So today’s the day. Or rather, tonight’s the night. Blowout kicks off in Detroit, before filling Hamtramck to the brim with local music of all shapes and sizes. It’s exciting, it’s overwhelming, and it’s something that no mental health professional would ever feel comfortable suggesting I “wing it” and just “see what happens.” That might be fine for some people, but I’d end up breathing into a paper bag repeating, “I am in control of my own decisions… I am in control of my own decisions…” So instead, I made myself a pretty precise schedule. One that’s loose enough to provide flexibility, but rigid enough to allow me the kind of structure I really enjoy (ok, need). I am, like most local music junkies, using this esteemed event as an opportunity to see bands I either have never seen, never heard of but am intrigued by, or have not seen in a long time. Though a lot of my favorite bands are playing Blowout, I’m consciously focing myself to forge a path of discovery. This is what I suggest you do… Well, not the freaking out and making a concise schedule part, unless that’s your thing. Rather, the taking the time to discover something new and get excited about Detroit’s music scene for the first time or all over again.
Here’s my schedule:
WEDNESDAY > MARCH 3
MAJESTIC
09:00 – See bands at PRE-PARTY
THURSDAY > MARCH 4
G OF C LOUNGE
08:20 PM MATT JONES
BAKER’S STREETCAR
08:40 PM MODERNLULL
SKIPPER’S
09:00 PM ISOSCELES MOUNTAIN
PAYCHECK’S
09:20 PM FAWN
THE BELMONT
10:00 PM MACRAME TIGER
BAKER’S STREET CAR
10:40 PM TIMOTHY MONGER
G OF C HALL
MIDNIGHT INVINCIBLE
FRIDAY > MARCH 5
PAINTED LADY
09:20 PM THE BLUEFLOWERS
BAKER’S STREETCAR
10:20 PM BLOODBIRD
SMALL’S
10:40 PM BARS OF GOLD
WHISKEY IN THE JAR
11:20 PM THE FERDY MAYNE
NEW DODGE
MIDNIGHT THE SIGHTS
G of C LOUNGE
12:40 AM STOOPZ N BREEZE
G of C HALL
01:00 AM DETROIT COBRAS
SATURDAY > MARCH 6
JEAN’S
09:20 PM JAMIE REGISTER AND THE GLENDALES
THE BELMONT
10:00 PM THE KODAKS
BAKER’S STREETCAR
10:40 PM BIG MESS
PAYCHECK’S
11:20 PM CANJA RAVE
PAYCHECK’S
12:20 AM THE BEGGARS
G OF C HALL
01:00 AM MILLIONS OF BRAZILIANS
See? Cinchy. And fool proof. But then again…
Rumor has it Child Bite‘s gonna have some pretty crazy shit planned… And I’ve only seen Lettercamp once before – that hardly counts as “seen them,” right? And what about Lightning Love? Is there a law that says I can’t see them a bijillion times? And as much as I want to see Timothy Monger, Carradine‘s playing 20 minutes later and it’s not like I couldn’t squeeze them in too… Damn it. I don’t know if I can do this! There’s just too many bands to see! How can I stick to a schedule??
Where’s that paper bag when I need it?!
This article appears in Mar 3-9, 2010.