He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University
Wild At Heart
Good news everyone! Starting next week, I start a 4 month assignment working for the "man". Yes, yours truly will be working for the government meaning that I will be around for the next 6 months. I just wonder if I will get a gun or a cute redheaded partner named Scully. So let's get this party started this week with some recent museum exhibitions in the area.
This week I have 2 ticket giveaways on this blog so pay attention and good luck. The first is from a woman who has shared the stage with bands such as Social Distortion, Black Flag, Dwight Yoakum and Los Lobos. She started life in a troubled household which eventually led to a career in X-rated films and over 100 covers for porn mags such as Juggs and Gent highlighted by her over-sized breasts. In 1985 she turned her life around with the birth of her second son and going back to school. She refound a love of music which included such names as Etta James and Bessie Smith which led to a blues/jazz style. She released her first CD in 1991 and has gone on to a successful career which has seen her get numerous award nominations for her music. Her new CD is entitled "Superhero" and she will be performing at Callahan's in Auburn Hills. To win a pair of tickets, send me an email with the title "Candye Kane" to doramu13@yahoo.com.
Next, the jam band Gov't Mule formed in 1994as an Allman Brothers Band side project. Current member Warren Haynes and former member Allen Woody met in the band and formed this project based on their love of 60's power trios like Cream and the James Gang. They are known for powerful live performances and are popular additions to numerous festivals including Rothbury. Gov't Mule's eighth studio album, entitled "By A Thread" is scheduled to be released on October 27th, 2009. To win a pair of tickets, send me an email with the title Gov't Mule to doramu13@yahoo.com. I'll be looking for these winners!!
In time for Halloween and The Day Of The Dead, we have The Accidental Mummies of Guanajuato @ Detroit Science Center. Hailing from the city of Guanajuato, the town was founded in 1554 is located in one of the richest silver mining areas of Mexico and is well known for its colonial era Spanish architecture. In Spanish, the name means "Hill of Frogs" due to a large rock formation outside of the city of which looks remarkably like a frog and also the frogs that are common in the region (the frog represents the god of wisdom in the area). It is also the birthplace of artist Diego Rivera who did the "Detroit industry" mural at the DIA. At the local cemetary, the bodies are put in crypts which had an annual tax that relatives must pay. When the families could no longer pay, the bodies are moved where it was discovered that some of them had mummified. Researchers believe that the hot weather warmed the crypts and dried out the bodies created the mummies which affects about 1 in a 100 buried in the area. Unlike the Egyptian mummies which are created through an embalming and wrapping process, these are as the name says, accidental. The exhibit contains 36 mummies (the largest collection in the world) where visitors can learn about life in their thriving community, discover the modern-day forensic technology that helps scientists analyze them and explore a culture that reveres and celebrates them. Each mummy will tell his or her own story, with facial reconstructions completed by a forensic artist to give insight into their lives. The entrance of the exhibit opens into a replica of a Mexican graveyard based on the original crypts the mummies came from and then moves into display area of the actual mummies. Each mummy has a brief description of facts about what is known about the life of the person before they died complete with a drawing of what they might have looked like. While the mummies are not overly scarry, some people might be disturbed by the 5 child mummies on display. They kind of reminded me of Victorian dolls but I know some people are more sensitive to such things. The last part deals with the science involved in learning more about the bodies and facial recognition. The display, which is believed to be the largest group of mummies anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, is quite fascinating and I believe most people will find fascinating. For more information, you can go to www.sciencedetroit.org. For the full mummy experience, they also brought back the IMAX film "Mummies 3D: Secrets of the Pharaohs" so you can compare Egyptian mummies to these. My grade is an A.
For something a little lighter, there is Artology @ Cranbrook Institute of Science. This is a joint exhibition with the Cranbrook Art Museum and takes a look at the boundary where art and science meet. The exhibit "Animal Logic: Photography and Installation by Richard Barnes". His work includes a study of birds nests and some wonderful photos taken in the back rooms of many famous museums around the world including Cranbrook. These photos look at various display animals and the workers as they build elaborate dioramas in which these animals will be displayed. It gives a whole new look at museum exhibits. There are also sister exhibits at the University of Michigan Art Museum. They will also be showing the wonderful screwball comedy "Bringing Up Baby" on Oct. 23 where a paleontologist (Cary Grant) and a socialite (Katherine Hepburn) find themselves dealing with a missing brontosaurus bone, a frisky dog and an escaped tiger while falling in love. Also, artist Mark Dion will discuss his latest projects on Oct 20 at 6PM. My grade is a B+. For more info, go to http://science.cranbrook.edu/.
