7th Annual FestiFools in Ann Arbor

7th Annual FestiFools: Sunday, April 7th
from 4pm to 5pm

Downtown Ann Arbor (Main St., between Washington and William)

Mark Tucker, who teaches art through the Lloyd Hall Scholars Program at the University of Michigan, began his professional artistic career as Art Director for the Michigan Thanksgiving Parade. While in this role, Mark traveled to Europe to learn the fine art of carta pesta (papier-mâché) from esteemed float builders in Viareggio, Italy. If you’re familiar with Superior Concept Monsters, then you may have an inkling of the FestiFools’ vibe.

Inspired by the magnificent, huge, bizarre, politically incorrect, human-powered and fully-animated floats, Mark decided to see if this kind of creative energy could find an audience back home.

In 2006 he teamed up with Shoshana Hurand, a former LHSP student (and then–graduate student), who saw the hands-on creation of public art as a great opportunity for people of different backgrounds to build relationships, learn from one another, and make their voices heard by the world.

Mark and Shoshana set out to turn a whimsical idea into a reality. Starting with a class of 20 non-art majors in Mark’s LHSP “Art in Public Spaces” class, they went to work — welcoming students, community members, and anyone looking for a chance to be creative and meet new people. Ann Arbor City Council Member Margie Teall, Main Street Area Association leads Ellie Serras and Maura Thomson, and Main Street Ventures co-owner Dennis Serras saw the wonderful potential of all this Foolishness and provided FestiFools with the initial support it needed to get off the ground.

On April 1, 2007, FestiFools exploded onto Ann Arbor’s Main Street with enormous papier-mâché creatures, Stomp-like music courtesy of U-M student group GROOVE, and hundreds of participants from across the community. From the 200+ students in Nick Tobier and Holly Hughes’s School of Art & Design classes, to Kelly Quinn’s College of Urban Planning students, to a broad spectrum of community members that donned masks and joined the festivities, FestiFools 2007 achieved its vision of bringing people out into the streets for fun-filled, artistic Foolery.

The event received praise from The Ann Arbor News editorial board. Mayor John Hieftje even presented us with a Golden Paintbrush Award (for excellence in public art) — upon the condition that FestiFools return in 2008 as an annual, Ann Arbor tradition. Now supported by U-M in a permanent, 2500 sq. ft. facility, with 2 LHSP classes devoted to the creation of this unique artistic event, FestiFools is destined to be one of the crown jewels in Ann Arbor’s cultural and artistic offerings for many years to come.

John Sinclair at U-M Dearborn

The College of Arts, Sciences and Letters (CASL) at the University of Michigan – Dearborn (UM-D) proudly welcomes the legendary author, poet, activist and Michigan native John Sinclair to campus for a pair of events that are free and open to students and the community.

 

From noon-1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, 2013, Sinclair will perform live with His Blues Scholars in Kochoff Hall A, inside the UM-D University Center (UC); later, from 3-4:40 p.m., Sinclair will deliver a talk entitled “Kicking Out the Jams,” in Room 1030 of the CASL Building (CB).  The University of Michigan – Dearborn campus is located at 4901 Evergreen Road in Dearborn. View a campus map at http://www.umd.umich.edu/fileadmin/template/businessaffairs/files/Facilities_Planning/Revised_Campus_Map.pdf. 

Author, poet and activist John Sinclair (born October 2, 1941, in Flint, Michigan) mutated from small-town rock’n’roll fanatic and teenage disc jockey to cultural revolutionary, pioneer of marijuana activism, radical leader and political prisoner by the end of the 1960s.

In 1966-67 the jazz poet, downbeat correspondent, founder of the Detroit Artists Workshop and underground journalist joined the front ranks of the hippie revolution, managing the “avant-rock” band MC5 and organizing countless free concerts in parks, White Panther rallies and radical benefits. Working closely with lead singer and songwriter Rob Tyner and the members of the band, Sinclair brought the MC5 to local fame, national attention and a contract with Elektra Records.

