Free Ticket Giveaway: The Dropkick Murphys @ The Fillmore Detroit on September 18th, 2012

Dropkick Murphys @ The Fillmore Detroit on September 18th, 2012

Email motorcityblog@earthlink.net to enter and win!

The Dropkick Murphys are excited to announce new tour dates beginning in late October and running through November. The tour begins on Oct 29 in Grand Rapids, and includes a number of dates along the West Coast and the Mountain States. Presale for these shows will run on the band’s website – www.dropkickmurphys.com – beginning on Tuesday, Aug 14 through Thursday, Aug 16. Most shows go onsale to the general public on Friday, Aug 17.

The band are currently preparing to kick off their “Halfway To St. Patrick’s Day Tour” on September 14, highlighted by a September 21 hometown performance at Boston’s Bank Of America Pavilion waterfront amphitheatre. The band will be supported by a number of acts on tour, including Snapcase, Creepshow, Elle King, and The Devil Makes Three.

Catch the Dropkick Murphy's at the following dates on the “Halfway To St. Patrick’s Day Tour”:

Fri 9/14 – Buffalo, NY @ Outer Harbor (w/ Snapcase) – Buy Tickets
Sat 9/15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest – Buy Tickets
Sun 9/16 – Dayton, OH @ WXEG XFest 2012 – Buy Tickets
Tue 9/18 – Detroit, MI @ Fillmore – Buy Tickets
Wed 9/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE – Buy Tickets
Thur 9/20 – Utica, NY @ Saranac Brewery – Buy Tickets
Fri 9/21 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion – Buy Tickets
Mon 10/29 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room – Buy Tickets
Wed 10/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/01 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/02 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/03 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/05 – Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/06 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma – Buy Tickets
Wed 11/07 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/09 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/11 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theater – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/12 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/13 – Flagstaff, AZ @ The Orpheum Theater – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/15 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/16 – Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club (18+ show) – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/17 – Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Convention Center – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/18 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis – Buy Tickets

Free Ticket Giveaway: Slash @ The Fillmore Detroit on September 22, 2012.

Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators comes to The Fillmore Detroit on September 22nd, 2012

Email motorcityblog@earthlink.net to enter and win!

SLASH Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators–Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass) and Frank Sidoris (guitar)–have announced a fall headlining tour starting September 4 in San Diego, CA and wrapping October 3 in Los Angeles, CA. The exclusive presale for Citi card members starts Tuesday, July 3. Citi card members will also have special access to tickets as well as VIP experiences at http://www.citiprivatepass.com/. A limited amount of VIP packages–including a chance to meet SLASH and get an autographed guitar–will also be available for fans during the pre sale which begins Tuesday, July 10th.  General public on sales will begin Friday, July 13th.  Ticket info will be available at http://slashonline.com/tour/. See the tour dates below.

This news comes as the band, coming off a successful European trek, gets ready to launch a summer headlining tour of the U.S. and Canada July 12 in Portland, OR, right after the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee will be honored with his own star on the Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame on July 10.

The tour is in connection with the success of SLASH’s second solo studio album APOCALYPTIC LOVE which stormed onto the BillboardTop 200 Albums Chart at #4, marking the top rock debut that week.  SLASH has achieved his first-ever #1 hit at rock radio as the explosive first single “You’re A Lie” vaults to the #1 spot this week at Active Rock. Watch the video for “You’re A Lie” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SZrJLMTO-8. The album also entered the Top 5 in seven countries outside the U.S.: Canada (#2), Australia (#2), New Zealand (#1), Germany (#5), France (#7), Japan (#2), Sweden (#4) and Switzerland (#3). All the songs on APOCALYPTIC LOVE (Dik Hayd International, distributed through EMI Label Services) were written together by SLASH and Myles Kennedy.

For the tour, SLASH teamed with Guitar Center–the world’s largest music retailer-–to offer a one-of-a-kind opportunity to twenty unsigned American bands. Twenty bands will be hand-selected to be SLASH’s opening acts and will perform on the fall tourin the cities closest to their hometown. At the end of the fall run, one of the opening bands will be named by SLASH as the grand prize winner of Guitar Center On-Stage. Not only will the bands be opening for one of the world’s greatest guitarists, but they will also receive a tour support prize pack that includes gear from Ernie Ball, Zoom, Dunlop, Monster Cable, Pro-Mark, and Converse. The top performing band on the tour, as selected by SLASH, will be named the grand prize winner and take home $10,000 in guitars from Gibson and Epiphone, plus a $5,000 shopping spree at Guitar Center and more. The twenty bands will be announced in August.

“I’m a strong believer that the best way to get your music heard is to get out there and play shows,” said SLASH. “There are tons of talented bands that simply don’t have the resources to go on tour, so I’m glad to be able to host them on my tour and at the same time introduce my fans to great, undiscovered artists.”

SLASH and his band are riding a wave of critical acclaim with a four-star review in Revolver magazine  noting: “Apocalyptic Love is at heart a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes built to be blasted out of open-top sports cars or, more suitably, open-air stadiums” (July 2012).  Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Times said: “Fans of his work in GNR and Velvet Revolver will find much to embrace in the album’s 13 tracks, ranging from the sneering rock hooks of ‘You’re a Lie’ and the heavy metal grind of ‘Halo’ to the extended instrumental passages on ‘Anastasia’” (May 24, 2012).



