4/18/14

JULY: Subhumans @ Magic Stick


Subhumans

Sunday, Jul 20, 2014 8:00 PM EDT Doors
Magic Stick Lounge at the Majestic Complex
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4/17/14

Weekend Flyer Dump




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::Matt Jones & The Reconstruction:: ::Misty Lyn & The Big Beautiful:: ::Loose Teeth::

3 Great Bands, One of Woodruff's Final Nights



Woodruff’s as we know it, one of Ypsilant’s coolest music venues, will be closing at the end of April. The remaining nights that Woodruff’s will be open will feature optimum entertainment, but be sure to check out the lineup this Friday, April 18th. With a triple bill of local favorites, Matt Jones & the Reconstruction, Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful, Loose Teeth, Friday’s show will be one to remember, for sure.
With Woodruff's closing, it’s a bit of a sad time for local musicians and music lovers, as the night spot has not been in service for long, it’s current incarnation began in 2009. In it’s short life, it’s become a favorite spot for local bands starting out, and national acts as well. Get yourself to Woodruff’s this weekend, you will not be disappointed.

You will find Woodruff's at 36 E Cross St in the Depot Town area of Ypsilanti. More info is available here: www.woodruffsbar.com
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TONIGHT: IGNORING THE ECHOES + GHOSTS OF AUGUST + THE SCIENCE FAIR live at Hard Rock Cafe 7pm

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4/16/14

TOADIES: Friday at the Magic Stick / / MCB is hooking you up


MCB has a Toadies CD to give to you. Just email motorcityblog@earthlink.net

Being the 20th anniversary of Rubberneck the Texan rockers plan on playing the album in its entirety. Earlier this year they announced re-releasing the record with some bonus tracks and took the whole show on tour with Supersuckers and Battleme.


$18 Advance / $20 Day of | All Ages
At the Magic Stick- 4140 Woodward Ave. in Detroit
Tickets: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3992814&pl=majestic


After Party Featuring:
No Division
@ Garden Bowl
11pm * Free * 18+
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UPCOMING: Better Living Through Human Amusements at Go Comedy Improv Theater - Thursdays & Fridays through June 13



Are you tired? Confused? Grouchy? Disorganized? Don’t panic! Let your friends at Go Comedy! Improv Theater lead you to “Better Living Through Human Amusements”! Whether you’re a famous genius like Stephen Hawking, or an infant struggling to master basic motor skills, “Better Living Through Human Amusements” is sure to cure what ails you, with a cavalcade of characters who have it much worse than you. Join the Human Amusements crew (Jen Hansen, Joe Hingelberg, Amber Hunt, Pj Jacokes, Travis Pelto, and Chris Petersen) for an evening of hilarious sketch comedy inspired by their long-running, award-winning late night comedy show.
Better Living Through Human Amusements 
Go Comedy Improv Theater – Ferndale, MI 
Thursdays & Fridays (April 17-June 13) - 8pm - $18


 CHECK OUT THE FACEBOOK EVENT!

 BUY TICKETS HERE!
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Gardenia Roots Festival Review by BritChic in the D

Gardenia Roots and Boots Festival

Who knew the Royal Oak Farmers market on a lovely Friday evening could be transformed into a feeling of al fresco dining in Italy.  Paper lanterns and lights adorned the ceiling.  Black sheeting made for a cozy peripheral from the usual stalls of baked goods and vegetables.  It also took me back to my days growing up in England and attending barn dances with my family.




The crowd, an eclectic one, some standing around with beers and conversation, some being served by a real life cowboy selling band CDs and some on lawn chairs, their only intent to get close to the stage to witness the music of the bluegrass roots acts which followed.

The show opened with the Grand Rapids group The Crane Wives, still on a high from sharing a stage with “both dear friends and long time heroes” at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival earlier this year.



The band were formed after the two female members Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury began gigging together as a folk act at a Chinese restaurant in Grand Rapids.   Enter drummer Dan Rickabus,  Tom Gunnels a “superhuman” and guitarist turned banjo player and bassist Ben Zito and The Crane Wives were born.  Their eclectic sound fuses a number of different genres including blues, folk and heavy metal.  When I asked Dan Rickabus if it gives them an edgier sound than most blue grass acts he said,

“I think my favorite thing about the sound we've been honing is that it is very hard to define, and the way we achieve that is by not defining it for ourselves. There are always very clear influences in songs, but we try to bend the rules of genre by forgetting that they exist”.



