Sum 41 and IAMDYNAMITE at Royal Oak Music Theater

IAMDYNAMTE is just hitting the road with legendary punkers Sum 41 for there tenth anniversary of "Dose This Look Infected", It is the first leg of the tour and it stopped by Royal Oak Music Theater. Opining for both of the bands was a Michigan band called 24/7 they were great until they covered Katy Perry's "I kissed A Girl". After 24/7 had that average performance the two person band IAMDYNAMITE came out and totally brought the energy back up where it needed to be. Opening with "Where will we go" got the crowd really going, they loved it! As there set was coming to a close IAMDYNAMITE made sure they would not be forgotten, they had a very intense and long closing they were both wailing on there instruments. Sum 41 was so intense, I saw people bloody and they were still going hard in the pit. Some of the songs that were crowd favorites was "Hell song" and "Fat Lip". Being the third time seeing sum 41 they still put on a ridiculous show!

http://iamdynamite.com/

http://www.sum41.com/

https://www.facebook.com/jacobgiampatakespictures

IAMDYNAMITE Interview

MCB had the pleasure of getting to know IAMDYNAMITE, currently on tour with Sum 41.  The self described "Energy Rock" duo took some time away to hang with us before their show at Royal Oak Music Theater.  IAMDYNAMITE are Chris Martin and Chris Phillips, and hail from Michigan, so they were excited to be back here and see what has changed and enjoy the familiar.  Though they have been making music together since high school and have released videos and a short EP, their first full-length album SUPERMEGAFANTASTIC was just released this summer. 

Jacob and I took the guys over to UHF to do some bin searching and find out some more about what inspires IAMDYNAMITE.  Chris Phillips, drummer and vocalist, told me that one day, we will be able to find an IAMDYNAMITE vinyl in the bin, but for now, he is working on his growing record collection and continuing to stay inspired by other musicians out there.  He is a true MUSIC lover and is passionate about the raw theory of composition and instruments, not using computer effects, loops or samples.  Both Chris' described their musical process as taking bits and pieces of inspiration and putting them together but still staying innovative and original.  They said it was kind of obvious at times to tell what each of them are listening to at the moment based on where their creative energy is flowing, but in the end the collaboration fits and works.  

We definitely wanted to know more about their video "Where Will We Go" which Chris Martin gave us some insight about the 'making of'

To see how they made "Where Will We Go" go here:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dbh4l8aPLkI

It was cool to hear that Sum 41 fans are still going strong, from the older fans who are still seeing shows, to the new fans who are still teenagers rocking out to the latest as well as the classics.  Chris and Chris will be keeping us posted on when we can find some vinyl, but for now - We wish our new friends IAMDYNAMITE the best on their tour.  Make sure you catch these guys out on the road, or when they return home to the Mitten.

Album Review: Little People “We Are But Hunks of Wood”

Like the album title which makes little literal sense but sounds nice, Little People is actually just one person, Laurent Clerc, a UK electronic musician.  Making sense though is probably beside the point, because the focus I get from listening to Little People is on creating music that can be enjoyed on a number of different levels. Little People’s music is a blend of downtempo electronica with strings, some guitar and a dash of bleeps that create pleasantly dense melodies. Most of the tracks are sans vocals with the exception of the excellent “Wonderland” which features the vocals of January Tuesday, an artist I’ll have to investigate further.  Whether its background music on a long drive or more intently listened to, working with your brain on making little mind movies to go along with its cinematic tracks, “We Are But Hunks of Wood” holds up on repeat. (Youth & Progress Recording)

Wild At Heart movie review - Simon and the Oaks

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












Wild At Heart


A critically acclaimed movie from Sweden following the lives of two families, the poor Godicke family and the rich Linnertorp Jewish family, through the backdrop of Sweden between 1939-1952. "Simon and the Oaks" focus is mainly on Simon who despite his poor upbringing convinces his father to send him to an upper-class grammar school where he meets Isak, the son of a wealthy Jewish bookseller who fled Nazi persecution. The two boys form a strong bond despite their differing backgrounds and it is brought into further focus as the boys find their inner selves in the opposing fathers. Young Isak learns to enjoy working with his hands in the wood-working business and forms a strong bond with Simon's father. Simon in return is attracted to the higher class trapping of Isak's father life and enjoys going to concerts with him. As the kids grow up things get more complicated, esp when Simon is told he is adopted from his mother's crazy sister and searches for his musician biological father.

