20-21 THU-FRI • MUSIC Junior Barnes —The name, we’re told, was the neighborhood meanie in Bill Cosby’s routine, the kid who beaned you with a slushball when you thought snowballs were the weapon of choice. Ouch. Which may suggest that this will be a jazz-rock-improv reunion with a sting. Ringleaders Colin Stetson (sax) and Stewart Bogie (trumpet) of the Ann Arbor band Transmission now work with Tom Waits and Medeski, Martin and Woods respectively. Guitarist Toby Summerfield, formerly of Tree Town’s Poignant Plecostomus, has founded Crush Kill Destroy in Chicago, and all of them have worked with multi-instrumentalist Bill Brovold in his band Larval. Besides huddling in the recording studio these days, they’re taking it to the stage Thursday at the Heidelberg (215 N. Main, Ann Arbor). Call 734-663-7758 for information. Friday they’ll be at Detroit Art Space (101 E. Baltimore, Detroit). Call 313-598-4695 for details.
22 SAT • MUSIC Monroe’s 16th Annual Black History Month Blues Concert — There’s so much more to it than blues — and it’s always worth the drive. Sure, WDET-FM’s Robert Jones will be there, a pillar of the Detroit blues scene. But so will the Henry Butler Group, the pride of New Orleans playing boogie-woogie, jazz and (yes) blues. Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers, the hot, young protégés of Buckwheat Zydeco, storming straight outta Barrett Station, Texas, will be there too. It’s in a new, smaller spot this year — the River Raisin Center for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe. And it’s all free. Doors at 6 p.m., music at 7 p.m.; call 734-241-5277 for more information and be sure to get there early.
22 SAT • ART Richard Mayhew: "Musings From My Mind" — "Artists are not involved just to exhibit. They’re involved with a creative, challenging process of experimentation refinement and [endless] searching," says artist, Richard Mayhew. Mostly known for his sublime landscapes and brilliant use of color, Mayhew’s newest works ccapture the human figure. Drawing on his Native American and African-American heritages, Mayhew practices what’s been called a "religion of the land," and calls his latest work "musings from my mind." At Sherry Washington Gallery (L.B. King Building, 1274 Library St., Detroit). Artist reception 3-5 p.m. Call 313-961-4500. Runs through April 26.
21-23 FRI-SUN • FUN FOR ALL 51st Annual Detroit AutoRama— "It should be like it’s going a million miles per hour, standing still," says Bill Jagenaw — local car-club member and classic-car wonk on the topic of the perfect sled. Not your average auto show, Detroit’s AutoRama focuses on the chopped, the lowered and the custom-made-to-personal-perfection types of cars, while specializing in the nostalgia of year’s past. Be it souped-up, teeming with hydraulics, flame-throwin’ or a simple example of a well-made classic car, the AutoRama is any auto-lover’s chrome-plated dream. At Cobo Center (1 Washington Blvd., Detroit). Call 313-877-8777 for more details.
23 SUN • ART/MUSIC Detroit Art Space’s Sunday Brunch — What better way to spend a Sunday morning than with yummy food and beautiful things? Be it music, poetry, spoken word or performance art, this unusual forum for sustenance (both mental and physical), is the perfect end to any weekend. As an ongoing Sunday afternoon event which features a revolving eclectic lineup of solo performances Sunday’s at the DAM have all the makings of a new local tradition. Check it out at the Detroit Art Space (101 E. Baltimore, Detroit). Call 313-598-4695 for times. Can we get the times for this week??
