Bill Kettelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University
Wild At Heart
How are things going Detroit!
The first annual Metro Music Expo finished up this weekend with mixed results. I went on Friday with my buddy Nick who does the punk rock show at WXOU 88.3FM (http://www.wxou.org/) and we liked the start-up effort and offer some suggestions for next year.
First, we liked the diversity having a nice mixture of art and new equipment for the music fans. I enjoyed some of the bands like SikSik Nation (which I am playing on my show), Ether Aura and Greenstreet which all played nice sets the opening night. My friend Nick enjoyed the Rock N Rummage people who brought an eclectic mix of old flyers, stickers and other rock stuff to the show. Despite all this, we both would have liked to see a little more with having some more diversification like tables by Live Nation, area venues (like the Crofoot or the Majestic), the DSO, the Motown Museum, local record labels and more record stores and music shops. You need to really get someone big also to make people want to drive out to Novi to attend. Maybe people like Kid Rock, Alice Cooper, Don Was and the like if possible. Not bad for a start but they need to really work it like the Motor City Comic Con.
I would also like to thank my friend Mark who invited me out to Motor City Casino for a look at their new renovation. I liked the art deco styling they have gone with along with the strong automotive theme of the artwork. It makes it feel like a real Detroit casino. He also bought me dinner which was cool. We did the new buffet which is an upgrade on what I though was the best casino buffet before MGM upgraded. The Assembly Line (which it is now called) is pricey but it is definitely worth it. The only thing I didn’t like as well was the dessert table which I thought went downhill (I did enjoy the Lemon Meringue pie and the tarts). However, they have upgraded the rest of the food items in an international theme. I enjoyed the fresh turkey which they were carving along with the prime rib which was delicious that night. My favorite was the sushi area which had a large variety and good portions unlike most other buffets. Overall, I very good buffet. I can’t say it is better than MGM’s new buffet which has its own perks (including a better dessert table), but I can say they are both equally good and worth checking out every once in awhile.
In my travels this week, I found myself over in Farmington so I stopped by the Gov Warner Museum. Located at 33805 Grand River Ave, this 1867 Italianate structure was built by his adopted father P. Dean Warner in Farmington. Fred M. Warner, who was governor of Michigan from 1905 to 1911, was the first governor to serve three successive terms in that office and he introduced such progressive legislation as regulation of railroad and insurance, conservation, child labor laws and woman's suffrage. His heirs deeded the mansion and grounds to the City of Farmington in 1980. Since then it has become a museum furnished in Victorian style and is open to the public through a program of docent-guided tours. This is a nice little slice of local history for history buffs and while only a few items are from the Warner family, it is a beautiful home. One item of interest is a letter of congratulations from Theodore Roosevelt to Warner. You can also walk the gardens in the back of the house. The museum is open on Wednesdays and first Sundays between March and December so feel free to stop on by.
I also stopped by the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and despite getting a little lost, I finally found it. Primarily an art school, they do have 4 galleries which have rotating exhibits as well as an OK gift store. The galleries focus primarily on student work and Michigan artists. Going until Oct 10th are “Marie Woo: A Clay Odyssey” (not a big fan of artsy clay works for the most part and my least favorite exhibit), “Birmingham Society of Women Painters” and “The Students of Leslie Masters” (mostly student work and some local artists which is the typical mixed lot. It all depends on what you like.
There were only a few works that really take my eye are these galleries) and lastly “Mary Brodbeck: Woodblock Prints” (my favorite exhibition since I love this style and the work had a naturalistic feel coupled with Japanese art sensibilities. I feel that this exhibit alone is worth checking out this set of galleries and some of the art work on the walls is for sale). Go to http://www.bbartcenter.org/ for more info. PS – it is free.
With Cheech and Chong coming to town this weekend, do you think I will get a contact high by going to the show? I am also looking forward to MXPX/Lapwagon at St Andrews Hall on the 19th. Don’t forget that the RIC (Russell Industrial Complex) show has been rescheduled for the 21st so maybe I’ll see some of you at that event.
I will be attending the premiere of “Say Goodnight Gracie” on Wednesday night and I’ll have one of the actors on my radio show Thursday morning along with an interview with Dennis Quaid about his upcoming movie “The Express” and a brief mention of GI Joe. Tune in between 8-10AM for that on http://www.wxou.org/.
Also, next Monday if everything works out, I’ll have a great band, Nadir’s Distorted Soul performing life on my Monday morning show. Should be fun!
Also, it’s your last chance for Indian Ocean tickets. 1 pair left. Be the first to send me an email at doramu13@yahoo.com with the header “Indian Ocean” and I’ll give you the hook-up.
Congrats to Steve last week.
Take care and I will see you next week with reviews of Say Goodnight Gracie and a review of the new Greg Kinnear/Tea Leoni movie “Ghost Town”.
Finally got to see Hellboy II which I thought was truly incredible in a year with a lot of good comic book movies (Wanted, Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Dark Night Returns) and some new ones coming out (The Spirit).