We'd be lax if we didn't mention the 16th annual Anti-Freeze Blues Festival, which takes place this Friday and Saturday night, January, 15th and 16th, at the Magic Bag (22920 Woodward Ave) in Ferndale. (We actually had planned a Night & Day blurb on it....but things didn't go quite the way we planned, so we figured we'd blog about it instead.) The event -- which benefits the Detroit Blues Society -- features both local and international talent and is headlined this year (on Friday night, to be exact) by Jeremy Spencer, still one of the greatest slide guitarists anywhere and one of the original guitarists (and the one who didn't loss his mind) of Fleetwood Mac, back in the days when they were a blues-rock powerhouse, performing "Oh, Well" and such and ....and (on Saturday night, to be exact) Big Bill Morganfield (the son of the legendary Muddy Waters). Also headlining Saturday night's show is Larry McCray, one of the finest practioners of the genre who, though born in Arkansas, was raised right here in the Mitten (in Saginaw, to be exact). Others on the bill include such local faves as Thornetta Davis and a blues lineup featuring Jeff Grand, Jim McCarty and Bobby East. Doors are at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and are still available. Click here for more info.
And if you're looking for even more to do this weekend, our friends over at Motor City Blog are hosting a Fifth Anniversary Party at the Jazz Cafe in the Music Hall (350 Madison) in downtown Detroit this Saturday night, the 16th. Among those on the stellar bill are Kinetic Stero Kids, Mick Bassett & The Marthas, Blase Splee, Lincolns UK, Satori Circus and Electric Fire Babies. Current local buzz artist Ken Stanley (our good friend Rick Manore over at the Music Hall can't say enough good stuff about this dude!) and his Loud Band will also be presenting the newest songs from their upcoming CD, Good For The Bones. More on Mr. Stanley at a later date. The show starts at 7 p.m. and admission is a reasonable $1O. Should be fun.
Larry McCray: Home boy in Ferndale this Saturday