SLASH: featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators tour dates:
DATE         CITY     VENUE
w/   Monster Truck supporting:    
Thu     7/12     Portland,   OR     Roseland   Theater
Fri     7/13     Seattle,   WA     Paramount   Theatre
Sat     7/14     Vancouver,   BC     Queen   Elizabeth Theatre
Mon     7/16     Edmonton,   AB     Northern   Alberta Jubilee
Tue     7/17     Calgary,   AB     Southern   Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Thu     7/19     Medicine   Hat, AB     Esplanade   Arts & Heritage Centre
Fri     7/20     Saskatoon,   SK     TCU   Place
Sat     7/21     Winnipeg,   MB     Burton   Cummings Theatre
Mon     7/23     Thunder   Bay, ON     Thunder   Bay Community Auditorium
Wed     7/25     Belleville,   ON     Empire   Square Live
Thu     7/26     London,   ON     Harris   Park
Fri     7/27     Montreal,   QC     Olympia   Theater
Sun     7/29     Quebec   City, QC     Agora   de Quebec
Mon     7/30     Moncton,   New Brunswick     Centre-Casino   Moncton
Tue     7/31     Halifax,   NS     Cunard   Events Centre
Thu     8/2     Boston,   MA     House   of Blues
Fri     8/3     Montclair,   NJ     Wellmo   nt Theatre
Sat     8/4     Huntington,   NY     The   Paramount
Tue     8/7     Dubuque,   IA     Diamond   Jo Casino-Mississippi Moon Bar
Wed     8/8     St.   Louis, MO     The   Pageant
Fri     8/10     Sturgis,   SD     Buffalo   Chip Campground
Fall   Headline Tour with Foxy Shazam:    
Tue     9/4     San   Diego, CA     House   of Blues
Wed     9/5     Phoenix,   AZ     Celebrity   Theatre
Fri     9/7     Austin,   TX     Stubbs
Sat     9/8     Dallas,   TX     House   of Blues
Sun     9/9     Houston,   TX     House   of Blues
Tue     9/11     New   Orleans, LA     House   of Blues
Wed     9/12     Atlanta,   GA     Tabernacle
*Sun     9/16     Hampton   Beach, NH     Hampton   Beach Casino Ballroom
Tue     9/18     New   York, NY     Hammerstein   Ballroom
Wed     9/19     Cleveland,   OH     House   of Blues
Fri     9/21     Cincinnati,   OH     Bogart’s
Sat     9/22     Detroit,   MI     Fillmore
*Sun     9/23     Toronto,   ON     Sound   Academy
Tue     9/25     Indianapolis,   IN     Egyptian   Room
Fri     9/28     Chicago,   IL     Riviera   Theater
Sat     9/29     Springfield,   MO     O’Reilly   Family Events Center
Tue     10/2     Oakland,   CA     Fox   Theater
Wed     10/3     Los   Angeles, CA     The   Wiltern

*Slash only

www.slashonline.com

Josh "Scruffy" Wallace of the Dropkick Murphys interview

Mick: You guys are gearing up for the tour, what are you doing to get ready right now?
Josh: We just finished up the record so now we’ve got a bit of down time, doing some charity stuff trying to keep busy. Just keeping on keeping on you know?

Mick: What kind of charity work are you guys doing?
Josh: Tonight I’m hosting an event for the Claddagh Fund (http://www.claddaghfund.org/cf/ ) which contributes to three major charities, people with addictions, veterans and children’s hospitals. Tonight it’s going to benefit friends of Wounded Warrior, helping the service people coming back from the war, dealing with PTSD and other issues. It’s a good cause and we’re glad to be a part of it helping out our troops.

Mick: I know you’re personally a staunch supporter of troops around the world. Has the band ever had a chance to go overseas and do some sort of USO show?
Josh: We haven’t yet, there’s just so much red tape that goes along with it, it’s hard for a band our size to get over there, get security clearance, and everything else that it takes. We’ve been trying to do it for years, it would be great for us to do it, but unfortunately it just hasn’t worked out for us.

Mick: Back to the new album, are there any songs on it that really stand out that you really dig?
Josh: There’s a couple, a song called Rose Tattoo that I think is such a great song, an introverted soul searching type song. I just really dig it, but really the whole album is just amazing to me, I’m really proud of it as are the rest of the guys. We just try to make the best records we can and hopefully the fans will enjoy it too. We try to keep it from the heart and we’re really looking forward to getting back on the road to play our hearts out.

Mick: Are there any spots on this tour that you are looking forward to returning to?
Josh: For us, it’s just cool to get back to any spot. We have friends in every city and love the fact that we know we’re gonna see some friendly smiling faces everywhere we go, hanging out. They’re all special in their own little way.

Mick: What’s the weirdest interview question you’ve been asked?
Josh: I don’t know, I get some weird ones. Dudes ask me if I wear anything under my kilt, and that kind of weirds me out a little bit. People seem to be obsessed with what’s going on under my kilt, I don’t understand the fascination but whatever floats your boat.

Mick: I’ve read the band is sometimes labeled as Boston’s fifth sports team. With all the championship wins in recent history the band has been asked to be a part of the celebrations, how’s that feel for you?
Josh: In ‘04 we were lucky enough to be part of the superstition of the 89 year curse and help break that with Tessie. Same thing in ‘07 we played at the NHL Winter Classic and beat Philadelphia. We wrote a song about the Bruins and two years ago they won a Stanley Cup. Its kind of funny, the more superstitions and lore gets made about the band and sports connections the more even we seem to buy into it. “Oh yeah, we helped break that curse!” But we really don’t have shit to do with it, it’s all the players but we hear it so much we start to believe it. Its crazy but obviously it’s a huge honor for us to be affiliated and attached in Boston. We’re always so happy for the guys that win when they do, being attached to that, the legends and mythos of the different squads around town, it’s amazing, it’s really a great thing.

