POISON An Antidote for Musical Boredom
Lancaster Sunday News 06/03/01
Bret Michaels, lead
singer of the group Poison, is living in a time warp. He and the glam metal
band inspired by Kiss, the grandfathers of glam rock, will be coming back to
Hersheypark Stadium, his old haunt, next Sunday to perform songs evocative of the '80s.
Poison's latest single, "Rock Star," which Michaels admits is
autobiographical, hearkens back to their early days. The 38-year-old singer
from Harrisburg says it reflects their dreams while playing Mechanicsburg
bars and clubs like Hammerjacks in Baltimore:
"I take handfuls of pills,
Trash my house in the hills,
Smash up my car,
Just to get me some thrills.
I do what I want,
I do as I please.
I want to be a big rock star."
"Rock Star" gives the impression that, despite their 18 years together,
Poison hasn't changed. And, as far as Michaels is concerned, they haven't.
Poison repeatedly makes VH-1's list as the No. 1 glam metal band, besting
groups such as Kiss, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi. In his recent phone interview,
Michaels noted with a laugh that VH-1 also rated Poison the No. 1 "hair band"
because of the members' distinctive hairstyles. Poison continues to earn the
first honor, Michaels said.
"I think we put on a helluva show. We still do. People come out to hear the
music and to see a show, and they are not disappointed. We rock. One rock critic
jokingly called us "Sex Pistols meet Kiss on acid," Michaels said. "He was kidding,
but he nailed us."
The driving rhythms, pyrotechnics and a party atmosphere are just part of the package.
The real draw, Michaels said, is the music. If it weren't, Poison wouldn't have such
a loyal fan base.
Poison keeps its most popular songs on the play list, including their signature tune,
"Look What the Cat Dragged In," along with Top-20 songs from their many platinum
albums, including "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Something to Believe In," "Unskinny Bop,"
"Nothin' But a Good Time," "Talk Dirty to Me," "Your Mama Don't Dance" and "Fallen Angel."
Loyalty is a two-way street, Michaels said.
"One thing we have always done is try to keep our prices down. We never try to gouge
our fans with $150 tickets. They would come anyway, but that would not be fair."
(Tickets for Poison's Star Pavilion/Hersheypark Stadium concert are $28.75-$36.75,
as opposed to the $65 top for Backstreet Boys and 'NSYNC and $59.25 for Areosmith.)
Local fans got a vivid demonstration in Hershey last year of just how far Poison
will go to give them their money's worth.
"It was pouring rain last year, but not one fan left," Michaels said. "It was a
sold-out show. There was 2 inches of water on the stage. It was a bit dangerous,
because everything is electric and we use pyrotechnics. But we did a safety check
and went on anyway. Some of our peers would have pulled the plug. We couldn't,
wouldn't do that to our fans."
Although Poison first made a big splash in the '80s, Michaels said their audience
is not just late-blooming baby boomers or Gen X-ers.
"We haven't changed, and our fans know it. Our hard-core fans have stayed with us.
We also have attracted new fans, mostly people who got lost in the '90s when it was
a very depressing rock scene with groups like Nirvana. They saw rock shows where
nobody moved. They want to see a rock show, a real rock show, with good music,
backdrops that change, instruments that blow up, pyrotechnics and light shows.
That's Poison," Michaels said.
This year, the band acquired special effects from another rock group and added
them to their live show extravaganza, which Michaels called "a three-ring circus
with great music."
"It is very exciting," he said. "We have two jet engines behind us that kick out
flame during the songs. It has only been used by one other band. When people see
it, they will go wild. We have a new stage backdrop and moving lights. We only
tested it once, and it was awesome.
Poison's Glam Slam Metal Jam 2001 also features three other groups: Warrant,
Quiet Riot, and Enuff "Z' Nuff.
"These are bands that we know people will enjoy. We have toured with them in the
past. They are friends of ours," Michaels said.
If you miss seeing the guys in Hershey, they have a gig at Kahuna Concert Hall,
Wilmington, Del., June 13. But don't be surprised if you run into Bret and the
boys on the streets of Hershey, Harrisburg or Lancaster.
"We kicked off the tour at Hersheypark last year and stayed around to see all
my friends," Michaels said. "I got to see my mom and dad. I went to a couple
of old hangouts, like The Gingerbread Man."
Homecomings like that remind Michaels of how lucky he is.
"I always dreamed that I would always be playing my music," he said. "It is a
great feeling to still be making music and to still be appreciated."
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"Left Behind" Authors Leave Mark on Enraptured Fans
Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal 01/15/00
At least 1,000 people showed up
at the Ephrata Wal-Mart Tuesday afternoon to help a pair of best-selling authors kick
off the release of their latest book.
