Although celebrating their 3rd year, this was my first time at the RBHofA, and I have to say, I really like the space. (And I love the incubator program, but I’ll get to that in a minute.) The building itself is tucked away in Eastern Market with minimal signage/parking, so know where you’re going. It’s a renovated brewery, and once inside, that’s evident, with all the nooks and crannies you could ever want. Ambiance!
Cozy!
Forget about your cell phone!
The first area upstairs is the artists’ workspace. This is where a selection of Detroit artists are given space, time, and unlimited funds (!!) to create their exhibitions. How much more could an up and comer want? It’s the freedom to create in a big way.
Part of the artists' workspace.
Downstairs, through brick archways and dank passages, is the gallery itself, a bright white space. This cycle is giving us James "Jimbo" Braddock, Elmer, Brent Forrest, Parisa Ghaderi, K. Guillory, Sheefy, and Niki Urban, representing a range of styles.
Although I was genuinely impressed with all the artists (no, seriously, really enjoyed the exhibit), there were two stand-outs for me. First of all, Brent Forrest. There’s no other way to put it other than I am just mad for his work, every one of them. They are impossible to photograph, which is part of what makes them so freakin amazing. He creates layered, lighted scifi worlds that I could have crawled into for hours… especially with the house lights off (which sadly I didn’t get a chance to see).
Brent Forrest. I tried SO hard to get reasonable photos of his work. It's not doable. Just go and see for yourself. And buy one for me while you're there.
The second was the juicy colorful paintings of K. Guillory, whose “This Is So Important” was so important, I had to buy it for myself. So when you go and see the show, that little red pin is me, and DON’T TOUCH IT IT’S MINE.
K. Guillory
The prices on all the pieces are extremely agreeable, ranging from $100 (I suspect that’s the gallery-set minimum) to $1,000 (for one massive, gorgeous painting). I don’t expect there will be much left unsold by the end of the show’s run.
And oh yeah, there’s all the Red Bull in the world. I learned there are two new sugar-free flavors, including an orange, and I may never sleep again.
Slight Return may be Detroit's biggest musical secret at the moment. They may
not be trying to get on the Blowout schedule or looking to flash their mugs in
front of cameras at the Detroit music awards, but they do embody what the
Detroit music scene should be about- love for the music and the city of
Detroit. On their new album entitled "Welcome To The D" they show both right off the
bat with the title track. "Welcome To The D" can easily be the city's new
rock anthem.
The album has a very impressive all star guest lineup that includes George
Clinton (of Parliament and Funkadelic fame) on vocals, Tony “T Money” Green (The
Dramatics, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Tupac) on bass, Pat Lewis (Isaac Hayes, Aretha
Franklin, George Clinton) on backing vocals, Billy Cox (of Jimi Hendrix’s Band
Of Gypsy's) on bass guitar and vocals, Davey Pattison (Robin Trower) on vocals, and
Dennis Coffey (The Funk Brothers, Rodriguez) on guitar.
The bands also has a lot of heavy hitters on the production side. Those
involved with the album include Jim Diamond (White Stripes, The Dirtbombs), Jack
Endino and Chris Hanzsek (Nirvana, Soundgarden), Alan Sanderson (Elton John, The
Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson) and “Cornbread” (Marvin Gaye, Red Hot Chili
Peppers, Miles Davis).
Guitar and Vocalist Mark Kassa is a big Jimi Hendrix fan and his music
often represents the band’s musical direction. You can hear the influence of Tom
Morello and Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against The Machine on several tracks as well. And let's not forget about the
funk. Several tracks have the booty shakin' recipe with a nice mix of The Red Hot Chili Peppers early material and P-Funk.
The current lineup for the band includes Mark Kassa on guitar and vocals,
Ronnie Karmo on drums, Tony Mitchell on percussion and occasional vocals,
and
Mike Schneider on bass. The whole band is made up of seasoned musicians and
have opened up for national acts such as Grand Funk Railroad, Rare Earth, and
Robin Trower. They don't over saturate the scene with live shows so be sure to catch them when you do have a chance.
"Welcome To The D" tracklist: 1. Welcome To The D 2. Shake Your
Detroit Right (with George Clinton, Pat Lewis, and Tony "T Money" Green) 3. Hail The
Heroes 4. Stone Free/Third Stone From The Sun (with Billy Cox) 5.