Mick: So what bands are you digging on these days? Anything that really stands out to you?
Josh: I go through phases and moods depending upon the mood I’m in. I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Turner, The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show just put out a new record, still love listening to Strung Out and Slayer. One of my good friends Tony Sly of the band No Use For A Name just passed away so I’ve been listening to a lot of them. A lot just depends on the mood.

Mick: You’re an avid reader of books, especially military books. What are you reading this week?
Josh: This week I picked up a book on Normandy called D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. It’s written by a man named Anthony Beevor and it’s a minute to minute kind of opinionated dialect of different guys from all branches and their experience. I also just finished Chris Kyle’s book American Sniper, the highest US decorated navy Seal and sniper who had the most confirmed kills in American history. He’s a really nice guy, a great patriot, very humble and down to earth, and his book was really good. That was the last one I finished.

Mick: How’s it been for you getting acclimated to living in Boston after moving there five years ago? Any spots in or outside the city you like to visit to relax, chill, just get away?
Josh: I actually don’t really leave Dorchester too much. I just hang out and have some drinks at a couple local places around the neighborhood. When I’m home I just like to be home with my wife and my boy. I got a little bar in my house called the Pipe & Whistle so we just host barbeques and little back yard parties. We got a nice little getaway cabin up in Maine that we went up to a couple weeks ago, put our toes in the sand and just kind of hung out. But mostly me and my boy just getting reacquainted and hanging out and having good times.

Mick: So you get your son playing the pipes yet? He’s what, three or four years old now?
Josh: It will be a snowballs day in hell before I get my son on the bagpipes. I’m not going through what my mother went through. No way. He can be a drummer or something.

Mick: What’s your favorite whiskey when you guys are out on the road?
Josh: Well I drink Lagavulin 16 year single malt, really peaty, really smoky and if I can’t get that I drink Laphroaig. But really I’m mostly a beer drinker and drink the High Life since they support the troops.

Mick: Nice. Hey thanks for your time, I really appreciate it. We’re looking forward to the show here in Detroit. I’ll be shooting pics for Motor City Blog so let’s grab a drink at the show.
Josh: All right man, I look forward to it!

Catch the Dropkick Murphy's at the following dates on the “Halfway To St. Patrick’s Day Tour”:

Fri 9/14 – Buffalo, NY @ Outer Harbor (w/ Snapcase) – Buy Tickets
Sat 9/15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest – Buy Tickets
Sun 9/16 – Dayton, OH @ WXEG XFest 2012 – Buy Tickets
Tue 9/18 – Detroit, MI @ Fillmore – Buy Tickets
Wed 9/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE – Buy Tickets
Thur 9/20 – Utica, NY @ Saranac Brewery – Buy Tickets
Fri 9/21 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion – Buy Tickets
Mon 10/29 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room – Buy Tickets
Wed 10/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/01 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/02 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/03 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/05 – Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/06 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma – Buy Tickets
Wed 11/07 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/09 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/11 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theater – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/12 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/13 – Flagstaff, AZ @ The Orpheum Theater – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/15 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/16 – Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club (18+ show) – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/17 – Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Convention Center – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/18 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis – Buy Tickets

Free ticket Giveaway for Blues Control at Jumbo's Bar in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 7

Enter a ticket giveaway for Blues Control's show at Jumbo's Bar on Friday, Sept. 7. Email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for a chance at the free tickets. The band's touring in support of their new album, Valley Tangents, which was released on Drag City in June.

 

 

Now located in Lehigh Valley, PA, Blues Control's Russ Waterhouse and Lea Cho conceived Valley Tangents, their first album for Drag City, far from the madding crowds that they’d previous swarmed with and composed among. Perhaps this is the reason for the more homegrown, natural feel of the music behind their signature Debussy via Guaraldi qua Bley qua Hornsby pianisms, and the playful juxtapositions of a full spectrum of rock colors: stadium, industrial, psych and prog (to name just a few). In 2009, after Blues Control's Local Flavor was released, Russ and Lea left Queens (their home of many years), and lived back east a bit, eventually finding themselves in a house in Coopersburg, PA. They recorded Valley Tangents here, and at Black Dirt (where many of their albums were recorded). As with each of their previous albums, Valley Tangents is a full (r)evolution ahead of what came before, at times an unrecognizable new blend of sounds to call Blues Control.

See the Detroit Derby Girls in Ann Arbor

2012 Hamtramck Labor Day Festival

 

Music Lineup:

Saturday, September 1st

South Stage	North Stage
2:00 The Codgers	1:00 Eric Allen
3:00 The Codgers	2:00 Eric Allen
4:00 Hit Society	3:30 Johnny Salvage
5:00 The Kickstand Band	4:30 Del Brutto
6:00 Feelings	5:30 Bad Indians
7:00 Infinity People	6:30 The Sugarcoats
8:00	7:30 George Morris
9:00 Melvin Davis and United Sounds	8:30 Phantasmagoria

Sunday, September 2nd

South Stage	North Stage
2:00 The Color Wheel	1:00 nospectable
3:00 John Bardy	2:00 nospectable
4:00 Danny and the Darleans	3:30 Nyte Mirror
5:00 Mike Hurtt & the Haunted Hearts	4:30 Revoir
6:00 Detroit Pleasure Society	5:30 French Method
7:00 Polish Muslims	6:30 Deadbeat Beat
8:00 Polish Muslims	7:30 Mick Bassett
9:00 Polish Muslims	8:30 The Sights

Monday, September 3rd

South Stage	North Stage
2:00 ---	1:00 Parade
3:00 Misty Blues Orchestra	2:00 Parade
4:00 Misty Blues Orchestra	3:00 Kielbasa Kings
5:00 Earworms	4:00 Kielbasa Kings
6:00 Outrageous Cherry	5:30 Terrible Twos
7:00 Deastro	6:30 Break Anchor
8:00 Invincible	7:30 Destroy This Place
9:00 Dennis Coffey	8:30 Pewter Cub

CINEMA BBQ X: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? & MOMMIE DEAREST f/The Green Dot Stables

The Corktown Cinema [in utero] presents CINEMA BARBEQUE X: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? & MOMMIE DEAREST featuring food by The Green Dot Stables.

