He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University
Wild At Heart
Fans of Martin Sexton are in luck. On Wednesday, April 21st at 12:30PM, you can see Martin Sexton performing songs and signing copies of his new CD "Sugarcoating" at the Borders bookstore located at 612 E Liberty St in Downtown Ann Arbor. I have seen some nice intimate performances at this Borders (Ingrid Michaelson, James Taylor and Suzanne Vega) and they have a nice sound system set up which is a must for any serious fan. Maybe you are just someone who has just heard the name and is not that familiar with him. This is your chance to see him for free as long as you get there early. Martin is a wonderful performer and they are expecting a decent crowd. The event will have wristbands which they will start passing out when the store opens so get there early if you want to make sure you get in and get a good seat. Call the store for more details at (734) 668-7652. You won't regret it.
Join the Michigan Opera Theatre Children's Chorus (MOTCC), in collaboration with the Detroit Science Center, for a cross-curricular Arts and Science learning experience! The MOTCC presents Cary John Franklin's children's opera "The Very Last Green Thing". The theme of the opera is one that is very much in the current spotlight - the environment. Set in the year 2192, "The Very Last Green Thing" depicts a classroom of students who, on a rare field trip outside, discover a time capsule containing something quite unusual -- a small, withering plant. The Detroit Science Center will present a pre-opera presentation before both performances. Students are asked to bring a plastic item to the performance to recycle with RECYCLEHERE!. Student tickets for $15 are available only at the box office or by phone (313.237.SING) The performances are on 04/24/2010 at 11AM and 2:30PM.
Here are some shows I recommend for the week:
Tuesday 4/20 - Citizen Cope @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Wednesday 4/21 - gypsy punks Gogol Bordello w/DeVotchKa @ Royal Oak Music Theatre, the wonderful Martin Sexton @ the Ark, Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Detroit Opera House, Javelins open for Aloha @ Pike Room
Thursday 4/22 - Amos Lee @ the Ark, OK Go @ Magic Stick, Friendly Foes open for Free Energy @ Majestic Cafe, Saving Abel @ Crofoot
Friday 4/23 - local bands Hard Lessons w/Octopus @ Magic Bag
Saturday 4/24 - Corinne Bailey Rae @ St Andrews Hall, PBM @ Pike Room, Jessica Hernandez and the Marvins open for Bear Lake @ the Ark
Monday 4/26 - Sia w/Girl In A Coma @ St Andrews Hall
**Tune into WXOU's punk rock show with Drumsticks Rorick on Tuesday for your chance to win tickets to see Gogol Bordello. That is 88.3FM or online at www.wxou.org.
Come on down one and all to WXOU's annual Birthday Bash Concert! Free and open to the public, the show will be happening from 12-1 PM EST at the basement patio of the Oakland Center at Oakland University! Come get some free food, a free T-shirt (while supplies last) and rock out to the acoustic jams of Ryan D'silva and Pato. Celebrate the last day of classes with WXOU, and a good tie will be had by all!!!
Are you able to sleep at night? If you are, you need to check out Motor City Nightmares for a nice reality check. I have been a big fan of horror films ever since I was a kid though I admit I always preferred a sci-fi angle with my horror (Blood Beach, Alien, CHUD, Squirm, The Incredible Melting Man), zombies (Shock Waves, Army Of Darkness, Day Of The Dead) or vampires (The Hunger, The Night Stalker, Near Dark). I remember going to see the newest Freddy Kruger films or Hellraiser movies though I knew early on about SFX and didn't really scare easily. In fact, only two movies ever gave me nightmares. The first was the movie "Them!" which I find surprising todfay because it is basically a film about giant ants. One would think "Phase IV" might have been scarier with real size ants but I was young and the scene where the ant emerged from the LA tunnel and grabbed the oblivious worker by the waist and dragged him into the tunnel really worked on my phyche. After that, it wasn't until I saw the film "Of Unknown Origin" which pits Peter Weller against a protective mother rat. While the birthday cake scene made me jump, it was the scene where the rat came through the bathroom pipes to attack Peter when he was going to the bathroom that ocasionally made me think twice before opening the lid. Since then, I have been able to enjoy many horror films without being afraid of the dark though the German movie "NEKRomantik" nalmost made me vomit (don't eat spaghetti when watching films about people who have sex with corpses, esp the eyeball scene) and "Freaks" still sends a chill down my spine knowing those actors are really deformed like that in real life. No special effects there! While the pitiful video market makes it harder to find such gems as listed above, it is nice to know that there are still events like Motor City Nightmares to help us along and help us find the next generation of classics. Celebrity appearances by actor Kane (Friday the 13th) Hodder, FX guru Tom (Dawn Of The Dead, From Dusk To Dawn) Savini, screenwriter John (Night Of The Living Dead) Russo, actress PJ (Devils Rejects) Soles and our own Wolfman Mac among others make this a fun event to attend. There are also film screenings and a performance by the Amino Acids. Go to http://www.motorcitynightmares.com for more info. Event takes place April 23rd-25th.
Have you always wanted to be on TV? Now is your chance now that ABC's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' is looking for candidates in Ann Arbor and the Detroit area. Casting supervisor Rebecca Shumsky states, "We're looking for inspiring families that American can root for". It is a nationwide search, but there seems to be a strong liking to have southeast Michigan represent due of the cooperation they receive (which might be a part of the Michigan Film Incentives or the fact that they think Detroit's plight might make for gripping TV). They hope to start building in the next two to eight months, depending on weather so send in nominations now to castingmichigan@gmail.com with the subject "Extreme Makeover Ann Arbor-Detroit". Those submitting suggestions should talk about the challenges within a home and why the family is deserving of a new home. The deadline for applications is April 26th.
Band of the week: Thinking of this weekends horrorfest has me charged to highlight the founding father of shock rockers. No it's not Alice Cooper, but Cleveland's own Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Hawkins studied classical piano as a child and learned guitar in his twenties. His original career goal was to become an opera singer but when that failed, he began his career as a conventional blues singer and pianist. He was a tough sucker serving time in the army and in 1949, he was the middleweight boxing champion of Alaska. His most successful recording was 1956's "I Put a Spell on You" which was orginally going to be a ballad but do to a drunken performance in the studio became so much more leading up to the memorable stage appearance when radio disc jockey Alan Freed offered Hawkins $300 to emerge from a coffin onstage. The performance was captured in the film "American Hot Wax" and the most rememberable early concert footage I remember loving. While songs like "Frenzy" and "Feast of the Mau Mau" helped him maintain this new image, he never had super success though he enjoyed opening for acts such as He opened for Fats Domino, the Clash, Nick Cave and the Rolling Stones and influenced rock groups such as Screaming Lord Sutch, Black Sabbath, Arthur Brown, Dread Zeppelin, The Horrors, Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper. While he remains a cult figure, one wonders how he found the time to sire numerous children by many women; an estimated 55 at the time of his death. Talk about productivity.
Have a good week and stay out of the shadows!
