500 Miles To Memphis is scheduled to perform on April 16th at Smalls in Hamtramck to promote their 3rd CD release (2nd by multi-platinum award winning producer Erwin Musper - Elton John, Def Leppard, Scorpions, Van Halen, Mick Jagger,etc)
I was so busy Sunday night and rushing to get my blog done, I forgot to do my band of the week segment. I have had a few people enjoying this so I don't want to pass over enlightening the blog audience on some really cool bands that any serious music fan should know. This week I'm going old school for a band that reminds me of the Beatles with their sound. The band is Klaatu and they were a Canadian progressive rock group formed in 1973 by the duo of John Woloschuk and Dee Long and named themselves after the extraterrestrial by the same name portrayed by Michael Rennie in the film classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still". Their debut album, self-titled in the US, contained no biographical details but felt very Beatlesque, thus inspiring a rumour by Rhode Island Journal reviewer Steve Smith in February 1977 that the album was an anonymous project by The Beatles. The rumour turned into a global phenomenon with Beatles fans being fed "clues" by radio stations and print media alike. Despite the hoopla, the band never made a big splash in the states despite some stellar albums. The band has put out albums on-and-off for decades, the last original work being in 1980 with various collections and rareity albums thru 2009.
This video contains footage of an unfinished animated Klaatu film which would've run 30 minutes and contain 6 songs by the band.
Hope you enjoy this music and catch you next week.
Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts present, Darwin The Dinosaur, an innovative blackout theatre experience, Sunday, April 18th at 4:00 PM, featuring eye-popping, larger-than-life, glow-in-the-dark crayon drawing-like characters that are both an entertaining and thought-provoking experience for the entire family, and Music Hall has extended their “Family Pack Deal”, where 2 adults and two children are admitted for $35.
The Frozen Four experience in Detroit is over and Boston College leaves Detroit with their 4th NCAA title (including 1949, 2001 and 2008) in front of a stunned Wisconsin team in front of a world indoor attendance record crowd of 37,592 fans though it seemed like they were all RIT fans. With both teams playing tough but without a lot of scoring opportunities, the main noise came from a group of 50 RIT fans that stood for the entire game (except for a minute when a Wisconsin player got injured) with chants of "Four Blind Refs" and chanting "Jersey Shore" at some Wisconsin fans without shirts. My favorite was when they were yelling at the Wisconsin fans to get more excited, esp after senior center Ben Smith’s goal at the 12:57 mark gave Boston College an early lead in the first period. The best part was that they were still louder than the three sections of Wisconsin fans they were taunting. One would think that RIT was playing on the ice by listening to their fans. Making the Frozen Four in only their third year of elligibility, it seems they are ready to make another run next year. With their 18-14 advantage on shots, Boston College was still up 1-0 going into the third period keping it anyone's game. However, Boston Colege scored two quick goals within the first 4 minutes of the third and when they scored again at the 7:20 mark, the Wisconsin fans started filtering out. Boston College scored one more time on an empty net and ended up winning 5-0 with third-year netminder John Muse blanking Wisconsin’s offense and stopping all 20 shots he faced. What seemed like two very even teams ended up with Boston College taking it to Wisconsin. Overall the game was exciting for me though I heard a lot of complaints from the other media members about the quality of the ice and sightlines for those near the ice. Maybe it's not the perfect venue and a lot of people are hoping they will stick to ice arenas in the future but I had a great time overall between the fans and the events like the hospitality area with it's air hockey and other things. Thanks for coming to Detroit and RIT fans rock!
