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1/31/12

Adam Shirley / Still Life / Feb 4 / Re:View Contemporary

Adam Shirley

Still Life

February 4 – March 3, 2012

Opening Reception:

Saturday, February 4, 2012

7 pm – 10 pm

Still Life

 In his second solo exhibit at Re:View, Adam Shirley's presents his latest body of work, a series of compositions referencing the history and tradition of still life paintings. Continuing to work with steel, a material typically associated with utility and function, Shirley's investigations into the relationships between two and three-dimensional objects, material and scale, now take him into creating still life compositions using the most unlikely of materials.

These three-dimensional works arise from layering a singular material, providing multiple perspectives to experience the spatial interactions between form, color and light, as well as, figure and ground.

Once again, Shirley creates works that intend to engage the viewer into their own exploration of the potentials of each object or form, opening for infinite interpretations and experiences.

Adam Shirley received his BFA in 1993 from the College for Creative Studies (CCS), in Detroit, Michigan, and a Master of Fine Arts in the Metalsmithing Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in 2010. Shirley has been recently awarded the Toby Devan Lewis Fellowship.

Re:View Contemporary Gallery

444 W. Willis Street, Units 111 and 112

Detroit, MI 48201

Tel: 313.833.9000

www.reviewcontemporary.com  

Gallery Hours:

Thursday, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, noon - 6 p.m.

Or by appointment.

FREE TICKETS: Seven Year Itch - Fundraiser for Michigan Humane Society - Music Hall Detroit Jazz Cafe - Friday 2/3


How time flies when you are having fun! Yes we are celebrating our 7th year of anti-blogging with a fundraiser party for Michigan Humane Society.

Our good friend and contributor Mikel OD is also celebrating his 7th year running hard at Most People Are DJs. One of our sponsors, Rock & Rummage is also coming up on the 7th year so its going to be a great night for all.

We have FUR, Phantom Cats, I Love Lightning Bugs and Legendary Creatures on the bill with intermission entertainment by Satori Circus and his Cirquettes. HEAR Magazine will be onsite all night covering the show and setup with a portrait studio for anyone who wants to get in front of the lens!  They are also conducting interviews for the next print issue of HEARMag.  Bands - Come on down and talk to these guys!
Email motorcityblog@earthlink.net  for you shot at a pair of tix

There has been an avalanche of donations from our supporters that will be raffled off so please support them all for their help any chance you get.  Michigan Humane Society will be at the show for anyone that would like advice or more information on some of the great programs currently in the works.

Since this is a fundraiser, if you have been a winner on this website we ask that you come to the show or if you cannot make it out please send a donation to MHS

List of Donating Supporters
(gift cards, tickets, memberships, products and swag for giveaway)

Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit Derby Girls
Mark Arminski
323East
Magic Stick Detroit
Majestic Cafe
Universal Music Group
Music Hall Detroit
Sound Board Motor City Casino
Michigan Pinball Expo
Bastone Royal Oak
Hard Rock Cafe
Gwen Joy's "Joy Toys"
MOTORCITYBLOG
Rock N Rummage
Callahan's Auburn Hills
Live Nation - Fillmore Detroit / St Andrews Hall
AEG / Royal Oak Music Theatre
The Crofoot Pontiac
Detroit Comics
Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle
Dirty Show 13
Buddy's Pizza
Ghetto Recorders
Michigan Movie Project
Warner Brothers Music Group
Artwork by Rebecca Mich
Detroit Photographs by Paul Hitz Photography
Detroit Photographs by LawrenceCreative

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1/30/12

Wild At Heart

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












Wild At Heart



One thing I really enjoy is road tripping and this past week took me to Syracuse to fulfill a lifelong ambition. I have been a huge fan of college hoops for as long as I can remember. I had seen all my favorite teams play at one point or another but rarely at their home arenas. My favorite team is Duke and I saw them years ago at the University of Michigan which was a real rush. Coming in 2nd place has been Syracuse which I have seen in multiple arenas going back to the Pearl and Seikaly years but I never had made the trip to the Carrier Dome until this year. Despite numerous division one games at neutral sites or schools like Oakland University and Bowling Green State University, I found out there is nothing like seeing a game at a big time school. When I saw Michigan play Duke, UM was in a downturn and Duke crushed them. The atmosphere was kind of lax. Syracuse, which despite losing their main man, is currently in the top 5 and the place was electric.


Syracuse Orangemen before game


The above pic gives a little bit but not the whole picture as the place which had 28,000 people strong and most of them wearing the color Orange. The game itself was average as Syracuse held on to a 63-61 win over West Virginia despite 20% at the 3 pt line and an inability to get a rebound. They mainly won because they took the turnover battle which was the only times they looked good and those moments had the roof vibrating. I'm glad I finally made a game though wondering why it took me so long since I used to passed the Dome on the way to college back in the day.


self photo at Syracuse game


I stayed for the girls game afterwards who lost a close one to Cincinnati. Both games were entertaining coming down to the last shot, but it always pisses me off to see a big drop off in fans for the women's game. About only 2,000 people stayed for the game as partially seen by the lack of crowd in this shot.


Syracuse women vs Cincinati


It was also cool because the Orange mascot was walking around entertaining the fans and they had a killer pep band playing.


