The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 21, 1972 Page: 4 of 10
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Star Legion: dungeon entertainment in Market Square
RY TT DAVID D A VrrT.fi Vtolimra rvf Punn i 11 i • _ _ _ . I
BY H. DAVID DANGLO
La Bastille, Houston's quaint
answer to the clubs of the
French Quarter, wasn't crowded
Tuesday night, despite the fact
that a brand new group, Star
Legion, was making its BIG
debut. A BIG debut is one that
takes place in a posh club, is
financially backed by a charm-
ing and intelligent member of
the jet set and is attended by
the press and various other
agents who are wined, if not
dined, rather nicely throughout
the proceeding. So the Thresher
was there.
Names were checked off the
guest list, and without further
ado, we scurried to a tabic
near the front. After a few min-
utes, I returned to the entrance
landing of the club and there
met Mrs. Anita Martini, a very
glittery woman and head, I
APARTMENT for rent
in Mohtrose area, wat-
er paid, no lease, one
bedroom — $95-$ 105
529-5433 523-9492
believe, of Creative Concepts,
Inc., publisher of FUN maga-
zine and sponsor of Star Le-
gion. "Hello," she flashed, "I'm
so glad you could come and join
us!" We were discussing the
existence of Creative Concepts
and other creative concepts
when Bill Herd, a typically hip
recording agent from Columbia,
was attacked by Ms. Martini
as he jaunted down the steps
from the street. "I just HAVE
to kiss him," she remarked, ex-
cusing herself from our short-
lived conversation.
Feeling ornamental, I stood
there listening to the amenities,
awaiting some magic words.
They finally came when Ms.
Martini asked me to "sit down
and join us!" I explained our
present location and she said,
"Oh, well why don't you move
your gang to the landing and
have some complimentary
drinks!"
My expectation mechanism
gasped with relief, and without
another word, we moved and
began drinking. Finally Gary
Shannon, H o u s t o n television
and radio jock extraordinaire,
announced Star Legion, who ap-
The Bokay Shop-Village Florist
2406 Rice Blvd.
528-4466
Football Mums Our Specialty
Credit To Rice Students
PRE-GAME BUFFET
RICE-CLEMSON
Saturday-September 23, 1972
5:00 PM-7:00 PM
GRAND HALL—RMC
MENU
Carved Brisket of Beef, au Jus
Baked- Turkey with Cornbread Dressing
and Giblet Gravy
Parsley Buttered Potatoes
Green Beans Amandine
Harvard Beets
Corn O'Brien
Assorted Salads
Relish Tray
After Dinner Mints
Rolls an d Butter
Coffee — Iced Tea
^ $2.25 per person
$1.50 children under 12
ALSO BEFORE THIS GAME
LSU—Oct. 7th
peared and began playing.
Each member of the group
seemed to know how to play
his instrument, whether it was
lead guitar, bass guitar, drums
or piano-organ. They played
mostly songs which passed for
originals. One of the members
of the group had a strange
hangup with oral movements;
if he had been uttering sounds
throughout these exercises, I'm
sure an entire new range of
phonetics might have been dis-
covered. Keith Richards of the
Rolling Stones had had a
hazardous influence on another.
I had been warned that they
would be "statutox*y;" the more
fitting word, regarding their
stage act, was boring. My com-
panion agreed; we continued
drinking and decided to inter-
view them anyway. At the end
of the set, Gary Shannon was
on the stage, announcing
"Aren't they fantastic ? Just
fantastic. Aren't they, though?
Just great . . ."
During their break, I worked
up the nerve to face la backer.
The Waitress had pointed out
Ms. Ruth Hess to us as the
perpetrator of this debut and
I approached her. Introducing
myself, I very nonchalantly re-
quested "a word with vour
group." She started for the
door, but then quickly returned.
Grabbing me by the arm, she
asked excitedly, "What do you
think? What do you think "
"Oh, er . . . uh . . . their music
individually is very good . . .
and , . . er . . . uh . . . Um,"
and finally blurted out, "but
they lack charisma!"
"Oh, yes,. I know," she re-
plied in increasingly Kathryn
Kuhlmanesque tones. "But what
is most important, and MOST
gratifying, is that their music
is ORIGINAL. ORIGINAL!
And do you know that Bill
Herd, recording agent from
Columbia records, is in there
now talking to them! He is rav-
ing about them! He wants to
cut a whole album! Not just a
45, but an entire album!" Her
eyes glittered in the torchlight.
With the most enthusiasm I
could muster through my be •
fuddled mind, I congratulated
them. She decided that' I could
interview them after the second
set.
Las Bastille took on more of
its original prison-like quality.
Not only had the band grown
tired and more statutory, but
our drinks had been cut off.
Finally we went backstage to
the dressing room, to which
Ms. Hess herded the four group
members together with a "Come
on, boys, let's get together for
an interview with these people
from U of H!" We finally con-
vinced her that we were from
Rice, and hopefully she will not
remember us for the morbid re-
view the Daily Cougar gave
Star Legion.
The interview was also bor-
ing. The four very young mem-
bers had been introduced be-
fore on stage — we asked sev-
eral ordinary questions and re-
ceived ordinary answers. Their
most representative comment
^came at the question "what do
you plan to do after this en-
gagement?"
"We'll play anywhere." We
told them that Rice might con-
tact them for something.
