'80S REUNION FEVER...

Two bands that made quite a splash on the local scene in the '80s are planning reunion shows over the next two weekends.

First, the Hysteric Narcotics -- a band at the forefront of the first Detroit garage rock revival (with some pyschedelia thrown in for good measure) -- will be presenting a reunion show this Saturday, February 6th, at Paychecks in Hamtramck. The catalyst for the event is a Hysteric Narcotics anthology CD that features mostly unavailable recordings -- "some cuts out of print; some never-before-released; some studio outtakes; some live cuts. All of them recorded between 1983 and 1989," according to the reunited band's press release. The CD will be available at the show. Also on the bill will be DJ Jim Shaw spinning his favorite records and former Gorie, Dollrod and current Readies leader Danny Kroha making a guest appearance. The band had a slightly revolving lineup that included nine different members during its time together, but we know for a fact that drummer Chip Sercombe (currently of the Fondas) will be on hand, since he's the one who sent the press release. Other Hysteric Narcotics over the years included Dave Feeny, Mike Murphy, Jerry Barterian, Sean Curran, Mark Niemenski, Tom Nieminski, Keith Soucy and Larry Ulrich. Expect most of, if not all of, them on hand for a rockin' good time. So to repeat: The Hyseric Narcotics. This Saturday. At Paychecks in Hamtramck.

We also recently heard from local rocker -- and former CREEM Magazine T-Shirt chick (see below) -- Beaux Mitchell, who's reviving her popular '80s rock group, the Roomates, for a show a week from Saturday, Feb. 13, also at Paychecks. The Roomates started out as an all-female band (which Beaux, who won several Metro Times Music Awards back in the day, formed after being inspired by singing background vocals for Nikki Corvette in Nikki & The Corvettes) but was a co-ed unit by the time the group was opening shows for national bands and headlining their own nights in local clubs ranging from Bookies to Lili's during the decade that gave rise to (ugh!) MTV. Not sure how many original members will be on hand; it's impossible, of course, for the Roommates' powerhouse drummer -- the late, great Steve Sortor, best known for his time as the skinsman for the much-lamented Mutants -- to be there ... but we know for a fact that original Roomate Sarana Verlin will be performing with Ms. Mitchell, who will be front-and-center for the festivities. Four other local reunited bands are also on the bill that night -- Natasha, the Earthworms and Treatment Bound. Should be quite the night for reminiscing and musical memories.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON FUN WITH THE STOOGES...

I guess this Swiftcover insurance commercial, which is currently running in Great Britain on the telly, means Iggy's really about as "mainstream" as you can get these days. Not as much fun or as genuinely funny as Johnny (Lydon) Rotten's British butter commercial from a year or so ago was -- but still pretty clever, especially the "Little Iggy" thing.

Also, our old L.A. friend, rock photog and scribe Heather Harris, recently posted on her blog about the Ron Asheton tribute show that took place earlier this month in L.A. (West Hollywood on the Sunset Strip, to be exact), and which we mentioned here a few weeks back. Interesting read, although it looks like Detroit's own Mike Jtone of Circus Boy fame didn't exactly endear himself to any of the denizens of the L.A. punk scene at the Roxy Theater that night. You can read Heather's full report by clicking here. 

Heather also recently did a new photo shoot with former Detroit golden boy/Raw Power guitarist and co-writer James Williamson. James liked the shots enough to post them on his own Website, which you can access by clicking here. Now, when in the hell are those local Iggy & The Stooges reunion shows gonna be announced? Thus far, nothing except European shows through the spring and Coachella is now officially a no-go. Looks like Iggy is opting for those Euros while the getting's good....

MORE HAITI BENEFITS SCHEDULED...

DETROIT ROCKS FOR HAITI...

The minimum donation for each night of the benefit is $8 -- but larger donations will be accepted. For those who can’t make it the event, there is information regarding outside contributions on Bishop Gumbleton's website. Net door proceeds and a portion of bar revenues will help the bishop purchase medical supplies to take with them to Klinik Sen Michel.

Also, our pal Rick Manore over at the Music Hall, alerted us to a Hatian benefit -- this one to aid the children of Haiti -- which takes place tomorrow night, January 21st ,  at the cigar and martini Lounge, La Casa De La Habana, in Harmonie Park (1502 Randolph St. Detroit,) from 6 to 10 p.m.  Hosted by the establishment's manager, Maria Petrenko (who has many friends in both Haiti and Dominican Republic), the event's proceeds (all from donations received -- no amount too small or large) will go to UNICEF for Haitian children's relief. The non-formal event will feature house wine tasting,  donated by Solttera, as well as raffles -- one of which will include two free tickets to the Russian Classical Ballet, on Jan.23rd at the Music Hall. A cigar sampler will also be raffled off. Haitian music will be featured throughout the evening. Phone  313-285-8332 for more info.