Free Tickets for the Mitten Movie Project

April 2, Screenings start at 7:30

The Mitten Movie Project is a monthly film festival dedicated to screening independent films the first Tuesday of every month at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak. Presale tickets are available for $8 by e-mailing mangilc@yahoo.com. Tickets at the door are $10 (cash only). A pre-screening reception starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Art lobby where moviegoers can mingle with the directors, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts. After the screening, a Q&A session will be conducted with the filmmakers in the theater.

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

 
Total running time: 1 hr., 25 mins.
In order of screening (subject to change):

RESISTANT [sponsor ad] - Directed by Matthew Peach, Chris Lepley, and Mike Madigan
APPROACHING MIDNIGHT [narrative trailer] - Directed by Sam Logan Khaleghi
DIVIDED WE UNITE [documentary trailer] - Directed by Mark Eiden
A COUPLE OF DUDES [narrative] - Directed by Bradley Jones
"YOU SHOULD ALWAYS FEEL GUILTY" by Flipping the Pig [music video] - Directed by Jeff Mansk and Ryan Parmenter
LET LIVE [experimental] - Directed by Tom Compton & Keith Leigh-Monstevens
"HOUSE OF CARDS" by Frenchy and the Punk [music video] - Directed by Frank Siciliano and Samantha Stephenson
DETROIT FROM A ZOMBIE'S VIEWPOINT [animation] - Directed by Electric Otto
THE LOST FILE [parody] - Directed by Anton Bassey
OPEN CITY [narrative] - Directed by Tracey D. Sims
PAUL REVERE VS. THE CHUPACABRA [animation] - Directed by Jason Roth
THE WORLD OF ART [narrative] - Directed by Mike Allore

LISTEN TO the new Human Eye 4: Into Unknown out April 30th on Goner

 

Goner Records To Release HUMAN EYE 4: Into Unknown April 30th, 2013

Direct from Detroit via Outer Space!

 

Listen to "Gettin' Mean" via SPIN

 

The year is 2013AD; people of earth take heed. Timmy Vulgar has graced our squabbling kind by returning the intergalactic, transcendental, critter-swarming, cyber organism that is the twitching Human Eye to terra dwelling humanoids for a fourth revelation. Prepare, peopleoids, as the Human Eye casts its gaze Into Unknown.

Over the course of 4: Into Unknown, the band coaxes the listener along an emotionally bipolar cascade of fuzz which initially entices with mindless twist and jive anthems but ultimately abandons false friends in psychedelic realms whilst remote melodies tickle and torment the cerebellum. Adam Cox engineered the album in his abandoned-school turned studio, "The Gentleman's Club." In many ways, 4 represents a reverent, re-education of Human Eye's style for the familiar listener as it pulls influences from way back; the epochal decades of the 1960s and 70s, when groovin' was the law and the mind a nebulous thing. Full of Sabbathesque sludge-bass, trash incinerating guitars, and blown out organs, these songs will convince any would be aficionado that the throbbing heart of rock-n-roll on life support, Detroit City, can still produce. Everything from jukebox dance singles ("Alligator Dance" / "Gettin Mean"), to existentially unsettling, planetary slow jams ("Surface of Pluto") can be found on this fourth Human Eye release. It even includes Human Eye's hodgepodge interpretation of the epic western rock ballad ("Outlaw Lone Wolf"), in which traditional conventions are slashed to bits then rearranged into a Frankenstein Apache monster who would cut your grandma's scalp, take your sister for his wife, and steal both their rocking chairs. This record leaves no rock unturned, none that is . . . save for the unknown.