Their 45 minute set had a relentless energy that made a strong impression on the audience.  It is clear that the band members like each other and love what they are doing.  Their music is a strong collaboration between the 5 members and no one takes charge in the creative process.  The harmony vocals which Rickabus said “kind of evolve naturally” are beautiful and very complimentary to the songs that they have crafted.

After two self produced albums including The Fool in the Wedding Gown, Rickabus said that,

“We're extremely proud of our first two albums, but at the end of the process for "the Fool" we were pretty burnt out. As a result, we decided to take as much time as we needed to just jam, let the new music breathe and grow with as much space as it deserves. So we don't quite have a plan for a third album release just yet, but I will tell you that we have something crazy like 17 new songs, with more on the way, and I'm comfortable saying that this new stuff is, in my opinion, our best stuff”.

So with old and new songs The Crane Wives are looking forward to being on the road this summer on tour in Colorado.  Rickabus said,

“That's what we're most excited about, getting some real mileage on our van and having some epic western adventures!”

So after The Crane Wives energetic start to the Festival, the bands that followed were; Catfish Mafia, a four person ensemble who had a cozy clique at the front of the stage and at times were reminiscent of the banjo sounds around the camp fire in the old West, The Ragbirds and Keller and the Keels who completed the musical line up for the night.

I can safely say Gardenia Roots Festival was, for its audience a mix of fun people watching, lively authentic bluegrass music and some interesting dance moves!  A fun night out in Royal Oak for both young and old!

If you loved The Crane Wives and The Ragbirds you can see them again on Friday May 3rd at The Loving Touch in Ferndale, MI.  Show starts at 9 pm and is part of the Metro Times Blowout featuring the best in folk, Americana, and roots music and includes 100 bands in Detroit, Hamtramck and Ferndale.


Jan Thompson | BritChic in the D



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UPCOMING: Gates of Ra art show and event 3 May @ Tangent


The Gates of Ra!
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Tangent Gallery

The Intergalactic Art Movement has returned and we are hosting our second event on May 3rd at the Tangent Gallery!

5:00, Psy-Fly Space Pharaoh Yoga - $10 presale!
6:00, Ra :: The Art Show - Free!
6:30, Sacred Wave Gong Immersions - $10* presale!
8:00, Sacred Breathwork Experience - Free!
9:00, Dance Party - $10 presale!

Special price to attend ALL events - $25 presale!


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4/15/14

NEXT WEEKEND: Lego KidsFest @ Suburban Collection Showplace Novi 25-27 April


April 25–27, 2014

TICKET ALERT!
SATURDAY SESSION 1 has LIMITED AVAILABILITY!
SATURDAY SESSION 2 has SOLD OUT!

Currently, tickets are available for the other remaining sessions, but are selling fast.

DON’T MISS OUT: Most sessions at each tour stop have sold out days in advance. Purchase your tickets now to ensure admission to the session of your choice.

NOTE: No tickets are available at the door for any session listed as "Sold Out."

LEGO KidsFest brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building and experiences together in one activity- and entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests.
Dates & Sessions:
Friday, April 25
4 pm - 8:30 pm

Saturday, April 26
Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
 
Sunday, April 27
Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm
Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm

(Note: Each session offers the same exhibits and activities)
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ART OPENING: Jerry Vile reveals the Secret of Life (again) @ Inner State Gallery, 26 April



Jerry Vile’s Swanky Art Reception To Feature Shrimp Cocktail!
"The Secret of Life...Revealed, Again, For The First Time, Ever"
Artists Reception from 7-10pm April 26th 2014
Inner State Gallery

Jerry Vile art openings are as much about the performance as they are about the art on the walls; which itself can also be as much performance as it is painting. It’s art that at first glance may repulse you, it actually grows on you like a favorite song. You can experience for yourself, at his art reception for “The Secret of Life…Revealed, Again, For The First Time, Ever. The date is April 26, 2014, and it takes place at Inner State Gallery located in Eastern Market at 1410 Gratiot Ave Detroit, MI.

