2/22/14
Giveaway! Win a signed copy of "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" from Against Me!
Against Me! is excited to announce their upcoming Spring 2014 headlining tour. Touring behind the release of their critically acclaimed new album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, an album that entered the Billboard Top 200 at #23, the band’s highest charting position in its 15+ year history, the band will begin its North American run on March 9 in Omaha, NE and will take in 21 evenings across the Midwest, West Coast, Canada. The tour will make its way to Austin, TX, for this year’s SXSW Music Festival from March 12-14. Information on tickets can be found on the band’s website, http://www.againstme.net/tour.
Transgender Dysphoria Blues, an album recently called “one of the most incisive and life-affirming rock albums of the ’10s” by SPIN, is the intense follow-up to the band’s previous full-length, White Crosses, and stands as another major benchmark for the band and its career spanning 10+ years. Recorded at Studio 606, Earth Sound Studio, Motor Studio, Total Treble Studio and mixed by Billy Bush (Garbage, Muse, Tegan and Sara), Transgender Dysphoria Blues is an insightful and highly-provocative 10-song offering written by frontwoman Laura Jane Grace, whose material examines one’s grappling with gender dysphoria, the loss of a young friend and pure self discovery, as well as love and ultimate acceptance. Featuring Grace’s signature, explicit songwriting and dominant vocals, the album also features longtime guitarist/vocalist James Bowman, drummer Atom Willard and Fat Mike of NOFX on bass for “FUCKMYLIFE666” and “Unconditional Love.” Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Against Me!’s sixth full-length album, was released on January 21, 2014 via the band’s own label, Total Treble, in North America, Resist Records in Australia and Xtra Mile Recordings to the rest of the world. The album is now available for purchase through all digital retailers as well as the Total Treble webstore where exclusive vinyl and bundles are currently being offered. To celebrate the release of the album, Against Me! performed their song “FUCKMYLIFE666” on The Late Show With David Letterman. Watch the band’s performance on the show HERE. Additionally, a lyric video for the song can be seen HERE.You can also view the transcript from Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace’s recent Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session HERE.
With a lineup firmly in place that includes new bassist Inge Johansson of The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Against Me! will be making the following appearances throughout North America this Spring with Laura Stevenson and Cheap Girls. Tour dates below.
FEBRUARY
10 – Oneonta, NY – Hunt College Union Ballroom (Laura Jane Grace solo)
MARCH
09 – Omaha, NE – The Slowdown *
10 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note *
12 – Austin, TX – SXSW
13 – Austin, TX – SXSW
14 – Austin, TX – SXSW
15 – Corpus Christi, TX – House of Rock *
16 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s *
18 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live *
19 – Dallas, TX – Gas Monkey *
21 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall *
22 – Salt Lake City, UT – Murray Theatre *
23 – Reno, NV – Knitting Factory *
24 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre *
25 – Seattle, WA – Neptune *
26 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom *
28 – Edmonton, AB – Starlite *
29 – Calgary, AB – Republik *
30 – Regina, SK – Exchange *
APRIL
01 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre *
02 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue *
03 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre *
04 – Palatine, IL – Durty Nellie’s *
05 – Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue *
06 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel *
MAY
26 – Las Vegas, NV – Punk Rock Bowling
* = Laura Stevenson and Cheap Girls supporting
Official Website
Laura Jane Grace’s Twitter
Total Treble Records
2/21/14
Wild At Heart movie review: Like Father, Like Son
Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
Wild At Heart
Starting this week at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak is the Japanese movie "Like Father, Like Son" (not to be confused with the awful Kirk Cameron/Dudley Moore film of the same name). Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda (of which I loved his 1998 movie "After Life"), this film centers around the question 'what would you do if you found you child was not your own?'. Our main character is Ryota, a self-made man who got where he is through hard work and is raising his son, 6 year old Keita, to become like him. Keita is going to a special school, taking piano lessons and following a home regimen meant to instill that "winning" spirit. The news that Keita is not his real child puts Ryota in a real dilemma as a father.
His wife Midori and the other couple, a local shop owner and his wife provide good performances but it is really Ryota that is the focal point. His decision between choosing between his son of the last 6 years and his own blood are where the real emotional baggage comes in. We also examine Ryota's relationship with his own father as well as how he acts around both kids. One scene where he is explaining to his newly found son to call him father is particularly emotional as the child keeps asking why he should as Ryota starts to wear himself down insisting on this point. Ryota sees the other family as inept and offers to take care of both children, which is very insulting to them. We see their household is more nurturing despite some early concerns the other family might be more in it for the money the hospital might may. That is the subtle misdirecting the director gives us as he opens his canvas on both families. The poor money family is teased as being greedy but turns out to be truly loving while the rich family which seems it could provide everything needed turns out to be more dysfunctional emotionally.
As the film progresses, the real power is watching Ryota finally coming to grips with the fact that he might not be a good father and his attempts to finally better himself and in some ways repent make us interested. The film doesn't break any new ground but shows great heart. The kids do superb jobs showing the needed emotions and the other adults really ground the film and bring much needed wit and warmth. If you want a film that showcases how important being a good father is, this is an excellent film to watch. Because of that, I give the film a B+.
Silent Lions: Interview by Jeff Howitt
BEHIND THE ROAR OF SILENT LIONS WITH DEAN TARTAGLIA BY JEFF HOWITT FOR MOTORCITYBLOG
2/21/14 @ Midtown in Lansing, MI, 2/22/14 @ The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI
MCB: Hey Dean. So you had a stint as the sax player in The Sights and also in variations of Jack Oblivian's pick up bands. Was that kind of your first "in" when you started gigging or were you already playing out in other groups?
