THIS FRIDAY: Exposure: "They Call Me Grandma Techno", Patricia Lay-Dorsey Photography Opening

At the Heidelberg Project, the Number House is no longer a conventional living space, but instead serves as a vibrant home for artwork. The spirit of the organization's former Emerging Artist Program is being re-directed to include POST-HAB as a platform for advancing the emerging art discourse in Detroit. The goal: challenging Detroit's emerging talent with a curated exhibition opportunity to explore topics and themes of Art in a living context. 

Season two of POST-HAB features five artist rotations, as well as a simultaneous rotation of photography exhibits, dubbed “exposure.”  This Friday, June 5th from 5:30-8:30pm opening alongside Daniel Cicchelli's art exhibit, Patricia Lay-Dorsey takes us on a journey of her most Detroit experiences at Movement Electronic Music Festival where she is lovingly & passionately known as "Grandma Techno."  Patricia, who turns 73 this year hasn't missed the electronic music festival since 2005.  Come check out the art and start your evening with some dancing at the Heidelberg Project's Number House.

Brews by Blue Moon Brewing Company, Music from Rebecca Goldberg



RSVP and more info

"They Call Me Grandma Techno" will be on display through the month of June 

and you can check it out during gift shop hours at the Number House.

Saturday at New Dodge Lounge- Almost Free release some new music

tickets and info at 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1626540617560256/

check out some new music from Almost Free- 

check out the new release from PALACES 

TOMORROW: ONE NIGHT ONLY: Oracle of Vile, 30 May @ Tangent

Photograph of Mr. Vile by Jef Bourgeau

Oracle Of Vile

One Night Only

Saturday May 30th

7–11 pm

Tangent Gallery

715 E. Milwaukee St. Detroit, MI 48202

Artist Exhibits in Darkness … To Shed Light on Art World Charlatans.

Detroit's most beloved artist, Jerry Vile, is intent on exposing the huge fraud that for years has been perpetrated on the Art going public. His target, the contemporary art crooks who have been using parlor tricks and schemes to bilk the gullible out of their hard earned cash. It's all part of Vile’s plan to protect the innocent, who naïvely believe this hokum to be real.

“All art is an illusion - but the biggest illusion of all is what it is worth,” snorts the crusading challenger.  “It’s time these shysters got their comeuppance, I’m ready to take on the entire art racket.”

One may experience this revelation in Oracle Of Vile (One Night Only) Saturday May 30th at The Tangent Gallery in Uptown Detroit.

Con + Temporary

The contemporary art swindlers aren’t hiding. These billionaire bamboozlers make headlines when they set the prices for this fine art flimflam.  “This is a scam,” informs Vile as he intelligently dissects roots of the very word itself, Contemporary.

- Con is to deceive, to defraud through illicit or immoral activities typically for financial gain.
- Then there is Temporary, fleeting, a lack of permanence, to vanish. “It’s almost as if the public were begging to be hoodwinked,” he chortles.

So what is Vile’s nostrum for this high brow hornswoggle?  “Transparency, I’ll be using both scientific and spiritual methods to rescue art,” beams the brilliant bon vivant.  “Unlike most galleries who typically use bright lights on white walls to distract by blinding the patron to the hokum hanging on the walls, my pieces will be surrounded in darkness, with each work magnificently illuminated individually, so as not to disrupt the ether which permeates all space. Furthermore, the ever-present vibrations of electromagnetic radiation will be controlled allowing the patrons maximum viewing pleasure.”

As if this were not enough, each patron will be allowed to consult the Oracle of Vile, a scientifically designed future prediction machine. “It's pretty simple,” Vile crows, “ I’ll be contacting my future spirit though radio waves which I have modified to travel through the ether and the magnetism. It’s not magic, it’s science mixed with illusion. My future self can merely look up the answers on the UWW (Universal Wide Web), so it will be 99.9% accurate.”

The artist drones on. “ I owe a lot to Tesla and Mesmer who did much of the grunt work.  I just put it together with a bit of spit, polish and quantum theory. And don’t worry, the device will not be using that much radium - we wouldn't want another Atlantis.”