This album, Human Eye's first release with Goner, features regulars Timmy Vulgar on guitar and vocals, Johnny LZR on synthesizer, Brad Hales on Bass, and Colin Simon on drums. Additional synthesizer, piano, bongos, and xylophone were provided by Timmy and Adam Cox.  Mystics, ancient astronauts, and other Human Eye zealots can look forward to witnessing of all the maddening multitudes live, as appearances of the band are predicted in hometowns across the United States in the latter half of 2013. So set your radios to interstellar frequency, pick up the album (some of the only hard evidence we have), and do not miss an opportunity to experience Human Eye electro-shock firsthand and be sent reeling beyond our universe, beyond what we can only claim to know. 

 

Tracklisting

1. Gettin' Mean

2. Alligator Dance

3. Samurai Sword

4. Surface of Pluto

5. Buzzin' Flies

6. Juicy Jaw

7. Faces in the Shadows

8. Outlaw Lone Wolf

9. Into Unknown 

 

     

More Info by: Todd Killings (Hozac Records / Victim of Time)

It's hard to believe that it's been close to ten years now that Human Eye have been churning the upchuck muck of the underground's last remaining unturned stones into a heady grind of alien bile and motor city lunacy, but it's really been that long and if you're somehow still not converted, you're probably not the adventurous type anyway. Timmy Vulgar and Johnny LZR have been honing their space punk madness from an inanimate blob of throbbing energy as evidenced on their earliest material, into the sophisticated slime that remains today, and whereas their primordial poundings left the "man-from-ape-with-synthesizer" theories thoroughly divided, their most recent material cuts through the dense complications and drives forward a cohesive, mind-splattering array of "what's next in punk," just as they have been doing since their planetary landing back in the mid 2000's. 

With their newest album, Human Eye 4: Into Unknown, the formidable Detroit decimators return with a pack of soft explosions and aural hallucinations destined to coalesce into a solid punch in the brain, cornering their sound into soaring anthemic shards of acid punk's forgotten tangents, melding bug-eyed prog squiggles with heavier-than-thou guitar fuzz, all ceremoniously glazed with Vulgar's inimitable streamlined skronk. Ink-soaked squid and jellyfish guts aside, Human Eye definitely know how to put on a show. But just as you could say that the theatrics are aimed at distracting you from their own guttural punk dimension, the other-worldly songs forged out of broken light bulb pieces and the slime from expired lunchmeat does wonders to the unaffected brain and causes tiny lesions that absorb all the filth and dementia uttered from Vulgar's tortured trachea, and reinforce the fact that Human Eye are undoubtedly one of the cornerstones of unique modern music. 

Goner Records // Memphis, TN

www.goner-records.com

THIS WEEKEND: Thirst Wave Thursdays, Blaring Division's Folkfest, Pheasant Egg Hunt, Velveteen Rabbit, MY PAL VAL, Wolf Eyes

As usual there are tons of great shows this weekend in Detroit but we wanted to point out a few bands that are hitting the stages that haven't played in while or that you may not have a chance to see before but before you get out the starting blocks be sure to check out Thirst Wave Thursdays with DJ Pleasure Kitten over at Small's Bar Hamtramck - new wave retro alternative dark 80'-90's spinning all night long

Tomorrow night you can catch one of our favorite bands MY PAL VAL who open up the Megyn Hermez show at The Magic Bag Ferndale - if you haven't caught a MPV show you should get out to Ferndale tomorrow  - you will be sold and a return customer  - you can thank us later

Over in Corktown tomorrow night?  

be sure to swing into Lager House for a semi rare almost opening set by another MCB fav 

Velveteen Rabbit 

who are pitching in for the Benefit for Haiti event featuring many more great artists that night

After your drool dries and you are ready to fly on Saturday catch The Kickstand Band at The Loving Touch in Ferndale.  The Kickstand Band have a newer record out called Puppy Love and your night will better for it after enjoying their fun and catchy tunes which will be just right to prepare you for getting ripped to shreds when you witness a rare show by the always destructive WOLF EYES

.... who are opening at The Magic Stick for Chelsea Light Moving and CAVE

be prepared for some chaos at The Majestic Complex as the Garbage and IO ECHO show is just next door  on Saturday night as well so its going to be nuthouse at The Garden Bowl bar that night...just saying

and since you didn't score a Garbage ticket

 you need to leave Detroit and head on over to 

One Eyed Betty's for Blaring Division's Folk Fest 

featuring 5 of Detroit's most talented acoustic and folk acts

play some pinball in prep for the Michigan Pinball Expo next week while you are there

Not heading north after WOLF EYES??