Horse Left The Stable (with Davy Pattison) 6. Funky People (with George
Clinton) 7. Tale Of Two Bands (with Dennis Coffey) 8. Move ’em On
Out 9. Resistance 10. Big K 11. Ignorance 12. Subscribe Now
Regular showings are held every Saturday between 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Red Bull House of Art will celebrate three years in Detroit with its most significant gallery opening yet on Friday, April 24. Hosted at 1551 Winder in Eastern Market, the gallery is set to unveil the exclusive works of seven local artists including Elmer, Parisa Ghaderi, Brent Forrest, SHEEFY, Niki Urban, K. Guillory & James ‘Jimbo’ Braddock. This marks the first time these works have been open to the public.
Elmer is a Detroit street artist using his time at Red Bull House of Art experimenting with laser-cut wood assemblage and retro-futuristic styling for the first time. Parisa Ghaderi is a multidisciplinary new media artist exploring the concept of nostalgia through her Iranian heritage. Brent Forrest is borrowing from the world of animation to create custom light boxes with digitally painted cells depicting a blend of sci-fi-soaked landscapes. Using music as a guiding force, SHEEFY has crafted a vivid body of work all its own. Niki Urban’s obsessively detailed charcoal and pen drawings depict nightmarish fantasy scenes influence from a young spent in Poland. K. Guillory’s work explores how women are viewed in today’s Internet-saturated society. James ‘Jimbo’ Braddock has turned a young of growing up on Saturday morning cartoons into a style all his own.
Since 2013, Red Bull House of Art has called the E&B Brewery Lofts in Eastern Market home. In three years, over 80 local artists have held residencies there. With an average attendance of 2,500+ per opening, there are few galleries around the country that rival the influence and presence of this Detroit arts incubator.
Following the April 24 opening, the gallery is open each Saturday and hosts a variety of events in between cycles. For up-to-date information about Red Bull House of Art, visit redbullhouseofart.com or find the gallery on Facebook.
For the past few months Kaki King has been touring her landmark new work, The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body, which was released on March 3.
This masterpiece, funded by Kickstarter, lays bare The Guitar’s inner life and raw power. Her music is supported by a compelling lightshow and projections created by Glowing Pictures which are synchronized to all of her songs. You can watch two excerpts of the show here and here.
On Wednesday May 6 she will be in Detroit andperforming at The Music Box
$11 tickets available for 37eleven members. $49 VIP tickets also available including reserved seating at tables of our patrons, plus complimentary drink.
Sick of Sarah, an all-female band from Minneapolis, are hitting the road for a full U.S tour dubbed "Place Your Bets" in support of the band's new EP to be released summer 2015. Supporting acts include The Last Year for the east coast dates, our very own beloved George Morris and the Gypsy Chorus in the midwest. George Morris having just put up a new free downloadable album on Bandcamp here. Catch Sick of Sarah and George Morris and the Gypsy Chorus at The Pike Room in Pontiac April 24th. Tickets and more info: http://sickofsarah.com/shows
On Sunday, April 12th, 2014, Swedish dark, electronic dance trio Covenant brought their pulsating beats to Small's for their Detroit stop on their 2015 North American Tour. With a fashion sense akin to Interpol,the three members entered the fog covered stage with strobes flashing and a synth droning. Singer Eskil Simmonson grabbed the mic and the beats hit hard. The crowd of many familiar faces from the likes of Old School Luna and City Club packed into the back room of Small's for a night of throbbing beats of dance club classics and newer songs the band was eager to play.
Second song in was my favorite Covenant track called Bullet. Call the Ships to Port followed along with various tracks from their catalog and a smattering of new songs. The stage was aglow in mostly solid blue or red washes of light and billows of smoke ala the fog machine. The children of the night were dancing and stomping to synthetic beats and squalls of pulsating sounds that permeated into the early 1st hour of Monday morning, but of course, no one seemed to mind. Small's has long been a haven for Electronic/ Industrial bands, both local and touring. Doors were at 8 and by 9:00, local band Pulse State opened the show to a crowd of friends and familiar faces alike. The Labyrinth took center slot before Covenant came on around 11. All in all, it was a fun atmosphere of nocturnal creatures dancing, drinking and supporting a scene that they love. Small's continually hosts alternating bi-weekly events such as Thirst Wave, Industrial is Not Dead and several tribute nights that keeps the dark, dance seen flourishing. Covenant is certainly a stable band to these nights.