I wish we could have had more time with the kids growing up because a little bit of the punch is left behind as the kids get older and some things like Simon's disrespecting of his mother gets a bit lost in translation. I would have also liked to have seen more of the impact of the Nazi's in the daily lives of the Swedes and how they affect the families. This is mostly done quickly and doesn't have the lasting distrust and horror I would have liked to have seen. At the start of the film, we also see a young Simon daydreaming in the magical Oak tree on their property and I wish the tree could have played a bigger role throughout the film but is disappears for large chucks of the film. However, despite these minor points the film is filled with great acting by all the principal actors, esp the kids who play young Simon and Isak, and I enjoy seeing the way the families grow up and their lives intersect throughout this interesting backdrop.

Lisa Ohlin does a great job juggling everything as well as bringing some excellent cinematography to this film. I have been getting a bit tired of seeing films about WWII but this movie does bring some freshness to the genre as is definitely worth checking out. I give this film a B rating as it starts today at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak.

Reviews of Daniel Johnson at The Blind Pig and The Local Root Dinner at Henry Ford Museum

 

"Snazzy is as Snazzy Does!"

Gwen Joy is an artist who specializes in colorful folk art paintings. 

Life experience is her subject matter which is translated in a lyrical/mythical fashion.

                                                               Follow Gwen's snazzy street reviews weekly here on Motorcityblog                        
                                                                                  Reach her directly at www.GwenJoy.com

    On November 4th Daniel Johnson played to a large and attentive crowd at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. I caught the last few songs by the opening band Seth Bernard & Friends.  They proclaimed their love for Ann Arbor and reminded everyone to vote for our local progressive female politicians.  The last song in their set Turkeys in the Rain was loose and spirited. I enjoyed the prominent farfisa organ and swinging drumbeat.
Daniel opened his set up solo. His lyrics speak of broken hearts, movie references,  and the vast trickeries in life. After two songs another guitarist joined in. A potent song called Life in Vain was extremely heartfelt and struck a cord with the crowd. A few people shouted out," We love you Daniel" when this song was winding down. A full band joined in after this and the sound was more up tempo. The Speeding Motorcycle loaded with infectious farfisa organ,  a moody brooder called Bloody Rainbow and a cover of You Got to Hide your Love Away by The Beatles were high points. At any Daniel Johnson show his merch table is not to be missed as evidenced by the photo of his drawings on his cassette tapes below.

On November 8th Henry Ford Museum hosted a roaring 20s themed culinary event at
Lovitt Hall. Participants were treated to a two piece band called The Sugarsnaps. They performed jazz standards from the 20s to the 50s like At Last by Etta James. My favorite song was called A Nightingale in Berkley Square. A significant amount of the crowd was dressed festively. Cocktails like The Last Word, The Side Car, and the classic Manhattan were abundant and partially supplied by The Oakland which is a craft cocktail bar in Ferndale. Highlights of the meal were the gin infused cucumber caviar shooter, the Paw Paw Junket Napoleon with Blueberry Compote and infused with New Holland citrus vodka, and the Braised Michigan Beef Short Ribs with Locally Sourced Mushrooms, Zeppelin Bend-Scented Roasted Garlic Sauce, Black Pepper-Herb Spaetzles and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I highly recommend attending any special event/ dinner at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. They will be remembered by all who attend. Why not celebrate life!? Please visit http://www.thehenryford.org/default.aspx?pageID=392 for more info.

Wild At Heart movie review - The Loneliest Planet

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












Wild At Heart

  I always enjoy films that try to do something unique and I give kudos to director Julia Loktev for what she was trying to accomplish with "The Loneliest Planet" despite the fact that I thought she failed.  The movie follows Alex (the usually wonderful Gael Garcia Bernal) and Nica (Hani Furstenberg) who are backpacking through the beautifully shot Caucasus Mountains in Georgia with their local guide (Bidzena Gujabidze).  We see the newlyweds as they trek over this wonderful landscape, trading small talk, playing games and just enjoying the scenery.  After a bit they come across an older man with is two sons and a moment of misunderstanding causes Alex to commit a 2-3 second motion which has far reaching implications for the couple and changes the mood of the relationship.

