12/17 - Current

december 2017| FREE

MUSIC | ART | CULTURE

D a n ge r s : the c loset a n d the b u b b le Washtenaw’s Transgender Community Speaks Out, P6

li v i n g with the b o r de r Jason De León, U-M’s MacArthur Genius Breaks Down His Research, P8

H O L I D AY G I F T G U I D E Tis the Season to Shop, Dine and Drink Locally, P9

2

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

contents

December 2017 vol. 27/no. 12

6 Dangers – the closet and the bubble 9 Holiday Gift Guide

Current’s guide to where you can find unique and innovative holiday gifts.

8 “We Live With The Border Daily”

Jason De León describes the work that won him a MacArthur Genius Award

By Karen Smyte

16 food:

Ollie Offers O-wesomeness Ypsilanti eatery sets the standard for casual fine dining

By Jeff Kass

20 music:

Ebird & Friends Celebrate 10 Years at The Ark

By Jeff Milo

Washtenaw County’s transgender community speaks out

By Cole Bednarski

28 art:

TreeTown Muralists Brave Elements to Paint Holiday Spirit

By Mary Gallagher

32 person of interest:

Tony Lewis: Navy Vet and Operations Assistant at Fair Food Network

By Cammie Finch

29 33 37 38 39

arts & culture cannabis corner astrology crossword classifieds

26 theater:

“Anything Goes” Sails Into Encore Theatre

By Sandor Slomovits

32 lit:

Explosive Language and Language About an Explosion New book releases from Carlina Duan and John U. Bacon

By Jeff Kass

NOVEMBER 2017| FREE

NOVEMBER MOST READ

1. The report on rappourt

2. Guide to the arts 3. Ann Arbor Named America’s Most Intellectual City

.64*$ ] "35 ] $6-563&

GUIDE TO THE

Arts

Happenings on Stage, Page and Screen p8

The Report on Rappourt Brew & Chew offerings p20

Talking with Christina Olson UMMA’s new director p33

From music to art to theater to food, find the best reasons to go out on our online calendar. Keep connected to the community with ideas, stories, articles and expert picks by signing up for our e-newsletter today.

subscribe @ ecurrent.com

ecurrent.com / december 2017 3

Adams Street Publishing Co. ^

Ann Arbor-Based Duo Security Named LinkedIn Top 50 Start-up Cybersecurity firm Duo Security earned number 18 on LinkedIn’s national Top 50 start-up list, the only Michigan company to be recognized. The firm’s client base includes Toyota, Facebook and Zillow and the company’s known for enforcing a ‘no jerks’ policy and providing each employee a personal candy pack from Zingerman’s on their first day of work.

Raffaele Mautone, Duo’s chief information officer, told The Ann Arbor News, “This is further proof the talent coming out of our world-class universities can find a rewarding technology career right here in southeastern Michigan.” ^

Detroit Free Press Names St. Joe’s Hospital and U-M Credit Union Top Workplaces of 2017 St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Systems and the University of Michigan Credit Union have been chosen for the Freep’s list of top 150 workplaces in Michigan for 2017.

St. Joe’s is the only hospital system included in the list of Top Workplaces, scoring the highest in organizational alignment for its strong values and ethics. The UM Credit Union was recognized in the mid-size category as a Top Workplace for its encouragement of new innovations and employee development. ^

Ypsi Bike Co-op Celebrates Successful first Season During the 2017 Ypsilanti Farmers Market fall season, Co-op members helped the community work on 325 bikes, received 40 donated bikes, and found new homes for 31 bikes. Over 740 volunteer hours were logged and market visitors brought their bikes to the co-op repair booth and volunteers walked them through fixing flat tires, minor tune-ups, and major overhauls like new brakes and straightening wheels. “After several years of planning, we were excited to begin our first year,” said one of Ypsi Bike Co-op’s founding members, Georgina Hickey. “ We couldn’t be happier to see how the community responded.People were genuinely interested in learning how to fix and maintain their bikes, and the community provided generous donations of bikes, parts, and funds to support our efforts.”

What’s at the top of your holiday wish list this year?

Publisher/Editor in Chief

Collette Jacobs (cjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) Get more sleep!

Co-publisher/Chief Financial Officer

Mark I. Jacobs (mjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) i want to be invited to the art department's daily "huddle."

Editorial

Assignment Editor: Jeff Kass

(annarboreditor@adamsstreetpublishing.com)

a raise for public school teachers.

Calendar Editor, Staff Writer: Lo Rowry (calendar@ecurrent.com) a tropical vacation to escape the Michigan freeze.

Contributing Writers: Sandor Slomovits, Jeff Milo, Antonio Cooper, Cammie Finch, Karen Smyte, Mary Gallagher, Cole Bednarski, Vic Tanney, Sonny Forrest.

Digital Media Web Guru: Ashley Boardman (digitalmedia@adamsstreetpublishing.com) a ring.

Art/Production Production Manager: Imani Lateef (imani@adamsstreetpublishing.com) Florida or Bust!

Senior Designer: Leah Foley (leah@adamsstreetpublishing.com) New car.

Designers: Kelli Miller (kmiller@adamsstreetpublishing.com) new car.

Anita Tipton (atipton@adamsstreetpublishing.com) more vacation.

Advertising

Sales Catherine Bohr (a2sales@adamsstreetpublishing.com) six months paid vacation, twice a year.

Saul Jacobs (saul@adamsstreetpublishing.com) Audio-Technica AT-PL120 Turntable w/ Ghostly Intl.

Slipmat.

Lewis Andrews (landrews@adamsstreetpublishing.com) A place to live and some quality alone time.

Sales Coordinator Jen Leach (sales@adamsstreetpublishing.com Vacation - Preferably somewhere warm.

Administration Accounting: Robin Armstrong (rarmstrong@adamsstreetpublishing.com) Vinyls.

© 2017 by Adams Street Publishing Co., All rights reserved.

3003 Washtenaw Ave., Suite 3, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Phone (734) 668-4044, Fax (734) 668-0555.

First class subscriptions $30 a year. Distributed throughout Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and neighboring communities.

Also publishers of:

For more info about the Ypsi Bike Co-op, contact Gerogina Hickey @ eohickey@yahoo.com or 734-678-7811, or visit facebook.com/ypsibikecoop

Mature

Member

4

Audited by

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

green corner Ann Arbor Commits To A Quality Park Within 10 Minutes for Everyone Ann Arbor has joined The Trust for Public Land, National Recreation and Park Association and Urban Land Institute in a “10-minute walk� parks advocacy campaign.

The campaign calls for a high-quality park or natural area to be within a 10-minute walk (roughly a quarter mile) of all U.S. residences. “Accessibility to parks and nature truly plays an important role in both the overall quality of life for those who live here as well as in the vibrancy that attracts industry and visitors to our city,� said Parks and Recreation Manager Colin Smith, adding that Ann Arbor currently has 157 municipal parks, with the majority of Ann Arborites living within a quarter-mile of one of them. - JK

For more information on the 10-minute walk to a park campaign, visit 10minutewalk.org.

fyi

!FFORDABLE 6ET 3ERVICES

Ann Arbor Night in Recovery Live Comedy Tour December 9th The Washtenaw Recovery Advocacy Project joins Unite to Face Addiction-MI and The SOUL Project to present an evening of comedy and performance to benefit Community Substance Abuse initiatives. Featured artists include: National Artists Comedian Mark Lundholm, Hip Hop Artist Tommy “Gunz�

Kraus, Singer Songwriters Matt Butler and American Idol Finalist Keri Lynn Roche along with National Recovery Actor/ Author Brandon Novak and Executive Chef John Breeland of JB Chowhounds. Special Dining Engagement available with 4-course Pop-up dinner; event will also showcase resource tables and a silent auction. - JK

Ann Arbor Night in Recovery Live Comedy Tour, Zion Lutheran Church, 1501 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Saturday, December 9, 6-9pm. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 4-course meal & show: $60, or $100 per couple. facebook.com/homeofnewvision

Celebrating 11 years

WASHTENAW

Winner

Full Medical and Wellness Services Teeth Cleaning â—† Radiology Surgery â—† Vaccines Heartworm and Flea Preventative Comprehensive Laboratory Fully Stocked Pharmacy Prescription Diets

!FFORDABLE 6ET 3ERVICES

Dr. Maja Fontichiaro Dr. Shana Burack Dr. Paul Glineburg Dr. Courtney Cutright Dr. Tara Hansen

2117 West Stadium St., Ann Arbor s AFFORDABLEVETSERVICES COM ecurrent.com / december 2017   5

the closet and the bubble Photo Credit: Melissa Squires

Washtenaw County’s transgender community weighs the emotional costs of staying closeted with the physical dangers of coming out

by Cole Bednarski

he day Abby Wessels came out to her parents as a transgender woman was the last time she saw them.

She was attending college in Bowling Green, Ohio—a few hundred miles from where she grew up in Northern Michigan. “(Where I grew up) was a town that labeled itself as very progressive, very liberal,” Wessels, 27, says. “It wasn’t until I left to go to college that I realized the reason the town I lived in was very accepting was because everyone was the same.”

In college, Wessels began expressing her true self. After coming out to those around her, she gathered the courage to come out to her traditional, conservative family.

“I came out on Thanksgiving over the phone,” Wessels says.

“Christmas rolled around and when I got home my parents immediately wanted to talk about it. About an hour into the conversation, they told me if I went down this road, I would no longer be welcome in their house. I left two days later. I have not seen my parents or talked to them in two years. In the beginning it was very hard, but I realize now that I am achieving more than I ever thought I could by removing that oppressive relationship.”

6

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

Standing (L-R): Joanna Elyse, Keirsten Gawronski, Leo Kattari and Abby Wessels. Sitting (L-R): Bryan Adato, Oliver C. and Shannon Katz Kattari.

The acceptance Wessels found is repeated in the stories of many local transgenders. Washtenaw County residents refer to that acceptance as “the bubble.” It is often difficult for locals to understand the abuse or rejection transgender people experience elsewhere.

Inner struggle

Wessels, newly empowered, was also released from closeted anxieties and depression. Fear and anxiety are emotions that Kiersten Gawronski knows intimately. Two-and-a-half years ago her son came out, which she describes as a huge relief.

“It was difficult to see my son struggle to tell his feelings to his family,” Gawronski says. “It was also painful because I knew he was going to face discrimination, hatred and possibly violence. However, my fears of what could happen to him were far outweighed by the pain he was experiencing in a body that didn’t match how he saw himself. The anxiety, depression, and fear a transgender person can feel, trying to be true to themselves, is heartbreaking.”

The Ann Arbor area is generally accepting of transgender individuals. “I feel lucky my son’s school has been very supportive in a generally open-minded pocket of Washtenaw County,” Gawronski says. “Having said that, no place is truly safe. I worry about people, feeling emboldened by our current political climate, who may choose to lash out.”

Joanna Elyse, 27, a recent Eastern Michigan University School of Social Work grad, speaks up against hatred. From a young age, she knew she was different, enraged when told she could not be a female ballet dancer. “My femininity was overt and obvious throughout school,” she says. “I didn’t know why people were constantly teasing me, or why teachers would encourage me to talk, walk and act differently. I was just being myself.”

“People either view us as disgusting deviants or admirable heroes,” Elyse says. “The truth is we are complicated, multi-faceted human beings just like anyone else. We have strengths, weaknesses, passions and shortcomings. We desire love, connection and understanding. We have fears and demons and also great resilience, developed by constantly fighting for equal treatment and respect.”

By age 14, Elyse had fully come out to family and close friends and begun the process of transitioning. “During the middle of sophomore year (in high school),” she explains, “I attended all my classes dressed as myself. People asked ‘What are you dressed up for?’ and ‘Is this a joke?’ I answered, ‘No, I’ve been dressing up all my life. This is the real me.’ I got to attend my school’s prom, and the Neutral Zone’s “Queer Prom”, and got elected Prom Queen.”

The bubble

“For better or for worse, I feel safe and rather insulated right now,” says Bryan Adato, a transgender man who works as a paraprofessional in the Ypsilanti Community School District, “but that could change at any time.”

Adato, 38, began to transition when he was 31. “As a child, I was frustrated by being put in the ‘girl’ box,” he says. “Although I was raised in an open-minded household where it wasn’t a problem that I was playing with toy cars instead of dolls, there were still social and societal expectations that were imposed on me because I was a girl. I felt awkward, uncomfortable and out-of-place. I did not understand what it meant to be transgender until I was in college — undergoing such huge changes seemed unfathomable.

It wasn’t until 10 years later I finally came out as trans and began transitioning.”

“I feel safe in Washtenaw County,” he adds. “Living in Ypsilanti, I have been fortunate not to encounter any problems.”

Shanna Katz Kattari, also of Ypsilanti, is new to Washtenaw County. While she is not transgender, she considers herself to be a SOFFA (significant other, friend, family or ally of trans folks) and describes herself as “a cisgender (feeling the gender one is born as) queer femme partnered with an amazing queer trans guy.”

She met her partner when he still considered himself “queer butch.” Within a couple years, he started identifying more as genderqueer, and transitioned to transgender five years ago. Katz Kattari achieved her PhD and then accepted a position at the University of Michigan, where she was relieved to find an accepting community.

“Although Michigan doesn’t have trans-inclusive policies on a state level, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and the University of Michigan do support gender identity. Moreover, places like Ozone House and the Corner Health Center reaffirm this area’s commitment to inclusivity, and we, as white, middle class folks with educational and citizenship privilege, felt this could be a good area for us to continue to work toward fairness.”

The intersection of racism and cissexism

“We really need to start talking about how trans women of color are consistently under attack,” Elyse says. “The murder rate of trans women of color is incredibly high.”

