Promote your event / Contact MCB

YOU HAVE REACHED MOTORCITYBLOG.
email us anytime motorcityblog@gmail.com



1/31/14

The Dirty Show is coming!

DIRTY SHOW 15 - ONE WEEK AWAY!

International Erotic Art Exhibition
February 7-15, 2014 • Detroit

*New Location*
Exhibition Center
Russell Industrial Complex
1600 Clay St. Detroit, MI 48211
Located just north of I-94 off I-75 MAP

Advance tickets are now on sale.




New Venue/ New Guest Artists! 
(Detroit, MI)  The largest annual Erotic Art exhibit in the world, The Dirty Show returns for it's 15th year in a new, more spacious and attendee-friendly venue commencing Friday, February 7th though February 15th. This years special guest artists are Multi-Media artist, Pat Oleszko and world renowned photographer, Naomi Harris who will join hundreds of outstanding international, national and local artists.

This years Dirty Show® will be the first public event in the new 36,000 square foot Russell Industrial Complex-Exhibition Center.  The space is two stories high with catwalks spanning the length of the room.  Even with the epoxied floors it still has the raw industrial Detroit vibe which has been as much a part of the the Dirty Show® as the art.
When asked about the highlights of the 15th Dirty Show, Founder and Artist, Jerry Vile said that, “The new venue blew us away, it feels like an indoor football field. This allows the exhibition to grow in ways we never imagined, like being able to showcase Oleszko’s massive works. Of course our attendees probably appreciate the shiny new restrooms, which we had also outgrown in the previous venues.”


Special Guest Artist Weekend # 1 - Pat Oleszko
Conceptual and Performance Artist, formerly from Ann Arbor.  
Special Guest Artist Weekend #2 - Naomi Harris
Photographer Author “America Swings,”


First Weekend Highlights include...

     

Plus: Lady Fuchsia, Lushes Lamoan, Deangela Show Shannon, Honey Bunny Burlesque
 ...and more

FREE VINYL FRIDAY plus added bonus FREE TICKETS: The Steel Wheels - The Ark Ann Arbor - Friday 2/14/2014

The Steel Wheels will be performing on Friday, 2/14/2014, 8PM at The Ark, 316 South Main, Ann Arbor, MI (www.theark.org) and we got a couple copies of "No More Rain" and of "Lay Down Lay Low" on vinyl ready to roll out to a few lucky readers...email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your chance to win




pick up your copies here


The Steel Wheels have enthralled audiences across the country with their heady brew of original soulful mountain music. Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, this dynamic band marries old-time musical traditions with their own innovative sound. Trent Wagler’s weathered tenor is joined by bell-clear four-part harmonies inspired by a shared Mennonite heritage. 


Add to this Eric Brubaker’s lively and evocative fiddle, Brian Dickel’s grounded yet buoyant upright bass, and Jay Lapp’s signature mandolin style, and it’s no surprise that The Steel Wheels have burst onto the Americana scene, becoming festival favorites and selling out venues across the country. 




FREE VINYL FRIDAY plus added bonus FREE TICKETS: Mike Mains & The Branches - The Pike Room Pontiac - 2/15/14

Mike Mains & The Branches (Lansing MI) will be celebrating their 2nd album release at a big show on February 15th in Pontiac at The Pike Room. email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you chance to win


Mike Mains & The Branches will release its second full-length album, Calm Down, Everything Is Fine, on February 18th 2014.  The band previously released Home in 2012, and most recently the Everything EP on October 15th, 2013 featuring three new tracks from the forthcoming album.  Calm Down, Everything Is Fine was recorded over the past year in Nashville with producer/guitarist Matt Hoopes (Relient K), and features Zach Farro (Half Noise, Paramore, Novel American) on drums.  

This past spring Mike Mains & The Branches went out on a national tour with Relient K, Hellogoodbye, and William Beckett followed by recent select dates with Motion City Soundtrack, Bastille, and Wild Cub.  

