See You Tomorrow Festival (Happening Today)

Friday, December 21, 2012 : 6PM–2AM : PJ's Lager House : 1254 Michigan Ave. Detroit, MI

$4

It's 2012. A black man was elected to a second term of the United States presidency. The plant that the Declaration of Independence was printed on was made legal in 2 states, as well as in our city. The biggest football fan I know stands adamantly for his newfound conviction that professional sports are rigged and the game no more than a TV show. At thanksgiving all of the old people were talking about wifi and tablet computers, my aunt had even figured out how to video call my cousins via skype for the holiday toast. It is reported that the new Mars rover has made a discovery that will “rewrite the history books,” and these results are now being thoroughly examined and reexamined, with the news set to be released sometime between December 3rd and 7th.

Terence McKenna was the new wave Timothy Leary, if you are unfamiliar, he is now YouTube famous. While taking copious amounts of psychedelic mushrooms in South America with his brother in the late 60's and writing The Invisible Landscape he decided to plot the Chinese I Ching against time. His “timewave zero” timeline ends on December 21, 2012. At the point of this discovery, Terence was unaware of the Mayan calendar system. Or the Egyptian calendar, or even ancient Indian calendars.

On December 21, 2012 we are having a festival at PJ's Lager House. Sure, we're calling it a festival. Ideally it would be summer and we would all be in Hart Plaza or the New Center area with the rest of our community celebrating music and Detroit together. I suppose these festivals will return, just as the seasons turn. For now, it is winter and we have everyone's favorite rock and roll bar. Next year, if enough of you join us, we may be able to spring for an outdoor tent and a heater for a winter solstice party or a winter blast party, or something grand and fun like that. This year we have 2 stages, 12 bands, a DJ, psychedelic light shows and lots more surprises and gimmicks that we haven't even thought of yet. If the world is going to end, we might as well do it right, huh? But I think we all know that the world is not going to end, and we seem to have all realized that the world IS going to end. Or begin, or something. It's a Christmas party, a belated Hanukah party, a Holiday party, a Kwanzaa party, an early New Year's party, a Winter Solstice party, a Festivus party and all. See you tomorrow !

Featuring:

Six and the Sevens: Blues-tipped rock 'n' roll with a pop sense. There's lots of feedback and heaps of white soul too, I mean, jangled, jaunty shake-em-ups, man, just get right up and dance on the table if you're feeling it. Yes, grab a tambourine if it's near...or just clap along, because the beat won't stall and the piano keeps rolling, guitars are gushing and bluesy vocals are bleating and blaring.

The Walking Beat: Maturing indie-sweet combo featuring Matt Van (Uncle Kracker) and Steve McCauley (Scarlet Oaks) and one Jesse Paris Smith (daughter of Fred and Patti Smith), is 55% beauty, 41% walking and 65% beat, with bits of sadness and clumps of rock and roll too.

Ungrateful Daughter: Yours and my rock and roll hero, Frank Woodman, with his actual ungrateful daughter and her boyfriend on drums, hilarious! They'll all be in full caveman apparel, the tunes will be crunchy, the ukulele will be heavenly and the mood will be, as always, a raucous festivus of never-ending good times.

Brandon Hamburger: You ever wonder what kind of songs you'd write if you were the doorman at the lager house? A lot of character walks in those doors, and a lot of character flows from these songs. See the singer-songwriter you've been waiting for with the light-up Beatles heads in the up-stairs window and that hat. You are definitely going to want to hear this before the world ends, you can count on that!

The Echoes of Revelation Full Proclaiming Demon Slayers Tabernacle: Also known, as The Botanical Fortresstra, are a mysterious group. Their name is spray painted on the ground at the front door, was that always there or did it just appear there, like a glitch from the Matrix? They'll be summoning up the Mayan gods or Zool or something, with ranting and raving and rocking and rolling and riling and god knows what other r words. Not to mention the other letters! Bass, drums, guitar, organ, a fleet of horns and LASERS. It will be an event, I've figured out that much.

The Reelers: How many times have you read in a press release that a band gives new meaning to the phrase “like a well-oiled machine”? Well, this band really does, I'm serious! Guitar, bass and drums; locked in. Solid. Grooves, jams, blues licks, runs, solos, and I mean shredding, ripping, heavy-heavy solos, brother. Hot damn! Your face won't just melt it will implode, maybe that's what the end of the world's all about? Your entire universe imploding and then exploding from outrageous loud spectacular beyond-the-twilight zone rock and roll? Probably.

Johnny Ill Band: gentbent.fm says “is largely akin to other synthy garage bands like Wet Illustrated (San Francisco). But their disregard for rhymes, their real life motifs, and their pop-mocking minimalism tie a unique stylistic bond between them and the decade in which they were probably most formatively formed: the 1990’s (particularly via Weezer). Ask All the Doctors is rife with lazy anti-anthems. Johnny Garcia’s dispassionate deadbeat attitude almost dares you to sing along with his lyrics which, in large part, are about commonplace pessimism. “Where Do You Live?” is probably my favorite track because it exploits my predilections for bitter inter-personal rhetoric, understated bass loops, and brief, hyped up synth solos. Another noteworthy strength, which applies to the album as a whole, is the percussion section’s dedication to simple beats. They’ve found the happy medium between sense and sensibility, which I think is fairly well capitulated by the aleatoric recording of a conversation between bandmates in the conclusive track, “NYE”. In talking about how ready they are to eat dinner, they laugh at someone who says he’s “famished”, as though his diction was just too much for the moment.

The Potions: Gritty, soulful, gritty, raunchy yelling with a scratchy throat with guitar licks out of a genie's bottle, swirling around the grimey thrash beat. The heaviest wah-wah solo you've ever heard in your life could break out any second, but it doesn't. And that anticipation for it gives the groove so much more. A teasing to the crowd to show some god-damned enthusiasm and boogie for once. Catch these sounds while you can.

Swimsuit: Gaze-y, wave-y, it's all gravy. Groovy lively melody with light, or higher in the atmosphere, rhythm that sweeps over your heads. Compelling you to leap into the air with the illusion that gravity no longer applies. Beach-sounding boy-girl punk twirls and twang and soul. The kind of music you'd imagine hearing if you just found out that teleportation was real. Not without a heavy grunge attitude and honesty, punchy even. Most definitely catchy. With Fred of Saturday Looks Good to Me, Shelley of those show flyers and Dina of Secret Twins. Support your Ann Arbor neighbors, Detroit!

The Priests: dcist.com says “Bands that are excited about what they're doing are always more fun to watch. As such, when a band is so unabashedly in-your-face and energetic, its live set becomes instantly memorable. During Priests' show at the Black Cat last March, Katie Greer (also of Chain and the Gang), sneered, screamed and sang her way through a set of loud songs. Daniele Withonel pounded furiously behind her, with complex rhythms and occasional chirpy screeches of her own. Meanwhile, Gideon Jaguar seared through guitar riffs that while powerful, still sounded melodic and deliberate, as if fighting against the speed and dissonance of most hardcore. Every Priests performance since has been the sort of affair that has made us believe that D.C. hardcore is alive and kicking.”

French Method: Brand spanking new band of Eddie Baranek (The Sights) and Nicole Allie and Ben Luckett (Beehive Recording Company) are brand new. What to expect? Dunno, I guess there's only one way to find out, ain't there? Bass, organ and drums. With 2 or 3 vocals? Sounds like good ingredients. Try something new, dig it baby.