The patient fans stood for up to four hours in a line that wound through the
garden, pharmacy, drug and notions departments before stretching out the door and
into the parking lot.
They were rewarded with the opportunity to greet authors Jerry B. Jenkins
and Tim LaHaye, and have them sign a copy of their new book, "The Mark," the
latest volume of their wildly popular "Left Behind" series.
The book hit stores Tuesday with a record 2.8 million copies in the first
printing. It is the eighth book in the series, which has racked up sales of 23
million to date, according to Tyndale House, publisher of the series.
The book signing at the Wal-Mart along Route 222 had all the elements of
a revival and a homecoming.
Fans of the apocalyptic suspense series shared their favorite scenes with
others as they waited.
Todd Summers and Aaron Jensen drove all the way from the Penn State campus
in State College to attend. They were first in line, having arrived at 12:45 p.m.,
more than three hours before the start of the book signing.
"I would have done a five-hour drive to see them," Summers said. "They
just keep creating books that keep you wanting more."
People around the country and the world seem to want more and more of
the series, a fictional account of Revelation, the last book of the Bible that
many Christians believe is a foretelling of the second coming of Christ. It
includes the rapture, when believers are taken to heaven and nonbelievers are
left on Earth to face a seven-year tribulation, as many Christians believe.
"It helps explain Revelation, one of the hardest books of the Bible," said
Carolyn Keller of Columbia, who rested on a cart while holding her well-thumbed
copies of the entire series, which she brought for the authors to sign.
"It has touched my life," said Douglas Smith of York County, who took a
half-day off from work to meet the authors. "I have four copies to sign, including
one for someone who just found Jesus and got saved."
Jane Frank of Paradise, still wearing her waitress uniform from the
Bird-in-Hand Restaurant, said the series has special meaning for her family.
"My sister was the big reader, but she passed away. I'm still reading them,
but I bet my sister already knows the ending," she said, smiling.
Some children danced in the aisles and others took short naps on sacks
of birdseed. Some teens sat on the floor to play Redemption, a Bible-inspired
card game that resembles rummy. No one complained about the long wait or the
30-minute delay in the authors' appearance.
Nor did anyone in the crowd question the accuracy or the authors'
interpretation of the book of Revelations. No one raised an eyebrow as
others discussed Christ and the role the Bible plays in their lives.
"My grandmother got me reading the books," said Amanda Houshower of
Denver, a sophomore at Ephrata High School. "They make you think about what
can happen if you don't change your way of life. I mean, in the blink of an
eye, it can all be gone. I know I am doing better in school and not causing
as much trouble because of the books."
The two authors greeted each fan warmly and signed each and every
book new or used placed in front of them. They shook every hand
thrust their way and smiled politely at every flashbulb pointed in their
direction.
The pair held court in a gazebo set up in the store's garden department.
They were surrounded by images of Santa Claus, artificial Christmas trees and wreaths.
The words of Jenkins and LaHaye have had a huge impact on the publishing
world both Christian and secular according to Ron Beers, a representative
of Tyndale House who accompanied the pair on the trip.
"Selling 100,000 books makes a book a best seller. "The Mark' has
sold 2.8 million. They are bigger than Harry Potter," said Beers, referring
to the popular children's books. "Each of their books sells more than the one
before that. You cannot create a phenomenon like this.
"Stephen King only sells 1.5 million. The same for Danielle Steel."
Beers said the "Left Behind" series has opened the door for other authors and
other books with Christian themes to appeal to a mainstream audience. He said
non-Christians are reading the books for the plots, exciting action and drama.
"For a long time, there was not enough quality writing in Christian
publishing," he said. "These books put Christian fiction on a competitive
level. Their books read like John Grisham novels," Beers said.
The Wal-Mart in Ephrata was chosen as the first stop on the authors'
publicity tour because it has sold more copies of the "Left Behind" books
that any other store in the Mid-Atlantic states, according to Gordon Brandt,
store manager.
To be fair, Wal-Mart was not the first scheduled stop for the book
tour. That was to have been ABC's "Good Morning America" show Tuesday
morning, but the duo got bumped because of the unresolved presidential election.
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The "Come Together" Tour Church or Concert?
Lancaster Sunday News 11/03/02
Don't have a ticket to
Friday's sold-out "Come Together and Worship" event at the new Giant Arena in
Hershey? The next best thing would be attending the church in Franklin, Tenn.,
where "Together" headliner Michael W. Smith leads worship most Sundays.
"I'm taking what I do at my church almost every Sunday and moving it
to a bigger arena," said Smith, the reigning king of contemporary Christian
music. "Instead of 300 people, there will be 10,000. And there will be more
than just a choir, there'll be Third Day" as well as best-selling inspirational
author Max Lucado.