Get more info here

FREE VINYL FRIDAY plus bonus FREE TICKETS: Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - The Loving Touch Ferndale - 2/21/14

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks are touring in support of their first full-length release in three years, 
Wig Out at Jagbags (Matador Records)

They'll be in Ferndale at the Loving Touch on 2/21/14 which is going to be a really fun show.



email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your chance to win 
a copy of the new record on vinyl or a pair of tickets to the show

Pick up your copy of this great new record here


FREE VINYL FRIDAY with added bonus FREE TICKETS: The Pack A.D. - The Pike Room Pontiac - Friday March 7th 2014

We must apologize for being slacker ass the past couple weeks with the vinyl giveaways..but you know how it goes with a month of holiday parties and then in addition to our grumpy uncle passing out and staying longer than expected it was the Polar Vortex that pulled up and took stock thus putting a snag in our Free Vinyl Friday listings

So we wanted to make it up to you and we have a phat stack of wax to roll out today along with free tickets to some very choice upcoming shows so lets get up get out and get on with the weekend starting with a giveaway from one of our favorites bands that keep coming back to town...

The Pack A.D.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Every time The Pack A.D. come to town 
we get excited. 

The band just released a new album called Do Not Engage 
which is a really fun record produced by Jim Diamond.

The tour kicks off tonight in Seattle working its way across the US 
with a stop at the infamous Pike Room at The Crofoot Pontiac 
on Friday March 7th 2014

email motorshittyblog @ earthlink.net for you chance to win a fresh off the press vinyl or a super limited spot on the bands guest list...this show will sell out and this may be your last chance to see The Pack A.D. in a room this size ever again. 



The Pack A.D., the explosive Vancouver duo featuring Becky Black (vocals/guitar) and Maya Miller (drums), release their full-length Nettwerk Records’ debut, Do Not Engage, on Jan. 28th 2014

“We never really consciously have a plan of action,” Miller wryly says of the recording process for Do Not Engage, which included a significant chunk of time spent in a former Detroit chicken-processing plant.  “If you call a plan of action ‘just get better,’ then that’s the plan we went with for this album.”

The female outfit, whose music has been described by hometown alt-weekly The Georgia Straight as “frenzied freak pop, unvarnished punk, and desert-shimmer shoegaze,” reunited with Detroit-based producer Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Electric Six, The Mooney Suzuki) for the 11-song release.  Diamond, a friend-turned-collaborator, also produced the band’s 2011 album, Unpersons, which earned The Pack A.D. a Juno nomination for “Breakthrough Group Of The Year.” 

Black and Miller were recently profiled on Last Call with Carson Daly, who caught up with the band when they played Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival.  Footage, which includes both an interview and performance clips, can be viewed here: http://www.nbc.com/last-call-with-carson-daly/video/the-pack-ad/n42195/


The Pack A.D. 2014 tour dates:

January 31     Seattle, WA     Barboza
February 1     Portland, OR     Doug Fir Lounge
February 5     San Francisco, CA     Brick & Mortar Music Hall
February 7     Los Angeles, CA     The Satellite
February 8     San Diego, CA     The Loft at UCSD
February 11     Austin, TX     The Mohawk
February 12     Dallas, TX     Dan’s Silverleaf
February 14     Salt Lake City, UT     Kilby Court
February 15     Boise, ID     Neurolux
February 16     Spokane, WA     The Bartlett
February 21     Vancouver, BC     Rickshaw Theatre
February 28     Edmonton, AB    Starlite Room
March 1     Calgary, AB     The Republik
March 2     Saskatoon, SK     Amigo’s
March 4     Winnipeg, MB     Park Theatre
March 5     St. Paul, MN     Turf Club
March 6     Chicago, IL     The Empty Bottle
March 7     Pontiac, MI     The Pike Room at The Crofoot
March 8     Toronto, ON     The Horseshoe Tavern

William Tyler @The Pike Room


William Tyler
Opening for Califone
Today at the Pike Room (Crofoot)
$15, doors at 8PM

William Tyler will join singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear, Department of Eagles) on his first-ever solo tour.

Released in 2013, Impossible Truth will challenge your ideas of what an instrumental guitar record can and should be. The album was included on year-end lists from SPIN, Pitchfork, Vulture, NPR, The New Yorker, and more. Vulture wrote, “[Tyler] sounds less like a musician flaunting his chops than a truth-seeker—a man using his guitar as a divining rod to uncover some hidden truth about life, or nature, or, at least, about guitars,” while Pitchfork declared, “Impossible Truth comes about as close as anyone could hope to approximating the sound of living a life.”