  The main problem is that this moment takes over an hour to materialize and I almost missed it.  While this moment is supposed to truly impact the characters, I never really got the sense that either character was really impacted by that incident and that is what truly ruins the film for me.  The film has incredible cinematography that really works well within the framework of the film creating a fourth character out of the landscape.  The film tries to keep everything else real as some scenes around the campfire are overly dark and it can be hard to understand the dialogue at times as they go for that natural sound effect.  Normally, I would not mind this, or the fact that the foreign languages are not subtitled when they appear, but I never truly got the impact of the pivotal moment which happens about an hour into the film.  This film depends on us really feeling the momentary portrayal of Alex but the moment doesn't leave me feeling anything.  While this might be how things are in real life, on the big screen we need a little more to bring this overly long movie to an emotional payoff worthy of the big screen.

  I see enough to make me interested in what Julia will work on next but not enough to make me recommend this movie to anyone but the true film diehards.  This films needed to be scaled back in length and more powerful emotions around the incident.  I cannot give this film a good recommendation and it will gather a dismal D+ rating mainly for the cinematography.

  The film opens today at the Min Art Theatre in Royal Oak.

KICKSTARTER: Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit

"As many of you know, we've been hard at work on a new printed guide to Detroit - the first in a generation!  Available this holiday season, Belle Isle to 8 Mile: An Insider's Guide to Detroit will feature a comprehensive, curated selection of more than 750 favorite Detroit attractions, sites, institutions, restaurants, bars, and curiosities from the essential to the obscure.

We'll be sending out an invitation to the release party soon, but in the meantime, if you'd like to learn more about the project or pre-order a copy to ensure holiday delivery, you can do so via our Kickstarter campaign which is running through Tuesday, November 13th.  

Visit our Kickstarter page by clicking here.

We're so grateful for the support, ideas, and encouragement we've received from so many of you - thank you!

Emily & Andy (and our brother, Rob)"

FREE VINYL & T-Shirt // Show Preview: The Sword @ Saint Andrews Hall 11/11/2012

THE SWORD 
SCORES CAREER HIGH DEBUT 
WITH APOCRYPHON

Album Lands At #17 On The Billboard Top 200

Band Partners With Oliver Ales For “Winter’s Wolves Beer”

Tickets on sale here for the Saint Andrews Hall show

email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your shot to win 

a fresh off the press hot piece of wax 

or a cool tee straight from The Sword

Apocryphon, the fourth album from The Sword attains the highest chart and sales debut of the band’s career this week debuting at number 17 on the Billboard Top 200 with over 16,800 units sold.  The album released on Razor & Tie also debuts on a series of other Billboard charts including #2 on Hard Music, #4 on Rock, and #26 on Digital.  Apocryphon is available now at the iTunes store.

John Franck SVP of Marketing for Razor & Tie comments, “The Sword have created a remarkable album that everyone here at Razor &Tie is proud to be associated with.  We congratulate the band and their entire team on this impressive debut.”

The Sword has also expanded their branding activities which started this summer with the release of “the Tears of Fire” hot sauce, by partnering with Baltimore Maryland based brewery Oliver Ales to introduce “Winter’s Wolves Beer.” Steve Jones, brew master at Oliver Ales, says the following regarding the beer:

“Winter’s Wolves is hand crafted in 7 bbl batches from the finest pale, crystal and roasted malts with the addition of a little clover honey and Scottish Heather Tips and generously bittered with American Chinook and English First Gold hops and finished with American Centennial and English Kent Goldings hops. Each batch is open fermented with English Ale Yeast and aged with toasted American White Oak ... a Heavy Metal Ale weighing in at a little over 7% abv. We are proud to partner with The Sword to produce this ale year round in keg and cask. Listen to great music, drink craft beer!”