In addition to the Oracle, the exhibition will showcase some of Vile's most recent masterpieces, many featuring subjects from other dimensions and the spirit world, such as Ghost Cat. The exhibit will be set up much like a museum, not the modern institutions that misappropriated the name- but the true turn of the century educational facilities which displayed a variety of objects of intrinsic value and immense interest to the public.

Works which are for sale will include not only the current value, but the future value as well, courtesy of the Oracle.

“I believe the public is sick of these quacks who label themselves as, artists- taking them for a ride. So you millionaire mountebanks better take heed, I’m aware of your temporary cons and I’m going to shake things to the very foundation,” swears Vile on a stack of Bibles.

“Nick Cave: Here Hear” to Open at Cranbrook Art Museum on June 20

“Nick Cave: Here Hear” to Open at

Cranbrook Art Museum on June 20

Museum Exhibition and Performance Series Run Through October

The stage is being set for Nick Cave’s most ambitious project to date – Nick Cave: Here Hear. The exhibition will open at Cranbrook Art Museum on Saturday, June 20, with a special ArtMembers’ Opening Reception on Friday, June 19. A media preview of the exhibition will be held on June 18 from 10am – noon.

The celebration will continue through the weekend, with a special performance in Detroit’s Brightmoor and Old Redford communities on Sunday, June 21. Join us at 2pm for a screening of Cave’s video work at the historic Redford Theatre, followed by a celebration from 3-6pm at The Artist Village featuring food, music, and dancers in soundsuits – who will join the party in an impromptu flash mob. Both events are free and open to the public.

The Brightmoor celebration is just one of several events Cave is staging over the course of seven months throughout metro Detroit. The performance series kicked off last month when Cave began “invading” the city of Detroit for a series of site-specific photo shoots. He was spotted at locations such as Eastern Market, the Dequindre Cut, the African Bead Museum, and many more. The photos will be published in the forthcoming book, Nick Cave: Greetings From Detroit, which will be available for purchase at Cranbrook Art Museum. The book is designed by Bob Faust, with photographs by Corine Vermeulen and an essay by Laura Mott.

Check the Cranbrook website for full details on this extensive program.

TONIGHT at the MoCAD - Ancient/Urban: A Xenakis Sampler

Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), one of the most highly regarded post-war avant grade composers, created challenging electronic and acoustic music using mathematical formulas and architectural principles. A Greek Resistance fighter in World War II, he fled to Paris as a political refugee in 1947, where he collaborated with Le Corbusier from 1947-1959, first as an engineer and later as an architect.  He also studied music composition at the Paris Conservatory from 1950 to 1953 with Olivier Messiaen, who encouraged him to develop the compositional process for which he later became legendary.  

Percussion artist Zac Brunell presents a program that combines acoustic percussion pieces by Xenakis with a sample of electronic presentations of seminal musique concrete compositions, exploring the sonic mathematics of physics and nature.  The centerpiece of the performance will be 'Bohor,' an electronic piece for octophonic sound, and Xenakis' first large-scale electroacoustic work.  

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit

8PM - $10 ($5 for members)

SHOW REVIEW: Clutch Live at Freedom Hill on The Missing Link Tour + Neil Fallon Interview (with video and photos)

Freedom Hill Amphitheater in Sterling Heights kicked off their summer season with The Missing Link Tour featuring Graveyard, Mastodon, and Clutch this past Saturday (May 23, 2015) and Motorcityblog was there to interview Clutch's vocalist Neil Fallon and catch the bands set.

First off is our exclusive pre-show interview with Neil Fallon which can be viewed below...

  
You could not have asked for a better day to see a outdoor concert due to the weather being stellar. Perfect T-shirt weather and the fans came out in droves representing their favorites. If they didn't have a T-shirt when they arrived, they most likely walked away with one because the merchandise booth had a huge line the entire night.  

 

The Freedom Hill Amphitheater is my new favorite local venue. The place looked fantastic and is a mini version of DTE Music Theater, which means a smaller lawn and not a bad seat in the house. The pavilion is fully covered and they even have a general admission pit in front of the seated area. The staff was very accommodating and this fact was even proven more when I saw a gentleman drop his beer and they called him over to give him another one for free. They have a wide selection of beverages and food  including a margarita bar and healthy food options like salads and even hummus.