Couples looking for something to see together might get a kick out of "Date Night", the newest comedy starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell who show great screen chemistry as the Fosters, a couple who are stuck in the rut of marriage and doing the same thing every week for their weekly date night. It an attempt to change routine, they go to a fancy downtown restaurant where they don't have reservations. When things look bleak, they steal another couples reservation which leads to a case of mistaken identities when some goons working for mobster boss Joe Miletto think they are someone else who has stolen a flash drive from them. The Fosters then go on the run trying to stay out of the mobster's grasp and avoiding some dirty cops to track down this flash drive that can clear everything up and allow them to go back home to their mundane lives. What makes this movie work is the chemistry between Steve and Tina as they feel and sound like a true couple. Their journey through the underworld of NY is full of fun and full of some touching moments thrown in along with Mark Wahlberg as a security expert that Tina knows and makes Steve jealous. Overall, the film hit everything it should to be worth seeing in the theatre. At the end, Steve and Tina sit in a diner and he tells her that he would marry her again. Likewise, this is a film that I wouldn't mind seeing again. My grade is a B+.
The Ringwald Theatre has a new production to engage local theatre fans. Writen in 1984, "Hurlyburly" focuses on the intersecting lives of four low- to mid-level Hollywood players in the 1980s. The guys are fueled by massive amounts of drugs and alcohol as they attempt to find some meaning in their lives by engaging in endless discussions about sex, love and relationships. We don't find out a lot about what they are actually working on for the movies, but it seems that their dysfunctional personal lives are more interesting than anything they could possibly be working on for the studios. The cast is exciting and does a good job considering the amount of dialogue involved and Stephen Blackwell as Eddie really brings the concept of spiritual agony involved in his search for understanding the things that happen in his universe to the stage in all his decadent splendor. This is definately not an easy production to put on and it really challenges the audience but I feel the journey is worth it. There are times when the play lags but there are some wonderful moments also. Like similar talkative works like "Diner", it has lots of ups and downs but if you pay attention you will find a lot of gems. My grade is a B-. Go online at www.WhoWantsCakeTheatre.com for more information.
Enjoy the week and here are afew shows you might want to consider.
Wednesday (4/13) Lupe Fiasco w/BoB @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
Thursday (4/14) Brian Vander Ark @ the Ark, The Wedding Present w/Girl In A Coma @ Pike Room, Dr Dog @ Blind Pig, A Day To Remember w/Silverstein @ Royal Oak Music Theatre, Secret Twins open for Best Coast @ Magic Stick, Nashville Pussy @ Machine Shop
Friday (4/15) The Charlie Daniels Band @ Caesars Windsor, Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons @ Fox Theatre, Hot Club Of Cowtown @ the Ark, Rare Earth @ Alvin's, The Temptations Review Feat Dennis Edwards @ MotorCity Casino & Hotel
Saturday (4/16) The Fiery Furnaces w/Prussia @ Majestic Cafe, Hoots & Hellmouth @ the Ark, Xiu Xiu @ Museum of Contemporary Art, John Sinclair & The Pinkeye Orchestra @ Majestic Cafe, Deadstring Brothers w/Whitey Morgan and the Sights @ Magic Bag, Atavan @ Eagle Theatre, 19th Annual Detroit Music Awards w/Sun Messengers - the Hell Drivers and Critical Bill @ Fillmore
Sunday (4/17) LA Guns @ Emerald Theatre, The Church @ The Magic Bag
The Detroit Music Foundation and the Recording Academy are doing something to help local musicians and their children. They are bringing a FREE Dental Clinic to limited-income, Detroit-area musicians and their children under 18 (if the child is insured by Medicaid). Services will include a dental exam, bitewing xrays and a cleaning, and will be provided by the Smiles Programs/ Mo bile Dentists of Michigan. Appointments must be scheduled in advance via a simple application process. It will take place on Friday, June 11th at 9:30AM-3:30PM at the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5 AFM Offices so call MusiCares at 877-303-6962 or email rsvp_mcny@grammy.com to set up an appointment. An extra day will be added if demand determines it is needed.
Have a good week and catch you later. Don't forget to get your taxes in if you haven't done so already.
