Friday • 27
Music of Miles Davis
MUSIC
All the acknowledged jazz greats inspire tribute bands and projects, but probably no one inspires so many different-sounding homages for different career phases as Miles Davis. This combo led by trumpeter Eddie Henderson tips its hat particularly to the Davis band circa 1959 with saxophonists Antonio Hart and Wayne Escoffery reprising the roles of Cannonball Adderly and John Coltrane. And in the drum chair, there's Jimmy Cobb, the sole survivor of the famed (to put it mildly) Kind of Blue sessions from that period. 8 p.m., Max M. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-576-5111.
Friday • 27
Ben Vereen does Sammy Davis Jr.
MUSIC
Kids today know Broadway, film and TV star Ben Vereen as six-packed R&B star Usher's godfather. But those of us over 25 know Vereen is a classic character in the entertainment world. He's tackled tap and mastered the show tune, and this week, the song-and-dance man performs the hits of the pint-sized Rat Packer, Sammy Davis Jr., not to mention his own repertoire. 8 p.m., Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; 313-963-7622. Yeah, baby.
Friday-Saturday • 27-28
Apocalypse Music 2006
MUSIC
Some big changes are afoot on the Detroit music front. Standing around with your arms folded, staring down another garage rock dinosaur is a thing of the past; bouncing off the walls to crazy-artsy-confrontational who-knows-what-to-call-it music is in. At the center of this strange new world are bands like Human Eye (the best live band in Detroit, if you ask us), Odd Clouds, the Pizazz, Tenticle Lizardo and Terrible Twos — populated by weirdo-musicians who bring a wide range of influences while keeping the manic Motor City attack intact. What influences? How about '60s free jazz, '70s prog rock, '80s hardcore, '90s noise and threads of electronic minimalism, the sound du jour on the global dance scene. Check out Detroit's new sonic lunatic fringe at this weekend's Apocalypse Music 2006. Friday: Tenticle Lizardo, Terrible Twos, Frustrations, Freers, Assume the Worst and Red, Red, Red; Saturday: the Pizazz, Heroes & Villains, Odd Clouds, Tyvek, God Damn and Human Eye. Bohemian National Home, 3009 Tillman St., Detroit. Call Joel Peterson at 313-737-6606. All ages; $8 per night.
Saturday • 28
Life Running Out of Control
FILM
The second week of the Detroit Film Center's 4 Days of Radical Cinema brings 2005's Life Running Out of Control. The documentary examines issues surrounding the genetic manipulation of plants, animals and human beings: In the mid-1980s scientists, with the help of biotechnology, tapped into a world of infinite possibility. Twenty years later, filmmakers explore evidence that the "advances" open a Pandora's Box with major global repercussions. 7 p.m., Detroit Film Center, 1227 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-9936. Future screenings are: Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price (Feb. 4) and In Whose Interest? (Feb. 11).
Saturday • 28
Chinese New Year Celebration
HOLIDAY
Ring in the Year of the Dog hipster-style at Detroit's super-cool Asian-themed bar, the Buddha Lounge. The first 50 customers will receive a free gift and a rendering of their name in Chinese characters. DJ Terrence Parker and Mo Reese will spin house music all night long. At 21633 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-535-4664.
Saturday • 28
Create the Life of Your Dreams
ISSUES & LEARNING
Chi on the fritz? The Center for Creative Living in Royal Oak offers Create the Life of Your Dreams, an innovative new workshop that combines universal principles, fundamentals of quantum physics, basic chakra system information and focused intention to help individuals create a balanced, loving, prosperous and joyous life. 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. at the Center for Creative Living, 317 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-480-2719. Discounts given for early registration.
Tuesday • 31
Gil Mantera's Party Dream
MUSIC
It's a simple philosophy, really — play rip-roaring synth rock while bouncing on and off of trampolines and the crowd will a) torch the joint or b) eventually catch on. Luckily, Gil Mantera's Party Dream tends to evoke the latter reaction. The free-wheeling twosome plays the D with local support from Lee Marvin Computer Arm. 8 p.m., Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700.
Ongoing
Landscapes of Longing: Journeys through Memory and Place
ART
The University of Michigan Museum of Art's Landscapes of Longing: Journeys through Memory and Place combines the paintings of Andô Hiroshige and Hiroshi Sugimoto with ancient Chinese scrolls and photographs by Kenro Izu. The installation is a visually stunning collection of landscape works exploring each artist's interpretation of cultural identity. 525 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-764-0395. Runs through April 3.
Ongoing
The Foursome
THEATER
Three cheers for community theater this week: Written by Canadian playwright Norm Foster (the Canuck version of Neil Simon), this clever comedy follows four college pals as they reunite for a game of golf. Hole by hilarious hole, the golfers reveal a secrets about each other that spin a heartening web of nostalgia. 8 p.m., Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday; Broadway Onstage, 21517 Kelly Rd., Eastpointe; 586-771-6333. Ends Feb. 11.
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