The venue was pretty packed by the time Clutch hit the stage and everyone stayed till the end to witness the onslaught of a live Clutch live performance. This particular evening was the second to last date of the Missing Link Tour. Lesser bands could of easily called it in from the wear of the road after 25+ shows, but not Clutch. Seasoned vets that they are, the band came out rocking right off the bat with "The House That Peterbilt" and never let up the entire evening. 

 

Clutch bass player Dan Maines had to leave the tour the night before to get home to his wife who is having a baby, so Brad Davis from the band Fu Manchu stepped in. He learned a lot of the recorded material and did a great job. No new songs from the forthcoming Clutch album "Psychic Warfare" were performed this particular evening because the band didn't want to overwhelm Brad Davis with material that the band themselves are still learning to play live. But with a catalog of over 100 songs the band had no problem coming up with a 17 song set list. Nothing was played live from the first album, but fans of their second LP self titled "Clutch" were treated to "Escape From the Prison Planet" and "Spacegrass" on top of the opening song. Neil brought up the fact that the album is 20 years old this month. Having seen the songs played live myself 20 years ago, I can say with confidence that the songs sound just as fresh today as they did back then.

Tracks from Clutch's vast discography were performed with a great intensity. Neil's voice was spot on and completely owned up to his distinct rock vocalist title. Drummer Jean Paul-Gaster made drumming look easy, but was laying down very impressive beats that only a technically gifted drummer could perform. I would often just stare at him during songs and smile at the ease he played. Guitarist Tim Sult was in his standard stage demeanor of looking down and playing his guitar. He may look shy playing, but his fingers are surely not. Tim deals the high-volume riffs that has made Clutch the band that they are today. Singer Neil Fallon picked up the guitar for some songs as well, including "The Regulator" and "Electric Worry". Both these songs had a swagger that had people swaying and dancing just as much as the other songs had the crowd head banging.

The band played several songs off their last release "Earth Rocker" from 2013 as well. They performed the title track "Earth Rocker", as well as "The Face","Crucial Velocity", "The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…", and "D.C. Sound Attack!". For "D.C. Sound Attack" Neil played the cowbell and the band also brought out Brent Hinds of Mastodon to play slide guitar. The band is not afraid to evolve and take chances musically and the fans respect that. I've seen many a live Clutch shows since the first time back in 1993 and the band has consistently delivered at every show.

Clutch currently has a bunch of Europe/UK tour dates on the schedule, but they also have select North American festival dates booked as well.
Clutch will be releasing their new album "Psychic Warfare" on their own Weathermaker Music label in September and should be around the Detroit area around that time to support it.

Clutch's Set List for the show:

The House That Peterbilt
The Mob Goes Wild
Profits of Doom
Earth Rocker
Pure Rock Fury
The Face
Cypress Grove
Escape From the Prison Planet
Spacegrass
Crucial Velocity
Burning Beard
The Regulator
Unto the Breach
D.C. Sound Attack! (with Brent Hinds of Mastodon)
The Wolf Man Kindly Requests...
Electric Worry
One Eye Dollar

Visit Clutch at their website: http://www.pro-rock.com/

Photos and review: Casey
Interview conducted by: Bree and Casey

The Missing Link Tour Review (Pittsburgh, Detroit, Columbus)

Photo by David McClister

Lucky to catch three bands in three different cities is something that I will never do again. Losing my phone in Detroit, losing myself in Pittsburgh, and losing my lunch in Columbus was enough to take all of my energy. Purely for pleasure, I ventured to uncharted territory to Pittsburgh and witnessed Graveyard.

Graveyard

Hailing from the beautiful lands of Gothenburg, Sweden, it initially wasn’t love at first sight for me and Graveyard. Like any functional relationship, it took work. Our first meeting was only okay. The sun shined on the four piece as their beautiful hair blustered in the wind, but while their talent was evident in Pittsburgh, my like of Graveyard grew into a full crush in Detroit. On their 37^th performance on this tour, I’m not sure what it was that made my heart a-flutter during their set.  It’s possible that it was the perfect venue that is Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, the crowd that was more than into the band, or maybe it was as simple as closing my eyes and letting them take the lead. I traveled back to a time where love was rampant and Graveyard was the soundtrack. Their 70s era soft psychedelic-blues-rock formula was the right mixture for our one-sided love to grow. Joakim Nilsson’s voice is reminiscent of a classic rock band from the 1970s, but with a relentless intensity and hunger behind it. If attendees at The Missing Link Tour were unaware of who Graveyard was before the show, they definitely knew who the fuck they were after.