Beekeepers: It's a sort of punk-jazz quintet. Organ/sax/pink floyd-inspired chanting punk rock band. Meditate on the survival of the honeybee population through this music, or something. The egg heads say we're not quite sure why the bees are dying. It's probably because of the pesticides though, right?

More fun and rock and roll and surprises and mystery to be announced and experienced! You'll not want to miss this one. You know if you draw a line from the Giza pyramids to the White House it creates an arrow pointing directly towards PJ's Lager House? The alignment will be off only by 0.00001 degrees on December 21, 2012. DJ Richie Wohlfeil (The Potions, Lo & Behold Records) will start spinning at 6pm, the wildness starts, and the first band goes on at 8pm. Do not miss them. It is essential! Also; shot specials and christmas presents. See You There!

Oct 28 The Gravedigger in Ann Arbor/ Interview with Joe Joe Zettelmaier about The Gravedigger

 

"Snazzy is as Snazzy Does!"

Gwen Joy is an artist who specializes in colorful folk art paintings. 

Life experience is her subject matter which is translated in a lyrical/mythical fashion.

                                                               Follow Gwen's snazzy street reviews weekly here on Motorcityblog                        
                                                                                  Reach her directly at www.GwenJoy.com

World Premiere of a New Work by Joseph Zettelmaier at Performance Network Theatre
Ann Arbor, MI – The world premiere of Joseph Zettelmaier’s spookiest script ever, The Gravedigger, will be presented as a staged reading at Performance Network Theatre on October 28, 2012 at 7pm. Audiences are encouraged to discuss the script after the performance to voice their opinion on the new work to the playwright!
The Gravedigger is set in the late 1700s, in one of Bavaria’s forgotten cemeteries, a lone gravedigger discovers a hideously scarred man hiding in a fresh grave. What the gravedigger doesn’t know is that the man is none other than the legendary monster created by a mad doctor. What the scarred man doesn’t know is the gravedigger’s hand in his creation. And what neither men know is that they are hunted by their shared past in this tale of gothic horror and suspense. Zettelmaier says the script is inspired by the pages of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The Gravedigger will be directed by Julia Glander, cast includes Alex Leydenfrost, Tom Mahard, and Charlyn Swarthout.
A staged reading is a performance of a new play (often on its first draft) in which the actors perform the piece with actual scripts in hand. Performance Network Theatre is a seasoned facilitator of this type of event with The Fireside of New Works Festival – a triannual festival of four staged readings. Audience participation is crucial to these events due to the open discussion about the piece after the performance. Comments are submitted directly to the playwright who uses the feedback to mold their newest masterpiece.
Joseph Zettelmaier is a Michigan-based playwright and three-time nominee for the Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association Award for best new play, first in 2006 for All Childish Things, then in 2007 for Language Lessons and in 2010 for It Came From Mars. Other plays include Dead Man’s Shoes, And The Creek Don’t Rise, The All Childish Things Trilogy, Dr. Seward’s Dracula, First Snow, Blackwater Ballad, Night Blooming, Point of Origin, and The Stillness Between Breaths. He is an Associate Artist at Performance Network, and an adjunct lecturer at Eastern Michigan University, where he teaches Dramatic Composition. Joseph was recently profiled in the March 2012 issue of American Theatre Magazine.
Tickets can be ordered at the Performance Network Box Office at 734-663-0681, online at www.performancenetwork.org or at Performance Network Theatre (120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor, 48104) Monday- Saturday 11-6 or one hour before a performance.
Founded in 1981, Performance Network Theatre has grown from a fledgling company to Ann Arbor’s only resident, professional theatre. The Network reaches 40,000 theatre patrons and children each year through the year-round Professional Series and the Children’s Theatre Network. Performance Network also presents the Fireside Festival of New Works and a series of classes on theatre-related topics. The Network provides uncompromising artistic leadership in the region and produces works that engage, challenge and inspire audiences and artists.


Here is an interview with the author about the upcoming play.


1) How long have you been writing for?
I have been writing for about 15 years.

2) What are some of your other works?
Other plays of mine that premiered in the area: Dead Man's Shoes, And The Creek Don't Rise, It Came from Mars, All Childish Things, Dr. Seward's Dracula, Language Lessons...these are just some of my faves.

3) Who are your inspirations?
My inspirations...when I was just beginning as a writer, I had the pleasure of working with Lanford Wilson. He was a great example to follow. Lee Blessing is another writer I admire greatly.

4) Is all of your work in the horror genre?
No, only a few of my plays are horror-based. I try to write in many different genres, utilizing many different themes. Keeps me from getting bored.

5) What do you have coming up?
 Later this month, my play Dr. Seward's Dracula will be performed in the Crypt of the Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. Then in November my newest play, Ebenezer, will open at Williamston Theatre. It's a different take on A Christmas Carol, taking place 15 years after Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation. He knows he's not long for the world, and is wrestling with how to continue his good work.

Tommorow: 10th Annual Detroit Sounds and Spirits Old-Fashioned Holiday Spectacular

December 23rd, at The Magic Stick

$15, 9 PM, all ages

Metro-area Thom McCan Shoe Stores and Town Club Soda Distributors are thrilled to announce the tenth anniversary show of the Detroit Sounds and Spirits Olde-Fashioned Holiday Spectacular on Friday, December 23 at Detroit’s Magic Stick.

The Sounds and Spirits Spectacular is the Detroit indie-rock community’s biggest holiday event. In homage to Christmas variety shows of yesteryear, the Spectacular features 22 bands performing just one yuletide ditty.  It’s a lightning paced whirligig of cheer on 2 stages and if you’re not a fan of the act playing, don’t worry, there’ll be another in 5 minutes!  If you don’t feel a warm glow at this joyous gala, then your heart really is two sizes too small!

The Spectacular first came together in the fall of 2002, intended to be a mock taping of a boozy, sweater and scarf variety show from years past.  Equal parts Rankin-Bass, Andy Williams, and MC5.  This years show promises to be just as entertaining featuring some top-secret, spirited collaborations from former and current members of the Detroit Cobras, The Von Bondies & Karen Elson’s band.

All proceeds from the Spectacular benefit Detroit’s Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS). Since 2002, the Spectacular has raised over $23,000 for the Detroit-based organization, which provides emergency shelter and transitional housing for single men, women, and families with children who need assistance in becoming economically self-sufficient.

This years lineup includes:
His Name is Alive   – The Barrettes  - Destroy This Place – Outrageous Cherry  - American Mars  - Johnny Headband – Satori Circus  - The Blueflowers – Alex Winston  -  The Pop Project  - Patrick Davy and the Ghosts  - The Thornbills – Amy Gore and Her Valentines  -  Duende!  - Old Empire  - Woodman – TVXMAS – Marco Polio and the New Vaccines  -  I Love Lightning Bugs – Jeecy and the Jungle  - Rabinowitz Family Christmas Special

Wild At Heart review of Tim Burton exhibit at the TIFF in Toronto

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

Wild At Heart

Have I ever told you, my faithful readers, that Toronto is one of my favorite towns to visit? Just this past weekend, I had the pleasure of taking a road trip up to Toronto for some fun. If you read my blog on Monday, you already know I saw OMD in concert (who plays the Crofoot this Friday) so you can get off your lazy asses and see one of the great 80’s bands rock your world!!!

