He has a radio program on WXOU out of Oakland University
Wild At Heart
Well we are now into October and I'm still decided whether to stay in the area or move back to New York. It is not an easy decision because I have so many good friends here as well as enjoying the many concert venues, sports teams and museums along with such wonderful cities as Ann Arbor. I hope to stay in the area but as that is something I can't do much about, let's just get into some things going on out there in the area. You know you are hard up when you wait in line an hour and 1/2 for a free small pizza (or maybe because the Lions finally won one - thanks Shield's).
Before I get too far into this I would like to bring up the chance for some lucky reader to win tickets for Colbie Caillat and Howie Day at the Royal Oak Music Theatre this Friday. Colbie debuted in 2007 with 'Coco', which included hit singles "Bubbly", "Realize" and "The Little Things". In 2008, she recorded the duet "Lucky" with Jason Mraz and then she released her second album, 'Breakthrough', this year with the hit "Fallin' for You". Howie day, whose 2002 album 'Stop All The World Now' produced the hit single "Collide" and he has finallly followed it up with the album 'Sound The Alarm'. If interested in winning a pair of tickets, email me at doramu13@yahoo.com. First to write wins!!
Starting off is a special offer by one of the larger hotel chains in the country as Sheraton will offer thousands of guests a free night's stay in dozens of North American locations as part of a massive campaign that kicks off Wednesday to highlight the chain's $6 billion revitalization efforts. I haven't stayed in a hotel in a long time since I have been laid off so I might consider looking to see if any of the local Detroit hotels are part of this offer but the deal is based on a first-come, first-serve basis through the company website Sheraton.com/freen. The deal is available for overnight stays on Oct. 23 and are at 86 recently renovated Sheratons in the U.S. and Canada so this is not for every hotel. Guests will be able to book one of the 2,100 rooms on the site from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9 and will cover the cost of taxes, fees and surcharges. Guests who get to the site too late for the free night will be offered a coupon for a room discount. If anyone is interested in this offer, good luck getting through.
There is some nice movie stuff going on in the area starting with a current movie poll at Rotten Tomatoes to see what the worst movie of the decade is and that honor went to "Ballistic: Ecks Vs Sever" (2002) which stars Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu who play opposing secret agents who are supposedly enemies but team up during the movie. Maybe they could team up to make a good film:)
In other news, we have the new documentary by Michael Moore entitled "Capitalism: A Love Story" which is you can't tell by the title is about the wonderful world of Capitalism and starts off with some footage of a documentary on the fall of the Roman Empire (courtesy of the U of M). The film takes a critical and satirical look at today's economic situation where we look at people getting evicted from their homes as their monthly payments skyrocket where they can no longer afford them and the exposing of companies claiming "dead peasant insurance" on their employees (basically if an employee dies an early death, the company can make a ton of money). The movie seems to be more well-rounded that his last few efforts and tends to stay away from some of his stunts which bring down the level of his work. Perhaps this is because he has some really legit people talking to him this time around including Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans who put forth a moratorium on home evictions here in Detroit, my girl Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur (I had the pleasure of interviewing her many times when working at the TV station in Bowling Green) who on the floor of the US Congress encouraged Americans to be "squatters" in their own homes and refuse to be vacated and the striking workers of a Chicago dorr and window plant who started a lock in to make sure they got paid their wages after their company went under. History buffs will enjoy seeing rare archival footage of US president Franklin D. Roosevelt calling for a Second Bill of Rights that would guarantee all Americans "a useful job, a decent home, adequate health care, and a good education". Overall, this film does raise a lot of good points and manages to stay pretty balanced for a Michael Moore film/documentary. In today's time it is easy to look at the companies who use bail out money to through elaborate parties and give themselves huge raises as they lay off thousands of employees. These stories appear every week without fail and this makes this documentary very relevant. The true test will be where it stands 5-10 years down the road but that is not now so go see this film and decide if it is time for a worker's revolution. My grade is a A.
