Sioux City Journal from Sioux City, Iowa • 10

Inly, The Sioux City Journal Friday, Nov. 6, 1 992page A1 0 Success brings new respect for Warrant yJoanBundy Journal staff writer rF3 I 1 1 1 1 II li They once called themselves, ''7 Who: Warrant, with ToraTora and Lynch Mob When: 7 p.m. Wednesday Where: Municipal Auditorium Tickets: Call (712) 279-4850. "(-! Hi: if hfr I it i 'i i. I dill ML 4t iUh a i 1 it "The Horniest Band in the World." Today, Warrant boasts two double-platinum selling albums and a third that's gone gold in two months.

The group has come a long way from its humble beginnings, having gotten its start in the Los Angeles club scene in the mid-'80s. Warrant gained notoriety by posting fliers advertising the band, the performance site and date and featuring members in sexually suggestive poses. While such sexually suggestive materials were created "just for fun," says guitarist Erik Turner, now 28, "it kind of still comes up and haunts us a little bit." Indeed, the band's sex-crazed image pops out even today. For example, USA Today's review of Warrant's most recent album, "Dog Eat Dog" (Aug. 27, 1992) refers to the title hit of its 1980 album, "Cherry Pie," as "proudly sexist." Retorts Turner: "You can't judge a band by one song give me a break." In a way, he may be right.

The band's just-released album, in particular, eschews "party-hardy" stereotypes that long have clung to the band. Songs such as "April 2031" a dismal vision about what the world could be like "if we don't take care of our planet," says Turner and "Andy Warhol Was Right," a commentary on people obsessed with celebrities, provide variety amongst the band's usual sex-and-violence fare. "(There's) just a little bit of sex and violence on this record The lyrics are a little bit deeper, I think," says Turner. Regardless, the critics' damnings of past productions haven't hurt sales or chart play in the least. "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" went double-platinum; "Cherry Pie" did, too; "Dog Eat Dog" already has reaped a gold.

Singles such as ill! li Mill. Sledge Mug "Down Boys," "Heaven" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" have been splashed all over airwaves and TV screens. "We're not rich, but we're not poor," says Turner. But Turner insists that making money isn't the band's main purpose. "It's not really about record sales all that's great, (but) it's really about playing live and putting on a great show." The band continues to show its selflessness by maintaining a practice begun during its "Blood, Sweat Beers" tour: lowering ticket prices to make its concerts more accessible to the masses.

"We just want people to come out to our shows and have a good time and have some money left over to buy some beer," says Turner. Talking with Turner, one might assume that the lifestyle of a rock star truly is nothing but "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll." He predicts Warrant's Sioux City performance on Nov. 11 will be "a backyard party from hell an 'X' -rated Disneyland (borrowing a line from one of the songs on the group's new album)." Those who have seen Warrant perform in Sioux City before may be familiar with the band's brand of unbridled hedonism, but they will experience some unfamiliar delights as well. Tora Tora and Lynch Mob are opening for the band for the first time, and an all-new stage set will offer unique visual pleasures, such as star lights, moving light trusses and explosions. "It's like Christmas," Turner declares.

v. Warrant will use its license to rock Wednesday at the Sioux City Municipal Auditorium. Band members include, from left: Steven Sweet, Jerry Dixon, Jani Lane, Erik Turner and Joey Allen. The man with the melon. The king of the sledgehammer.

Whatever the title, comedian Gallagher wears it proudly. Known for a wacky sense of humor, he has distinguished himself as one of the messiest comics around. Saturday night, he brings his show to the Municipal Auditorium. For those In the front rows, raincoats are musts. For everyone else? A desire to laugh.

Showtime is 8 p.m. But Turner says he isn't complaining. After Warrant completes its nationwide tour, it's off to such foreign lands as Japan, Australia, Mexico the group has a limited engagement with Ozzy Osbourne in Mexico City and Canada. "We're working," says Turner. "There is no set schedule in this business.