Clutch

Consistency is another word that describes a stable relationship.  My first Clutch show was in Columbus in 2013 and my knowledge of the band was that a guy I was dating was really into them, so that obviously meant that I was into them as well.  During the show, I became intrigued.  Clutch is so much more than “Careful with That Mic”. Neil Fallon’s testosterone-filled voice always reminded me of my father and his friends, breath smelling of Jack Daniels and cheap beer talking about what seemed like nothing but was always something. Before Clutch’s performance in Detroit, I had the opportunity to sit down with Fallon (video interview to be posted soon) and he mentioned that he was ready to go home to resume some normalcy as a husband and father before inevitably leaving for another tour.  With this part of our conversation in mind, I witnessed Clutch perform at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre to a packed audience.  I didn’t see an empty seat and Fallon delivered, song after song, sipping on what looked like bourbon or whiskey and water, with his well-groomed beard shaking with every syllable, whether it was “The Burning Beard” or “Profits of Doom” or “Spacegrass”, Fallon easily commanded attention with only the boom of his voice. Filling in on bass for Dan Maines, since his wife is about to give birth, Fu Manchu bassist Brad Davis played both Sterling Heights and Columbus dates, from what I could tell flawlessly. Slated for release in September, Clutch’s “Psychic Warfare” will most likely be supported with another tour in 2016.

Mastodon

My motivation to go on my itty bitty min-tour was Mastodon.  The Atlanta-based outfit got ahold of me when I was still a minor.  Sitting in my grandparents’ living room watching MTV, “Colony of Birchmen” appeared on my screen and I was changed forever. Unlike my growing love of Graveyard, I fell for Mastodon instantly. While naysayers criticized the band for their latest release “Once More Round the Sun” for being “not metal enough”, or even “pop”, it is one of their strongest. 

Brent Hinds, the band’s most animated and charismatic guitar player, performed “DC Sound Attack” with Clutch in Sterling Heights and also played guitar with Graveyard in Columbus. I unfortunately missed a performance of “Blood and Thunder” in Red Rocks, Colorado where Neil Fallon took the stage with Mastodon and sounded like a blood thirsty Viking after successfully pillaging a small town.

Hinds’ antics such as kicking amps and rapidly flicking his tongue kept my eyes on him, but in each city I did notice that his vocals were muffled. In Pittsburgh, I couldn’t find the proper words to describe the bass god that is Troy Sanders but in Detroit the haze became slightly clearer. In Columbus, the smoke finally waned; watching Sanders is as if he is possessed and the “normal” man inside is fighting the possessed part of him and losing.  Swaying and hell bent on bending his back as close to 90 degrees as possible, talking and pointing to the audience, and occasionally bulging his eyes, Sanders took Hinds’ spot as my favorite member of the band.  With that said, Bill Kelliher and Hinds effortlessly shred the hardest but make it look so easy. I overheard a man at the show in Columbus mention something about how the men of Mastodon somehow haven’t developed carpel tunnel.

Both “Megaladon” and “Oblivion” were crowd favorites in all three cities, but hearing one of my favorite tracks from “Once More Round the Sun”, “High Road”, was enough to seal in my Mastodon fandom. Although The Missing Link tour is over, both Clutch and Graveyard are planning new material to be released in September of this year. This tour made me feel as if I am capable of love. Tour continues for Mastodon at Free Press Summer Fest in Houston, Texas, and then to Europe.

PHOTOS & REVIEW: TAME IMPALA @ ROMT

Tame Impala @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

May 18, 2015


For most bands, the specter of the “sophomore slump” is daunting to say the least. Tame Impala, however, were nonplussed by any expectations created by their first LP “Innervisions”.

In 2012, they released “Lonerism” to world-wide acclaim. Kevin Parker’s one-man to ode to isolation and unrequited love was stuffed full of gorgeous harmonies and hooks a plenty.