The beer will currently be available in pubs throughout Maryland, Washington D.C, and northern Virginia. Future distribution will be announced.  Here is the artwork for the brew tap:

The Sword is currently on a 40 date North America tour in support of Apocryphon.  

The Sword Upcoming Tour Dates

Thu/Nov 8- Columbus, Ohio- A&R Bar

Fri/Nov-09  - Cleveland OH - Grog Shop

Sat/Nov-10  - Covington KY –The Madison Theater

Sun/Nov-11  - Detroit MI - St Andrews Hall

Tue/Nov-13  - Philadelphia Pa - Union Transfer

Wed/Nov-14  - New York NY– Webster Hall

Thu/Nov-15  - Pawtucket RI - The Met

Fri/Nov-16  - Cambridge MA - Middle East Downstairs

Sat/Nov-17  - Washington DC  - Rock & Roll Hotel

Mon/Nov-19  - Birmingham AL–Workplay

Tue/Nov-20  - Orlando FL - Beacham

Wed/Nov-21  - Atlanta GA - Masquerade

Thu/Nov-22  - Nashville TN - Exit / In

Fri/Nov-23  - Memphis TN - Hi Tone

Sat/Nov-24  - Baton Rouge LA - Spanish Moon

Sun/Dec-02  - Tulsa OK - Eclipse

Mon/Dec-03  - Kansas City MO - Record Bar

Tue/Dec-04  - Denver CO - Bluebird

Wed/Dec-05  - Salt Lake City UT - Urban Lounge

Thu/Dec-06  - Boise ID - Neurolux

Fri/Dec-07  - Portland OR - Hawthorne

Sat/Dec-08  - Seattle WA - Neumos

Mon/Dec-10  - Sacramento CA - Harlows

Tue/Dec-11  - San Francisco CA - Independent

Wed/Dec-12  - Los Angeles CA - El Rey

Thu/Dec-13  - San Diego CA - Brick By Brick

Fri/Dec-14  - Phoenix AZ - Club Red

Sat/Dec-15  - Tucson AZ - Congress

Mon Dec 17- Dallas, Texas- Trees

Tue/Dec-18  - Houston TX–Fitzgeralds

For all information on The Sword, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/theswordofdoom

http://twitter.com/#!/thesword

www.swordofdoom.com

Show Preview: Dethklok w/All That Remains, Machine Head & Black Dahlia Murder @ The Fillmore Detroit Saturday 11/10/2012

Tickets are on sale for their performance this Saturday November 10th @ The Fillmore Detroit here.

Dethklok is the world’s most popular band.  So popular that fans will sign "pain waivers" in case anything truly horrible happens to them at a show, which invariably occurs.  The band members are also incredibly selfish and stupid, and they create a wave of mayhem, death and destruction wherever they go. Burdened with the stupidity that comes along with being major stars, they manage to cause more death, destruction and scandal than any other celebrity in recorded history. Simply put, Dethklok is the most powerful cultural force in the world.  

Dethklok features vocalist Nathan Explosion, the lyrical visionary of the band, guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf of Sweden, also known as the fastest guitarist alive, guitarist Toki Wartooth of Norway, the second-fastest guitarist alive, bassist William Murderface, a man filled with more hatred than anyone else in the entire world all the while hating himself the most, and Pickles, the world’s most celebrated drummer after fronting L.A. rock band Snakes and Barrels.

The creator, co-producer, co-writer, and composer behind the aforementioned madness of  the Adult Swim  series  Metalocalypse  and Dethklok,  Brendon Small,  began his career in animation as the  co-creator, writer, voice actor, composer and musician for  Home Movies.  After four successful seasons, the show can be seen periodically rerun on Adult Swim. Small has also lent his voice to a number of other shows  including  The Venture Bros., Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Squidbillies, Reno 911!, Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil, and Frisky Dingo. 

Metalocalypse  premiered in August 2006  and continues to air on Adult Swim, with four seasons under its belt.  In addition to all of the behind-the-scenes work Small does for the series, he also provides voice talent for the characters Skwisgaar Skwigelf, Pickles the Drummer, and Nathan Explosion, three of the five members of Dethklok. 