Billy Cobham's Spectrum 40: Review and Photos
Photo by Mike Zaharof
Great music stays in focus long after its pioneers have faded into time.
The attendees of Billy Cobham's show on Saturday experienced the release of a seismic musical wave. A harnessing of energy from four men who's collective talent defines the hard to nail down difference between excellent and truly divine. The show started, people tuned in and then one by one gave up to the pleasure of letting the music wash over them.
The show was the 40th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking 70's fusion album Spectrum, featuring Dean Brown, Gary Husband and Ric Fierabracci. This was definitely not just a tribute. In addition to a great show, seating in the Jazz Cafe was kept to round top tables. So attendants were pulled out of regular comfort zones and seated with people they had never met. They were guests who were mixing at Billy's party, and seating was just another texture added to an already rich and enjoyable experience.
Last month saw the release of the Spectrum 40 Live 2 CD set. Spectrum was the album that put Cobham way ahead of the pack in the 70's and the live release verifies he's still in the lead. The inspiration for the Spectrum 40 show and the release of Spectrum 40 Live came from a "germ of an idea" in late 2012, which Cobham says "had to do with organizing a band to revisit compositions from my first album."
From left to right. Gary Husband (piano), Dean Brown (guitar), Billy Cobham (Drums) and Ric Fierabracci (bass)
The idea was put into motion and you can experience the result by picking up Spectrum 40 Live or to catch a performance check out Upcoming TOUR dates.
Calling all horror fans in the Metro-Detroit area, the Motor City Nightmares Horror Expo and Film Festival is coming this weekend to the Novi Sheraton. The special guests of this year’s show include a slew of cast members from The Return of the Living Dead Series, such as John Russo, Don Cafia, Linnea Quigley and more. Other guests attending are rock goddess and former Runaways member, Lita Ford, Doug Bradley (Pinhead), Sid Haig and Kane Hodder (Jason from Friday the 13th). There will also be a number of special screenings for short and full length horror features and panels. If you are a filmmaker or interested in the process they will have special workshop classes on the art of making horror films. The expo runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday with after hours expo events planned as well. More details on the expo is included at the Motor City Nightmares website and advanced tickets are available until Wednesday.
Offworld Arcade has moved into the nineties with their games. They now have NBA Jam.
Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer were at the end of their careers when this game was made, so they're not given the skill ratings they would have had at the height of the Bad Boys period, but it's still awesome that they were included. The only bad thing is that the Player 2 button doesn't work on this machine, so you can't get the full two-on-two player action that it was built for.
NBA Jam didn't make me forget any of the older classics. Burger Time is too good to be forgotten.
Last month I wasn't the only appreciating this gem. There was always someone in the wings waiting for a chance to play it.
April's installment of Offworld Arcade is tomorrow night.
New York City is a big place. A loud place. Some of that
noise is music. And some of the music is noise.
Sucking it all in and turning it loose with prejudice,
the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion takes a ferocious bite out of the Big Apple with
their new long-player, Freedom Tower – No Wave Dance Party 2015, the
first record of the new era that demands to be stopped and
frisked!
Like the best sides that percolated up from the Bronx,
the Lower East Side, and Greenwich Village across the 1970s and ‘80s –
Freedom Tower is more than a high-octane dance party record, it is a
document of New York City, a chronicle of grit and terror and
love!
It’s all here: The Hustler and The Trust Fund Baby, the
Mosh Pit Casualty, the Celebrity Chef, the Crooked Cop, the Struggling Artist,
the Sucker MC, the forgotten Sex Workers and Last-Chance Cinderellas. Within
these grooves are cold-water tenements, blue-chip galleries, dingy Avenue B
studios, and the last real warrior poet whose dark magick brings garage rock
ghosts back from the grave!
Freedom Tower is a radical portrait of New York
City set to the savage funkacide of the Blues Explosion, locked and loaded with
the most deadly, predatory guitar riffs that primitive magnetic tape can
handle…. From start to finish, Freedom Tower is overmodulated, cooked
with dirt, and finished in acid rain! Freedom Tower is packed with the
kind of beats and rhymes that will make even the most reserved Walter Mitty jump
back and say “damn!”
For nearly a quarter-century the Blues Explosion have
been sweating, freezing, eating, drinking, fucking, fighting, winning, and
losing in New York City, perpetrating some of the most timeless moments of
musical mayhem in the history of Manhattan and beyond. As ever, Jon Spencer
tells the tales, Judah Bauer plays the blues, and Russell Simins smashes things
to bits... And as always Blues Explosion stomp on the faux underground oasis
peddled by bourgeois hipsters and marketing jocks to deliver the real deal —
rock’n’roll that is unapologetically nasty and strong.