Katz Kattari agrees. “We cannot fight only for white trans folks,” she says. “We need to recognize how the intersection of marginalized identities harms members of the community disproportionately (the military ban hurts many more trans folks of color, low-income trans

Joanna Elyse describes transgender people as extremely resilient, out of necessity.

folks, trans veterans, trans folks from rural areas, etc. than urban white middle-class trans folks), and make sure we include these folks in our advocacy.”

To Adato, the key is policies that deter discrimination entirely.

“Nondiscrimination policies need to include sexual orientation as well as gender identity and expression,” he says. “ While nothing can act as a force-field to protect me from ignorance or hatred, I feel safe going to work because I know I can go to my employer if I encounter any problems.”

Trump Sparks New Worries

The tone emanating from the White House and the tweeted transgender ban in the military causes concerns for transgenders across the country. “I am absolutely frightened and I am encouraging my child to go overseas once he graduates,” Gawronski says. “When lawmakers actively endorse bigotry, racism and hatred, it makes for a truly frightening time.”

“I’m scared,” Elyse says. “Although I am privileged in so many ways as a white, educated, able-bodied woman from an upper middle-class upbringing, the policies coming out about trans people greatly affect all of us. It worries me to witness a conversation about trans people banned from the military. It is not okay and we all have to do our part to educate others that trans people are not inherently dangerous.”

For more information or to support the transgender community, check out these resources:  facebook.com/ftma2ypsi/uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/ transgender-support-groups  transgendermichigan.org/transpages/mhp/washtenaw.html  glaad.org/transgender/allies

ecurrent.com / december 2017 7

Photo Credit: Melissa Squires

Becoming Powerful and Prom Queen

feature

Jason De León, Ann Arbor’s 2017 MacArthur Genius, describes his crucial work

by Karen Smyte

Jason De León, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan, was awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Grant this year in recognition of his work illuminating the brutal impact of U.S. immigration policies along the U.S./Mexico and Southern Mexico/ Guatemala borders. In addition to collecting artifacts migrants leave in the Sonoran desert as part of the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), De León has pioneered the use of forensic science to document higher numbers of people dying during the crossings than official counts. Current caught up with him to talk about his research.

What were your goals when you founded UMP in 2009?

I wanted to see what archeology could tell me in conversation with interviews with migrants. I came to realize this was also a salvage mission; we’re trying to save items before they are destroyed.

In your book, The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail, you describe how federal government policy “hides behind the viciousness of the Sonoran Desert.” Can you explain? Prevention Through

Deterrence (PTD) is structured to funnel people toward difficult natural environments where we know they’ll have to walk for many days, they’ll be exhausted, they may die. It is virtually impossible now to cross in urban areas, but you can go to Southern Arizona where there’s no fence and hundreds of square miles of open wilderness. We know that’s going to hurt people, it’s going to kill them. At the same time, it allows us, and the federal government, to say if the desert kills you, it’s not our fault. You chose to go into the desert and risk your life.

Your forensic research reveals how quickly bodies decompose in the Sonoran desert. The Yuma County Medical

Office says that when people die in the desert, bodies disappear.

We don’t know how many people die. Many folks go missing. This is a way to say this is happening and here is the scientific data to support that many people are dying and disappearing and we’re not finding those bodies.

This is a longitudinal project, going on for almost 10 years.

What other changes have you noticed? The biggest change

right now is that we’ve moved the US/Mexico border to Guatemala.

We have lower numbers at the US border because Mexico is

8

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

Photo Credit: Jason De León.

Migrants seeking to cross the border into the U.S. often have to traverse miles of treacherous desert.

deporting thousands of Central Americans every year. Human rights abuses against Central Americans are happening at the hands of Mexican officials. When people complain, they’re told if you’re getting harassed, beaten up, arrested and deported, their rights violated by the Mexican government, that has nothing to do with the United States, even though the US Department of Homeland Security agents Jason De León, UM anthology are providing supervisory professor, shines light on US roles and training. The immigration policies.

American public doesn’t understand those things are happening in Central America and Mexico and we’re largely responsible.

Photo Credit: Michael Wells

“We Live With The Border Daily”

Photographs are integral to your projects, particularly your new one concerning smugglers. I hope the photos can

tell other types of stories. Perhaps they can draw in people who don’t want to read ethnographies or a straight anthropological book. It’s a new kind of data set for me. Also, there is the idea about accessibility. We say “Oh, when I finish this book, I’ll translate it to Spanish so that people who are in it can read it.” Some of them are not literate, but photos in the book make it more accessible.

Can you comment on President Trump’s desire to extend the existing border wall? He’s the only one calling for this wall.

It’s a smokescreen for anxieties, a way to focus attention on border security. For me, it’s a symbol of xenophobia, racism, ignorance, and we know it doesn’t work. It’s a physical impossibility. The walls we currently have don’t stop people, they redirect them.

Anything else you’d like our community to understand about the work you do? It’s important to keep in mind that what

happens at the US/Mexican border impacts all of us in Michigan on a daily basis. We interact with people all day long whether we know it or not that have either gone through this process or been directly affected by having a family member go through this horrific thing. We live with the border daily.

special advertising section

H O gift L guide I D AY Let Current help you along your holiday shopping journey with some unique ideas for gifts.

Humane Society of Huron Va l l e y 3100 Cherry Hill Rd., Ann Arbor 734-661-3527 hshv.org Tiny Lions Cat Café 5245 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor For all your furiends, family and furbabies, the nonprofit Paws to Shop has gifts that give twice!

Proceeds benefit our community’s homeless animals at the Humane Society of Huron Valley and Tiny Lions lounge and adoption Center. Get pet-themed cookie cutters, unique pet toys, and wearables at the HSHV store. Or cat “wine,” an issue of Pussweek, and meowny other novelties at the Tiny Lions Center store! Gift cards are also available. Stop by to get a gift for an animal lover, while helping animals at the same time!

GIVE THE GIFT OF STELLA

Collected Works 303 Detroit St #107 734-995-4222 collectedworksannarbor.com

If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind items for the special people on your gift list, let Collected Works be your one-stop fashion shop to dress up your holidays. The store is hand-curated and offers several styles from innovative American artists in all price ranges!

Check out accessories for all occasions and cozy scarves and hats to keep you warm this winter season.

Terra Madre Day December 11, 6:30pm

Five Course Slow Food Dinner 15% of dinner donated to

Slow Food Ann Arbor Visit SilviosItalianFood.com or Call 734-214-6666 for more info

715 North University Ave. Ann Arbor, MI

ecurrent.com / december 2017 9

special advertising section

1

2

3

4

O & W Inc.

Look for products in your local beer aisle. onwbeer.com O & W will be offering a delicious quintet of holiday beers:

1

Fistmas by Revolution - if you are fun and love beer, why not show up to a holiday party with FISTMAS!!!

2

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - YUM! This Imperial Stout comes in at a perfect 100 on Ratebeer.

3

Sierra Nevada Celebration - Rich and hearty, Celebration is one of the most iconic seasonal beers brewed for the holidays each year.

4

New Belgium Blend Like a Brewer 12pk - this 12pk gives you recipes to blend out your own beers!

5

Alaskan Smoked Porter - Most awarded beer EVER at GABF is back in a 2017 edition in 22oz bottles, this smoky porter is a huge fan favorite! (Not Pictured)

Give the gift of Ann Arbor architecture history this Holiday season!

Available at all local bookstores and through Amazon

For more information contact Susan at: swines@umich.edu AnnArborHistoricalFoundation.org

10

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

special advertising section

A b r a c ada b r a Jewelry Gem Gallery 205 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor 734-994-4848 abragem.com Follow @ AbraJewely on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram If you’re on the hunt for that magical once-in-a-lifetime gift for that special someone, Abracadabra Jewelry is a family owned jewelry boutique offering one-of-a-kind custom jewelry as well as curated collections from a variety of local artists and national designer lines. Abracadabra specializes in ethical diamonds and gemstones as well as recycled metals. Come explore our collections with the help of our expert advisors and find that unique gift that lasts forever.

FOUND

415 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor 734-302-3060 foundgallery.com Visit FOUND on Friday, December 1st, for MIDNIGHT MADNESS! Storewide sales all day long until the clock strikes midnight! You’ll find a festive shopping experience at Found in Kerrytown! Unique holiday decor! Local artists! Handcrafted pottery! Stocking stuffers! Candles! Come to FOUND and find Merry Multiples quantity discounts throughout the season!

ecurrent.com / december 2017 11

special advertising section CELEBRATING

40

YEARS!

Keep cozy for the holidays and beyond

with new collections from...

t as Ar g n i Cloth MON-SAT 10-6, SUN 1-4 303 Detroit St., Suite 107, Ann Arbor (Across From Detroit Street Filling Station) 734.995.4222 | collectedworksannarbor.com

A2 Yoga 2030 Commerce Blvd.

734-216-4006 a2yoga.net

A2 Yoga has been part of the Ann Arbor community since 2002! The staff and teachers are dedicated to helping students both on and off the yoga mat! So, this holiday season buy yourself a new yoga mat or book, perhaps a gift certificate or mala for that special yogi.

Head down (but not a Down-Dog) to A2 Yoga on December 16 and 17 for 15% OFF all gift items and class passes. New to A2 Yoga, or the yoga scene in general? A2 Yoga offers a new student seven- day unlimited trial pass for just $20! For over 15 years their friendly staff of yoga experts get you off the ground and into an Up-Dog!

Three Chairs Co. 215 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor 734-665-2796 threechairs.com

For us, it’s all about your personal space—your home, where family life takes place. It’s about the holidays, the parties, the guests, the cozy evenings, and the graduations and farewells. Three Chairs Co. sells the ingredients of personal spaces. In addition to caring about your space, we care about quality. The pieces we carry come from leading contemporary designers and manufacturers of durable upholstered and slipcovered furniture, available in the most refreshing fabrics. We work with skilled craftsmen who build furniture to order and carefully inspect and sign each piece as it leaves their hands. We are proud of the quality of our furniture and stand behind it; ask about our warranties. For the holidays, we offer 20% off all lamps and accessories throughout the month of December. Let us help you make your home the best place to spend the holidays!

12

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

special advertising section

Historic Ann Arbor: An Architectural Guide

by Susan Wineberg and Patrick McCauley Published by Ann Arbor Historical Foundation, a 501(c) 3, 2014

If you’ve ever walked by a local building and wondered about its history, this is the book for you or your loved ones!

Wineberg and McCauley have produced an amazing history of 375 buildings including over 40 University buildings in this year of the Bicentennial. Starting with an explanation of historical styles, the book takes you from the earliest Greek Revival houses built after Ann Arbor was founded in 1824, through Italianate, Gothic Revival, Queen Anne, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco and Mid Century Modern. Every type of edifice is included, from tiny houses to mansions, commercial buildings, skyscrapers, schools, churches and other buildings that weave our collective history together to form what we love about Ann Arbor. It’s organized by neighborhood with maps for walking or driving tours. Cost is $25 and it’s available at local bookstores and through Amazon.

Namaste HOLIDAY SALE WEEKEND December 17th & 18th

Check our listing in the Holiday Gift Guide

All Month

!

Join u New Year s on ’s CommUN Day for ITY yoga!

Check the website for more information!

2030 Commerce Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103 | a2yoga.net | 734-216-4006 Monday 9:45 - 10:45 AM 6:00 - 7:15 PM 7:15 - 8:15 PM 7:30 - 8:30PM Tuesday 9:30 - 10:30 AM 9:30 - 10:30 AM 10:45 - 12:00 PM 11:00 - 12:00 PM 6:00 - 7:00 PM 7:15 - 8:30 PM 7:15 - 8:30 PM Wednesday 9:15 - 10:30 AM 6:00 - 7:15 PM 6:00 - 7:15 PM 7:30 - 8:30 PM 7:30 - 8:30 PM Thursday 9: 15 - 10:30 AM 9:15 - 10:30 AM 6:15 - 7:15 PM 7:15 - 8:30 PM Friday 9:15 - 10:30 AM 9:30 - 10:30 AM 5:30 - 6:30 PM Saturday 7:30 - 9:15 AM 9:15 - 10:30 AM 11:00 - 12:15 PM 11:00 - 12:00 PM Sunday 9:00 - 10:15 AM 9:15 - 10:15 AM 10:30 - 11:30 AM 10:30 - 11:45 AM

Classes (H) Hatha (H) Heart-Centered Hatha Yoga (V) Vinyasa (H) Gentle/Restorative Yoga Classes (H) Hatha (All Levels) (V) Slow/Gentle Flow Yoga (H) Mindful Yoga & Meditation FREE CommUNITY Yoga: On~A~Flow Vinyasa (DW)* NIA (V) Vinyasa (H) Pre-natal Yoga: Mommy Time Classes (H) Heart - Centered Hatha Yoga (V) Vinyasa: Movement Flow (V) Ashtanga: Primary Series I/Foundations (H) Hatha Flow (H) Gentle/Restorative Yoga Classes (H) Gentle Yoga & Meditation (V) Classical Vinyasa Yoga (V) Vinyasa: Movement Flow (V) Vinyasa Classes (V) Vinyasa (H) Gentle/Restorative Yoga FREE CommUNITY Yoga: On~A~Flow Vinyasa (DW)* Classes FREE CommUNITY Yoga: Ashtanga Primary Series (DW) * (V) Vinyasa I & II (H) Traditional Hatha Yoga (All Levels) FREE CommUNITY Class: NIA (DW)* Classes (V) Heart - Centered Vinyasa Yoga (H) Hatha Yoga Foundations (Great for beginners) NIA (H) Pre-natal Yoga: Mommy Time

Teacher Kevin Carter Ana Tina Teacher Carter Sarah Dina Ana Megan S. Wendy Lisa T. Teacher Carter Tracy Wendy Sarah Tina Teacher Tracy Samantha Isa Jo Teacher Wendy Dina Ana Teacher Self Lead Rachel P. Natasha Ana Teacher Natasha Carrie Megan S. Tracy

NEW Student Special! $20 for UNLIMITED week trial pass** * Donations Welcome: CommUNITY Class **(Washtenaw County residents, starts 1st class visit & must fill-out W² Form) ecurrent.com / december 2017 13

special advertising section

Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina 3050 Washtenaw Ave, Suite112, Ann Arbor 734-971-2442 bigalora.com

Vinology 110 S. Main St., 734-222-9841 vinologya2.com

Looking for the perfect gift for the wine lover on your list?

