Wednesday • 23
The Other Auto Forum
ART/ISSUES & LEARNING
With the auto show out of the way, Detroiters can get back to discussing other vehicular issues — say, the lack of a true mass transit system in the city. The Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID) has put together a forum to discuss the Motor City’s inherent ties to car culture, as well as options for alternative transportation (and, with the pending budget cuts to the bus system, this topic is more relevant now than ever). The event is free and open to the public, and will include speakers from the Detroit Area Regional Transportation Authority and Transportation Riders United. It’s in conjunction with CAID’s Other Auto Show Art Exhibit, on display until March 12. The forum takes place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23, at CAID, 5141 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; 313-899-CAID or caidonline.org.
Wednesday • 23
Lynn Crawford and Peter Markus
LITERATURE
As a part of their monthly poetry series, the folks at the Zeitgeist Gallery will present readings from local novelists Lynn Crawford and Peter Markus. Crawford’s writings have been called “dangerously addictive,” and her work draws from her experience as a contemporary art critic. She’s currently the literary editor of the arts and culture e-zine, thedetroiter.com. Markus has written three books, and his newest, The Singing Fish, will be released this summer. He’s conducted writing workshops in Detroit Public Schools for the past decade, and is the senior writer-in-residence for InsideOut, a literary arts project that encourages and fosters young writers. Admission is free, and the event begins at 8 p.m. at 2661 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-965-9192.
Friday-Saturday • 25-26
Coldstock
MUSIC
Baby, it’s cold outside, but there’s nothing like a couple of scorching hot blues licks to get your circulation moving. The organizers of Heatstock — an annual summer buffet of dirty blues — are sweeping in to save you from the winter blahs with their second annual wintertime music festival, Coldstock. The two-day lineup includes red-hot entertainment from “Lonesome” Dave Paul, the Alley Cats, Cathy Davis & the Soul Searchers, Jeff Grand & the Grandmasters, the Curtis Sumter Project, the Billy Davis Rhythm Machine and many others. A mere $30 gets you admission for both nights; the first 100 people through the door get a compilation CD with selections from hometown blues label No Cover. Doors open at 5 p.m. Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday. At the Hastings Street Ballroom, 715 E. Milwaukee St., Detroit. 313-873-2955.
Friday-Saturday • 25-26
Phil Ranelin and Wendell Harrison
MUSIC
Three decades after its heyday, the music of Detroit’s Tribe collective is riding a wave of international interest with reissues and remixes of long unavailable discs. This weekend two of the principals, saxophonist Wendell Harrison and trombonist Phil Ranelin, reunite to pay tribute to their Tribal roots and to salute the late jazz great Eddie Harris. Harrison, though still a Detroiter, is not a regular on the club scene. Ranelin, now based on California, hasn’t performed publicly in Detroit in more than a decade. At Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, 20510 Livernois, Detroit; 313-345-6300. $10.
Saturday • 26, tuesday • 1
Joel Harrison and Free Country
MUSIC
There are just some things that don’t seem like they’d go well together, but do. Like chocolate and wine, or Salman Rushdie and Versace model Padma Lakshmi, Joel Harrison and Free Country’s jazzed-up interpretations of Appalachian music is a surprising combination of all things delightful. At times jaunty and expressive, and at other times confounding, these rare expressions of Americana feel like kismet. “I love these songs, their pathos, economy, magisterial beauty, sly wisdom and deep soul,” Harrison says. “I have tried to be true to their timeless, primal spirit, while illuminating their essence with my own imprint, using every musical device at my disposal.” The band’s spine-tingling version of “Wayfaring Stranger” alone is worth the price of admission. At 9 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Firefly Club (207 S. Ashley, Ann Arbor; 734-665-9090) and 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge (20510 Livernois, Detroit; 313-345-6300).
Saturday • 26
The Write Steps
LITERATURE
Is your desk littered with rejection letters from Drywall Monthly and Largemouth Bass Times? Have you yet to muster the courage to submit your scribblings to anything other than your own personal blog? Then it may behoove you to attend The Write Steps, a writing workshop offering tips for the fine-tuning, publishing and marketing of your work. Topics will include a how-to on self-editing (you’ll need someone more critical than your mom), and some helpful advice on how to package the finished product as well as other tips. Advance registrants will receive free resource materials. To register, call 313-289-8614. The workshop is 2-5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26, in Detroit’s Main Public Library, 5201 Woodward Ave; 313-833-1000.
Thursday • 1
Claude Ashin Thomas: At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey
LITERATURE
In his new memoir, author Claude Ashin Thomas explores his incredible journey from post-Vietnam depression to peace through Buddhism. The book, At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey, describes the anguish and trauma Thomas experienced during his 1967-68 tour of duty, during which he says he was forced to dehumanize himself and the enemy in order to be considered a “good soldier.” After returning from the war, Thomas spent more than 20 years battling suicidal tendencies and post-traumatic stress disorder, but in 1990, after attending a meditation retreat led by Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, his life was changed. Through Buddhism, Thomas has learned how to heal his soul without avoiding his past. Author reading at 7 p.m., Shaman Drum Bookshop, 311 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-662-7407.
Ongoing
Steel & Clay
ART
Kate Silvio has been thinking a lot about the meaning of the word “balance” these days. The sculptor/CCS staffer says, “My new works are about balance, but also about overcompensation — in all aspects of life.” Her sculptures are life-sized pieces of fabricated bronze and steel, and despite their seemingly bulky carriage, emanate a fluidity and extreme lightness that’s at times difficult to fathom. Silvio will show her latest creations alongside the works of ceramic sculptor John Leyland at the District Arts Gallery, 955 S. Eton, Birmingham; 248-258-9300. Opening reception, 5-8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26.
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