N&D Center

Thursday • 8

Detroit Dodgeball

Sports

We can thank Ben Stiller’s puerile new comedy, Dodgeball, for America’s renewed interest in the game that once made recess the best part of our day. But we bet you didn’t know that this fun game of cat and mouse is not relegated to the playground anymore. The Detroit Dodgeball League is a fast-growing recreational league that encourages men and woman alike to blow off some steam with the help of a little cathartic rubber-ball-whacking. An open practice will be held at the Taylor Sportsplex (13333 Telegraph Road, Taylor), where folks can learn the rules of the game and strategies of playing, and even accept the challenge of battling other teams. Tournaments to follow. Call 248-840-8200 or visit www.detroitdodgeball.com for information. Practice is free, tournaments are $25 per person (you will be placed on a team) or $135 per team (roster limit is 10 players).

Friday • 9

Terry Riley’s “In c”

MUSIC

Steve Reich and Philip Glass took musical minimalism to big orchestras and big screens, but composer Terry Riley rocked the rock world. His “In C” — released on Columbia in the ’60s — influenced artists from Brian Eno to Kraftwerk to the Who, whose “Baba O’Riley” was in part a tribute to him. “In C” is comprised of 53 musical modules, most of them just a few notes, which each musician in an ensemble repeats as many times as desired before moving to the next; meanwhile, the top two C notes of a piano are hammered into a drone under the morphing musical mosaic. “The single most influential post-1960 composition by an American,” critic Robert Palmer gushed, with justification. For the 40th anniversary of its composition, “In C” gets a rare Detroit performance by the Mafarka Ensemble, an ad hoc assemblage of 20 Detroiters culled from various genres just for this occasion. At 7 p.m. on the Detroit Institute of Arts lawn (5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit); call 313-833-7971.

Friday • 9

Ryan Mackstaller New Quintet

Music

When one conjures images of heady avant jazz, pasty 23-year-old suburban boys rarely come to mind … but that’s all about to change. Ryan Mackstaller, a cub by most standards, is way ahead of his time — and his progressive and cultivated guitar-playing and composition skills will be showcased with the debut of his new quintet — featuring some of metro Detroit’s finest, including Alex Trajano (drums), Andrew Bishop (sax), Chuck Bartels (electric bass) and Andy Kirschner (vox) — at the Kerrytown Concert House (415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor); call 734-769-2999 for ticket information.

Friday • 9

Natsukashii Furaibo
(The Lovable Tramp)

Film

Japanese director Yamada Yoji’s pinnacle success came with Tasogare Seibei (Twilight Samurai), his 2003 Academy Award-nominated “Best Foreign Language Film.” And this week, as part of their Free Summer Film Series, the University of Michigan Center for Japanese Studies will be honoring this prodigious moviemaker with a hand-picked offering of six of his films. The series will kick off with Natsukashii Furaibo (The Lovable Tramp), a story about an odd couple who hit it off after drinking together at an oden cart. See it at Lorch Hall Auditorium on U-M’s Central Campus at 7 p.m. Call 734-764 6307 for more information.

Saturday • 10

Found Magazine

Literature/Fun For All

Davy Rothbart has carved out a livelihood from his fascination with refuse. A few years back, he began putting together a Xeroxed magazine called Found, a collection of discarded items — love letters, birthday cards, ticket stubs, poetry on bar napkins, doodles, etc. — found on the ground, in gutters, parking lots, prison yards, etc. Within a year, his grassroots publication had been written up in The New Yorker and The Chicago Tribune. Just a few years later, he finds himself making a 50-state, 126-city tour in celebration of his latest book, FOUND: The Best Lost, Tossed and Forgotten Items from Around the World. The tour kicks off at the Detroit Film Center (1227 Washington Blvd., Detroit); call 313-961-9936 for more information. David Sedaris, author of Me Talk Pretty One Day says of this magazine, “A fascinating and compelling collection that will break your heart.”

Saturday • 10

Nice Peter

MUSIC

If the smartass rock band Tenacious D were a little less r-a-w-k and a bit more Weezer, they would be Nice Peter. This threesome’s demo, which serendipitously made its way across Night & Day’s desk, was an instant hit, sending the editor into immediate fits of laughter. Augmented by serious musicianship, Nice Peter’s hysterical original acoustic pop songs about love, sex and pop culture are a terrific change of pace for any modern music lover. Fronted by Peter Shukoff, an Improv Olympic comedian, this indie rock-cum-interactive comedy show is way worth the paltry $5 cover charge. At Jacoby’s (624 N. Brush St., Detroit) with Nico Blue. Call 313-961-0051 for more info.

Saturday • 10

Deth P. Sun: Drifting Dreaming Sleeping

ART

Even though the first name “Deth” might evoke images morbidity, this particular art installation is all about cuteness. Often painted on wood in acrylic, artist Deth P. Sun’s subjects — a variety of cats, turtles, bears and birds — express an innocent sweetness that is hard to capture. And as if to let the viewers in on the inner workings of his world of make-believe, Sun’s paintings also offer textual clues and cartoon bubbles that give voice to his cuddly creatures. At the Primary Space Gallery (2750 Yemans St., Hamtramck), call 313-870-9470 or visit www.primaryspace.com for more information. Exhibit ends July 31.

Saturday • 10

His Name is Alive

MUSIC

Warren Defever has had his hand in a lot of Detroit pots over the years. Whether he is producing albums for the likes of Tamion 12 Inch, Iggy or the Go, Defever’s Midas touch always seems to crop up somewhere in the mix. This weekend he takes off his behind-the-scenes hat and gets back to the stage with his soul rock outfit, His Name is Alive. (They only play in town once a year, so if you are a fan, we highly recommend you check out this show.) Word has it that their most recent song, “Peace in Detroit,” a Marvin Gaye-styled ditty about the goings-on of D-town’s tenuous garage band tribulations, is really something. At the Magic Stick (4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit) with improvisational jazz great, Faruq Z. Bey and DJ Liz Copeland. Call 313-833-9700 for more information.

Ongoing

Alternative Learning at the Dreamland Theater

ISSUES & LEARNING

Though it just might seem a little creepy for mainstreamers, the Dreamland Theater in Ypsilanti is keeping true to their commitment to the unconventional by offering a new kind of summer school. The 2004 summer classes include: the Shamanic Journey, where the sound of the drum guides students on a journey into their subconscious minds (Saturdays at 3 p.m.); Occultic Meditation, a drop-in meditation class for pagans, occultists and those who are curious about consciousness-expanding techniques (Wednesdays at 6 p.m.); and Magick 101, an instruction in the theory and practice of ceremonial and ritual “magick” (Fridays at 6 p.m.). Class fees range anywhere from $3 to $6. At the Dreamland Theater (44 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti); call 734-657-2337 for more information.