Through December 24, we're offering one month of our wine club membership for $40, for redemption in January, February, March.

No contract is required as part of this special promotion. You also get a bottle of wine as a bonus gift with this purchase! The Vinology wine club offers intimate wine-tasting events for club members only, discounts on admission to our public, quarterly wine-tastings, an annual intimate dinner with a winemaker, two bottles of wine each month hand picked by our experts, waived corkage fee for club wines on date of pick up, and ability to ship wines (with applicable shipping fees). Don't miss this chance to give a unique - and delicious! - gift this holiday season.

20% OFF

14

This holiday season, give the gift of Bigalora to a friend or family member, and receive a gift yourself.

Any purchase of a gift card of $100 or more earns a gift card in the amount of 10% of the original gift card for the purchaser. In other words, purchase a $200 gift card for a friend, earn a $20 card for yourself. Warm up your holidays with a wood-fired gourmet pizza, a specialty pasta dish or a tasty entree, and spread the gift of Bigalora!

Lamps & Accessories During December

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

215 S Ashley St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

734.665.2796

ThreeChairs.com

Peek into the minds of Ann Arbor’s culinary arbiters when, each issue, a new local chef shares their unique perspective on Washtenaw County’s dining and hospitality culture.

u amo s F e

Th

chef corner

Come in & Check out out the Daily Specials

All New Tasty Menu!

36 Beers!

36 Big Screen TV’s

Tuesdays:

$2 Coronas, $2 Tequila Shots & $2 Tacos, Live DJ

Wednesdays:

$2.75 All Pints & $6.99 Burger & Beer

Thursdays:

$2 Long Islands & $5 Coors Light Pitchers, Live DJ

Fridays:

$3 Miller Lite Bottles, $4 Jack Daniels Drinks, $2 Bud Light Beer & Wing Specials, Trivia 7pm $ Cash Prizes $

Saturdays:

College Football ALL DAY! $2 Tacos, $2 Bud Light Food & Drink Specials, $8 Mini Pitchers

Book your Private Party with us!

TUES- FRI

DAILY Happy Hour:

SATurday

$1.00 off all drafts. $1.75 bottles

Tuesday-Friday 5-7pm drink specials:

5PM - 2AM

12PM - 2AM

(Closed Sunday & Monday)

Loren Halprin

of PBR, Labatt Blue Light, Carlsberg, Heineken, Amstel Light, and Bud.

310 Maynard St, Ann Arbor $FOUSBM $BNQVT

Allen Rumsey Supper Club

by Sonny Forrest

Known for channeling the Northwoods supper clubs of yore, fusing classic Midwestern dishes like beer-battered Lake Superior whitefish and Jucy Lucy Burgers with chef-driven accents at the Graduate Hotel’s Allen Rumsey Supper Club, Chef Loren Halprin (formerly of the Gandy Dancer) sheds light on his favorite grocery spots, local ingredient purveyors and how he spends his nights out.

Where’s your go-to local grocery store when cooking at home? Plum Market and Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market.

What are your favorite local ingredients to employ in dishes at your restaurant? We all know Michigan has great

produce but many times people forget about all the other wonderful items Michigan produces. At Allen Rumsey Supper Club we buy our lamb from S&S Farms in McBain, MI, our chicken from Miller Farms in Orland, IN, our specialty cheeses from Detroit’s Traffic Jam Creamery, Reny Picot in Benton Harbor, MI, and Farm Country Cheese House in Lakeville, MI. We purchase all these and many other local products from Ann Arbor’s own Eat Local Eat Natural.

What brought you to Ann Arbor? This city has a different (i.e. better) feel that anywhere else I’ve lived. It’s the uniqueness of the people, the environment in and around campus, the food scene and the overall college town atmosphere – especially on game days.

What’s your earliest memory of cooking? Cooking for my brother as a young child while our mom was working.

Where do you go for a night out? A nice quiet dinner (typically nothing too fancy) and a long drive in the country (preferably at sunset) with my wife.

january 2018 call to advertise

734.668.4044 ecurrent.com / december 2017   15

food

Ollie Offers O-wesomeness Ypsilanti eatery sets the standard for casual fine dining

by Jeff Kass Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of terrific food to be enjoyed in Washtenaw County; a lot of places you can go where you walk out licking your lips and feeling like your money has been well spent. Then there’s Ollie Food + Spirits, a full-service restaurant which opened in April, where you walk out feeling sad, as if you just finished reading a book you didn’t want to end. You just had one of the best meals you’ve had in years, and now you have to go home.

Not that there’s anything wrong with home, but if you have a chance to spend a night out, Ollie is one heckuva good choice. Owner Mark Teachout created a spectacular spot for an Ypsilanti date night, a place where you can sit comfortably and enjoy intimate conversation, excellent food and enticing cocktails. The Ollie experience is one well worth savoring.

Date Night Ambiance

Start with the decor. It’s understated, nothing that will assault your senses or distract you from the food, drink and company. “The thought of a television above the bar never even crossed my mind,” Teachout says. “We didn’t want any kind of media to dominate the evening.”

The volume level is soothing with spacious seating, so that voices from neighboring

16

december

tables won’t overwhelm. The whole place channels a meal meant to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, a welcome outtake from the hectic bustling world, the perfect atmosphere for a meal you absolutely do not want to rush, a meal to be tasted one lovely, lazy, luscious bite at a time.

About that Jalapeño Cornbread Pudding

The menu is intentionally limited: seven small plates, seven large plates.

Teachout says the smaller menu means each dish can be perfected with locally sourced ingredients amid versatility to allow seasonal changes. From the small plate fare, the Roasted Pear and Nut Slaw (cabbage, brussel sprouts, pickled onion, mustard seeds, spiced nuts, brown ale, peanut butter, maple vinaigrette with rice crackers) offers a delicious combination of sweet and savory flavors with a texture that’s alternately crunchy and melt-on-thetongue soft. And then...there’s the Jalapeño Cornbread Pudding (served with maple syrup and Jake’s hickory smoked bacon).

The texture is creamy, the melding of flavors luxuriant. Each bite is an absolute joy. It’s the kind of dish you’ll think of like a holiday, something to look forward to, to break up the monotony of the calendar’s unrelenting grind, an extraordinary dish you’ll think about re-visiting, for a long time.

2017 / ecurrent.com

Among both the small and large plate fare, find vegan options or meals hearty enough to satisfy any devoted meateater. The Legends of the Fall Burger, for instance, features Knight’s beef ground in-house, with a winter-squash spread, gruyere cheese, house pickled apples and hickory smoked bacon, served with herb smashed potatoes. Again, every detail is carefully designed so the diner’s experience is a cascade of mouth-watering moments, one after another, until, sadly, the meal is gone.

Masterful Mixology

Lest we forget, it’s worth noting the Ollie experience is not just about food. It’s about spirits too. Bartender Ray Martell explains the high level care put into the design of each cocktail. “We put a lot of thought into the ingredients,” he says. “A good mixed drink is realizing the balance between booze, sugar, acid and water. It’s chemistry. What we’re doing is creating a cocktail that has balance and is consistent.

Each drink is the same thing every time you get it. We’re elevating the cocktail above the sum of its parts.”

The same can be said of the overall experience at Ollie. Combine the atmosphere with the food and the drink and you’ll undoubtedly have an O-wesome, and memorable, time.

Ollie Food + Spirits, 42 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti. 734-482-8050. Open TuesThurs. 11am - 11pm; Fridays, 11ammidnight; Saturdays, 8am - midnight; Sundays, 8am-3pm; closed Mondays.

For more info or to glance at a menu, visit ollieypsi.com

8 Friday

Ongoing

Spectacular Spanish Paella

11am. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

​ ednesdays & W Saturdays

Hands on class to learn this quintessential Spanish dish. Improve your kitchen techniques and leave with a new recipe.

Ann Arbor Farmers Market 7am-3pm. Downtown Ann Arbor. a2gov.org

Fresh local produce, plants, flowers, dairy, meats, prepared foods, bakery items, artisan goods and more.​

2 Saturday Annual Christmas Party

10am. Downtown Home and Garden. downtownhomeandgarden.com Free

Annual neighborhood Christmas Party with smoked turkey, Grandma Mooberry’s cranberry salad, cider and eggnog. There will be farm animals, music from the Community High Jazz Band and, of course, Santa Claus!

3 Sunday Fried Chicken 101

4pm. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Thought you could never make fried chicken at home? Now you can. An instructor will walk you through the process stepby-step. Learn how to prepare batter, fry to perfection, and the secrets for making flakey buttermilk biscuits.

4 Monday Detroit & Ann Arbor Beer Books History Talk w/Chelsea Alehouse 7pm. Chelsea Alehouse. Free

This talk features both Stephen Johnson the author of “Detroit Beer - A History of Brewing in the Motor City” and owner of Motor City Brew Tours and David Bardallis the author of “Ann Arbor - A Hoppy History of Tree Town Brewing.” Learn the history of the early breweries in downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor.

5 Tuesday Collage Party

7pm. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse.

Cultivateypsi.com Free

Free form collage making sessions are grounded by a focus or theme with a quick “show and tell,” but you can collage what you want, how you want in this class.

Perfect Pizza from Scratch

11am. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Learn to prepare artisan pizzas from scratch at home. Create unique flavors and learn tips for working with pizza peels and stones.

9 Saturday

By the Sidewalk Offers Ann Arbor Food Tours

12 Bars of Xmas Bar Crawl 12pm. $16-$25. Ann Arbor Area Bars. eventbrite.com

Aniruddh Gala wants to provide escapades of gastronomic delight for interested Ann Arbor denizens and visitors. By the Sidewalk, Gala’s new business venture, will offer two-and-a-half to three-hour walking tours of one to two miles that include information about Ann Arbor history, architecture and culture (as well as trivia) and stops at various Ann Arbor eateries for sampling. Cost is $47 for an all-inclusive tour, capped at 16 people. Tours now cover Kerrytown and downtown mid-day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but Gala hopes to expand to Tuesdays through Thursdays and include additonal locations.

Gala doesn’t reveal the itinerary in advance, hoping to provide moments of surprise and discovery even for weathered Ann Arborites. - JK

Registration for By the Sidewalk food tours happens at bythesidewalk.com or by phone, 734-548-9532.

The 12 Bars of Christmas Crawl is coming to town! Grab your best holiday onesies, Santa suits, ugly sweaters, elf costumes, and get ready to crawl! You get: 16oz Bad Santa Stadium Cup, bus transportation to the two bar areas, commemorative Santa hat, wristband for entry and specials, no cover with your ticket! 21+.

Madeleine Cookie Demo with Brigitte

10am. Downtown Home and Garden. Free

Stop by to see how to make this French favorite. Baking impaired?

Don’t worry—cookie bags will be available for purchase as well.

Science Saturday: The Top Discoveries of 2017

9am. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse. cultivateypsi.com Free

6 Wednesday Filled Candy Class

5:30pm. $50. The Baker’s Nook. thebakersnook.com

Learn how to make filled candies, a turtle, a mouse, dipped toffee bars, dipped peanut butter logs and peppermint bark. These are perfect gifts for the holidays.

All supplies provided and you will take home your treats.

The Philosophy of Beer 7-10pm. Ypsi Alehouse. ypsialehouse.com

A fun evening discussing the philosophy of beer with Ted Badgerow and Rex Halfpenny.

7 Thursday Chocolate Truffle Workshop

6:30pm. $60. Provided upon registration. tammystastings.com

During this three hour workshop learn to make both hand dipped truffles and molded bonbons, ganache (the creamy center of a truffle), form truffle centers and temper chocolate. Practice dipping and decorating centers, learn to decorate, fill and finish molded chocolates using professional polycarbonate molds. Take home at least 16 completed truffles as well as bark and/or chocolate dipped pretzels.

Holiday Tapas Party 6:30pm. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Learn to make delicious items for your holiday parties! Menu includes: Seared Saffron-Tomato Shrimp, Spicy Pork Skewers with Romesco Sauce. RiojaStyle Potatoes with Chorizo and Marinated Olives with Rosemary and Chile.

Italian 4-Course Dinner with Live Cooking Demonstration 6:30pm. $49.95. Palio Ann Arbor. palioannarbor.com

Chef Adam Cane shows off his 4-course Italian Holiday dinner party. Watch and learn while enjoying the 4-course dinner and wine pairing. Check out the website for details on the courses! Reservations required, call 888-456-3463.

Gratuity not included in price.

Passion for Pastries: Holiday Treats

12pm. $40. Fustini’s Oils & Vinegars. fustinis.com

Pastry Chef Carol Passmore will teach you how to make family favorite cookies and bars for the holidays using Fustini’s Balsamic Vinegars. Register online or by phone.

Saturday morning science class is back. Join in as local scientists present on current topics in a fun lecture style over coffee.

10 Sunday Paint Nite A2 - Winter Path

7pm. $45. The Blue Leprechaun. paintnite. com

Sip on a glass of wine, beer, or cocktail of your choice and follow step-by-step to create a masterpiece. Materials are included in the price of ticket. No food or drink included. Arrive 15-30 minutes prior to start time to find seats and order any food or drinks. 21+ event.

