The bad news is that Blowout only comes once a year. The good news is also that Blowout only comes once a year. Since most of us are wandering around the MT offices looking like lost and hungover zombies this morning, following four nights of musical mayhem 'n' thrills, the latter is probably a good thing. Many of us couldn't survive more than one of these a year!
But, damn, it was fun, aching bodies, heads and throats today aside. Sparks flew (in some cases, literally), stars were made and discovered, old stars reappeared to be rediscovered in Detroit's musical firmament. Nevertheless, a picture's worth a thousand words ... so we thought it perhaps best to simply turn this recap over to Mr. Doug Coombe, who was MT's prowling lensman — he seemed to be everywhere — and some of the mesmerizing images he captured at Blowout 12.
Before we sign off, though, just wanted to suggest that you check out MT's Blowout blog, where you'll find some excellent and frequently hilarious reporting from the likes of Daniel Johnson, the Wonder Twins, Brett Callwood, Chris Handyside, and numerous others. Essential Detroit music reading. You can read a quick random selection of some of the comments to be found there below. Hope y'all had fun. See you next year!
—Bill Holdship, music editor
I think that this year's Blowout is the best festival ever put on anywhere in the world ... As an Englishman who chose to live here 14 months ago, I truly believe that this is the greatest city in the world, and the Blowout highlights the fact. —Brett Callwood
And it hit me, how fucking sick I am of detachment culture. [Deastro] might not be the most brilliant or original artist in my city (or maybe he is; it doesn't matter) but he gets lost in what he does and that puts him in a separate class from the rest of us. It's not a new idea. Commitment is the engine of the stuff that lasts and if we're honest with ourselves, we prefer emotion over style every time. I am really glad that there is at least one band in Detroit to remind us of it. —Daniel Johnson
My friend Kevin said, "Ian Curtis for a new doomed generation." —BH
How did Child Bite's beards get even better? I thought the dude with the Ace Frehley makeup's facial hair was fake for a minute. But no! —Chris Handyside
The dude in the KISS makeup with the gray beard onstage kinda scared me, as generally do big, burly guys wearing Viking helmets and playing heavy metal. —BH
One notable exception to this festival of facial hair was the keysman for Marco Polio & the New Vaccines ... who held sway over by the keyboard, a clean-shaven, eyeliner-decorated Gary Numan look-alike, looking just as surprisingly smooth as old Numan must have in the beard-drenched late 1970s. —Michael Jackman
Is it fair to critique that a blog that pretends to be a band, and yet still performs as a band, referencing other local music blogs as though they were anything other than an inside joke? Sure. Why not? —CH
Laura Witkowski: As much as I was loving [Child Bite], I wanted to make sure we saw some of this Gepetto Files stuff. I love puppets.
D'Anne Witkowski: I can't believe you made us leave Child Bite to see them.
L: I am not apologizing — it was an experience, to say the least.
D: Yes. Getting the clap is also an experience.
—The Wonder Twins
I'm not sure how old Tesco Vee from the Meatmen is now — but it is truly remarkable how he's stayed in touch with his politically incorrect child all these years ... Did I mention the current lineup is tight as hell?
—Doug Coombe
The singer of the Meatmen says he's not a fag and he'll never be. He proves it with a lot of thrusting and ejaculation gestures. Good for him. —DJ
How can a man who looks like a white Urkel (namely Wrong Numbers singer Jason) sound like a white Stevie Wonder? —BC
Since he reportedly loves Springsteen so much, I thought it might be cool to end with a silly nod to Jon Landau and say I've seen the future of folk-pop and its name is Matt Jones. —BH
I think Marcie [Bolen] looks cute onstage because she has large eyes that look exaggerated with eye liner, and this gives her the look of a very chic, bobbleheaded dino baby. —DJ
One of the better attended Blowout nights in the seven festivals that I've seen. —Brian Smith
A woman stood in front of [Dan] DeMaggio, looking ready to throw a drink in his face before leaving, flipping the bird as she walked by the bar's window. Hell, even the New Dodge shut down his spotlight a few times before he finished up with a rousing rendition of a song by Roxy Music. —MJ
Did I ever cash out my bar tab? ... Who's driving? Are you driving? Where are my keys? —DJ
