Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 60

Australian singer-songwriter Grant McLennan is ready for an American success with his new solo album. Mike Duffy says A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman," tonight at 10 on NBC, is one of the funniest hours of television in recent memory. -3 A Regular U.S. Grant mer. A couple of crucial members are missing, most notably Andrew Strong, who played the group's loutish but inspired lead singer Deco Cuffe.

The current Commitments play tonight at Industry, 15 S. Saginaw, Pontiac. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18. Call 1-810-334-1999 anytime.

DETROITER DON WAS (Fagenson) is staying high profile as one of rock's most popular producers. He's currently working on a new Highwaymen album, plus live records for the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt, but a couple of other alumni of the band Was (Not Was) are ready to make some noise. Guitarist Randy Jacobs and keyboardist Louis Resto have formed the band Gadda Da Vida named after the Iron Butterfly opus along with bassist Brad Johnson and drummer Bobby Meyers, both from the Detroit band Reckless Youth. The group's demo tape bears out Jacobs' description of its music as "David Bowie meets Cream meets R.E.M." heavy rock 'n' roll but with a minimum of small bands of dedicated fans he's cultivated since the Go-Betweens days, but he's perfectly. happy to be the hot newcomer.

"I certainly wouldn't turn down being presented a Grammy from Whitney Houston for Best New Artist of the year," he says. "I'd have a big smile on my face." McLennan performs at 8 p.m. Thursday at Shadowbox, 2917 Trout-bridge, Hamtramck. $2. Call 1-313-873-2233 anytime.

When The Film "The Commitments" was released in 1991 along with a hit sound track the actormusicians who portrayed the fictional Irish soul bands were expected to go on to bright careers of their own. Those never panned out, but three of them are still committed to the Commitments. The current incarnation of the group now on tour includes singer Robert Arkins, who played the band's manager in the movie, bassist Kenneth McCluskey, and Dick Massey, who played the Commitments' roadie-turned-drum by Gary Graff Free Prtfes Music Writer Notes from the music beat Mfter almost two decades of building a cult following on these shores most of them in the band the Go-Betweens Australian singer-songwriter Grant McLennan has come to one conclusion about the United States. "America loves to be involved," says McLennan. So he made sure to involve America on his third solo release, the magnificent "Horsebreaker Star." McLennan journeyed to Athens, where he recorded the album with American musicians chosen by producer John Keane, whose credits include R.E.M.

and the Indigo Girls. McLennan, 36, calls the endeavor "purely adventure" and acknowledges some trepidation as he packed his guitars for the trip. But he knew he had the goods 30 songs that "if I took them anywhere, from Nepal to Ecuador to Athens, you could play them. I'm not quite Captain Beefheart." After Go-Betweens, Grant McLennan takes on America And he says the musicians including singer Syd Straw on 10 of the 18 tracks were quicker to grasp what he was after than their Australian or British counterparts. "American musicians in general kind of understand the form pop and rock better than anyone else," he explains.

"If you take a simple song and say 'it's got a country feel to it' or 'it's like Creedence' Americans in general go 'Yeah, You don't have to do too much preparation or set the scene too much. "And it's kind of hard in London to get a good pedal steel player." With the burgeoning radio format of album adult alternative that his songs are most suited to, McLennan hopes "Horsebreaker Star" will be his big break in the States. He loves the Delp from the first three albums, and Delp soundalike Fran Cosmo from last year's "Walk On." Apparently, Delp has decided that Boston's prospects are better than RTZ's, the band he was with when "Walk On" was recorded. The group plays May 28 at Pine Knob. Listen to Gary Graffs "Rock Roll Insider" report at 8:35 a.m.

Thursdays on WRIF-FM (101.1). i excess and a decidedly modern dynamic. Gadda Da Vida hopes to showcase for record labels during a trip back to Detroit in late April, which will include a performance at the Motor City Music Awards April 28 at the State Theatre. FOR THE CURIOUS, Boston's upcoming tour the group's first since 1987 will feature two lead singers, Brad The country-tinged "Wiser Time" one of the strongest compositions from the Crowes' new album, "Amor-ica" was an in-concert delight, while a lengthened introduction to "Black Moon Creeping" gave that song a furious liftoff. And the Dirty Dozen Brass Band horns provided extra punch on the Crowes' renditions of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" and B.B.

