Thursday • 14
International Holiday Marketplace and Fashion Show
SHOPPING/MUSIC
Holiday shopping gets the global treatment this week at the Arab American National Museum. Featuring an indoor bazaar full of fashion and crafts from around the world, the International Holiday Marketplace and Fashion Show is an easy way to buy loved ones rare and beautiful gifts. Entertainment will be provided by Repercussions, an all-female percussion ensemble headed by local drum circle enthusiast Judy Piazza. At 13624 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-2266.
Friday • 15
Stirling Silver's Birthday Party
MUSIC
At 6'6", he's impossible to miss in a crowd, but not only is the super-tall, glittery promoter Stirling Silver a permanent fixture in the D-town music biz, he is one of the most loyal supporters of local folk trying to make their mark. He and partner Sue Static have long been promoters at the DIY music space, 313.JAC (upstairs from Jacoby's downtown) and every year they celebrate Silver's birthday with an offering of some of his favorite yet-to-be-discovered bands. This year it's Murder Mystery, Citizen Smile and the Prickly Stems. At 624 Brush St., Detroit; 313-962-7067.
Friday • 15
Vijay Iyer
MUSIC
Ornette Coleman once said he wanted to get musicians out of the bebop maze. Pianist Vijay Iyer isn’t playing bop, but his music can feel like a maze, an amazing maze. One of the most lauded newcomers of recent years, he’s credited Indian music and his fascination with math as influences. And he’s found bandmates, in particular saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, on the same dizzy wavelength. Lest he sound purely abstract, we note he’s recorded interpretations of “Hey Joe” and John Lennons’s “Imagine.” 8 and 10 p.m., Music Box in Max M. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-576-5111.
Friday-Saturday • 15-16
Scrooge
THEATER/HOLIDAY
Where better to see the 1970 musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol than on the silver screen at the beautiful historic Redford Theatre? Scrooge, the movie about the famously misanthropic and miserly curmudgeon stars British thespian Albert Finney, was nominated for four Oscars and five Golden Globe awards, and remains one of the most popular retellings of this holiday classic. 8 p.m. at the Redford Theatre, 17360 Lahser Rd., Detroit, 313-537-2560. Tickets are $4.
Saturday • 16
Ghostly Holiday Formal
MUSIC/HOLIDAY
Three cheers for, arguably, the most successful local music label since Motown! Ann Arbor's Ghostly International — a record company that still rests comfortably at the very top of the electronic music game — celebrates the holidays the same way they run their biz ... all class, baby. So doll yourself up and join the Ghostly Holiday Formal at Oslo downtown. In conjunction with RE:UP magazine, featured music guests will be Morgan Geist and Osborne. At 1456 Woodward Ave., Detroit. Visit buyghostly.com for tickets and information.
Saturday • 16
Holiday Shopping at Green Brain Comics/DTM DJ set
SHOPPING/HOLIDAY
Lest you think otherwise, so-called comic book nerds are anything but. OK, so maybe theirs is an existence augmented with fantasy and folklore, but that's probably why many comic book collectors are among the most creative, innovative and open-minded folks on planet Earth. This weekend's shopping event at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn looks to be ultra cool: Expect DJ sets from Detroit Techno Militia veteran T. Linder and DJ Konspiracy. From 4 to 6 p.m. at Green Brain Comics, 13210 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-9444. While you're there, visit Stormy Records, which is located upstairs from the comic shop.
Saturday • 16
Johnny Headband
MUSIC
Happiness is Underrated, Johnny Headband's debut full-length, bursts with misshapen pop moments that spurt like little rivers of sweat and mascara into the red shadows of post-witching hour Detroit. No shit: The keyboard solo in "Tell You" flares like the Penobscot Building's beacon, "Funktionslust" twists the Flaming Lips seductively into something more soulful than eccentric, and "Take a Number" revisits the frenetic pace of Headband live, an experience that's only gotten better over the last two years. Not bad for a band that began as little more than a joke, a beat, and a few guitar pedals. Headband Headquarters, are you listening? We predict an uptick in the Crowd Turnout Analysis. At the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700. With the Witches and Ghost City.
Sunday • 17
Total Family Chanukah Experience
FUN FOR ALL/HOLIDAY
Dreidels, dreidels, dreidels — this week they are made from more than clay. In a free event hosted by the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, guests can build dreidels with Jerusalem stone or glass tiles or menorahs with marble or ceramic. Chanukah-themed sand art will be featured alongside games and educational displays. There will be free latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donut-like pastries) for everyone. L'Chaim! From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Building, 6600 Maple Rd., West Bloomfield, 248-661-1000.
Friday • 15
Tone & Niche
MUSIC
It's too easy to editorialize a band like Tone & Niche, but we'll do it anyway. Every bit Do It Yourself troubadours, this guitar-and-violin duo take chops (thankfully) as seriously as they do performance and are anti-scenesters in the very best sense. They're a guy/girl ensemble who whip out everything from slick originals to classic covers. The whole "local singer-songwriter" ethos has some new life courtesy of these musically endowed love birds. With Scotty Karate and Strydir Lee at TC's Speakeasy, 207 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-483-4470.
Sunday • 17
Obie Trice
MUSIC
Truth be told, Night & Day is a bit tired of the boring ghetto porn shtick, but the Web site BackstageAss.com (to launch in January 2007) is putting together a local hip-hop showcase that's just too, uh, jam packed to overlook. Featuring Obie Trice, Trick Trick, Street Lyfe and Paradime (who is now moonlighting as Kid Rock's DJ), we'll forgive the tired misogyny and check out the jams. At the Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut, Mt. Clemens. Call 586-913-1920 for ticket information; $10 and 18 and older.
Eve Doster is the listings editor of Metro Times. Send comments to [email protected]