Rehearsed and polished in a string of secret gigs and
unannounced opening slots in theaters, hotel bars, and dives (often under
assumed names), and then recorded at the legendary Daptone House Of Soul in
Bushwick and mixed with hip-hop cult legend Alap Momin at the cutting edge of
Harlem, Freedom Tower is the most provocative statement of urban pathos
and panache ever recorded.
Play this record at all-night rent parties, picnics,
discotheques, and protests!
There are eight million stories in the Naked City — but
there is only one Blues Explosion!
Freedom Tower - dig it now, while you still
can!
Freedom Tower - No Wave Dance Party 2015 is available to
pre-order now from iTunes, and
direct from the band with exclusive JSBX
tote bag and slipmat. All pre-orders come with an immediate download of Do
The Get Down.
World Class Fusion Drummer Billy Cobham and The Spectrum 40 Band Plays the Jazz Cafe This Saturday
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Cobham’s breakthrough album, Spectrum - widely regarded as one of the genre’s most influential work - the upcoming performance series and CD set feature Cobham’s explosive, complex style of play supported by the Spectrum 40 Band, including Dean Brown (guitar); Gary Husband (piano) and Ric Fierabracci (bass).
This will be a celebration of great music and one of the best shows Detroit will see this year.
Saturday, April 18, 8:00 PM, Jazz Cafe at Music Hall, Detroit MI
More than simply a ballet company, Jessica Lang Dance is like a combined ballet, visual art collective and modern dance ensemble,
and the young New York-based troupe is coming to Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Friday, April 17th at 8 PM.
Jessica Lang is a choreographer and the artistic director of Jessica Lang Dance. Hailed as "a master of visual composition" by Dance Magazine, Lang seamlessly incorporates striking design elements and transforms classical ballet language into artfully crafted, emotionally engaging contemporary works.
Founded in 2011, Jessica Lang Dance (JLD) is a New York City-based dance company dedicated to creating and performing the work of Jessica Lang.
JLD enriches and inspires global audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music.
Since the company's inception, marked by Lang's receipt of a Joyce Theater Artist Residency supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JLD has made rapid success performing at renowned venues and festivals throughout the country including Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, New York City Center's Fall for Dance Festival, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, the Joyce Theater and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, TX.
Lang, a graduate of The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, is a former member of Twyla Tharp's company, THARP!
It's another tide of rock and roll debauchery in Detroit with three brand new bands!
Worth paying attention to because they all share some common strong points. The most pivotal being that each group has at least one leading member who has been banging their head against the wall, paying their dues and doing it again and again for nearly 10 years. Each achieving some recognition and winning over ears, while at the same time falling victim to the circumstances of bad situations, band members, et. al. Through it all they've not only grown musically, but not lost their hunger or their energy. Remaining elusive and unique, you can count on three pleasant surprises, fresh and alive. Treat yourself to some old fashioned sin and delinquency with three new bands for the low might-as-well-bite price of $3!
Tin Foil is a not very super group of familiar faces. Andrew Hecker (The Displays), and Steve Kowalski (The Reelers) share the majority of the songwriting and lead vocals.
While material is also contributed by Alex Lovat (The Q) and Joe Myers (The Vonneguts).
The Displays, the band Hecker started while 13 in 2006, haven't existed since 2011, and since then he has backed several groups, all of which being short lived. The Reelers have been playing around town tirelessly since 2008. Since then Kowalski has picked up a career as a sound engineer for the movie business, and in 2013 joined The Fertilizers, where he and Hecker first became musically associated. That summer they began recording and writing together. Alex Lovat has been an out-of-time relic of everything truly mod, and leading a flawless cover-band of 60's garage punk gems since 2009. He is also the current sound-man at Cliff Bells. In the fall of 2014, he and Hecker began jamming weeks before they moved into the infamous Hentch house, with the goal being to make it their "band house" where musical work would be done on a daily basis–in between partying and watching TV. Joe Myers has been playing in several groups with his current comrades in The Vonneguts since 2007. One of those comrades being the founding member of The Displays original brother band, The Smashed Windows. He lived in the band house for several months before moving around the block. Shortly during this time, Kowalski lived across the street.