Get on over to The Old Miami where you can get your eggs rolling 

at the Pheasant Egg Hunt

Black Angels @Magic Stick

The Black Angels

w/Allah-Lahs, Elephant Stone

Monday, April 15th, at the Magic Stick

$18/$15 ADV, doors at 8

The Black Angels are a psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas, formed in May 2004. Their name derives from the Velvet Underground song “The Black Angel’s Death Song”. The band consists of Alex Maas (vocals, guitar), Christian Bland (guitar), Kyle Hunt (keyboards), Nate Ryan (bass) and Stephanie Bailey (drums). Hannah Levin’s review of the Black Angels album, Passover, described them as “Walking in the shadows cast by Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized mastermind Jason Pierce” and compared them to The Warlocks and Black Mountain, also invoking “dirges” reminiscent of both The Velvet Underground and the 13th Floor Elevators.

Detroit by Detroit III

DETROIT by DETROIT III
Saturday, April 20th, Doors @ 8pm
Magic Stick 4120 Woodward Ave Detroit

In 2011, twelve Detroit bands were given the opportunity to cover twelve other Detroit acts in the inaugural DETROIT by DETROIT showcase. What started as an “April Fools” show has now become an annual tradition in celebrating Detroit music! The 2012 showcase featured fifteen performances, and this year’s line-up boasts sixteen bands covering sixteen other sensational Detroit acts! So much talent is born in the Detroit area, and this is an exciting way to showcase it.
Featuring:
(MAIN STAGE) AFTER DARK AMUSEMENT PARK as Rodriguez (HEADLINING)
(SIDE STAGE) THE SATIN PEACHES as The HandGrenades
(MAIN STAGE) BIG MESS as Bob Seger
(SIDE STAGE) JAMES LINCK AND CHRIS JARVIS as Passalacqua
(MAIN STAGE) THE HANDGRENADES as George Morris
(SIDE STAGE) STEVIE SOUL AND OMAR ARAGONES as Mayer Hawthorne
(MAIN STAGE) THE WALKING BEAT as The High Strung
(SIDE STAGE) FLINT EASTWOOD as Eminem
(MAIN STAGE) WOODMAN as Silverghost
(SIDE STAGE) REVOIR as Matthew Dear
(MAIN STAGE) ALMOST FREE as Javelins
(SIDE STAGE) BLAIRE ALISE AND THE BOMBSHELLS as The Sights
(MAIN STAGE) THE ILL ITCHES as The Stooges
(SIDE STAGE) THE SPLIT as The Von Bondies
(MAIN STAGE) MAC WATTS w/ THE BACKSEAT REMEDIES as Stevie Wonder
(SIDE STAGE) SCHOOL OF ROCK as The Hard Lessons (OPENING)
Participating bands were given the opportunity to cover any Detroit artist that is either currently active in the Detroit area, or has been within recent years. Each act will play 3-4 songs by the Detroit act of their choice, with covered acts ranging from the nationally-acclaimed Rodriguez and Bob Seger, to local favorites like The HandGrenades and Passalacqua. For the second year in a row, proceeds will fund a special scholarship at School of Rock – and new this year, students of School of Rock will open the show, performing songs by one of their teacher’s bands! Emceeing this year’s event will be the ladies of Hip in Detroit.             

Doors will open at 8pm, with a $5 cover donation. ALL AGES welcome.

SEVENDUST @ Harpo's Show Preview

SEVENDUST in Detroit on Friday, April 12 at Harpo's with Coal Chamber, Lacuna Coil and Candlelight Red.