11 Monday Holiday Cocktails

7:30pm. $45. The Last Word. tammystastings.com

Create your own house champagne cocktail, explore hot toddies and spiced wine, and sample some unusual and delicious eggnogs. Booking includes light snacks (pretzels, nuts). Expect to have 1.5-2 cocktails over the class time.

Terra Madre Day

6:30pm. $60-$75. Silvio’s Organic Pizza. silviositalianfood.com

Enjoy a 5-course Slow Food dinner to celebrate local eating and Slow Food’s anniversary. 15% will be donated to Slow Food Ann Arbor.

Visit website or call for your ticket.

cont’d on p18

ecurrent.com / december 2017 17

cont’d from p17

Christmas Cupcake Class

12 Tuesday

5:30pm. $50. The Baker’s Nook. thebakersnook.com

Bell’s Brewery Ugly Sweater Party

6pm. Beer Grotto. beergrotto.com

Stay warm and cheery on a wintery Michigan night with eccentric sweaters and one of Michigan’s oldest and best breweries. Enjoy fine Bell’s beers, like Christmas Ale, Winter White, Wild One and more! Find your ugliest sweater, and party with Bell’s.

Chinese Takeout at Home 6:30pm. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Festive French Macarons

11am. $69. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Master techniques from meringue-making to macaronage so you can make these French concoctions at home.

Holiday Memorable

Learn techniques for perfectly cooking pork, stir frying vegetables and creating classic homemade dumplings. End on a sweet note with an incredibly creamy custard-based tart.

6pm. $59. Fustini’s Oils & Vinegars. fustinis.com

Chef Andy has a menu that your family and friends won’t soon forget: Cinnamon Pear Eggnog; Duck and Roasted Pear Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette; Pork Tenderloin with Banana Vindaloo and Corn Banana Fritters; and Sticky Toffee Pudding

Italian Special Dinner: Buon Chanukah, with Rolando Beramendi

7pm. $75. Zingerman’s Roadhouse. zingermansroadhouse.com

15 Friday

Cookbook author Rolando Beramendi will bring Old World tradition—and new olive oil—to the Roadhouse for Chanukah.

Join in and celebrate his new book, the harvest of olio nuovo, and Erev Chanukah during one great event.

Holiday Casual

12pm. $59. Fusini’s Oils & Vinegars. fustinis.com

Comfort food perfect for friends and family: New England Clam Chowder, Cobb Salad, Cured Pork Chop with Cider Sauce and Corn Bread Pudding and Apple Cranberry Cobbler with Maple Ice Cream.

13 Wednesday Autentico: A Night with Rolando & Ari

6:30pm. $55. Zingerman’s Deli.

Create cupcakes themed for Christmas, a string of lights, a reindeer, a candy Christmas tree, a fondant candy cane, the Grinch and a snowman. Make two of each design for a total of 12 cupcakes. All supplies are provided for this class.

Ugly Sweater Holiday Party

Celebrate the release Rolando Beramendi’s first cookbook, AUTENTICO. Join longtime friend and Zingerman’s Co-Founder, Ari Weinzweig, for an interview about the book along with a curated tasting of some of the Italian pantry items Zingerman’s carries. Leave with a signed copy of the book and a 20% off coupon to use after the tasting.

7pm. Cantina Ann Arbor. cantinaannarbor.com

AFC Ann Arbor and it’s independent supporter group, Main Street Hooligans, have teamed up for this year’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Party. Prizes for ugliest sweater and extra points for making your own AFCAA inspired sweater.

Happy Holidays

16 Saturday Build-it-Yourself Cheese Plate

20 Wednesday Perfect Prime Rib Dinner

$125. Zingerman’s Creamery. events. zingermanscommunity.com

Just in time for your holiday celebrations, learn tips and tricks for creating an eye-catching cheese centerpiece. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or grape juice while you build your creation, and take home a cheese platter for up to 10 people to enjoy.

Holiday Mocktails

6pm. $29. Fustini’s Oils & Vinegars. fustinis.com

Sharon McRill, a bartender for 15+ years, will incorporate a selection of Fustini’s vinegar and Young Living essential oils into cocktails for you to make at home for Winter and to celebrate the Holidays.

18 Monday Young Leaders Society Stocking Soiree

$35. The Last Word. uwwashtenaw.org

Mix, mingle and give. Tammy’s Tastings will teach you how to make festive, holiday cocktails.

Bring mittens or scarves for donations to stuff stockings.

19 Tuesday Beer Dinner

6pm. $60. Dan’s Downtown Tavern. facebook.com/DANSBAR

Last Beer Dinner of the year, don’t miss it! Featuring Founders.

Paint Nite at RedBrick Kitchen & Bar

7pm. $45. RedBrick Kitchen & Bar. paintnite.com

6:30pm. $85. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Master the techniques behind this slow-roasted American classic. Learn tried-and-true recipes for trimmings that will bring out the best of this delicacy.

23 Saturday Build-It-Yourself Gift Basket

12pm. $150. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com

Put together a stellar gift basket with a selection of cheeses, accompaniments, and cheese swag from our Cream Top Shop.

Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or grape juice while you build your creation and take home a giftable basket.

24 Sunday Christmas Eve Dinner 12pm. Evans Street Station. evansstreetstation.com

Relax and enjoy dinner in a cozy holiday ambiance, along with festive features from the kitchen and bar. Reservations welcomed from Noon - 7 pm. Call 517-4245555 to arrange your table.

26 Tuesday FigJam Quadrupel Feature Hour

6pm. Arbor Brewing Company. arborbrewing.com

Stop by the main bar for a taste or two of FIGJAM! Mug Club members receive 30% off carryout 6 packs, 50% off select menu items and complimentary beer.

Everything you need to create a one-of-a-kind painting. You and your friends will be guided through two lively hours of creativity, drinking, and laughing ‘til your cheeks hurt. You don’t have to be an artist to have an amazing time. 21+. Theme: Christmas Couture.

PJ’ S

RECORDS &USED CDS

SELECTION, QUALITY & PRICE ARE ALWAYS OUR TOP PRIORITIES!!!

Stone Ground, Locally Made Chips

No Preservatives 100% NON-GMO Gluten Free

visit annarbortortilla.com to see where you can find our products

18

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

IBUY-SELL-TRADE-RECYCLEI JAZZ BLUES ROCK SOUL CLASSICAL PUNK FUNK Open 7 Days

617-B PACKARD — NEAR HILL ST.

UPSTAIRS FROM PASTRY PEDDLER — 663-3441 Hundreds of Sealed LPs

Build a Gift Basket at Zingerman’s Creamery December 15th

27 Wednesday Sushi Party

Choose from a selection of cheeses, accompaniments, and cheese swag from Zingerman’s Cream Top Shop available to taste and use to build a unique and delicious gift basket. Garner tips and tricks for creating an eye-catching and scrumptious basket and enjoy a glass of sparkling wine or grape juice while crafting a memorable, edible gift for a friend, family member, or hope-to-be loved one. - JK

Build it yourself gift basket, Zingerman’s Creamery, 3723 Plaza Dr., Suite 2, Ann Arbor.

Friday, December 15, 6-8pm. Tickets and more info at events.zingermanscommunity.com.

6:30pm. $79. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

Instructors will guide you through the process of selecting the freshest fish, and then teach you how to prepare seasoned rice and dipping sauces. Sharpen your knife skills and learn classic rolling techniques with hands-on practice.

Winter Break Series: Cheese 101

2pm. $30. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com

A delicious introduction to the world of cheese! Join Tessie, one of the Cream Top Shop managers and resident Certified Cheese Professional, as she guides you through the seven major styles of cheese. She’ll talk about what makes each style unique and provide samples of each, share tips for building a

well-rounded cheese board, and give some tips on the basics of pairing cheese with beer & wine.

Bread and additional accompaniments from the Cream Top Shop will be provided.

29 Friday Date Night: New Year’s Celebration 6:30pm. $85. Sur La Table. surlatable.com

You and your special someone will practice preparing a menu showcasing elegant, seasonal flavors. The instructor will walk you through the steps for making everything from crab cakes to perfectly cooked beef medallions.

Winter Break Series: Gelato 101

2pm. $20. Zingerman’s Creamery.events. zingermanscommunity.com

It’s cold outside and so is the Gelato! This tasting will tingle your sweet tooth as you taste the fun flavors of gelato and sorbet produced at Zingerman’s Creamery.

Searchable lists updated daily at

ecurrent.com

HAPPY HOUR

9ÊÎ È*

HALF OFF ALL DRINKS EXCLUDES TOP SHELF

Hilton Blvd. Loca

tion by Br

THURS-SAT OPENiarwood Mall Only TILL 2 AM SERVING FOOD AND

LATE HAPPY HOUR DRINK SPECIALS DAILY 9-CLOSE

Wa sh ten aw Lo ca tio n On ly: Ma ria ch i Ba nd Ev er y Su Ta co Tu es da y All nd ay 5p m- 8p m!

Da y $1 Ha rd Sh ell Ta co wi th Ha pp y Ho ur 9p m- 2a Sa tur da y Sa lsa Da m nc ing 10 pm -2 am

Find Us!

"* Ê / ÊUÊ ,Ê "" Ê-* -Ê 6 DINE IN OR TAKE-OUT | DAILY DRINK SPECIALS Ê ÀL ÀÊUÊÇÎ{°ÇÈ °£ÈxäÊ Ó£ÎxÊ7Ê-Ì>` Õ Ê Û`°

Ê Ê ÀL ÀÊUÊÇÎ{°ÎÓÇ°äxää 625 Hilton Blvd

Ê ÀL ÀÊUÊÇÎ{°{Î{°xxx{ {nxxÊ7>Ã Ìi >ÜÊ Ûi°

> ÊUÊÇÎ{°{Î °ÇÇÇ{ Î Ê Ê > Ê-Ì°

Ê Ê/ ÕÀðʣ£> £ä« ÊUÊ À °Ê££> ££« ->Ì°Ê£Ó« ££« ÊUÊ-Õ °Ê£Ó« £ä«

www.DonJuanAndLosAmigos.net

ecurrent.com / december 2017 19

music Ebird & Friends Celebrate 10 Years at The Ark Annual holiday show from December 7th - 9th

by Jeff Milo

Around the holidays, you’re often encouraged to “…be of good cheer.” That simple and pure sentiment motivates singer/songwriter/violinist Erin Zindle (of renowned Ann Arbor-based world/ folk-fusion ensemble The Ragbirds) to coordinate epic musical extravaganzas to close out the year. This year’s Ebird & Friends Holiday Show features Michigan musical luminaries May Erlewine, Joe Hertler, Mark Lavengood, and many more.

The Ragbirds’ music, an eclectic patchwork of folk styles from around the world, arcing towards the ebullient aesthetics of Paul Simon and The Talking Heads, has a signature of folk, rock, and western pop hooks with Euro/Afro rhythms. The range of instruments includes Zindle’s soaring Celtic-styled fiddle, riling congas, shakers, guitars, melodica and more. It’s a smorgasbord of global sounds that still feels like a fine-tuned pop song.

The always celebratory vibe of their songs perfectly complements the reverence of these holiday show parties.

Zindle emphasizes how much work goes into these variety show-styled concerts each year, praising the efforts of everyone joining in to pull off the production. “So many of my friends are also musicians and also touring all over the place, so we rarely cross paths, even though we live in the same town,” she explains. “So, having this deliberate gathering of musicians each year has become something we all look forward to. I love the diversity and creativity of the human race, bringing all these different artists together with an audience to experience these tunes just represents my favorite thing about humanity. Christmas time, I’ve found, is a really perfect time to celebrate those things.”

20

december

Photo Credit: Cory Robinson

Erin Zindle (center) of The Ragbirds will join musical friends and special guests for an annual holiday show.

Gathering to Fend Off the Long, Cold Winter

Audience members can expect inspired and adventurously reimagined renditions of classic Christmas songs from the revue of artists, but more than emphasizing one holiday over another, the intent is to stoke a sense of togetherness, nostalgia, and hope. “It’s a unique time of year for everybody regardless of whatever holiday you celebrate,” Zindle says. “There’s just such awareness, at this time of year, where we’re getting ready for this long cold season ahead by gathering together.”

The show continues to get bigger and more memorable each year. Even though Zindle continues to regularly tour with The Ragbirds and work on music, she considers this show her greatest effort/ achievement year-in and year-out. “It’s so much about everyone who is involved; it takes a whole community to make this show possible.”

Making Memories

There have been a lot of memorable moments, but last year might win the absolute poignancy prize. With Leonard Cohen’s passing in November of 2016, the cast of singers/musicians performed an encore with his immortal song “Hallelujah.”

Zindle’s daughter came up on stage and

2017 / ecurrent.com

reached out, to be picked-up and held during the song, and Zindle continued to sing in the embrace and shared-gaze of her daughter amongst friends in the ambiance of the Ark. “There were a lot of people crying,” she recalls with joy, “it was an intense moment.”

Zindle admits she may have shied away from overusing the word “upbeat” when describing her band’s music in the past, but now, especially now, her heart is in wanting to bring some hope to audiences through music, given this current climate of distress and division. “I try not to write something naïve or shallow,” she says, “but we really need some straight-up good words, right now.”

We need good cheer, right now.

The Ragbirds, meanwhile, are starting to work on the next batch of songs to follow-up 2016’s The Threshold & The Hearth.

Ebird & Friends Holiday Show, The Ark, 316 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, 734761-1451, Thurs Dec 7th / Fri Dec 8th / Sat Dec 9th, doors at 8pm. $25 General Admission. More info: 734-761-1800, theark.org. theragbirds.com.