SiLi: Though I am from Toledo and went to college in Athens Ohio, my "ins" have always been from Detroit. When I was 18, I was lucky enough to catch the attention of The Hard Lessons, and Augie and Ko let my old band, Mind Fish, open up for them whenever they came to Toledo. It was through them I met The Sights when they both came down to Athens on tour. I actually worked the merch table at The Sights "Most of What Follows is True" record release at the Loving Touch, and kept bugging Eddie to let me play sax with them. He found a place for me in the group, even though I was living five hours from Detroit. I met Jack Oblivian through Eddie as well and he and I have kept in touch since.
MCB: Not too many out of town bands are able to call Detroit their Sister City. What was your first real introduction to the Detroit Rock 'n' Roll Scene?
DT: I remember my first real "now you're in the scene" moment was playing BLOWOUT with The Sights in 2012. It was right around the time the Tenacious D dates were announced and "Left Over Right" was almost out. It was just one of those shows where the crowd is with you from the first note, and you can really let go. The performance was effortless. Another high point for me in the Detroit scene was playing the State Theater with Tenacious D later on that tour... it just seemed like an inconceivably large goal to achieve, and was an amazing homecoming show. This is why I consider myself a Detroit musician and Silent Lions an adopted Detroit band.
MCB: Are you into Enon or ever listen much to Braniac?
DT: Not too familiar with Enon's music but they come up every once in a while. I can definitely hear the influences, especially in the whispery vocals. And YEAH! Brainiac is sweet. Discovered them on a recent "which 90's bands have I overlooked" kick. Reminds me of our friends in GoLab from Toledo, formerly of Stylex. Such a great melding of electronic and traditional rock instrumentation that results in a very organic sound.
MCB: Was the saxophone your first instrument?
DT: I started on piano when I was six, which in my opinion is visually the best instrument to begin on. Then I learned the saxophone when I was ten, and was in marching band in Junior High and High School. Rolled with that crowd, even ended up getting a degree in saxophone! Somewhere along the way rock ‘n’ roll took over my life and became my priority, but I'm glad I've always been able to incorporate the saxophone over the years, be it with The Sights, Silent Lions or as a side man for countless different groups.
MCB: As much as Detroit groups are known for two piece and other non traditional configurations of musicians, Ohio also has had it's success's obviously with The Black Keys but even earlier with the Soledad Brothers who started out as a duo before The White Stripes adopted the approach. What is it about the two piece that works for you?
DT: I think no matter the genre, a duo comes from either necessity or chemistry... The inability to find more band members, or the lack of interest to do so when it simply works with one other person who really clicks with you. I think the latter is more the case with Matt and I. We have always approached our music as a duo with reverence, but strive to push it forward, make it modern and more technologically immersed.
MCB: Even Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices has a working relationship with The High Strung. What is it that keeps Michigan
and Ohio's musical exchange ongoing?
DT: Toledo is pretty much a part of Michigan right? A suburb of Detroit? We get asked this on tour quite often. I think Toledo and Detroit share a lot of the same hardships and triumphs. Both our residents are resilient. It's always felt like a big brother, little brother relationship. Part of the intrigue might also be that so many cultural icons are born or have lived in Ohio... Whatever it is, I'm glad to be part of that relationship.
MCB: Why did you want to work with Zach Shipps?
DT: A big reason for me personally was the work he did with The Hard Lessons on the "Arms Forest" record. It's such an interesting, in depth, dark record. I first heard it when I was 18, and after that I always wanted to start a band that played heavy, dark pop songs. I also grew up on Electric Six, so saw them every chance I got and geeked out over Zach's guitar work. We consider him our unofficial third member. He helps us write parts, is the deciding factor in the studio many times, but it's even more than that. No one else can make Silent Lions sound like Silent Lions. His technique and process is perfect for us, and it was obvious from day one when we started working on "The Parliaments". Last year he invited me to play sax on E6’s live record, but I had to get surgery around that time and couldn't pull it off. I still regret not playing those shows...(haha) and I don't think it was until he saw me perform with The Sights that everything clicked.
MCB: What was a favorite venue or town of the tour you just wrapped up?
DT: Bloomington and Lafayette Indiana were very receptive. Charleston West Virginia is home to the most hospitable people in the world, even despite the water crisis down there, both our D.C. shows were packed to the rafters. Columbus Ohio was also very friendly to us...
MCB: Lastly, what's up for the rest the year for Silent Lions?
DT: We have about two dozen more winter tour dates promoting "The Compartments", then a month off in April with “hometown” shows in Toledo and Ferndale. By May we should have a new video out that we are really proud of, with a two week tour to line up with it's release... then who knows. Maybe we'll record a full length? Only time will tell.
MCB: Cool. We’ll talk to you again then.
2/21/14 @ Midtown in Lansing, MI, 2/22/14 @ The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI
MCB: Hey Dean. So you had a stint as the sax player in The Sights and also in variations of Jack Oblivian's pick up bands. Was that kind of your first "in" when you started gigging or were you already playing out in other groups?
SiLi: Though I am from Toledo and went to college in Athens Ohio, my "ins" have always been from Detroit. When I was 18, I was lucky enough to catch the attention of The Hard Lessons, and Augie and Ko let my old band, Mind Fish, open up for them whenever they came to Toledo. It was through them I met The Sights when they both came down to Athens on tour. I actually worked the merch table at The Sights "Most of What Follows is True" record release at the Loving Touch, and kept bugging Eddie to let me play sax with them. He found a place for me in the group, even though I was living five hours from Detroit. I met Jack Oblivian through Eddie as well and he and I have kept in touch since.