About the films:

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?-
Two aging film actresses live as virtual recluses in an old Hollywood mansion. Jane Hudson, a successful child star, cares for her crippled sister Blanche, who's career in later years eclipsed that of Jane. Now the two live together, their relationship affected by simmering subconscious thoughts of mu

tual envy, hate and revenge.

MOMMIE DEAREST-
Joan Crawford, one of the most revered actresses of her time, decides to adopt children of her own to fill a void in her life. Yet her problems with alcohol, men, and the pressures of show business get in the way of her personal life, turning her into a mentally abusive wreck as seen through the eyes of Christina and her brother Christopher, who unwillingly bore the burden of life that was unseen behind the closed doors of "The Most Beautiful House in Brentwood."

BBQ’s will take place on an outdoor big screen at our new home at 2051 rosa parks. [MAP]

BBQ starts at 9:00pm (SATURDAY), first film at 9:30pm. $5 at the gate.

RAIN DATE is Sat, September 8.

PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CHAIRS/BLANKETS/HAMMOCKS/GAZEBOS, ETC..

Tomorrow: Drunk Detroit Labor History

 From the Ford Hunger March to the Red Scare to the League of Revolutionary Black Workers, Detroit has been an epicenter of organized labor for nearly a century.

Join Tony Paris of the Sugar Law Center for a soused crash course in Detroit labor history. He's even gonna sing about it. NO FOR REAL.

Thursday, August 30th, 7PM, at PJ's Lager House

This Weekend: Panic in Hamtramck

At the Painted Lady in Hamtramck

FRI.AUG.31st
KOMMIE KILPATRICK
MAC BLACKOUT BAND(Chi.)
WHORES OF BABYLON(Battlecreek)
K-9 SNIFFIES

SAT.SEP.
1st-TYVEK
G.G. KING (At.Ga.)
PINK REASON (OH./Nyc)
LZR

SUN.SEP.2nd
BOOTSY X and the LOVEMASTERS
OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY
MEDICATION (Ct.)
ERIC VILLA and the VISTA MARIAS

Win The New Lightning Love CD

Lightning Love just released their 2nd LP, Blonde Album. To celebrate, they're having two album release parties.

Friday, August 31st: Woodruff's in Ypsilanti

Saturday, September 1st: PJ's Lager House
Both shows will be with Wally Dogger, and Jamaican Queens

Send an email to motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your chance to the new album on CD

UPCOMING: BROADZILLA returns to the stage at Arts, Beats, & Eats this Saturday !

t's been three years since hard rock trio BROADZILLA have performed live together. This Saturday marks their much anticipated return.

They will be playing Arts, Beats, & Eats in Royal Oak on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 8 P.M. on the Budweiser Rock Stage.





MCB caught up with Broadzilla's guitarist/vocalist Rachel May to discuss the live reunion.

When was the last time Broadzilla performed live together and what was the reason for the hiatus in the first place?

It was December of 2009. We opened for Lez Zeppelin at the Magic Bag. It was a really great show for us and one that we could rest on for a bit. We had been together 13 years at that point and had run ourselves ragged with keeping up with day jobs, a hectic touring schedule and everything that goes into running a band/business. It was just time for us to take a step back. We never considered breaking up the band, we just needed a break and we didn’t really know how long that break would be. As it turns out, it’s been almost three years.

What has everyone been doing with themselves since the hiatus?

Well, I think at first we all just enjoyed the break for a bit. Eventually Kim and I began playing in other bands around town. I enjoyed the challenges of playing with different musicians and getting outside of the Broadzilla wheelhouse for a moment. I definitely learned a lot musically by having to push myself to keep up with new players. And leisurely I’ve enjoyed having time to get outdoors and live a little, Kim’s involved with the Detroit Derby Girls and Angie started her own pet taxi business.

How did this reunion show come about and can we expect more?

I had always imagined we’d get back on stage at some point and we still get asked to do shows all the time but I have to give credit to Brian Major for this one. Brian is a local event promoter and he’s been urging me at every opportunity he gets to bring Broadzilla back to the stage. Earlier this year he asked about Arts, Beats & Eats, and then he asked again in June and I told him that I would, at the very least, ask the girls if they were interested. A quick little gathering one night at the WAB in Ferndale with the three of us and things were off and running.

It’s really been great reconnecting with the girls and playing the music again. It’s made me realize how special Broadzilla is to me and how proud I am of what we’ve accomplished as an independent band. As far as what to expect from us moving forward…only time will tell. There’s still a lot of life left in the band and an arsenal of tunes that have yet to be recorded, so there’s definitely potential for us to blaze a new path.

Tell us a little about the merch that will be available at the show.