The rest of my road trip was pretty good also. I left very early just to make sure I could get a good place to park and have time to walk to my destination, the recently built TIFF Bell Lightbox. This is a beautiful building built to help the Toronto International Film Festival with its operational goal and give them an actual home. I have never been to the Film Festival but my friend Becky, who used to work at the library in Toledo, OH used to travel there religiously for the festival. So I get my parking space, walk past the Hockey Hall Of Fame and through the rain to get to the TIFF (located in the entertainment district) about 2 hours ahead of schedule. I stop in front of the building to see a beautifully weird sculpture created for the museum by Tim Burton that is a cross between The Grinch and Little Shop Of Horrors as shown in this video:



To waste some time, I noticed a bunch of restaurants across the street and try by luck at Fred’s Not Here, a tasty little smokehouse where I can dry off a bit after walking 10 blocks in the constant drizzle. I thought I had swimmer’s ear by that point in the day. I got this lunch special that started with a lobster and crab soup with a pastry on top of the bowl and finished with a 8 oz Angus steak with French fries cooked with duck fat that were just excellent. Not bad for $15. I left and went next door to a French café called Le Saint Tropez for desert. I got something called a Torte au Citron which translates to lemon pie with a raspberry topping. It was delicious and only cost $7. The place was very colorful and Tuscan looking but not as colorful as what I was about to embark on.



I was still a bit early so I walked around the building. Besides having a museum exhibition, they also have a number of theatres showing foreign and art films much like what you would see at out Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak but so much bigger. They have a restaurant that had special Tim Burton inspired dishes like Mrs Lovett’s Meat Pies, Big Fish, Alice’s Magical Mushroom Lasagna and drinks such as the Beetlejuiced and Drink Me (inspired by Alice In Wonderland). On the top floor is a free exhibition designed to highlight Canadian talents. The current exhibition is dedicated to silent film star Mary Pickford, once known as America’s Sweetheart. She was born in Toronto and preferred theatre but reluctantly got involved in the movie business which she grew to love. She became one of its biggest stars appearing in over 100 shorts and features. She founded her own studio in 1916 and later UA studios with Charlie Chaplin and went on to help start up the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Her celebrity was shown in her own Cosmetics line, her work raising war bond and other charities (one drive had her sell a curl of her hair for $15,000 in bonds) and as being in the first Hollywood power couple when she married Douglas Fairbanks (sorry Bradgelina). The exhibit featured a number of personal items, souvenirs, movie posters and other items. My favorite was the lantern slides which features pictures from various movies. They are something you don’t see very often due to their fragile nature. I got to talk with Shane Smith, Director of Public Programming who hinted that they are working on an exhibit for that room on one of my favorite film directors, David Cronenberg (fingers crossed).



After going through the exhibit, I got talking to Shane who was generous enough to talk with me and not get on my case too much about not realizing the connection with the building and the film festival, after all I heard about it looking for something else to do in Toronto to make a trip to see OMD worth it and a Tim Burton exhibit is right up my alley. I remember the first movie I saw by him was “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” which was really quirky and you have to love the Tequila dance. Next was “Beetlejuice” which I saw in the theatre and quickly fell in love with. I love sci-fi/fantasy/horror and I have also enjoyed the slightly odd ball stuff (like early 50’s sci-fi, Monty Python and the like) so Tim Burton (along with Terry Gilliam) was right up my alley. “Edward Scissorhands” was the films that really impressed me as the movie that really jumpstarted Johnny Depp’s career. I was also a big fan of Ryder and the costume of the lonely loner just hit a nerve. My favorite film by Burton is “Ed Wood” with its excellent cast which won Martin Landau an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role of Bela Lugosi. I just loved watching him struggle with the fake octopus. A supporting cast by George “The Animal” Steele, Jeffrey Jones and Bill Murray doesn’t hurt either. More recently, with the exception of “Big Fish”, I felt that Burton ideas while remaining powerful has been diminished a bit by lackluster plots (Alice, Planet Of Apes, Charley) though “Sweeney Todd” was a lot of fun. Still, with the exception of Apes, his films also excite the eyes in ways very few film directors are capable.

Shane first found Burton while in Australia and he saw his short movie “Frankenweenie” (set for a big screen remake soon) which always stuck with him. I asked if he remembered what film played with it and he couldn’t remember. The Tim Burton exhibit is the first major exhibit at the TIFF and came about with someone who was a friend with someone at MOMA (who put on the exhibition) and thought it was the “perfect art exhibit for the role of cinema from an artist’s perspective”. His off-kilter vision of the suburbs to the reimagining of Alice (and it doesn’t hurt following one of the top grossing films of 2010) have thrilled numerous fans who also relate to his quirky outsider characters. Let’s not forget the unimaginable popularity of “Nightmare” which I loved in the theatre but never thought it would still be as popular today as it was back then. One high school age girl looking at the designs from the movie told her two friends “this is my favorite movie…I have watched it over 100 times”. She might not even have been born when the movie came out which makes me feel old.

At the start of the exhibition, Tim Burton stopped by and did a few children program for the TIFF. Shane stated that Burton didn’t really want to talk to the press but did give generously to the young kids during his few days talking to them about there own short works and such. It’s nice to know that while probably an oddball, he is an oddball with a kind generous heart much like some of his characters.

The TIFF also does a lot of programs for budding filmmakers and gets there fair share of celebrities coming in. Woody Harrelson (Cheers, White Men Can’t Jump) is doing a film in Toronto and is supposed to stop by for a day and recent guests have included director Paul Haggis (Crash) and special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull (Blade Runner). Shane says some of these people are local or working in the city but sometimes, like with Trumbull, they come in esp for an event. With these types of people coming in, I am definitely going to keep my eye on future events. For film fans and those working in the industry, this should almost be a Mecca destination as it also houses the largest film reference library in Canada and is only 2 blocks south of the National Film Board Of Canada where you can watch over 5,500 Canadian films and shows for free in their lobby viewing area. So TIFF looks to be here to stay with its theatres, libraries and galleries. The current Tim Burton exhibit is set to end on April 17th so make plans for a road trip now to see this (sorry I couldn’t give you more of a head’s up).

The exhibit is a must for fans of Burton’s work. The gallery has timed admissions and was very busy when I was there. You start by going though the exhibit which is mostly chronological. It covers all of Burton’s films and shorts (including the web favorite Stainboy) as well as some drawing and sculptures at the end from some unfinished projects. There is a side room with some art arranged my categories like clowns or women, along with work he did in high school and college including some films he did with his friends (most of which he also starred in). I particularly liked seeing a failed children’s book he was working on for Disney about monsters entitled “Giant Zlig”. His work was even weird back then. The exhibit is mostly drawing with some sculptures but does have some props including the Edward Scissorhand’s costume, the razors from Sweeney Todd, Michelle’s cat suit from Batman Returns, the severed heads from Mars Attacks, Ed Wood’s angora sweater, the scarecrow form Headless Horseman, etc. There are also numerous models for the movies “Corpse Bride” and “Nightmare Before Christmas” which were among the most popular items on display (and worth the price of admission by themselves). They even had concept drawings he did, though unused, for the Black Cauldron. As you leave, they are showing Tim’s TV production of Hansel and Gretel which only aired once which while average story-wise, is great visually, esp the candy house.