Before I found the thrills of roller derby, the only images of the words "Whip It" was the New wave band Devo, esp when he whips the dress of the sexy Mexican girl in the video. Now it provides images of girls whipping each other around a track and kicking the shit out of each other. This is the canvas for Drew Barrymore's directoral debut "Whip It" which is based on the book "Derby Girl" by Shauna Cross. Simply, the movie centers around a misfit girl named Bliss (Ellen Page of "Juno") who is constantly being pressured to enter beauty pageants by her mother (Marcia Gay Harden). She is not happy with this life as is her younger sister as shown in the opening moments where an incident with blue hair coloring leads to an embarassing paggeant moment. When she goes shopping for new shoes she encounters a group of girls on roller skates advertisng rolloer derby and edged on by her best, and only, friend Pash (Alia Shawkat) to join. She lies about her age to the league and due to her speed, makes the team. She also lies to her parents as she sneaks off for practices and games. The basic theme of the movie is set forth by one of her teammates Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig) who tells her to be her own hero. This is the main focus for a girl who is looking for her own place in the universe and is tired trying to be something that she is not. While the film doesn't get all that complex, there is a core where Bliss is attracted to Mayhem's motherly attitude and her own mother's inability to let Bliss have her own life which comes to a head at the end when her father (Daniel Stern) finally encourages Bliss to follow her dream and do what makes her happy. Yes it is a simple film but one I am very attacted to. Maybe it's because I love bad girl Juliette Lewis (plays Iron Maven, a rival player on Austin's top team) and stunt chick Zoё Bell (remember her from Tarantino's "Death Proof" as the girl who rides on top of the hood of the car as teammate Bloody Holly) along with Page, Shawkat, Wiig and Harden as wonderful actresses. Maybe it's because of seeing various Detroit Derby Girls in the film (some like Crash Baby who have been on my show) and that the film was made here in Detroit that gives me a bit of pride. I think for me it's just a perfect storm of talent and authenticity that puts this film on my top ten list. Watching a couple of derby girls compare injuries in the film reminds me of various conversations I've had with the local teams. Whatever the reason, this is a film I highly recommend, esp for young girls as it hits all the important points about growing up and family. My grade is a A+.
If you like the film and get inspired, go to http://detroitderbygirls.com/ to learn more about the team whether you would like to join or just go to a match. There are matches this month on Oct 10th and 24th which are held at the Masonic Temple. Unlike the track in the film, our girls play on a flat track so get out a catch a derby girl. One of the best nights of entertainment in the city. The girls rock!!!!!
The documentary "Earth Days" has moved it's Detroit open date at the Maple Art Theatre to October 23rd.
Also, I would like to bring up that Star Wars is coming to The Palace of Auburn Hills at the end of November. This musical experience will have a full symphony orchestra performing music from all 6 films (I wonder if they will do the Ewok march) as well as being accompanied by footage from the films on one of the largest HD LED screens ever put on tour. Best of all, their will be an exhibit of Star Wars costumes, props, artifacts, production artwork and specially created behind-the-scenes videos from the Lucasfilm Archives as well as special live narration by C-3P0 himself, Anthony Daniels. This might be a fun event so go to the palacenet.com website for more info.
If you are looking for a place to eat after the film, you might want to try the new Bistro Menu at Ruth Chris' Steak House over on 755 W Big Beaver Rd. If you have never been to Ryth Chris' before, they are known for putting on a complete dining experience which usually means spending 3 hours enjoying a wonderful meal. However, they are trying something different for people who don't have that much time to spend by offering this new menu for their lounge area. The menu includes sushi, soups, salads and sandwiches. I had the privaledge of attending a taste testing for the menu which included a fine wine and champaign along with 7 of the 12 items on the menu. Their number 1 seller off the menu so far is the Prime Sliders which are three petite prime burgers but I though these were rather plain and not very tasty. I have never really been a fan of sliders in general and this did nothing to change my mind. However, they have a number of items which exceeded my expectations which included a Surf & Turf Roll which is basically spicy crabmeat rolled in sushi rice and wrapped in a thin beef carpaccio. This was different enough and should appeal to those who don't think they would like sushi. My favorite items were their Tuna Sashimi which just melted in my mouth. This Bigeye tuna is thinly sliced and finished with garlic, cilantro and lemon sauce and just made my mouth dance. The other big items for me was their Steak Sandwhich which is served on garlic toast. Unlike the slider, this steak was very tender and had mouthwater flavor. Also on the menu is a Vegetable Tempura (fried vegies with Honey-thai sauce), Deconstructed Shrimp Roll (crispy salt and pepper shrimp flavored in ginger, Jalepeno and bell peppers and served on rice) and Chilled Shellfish Salad (shrimp and crabmeat served on mixed greens with tomato vinaigrette dressing). This new menu should be very successful and the best thing for us is to experience the wonderful food of Ruth Chris' in a more casual atmosphere. For me it was nice getting back to the restaurant since I hadn't been their in a few years and I look forward to going back again if fate keeps me in the area. My hat is also off to chef William Calderon who prepared the food that night and did a wonderful job. My recommended choice for a first time would be an order of Surf & Turf Roll followed by a Steak Sandwhich topped by a nice glass of red wine. See you there!