Syracuse Orangemen mascot

They also have a nice restaurant/bar where I got a bowl of lobster bisque between games and they have some nice displays celebrating their football and basketball legacy including there 2003 Championship trophy.

Syracuse Orangemen 2003 Championship trophy


I also enjoyed walking around the campus for a bit. They have a quality art gallery (the Shaffer) on campus and a lot of beautiful building and statues.

Syracuse Student Union graffiti art

Ernie Davis statue, Syracuse University

Abraham Lincoln statue, Syracuse University

Around campus, they have an the Everson Museum Of Art which has one of the biggest collections of pottery in the world and the Armory Square which has a big grouping of restaurants and a great music store called the Soundgarden. If you ever get to the Syracuse area, it is a great place to get a bite to eat and take in a game and one of the best arenas in college sports.


This is a week with not a lot of music but here are a couple of shows going on in the area:





Thursday (2/02) - CJ Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band @ PJ's (Ann Arbor), Frontier Ruckus @ the Ark, School Of Rock @ Emerald Theatre


Friday (2/03) - Prussia @ Pike Room


Have a good week.

Slander Cannon/Wereworm - Franks Power Plant








Watching Slander Cannon and Wereworm at Franks Power Plant in Milwaukee on Saturday night, I felt like I was back at O’Cayz Corral in Madison, WI. I was re-living the good old days of indie music, seeing talented and educated bands like Slint, Volcano Suns, and Thin White Rope. Slander Cannon has been around for about 3 years and according to bassist Rob Sieracki, has played about six shows in the area. There were no signs of deterioration in their performance. After a jazzy instrumental opener, the band kicked into high sonic gear. Lead vocalist Joe Cannon is a cross between David Thomas and Tim Schwallie (Wovlerton Brothers, great Cincinnati band). His vocal style ranged from folk punk rock to pure Pere Ubu chaos during the “The Hostages are Bored”. This was inspiring jangly heartland rock and roll, melodic songs played with energy and a little angst. Wereworm is a four piece instrumental band also from Milwaukee. I hear some influences from Pylon, but the sound is heavier and deliberate. Songs build and build, taking you along for the ride while you wait for the musical explosion, which never happens, making you want more. You must check out these two promising Milwaukee bands this year. If you don’t, you will regret it.

1/26/12

Show review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET @ The Fisher Theater (currently playing)



Attended by first ever show at Detroit's Fisher Theater on Wednesday night to catch the Broadway musical "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET" which is currently on a National tour and in town till February 5.
Anyone who knows me is aware of my passion for music. And the core of great music to me is Rock and Roll. You can categorize, label, and put it in genres, but if it's good it's just plain Rock And Roll to me.

I've always been a fan of early originators of Rock and Roll whom four legendary ones are represented in "Million Dollar Quartet". "Million Dollar Quartet" is set on December 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, brought the four legendary musicians together at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history.

The set design for the stage was very impressive. The majority of the show takes place in Sam Philips studio, control room, and just outside (for the occasional smoke, discussions, and run for drinks). It looked genuine and really transported me to a time that I love, but never got to experience.

The show starts with Sam Phillips (Christopher Ryan Grant) and Sun Records newly signed Jerry Lee Lewis (Martin Kaye). These two were my favorite of the entire show. Martin had Jerry's infamous hair and was a true character. I'm a big Jerry Lee Lewis fan and I can truthfully said he nailed it. And Christopher Ryan Grant should never be out of work for the rest of his life. The guy can act. I kept my eye on him for the entire show to see if I would see a break in character, but it never happened. So are all Broadway musical actors this good?



Slowly more of these early Rock and Roll pioneers come strolling into Sun Studios including Carl Perkins (Lee Ferris ). Johnny Cash (Derek Keeling), and Elvis Presley (Cody Slaughter). Elvis brings his girlfriend Dyanne (Kelly Lamont) (at the real session, Elvis' girlfriend was a dancer named Marilyn) along to the studio with him. Rounding out the musicians jamming are Fluke (Billy Shaffer) on drums and Jay Perkins (Chuck Zayas) on bass.
The musicians jam on their own songs, do cover tunes, and jam on each others tracks. Sam Phillips helped bring Rock and Roll to the masses. With that came money and the business aspect of the music industry which is represented in this show as well. Elvis at this point was mainstream and was a big success. He was craving the old days of being on a small label since he had left Sun for the monster label that was RCA. Johnny Cash was getting too big for Sun and was heading to Columbia Records which Sam Phillips was unaware of. Then you had Carl Perkins who was a great guitar player and writer, but mainstream success was always fleeting him. One case in point was when Elvis had a huge hit with the song "Blue Suede Shoes" which Carl wrote. And then there's Jerry Lee Lewis. A cocky newbie to Sun who could only foresee success in his future with Sun and he was right.



The legendary night is brought to life with a eclectic score of rock, gospel, R&B and country hits including "Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Matchbox,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” and more. Elvis' date Dyanne gets in the action as well and does a great version of Peggy Lee's “Fever”.
The sound was fantastic and the show was backed by great acting and musicians. The Sun Studios story was wrapped up with a actual picture of the four legends taken that night on December 4, 1956. I've been viewing that photo for years now and to see the cast posing below it in the exact setup surely made me feel the show was something special. It was as close I was going to be to that evening.