FULL SET OF PHOTOS:

The Aussies came to the Royal Oak Music Theatre in support of their latest record “Currents” which is to be released on July 17. The show was a deft mix of all three LP’s. 

Backed by a flux of mind bending visuals, Tame Impala sounded polished. 

New material like “Let It Happen” and “Eventually” sounded glorious, and they slightly reworked older jams like “Elephant” and “Be Above It”. 

FREE VINYL FRIDAY: Dull Tools | Beth Israel | Detroit Show - Tuesday 6/2/15

Good Afternoon...for this edition of MCB Free Vinyl Friday we got some knarly wax and killer cassettes from Beth Israel who play UFO Factory on Tuesday June 2nd 
with Merchandise + Nothing

These guys are off the hook so pencil this one in or you will regret it missing the noise!

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1418887485082927/

email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you shot to win a vinyl or tape
 or maybe both if you send something worth the bonus

DULLTOOLS.BANDCAMP.COM

DULLTOOLS.BIGCARTEL.COM

BETH ISRAEL RELEASES EP ON DULL TOOLS AND ANNOUNCE US TOUR

BETH ISRAEL seem to get noisier and more dissonant as their pop sensibility becomes more refined. THE LOANER , the band's third release and second cassette on DULL TOOLS , only reemphasizes the relative solitude and obscurity that the group exist in. Not unlike the bizarre avantpop of TOMMY JAY or TRONICS, homage is paid to a variety of musical traditions, while maintaining a core sound. Acidcasualty sound collage and cinematic baroque trash tie together tunes that some would call "synth punk" but BETH ISRAEL would just call "music".

We can't tell you much about BETH ISRAEL , the band or the individuals that make up its membership. Rumor has it that the longtime duo is now a touring trio.

Truth or underground gossip?

Catch them on their

tour of the USA to find out:

THU MAY 21 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas

FRI MAY 22 Waco, TX @ True Love (w/ Loafers)

SAT MAY 23 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves (w/ Party Static)

SUN MAY 24 Fayetteville, AR @ The Backspace

MON MAY 25 Oklahoma City @ The Shop (w/ Cherry Death)

TUE MAY 26 St. Louis, MO @ Foam (w/ Ex Cult)

WED MAY 27 Joplin, MO @ Cesspool Manor

THU MAY 28 Kansas City, MO @ Green Desert (w/ Phantom Head)

FRI MAY 29 Omaha, NE @ Sweatshop Gallery

SAT MAY 30 Chicago, IL @ Wally World (w/ Cigarette Bums)

SUN MAY 31 Milwaukee, WI @ Bremen Cafe

TUE JUN 2 Detroit @ UFO Factory (w/ Merchandise & Nothing)

WED JUN 3 Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness

FRI JUN 5 Albany, NY @ The Treehouse

SAT JUN 6 Boston Hassle Presents… @ Lilypad

TUE JUN 7 Danbury, CT @ Heirloom Arts Theatre

MON JUN 8 Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium

THU JUN 11 Brooklyn, NY @ Silent Barn (w/ Heaven's Gate)

FRI JUN 12 Kutztown, PA @ Spaghetti House (w/ Heaven's Gate, Ghost Dads)

SAT JUN 13 Philadelphia, PA @ A House Called Virtue (w/ Heaven's Gate, Mannequin Pussy)

SUN JUN 14 Washington DC @ Above the Bayou

TUE JUN 16 Raleigh, NC @ Nice Price

WED JUN 17 Athens, GA @ Flicker Bar

THU JUN 18 Nashville, TN @ TBA

FRI JUN 19 Memphis, TN @ TBA

SAT JUN 20 Dallas, TX @ The Foundry (free show w/ The Hussy)

THIS FRIDAY (May 22): Shepard Fairey "Printed Matters" art show exhibition opening at Library Street Collective gallery

 

Los Angeles based artist Shepard Fairey has been in Detroit this week doing what he does best- ART. He has been painting what will be his largest mural to date, a 184-foot-wide by 60-foot-tall design on Dan Gilbert's Compuware Building.See in-progress photos of Fairey's mural here.

This is in addition to exhibiting in Public Matter, the Library Street Collective's outdoor gallery.
 