The full lineup for the Majestic benefit show is below:
 
JANUARY 29th 
 
1:00 AM              FRIENDLY FOES (MAIN STAGE)
12:30 AM            COPPER THIEVES (SIDE STAGE)
12:00 AM            FOUR HOUR FRIENDS (MAIN STAGE)
11:30 PM            SECRET TWINS (SIDE STAGE)
11:00 PM            CHARLIE SLICK (MAIN STAGE)
10:30 PM            OLD EMPIRE (SIDE STAGE)
10:00 PM            BLACK JAKE AND THE CARNIES (MAIN STAGE)
09:30 PM            FAWN (SIDE STAGE)
09:00 PM            THE COLD WAVE (MAIN STAGE)
08:45 PM            THE HAND GRENADES (SIDE STAGE)
08:30 PM            DESIGNASAUR (MAIN STAGE)
 
JANUARY 30th 
 
1:00 AM              BUMP (MAIN STAGE)
12:30 PM            SISTERS OF YR. SUNSHINE VAPOR (SIDE)
12:00 PM            ELECTRIC FIRE BABIES (MAIN STAGE)
11:30 PM            TROY GREGORY (SIDE STAGE)
11:00 PM            THE JULIETS (MAIN STAGE)
10:30 PM            DECIBILT (SIDE STAGE)
10:00 PM            MICK BASSETT & THE MARTHAS (MAIN STAGE)
09:30 PM            TBA (SIDE STAGE)
09:00 PM            COMPUTER PERFECTION (MAIN STAGE)
08:45 PM            TBA (SIDE STAGE)
08:30 PM            BODY HOLOGRAPHIC (MAIN STAGE)

THE BLOOZE IN FERNDALE...& FIVE YEARS OF MOTOR CITY BLOG

We'd be lax if we didn't mention the 16th annual Anti-Freeze Blues Festival, which takes place this Friday and Saturday night, January, 15th and 16th, at the Magic Bag (22920 Woodward Ave) in Ferndale. (We actually had planned a Night & Day blurb on it....but things didn't go quite the way we planned, so we figured we'd blog about it instead.) The event -- which benefits the Detroit Blues Society -- features both local and international talent and is headlined this year (on Friday night, to be exact) by Jeremy Spencer, still one of the greatest slide guitarists anywhere and one of the original guitarists (and the one who didn't loss his mind) of Fleetwood Mac, back in the days when they were a blues-rock powerhouse, performing "Oh, Well" and such and ....and (on Saturday night, to be exact) Big Bill Morganfield (the son of the legendary Muddy Waters). Also headlining Saturday night's show is Larry McCray, one of the finest practioners of the genre who, though born in Arkansas, was raised right here in the Mitten (in Saginaw, to be exact). Others on the bill include such local faves as Thornetta Davis and a blues lineup featuring Jeff Grand, Jim McCarty and Bobby East. Doors are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are still available. Click here for more info.

And if you're looking for even more to do this weekend, our friends over at Motor City Blog are hosting a Fifth Anniversary Party at the Jazz Cafe in the Music Hall (350 Madison) in downtown Detroit this Saturday night, the 16th. Among those on the stellar bill are Kinetic Stero Kids, Mick Bassett & The Marthas, Blase Splee, Lincolns UK, Satori Circus and Electric Fire Babies. Current local buzz artist Ken Stanley (our good friend Rick Manore over at the Music Hall can't say enough good stuff about this dude!) and his Loud Band will also be presenting the newest songs from their upcoming CD, Good For The Bones. More on Mr. Stanley at a later date. The show starts at 7 p.m. and admission is a reasonable $1O. Should be fun.

Larry McCray: Home boy in Ferndale this Saturday

FREE IS GOOD! MAJESTIC CUSTOMER APPRECIATION NIGHT

Our friend Anthony Morrow over at the Majestic complext has alerted us to the fact that this Friday, January 15th, is "Customer Appreciation Night" at the Magic Stick. The venue will be serving up complimentary food and domestic draft beer from 9-10 p.m. The Sugarcoats, Gardens, Liquor Store and Highest Power (we're betting at least a few people will be contacting their higher power at the suggestion of "free beer" will be performing live, with Keep On Trash DJs spinning throughout the night. Hey, the price is right!