In conjunction with the Metalocalypse  television series, Small completed a Dethklok album entitled The Dethalbum, in which he collaborated with Gene Hoglan to deliver an authentic melodic death metal sound while simultaneously retaining the light-hearted nature with which Small portrays the heavy metal sub-genre. The album, released by Adult Swim’s independent music label, Williams Street Records, debuted at #21 in the Billboard 200, making it the highest-charting death metal album ever.

In November 2007, Small, Hoglan, Mike Keneally and Bryan Beller performed live as Dethklok at twelve US college campuses in support of The Dethalbum. The Adult Swim-sponsored "Dethtour" featured Dethklok supporting ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. After the release of the second Dethklok album, Dethalbum II,  and another successful tour with Mastodon, Brendon Small produced and released his solo project, Brendon Small’s GALAKTIKON, to great critical reception.

Now, after closing a fourth season of Metalocalypse  and nearing the October 16, 2012 release of Dethklok’s third album, Metalocalypse: Dethklok Dethalbum III, Brendon and co. are set to head out on another full North American tour with support from Machine Head, All That Remains, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Metalocalypse Season 4 will be released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on October 30, 2012.

 Catch them on tour with All That Remains, Machine Head & Black Dahlia Murder on the following dates:

11/09 – Columbus, Ohio @ LC Pavilion
11/10 – Detroit, Mich. @ Fillmore
11/11 – Grand Rapids, Mich. @ Orbit Room
11/13 – Fargo, N.D. @ The Venue
11/14 – Minneapolis, Minn. @ Myth
11/15 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Rave / Eagles Club
11/16 – Chicago, Ill. @ Aragon Ballroom
11/17 – Kansas City, Mo. @ Midland
11/18 – St. Louis, Mo. @ The Pageant
11/20 – Denver, Colo. @ Fillmore
11/21 – Salt Lake City, Utah @ Great Salt Air
11/23 – Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox SODO
11/24 – Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theater
11/26 – Oakland, Calif. @ Fox Theater
11/27 – Hollywood, Calif. @ Palladium
11/28 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Marquee
11/30 – Dallas, Texas @ House Of Blues
12/01 – Austin, Texas @ Stubbs
12/02 – Houston, Texas @ House of Blues
12/04 – Orlando, Fla. @ House Of Blues
12/06 – Chattanooga, Tenn. @ Track 29
12/07 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Fillmore
12/08 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Tabernacle

Dethklok on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dethklok/25928656352

SHOW REVIEW: "Fully Charged" opening show at Palace of Auburn Hills by Ringling Bros is amazing for all ages by Sarah Sanders

The action at Fully Charged began an hour before show time at the All Access Power Up Pre-show Party which was FREE to all ticket holders. We got to know the world's greatest performers, meet some of the amazing animals in person, and worked to become CircusFit all before the show even started!  

 

My underage entourage really enjoyed it! 

When we found our seats and got settled in Fully Charged! started the show by "plugging in" and the sparks begin to fly (literally!)

 

Kids of all ages, were wide eyed at the procession of dancers, acrobats and jugglers! The clowns are so fun with their big smiles and antics bringing the show to full swing! The colorful costumes and neon accents bring life to the show. Impressive acts in this show, the tight wire, The Danuirs show they aren't afraid of heights! The stilt walkers bouncing through the ring with flips in formation, show us their skills at the basketball hoop. Our young "reviewers" were extremely impressed with the acrobatic performance by the Negrey Troupe, tumbling and flipping with ease all in succession.

 

The show also features elephants and tigers, as well as horses in the ring alongside their talented handlers.

 

Truly a fun show for everyone, big and small. 