I'm so very excited to get the opportunity to check these guys out once again. Sevendust is one of the most underrated and hard working bands around. You have got to check these guys out for yourselves. They are amazing musicians and they put on a fantastic live show.They are currently touring to promote their ninth studio album BLACK OUT THE SUN, which has just been released on March 26.

The first single, “Decay,” was released to radio and made available for download at online retail outlets January 29.  It’s already in the Top 20 on the BDS and Mediabase Active Rock charts. “Decay” recently premiered on Billboard.com

After doing a handful of dates with Lacuna Coil and Candlelight Red, they’ll embark on a co-headlining tour with Coal Chamber starting March 28, concluding April 28.

SEVENDUST--Lajon Witherspoon (vocals), Morgan Rose (drums/vocals), Clint Lowery (guitar/vocals), Vince Hornsby (bass/vocals) and John Connolly (guitar/vocals)--self-produced and recorded the new album at The Architekt Studios in Butler, NJ with the help of mixer/engineer Mike Ferretti (who also worked with Lowery and Rose on CALL ME NO ONE’s debut album, LAST PARADE, which was released June 5, 2012 on 7Bros Records). 

 www.sevendust.com

FRIGHTENED RABBIT show preview

This Saturday night at Saint Andrew's Hall in Detroit. 

 FRIGHTENED RABBIT PERFORMS

“THE WOODPILE” ON CONAN

 

Band kicks off North American tour this Friday in Seattle

Pedestrian Verse is the fourth studio album  by Scottish Indie Rock band Frightened Rabbit released on February 4, 2013 in the UK and Europe, and on February 5, 2013 in the US.It is the debut LP for the band on major label  Atlantic Records, with their previous studio albums released via independent label  Fat Cat Records. 

http://www.frightenedrabbit.com/

 

Remaining tour dates;

3/29 – Millvale, PA – Mr Smalls

3/30 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall

3/31 – Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre

4/2 – Boston, MA – House of Blues

4/3 – Providence, RI - Fete

4/4 – New York, NY – Terminal 5

4/6 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer

4/7 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

4/8 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle

4/10 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade

4/11 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre

4/12 – Little Rock, AR – The Rev Room

4/13 – Dallas, TX – Trees

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS COME TO WINDSOR!

Show Preview

Friday, March 29, 2013  

  Colosseum at Caesars Windsor

 8:00 PM

The Doobie Brothers recently celebrated the 40^th anniversary of their propulsive roots-based, harmony laden, guitar driven style that sold an estimated 40 million records over the course of four decades. Their newest album World Gone Crazy produced the Top 20 track “Far From Home” and the Top 5 GAC Video “World Gone Crazy.” This month, the band just released “Let the Music Play: The Story of the Doobie Brothers” DVD, which tells the story of The Doobie Brothers from their beginnings in California in 1970 to worldwide success.

MCB will have the privilege to check out The Doobie Brothers live performance this Friday night at Caesars Windsor. The band has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide throughout its career and they were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.

Ticket and show info: http://www.caesarswindsor.com/shows.html

Tour: Doobie Brothers North America 2013

http://www.doobiebros.com/

Current members:

Tom Johnston – guitars, keyboards, harmonica, vocals

Patrick Simmons – guitars, banjo, flute, vocals

John McFee – guitars, harmonica, dobro, pedal steel, violin, vocals

John Cowan – bass, vocals

Guy Allison – keyboards, backing vocals

Marc Russo – saxophones

Ed Toth – drums

Tony Pia – drums, percussion

TONIGHT: Pewter Cub or Protomartyr ...that is the question

With the spring break right around the corner we suggest 

starting your party weekend right NOW 

by catching a couple great local bands' sets tonight.  