If you just even like Burton’s films, this is a must do road trip to see this wonderful exhibition. The amount of work they have on the walls can really make one wonder about the sanity of the man but it is wonderfully captivating. You don’t get the opportunity to look into the mind of an artistic genius too often and this exhibit is worth it and makes me excited for future projects. Most exhibits of this type usually focus on Star Trek or Star Wars so seeing something different is definitely a plus. If you want to know more info about this exhibit or the TIFF in general, go to http://www.tiff.net/. You will not be sorry you did.

SOUNDS & SPIRITS of Detroit - Magic Stick - Thur 12/23

SOUNDS & SPIRITS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23 - MAGIC STICK

8PM * $15 * AA

The Sounds and Spirits Spectacular is the Detroit indie-rock community’s biggest holiday event. In homage to Christmas variety shows of yesteryear, the Spectacular features over 20 bands and performers performing yuletide ditties on two stages. It’s a whirligig of cheer and if you don’t like the band, don’t worry, there’ll be another in 5 minutes! Some ‘celebrity’ emcees and some curious video snippets collected over the years round out the show. If you don’t feel a warm glow at this joyous gala, then your heart really is two sizes too small!

Full Lineup: The Hard Lessons, Silverghost, Johnny 'Modular' Headband, Millions of Brazilians, Destroy This Place, American Mars, The Meltdowns, The Barrettes, Computer Perfection, Red Iron Orchestra, Sleigher, The Pop Project, The Cold Wave, Isosceles Mountain, Citizen Smile, The Last Supper, Gorevette, Hysteric Narcotics, Old Empire, The Swamp Sisters, Santa Wolf Crystal

SPONSORED BY

WWW.KNERD.COM

Wild At Heart

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University

Wild At Heart

Good evening everyone. Feeling prety excited right now. I just got off the phone with the Motor City Casino PR people about geting a Cyndi Lauper interview for my radio show (8-10 AM on WXOU 88.3FM and www.wxou.org) and even though I have to wait until May (she isn't coming until July 1st) I am still pumped, esp considering she is my Holy Grail of interview requests. I have had requests in on 3 separate occasions and have been thwarted by a throat condition and the idiots who PR the True Colors Festival (though I thank them for the Cliks and B-52 interviews) who didn't think my show would work for Cyndi. Of course, if you can find a radio station that plays more Cyndi Lauper (both quanity and variety) than my show, I'll lay down my mic and never DJ again. Heck, while down at the NAIAS, I was yelling at one of the top radio stations in the area (starts with R) when they told me they didn't even have Cyndi in their playlists. What kind of self-respecting radio station doesn't have Cyndi on their playlist. Amatuers!! So fingers crossed and hopefully around May I'll find out if I got the interview. Selling my soul on Ebay now! People should also know that Cyndi is currently recording her new blues album, appears on the new David Byrne album ('Here Lies Love') on the title track, is starring in the new season of 'Celebrity Apprentice' (premiere is on Sunday, March 14th) and is performing a free concert on July 3rd in Toronto during their Gay Pride Festival.

It was a great day for film this past weekend with the Detroit Independent Film Festival which took place at the Burton Theatre. I really liked the venue which is revamped from a high school class room and includes a pool table in the men's room. I ended up playing a bunch of 9-ball between films. I missed a couple of films due to oversleeping but overall, the quality of the features and shorts was wonderful. I caught the film "The Twenty" which was film in California and in the UP where a guy who is atempting to recover from a bad drinking habit finds a message on a twenty dollar bill which is a plea for help. On a bender, he drives to upper MI to try and find the person who wrote the message and gets put in the middle of a conflict between a child moester and one of his victims. The weakest of the features I saw but still not bad for a indie film. Of the shorts, my favorites included "Animated American" (a revenge story of a hand drawn toon getting revenge on a producer who prefers digital animation), "Skylight" (an animated mock documentary about the ecological plight of penguins in the Antarctic) and "Open Your Eyes" (a story about a woman dealing with breast cancer). In talking with the people who put on the festival, they had 4 sell outs and while they didn't make a mint, they did break even so a second year is currently in the planning stages so fingers crossed. The only thing they need to watch is trying to make sure programs run on time but that is part of the learning curve when doing something like this for the first time. Good luck guys!

Also, congrats to the "The Hurt Locker" for winning best picture and director Kathryn Bigelow becomming the first woman to get top directing honors. You go girl!! This was my favorite US film of the year and I figured "Up" would get the animation award. Also kudos for "Crazy Heart" for best song with "the Weary Kind" which I'll have to play next week on my show.

In recent releases, we have "Alice In Wonderland", the new film by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp which has already cleared $200 million worldwide. I saw the film in 3D last week and while visually interesting, I was a bit disappointed by the story. The film itself is actually a sequel of sorts since it doesn't deal with the original story like the animated Disney film but takes place years later as an adult Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is about to be asked her hand in marriage by a guy she doesn't love and runs away to think, only to find herself down the rabbit hole once again. Wonderland is under control of the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and Alice is told by the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) that she will slay the Jabberwocky and save the world. Carter is very Wicked as the Red Queen and I love the version of the Cheshire Cat in the film. It is Mia who really steals the show with her portrayal of Alice though I tend to like her real world character a bit more than the fantasy parts. Otherwise, most of the characters to me are just OK as is the film which I can relate the disappointment I felt with Burton's "Charlie And the Chocolate Factory". Alice is a visually stunning film but the actual story doesn't seem to match the best of Burton's best work (Ed Wood, Nightmare Before Christmas, Big Fish) but doesn't fall as flat as his worst (Mars Attacks, Planet Of The Apes). Alice purists might be torn by some of the characters but I feel it does a decent job maintaining the integrity of the main group. Let's face it, this film is for the spectacle and it presents a visually stunning experience (I love the red card soldiers) with a story better than most blockbusters (GI Joe, Transformers, 2012 anyone). Get the popcorn and the happy juice and just sit back and enjoy. My grade is a B-.




As far as the Blowout, I managed to get down for a few more shows and tried out a couple of new venues (Kelli's Bar and Skippers). The crowds seemed larger tonight and the quality of bands was very good. Highlights Saturday included the high powewred punk rock band The Black List, the light pop sounds of the Marvins (from Rochester, MI) and the rockibilly/burlesque fun of Bazooka Jones. I also took my buddy to see Sh! The Octopus and Oscillating Fan Club, who rocked out Skippers to end the festival and the main reason I overslept the early screening at DIFF. I ran into a lot of people I knew which is always fun at these events and once again I am just amazed by the quality of local bands which makes being a music fan in Detroit so exciting and the main reason I want to stay in the area.

Brandi Carlile just released a new song called "Let It Go" that she wrote and performed with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls. The song is available exclusively at Amazon MP3. All proceeds from "Let It Go" will benefit the Fight The Fear Campaign, a community oriented violence prevention initiative based in Seattle. The mission of the campaign is to provide free self-defense training and violence prevention education for women in underserved and at-risk populations. Nice little song and great cause so check it out!