Just voted Detroit's Best Painter by Metro Times reader’s, Vile’s paintings lay somewhere between delightful and disturbing. Misshapen heads, often creepy faced children or cute little animals, likely scared and screaming against landscapes that border on the abstract. Surreal is not a stretch, but low brow expressionism might be a better label. Imagine Max Fleischer as interpreted by Edvard Munch and repainted with the sloppy abandon of a Ralph Steadman. Virtually every piece is accompanied by a write-up, artist statements or ramblings of lunatic journalist (he cut his teeth publishing), they can be as surrealistic as some of the subjects or as crass a sales pitch as from a pushy telemarketer. They remind us that Vile is a just as much a writer, actually a satirist as he is a visual artist, maybe more so.

Videos, sculpture, taxidermy, miniatures, spoken word, (and/or actual performance) collide in flea market of contrasting mediums and styles. It's often tongue and cheek with other body parts thrown in (he is after all, the creator of Detroit's infamous and massive X-rated art spectacle, The Dirty Show®) Which provides a great lead in to his most well known work to date, The Crisco Fist. As a public art piece, The Crisco Can received more attention and accolades than any art piece in Detroit's recent history. Along with his Selling Of Detroit, which included a team of artists hanging sales signs on Detroit's more famous monuments and landmarks (as well as a hilarious ad in the weekly alt-weekly, The Metro Times) has given the former publisher and punk frontman a new stage to befuddle the masses. It's pure Detroit agitprop, and it struck a nerve with a city in the those of bankruptcy. They were visually arresting, humorous, surprising and above all, strong statements. Vile that also won an award for Best Public Art a Reader's poll in that same alt weekly’s poll.

As far as this show we are just as much in the dark as anyone. It's called The Secret Of Life…Revealed, Again, For The First Time, Ever. Vile describes it as "a Back To The Future type opportunity to change the past in the upcoming future which by then will be the present". He insists this show is his first step of becoming "The undisputed kingpin of Detroit's art racket."

Clearly unclear, is it art or a satire of art? Does it matter? This much we know. There will be video, paintings, sculpture, pompous unveiling, and shrimp cocktail seems to be his biggest concern, We just hope there will be plenty of Crisco on hand.
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THIS FRI: Z-Show 2: Zombie Art and Variety @ Phoenix Cafe, Hazel Park

Z-Show 2
Friday, April 18
7:00pm - 1:00am
The Phoenix Cafe Hazel Park

Cover for this event is $8.00, with parental discretion in regards to younger children. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to wear your best zombie garb. If you cannot do the makeup yourself, we will have an on site artist ready to paint you dead, for a small fee. As always, snacks and beverages (coffee, tea, water, sodas) will be available for a donation, and no alcohol is allowed on the premises. 

Following the success of last year's Z-Show group zombie art and variety show, is the bigger and better Z-Show 2! This year we have opened the gallery to multiple artists in a variety of mediums and will feature nearly 50 pieces of art from local and regional artists.

And accompanying the art will be a slew of talented musical and dance acts to get even the stiffest of zombie bodies moving!

Mickey Mandrake will MC the evening and introduce to you the following performers:

Returning again to throw their own spin on things is Zombie Jesus and the Chocolate Sunshine Band, along with Freakache, Wood Zombie and DFunk Dez, The Free Life and Richard Zombie.

For your entertainment, we have included a few dance acts to liven up the joint, including a Phoenix favorite Kimberly Sinical mixing her wicked sense of humor into all of her dance acts. There will also be some modern dance by Stella Rothe Wilfinger with a dark and eerie soundtrack to groove to, as well as one zombie themed by Kelly Doyle. Then topping it off with Magenta DeMure and her zombie burlesque routines that are guaranteed to breathe some life back into any walking dead! And stick around for a stimulating fire performance by Kady Bug.

There will be vendor booths with local artists selling their stuff, as well as a variety of zombie related attractions, to be announced later.

The Free Life (Kalamazoo)
Fun and upbeat indie folk rock
https://www.facebook.com/thefreelifeband
http://thefreelife.bandcamp.com/

Richard Zombie
This local trio, fronted by the entertaining Scott Crossman, is normally called Richard Gumby. It is indie art rock at it's finest, with a lot of punk, a mix of comedy and sarcasm, and a dash of soul.

