Old-Time Chautauqua Tackles Saving Forests

Around the turn of the century, there emerged a type of traveling public forum that seems quaintly innocent in this age of “sound bites” and political “spin doctors.” Called “Chautauquas” after the New York town in which the mobile forum originated, these road shows combined lecture, drama, music, dance and demonstration, either to convey a specific message or to educate the public about general concerns or new developments.

Various Chautauquas, always were presented in brown tents, visited more than 12,000 cities and played to an estimated 30 million Americans--more than a third of the nation’s population at that time--before the phenomenon died away in the 1920s. Mark Twain participated in several, and President Theodore Roosevelt once proclaimed the Chautauqua “the most American thing in America.”

This Sunday, an updated version of the Chautauqua (which means “spiritual place” in a native American tongue) will be presented at Campland on the Bay at De Anza Cove, on the north end of Mission Bay. The “Ancient Forest Chautauqua” is an educational caravan uniting environmentalists, indigenous people, theater and dance performers, speakers and musicians in a 25-city tour of the West Coast. It is designed to inform and involve the public in the issue of the world’s diminishing forests.

Musicians scheduled to perform toward the end of the event, which will be held from 1-6 p.m., include local bands the Cardiff Reefers and Daddy Longleggs, Seattle-based folk singer Jim Page, political singer-songwriter Billy Sparks and singer Elena Monteijero.

Dead Kennedys provocateur Jello Biafra (last seen here in February at the Gulf War protest in front of the Federal Building), will make what he termed “a cameo appearance” at the Chautauqua. Calling from a pay phone in L.A. on Monday, Biafra said he would not play music, but instead would do “a couple of readings of rant-and-rave poetry” he’s been performing lately.

Admission to the Ancient Forest Chautauqua is $5, with proceeds to benefit several organizations involved in the prevention of deforestation.

Those who didn’t get their fill of Social Distortion when they opened for Neil Young will be happy to hear that the band is scheduled to headline UCSD’s second annual “New Music Festival” on Saturday.

A year ago almost to the day, the school presented an “alternative” rock lineup of Mary’s Danish, Dramarama, the Buck Pets and If Tomorrow in an attempt at diversification after having success in the past with reggae and jazz festivals. About 3,000 people turned out to ratify the idea.

In addition to Social Distortion, this year’s model will bring Toad the Wet Sprocket, Robyn Hitchcock and local band Daddy Longleggs to the Price Center Plaza for a six-hour program that begins at noon. Admission is free.

GRACE NOTES: Avalon Attractions will increase the number of reserved field-level seats to a total of 7,212 for Jimmy Buffett’s June 14 concert at SDSU’s Aztec Bowl. The original 2,672 seats for that section sold out in a matter of minutes. . . .

Picker and grinner Roy Clark, whose March 9-10 engagement at Leo’s Little Bit O’ Country was canceled, is now scheduled to perform two shows on May 13 at the San Marcos club. Also coming to Leo’s: Sweethearts of the Rodeo on June 2 for two shows. . . .

Coming up at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre: a double-bill of Black Crowes and Jellyfish on June 11 (tickets on sale at noon Saturday at all TicketMaster locations except May Co.) . . .

Morrissey will play the San Diego Sports Arena May 30 (tickets on sale at 4 p.m. Friday at all TicketMaster locations), and Gloria Estefan will perform at the Sports Arena on July 17 (tickets on sale at 10 a.m.m Saturday at all TicketMaster locations except May Co.).

Avalon has added a second night to the “Reggae Sunsplash--World Peace Tour ‘91,” which features Maxi Priest, Shinehead, Dennis Brown, Andrew Tosh, Carlene Davis, Little Lenny, the A-Team Band and Tommy Cowan. Besides the May 31 show at SDSU’s Open Air Theatre, there will be a June 1 show, also starting at 7 p.m. Tickets for the second show go on sale at all TicketMaster locations Thursday. . . .

Meanwhile, Avalon has initiated the “Concert Club,” a ticket service limited to those willing to shell out an annual membership fee of $200 for the privilege of purchasing up to four premium seats for any Avalon-promoted concert in San Diego. Concert Club members will be able to phone credit-card orders during a 10-day period before each show, avoiding the hassle of ticket lines by picking up their ducats at the box office as early as a week before the concert.

The service was made available for the first time last Wednesday, and an Avalon spokesman, who wouldn’t divulge actual numbers, claims that initial response has been very good. The toll-free number to call for membership is (800)-AVALON-4. . . .

Avalon’s last experiment, a modestly priced “Low Dough” show that was to bring Deep Purple, Winger and Vixen to the Sports Arena on Sunday, wasn’t priced low enough, at $12.50, to attract a crowd. The concert has been canceled. . . .

Toy Matinee, a band whose cleverly crafted tunes have made them a hot radio item almost everywhere but in San Diego (at least 91X plays them), was bumped from its April 29 Bacchanal booking when the Roger McGuinn gig was moved there from the Spreckels Theatre. A Toy Matinee re-scheduling is in the works. Stay tuned.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: Horse Flies Create a Buzz

It’s not easy to wrap topical commentaries, progressive musical ideas, danceability, cheeky humor and even folk sensibilities in a single package, but somehow the Horse Flies have done just that. The sextet from Ithaca, N.Y., produces a future-folk-funk sound that makes their new album, “Gravity Dance,” a continuously engaging listening experience, perhaps because each of the 12 tracks engages a different region of the brain.

Instrumentally, the Flies are like a music store come to life, with its members variously playing guitar, “processed banjo,” ukulele, violin, synthesizer, accordion, drums, percussion and bass. If this is “world beat” for a world inhabited only by Garps, thankfully the music is sufficiently well-crafted to avoid the wackier-than-thou sticker for which so many current bands seem to strive.

The Horse Flies are getting some great notices from critics around the country, and no, I will not stoop to declaring that the band is creating a “buzz.” Suffice to recommend the band’s self-described “neoprimitive bug music” when they perform tonight at the Belly Up tavern. Opening the 9 p.m. concert is local band Dark Globe.