After that legendary tale was told, the studio set came up and a Vegas style stage show complete with a wall of lights behind the cast was revealed and each artist rocked out to some of their biggest hits after putting on their shiny sequined jackets of course.
I was mostly surrounded by people 20 to 30 years my senior who stood up from their seats during Elvis' "Hound Dog" and made it feel like a real rock show.



I can't recommend this show enough. Take your parents, or better yet take the children and school them in real music.
The Fisher Theatre is a fantastic venue with easy and free parking so what are you waiting for?
For more info on the "MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET" which is in Detroit till Feb. 5 please check out...http://www.broadwayindetroit.com


Show review (with live video) : WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE @ The Magic Bag


(photo by Rachel Lazere)

I was happily surprised at the near capacity crowd at the Magic Bag for WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE last Friday because of the winter blast that fell upon the city that day that left the roads snow covered and treacherous. But Michael Jackson is so larger than life that people, myself included, will brave any conditions to hear the songs that made him the "King Of Pop".
The crowd was diverse as you could get. A true melting pot. From twenty something's to seniors, and even the Insane Clown Posse (sans makeup) were in attendance donning Michael Jackson apparel. The whole crowd was moving right from the start with the bands first song "Jam".
WHO'S BAD: THE ULTIMATE MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE gives you the total Jackson live experience. It's a total live band. You have musicians playing the guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, and trumpet. And boy did the trumpet player ever move. I think the guy has jello in place of bones. The vocalist was fantastic. He kept the energy level high all night with fantastic dance moves to match his singing. It's not a easy task to match "the king", but he came as close as I've seen.
Songs spanned Michael's total career from the Jackson 5 to his solo material. From “I'll Be There” to “Billie Jean” to "Black or White".
The band also brought up audience members a few times during their set to dance and sing with them. The place felt bonded through the music. So much positive energy in the packed house. Michael Jackson's legacy exists with the songs that will never die. And I'm happy to see such a act bringing them on the road to perform live and giving them justice.

Words can only explain so much so please sit back and enjoy this live video I filmed of the band performing "Smooth Criminal"...





1/25/12

Free Tickets: We Are The Ocean at the Pike Room


We Are the Ocean
w/ The Swellers, and Twin Atlantic
Thursday, January 26th at the Pike Room in Pontiac
Doors open at 6, $10/12

Send an email to motorcityblog@earthlink.net
for you chance to win a pair of tickets

We Are the Ocean are a 5 piece post-hardcore band from Loughton, Essex, England. The band has played hundreds of shows since their formation, including several festivals during 2008 such as Slam Dunk, Offset Festival, Middlesbrough Music Live, and Taste of Chaos. They have supported bands such as You Me at Six, The Used, The Blackout, Fightstar, Funeral for a Friend, Underoath, Lostprophets and My American Heart, as well as playing alongside Kids in Glass Houses, From First to Last, The Medic Droid, Brigade, Saving Aimee, Tonight Is Goodbye and Furthest Drive Home. Their second album, Go Now And Live, will be released in the U.S. on February 28th.

REVIEW: No VI Chop House - "Around the World in 12 Days" by FIREFAR

No.VI Chop House

Continuing our search for the best food and drinks in the Detroit area, MCB was invited to head over to world-renowned Matt Prentice’s No.VI Chop House for one of a series of wine pairing dinners called “Around The World in 12 Days”.

We could not have been more excited and our excitement was proven to be correct. Inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel, just a jump off I-696 at Novi Rd. is the loveliest steak house you would never expect. It is decorated beautifully and the staff is top notch, really the staff were incredibly kind, genuine and professional. Absolutely the best!

ON to the event:
Owner and remarkable winemaker Anne-Charlotte and brought her amazing wines of Chateau de la Font de Loup from Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Ann-Charlotte paired these with Executive Chef Jeremy Kalmus delectable 5 courses for an over the top taste extravaganza, to be blunt.

The first wine was a 2008 Blanc, a well balanced blend of citrus and fruit with a floral nose. A nice change from the usual chardonnay. Chef Jeremy served it with a succulent Sea Scallop atop black truffle risotto. C’est magnifique! Paired perfectly, a hit!

The second pairing featured a 2001 Chateaneuf-du-Pape , very pinot noir in flavor and color, it was warm and also a well balanced red wine. With this wine Chef Jeremy served the most popular Duck Confit Port Wine Demi and a foie gras apple sausage. This was for me the winner of the night, so tender, rich and very subtly smoky..I loved it!

After 2 more courses one of King Crab and one Smoked Short ribs (yum). Ann-Charlotte thoughtfully served 2 different years of the same wine together to point out the different flavors that result from the same vines, same location, different weather. Very interesting and it seems you can never stop learning about wine and wine making , that is the draw.

Our final course, dessert of course. This was my partner’s favorite. I complained that we should have a final course of cheese like the sophisticates in Europe do but I have to say Chef Jeremy really put a lot of effort into the salted caramels, chocolate mousse and pea nutty lacy cup things and they had good taste as well as a pretty landscape on a plate.
The dessert wine was a 2007 LePuy Roland – nice!