Wood Zombie and D Funk D.E.Z.
Wood Zombie unleashes the funk from your coffin to your mind. Poet, MC, and Hip Hop recording artist Wood Zombie along with his producer D Funk Dez became all the rage at last years Hallow Art IV and will throw down another outstanding performance with guest singers, beats, and good vibe. These guys host Buddha Funk Open Jam on Thursday nights at Phoenix.
https://www.facebook.com/drwoodzombo?hc_location=timeline

Zombie Jesus And The Chocolate Sunshine Band
Indie, twang, psych-folk, sunshine and pain. ZJATCSB will return to Phoenix and charm us with mind-altering lyrics and folk melodies.
https://www.facebook.com/zombiejesusandthechocolatesunshineband?ref=stream

Freak Ache
Percussion-heavy instrumental and experimental rock that provides a combination of noise, film score and Kraut Rock. Picture a keyboardist, a bassist and two drummers (one synth), all zombied out, and creating psychedelic sounds with a film and lighting in the background.
https://www.facebook.com/freakache
http://soundcloud.com/freak-ache
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CALL FOR VENDORS: Detroit Rummage 2014, 4 May @ Tangent

Sunday, May 4
noon-7pm
Tangent Gallery
TABLES ARE STILL AVAILABLE

Everyone is invited to browse the 1st annual Detroit Rummage Sale on Sunday May 4th 2014 at Detroit's Tangent Gallery! All sorts of used items, from vintage collectibles to everyday needs, will be for sale, trade and possibly gifting from your friends and neighbors across the metro Detroit area.

This indoor event will happen between 12 noon until 7pm with the bar open for soft drink and beer purchases and hot food will also be available on site. It is free to attend and all ages are welcome.
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4/14/14




Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog






Wild At Heart


Some times one just hates to get out of bed when we are still searching for the Malaysian airplane, trying to get rid of winter, unrest in the Ukraine, ebola in New Guinea, trying to figure out why a high school kids bring 2 knives to school, shaking your head at a white idiot shoots three people at a Jewish Center, how another soldier is able to shoot up Fort Hood, why a Florida teacher orders a hit on a 7th grader, how a mother kills 6 babies over a 10 year period and the injustice of a bunch of future college students get killed in a bus crash. When I find myself getting frustrated at work, one can just look at this stuff and realize things are not all that bad. At least I can pronounce Achilles.  I hope the Easter weekend can signal in a change of fortunes and more happiness in the world.

It is a light week for me to recommend shows, but here are a few choices:

Wednesday (4/16) - Lacuna Coil @ Machine Shop

Friday (4/18) - Toadies and Supersuckers @ Magic Stick

Saturday (4/19) - Ruiners @ PJs Lager House, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
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4/12/14

WIN TICKETS: Chromeo wsg Oliver at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 9, 2014


Chromeo, Montreal's favorite funk lordz, are bringing their "Come Alive Tour" to The Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 9th, 2014 with special guest Oliver for a night of Fancy Footwork. Chromeo are set to release their fourth album, White Women, on  May 12, 2014. 

Check out their latest video for "Jealous"


Chromeo wsg Oliver
May 9, 2014 at 8pm at The Royal Oak Music Theatre
$24/$28 DOS
BUY TICKETS HERE!

email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your chance to win a pair of tickets to see Chromeo!
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4/11/14

Ann Arbor Area Family Activities this Sunday, Get Outdoors!




Easter Egg Scramble 
Sunday, Apr 13 12:00pm

Hudson Mills Metropark in Dexter, MI    
The whole family can enjoy the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Hudson Mills Metropark. Enjoy the "Barnyard Express" with Farmer John and his farm animals, face painting for the kids, visit with the Easter Bunny and go on an egg hunt. 

Tickets in advance: $4 Kids (12 and under) or at the door $6. To purchase tickets in advance, call the Hudson Mills Park Office at (734) 426-8211.