Start out with Pewter Cub who are the opening band for The View tonight over at The Magic Stick....buy the new vinyl "If you can hold your breath" at the show or at Bellyache Records and support local music

After you are blown away by Pewter Cub stop in at Motorcity Brew Works for the Jim McClear photo exhibit before making your way over to Lager House to check out Protomartyr who will be featured on the upcoming SubPop1000 Record Store Day vinyl release

Sub Pop 1000  LP
(Limited-edition of 5,000 on colored vinyl)
Tracklisting:
01. His Electro Blue Voice “Kidult” (Como, IT)
02. Chancha Via Circuito “Lacandona” (Buenos Aires, AR)
03. Protomartyr “French Poet” (Detroit, MI)
04. Lori Goldston “Tangled North” (Seattle, WA)
05. Iron Lung “A Victory for Polio” (Seattle, WA;  San Francisco, CA)
06. Soldiers of Fortune “Money” (Brooklyn, NY)
07. Peaking Lights “Subterranean Brainblow” (Los Angeles, CA)
08. Ed Schrader’s Music Beat “Radio Eyes” (Baltimore, MD)
09. My Disco “Guided” (Melbourne, AU)
10. Starred “Doomed” (Los Angeles, CA)

Sex Slaves - Bumpers - 3/31

Sex Slaves

March 31st

Bumpers Bar & Grill

8631 N. Newburgh Road

Westland MI 48185

(734) 459-7720

FREE DANCE MOVES: IO ECHO - Majestic Theatre opening for GARBAGE - Sat 3/30

Check out IO ECHO shown below demonstrating those smooth free moves IO ECHO is set to open for Garbage this coming Saturday night at Majestic Theatre Detroit with songs that are sure to get you motivated for the rest of the night with heart pounders like "When the Lillies Die"  pulling cue cards from the Flock of Seagulls play book 

Don't be fashionably late for this show unless you enjoy looking back on your life of regrets 

notching the missed Detroit set from IO ECHO at the top of your list 

http://ioechomusic.com/

This music and art speaks for itself

There are many who would go as far as to say IO ECHO's Ministry Of Love 

is thier favorite album of the year thus far.  

Listen now on Pitchfork Advance, 

out next week on IAMSOUND 

Beautiful, haunting, inspiring....everything to love in one package 

(they're on tour with Garbage now before they hit Coachella....dates below)

http://pitchfork.com/advance/56-ministry-of-love/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ministry-of-love/id619346224

3/26 - Boston - House of Blues*

3/27 - Montreal - Metropolis*

3/28 - Toronto - Sound Academy*

3/30 - Detroit - Majestic Theatre*

3/31 - Cleveland - House of Blues*

4/2 - Columbus, OH - LC Pavilion*

4/3 - Chicago - The Riv*

4/5 - Minneapolis - Mill City Nights*

4/6 - Milwaukee - Eagles Ballroom*

4/7 - Madison - Orpheum*

4/9 - St. Louis - The Pageant*

4/10 - North Kansas City - Harrah's *

4/12 - Indio, CA - Coachella

4/19 - Indio, CA - Coachella

* with Garbage

Free Tickets: International Pop Overthrow @PJ's Lager House

April 4-6

PJ’s Lager House (1254 Michigan Avenue)

The purpose of International Pop Overthrow is two-fold: one aim is to give every worthy band who’d like to play their music in a festival atmosphere the chance to do so, and the other is to bring pop music the attention it so richly deserves. They've made great strides to that end, garnering press in several noteworthy papers in each city where they hold the festival, and creating a very positive buzz about pop music within the inner circles of major labels. We’re looking forward to the very real possibility that a number of bands who have played IPO will grab the brass ring and receive major label deals.