I am sure with the night’s success these things will be happening more frequent. What a wonderful way to escape the winter blahs than with a fantastic and interesting food event in a romantic setting.





For more info please visit http://mattprenticerg.com/


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1/24/12

Waiting for Godard @ Museum of New Art

Waiting for Godard @ Museum of New Art
is part of the series "My Life As A Film", in which Stig Eklund has explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety. He creates, or rather regards, things in a way that is different from that of other artists. He sees only the essential, and that, naturally, is all that he represents: A look, a small gesture, a kiss gone wrong, a shrug of shoulders.
 
For this reason Eklund's work is as a rule 'not complete', as people are at first so frustrated to discover. But, fill a room with a dozen of these 'paintings' or so, and one finds they are surprisingly complete. His complete vision of an incomplete world.
 
Art is finished once the artist has said everything that was on his mind, and this is precisely the advantage Eklund has over his fellow artists, that he really knows how to show us what he has felt, and what has gripped him, and to this he subordinates everything else.

- Jessica Hopkins, chief curator at the Museum of New Art   
  
The Little Museum That Still Can...
In a young century dogged by instability and uncertainty, faith in the power of art is rekindled by the reopening of the Museum of New Art (MONA). The need for a contemporary museum in Detroit remains especially strong in view that the entrenched artistic circles continue to oppose such a truly active partner. Moving outside these circles, a small group of collectors and businessmen have stepped forward to support and retain this contemporary in the region.
 
The idea was to choose a city nearby Detroit that would have a fresh atmosphere and without the old politics. A small enough community where the museum could create an art scene which would be new and innovative, and yet still encompass the entire region.
 
As explained by director Jef Bourgeau: "We've never thought in small terms. We don't accept this notion of small. It's a museum on the human scale. I would say that is the ideal scale."
 
This new MONA vows to retain the museum's philosophy since its founding in 1996: that art's joy, power and creativity lie solely in the eyes, hearts, hands and minds of the generation that creates it.

The Museum of New Art (MONA) is located at 7 North Saginaw Street, Pontiac, Michigan - 2nd floor.
email:  detroitmona@aol.com    telephone:  248.210.7560    website:  www.detroitmona.com




 

THIS THURS: Detroit4Detroit Kickoff @ Green Dot Stables


Detroit4Detroit
Launch at Green Dot Stables
2200 W. Lafayette Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48216
Thursday 26 January, 6pm-8.30pm

Join Detroit4Detroit on Thursday, January 26th at Green Dot Stables as we celebrate the launch of our new initiative to impact the city we love! We'll be joined by our Detroit partner organizations, local advisors and citizen leaders.





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THIS FRI: Robert Gordon feat. Chris Spedding @ Magic Bag

Friday, January 27 - Doors 8pm - $20

Rockabilly legend Robert Gordon returns to the Magic Bag with guitarist Chris Spedding (of Roxy Music) in tow for an unforgettable night of music. If you like your music wild, fast and hard, then the Bag is the place to be. Slick back your hair, put on your cool cat clothes and make the scene! As a special treat, the Reckless Ones open the show. Plenty of tickets still available!

Check out this great clip of Robert performing on the Conan O'Brien show (with Detroiters Greasy Carlisi and Todd Glass in the band).


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FREE TICKETS: Dirty Show 13/ Feb 10- 18/ Bert's Warehouse

It's lucky 13 for the Dirty Show this year,
 as one of the largest Erotic Art exhibits of it's kind in the world,
and not to mention the BIGGEST art event in Detroit,
as it lands upon Bert's Warehouse for it's 6th year in a row.

The Dirty show has passed from a Detroit Valentines Day tradition into a bona fide ritual.
In 13 years The Dirty Show has also become the world's largest Erotic Art and Performance event of its kind. With no less than 300 national and international artists displaying hundreds of erotic works in all mediums, priced anywhere from $10 to $10,000. Starting locally but expanding globally, some of the Artist's who have shown at Dirty over the last 12 years sounds like a who's who of both Detroit-and the world art community.

This years highlights include-
- 'The Operation'   a film by Jacob Pander and Marne Lucas garnered Best Experimental Film – 1995 by NY Underground Film Festival is an erotic film shot entirely in infrared and transcends it from simply an erotic work, to a work of art via it's unique perspective.
The Operation is rarely screened, so it's not to be missed. 

- Best Of The Northwest- by the Seattle Erotic Art Festival-  Bringing in the best erotic art from The Pacific Northwest, The Seattle Erotic Art Festival curates a select group offering of some of the best erotic art in America. www.seattleerotic.org

- S.W.E.A.T. - Society of Women in Erotic Art Today offers an all-female collective of photographers, fine artists and performance art and women's multi dimensional role in the semiotics of eroticism.  http://www.sweatartists.com/

- Honey Bunny Burlesque- A ribald African American Burlesque troupe that will be making their first appearance at Dirty Show 13.

Noteworthy Artists who have exhibited at Dirty Show-
H.R. Giger (Alien), Clive Barker (Hellraiser), Eric Kroll, Colin Christian, Bunny Yeager, Jill Greenberg, Shawn Barber, and Steve Canaday are but a handful of the international names that have shown at Dirty Show. Locally the artist list is equally impressive; Mark Dancey, Camilo Pardo, Glenn Barr, Niagara, Russell Keeter, Tom Thewes, Jerome Ferretti and Pablo Davis, (who at 95 is one of the longest working artists in the world).