But it's the best life in the world." but they haven't sold out" like the 16-month U.S. tour following the release of "Cherry Pie," Turner says. He would like the band to tour for 16 months like it did then, but only time will tell. "A lot of bands can't afford to stay out on the road they're just canceling tours left and right," he says. "It's just the market concert business is down just like everything's down." Speaking of Christmas, the perfect Christmas gift for Turner would be another double-platinum album.

"Give the gift of music," he quips. Warrant will be promoting its newest album until Christmas it spent October touring Europe with the "Monsters of Rock" bunch and has been touring the United States since then. Unfortunately, the band hadn't yet had a sold-out show as of early last week. "Ticket sales have been good, Former KTIV anchorman enjoys life as professor I 1 'J "ZZ I I ')' i ns fix, fJ I if I i 7 jf -V- 1 jl. 1 The demands on Dave Nixon are different these munity College, Estherville.

Nixon left a long career in days as he relishes the role of instructor and adviser to broadcasting, including the evening anchor spot at broadcast communication majors at Iowa Lakes Com- KTIV-Channel 4. his news director son was anything I needed it was to learn teaching methods." Nixon felt not a twinge of regret when he left KTIV two years ago and headed for Iowa Lakes where he helped open the school's broadcasting program. In fact throughout graduate school, he couldn't wait to leave the anchor chair and move into the classroom. Comfortable in his new role, he is "Dave" to most students, "Dr. Nixon" to some.

(Nontraditional students tend to be more formal, he says.) The instructor guides students through a curriculum of shooting, editing and writing news, with a number of supporting courses included for well-roundedness. Hands-on experience is at the heart of the program. Each morning, students produce a program at the college's radio station. By 3 p.m., they're taping a student TV news program that runs on cable TV at 6:30 p.m. Nixon's high profile doesn't hurt when it comes to getting his students involved in covering area news figures and placing them in required internships.

Some of the students will go on to a four-year college or a university; some expect to be employed after they complete the two-year program. All of them are treated to Nixon's personal accounts of the pressure and joys of the news business. The stories are effective teaching aids, says the teacher. "Your mind is really a computer and all this stuff is stored back there. You forget about it until something in class triggers a story.

I have a lot of good memories to turn to a lot of funny stories. They help me make a point." Memories are nice, but thoughts of unforgiving deadlines and the stress of the news business make Nixon appreciate the life of a teacher. Generally, he can go home and spend the evening with his wife, Judy a high school librarian. He can enjoy the rewards of teaching and look forward to refueling during vacation breaks. "And now I can kick back at night and watch the news.

But you know there are times when my wife and I are sitting in our living room and the strangest feeling conies over mc. I suddenly feel that there's a deadline coming and I should be doing the news." By Marcla Poole Journal staff writer After 17 years of anchoring TV news in Siouxland, Dave Nixon is sitting on the other side of the screen. Does he miss the so-called glamour of Siouxland celebrity? Not a bit. These days he's discovering a particularly meaningful role as teacher and mentor to broadcast media students at Iowa Lakes Community JTollege in Estherville. "Every day I go to class, I get a "kick from seeing a student progressing a fire being lit.

The students are excited about what they're doing. And that's very exciting for mc," says Nixon of his 43 community college majors. The excitement comes after years of working in the broadcast industry all the while teaching tugging at his heart. "I fantasized about teaching throughout my broadcasting years. At one point I even thought about starting a broadcasting school of my own," says the former KTIV evening anchor.

Viewers may have been surprised when Nixon walked away from the plum spot on Siouxland's No.l-rated news show. But the decision to leave lws anything but hasty. Since his student days at Brown Institute of Broadcasting in Minneapolis, the Dakota City native had been drawn Jo teaching. "In the '50s, Brown was the only so-called announcing school in the Midwest. If you asked somebody where to learn broadcasting, they'd say Brown.