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

Thursday, April 4: $10 7:30 Elliot Street Lunatic 8:15 The Bell Beat 9:00 Vox Vera 9:45 The Means 10:30 The Pounders 11:15 Half Light Music

Friday, April 5: $10 7:30 Matt Fig 8:15 The Secrets 9:00 Bazooka Jones 9:45 The Romeo Flynns 10:30 Woodward 11:15 Mike Leslie Band 12:00 Dave Rave

Saturday afternoon, April 6: $8 1:00 George Morris 1:45 A Band Called Mithras 2:30 The Afterburners 3:15 The Hendersons 4:00 Johnny Spark & The Boys 4:45 Jeremy

Saturday evening, April 6: $10 7:30 The Sugar Clouds 8:15 The Phenomenal Cats 9:00 Chris Degnore and the Black Drops 9:45 Chris Richards & The Subtractions 10:30 Fireking 11:15 The Blue Squares 12:00 The Hand Grenades

MOTOR CITY BREWING WORKS featuring Photography by Jim McClear

If you're looking for something to do tomorrow night, Motor City Brewing Works will be featuring Jim McClear's collection of photography. He has a wide range of documentary and portrait photography, starting in the sixties with musicians and artists of it's day to his current works capturing the everyday moments we tend to miss. It's more than worth checking out!

For more information, check out the Motor City Brewing Works website here.

And look out each Wednesday for a different exhibit of local artists.

location: 470 W. Canfield  Detroit, MI 48201
time: 6-11pm

and get some pizza and drinks while you're there. :)

Taurus Burns Paintings of Detroit, 2008 - 2013

Taurus Burns, Paintings of Detroit 2008 - 2008

Wednesday

Taurus Burns has been painting Detroit as it has been evolving this decade. He has the eye of an architect and and the attention to detail of a great artist.

Eighteen paintings, 2008 - 2013 are now showing at MMS on Van Dyke in Warren, Michigan. Additionally, Taurus will be unveiling a new painting of MMS Company  tomorrow, Wednesday, March 27, between 3:30-6:00 PM . 

Please visit our store on Van Dyke, two blocks south of Nine Mile in Warren. 

Michigan Maintenance Supply, MMS, is distrubutor of cleaning supplies and equipment serving the Detroit Metro area.

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






Wild At Heart


I had a wonderful road trip to Niagara Falls this past weekend and here our some ideas for those who plan on making the trip. A lot of activity centers around the Falls with boat trip, walking tours and other things like a car that goes over the Whirlpool just down the road of which you can see a portion of in the pic below. With all the ice this time of year, you don't have a lot of action but it is still a nice spot.



The Falls are beautiful anytime of year, but the addition of the ice on the water brings a little something extra out.





I haven't stayed in Niagara Falls, at least on the Canadian side, in a number of years. Not much has changed in some regards though there are a lot more chain places like Rain Forest Cafe, Planet Hollywwod and the like. My biggest surprise was the beautiful Buddhist Temple near the water. I stolled around a bit and saw one prayer spot up close. They do have hours for tourists to walk around and see these magnificent grounds.













About 2 years ago I was in Niagara Falls for a Ray Stevens concert and passed this packed buffet style place called Al Mac's but I didn't have time to eat there. This time around it was just down the road from where I was staying so I tried it out for breakfast (they just do that and dinner). I wasn't overly impressed. They had some decent food and a few greek items to add a touch of something different. They don't have tap water so you had to buy bottled or spend a lot ofor pop so I just settled on eating some of the fruit and skipping a beverage. At $7, it was a good price and the bacon was good but there are a lot better places to eat though maybe not as cheap. Maybe dinner would have been a better choice.



Anyway, from there I checked out the Niagara Falls Historical Museum which was nice for a small town museum littered with more touristy trap places. They have exhibits on right now from the War of 1812 (check me out with the gun and cool military hat)and an exhibit from the ROM about forgeries where you can go through and see if you can spot the fake items on display. They have some nice local stuff also and it is a nice break from the main drag as well as being reasonable.





From there I walked a bit checking out some gift shops and the Falls. I made stops at the Sunken Garden Gift Shop and met a surprise friend in the bathroom. I got free Hershey Kisses at the Hershey store and a blue-raspberry coca-cola at the Coke store before heading back to the hotel for a swim.







