IT, i \ j - Canton Public Library

SUB MASON, EDITOR
963-3131
CHRISTINA FUOCO, MUSIC WRITER
953 2130
8C(F)* Stree
BY LISA RUDY
- SPECIAL WRJTEH
When you first reach the Stage, you'll probably
find yourself inwardly moaning "Oh. no." (1 know
I did.) But if you can get past the dumpy, out-ofdate
looking outside appearances of this eat in/
takeout restaurant and deli, you just might be
pleasantly surprised.
Not that the inside is any more aesthetically
pleasing, but imagine yourself being able to accept
the fact that when this place was new (a mere 35
years ago) when yellow Formica tables and orange
vinyl-covered chairs and booths were en vogue. My
guess is, however, that even in 1958, more than a
few pair of legs stuck to those seats on a hot summer
day.
The Stage's menu features a large and interesting
enough selection, so prepare yourself for a good
read before ordering. Although this place is considered
to be a Jewish deli, hot spicy chili is offered
right along side cold borscht, and if your
leery of sinking your tooth into marinated herring
jp sour cream, you can always order a "Swankee
^|>ankee,"an innocent-looking hot dog, filled with
cheese and wrapped in bacon.
Homemade soups are a hot ticket on the menu,
and if you happen to order the matzo ball soup,
you're in for good laugh. Don't get me wrong — the
soup's great. It's just that this particular matzo
ball is one of the biggest I've seen and you're liable
to draw a crowd around your bowl.
The Stage also offers a unique selection of salads
— colorful fruit salads, tangy salads with
herring and Greek olives, and a real scar. 1 salad
called the Charlie Manos Salad Bowl that consists
of crisp lettuce topped with julienne TONGUE
(geez, how else would you slice it?), turkey and
anchovies. You, of course, get to pick the dressing.
Under the heading of "Never Too Late."
Huge ain't-get^your- moutJT-around-them sand-
ever have will be the things that will bring you
back to the stage for an encore. And the meats
used in these sandwiches are lean — you honestly
won't have to tear your sandwich apart to find the
"good" parts. Tasty potato salad or a huge plate of
fried onion rings go well with any sandwich selection.
And their rice pudding is fantastic. Cheesecake,
apple strudel, and yeah, even Jell-0 are listed
among the sweets. The guys behind the deli counr
will even whip you up a malt or an ice cream
sundae, if you wish.
It seemed as though the Stage had enough of-a
stash in their pantry to make anything. What's
more, the staff was more than accommodating. So
relax, pull up a vinyl-covered chair. And don't
worry about your legs sticking to the seat; they've
put in air conditioning since 1958.
Stage Delicatessen & Restaurant
13821 W. Nine Mile Road,
Oak Park
548-1111
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday - Saturday
There's just something truly spontaneous about
The Great Northern that leaves you on the edge of
your seat. At first glance, this place seems to harbor
all the makings of an up-north lodge with a
southwestern flair. But once you're seated and are
able to look around, you begin to get the feeling
that you've stumbled on to one of the most distinctive,
unusual restaurants around.
Surprises are everywhere in this open air, threeroom
establishment; and the Great Northern's interior
beckons you to investigate every nook and
cranny. The place is kind of like a museum. Or is
it a gymnasium 0 An Indian reservation? Maybe a
hunting lodge? It might just be a Greek coliseum.
Who knows . . .
It's hard to tell, because you'll be sitting next to
what appears to be a tree trunk and as your eyes
wander upward, you'll spot a beautiful Greek column
at the top. Fun. While you're admiring the
beautiful Navajo tapestries, lining many of the
booths and and doorways, don't be surprised if
you hear the sounds of a nearby basketball game.
The Great Northern houses an enclosed mini basketball
court for patrons interested in perfecting
their swish-shots (no one-on-one allowed).
Copper Bald Eagle chandeliers hang from the Aframe
ceiling in the main dining area; varied, original
birdhouses poke out of several different corners;
and snowshoes. birch bark kayaks, sailboats
and a larger than life hunting license make up
many of the features that make this place a constant
visual treat.
The Grtft Northsm
6199 Orchard Lake Road}
West Bloomfield
539-3290
11 a.m. to 10p.m Tuesday -
Thursday
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
1-9p.m. Sunday
S«« KATft, 10C
\ i I
Movies, Page 9C
Personals, Page 11C
MONDAY, MAY 31, 1993
Harmony:
Sometimes
Why — Dave
Dean, Kenneth
Karasek,
John Taminski
and Jeff
Pelione —
honed the
skill at
blending
their melody
and harmony
with the
groove on
stage at an
early age.
Sometimes Why has the answer
SPECIAL WRITER
With influences like The Alarm, U2, the Red Hot Chili
Peppers, The Beatles and Led Zepplin, you might
There is no looking back for the
four-member band Sometimes Why,
even though today the members
laugh about their past.
