Catch Smash Television Tonight + Stoopz N Breeze Tomorrow for Blowout
Lot’s of people might recognize versatile rapper Leaf Erikson from his most notable side project, Stoopz N Breeze, but fans of his more straight forward raps should check out his other side group, Smash Television. Featuring both Erikson and emcee Jah Connery, the duo make music that is vastly different than Stoopz N Breeze and…
Eddie Kirkland dies at 87: Blues were tangled up in the D
Belatedly, the news is spreading that bluesman Eddie Kirkland, 87, died in a Tampa, Fla., hospital late last month following injuries sustained in a car crash en route to a gig. His Detroit connection wasn’t nearly so well known as that of John Lee Hooker, with whom he played; nor was he as well known…
Ta’raach Teams Up With All City Records
Respected Los Angeles Dublin-based indie label, All City Records, recently partnered with Detroit-affiliated emcee, Ta’raach and Mochilla co-founder Eric Coleman to create a 10-inch record that is in stores as of now. Vinyl fans might already know that All City has an ongoing series of 10-inches that they put out with L.A.-based producers they respect.…
Lost (and found) weekend
Trying to piece together this weekend’s jigsaw puzzle of memories, it’s coming in fits and starts. For us, it started Friday, with a trip to Atlas Bar to see a few locals, including Jeffrey Fournier, in a hard-rocking band called Forget. Then strolled down to the Atlas Bar to see that Derek Michael Stanton guy…
Best of Blowout Emails #3 – Snapshots
“I woke up in all my clothes, splayed on the couch with a cat in my arm, covered in glitter. Needless to say, Blowout was a blast.” ~Mike Anton of The Mantons
Blowout Night Four recap.
“Where are we, in fuckin’ Alaska?” That was a remark someone made to me as I was leaving Paycheck’s Lounge, nearing midnight. By then much of greater Detroit was covered in a few inches of snow. But that did not deter the dedicated Blowout spectators. In fact, for many, the harsh backdrop just further encouraged…
Snowout
You see what I did there, with that title? Genius, huh? But still, Holy fuckin’ snow. Treacherous road conditions and, reportedly, power failure to the area of Hamtramck around the Gates of Columbus would be the kind of thing that would threaten a music festival in other areas of the country, but not here. If…
Best of Blowout Emails #2 – Snapshots
“So we got a little wild at the new dodge last night and walked over to the painted lady and happened to leave our trailer wide open for a half hour in front of the new dodge at 2am. Nobody took anything though. Long live the blowout. ” ~Don Duprie of Doop & the Inside…
Blowout Night Three recap.
At first glance I figured Blowout night three would be the least interesting of the four. Sandwiched between Telecollision and the Sights tearing it up Thursday and my anticipation for Saturday, many of Fridays’ acts just slipped under my radar. I found myself taking chances on bands I’ve never heard before, which is part of…
Friday Blowout Recap/Notes
How was your Blowout Friday? Did you get rained on? Were you a big baby about it? Did you have the foresight to bring an umbrella, only to leave it behind to become a permanent relic in some bar’s lost and found box? I was just thankful that it was relatively warm out, rain or…
Balls To Woodstock.
Really. Balls to Woodstock. Blowout 14 is the real love fest. The sweet vibes were flowing through Hamtramck tonight like the rain that threatened to turn Ham-Town into Venice, albeit waaaay cooler. I suspect the only thing that stopped people fucking in the streets MC5-style tonight is the fear of getting a wet ass. First…
Big Tone — “God Bless You”
Here’s a new single that Detroit rapper Big Tone recently put online that quickly reminds me how much I miss this guy rapping. He’s had his shots at stardom, including label affiliation with ABB Records and Tres Records that never fully got him all of the accolades that he deserves. But anyone who knows hip-hop…
You Want the Good News or the Bad News First?
The bad news: due to a serious and unavoidable health issue, The Octopus have to cancel tonight. The good news: Grande Nationals have stepped up to save the day! TONIGHT: at 11:40 p.m. Grande Nationals, Small’s Bar.
DEBUTING AT BLOWOUT: Magic Jake & the Power Crystals
TONIGHT at the Gates of Columbus Lounge, 11 p.m. Magic Jake & the Power Crystals
Blowout Night Two Recap.