We’re going to be offering a limited edition reprint of our first CD, “Broadzilla vs. the Tramp-O-Lean.” That disc has been out of print for many years and we still get a lot of requests for it so we figured we’d do a small run of those.

We also had some demos that we did a few years ago that we figured we’d throw on a disc and do a small run of those as well. We never intended for these recordings to reach the public because they were just rough demos of some new songs we had written at the time. There are no effects or layering or mixing or any fancy studio magic – it’s just a batch of totally raw tracks.

And of course we’ll have the “Lady Luck” CD on hand and a batch of t-shirts for the guys and the ladies. 

 Visit Broadzilla at ... https://www.facebook.com/broadzilladetroit

 Visit the Arts, Beats, & Eats website at...  http://www.artsbeatseats.com/the-beats/ 

Win Free Tickets to SLEEPWALK WITH ME @ Main Art in Royal Oak on September 5th at 7pm.

 Win tickets to a special advanced screening of  SLEEPWALK WITH ME by IFC Films staring Mike Birbiglia at the Main Art in Royal Oak on September 5th at 7pm. Everyone is  encouraged to come dressed in pajamas for the special screening (although it is not required).

Here is the trailer    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8adsYbCfT-I

New Concert Venue in Warren/ Detroit Blues Crew on September 7th

Check out this upcoming show at an exciting new venue in Warren.   You can find  shows and music on their FB page, https://www.facebook.com/313DBC, or RN, http://www.reverbnation.com/detroitbluescrew.

JazzFest: MusiCares Dental Clinic Sat 9/1

MusiCares, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and Smile Programs are proud to partner to provide a dental clinic offering dental screenings, teeth cleaning, and x-rays to uninsured music professionals in need. 

These treatments will be provided free of charge to pre-screened pre-approved applicants on a first come-first served basis.  Those wishing to take advantage of this service must be able to provide documentation of their work in the music industry for at least 5 years.  If professional music industry experience is less than 5 years, eligibility can also be determined through credited contribution to at least 6 commercially released recordings or videos (singles).

Please call MusiCares at 1-877-303-6962 to schedule a dental appointment.

UPCOMING: SWEET SPOT @ Rober Kidd Gallery - Sat 9/18 5-8pm

SWEET SPOT

September 8 - October 20, 2012

Robert Kidd Gallery

107 Townsend Street

Birmingham, MI 48009

* Opening Reception: Saturday, September 8^th, 5-8pm.

 

Image:Dennis Wojtkiewicz Lemons #14 (detail) oil on canvas 36 x 72 inches

 

********************************************

Robert Kidd Gallery kicks off the 2012 Fall Arts Season with Sweet Spot.  This must-see group exhibition features a remarkable bold collection of works by an array of Detroit based artists and others from around the country. Mounted on a theme of enticement, the exhibition abounds with the artists' personal interpretations of seductive sweetness. Viewers are treated a showcase of engaging pieces ranging from high photorealism to tenacious abstractions that surprise.

 

Featured Artists: 

Otto Duecker . Stephen Duren . Todd Erickson . Stephanie Henderson . Ron Isaacs . Andrew Krieger . Louise Kruger . DeLoss McGraw . Cristin Richard . Robert Schefman . Beverly Shipko . Laurie Tennent . Dennis Wojtkiewicz . Rick Vian

 

Sweet Spot opens with an artists' reception on Saturday, September 8^th from 5-8pm.

 

Ben Kiehl
Director

Karen Street
Associate Director

 

Robert Kidd Gallery
Tel. (248) 642-3909
staff@robertkiddgallery.com
www.RobertKiddGallery.com

PREVIEW! Eats Everything TV Lounge Sat. Sept 1st, 2012

This Saturday, the under the radar show MCB is letting you in on is Eats Everything DJing at TV Lounge in the heart of Detroit. Eats Everything is a monster of a DJ over in the UK where his track from last year "Entrance Song" was nearly Pete Tong's biggest tune of summer. Since then he's remixed the likes of the Ting Tings, We Have Band and several others. He's playing just 5 tour dates in North America so we're lucky to get him at the intimate and vivaciously cool TV Lounge.

To give you a taste of Eats Everything, here is his recent remix of Sono's "Keep Control."

Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog












Wild At Heart

  After having a great weekend in Toronto, it nearly crushed me to hear that Neil Armstrong passed away at the age of 82.  In a year with Joe Paterno and Lance Armstrong being torn down, Armstrong remains an untouchable heroic figure and a great role model for a generation.  He very rarely spoke and avoided publicity in an occupation that catered a lot to big egos.

  Armstrong proudly served our country in the Korean War as part of the US Navy and went on to be a test pilot, logging over 900 flights, for what is now known as the Dryden Flight Research Center.  He also counted aerospace engineer and university professor on his impressive resume before joining NASA in 1962.  He was part of two missions including the Gemini 8 (1966) where he performed the first manned docking of two spacecraft with pilot David Scott and was part of the most famous spaceflight ever with the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 (the year I was born which might explain why I love science and science fiction so much).

  I haven’t truly had time to process his passing yet but Armstrong was definitely a class act and a role model for me.  In time, I will appreciate this more but I can only recommend to my readers to track down informations, be it on the internet, books, documentaries, etc and take the time to learn about one of the more interesting and influencial men in this century.  I can also recommend traveling down to his hometown Wapakoneta, Ohio to visit the The Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum and the airport, named for him, in New Knoxville where he took his first flying lessons.  RIP Neil!

