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
Having trouble getting motivated today and wasting a lot of time doing nothing
so I better start writing or I will never get this blog written today.
I wanted to start off with a ticket giveaway offer for a lucky reader to win a pair of tickets to see the wonderful Derek Trucks Band in concert tomorrow night at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Readers of my blog remember that I thought they put on one of the top five performances at Rothbury last year. Derek started out as a session musician playing a high profile gig with the Allman Brothers (eventually becoming an official member of the band) before he found his own band. There jam style suits those looking to reconnect with classic rock and roots music with an improvisational flair.
To win a pair of tickets, email me at doramu13@yahoo.com and I’ll hook you up for this wonderful show.
Speaking of music, I had the privilege to go to a Town Hall meeting that was brought to Detroit as the first meeting to discuss the Performance Right Act (HR 848) that would see artists, including back up singers and musicians, get royalties from the radio stations that play their songs. For a small station, this could mean paying out around $500 a year and up to $1,000 for larger stations. This doesn’t seem like a lot but for an artist who has enjoyed success on being on a number of hit records like a Martha Reeves an extra $23,000 a year. This is not much but for some artists, this could mean paying rent for a year, buying a new car, fixing a broken instrument or in some cases, paying for a burial service.
The US is one of the few countries that don’t pay out these royalties (the other 4 countries are China, North Korea, Rwanda and Iran) and American artists have their royalties from the European countries waiting for them if the US ever passes this bill. US artists will not get this money overseas until European artists are given royalties from the US stations. Versions of this bill have been in front of the courts for decades (since the 1920’s) with the last big push spearheaded by the late Frank Sinatra in the 1980’s.
At the Town Hall, House Rep John Conyers who is sponsoring the bill (it has already been passed by the House Judiciary Committee) stated to the standing room only crowd "Music and culture is the other part of what makes you a human being. I never met anyone who didn't believe that artists and performers shouldn't be compensated.
Have you?
This is what we're struggling with. We're here to determine how we move past this". He realizes the economic realities and is looking to come forth with a version that will not hurt struggling stations but see that musicians see the fruit of their labor like their European counterparts. However, on the flip side, some people are trying to make this a race issue. With people wearing buttons stating that 848 will put black radio out of business, it shows how misinformed the public is. Being held in Motown with numerous musicians like Duke Fakir (Four Tops), Mary Wilson (Supremes), Martha Reeves, George Clinton (who came from NY just to see what this was about and to get informed), Dionne Warwick, bassist Ralph Armstrong, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave) and hip-hop artist Rhymefest, it is easy to see where that can come from. But the fact is it affects all musicians and if you want to stay Detroit-centric, that also means Rare Earth, Bob Segar, Iggy Pop, the MC5, Kid Rock and Alice Cooper.
Stirring up ignorance was Al Sharpton who said artists should be paid but it is the record labels that should be held responsible. This ignores the fact that most artists have founded their own record labels so the artists would be fighting themselves in such cases. I’m such Al wouldn’t be so vocal as to tell his friend, the late James Brown, to his face that he doesn’t deserve the money owed to him. Al also ducked out after giving his brief speech, which upset the artists. To me that shows no class from a man who does get royalties from his show on radio and I feel he
owed it to the artists to hear their concerns firsthand.
This shows that Al was here just for the press and really doesn’t care about the issue at all or the people the bill affects. If he did care, he would have stuck around to hear what Mary Wilson and the rest had to say about the issue and maybe even become, dare I say it, informed.
Thanks for nothing Al!!
The main thing once again is that performers are currently paid by radio in Europe (with the exception of US artists getting their money at this time) and by satellite, Internet and cable radio stations in the United States. US radio stations do pay royalties to songwriters and music publishers so for example whenever the Four Tops song “I Can’t Help Myself” gets played, songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland and the publishing company Jobete get paid every time the song airs though the individual group members do not. Duke Fakir told The News it seemed unfair esp considering "We brought that song to life". I definitely feels for him because no matter how good a written song is, it is usually the blend of the artist performance and the singer’s mastery which makes the song maintain it’s popularity. When I think of a song, I remember the group or artist. For example, when one thinks of the song “No Air”, we think of Jordan Sparks. Does anytone think of James Fauntleroy II who is one of the writers of the song? No, we don’t. Jordan is the face of the song and without her, that song might never have reached #1 on the charts so shouldn’t Jordan also see some of the profit of the song by airplay?
Among the people who oppose the royalty, and it is not a tax as some are using that wording to scare people, is saying that it will impact urban radio by hurting practices that help new artists break out. DJs will be less likely to risk losing their audiences by trying out new songs and will continue to play tried and true hits. Of course, one could argue that this already happens. Most of my favorite new artists such as the Pipettes or the Watson Twins or old favorites like Tom Waits and Frank Zappa currently don’t get played by the radio stations as it is. Country stations also face this as acts like the Zac Brown Band have to work harder to get noticed because stations are already playing tried and true acts over new acts and have been doing so for years. This is the reason I do my show on a college station instead of a “popular” station.