For me Blowout night two started with Tone & Niche kicking things off at the G of C Lounge with their ultra-slick and effortless Americana. Later over at the G of C Hall, Hi-Speed Dubbing let loose. Featuring Justin Walker from Electric Fire Babies on guitar and lead vocal (who is hiding a showman under…
DEBUTING AT BLOWOUT: Magic Jake & the Power Crystals
Tonight, 11 p.m. at the Gates of Columbus Lounge. Magic Jake and the Power Crystals
Thursday Blowout Recap/Notes
Hello! Would you like to hear the joke that was on my Laffy Taffy wrapper this morning (candy for breakfast!)? Q: What’s the most important instrument at Blowout? A: A fucking watch. Ho, ho ho.. but seriously… What the hell, Blowout venues? You’ve done this before right? I think most of you have! I got…
Best of Blowout emails #1 – Snapshots
“Now the Mars Bar – that was unexpected… 2 strippers gyrating on the lounge seating, Smokey & The Bandit on a huge screen TV. And indie rock.” ~Gene Corduroy of Computer Perfection
Sights For Sore Eyes
A long day at work and the knowledge that I have another one coming tomorrow didn’t even threaten to ruin the first day proper of Blowout 14, but it did mean that I kept things largely low key and stuck to the comfortable surroundings of the Gates of Columbus Hall for the majority of the…
Money talks
So, here’s what made this interview awkward. I really like Topher Grace as an actor. I love Demetri Martin as a comedian. In fact, with only one notable exception, I liked the entire cast of Take Me Home Tonight, a well-acted retro rom-com set in the late ’80s. But I wasn’t crazy about the movie.…
The Adjustment Bureau
The Adjustment Bureau GRADE: B- Phillip K. Dick was a lot of things, but few would call him a sentimentalist. That doesn’t seem to bother writer and first-time director George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean’s Twelve) who takes Dick’s paranoid examination of predetermination (from his 1954 short story Adjustment Team) and adapts it into…
Rango
Rango GRADE: B These days, computer animated movies aren’t really for kids. Though DreamWorks, Blue Sky and Pixar are mindful that tots will be in tow, their pixelated blockbusters are pitched toward hipster parents, thirtysomethings who don’t want to grow up, and post-collegiate fanboys. With adult themes, clever plotting and sophisticated cultural references, such movies…
Take Me Home Tonight
Take Me Home Tonight GRADE: D Nostalgia is tricky because it’s generally fun for those whose memories are hazy, or even for those who never lived through the actual moment. This may explain the mirthless spectacle of Take Me Home Tonight, an alleged "comedy" set in 1988, though not in an actual representation of the…
SMALL’S BAR – BLOWOUT SCHEDULE
Small’s Bar was left off of one of the many Blowout schedules this weekend, and we want to make sure that people know who’s playing and when. SMALL’S (10339 CONANT;313-873-1117) **** THURS 3/3 MIDNIGHT: ILLY MACK 11:00 PM: SCANDINAVIAN PLEATHER 10:00 PM: DEADBEAT BEAT 09:00 PM: CARRADINE FRI 3/4 12:40 AM: CHAPSTIK 11:40 PM: OCTOPUS…
Photos from the Blowout 14 Pre-Party at The Magic Stick
All you other photogs out there – don’t forget to add your shots to our Blowout 2011 flickr group. You’ll find a slideshow of the group on our homepage and on the Blowout page. Here’s my contribution from last night. I’m also psyched to have scored a copy of Five Three Dial Tone Records’ Hello…
Topher Grace and Demetri Martin on looking young, Bill Murray, and ‘Take Me Home Tonight’
Topher Grace and Demetri Martin on looking young, Bill Murray, kickass music and sleep deprivation So, here’s what made this interview awkward. I really like Topher Grace as an actor. I love Demetri Martin as a comedian. In fact, with only one notable exception, I liked the entire cast of Take Me Home Tonight, a…
Ain’t No Party Like A Blowout Party
Lettercamp were the stars of a strong Blowout 14 kick off party last night. While the EEKS, FAWN and Secret Twins all put in excellent performances, Lettercamp were simply awe-inspiring. I’ll be checking them out at every opportunity from now on. I had heard comparisons to Bjork, but Goldfrapp seem closer, mixed with some heavy-as-fuck…
Where the fuck have I been? Blowout Night One.