BELGRAVE KICKS OFF NEW SERIES & OTHER JAZZ NOTES

Some jazz notes from here, there and everywhere around town:

• Tickets are now on non-sale for a special Black History Month musical celebration, featuring the Detroit International Jazz Festival Orchestra, the Second Ebenezer Majestic Voices, the Christian McBride Quintet and a number of narrators, including Bishop Edgar L. Vann II. Bassist McBride has composed a jazz opus titled “THE MOVEMENT,” dedicated to four icons of the civil rights movement — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X — and, in McBride's words it’s intended to “reminds us of our responsibility to pave the way for many to live a better life.” And although the piece has been performed before, this will be the premiere for a new movement celebrating Obama’s election. What’d we mean by non-sale? Tickets are free, but must be reserved at detroitjazzfest.com, or by calling 313-447-1248. The music will be performed in the 3,000-seat Second Ebenezer Church, 14601 Dequindre at I-75 and McNichols, in Detroit, on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The Festival Orchestra, by the way, is the group that made its debut at last year's festival and promises to be a major, year-round rep group.
• Last month the Kresge Foundation’s Kresge Arts in Detroit project honored Marcus Belgrave as an eminent artist in metro Detroit – an award merited on numerous achievements during his remarkable musical life. There was a great invitation-only dinner for Belgrave and a formal presentation of the award, which is backed by $50,000. This Saturday (Jan. 16), Belgrave is at the Virgil Carr Center — where his is a master resident artist — for an open-to-the-public event celebrating the same, and kicking off a new Belgrave-helmed series at the center. Belgrave will be accompanied by guest saxophonist Ernie Krivda (the Colossus of Cleveland), pianist Johnny O’Neal, bassist Marian Hayden, drummer Gayelynn McKinney and vocalist Joan Belgrave. Music also from the ALM ensemble. Tickets are $35, which includes an after-the-show reception — and for the first 70 ticket buyers, a commemorative book-CD combo package prepared by the Kresge Foundation in conjunction with Belgrave’s eminent artist designation. Starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Virgil H. Carr Cultural Arts Center, 311 E. Grand River, Detroit; 313-965-8430; artsleague.com.
• The Jazz Café at Music Hall’s recent presentation of Ain’t Misbehavin’ was such a smash that plans for once-a-month Tuesday presentations have been scuttled: instead there’ll be a month Sunday show with Alvin Waddles in the part of Fats Waller and a young crew recreating the life and times of the man who tickled the nation by way of tickling the ivories. The monthly Sunday shows get started Jan. 31 with brunch from 1-3 p.m. followed by the show for $40. The show is a joint production of Music Hall and the WSU Theater Department. Tickets at the Music Hall box office or ticketmaster.com,
• Among other events worth making notes on your jazz calendar: Frode Gjerstad and Paal Nilssen Love on Jan. 25 at 2739 Edwin, Hamtramck; Peter Brotzmann and Fred Longberg-Holm at Kerrytown on Feb. 22; a tribute by what’s being dubbed the Lyman Woodard Organization Orchestra to its late, great namesake at the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit on March 3; and the Larry Ochs Sax Quartet at MOCAD on March 19.

L.A. PAYS TRIBUTE TO ASHETON

If you happen to be in Los Angeles next week -- and looking outside my window at the moment, it's probably not such a bad idea -- you may want to stop by the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on Wednesday night, January 13th, when the musical denizens of that fair city finally pay tribute to one of our own.To commemorate the one-year anniversary of Ron Asheton's death (hard to believe it's been an entire year!), friends, family and fans will gather at the Roxy for the "Jam For Ron Asheton — A Tribute to the Late Guitarist of The Stooges."

Organized by Leanna Asheton, Ron’s 18 year-old niece, the evening will feature performances by Blondie's Clem Burke, Derek Stanton, D-Town's own Circus Boy and Night Horse. A massive jam session with Scott Asheton, Mike Watt and Steve Mackay of the Stooges, Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Jesse Hughes (Eagles of Death Metal) and many others not yet announced will close out the night. Ron, of course, was an avid animal lover, so proceeds from the evening will go to the Los Angeles Animal Welfare Trust Fund.

Tickets are available for $20 at www.theroxyonsunset.com

Of al-Qaeda & Grammys: ‘Baby, it’s cold outside’

’Tis still the season for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” — at least until the chill of winter finally leaves us. And in the American songbook classics, it’d be hard to find a song whose backstory goes as far afield as this one. Its Grammy Awards nomination — for the Willie Nelson-Norah Jones version as Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals — put it back in music news a while ago, but it has a connection of sorts to the defining news events of the decade — at least here in the United States.