1/30/14

The Heaven & Hell Cotillion on Friday Night


The Heaven & Hell Cotillion with Jimmy Ohio and the Ultimate Lovers, and Jawbone

Rock-n-Roll! Gothic Doo-wop! It's free!

UPCOMING: Cirque masked ball at DIA 8 Feb 2014


Founders Junior Council presents
Carnevale di Venezia
A Masked Ball
February 8, 2014
8:30pm-1am
Detroit Institute of Arts

Drinks, Dancing and Debauchery
**Masked Formal Attire**

PJ-Fest


Few people in Detroit are as wholly committed to the local music scene as PJ Ryder.  On Thursday and Friday this week, some of his biggest supporters are throwing a little bash in his honor.

Six and the Sevens (ahem) kick off the fun at 9:00 on Thursday.  Stop on by, throw down a beer and tip your cap to to PJ.  Because Detroit deserves good music.

PJ-Fest
Thursday, Jan 30.
1254 Michigan Ave, Detroit

TORONTO'S STRUMBELLAS' MAKE DETROIT DEBUT AT LAGER HOUSE


Strumbellas
w/Anthony Retka, and Alison Lewis
Sunday, February 2nd at PJ's Lager House
$5, Doors at 8 p.m.

Hopeful lyrics play across the sweeping bluegrass-inspired indie rock music in The Strumbellas' new single In This Life, from their October 22nd album, We Still Move On Dance Floors. Full of hand claps and gang-vocal harmonies, the song stays true to The Strumbellas' roots, while giving off a feeling that something new is on the horizon. For their sophomore album, the Toronto, Ontario band headed to the woods of the pacific north west, settling in at Bear Creek Studio just outside of Seattle to record with Grammy nominated producer, Ryan Hadlock (Metric, Gossip, Moondoggies, The Lumineers). It seemed a natural progression for the band, whose dark lyrics about death and solitude crop up amongst beautiful lyrical mindscapes of trees and lakes and home.

CALL FOR FILMS: Purgatory IV March 2014

Purgatory Film Exhibition - Call For Films Still Open
DAMNED proudly presents an exhibition of powerful cinema called Purgatory. Held on March 7th & 8th 2014 at Detroit's Tangent Gallery, Purgatory will present approximately 90 minutes of short films of introspective, emotive and/or enlightened subject matters from filmmakers worldwide. This is not an industry-focused film festival, but a tributary showcase of the often redemptive films from the filmmaker’s personal collections.  For further details, please visit:
FILMMAKERS: There are no restrictions on content, style, medium or context, but your entry should be deeply introspective in essence.  We are not seeking mere horror shorts, but something much more profound.  There are no fees to submit and you may submit as many films as you wish.  For further details and to submit, please visit:
The deadline for submissions is February 9th 2014.
Also on the horizon are these upcoming DAMNED events!  Be sure to click the web links for further details on the events and calls for art.

www.corpusilluminata.org
--- August 2014 ---

www.thatdamnedshow.com
--- October 2014 ---
You may also follow us on: FacebookGoogle+ and Twitter!
DAMNED | PURGATORY | CORPUS ILLUMINATA | NOCHE DE LOS MUERTOS | KRAMPUS NIGHT

MCB PICK OF THE WEEK: Celebrate 2 Years of Hip In Detroit this Saturday night at The Loving Touch Ferndale USA

Are you hip to Hip in Detroit
 
Well if you aren't... you should be and this is your chance to check them out up close and personal!  The HID gals are throwing an anniversary show this Saturday night filled to the rim with a diverse lineup of great local bands plus a megaton of cool prizes to giveaway all night from the list of sponsors.  Hip in Detroit have been rolling the streets of the motorcity reporting on the many aspects that can be found bringing this great city of ours back to life. 
 
So get hip and get to this show...email us at motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you chance to be added to the guest list


Hip In Detroit's 2nd Anniversary Bash

Saturday February 1st 2014

at The Loving Touch Ferndale


It's hard to believe that it has already been two years since the start of Hip In Detroit! We have had a blast covering Detroit and sharing some of the highlights of this great city with all of our readers. To celebrate our Second Anniversary, we're taking over The Loving Touch in Ferndale on Saturday, February 1st! We will be hosting a huge party full of great music and giveaways from some great Detroit area companies, musicians and artists.