Culturally, It's become more than an erotic art exhibit, or innovative performance art testing ground, it has evolved into an incredible, uninhibited social experience. It's an event where the attendees become as much a work of erotic art as the images upon the walls. The sexy reconstruction of both Theatre and even Opera, prove that The Dirty Show isn't only about exhibiting "dirty pictures", it's become about the blurring of both genres and perceptions, moving the erotic arts into new and otherwise, traditional art forms.

Photos Credits:
" N. Gornik"- Marne Lucas
"Juliet" - Patricia Izzo

DETAILS-
Friday & Saturday, February 10-11   7PM to 2AM  - 21 and over only
Sunday, February 12 Noon- 5PM 18 and over
Tuesday, February 14th (Valentines Day) 7PM till 1AM
Friday & Saturday, February 17 -18 – 7PM to 2AM - 18 and over
Tickets $20 Advance    $25 at the Door
Advance tickets online at http://www.dirtyshow.org/  and at local outlets

Bert's Warehouse Theatre
2739 Russell Street
Detroit, MI 48207-2614
(313) 393-3233

For more information


Want to win some free tickets to Dirty Show 13? we will be raffling them off as part of our upcoming fundraiser for the Michigan Humane Society...click the link below for more details
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UPCOMING: Pretty Things Peepshow - Smalls Hamtramck - Sat Feb 4th


Smalls

10339 Conant Street

Hamtramck, MI 48212-3143

(313) 873-1117


Date: Saturday February 4, 2012

Time: Doors open at 8:00pm Show starts at 9:00pm
Ticket Price: $10 advanced $12 at the door

Pretty Things Peepshow: www.prettythingspeepshow.com
Listen to Eddy Price’s music: www.thempires.bandcamp.com

The Pretty Things Peepshow is a girly road show that features a bevy of beauties who breath life into the amazing acts of yesteryear. In this show no 2 acts, or 2 ladies are the same. The talented cast includes Sexy Sideshow Siren and host of the MTV Iggy show Miss Heather Holliday, The Midget of Mischief Lil Miss Firefly, The Professional Provocateur go-go Amy, The Dapper Dan of Danger Donny Vomit and the Rockabilly Road Warrior Eddy Price performing their unique blend of sideshow, burlesque and rockabilly known as Broadville entertainment. Joining The Pretty Things Peepshow on stage will be local guest stars The Detroit Dizzy Dames.

ACTS:
Sword Swallowing
Knifes or Chainsaws Juggling
Whip Cracking
Electric Chair
Straight Jacket Escape
Glass Walking
Animal Traps
Human Blockhead
Burlesque
Live Music
Knife Throwing
Chinese Execution Blade Box
Drag
And More!


CREDITS:
350+ tour dates and counting.
OZZFEST with Motley Crue, Rob Halford and Ozzy Osborne
Harley Davidson’s Thunder in the Rockies Festival with Foreigner
The Reaperbahn Festival - Hamburg, Germany
Wintersun Festival - Australia
Heather Holliday is currently the host of the MTV Iggy show http://www.mtviggy.com/

As individual performers some of the troupe’s more notable accomplishments include:
The Coney Island Circus Sideshow -Brooklyn, NY
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not - Time Square, New York City
Vans Warped Tour
OZZFest
West Coast Riot & Metal Town Music Festivals – Sweden
Freaks Oshea’s Casino on the Vegas Strip

They have also appeared in music videos for:
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tommy Stinston (Guns and Roses)
50 Cent
Rick Ross
Reverend Patton and his Big Damn Band


Television appearances include:
Miami Ink
The Girls Next Door
The Colbert Report
Cake Boss



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UPCOMING: Modern Skate Park Presents Bitter Cold Showdown XII




Modern Skate Park Presents Bitter Cold Showdown XII

Inline Industry's Largest Competition and Trade Show

From Feb. 23-25, the Royal Oak Modern Skate Park invites rollerbladers, trade companies and professionals to one of the biggest contests in the rollerblade community, Bitter Cold Showdown XII. All ages are welcome, but competitors under 18 must fill out a Modern Skate Park waiver and competitors are required to wear a helmet.

Starting Thursday, the rollerblade session will run from 9:30 p.m. to midnight for $7. The contest will continue on Friday with an industry meeting at 6 p.m., competitor practice and warm-up from 8-9:30 p.m., Bitter Cold Showdown qualifications from 9:30-10:30 p.m. and a late night session from 10:30-1 a.m. Saturday will begin with the official industry trade show from noon-3:30 p.m. The amateur Bitter Cold Showdown contest will begin at 3:30 p.m., followed by the professional contest at 6 p.m. The night will end with a final skate session from 9 p.m.-midnight. Admission is free for spectators on Friday, and $15 on Saturday.

The Bitter Cold Showdown was organized in 2011 by a group of bladers who wanted to strengthen and expand the rollerblading community. In 2009 it became a part of the World Rolling Series, which also focuses on the growth, global recognition and promotion of rollerblading. The Bitter Cold Showdown has become one of the largest events for sponsors, companies, professionals and rollerbladers to share and celebrate the passion of rollerblading.