In other arena, here are the shows of note that I recommend this week:

Tuesday (3/09) the folk rock band the Avett Brothers @ Michigan Theatre,

the dance music hits the fan with Black Eyed Peas w/LMFAO @ Palace Of Auburn Hills,

Ann Arbor's rockers Tally Hall @ Blind Pig

Wednesday (3/10) 100 Monkeys (featuring Jackson Rathbone of Twilight: New Moon) @ Shelter

Thursday (3/11) Kinks legendary frontman Ray Davies @ Michigan Theatre,

the vibrant Vivian Girls @ Magic Stick

Friday (3/12) country artists Annabelle Road opens for Justin Moore @ Royal Oak Music Theatre,

back to the 50's with Vogues and Jay & the Americans @ Andiamo Celebrity Showroom (Warren)

Saturday (3/13) R&B/soul singer Chrisette Michele @ Royal Oak Music Theatre,

80's easy listening band Air Supply @ Caesars Windsor,

ex-Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm @ Andiamo Celebrity Showroom (Warren),

Juliets video release party @ Majestic Cafe,

Pistol Day Parade @ the Ritz,

rockabilly and ska with Koffin Kats and St Thomas Boys Academy @ New York New York (Chesterfield TWP),

blues artist Alberta Adams @ Callahans (for Detroit Blues Society meeting)

Sunday (3/14) rappers delight with Jay-Z w/Trey Songsz @ Palace Of Auburn Hills,

blues guitarist Tab Benoit @ Callahan's

Monday (3/15) Japanese punk rockers Uzuhi play free show @ Garden Bowl

Before I go, here is my band of the week: Shonen Knife. They are an all-female Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka, Japan in 1981 which were heavily influenced by American 1960s girl groups, The Beach Boys, and early punk rock acts (such as The Ramones). They started off as a trio (currently a duo) and play stripped-down songs expressing infectious melodies and simplistic, exuberant lyrics sung both in Japanese and English. There videos are very colorful and the music is just infectious live. The band has taken on the perpetual status as a DIY styled garage band despite having been recording for over 25 years. They occasionally come to town and play the Magic Stick where I have seen them twice and I would highly recommend their shows. There newest album is titled "Free Time" and is out this year.








Have a good week as I'm off to see the indie movie "Fish Tank" (to be reviewed later).

Wild At Heart

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University

Wild At Heart


Not much to talk about this week. I was happy to see Minnesota Twins go down three straight to the Yankees and I am awaiting to hear back on a job that will keep me employed for the next 4 months if it comes through. However, it still annoys me that major companies are unable to handle simple instructions such as "I have an appointment today so if you can't call me by 10:30AM, make sure you call me after 2PM" and then wonder why they leave me a message at 12:30PM when I told them I wouldn't be there. So I sit by a phone calling every 45 minutes (since they only have their answering machine on all day) without them calling me back. When my new/potential employer asks me to be at work at 8AM, what would they say if I showed up at 9:30AM. You know that doesn't fly yet they are incapable of doing such a simple task. I lost a job last week because the company didn't think they could give me enough hours but it would have been nice if they could've talked to me in person esp after showing up three times for interviews and not being given one because of their issues. If they actually called me when I said I would be home, I would probably have taken the job (I was working a temp assignment where I had to be at work at noon giving them a full 3 1/2 hours everyday to reach me, and this is a company that stresses accuracy in their calls but can't give it to employees).

There is a new horror film in theatres which harkens to the fun of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" with it's entire story being filmed as if by handheld camera (though unlike the previous, most is done on a tripod so for those who didn't like the jarring movement don't have as much of it this time. The movie, "Paranormal Activity" begins with the boyfriend Micah testing out and playing with his camera to document various weird things that have been happening in the house. A psychic is called in and learns from Katie that she has been haunted by a ghostly entity since her youth. which turns out not to be a a ghost but a demon. He tells the couple that no matter where they go the demon will follow since it is haunting Katie herself. The psychic explains that the demon feeds off negative energy, so the couple must do their best not to antagonize it or give it more power by fighting with each other. With the camera, the couple documents increasing activity which eventually wears them down to the climatic finish. I found the movie very slow and annoying, mainly because I found Micah (both actors use their first names for their characters in the film) to be not equal to Katie esp in one scene involving a Ouija board where he seems to be trying to hold in laughter while delivering a straight performance. With the exception of a cool scene where Katie is dragged from her bed by unseen forces and the last few seconds, I found the movie to be boring. However, I feel that if you truly believe in this type of stuff, you will more than likely enjoy the film. If you don't have that belief, you might end up inappropritely laughing and fighting boredom like me. I enjoy experiments in film like this but they could have improved some of the scripting and a better actor playing the male lead who could compliment Katie more would have helped since she has some nice moments. Just remember, this is low budget horror so don't expect too much and you should leave content. My grade is C-, mainly because it is good for a film with a budget of $15,000 (less than an average car), was filmed in a week and shot using a hand-held video camera. It has been doing mostly midnight showings in the area but will be going for a wide release on Oct 16th.


IMAX film lovers will be happy to know that 2 new IMAX screens will be opening on October 16th at Star Great Lakes Crossing 25 and AMC Livonia 20 with the first film being "Where The Wild Things Are". Along with showing live and pre-recorded events, there are a bunch of upcoming Hollywood movies to be released in IMAX’s format which include Michael Jackson’s "This Is It" (Oct 28), “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” (Nov. 6), “Avatar” (Dec. 18), “Alice in Wonderland” (March 5, 2010), “How to Train Your Dragon” (March 26, 2010) and “Shrek Goes Fourth” (May 21, 2010).

If you enjoy flying, American Airlines has announced a sweepstakes to celebrate the new Paramount Pictures film “Up in the Air” by director Jason Reitman and starring George Clooney. The film tells the story of a business traveler whose cherished life on the road is threatened just as he is on the cusp of reaching 10 million frequent-flyer miles and after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams. The sweepstakes offers a chance to win 700,000 AAdvantage® miles along with two Economy Class round-trip AAnytime® award tickets to travel to Los Angeles as special guests of American Airlines to attend the “Up in the Air” movie premier and a $300 gift card to use for hotel or spending money while there
Between now through Oct. 31, 2009, you can enter by going to www.aa.com/upintheair and purchase a flight on AA.com during the promotional period. To enter without making a purchase visit www.aa.com/upintheairamoe. Good luck!!



Dog owners can get ready for the “Legally Blonde Howl-o-ween Costume Contest for Canines” on October 20 at the Fisher Theatre at 6PM. Cast members from the hit Broadway show "Legally Blonde The Musical" will judge the canine contestants and three winners will get gift cards to PetSmart and tickets for the show. Owners of contestants must register in advance by calling 248-651-4858. Legally Blonde will start on Oct 15th and run until Nov 1st.





Upcoming shows include Tuesday (10/13) is a great night for retro music with the Psychedlic Furs w/Happy Mondays and the Islands @ Clutch Cargos, local girl Justine Blazer @ Hard Rock Cafe or Polish Muslims @ Blocktoberfest in Hamtramck. Wednesday (10/14) has Mars Volta @ Clutch Cargos or White Tie Affair @ St Andrews. Thursday (10/15) sees Five Finger Death Punch w/Otep @ Crofoot, Indian musician Ravi Shankar (this is the guy who the Beatles hung out with) @ Hill Auditorium or the Gossip @ the Majestic. Friday (10/16) has Wilco @ Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, the Scarlet Oaks @ Majestic Cafe or local bands Wildcatting & Prussia @ Vernor's Lounge in Pontiac. Saturday (10/17) is for hard rockers with Gwar @ Harpos or the Used @ the Fillmore though you can chill with the Glenn Miller Orchestra @ Ford Community Performing Arts Center, Jeff Daniels @ Lexington Music & Theatre Company or Stewart Francke w/Floyd King & Bushwackers @ Mama's Coffeehouse in Bloomfield Hills for a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Sunday (10/18) has prog rock band Birds Of Avalon @ Majestic Cafe or Verve Pipe frontman Brian Vander Ark. Monday (10/19) has Japanese alt rock band Shonen Knife @ Magic Stick. On Thursday, Memphis Smoke will be throwing a Bob Segar book release party and while Bob himself will be absent, you can get a copy of "Travelin Man" before it hits the stores and check out the live performance by Lookin Back, The only Bob Seger tribute band. Authors Tom Weschler and Gary Graff will also be present.