 

  I was at the Toronto Fan Fest from Thursday thru Saturday so I probably missed any talk about Neil Armstrong which probably would have shaken some people.  Still, this convention is a mixing of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Comics, Gaming, Cosplay, Meeting Celebrities, etc that creates an amazing atmosphere to meet like-minded individuals and share experiences. I will be talking about this for a number of posts since there was a lot happening and I have a lot to share.  I will start with an overhead shot of the convention lobby on Saturday which barely gives an idea of the thousands of people who attended this convention.  This area caters to the fan clubs and fanzines dedicated to shows like Dr Who, movies like Star Wars and Ghostbusters or genres like Steampunk (I have more pictures of these which will appear later but notice things like the Dalek moving through the crowd, the Storm Trooper barely visible and the Green Lantern just taking everything in).

  This area also showcased the Delorean from the Back To The Future movies.

  One cool things about the convention is meeting future creators like the guy below who belongs to Heroes Of the World, which is a project created by artists mark Williams and Joe Bonsu where they have developed a legion of superheroes that represent the world and the diversity that can be found.  They have created characters for just about every country and are using those characters in there comic to show the strengths of unity.  Below is a sidekick for the Canadian hero (we are in Toronto after all) despite the fact that I am not sold on the maple leaf design here.  They hope that they can take there concept and bring it to the small screen a la a cartoon series which I think could definitely have the potential to educate on the differences between cultures which providing some nice action.  For comic book fans, this kind of reminds me of the Global Guardians from Super-Friends but on a much vaster scale.

http://theheroesoftheworld.com/

  Don’t forget the on Thursday I touched upon Spiderman’s 50^th birthday which was honored by Stan “the Man” Lee who is looking damn good for someone who is 89.  The red velvet cake was pretty good also.

          

  The convention is also a good place to see displays from upcoming projects.  Last there they had the props for Green lantern and this year was dedicated to the upcoming Burton film “Frankenweenie”.  They had a number of cool set displays as well as Burton’s working desk with characters from the original Disney Short.  Burton has disppointed with some of his recent work like Dark Shadows and Planet Of the Apes, but his original works, like Big Fish have always been promising.  Look for a lot of themed merchandise when this comes out.

  They also had the throne from the TV Series “Game Of Thrones” which was cool and CTV brought in a photo booth to put people with their favorite TV shows like me in the Big Bang Theory picture.

            

  Lego was back again giving out free stuff as well as numerous displays around the con from World Of Warcraft to Super-heroes, LOTR and Star Wars.

            

            

  It is also a blast being able to meet and listen to celebrities talk and answer fan questions.  My girl Gillian Anderson was there looking very sexy signing autographs and the Jay And Silent Bob Podcast was hysterical.  My only negative from the weekend though was when they made me do a 30 minute walk to the other building to pick up a ticket despite having my online ticket in hand. Someone should have made a decision to move those online ticket pick-up closer, esp since they had a new ticket purchase booth about a 5 minute escalator ride away.  Anyway, it was fun listening to Kevin Smith (this guy is extremely intelligent) tell these really great stories about the Hockey Hall Of Fame or a touching story of helping Jason Mewes deal with his drug addiction revolving around tracking down rare Greedo action figures and then have that balanced with Mewes talking about having sex on an airplane or getting a hard-on at an message parlor my a male masseuse (he was holding his wife’s hand, but still).  You have to check these guys out if they come back on tour again.  And check out the fanboys dressed as there Bluntman and Chronic characters.

     

  Lastly for now, it was also cool to hang with the Suicide Girls who are promoting their new comic book so if you like girls that are a little different, here is something for the more mature audience.  The books set it a futuristic dystopia aren’t great but they are fun to read and some of the artwork is pretty cool and the girls were all wonderful.  Great fun if you are into nudity, tattos and piercings.  I especially like th e cover of issue three and was told that one of the girls actually had those piercing done which doubled as a make-shift sword holder on her back.  Talk about ouch.  On the other side of the spectrum was this guy dressed as the Count.  Just a lot of fun seeing that kind of diversity.

    

    Well, I will have more coming up with pictures of a lot of the fans, most wearing homemade costumes and some of the other thing I did when in Toronto, including meal, Ultimate Dinosaurs at the ROM, Buskerfest and the Tawainese Festival.  Take care!

  This was always one of my favorite weekends in Detroit, esp for music, having both the Detroit Jazzfest as well as Arts, Beats and Eats going on the same weekend.  Both festivals are bringing in some great music though I admit I am partial to the Jazzfest, esp since ABE moved to Royal Oak and you needed to be more careful with your parking.  The first year in Royal Oak, they gave out a lot of parking tickets when people removed no parking signs, etc.  So be careful and it might be worth paying for parking.  However it works out, enjoy this weekend and here are my recommended shows and bands to catch during the festivals.

Tuesday (8/28) – Built To Spill @ Mickey Finns (Toledo)

Wednesday (8/29) – Jason Mraz @ Pine Knob

Thursday (8/30) – Rock N Blues Fest feat Johnny Winter w/Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer @ Pine Knob

Friday (8/31) – Offspring @ The Fillmore, guitarist Bill Kirchen @ the Ark, Arts Beats and Eats feat G Love and the Special Sauce (also, Mayer Hawthorne, Stewart Francke, Candy Band, Roots Vibration, Larry Lee & the Back In The Day Band), Detroit Jazz Fest feat Terence Blanchard Quintet

Saturday (9/01) – Arts Beats and Eats feat REO Speedwagon (also Polish Muslims, Broadzilla, Thornetta Davis, Howling Diablos, Sights, Dirty Americans), Detroit Jazz Fest feat Chick Corea and Wynton Marsalis Quintet, B.o.B. and Young Jeezy open for TI @ Joe Louis Arena