It all leads up to Shepard's art show opening reception at the Library Street Collective gallery Friday night.   

Shepard is well known just as much for creating the Barack Obama "Hope" as well for his "Andre The Giant Has A Posse" street art campaign. On top of that Fairey found huge success with his "Obey" clothing line that has branched out in many different facets.

The Printed Matters opening will coincide with Library Street Collective’s “Public Matter” exhibition located behind the gallery. Shepard will be the second artist to exhibit his work in “Public Matter,” the outdoor exhibition platform located in the Belt.  Public Matter features a rotating exhibition of large-scale paintings by the most recognized and celebrated names in contemporary art.  Shepard will also paint a permanent mural in the Belt as well as his largest mural to date in an undisclosed location in downtown Detroit.
Printed Matter: Repetition, consistency, and persistence over the years yielded a growing audience for both Shepard’s outdoor and gallery art. As people started to request more versions of his images, he began to embellish upon his utilitarian printing techniques by printing on wood, metal, and canvas, as well as incorporating stenciling back into the work. Some of these pieces began to function as one-of-a-kind mixed media paintings. To keep his work affordable and accessible, Shepard also made screen-print-on-paper editions of his fine art pieces. “Some people say print is on its way out, that it will be wiped out by digital media,” says Shepard, “but I say you can never replace the provocative, tactile experience of an art print on the street or in a gallery. Printing still matters.”

Shepard states, “I’m a product of the era of mass production and the mass culture it has created. I can’t imagine my art practice without the influence of, and the use of, printing. Some of my biggest art influences were not paintings, but printed things like album covers, skateboard graphics, punk flyers, and t-shirt designs. When I discovered stencil making and screen-printing in high school, I used them to make t-shirts and stickers, but by college I began to use screen-printing to make art. I enjoyed illustration, photography, collage, and graphic design separately, but with screen-printing I could synthesize those techniques into an integrated final product. Screen-printing also provided latitude for experimentation and the ability to make multiples, and my style began to evolve as I explored the graphic nature of the medium. I tried to make images that would translate well to screen-print production. A harmony of beauty, power, and utility was my goal.”

Public Matter: Shepard, a popular proponent of public art, will create five large-scale paintings as part of “Public Matter,” the fully accessible outdoor exhibition platform located between the Z parking garage and within the Belt, a newly redeveloped alley connecting Grand River and Gratiot Avenue between Broadway and Library Street in downtown Detroit. The Belt, named for its orientation in a former downtown garment district, also features permanent murals by more than a dozen local, national and international artists.

“Everyone can relate to Detroit’s struggle as a community and understand the need for people powered projects in the city,” says Shepard. “Murals and public art are free to everyone and create energy and positive impact in communities; the art becomes a conversation starter or common reference point and that is good for public morale and discourse.”  ­­
“Street art is one of the most democratic outlets for art. I consider myself a multi-platform artist, not just a street artist, but the audience I found through street art has created many of the opportunities I now have on other platforms and allows me to get my art directly in front of people, even if it is for a short time.” — Shepard Fairey ­­­­

“Shepard Fairey’s work has had a cultural impact on the world. We are honored to bring this exhibition to Detroit and also provide a public platform for him to create while in our great city.” — Anthony Curis, partner, Library Street Collective

Visit Shepard Fairey at his website here.. http://obeygiant.com/

Printed Matters opening reception is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 22. The Library Street Collective is located at 1260 Library St., Detroit; 313-600-7443; lscgallery.com. Runs until Aug. 15.

UPCOMING: Saturday, May 23- Clutch and Mastodon With Special guest Graveyard at Freedom Hill

 

If you like your music heavy then we have a perfect show for you this Saturday (May 23)

 

Veteran rockers Clutch and Mastodon are bringing their joint tour to Freedom Hill along with special guest Graveyard from Sweden. 

Looks like great weather for the show as well. We can't think of a better way to kick off the outdoor music season.