Also, sadly for music fans, original NRBQ guitarist Steve Ferguson passed away on Oct 7th due to small-cell lung cancer and today, the bassist and lead singer for Blue Cheer, Dickie Peterson, passed on with liver cancer. That sums it up for this month. Have a good week and catch you next week!

WILD AT HEART - Tuesday Dec 2nd 2008

Hey Kirk-good to see you at the RIC this weekend
here is this week's blog post - Bill

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University

Wild At Heart

Starting off, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I went to a friend’s house for dinner and watched some football (Go Cowboys!). I basically spent 4 days doing nothing around the house which was nice. I did take time to see the Detroit premiere of the Flaming Lips movie “Christmas On Mars”. Now, a live Lips show is incredible. When I saw them last year at Clutch Cargos they had streamers, giant balloons and tons of laser pointers and just put on a wonderful experience. Based on this, one would think that if they did a movie, it would be crazy with catchy tunes and pure psychedelic freak-out moments (something like the movie “Head” by the Monkees. What we got however was a long, drawn out, boring movie which is like a less interesting version of “Eraserhead”.

I liked some of the sets but that is about it. And why does every character feel the need to say the f-word in every dialogue scene. I can’t believe it took 7 years to film this movie. The plot deals with the experiences of Major Syrtis during the first Christmas on a newly-colonized Mars. A type of madness affects the crew causing them to despair and commit suicide when an alien shows up and is mistaken for one of the crew. The alien takes over the role of Santa Claus and helps the crew and then leaves. If it sounds confused, that is because it is. Despite my love of cheesy b-movies, I couldn’t wait for this to be over. If it wasn’t for some nice zombie short films by Iron Core TV (The Cemetery Precincts was my favorite which tells the story of what happens when a couple of political dirty tricksters try a bit of old-school election fraud and scare up more than they bargained for), this would’ve been a really bad day.

Speaking of movies, I still haven’t seen “The Dark Knight” and it is almost time for its DVD release on Dec 9th. Most Blockbusters (and I am sure some other stores might be too) will be open late so people can buy or rent the DVD. Additionally, a special “Bat Prize Drawing” will be held at midnight on Dec. 9 at the Royal Oak store to award a year of free movie rentals to two lucky winners though you need to be dressed as your favorite Batman movie character.

Other movies to see include “Synecdoche, New York” which is written and directed by Charlie “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” Kaufman. I have been hearing that some people actually like this film but I am not part of that group. I love Kaufman’s movies but I believe he needs someone else to direct them because this film, despite an interesting premise, drags on way too long at points which make this a painful movie to watch at times. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays small time theater director Caden Cotard who is producing a version of ‘Death of a Salesman’ in which he casts young actors in the roles of Willy and Linda.

After it is done, he receives a MacArthur genius grant that he wants to use to “create a piece of brutal realism and honesty”. He uses the reality of his life, including his failing marriage with his painter wife Adele, his affair with Hazel who is the theatre ticket taker, his not being able to see his daughter Olive and a mysterious illness that is shutting down his body one piece at a time, to put together the biggest play in history. Rehearsals take place in a rented warehouse and take decades to put together and he builds elaborate sets of real working buildings for the actors to move around in. He populates the cast and crew with doppelgangers (both of himself and his relations) which steadily blur the line between the world of the play and that of his own deteriorating reality. There is a lot to like here but the movies needs the hand of an editing craftsman to keep it from becoming too cumbersome. I give the film a “D” for attempting to be great but it never truly turns the corner.

On a better note, there is the wonderful movie, “Milk” by Gus (Good Will Hunting) Van Sant about the life of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay person to hold public office as city supervisor in San Francisco. Sean Penn puts forth a truly great performance as Harvey and just captures the life of an openly gay man trying to make the world a better place. The movie starts with Harvey meeting his lover Scott Smith and moving to San Francisco to open a camera store which the local residents don’t take to kindly to. Harvey sets up a coalition of gay business to challenge the bigoted straight store owners association and eventually is seen as the spokesperson for gay rights in the area. His running for office breaks up his first relationship and he gets involved in a few others as he succeeds eventually in achieving office. His career has him helping out the unions, getting some legislation passed and esp championing a city ordinance protecting people from being fired because of their sexual orientation and defeating a proposed state referendum that would allow gay teachers to lose their jobs (Archive footage of anti-gay activist Anita Bryant is shown in news clips supporting such causes). When fellow supervisor Dan (Josh Brolin) White resigns after getting frustrated with Milk’s ways of working, he is talked into changing his mind but it is too late. He meets with Mayor George Moscone but is rebuffed again and kills both the mayor and Harvey (this is the famous Twinkie defense case). A very fascinating movie experience which I can highly recommend and might get some awards (I think a best actor nod might come of this for Penn). I give it an “A-“.

If you would rather take in some theatre, I can recommend ‘A Bronx Tale’ which is a one-man show written and performed by Chazz (Unusual Suspects) Palminteri. The story is about Calogero Anello, a young boy from a working class family (his father is a well respected bus driver who believes in family values and wants to protect his son) who gets involved in the world of organized crime after helping protect a mafia boss (Sonny) from getting identified as a shooter in a crime. Calogero finds himself entranced by the life of Sonny who ends up becoming a father figure to him and lets him earn money in his restaurant. As Calogero comes of age, he must struggle with the choice of following his beloved father's values or submitting to the temptations of the life of organized crime. The play is a nice look at life on the streets during the fifties and shows the importance of treating people right. Crime does pay, even if it does take awhile, and family is show to be the strongest glue of all. Chazz puts on a wonderful performance which shouldn’t be missed. Go to www.nederlanderdetroit.com for more information.

I would also like to congratulate my good friend Amy P on turning 16X2 this past Sat. She threw a good party at the RIC with some cool people, good music and lots of alcohol and sugar. I had the pleasure of trying absinthe for the first time though I am not sure what all the fuss is about. Absinthe achieved popularity in late 19th- and early 20th-century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers such as Paul Verlaine, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde. It has been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug due to the presence of the chemical thujone though its alleged harmful effects are in much debate. As it is, the drink is expensive, legal in the US since 2007 and the brand I tried (and can’t remember the brand name) tasted like a crème de menthe more than anything else. I’ll stick to my rum, vodka, ice wine and tequila. Once again, you rock Amy (almost as much as Cyndi LauperJ).

Lastly, here are some upcoming shows you should check out. Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls will be at the Magic Bag on Dec 2nd for a solo show. I am currently in talks to interview her for my show which might air on Tuesday morning on www.wxou.org or Thursday morning between 8-10AM (check my website www.myspace.com/wildatheart_13 for more updates on that). On Dec 3rd, you can get into the winter mood with a wonderful singer, Sarah Brightman, at the Palace Of Auburn Hills. Country music singer Gretchen Wilson will be at the Palace on Dec 4th. There is a trio of good shows on Dec 6th including The Black Crowes @ the Fillmore, Reverend Horton Heat @ the Majestic and Dragaonforce @ Royal Oak Music Theatre. On Dec 7th, you can go to Ann Arbor to see Glenn Philips @ the Ark or go to the Palace and see Neil Young with Wilco.