Lastly, while some people might argue that most artists are rich, we keep getting stories of more obscure artsists dying in poverty and while they are not going to get much from the US, it would be the European markets that would give them the most benefit. Duke Fakir pointed out that every other country takes the performing rights money it would be paying American artists and holds it in a fund which when unclaimed goes to that countries own cultural organizations. "So all this money from all these countries that could be coming into the United States as taxable income for American performers, isn't".
With concessions in the act, I can’t see how this act would affect small radio stations and can see how certain artists, or their families, could benefit from this bill. I recommend anyone interested in learning more, get online and do some searches to really read the bill before making a final choice. For me, it was listening to Ralph Armstrong speak that really turned me into a supporter of the bill and what it stands for. It is the forgotten musicians that helped create our musical landscape that I feel will most benefit from this bill and that it is owed to them.
I will mention that my station, WXOU 88.3FM (http://www.wxou.org/ ) does pay for Internet streaming but being noncommercial wouldn’t pay for terrestrial airplay. Tune in next Saturday from 8-10AM and I will play some more bits from the Town Hall meeting.
Changing course to movies, I will mention that one of my friends had a few lines in a movie from the 70’s and still gets a couple of dollars every once in awhile when the movie airs on TV. However, I want to talk about the latest film from Nia (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) Vardalos entitled “My Life In Ruins”. Nia plays Georgia who is a Greek American tour guide who is leading a tour around Greece. The group is filled with misfit tourists who would rather buy a T-shirt than learn about history and culture which upsets Georgia who is really passsionate about her job and has trouble relating to the group which is not helped by a rival tour guide who tends to pick on her whenever their groups meet. She is put out also by the rundown hotels and broken down bus they travel around in. At the height of her discontent, traveller Irv Gordon (Richard Dreyfuss) shows her how to have a bit of fun and gets her to look at the tourists point of view. She comes to look at her job differently which causes more fun for everyone and, of course, she also finds love with the last person she would ever expect, her Greek bus driver (Alexis Georgoulis). Not quite as fun as the forementioned Wedding, but it has enough charm for older film viewers like my parents and might be a good date movie to take the ladies to.
My grade is an B-.
This is also a good week for theatre. Staying in the same vein as “My Life In Ruins”, Meadowbrook Theatre is putting on ‘Nunsense II, The Second Coming’, which takes place six weeks after the sisters have staged their first benefit (which was to raise money to bury the dead nuns from Sister Julia’s cooking incident). This time the grateful nuns are presenting a show to thank all the people who supported them. Things are going well until it is learned that two Franciscans are coming to claim Sister Mary Amnesia, who has won the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, as one of their own. Things are also stirred up when the nuns learn a talent scout is in the audience and they work hard to make an impression. An audience-participation bingo game is one of the show's highlights.
I have never been a hugh fan of the plays, of which I have seen 4 in the last 3 years, but the older audiences really seem to enjoy them which I can’t begrudge. The play does have a number of laughs and stars Marcia Wallace who the target audience remembers from the Bob Newhart Show and game shows like Match Game (kids know her as the voice of Edna Crabappel from the Simpsons). I hope to have her on my show next Saturday after a scheduling conflict caused her to miss me last Saturday. My grade for this show is a C+ but this is great play to take your parents or grandparents to for some brownie points.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Ringwald’s production of ‘Trainspotting’, based on the novel by Irving Welsh which follows a group of friends who either use heroin, are friends of the core group of heroin users, or engage in destructive activities that are implicitly portrayed as addictions that serve the same function as heroin addiction. When I heard about this, I was intrigued because I was wondering how they could bring this to life on the stage, esp when I heard they were including the toilet scene (remember that from the movie?).
Joe Bailey, who directed the play, said it took him a while to actually read the script for the play due to it’s Scottish dialect and other factors, but finally got around to reading it one day and loved it. He got together a good group of young actors to bring this story to life. It is not for everyone with some toilet humor, drug references and partial nudity but if you are a fan of the novel or the movie, you should get a thrill about seeing it on stage.
My only problem is some of the narrating in the play which is a bit offsetting since the majority of the first half is one person and later other characters have brief moments of narration which by then is a bit awkward. Matthew Turner Shelton really shines as the lead character Mark who is the anti-hero of the story and possibly the most normal of the bunch. His scenes really ground the play nicely whether as he awkwardly tries to maintain sanity or is going deep into his drug habit. Melissa Beckwith also does a great job as Alison and Sean McGettigan brings Begbie’s sociopathic ways to life. For more information, go to www.whowantscaketheatre.com for more information. This is a play you will want to see, maybe more than once. My grade is a B+.