 

Doors: 5:30 pm

Show Time: 6:50 pm

 

Freedom Hill Amphitheatre

is located at: 

14900 Metropolitan Parkway

Sterling Heights, MI 48312

 

Fore more info and to buy tickets from the venue click HERE. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOMORROW: Nerd Nite, 21 May @ Tangent Gallery

Nerd Nite 313:

Reboot, Renew, and Relaunch

Thursday, May 21, 2015
 @ 7:00 PM

Tangent Gallery


715 E. Milwaukee, Detroit, MI

Nerd Nite's Back ... All Right! After a brief hiatus, Nerd Nite returns with events that are nerdier and quirkier than ever before. Join us on Thursday, May 21 for an epic Reboot, Renew, and Relaunch! Nick Yribar, Curtis Sullivan, and Marcus Schwimmer of the SuperSkull podcast will be discussing rebooted universes in comic books; Chris Casteel, founder of Anew Life Prosthetics and Orthotics, will teach us about current technologies that help amputees relaunch their lives; and Rebecca Frank, a doctoral candidate at the University of Michigan School of Information, will share her knowledge on disaster planning, response, and recovery for cultural heritage institutions.


Come learn with us, and you'll have a chance to meet the new bosses, too! Seriously ... be there and be square.

Monday night show! - DEATH VALLEY GIRLS @ UFO Factory Detroit - Monday 5/25

DEATH VALLEY GIRLS Monday 5/25/15 UFO FACTORY 2110 Trumbull Ave. Detroit USA   “Death Valley Girls are in love. Deeply, and always. “Summertime” is knowing  so long as you are of pure heart and open mind, the universe will bring you together, somewhere, and maybe in the summertime, or not.”   It’s easy to mistake Death Valley Girls for a biker gang. First of all, the members of this snarling garage-rock quartet all look like they jumped out from the pages of Karlheinz Weinberger's Rebel Youth (an amazing book documenting '50s and '60s juvenile gangs). And at any one of their shows, a row of ratty, raked-out choppers can be seen lined up in classic motorcycle-club formation.   Even their names are reminiscent of vintage biker B-movies: Bonnie Bloomgarden is the leader of the pack. Peering out from a straight line of jet-black bangs is a bass player who just goes by “Rocky”.  Laura Kelsey (formerly of surf/garage girls The Flytraps) plays Mo Tucker meets Nick Knox style drums and Larry Schemel who played in the last incarnation of legendary L.A. punk pagans The Flesh Eaters plays fuzz-heavy guitar like he just might be the bastard son of Davie Allan.   Speaking of guitar, you'd be hard-pressed to find a meaner one than the opening riff for “No Reason,” the most menacing song from DVG’s debut album Street Venom. It basically sounds like Larry plugged his guitar straight into a hornet hive and then kicked it. When the rhythm section kicks in it gives the song a sinister kind of rumble that would make Link Wray proud. Bloomgarden’s snotty, bratty vocal sneer cements their sound with old-school girl-gang attitude.

CATL RETURN TO WINDSOR! Friday May 22 2015 @ Phog Lounge w/ Woodworker & Middle Sister

CATL RETURN TO THE PHOG LOUNGE! this coming Friday

Detroiters! – Head on over the ol' Bridge and come check out some great music!

WHEN:     
Friday May 22nd 2015

WHERE:
Phog Lounge, 157 University Ave W.
WITH:
Woodworker & Middle Sister (local)
PRICE is RIGHT!

$8

​​"catl. can pull dancers to their feet, shake a sweaty room silly and convince
you that maybe another tequila before last call isn't such a bad idea afterall."
EXCLAIM! | Toronto ON | April, 2014

THIS FRIDAY MAY 22nd PHOG LOUNGE HOSTS 3 KILLER BANDS INCLUDING
TORONTO'S VERY OWN "GRUESOME TWOSOME"(Tim Perlich) CATL!

catl.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/c_a_t_l
youtube.com/catltheband

TONIGHT! Dan Decon with Prince Rama at Populux!

“What the hell is that?” is a question pretty familiar to the controversial Brooklyn band Prince Rama. The answer is far from simple; sisters Taraka and Nimai Larson have lived in ashrams, worked for utopian architects, written manifestos, delivered lectures from pools of fake blood, and conducted group exorcisms disguised as VHS workouts. Their often unpredictable live shows incorporate elements of psychedelic ceremony, performance art, and dancefloor initiation rite, and when Animal Collective’s Avey Tare discovered them in a Texas dive bar in 2010, they were equipping the audience with handmade shoes clad with broken chimes."