King's "Woke Up This Morning." Tickets are still available for tonight's Crowes show at the Fox. At the State, the pairing of Toad and Hootie proved to be as inspired onstage as it was on paper. With Hootie one of the hottest bands of the moment, there was the risk of the opening act overshadowing the headliner and it was clear that much of the State crowd was there to see the Blowfish. But the two bands, which have become good friends during their tour, Heart-pounding shows from Black Crowes, Hootie BY GARY GRAFF Free Press Music Critic A couple of twentysomethings walked down Woodward on Tuesday night. One pointed to the State Theatre, where Toad the Wet Sprocket and Hootie the Blowfish held forth before a sold-out crowd.

The other nodded towards the Fox Theatre, where the Black Crowes and Dirty Dozen Brass Band rattled a few eardrums during the first of a two-night stand. "This place is rockin'," said one friend to the other. Detroit's theater district was indeed lit up Tuesday. And between the various bands, there were probably more hits on that block than at the Red Wings game down at Joe Louis Arena. At the Fox, the Crowes faced the tough prospect of topping the standard set by a surprise gig last December at Millie Jackson's play gives an old story a personal twist turned Tuesday's show into a display of musical fellowship.

Toad members Dean Dinning and Glenn Phillips played keyboard, mandolin and guitar during songs such as "Running from an Angel," "Let Her Cry" and "Drowning." The Hootie boys returned the favor during Toad's set, popping up During "Crowing," "The Nightingale Song," "Walk in the Ocean" and "Take These Things for Granted." Still, it was Hootie's night which does not reflect poorly on Toad. This was Hootie's first performance in Detroit, and the quartet hit town with its popularity on an upswing. Its hour-long set, capped by the hit "Hold My Hand," won over the already friendly crowd which was singing along to even the non-hits and should ensure a welcome return this summer. Free Press entertainment editor Leesa Bainbridge contributed to this story. Life That's what it's all about," Jackson said.

"A young man is just an alternative down the line as she's tak-' ing her life back." Although it's couched in explicit language at times, the play has a serious side. Jackson spends some time exhorting women to take control of their lives. "The play is more fulfilling because when I'm doing a concert, it's entertainment," Jackson said. "In the play, a lot of people take you more seriously. We have a subliminal message there." There is also an autobiographical element.

"I'm dating a younger man," Jackson said. "When you get my age you have no choice; everything is younger than you. That's what's available. Anybody 50 is not available because they're married and I don't mess around with married men. The ones not married, there's a reason they're not married." bands, 6 p.m.

the Ritz, lO'a at Gratiot, Roseville. 1-810-778-6404. "LOVE LETTERS," 8 p.m. at the Earl D.A. Smith Theatre at University of Detroit Mercy, Livernois at McNichols.

1-313- 933-1130. By Janet Josaitis Black Uhuru performs at the Majestic in Detroit at 8 tonight. improv Oscars Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange. about losing my looks. What can you do? It's always a trade-off." Missing from Lange's side was her longtime companion, playwright and actor Sam Shepard.

"Sam never comes to these events," she said. RATINGS UP: ABC estimates that seven million more viewers than last year saw the Oscar show. ABC said 81 million viewers saw some or all of the telecast of the 67th Annual Academy Awards presentation. The ratings in the 32 overnight Nielsen markets show that the show scored 37.3 rating and a 57 share of the viewing audience. This is up 4 percent over last year's average.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter," "D-Day Remembered," "Freedom on My Mind," "A Great Day in Harlem," "Maya Lin: A Strong Vision." DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT: "Blues Highway," "89MM OD Europy (89MM From Europe," "School of the Americas Assassins," "Straight From the Heart," "A Time for Justice." FILM EDITING: "Forrest Gump," "Hoop Dreams," "Pulp Fiction," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Speed." MAKEUP: "Ed Wood," "Forrest Gump," "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein." MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE: Alan Silvestri, "Forrest Elliot Goldenthal, "Interview with the Hans Zimmer, "The Lion Thomas Newman, "Little Thomas Newman, "The Shawshank Redemption." MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG: "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," "The Lion "Circle of Life," "The Lion "Hakuna Matata," "The Lion "Look What Love has Done," "Make Up Your Mind," "The Paper." ANIMATED SHORT FILM: "The Big Story," "Bob's Birthday," "The Janitor," "The Monk and the Fish," "Triangle." LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life," "Kangaroo Court," "On Hope," "Syrup," "Trevor." (tie) SOUND: "Clear and Present Danger," "Forrest Gump," "Legends of the Fall," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Speed." SOUND EFFECTS EDITING: "Clear and Present Danger," "Forrest Gump," "Speed." VISUAL EFFECTS: "Forrest Gump," "The Mask," True Lies." Other Awards HONORARY AWARD: Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni for lifetime achievement. IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD: Clint Eastwood, for a consistently high quality of motion picture production. JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD: Quincy Jones. TECHNICAL AWARD OF MERIT: Eastman Kodak Co.