Smith, the winner of two Grammys and 34 Doves, recently added yet another
platinum album to his resume, "Worship," the half-namesake of his innovative
Nov. 8 presentation.
Both Smith and Third Day have been nominated for seven Dove awards by
the Gospel Music Association this year, including Artist of the Year, a title
won by Third Day in 2001, and with Group of the Year.
Their joint appearance is contemporary Christian music's equivalent of
the much-acclaimed secular concerts that teamed Elton John and Billy Joel.
"We are still working details out via e-mail and phone," Smith said
during a recent phone interview. "It is a good combination. The challenge
is doing things together. I think that most people will be pleasantly surprised.
This will not be a performance by Michael W. and Third Day. Rather, it will be
just people coming
together to worship God. I will not be singing "Friends,'" said Smith,
referring to his signature tune. "I'm not coming as an entertainer. I'm there
as a worship leader."
The pairing of the top two artists in Christian music along with Lucado,
whose books have sold more than 28 million copies, is also remarkable for the
fact that they are touring under the unprecedented sponsorship of a secular
corporation, Chevrolet.
The "Together" tour is so big that even though it is going to be held
in just 18 cities over the course of the next month, it has its very own Web
site: www. cometogetherandworshiptour.com.
Smith and Third Day are looking forward to returning to Hershey,
where both have performed before to full houses.
"I always get fired up when we have a concert there," Smith said.
"The people of that area Lancaster County have always been so supportive.
When we started to put together this tour, it was a no-brainer that Hershey
was on the list."
Tai Anderson, bass player for Third Day, said the audience will be
doing as much singing as Smith or the members of Third Day.
"This is a huge event. It's going to take five tractor-trailers to
bring everything together the lights, the sound, the video, the music
and, for lack of a better word, the magic, " Anderson said. "Everybody
will be singing. Everybody will be standing. I hope people do some cross-training
of both kinds before the show. They are going to need it. People will be on their
feet with their arms raised for the entire show."
Lancaster-based Creation Concerts, promoters of the event, said this was
its fastest-selling concert ticket in recent history.
"All 8,000-plus tickets for the Giant Arena sold out the first day. We
rearranged the staging to accommodate more seats and got 1,600 more. They
sold out right away, too," said CC representative Karen Sprengel. All tickets
were priced $25 similar to the cost of a single ticket to a Michael W. Smith,
Third Day concert, or a hardcover book by Lucado. Group tickets were sold for
$20 each. About 60 percent of the tickets went to groups.
The audience has Chevrolet to thank for the low price of the tickets,
Anderson said. The automobile manufacturer's sponsorship of the tour, which
has come under fire in the secular press, helped pay production costs.
"I think it is great that they are sponsoring the tour. It shows that
people want to align themselves with positive, family-oriented events.
Christians drive cars and spend money like anyone else," Anderson said.
"I applaud them for backing wholesome entertainment," said Lucado, a
New York Times best-selling author. "Corporate America seems to get behind
violent and immoral concerts. It's gratifying to see someone back something
the entire family can come to."
Christian Music is a ministry, but it is also a business, Smith admitted.
"I struggle with the whole money issue," he said. "It all depends on
how you look at it. Face it, it is a business. We sell records. There is the
challenge of ministry vs. commerce. But when millions of records are being
sold, you can't ignore that. Christian music is in much more healthy shape
financially than other genres. Chevrolet is just paying attention to that."
The concert appeals to many different elements in Christian entertainment.
Smith is considered an adult-contemporary artist with a lighter sound than
Third Day, which has been compared by some to the Rolling Stones. Lucado, with his
soft-spoken Texas drawl, will appeal to an even older crowd.
"This is truly family entertainment," Anderson said. "The parents will
come, and maybe even the grandparents, along with the kids. And, they are going
not to baby-sit the kids but to worship with them. Cool."
Lucado, who will do selected readings as a bridge between musical sets,
said that egos have been put on the back burner for the tour. "We're going to
let everyone applaud the celebrities the first time around and then let the
rest of the applause go up to heaven where it belongs," Lucado said. "People
are hungry. They are looking for something beyond another "pour-me-some-whiskey' song.
They want something that offers hope and promise. They'll get that and
more on this tour."
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The Highland Games Men in Skirts Flinging Telephone Poles
Lancaster Sunday News 06/22/03
Bored with SOWA - the Same Old Weekend Activities? Have a hankering
for something completely different? How about watching men in skirts throw
telephone poles?
You'll witness that and a whole lot more Saturday at the Pennsylvania
Renaissance Faire's Celtic Fling and Highland Games, a highlight of the
Faire's weekend-long Celtic Festival of music, dance and spectacle.
The games, steeped in tradition and drawing deeply from the Middle
Ages and Scotland's agricultural and military heritage, are unlike any
other competition seen in the area, according to David Stewart MacGregor
MacKenzie, a judge of the games from the Mid-Atlantic Association of Scottish
Athletics.
