through a tough-guy act that takes no prisoners (a warning to couples who sit in the front row). He'll play the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's 900-seat Playhouse at 8 p.m.

Feb 14, John Hammond - The acoustic bluesman brings his intimate show to Skipper's Smokehouse (910 Skipper Road, Tampa), with the raucous Little Charlie and the Nightcats opening. 8 p.m.

Feb. 14, Jack Jones - A taste of a Vegas lounge comes to Van Wezel Hall at 8:15.

Feb. 17, Chicago - For its homecoming, the University of South Florida Alumni Association has picked a band that is guaranteed to offend no one - except those people who like challenging music. Chicago, which has become one of the most vanilla pop outfits on the scene, will play the Sun Dome at 8 p.m.

Feb. 17, 7 Seconds - Like most punk bands that manage to stay together through a couple of albums, 7 Seconds is steadily incorporating more pop into its still loud-and-edgy sound. Slap of Reality opens at Jannus Landing, 8 p.m.

Feb. 19, Sacred Reich - To oversimplify it, "thrash" is heavy metal on a dozen cups of coffee. A thrash-fest featuring Sacred Reich, Brandon's Nasty Savage, Atrophy and Oblivion assaults Jannus Landing at 3 p.m. Stairway to Heaven, a Led Zeppelin tribute band, will play inside at the Club Detroit at 11 p.m.

Feb. 23, Jazz Explosion with Stanley Clarke, Randy Brecker, Steve Smith and Alan Holdsworth - This all-star band boasts impressive credentials in the jazz-rock fusion ranks: Clarke played bass for Return to Forever; trumpeter Brecker was in the Brecker Brothers; Smith drummed for the corporate rock band Journey, his own Vital Information group and now Steps Ahead; and guitarist Holdsworth - formerly of Soft Machine, U.K. and Tony Williams' Lifetime - is heralded for his searing, slippery style. Sometimes such an ad hoc group of big names can set a place on fire, sometimes it can fall flat. Either way, the talent is there. Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 8 p.m.

Feb. 23, James Cotton - One of the most renowned harmonica players in blues annals brings his rollicking band to Muddy's (2900 Alt. 19 N, Palm Harbor), for shows at 8 and 11 p.m.

Feb. 24, That Petrol Emotion - Out of the remnants of Ireland's Undertones springs That Petrol Emotion, a critics favorite. With a grinding wall of guitars and politically charged lyrics, the band steamrolls through its shows. Masquerade, 8 p.m.

Feb. 24, Lonnie Mack - An unheralded blues/rocker, guitarist/singer Mack has influenced most of the big names with his biting, roadhouse style. He'll play Skipper's Smokehouse, with the Dukes of Juke opening at 9 p.m.

Feb. 26, "We Remember Glenn Miller " - The nostalgia swing show features stars from Miller's original band, including tenor saxophonist Tex Beneke and singer Paula Kelly, Jr. Ruth Eckerd Hall, 8 p.m.

St. Petersburg Times
February 3, 1989
Series: Critics' Calls Hal Lipper on Film
Author: HAL LIPPER
ERIC SNIDER
MARY EVERTZ
MARY ANN MARGER
RUSSELL STAMETS

THEME - A lifetime of pandering to the Soviet state has made Theme's central character a celebrated writer and an empty soul. Gleb Panfilov's brooding comedy centers on a man who recognizes that his creative drive has all but dried up. Yet he continues to ride on his reputation, fearing any change will cost him the perks his position has provided. Theme, playing the Tyrone Square 6 through next Thursday, was banned in the Soviet Union for nearly a decade, most likely because its denounces state-fostered and controlled art.

MATADOR - Pedro Almodovar, the hottest director in Europe today, creates an erotic/comic thriller about a bull fighter and an attorney who reach sexual fulfillment by murdering their mates. This disturbing and darkly funny Spanish movie, which in America would be directed by Brian DePalma, makes its Tampa premiere today at the Old Hyde Park 7.

BEATRICE - Bernard Tavernier's medieval version of The Burning Bed is a compelling and repelling movie about a young woman repeatedly violated by her father, a mentally ill and spiritually vexed man who finds no peace on the battlefield, in his castle, in church or in his bed. Meticulously researched by the director and his screenwriter, Beatrice is set in France during the Hundred Years War, when Feudalism reigned and the populace embraced Christianity but also believed in omens and witchcraft. Check listings for the Beach Theater in St. Petersburg Beach.

MILES FROM HOME - Richard Gere and Kevin Anderson play brothers who go to violent extremes to keep from losing the family farm. Saturday at 9 p.m., Sunday at 6 and 8:15 p.m., at the Tampa Theater.

Eric Snider on Pop Music

JANE'S - The Los Angeles band Jane's Addiction stirs a spacey but gritty brew of heavy metal and psychedelia. This quirky quartet has caught on big with rock critics and was given a Grammy nomination in the new hard-rock/metal category for its debut album, Nothing's Shocking. Jane's Addiction will play at Masquerade in Ybor City at 8 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $9 (plus service charge) in advance, available through Ticketmaster, $11 at the door.

JAZZ BENEFIT - Swingin' for a good cause. Pianist Ramsey Lewis (The ''In'' Crowd ) will be the featured performer at ''Jazz '89 - A Voice For the Homeless,'' a concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall (8 p.m.) to benefit the Pinellas County Coalition for the Homeless. Also appearing will be multireed man Ira Sullivan, bay area singer Fred Johnson and comedian Tommy Blaze. Tickets are $12.75 and $15.75 (plus service charge), available through Ticketmaster or at the Ruth Eckerd Hall box office. The Coalition asks that you also bring along a can of food or a blanket.

DiMEOLA - Jazz-rock guitar burner Al DiMeola plays two free shows (6 and 7:30 p.m.) at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center on Saturday as part of ''Piratefest.'' You had better have your tickets already if want to go, though. All of the seats were grabbed by midafternoon Monday.

Mary Evertz on Family Fun

FLORIDA STATE FAIR - The Fair's in the air this week. The event that began in 1904 opens for business again Wednesday and runs through Feb. 19. General gate admission is $3; it's $2 for children 6-11, free for children 5 and under, and $2 for seniors (on special days). Parking is $2 for cars, $3 for buses and RVs. The barns and gates open at 8 a.m., with Cracker Country running from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the craft center is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. The Fairgrounds are off I-4 in Tampa, using Exit 4. For more information, call (Tampa) 621-7821.

Mary Ann Marger on Art

McCALLUM AT POYNTER - Recent hard-edged abstract paintings by Steven McCallum are on display at Nelson Poynter Memorial Library, University of South Florida St. Petersburg, through Feb. 28. The exhibit continues the library's tradition of annual art shows featuring proteges of James Rosenquist. Viewing hours for the show, on the second floor of the library at 140 Seventh Ave. S., St. Petersburg, are Mon.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Free. Phone 893-9125.

WAVERLY CONSORT - This New York-based ensemble was one of the first groups to bring music of the 14th through 17th centuries to large audiences. Though no longer considered the cutting edge in the rather trendy early music field, it remains very popular. The concert is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Playhouse of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $18.50 to $25.50 and are available from Ticketmaster at 898-2100 (Pinellas) or 871-2100 (Hillsborough).