I did stop and hit the Rock-N-Roll Wax Museum. The figures spanning musical history from Buddy Holly to Tupac with stops at Madonna, Sid Vicious, KISS, Elvis and more. I had to stop being a big music fan and it was worth it to the work of this local artist. Here are pics with Gene Simmons, Ozzy and Slash. I did complain about there being no Cyndi. Maybe next time.





After my swim, I had dinner at a place recommended to me by the locals (and right across the street from Al Mac's). It was an Italian place called the Bravo Grill and I had a nice piece of Eggplant parm. The spaghetti was OK and the olive oil was a tad spicy but I could see why it was so popular. I just wish I could have been there on prime rib night.





After that I went to the Fallsview Casino for the 5th Dimension in concert. This is a very nice casino and remember them having a great buffet overlooking the falls. On the other side are a bunch of higher end stores along a promenade. The place is very clean and they have a lot of nice games. The concert venue was very spacious with comfortable seats and no lost sight lines. I was in the upper balcony and had a great view of the show and the sound was very good. The band was just OK as can happen with any older band but the price was decent enough so that made everything OK.


The next day I left town to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Massey Hall to what was a truly spectacular show. I caught a New Play Festival earlier in the day and had dinner at an all-you-can-eat sushi place which was pretty good. No pictures up there but it was a good day though a bit colder than two weeks ago. Nick Cave himself is an amazing talent and should be put on a must see artist list. I esp enjoyed "Right Red Hand". he had some school children and some strings backing him up which just added to the fun.

Here are a few options for you music buffs out there looking for a good show:

Friday (3/29) - Mustard Plug @ Blind Pig, Doobie Brothers @ Caesars Windsor, Carrie Underwood @ WFCU Centre (Windsor)

Saturday (3/30) - Samantha Fish @ Callahans, A Day To Remember @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Monday (4/01) - Sigur Ros @ Fox Theatre

Petrel @ The Magic Bag (Photos and Review)

Petrel is on the road opening for pop star Aaron Carter. Petrel is a band from New York made up of three sisters who have played music since they were kids. Combining the music styles of rock and pop music the sisters sang their hearts out to the energetic crowd of screaming fans.

 After they got off the stage the sisters and I went next door to the local sushi restaurant to talk more about the tour, music and how their first show went. When asking them about how touring with Aaron Carter was they explained how full of energy he was and just how he is a down to earth guy. What I really wanted to know was about the music. As we talked about music they told me that they all like different things Destiny (Guitar/Vocals) explained how she loved the new music from Paramore's new single "Now". Bekah (Keys/Drums/Vocals) grew up on Gospel, R&B and Soul. Jess (Lead Vocals) likes Jazz but loves Gwen Stefani and Beyoncé. When I asked about the first show they played together they explained how it was in Mexico and how cool it was to see their music go past language barriers and seeing all the kids jumping around they had a great time! After the interview they said that they will be back this summer, keep an eye out for that!

UPCOMING SHOW: Pissed Jeans - Lager House Detroit - April 17th

Pissed Jeans are heading to Detroit on April 17th playing Lager House Detroit

and they would love your help packing the place to the rafters. 

PISSED JEANS

4/17/13

PJ's Lager House

1254 Michigan Ave  

Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 961-4668

http://www.subpop.com/artists/pissed_jeans

Age and four full-lengths haven’t mellowed Pissed Jeans they can still unleash a blare that will exfoliate your cochlea. Formed in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Pissed Jeans released Shallow, their first album, in 2005. After relocating to Philadelphia and signing to Sub Pop, they released Hope for Men in 2007, and then King of Jeans  in 2009. Honeys – recorded by Grammy nominee Alex Newport - is an ode to the misery and shackles of being a responsible adult, and the shame of one's own narcissism. Pissed Jeans trucks in menacing songs about insecurity, and nobody has ever done it better.

www.subpop.com

www.pjslagerhouse.com