Blowout 2011 is my first venture into Blowout because this is the first year I am old enough to get in. Missed Darling Imperial after racing back home to pick up external memory for the MT-loaned camera, so it was Fawn who popped my Blowout-virgin ears. The insanely infectious Ferndale quartet stormed with swooning vocal…
Wednesday Blowout Recap/Notes
Everybody up? Everybody doing ok? Good! The yearly Blowout Pre-Party is now behind us, but before we delve into last night’s memories, let’s get this out of the way: How ’bout those new bracelets, huh? FANCY FABRIC! Though more aesthetically pleasing than the “Was-I-at-Blowout-or-the-hospital?” plastic ones of yore, I’m not so sure I like them…
Vanishing on 7th Street
Vanishing on 7th Street GRADE: C+ Will somebody get Brad Anderson an A-list script and a budget tomatch? The indie director has spent more than a decade proving that he’s gotthe chops to overcome even the most threadbare screenplays to create some damninteresting work. Since his indie rom-com debut with Next Stop Wonderland, the Bostonfilmmaker…
Bob Dylan (and MT) muse Susan Rotolo dead at 67
The keen Metro Times reader should have noticed something familiar about the cover of this year’s Blowout issue. A nod to the iconic cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, MT photographer Doug Coombe replaces Dylan, muse Susan Rotolo and the Greenwich Village background with couple Christopher Jarvis and Lianna Vanicelli of Blowout band Phantasmagoria in…
My Blowout Quick Picks (aka CALM DOWN – YOU CAN DO THIS!)
Blowout Time! For ME, this means “time to check out stuff I’ve never heard before.” I also think this is what it should mean for you, but I am not the boss of you. I know this. I know a lot of people go see their favorite bands, and you should do that – but…
Couch Trip
Takers Sony Pictures Car chases? Check. Threesome? Check. Unlimited supply of AK-47s? Check. Thankfully Takers doesn’t stray from the template bank-robbing flick; its mix of decent actors (Hayden Christensen), esteemed actors (Matt Dillon) and inexperienced "musicians" posing as actors (T.I. and Chris Brown) goes lengths for boneheaded entertainment but misses in the depth department. So…
WTF?
Amy Gore and the Squires Smokin’ Joe Leone-drums; Leann Banks-bass, vocals; Jackson Smith-guitar; Amy Gore-guitar, vocals With Amy Gore and Jackson Smith aboard, who’s to argue? But don’t call this mutha a supergroup. What song of yours would you want played as the credits of a film. What’s that film and why would it work?…
More than kielbasa
Because of this week’s Blowout, we’re presenting this handy shortlist of Hamtramck’s humble culinary destinations. They’re uncommonly cheap, sometimes open late, and are often off the beaten path. But at any given hour of the day, these joints are there to lay the foundation for a night’s drinking, quell late-night hunger pangs, or nourish away…
Of bats and beats
The band Phantasmagoria is pretty weird. Not Christopher Jarvis and Lianna Vanicelli, themselves — they’re cute kids who are happy to answer questions over coffee about their music and their promising debut, Spirit, recently released as a download on the website Bandcamp (bandcamp.com). But the weirdness at the core of the band bubbles up occasionally,…
Rise of the Prussian Empire
Last winter, Adam Pressley was living in Chicago, playing with Samuel Swinson’s indie folk outfit, Ohtis. It was a good gig for the now 25-year-old guitarist. They made some beautiful tunes, as anyone can see online in the four quaint tunes recorded by music documentarians Single Barrel. But after band dynamics shifted from weird to…
Pharma’s pot push
"[M]arijuana has no scientifically proven medical value." So stated the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Page 6 of a July 2010 agency white paper, titled "DEA Position on Marijuana." Yet, only four months after the agency committed its "no medical pot" stance to print, it announced its intent to allow for the regulation and…
Hoping to hop on board
When Ken Weikal made a suggestion at a Detroit community meeting about what to do with the Woodward Light Rail project planned for Detroit, he got applause. "The best thing to do is to get the train into Ferndale," Weikal said. The landscape architect, who also runs Growtown, a nonprofit that helps neighborhoods organize, says…
Food Stuff
Jelly roll! — It’s that time of year again: You could call it Shrove Tuesday, but it doesn’t capture the energy and decadence of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), or, closer to home, Paczki Day! It’s when Hamtramck’s bakeries lean toward excess, using lard, sugar, eggs and fruit to create one last batch of calorie-bombs before…
The Voltron four!
