Thursday • 2
Fast Track
MUSIC
Trying to break into the music biz? Everyone knows that if you want to make it big, you’d best move along to Los Angeles, New York or London, right? Maybe not: If you are willing to wade through the sycophants and brownnosers, Time Machine Audio Recording Studios has put together an evening of networking which just might be perfect for those interested in climbing the ladder to success. “It is meant to provide an outlet and a model for electronic and hip-hop musicians, lyricists/poets and music entrepreneurs to secure works in the filming and broadcasting industry,” says event organizer Herdest Cummings. At the Majestic Café (4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit); call 313-833-9700 for further lowdown; this is scheduled to be an ongoing event.
Thursday • 2
Beginning Handdrum Circle
MUSIC
If smacking the steering wheel of the car and using the dashboard as a high hat just isn’t cutting it anymore, it might be time to fully embrace the fact that you’ve got a thing for percussion. Why not start off with something simple like a handdrum circle? In the cozy storefront atmosphere that is Oz’s Music Environment in Ann Arbor, interested tub-thumpers can learn how to pound with panache. Beginning, Advanced, and Kid’s Handdrum Circle workshops are available. Oz’s Music Environment is located at 1922 Packard Road, Ann Arbor; call 734-662-8283 for more information.
Friday • 3
Savas Pascalidis
MUSIC
Since opening its doors in late April, Oslo has proven itself to be one of the city’s most popular spots for underground electronic talent. Every Friday, its downstairs bar plays host to the world’s finest international DJ talent — and all for only five or 10 bucks, even for rare performances. So why are hugely influential underground artists like Savas Pascalidis going to Oslo, Detroit, instead of, say, Oslo, Norway, to play in a dark basement bar that heats up like the wooden sauna room that it looks like when bodies start movin’? It’s an ingenious formula, really: world-class sushi upstairs, disco-infused techno sleaze from the world’s finest downstairs. Upstairs = raw, downstairs = cookin’. According to aficionados, if you miss this one, “you’re an idiot.” Call 313-963-0300 or visit soft-curls.com for more info.
Sunday • 5
Fortune & Maltese
MUSIC
If it weren’t for the heinous belly shirts, pierced faces and tattooed tailbones all over the place, a Fortune & Maltese show just might make you think that you entered a time warp. And given our druthers, the retrophile expertise of frontman Freddy Fortune just might be the shot in the arm this town’s gee-rage scene needs. As part of the Gore Gore Girls’ 2-day record-release party, the mod boys of Fortune & Maltese will flip wigs with their incredibly well-written, Farfisa-overloaded songs and kitschy 1960s appeal. If you like your rock ’n’ roll delivered with a little bit of style and a whole lotta class, see F&M at the Lager House (1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit) with the Gore Gore Girls and the Hard Lessons. Call 313-961-4668 for more information.
Monday • 6
Underground Railroad Tour to Canada
ISSUES & LEARNING
It’s hard to imagine the sort of bravery it must have taken for escaped slaves to traverse the Underground Railroad, but this week, Stewart McMillin — history buff, news junkie, Detroit tour guide and world traveler — has put together a day trip that just might give a little perspective on the importance of the intricate system that led many slaves to freedom. The tour will include a stop at Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Dresden, Ontario, and a visit to North Buxton, Ontario (a city where many escaped slaves settled and whose families still inhabit the small town), for their annual parade — a celebration of the courageousness and sacrifice of their forefathers. Register at 313-922-1990 before Sept. 6; tour begins at 2136 Seminole, near Kercheval in Detroit. The 1929 movie Uncle Tom’s Cabin will be shown on the bus and lunch will be served. Trip is $60 per person.
Tuesday • 7
Common Ground Sanctuary’s Art in the Park
FUNDRAISER/MUSIC
For more than 30 years now, the Common Ground Sanctuary has provided services to youths, adults and families in crisis. The center’s 24-hour crisis hotline, family services and psychiatric services throughout Oakland County have been a veritable lifeline for runaways and homeless youths, victims of crime, people with mental illness and others in critical situations; and they could not offer this kind of assistance if it weren’t for the generosity of others. Help the Common Ground Sanctuary kick off their annual Art in the Park fundraiser (an art fair which takes place in Birmingham’s Shain Park on Sept. 11 and 12) with a music concert; Orbis, Rib, the Strange and Tabula Rasa will perform at the Magic Bag (22920 Woodward Ave.) in Ferndale. Call 248-456-8158 for more information; tickets are $10.
Ongoing
Jeff Karolski’s T-Shirts
ART
Known in noise-art circles as the guy who makes “music” with an oscillating fan, a fish tank, freezing and melting ice, basketballs, passing traffic and the sound of his own body shuddering on a 30-degree winter night, Jeff Karolski is, without a doubt, one of the more interesting characters in the Detroit art scene. And his latest art installation — a collection of his homemade T-shirts (all of which he has worn) can be seen at one of D-town’s most interesting places: the Detroit Art Space. Located at 101 E. Baltimore in Detroit, this exhibit will be up until Sept. 16. Call 313-664-0445 for more information.
Ongoing
Kid’s Yoga
FUN FOR ALL
So Mom and Dad have already discovered what mental clarity and vitality can be achieved by incorporating yoga into their daily routine. Why not bring along the little tyke? It’s never too early to learn how to take care of your body, and yoga is one of the best ways to stay in shape. The ancient system of healing, toning and rejuvenating the body has been practiced for thousands of years and just might be the perfect way to get your youngster interested in a lifelong health regimen. Morning and evening classes are available at the Community House (380 S. Bates St., Birmingham); call 248-644-5832 or visit communityhouse.com for more information.