After covering so many great local and national acts, it was hard to narrow the list down to just a handful to play this show. We did though, and we think we came up with a lineup that has something for everyone. It includes The ILL Itches, Autumn Wolf, Rebel Spies, The HandGrenades and Tunde Olaniran with Christopher Jarvis DJing between sets.

These are all bands that have been a huge part of music in Metro Detroit over the last year.

We have also teamed up with some Detroit area companies, musicians and artists to give away prize packs throughout the evening. Gifts have been contributed by Vile Company, Personal Trainer Mark Culpepper, Rouge MakeUp and Nail Studio, Black Iris Booking, Small's, InkAddict, Sparked, Rustbelt Studios, Saks Fifth Avenue Salon & Spa, Detroitville, Zachary Hooligan Photography, The Crofoot, Royal Oak Music Theatre, GranDetroit Records, Whoa! Records, Salon Noir, Cold English, The Mizzerables, Maria Rose & The Swiss Kicks, Cheapshow, After Dark Amusement Park and Citizen Smile. Just as we did last year, we have teamed up with our friends at Ironclad Tattoo Co. as our official sponsors for the evening. The guys from Ironclad will be at the show all evening long and will be giving away some great prizes as well.

Admission to Hip In Detroit's 2nd Anniversary Bash is only $5 and 21+ are welcome. Doors will open at 9 p.m.

You can stay up to date on this bash at the Facebook event page here.

About Hip In Detroit: "Hip In Detroit is a website headed by Christie and Sadie. You can find a million articles that will tell you about the down falls of Detroit and all of its problems. What you won't find are the stories of the amazing people who live, work, play and raise their families in the City of Detroit and the surrounding area. Well, we are here to tell that story. The story of the people we love, the things they do, and all the positive aspects of a place we fell in love with as children.

We are two girls that have been going to shows and supporting this city since we were kids. We are part of the generation that intends to bring back Detroit. We are here to share everything that this city has to offer with you. We are here to tell you about what's hip in Detroit. "

NEXT WEEK: Unconventional Group Training Center,/Detroit Tough/ Opens With A Benefit For Homeless- All Day, Saturday, Feb 15/ Pig Roast & Bands

Detroit Tough, Detroit Artisans and Create Michigan Presents-

 

Detroit Tough Homeless Benefit.

Saturday Feb 15, 2-10pm.

 

Roger Dyjak is a do-er.
Like his personal training concepts, Train Like A Savage  and now, Detroit Tough, it's about being mentally strong as well as physically so. His methods are unconventional, but rewarding. This is no pretentious spa with stair climbers and plasma TV's to watch MTV while you are showing off your new spandex workout fashions, Detroit Tough makes you overcome obstacles- physical as well as mental as you literally get dirty working out.

 

To Celebrate Detroit Tough's new spacious Corktown location, it is throwing a party to benefit the under-clothed and homeless with a day long party on Saturday, February 15 from 2:00pm until 10:00pm at their new location at 1244 Beech (at Brooklyn) in Detroit, MI.

 

Admission is $20 per head and clothing donation.

 

- All monies will be donated to New Life Rescue Mission and Empowerment Plan.

- Detroit bands will play sets thru entire benefit.

- Food and drink will be provided by, McShane's Pub who will be roasting a pig

- U of D mercy Dental school program will offer dental screening to Homeless.

 

This benefit event was created by Joseph Sturgill of Detroit Artisans to raise money, clothes, food and awareness about the needs of Detroit's homeless. All funds will go directly to The Salvation Army.  The entertainment will be provided by a wide range of performers from all genres- and who are all friends of Roger and Detroit Tough- Jason Conley of CreateMI.com featuring performances by: Jason Conley, Band B, The Philter Half Life Music, Velveteen Rabbit, Volcano and The New Radio Standard.