Mittenfest Makes It An Even Dozen Years There’s no better way to close out your calendar for 2017 than Mittenfest. A plethora of local musical artists comes together to give Ypsilanti a big sonic hug, and the good vibes are palpable. 20-30 bands will stagger across three stacked nights at Ypsilanti’s Bona Sera Underground from Dec 29th through New Year’s Eve. The year-ending event is designed to bring music lovers and songwriters together, a family reunion essentially, after twelve long months of respective busyness that kept them separated. Always a philanthropic party, raising more than $150,000 over its eleven-year run for 826Michigan, Mittenfest’s volunteer organizers, and dozens of performing musicians, support the nonprofit’s educational programming and outreach efforts to bolster writing skills of students from elementary through high school.

This is an opportune time for anyone new to the music scene to dive in and encounter some of the region’s most dynamic artists. - JM

Mittenfest, Bona Sera Underground, 200 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. December 29-31, 7:30pm each night. $10 (To Benefit 826Michigan) Info/lineup: mittenfest.org, more info: 826michigan.org

Ongoing

Wednesdays Live Music: Thunderwüde

8pm. Chelsea AleHouse. chelseaalehouse.com Wes Fritzemeier, Jason Dennie, and Tommy Reifel take the stage to deliver down-home bluegrass sound. Every Wednesday from 8-10pm.

Thursdays Late Night Happy Hr w/ Dj Dick Jones

9pm. The Ravens Club. FREE Every Thursday, swing by the Ravens club for late night happy and some sweet tunes provided

by Dj Dick Jones.

Fridays Pride Friday

9pm. $5-$10; free before 10pm.

Necto Nightclub. necto.com the Largest weekly LGBTQ+ Party in Michigan! DJ Jace in the Main Room spins high energy dance music. DJ DigiMark plays Retro 80’s to Top 40 Pop videos in the Red Room. Hosted by Chanel Hunter and Jadein Black.

18+ with ID.

Sundays Live Music: The Wes Fritzemeier Jazz Experience

6pm. Chelsea AleHouse. chelseaalehouse.com End your weekend on the right note! Featuring Jed Fritzemeier, Brian Brill and Wes with the occasional special guest. Every Sunday night from 6-8pm.

Thurs. 12/7 – Sat. 12/9 at 8, plus Sat. at 3.

EBird & Friends Holiday Show—10th Anniversary

8pm. The Ark. theark.org. $50 It happens in the middle of Michigan in the heart of December. Since 2008, it has become a yearly tradition for The Ragbirds to present this unique familyfriendly holiday show called Ebird & Friends. The songs and artists change from year to year, but the spirit of the event is community, the soul is creativity and the show is unforgettable. cont’d on p26

ecurrent.com / december 2017 21

music annual entry into the holiday season; great performance, great croissants (The Croissant Shop), coffee and juice---fresh squeezed from Sparrow Market!

cont’d from p25

1 Friday S p a a c e, Tyler Hull, Installation

7pm. Ziggy’s.

Ephemeral Waveform and Ziggy’s will host a night of ambient focused music with live performances from S p a a c e and Tyler Hull plus Installation DJing between live sets. No cover for the show as a part of First Friday but donations to the artists are strongly encouraged.

Stories Untold, Light Years, Keep Flying, and More

7pm. Maidstone Theatre. $10.

Head over to the Maidstone for this night filled with Alt rock angst. Stories Untold headlines with opening acts Light Years, Aim Lower, Keep Flying, Second String Hero, and Black Tie Event.

P.S. It’s going to be litty!

Don White

8pm. Green Wood Coffee House.

Back by popular demand! Don White combines heartfelt, serious lyrics with side-splitting laughs to provide an evening not to be forgotten. This Massachusetts comedian/singer/ songwriter/author is best-known in these parts for his radio gems, “Rascal,” “Psycho Mom and Dad” and “I Know What Love Is.” A Don White show promises to delight new audiences and devoted “repeat offender” fans, alike. www.donwhite.net

The Outer Vibe with The Kelseys

9:30pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $8 - $11.

They like to call themselves a musical adventure. They’re a band of five friends who create, record, and perform music together. They travel all over North America in a Ford Transit van (his name is Vanakin Skywalker), sharing music and making new friends with people who love adventure, experiences, and living life to the fullest as much as they do.

2 Saturday Annual Croissant Concert with Today’s Brass Quintet

11am. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse. com $10 - $30.

Kick off the holiday season in Kerrytown! For 33 years, KCH audiences have enjoyed this

22

december

40th Annual Boar’s Head Festival

7:30pm. Concordia University. cuaa.edu $8 -$15. Also Sunday 12/3.

Students, faculty and staff come together to enact medieval Christmas traditions and the story of Christ’s birth in this moving spectacle, directed by Gerald Dzuiblinski, with musical direction by Brian Altevogt. Beginning in 1978 through the vision of three Concordia professors – Paul Foelber, John Sturmfels and Quentin Marino – the Boar’s Head Festival has become a treasured memory for many.

Joe Policastro Trio

8pm. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com $5 - $30.

The Joe Policastro Trio is a Chicago-based jazz trio led by bassist Joe Policastro featuring guitarist Dave Miller and drummer Mikel Avery. While firmly rooted in jazz, the band’s open-minded, inclusive nature also brings rock, soul, funk, Brazilian, and free jazz to the surface while keeping the aesthetic of an acoustic jazz trio intact.

UMS Choral Union & The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra: Handel’s Messiah

8pm. Hill Auditorium. ums.org $12 - $36. Also Sunday December 3.

Handel’s Messiah was composed over the course of a month in 1741. Nearly 300 years later, Handel’s Messiah still provokes joy, and UMS’s 139th year of presenting the oratorio fills audiences with emotion.

The Verve Pipe

8pm. The Ark. theark.org $25.

Formed in East Lansing, the band gained a following for its textured rock songs distinguished by inventive arrangements, soul-searching lyrics and layered vocals. The Verve Pipe has had a reputation for dazzling live shows from the start, and now they’re back, up close and personal, at The Ark!

Desmond Jones & Broccoli Samurai with Act Casual

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $10 - $12.

Desmond Jones is a five-piece funk/rock/jazz fusion band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. With original music written to comple-

2017 / ecurrent.com

Louis “Picasso” Gholston Headlines Mittenfest December 30th The Ypsilanti-born rapper considers this music festival an exciting opportunity to build connections.

“It’s definitely a great event for artists to connect with other artists,” he says. “[During my first performance a year ago], I met fans I never knew I had. I thought my music was stuck in a box but Mittenfest helped me meet so many fans. Performing last year, [that] gave me the opportunity to perform again and headline this year.”

“In 2016, I’d never heard of MittenFest. When we first got there, it was a mixed crowd, not like your typical crowd that I rage with. They asked us this year if we wanted to headline because we did so well last year. Of course, I said yes, they’re going to get a little more oomph! this year.”

Gholston wants to use his time to collaborate with fellow artists while showcasing his latest material. “I believe we have 25-30 minutes. I’m probably going to perform at least seven or eight tracks, ” he says. “I also might get other artists and put them on my set so they can get their shine. I want everyone to have their moment; everybody eating.” - AC .

ment the group’s sound as a whole, the music is centered around melodic guitar riffs, smooth bass lines, funky drum beats, and tasteful saxophone.

5 Tuesday This Wonderful Life

7pm. The Ark. theark.org. $20 This Wonderful Life is a one-man play beautifully acted by Jeremy Kendall. Based on the iconic 1946 holiday favorite film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” the production brings to life over 32 familiar people in an amazing display of physical and verbal virtuosity.

Suomi Finland 100.

Celebrating 100 Years of Independence!

8pm. Kerrytown Concert House. $5 - $30. kerrytownconcerthouse.com The centenary of Finland’s independence in 2017 will be the most significant commemorative year for this generation of Finns.

The centenary emphasises Finland’s strengths, such as equality and democracy by offering Finns and friends of Finland diverse and international centenary programme in Finland and abroad.

6 Wednesday Cross Street Renegades with Naked Shark and Lily Livers

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $7 - $10.

The Cross St Renegades hail from lively and eclectic Ypsilanti, MI. They’re a band committed to creating fresh, all-original material, pulling from all different genres.

Underground Yoga Elevated Movement

7pm. Necto Nightclub. Necto. com $15-$20.

Restorative Vin Yin style class will begin with a 60 minute vinyasa practice and slowly transition into yin towards the end. The interdimensional sounds of Spaceship Earth will energize movement and keep you grounded. Be sure to bring water, mat, towel, and comfy dancing pants!

7 Thursday Mad About Chamber Music

8pm. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com FREE Select students from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance Piano Chamber Music program perform.

At-will donations will be accepted at the door.

Greg Blucher with Who Hit Me Notes & Leaves and Zander Michigan

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $8 - $10.

Recognized mostly for powerful, heartfelt, vocals and raw, yet precise, percussive, rhythm guitar; Greg Blucher Music is a collection of energy, intending to provoke thought.

Get Ready to Swerve to the Verve on December 2nd The Ark presents The Verve Pipe for a special holiday acoustic performance. With a reputation for spectacular live performances, the multi-platinum artist was born in the early 90s when the principal members of two rival Michigan bands joined forces. Major hits include “Photograph,” “The Freshmen,” “Happiness is” and “Never Let You Down.” - JK

The Verve Pipe @ The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

Saturday, December 2, 7:30pm. Tickets @ tickets. vendini.com.

React presents...

Two Friends

9pm. The Necto. necto.com $10 - $15.

Last time Two Friends stepped into The Necto it was an absolute rager – now they return from bigger festivals and with bigger remixes. Get ready for the biggest concert in December.

7pm. Potter Center, Chelsea High School. balletchelsea.org $10 - $25.

Ballet Chelsea is thrilled to present its 20th Anniversary performance of The Nutcracker.

Enhancing the excitement is Ballet Chelsea’s collaboration with the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. This event, bringing the beauty of Ballet and the thrill of live orchestral music together is sure to enchant audience members of all ages. Showing Dec. 8 at the Potter Center, Dec. 9 & 10 at Chelsea High School.

Caleb Curtis, saxophone & Marta Sánchez, piano

7pm. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com $5 - $30.

Ann Arbor native, and fixture on the New York jazz scene, Caleb Curtis performs with pianist Marta Sanchez whose latest album Partenika was one of the New York Times top 10 albums of 2015 in all genres.

Chris DuPont / Lizzy Shell / Michael Dause

7pm. Ziggy’s.

Ziggy’s is a super dope coffee bar in downtown Ypsi with pinball machines and a gorgeous stage.

If you haven’t walked in yet, you’re in for a treat. It’s got the feel of a hip New York club, right in the heart of our delightfully weird town.

6pm. Penn Theater. michiganphil.org $10 - $30.

Holiday favorites from past to present and around the world and back again, this year featuring timpanist Ray Riggs on both the timpani and the typewriter! Also at 8pm.

Crimson Eyed Orchestra with Electric Huldra

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $5 - $8.

Celebrate the holidays with some original rock and roll. Two power trios are going to bring the noise in style at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. Crimson Eyed Orchestra performs original music that celebrates Psychedelic Blues, Heavy Metal, and Post-Punk, with a modern groove.

Big Little Holiday Party Featuring Your Generation In Concert Live Event

8 Friday Ballet Chelsea and The Jackson Symphony Present The Nutcracker

14 Thursday Holiday Pops with the Phil

J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Bach Collegium Japan

8pm. Hill Auditorium. ums.org $14 - $80.

The Bach Collegium brings its signature crispness and purity to a beloved Bach masterpiece, highlighting the polyphonic wonder of Bach’s rich, imaginative cantatas that were written to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

9 Saturday The Boychoir of Ann Arbor presents: A Boychoir Christmas

3pm. First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor. aaboychoir.org The Boychoir of Ann Arbor, led by newly appointed Music Director, Dr. John Boonenberg, continues the popular holiday tradition with their 31st annual performances of “A Boychoir Christmas”. Also Sunday, 12/10, 4pm. Concordia University Chapel.

Chirp with Melophobix and Act Casual

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $8 - $11.

Officially formed in Fall 2015, Chirp mixes originals and covers into their live sets and puts together grabbing, dynamic shows.

Though their music features many technical and progressive elements, an equal emphasis is put on grooving and keeping people moving.

10 Sunday The Boychoir of Ann Arbor presents: A Boychoir Christmas

4pm. Concordia University Chapel. aaboychoir.org v The Boychoir of Ann Arbor, led by newly appointed Music Director, Dr. John Boonenberg, continues the popular holiday tradition with their 31st annual performances of “A Boychoir Christmas”

12 Tuesday Story Untold, 7 Minutes In Heaven, Plans, Brixx, H.O.C

7pm. Maidstone Theatre. $12.

The Maidstone Theatre is at it again with another great night filled with angsty alt-rock. On The Way Booking Presents: Story Untold, 7 Minutes In Heaven, Plans, Brixxx, and Heroes Of Charlotte.

This many good bands for only $12!? Head over to the Maidstone before they realize what a huge mistake they’ve made.

13 Wednesday Bill Kirchen’s Honky-Tonk Holiday

8pm. The Ark. theark.org. $20.

Bill Kirchen is an Ann Arbor-bred guitar god, a Telecaster titan who whirls through a whole gallery of country and rock styles over the course of an evening. This honkytonk holiday show, which has often featured special guests, will get you in the mood for New Year’s Eve a few weeks early!

5pm. Marriott Ann Arbor Ypsilanti at Eagle Crest. $50-$125.

You and your colleagues have worked hard all year. Now it’s time to celebrate in style. Enjoy an elegant setting, festive dining and beverage selections & LIVE entertainment featuring Your Generation In Concert.

Holiday Hallmarks

7:30pm. Towsley Auditorium, Washtenaw Community College. wccband.org Free Traditional music of the season.

A special guest will lead a holiday sing-along.

15 Friday Ann Arbor TechCity Jam

7pm. Neutral Zone. neutral-zone.org.

Southeastern Michigan innovation community party, featuring open mic live music performances from many members of the region’s tech and life sciences sector.