The phenomenally seductive and powerful girl-guy Cleveland duo
with the unusual name, Mr. Gnome is coming to town:
05/01 Grand Rapids, MI @ Division Ave Arts Collective
They've been compared to a strange mix of influences -- Chan "Cat Power" Marshall fronting Queens of the Stone Age, Karen O. with Kings of Leon, etc. -- but the one thing that remains true, is just how infectious and unique this young band sounds. Mr. Gnome's latest album was recorded at Josh Homme's Pink Duck Studios and mixed at Butch Vig's Smart Studios. It's called Heave Yer Skeleton, and it's a monster. They're also supporting a new EP, titled Tastes Like Magic.
http://www.mrgnome.com/
www.myspace.com/mrgnome
http://www.mr-gnome.blogspot.com/
Mr. Gnome on tour:
04/12 Denver, CO @ The Hi-Dive
04/14 Salt Lake City UT @ Burt's Tiki Lounge
04/15 Boise ID @ The Bouquet
04/16 Portland, OR @ Kelly's Olympian
04/17 Seattle WA @ Sunset Tavern
04/19 San Francisco CA @ Elbo Room
04/20 Los Angeles CA @ Silver Lake Lounge
04/21 San Diego CA @ X1FM Network Studios
04/22 Phoenix AZ @ The Sail In
04/23 Tucson AZ @ Plush
04/24 Albuquerque NM @ Atomic Cantina
04/26 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
04/27 Springfield MO @ The Outland Ballroom
04/28 Lawrence KS @ Replay Lounge
04/29 Iowa City, IA @ Gabe's
04/30 Madison WI @ The Frequency
05/01 Grand Rapids, MI @ Division Ave Arts Collective
05/04 Memphis, TN @ Murphy's
05/05 Nashville, TN @ Springwater
05/06 Indianapolis, IN @ Vollrath Tavern
05/07 Ft Wayne IN @ Columbia Street West
05/08 Columbus, OH @ Ruby Tuesday
05/13 Chicago, IL @ The Darkroom
05/14 St Louis MO @ The Firebird
06/04 Newport, KY @ Southgate House
Magic Goes Pop In Rock Concert Illusion Show
In just one week, the Allen Park City Auditorium will transform itself into a digitally enhanced, special effects laden, mystical wonderland, for a night of pure magical mayhem!
That’s because Aaron Balcom, the multi award-winning “Rock & Roll Illusioist”, from downriver, will be returning with his critically acclaimed show for one final area performance on April 16!
“This will be our final area show”, says Aaron. “We just signed a deal for a television show, which I’m very excited about and my busy live performance schedule has me booked solid. But we still wanted to bring the show home, one last time, for one final and very special performance!”
And a special performance it will be! The nearly two hour show will feature Aaron Balcom original illusions, meaning that no one else in the world is performing them, such as Skyscraper, Fire Fantasy, Body Piercing and Moon Telekinesis.
“Our new Moon Telekinesis illusion is quite a spectacular number”, explains Aaron. “The physical equipment for it is twenty feet long and over ten feet tall. No one in the business is touring with an illusion this big. Myself and my team spent over twelve years working on it and it cost many thousands of dollars to turn into a reality. It must be seen to be disbelieved!”
In addition to the never before seen wonders, audiences will also be treated to the classics, such as seeing Aaron divide his beautiful female assistant in three or four sections, levitating her and vanishing her in mid air!
There will also be plenty of comedy, audience interaction and his now famous and award-winning sleight of hand with nothing but a deck of playing cards.
Many special guests and performers will also be in attendance, including a still secret Top 10 recording artist, BJW Magical Jewelers (co-owned by Gay Blackstone, widow of famous magician, Harry Blackstone Jr.), SGI Productions CEO, Rico West and more.
The “X-Menn”, a phenomenal dance group out of Detroit who has performed internationally will also perform a short segment during the second half of the show and CW-50’s “Gossip Girls” will also be appearing and disappearing in the show throughout the evening!
“Besides all of the mind bending magic and special guests”, says Aaron, “I want audiences to know that this is a production show. You certainly won’t go in and stare at an empty stage lit by a spotlight for the entire show”.