Modern Skate Park- http://www.modernskate.com/modernskate/default.asp
Bitter Cold Showdown XII - http://www.bittercoldshowdown.com/2012/
Bitter Cold Showdown XII Promo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62d0n0kd6oI
Bitter Cold Showdown & WRS TV Pilot - http://www.wrstv.com/


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1/23/12

Wild At Heart

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












Wild At Heart



Hope everyone had a good weekend. A lot of fun sports with NFL play-offs and college basketball and hockey. One nice thing about where I am is that there are a lot of local colleges where you can get cheap or free access to sports. I caught some RIT men’s and women’s basketball this weekend as they beat the crap out of Bard and got schooled by Vassar. I also went to a Razorshark game, which is a lower level of professional basketball, and capped it all off with 2 RIT women’s hockey games against Buffalo State hopefully allowing RIT to remain at #2 in the country. I tried to get some good pics but my camera doesn’t always allow great distance shots with a lot of movement. My clear pictures were pretty bland and my action shots were blurry though I did get this:


RIT hockey vs Buffalo State

Hope that works for you, and yes, this is an awesome woman’s team. They hosted the tournament last year and lost in the finals. They are fast and exciting. The best play this weekend was in the second game when they were up 2-1 and Buffalo had them in a 5-4 power play. We got the puck on their side of the blue line, pulled our goalie for a 5-on-5 with an open net and scored a goal to go up 3-1. Watching these girls play proves that the girls are just as good as the guys sometimes. The main difference is fewer fights and body checks, not to say they don’t happen. In the 2 games, there was one big fight and two body checks that stopped the game for a bit.




RIT is in itself a nice campus which is fun to walk around with various art galleries, displays of famous alumni and their inventions/contributions (it is a very high technology oriented school) and they have a lot of events the public can enjoy. The school is also one of the premiere schools for the deaf having. It is not uncommon to walk around and see big groups of students using sign language and the even have one art gallery dedicated mostly to the work of hearing-impaired artists. This month the upstairs was dedicated to various hearing-impaired students while the downstairs has an exhibit dedicated to Francis Marion Tuttle. Tuttle (1839-1911) lived is the Geneva, NY area and became deaf either at birth or at a very young age. He painted mostly landscapes and portraits and commanded a good price for his work at the times, having paintings selling for up to $1,000 a piece which was very good at that time period. While mostly unknown today, RIT can permission from the Geneva historical society to display his work in the first ever exhibition of his work outside his hometown of Geneva. I am not a huge fan of portrait art but I did enjoy many of the landscapes. If you know anyone who is hearing-impaired, or if you are yourself, this is a great area that is very supportive and has a level of culture around artists with similar traits. I am always amazed by some of the work that comes out of that college. If you ever get in this area, it is something to check out.

Francis Marion Tuttle exhibit @ Elizabeth W Williams gallery - RIT@


Not much else going on. Here are a few concerts to recommend, esp the Ann Arbor Folk Festival this Friday and Saturday which I really enjoyed the last three years I was in Detroit:




Tuesday (1/24) - Carrie Rodriquez @ the Ark


Thursday (1/26) - Swellers @ Pike Room


Friday (1/27) - Ryan Adams @ Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor Folk Festival)


Saturday (1/28) - Emmylou Harris @ Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor Folk Festival), Joe Reilly @ Varner Recital Hall (Oakland University), Sponge @ Emerald Theatre, Morris Day & the Time @ Andiamo's Celebrity Showroom (Warren)


Monday (1/30) - Raphael Saadiq opens for Lenny Kravitz @ Fillmore Theatre, Augustana @ Blind Pig


I’ll leave you with a video by Raphael Saadiq, a lively artist that should be seen. I saw him at the theatre in Hockeytown and he blew me away with the richness of his voice and the energy he has onstage.




1/20/12

Nagging Reminder: Detroit Derby Girls This Saturday

The Detroit Derby Girls' Fourth Bout of the Season
Saturday, January 21
Detroit Pistoffs vs. The Pistolwhippers.
Doors open at 6 p.m., bout starts at 7.
All tickets $15, up to two children under 12 admitted free with each adult admission.
Tickets will be available at the door

