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Entertaanment PAGE 18 â€" WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY MAY 17, 1989 RONNIE EARL One unlikely Cockburn, 43, has changed his tune from his early days in the 1970‘s when he stuck to folksy music and had a "floaty attitude." Today, he is far more aggressive as he fires back at the establishment. He has a renewed fascination with the environment, despite discarding the theme in the 70s because he was labelled a nature songwriter. Bruce Cockburn brings |â€" his message to Kâ€"W Canada‘s answer to Bob Dylan will be bringing his arsenal of message songs to Centre in the Square, May 24. Bruce Cockburn, pop star and political activâ€" ist, has been touring through North America since Feb. 22 and his Kitchener appearance will mark the 40th engagement â€" he‘ll be going on to Toronto‘s Roy Thompson Hall, May 28, for his 41st and last appearance this year. Since the tour began, the singer who has been performing for two decades, has collected kudos like some people collect stamps: "Cockburn has lasted long enough (18 albums) to influence young bands like U2, and to see the concerns that define his career infuse contemporary rock, as concerts increasingly become one of the last refuges for political dissent," wrote The New York Post, Mar. 13. ‘To see humans poisoning the oceans, "...the songs are not part of a crusade," he told Maclean‘s before launching his crisscrossâ€" ing North American tour. "It‘s just me mouthâ€" ing off about what‘s on my mind." His stronger political views have provoked controversy and criticism in the media. One of his videos featured an image of South America caught in a meat grinder and Toronto critic Jonathan Gross promptly accused Cockburn of becoming "overpoliticized" and "heavyâ€"handâ€" ed." Cockburn denies he uses his songs to demonstrate his political leanings. threatening not only natural life but our own, it‘s so senseless it‘s hard to find any order in it at all," he told Metropolis magazine in an interview in January. His most recent album, Big Circumstance deals explicitly with social issues and he has recently been called, by Maclean‘s magazine, "a troubadour for the common man." After rehearsing for his current tour, he flew to Los Angeles to join other artists, like Tina Turner, in recording a song to raise funds for a campaign to preserve tropical rain forests. Cockburn takes his concerns away from the music scene too. "...the songs are not part of a crusade. It‘s just me mouthing off about what‘s on my mind,"‘ says singer Bruce Cockburn, who appears at Centre in the Square May 24. C oo e es ne s nstidss pick up a guitar after seeing a Muddy Waters gig: Asa 1986 Guitar Player magazine article mentions, ". . .Earl graviâ€" tated to the blues and the guitar simultanequsly, . ." . Considering his late introduction to blues and his ethnic origins â€" "You know, I‘ve never felt like I wasn‘t legitimate playing blues â€" because I‘m a little white Jewish kid from New Yoer‘: whatever" â€" Earl has adopted a realistic philosphy to his playing. "I really think that blues is American music," he told Guitar Player. "It‘s not white or black." a When he gets out on stage he just plays what he feels â€" "I don‘t have any formula. I just let it rip out, you know, and capture what I‘m feeling that day." _‘ § Pretty amazing considering he graduated from Boston University with a degree in special education; He taught retarded children in Boston for four years before the Muddy Waters inspiration. "by. 8 pick on en hh divatitintntwbnths hiliuchinlt â€"Lickalmal Following his mission of bringing the best in blues to the twin cities, Smith will present the raw sound of Roomful Of Blues‘ guitarist Ronnie Earl, May 19. . Earl, who was born in a very unâ€"bluesâ€"like area, Queens in New York City, didn‘t take up guitar until ths,age of 23. Most Roomful fans find that statistic amazing ‘considering Earl‘s confidence with the instrument. He felt compelled to nink in a emilas se s en t w 1 Cl 1 ooo Mn Ameim mc mm M nrrgy‘s he managed to tempt his contacts to perform at his new venue. The musicians and their agents felt enough of an allegiance to Smith, who also founded the Southern Ontario Blues Association some years back, that word got out and hundreds continue to line up to see some of the greats. BbA TS L oo There‘s a lot of camaraderie amongst blues enthusiasts, and the owner of Kitchener‘s latest hotspot can attest to it. When Glenn Smith started up Pop The Gator in March, leaving behind his former club and its name Hoodoo Lounge, 1 oo engee 7 C T Wendy Somerville Chronicle Staff