The RFD Boys

8pm. The Ark. theark.org. $11.

It’s hard to believe, because each show is fresh and new, but the RFD Boys have been delighting Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. If you’ve been with the boys since the beginning, come and celebrate!

If you’re new to the area, here’s a good time to check out this Michigan institution--and probably make some new friends

cont’d on p28

ecurrent.com / december 2017 23

20 Wednesday

cont’d FROM p27

The Ark’s Open Stage

Vinyl Destination

9pm. Club Above. $6.

DJ Nitro presents “Vinyl Destination” A Tribute To Music’s Greatest Format - Featuring DJ G-Nice, DJ Scotty D, and Roman G. Martinez. Hosted by Dubfunny.

16 Saturday Wild Savages Record Release Show!

9:30pm. Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com Free The time is finally upon us, to get our new record into your grubby paws! This event, fueled by Jim Beam. There will be special drinks, new merch and records spun by Heavy and Beyond DJs... Join in and blow your ears and melt your minds

17 Sunday The Appleseed Collective w/ Wire in the Wood

7:30pm. The Ark. theark.org. $15.

The sounds of The Appleseed Collective are as diverse as the personalities that create them.

Toe tappin string jams and smooth harmonies will get Ann Arbor’s Ark crowd out of their seats. Progressive Michigan string band Wire in the Wood opens.

24

december

8pm. The Ark. theark.org. $3.

Be part of the Ark’s monthly Open Stage Night concert.

Tremendous local performers like Dick Siegel, Chris Buhalis, and Matt Watroba spent time honing their craft on Open Stage audiences! Nationally recognized talents like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gilda Radner, and David Alan Grier also paid their dues here.

21 Thursday The Dojo (Hip Hop Open Mic)

9pm. The Elks Lodge. $5.

The Dojo is a monthly hip hop open mic. Ages 21+ welcome.

Featured artists headline and open mic sign-up starting at 9pm.

Performances begin after the open mic sign-up is complete.

First come, first serve for stage time. Come see all the local heavyweights sharpen their swords at The Dojo.

22 Friday Betz & Klav with James Gardin Bubba Clutch and Hanz Play

8pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $10 - $12.

Live music at the Blind Pig!

2017 / ecurrent.com

23 Saturday Plastic Passion

9pm. Necto Nightclub Red Room. necto.com $5-$10.

Resident DJ Josh Burge brings the passion back: 80s/90s alternative dance, new wave, post-punk, electro-funk, industrial, EBM, indie, and modern synthicide! Doc Colony also returns to splash hot colors on the telescreens. When arriving, be sure to tell the door staff that you’re there for Plastic Passion in the Red Room. Follow the steps down on the right

30 Saturday Kaleidosonic Anew - Songs for a New Season

4pm. Kerrytown Concert House. brownpapertickets.com $10.

Darnell Ishmel in collaboration with Family and Friends featuring special guest pianist Andrew

Jamieson (of Oakland, California) Special guests: The Ishmel Sisters Sherrie Nunn-Berry, soprano LaVonte Heard, tenor. A holiday kickback concert recital, multisensory experience combined with elements of live art and digital media.

31 Sunday Stormy Chromer with Chirp Wire in the Wood and Gyp$y (DJ Set)

9pm. The Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com $15.

Opening the evening will be progressive bluegrass band Wire in the Wood, followed by the infinitely groovy Chirp. Stormy Chromer will be jamming you into the new year with a special ball drop set, and Gyp$y will be turnin’ knobs and keeping you moving until the end of the night.

Searchable lists updated daily at

ecurrent.com

Gift Cards Available!

Values $10 and up, good for any service!

E-Gift Cards also available on our website.

Open 10a - 8p 7 Days a Week 300 W. Huron, corner N. First

(734) 623-1951 relaxstation.com s6OTED "EST -ASSAGE s7ALK INS 7ELCOME s!PPOINTMENTS !VAILABLE &2%% 0!2+).'

&ULL "ODY -ASSAGE IN )NDIVIDUAL 2OOMS AT OUR 3ECOND ,OCATION

ecurrent.com / december 2017 25

theater “Anything Goes” Sails Into The Encore Theatre Cole Porter’s classic musical comedy runs through December 23rd

by Sandor Slomovits

The musical comedy, “Anything Goes”, one of the most popular shows of the 1930s, has been revived many times and contains a number of songs that are now familiar standards. A transatlantic voyage aboard the S. S. America, with madcap romantic escapades and hijinks galore, provides the framework for spectacular dance numbers and some of Cole Porter’s finest songs; “It’s De-Lovely”, “Friendship”, and “I Get A Kick Out Of You.” Current talked with Tyler Driskill, who will music direct the Encore’s production.

Driskill, music director of seventeen shows at the Encore in the past nine years, has won two Wilde Awards for his work and is a highly knowledgeable student of American musical theatre.

“Anything Goes” and American musical theatre history

“Anything Goes” opened seven years after the premier of “Show Boat” (considered by many to be the first true American musical), nine years before the integrated-book, musical-earthquake “Oklahoma!” arrived on the scene. The actors (in “Anything Goes”) have a much greater challenge finding specificity in Porter’s lyrics, as brilliant as they are. Unlike a Sondheim show, or something that’s through-composed, the delineations between the book scenes and the songs/ dance sequences are much more stark. But, the material just makes you feel good!

26

december

Tyler Driskill, musical director for “Anything Goes.”

Porter was a classically trained musician….

Porter, very often underrated as a composer, doesn’t get the same recognition as a Gershwin or an Arlen, but his writing is so masterful and intricate. He’s incredibly inventive, melodically, harmonically and rhythmically, but I think his lyrics are so well crafted that they sometimes overshadow his astounding work as a composer. “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” and “You’re the Top” could probably have coasted along with less superior tunes and been just as successful because the lyrics are so inventive. The chromatic writing in the former and the harmonic support of the latter are evidence alone of his brilliance as a composer. He studied with Vincent D’Indy in Paris, a student of César Franck and a devotee and colleague of Richard Wagner... so, not much more need be said! The ballad, “All Through the Night,” is a wonderful example of Porter’s compositional fluidity; it’s only at the very end that we feel we’ve settled in a particular key. “Anything Goes” is Porter at the height of his powers, with all the harmonic and melodic chromaticism that I love about his style.

2017 / ecurrent.com

You’re clearly a fan.

It’s hard to estimate just how influential the songs of Cole Porter have been for me, and for the work I’ve done in the theatre. I know that much of my interest in songwriting, lyric writing, and the Great American Songbook can be attributed to a high school class I took on four American composers/ lyricists: Stephen Sondheim, Lorenz Hart, Johnny Mercer, and Cole Porter. Hart and Mercer were almost exclusively wordsmiths, but the other two did both music and lyrics. I loved the wit and sophistication of Porter’s lyrics. There are scant few of us who can relate to Porter’s lavish lifestyle, but I suspect that part of Porter’s appeal is his ability to make us feel a part of that urbane world of cocktail parties and society balls. He makes us feel sophisticated and smart.

“Anything Goes” at The Encore Theatre, 3126 Broad St., Dexter. Show runs through December 23. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday: 7:30pm; Saturday 2pm and 7:30pm and Sunday 2pm. During closing week , December 19-23, shows are Tuesday -Saturday 7:30pm, and Saturday 2pm. For tickets and more info, visit TheEncoreTheatre.org.

ecurrent.com / december 2017 27

art

A lazy snowman with a cold brew at Jolly Pumpkin.

TreeTown Muralists Paint Holiday Spirit Local artists brighten business

A Rolex-wearing snowman at Schlanderer & Sons.

windows with original designs

by Mary Gallagher

You can see their work everywhere.

Headed by Mary Thiefels of TreeTown Murals, the Novemberistas— a rotating cast of professional artists with huge gloves gripping delicate brushes–swarmed the sidewalks of Ann Arbor and spent the past month decorating the windows of more than 125 local businesses for the holiday season.

John Copley had been painting winter scenes on windows downtown for years when Thiefels became his assistant in 2011.

He taught her the old-school lettering and design techniques and she started managing the business under TreeTown Murals four years ago. This year the group became its own entity— the Novemberistas.

Chloe Di Blassio, a junior at Community High School, started working with the Novemberistas last year. “The hardest part is getting the snowflakes to be symmetrical,” she says. “And the cold!

Gloves are a must.”

28

december

Di Blassio feels like the experience has given her a whole new perspective on community art. “It opened up the scope of what being an artist in a community can be,” she says. “Something like this would never have occurred to me. That’s something that [Thiefels] does really well— she’s made her art an integral part of Ann Arbor.”

Art that’s alive and in the moment

Thiefels loves that community aspect of her work. “Half our job is to interact with people on the street,” she explains. “Usually you see the artwork, but you don’t see how it’s done. Outside, we’re vulnerable, and I think that’s what creates the synergy.”

Thiefels likes to keep the decorations winter-themed, and as inclusive as possible, but she doesn’t necessarily want to paint the same-old same-old. “Who needs to paint Santa?” she jokes.

2017 / ecurrent.com

The two artists agree on what other Michigan towns can do to encourage local art: “Become a place where creativity has a space, where artists have room to express themselves in connection with the community,” Di Blassio says. “I’m doing an art class at UM right now, and it would be really cool if high schools encouraged that more.”

Thiefels adds, “You have to lean on the different commerce associations, or the city, to help inspire it. One of the reasons this became so successful was because the Main Street Area Association was willing to help pay the professional artists.

They saw it as an opportunity to bring the community together for the holidays.”

Expanding beyond Ann Arbor

Thiefels has plans to scale the Novemberistas to a point where they bring their techniques to cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. “We’ve learned skills from John [Copley] that aren’t being taught any more,” she says, “the hand-lettering connected to the oldschool letterheads, before computers came in. It’s a seriously marketable skill that’s fallen to the wayside, and he’s taught us to appreciate that old-school way of drawing and painting.”

She adds that any artist who wants to get involved should definitely count on wearing those thick gloves. “We’re total diehards,” she says. “This is not for the weak.”

Businesses interested in having their windows painted, or artists interested in getting involved should visit treetownmurals.com.

arts & culture Todd Rundgren Plays The Michigan Theater December 12th Legendary rocker Todd Rundgren also produced such iconic albums as Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell and Grand Funk Railroad’s We’re an American Band. Rundgren’s song “Time Heals,” was the first music video to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics (produced and directed by Rundgren), and became the second video to be played on MTV (after “Video Killed the Radio Star”). His best known songs include “Hello, it’s me,” “I Saw the Light” and the sports anthem “Bang the Drum All Day.” - JK

Todd Rundgren The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Tuesday. December 12, 8pm. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. More info at theark.org.

Close Out Your Dime-Seven with Stormy Chromer Celebrate New Year’s at The Blind Pig with local jam band Stormy Chromer! The quartet (whose name conjures images of Holden Caufiled’s famed hunting hat) includes Spencer Hanson and Brendan Collins on guitar and Ryan King on bass. Amin Lanseur handles percussion. Opening acts feature bluegrass band Wire in the Wood and groovy dance band Chirp. Gyp$y will handle the dee-jaying for this end-of-the-year banger!

- JK

New Year’s Eve w/ Stormy Chromer and Friends, The Blind Pig, 208 1st st., Ann Arbor. Sunday, December 31, 9am-12pm.

21+ only. $15 Tix at ticketweb.com.

American Berserk Art Exhibition Imagines Alternate History

Joe Biden, Kid from Scranton, Comes to Ann Arbor December 13th

Brooklyn-based artist Valerie Hegarty presents a ceramic and mixed-media series of sculptures that explore an anarchic revisionist version of American History at the U-M Institute for Humanities Gallery.

Among other pieces, “American Berserk” includes watermelons that become animated, explode and then decay; depictions of George Washington as a series of treeshrubs; ghostly clipper ships sinking and calcifying into shells; and a branch breaking through the wall and piercing a painting of George Washington, making his nose appear–Pinocchio-like. - JK

Former Vice President Joe Biden brings his American Promise Tour to The Michigan Theater. Biden will discuss big political moments of his career, life-altering choices, and key traits that have helped him persevere through challenges. He will share how the loss of his son Beau tested his resolve, and how he is finding new purpose in this present time of uncertainty.

Each ticket includes a copy of Joe Biden’s forthcoming memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose (a $27 value, on sale now from Flatiron Books).

American Berserk, Institute for Humanities Gallery, 202 S. Thayer St., Ann Arbor. Runs through December, 21. Gallery open 9a-5p weekdays. Free.

Follow on Twitter @UMichiganNews.

Joe Biden’s American Promise Tour, The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. Wednesday, December 13, 7:30pm. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

More info at michigantheater.org.

ecurrent.com / december 2017 29

arts & culture Ongoing 1st and 3rd Fridays

[misc] Talent Night at Sweetwaters

8:30pm. Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea. Free

The folks at sweetwater want to give another voice to our local artists. If you want to share your art— let it be music, poetry or comedy— here’s your opportunity!

1st and 3rd Sundays

[literature] Ann Arbor Poetry

7pm. Espresso Royale Cafe. $5 Suggested Donation

Formerly Ann Arbor Poetry Slam, this open mic and featured writer series is held on 1st and 3rd Sundays of every month, with hosts Simon Mermelstein and Garret Potter.

10/13 - 12/30

[museum] Object Lessons Recollecting Museum Histories at Michigan

University Of Michigan Museum of Natural History. lsa.umich.edu Free

The last exhibition before the closing of the Natural History Museum in the Ruthven Museums Building, Object Lessons illustrates to the building’s history of building collections for the public that support of U of M’s academic mission.

12/1-12/31

[theater] The Year Without a Panto Claus 7:30pm $1 - $20. Fridays, 3pm & 7:30pm Saturdays, 2pm Sundays.