Ms. Hess and Gary Shannon
intercepted us on the way out
with more amenities. Again we
mentioned the blandness of
their stage act, and Shannon
exclaimed, "Oh, yes, we're
working on that. Oh, yes in-
deed." Ms Hess told us to call
her tomorrow to discuss it. "I'm
in the boo k," she said, and
waved us out. We were no less
than grateful.
The art of being inoffesinve
has reached a Rennaisance.
Seeger sings, brings us together
The inscription, on Pete
Seeger's famed banjo reads
"This Machine Surrounds Hate
And Forces It To Surrender."
If any thought has cut across
the years of singing and pick-
ing that Seeger has put in in
favor of seemingly lost human-
itarian causes, it's that one:
just keep singing, the music
will bring us together.
Seeger, mow 53, has been
singing since *5:935, working
almost alone in the early days
of the labor movement, the
civil rights movement (when
he brought "We Shall Over-
come" into prominence), the
peace movement, and now, still
doing all those things, he has
taken it upon himself to get
the Hutlson River cleaned up.
His next activity will be a
benefit concert for Pacifica
Radio (KPFT-FM 90) on Sep-
tember 24 in Hofheinz Favillion.
This will be Pacifica's second
major concert in Houston, the
first being in February, 1971,
when the non-profit station
brought in singer Joan Baez.
"We don't want simply to
bring bands to make a lot of
money," says station manager
Dave Crossley. "It's got to be
an event, something really out
of the ordinary, so that Avhen
you look around and try to
think of a performer who is
more important, you can't.
There's no question tlhe concert
will ease the financial death-
TICKLED PINK
FEATURING
AT
WORLD FAMOUS
MARTHA TURNER ^
LOOK
NEW HAPPY HOURS
All DRINKS *or 1
1 PM-2 PM
3 PM-4 PM
grip the station's always been
in, but mostly we're thinking
in terms of the impact Pete
can have on Houston, what an
incredible unifying force he can
be. There's no other singer
today who can make so many
people forget their differences
and just sing together."
Seeger's special interest in
Pacifica might be affected by
the fact that many commercial
stations, even here in Houston,
aren't allowed to play his rec-
ords, on which he sings many
of his own songs, like "Where
Have All The Flowers Gone",
"Turn, Turn, Turn", and "Talk-
ing Union".
"He is a rarity among adults
in contemporary America," says
Steve Allen, "a man who has
strong beliefs and is willing to
back these beliefs witlfc action
no matter how unpopular or
seemingly futile. In the past
several years we have grown
accustomed to finding these
qualities in a whole generation
of young people, and before our
sometimes disbelieving eyes we
have seen the unity of their
action appreciably alter the life
of our country. He went his
own way, backed chiefly, I
suppose, by the strength of his
conviction and the heritage he
came from."
While Seeger has been a
unifying force in all sorts of
causes, he has also supplied the
continuity that has kept folk
music alive in America. He
sang with his friend Woody
Guthrie, with Leadbelly, Josh
White and Burl Ives on pro-
grams produced by folklorist
Alan Lomax. With these men,
Seeger helped pave the way for
the current tremendous revival
of interest in folk music in the
United States.
The Weavers, a quartet
Seeger organized in 1950, are
often credited with launching
folk music into the big time,
breaking the trail for the
Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and
Mary, and other groups. Well
over four million Weavers' rec-
ords of such classics as "Good-
night Irene" and "Old Smokey"
were sold before Pete left the
group to go solo in 1957.
Seeger has made over 60 al-
bums.
"There are a zillion guitar
and banjo pickers in the land
today," the Miami Herald said
recently, "and a lot of people
will tell you it's all because
Pete Seeger helped bi'ing back
-something the country had lost:
its own music."
His concerts always feature
audience participation.. He says,
"My programs- have a lot of
songs that don't sound right
unless the crowd joins in."
He traces his current special
popularity on campus to stu-
dents for whom—and with
whom — he first sang when
they were children in summer
camps. "They're starting to
graduate now and run for
Congress," he says.
Of the widening national in-
terest in folk music, he notes,
"People are searching for roots
in a world of chaotic change,
To find roots you go back to
the beginning."
Tickets to the concert may
be obtained at Pacifica 618
Prairie (or call 224-4000), at
all five Foley's and The Uni-
versity of Houston Student
Ticket Center; $3.00 or free to
Pacifica subscribers.
MATINEE
4:30 PM
AT THE
PIANO BAR
WITH
ARNETT COBB
NOON 5ni2* AFTER 5 PM3M
ALL YOU CAN EAT
PRUFROCK'S
FRIED SHRIMP
BOILED FLOUNDER
BAR-B*QUE LINKS
BOILED SHRIMP
OYSTERS y2 SHELL
SALADS - HOT ROUS
JAM SESSION
MON. THRU FRI. 4:30-
9 :00 pm
FEATURING
ARNETT COBB & KENNY
ANDREWS
STAR LADIES DRINKS
% Price MON thru THURS.
Daily 4-2
Weekends 12-2
423 Westheimer For Those Over 21
DINE AND DANCE NO COVER • 2430 Rice Blvd. 524-6903
the rice thresher, September 21, 1972—page 4
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Jackson, Steve. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 21, 1972, newspaper, September 21, 1972; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245139/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.