February 13, 1997

Snake Oil Medicine Show CD slithers out
Andy Jackins
Reporter

Tomorrow night, Snake Oil Medicine Show will converge upon the Alpine Lounge to celebrate their eponymous CD release around 9 p.m.

The third week of December was spent recording the eleven track, self-titled CD produced at Chris Mitchell's Scamahama Studios in Todd. Mitchell served as chief engineer on the project while Bill Reynolds of the Blue Rags and musician/producer extraordinaire Aaron Price served as co-producers.

The band is riding a wave of self-determination, coming off a well received tour of Kentucky, a chance to play with Steve Kaufman and an album in the can. The sky is the limit for this band.

They continue to deliver their ointment of musical influences to remedy deprived dancers of their sickness at packed bars night after night. "We're the ADD band," exclaims Caroline Pond. "We could start a song in a bluegrass mode and someone will start to swing the melody a bit and from there we might meander into a bosa nova feel," adds George Pond, Snake Oil's founder.

"We play in a very American style, that pays tribute to roots music, while trying to expand upon it," remarks bass player Jay Sanders.

The genesis of Snake Oil dates back to the year 1989 in a community living space in Atlanta known as the Clubhouse, where musicians, artists and assorted freaks would congregate. Among the inhabitants was George Pond and his future wife and fiddle playing partner Caroline Bazemore.

During these formative years, George began to write songs that would turn up in the Snake Oil repertoire. He eventually coined the phrase and coaxed Caroline into breaking out her fiddle, which she had not used since her days with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. "I'm very grateful to George, he was my coach," explains Caroline.

Later, in 1993, drummer Steve Peterson entered the Clubhouse scene. He has performed with Snake Oil off and on in the last few years and has just relocated to the Boone area.

Caroline and George married and moved to Boone in the summer of 1994 with electric guitar player Andy Bartley. At the time, they were playing a similar, yet different version of Snake Oil music, with a more electric emphasis. "There are many former members of Snake Oil scattered throughout the US," explains George. "The current line-up is Snake Oil bluegrass unit number one."

Predating the days of the Clubhouse, George and his brother Andy took up their study of the guitar and banjo respectively. Upon graduating high school, Andy moved to Idaho to attend college. In 1996, he transferred to ASU and, more importantly, joined his brother on banjo.

Enter the Nashville duo of Jay Sanders on bass and Jason Krekel on mandolin, and the circle is complete. These two attended high school together in Nashville, where they both studied music under the same teacher. They would eventually move to Boone.

Both came from rich musical backgrounds. Sanders studied at Belmont University in Nashville for two years. He later entered the jazz program at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Krekel's musicianship could be attributed to his father, an established country songwriter and musician, penning songs for Patty Loveless and Crystal Gale and drumming for Jimmy Buffet during the 70s.

Krekel and Sanders both moved to Boone to continue performing music.

Sanders is probably best known for his participation and creation of Monday Night Jazz at Beanstalk. The two played in many configurations including Krekel on mandolin and Sanders on guitar, sometimes under the name Lost Dawg.

"I look for melody and tone from different types of instruments and try to emulate them on mandolin," added Krekel over the phone. During this time, the two met George and Caroline in the fall of 1995. "We kept saying, just wait until Andy gets here," said George.

Sanders would later return to Nashville to study guitar under Reggie Wooten, the older brother of Victor and Roy of The Flecktones. Then, on a hot day in June of 1996, the Pond's, including Andy, convened upon Sanders' living room with instruments in tow. Thus beginning the version of Snake Oil Medicine Show that Boone has come to know over the last eight months: George Pond on guitar and vocals, Caroline Pond on fiddle and vocals, Andy Pond on banjo and vocals, Jason Krekel on mandolin and vocals, Jay Sanders on bass, and Steve Peterson on drums.

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Vocal group sings "Yer Pleasure"
Aimee Yawn
Reporter

No other group can make notes ring like they do, generate as much excitement as they do, or make girls blush like they do. Who are they? They are called What's Yer Pleasure, and a pleasure they are indeed.

What's Yer Pleasure is a choral group at A.S.U. that originally started about 20 years ago as an outgrowth of the men's Glee Club. Some of the members of the Glee Club formed a quartet on their own, rehearsed, and then performed a song during the Glee Club concert. The group continued to grow, and ten years later adopted the name, What's Yer Pleasure. Now the group consists of eight members and is one of the biggest crowd-drawers on campus.

What's Yer Pleasure generally sings barber-shop and pop music, and performs many times throughout the year for such audiences as the chancellor and various conferences in the area. The group has also performed at the Hiddenite Center, Daniel Boone Inn, First Baptist Church, and has gone Christmas caroling around campus.

Last year, for the first time, What's Yer Pleasure split into quartets and competed in the Dixie Classics Competition, coming in first and second in the region. One quartet went on to compete at nationals coming in tenth in the nation. The group says that they would like to make the competition a yearly event.

The members of What's Yer Pleasure mainly perform, though, for the pure enjoyment of the music. Philip H. Owens, a senior from Hickory, said his favorite thing about the group was, "the overall feeling of singing with a group of guys and the excitement of the music, when it's on pitch and the chords are ringing."

Senior, Charles L. Corpening from Morganton described What's Yer Pleasure as the, "best music experience that he has ever had."

One big thing in the works for What's Yer Pleasure is the chance to sing the National Anthem at a Charlotte Hornets game. The ensemble auditioned back in the fall and is waiting to hear the results.

