Here are some more responses to our "Sound Check" cover story (Volume 2, Issue 22) that we didn't have room to print last time:

Perhaps the reason the local media ignores the Denver scene so consistently is due to the fact that there is nothing to report. Aragtag bunch of corporate rock impersonators who sound like they listen to far too much KBPI or worse, Grateful Dead, and not nearly enough 1190 AM. Judy B. nails the answer when she writes, "The next step should be to push the limits and go a step farther to uncover and support new artists and ideas." Where are the fresh ideas? Where are the musical artists? With dozens of venues around town so willing to allow anyone to get onstage and share their form of musical expression, why is it that almost all that do get up onstage only seem capable of thinking inside the box? Can someone, anyone, shake things up? I'm waiting. --Nicholas Mascioli@aol.com

F irst and foremost I would like to say thank you for the great article on Colorado's music scene. It is great to finally have someone in our corner. I would like to see, in the future, bands like 16 Horsepower, Blister 66, Slim Cessna, Big Head Todd, Judge Roughneck, Opie Gone Bad and Yo Flaco! on the cover. They deserve a publication like Go-Go to give them the recognition of a cover story. The Colorado Hip-hop Coalition currently has its own TV show on channel 57 cable access in Denver. "MileHigh Livax" airs at 10:30 pm every Thursday night. It is the only locally produced all-live music show on the air. If TV and print media start paying attention to Colorado talent, then the radio will have to follow and that is where people decide what music they like. Peace. --Jeff Campbell, a. k. a. Apostle

NATIONAL MUSIC SCENE

First, off to Napster land. It looks as if German music giant, Bertelsmann AG (which owns BMG), has agreed to ally itself with Napster, and transform the free filesharing service into a subscriptionbased swapping engine that would, at the very least, be open to any BMG recording artist. The other four major recording labels currently suing Napster have been invited to join the partnership, thus paying for the files' royalties through subscriptions. No word yet if the other labels are agreeable, or how much the new Napster will cost for users. The best things in life are free ... the second best things in life are F irst, off to Napster land. It looks as if German music giant, Bertelsmann AG (which owns BMG), has agreed to ally itself with Napster, and transform the free filesharing service into a subscriptionbased swapping engine that would, at the very least, be open to any BMG recording artist. The other four major recording labels currently suing Napster have been invited to join the partnership, thus paying for the files' royalties through subscriptions. No word yet if the other labels are agreeable, or how much the new Napster will cost for users. The best things in life are free ... the second best things in life are media companies run by huge corporations. Right?

The first thing we can expect is that every online company will try to start up a Napsterlike subscription service. Word has already leaked that AOL is planning one, and you can bet that Yahoo!, Microsoft and the rest will be scrambling to get in the game by the new year. The ball, however, is completely in the labels' court. None of these services will work, legally, without the music industry's cooperation.

Most tantalizing title for an upcoming release: "Britney Spears Live and More!" due out this holiday season. And more? If they wanted to get imaginations working overtime, they could've just called it "Britney Spears Too Hot For TV!" By the way, Spears is still insisting in press releases that she's a virgin. Right, and Eminem is gay.

-Chris J. Magyar

FILM NOTES

The first annual Telluride International Experimental Cinema Exposition was just that--an inaugural effort. Although there are improvements to be made for next year's installation, it was obvious that 2000 was the beginning of something big in experimental cinema, not just for Colorado, but for the world.

The screenings were held at the beautiful Sheridan Opera House, which had a ballroom entryway that served as schmoozing central during breaks. The screening room itself, with comfortable overstuffed seating and eerie orange lights, set a great atmosphere for the bizarre and twisted.

The main difficulty with this year's outing was the schedule, which didn't allow for the set up between films. Since there was only one main projector, each reel change took several minutes, and as a result, the shows ran two, three, even four hours behind. Hopefully an additional projector and some more careful scheduling will help avoid this tardiness next year.

My favorites included "Utopia" by Bradley Rappapa, "Housesitting" by Tony Gault, and the festival opener, "If Not One And One" by Robert Schaller. The first was a visually stunning use of animation in retelling the Narcissus myth, and stood out from the majority as one experiment that succeeded on nearly every level. "Housesitting" took place in Cortez, and featured one of the most narrative timelines, a welcome relief from the confusing and sometimes dizzying repetitions most of the films relied on. And "If Not One And One" was the most creative combination of arts, placing a live dancer on stage while a triptych of her danced on rear projected screens as a backdrop.

The only total failure was German filmmaker Klaus W. Eisenlohr's "Local Time + 2 1/ 2." Even though Eisenlohr seemed to have a good command of the English language, he was at a loss to explain his own mess to a baffled audience.

--Chris J. Magyar

THREE QUESTIONS WITH MARGARET CHO

I'm The One That I Want, Margaret Cho's concert film of her performing her award-winning show in front a soldout crowd in her home town of San Francisco, has brought with its release rave reviews, and may well have given her a spot in the annals of comedy history. She'll get to go down in history with the likes of comic legends such as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Roseanne, and Eddie Murphy. The show's subject matter is drawn straight from her raw experiences with network television, racism, substance abuse, and her mother.

How has getting through the rock star phase of your life and conquering addictions changed your life?

I'm 31. I feel real lucky that I got through it. Maybe it's a myth that performers have to suffer to work. Now [my material is] a lot clearer and a lot more honest. I've noticed that my voice and opinions have changed a lot.

How do you think that growing up in San Francisco shaped your material?

I was growing up around a lot of gay men. I got to be around a lot of wild and fun people. Performing in gay clubs as a teenager shaped my loyalty and my work. What I talk about is very geared to that audience. My audience is like my friends. I do the majority of my political work and activism in the gay community.

You've been compared to Roseanne. What are your thoughts on her work?

She was really outrageous and put herself out there. It's hard for people to see women that fearless. She is and will always be a revolutionary.