Wednesday • 20
Tatsuya Nakatani
Music
Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani has played with some of the most out outcats (see Peter Brotzmann and Assif Tshar) and also with Yukijurushi, a New York bossa nova outfit so laid back that on some record tracks you swear they must be lying down to play. So you know Nakatani's got the dynamic (and eclectic) range thing down. And as a master of the extended drum set, he incorporates all manner of percussion, from gongs to singing bowls and found metal objects. He does his genre-defying bit solo and in a duo with resident Bohemian National Home bassist Joel Peterson. 3009 Tillman St., Detroit; 313-737-6606.
Wednesday • 20
Be Your Own Pet
MUSIC
If you've already heard of Be Your Own Pet, give yourself a pat on the back. And while you're reaching around, go ahead and wipe the schmutz from your ear too — it's been to the ground. The members of this barely legal Nashville, Tenn., art-rock foursome have an understanding of music that's modest and adept and beyond their years. They distort, dismember and then recast their generation's sound so well that it'll keep the "rock is dead" malcontents at bay for at least two more years. London's XL Recordings just scooped up the kids and Redd Kross' Steve McDonald produced their latest LP. At the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700. With the Black Lips and Terrible Twos.
Thursday • 21
Heather Ann Thompson
Issues and Learning
With the 2001 publication of Whose Detroit? Politics, Labor and Race in a Modern American City, Heather Ann Thompson made her mark among a wave of historians casting a fresh look at the forces shaping postwar Motown. Now she's re-examining the 1971 uprising of more than 1,200 prisoners at New York state's Attica State Correctional Facility. What began as a protest over what prisoners called inhumane conditions spiraled into a four-day standoff, ending with a show of force that left dead 10 of 39 prison guards taken as hostages and 29 prisoners. Thompson's Attica, Attica, Attica: Rebellion, Reaction and the Legacy of Truths Untold is slated for publication next year, but you can hear where former Detroiter Thompson is headed with her lecture, which marks the uprising's 35th anniversary. Free and open to the public at Auditorium A in Angell Hall, 435 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-764-6305.
Thursday • 21
PM Dawn
MUSIC
Before trip hop even had a name, PM Dawn was delivering its own interpretation of ethereal R&B with aplomb, the most memorable of which is the 1990 smash "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss." But the trail blazed by Prince Be and Dr. Giggles created a chain reaction of baby-making music that such bands as Portishead, Thievery Corporation and Tricky would later cultivate, polish and make part of the pop music lexicon. Sure, this show is technically retro, but both old-schoolers and club kids should take note. At the Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-3030. With Lola Morales.
Friday • 22
Russell Keeter
ART
Late master painter Russell Keeter's name might only be known to a very specific sect of artists, but the legacy he left behind should someday ring loud and familiar. Having shared his knowledge of technique to several of Detroit's most celebrated artists (Glenn Barr, Derek Hess, Robert Wyland, etc.) during his tenure at the College for Creative Studies, Keeter's mark is likely more indelible than we have come to realize. His artistic obsession was often the human form — erotic and bursting with vitality —and this opening exhibit is a dream come true for curators at CPOP Gallery. Opening reception is Friday, Sept. 22, at 4160 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9901. Exhibit ends Oct. 31.
Saturday • 23
Be Bad for a Good Cause
MUSIC/FASHION
A classy spread of Detroit flavors, fashion and entertainment wait at the Roostertail: Christian Audigier parades his latest designs up and down the runway, including his cutting edge tattoo-inspired line, Ed Hardy. Local restaurants including Crave, Mosaic and Tom's Oyster Bar provide the evening's sumptuous feast. And swashbuckling pirates (think Errol Flynn in Captain Blood) cross swords for entertainment. The pirate-themed fund-raiser also features a live and silent auction, DJ and an open bar. This rip-roaring to-do benefits the Michael T. Schoenith Family Foundation in support of Make-A-Wish Chapter of Michigan. Tickets are $65 in advance and $80 at the door. You must be 21 or over. To purchase tickets, visit bebad.org or call 313-822-1234.
Saturday • 23
Tour de Troit
COMMUNITY
Unless you plan on becoming the president of the United States or some sort of world leader, here's your one and only chance to get a police escort through the Motor City. Tour de Troit — a 35-mile bicycle ride through Downtown, Midtown, New Center, Boston Edison, Arden Park, LaSalle Gardens, Patton Park, Woodmere Cemetery and Fort Wayne — will be ushered by Detroit police and will begin and end at Roosevelt Park, in front of Michigan Central Station, at Michigan Avenue and Vernor Highway in Detroit. Festivities include a presentation from the League of Michigan Bicyclists, and music, drinks and food from Slows Bar BQ. Meet at 9:30 a.m. at Roosevelt Park. Visit corktowndetroit.org or call 313-965-5853.
Sunday • 24
Open House at the Scarab Club
ART/COMMUNITY
It was founded in 1907 by a group of artists and art lovers who liked to meet regularly to socialize and talk about art. By 1913, the gang had christened itself the Scarab Club and had a set of bylaws, officers and a board of directors. Over the years, the club has maintained its dedication to the arts and even made the pages of Life Magazine for the now-famous 1937 costume ball. This week, the historic alliance opens its doors to the public. Come and see what it has to offer at its open house, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 217 Farnsworth St., Detroit; 313-831-1250. Entertainment and light refreshments will be provided.
Sunday • 24
Annie Leibovitz: American Music
ART
Hers is among the most immediately identifiable photography in the world. Likewise, her fall debut at the Detroit Institute of Arts is the most anticipated. After months and months of remodeling, the DIA welcomes us back with the Annie Leibovitz: American Music exhibit, a display of the famous shutterbug's finest works. Selected subjects include, Jack White, Mary J. Blige, B.B. King, Willie Nelson and others. At 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900. Ends Jan. 7, 2007.
Ongoing
Ann Arbor Science Festival
ISSUES & LEARNING
Astronaut Kathryn Sullivan is the first American woman to walk in space and subsequently one of the few heroines of little girls with telescopes and chemistry sets all over the United States. Sullivan is the featured speaker at the Ann Arbor Science Festival, an event designed to encourage fifth- through eighth-grade girls to learn about math and science with entertaining scientific workshops led by local scientists and engineers. And since the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, parents and teachers can attend workshops to foster young girls' interest in math and science. To supplement the scientific surprises, a street fair with music, food and hands-on activities accompanies the workshops. The festival takes place on Saturday, Sept. 30, but advance registration is required. At the University of Michigan North Campus Diag. To register, call 800-561-5161 or visit sallyridefestivals.com.
Eve Doster is the listings editor of Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected]