That’s because “Rock & Roll Meets Grand Illusion!” brings in as much technical support as any Las Vegas production. It ranges from a fully computerized lighting system, special effects, scenery, curtains and even a digital, LED backdrop!
The show takes place on Friday, April 16th, at 7:00PM at the Allen Park Auditorium, 16850 Southfield Rd., in Allen Park. There are only a few reserved, VIP tickets still available, which are $15.00 a piece. General admission is $8.00 for children and seniors and $10.00 for adults. A family package of two children and two adult tickets are available for $25.00.
Proceeds have already benefited Wyandotte’s 1st Congregational Church’s soup kitchen, the Dearborn Heights VFW and numerous other area groups and organizations. As the show date nears, proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to other causes.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 313-492-9174, or online, by visiting www.aaronbalcom.eventbrite.com. If ordering online, the discount code “mystify” can be entered for $3.00 off of any ticket.
I see a lot of videos on youtube so it is rare that I find something that really impresses me enough to want to share it with the wonderful readers of this blog. This morning after my show I was surfing the web looking for new songs and stumbled upon a video made for the web by a guy named Patrick Jean who has done a Moby video and other short works, but this is a must-see video where New York City is invaded by old-school video game characters such as Donkey Kong, Tetris, Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Enjoy!!
Ahh, the memories of when I could actually play video games without knowing 100+ cheat codes or use complicated controllers. Enjoy the rest of the day and hope to see some of you downtown for the Frozen Four.
With the Red Wings positioning themselves for the playoffs, their are some other teams playing for the chance to be the best in their division. The 2010 Frozen Four hit town yesterday with four teams vying for top billing. They were RIT, Wisconsin, Miami (OH) and Boston College. I'm originally from Rochester, NY so it was exciting to see my old hometown team in the Frozen Four for the first time in their third year of elligibility. They upset number 2 seeded Denver and New Hampshire to reach this spot and while their home town fans dressed in bright orange were the loudest at the tournament, Wiosconsin's strong play and a series of 2nd period penalties brought RIT down. Things started off fast for Wisconsin as John Mitchell scored the first goal of the game at the 1:27 mark before most people even started paying attention. Eight minutes later, Derek Stepan deflected in a shot and put Wisconsin up 2-0. It was the second period when RIT really got into trouble with a series of penalties which kept Wisconsin on the power play for almost 10 minutes including 2 goals on 5-on-3 situations. By the 15:00 mark of the 2nd period, RIT was down 6-0 and being outshot 24-9. RIT's lone goal came on a power play with 28 seconds left in the 2nd and that was the only time they got a shot past the Wisconsin goalie. Wisconsin ended the 3rd period with two goals within 30 secs for a final of 8-1 and the first to clinch a spot in Saturday's finals game. It was nice seeing my team and hopefully they will be able to make it back in the near future.
Going into the next game, CCHA's own Miami (OH) which was beat up by Michigan during the CCHA Finals got revenge by beating them on their way to the Frozen Four against Boston College. I was rooting for Miami because 1) they have never won the Frozen Four and 2) they are a MAC school (I went to Bowling Green). The game strated slowly with the only goal in the first period being a power play goal by Ben Smith of Boston College giving BC a 1-0 lead. Things went south quickly for Miami in the second with Boston College scoring twice in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the game on goals by Jimmy Hayes and Joe Whitney. The third started with Joe Hartman of Miami making a backhanded shot at the 5:19 mark and the idea that they could get back in this game. However, at the 10:10 mark, Cam Atkinson got his own backhanded goal followed by 2 more Boston College scores in the next 2 minutes with a final clincher as Ben Smith scored his second goal of the game at the 16:21 mark advancing Boston College to the finals with Wiscionsin with a 7-1 win over Miami (OH). Ben is the only player for both games to score 2 goals in what became two lopsided games. The game did set a World Indoor Hockey attendence record with 34, 954 fans attending the games.