for the development of the Eastman EXR Color Intermediate Film 5244. TECHNICAL AWARD OF MERIT: Petro Vlahos and Paul Vlahos for the conception and development of the Ultimatte Electronic Blue Screen Compositing Process. More on Oscars. Pagk l6D. Lge adds life to Some of the best moments from Monday night's Oscar show happened backstage, where a tent full of reporters vie to question the stars.

Here's a roundup of Free Press wire reports: Tom Hanks Was Asked about the message of "Forrest Gump." "1 think it would be kind of cheesy proselytizing for me to stand here and say, 'This is a movie that says you gotta respect your mom and you can't tell said the winner of back-to-back best actor Oscars. 'Forrest Gump' doesn't operate on that sort of fashion." When You Look Like Jessica Lance, it seems disingenuous to say that beauty hasn't always worked in your favor. But Lange, winner of the Best Actress Oscar for "Blue Sky," swears it's true. "There was a period of time where I was so worried about being taken seriously because of my looks," she said backstage. "Then, once I was taken seriously, I worried They Took Home Oscars Here's a complete list of the Oscar winners from Monday night's Academy awards.

Winners are in bold. PICTURE: "Forrest Gump," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Pulp Fiction," "Quiz Show," "The Shawshank Redemption." ACTOR: Morgan Freeman, "The Shawshank Tom Hanks, "Forrest Nigel Hawthorne, "The Madness of King Paul Newman, "Nobody's John Travolta, "Pulp Fiction." ACTRESS: Jodie Foster, Jessica Lange, "Blue Miranda Richardson, "Tom Winona Ryder, "Little Susan Sarandon, "The Client." SUPPORTING ACTOR: Samuel L. Jackson, "Pulp Martin Landau, "Ed Chazz Palminteri, "Bullets Over Paul Scofield, "Quiz Gary Sinise, "Forrest Gump." SUPPORTINC ACTRESS: Rosemary Harris, "Tom Helen Mirren, "The Madness of King Uma Thurman, "Pulp Jennifer Tilly, "Bullets Over Dianne Wiest, "Bullets Over Broadway." DIRECTOR: Woody Allen, "Bullets Over Robert Zemeckis, "Forrest Quentin Tarantino, "Pulp Robert Redford, "Quiz Krzysztof Kieslowski, "Red." ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath, "Bullets Over Richard Curtis, "Four Weddings and a Frances Walsh and Peter Jackson, "Heavenly Quentin Tarantino and Roger A vary, "Pulp Krzysztof Piesiewicz and Krzysztof Kieslowski, "Red." ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Eric Roth, "Forrest Alan Bennett, "The Madness of King Robert Benton, "Nobody's Paul Attanasio, "Quiz Frank Darabont, "The Shawshank Redemption." FOREICN FILM: "Before the Rain," Macedonia; "Burnt by the Sun," Russia; "Eat Drink Man Woman," Taiwan; "Farinelli: II Castrato," Belgium; "Strawberry and Chocolate," Cuba. ART DIRECTION: "Bullets Over Broadway," "Forrest Gump," "Interview with the Vampire," "Legends of the Fall," "The Madness of King George." CINEMATOGRAPHY: "Forrest Gump," "Legends of the Fall," "Red," "The Shawshank Redemption," "Wyatt Earp." COSTUME DESIGN: "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," "Bullets Over Broadway," "Little Women," "Maverick," "Queen Margot." DacKsta a the even more intimate St. Andrew's Hall.

No problem there; the seven-piece group which includes Detroit-er Eddie Harsch on keyboards played two hours' worth of expansive, if painfully loud, rock 'n' roll of the foot-stomping, fist-waving variety. Despite a carnival-like stage set and a pixie-dust throwing devil, the Crowes kept their focus on the music. After a fiery opening set of "Thick 'n' Thin," "Sting Me" and "A Conspiracy," the group settled in, drawing its songs into long, winding but seldom indulgent jams. The unreleased "Exit" cruised along a raw, molten groove that had the Fox balcony shaking. But "My Morning Song" was the tour de force, a nearly 20-minute rendition that featured a sumptuous slide guitar solo by Rich Robinson followed by his brother Chris' vocal windup into the final chorus.