For theatre buffs, there are a number of offerings in the area starting with the opera Nabucco @ Detroit Opera House. 'Nabucco' is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi based on the Biblical story and the 1836 play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornue. It is Verdi’s third opera and the one which is considered to have permanently established his reputation as a composer. 'Nabucco' follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco. This opera has a stronger religious message not usually seen in opera which shouldn't be much of an issue. If you have never seen an opera, I always recommend going to at least one because they represent a unique experience. The Detroit Opera House has been puting on wonderful presentations over the years and I am always amazed by the beauty of the sets and the magic of the voices. Their is nothing quite like experiencing a well done opera so get out and make the effort to go this Wednesday or Saturday. For more information, go to www.motopera.org.
If you are looking for something in the holiday spirit, try the "Legend Of Sleepy Hollow" @ Meadowbrook Theatre. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving that was first published in 1820 as a companion piece to "Rip Van Winkle". First brought to the stage in 1948 as a musical, my guy Travis at the theatre brings up that the version they brought remains close to the original story and unlike other newer versions, doesn't try to explain away the ending and leaves it up to our imaginations of what happens to Ichabod on that fateful road at night. Recent Oakland University graduate is excited about her first role after graduating as she plays the Katrina Van Tassel who is the love interest of the new school teacher to Sleepy Hallow, Ichabod Crane. I have an interview with Katie appearing on my radio show next Saturday morning where she tells us about some of her early experiences with ghosts as well as her impression of the various versions of the story (from Disney to Burton to the original source). The actual play does a great job from the beautiful sets to creating the atmosphere for the telling of a great ghost story. I esp enjoyed the effects for creating a headless horseman (played brilliantly by Rick Carver) which looked really good on the stage as he starts off the piece tracking down a poor soul on the road. This production succeeds on all levels for bringing this story to life and no Halloween will be complete without it. Kudos also to Rusty Mewha for his portrayal of a nervous and studious Ichabod Crane and Aaron T Moore as Crane's competitor for Katrina's affections and town rowdy, Abraham "Brom Bones" Van Brunt (I wish he had a few more minutes since his is a really nice antogonist). My grade is a A. For more information, go to www.mbtheatre.com. PS - In 1997 the village of North Tarrytown, NY changed its name to Sleepy Hollow. PPS - the first film version of Sleepy Hollow was the silent film "The Headless Horseman" in 1922 and starred Will Rogers as Ichabod Crane.
If you go to the play, make sure you take the time to walk across the hall to take in the new art gallery exhibit "Writing An Image: Chinese Literati Art" which take a look at around thirty Chinese literati scroll paintings dating from the Song Dynasty (960–1279) to present day. The exhibit is divided into five sections and offers a comprehensive introduction to
the historical contexts, major themes, and philosophical backgrounds of literati art. The “four noble arts” of literati scholars are calligraphy, painting, guqin (a seven-stringed musical instrument), and weiqi (an ancient Chinese board game similar to Othello). All of these arts represent a means for attaining higher spirituality that emphasize art as a way of life which nurtures the cultivation and moral character of the practitioner.
For those interested in getting involved with theatre, you should look into the latest opportunity by the Ringwald Theatre. Go to their website at www.whowantscaketheatre.com to learn about open auditions on Saturday Nov 7 from 1PM - 4PM and Sunday Nov 8 from 7PM-9PM for the upcoming production of "A Little Work" which is a new play by popular novelists Diamant (The Red Tent) and McCauley (The Object of My Affection) that tells the story of Mia, a woman of a certain age, who is not as fulfilled as she would hope. They are looking for both men and women between the ages of 19-24 & 45-59 for this production.
"The Boys Are Back" is the new film starring Clive Owens by director Steve Hicks (who did the inspiring "Shine" and "Snow Falling On Cedars"). Based in Australia, Clive plays a father who is a masterful sports writer that suddenly finds himself as a single parent following the tragic death of his wife. Not sure how to raise his boy, he decides to take the approach of "just say yes". Throughout the film, he has to deal with his wife's worried parents, his rebelous teen son of a prior marriage and his son's emotional issues. Life becomes both exuberant and tumultuous while skirting the brink of disaster as he tries to make sense out of life. I am conflicted by moments where the films plays true but often I am not sold on the outcomes of his personal journey and I never found myself really getting close to the boys in the film. I do like Clive in this role but at times the script seems to ramble on a bit without him. I feel that this is a film you will either love or find disappointing. I am in the later camp as much as I wanted to like this film, I just found myself squirming in the chair at times. It reminds me a lot of films like "Out Of Africa" so if you enjoyed that, this film should also please. My grade is a C+.
