THURSDAY JULY 9
Bury Me Deep reading
ALL HAIL FEMMES FATALES
Detroit-area native Megan Abbott is an award-winning novelist who now lives in Queens, N.Y., with her husband and fellow writer Joshua Gaylord. Abbott authored several highly recommended "female noir" novels, including The Song Is You and the 2008 Edgar winner, Queenpin. Her novel Die a Little is slated to be made into a United Artists movie starring Jessica Biel. Abbott is touring in support of her latest, Bury Me Deep, which is loosely based on the true story of two young murdered women stashed in a trunk and discovered by a railroad employee at the Southern Pacific Train Station in Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Meet the author and get your copy of Bury Me Deep at 7 p.m. at Borders, 34300 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-203-0005.
FRIDAY JULY 10
New York Night Train Happening
ALL ABOARD!
This multimedia spectacular is hosted, or rather, conducted, by Jonathan Toubin, the New York City DJ who turns ho-hum rock shows and tin-canned dance parties into transcendent nightlife experiences. Spinning rock and soul on 45, Toubin gets the rock kids to dance and the clubbers to rock, meshing together live music, performance, film and dance, dance, dance. Toubin chugs into town with Awesome Color, the Infinity People, hula hoopers, Go Go dancers, DJs and more for a pioneering visual and sonic happening, indoors and out, at 8 p.m. at the Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830.
FRIDAY JULY 10
Shrines and Altars
HALLOWED BE THY ART
Sacred objects used for the veneration of holy and awe-inspiring figures are present in nearly every major religion and traditional culture. In the multimedia exhibit Shrines and Altars, more than 30 artists from around the globe approach these articles of worship from a secular standpoint, exploring the human instinct to enshrine and memorialize the objects and ideas that we attach significance to, placing them in the realm of the divine. The opening takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Gallery Project, 215 S. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-997-7012; thegalleryproject.com; on display through Aug. 16.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY JULY 10-11
Blue Moon in June III
LUNAR SOUNDS
So it's actually taking place in July, but why quibble over details? This annual orgiastic music fest celebrates summer in the city the right way, with the loud and spectacular noise of Detroit music howling at the moon for two days and nights. A tent city will be erected inside the gates for revelers who don't want to (or can't) make their way home. Saturday kicks off with a pancake-and-mimosa breakfast followed by a neighborhood cleanup and a bicycle scavenger hunt. Performers include Electric Fire Babies, Troy Gregory, Devilfish, Sik Sik Nation, Prussia, Silverghost, Pinkeye, Odu Afrobeat Orchestra and more. Doors at 8 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday at the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, 5141 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit; $7 each night.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY JULY 10-12
APBA Gold Cup
SPEEDY REPEAT
Thanks to bad weather and a multiple-boat pile-up, last year's races were left uncompleted, making this year the second 100th running of the APBA Gold Cup race, which features unlimited hydroplane boats capable of hitting 200 miles per hour and covering the length of a football field in less than a second. In other words, they're really fucking fast boats. The weekend also includes a hot rod show, family-friendly sports challenges and vintage race boat exhibitions. Testing and qualifying take place Friday and are free to the public, races take place Saturday and Sunday. Multiple general admission areas and reserved seating areas are located along the Detroit River from Marquette Street to Burns Drive. For tickets and further info, see gold-cup.com or call 586-774-0980.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, MONDAY JULY 10-11, 13
The Book of Liz
CHEESE WISDOM
The folks at Who Wants Cake Theatre? bring the celebrated satire of siblings Amy and David Sedaris to the stage with the new production of The Book of Liz, an affectionate send-up of platitudinous Americana. The story focuses on Elizabeth Donderstock (played by local crack-up Jaime Moyer), a cheese-ball-making member of the Squemish, an Amish-like religious community. Taken off ball duty, Liz decides to explore the outside world, where she finds refuge among Cockney-speaking Ukrainian immigrants, gay waiters and recovering alcoholics. Her inevitable reunion with the Squeamish reminds audiences that a little cheese can go a long way. At 8 p.m. at the Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-545 5545; whowantscaketheatre.com; performances Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays through Aug. 3.