 

 

$20 Donation at the door AND clothing or canned foods

Live Music from 2pm-10pm

Pig Roast provided by McShanes Pub

Draft beer and non-alcoholic beverages

Discount gym memberships

 

The Music Line Up:

 

Jason Conley (Acoustic Pop ) 2:00 to 2:30

 

Band B (Acoustic Americana/Rock) 2:45 to 3:30

 

Clinical Trials (New York, Electro Grunge) 3:45-4:30

 

The Philter (Surf Shoegaze) 4:45 to 5:30

 

Half Light Music (Rock) 6:00 to 7:00

 

Velveteen Rabbit (Indie Rock) 7:30 to 8:30

 

Volcano and the New Radio Standard (Hip Hop) 9 to 10:00

 

 Detroit Tough

1244 Beech (At Brooklyn)

Detroit, MI

 

Detroit Tough is a private fitness club that promotes physical and mental toughness. Detroit Style. (This is a private club not open to the public.) Developed by Roger Dyjak

Train Like a Savage segment from PBS show START UP

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p496qzj3akA

 

Detroit Tough is gritty, raw and uncompromising in our commitment to ourselves, each other, and the City that we love. Together we train, and exceed our own expectations, and we become mentally and physically tougher than we were the day before.

Our tier based training caters to each person as an individual. From intense obstacle racing to our own Detroit Tough signature line of classes.

We don't claim to offer everything, but we do offer the absolute best possible training to make you a tougher person.

Never above you, never below you, always beside you.

 

Roger Dyjak-

Ironman, Ultramarathoner, GORUCK Heavy finisher, Obstacle course racerpain maximizer, Strength and Conditioning coach with 20 plus years experience are just some of the ways you can think of me. All of these accomplishments mean little. Your body is a gift as is your mind. We coach you to accept nothing less then this fact. I've seen it all since I first started training people in my parents basement in 1986. Hard work, sacrifice, doing the little things right and confidence are the cornerstones of Savage. We train you to be harder to kill.

WILLIE NILE wants to take you on an "AMERICAN RIDE" - ANN ARBOR - Friday 1/31/14

Exalted as one of the most revered American musicians, WILLIE NILE is considered to be in an elite circle of venerable troubadours.
Conjuring the singer songwriter elements of Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, mixed with a touch of rock-a-billy
and the gritty punk rock sound of the Ramones, WILLIE'S style of musicianship is renowned and a must see for any music fan.

WILLIE NILE will be in ANN ARBOR, MI at HILL AUDITORIUM on FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st.



2013 was a big year for Willie Nile: American Ride album released in late June to rave reviews.
Entered Billboard's Heatseekers (new artist!) chart at #1.
"This Is Our Time" deemed Coolest Song in the World on Little Steven's Underground Garage

WILLIE NILE

WILLIE NILE'S AMERICAN RIDE MOVES INTO HIGH GEAR
New album by veteran rocker and "songwriter's songwriter"
coming on Loud & Proud Records through RED Distribution June 25


Anyone who's paid attention to his recent output knows that Willie Nile is currently in the midst of a creative renaissance that's produced some of the most compelling music of his 35-year career. The tradition continues with his forthcoming American Ride, due out June 25, 2013 on Loud & Proud Records, where Nile becomes the first artist released under the label's new deal with RED Distribution.
 
Originally set to be released independently following a resounding PledgeMusic.com campaign, Loud & Proud president Tom Lipsky heard the album and approached Nile, who has not had major-label distribution since 1991.
 
"This is the moment that Willie has been working toward his entire career," says Lipsky. "He has enjoyed the admiration of the artist community and media for many years. American Ride, the song and the album, truly define him and his vision as an artist. Now, in partnership with Loud & Proud, it is time for the public to become involved with Willie. We look forward to helping him bring his music and his stories to fans around the world."
 
The timeless qualities of melodic craft, lyrical insight and emotional engagement that have endeared Nile to listeners around the world are prominent on American Ride, which ranks among the most powerful and personally charged work of his three-and-a-half-decade recording career.
 
"It's pretty rockin' over all, but there are some left turns and right turns along the way," Nile says of the album, which was fan-funded through Pledgemusic.com. "There are songs about the rights of man, songs about freedom, songs about love and hate, songs about loss, songs about God and the absence of God, and songs about standing up for your fellow man. It's upbeat and full of life. I'm thrilled with how it came out."
 