Sunday (9/02) – Detroit Jazz Fest feat Pat Metheny and Poncho Sanchez, Arts Beats and Eats feat Guess Who (also Travis Tritt, Ruiners, Twistin’ Tarantulas, Amy Gore & Her Valentines)

Monday (9/03) – Arts Beats and Eats feat Theory Of A Deadma (also Morris Day & the Time, Saving Abel, Pistol Day Parade, Dutch Pink, Jill Jack Band. School Of Rock, 60 Second Crush, Laith al Saadi), Detroit Jazz Fest feat Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Tia Fuller

WEDNESDAY: Dine with Cass at the new Detroit Prime: A Unique Steakhouse - 8/29

Dine with Cass at Detroit Prime: A Unique Steakhouse

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Please join us at Detroit Prime, one of the area's newest and finest dining venues, on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 for a celebration of the restaurant opening.

 

All proceeds will benefit Cass Community Social Services. There are four seatings available including: 6:00pm, 6:30pm, 7:00pm & 7:30pm.

Tickets are just $75 and include a 3 course meal from the menu, as well as drinks.

Detroit Prime is a new type of steakhouse and a tribute to Detroit in a Historical Museum style. The restaurant interior represents a 1940's city scene including a variety of "City Vignettes" such as JL Hudson's, Stroh's Brewery Tiger Stadium and more. 

Tickets are only sold in advance. To reserve your spot and time contact Sue Pethoud or Judy Harnish at 313-883-2277, judithharnish@gmail.com or spethoud@comcast.net. Please make checks payable to Cass or call with credit card information. 

 

Reviews: A Week in Review and Gettin' Down in Hamtown by Lewis and Snark

My Morning Jacket at Meadowbrook, August 14th, 2012

I made the trek to Meadowbrook all alone. Summer was still suffering from a long trip back from California, where she had the misfortune of having to connect in Houston, where on-time flights are as common as planning and zoning.

The drive to the venue really is not bad.  In my mind I thought it would take forever, but I was home, in Hamtramck thirty minutes after the band ripped through their last song, this includes walking to the car and maneuvering traffic to get out of the lot.

As for the show, glorious! I must admit that I am a bit biased about MMJ.  They hail from Louisville, Kentucky; I grew up about 30 minutes from there.  They started to get some local traction around the same time I was getting into live music.  I have seen this band more times than any other, and I still love every show.

Jim James and company tore threw most of their albums at a volume I was not expecting.  It was the first show in a while that I wished I were wearing earplugs.  My ears were still ringing two days later...don't tell my mom.  I can still remember our battles about my first Sony Walkman and the level at which I insisted on listening to Public Enemy and Ice Cube.  If I ever do go deaf from all my loud music, I'll never hear the end of it from her.....

All the energy from a young My Morning Jacket is still there, but they have become experts at pacing the energy of the show.  The mixture of slow, quiet tunes, and turn it up to eleven bangers are mixed with precision.  James conducts the whole thing while bantering with the crowd and occasionally wearing a cape when the moment requires.  The band came on at 8:30 and didn't let off the gas til 11:00.

The prices have gone up, I think after the fees a seat in the pavilion was $60, but if you can swing it, I guarantee you will leave rubbing your ears with a smile on your face.

Lucero at Small's, August 19th, 2012

His Opinion…

We finally made it out for a show at one of our neighborhood venues, Small's.  I should admit that when I agreed to cover this show, I really did not know who Lucero was.  I had heard the name, but that's about as far as my knowledge went.

Walking in I noticed a couple of things. First, the place was packed. Second, this was the most tattoos I had seen since moving to Detroit.  I both like and dislike the setup at Small's. For a less crowded show it would be perfect.  When you initially walk in the door, you are in the main bar.  You can feel the A/C in here, drink prices are good, $5 for a 24 oz can of PBR, there are TVs to simulcast the show from the other room, and generally enough space to move around.

There is a hallway leading past the men's room, which is as small and graffiti covered as you would hope, to another room where the merch booth and another shot and beer stand are. This room has two doors leading into the main venue.  In here, the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer than the main bar and people are packed in tight.  There was tons of energy in there and people seemed really into it.  It wasn't a room where you could slide in around the edges and have space while still keeping a good view of the stage.  You had to commit or get the hell out.

As far as the show, I had a good time; it would be hard not to simply because of the amount of energy the fans bring to these shows.  I can't say that I was really moved by the music, but I would certainly go to one of these shows again.  I have lots of "live show bands" that I never listen to at home, but if a friend wanted to see them live, I'm in.  Next time, I'd like to find a Lucero true believer and take a crash course in the band before I show up.  It could only heighten the experience.

Her Opinion…

Ever since we moved to town whenever we ask people for recommendations, one of their first questions is usually, “Have you been to Small’s yet?” I’ve gotten sick of saying no and have pretty much run out of excuses, so I’m glad I finally made it over there.  Small’s truly is a little gem.  There have been times when I am attending a show and I’m completely exhausted, hung-over, or ridden with a flu virus and the thought of cramming myself into a small, sweaty room next to a girl with big hair that sticks to my face and arms just doesn’t sound compelling at all. 

It’s venues like Small’s that bridge the gap.  Behind the imposing castle doors is the bar area, which contains ample seating that’s very comfortable.  Above the bar there are a couple of TVs that broadcast the show going on in the next room…genius!  The music area is most likely pretty cool, but it was packed asses-to-elbows when we were there, so it was difficult to conceptualize the whole thing.