Have a good week everyone and drive safely now that the snow has arrived.

MCB Update - Thanksgiving Plans for Dietroit

MCB photographers will covering the following shows:

Where will you be?

SA/KR/KF will be covering Pecha Kucha @ The DIA and something else afterwards

RiazK will be riding The Night Move down to Dietroit from WAB w/for The Hard Lessons show

DE will be covering LMCA/TERRIBLE TWOS and sketching the bands for MCB

AC is shooting the 5 band blownout @ the stick w/Mason Proper video interview

Various shooters covering the parade downtown

KR/Lions Game Massacre and then later...

KR/JW video interview w/Detroit Cobras

SS covering Deadstring Brothers' super show on Saturday - WOW!
(DEADSTRING BROTHERS * WHITEY MORGAN & THE 78’S * DOOP & THE INSIDE OUTLAWS * THE ORBITSUNS * SHOTGUN WEDDING * HORSE CAVE TRIO * DIRT ROAD LOGIC * JOHN HOLK & THE SEQUINS)

Christmas on Mars @ The Crofoot is an MCB sponsered event

KR/SA KRISTEENYOUNG video interview on Sunday

KR/SA Eliza Neals/Carolyn Striho @ Cliff Bells on Sunday

KR/SA Nate Mayer Benefit Show - Northern Lights Lounge on Sunday

"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

WILD AT HEART - THANKSGIVING 2008 EDITION

Hey Kirk-Have a great birthday and holiday!
here is this week's blog post - Bill

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University

Wild At Heart

Looks like Thanksgiving is just around the corner and a number of people are struggling to find things to be thankful for. With jobs becoming even more scarce, it is getting difficult to remain optimistic here in Michigan. During my show this morning, one of my faithful listeners called today to tell me he is getting laid off from one of the Big 3 and another friend is leaving Michigan for a job down south. Add to this the prospect of the Lions going 0-12, and it is almost enough to take the fun out of the holidays. Heck I won’t even get into the arguments the Native Americans have about the holiday. I just hope to get together with friends, watch football (go Cowboys) and be thankful for what I do have.

If you see this in time, Dr Pepper has extended it’s Guns N Roses contest to 6PM today where you can try to get online or call there toll free number (1-888-DRPEPPER) and leave your info. I heard part of the album when I was at St Andrews this week though I have never really been a big fan of the band. I was there working the Hawthorne Heights show downstairs and only came up once or twice to check things out. I heard most listening parties were getting around 200 people though only about 30 showed up. I think that might have something to do with the venue. Now I love the staff at St Andrews but it is a little bit out of the way and not really the type of place I think off when I think CD listening party. I would think the Crofoot, the Emerald or some other suburban (Royal Oak, Ferndale) bar that caters to a hard rock audience would have gotten a better crowd. To be fair, they didn’t get permission until the last minute and that never helps when trying to promote.

Still, I hate GNR (Slash excepted) but I thank them for my free Dr Pepper.

Talking about a good album release, Nov 22nd marked the 40th Anniversary of one of my favorite albums, The Beatles’ White Album. It was the #1 album when I was born and despite not having any top 40 hits, it has some very memorable songs such as “Back In The USSR”, “Dear Prudence” (which was covered beautifully by Siouxsie and the Banshees), “Helter Skelter”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (a great Harrison song with Clapton on guitar) and “Blackbird”. Also, you got to love song titles like “Piggies”, “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road” and “Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey”. The plain white cover was designed by pop artist Richard Hamilton and was originally planned to be entitled “A Doll's House” (luckily the band Family had used a similar title). The album is their most musically diverse (a number of songs were inspired by their trip to India) and you can catch the hints of their break-up starting to emerge (thanks Yoko). I have a German white vinyl version which is one of the cornerstones of my music collection. Some influences include Charles Manson’s borrowing of the term Helter Skelter which he construed as predicting a prolonged race war and justifying the murder of wealthy people (I never got that from listening to the album), the famous Paul is dead fiasco and a wonderful Eric Idle led parody group The Rutles.

I had a good time at the Main Art Theatre this weekend with the premiere of “My Name Is Bruce” which stars and is directed by Royal Oak born Bruce Campbell. Bruce basically plays a version of himself in this film and he is currently filming a sequel to a cheesy sci-fi film. Angry at his manager (one of the many Ted Raimi roles in the film) and threatening to fire him, Bruce goes home to his trailer where he is met by a young kid from Gold Lick who believes Bruce is like his heroic characters in his movies and wants Bruce to help save his town from the evil demon Guan Di. The movie is a must for Bruce fans and b-movie aficionados though the appeal might stop there. Bruce has some great one-liners and there are tributes to previous roles such as Ash and Bubba Ho-Tep. Don’t expect too much from the film and you will enjoy it. After the film, Bruce did a Q&A talking about various items like Evil Dead 4 (he feels he is too old to do it justice – Indy 4 anyone), Ash vs Jason vs Freddy (since they said Ash wouldn’t win, he said no), Bubba Nosferatu (he couldn’t figure a way to get his character into the film so he dropped out) and talked a bit about the fun of Brisco County Jr and Burn Notice. He also mentioned that the film was made in his backyard where he apparently had enough room to build a small western style town. I’d hate to mow that yard.

Good news for Cyndi Lauper fans!! David Byrne stated in his blog that he has collaborated with Lauper on a track for his upcoming “Here Lies Love” and she has recorded a special Christmas duet with Swedish rock band The Hives, entitled "A Christmas Duel", which is available as a download-only single.

I talked to Ingrid Michaelson last week when she did her signing at Borders. She reminds me a lot of Lisa Loeb, but in a good way. Her new album, “Be OK” is not an official album but started as an EP which graduated to a full fledged album containing live tracks and covers. She said she has finished her next album which is a little darker than the last and will be out next fall. A portion of all sales of her current album will go to the charity Stand Up To Cancer.

MCB's Jesse Welter was there to shoot the show and the in-store performance and got a nice shot of me doing the interiew.

Danny Boyle was great to talk to last week in anticipation of his new movie “Slumdog Millionaire” (based on the novel “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup). An Indian former street child from Mumbai is a contestant on ‘Kaun Banega Crorepaii’, the Hindi version of ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’. He had gone onto the game show to reach his missing childhood sweetheart, who he knows watches the show religiously. When he gets to the last question, he is suspected of cheating and must reveal his life story to see how he knows the answers despite not having an education of any kind. The movie was filmed in India in the slums where Boyle criticizes Swarup who has never been in the slums. Boyle believes if you are going to make a film (or write a book) you should go to where you can get real-life experience and not avoid it. The crew used handheld cameras on the street to get a lot of the footage because of this. Boyle also admits that he thought the book was unfilmable until he read Simon (Full Monty) Beaufoy’s script. Boyle felt that he really got to the heart of the book and he says he will usually read the book and take ideas back to the screenplay writer but in this case he could find nothing to add to his script. I am hoping to see the film soon though I have read the book and there are a lot of adaptive changes so be careful. Boyle also brought up in my interview that he is looking at making a sequel to the 28 Days Later franchise but it will depend on many factors. He is working on it though.