Theatre NOVA. theatrenova.org

What happens when Santa gets depressed? See how two elves search far and near for some genuine Christmas cheer during the world premiere of this silly, seasonal play.

[theater] Comedy Jamm

8pm. $5. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

Enjoy cut-loose comedy, presented by 12 current rising stars in the greater Detroit Metro area, every Wednesday.

1 friday

[shopping] Midnight Madness

5pm. Main Street Area. mainstreetannarbor.org Free

It’s party time in the Main Street area. Stores stay open late, offering holiday specials, prizes and refreshments, as entertainers, Santa Claus and Miss Washtenaw County roam the sidewalks from 7-9pm!

[misc] Eastside Weekly Euchre Tournament

Ages 18 & over invited to come play at a fun and friendly euchre tournament! No partner needed. $5 entry fee. Cash prize for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place.

Wednesdays

[photography] Downtown Ann Arbor Photowalk 10:30am. CameraMall. meetup.com. Free

Gather, or join, a group of 4-6 photographers for a Photowalk/ Scavenger Hunt. Follow a list of items and subjects to find and photograph.

5:30pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art. literatibookstore.com Free Literati is partnering with the Helen Zell Writers Program to host poet Gregory Pardlo at UMMA Apse.

6 wednesday

[photography] Gallery Reception: “Radiance” by photographer Aura Glaser 5pm. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com Free

7pm. University of Michigan. events.umich.edu

Larissa Sansour is a Palestinian artist and filmmaker who uses experimental methods and sci-fi tropes to examine Palestinian identity and Middle East politics to create entertaining, thought provoking, and frightening films.

[pottery] Potters Guild Winter Sale

[literature] Richard Retyi: The Book of Ann Arbor

The Guild’s annual Winter Sale, held under a heated big tent, will feature functional and decorative gifts from over 40 local top ceramic artists.

Richard Retyi will discuss and read one of the 41 stories from his debut book The Book of Ann Arbor: An Extremely Serious History Book.

10am. Potters Guild. pottersguild.net Free

3 sunday

Jenny Bollinger, of Chelsea Village Flowers, will show you how to decorate locally-sourced handwoven wreaths during this workshop.

4 monday

Through December 20. Combo passes available.

Beginners, experts and curious crafters are invited to discuss woodworking.

december

[poetry] Zell Visiting Writers Series: Gregory Pardlo (Offsite)

[film] ISP Films. The Short Films of Larissa Sansour

11am. Maker Works. meetup.com

[crafts] Wood Talk Woodworking Meetup

30

Born in New Jersey and raised in Atlanta, the comedy from this 2012 winner of Houston’s Funniest Person ranges from physics and grammar to the hardships of looking like a villain from an 80s movie.

See what makers have been creating during this holiday craft show.

2 saturday

[health] Zumba - Ladies Only

9:30am. $8 drop-ins. Peachy Fitness. peachyfitness.com

This month, the Eco Book Club will discuss Drawdown by Paul Hawken. RSVP in advance.

7pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com Free

[crafts] Craft Show!

11am & 12:30pm. $30. Robin Hills Farm. robinhillsfarm.com

7pm. $5. Banfield’s Bar & Grill East.

[comedy] Matthew Broussard

See works from photographer, psychologist, author, teacher, poet, and entrepreneur, Aura Glaser (aka Auraor), during this contemplative and expressive exhibit.

[holiday] Holiday Wreath Decorating

Tuesdays

5 tuesday

[literature] Eco Book Club

7pm. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse. cultivateypsi.com

2017 / ecurrent.com

7pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com Free

7 thursday

[literature] Angelique Chengelis: Michigan Man

7pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com Free

Sportswriter Angelique Chengelis will share and discuss her new book, Michigan Man: Jim Harbaugh and the Rebirth of Wolverine Football.

[theater] Birth of a Ho’ Ass Nation

8pm. $10. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. brownpapertickets.com

In this fast paced, one-man comedy stage show, “Birth of a Ho’ Ass Nation,” Jacob Russell takes you on a hilarious history based journey through the sometimes egregious, sometimes inspiring American black experience. Also on December 14 and 21.

8pm. $11. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

[art] Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Presents Buster Simpson: Art Antioxidant 5pm. Michigan Theater. stamps.umich.edu Free

Buster Simpson, an artist active since the late 1960s, has worked on major infrastructure and planning projects, site-specific sculptures, museum installations, and community interventions.

8 friday

[education] 15 Minute Quick Career Review 12pm. $25. SPARK East Incubator.

Need a career advisor to take a quick look at your resume? Signup for a 15-minute session to take advantage of speaking oneon-one with a seasoned career advisor. Bring a current copy of your resume.

[art] Modern Winter Wreaths

6:30pm. $75. Ann Arbor Art Center. annarborartcenter.org

Join artist and floral designer Laura Daluga of the Department of Floristry to create your own modern winter wreath. All materials and fresh foliage will be provided. No experience is necessary.

[film] Sun & Snow Sports Presents: Warren Miller’s “Line of Descent” 6:30pm. $15. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org

Kick off the official start to winter with the premiere of the 68th Annual Warren Miller Film. This popular event sells out early, so grabt your tickets early.

[art] Winter Art Tour 2017 -- 10 Art Shows in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti 10am. Yourist Studio Gallery - Winter Art Tour Headquarters. winterarttour.com Free

Shop handmade products from 300+ artists and craftspeople at 10 diverse venues around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Enter to win art prizes by picking up or printing your Winter Art Tour Passport then getting it stamped at four or more show locations. Also on December 9, 10am and December 10, 11am.

9 saturday

[crafts] DIYpsi Holiday Market

[literature] Used Book Sale 2017

10am. University of Michigan Hatcher Graduate Library. lib.umich.edu. Free

11pm. Riverside Arts Center. diypsi.com Free

The University Library will sell several thousand gently used books, including duplicates, superseded titles and other books not needed for the collection.

[misc] Lulu Beauty Lounge & Academy Grand Opening

[poetry] An Evening of Poetry and the Written Word

Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres, henna art, image consulting, raffle prizes that include free services, and the opportunity to relax and enjoy an evening in a beautiful new lounge environment.

All writers welcome to share and discuss their poetry or short fiction during this workshop.

With over 80 vendors, guests will find unique, hand-crafted gifts. Also on December 10 at 12pm.

5pm. Lulu Beauty Lounge & Academy. lulubeautyloungemi.com Free

[misc] The Nutcracker

6:30pm. $35 - $45. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org Talented Michigan ballet students will join international professional ballet dancers from the Academy of Russian Classical Ballet to present this wonderful holiday tradition.

[crafts] Tiny Expo

11am. Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. tinyexpo.com Free

Find unique gifts from over 45 arts and craft vendors.

10 sunday

[holidays] Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony 6pm. $12 admission.

Zingerman’s Cornman Farms. events.zingermanscommunity.com

Join in for the first annual tree lighting ceremony at Cornman Farms. This hour-long event with feature hot toddies and holiday music.

11 monday

[theater] A Classic Christmas/ A Not-So-Silent Night

7:30pm. $25. The Encore Musical Theatre Company. theencoretheatre.org

Encore favorites Olivia Hernandez and David Moan will sing your best loved Christmas tunes, with Tyler Driskill on piano. Also on December 12 and 13.

12 tuesday

[misc] Todd Rundgren

8pm. $30-$75. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org

A Wizard, A True Star— the title of Todd Rundgren’s 1973 solo album aptly sums up the contributions of this multi-faceted artist to state-of-the-art music.

13 wednesday

7pm. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room. Free

[misc] Introduction to DSLR Photography with George Borel 6:30pm. $40. CameraMall. cameramall.com

Need help getting started with your DSLR or Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera? Learn the basics of digital photography during this class.

[politics] Joe Biden: American Promise Tour 7:30pm. $160 - $347.

Michigan Theater.

Join the former Vice President to go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and 140-character arguments to connect friends and neighbors around the topics that matter most. Each ticket includes a copy of Joe Biden’s forthcoming memoir, Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.

14 thursday

[comedy] Ron Josol

8pm. $9. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

Ron Josol’s modish style and commanding stage presence represents a new generation of comedians.

16 saturday

[wildlife] Pinckney Recreation Area Crooked Lake Trail Hike

1pm. Pinckney Recreation Area. meetup.com

Enjoy 5-mile hike on one of Michigan’s premier trail systems.

Meet at the trailhead parking lot for the Silver Lake, Potawatomi, and Crooked Lake trails at 12:45pm for sign in.

[misc] Trivia with Cats

7:30pm. $15. Tiny Lions Lounge and Adoption Center. tinylions.org

Cuddle up to furry friends, drink adult beverages, and snack on popcorn while you play trivia at the Tiny Lions cat café. BYOB. Popcorn, beer, wine, and water are included with your ticket price. Ages 18+. Bring ID.

17 sunday

22 friday

[film] It’s a Wonderful Life.

[theater] Twelfth Nights (of Christmas), or What You Drink

As part of the Holiday Classics Film Series, enjoy a screening of the classic and bittersweet holiday story.

To drink or not to drink? That is the question during SHAKESBREW, a Shakespearean Drinking Game.

1:30pm. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org. Free

18 monday

[health] Humor for the Health of It

12pm. Lurie Robert H. Engin. Ctr Johnson Rooms A, B & C 3rd Floor. events.umich.edu

Humor is vital for maintaining good physical and mental health— so have fun and relieve some tension while learning ways to look at the humorous side of things.

19 tuesday

[games] Game Night at Cultivate

7:30pm. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse. cultivateypsi.com Game devotees of all levels are welcome to play new and unique games every week.

20 wednesday

[open mic] #metoo Storytelling Salon

7pm. $10. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. brownpapertickets.com

Developed and hosted by sexual assault educator Sara Vos and Carisa Wilder, the #metoo Storytelling Salon provides a space for those who’ve been impacted by sexual harrassment, assault and/or violence. Hear, or share, stories during this open mic-style gatheing. Each speaker will get 5-7 minutes at the mic to share original content. Due to the sensitive nature of the content, there is no admission after 7:15 pm.

21 thursday

[art] Valerie Hegarty AMERICAN BERSERK Pop-Up Exhibition

9am. U-M Institute for the Humanities. lsa.umich.edu Free Brooklyn-based artist Valerie Hegarty explores the fundamental themes, history and legacy of 19th-century American art.

Using visual references, Hegarty addresses topics such as colonization, slavery, Manifest Destiny, nationalism and environmental degradation.

7:30pm. $15. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. brownpapertickets.com

27 wednesday

[theater] Home for the Holidays

8pm. $8. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

This one-night-only show will feature some of the best comedians that got their start on the Showcase stage.

28 thursday

[comedy] Al Jackson

8pm. $10. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

Laugh with the Los Angelesbased stand-up comedian, writer, and TV/radio personality. Also on December 28th, 29th and 30th, check website for more times.

30 saturday

[health] Huron Meadows Metropark Hike or Cross Country Ski Outing 1pm. Huron Meadows Metropark. meetup.com Free

Enjoy an afternoon cross country ski outing on miles of groomed trails. If there is no snow, a hike will happen instead. Ski equipment rental available for $15.

31 sunday

[holiday] Deep Space Six 25th Anniversary New Year’s Eve wsg Hullabaloo 9pm. $10. Club Above. club-above.com

Dance into the new year with music from 9:30pm to 3:30am, with local favorites Hullabaloo getting you out on the dance floor first. Celebrate with a glass of champagne at midnight.

[improv] New Year’s Eve Improv Show 8pm. $15. Pointless Brewery & Theatre.

Celebrate the second anniversary of Pointless Brewing & Theatre with a full line up, stories from special guests, and lots of improv from our League of Pointless Improvisers.

[comedy] NYE w/ Dave Landau *Special Engagement

8pm. $25. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com

Ring in the New Year at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase with the hilarious Dave Landau.

ecurrent.com / december 2017 31

person of interest Tony Lewis Occupation: Operations Assistant at Fair Food Network

by Cammie Finch

You have such an impressive and accomplished background. You’re a veteran of the U.S. Navy and you served as a speechwriter at the Pentagon. How did you come to find your place at Fair Food Network here in Ann Arbor? I had been working in Washington DC for 10 years – first in the U.S. Senate, then on Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and then in the Pentagon – when my wife and I realized we didn’t want to raise our three children in DC. Fortunately, the company she works for has an office in Ann Arbor and they allowed us to transfer. It wasn’t until after I moved here that I discovered this great non-profit whose mission was to increase healthy food access to underserved communities.

What are you most proud of about the work you do at Fair Food Network? I was raised by a single mother on food stamps and we ate a lot of unhealthy foods and sugary soft drinks. I’m very proud to be part of an organization that works hard to break that destructive habit found in a lot of poor communities, while also helping family farmers and stimulating local economies.

Are you looking for any volunteers? Sure. I encourage anyone interested in helping to email us at info@doubleupfoodbucks.org.

You previously worked at Friends of the Earth and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. How would you improve the city to make it more eco-friendly? Ann Arbor is a pretty progressive city. I think it can follow the lead of other progressive cities and adopt a purchasing policy that prefers environmentally-friendly products, like non-toxic cleaning products and furniture that does not contain toxic or harmful chemicals. I would also like to see the city promote local healthy foods and clean energy in its schools and institutions.

What do you think makes Ann Arbor unique? Ann Arbor is great for adult fun and also a great city for families with small kids. We can take our kids to the Hands-On Museum or the Leslie Science & Nature Center during the day and at night my wife and I can have a good time on Main Street.

For more info on how to get involved at Fair Food Network,205 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor, or visit fairfoodnetwork.org.