American Ride offers a bracing set of 11 original compositions, and one well-chosen cover, that rank with the catchiest and most vivid music that Nile's ever delivered. From the everyday wisdom of "Life on Bleecker Street" and "Sunrise in New York City" to the broader observations of "This Is Our Time" and "Holy War" to the rock 'n' roll abandon of "Say Hey" and the road-tripping title track, the album consistently lives up to the artist's reputation for writing songs that are as impassioned as they are infectious, and performing them with the fervor of a true believer. Several of American Ride's recurring themes come into focus on the last two songs, "The Crossing" and "There's No Place Like Home," which end the album on a note of humanistic uplift. Another highlight is a fiery reading of Jim Carroll's "People Who Died," recorded as a tribute to both Carroll, who passed away in 2009, and to Nile's late brother John.
 
American Ride features backup from Nile's live band — guitarist Matt Hogan, bassist Johnny Pisano, drummer Alex Alexander, and Nile on guitar and piano — along with guest appearances by Eagles' guitarist Steuart and New York singer-songwriters James Maddock and Leslie Mendelson. Nile also worked with some notable songwriting collaborators, including Eric Bazilian of The Hooters, who co-wrote "God Laughs"; The Alarm's Mike Peters, who contributed to the title number; and Nile's frequent writing partner Frankie Lee, who co-wrote four tracks. The producers were team of Grammy-winner Stewart Lerman and Nile himself, with additional production by Pisano and Alexander.
 
Having launched his recording career at the height of the major-label era, and never comfortable with the baggage that comes along with being a major-label commodity, Nile has in recent years embraced the autonomy and freedom of his current indie status. To bring American Ride to fruition, he decided to take his case directly to the fans, financing the album's recording, manufacturing and promotion via the Pledgemusic.com. Fans enthusiastically rallied to the cause, and Willie far exceeded his financial goal.  In the midst of these fan supported efforts, a few labels took note of Willie's success and expressed interest in American Ride. The decision was made to partner with Loud & Proud, thereby combining strengths both sides could bring to marketing the release.
 
Willie Nile's fans include Bruce Springsteen, with whom he's guested onstage on multiple occasions, and Pete Townshend, who personally requested him as the opening act on the Who's 1982 U.S. tour. Other avowed Nile admirers include Bono, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Ian Hunter, Graham Parker, Jim Jarmusch, Adam Duritz, Little Steven and Lucinda Williams, who once remarked, "Willie Nile is a great artist. If there was any justice in this world, I'd be opening up for him instead of him for me."
 
Born into a large Irish Catholic family in Buffalo, N.Y., Willie began writing songs in his early teens. After graduating from the University at Buffalo with a B.A. in philosophy, he moved to Manhattan's Greenwich Village. During his first winter there, he was sidelined by pneumonia. While spending nearly a year recuperating, he concentrated on honing his songwriting skills. After his recovery, Nile became a popular fixture in the Village's folk clubs, while drawing inspiration from the emerging downtown punk scene. His budding career received a major boost from a high-profile New York Times piece by legendary critic Robert Palmer. The local buzz stoked by that story led to a deal with Arista Records, for which Nile recorded Willie Nile and Golden Down, released in 1980 and 1981, respectively. Those albums won a sizable audience and generated reams of press raves. But his progress ground to a halt after legal disputes with his label caused him to walk away from the music business, beginning a recording hiatus that lasted for nearly a decade.
 
Although he continued to write new material, Nile maintained a discreet distance from the spotlight until 1991, when he reemerged with a new deal with Columbia Records and a new album, Places I Have Never Been, which restored the artist to prominence with fans and critics. The following year, he went the independent route with the four-song EP Hard Times in AmericaWillie Nile — Archive Alive, documenting a 1980 performance in New York's Central Park, was released in 1997. In 1998, Nile lent his unmistakable voice to the all-star concept album Largo.
 
In 1999, Nile's Beautiful Wreck of the World marked the start of an exciting new chapter in his career, one in which he's wholeheartedly embraced his new indie status to create and distribute his music free from corporate agendas. His new approach yielded substantial results, with the effort chosen as one of the year's Top Ten Albums by critics at BillboardThe Village Voice and Stereo Review. During this period, Nile substantially stepped up his touring activities in Europe, where he's since built a large and enthusiastic following.
 
