Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
The Detroit Artists Market hosted the opening of the Andrew Thompson-curated show It's Like Toys in Here. We saw participating artists Mary Fortuna and Andy Malone, fellow artists Andy Krieger and Gretchen Kramp, and a few haunting pieces by the late Matthew Blake. Maybe it was the way the show cast a wide net, featuring work from baby boomers, Gen Xers, and millennials, but there seemed to be plenty of new faces in attendance. The mid-city area is just bananas these days. We remember parking for free behind the venue. On this night, the $5 parking lot was almost full, but not as parked-up as the street, which was jammed all the way back down Forest. Times are changing, indeed. The exhibition runs through Jan. 16.
Where's Nolan?
Last Monday, DDays wiggled our way into artist and famed auto designer Camilo Pardo's Designer's Night party, held annually at his space in the Bankle Building as a kickoff of sorts for the North American International Auto Show. The event is always a swanky affair, and between sets by DJs and a live jazz band, we ate from a fancy fruit platter and mingled with the stylish crowd, an impressive mix of Big 3 top brass and Detroit's artistic weirdos. We have to confess we were a bit shocked to spot The Detroit News' Nolan Finley, these days best known as the man who asked "Where are all the black people in Detroit?" We're happy to report that we spotted quite a few black people, in Detroit, in the same room as Finley — and we're glad Finley seems to be taking our advice to get out more. (No word on what Pardo thinks of the new Ford GT.)
Perfect 10
Saturday night was also the anniversary celebration for Motor City Blog. Ten whole years have passed (feels like just yesterday, doesn't it?) since the inception of the blog, and there was a little shindig at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate. The event also doubled as a fundraiser for the Michigan Humane Society, and since we're suckers for animals here at DDays, we had plenty of reasons to go. There were 16 bands on the bill, so we knew we were in for quite the evening. J. Walker & the Crossguards put together a silky-smooth set, as usual, and the Amino Acids treated us to another blistering set. All in all, it's safe to say that we got our fill of live music!
Anything but frigid
The sold-out Polar Beer Fest was a hit Saturday night at the Royal Oak Farmers Market, booming with eager beer drinkers ranging from rabid beer maniac to brew-sipping novice. Three dozen craft breweries showcased some of their longtime favorites along with new tasty brews. Folks were lined up everywhere, sipping beers and dancing, playing drunken Hammerschlagen (the traditional German game of hitting a nail with the wedge end of a hammer — it's good fun) or testing their balance and coordination by playing giant Jenga. We bought too much merch, ate too much food, and drank too much beer. That said, it was a raging success!
