Call me a geek, but I am a fan of NPR/APM Radio. It's like storytime for adults. And given the repetitive musical choices we have on local radio, there is always something new. One of my favorites is The Story with Dick Gordon, a show that takes place at 8pm on most nights on 91.7FM. One of my fave episodes/interviews is about how Doop Duprie (of the Inside Outlaws...a great live band!) manages his musical career and his job in this shit-pie economy, specifically River Rouge, MI. To hear the interview, click the link below:
For Labor Day, we take you to River Rouge, Michigan. An industrial enclave just down river from Detroit, it's a town full of union workers, including Don "Doop" Duprie. Growing up, everyone he knew was in a union; his granddad worked at the steel plant and his dad fixed police cars for the city. Nobody thought about college, and Doop got his union card right out of high school. Jobs were well-paid, but River Rouge always seemed teetering on the edge of ruin.
Things are improving with the economy, but people are still without work and others are losing their homes to foreclosure. Doop is now making music full time. His music is all about River Rouge, and the working people that have prospered and suffered there. Doop talks to Dick about how he expresses economic disappointment and frustration through music.
Be sure to check out Doop and the Inside Outlaws (and others) this Friday, January 28th at PJ's Lager House. Cover-$5.
Be sure to check out Doop and the Inside Outlaws (and others) this Friday, January 28th at PJ's Lager House. Cover-$5.