I had the chance to get some pre-bout analysis from the Pistoffs' Captain, Kraken Whips
Detroit Area Dork: Do you think there was a lot of expectations on your team when the season started, being the returning champs and all?
Kraken Whips: Oh yeah of course, but what people didn't realize is we lost some teammates to their real lives, and on top of that we picked up a ton of rookies. So we weren't the exact same team everyone saw at the 2011 Championships. We also had some [Travel Team] vets that took a hard loss very recently at the WFTDA regionals. The Pistoffs had a lot of "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps" type scenarios before the bout came. We were as prepared as we could have been at that point, and I think we did great.
Detroit Area Dork: What did you take away from the last bout in light of losing by only one point?
Kraken Whips: We really had to swallow our big girl pills on that. There is something to be said about only one point in derby. If ya ask me that's pretty much a wash. It made me realize if we can go through all the changes we were going through and still make D-Funk sweat then we have a really great team!
Detroit Area Dork: What role do you think penalties played in your last bout?
Kraken Whips: Well, the officials have been going through drastic changes as well, so they've had to train new members and some of the things that came up on the track that day,... I don't know that they were ready for that. A lot of stuff wasn't called on both sides and a lot of silly stuff was called on both sides too, so again it was a wash in that respect as well. I will tell you we've been working very hard to not pull penalties. We want a clean and effective game next round.
Detroit Area Dork: What do you think The Pistolwhippers' greatest assets are?
Kraken Whips: Oh boy, they have a lot of really solid players, they have fast Jammers and hard hitting blockers, all the things that make a team great, they shall be worthy opponents.
Detroit Area Dork: When going up against a team that gets a lot of penalties like The Pistolwhippers, do you alter your strategies a bit to take advantage of that?
Kraken Whips: I don't know that they get any more penalties than we do, but I will say that we don't try to bait them into penalties. We are more concerned with not racking up our own penalties. Penalties in derby are much different than other sports, for instance when you are watching hockey you can see the intent clearly most of the time. With derby the floor could be too slippery you fall and suddenly you are going to the box for a major low block. You just never know what you'll get called for, but if you never get any calls it just means you aren't working. So a little bit is okay, it doesn't mean you play dirty it simply means you're trying something new.

Wild At Heart - Birthday trip to Royal Ontario Museum (mayan Exhibit) and TIFF (Otherworldly exhibit)

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









Wild At Heart









Just celebrated by birthday this week by going to my favorite local restaurant, Nick’s Sea Breeze Inn for their Italian buffet and then went to see the movie “Immortals” (a big disappointment) before heading home to a power outage which took out the lights. Despite such a humble day, I did enjoy the weekend.

I started out by catching Sass Jordan in concert. It was a brief show but really high powered. She had a great set of lungs and put on an awesome show. Here is a picture of her afterwards signing autographs.

Sass Jordan signing autographs


After this I went to my hotel which left a bit to be desired. I went through my Entertainment book and got a really good deal on a Knights Inn. The room cost me about $24 which is a great deal for any room nowadays. While I just wanted a place to crash, I also wanted to watch the end of the Patriots/Broncos game but the TV didn’t work and the front desk clerk wouldn’t change my room. It was also the first hotel I ever stayed at that didn’t offer a wake-up call. However, it was a comfortable bed and I did some reading and luckily woke up early to take advantage of a continental breakfast. Nothing special, just juice, toast and muffins and a working TV to watch the news.

I also learned that while the Megabus offers really good rates to travel if you are looking for a one way trip or somewhere week long. Trying to use it for a stay over trip can make for a hectic trip esp trying to places not on the line. Toronto is a nice city to go to with all the mass transit nearby but Rochester isn’t. That is something to take into account when booking trips with them. I got $15 round trip by booking early enough so definitely a money saver but would have liked earlier departure and later leave times.


I started my day early at the Royal Ontario Museum for their new Mayan exhibit. I took the subway which is a great way to travel in Toronto. I especially like the way the museum stop is decorated as shown below.


Toronto subway museum stop


If you are not familiar with the ROM, it is one of the nicest museums in this part of the country. Only the Smithsonian in DC and the Henry Ford in Detroit come close (maybe the Field in Chicago would also compare).

Royal Ontario Museum

outside the Royal Ontario Museum


I got my tickets and headed for the exhibit which is in the basement level. The Mayan culture is very unique to me due to the mixture of modern culture and god worship. There is something very intriguing and mysterious about such a powerful culture that worshiped animals, had bloody sports and some strong architecture. They have one of the most interesting styles of writing in the world through their glyphs and were very advanced with mathematics and astrology among other things. Despite all there advances, they were brought down by a mix Spanish invaders, ecological disasters (including droughts) and other divergent forces. No one knows for sure what the biggest contributor was, but such a magnificent society was brought down. The culture has left a major impact on the culture of South America and Mexico while today’s Mayans struggle to find place in this world.


To me, their ancient civilization is second on my list only to that of mythical Atlantis. The idea of these massive palaces and temples located in a jungle setting similar to a Tarzan movie set with jaguars and other exotic animals mixed with essentially a tribal dressed population with brillant colors and designs just combines the best of all my favorite worlds. The exhibit contains a nicely laid out path through the various aspects of the Mayan culture. My favorite sections dealt with how we deciphered their ancient glyphs (each glyph represents different letters, moods and ideas and went undeciphered for 200 years), their ball courts (got to love any sporting event where the losers could be sacrificed) and the many aspects of death in Mayan society. Most of the exhibition’s objects (around 250 items) have been hand selected from numerous Mexican museums in the Yucatan Peninsula region where the Maya mainly lived, while a few are from the ROM’s own collection.


I’m sure the exhibit will get a lot of traffic this year from people who are caught up in the 2012 doom prophecy from the Mayan calendar. Of course, there are Mayan dates recorded after 2012 so I’m not sure who would be around for those events but you can learn more about it at the exhibit. They also have a lecture series you can attend and if you want more about the end of the world, check out their Monday, March 19th lecture “The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012” by Colgate University professor of Astrology and Anthropology Anthony Aveni. The Tuesday lecture is sold out so hurry and sign up if this interests you. The info can be found on their webiste http://www.rom.on.ca so hurry.





