Blowout 2011 - Night 1 (Now with awful pictures)

Night 1 of the Blowout, and all of the action, except for a DJ near the Garden Bowl entrance, was in the Magic Stick. The wristbands this year are no longer plastic, they're cloth with a plastic cinch. I learned too late that like the plastic wristbands, once the new ones are tightened, they can't be loosened again. The sponsor name on the wristbands is Shock Top Belgian White. A craft beer as a sponsor? Not really. Shock Top is owned by Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser). For all of you who missed out on Night 1, and didn't prepay for entrance, you'll now have to pay $25 for your wristband.

With bands alternating between stages that night, I thought one band would start as soon as another stopped. The same as it's done with Sounds and Spirits. Unfortunately that didn't happen last night. The inter-set doldrums were lessened by a good selection of recorded music played through the system by the sound guy. He chose better than most of his coworkers there, and didn't seem to mind when I asked him what he was playing.

First was Darling Imperial over at the Lounge stage, where most of the pool tables used to be. You can't describe them by parsing concepts of genres and sub-genres. They play rock music, and there's nothing else to call it. While we're on the subject of Darling Imperial, I can we all agree to stop referring to the lead singer in the way she's often referred to in the other blogs. It's old now, and I don't think it was ever really funny.

Fawn was the first to play on the main stage. How did they get all their equipment illustrated like that? Fawn recently added a fourth member, a 2nd guitarist, after being a 3 piece for so long. How does that work? Do they go back through all their songs adding another guitar part? Does the new guy have to create parts for all their old songs by himself?

Eeks played next on the lounge stage. They were more of a post-punk hard rock kind of band. They only played a 15 minute set. Now I know one of their songs was only 45 seconds, but the Meatmen play songs that short, and they still manage to give the audience a full set.

The Motorcity Rah Rahs did a short dance number, followed by a brief video tribute to their former leader, the Late Julie Hecker.

Lettercamp on the main stage. They had they their back-lit partitions up again, with Liz doing her silhouette dance behind one of them. Towards the end of the set, they did their cover of "I Can't Wait" by The White Stripes. This cover is a part of Five Three Dial Tone Records compilation "Hello Operator: A Tribute to The White Stripes". During the Blowout, the 2 guys behind the label will be handing out 333 hand numbered cassette copies of this, to soon be followed by the release of the digital version. All free, which is probably protects them from being sued by The White Stripes, who seem to still be sticking to 20th century notions of intellectual property.

Moon Pool & Dead Band at the lounge stage. They're an electronic act. They started slow and mellow, making me think it was going to be some kind of trippy psychedelic band. Their music started picking up the pace and the crowd got into it, and danced a bit.

There were several vendors. Hell City records were selling a large number of albums from their catalogue. Metrotimes was selling their event shirts, and another vendor was selling a variety of different Detroit related tshirts. Near the men's room, their was a different kind of vendor. A sort of urban craft kind of vendor. You get the picture...