Article: Michigan Daily

Rick’s Ends Psychedelic Band’s Performance
By Donna Iadipaolo

Last Sunday night, a slightly different group than the usual Rick’s two-dollar pitcher night crowd invaded that campus hangout.

Captain Dave and the Psychedelic Lounge Cats drew about 100 people to Rick’s that night. And although the event was called a “friends party,” sponsored by Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity as a benefit concert for the mentally ill, the show didn’t into the category of mainstream music.

With hands dipped in green and red paint, lead singer Captain Dave called the audience’s attention to the stage with his self-described “psychedelic-lounge-funk” music. In his snug kelly green jump suit, pink baseball hat, and rose-tinted glasses, Captain Dave led the band with splits, raps, and yelps – all within the traditional James Brown-DMC-seventies stream of consciousness.

Then the real festivities began.

During the band’s performance of “Sofavision,” LSA junior Jim Pyke and a dancer for the band took the  stage. Dressed in a handmade G-string knitted from turkey breast filets, a mesmerized Pyke swayed back and forth while home movies reflected off his body. Another dancer, wearing a bikini top of plastic bags filled with creamed corn, performed her own unique act.

As one may have guessed, the management eventually requested the dancers to leave the stage and stop showing the “questionable” films. After playing their infamous “Free James Brown,” they acceded to the management’s request.

But despite the removal of the dancers and films from the  stage, Rick’s manager and part owner Rick Novak brought the band’s performance to a premature end. Novak cut off the power to the band’s amplifiers, ending the band’s performance after only half a set.

“That’s the mystery of it – we did turn off the  films and the dancers left the stage,” said lead guitarist and Art School junior Dave Murray. “But in the middle of the song, they turned off the power so all our amps went out. That’s the  unexplained phenomenon.”

“I love what I do  and I’ve gotten feedback from the audience who enjoys it, so I don’t understand why (Rick’s) shut down the show,” dancer Pyke said.

Many customers demanded their money back but were refused because the show was a benefit concert.

“Since it was for a charity, (Novak) could have taken that into consideration and let the people enjoy the show they paid for,” said LSA junior Jowa Coffey after the show.

Novak said the  band was breaking pornography laws. He said he decided to “shorten the show” despite the  band’s removal of the dancers and films because, “at that point simply made the decision that the show was over.”

“I have nothing against art,” said Novak. “It’s just not the type of show we do here at Rick’s American Cafe.”

However, most of the people who attended said they had enjoyed the performance.

“The crowd was very into the show and Rick should care about his customers’ feelings, not his  own personal taste,” said Tracy Heintz.

In the year the band has been together, they have performed at the Beat, the Halfway Inn, and Lambda Chi Fraternity and have never been asked to leave. Members of the band described their other performaces as”even more risque or crude.”

But Captain Dave suspected it was a particular part of his own apparel, rather than the films anddancers, that frightened away the “regulars” and brought the band’s performance to an untimely end.

“I think it was the autographed Ricardo Montalban necklace they didn’t like,” said Dave. “Some people can’t handle quality actors like Ricardo Montalban. He’s from Fantasy Island, you know.”