This Sunday at Nichols Arboretum





Eco Restoration Workday

9am-12pm

Help Matthaei Botanical Gardens staff members remove invasive plants in Nichols Arboretum. Dress for outdoor work. Snacks and tools provided, or bring your own. Note: Kids age 15 & under must be accompanied by an adult. Youth ages 16-18 must submit a permission form.
Meet at the Arb Reader Center


Michigan Dahlia Association Annual Tuber Sale
1:30-4pm
Located in Matthaei Botanical Gardens

All are invited to a program that includes a video, “You Too Can Grow Beautiful Dahlias.” Also free dahlia-growing handouts available for new growers. Presented by Michigan Dahlia Association. Free.



Orpheus Descending

A Tennessee Williams Play

Matthaei Botanical Gardens 
Conservatory

The U-M Residential College Drama program and Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum present Orpheus Descending by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Kate Mendeloff of the Residential College and performed by U-M students. Free.

Nichols Arboretum is located: 1610 Washington Hts, Ann Arbor 48104
Find a map here
or for more info on U of M's Arboretum & Matthaei Botanical Garden: mgbna.umich.edu
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BLACK FEATHER @ The Carbon Lounge

 

Black Feather

Black Feather is a local alternative rock. They have a long musical history and strong musicianship. They focus on acoustic covers, but have added "going electric" as they've talked about for awhile.

Many have asked, "Why Black Feather?" According to the legend, when someone finds a black feather, it means that the guardian of their soul is near them. The Feather is supposed to remind the individual that he or she is not fighting the battles of this life alone.

This is going to be a bit unconventional, much like Black Feather's bassist, Kyle Mikolajczyk. Black Feather is playing a full on rap show, see the flyer below. It reminds me of the powerhouse shows from the 60's, when you could see a rock act, r&b act, and a country act, in one night at the same venue. Detroit could use some community. Could this be the beginning of building a stronger Detroit. Come out and see.

 

Black Feather
Plays at 12
Doors: 8:00pm
Carbon Lounge
11474 Joseph Campau
Hamtramck, MI 48212
(586)222-1562

Black Feather Facebook


Black Feather CL

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CALL FOR ENTRIES: Call to Makers NOW OPEN for Maker Faire Detroit 2014

Check out our very first Maker Faire Detroit coverage here. You can only expect more and more each year! 


Call to Makers Now Open for
Maker Faire Detroit 2014 at The Henry Ford
Call for Entries Open through June 6, 2014

Attention all makers, tinkerers, inventors, hackers and do-it-yourselfers: The call for entries is now open for Maker Faire Detroit 2014 at The Henry Ford. Now in its fifth year, this unique, two-day, family-friendly event promises to bring makers from all over the nation to celebrate their unbridled creativity and resourcefulness. Maker Faire Detroit will be held July 26-27, 2014, from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

To participate in Maker Faire Detroit, an entry form must be completed at http://www.makerfairedetroit.com/call-for-makers. Entries can be submitted by individuals or by groups, such as hobbyist clubs and schools. The Henry Ford particularly encourages exhibits that are interactive and that highlight the process of making things. The closing date for all entries is June 6, 2014.

Maker Faire Detroit is looking for a wide variety of eclectic, diverse and out-of-the-box ideas that highlight the DIY and tinkerer spirit. Exhibits and displays can range from student projects, robotics, 3D printers and CNC mills, textile arts and crafts, home energy monitoring, rockets and R/C toys, sustainability, green tech, radios, vintage computers and game systems, electronics, electric vehicles, biology/biotech and chemistry projects, , puppets, kites, bicycles, shelter (tents, domes, etc.), and unusual tools or machines.

For more information, visit our website at www.makerfairedetroit.com or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/makerfairedetroit. Maker Faire Detroit is independently produced by The Henry Ford in collaboration with Maker Media.
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Detroit Derby Girls versus the Tampa Tantrums

The Detroit Derby Girls hosted Tampa Bay's Tampa Tantrums on March 22nd, 2014, at the Masonic Temple

 A visit from a traveling derby team always introduces us to some derby names we've never heard before. This year's bests were PHDiesel, and Tic Tac Toni.

Tampa got the slightest of leads in the 1st jam, scoring 2 against Detroit's 1. Detroit's Racer McChaseHer gained 11 points in the 2nd jam to put them in the lead , 12-7, before being sent to the penalty box. Tampa would take it back again in the 3rd with 8 points from Apolo Ana.