The massive, dynamic crowd that turned out for the Lucero show impressed me.  People were pumped to see this band, which made me pumped too.  I’m glad that I finally went to Small’s and I will definitely return.  (Side note: Across the street from Small’s is a store called Conant-Caniff Market.  I implore you to stop in between sets. It will blow your mind.)

Shy Hunters, Summer Pledge, and Phantasmagoria at New Dodge Lounge, August 20th, 2012

His Opinion…

This show was a sleeper.  Had I not been asked if I wanted to cover it, I wouldn't have even known the show was going on, and I would have missed out.  Some of these Hamtramck places need to work on getting the word out for shows, having an accurate calendar on their website, or a website for that matter, would be a good start.

The New Dodge is about five blocks from our house and this was our first time going in.  They have a good setup in there, big open stage in front of large windows.  We bellied up to the bar right next to the stage.  Beers were $2 and the bartender was great, even when things got busy.

Things got going around 10 with Detroit band, The Summer Pledge.  I listened to a couple of their songs before heading in and I still had yet to form an opinion when they took the stage.  This band is more rock n' roll than I expected, and I mean that in a good way.  I really enjoyed the choruses, their use of harmony, and their willingness to build jams into their songs to loosen the formula and structure a bit.  They are playing another show Friday August 31st at The Shack in Woodbridge. I've been assured this will be a rager, so I'll have to verify that.  Come to the party and check this band out, you can buy me a beer.

The touring band for the night was a Brooklyn outfit called Shy Hunters.  They only had two tracks available online, so I was unsure what to expect.  After seeing them live, I am excited about hearing the full record they are currently working on.  It's hard to describe exactly what they sound like.  It could definitely be part of the score for a David Lynch movie or possibly a scene from the beginning, happier, part of Scarface when he is buying that Porsche and trying to hit on Michelle Pfeiffer.

It was good, and I have already texted and recommended that my friends go see them when they play their towns this week.

The last band of the night was another Detroit band, Phantasmagoria.  This band was a guy and girl, him working a laptop and drum machine, her singing and playing some percussion instruments.  They were solid too.  She has a strong voice over a poppy bass line and ambient notes.  It's a recognizable sound in this age full of expert knob turners, but they certainly pull it off.  I'm listening to them as I write this and bobbing my head.

Her Opinion…

The next stop on our self-proclaimed Get Down in Hamtown tour was at the New Dodge Lounge to see The Summer Pledge, Shy Hunters, and Phantasmagoria. It took me about two songs to warm up to The Summer Pledge, but once I did I was totally into it.  Musically, these guys are very talented.  The guitar and drum work was amazing and I found myself not wanting the instrumentals to end.  They know how to build a song and will leave you wanting more.  Be sure to check them out on August 31^st at the Shack. (Side note: On stage the drummer looks a bit like Joey Lawrence in the good days of Joey Lawrence, and this is not a bad thing.)

Shy Hunters played next, debuting their feminine, sultry lead singer.  Female singers always captivate me, and Shy Hunters didn’t disappoint on that front.  The lyrics were powerful, the voice was strong and seductive, and the instrumentals were right on point.  This music is great live or in the comfort of your own home.

Phantasmagoria was a delightful surprise to me.  I’m always a little concerned when a two person band gets on stage and at least one is not carrying a guitar, but these two pulled it off and managed to blow me away with their eclectic beats and vocals. They will be headlining at the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival on September 1^st, you should check them out. 

Summer Pledge

Shy Hunters

Phantasmagoria

 Blues at Kelly's, August 22nd, 2012

His Opinion…

Hamtramck representing! I love this bar, and I love their blues night on Wednesdays. It really does feel like you are in someone's basement watching talented musicians jam.  The crowd is mostly older men, and the majority of the crowd will be on stage at some point in the evening.

The show kicks off around 10:30 and when we left at 1:30, they were still going strong.  It's a great pace for just hanging out too.  Music is generally 20 minutes on, and then a 15-minute break before a new line-up takes over.  This gives you time you head out to the patio and relax and talk during the break.  Hamm's were $1 this night, mixed drinks come in mason jars, and there are plenty of $1 or $1.50 Jello shots if you are looking for a venue to host a sorority mixer.  Bartenders are great, regulars are great, and you can get in the door for the astronomical price of free.

Her Opinion…

Kelly’s is an amazing neighborhood dive bar and their blues night on Wednesdays cannot be beat.  The music is good, really good.  It’s not a structured event or anything, so sometimes the music is more classic rock than blues, but it’s still good and very entertaining.  The admission is free, the drinks are cheap, the bar tenders are cool as hell, and the crowd is super easygoing and nice.  Additionally, their outdoor space is big and provides a nice place to relax and listen to the music. Kelly’s also has a delicious fish fry every Friday night where they serve cod, perch, or catfish dinners for around $8.00. (Side note: Kelly’s is home to my favorite kitschy women’s restroom in the Detroit Metro area.)

Downriver Dan is reason alone to check out Kelly's. 

The lovely and extremely talented Annie Trampus blew the crowd away with her vocals. 

Yep, this is part of the bathroom. It doesn't get much better than this. 

Red Bull House of Art, August 24th, 2012

Figured we would throw in some pictures from the 2nd opening at this art venue in Eastern Market. It's a cool space that you enter through dark, low arched tunnels and emerge in a large open white room.  For these opening parties the booze is free and there are Vodkas and Red Bull as far as the eye can see! This one was definitely more crowded than the first.  I think the gallery is open every Saturday, so check it out next time you head to the market.