Where else will you see big, brawny men (as well as a few strong women)
in colorful kilts throw 56-pound stone weights as far and as high as they
can? Or, rarer yet, witness men and women in Scottish attire performing a
caber toss by carefully balancing a 19-foot log weighing about 160 pounds
before tossing it as far, and as high and as straight as possible.
"For the audience, it is very exciting. If they are of Scottish or
Celtic heritage, this is their games. This is what their people did, way
back in history, back in the Dark Ages," said MacGregor. "If the crowd is
not Scottish or Celtic, it is just as exciting because they probably have
never seen things like this before, except maybe on television."
MacGregor said 16 men and three women from throughout the Mid-Atlantic
states are expected to compete in Saturday's games. The winners will be able
to advance to the East Coast Highland Games Championships in Alexandria, Va.,
in July and may have a shot at the national championships in October.
There are seven events: Open stone throwing - similar to today's shot-put;
Braemer stone throwing - a heavier shot-put-like toss; Weights for
Distance - throwing a 56-pound weight as far as possible; Scottish Hammers -
similar to the hammer throw in track-and-field events; Caber Toss - often
called "the telephone pole toss" (caber, by the way, is Gaelic for tree);
Sheaf Toss - throwing a weighted bale of hay with an old-fashioned pitchfork
and Weight for Height - throwing a 56-pound weight as high as possible.
"Half of the events are for those who are power-lifters and require
brute strength. The other half are more like track-and-field events and
require a keen balance and other skills," MacGregor said.
"There is an 80 to 90 percent chance that there will be some records
broken - not just the field records, but American records, and maybe even
world records," MacGregor predicted, as he sized up the field of competitors.
The games' athletes come from all walks of life (but, no walk-ins are
allowed). Several are New York City police officers. Some are computer geeks.
"You don't have to be Scottish to participate, but the rules require
that you must wear a kilt. These games require skills, technique and ability.
Participants are competing for the fun of it, competing against themselves,
trying to do better than they did last time," he said.
Winners will be chosen in each of the events, and an overall winner
will be chosen by a panel composed of the only four official Highland Games
judges east of the Mississippi, including MacGregor. The victors receive
engraved swords as their trophies.
"The entire contest inclusive of the seven events has become a
sport," MacGregor said. It has been active in the United States since 1972.
In the United States alone, there are more than 100 Highland Games
and festivals, as well as in Tokyo, Mexico City and other parts around the
globe. He said upwards of 20,000 people attend the games each year in
Virginia, while more than 60,000 come to the Scottish Games competition in
North Carolina.
MacGregor said the history behind some of the events is clouded,
but he offered his own interpretation.
"The caber toss goes back to when the armies needed to cross a
stream. The men did not want to wade through the water naked under their
kilts. It was just too cold," he said, smiling.
The logs afforded them warmer, dryer fording.
The stone tosses, even the heavy 56-pounders, have agricultural
and military links.
"The most important part of the throw, particularly when they
throw the stone straight up into the air for height, is to remember
to move. If not, the result could be haggis," said MacGregor,
referring to the infamous Scottish entrιe.
Although haggis is not on the Faire menu, the 36-acre site will
abound with other Celtic-inspired foods, crafts, music and entertainment
for this occasion. That makes for a perfect Highland Games setting.
"The Renaissance Faire itself is set around the period when the
games originally began. Everybody is acting in character and wearing
period dress.
"It is a pretty congenial atmosphere. The athletes are excited
to come here," said MacGregor.
The fifth annual Celtic Fling and Highland Games' entertainment
roster will be headlined by Eileen Ivers and her seven-piece Immigrant
Soul Band. Ivers, called the "the Jimi Hendrix of violin", was the
leading instrumentalist for "Riverdance."
Nine other groups or individuals will also be offering Celtic
music in a wide variety of styles. Irish and Celtic dancers will be
competing as well as performing, with hundreds of students vying at a
variety of performance levels in many highly aerobic and intricate dances.
On the performance front, the Quittapahilla Highlanders Pipe
Band of Annville will perform Saturday in full regalia. Sunday,
multiple bagpipe bands also will compete under the auspices of the
Eastern U.S. Pipe Band Association.
Sunday's Rob Roy Epee Tournament will feature fencers from
across the region lining up for this yearly demonstration of ancient
swordsmanship. (Weekend workshops will be offered to show off the finer
points of swordplay.) There will even be border collie sheep-herding
demonstrations as well as food and craft items with a Celtic flair.
Whether performing purely for pay or for titles, this collective
army of Celtic talents is bound to capture the hearts of even those
whose only Celtic connection is the wearing of the green on St.
Patrick's Day.
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