The score was tied at the end of the 4th jam before Tampa pulled ahead again with a 3 point lead in the 5th. The next 7 jams didn't see any point gains from Tampa. Detroit's offense wasn't consistent enough over that 7 jam streak to really capitalize on it, with a 9 point play from Off The Hook in the 11th being the only big point gain. At the end 12th jam, Detroit was up, 35-18.

A big momentum shift occured in the 15th jam. Tampa's Laryn Kill had an easy time weaving through the pack since two of Detroit's blockers were in the penalty box, and she scored 15 unanswered points. Detroit's Meryl Slaughterburgh, jamming for Detroit in the 16th, got sent to the penalty box, and PHDiesel was able to add another ten. This was immediately followed by a 15 point gain from Tampa's Taz Maniac. The first half ended with Tampa ahead, 76-47.

Detroit's penalty trouble made the prospects of a comeback look bleak early in the second half. In addition to having more jammer penalties, they often also had a blocker or two in the penalty box. While Detroit's Feta Sleeze was sitting out the beginning of the 5th jam as jammer, along with two of her team's blockers, Laryn Kill went on to score 20 unanswered points. Tampa's lead was now at 102-51.

Racer's hot streak started in the 6th jam. She outscored her opposing jammer for a net gain of 8, although Tampa then made a net gain of 8 in the 7th. Racer then shot back with 11 unanswered points in the 8th. In the biggest single point gain of the night, Racer scored 25 points in 10th, during a rare Detroit power jam. The crowd was roaring, as it now looked like a victory was possible again. Detroit was now only down 105-117.
The timeout that was called after Racer's streak must been enough for Tampa to regroup. Even though Racer scored 8 in the 15th before getting sent to the box, PHDiesel also scored 13. Detroit didn't score anything for the next 4 jams, while Tampa added 12 in the 16th, 4 in the 17th, a whopping 20 in the 18th, and another 3 in the 19th. Detroit made a respectable 9 point play in the 21st and final jam, again from Racer, but there was no time left to build on it. Final score, a 183-125 win for Tampa Bay, and the first loss from Detroit's travel team that I've ever witnessed.

The most obvious difference in play between the two teams was the use of the star pass option, where the jammer confers her helmet cover and jammer status to her team's pivot. Tampa could do this while making a net point gain. In contrast, Detroit typically did it as an act of desperation, with little results. An obvious difference was in the number of penalties. Detroit totaled 6 jammer penalties, while Tampa only had 3.