The four young emcees of Cold Men Young are crammed into a dining booth at Woodbridge Pub. Half-empty glasses of Ghettoblaster beer litter the table. It’s 9 o’clock on a frigid winter night and the bar is packed and noisy. The guys are tired but jovial; if you didn’t know they’d come together as a…
Native American giving
Detroit photographer Cybelle Codish considers the telephone call from documentary director Billy Luther a pivotal point in her career. Until that connection two years ago, Codish, 33, had been best defined by her work in the music industry. Bob Seger’s last album cover was her effort, and she’s photographed Jack White, Kanye West, Rickie Lee…
Real emergency
Our comrade and occasional collaborator Russ Bellant has been spending a lot of time in Lansing recently, keeping an eye on the emergency financial manager (EFM) legislation that’s moving through the Capitol like a freight train rolling downhill. Bellant is a retired city of Detroit employee who, since the late 1980s, has made a side…
Retro mods
When the members of Hi Speed Dubbing are asked to describe their style, they take a full 41 minutes to answer — and even then they’re not completely satisfied. It isn’t because their music is any sort of mystery. Their blend of pulsing beats and fuzz rock is intelligent and exciting, but hardly from another…
Crushing the unions
It seems not long ago that we started watching mass protests shake up regimes across the Middle East and North Africa, even toppling Egypt’s government. Now we’re witnessing protests across the United States in response to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to strip collective bargaining rights from state workers. The protests probably won’t lead to…
How to save Detroit
"When I was elected, I thought I knew what was going on. But I got here and found out … things were way worse than I ever imagined."—Mayor Dave Bing, Washington Post, February 2011 A half-century ago, when the mayor was still a high school basketball star, Detroit was a happening place. Downtown Hudson’s was…
Emperor of ice cream
Treat Dreams 22965 Woodward Ave., Ferndale 248-544-3440 Scott Moloney is the Willy Wonka of ice cream. Read the flavor board in his six-month-old Ferndale bakery and micro-creamery and you might believe that you’ve somehow entered a fantasy world where anything can be made into a dairy-based dessert. Who knew that purple yam, potato chips, jalapeno…
Yes, she’s trying to seduce you
Q: I’m a 41-year-old, very attractive, happily married woman. My husband and I have been together for 15 years. When we first met, the sex was absolutely incredible. After we got married, the sex was good, not great. This was because we were busy raising our children. (My husband had custody of 4-year-old twins, children…
Letters to the Editor
Laying the rails There’s an adage that says, "If the journey of a thousand miles is to begin, it must begin with that first step" — and the first step in the journey to make a light rail system possible has to begin in Detroit ("Might Rail," Feb. 23). The hub for a light rail…
The Blowout Handbook
Wednesday, March 2 Blowout pre-Party at the Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313- 833-9700 1:15 a.m. Secret Twins: Because this two-piece is inked to the Mitten’s premier indie (Quack!) says lots. And some ST songs are on hit parade here at MT headquarters; the speedy riff-cranks of "Lazy Cheetah" outdo Kelley Deal, and the…
Apollo Brown’s Instrumental Album in Stores Today
One of Detroit’s most creative hip-hop beatmakers, Apollo Brown, who we’ve been bigging up here at the MT for awhile now, just released a rock-solid new instrumental album today called Clouds and fans of good music should immediately check it out. Most of the album’s 27 tracks hover around hip-hop or essentially use that genre…
Ham-town Fever
Can you smell it? Spring is desperately fighting its way through the snow and the worst of the weather is (hopefully) over. If you need signs, the sunny days are getting longer and, best of all, the Blowout starts tomorrow. This scribe, just as he has the previous three Blowouts since landing here from the…
The Octopus: ‘Song of the Year’ in March? See them Friday at Blowout! Watch video here.
This Octopus song is such a thing of power and beauty that it flattened a few of us down here at MT. The Blowout issue streets tomorrow and I wrote that the Octopus can cut between unrepentant R&B to guitar-humming Beatle-y drone that sounds as authentic as passion, or drenched in self-atonement. It’s not hyperbole.…