The well-received Streets of New York, from 2006, ushered in the most productive and prolific period of Nile's musical life. The CD Live From the Turning Point and the DVD Live From the Streets of New York followed in 2007 and 2008, respectively, as did another widely celebrated new studio album, House of a Thousand Guitars, and 2011's The Innocent Ones, which won some of the most enthusiastic notices Nile's ever received: The BBC called it "stunning . . . THE rock 'n' roll album of the year," and Rolling Stone included it in its "Top Ten Best Under-the-Radar Albums of 2011." USA Today named the album's anthemic lead track "One Guitar" as the number-one song in the nation.
 
 "It's been a great time," Nile says of his recent activities. "I've been touring more in the last two years than in my entire career up until then. I'm in Europe four months a year and we've really built something solid over there. The fans are so great, so vocal, so supportive, and I'm deeply grateful to each and every one of them."
 
With American Ride now a reality thanks to his — and his fans' — efforts, Willie Nile is moving with the unmistakable momentum of a deeply accomplished artist who's just hitting his stride.
 

1/29/14

Detroit Beer & Brewing History with John W. Stroh III & James W. Tottis






Thursday, January 30th 2014
7pm – 8:00pm

No cover

Detroit Drunken Historical Society and WSU Press present Detroit Beer & Brewing History featuring a conversation with John W. Stroh III and James W. Tottis.

Join us at Detroit’s legendary Dakota Inn Rathskeller as John W. Stroh, III (CEO of The Stroh Companies, Inc.) leads us through the rich history of Detroit brewing in conversation with Detroit liquor historian James W. Tottis. 


Detroit’s large-scale beer and brewing culture began in the 1830s and continued until 1985, when operations ended with the closing of the Stroh Brewery. While Stroh Brewery had become Detroit’s largest by the turn of the century, during that 150-year stretch, dozens of breweries opened in the metropolitan area, and several thrived for generations. From early Anglo-Saxon ale brewers to the present revival by microbrewers, Detroit’s brewing history features an impressive ethnic and economic diversity of entrepreneurial families experiencing fortunes and failures throughout the years while contributing to an impressive culture of brewing that continues today.


About the speakers:

John W. Stroh III has been the chairman and chief executive officer of The Stroh Companies, Inc. since May 1999. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of The Stroh Companies, Inc. and its subsidiary SBC Holdings, Inc. (the former The Stroh Brewery Company) since 1989. The Stroh Companies owns the office building known as 300 River Place in Detroit along with several other operating and financial investments. Involved in various civic activities, Mr. Stroh is a founding director of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy and also serves as director of the Detroit Downtown Partnership and the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition. Mr. Stroh is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Detroit Institute of Arts and serves as vice-chairman and member of the Audit and Building Committees. He has formerly served on the boards of SRAM Corporation of Chicago, the Rock Island Company of St Paul, MN, and River Place Financial Corporation of Detroit.

James W. Tottis, formerly a curator in the Department of American Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts, is currently an independent curator advising individuals and institutions on subjects related to American art. He is also the author of The Guardian Building: Cathedral of Finance (WSUP, 2008).


About the presenting organizations:

Wayne State University Press is the publisher of Brewed in Detroit: Breweries and Beers since 1830 (1999) by Peter H. Blum, the only comprehensive history of the brewing industry in the Detroit metropolitan area. Now in its third printing, Brewed in Detroit continues to inform local beer enthusiasts, collectors, and history buffs. Books will be available for purchase the night of the event.