MCB: Not too many out of town bands are able to call Detroit their Sister City. What was your first real introduction to the Detroit Rock 'n' Roll Scene?
DT: I remember my first real "now you're in the scene" moment was playing BLOWOUT with The Sights in 2012. It was right around the time the Tenacious D dates were announced and "Left Over Right" was almost out. It was just one of those shows where the crowd is with you from the first note, and you can really let go. The performance was effortless. Another high point for me in the Detroit scene was playing the State Theater with Tenacious D later on that tour... it just seemed like an inconceivably large goal to achieve, and was an amazing homecoming show. This is why I consider myself a Detroit musician and Silent Lions an adopted Detroit band.
MCB: Are you into Enon or ever listen much to Braniac?
DT: Not too familiar with Enon's music but they come up every once in a while. I can definitely hear the influences, especially in the whispery vocals. And YEAH! Brainiac is sweet. Discovered them on a recent "which 90's bands have I overlooked" kick. Reminds me of our friends in GoLab from Toledo, formerly of Stylex. Such a great melding of electronic and traditional rock instrumentation that results in a very organic sound.
MCB: Was the saxophone your first instrument?
DT: I started on piano when I was six, which in my opinion is visually the best instrument to begin on. Then I learned the saxophone when I was ten, and was in marching band in Junior High and High School. Rolled with that crowd, even ended up getting a degree in saxophone! Somewhere along the way rock ‘n’ roll took over my life and became my priority, but I'm glad I've always been able to incorporate the saxophone over the years, be it with The Sights, Silent Lions or as a side man for countless different groups.
MCB: As much as Detroit groups are known for two piece and other non traditional configurations of musicians, Ohio also has had it's success's obviously with The Black Keys but even earlier with the Soledad Brothers who started out as a duo before The White Stripes adopted the approach. What is it about the two piece that works for you?
DT: I think no matter the genre, a duo comes from either necessity or chemistry... The inability to find more band members, or the lack of interest to do so when it simply works with one other person who really clicks with you. I think the latter is more the case with Matt and I. We have always approached our music as a duo with reverence, but strive to push it forward, make it modern and more technologically immersed.
MCB: Even Robert Pollard from Guided By Voices has a working relationship with The High Strung. What is it that keeps Michigan
and Ohio's musical exchange ongoing?
DT: Toledo is pretty much a part of Michigan right? A suburb of Detroit? We get asked this on tour quite often. I think Toledo and Detroit share a lot of the same hardships and triumphs. Both our residents are resilient. It's always felt like a big brother, little brother relationship. Part of the intrigue might also be that so many cultural icons are born or have lived in Ohio... Whatever it is, I'm glad to be part of that relationship.
MCB: Why did you want to work with Zach Shipps?
DT: A big reason for me personally was the work he did with The Hard Lessons on the "Arms Forest" record. It's such an interesting, in depth, dark record. I first heard it when I was 18, and after that I always wanted to start a band that played heavy, dark pop songs. I also grew up on Electric Six, so saw them every chance I got and geeked out over Zach's guitar work. We consider him our unofficial third member. He helps us write parts, is the deciding factor in the studio many times, but it's even more than that. No one else can make Silent Lions sound like Silent Lions. His technique and process is perfect for us, and it was obvious from day one when we started working on "The Parliaments". Last year he invited me to play sax on E6’s live record, but I had to get surgery around that time and couldn't pull it off. I still regret not playing those shows...(haha) and I don't think it was until he saw me perform with The Sights that everything clicked.
MCB: What was a favorite venue or town of the tour you just wrapped up?
DT: Bloomington and Lafayette Indiana were very receptive. Charleston West Virginia is home to the most hospitable people in the world, even despite the water crisis down there, both our D.C. shows were packed to the rafters. Columbus Ohio was also very friendly to us...
MCB: Lastly, what's up for the rest the year for Silent Lions?
DT: We have about two dozen more winter tour dates promoting "The Compartments", then a month off in April with “hometown” shows in Toledo and Ferndale. By May we should have a new video out that we are really proud of, with a two week tour to line up with it's release... then who knows. Maybe we'll record a full length? Only time will tell.
MCB: Cool. We’ll talk to you again then.
SHOW REVIEW: Nicole Atkins at the Magic Stick 2/18
Brooklyn singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins swayed into the Magic Stick Lounge on Wednesday night. While Skinny Puppy raved up the Majestic Theater and Haunted House blitzed through the Garden Bowl, the vibe in the lounge was much more laid back as Ms. Atkins treated the intimate crowd to beautiful, dreamy and vaguely melancholic set.
Atkins is touring in support of her latest release Slow Phaser, and pulled some choice tracks from the album to kick off the set, including "Girl You Look Amazing." Looking a bit like Zooey Deschanel on stage, Atkins has a sultry low purr comparable to Stevie Nicks or Lana Del Rey that is capable of exploding into soaring, room-filling vocals at just a moments notice.
Her eclectic backing band was air-tight. The Asbury Park-based rhythm section was solid yet bouncy enough to keep the crowd nodding and dancing. But it was keys player Zach Tenorio Miller, whom Atkins borrowed from superb opener Arc Iris, that really set the tone. Nimbly moving between funky space synths and subdued textures.
Take a listen to Slow Phaser right here.
TOMORROW: THE 27th EROTIC POETRY & MUSIC FESTIVAL 22 Feb 2014
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"An eclectic celebration of the erotic arts!"
