Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 30, 1990 TAG: 9004300035
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACY WIMMER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
While it might be stagnant, it's still drawing breath. And not because of any raw talent exuded by the braided beauty boys - Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, the recent winners of this year's Grammy for best new artist.
You guessed it. Milli Vanilli didn't sing - or at least not much. If your money was riding on the Emulator - a recorded keyboard that does all the work, you won.
That's not to say they didn't look nice. In a word - beautiful.
But before you peg me as sexist, don't. Because aside from the fact that Milli Vanilli's press material is filled with egocentric statements about their looks, rarely will you see two guys on stage so enthralled with themselves and their hair. Major braid swinging was second only to taking their shirts on and off.
These guys are the reggae version of the Chippendale dancers.
But what you are really interested in is the music. Right?
To be honest, your guess is as good as mine. They did have a kicking drummer, three incredibly talented backup singers and an electric guitarist who seemed to be doing the majority of the band's licks, but Milli Vanilli only sang on occasion - adding a "yeah" or an "uh-oh" to a chorus. Who knows if the prerecorded stuff was them or not.
Most of their hour-and-20-minute show was more like an aerobics routine, scaling stairs on each side of the stage through dry-ice fog, leading the chanting crowd while clapping above their heads.
Did the crowd care? No. "Girl, You Know It's True," "Don't Forget My Number" and "It's Your Thing" had them dancing in the aisles while the Civic Center ushers futilely tried to get people back in their seats.
Therein lies the success of the concert. Everyone seemed to have a good time. Some 8,500 people came to the show - 100 more would have meant a sellout. Most were white teens between the ages of 14 and 17. Many brought their mothers.
Just before Milli Vanilli came on, all attention was turned to 12-year-old Corey Coles, a fifth-grader at Huff Lane Elementary School. Like many people on the floor, Coles started jamming on his own to the music between sets. He was hot.
The only other act to rival Coles' was Young MC and his "posse," a four-member dance group that made the show worth coming to. Like the female trio Seduction, Young MC used prerecorded music in front of a simple black curtain. But Young also had a disc jockey spinning his tunes, most of which he rapped to on his own.
Rap has been under attack for its affiliation with gang wars and and the sexist thing. It's basically young teen music - with groups like Public Enemy excluded.
And most artists will tell you - anything that can at least partially expose young, white teens to the black experience is not bad. In fact, it's one of the best things pop music is doing these days.
Young MC didn't take the world's social problems on his shoulders Saturday. Instead he tried to make verbal contact with the crowd, talking about Roanoke, complimenting the audience's enthusiasm and giving credence to what Top 40 DJ's have been telling us for the past year - dance music is back.
Young MC's act was a cross between the K-92 FM dedication hour and an MTV Dance Party. To prove he could groove, he did a rapid fire version of "Fastest Rhyme" off his debut "Cold Rhymin' " release which was no less than incredible.
But he stole the night with an extended, well-mixed, slick version of "Bust A Move."
Young entertained for 35 minutes. Seduction for 20. Both were decent opening acts.
by CNB