Amy Millan was in town last week at the Pike Room which is a venue I love but for those that are familiar with her style (or her work with Stars and Broken Social Scene) know her as a soft ethereal style. This is great for an intimate show which the Pike Room can afford but it is annoying when the venue has bands like Shadows Fall and Five Finger Death Punch playing next door. You can tell Amy was annoyed when she found out that the band was playing next door but she went on after Shadows Fall and was putting together a nice set. When FFDP came on, you could feel the vibrations through the room and Amy was going to stop but fans did encourage her to play on which she did for a few songs and later she admitted to enjoying the energy this conflict presented. As a fan, I appreciate her playing on but venues need to be more considerate when making such bookings. If it had been someone like Nico Case or Camera Obscura downstairs, it is not so bad, but FFDP is loud and shouldn't be in competition with such a low tempo show. It is not fair to fans or the artist. Amy was in town promoting her second solo record, "Masters of the Burial". Amy is enjoying this tour and likes the freedom to write her own arrangements to her music. One thing I found out about Amy is that she is very fascinated with people's faces and the way they change between emotions. This also applies to people in other countries like Japan and Russia. She admits loving hanging around in coffee shops watching the people walk by even if her boyfriend sometimes gets annoyed by this. Check out her new album which is very enjoyable.
I also had the pleasure of going to Harpos for the first time since I have been in the area. It was built in 1939 for the Wisper and Westman circuit as the Harper Theatre and was designed in the Art Moderne style by Charles N. Agree (he also designed the Grande Ballroom, Southgate Shopping Center, Vanity Ballroom, Whittier Hotel and the Jewish Community Center). I have often heard many stories of fights and incidents involving guns and knives, but I had a nice experience at the Gwar show which was incredible (they are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year). Who else goes to see Gwar on Sweetest Day? They had 2 stages going which I enjoyed since it kept things moving. I esp liked local band 'Myth Not Man' which I will play on my show this Saturday morning. While the place is dirty, I enjoyed the atmosphere which seemed to reek of history of the many great hard rock and metal bands which have played this venue over the years. I also enjoyed getting felt up by the drunk half naked woman at the table next to me. I guess that was my sweetest day present! One of my friends went to a show earlier in the week and has a picture of a guy getting a blow job in the venue. Anyway, Gwar didn't disappoint with their elaborate costumes, loud rocking music, send-ups and mutilations of Michael Jackson and President Obama along with tons of various liquids drenching the audience. One of the most fun shows of the year so the next time they come to town, make sure you get your tickets. Upcoming shows at Harpos include Type-O-Negative, Hatebreed, David Allen Coe and Mushroomhead. Their website is www.harposconcerttheatre.com.
Upcoming shows include Wednesday (10/21) Mastodon w/Dethklok @ Fillmore, Thievery Corporation @ Royal Oak Music Theatre and Jay-Z w/NERD @ the Convocation Center at EMU. Thursday (10/22) has Airborne Toxic Event @ Crofoot. Friday (10/23) sees the wonderful Emmylou Harris @ Michigan Theatre, the Raveonettes @ Magic Stick, the great Brian Wilson @ Soaring Eagle Casino and local band Darling Imperial opening for Illy Mack @ Vernor's Lounge. Saturday (10/24) rocks out with the Damned @ St Andrews Hall or mellows out with jazz great George Benson @ the Masonic. Sunday has porn star turned blues girl Candye Kane @ Callahans, jam band Gov't Mule @ Royal Oak Music Theatre, Eisley opening for Say Anything @ Clutch Cargos and Parachute opening for Kelly Calrkson @ Fox Theatre.
I'm always looking for interesting things and it looks like someone is trying to take advantage of the poker craze by offering to throw poker parties with half naked chicks dealing cards, serving drinks and playing twister. This sounds like it might be ideal for bachelor parties and the like so if you want to look into this yourself, try www.myspace.com/gamenightangels and see what it is all about.
Also, speaking of hot chicks, I met up with my friends Dave and derby girl Yin at the Majestic Cafe and reminded me that the Detroit Roller Derby has 2 matches this upcoming Sat 24th as they present champs vs chumps putting the winners and losers of last year against each other. The Detroit Pistoffs and Pistolwhippers will take on the Devil's Night Dames and D-Funk Allstars. Don't miss this fast growing and exciting sport down at the Masonic. Their is also a competition to "Bid To Cut Off Cookie And/Or Racer's Hair!!!" with all proceeds (and hair) to be donated to Wigs For Kids. The hair goes to kids who have lost their hair due whether permanent or temporary due to a medical condition. What a good cause! Go to www.wigsforkids.org for more info on how you can donate to this cause. You can go to www.detroitrollerderby.com for more info on upcoming matches. Yin is really hot and will be skating in her first match on Dec 12th for the Detroit Pistoffs. Go out and support this sexy skater and wonderful team! Actually, not too sound biased but every team is cool and as a fan, you will find the team that fits your personality and that has always been the Pistoffs for me ever since I was hanging with Miss Canada.
I'm not sure if I can type anymore so I will leave you here with a hearty have a nice week!