There weren't mass communications departments at the colleges and universities like there arc now." "At Brown I discovered that being a good broadcaster a good voice is not something you are born with it's something you develop. And from an instructor's standpoint, it's teachable." Power of teaching Among his learning experiences was watching another student with a most unlikely broadcasting voice become the star student. The influence of a good instructor and the student's drive worked near miracles. "That made such an impression on me about the importance of good teaching." As Nixon plunged into broadcasting, he found success first in radio, then in television news. By the '70s, he became convinced that forward movement demanded a bachelor's degree.

As the evening anchor at KCAU, he took advantage of his employer's tuition assistance program and enrolled in Briar Cliff College as a part-time student, majoring in mass communications. The experience was enriching. "Having the broadcasting experience, being a non-traditional student really brought my general education classes alive. I got so much more out of courses like sociology at that point in my life." By the time he completed a bachelor's degree in 1986, Nixon had left KCAU, worked at WHO in Des Moines and returned to Sioux City to anchor at KTIV. His interest in teaching became stronger than ever, but he faced the dilemma of how to combine his love of broadcasting with his interest in teaching.

"A lot of people questioned my sanity when I decided to go to graduate school at USD (University of South Dakota, Vermillion). But I was a highly motivated student and as a graduate teaching assistant, I had an opportunity to see if I'd really be happy making the transition to teaching." Lighting fires In teaching, Nixon found greater fulfillment than he'd dreamed of. Yes, it was a "kick" to help light fires. But the real revelation was how much the instructor learned each day preparing and teaching classes. "I was fascinated by the whole process of teaching and learning," he says.

"That's when I became absolutely convinced that moving toward teaching was the right decision for me." Nixon completed his master's, taking and teaching courses during the day. reporting for work in time to do the 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts. With a commitment to a future in teaching, he enrolled in a doctoral program in education. The training, he says, was the logical complement to his broadcasting know-how: He needed to learn how to teach.

"I looked around and became aware that some college teachers have no training in teaching If there Leaving Siouxland was healthy for the younger Nixon's ego and his professional growth. In his 12 years away, he worked in the Des Moines market, went to college in Mankato, landed his first management position at a Missoula, station, then returned to Mankato as news director. lie established his identity as Dave Nixon the newsman and shed his image as Dave Nixon's son. His achievements, his shortcomings were all his own. "At this point coming back, it's really not a big deal if somebody calls me Maturity brings you a long way.

Any concerns that I had in that respect are better managed with age," says the 34-year-old. With the departure of News Director Bryan Brosamle this summer came another opportunity this one worked for Nixon and his family. The dad issue was not a factor in his decision to return to Siouxland. "Dad had been gone (from KTIV) for more than a year. And I'm really so much more comfortable with myself.

Now the whole (Dad) thing is actually kind of funny." The younger Nixon laughs when viewers voice their disappointment that he's not on-camcra talent. Mixing management responsibilities with on-air duties, he says, would dilute performance in both areas. "I've done that before and it is simply too much to do well." When Dave Nixon's elder son broke into broadcasting in Sioux City more than a decade ago, he acquired the nickname "Junior." The moniker wasn't accurate. Though the younger Nixon's first name is Dave, his middle name is different from his father's. But what choice did colleagues have at KTIV where the Nixons worked together in the early '80s? They had to have some way of distinguishing father from son.

"I understand why I was called but I hated that name. I never knew how much it bothered me until I left the market," says the younger Nixon who returned to KTIV in September as news director. Comparisons didn't come from his father. On the contrary, the older Nixon "prided" himself on neither discouraging nor pushing his elder son to follow his professional lead. In fact, when the younger Nixon decided to enroll in Brown Institute of Broadcasting after graduating from Heelan High School, his father made clear the stresses of the business.

His only real directive, however, was to do "something well and something that makes you happy." Still, returning to Sioux City and working with his father, a firmly entrenched broadcasting figure, created pressure. "It wasn't until I left Sioux City that I realized just how much of an impact working with Dad in the same market had made on me." i.