Romantic thoughts
I just wanted to express my appreciation to Brian Smith for your cover story on the Romantics (“Test of time,” Metro Times, Sept. 10-16). I’ve been a fan/believer/friend of the band for many years, and it’s damn nice to see good things finally begin to happen for them again. —Kevin Gibson, [email protected], Louisville, Ky.
Late for work
Hey Brian, un-fucking-believably great story on the Romantics today. I couldn’t put it down and now I’m gonna be late for my gig. I know all those guys, but I didn’t know half of the facts in your story. Great job. Can’t wait to get home tonight and finish reading it.—Bob Monteleone, [email protected], Shelby Township
History lesson
Very, very nice piece on the Romantics. There’s some great history here, some obvious messy personal and legal wrangling, and I think you nailed it. I was there for a lot of it, especially in the formative years (1976-1980), and I remember much of it the same way. I’m very happy the Romantics are back, I love the new material and I’m glad the Metro Times devoted a cover and gave you six pages to tell their story. Great pics too. —Walter Wasacz, Hamtramck
Missing in action
So the Romantics get the cover and a sympathetic six-page feature? And does the absolute “product” pop drivel of, say, “Talking in Your Sleep,” sound any better than it did 25 years ago? It was bubble gum then and now.
I’ve got nothing against pop artists and their crafted “hits,” but Metro Times proclaims itself, “news, arts and culture.” The Stooges gave the most transcendent, explosive big rock show of the year, and all they got was a comically sniveling preview (“Dr. Stoogelove,” Metro Times, Aug. 13-19) and nary a mention of the show that finally proved, live in the flesh, why all the “hype” around the Stooges over the last 30 years underestimated their real rock grandeur. Ask anyone who was at the show; apparently you missed it.
You have become an absolute joke. This was the biggest, and as it turns out, best rock performance in Detroit in ages. Where were you? —Alan McKinnon, [email protected], Windsor
Getting organ-ized
I read with interest Leah Samuel’s piece on the Detroit Theater Organ Society (“Organ transplant,” Metro Times, Sept. 10-16). Yes, it’s true that fans of theater organ music are mostly retirees. And it’s also true that retirees are often hesitant to visit neighborhoods after dark that they believe may be unsafe. These two facts make the fate of the DTOS, and its mighty Wurlitzer, uncertain.
It seems to me there is an opportunity here. Many residential facilities for seniors, sprinkled throughout the metro Detroit suburbs, are interested in inexpensive field trips for their residents. I wonder if the Society has explored the idea of offering performances during daylight hours? Some imaginative and low-cost marketing could open whole new vistas for them. Perhaps a package price for a late morning performance, followed by lunch at a downtown restaurant, could be arranged. Some seniors’ residences own their own minibuses, and could bring the audience to the venue, eliminating driving or parking concerns. —Cheryl Lieblang, Dearborn
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