FRIDAY-SUNDAY • 2-4
CYCLE WORLD INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW
BROS, BROADS AND BITCHIN' BIKES
It goes without saying that motorcycles are badass — not only does owning one allow you to strut about bedecked in leather (without anyone thinking you're a fetishist gone wild), but actually riding the f'ing things is fun as hell. The annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show provides both neophyte bikers and experienced riders the perfect venue to dig the latest bikes, cruisers, scooters and ATVs (and don't forget the politically correct ogling of the many new fuel-efficient options), as well as talk with reps from more than 20 manufacturers. Custom bikes, interactive family friendly exhibits and jaw-dropping motorcycle stunts round out the weekend of hog-wild entertainment. At the Rock Financial Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi; info at 800-331-5706 or motorcycleshows.com; $13 adults, $6 children.
FRIDAY • 2
YEAR OF THE WEASEL ART OPENING
OF ART AND DEVIOUS MAMMALS
The Chinese calendar says '09 is the year of the ox, but in Detroit, it's the year of the weasel. The elusive Slippery Weasel Society presents an exhibition of quirk and kitsch to ring in the New Year featuring work by venerable society members Carl Butler, Jeanne Bieri, Todd Erickson, Jerome Ferretti, Mary Fortuna, Matthew Hanna and Arturo Rodriguez. With music by the politically charged blues rock of K-9 led by ballyhooed Detroit rock poet Mick Vranich. At 6-9 p.m. at the Scarab Club, 217 Farnsworth, Detroit; 313-831-1250; scarabclub.org. Exhibit runs through Feb. 15.
SATURDAY • 3
JARROD CHAMPION, SLEEPS TILL DUSK
SING US A SONG YOU'RE THE ...
Local ivory tickler Jarrod Champion and his Sleeps Till Dusk entourage of notable Detroit musicians play songs that move like lullabies for the 18-and-older crowd. At turns melancholy, hopeful, haunting and beautiful, Champion's quasi-jazz and -blues piano, dusky vocals and his band's pop-oriented instrumentation create a sound that is both smart and soothing, compelling and convincing. The band is currently working on a follow-up to its 2005 self-titled debut, while continuing to pound the keys for audiences throughout metro Detroit. With the Fifty and Ethos at Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; 313-873-1739.
SATURDAY • 3
FALLING HARD POETRY READING
LOVE STINKS
Children's and young adult author Betty Franco plumbs the depths of the souls of teenage folks with her anthology Falling Hard: 100 Love Poems by Teenagers. The poems run the gamut from puppy love to struggles with gender identity, providing a glimpse into the heart-wrenching angst — both real and imagined — that comes with dealing with love and sexuality during those formative and exciting or, conversely, terrible and awkward years. Poets featured in the anthology will read their works at 2 p.m. at Borders, 34300 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-203-0005.
MONDAY • 5
JOHNNY MUNDANE & THE SWEET SPOTS
ROCK 'N' ROLL AND FANCY SUITS!
Nitty-gritty rock 'n' roll riffs played by a trifecta of dudes in suits, vests and ties is the pithiest way to summarize Johnny Mundane & the Sweet Spots. But despite their sartorial affectations (besides the suits, the guitarist sports either a bowler or porkpie hat), the band knows how to churn out loud, straightforward rock — kinda bluesy, kinda garage — but still definitely and definitively rock 'n' roll that'll win hearts of purists and posers alike. Dig the sounds on last year's debut EP Black Powder Poetry & the Lemon Drop Bomb or get the whole affect (suits and all) at PJ's Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-4668. With the Satin Peaches and Florida's StoneFox.
TUESDAY • 6
STOOPIDFRESH TUESDAYS
THE RETURN OF HIP HOP
The effusive DJ K-Fresh of rensoul.com and DJ Dez — DJ for Slum Village, among others —star in this weekly hip-hop get-out that's infused with soul, funk and electronic music. An effort to elevate hip hop in Detroit's musical hierarchy, K-Fresh and Dez and special guests will spin old- and new-school beats for true lovers of rhymes and rhythms. The ambience is complete with the hip-hop vids and flicks that'll flicker on the bar's TVs, and don't miss the weekly drink specials and giveaways. At 10 p.m. every Tuesday at TV Bar, 2554 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-965-4789; info at rensoul.com
TUESDAY • 6
BLACK JAKE AND THE CARNIES
WHAT THE HELL IS CRABGRASS?
Ypsilanti's foot stompin', whiskey swillin' and banjo pluckin' "kings of crabgrass" celebrate the squalling, bloody birth of 2009 with one of their typically raucous live shows. Their backwoods-meets-concrete sound melds old-timey strings with fast-paced lyrics and a punk rock ethos (available for your listening pleasure on their debut Where the Heather Grows). Enjoy two sets of cautionary tales, murder ballads and rowdy reels, along with carnival games (they call themselves carnies, after all) at 8 p.m. at the Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1800; theark.org; $15.
ONGOING
DEADLY MEDICINE
CREATING THE MASTER RACE
Deadly Medicine traces the rise of the eugenics movement in Germany, outlining the scientific claims and the government policies based on those claims which eventually culminated in the Holocaust. The chronology unfolds through artifacts, photographs, photographic reproductions and survivor testimony, demonstrating how the works of doctors and scientists gave credence to the idea that a superior German race could be achieved by keeping the blood-line "pure." These beliefs led to forced sterilization programs and the systematic murder of people — including more than 50,000 children — dubbed as genetically unfit or incurably ill. An often chilling display, Deadly Medicine is not only a history lesson, but also a reminder of the ethical issues of today, when freedom is often exchanged in the name of national good and infertile couples pay thousands of dollars for supposedly genetically superior eggs. A traveling exhibit of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Deadly Medicine will be on display through March 1 at the Detroit Science Center, 5020 John R, Detroit; 313-577-8400; visit ushmm.org for more info.