SATURDAY JULY 11
Unfiltered
ART BRUT
Now in its fourth year, the annual Unfiltered show presents a multimedia hodgepodge of anti-establishment art — outsider, naive, folk and street — with an emphasis on self-trained artists. Thirty local, national and international artists will display their raw, out-of-bounds work, and one-man rockabilly band Subourbon Son and Paul Harris will perform at the opening, from 6 p.m. to midnight, at the Detroit Industrial Projects, located in Building 2 of the Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay Ave., Detroit; 248-840-5117; on display Saturdays through Aug. 22.
SATURDAY JULY 11
Sunn O)))
DRONE ON!
Formed by metal guitarists Greg Anderson and Steven O'Malley, Sunn O))) (pronounced "sun") has spent its decade-long existence crafting experimental doom metal, loud and slow tones created by a murky blur of bass and guitar feedback. But the sound oversteps the boundaries of metal thanks to an ever-widening pool of collaborators, which includes the likes of jazz musicians, new music composers, noise experimenters and even a Viennese choir. Live, the duo performs decked out in hooded, floor-length robes, shrouded in fog, a fitting visual for its ambient and brooding tones. Sunn O))) makes a rare area appearance in support of its seventh disc, Monoliths & Dimensions, with Eagle Twin at 8 p.m. the Crofoot's Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-858-9333; $15.
SATURDAY JULY 11
Recloose
FUNK BROTHERS
DJ and producer Matthew Chicoine, aka Recloose, made a name for himself with a series of EPs showcasing his funky, sample-heavy trip-hop, an unusual sound to emerge from the Detroit scene. Chicoine's cred grew internationally as he performed around the globe with Carl Craig's Innerzone Orchestra, leading to a number of DJ gigs in far-off locales. Now settled in New Zealand, Chiconine returns to his old stomping grounds for a rare DJ set as part two of the Family Funktion reunion series. With the equally funky Dennis Coffey Quartet at 9 p.m. at Cliff Bell's, 2030 Park Ave,, Detroit; 313-961-2543.
SATURDAY JULY 11
Second Saturdays on the Riverfront
CULTURED ENTERTAINMENT
The second Saturday of each month through September, the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, along with the Riverfront Conservancy, present free family oriented fun at the Riverfront. Activities include clown balloon artists, a petting zoo, music and instrument-making art workshops led by DIA staffers. This week the Southpaw Isle Steel Band performs its jazz-infused Caribbean beats; future performers include the Biakuye Percussion Group (Aug. 8) and the Gratitude Steel Band (Sept. 12). All activities take place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rivard Plaza, 1340 E. Atwater St., Detroit; info at 313-566-8206 or detroitriverfront.org.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY JULY 11-12
Civil War Days
THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN
If you're looking to watch a 19th century cavalry perform maneuvers, learn about weaponry used by the North and South in the War Between the States, or just chat with President Abraham Lincoln or abolitionist Frederick Douglass (OK, re-enactors playing them), Civil War Days at Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne is the place. Sponsored by the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition, the weekend event includes Civil War re-enactors, tours of the fort, book signings and vintage baseball games at the southwest Detroit landmark. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Historic Fort Wayne, 6325 W. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-224-6385; historicfortwaynecoalition.com.
SUNDAY JULY 12
Destination Night
ROWDY RACKET
Scrummage presents an evening of raucous noise, penetrating wails and fuzzed-out dance beats from a mix of touring and local bands. Performers include Toronto's discordant indie rockers DDMMYYYY; Romo Roto, a frenzied drumming duo, also from Toronto; weirdo Baltimore art-rockers Narwhalz (of Sound); and California's Heavy Times. Also on tap are earsplitting Michiganders Telephone Callers, Totally Boring, Soft Coast, Youu and more. At 7 p.m. at the Division Street Gallery, 1353 Division St., Detroit.
MONDAY JULY 13
PAH-Fest Motown
FILMMAKING FOR THE PEOPLE
The Project Accessible Hollywood Festival, PAH-Fest for short, puts digital media technology into the hands of the average Joe, breaking down barriers in order to foster creativity and connectivity. The fest, which travels across the country, provides cameras and video-enabled phones to participants, who receive help from industry professionals in creating short films in a specific timeframe. The finished films are screened online, and the winners, who receive cash prizes, are chosen by the public and guest judges. The third PAH-Fest Motown takes place through July 19 at Madonna University, 36600 Schoolcraft Rd., Livonia; 734-432-5300; visit pahnation.org for info.