The first Captains to be ensnared for my interview were Detroit's Fatal Femme and Lazer Beam:
Detroit Area Dork: What are you thinking right now about that bout?
Fatal Femme: It was a very physical game. They came out hard, and it payed off for them. I give them credit, because they played Grand Rapids yesterday, and Kalamazoo this morning. To come out here and bring it, I'll give that to them. They brought it.
Lazer Beam: We're a fairly new team. We have a lot of new girls. We lost some of our primary jammers this season. It was definitely a good game to see what we need to work on before we go to London.
D: What do you think needs to be worked on?
L: Staying out of the box. Same thing we always need to work on.
F: We only had ten practices, maybe, underneath us, so we need to get more practices underneath us, and get the ball rolling. Once that happens, I believe we're going to be absolutely fine.
D: Do you think there was a lot of penalty trouble for your team tonight?
F: The sad part is, we didn't do as bad as we normally do.
L: It was fairly good for us.
F: It was actually an improvement.
L: The problem is, they have less penalties than us. It doesn't matter if we do good if we're going to the box more. It's less people on the track. We had jammer penalties, which are way worse than having blocker penalties. I think they had two or three jammer penalties, and we had 5, 6 maybe.
D: What were most of those penalties for?
L: Back blocks, cuts, just everything.
F: I think for jammers, back blocks and cuts are the ones they normally get. Blockers are kind of mixed. Jammers, definitely back blocks and cuts.
D: Was there also a lot of blocker penalties this bout?
F: Yeah, there was a decent amount.
L: Direction of gameplay, which is huge for us. That's changing, so that'll be better for us.
F: This is our last game playing under the old rule set. So our next game will be under the new rule set. Now all penalties only last thirty seconds instead of a minute, and direction of gameplay is going to be called a little bit different, which will actually help us out. There are a couple of other rules that are going to change, so it's going to look a little different. That changes over on the first of April.
D: When you're putting together a travel team, how is it different than putting together home league team?
L: Right now, unfortunately, everyone is playing like their home team. When we come together as the allstars, we have to figure it out. Like Fatal said, we only had ten practices under our belt, so we're still all trying to figure out how everybody skates.
F: With the strategy and stuff there is definitely a difference between the allstars and the home teams. We're just able to take strategy a little further on this team. We're still getting our strategy nailed down.
D: There was a lot of instances in this bout where a blocker would skate backwards while directing the position of her blocking teammates. Is that common for travel team games?
F: Yeah, definitely. I think all national ranked teams do it. I think they all do.
L: Any time you get your wall moving forward, it's a good way to stop it. The central goal is to get turned back around and get back in your wall, and stop them that way. If your wall starts getting pushed, do it again, then rotate back into your wall. That's how it's supposed to work.
D: Are we going to start seeing the home teams do that more?
F: We already do it on home teams. The girls that flip around here already do it on home teams. Everything is slower on the home teams, so you might not notice it as much.
D: Next month [the travel team is] in London?
F: Yes.
D: What kind of cost does that incur onto the players?
F: We decided last year when the team voted on going. We decided we were going to go whether we had to pay all out of pocket our not, but the league was nice enough to give us a stipend to go. We're paying a lot out of pocket, but they also gave us some money to help with the costs.
L: We are having a fundraiser. June 14th. A skate-athon. You can donate to that to help us get to the playoffs.
D: How many bouts will you be playing in London?
F: Four.
L: Two against London Roller Girls, one [against] Rocky Mountain, and then Toronto.