The infamous event known as the Erotic Poetry & Music Festival celebrates its 27th year! It is one of the oldest community arts festivals in Detroit. The festival is an “eclectic celebration of the erotic arts!” It features provocative poetry, dirty spoken word, erotic art, music and dance performances by some of the city's top performers. It promises to be an evening you won’t forget!
The date is: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 9 pm showtime, 8pm doors 21 & over are welcome. Admission is $10. Partial proceeds benefit the Michigan based non-profit organization "Paws with a Cause.org," who train and provide leader dogs for the disabled.
The event will be held at THE HASTINGS ST. BALLROOM located at 715 E. Milwaukee in Detroit. (313-873-2955)
Satori Circus
The 2014 show is sponsored by the Detroit event website and local entertainment supporter, Detroit Can Kick Your Ass.
This year we are pleased to have one of Detroit’s favorite artists, Satori Circus perform! Detroit Dizzy Dames Burlesque and songbird Audra Kubat will perform and other highlights include poet Dena Luckett and the return of spoken word artist Jimmy Doom.
Featuring performances by:
- Satori Circus
- Detroit Dizzy Dames Burlesque starring:
- Lushes LaMoan-Chrissy Chaoss-Dainty Dandridge-Kitty Paige
- Audra Kubat
- Stephanie Loveless
- Margaret DollRod
- Anastasia Gold
- Olive Jus
- Tara Lazaroff
Lushes LaMoan
Poetry & Spoken Word by:
- Jimmy Doom
- Dena Luckett
- Lianna T.
- Michele Lundgren
- Veronica Fricke
- Scott Boman
- Matt Gulley
- J.
Audra Kubat
Art by: Jeff Hocking, Christen Carolin, Tara Lazaroff, Alyssa Jade, and Brian Lewandowski.
Hosted by: The Impaler & Peter Schorn
- Erotic Readings by Michael Janis
- Sexy Toys & Treats by Adam & Eve Stores
- Sexy Wares by Keeping Secrets
- Erotic Edibles by Menage a Trois
- Devilish Dolls by CreepynCute Shop
- Fun items by RockNRummage
2/20/14
ON THE RADAR: Seahaven at the Magic Stick 2/23 + New Album
The Torrance, CA band Seahaven
will be at Magic Stick on Sunday, Feb 23rd. They're on tour with Touche Amore and are
gearing up for the March 25th release of their new album Reverie Lagoon:
Music For Escapism Only.
The album was engineered and mixed by Ben Brodin (Bight Eyes, Pete Yorn), and
produced by Seahaven's Kyle Soto at Mike Mogis' ARC recording studio in Omaha,
NE.
"Though Seahaven only has a couple releases under its belt," writes The Onion A/V Club, "the young band displays a maturity that's often missing from the bands with which it surrounds itself."
Take a listen to the first single here.
PHOTOS: Skinny Puppy at The Majestic on 2-19-14
Canadian Industrial music pioneers Skinny Puppy stopped by Detroit on their Shapes for Arms tour and took the stage to a packed house at The Majestic last night. Recently in the news after billing the US Gov for using their music as the soundtrack to torture at Guantanamo Bay, their latest release, Weapon, came to fruition based on this topic. The show set up resembled a "spy state" with surveillance type video feeds from around the stage and constant projections on the band and various screens. Ogre's costume changes and props including hazmat garb, neon potions and a dog statue intrigued the crowd from start to finish.
Weapon, an album laced with social commentary on glorification of guns and the effects of gun violence, is a return to some of SP's earlier sound-focused roots. The album includes a remake of the Remission-era track "Solvent" and stylistically resonates nostalgia. Most of the set list included Weapon's songs and a handful from The Greater Wrong of Right, with classic tracks interwoven (amazing 2nd encore of Assimilate!)
2/19/14
Pewabic Pottery Hosts Their 22nd Annual Empty Bowls Event This Saturday, Feb 22nd
This Saturday, Detroit's iconic Pewabic Pottery holds its 22nd Annual Empty Bowl Fundraiser. The event includes an auction and a great meal to benefit the Gleaners Community Food Bank. The event takes place this Saturday, February 22, 2014 at the historic eastside studio located at 10125 East Jefferson Avenue – from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Over $10,000 – 30,000 meals – was raised at the 2013 Empty Bowls event.
Some of the area’s most popular restaurants and bakeries are participating in the event this year. Attendees who purchase a bowl will be treated to a complementary lunch featuring a wide selection of soups (including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free types) and freshly baked breads.
Participating restaurants include:
• Beverly Hills Grill – Mushroom Barley Soup
• Lunch Time Detroit – Buffalo Chicken Soup
• Polish Village Café – Pickle Soup (vegetarian)
• Russell Street Deli – Black Eyed Pea Soup with Collard Greens (vegan)
• Sinbad’s – Clam Chowder
• St. John Hospital – Cheeseburger Soup
• Vivo’s Food & Sprits – Unstuffed Pepper Soup
• Zoup! – Gluten Free Tomato Basil Soup and Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Bona-Ventures LLC and Julian Brothers are providing fresh baked breads.
“Last year this event raised enough to provide almost 30,000 meals and we hope to provide even more meals this year," - Sandy Schuster, Director of Development.
Supporters at the Empty Bowls event will have the chance to purchase unique bowls designed by local artists and students, priced between $5 and $30. Over 400 bowls have been created and donated for the event.
Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014
Time: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
10125 E. Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48214
10125 E. Jefferson
Detroit, MI 48214
THE DETROIT SOUND IS BACK - Jazz Cafe Detroit - 2/22/14
THE DETROIT SOUND IS BACK
February 22, $10
Jazz Café at Music Hall
Presents
The Funk Factor
With Special Guests Vocalists
Jose Hamilton & Shirley Hayden
For the lovers of soulful, funky and energetic music in the tradition of the music from the Golden Era of Detroit Music The Funk Factor is what you have longed for. Performing Classic Detroit songs and selections from the highly acclaimed "Today's Soulful Sound of Detroit" CD/LP and digital project The Funk Factor will take you back to at time when the musicianship and vocal abilities of Detroit performers were the toast of the town worldwide. Not only will The Funk Factor give you an exciting glimpse into Detroit's musical past you will also hear the soulful music of today's Detroit while hearing and seeing the musical sounds of Detroit's future. Just imagine in one performance experiencing Detroit's musical past, present and future. Featured will be the extraordinary vocal talents of Jose Hamilton and Shirley Hayden. Jose's tantalizing vocals are featured on the up tempo Motown/Detroit style dance stomper "Anytime You Need Love" from the "Today's Soulful Sound of Detroit" CD. If you are a fan of Marvin Gaye, David Ruffin and other great male vocalists in the Detroit tradition Jose is your man. Shirley Hayden is a member of JazShop, the featured vocalists on The Funk Factor's Northern Soul classic "Give It What Cha Got" from the"Today's Soulful Sound of Detroit" project. Shirley's musical past includes several other highlights. A member of The Parliament/Funkadelic family as a vocalist for The Parlet and also vocal group Jazzeray. Shirley is most definitely a Funk Queen. The Funk Factor is under the musical direction of Ufuoma Wallace and Tim King.
Music Hall can positively boast that we have the best jazz season of any performing arts center in the Midwest of America. By supporting the Jazz Café Jazz Masters Series, you will share the spotlight (because you will be sitting so close) with all the Jazz legends. Please contact our Development Department at 313.887.8510 be included in our mailings and ask how you can participate in keeping Detroit the center of jazz creation and legendary presentation.
Detroit Music Hall | 350 Madison Avenue | Detroit | MI | 48226
Unfuckingbelievable: FREE TICKETS: AEG Live Presents Morrissey wsg Kristeen Young - The Whiting in Flint - Saturday, June 14th 2014
Thank goodness its Friday...(well it is for us)
We are about to hit the slopes and break some bones
on another MCB vacation but before we roll
we have a killer ticket giveaway meant just for you
(finger pointing right at you....really!)
email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you chance to win a pair of tickets
to see MORRISSEY on 6/14/14
Tickets for this long awaited show go on sale this coming Friday 2/21
Winner will be selected April 1st 2014
We will be contesting again on Morrissey's birthday 5/22
(and you thought we didn't care)
happy weekend!
MCB
Saturday, June 14th 2014
AEG Live Presents:
Morrissey
wsg Kristeen Young
at
The Whiting - Flint, MI
Doors 7pm, All Ages Welcome
Tickets: $29.50 -
$75
Tickets on sale Friday 2/21 at Noon!
33rd Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival Saturday, February 22
FORD SEAHORSES SCUBA DIVING CLUB PRESENTS
THE 33rd GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK FESTIVAL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
AT WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN ANN ARBOR
ANN ARBOR -- The Ford Seahorses Scuba Diving Club, in conjunction with the Detroit Historical Society's Dossin Maritime Group and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, presents the 33rd Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival on Saturday, February 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Washtenaw Community College's Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E. Huron River Drive, in Ann Arbor.
This year's program features presentations about the formerly-unsolved mysteries of shipwrecks, including David Trotter with the amazing story of the Keystone State which went down in Lake Huron in November of 1861 and went undiscovered until last year. Historian and marine artist Robert McGreevy will tell the story of the Howard Hanna and the harrowing experience of their crew during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913. Tony Gramer will share video from the wreck of the three-masted schooner William Young lost near the Straits of Mackinac in 1891.
In addition to shipwrecks, there will be programs featuring a variety of international dives, including the visually breathtaking Philippines and the unmatched saltwater diversity and beauty of Indonesia, featuring stunning video and still images of colorful and unusual marine life, including Komodo dragons.
Other programs include Valerie van Heest's fascinating stories of Northwest Orient Flight 2501 – a DC-4 which crashed in Lake Michigan near South Haven with 58 passengers and crew en route to Minneapolis on June 23, 1950 – and various shipwrecks found near Grand Haven. Luke Clyburn of the Noble Odyssey Foundation will present an exploration conducted by his scientist and a crew of young Sea Cadets of the St. Clair River, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Straits of Mackinac.
The event also includes a variety of book signings and exhibits from local maritime artists, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, local dive shops, travel companies and other dive-related companies.
Tickets for the event are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. For ticket information or program details, visit www.shipwreckfestival.us, call (734) 459-8476, or e-mail glsftickets@aol.com.
The Ford Seahorses Scuba Diving Club, established in 1957 as a member of the Ford Employees Recreation Association (FERA), is one of the most active dive clubs in Michigan. The club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the enjoyment and advancement of the sport of scuba diving.
SHOW REVIEW: Big Gigantic wsg Manic Focus at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on Feb 16, 2014
Denver’s livetronica phenoms, Big Gigantic, played a sold
out show on Sunday night at the Royal Oak Music Theatre with assist from opening
acts Manic Focus and Detroit’s own Astralogic. The duo are currently circling
the country on their “The Night Is Young Tour”, named after their brand new album, "The Night Is Young", which was just released last Tuesday. Big Gigantic are rather different than many of the popular current EDM acts because they include live instrumentation throughout
their entire set. Big G’s electronic sounds are paired with jazz and hip hop thanks
to drummer, Jeremy Salkin, and saxophonist/producer, Dominic Lalli. Their live
sets are a mixture of chill beats and high energy dance music with mesmerizing light
production. Big Gigantic turned the atmosphere of the Royal Oak Music Theatre into the
ultimate euphoric music experience.