"We played a lot of shows with
our parents in the audience only because
(club owners) wouldn't let us
play otherwise," said John Taminski,
remembering when he and fellow
bandmates were too young to
perform. "It gave us a stage presence.
It was kind of a live rehearsal."
Today with the average age of the
members at 20, the band uses its
past as a foundation to construct
what they hope will be a career.
In preproduction for recording its
first release, band members hope
their alternative rock sound will appeal
to radio listeners, their main
goal.
"It's hard for local bands, not say-
ing i fiii i •ryiTrriig n ii in rim
we do have a contract, because I do
realize that many local bands have
contracts with local labels and not
so local labels, but I think with a
label behind your stuff and a producer
and studio behind your stuff,
it might be easier to get on the radio,"
Taminski said.
• STREET BEATS
Each member contributes musical
ideas, influenced by such
groupss as The Alarm, U2 and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers. Nevertheless,
the members say they examine
their musical roots which include
The Beatles and Led Zepplin for inspiration.
"From the time I can remember
this was the stuff my dad listened
to," said drummer Kenneth
Karasek, a Troy resident. "When
Dave (Dean) and I got together we
looked at our dad's record collections
and there were a lot of harmony
groups like Simon and Garfun-
harmony with the grocve and the riff
sic alternative.
"I don't want you to get the idea
that because we are into these classic
groups that we are some classic
rock band," Dean added. "It all
comes out of us differently and obviously
it's modern coming out of us."
However, it comes out, the band
discovered that the best way to write
is to simply play together and feed
off their energy, therefore developing
up to 60 songs.
"What I find is that when we jam
and come up with something it
seems to be the most energetic stuff;
the stuff with the biggest groove to
it," Dean said.
"To me, I haven't heard one that I
dislike," Karasek added, "we just
keep getting better and better and
song ideas keep coming faster and
especially now we've been learning a
lot of songs and as you can imagine
it spears everyone on."
The guitar-based songs contain
subject matter obtained from a
broad spectrum which tbe band
social, political td-ftAs," Karasek
"I've cheapened him," inteijected
Dean with a laugh.
"He was writing cheap love songs,
and I loved it," Karasek said about
Dean's work. "My first love of music
was The Beatles and it reminded us
so much of that and I was getting off
onto U2-Fresh Basething, so lately
I've been writing love songs. Dave, I
don't know what he's writing about
. . . not-so-cheap love."
Sometimes Why will perform with
Verve Pipe, Groovespoon, Majesty
Crush, The Charm Farm, Rhythm
Corps, BOP (harvey) and Black
Market at Summer Jam "93 near
Cafe Mas in Waterford, 11 a.m. to
midnight Saturday, June 5. A portion
of the proceeds will benefit the
Midwest AIDS Prevention Project.
For more information, call 666-2030
Wallflowers don't shy from stagelights
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO
STAFF WRITER
Wallflowers lead singer Jakob
The
Wallflowers:
Members include
Rami
Jaffe (from
left), Peter
Yanowitz,
Jakob Dylan
(sitting forward)
and
Tobi Miller.
Monday, May 31
With Clarenc* Gatemooth Brown. CNs«<
Bros and Motor City Blues Protect st Phoenix
Plaza Amphitheatre. Pontiac
334-1999
Tuesday, June I
DAMN TAfWtt
Ptne Knot) Music Theatre. 1-75 and Sasha
baw Road. CJarRston frock)
377-0100
Wvm s. 5756 Caas Ave Detroit (altamattve
rock)
99MUSIC
PASTY OP TNMI
The Art*. 637
BLOOMFIELD
• I Bring this ad in for... I |
i i $ 2 ° ® '
I IQJJ.
or Large Antipasto or I •
Large Greek Salad I •
I. - J
be able to take the chance of
there being resentment.
It is possible that your friend
will understand your point of
view, but the greater possibility
is that she will be hurt. My
advice is to cut thingB clean.
However, to do this you will
have to be able to handle the
fallout, most likely bad feelings.
Your call brought to mind a
problem I struggle with as a
therapist, as a friend and as
the writer of this column.
Sometimes people in need
want to confide in me. They
write letters or call on the
phone. Often, I want very much
to lend my ear one time, then
the person at the other end
comes to rely on its presence.
That misleads them because
time would not allow for it to
be available.
I solve this dilemma by setting
up clear boundaries for
myself. 1 often wish 1 could offer
more to others but I have
been in your position, not because
of difficulty with intimacy
but with time. It was painful
to disappoint people who had
come to count on my unlimited
attention and so I began to
practice prevention. For your"
sake, I hope you have learned
your lesson.