I also had the pleasure of talking to comedian Colin Quinn who was at Oakland University this weekend. He is known for his work on MTV’s Remote Control, a tenure as news anchor on Saturday Night Live (1995-1998) and Comedy Central’s The Tough Crowd. He is currently trying to put through a number of projects which he will have control over. He is content doing this and his stand-up and doesn’t see himself doing TV roles or guest appearances. I hope you heard my interview with him this morning on my show on WXOU 88.3FM or online at www.wxou.org where we talked about the relevance of Saturday Night Live and Brian Wilson.

Hey, Flaming Lips fans!! You might want to go to the Crofoot on Nov 29th to catch the Detroit premiere of ‘Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips’, a glorious science fiction film that marks the directorial debut of the Lips' frontman Wayne Coyne. The film takes place at Christmas and the colonization of Mars is underway. However, when an oxygen generator/gravity control pod malfunctions, Major Syrtis and his team fear the worst. Syrtis also hallucinates about the birth of a baby, and many other strange things (if you have ever seen them live, you know they can be crazy). Meanwhile, a compassionate alien super-being arrives who inspires and helps the isolated astronauts. The screening will also feature a couple of shorts from local Sci-Fi Comedy troupe, “Iron Core TV”. Listen to WXOU for your chance to win tickets. Actually, the first 2 people to email me at doramu13@yahoo.com will be set up with a pair of tickets for will call. Doors at 8PM or go to Crofoot website for more info.

"Christmas on Mars" is a MOTORCITYBLOG sponsered event as well

My radio show on Thurs will be pre-recorded this week but I will be back in Dec with interviews with the casts of A Bronx Tale and The Rat Pack Is Back. The Rack Pack Is Back, which is playing at the GEM Theatre is a musical tribute to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Joey Bishop, who appeared together on stage and in films during the early-1960s, including the original “Ocean's Eleven”. The group never referred to themselves with that title (preferring the Summit or the Clan) but they had a big effect on establishing Las Vegas as a premiere entertainment town and helped break down racial barriers (they refused to play in places that didn’t treat African Americans equally, including their own member Sammy). I can only wonder what it would have been like to see this group on stage but this is the closest I can get now that all the members are dead (Joey passed away in 2007). The show has each member doing some solo numbers of their greatest hits and a number of ensemble pieces. The actors do pretty decent impressions of these icons though I thought the actor playing Frank Sinatra captured him the best. If you enjoy the memories of these greats and what that era represented, come down to the show and be prepared to enjoy yourself. Go to www.gemdetroit.com for more information.

Well that is it for now. Have a great Thanksgiving week whatever you end up doing. I hope to see some of you ska fans Toasters show tonight at the Magic Stick (WXOU will have a promotions table at the event). Wednesday has a few good shows. I will be at the Yes show at the Fillmore but you can also see Fishbone with Natives Of the New Dawn at St Andrew’s Hall or the Hard Lessons with Bump at the Majestic. On Friday, the Verve Pipe will be at St Andrew’s Hall. Saturday is star filled with the Blue Man Group (see them if you can) playing a couple of night at Caesar’s Windsor, Jeff Daniels is doing his annual fundraiser at the Michigan Theatre and the Electric Six will be at St Andrew’s Hall. I will talk to you all again on next Monday. Until then, take care and remember to email me if you want those Flaming Lips movie tickets.

"MCB IS DETROIT"
Check out more MCB-VIDEOs here

FREE TICKETS: Christmas on Mars - Crofoot - Sat Nov 29th

MCB sponsered event:

Free pair of tickets to the 1st emailer - motorcityblog@earthlink.net

Detroit’s first screening of Flaming Lips’ "Christmas on Mars"

Saturday, November 29, 2008

8 PM

$5 cover

Crofoot Ballroom and Rockabilly’s present Christmas on Mars:

A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips, a glorious science fiction film that marks the directorial debut of the Lips' visionary frontman Wayne Coyne.

Seven years in the making, Christmas on Mars features original music by the Flaming Lips ("The greatest U.S. band today" - The Guardian), with acting performances by all band members, and many others from their Oklahoma City-based team. Comedian Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and actor Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused, Two Days in Paris) also appear, as does performer Steve Burns of the band Steve Burns and the Struggle (who had also appeared in children's television show Blue's Clues). Bradley Beesley and George Salisbury co-directed the movie with Mr. Coyne.

The first Detroit screening of this acoustically demanding sound track is aptly presented in the audio showcase of the Crofoot Ballroom.

It's Christmastime, and the colonization of Mars is underway. However, when an oxygen generator and a gravity control pod malfunction, Major Syrtis (the Lips' Steven Drozd) and his team (including the Lips' Michael Ivins) fear the worst. Syrtis also hallucinates about the birth of a baby, and many other strange things. Meanwhile, a compassionate alien super-being (Coyne) arrives, inspiring and helping the isolated astronauts.

Also screening will be:

Several short films from local Sci-fi-Comedy troupe, Iron Core TV http://skitztv.com/ .

Check out their premiere of episode 4 of Amil and Ewok, and more.

As well as: THE CEMETERY PRECINCTS – Directed by Michael Einheuser & Rob Gulley (12:00) (Michigan 2008) A liberal fantasia played in the key of Z, "The Cemetery Precincts" tells the story of what happens when a couple of political dirty tricksters try a bit of old-school election fraud and scare up more than they bargained for. Includes an homage to "Night of the Living Dead" and lots of blood effects by makeup artist Dan Phillips. Written by Nancy Nall-Derringer. Music provided by Sucker DJ's Mikel O.D., Tom Matich, and Jeff Milo.

Doors 8pm, Movie starts @ 8:30pm.
Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes. This film is not rated.

Get more info on this and other great shows at The Crofoot here

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FREE TICKETS: Screening of Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips - The Crofoot Ballroom - Saturday November 29th

2008 - Christmas On Mars - Trailer from George Salisbury on Vimeo.

This looks like it is going to warp your mind for years to come...get on over to the crofoot to check this one out out for sure...on the big big screen it is going to kick ass...if you want to get a free pair of tickets email us and the 6th emailer gets the gold (pair of tickets) - - - - - - - - - -motorcityblog@earthlink.net

A Fantastical Film Freakout

Featuring The Flaming Lips at the Crofoot Ballroom

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29th 2008
Doors at 8pm, show at 8:30pm
Tickets: $5
(buy tickets)

CHRISTMAS ON MARS:
A Fantastical FILM Freakout Featuring The Flaming Lips
Psychedelic rock band the Flaming Lips present Christmas on Mars: A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming Lips, a glorious science fiction film that marks the directorial debut of the Lips' visionary frontman Wayne Coyne. Seven years in the making, Christmas on Mars features original music by the Flaming Lips ("The greatest U.S. band today" - The Guardian), with acting performances by all band members, and many others from their Oklahoma City-based team. Comedian Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live) and actor Adam Goldberg (Dazed and Confused, Two Days in Paris) also appear, as does performer Steve Burns of the band Steve Burns and the Struggle (who had also appeared in children's television show Blue's Clues). Bradley Beesley and George Salisbury co-directed the movie with Mr. Coyne.

It's Christmastime, and the colonization of Mars is underway. However, when an oxygen generator and a gravity control pod malfunction, Major Syrtis (the Lips' Steven Drozd) and his team (including the Lips' Michael Ivins) fear the worst. Syrtis also hallucinates about the birth of a baby, and many other strange things. Meanwhile, a compassionate alien superbeing (Coyne) arrives, inspiring and helping the isolated astronauts.

"MCB IS DETROIT"
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