Greetings and salutations from the Professional Spectator for Mid November.For those who may have missed some events over the past week, or opted for others as it has been JAM PACKED, here’s what we're seeing:
November 18 – Phish & The Brothers Groove – Phish opened their fall tour here in the Motor City, finally playing downtown in the venue that defined the live ROCK album Cobo Arena. Phish has led the jam scene with live recordings of their shows, and their performance in Cobo gave them the opportunity to release a live album to stand next to Kiss Alive, Live Bullet, or even Live Trucker.
Unfortunate that times are rough enough the single show of their reunion tour did not sell out here. While Cobo did have plenty of people packed up to the rafters, those that did get in saw a balanced set of fan favorites, classics, and new jams segueing between the up-tempo rockers like Sample in a Jar, the bluegrassy Poor Heart, and the improvisational stretch through Mike’s Song>I Am Hydrogen>Weekapaug Groove.
Check the Set List Here
Catch the Audience Recording here
As a Live Phish Veteran, this show certainly fell somewhere in the middle of favorites. Hyped from the Show Closing Character Zero we took the short hop to the Park Bar via People Mover to catch the last half of The Brothers Groove.
As Detroit Funk goes these guys have it in the bag, and they certainly spilled deep cuts all over the floor upstairs with the Motor City Horns. Nice to hear the underappreciated Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s Ain’t That A Bitch, included with Zappa’s Dirty Love.
MCB Photos of The Brothers Groove
Nothing on the horizon with the Brother’s Groove, don’t miss them next time.
November 19 – 7 Million Jigawatts CD
Release – Here’s a first, take a small art gallery, fill it with people, serve drinks and sushi, and toss in a rock band for good measure. Excellently presented in Kaiser Suidan’s Next Step Studios Gallery in Ferndale, the intimate space worked well for 7 Million Jigawatts’ Taking Flight CD Release. 7MJ gave us a boisterous combo of rock and soul including tunes from the new CD. Check them out if you haven’t already.
November 20 – Wiyos @ the DIA, Detroit Dizzy Dames @ Corktown Tavern – Friday Night Live! At the DIA may be the coolest ongoing program in Detroit’s Cultural District. Check out Live Bands in The Diego Rivera Room.. This definitely ain’t your stuffy museum of old.
The Wiyos brought a mixture of Old Time music with a modern twist to a room they said, “May be the coolest room we’ve ever played.” Check out the Wiyos when you get a chance, it’s real music. Best quote of the night, “Country music used to be good before Nashville got a hold of it.”
See the MCB Pictures of the Wiyos
Later that evening the Detroit Dizzy Dames were showing it off at the Corktown Tavern with the Phantom Shakers. While I love the Corktown Tavern, it’s not the best venue for burlesque. Kitschy and charming the dames do have talents beyond being beautiful.
November 24 – Widespread Panic Royal Oak Music Theater - Not that I have an opinion, but Widespread Panic may be the best touring band on the scene right now… Good to have them back in the metro area after a 5 year absence, they filled the ROMT with more out of towners on tour than locals who should be in the know.
The River sponsored a pre show “acoustic Set” at Gracies, which turned into 70 people admitted for the Sound Check in the theater proper.
Par usual Panic delivered the heat and moved that crowd for nearly 3 and a half hours. Just coming off a scorching 3 show run in Milwaukee it ain’t easy coming up with a fresh set list, and they did a phenomenal job taking us from bouncing bass lines of One Arm Steve to the soulful ballads Jack and Old Joe. Finally, this tour they have stopped ending the show on a slow tune and ripped Ribs and Whiskey to bring the house down.
Check out the Audience Recording -
Not Bottorrent Savvy? Stream It Here
On The Horizon – The week is still busy and we’ll do what we can to overcome the tryptophan poisoning.
Nov. 25 – America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Get up, get out, Everyone loves a parade!
Nov. 25 – T-giving eve local super showcase: Ty Stone & The Truth, Doop and the Inside Outlaws, Robin Horlock, The Deadstring Brothers, Whitey Morgan, Brandon Calhoon and Bixy Lutz @ St. Andrews
Nov. 25 – Howling Diablos & The Infatuations @ The Cherry Hill Theater
Nov. 25 – Sponge @ The Majestic Theater
Nov. 26 – Dance off that Turkey and Pie at The Detroit Cobras @ The Majestic Café
Nov 27 – Get your Dead on at Rob Zombie @ The Fillmore
Nov. 28 – Howling Diablos bring the groove to the suburbs @ Callahans in Auburn Hills.
Nov. 29 – Bixy Lutz @ Club Bart