Composer-lyricist Frank Loesser introduced the duet as an informal party item in 1944 — or so Wikipedia reports, citing a Loesser biography. And with its two voices dancing around their intentions — she’s half-heartedly trying to leave while he slowly reveals why he really wants her to stay — it’s easy to see how much fun it could be with a game couple at the piano and listeners gathered around.

It wasn’t released commercially until it showed up in the 1949 film Neptune’s Daughter. In the film, it’s performed by two sets of duet partners: Ricardo Montalbán and Esther Williams, and Red Skelton and Betty Garrett. An Oscar for Best Original Song followed, as have seemingly endless interpretations. Homer and Jethro with June Carter, Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae, Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan, Ray Charles and Betty Carter … down through the years to the Nelson-Jones version.

But it’s also a song with the distinction of being cited as an example of American decadence by a spiritual godfather of al-Qaeda. In The Looming Towers, his masterful examination of the roots of al-Qaeda and the 9/11 attack, Lawrence Wright of The New Yorker goes back to saga of Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian writer, a mid-level bureaucrat, an anti-colonialist and a proponent of what was not yet called Islamic fundamentalism.

Years later, Qutb would be executed for his views and allegiance to the cause, but from 1948 to 1950, when he was in his early 40s, Qutb traveled and studied in the United States, finding offense in the wantonness and materialism he saw everywhere. Americans were “a reckless, deluded herd that only knows lust and money,” wrote Qutb.

Studying at what was then Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, Qutb sometimes attended Sunday church services and after-service dances, one of which he wrote about in some detail. “The room convulsed with the feverish music from the gramophone. Dancing naked legs filled the hall, arms draped around waists, chests met chests, lips met lips, and the atmosphere was full of love,” Wright quotes from Qutb.

And after putting on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” — whose rendition is apparently not noted — Qutb wrote: “The minister paused to watch his young charges swaying to the rhythms of this seductive song, then he left them to enjoy this pleasant, innocent night.” Wright underscores the sarcasm in the innocent.

Radicalized rather than liberalized by his time abroad, Qutb returned to join the Muslim Brotherhood faction of the anti-colonial movement that helped bring Gamal Abdul Nasser (a secular nationalist) to power in Egypt. The factions quickly fell out and, after the Brotherhood’s failed bid to assassinate Nasser, Qutb was jailed. He was later freed, then jailed again and executed, in 1966, in connection with another alleged plot. He became a martyr and his austere book, Milestones, in particular, an inspiration to the founders of al-Qaeda, among others.

We might wonder whether al-Q follower Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, our would-be underwear bomber, heard “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” during his time in London.

It is cold out there. Colder than Frank Loesser ever imagined.

AL KOOPER DIGS THE SILENT YEARS

In case you're not totally sick of year-end "Best of" lists yet, Detroit music fans might get a kick out of the fact that the Silent Years placed on a very prestigious list that ran in the Boston Herald this past Sunday and was compiled by the legendary Al Kooper.

"Legendary" is, of course, an overused term these days so how legendary is Kooper? Well, he played the famous keyboard part on Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," among numerous other tracks by the bard (in addition to playing the infamous "Dylan goes electric" Newport Folk Festival gig), as well as playing on several Hendrix tracks. He was a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Blues Project; wrote "This Diamond Ring" (a hit for Gary Lewis & the Playboys); discovered and produced Lynyrd Skynyrd; put Mike Bloomfield together with Stephen Stills for their Supersessions albums; produced the Tubes' debut album; and also did session musician work with the Stones, George Harrison, Simon & Garfunkel and the Who, among numerous others. (On the other hand, he's real old now... so what the fuck does he know?)

Seriously, though, the Herald asked Kooper to pick the 50 best songs he heard in 2009 -- and the Silent Years placed a lucky number 13 on his list. Here's what he had to say:

13. "Pay It Back," The Silent Years. College pals from Detroit make some fine noise under the guise of indie rockers. Great brass and string parts on a catchy track.

Congratulations, dudes and dudettes. Impressive kudos, indeed. You can read Kooper's entire list by clicking here.

The Silent Years: How does it feel...?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas to all our loyal readers. Let's dance around the Christmas tree, next year, we'll still (hopefully!) be making rock 'n' roll history. (Check out the Roy Wood video below for an explanation and to see that's not just our ego speaking)...

Please click here for a much cooler video of the above song. For some reason, youtube won't let us embed it...but you won't be sorry!

Unfortunately, the powers-that-be won't allow a video of the Raveonettes ' "Christmas Song," the best rock 'n' roll yuletide classic of this decade, to be posted on Youtube. So seek it out yourself and settle for this one, instead. It ain't bad at all.

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