Next I grilled Tampa's Lily the Kid, with some brief input from her Co-captain Lunch Lady:
Detroit Area Dork: What are you thinking right now about that bout?
Lily the Kid: I'm thinking that Detroit Derby Girls are absolutely the classiest and most sportsman like, and challenging team that we could have possibly kicked off our 2014 season with. They were excellent hosts, excellent opponents. I'm very grateful to have played.
D: You have a pretty intense schedule this weekend.
Lily: We do. In Florida we have to fly to most of our bouting locations. We really just try to get the most bang for our bucks. Historically, Tampa has always tried to bang out multi-bout weekends to get the experience. We're all ready for tournament season. We love playing. We love traveling together, and we like to challenge ourselves. Having four games this weekend was the perfect way to kick it off.
D: How are you able to research an opponent that's so far away from your home base?
Lily: We do watch some video. The most recent footage we had for Detroit was some vintage tournament stuff. As we all know, derby evolves really quickly, and most teams are playing a different type of derby between now and when division [playoffs] take place. We do some research, but we're working with a new charter this year that tweaks our focus and our goals. More of our focus was on playing our game and how we were going to maintain our strategy while we had four completely different opponents for this weekend. We had to stay consistent going up against very different teams. That was really our priority more than researching what those teams were doing.
D: Is it hard to fully rest between bout?
Lily: Yes and no. I'm an old lady. I like a full night's sleep. We have a two and half hour drive back to our hotel, and then we take on the Chicago Outfit tomorrow morning. We're a pretty focused and dedicated team, so we take really good care of our bodies, and we train really hard. We've been attending practices like five days a week to start off our season. This isn't necesarrily physically demanding for us to take on the four bouts this weekend, because we've been prepared for that. Definitely we're making a huge effort to recuperate between games. Today, having a good meal, hydrating, things like that. Making sure to get some mental R&R. It's about focus, and making responsible decisions. We're not drinking before we go to bed tonight.
D: Your team had very few penalties tonight. Is that how you normally play?
Lily: We try. The bout we had this morning was not the same. We actually had penalty trouble in the game we had this morning. Our team set a goal to get under a certain number of penalties as a team, as a unit. We're very happy to have met that goal in this game. Again, it was about being focused and playing controlled teamwork, as opposed to taking those risks that don't necessarily have a big payoff, that would have shown on the penalty board, and not in points. We were definitely trying to keep that clean. That was a huge goal for tonight.
D: What's your win-loss record been so far for the weekend?
Lily: For the weekend we are currently three and oh. We pulled out a win against Grand Raggidy last night, and against Killamazoo this morning. We eked out this win against Detroit. As a game, it felt a lot closer than the scoreboard shows. We have one more game tomorrow morning, and we'll see how that goes, and we hope for the best.
D: In the middle of the second half the score started to get kind of close, but you were able to pull away quite a bit towards the end. What did you do to pull that off?
Lily: Again, I think that was just concentrating on ourselves, and focus. We really on our bench trying to ignore what was happening on our floor, so that we could refocus those who were getting ready to get on the floor. Just to make sure that we could continue doing all of the good things, and not lose focus by whatever was happening, whether that was good or bad. Whatever was happening on the floor, we were making sure on the bench that we were planning for whatever we wanted to happen next to look like, and that payed off for us.
D: What does the rest of your travel season look like?
Lily: That would be a question for Lunch Lady.
Lunch Lady: We'll play Jackonville next in April the 26th, and we play Berlin at home in Tampa on the 30th. We go to Beach Brawl on May the 3rd, 4th, and 5th. We play three teams there. It's Steel City, Houston, and we play Stockholm. June is Franky Panky, which we do an invitational. We're playing Jacksonville again, Charm City, and Oklahoma victory dolls. At the end of June we go to Rocky Mountain, and we play Rocky Mountain, Denver, and Fuller County.
D: Tell me about your home venue.
Lily the Kid: Our home venue is a locally owned skating rink that hosts roller hockey, and public skating sessions. It's where we practice, and have our bouts. We have more home team bouts there than we do travel. Our travel team does not play at home very often. Franky Panky and our closed bout against Berlin is really the only times we'll be playing at home. Our Tampa fans are more familiar with our home teams than they are the travel teams.
D: How many home teams do you have?
L: We have three.
D: Just to be sure, Berlin as in Germany?
Lily: Yeah, Berlin Germany. We're kind of piggy-backing. They will also be in town for that Beach Brawl international invitational, because that will be held in Miami...well, Fort Lauderdale, which is near us. They're coming in early to enjoy America, and Florida, and all that good stuff. They're coming to us to play a closed bout the Wednesday before we all head to that big international invitational. We're really excited to be playing against an international team like Berlin. We can't wait to host them.

Before the Tampa Tantrums made it to the Masonic Temple, they beat Grand Raggidy 322-78, and Killamazoo 261-117. The day after, they beat the Chicago Outfit 432-42. According to WFTDA new rankings, Tampa went from 28th place to 26th.









All photos by Dan Bachorik


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 With a face for radio, a voice for print, and the prose of a new immigrant, I'll stick to amateur blogging
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SHOW REVIEW: Excision at The Fillmore Detroit on 4/5/14


Canadian dubstep pioneer, Excision, brought his 2014 tour to Detroit’s Fillmore on Saturday night with opening acts, Dirtyphonics and ill.Gates. Live, Jeff Abel, better known by his stage name, Excision, is known for his hard-hitting beats and his intense graphics. His current tour features a monstrous, new 150,000 watt floor-shaking sound system, up from 100,000 watts on his last tour. The centerpiece of Excision's live show is his multi-million dollar “Executioner” video and light production. The “Executioner” is a full on sensory overload; a 28 feet wide and 15 feet tall 3D video animation blasting masterpiece. The “Executioner” has moving components that hide Excision at certain points and also shoots smoke and laser beams out into the audience.
During Excisions set, the mood in the room was incredibly spirited. Excision played his own music, music by others including Jay-Z and Kanye West, as well as music by DESTROID, his side project with Downlink and KJ Sawka. Excision is currently in the middle of his 55 date 2014 live tour. The excitement levels were at an all time high for fans of Excision. His unforgettable live dubstep experience will be one that plenty of the concert goers will be reliving and telling their friends about for years to come. 

Up and coming French dubstep and drum and bass group, Dirtyphonics and Canadian glitch-hop god, ill.Gates.opened the nights spectacle. 
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