Don’t forget Grease starts this week also with Taylor Hicks as Teen Angel. He was in Novi today signing books. The role of Teen Angel has been played by a number of well-known singers such as Frankie Avalon, Davy Jones (of the Monkees), John Farnham (Little River Band), Jennifer Holiday, Chubby Checker and Al Jarreau (?). The musical of course is a bane for anyone who works in a karaoke bar but should be fun entertainment. My review will be here next week.
Also, if you are looking for some fun, go down to the riverfront this weekend to catch the Red Bull Air Race. Austria’s Hannes Arch broke the 4 years of American dominance last year by winning it all after a slow start and is currently in the number 1 ranked coming in with 1st place and 3rd place finish this year. With the same results, is second place Nicolas Ivanoff of France. Great Britain’s Paul Bonhomme has two 2nd place finishes for 3rd place in the standing after 2 races in Abu Dhabi and San Diego. US pilots Mike Mangold and Kirby Chambliss are 8th and 10th respectfully. The event is a lot of fun and represents something different and unique to the area.
This is the event last year that got me hooked up officially with MOTORCITYBLOG and MCB will have 4 photographers shooting from both sides of the Detroit River this year.
Speaking of old time musicians, I had the pleasure of seeing soul singer/songwriter Leon Ware, who has worked with Marvin Gaye and Quincy Jones, at the Charles Wright Museum which is part of Midsummer Nights in Motown which I just heard about and it looks like there are some great musical events if you go to the website http://www.midsummernightsinmidtown.com/.
June 11th will see a free event at the Magic Stick with the Hot Club Of Detroit and the Brooklyn Qawwali Party, which brings a blend of the joyful spirit of Pakistani folk music with its 11-member orchestra.
Events are going on through June 26th with such artist as Thornetta Davis, LEMUR, Oscar Lopez and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. This event basically covers the styles that we usually get at this year’s cancelled Detroit Festival Of Arts so get out to support and enjoy.
Speaking of art, check out the new photography exhibit at the DIA.
Entitled “Of Life and Loss: The Polish Photographs of Roman Vishniac and Jeffrey Gusky”, the exhibit looks at the Jewish Community, or lack of, in Poland. In 1935, Russian-born photographer Roman Vishniac was commissioned by the American Joint Distribution Committee to photograph Jewish communities in Poland as well as other areas of Eastern Europe. He took over 16,000 photographs (around 2,000 have survived) depicting the people, life, homes, schools, and trades of these communities.
The photographs, in turn, were to be used to help raise money for humanitarian aid for individuals in areas that were becoming increasingly destitute. Years later, in 1996, Jeffrey Gusky, an amateur photographer and doctor of Russian-Jewish descent set out on a personal journey in search of Jewish identity and culture in Eastern Europe. He traveled in many of the same area as Vishniac and took photographs of what was left of the Jewish culture in Poland focusing on the ruins of synagogues, cemeteries and the empty streets.
It is a interesting contrast between the two eras and what had changed due to the horrors of what WWII did to the Jewish society in these areas. Gusky said once in his trips to Poland he never actually met a Jew but you can see a large group of them in Vishniac’s work. Definitely an exhibit to check out and reflect on.
On a sad note, the Queen of Blues, Koko Taylor has passed away at the age of 80. She is best known her hit single "Wang Dang Doodle" and as an influence on such artists as Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt. She had a nice set of pipes to belt out those wonderful blues songs and I am lucky to have seen her perform a couple of times.
All that said and done, it is time for more concert picks for the week.
Starting with Monday (6/8), if this gets posted in time to check out An Horse and Telekinesis at the Pike Room. As I am looking, there are not a lot of shows I am excited about this week compared to the last few. Tuesday (6/9) can see you in Flint at the Machine Shop for Candlebox. Thursday (6/11) will have a free show by Dusty Rhodes & the River Band at the Garden Bowl (Majestic complex) or you can see the lovely Aran Ruth @ PJ’s Lager House. On Friday (6/12), My Dear Disco and Champions Of Breakfast with perform at Luna while local surf rockers, the Volcanos, will have a free show at the Garden Bowl.
Trainspotting fans that want a new drug can see Huey Lewis & the News @ Caesars’ Windsor on Saturday (6/13) or you can go to the Waylon tribute show featuring local artists such as the Orbitsuns, Whitney Morgan, Doop Duprie and more at the Magic Stick.
Next week will be looking up. On Sunday (6/14), the Crofoot will have an event featuring music by Skaard and Famus with area tattoo artists to raise money for the Humane Society.
Until then, be safe and keep enjoying life.