There are still tickets available for the Finals which begins at 7PM on Staurday April 10th. I recommend sitting up away from the ice since lower seats do have trouble seeing the ice but sight lines higher up are pretty good for what amounts to hockey in a football stadium. There are free team practices at 9:30AM and 10:45AM and College Hockey Fan Fest events going on at the Detroit Wintergarden which are fun for the kids. That goes on from 10AM-5PM. I hope to see some of you out there as they try to go for another attendence record. I'll also point out that the electricity for the event is 100 renewable energy courtesy of the DTE Energy's GreenCurrents program. So all the electricty used to keep the weather chilly inside so the ice won't melt is made right here in Michigan through wind, biomass and other environment friendly sources which is esp important since Earth Day is right around the corner.
The weather is a bit chilly outside so if you are looking for something to do indoors like a movie, I've got a couple of films for you. Let's start with "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" based on the novel by the late Swedish author and journalist Steig Larsson. The novel itself features a
middle-aged investigative journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), who has recently lost a libel case against the corrupt Swedish industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerström (Stefan Sauk) and is sentenced to three months in prison. Prior to his serving his sentence, Blomkvist is hired by Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), a wealthy former CEO who wants Blomkvist to solve the thrity-seven year old disappearance of his great-niece when she was only sixteen. Vanger is convinced that the girl was killed by someone in his family but keeps running into dead ends until he is ultimately helped in his search by Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a young punk computer genius who is currently in the system for a past bit of juvenile behavior. The two form a nice odd couple of styles who find they compliment each other on the way to uncovering the past and also the uncobering of a serial killer who might still be on the loose after all these years. What is supposed to be the first movie based on Larsson's millennium series, we have a nice thriller. It might lose it's pace every once in awhile but it is still captivating. I was esp drawn to the character of Lisbeth who is at one time vulnerable and yet can still be brutal when standing up aganist injustice. She is a character that knows her strengths and weeknesses and can use them accordingly to get where she needs to be. The black make-up, spiked dog collar and piercings also look sexy IMHO. I definately recommend taking a chance on the Swedish thriller when it plays the Main Art Theatre this week. My grade is a B+.
Cherie Currie was in town this past week with the showing of her new movie at the Magic Bag and book release at Borders. If you missed her, tune into my show Wild At Heart on Saturday morning between 8-10AM (WXOU 88.3FM or www.wxou.org) for your chance to catch up with Cherie and hear about a possible of a few tour dates, movie info and learn about her chainsaw art. The movie "Runaways" about the hard rocking girls band which spawned the careers of Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Micki Steele (Bangles). The movie itself follows the friendship between Cherie (Dakota Fanning) and Joan (Kristen Stewart), as they rise from rebellious LA street kids to rock stars of the now legendary group that paved the way for future generations of girl bands such as the Go-Go's. We see how the influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon) turns turns the group into an outrageous success and a family of misfits aty the same time which eventually leads to the break-up of the band. During my interview, Cherie admits that if they had finished one more album they might have broke it big but the constant touring and recording without a break paired with drugs and other female issues put too much of a strain on the band. The big disappointment for me is the fact that drummer Sandy West and Lita Ford are left on the sidelines as the movie turns into the Cherie-Joan movie more than just the Runaways. The film misses it's chances to really delve into the heart of what makes a band like this tick and explode but for me, it is nice to see them get their due on the big screen and hopefully inspire another generation of girl rockers. All the girls really look and sound like their counterparts. Dakota Fanning surprised me as a sexpot actress here and Kristen really brings out the rocker in Joan. See this movie just because of the music it represents. Expect too much from the plot and disappointment will follow. My grade is a B-.
On Monday, I will review "Date Night" starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey and a few other things. Getting ready to head out for Johnny Winter so rock on everybody!
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The Zone
The Zone Radio with Origix & DC airs Mondays 9 p.m.-12 a.m. 89.3 FM, stream at whfr.fm Visit 2raw4fm.com
Motorcity Special announces it's Label Launch Concert