The songs that received the loudest response from the audience during the evening’s
set were the cuts that were lifted from
their just released album, especially the Cherub assisted club banger, “The Night Is
Young”. The set featured tracks from throughout Big Gigantic’s six year career,
as well as reworking’s of well-known songs like “Bonfire” by Knife Party, "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore feat. Ryan Lewis, and “I
Need a Dollar” by Aloe Black. Big Gigantic had the crowd in a frenzy, very few
acts can make an audience erupt the way that Big Gigantic does. Their live set reinvents their best known
tracks into crowd pleasing, floor-filling anthems which electrify and entrance every single concertgoer.The transformation of their music from recording to live version needs to be heard to fully comprehend how well it works in the live setting.
The light show is a major component of Big Gigantic's show, the stage
featured several illuminated rectangles and squares strategically placed to take up the entire
stage. This makes for one jaw dropping visual effect after another, which gets the crowd continuously more and more excited. From the projections on the paneling, to the lasers which seem to be omnipresent, to the other brilliant lighting effects, there is always something gorgeously breathtaking to look at at a Big Gigantic show.
DJ/producer, Manic Focus, and our Detroit homeboy, Astralogic, opened the festivities. Minnesota's Manic Focus played a hard hitting set which included his collaborations with Griz and The Floozies. He also threw in some remixes of well-known songs by Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, Chumbawamba (yes, those pissers of the night) and Missy Elliott. By the way that he worked the crowd, it is quite clear that Manic Focus is on his way to becoming a headliner in his own right. He sways and gets into the music, which leads the crowd to get just as excited as he is. During Manic Focus's set, he surprised the audience and brought out Muzzy for a jam session complete with live guitar. This was a show for the books. This is more than likely the last time that we'll be seeing Big Gigantic in a venue the size of Royal Oak Music Theatre. Their profile and reputation keeps on growing, and they keep on playing larger and larger venues.
2/18/14
This Friday at New Way Bar is a No Miss
Bars of Gold, Roomrunner, Multicult, Destroy This Place
Friday February 21st
$5 21+
-Bars of Gold- We haven't seen them since the release show for "Wheels" in November
-Roomrunner- Spattering distortions, feedback and a large amount of press mentions on sounding like what were better times anyway
-Multicult- Sharing some tour dates with Roomrunner, Ferndale is reminiscent of an in-store performance at Found Sound and look forward to their return
-Destroy This Place- Ambassadors of indie-scene credibility accept the task of creating vibrant and true form rock music
New Way Bar is located at 23130 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale
Friday February 21st
$5 21+
-Bars of Gold- We haven't seen them since the release show for "Wheels" in November
-Roomrunner- Spattering distortions, feedback and a large amount of press mentions on sounding like what were better times anyway
-Multicult- Sharing some tour dates with Roomrunner, Ferndale is reminiscent of an in-store performance at Found Sound and look forward to their return
-Destroy This Place- Ambassadors of indie-scene credibility accept the task of creating vibrant and true form rock music
New Way Bar is located at 23130 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale
2/17/14
WIN FREE TICKETS: Pam Grier Film Festival at The Redford Theatre this Friday and Saturday
The legendary Pam Grier is gracing us with her presence at the Redford Theatre this Friday and Saturday for the Pam Grier Film Festival and MOTORCITYBLOG has your chance to score free tickets.
Email us at motorcityblog@earthlink.net to be entered into the drawing to win a pair of tickets to the movie screening on your choice. Be sure to tell us what movie screening you would like to view in the e-mail message.
The festival schedule is:
The 1973 Jack Hill directed COFFY on Friday, Feb. 21 at 8PM
The 1974 Jack Hill directed FOXY BROWN on Saturday, Feb. 22 at 2PM
The 1997 Quentin Tarantino directed JACKIE BROWN on Saturday, Feb 22 at 8PM
Pam Grier will be in attendance at all shows. Doors will open 1 hr 15min before each show for autographs/photos in the lobby.
Tickets are $6 for general admission seating.
The Redford Theatre is located at:
17360 Lahser Road
Detroit, MI 48219
For more information or to purchase tickets please visit http://redfordtheatre.com/movie/
Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog
Wild At Heart
Not much going on this week so I will just cut to the chase and mention a few upcoming shows you might want to check out. Wednesday is an esp good day for a show.
Tuesday (2/18) - Tom Butwin @ Majestic Cafe
Wednesday (2/19) - Skinny Puppy @ Majestic Theatre, Zappa Plays Zappa @ Michigan Theatre, Dropkick Murphys @ The Fillmore
Thursday (2/20) - Joe Pug @ Blind Pig
Friday (2/21) - Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Macomb Center For Performing Arts, Melissa Etheridge @ Ceasars Windsor, the Balconies @ Dominion House Tavern (Windsor), Bring Me The Horizon @ Compuware Arena, Great Lakes Myth Society @ PJs Lager House
Saturday (2/22) - "Winter Jam" feat Newsboys and Tenth Avenue North @ Joe Louis Arena, "Det X Det" feat HandGranades and Jet Rodriquez w/I Love Lightning Bugs @ Magic Stick, the Dewtons open for Elway @ Smalls
UPCOMING: Nicole Atkins at the Magic Stick - 2/19
Nicole Atkins hits Detroit on February 19 at the Magic Stick in support of her new record, Slow Phaser, out now on her label, OH'Mercy! Records.
