Pittsburg State University - Kanza Yearbook (Pittsburg, KS)

Page 29 text:

Springsteen, He shared the spotlight with guitarist Steve Davis. During numbers such as So You Want to Be a Rock and Roil Star, the audience went into an uproar as Davis used the microphone stand to fret his guitar, and made it sound like different instruments by switching hand positions. At times the two guitarists bent toward each other, playing hard driving rock, and almost challenging each other to do their best. Bass player Norman Dahlor helped out on vocals for some songs. Hoad played keyboards for some songs, including a cut of the album, “Homegrown,” number one on the charts in Kansas City for a few weeks before Christmas. Most of the band’s numbers were originals, such as “Sqeeze Me Back in Your Life” and Wanna Get Ver- tical.” Pat Tomek’s drum solo fascinated the crowd, as he ended by throwing a drum stick across the stage. Hoad, playing the keyboards, yelled out, “You guys are a noisy bunch.” To the answering yell from the crowd, he called, I love it!” The applause after the final number, Devil With a Blue Dress On,” brought the band back for two en- cores. The crowd stomped and clapped for the first return, and the roar was almost deafening as Hoad called, You guys are tremendous. Thank you!” At the second return, he yelled, Get out of your chairs and raise hell!” He followed his own advice, jumping up on the keyboard and finishing up with grandstand theatricals. They finally left the stage at a quarter till 10, as a girl in the front row grabbed at their legs. Hoad commented, We like playing to audiences just like this. When the crowd looks like they’re having a good time, it gets the band rocking.” His comment was echoed by Charles Waltz, blond keyboard player of Shooting Star. He said, I’ve been kind of down and out all day, kinda had the blues. Once we got on stage, the crowd was going nuts, and it really picked me up.” Due to technical problems with the lights before their set, they started playing at about 10:30, to an audience that was really fired up. Friends had been conversing in a low roar, and looking unsuccessfully for a seat, when suddenly the lights went out. Lights flashed on a rotating mirror ball, sending rays of light darting about the room, as an old Walt Disney recording of “When You Wish Upon A Star” played on stage. Suddenly the stage broke into light and sound as the powerful six man band started off with Don’t Stop Now,” a cut from their first album. Before the end of the song, the crowd was on its feet, immersed in the music of Shooting Star. The next number, You’ve Got What i Need,” emphasized the keyboard playing of Charles Waltz and Bill Guffey. Songwriters Van McLain and Gary West led with strong, weil-blended vocals. McLain played fierce guitar solos directly to the people crowding the stage, to the enthusiastic response of people ready to GET DOWN. West switched from guitar to piano to accompany his vocals. The lights went down again, and gradually keyboard music built up. Waltz’s blond head was all that could be seen in the dim light, providing a IN THE HAZE OF RED LIGHT, Charles Waltz sets the mood for the audience as he plays his violin.—photo by Dot Koehler focus as the music built to a crescendo and exploded into light again. Throughout the concert, he switched from violin to piano, adding vocals when needed. As he got into the music, his black-and-white striped jacket came off, revealing a bright yellow shirt. Drummer Steve Thomas and Ron Verlin, bassist, provided an important part of Shooting Star’s sound, but the flamboyant antics of the others overshadowed their contributions. Shooting Star has been a group as it is now for two and a half years, Waltz said. He was one of the last members to join the current band. Waltz said, “The only problem with people dancing (in the aisles) is that we’re not really a dance band. For us it’s more fun when it’s crowded and people focus on us.” He got his wish that Friday night. When Sullivan told McLain that they were 30 short of a sell-out, the musician laughed and commented, How could you pack any more in here?” McLain summed up the evening for everyone, from the bands to the audience, to concert sponsors. “We had a great turn-out!” he said.—by Olive Sullivan Shooting Star—25

Page 28 text:

Two Kansas City bands, Secrets, and Shooting Star, combined at the Tower Ballroom January 23 to bring almost 1,000 people to a fever pitch. As people began arriving, an- ticipation grew. More and more people crowded in, to the amazement and delight of the concert co- sponsors SUB and KMRJ-KSEK, Latecomers found themselves standing in the back of the ballroom or sitting on the floor right in front of the stage. Throughout the evening, people milled around, looking un- successfully for somewhere to sit. Mike Sullivan, SUB director, said that they were within 30 people of a sell-out crowd, but it would have slap been hard to envision fitting even 10 more people in the Tower that Friday night. The concert was delayed for a half hour due to a grass fire in the south parking lot which blew up one car, belonging to Secret’s lead singer Brent Hoad, and damaged the engine of another. It created some ex- citement as members of the audience rushed out to make sure their car was not the one. At last, Secrets took the stage shouting “We are Secrets; let’s rock!” Hoad, dressed in black shirt, jeans, and white tennis shoes, burst into their first song, “She’s Alright to Me,” and the band kept right on rocking to the end of the set. Their driving rhyth- m got hands to clapping and feet to tapping. Some people found themselves enjoying the Secrets more than the main attraction. One student commented, I’ve heard that Shooting Star is good, but Secrets is the band to watch.” They made good the promise. Hoad took command of the stage with impulsive movements, hard guitar playing, and vocals that sometimes resembled Bruce ROCKING THE NIGHT AWAY with one of their many hits, Van McLain sings lead as Charles Waltz and Gary West back him up.— photo by Dot Koehler 24—Shooting Star

Page 30 text:

Students support themselves Attending college is expensive these days, and students who don’t get financial backing from their parents have to depend on grants, loans, or their personal income to make it through. Some students support themselves through school by having a full or part-time job on the side. “I didn’t want to take out any loans with the school and have to owe money,” said Jody Ewers, Baxter Springs junior. “So I got a part-time job as handyman for Bentner Realty here in town. I’ve worked there for two years now.” “I received a grant from the school, but it didn’t go very far,” said Randy Maggard, Baxter Springs sophomore. “I have to work to make ends meet.” The main problem that students have to deal with while working their way through school is budgeting their time in order to get their studies done. Maggard works about 20 hours a week as a cook at Ken’s Pizza. This obviously cuts down on time he has to spend on schoolwork, but he has been able to adjust to it. “Now I’m used to working and going to school at the same time,” he said. “I learned how to spend my time so I can get everything done.” Working also has the habit of cutting into personal time students normally use for socializing and other activities. “Sure it cuts into my social life,” Maggard said. “I go straight from school to work, and by the time I get off work, I have to go home and study for the next day. I never get to go out during the week.” Ewers agreed. “Sometimes I feel like I have no social life because I work so much. Between 15 hours of classes and working anywhere from 20 to 35 hours a week, I don’t have time for anything else but studying and sleeping.” However, this doesn’t mean that these students live a life of all work IN ADDITION TO FINISHING up his elec- tronical technology curriculum, Dale McAtee holds two jobs. He works as a camera man for KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, as well as being a life guard at the Weede swimming pool. —photo by Scott Miller 26—Working through school