Barbara
Downtown Formiogton s
TyiCK&TTTJSTO
w/bread bosket
'4.95
23360 Farmngton W
FarTTW\gton. Ml 1313) 477-1680
v C»r«? lr Carr, Oj» 7 0*5 A
Restaurant
36000 Seven Mile
Livonia • 442-2228
M E X I C A N F I E S T A
7 Entrees 5^95
\\f D\FSDA\
The Observer/ MONDAY. MAY 31, 1993
Much to like about Branagh's 'Ado'
BY JOHN MONAGHAN
SPECIAL WRITER
Anyone who doesn't believe in
the timeleaa quality of Shakespeare
should catch "Much Ado
About Nothing," a new film adaptation
of The Bard currently at
The Maple. The infectiously jolly
story of romance and villainy in
17th-century Italy comes alive
through Kenneth Branagh's immensely
clever translation.
Branagh, who brought "Henry
V" to the screen in 1989, and reallife
wife Emma Thompson head
the cast. They play Benedick and
Beatrice, confirmed bachelor and
bachelorette, who spend all of
their time together exchanging insults.
Of course, their quick wits
only hide their paaaion for each
other.
Both are delightful. When the
two are tricked into believing that
they love each other, both drop
their spinster ways and go loopy
with love. He splashes up to his
knees in a fountain. She rocks
wildly on a tree swing. Branagh,
A sampling of what's playing at
alternative movie theaters across
metro Detroit, as reviewed by
John Monaghan.
• MAPLE THEATER
4135 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield
Hills. Call 855-9090 for show
times. ($5.75 eveningB; $2.95
twilight.)
"Like Water for Chocolate"
(Mexico — 1992). A lonely woman
puts all her energies into creating
unforgettable meals in this blend
of fantasy and drama. As with the
Danish hit "Babette's Feast," you
won't want to watch on an empty
stomach.
"Much Ado About Nothing"
(USA — 1993). Kenneth Branagh
THE WTCHJCa
AUHKSZ
Wed. ft Tksrt. 1200-300 p.*.
Sow
•LOST* rouro-
not afraid of goofing it up a bit,
melda the two images into a montage
backed by Patrick Doyle's
lilting musical score.
The great Denzel Washington
plays Prince Don Pedro, who
rides into town with his merry
man. They will rest for a month in
the pictureaque Italian villa
owned by the Prince's friend, Leonato
(Richard Briers). The visit is
filled with the usual Shakespearean
touches — mistaken
identity, verbal sparring and true
love whose course never runs
smooth.
The credit sequence sets the
happy tone, as the Prince's arrival
sends the villa into a frenzy. The
women head upstairs for primping
and new frocks, their naked
• bodies revealed tastefully by the
camera. Don Pedro's men arrive
apd strip for a cleansing swim,
enthusiastically preparing for the
revelry at hand.
With "Much Ado," Branagh
has found a medium ground with
the Shakespeare directors (Orson
delightful film adaptation of the
popular comedy. Branagh, reallife
wife Emma Thompson, Michael
Keaton, Denzel Washington
and Keanu Reeves star.
• MCHIOAN THEATER
603 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor. Call
668-8397 for information and
show times. ($5; $4 students and
senior citizens.)
"Volere Volare" (Italy — 1991),
through June 3. Maurizio Nichetti,
the director of "The Icicle
Thief," also stars as a voice artist
for cartoons who finds himself
slowly turning into an animated
character himself.
"Tous Les Matins Du Monde"
(France — 1992), through June
ears ana ey
Corneau.
MOVIES
Welles and Laurence Olivier
among them) who preceded him.
He employs a bankable cast, an
appealing visual style and juat
enough reverence to the source so
that English majors won't picket
the theater.
Branagh's aim to please sometimes
goes astray, which isn't surprising
with all the personalities
at work.
SCREEN SCENE
A feast for-the--
"I am a man of few words," says
Keanu Reeves as Don Pedro's
half brother, and we're glad of it.
Reeves, who butchered an English
accent in "Bram Stoker's
Dracula," is best seen and not
heard. He slinks around effectively
as the sharp-bearded evildoer
who sets young lovers Claudio
and Hero (Robert Sean Leonard
and Kate Beckinsale, both quite
good) at odds on their wedding
day.
"The Match Factory Girl" (Finland
— 1989), June 4-11. Director
Aki Kaurismaki before his international
acclaim with "Ariel" and
"Leningrad Cowboys." This time
the focus is on a young girl
weighed down by her tedious job
and dysfunctional family.
"Like Water for Chocolate"
(Mexico — 1992). A lonely woman
puts all har energies into creating
unforgettable meals in this blend
of fantasy and drama. As with the
Danish hit "Babette's Feast," you
won't want to watch on an empty
stomach.
• STAR JOHN R
32289 John R (at 14 Mile), Madi-
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