Tickets for the November 7–11, 2012 performances at The Palace of Auburn Hills are priced from $13 - $82 and are available at The Palace Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com , and by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Visit www.Ringling.com  or call (800) 745-3000

 

-MCB's Sarah Sanders 

Free Tickets: Zombie Night at Mitten Movie Project

 

 The Mitten Movie Project Presents

ZOMBIE NIGHT

A night of independent zombie shorts

TUESDAY • NOV 13 2012 • 7:30 PM • MAIN ART THEATRE • ROYAL OAK

 

We have several pairs of tickets to give away. Send an email to motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your chance to win a pair of tickets

EMPTY-HEADED CHATTER [PSA] - Directed by Michael Pfaendtner
THE CASTAWAYS [narrative trailer] - Directed by Randell Hutchison
THE LAST BROADCAST: CHAPTER TWO - PANDORA'S DAWN [narrative trailer] - Directed by Michael G. Petersen
ABOVE GROUND [narrative trailer] - Directed by Douglas Akers
72 HOUR ZOMBIE [narrative] - Directed by Daniel Strasser
UNEMPLOYED ZOMBIES [animation] - Directed by Electric Otto
LIVING DEADHEAD [narrative] - Directed by James Korloch
ZOMBIE CITY GENOCIDE [animation] - Directed by Electric Otto
HAPPILY MARRIED VIGILANTE [featurette] - Directed by Daniel Casey
"ZOMBIE ATTACK!" by Rock 'n' Roll Monkey and the Robots [music video] - Directed by Craig Campbell
MY UNDEADLY [narrative] - Directed by Dave Reda
GHETTO ZOMBIE PIMPSMACKDOWN [animation] - Directed by Electric Otto
SMUSH! A DEADHEADS SHORT [narrative] - Directed by Brett Pierce & Drew Pierce
KILL ME AGAIN [narrative] - Directed by Steven Rodriguez

The Mitten Movie Project is proud to host the 6th annual ZOMBIE NIGHT, a night dedicated to screening independent zombie shorts, zombie trailers, zombie music videos, zombie documentaries, zombie animations, experimental zombie pieces – basically, anything zombie. ZOMBIE NIGHT takes place on November 13, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. at the Main Art Theatre (118 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067.

This year’s zombie shorts will also be eligible for the November MMP Audience Choice Award. The Zombie Night Audience Choice Award winner will compete for the 2012 Short of the Year award at the year-end December 4th Best of the Mitten Movie Project screening.

There will be a FREE raffle for movie-goers as a thank you to the audience for supporting independent film. People can write their names on a slip of paper during the pre-screening reception (6:30-7:30) and drop it in the raffle bucket. Winners will be drawn in the theatre during the introductory announcements.

Raffle prizes include an independent film comp ticket package (Mitten Movie Project / Main Art / Ring of Fire Showcase on 12/1), Michigan Film Office chatch (tote bag/hat/maps), swag bag full of useful stuff and hand-picked postcards/flyers from around town, Rock 'n' Roll Monkey and the Robots CD, signed Satori Circus calendar, and a signed and framed poster from "The Last Broadcast: Chapter One." Many more prizes to be announced!

Also, movie-goers dressed as zombies get in free!!!

This Friday Night in Windsor

Dirty. Sweaty. Fun. Toronto-based Catl. is a ‘trio steeped in blues tradition yet refreshingly idiosyncratic’

(Vish Khan | Exclaim! | May 2012).

Our main motive is to get people off their asses to enjoy a little dancing and drink’n. So get ready, cuz’ we’re comin’ for YOU Windsor! 

Catl is a dirty, stripped down, juke-joint blues band that likes to drink, fight, and grind, get ready!!!

Catl    http://catl.bandcamp.com/

Co-headlining the show with us is Danny Kroha. Hailing from Detroit rock-city, he was a member of cult-favourite garage band The Gories, as well as 
dirty sex-rockers The Demolition Dollrods. Hot

Danny Kroha can be reached here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Danny-Kroha-official/200975353285362?sk=wall

Reviews: Woodward Nights Featuring Father John Misty, VHS or BETA, and Justin Townes Earle

Father John Misty, October 28th at Magic Stick


His Opinion...

This was an emotional night for Detroit.  It was Game 4 of the World Series and the beloved Tigers were in danger of being swept.  Father John Misty, otherwise known as Joshua Tillman from Fleet Foxes, walked out on stage and immediately reprimanded concert goers from watching the game on television and went on an extended tirade about how unimportant sports are.  The existential tirade did little to warm the crowd up and boos could be heard.