Proto-punk, spot-on 60's garage tone, harmonies, late-70's power pop, underlying post-punk hints, heavy blues influence, 2 guitars occasionally alternating between lead and rhythm. I guess something in that general ballpark, I dunno. High-energy.
They will have a limited release cassette tape at the show, featuring rough mixes of some of the songs they're currently recording for their debut album.
Primitiv Parts is the latest brain-child of Robin Parent, who has led a number of projects with rotating characters (including The Revenants) since around 2006. As well as releasing a couple solo albums. The music is in a goth-y post-punk area.
The group originally featured 2 drummers, each playing minimal kits and standing up. Which is still sometimes utilized, though one of them has moved to bass. He is backed by a group of girls new to their instruments, but in the good punk rock way. Projecting a too-cool Poison Ivy type of vibe effortlessly, and probably unwittingly.
Full sound and depth, a well orchestrated minimal band with a personal style. Punk, excellent use of the musical thing; the "rest", and a tight rhythm section.
Some of you might remember them as the band who covered The Gun Club at last years Halloween Cover Show.
Bonehead is the continuing effort of nomad Alexandra Lee Lary. Abruptly leaving her home town of Austin, Texas at a young age to live shortly in several cities, wherein she backed several unsuccessful punk bands, all the while writing and recording her own material.
Those songs have been in development throughout the moves, until a few years ago, when Alex befriended Detroit native Terra Gillis in Lexington, KY; and the pair moved to or back to Detroit, and began working on music loosely together. The first incarnation of Bonehead with former collaborator Izzi Kombholtz from Cincinnati-based band The Put Ons, and in the studio for demo recording with Jerry Queen (Vacation, Tweens), being replaced by a more organic group with Terra, a co-worker on drums and a craigslist contact on bass.
Trashed attic pop, catchy poppy punk songs, smart lyrics disguised as dumb ones, shitty attitude and self-loathing honesty (song-titles such as "Pretend to Be Nice" and "Okay Song" or "My Boyfriend's Dead").
I love Rock N' Roll and I love reading. So I was
very happy to see the new book BLACK
SABBATH: Symptom of the Universe by rock journalist and former publicist to
the band Mick Wall arrive in the mail.
Decades before
his MTV reality show The Osbournes, Ozzy Osbourne was the dark,
subversive lead singer in Black Sabbath, the band often credited with creating
heavy metal. Selling more than 75 million albums worldwide, an induction into
the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and hitting #1 on the Billboard 200
chart in 2013, Black Sabbath has had lasting effect on music, influencing many
bands along the way.
This biography of the legendary heavy metal band
charts this iconic group from its inception, through the height of their fame,
and well into their reunion, tracing the group through all of their very public
ups and downs. Their journey
wasn’t always easy. BLACK SABBATH: Symptom of the
Universe takes us through the height of their fame, when the band
discovered they'd been so badly ripped off by their managers that they didn't
even own their own songs and they looked for salvation from Don Arden—a
notorious gangster figure and father of Ozzy’s wife Sharon– who resurrected
their career but left them indebted to him, financially and personally. And into
the 15 year war after the group broke up between the post-Ozzy Sabbath and Ozzy
himself, whose solo career overshadowed Sabbath so much that a reunion was
entirely on his terms.
Mick
delivers the Sabbath story in the best way possible. The story is often told by
the band members themselves with quotes and stories from the various band
members, producers, managers, and friends involved. Mick lays down the
facts about each album and era including the process of making the music as well
as the result of said work including the highest chart positions of the albums
in both the UK and USA. He really gives you a idea of where the band was in each
era in regards to success. I was happy to be schooled in all the various members
of Black Sabbath over the years and their history with the band. Special
attention is given to both Ozzy and Dio and their respectable solo careers as
well. If you are
looking for the facts in regards to the drugs, sex, and rock n' roll within the
band then you came to the right place with this book. Even when there is
difference in stories from band members, you will hear from each one giving
their side of the story.
This
book is a good read even to the most casual of Sabbath or Ozzy fans. I highly
recommend giving it a good read.
A hardcover copy of the book as well as a eBook
is being released this Tuesday (April 14) on St. Martin’s
Press.
The Detroit area's original Nirvana Tribute show is coming back for its 5th year of local bands playing full sets of their own renditions of songs from the entire Nirvana
catalog. This year the tribute shows are being held in Ypsilanti and Detroit Back to back shows on back to back nights featuring a
different line-up and a different song list both nights!