Slow Phaser is Nicole Atkins at her confident and unpredictable best – spirited, sexy, and determinedly forward thinking. Atkins looked to create "something that no one’s ever heard before, including myself.” This album is filled with disco beats, robust ballads, and sick jams in between. Songs like the poptastic “Girl You Look Amazing” and the sultry “Red Ropes” positively swirl with day-glo danceability, the bright hues setting Atkins’ distinctive creative voice in a brilliant and undeniable new light. Bittersweet yet life affirming, Slow Phaser is Nicole Atkins at her confident and unpredictable best – spirited, sexy, and determinedly forward thinking.
“I wanted to make something that no one’s ever heard before,” she says, “including myself.”
A charismatic and committed live performer, Atkins followed 2011’s adventurous Mondo Amore with a long year on the road. Upon her return, the New Jersey-based artist began to rethink her overall approach. Atkins went on creative walkabout, visiting various musician friends across the country and starting a productive collaboration with veteran drummer/producer Jim Sclavunos (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Cramps, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks). The two clicked immediately, penning three songs on the very first day they set to work.
“Jim really helped me articulate a lot of what I was feeling,” she says. “He helped me make the things I was writing sound more like when I just wrote songs for myself. He taught me a lot about writing… again.”
The result is remarkably vivid and varied, with songs like the opening “Who Killed The Moonlight?” blazing with transcendent pop hooks and floor-filling rhythms unlike anything Atkins has done before. She further pushed her songwriting by penning a series of wry, candid songs casting a mordant eye at pretentious boyfriends (“It’s Only Chemistry”), ponderous hipsters (“Cool People”), and the endless highway that is her perpetual home (“Gasoline Bride”). Slow Phaser comes to its poignant emotional close with “The Worst Hangover” – replete with images of shattered disco balls glittering on the storm swept Jersey shoreline – and the sparse, powerful “Above As Below,” which finds our heroine alone at sea, “surrendering to the void, just me, seagulls, and the gods.” A committed believer in the enduring power of the album-as-art form, Atkins embraced a classically tripartite sequencing inspired by Alejandro Jodorowsky’s notorious psychotropic western, El Topo.
“It’s taken me a while to figure out who I really am,” Nicole Atkins says. “Musically, and as a person. It’s constantly changing. I’m not just this one character. I’m an artistic person trying to figure shit out.”
Nicole Atkins plays the Magic Stick on Wednesday night with special guests Arc Iris & Davey Horne.
Doors open at 8pm.
Grab your tickets right here.
Check out more of Nicole Atkins right here.
2/16/14
Breaking Bread. Korean Gangnam Style Chicken Hits Royal Oak
Al Bruting on food
Attention Foodies, the chicken craze that's popping up around the US has found Michigan and we have a new jewel shining through the long list of Royal Oak restaurants. Located at 112 Catalpa (about 100 feet from Main Street) Gangnam Chicken is the new place to try.
Spicy, sweet and tangy, the Koreans make great chicken in addition to soups, stews and noodle dishes. Korean food is awesome for those that know it. Even if you're not into what some consider Asian style food, read on. Its a trend in restaurants, but its old hat for the owners of this new door to an old style of food.
The wings are much, much larger than the wing joints were used to. The flavor is unique and the will leave you satisfied, planning your next visit. Try the spicy, its a ringer. For variety they also offer soy garlic. At $8.50 for 8 huge wings, you will feel the value.
For those that want a side, try the kimchi fries, grilled rice balls stuffed with cheese or gim mari, deep fried sea weed roll. Its unique, its traditional, its delicious. The menu goes on but these are all great places to begin your exploration into the Gangnam Chicken trend that's sweeping the US.
Its the old Maria's restaurant but a brand new fair and new owners. Best wishes to the Maria's proprietor, he was a good man and a hard worker and were sorry to see him go.
Since its a brand new place, remember to give them time to grow. The service is not up to par yet, but you can bring your own alcohol to help you through the wait. This will let you drink your favorite brands and eliminates the cost of alcohol. You can also order take away.
For a great, unique and inexpensive night out in Royal Oak, come out and start your night at Gangnam Chicken and you're in for something new. Below is the website but we attached the menu as it shows you how a simple selection can offer a diverse fair. Cheers!
www.facebook.com/gnchicken or 248 439 6645
Attention Foodies, the chicken craze that's popping up around the US has found Michigan and we have a new jewel shining through the long list of Royal Oak restaurants. Located at 112 Catalpa (about 100 feet from Main Street) Gangnam Chicken is the new place to try.
Spicy, sweet and tangy, the Koreans make great chicken in addition to soups, stews and noodle dishes. Korean food is awesome for those that know it. Even if you're not into what some consider Asian style food, read on. Its a trend in restaurants, but its old hat for the owners of this new door to an old style of food.
The wings are much, much larger than the wing joints were used to. The flavor is unique and the will leave you satisfied, planning your next visit. Try the spicy, its a ringer. For variety they also offer soy garlic. At $8.50 for 8 huge wings, you will feel the value.
For those that want a side, try the kimchi fries, grilled rice balls stuffed with cheese or gim mari, deep fried sea weed roll. Its unique, its traditional, its delicious. The menu goes on but these are all great places to begin your exploration into the Gangnam Chicken trend that's sweeping the US.
Its the old Maria's restaurant but a brand new fair and new owners. Best wishes to the Maria's proprietor, he was a good man and a hard worker and were sorry to see him go.
Since its a brand new place, remember to give them time to grow. The service is not up to par yet, but you can bring your own alcohol to help you through the wait. This will let you drink your favorite brands and eliminates the cost of alcohol. You can also order take away.