Dan Deacon with Prince Rama / Ben O'Brien

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 8:00 PM Doors

Populux, Detroit, MI

YOUR TICKETS ARE WAITING FOR YOU HERE!

TONIGHT! FREE Learning in Detroit: Tracking the Mind of Detroit Techno

3663 Woodward Avenue, Suite 150
Detroit, Michigan 48201-2430

With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, electronic dance music (EDM) will be at the forefront of Detroit’s music scene once again.

On Tuesday, May 19 from 7 – 8:30 p.m., the University of Michigan Detroit Center, in partnership with the Detroit Techno Foundation and Movement, is proud to present, “Tracking the Mind of Detroit Techno.”

Open to the general public, this event includes complimentary admission, parking and light refreshments for all attendees.

As electronic dance music grew in popularity throughout the 1980s and 1990s, so did the landscape of producing tracks - specifically for live performances. With the concept of creating tracks for live mixing, rather than just blending songs, a greater emphasis was placed on the DJ to also be a producer. 

Through an audio-visual and vocal presentation, this event will highlight the evolution of track creation vs. traditional songwriting, illustrate how a track is produced, discuss how technology has impacted music, and examine what defines the sound of Detroit Techno.

Participants for this event include:

• Keith Kemp - DJ/Producer
• Brendan Gillen - DJ/Producer/Label Owner
• Brian Kage - DJ/Producer/Label Owner

About the Panelists:

Keith Kemp, a Detroit native, was drawn to Detroit’s electronic music scene and spinning records after high school in the mid-1990s, which led to connections with Detroit artists such as Carl Craig, Plastikman and Underground Resistance.

Kemp began spinning at record stores around metro Detroit, and later selling vinyl at the revered “Dance Room” of Record Time. Hoping to capitalize on Detroit’s mid-90’s rave scene, Kemp began performing across North America. He developed into a highly regarded technical performer, combining his love of house, Industrial and German minimalism with Detroit techno.

With a love of computers, Kemp has been collecting equipment since 1992 and established a technical expertise manipulating synthesizers and software-based audio workstations, which opened the door to producing, operating a music label, and performing his own live music.

Kemp, a veteran performer at Detroit’s Movement festival over the years, will be returning to the stage as a performer in 2015.

Brenden Gillen is a founding member of the group Ectomorph and brings a unique perspective to Detroit Techno. The group released their first single in 1995 as an attempt to make Detroit music for Detroiters and not exclusively for export.

The group’s early singles led to epic status within the Techno world.  A strong underground cult following has continued to develop through releases on their own label, Interdimensional Transmissions. Ectomorph’s live shows are legendary for their ability to fluidly incorporate the improvisational techniques of jazz into their synthesized music.

Outside of the DJ world, Gillen has also worked as an audio engineering and producer. From mastering the first Ghostly projects to producing Wolf Eyes' Sub Pop album, his experience in Detroit’s Techno movement is truly unmatched.

Brian Kage is a Producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan who owns the label, Beretta Music.

As a solo artist and one-half of the duo, Reference, Kage’s music industry break came when his “DetroitLuv” EP was played on legendary Radio 1 Essential Mix show by Richie Hawtin and Ricardo Villalobos. As part of Reference, Kage has appeared on Carl Craig’s legendary label, Planet E, and performed at the Detroit Electronic Music Festival and Fresh Weekend in Barcelona.

As the co-founded of Beretta Music in 2002, Kage has built an impressive portfolio, which includes artists such as Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Jesse Somfay, Luke Hess and Alex Israel.

Although a music producer and label owner, Kage prefers to create carefully crafted works with exceptional quality over time, rather than force the creative process. 

Outside of the Techno realm, Kage has also worked with artists such as the Insane Clown Posse.

About the Moderator:

Tom Newman is the Executive Director of the Detroit Techno Foundation and has managed the main stage of the Movement Festival (Paxahau) in Detroit since 2006. A well known DJ and Producer in his own right, Tom has been involved with Detroit Techno for more than 20 years, producing more a dozen singles, EPs and performing locally and international, including Detroit’s Movement festival.