The more I hang around the concert scene, the more I realize how crazy th ewhole thing is as everyone is fighting for your dollar in hopes of being able to continue bringing great shows to the area venues. However money for the fans is tight and it seems that people are being more selective which bring me to this portion of my blog. One surprising move is that Royal Oak Music Theatre just announced its participation in an innovative charity drive to raise funds for world renowned City of Hope called "Final Quarter Of Hope". For those not familiar with City Of Hope, they are a research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics and those looking for more information can visit www.cityofhope.org. This drive will add 25 cents to most Royal Oak Music Theatre tickets sold in October, November and December and donate that money to City of Hope. I know this isn't much and it is a worthy cause, so I hope this doesn't impact sales since they are putting on a number of cool shows coming up including Colbie Caillat wsg/ Howie Day, Train wsg/ Uncle Kracker, Blue October and Widespread Panic. WXOU 88.3FM and myself will be doing ticket giveaways for most of these shows also so stay tuned here or www.wxou.org for more on that.
Also, Live Nation has put out a special offer which is good until the end of December. For the cost of $49.99, you can get unlimited access to club shows which in this market includes 4 different venues and numerous shows. They are St Andrews Hall (The Damned, White Tie Affair, Matisyahu), the Shelter (Lights, Back Door Slam), Clutch Cargoes (Psychedelic Furs, Trivium) and the Fillmore (The Cult, the Used, Hanson, 311, Deadmau5, Saving Abel, Sam Roberts). You can go online to reserve tickets and basically for the cost of 2 or 3 shows, you can expand your range to see shows you might not have thought of before so this is actually a good deal for music lovers. As you can see by some of the shows listed above, their is a lot of diversity and some really good bands involved and that is only about half the shows with more coming down the stretch. For more information, go to http://promo-img.livenation.com/lnus/clubpassport.
If you are looking for something for the kids, make sure to take advantage of the Free Craft Sundays at the Arab American National Museum on Sundays between October 25th and November 15th. There is also a special interactive multimedia exhibition called "Connecting Communities" which highlights the common experiences of those who immigrate to the United States and the contributions of their diverse citizenry. They also have storytelling sesions in the library which reflect the home nations featured though sessions are limited. For more info, you can go to www.arabamericanmuseum.org or www.accesscommunity.org.
Upcoming shows for the week start with Tuesday (10/06) with Gaslight Anthem @ St Andrews Hall or MC Chris w/Whole Wheat Bread @ Blind Pig. Next, on Wednesday (10/07) there are the Revolting Cocks @ Blondies. Thursday (10/08) is a fun day with They Might Be Giants @ St Andrews Hall, Girl In A Coma @ Magic Cafe or Them Crooked Vultures (which feature Dave Grohl "Foo Fighters, Nirvana", Josh Homme "Queens of the Stone Age, Screaming Trees" and John Paul Jones "Led Zeppelin") @ Fillmore. Friday (10/09) is a day to chill with Colbie Caillat w/Howie Day @ Royal Oak Music Theatre. Saturday (10/10) is a big day with The Verve Pipe (special acoustic session) @ the Ark, Lights @ the Shelter, local band Junk Monkeys @ Lager House, Hanson w/Steel Train @ Fillmore, BB King @ Motorcity Casino and Bobby Vinton @ Caesar's Windsor. Sunday (10/11) is alt rockers Dinosaur Jr @ Crofoot or Paramore @ Fillmore. Nothing for Monday (10/12) at this point. For those looking for great local music while helping a good cause, the Detroit Music Awards Foundation presents its first showcase of the 2010 awards season this Sunday night, 7PM to midnight @ Memphis Smoke in Royal Oak . The showcase, kicking off Breast Cancer Awareness Month will feature six great female vocalists, including Justine Blazer and Sheila Landis, with all donations to benefit the Young Survival Coalition.