More info: http://wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/brewed-detroit

The Detroit Drunken Historical Society is a social group that meets to drink and talk. Then they listen to a local history presentation. And then they drink and talk some more. Teetotalers are also encouraged to join. More info: http://www.meetup.com/Detroit-Drunken-Historical-Society

About the venue:

The Dakota Inn Rathskeller was opened on August 1, 1933 by Karl Kurz, the grandfather of Karl E. Kurz, the present owner. Eighty years later, Detroit’s only authentic German bar is still going strong.More info: http://www.dakota-inn.com/


TOMORROW: LAURA RAIN and the Caesars - JAzz Cafe Detroit - Thursday 1/30/14

 
Check out our blog
                   Quick Links

Calendar 

About Jazz Cafe
Contact Us 

                    Contact Us

Jazz Cafe

at 

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
350 Madison Avenue

Detroit, Michigan 48226

313-887-8532

www.jazzcafedetroit.com

 

 

Like us on Facebook

 

Follow us on Twitter 

 

 

Laura Rain & The Caesars

January 30, 8pm $5

Laura Rain and the Caesars are a powerhouse Soul, Blues, and R&B quartet, fronted by the dynamic, soul fire, Laura Rain. Ms. Rain has cut her teeth in the trenches of the Motor City, and Los Angeles for well over a decade. Collaboratively formed in 2012, with producer, and guitarist George Friend; the Caesars blindside you with an electrified spin on vintage soul.

UPCOMING: Sphinx Organization Earns Joyce Award to Reimagine Start Spangled Banner - hosting City Salon on February 27th 2014


 
Sphinx Organization Receives Prestigious Joyce Award
Sphinx Organization and Composer Jessie Montgomery to create new work celebrating
the 200th anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner.
 
 

DETROIT, MI — The Joyce Foundation has named the Sphinx Organization and Composer Jessie Montgomery the recipient of a 2014 Joyce Award to support the creation, production and performance of "Banner!" a new work for string quartet that celebrates and reimagines the national anthem on its 200th anniversary.

The goal of "Banner!" is to compose a uniquely American work that reflects the increasingly diverse society in which we live. As composer of the work, Montgomery will draw influence from music forms such as rock, jazz, and folk music.

"The Star Spangled Banner is an ideal subject for exploration in contradictions. For most Americans, the song represents a paradigm of liberty and solidarity against fierce odds, and for others it implies a contradiction between the ideals of freedom and the realities of injustice and oppression," composer Jessie Montgomery said. "In 2014, a tribute to the U.S. National Anthem means acknowledging the contradictions, leaps and bounds, and milestones that allow us to celebrate and maintain the tradition of our ideals."

"Banner!" will premiere in October 2014 and travel nationally through the Sphinx Virtuosi Tour, which reaches more than 10,000 people a year. As a member and leader of the Sphinx Virtuosi, Montgomery will expand the reach of "Banner!" through special performances for schools, community centers and churches in underserved areas in each city, as well as Detroit.

The prestigious Joyce Awards recognize artists of color who collaborate with nonprofit institutions by awarding them $50,000 to commission thought-provoking works of art. An anonymous national panel of cultural organization and business leaders selects winners based on artistic merit, quality of work and community engagement in the artistic process.

"The Joyce Award is both an honor and an opportunity to advance the Sphinx mission of transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts," said Afa S. Dworkin, the Executive and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization. "With the support of the Joyce Foundation, we are able to create and perform a new work of classical music that reflects and is relevant to the diverse culture and society that defines America today. With "Banner!" we have the opportunity to make an artistic statement, create an impact, and reach new, young, and diverse audiences in our communities and across the country."

"Throughout the Joyce Awards' 11 years, we have been so proud to support over 35 community-oriented arts projects to diversify and engage audiences and artists," said Ellen Alberding, the President of the Joyce Foundation. "This year's endeavors bring strong voices to the table and showcase the incredible artistic talent of the winning artists, and we're excited to be part of the process."

Montgomery is one of four African American female Joyce Award recipients that include choreographer Camille A. Brown with DANCECleveland; and in Minneapolis, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage with the Guthrie Theater and playwright Tracey Scott Wilson with the Pillsbury House Theatre.

As part of the announcement of this year's Joyce Awards, the Joyce Foundation will be hosting a "City Salon" event on February 27 in Detroit. The event is open to the public and is an opportunity for local artists and arts organizations to learn more about the Joyce Awards, how they can apply, and to hear Jessie Montgomery talk about the impact of the award and the "Banner!" project. The Joyce Foundation's City Salon will be held Feb. 27, 2014 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center in Detroit.

The Sphinx Organization is the Detroit arts and youth development non-profit organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts.
For additional information visit www.SphinxMusic.org