That was certainly the low point of the show, but things improved from there.  He must have rethought his stance during his opening tune, “Funtimes in Babylon,” because he was a bit apologetic about his initial commentary.  He claimed a cold, I blamed the booze...I’ve been there.

The guy is a talent with a great voice.  For most of the concert he is simply a front man, no instrument.  It’s a bold move, but he does an adequate job pulling it off.  It was a good show, the album is great.  Summer may act like she is so offended by his antics that she will shun him for life, but I’ve heard her listening to it since the show.

Her Opinion...

Father John Misty…Father John Pissy…Father John Hissy.  I’ve been thinking about writing this post ever since the Father John Misty concert ended last week.  Frankly, I’m torn and reminded of a similar problem that my best friend, Grayson, had with a certain Bob Dylan.  As Jeremy previously described, Joshua Tillman, a.k.a. Father John Misty made a completely arrogant, ignorant, and heedless mistake when he chose to berate the crowd at the Magic Stick for having the FINAL WORLD SERIES GAME playing in an off-set corner of the venue.  

To his credit, Mr. Misty, was just hanging around the venue prior to his performance; talking to fans, taking pictures, and looking like a rock star.  I appreciated this about the guy, which was why it broke my little heart when he made his repeated sports-related blunders on stage.  When it was clear that the Tigers were not going to win, my resentment of the good Father increased exponentially and nothing could stop it; not his beautifully clear, ethereal voice, not his killer interpretive dances, and not his wonderful new album…nothing.  

Just as Bob Dylan had scarred Grayson with a poor, uninspired performance, I too felt detached from Tillman and any of his previous or current works.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a Dylan, a Tillman, or a Regis Philbin, you shouldn’t alienate or patronize your fans because of your lofty, elitist, and privileged preferences.  You certainly must not do this when the home team is hanging on for dear life in the World Series, especially in Detroit.

Hearts breaking as the Tigers get swept. 

VHS or Beta, October 8th at Magic Stick

His Opinion...

VHS or Beta in another Louisville, Kentucky band that I used to see in my younger days.  They were in cahoots with My Morning Jacket and usually opened their local gigs and occasionally the members from both bands would get together and DJ at a bar until the wee hours after a live show.

I heard about this show last minute, apparently many others did too because the place was pretty empty.  It was free and sponsored by Killian’s beer.  Those there were treated to a spirited performance, the crowd was powerful in spirit despite the small number.  This is one of those bands that I would always recommend people go and see, especially if it is FREE.  They put on a consistent, upbeat, quality show.  If they make it back to Detroit and you are unsure whether to go or not, make the trek.

Her Opinion...

I felt awkward at this show because the crowd was so small and the space was so big.  However, the people that did attend were enthusiastic and ready to support a great band.  VHS or BETA played an amazing set and gave their heart and souls to the twenty folks that were in attendance.  I’ll ditto Jeremy on everything in his post.  These guys are great and are well worth the listen and the concert.

Justin Townes Earle, October 9th at Majestic Theater 

His Opinion...

I was a bit apprehensive when I heard the Justin Townes Earle show was a general admission seated show.  The only concert I have ever seen with that format was Ryan Adams at the Aladdin Theater in Portland.  It was kind of a nightmare because you had to line up a couple of hours before the show in order to guarantee yourself a good seat in the small venue.
I must admit, I didn’t get to this show early.  We showed up about 15 minutes before Earle’s set started.  The late arrival really was not a hinderance though, the Majestic Theater is such a wide, shallow space that there really is not a bad viewing angle.  We settled in by the bar and enjoyed the show.  He was good, comfortable on stage.  He kept a light banter going with the crowd, mentioned his dad a few times.  He put on a good show.  I would certainly go back and see him again, I’d like to see how the energy might be different in a venue where there were no seats involved as his music really does not require them.

Her Opinion...

I am so happy I went to this show.  Justin Townes Earle an extremely talented country singer who is currently based out of Brooklyn.  He has a more traditional country style, which is getting more rare these days on the country music circuit.  Other than playing a great show he also interacted really well with the large crowd.  Earle has five albums, dating back to 2007, and they are all worth a listen.

Thank you Robert-David Jones for teaching us how
to use our new camera and taking some great pictures.