Along with the Mayan exhibit, I also strolled through the museum. The museum was hosting a celebration of the Chinese New Year the day I was there so I took in some Tai Chi exhibitions, sampled teas, listened to the Toronto Chinese Orchestra and other themed events which were quite fun.

Tai Chi demo at ROM

Toronto Chinese Orchestra @ ROM


Around 2005, they added an addition which you can see on the pictures above called “Crystal” by Michael Lee-Chin. Added to the front, this allowed them to protect the historical aspect of many of the exhibits but giving them a lot more room for new exhibits and bringing some stuff out of storage. I always enjoyed their classic Roman period rooms, the native Canadian heritage area as well as numerous other permanent exhibits. However, it the new area, I really enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit. The exhibits has a bunch of actual skeletons and molds on display. The picture below shows one such denizen of the gallery with a sign that shows how much of the skeleton is real bone and how much is casts to make a complete show piece.

dino and info card @ ROM

I like that since you really know what you are looking at. Here are a few more pictures from that area that I enjoy.

me and duck-billed dino

hooded dino @ ROM

me and prehistoric turtle

bone headed dino @ ROM

me and T-Rex


I also enjoyed the expanded African and island culture exhibits in the “Crystal” 3 floor area which are beautilly arranged. I can imagine spending a whole day in the building and probably would have if I wasn’t on a tight schedule. I did manage to spend some time for a quick bite on their 5th floor restaurant called the c5 Restaurant Lounge. I tried a stuufed pepper dish (seen below) from there themed Mayan menu. I was a bit disappointed they were not cooking traditional Mayan food but just Latin-inspired choices, like tamales and tacos, but it was still a tasty dish. The menu does change daily and you can see the menu online.

c5 restaurant eating stuffed Red Peppers

After my lunch snack, I left the ROM wishing I had more time. The Mayan exhibit was wonderful so give yourself a good hour and ½ to 2 hours to go through and enjoy it. This is the type of exhibit worth traveling for and if you have never been to the ROM, it is definitely a museum you will want to take in. I am working on an interview to be published shortly on this blog with one of the members of the ROM so keep an eye out for it.


Notice, even the bike racks outside the ROM are cool.

another cool bike stand at ROM

A couple of subway stops south is the entertainment district which house the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). I saw the inaugaral exhibit last year with Tim Burton and their Grace Kelly exhibit is just ending this weekend. I was here for their free exhibition on Canadian costume designers entitled “Otherworldly: The Art Of Canadian Costume Design”. The exhibit is focused on the horror and sci-fi/fantasy films and covers an interesting group of movies from the uber-cool “Orphan” and “Splice” to the not so cool “Ginger Snaps 3” and Johnny Mneumonic”.

Splice


Still, despite the merits of the movies, even films like “Repo! The Gentic Opera” have some cool costume work despite lack of appeal to mainstream audiences.

Repo! The Genetic Opera

The biggest area was probably for the Terry Gilliam film “the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” which is know as the last film of Heath Ledger. Upon his death, Gilliam brought in Jude Law, Colin Frith and Johnny Depp to shoot his unfinished scenes and we had numerous costumes, including Depp’s clown outfit on display.

Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Overall, while a small exhibit, they have some nice stuff on display. They also have costumes from “Saw VI”, “The Thing”, “Skinwalkers” and “Bulletproof Monk” (see below). If you enjoy costumes or cult sci-fi movies, this is definitely a side trip you will want to check out.

Bulletproof Monk


The exhibit runs thru to March and fantasy fans might want to go up on March 12th to see “Game Of Thrones” writer George R R Martin who will be given a tlk at the facility. They do tend to get a lot of celebrities to stop by. The day after I was in town, they had my babe Juliette Lewis doing a talk so make sure to check out the “In Conversation With…” section before planning your trip.

Also, special thanks to Recchia Pimentel for the press photos of this exhibit.


They are running a feast of Eastern Bloc Science Fiction films over the next few months with popular films like “Solarus” and “Stalker” to lesser known films like “In The Dust Of the Stars”, “The Silent Star” and “Ferat Vampire” that will be a treat to science fiction fans going to see this exhibit. Check out their web page for movie and exhibit hours, http://www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca/ when in town.

Across the street from the TIFF are some great restaurants and this time I checked out Hush for dinner. Prices average just shy of $20 here and I tried the Seafood Linguine which has lobster, shrimp and and various vegetables over, what else, linguine. I have yet to be disappointed by any of these places in this area and would so far recommend them all. You can check out the menu at http://www.hushrestaurants.ca/ and know you are getting a good meal.

lobster and shrimp linguine @ Hush

To summarize the weekend in Toronto, feel free to look for good discounts in Toronto. The Detroit Entertainment books website has good discounts all over the country for hotels. For travel, you can drive or fly, but also have options for train and mega bus which could save you money, esp for a long trip. Toronto has great mass transit including subway and trolley for getting to the best attractions in the city. The Royal Ontario Museum is someplace you need at least a day to see and the Mayan Exhibit is well worth it. The TIFF is a great place for film fans and run many great movies and exhibits for the film enthusiast. They are also across the street from some excellent dining. Toronto is one of my favorite destinations and I wish I was a few hours closer because I would practically live there if I could. Hope you find this useful and enjoy you weekend.















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