Speaking of tickets for events, I have gotten more emails about the Ticket Tax, this time from the Red Wings, concerned at how the Governor and the Michigan Legislature are seriously considering charging sports fans a 6-percent luxury tax on all professional and college sports tickets sold in Michigan. This tax would be applied to tickets for major league and minor league baseball, football (though I think we should tax the Lions until they hit at least .500 ball), hockey, basketball and auto racing (this includes college sports). It would also add a ticket tax to all concerts, shows and could even include movie tickets at a total cost of over $100 million per year. This is a charge for fans and if you are like me who always looks for the best deals because of not having hardly any income at all, this could further hurt families. The Red Wings would like to let you know that season ticket holders for a family of 4 could spend between $597 to more than $1,900 per year on their Red Wings' season tickets if this goes through. If you would like to voice your opinion on this issue, you can do the following: go to www.NoTicketTax.com to join in the effort and tell the governor and your legislator what you think about the ticket tax. Let them know there should NOT be a luxury tax on taking your family to a hockey game. Also, you can send this info to all your friends and encourage them to get involved. Every email or phone call to Lansing will send a clear message that Michigan sports fans do not want the ticket tax. Just don't do this because I am telling you to but go online and find out the info and if you agree it is a bad idea, do something about it. It doesn't take much time and could save you in the long run.
Also, Borders is having some nice events in their Ann Arbor location. Starting off, for those of you who can't make the Colbie Caillat show, opener Howie Day will be giving a performance and signing at 12:30PM on October 9th. Then, sci-fi fans can go to "STARS WARS: The Visual Dictionary Book Launch Event" on October 10th, 2009 @ 2PM. You can meet members of the 501st Legion, enjoy Star Wars activities and participate in raffles to win cool LEGO giveaways. Come dressed as your favorite STAR WARS character (while I think Boba Fett is the coolest character, I do like the slave girl Princess Leia) and enter a STAR WARS LEGO Show & Tell contest where you can bring in your own creation and show it off for your chance to win a fun prize. There is also a STAR WARS LEGO Jedi Knight Trivia Game and other fun activities! Then Matt Hires will perform and sign copies of his new album "Take Us To The Start" on October 12th @ 12:30PM. If that isn't enough, David Cross will read and sign copies of "I Drink For A Reason" on October 13th @ 12:30PM. Also, Mike Doughty will perform and sign copies of his new album "Sad Man, Happy Man" on October 14th @ 1PM. All these events are on 612 E. Liberty in Ann Arbor.
Just having a bit of fun. I was born in 1969 and being a fan of useless facts and trivia, I decided to check out musical artists who were born the same year that I was. I will break it down into 2 categories starting with performers I have seen in concert which includes Marilyn Manson, Martika ("Toy Soldiers" anyone), Gwen Stefani, PJ Harvey, Jay-Z and Jakob Dylan (Wallflowers). Other notables I haven't seen are David Grohl (Nivana/Foo Fighters), Bobby Brown, Ice Cube, Cathy Dennis, Dweezil Zappa, Wendy Wilson (Wilson Phillips) and Sean Combs. Here's to the 40 in 2009 club! Party!! PS - cool bands which formed in 1969 are Black Sabbath, King Crimson (only one I haven't seen on this list but I have seen members solo or in other groups), The Doobie Brothers, Judas Priest, ZZ Top and The Allman Brothers Band.
Sports fans, it's time to pull your hair out after watching the Tigers finally win a game but Kansas City fails to take 1 from Minnesota so guess what, it's time for a 1 game play-off vs Minnesota on their home turf @ 5PM on Tues. Why isn't my confidence up? Also, if you remember my earlier coverage of the Red Bull Air Race which was here earlier in the summer, the last race has been run and the 2009 winner is Britain’s Paul Bonhomme with a victory in the final race of the season in Barcelona in front of a record crowd of 800,000 spectators. He managed to hold off last years winner, and defending champion, Hannes Arch of Austria. Bonhomme had finished in 2nd place in both 2007 and 2008 but got the elusive first title with 67 championship points to Arch’s 60. Australia’s Matt Hall took 3rd place overall, the best result ever for a rookie, with 36 points. For the US past champions, Kirby Chambliss finished 5th while Mike Mangold ends up a disappointing 14th. You can go to www.redbullairrace.com for more info on the season.
I guess it was a pretty big week. Take care and I'll keep you updated on what's going on in Detroit and hopefully after I do a second interview tomorrow for a job I'll be able to report staying here in the area. Later!!