Millie Jackson: A serious message. a dare in 1964. Her soulful voice and frank manner have carved her a niche that sustains her to this day. Songs such as "It Hurts So Good," "If Loving You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right" and the duet with Elton John, "Act of War Part One" have THE MlMIUHMr 7:30 p.m. at the State Theatre, 2115 Woodward.

Ticketmaster or 1-313-961-5450. BEAUSOLEIL, Cajun band led by fiddler-vocalist kichael Doucet, 7:30 9:30 p.m. the Ark, 637 S. Main, Ann Arbor. 1-313-763-8587.

SUPERGRASS, with Ethos, Jaks, doors open 8 p.m. in the Shelter at St. Andrew's Hal, 431 E. Congress. 1-313-961-MELT.

NICHOLAS PAYT0N QUARTET, with Blue Dog, 9:30 p.m. the Majestic, 4140 Woodward. Ticketmaster or 1-313-833-9700. THUNDERHARP CHOIR, CD release party, 7:30 p.m. Magic Bag Theatre, 22918 Woodward, Ferndale.

1-810-544-3030. CHARLIE GABRIEL 1 FRIENDS, free jazz concert series, p.m. at Tel-Twelve Mall in the center's Restaurants on Main Street food court, Southfield. 1-810-353-4111. PIANIST STEPHEN SCOTT, 9 11:30 p.m.

through Fri. at the SerenGeti Ballroom, 2957 Woodward. 1-313-832-3010. JEWEL, 9 p.m. at Brazil, 305 S.

Main, Royal Oak. 1-810-399-7200. THE RAM0 GROUP, with drumm; Roy 'Young Man, Older Woman' Masonic Temple Theatre, 500 Temple 1-313-832-2232, 103 Monday-Friday. 8 p.m. 3 p.m.

and 8 p.m. Sun. Tickets from $1 7.50 to $27.50 made her one of the most enduring artists around. "Young Man, Older Woman" was conceived of as a onetime event to publicize Jackson's album of the same name. It took off and is still touring three years later.

The plot centers on Jackson's character, who marries a less-than-faithful man. She consoles herself with food and puts on about 200 pounds. Eventually she loses the weight and her husband. The strain of the breakup causes her to see a psychiatrist. As part of her healing, she ends up with a younger man.

The whole thing is narrated by actor Stephan Curtis, who plays a drag queen with long blond hair. "It should be called 'Taking Your LIST! SEE Brooks, 7:30 p.m. at the Phoenicia, 588 N. Woodward, Birmingham. 1-810-644-3122.

MUTHAS ALCOHOLIC CH0WDAH, with William Penn, Chris Moore, 9 p.m. 3-D, 1815 N. Main, Royal Oak. 1-810-589-3344. DISTORTED VIEW, plus many other local BY LARRY GABRIEL Free Press Staff Writer Theatrics have lways been a part of singer Millie Jackson's During a concert a few years ago at Chene Park, she came off stage and asked a man if he wanted to touch her body.

She then walked along the front row feeling men's crotches. "You have to do things according to your lyrics," said Jackson, the undisputed queen of risque "The name of the song I was doing is 'Something I Can so I was trying to find something I can feel." Jackson plans to stay onstage when her musical comedy, "Young Man, Older Woman," hits the Masonic Temple Theatre today through Sunday. Not that Jackson, 50, has given up the sassy ways that have been her stock-in-trade since she started her showbiz career by jumping onstage on Today BLACK UHURU, with Omowale Afrikan Dancing featuring Sundiata Keita, doors open 8 p.m. at the Majestic, 4140 Woodward. Ticketmaster or 1-313-833-9700.

THE BLACK CROWES, with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward. Ticketmaster or 1-313-396-7600. SOMETIMES WHY, the Blanks, King Kool Flipped, 9 p.m. at Magic Bag Theatre, 22918 Woodward, Ferndale.

1-810-544-3030. "THE LOVELY LEIBOWITZ SISTERS," opens 7:30 p.m. at the Gem Theatre, 58 E. Columbia. Ticketmaster or 1-313-963-9800.

"ED WOOD," 7:30 p.m. at the Magic Bag Theatre, 22918 Woodward, Ferndale. 1-810-544-3030. "THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG," final performances at 1 8 p.m., Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd.

1-313-872-1000. Thursday SHERYl CROW, with Freedi Johnston, Yl VlC.