For a great, unique and inexpensive night out in Royal Oak, come out and start your night at Gangnam Chicken and you're in for something new. Below is the website but we attached the menu as it shows you how a simple selection can offer a diverse fair. Cheers!
www.facebook.com/gnchicken or 248 439 6645
Broken Gold EP 'Residency at Hundo Beach' out March 18th via End Sounds
This is a very similar sound to the nineteen nineties genre that included bands
like the Texas group The Old 97's (from the Chicago Lounge Ax era). It’s different as it has a touch
less energy in terms of the drive of the songs and keeps a slower drum pace. This release contains a smoother running
sound without the sparks and unexpected throttle spots of its predecessors.
Based
in Austin, TX, Broken Gold consists of Ian MacDougall
on vocals who also plays guitar in Riverboat Gamblers.
Joining him on the EP is former Riverboat member Patrick
Lillard on bass (Rob Marchant is playing bass in
the touring band) Ben Lance on guitar along with Rich
Cali on drums, who is also a visual artist and created the cover for
the new EP. Sonically a departure from the Gamblers, it includes songs written that didn’t fit the Gamblers repertoire.
The
sustained power chords using distorted basic overdrive effects and vocals minus the highs or lows seals the
deal on the 90's era retro sound. Any one up for a straight forward and cleaner rock sound that
can be thrown on the player without taking the room over will enjoy it.
2/14/14
FREE VINYL FRIDAY: new wax from CHEAP TIME - playing Lager House tomorrow Saturday 2/15 GET THERE!
Glamtastic Garage POP straight from Nashville! In The Red recording artist Cheap Time plays PJ's Lager House wsg Caveman Woodman & Radio Burns on Saturday, February 15, 2014
email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you chance to win a fresh vinyl platter from In The Red who deliver some of the best new music around....get to this show for a face melting good time!
PJ's Lager House
1254 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI
313-961-4668
http://www.pjslagerhouse.com
21+
$7 at Door
Doors 9 p.m.
A combustive mix of glam rock riffs, power pop melodies, and lots of punk energy, Cheap Time are the brainchild of Jeffrey Novak, a Tennessee native who began playing in punk bands in his teens. His groups include Jeffrey Novak's One Man Band and the ultra-raw Rat Traps. When the Rat Traps retired in 2006, Novak formed Cheap Time with Be Your Own Pet's Jemina Pearl on bass and Nathan Vasquez on drums. This version of the band was heavily influenced by the Runaways and early Redd Kross, and released its debut 7" on Sweet Rot in 2007. Pearl and Vasquez left the band to concentrate on Be Your Own Pet, and were replaced by bassist Stephen Braren and drummer Jon Sewell. The band's sound also shifted: Novak took some songs inspired by glam and power pop acts like the Quick, Sparks, and Milk 'n' Cookies -- which were intended for another project, the Peoploids and turned them into Cheap Time songs.
Early in 2008, the revamped Cheap Time issued another 7" on Douchemaster in advance of their self-titled full-length on In the Red, which arrived that spring. Ryan Sweeney replaced Sewell on drums starting in 2009, when the band issued the "Woodland Drive"/"Penny & Jenny" single and toured with Yo La Tengo. Cheap Time returned with Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations), a slightly more structured and complex set of songs, in 2010 on In The Red Records. Novak and crew resurfaced in 2012 with Wallpaper Music, an attitude-heavy set of songs recorded in Novak's home studio; the album introduced another new lineup of Cheap Time, with Novak and Sweeney joined by bassist Jessica McFarland. Cheap Time stepped out with a fourth album, Exit Smiles, in 2013 also on In The Red Records.
- Heather Phares (All Music Guide)
email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for you chance to win a fresh vinyl platter from In The Red who deliver some of the best new music around....get to this show for a face melting good time!
PJ's Lager House
1254 Michigan Avenue
Detroit, MI
313-961-4668
http://www.pjslagerhouse.com
21+
$7 at Door
Doors 9 p.m.
A combustive mix of glam rock riffs, power pop melodies, and lots of punk energy, Cheap Time are the brainchild of Jeffrey Novak, a Tennessee native who began playing in punk bands in his teens. His groups include Jeffrey Novak's One Man Band and the ultra-raw Rat Traps. When the Rat Traps retired in 2006, Novak formed Cheap Time with Be Your Own Pet's Jemina Pearl on bass and Nathan Vasquez on drums. This version of the band was heavily influenced by the Runaways and early Redd Kross, and released its debut 7" on Sweet Rot in 2007. Pearl and Vasquez left the band to concentrate on Be Your Own Pet, and were replaced by bassist Stephen Braren and drummer Jon Sewell. The band's sound also shifted: Novak took some songs inspired by glam and power pop acts like the Quick, Sparks, and Milk 'n' Cookies -- which were intended for another project, the Peoploids and turned them into Cheap Time songs.
Early in 2008, the revamped Cheap Time issued another 7" on Douchemaster in advance of their self-titled full-length on In the Red, which arrived that spring. Ryan Sweeney replaced Sewell on drums starting in 2009, when the band issued the "Woodland Drive"/"Penny & Jenny" single and toured with Yo La Tengo. Cheap Time returned with Fantastic Explanations (And Similar Situations), a slightly more structured and complex set of songs, in 2010 on In The Red Records. Novak and crew resurfaced in 2012 with Wallpaper Music, an attitude-heavy set of songs recorded in Novak's home studio; the album introduced another new lineup of Cheap Time, with Novak and Sweeney joined by bassist Jessica McFarland. Cheap Time stepped out with a fourth album, Exit Smiles, in 2013 also on In The Red Records.
- Heather Phares (All Music Guide)
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