Next time you have an opportunity to see What's Yer Pleasure in action, seize it. It is definitely worth the trip. For more information about the group, you can check out their web page on the Internet listed under the Glee Club.

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Career Development: get a job!
Darin Glass
Staff Writer

The bottom line is that you, as an ASU student, need a direction. Well, the advisors at The Career Development Center can give you just that.

It is a really easy program that can get you anywhere you want to go with its vast resources. The center is hooked up to the Internet and has its own home page. Assistant Director of Career Development Deborah Lawrence is really excited about the progress that has been made in the department as a whole since moving into the new John Thomas Support Building.

"We have a lot more space now and with the addition of the computer lab, it has helped so much," said Lawrence on the new location.

Career Development was located in I.G. Greer and moved into the new location last November. Lawrence was concerned about the traffic on Rivers Street but has said that students are finding their way over.

Getting started begins with setting up an appointment for orientation. The orientation is only an hour and the informative session goes through resumes, interviews, jobs, career goals and life goals.

"We hope to get the students more directed toward their goal," said Lawrence.

Once you make your resume, you can send it surfing on the Net and hope to catch a wave into a job or internship. Once your resume is in the system, hundreds of companies will be looking at your resume and deciding if you are the one.

Education Recruitment Coordinator Stephen Clemente said, "We get around 2,000 hits a week on our students." The "hits" are companies which inquire about the students.

Clemente said that the center has three directives, "the resume writing directive, on campus interviewing, and the jobs data base."

Clemente is also happy about the new location and is impressed with all the new students coming in. "The whole part of last year we had 797 registered students. Just this semester we have 505 students which are registered," said Clemente.

The computer lab can be used by students anytime to work on their resumes or just to see what jobs are out there in their specific field. Graduate students are also encouraged to use the computer to see if it may benefit them.

The Career Development Center is hoping that more students will come in and take the world by storm by just signing up.

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Valentine's Day can be a cool holiday
Perrin Avent
Staff Writer

Do you ever feel like Cupid drew back his bow and shot you in the head instead of the heart?

That doesn't mean Valentine's Day has to be an invitation to the Lonely Hearts Convention held, what seems like, every year in your honor.

Don't feel like you'll be the only one in attendance, because Cupid's hits don't always equal his number of targets.

Whether he needs glasses or just a date himself, Cupid is the perfect example of someone who can find worthwhile activities to do on a single's night out.

And he's not alone. Some of Appalachian's students, who are still looking for that someone special, have found ways to take up time in the meanwhile.

"What are you going to do for Valentine's Day as a single?" After all, love may be in the air, but, to some, the smell can be sickening.

"We're going to an ‘I hate Valentine's Day party'," said Monica Glover and Kelly Henderson.

Well, if that's the way to handle the situation, why knock it? Not everyone can handle it, you know. However, having a shoulder to lean on like Brian Thompson's can help.

"I'm going to listen to a friend whine about not having a date, and then we're going to watch Woody Allen movies," said Thompson.

Others like to go for the "see no evil, hear no evil method." Stay away from the problem and you won't have a problem.

"I'm going far away from boys and hang out with my friends," said Christina Garnet.

Daniel Brown is traveling along a similar road. "Myself and my single friends are going to have a bachelor get together," Brown said.

Some prefer the stand and conquer method like when you "mac on all the men," said Alissa Frady.

And if those don't work, who says you can't help celebrate someone else's love life? If you haven't found love yet, get inspired by someone who has.

"I'm going to a friend's wedding," said Yasmine Benton. " I love her very much, and that's my Valentine's gift to her."

So don't feel like your evening's date has to be the television and some sappy, lovey dovey, that crap-doesn't-happen-in-real-life movie placed on every channel possible.

Bury your slight misfortune in fun instead of the chocolates you had to buy for yourself.

"I'm going to do what I've done for the past five years," said Audan Parks. "I'm going to sit at home and sulk in my sorrows and drown myself in my own pitiful sea of despair."

A lot can be said about self-pity being therapeutic.

Just remember this Feb. 14 that love doesn't just represent romance. That's not how the tradition started.

Express your love to all those you care about as if everyday was Valentine's Day. After a while, roses tend to die. Guess what's left?

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Outkast comes to ASU
Jeremy Ball
Assistant Features Editor

Tonight, Appalachian will be hosting one of the country's brightest, rising hip-hop stars in Legends. OutKast, the Atlanta group that is quickly putting the South back in the music industry's attention, will be playing to a sold out audience for what is certain to be one of the most exciting shows this campus has seen.

Chris G. Dinwiddle, a senior from Raleigh and the chairperson of APPS Concerts, the organization which is co-sponsoring the show with CCA (Council for Cultural Awareness), said that it took a lot of work to get OutKast on campus but that he is sure that it will be worth it.

Doors will open at 9. There will be a dance until approximately 11 with DJ Blackman, who was voted the number one d.j. in Charlotte. At about 11 the show will begin.

Those of you who were lucky enough to get tickets before they sold out were extremely fortunate.

Randy Kelly, Program Coordinator and the advisor for APPS Concerts, said that usually tickets like these would sell for much more than what APPS makes students pay.

Kelly says that is one of the advantages to seeing a show on campus. Much of what you would normally pay has already been paid for through Student Activities Fees.

This show definitely is a tribute to the effectiveness of APPS and to their continuing dedication to diversity. So, even if you couldn't catch this show, rest assured that there are bigger and better things to come.

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