32

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

Cannabis The Definitive Guide to Finding a Caregiver When you don’t have the time, money or space to grow your own meds

by Vic Tanney

Finding a Caregiver

The first step is connecting with someone who grows. You might be surprised by the amount of people you already know with a greenthumb. If you’re comfortable enough, post on your social media channels and let people know you’re looking. If you aren’t ready to go public with your search, a few online resources can connect you to caregivers less overtly. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Association has a forum dedicated to caregiver questions and connections. There are also Facebook groups like Michigan Medical Marijuana Club and Michigan Medical Cannabis, with people in the industry who can help guide your search. And Washtenaw County NORML’s Compassion Project, can also connect you with a caregiver. (Just send them a message on one of their social channels.) cont’d on p42

While medical marijuana patients in Michigan are legally allowed to grow 12 cannabis plants, tenting off a section of your basement for a horticultural endeavor with a finicky flowering plant isn’t for everyone. Because regulatory changes in Michigan’s cannabis industry have created uncertainty around the future cost and accessibility of medicine, it’s a ripe time to consider designating a caregiver to grow those plants for you.

While entering into a business arrangement with a professional cannabis farmer may seem daunting, our friends at Washtenaw County NORML helped us create a comprehensive guide that covers finding a caregiver, the process of applying to the state to designate your personal grower, and what you can expect from your chosen medicine provider.

ecurrent.com / december 2017 33

cont’d from p42

The Process

After you’ve found a grower, you’ll need to let the state know you’re officially designating them your caregiver. Just fill out a form from LARA and mail it in along with a $35 check. It’ll take a couple weeks to process, and then they’ll send you a new card with your caregiver’s info printed on the back. Keep in mind you can still go into dispensaries like you used to, but once you’ve officially designated a caregiver to grow for you, you can no longer grow for yourself.

What to Expect

The amount of cannabis your caregiver grows in your name is likely to be way more than what you will actually use. Realize, however, that you, as a patient, are very valuable to a grower.

Each designated patient allows a caregiver to grow 12 plants, and a caregiver can cultivate up to 72 plants. You’re worth at

least a free ounce every 30 days and you should feel empowered to negotiate reasonable rates for purchasing more product (something like $150-200/oz depending on quality). If you want a certain strain, request it; most caregivers will be open to growing to your preference.

Your caregiver should be responsive to questions and transparent about their transactions with you. Expect quality meds, and, if you’re suspicious, see if they’ll take it to a lab for testing. You don’t want to be smoking mites and mold. You should also have the right to see your plants once in a while; state law okays that. Before you start with your caregiver, it’s a good idea to get agreements about all this in writing.

Designating a caregiver can be a nearly effortless way to get quality free medicine every month. If you aren’t Dr. Greenthumb and don’t have the time, money or space to grow cannabis, let someone else do it for you.

Voted 2016 Best Dispensary by Metro Times

Returning Members, come see us!

Current Magazine Exclusive!

New Patients buy one get one up to $60 first visit only

ÓÓ{xÊ7°Ê LiÀÌÞÊ-Ì°Ê Ê ÀL À]Ê V }> ÊUÊ­ÇÎ{®ÊÎÈ nxÇÎ

34

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

Free Parking

Will receive an exclusive gift package free with purchase (*with coupon)

PeoplesChoiceOfAnnArbor.com

ecurrent.com / december 2017 35

road trip Ladies and Gentlemen, Step Right Up for The Detroit Circus The Detroit Circus features high-flying aerial antics on fabric, trapeze and lycra; fire-dancing and eating; stilt-walking and stilt acrobatics; contortion; juggling; feats of mind-bending strength and acrobalance, as well as a variety of circus sideshow acts! No animals in this show. - JK Detroit Circus, McMorran Place Sports & Entertainment Center, 701 McMorran Blvd, Port Huron. Tix = Adults: $10, Students/Kids 12 & under: $6, Family 4 pack: $25; ticketmaster.com. For more info, visit detroitcircus.info.

36

december

2017 / ecurrent.com

DECEMBER free will astrology © Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope that everything doesn’t come too easily for you in the coming weeks. I’m worried you will face no challenges. But on the other hand, I know you will soon receive an opportunity to push to an even higher level of excellence and accomplishment. I want to be sure that when it comes, you’re ready to leap into action at full strength.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You were born with the potential to give the world specific gifts— treasures and blessings that are unique to you. One of those gifts has been slow in developing, but in the coming months, this gift will finally be ripe. Now is the time to get clear about what this gift is and what you will have to do to offer it in its fullness.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Happy Unbirthday, Gemini! You’re halfway to your next birthday, which between your last birthday and your next one. That means you’re free to experiment with being different from who you have imagined yourself to be and who other people expect you to be. Get inspired and celebrate.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I suggest that you take a piece of paper and write down a list of your biggest fears. Ask your deep sources of wisdom for the poised courage you need to keep those scary fantasies in their proper place. And what is their proper place? Not as the masters of your destiny, but rather as helpful guides that keep you from taking foolish risks.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his book Life: The Odds, Gregory Baer says that the odds you will marry a millionaire are 215-to-1, 60,000-to-1 that you’ll wed royalty, and 88,000-to-1, that you’ll date a model. But I suspect your chances will be even lower than usual because you’re far more likely to cultivate synergetic and symbiotic relationships with people who deepen your soul and stimulate your imagination, but don’t necessarily pump up your ego.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): What might you do to take better care of yourself in 2018, Virgo? Here’s a good place to start: Consider the possibility that you have a lot to learn about what makes your body operate at peak efficiency and what keeps your soul humming along with the sense that your life is interesting. The next step will be to intensify your love for yourself.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “What is love?” asks philosopher Richard Smoley. “It’s come to have a greeting-card quality,” he mourns. “Half the time ‘loving’ someone is taken to mean nurturing a warmish feeling in the heart for them, which mysteriously evaporates the moment the person has some concrete need or irritates us.” One of your key assignments in the next ten months will be to purge any aspects of this shrunken and shriveled kind of love that may still be lurking in your beautiful soul. You are primed to cultivate a robust, resonant version of dauntless love.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are subjects I suggest you specialize in during the coming weeks: 1. How to gossip in ways that don’t diminish and damage your social network, but rather foster and enhance it. 2. How to be in four places at once without committing the mistake of being nowhere at all. 3. How to express precisely what you mean without losing your attractive mysteriousness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I predict that in the coming months you won’t be driven by compulsions to set your adversaries’ hair on fire. I also expect that the amount of self-sabotage you commit will be close to zero. Any lame excuses you have used in the past to justify bad behavior will melt away. And you’ll mostly avoid indulging in bouts of irrational and unwarranted anger.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You know that unfinished task you have half-avoided, allowing it to stagnate? Soon you’ll be able to summon the gritty determination required to complete it. I suspect you’ll also be able to carry out the glorious rebirth you’ve been shy about climaxing. To gather the energy you need, reframe your perspective so that you can feel gratitude for the failure or demise that has made your glorious rebirth necessary.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In an ideal world, your work and your character would speak for themselves. You’d receive exactly the amount of recognition and appreciation you deserve. But now forget everything I just said. During the next ten months, I predict that packaging and promoting yourself won’t be so #$@&%*! important. Your work and character WILL speak for themselves with more vigor and clarity than they have before.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There used to be a store in Santa Cruz called Joseph Campbell’s Love Child, that sold “ChaosTamers”— magic spells designed to help people manage the messes that sometimes crop up in one’s everyday routine while pursuing a heroic quest. Pisces, you would benefit from a store like that. Since none exists, I trust you will do the next best thing: Go out and aggressively drum up all the help and support you need.

Searchable lists updated daily at

ecurrent.com ecurrent.com / december 2017 37

WORST. PUZZLE. EVER. Across 1. Model Upton 5. Yokohama product 11. “Nothing’s going right today,� briefly 14. Travel route with no other points 15. Rods 16. Catalan gold 17. Pig’s request 18. He played Emiliano in “Viva Zapata!�

19. Mini thing 20. Brief openings 22. The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf.

23. Twitter CEO Dorsey 24. Political commentator Olbermann 25. Ties 27. Philadelphia Soul league: Abbr.

28. Mouse drawn by Lucy Cousins 30. Computer-code abbr.

31. Émile who was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prizes for Literature 33. Turn bad 34. Without a trace 35. Quick temper 38. Scooped (out) 41. With a bug 42. Biotech company’s product 46. Actress Barrymore 47. Silvery fish 49. Line test?: Abbr.

50. Forestalled 52. Amherst college, briefly 54. String instrument played sitting down 55. Web portal with a period in their logo 56. Big bet 57. One card 58. Ironclad 60. IM initialism that probably isn’t what’s

38 

  december

happening because then you’d be away from the keyboard 61. Bring in 62. Pelicans group 63. “There’s an ___�

64. Glazed chicken general 65. Look over carefully 66. Plant-to-be

2017  /  ecurrent.com

Down 1. Suicide bomber 2. Express regret over 3. Burrito ingredient 4. “A film is a terrible thing to waste� writer 5. Turntable specs 6. “Duh, shoulda thought of that�

7. Worst possible existence, in a meme, and a hint to six squares in this puzzle 8. “And how�

9. Spoken 10. “Hamilton� genius ___-Manuel Miranda 11. Bread made with olive oil 12. Purpose of a FedEx number 13. Office, e.g.

21. Omega, in physics 23. Teased 25. Christian in clothing 26. Myanmar’s neighbor 29. “Shark Tank� shark, for short 32. Under the covers 34. Legally invalid 36. Captain’s wheel 37. Got out of town 38. GOP symbol 39. Daily grinds 40. Stick with 43. Parenthetical figure 44. Airbnb charge 45. Lunch heavy on the mayo 47. Packs away 48. Prom rental 51. Labyrinth solutions 53. Niles’s off-screen wife on “Frasier�

56. Arr. projections 58. BART stop 59. “Young Sheldon� network

for crossword answers, go to ecurrent.com

Š2017 By Brendan Emmett Quigley (www.brendanemmettquigley.com)

crossword

classifieds PAYMENT Payment must be received before an ad can be placed. We accept checks, cash, money orders, and credit cards (MasterCard, American Express, or Visa) Sorry, no refunds. Misprint results in credit toward next ad.

FREE CLASSIFIED ADS One (1) free 20-word classified ad per issue. Free ads include noncommercial concerns, free services, products being sold for less than $150.

Line Classifieds $20 for 20 words or less. 40¢ per each additional word.

Box Classifieds $25 per column inch. One column = 1.4519" Photos can be placed in box or line ads for an additional $5 per photo.

DEADLINES Ad copy must be received at NOON on the 15th of the month prior to publication.

CONTACT INFORMATION Mail: Current Classifieds. 1120 Adams Street, Toledo, Ohio 43604.

Phone: 419-244-9859.

Fax: 419-244-9871.

Email to: classifieds@adamsstreet publishing.com

for sale Vinyl collection 33s & 45s FOR SALE. Beatles, Stones, oldies, classic rock 1950s to 1990s. Call 419699-3398 Signature Leather Jacket 2X, 5 sport embroidery sewn designs. Call for more info 419-699-3398 (2) PLOTS in Apostles Block in Washtenong Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Ann Arbor, MI. $4,500 value, $1,000 total. Call Nancy 435-616-8506.

14k Medium sized ladies ring for sale.

Made in 1940’s. Center white diamond plus 12 diamonds. 419-699-3398

SERVICES

B&P Painting Company

Decorate your interior with us!!

BandPPainting.co 734.572.8557 Ann Arbor

Homeward Bound Rescue League TOM: 3 yrs, Male, DSH - Gray/Blue

I am a cool cat and very laid-back, but I also like to play sometimes. People tell me that I am a handsome guy. I would do best with older cats or cats that act like me. Kittens with a lot of energy are too much for me. If you are looking for a sweet, quiet guy to hang out with, then I may be the cat for you! Please fill out an application today!

PENNY: 4 yrs, Female, Dachshund

Services

I am a special girl. I was born completely deaf and I have tunnel vision. That does not stop me from loving life! My foster mom says that I need a home where someone is home most of the day. I love to play! I have always lived with other dogs and cats and do fine with them. I love to be held by my person and will sleep in the bed with you, too!

Please consider adopting me. I am super sweet!

Massage: Walk-in appointments available.

Free parking. Make some time for yourself! Come in stressed leave refreshed. RelaxStation. 734623-1951​ Got Knee Pain? Back Pain? Shoulder Pain? Get a pain-relieving brace -little or NO cost to you. Medicare Patients Call Health Hotline Now! 1- 800-419-3684

Events GIVE BLOOD - SAVE LIVES! #ChooseYourDay to donate blood. Call 1-800-448-3543 or go to RedCrossBlood.org. Appointments preferred.

Walk-ins welcome.

Wednesdays Islam 101 Class 7pm. MCA Ann Arbor. Want to learn about Islam? Join our free class. For details: mca-a2.org/islam-101

HELP WANTED Massage Therapist: Currently hiring therapists to work at RelaxStation in downtown Ann Arbor to accommodate our already established clientele. Free parking, flexible hours, great team!

734-623-1951

Announcements DISH. 190 channels. $49.99/mo. (24 mos.)

Exclusive Dish Features -Sling and Hopper.

HighSpeed Internet, $14.95/mo. (Availability/ Restrictions apply.) TV for Less! CALL 1-855493-9788

Looking for Foster Families! To apply for one of our adoptable pets, please fill out an application Email us for more info

hbrlmi.org P.O. Box 87591 If you cannot adopt, please consider Canton, MI 48187 making a donation online to help homewardboundmi@yahoo.com out our furry friends!

Miscellaneous

Home Services

Moving and storage: Cross country Moving, Long distance Moving Company out of state move $799 Long Distance Movers Get Free quote on your Long distance move. Call 800863-6081

CALL EMPIRE TODAY® to schedule a FREE in-home estimate on Carpeting & Flooring.

Call Today! 1-800-213-4311

LOTS & ACREAGE Wooded upstate NY land with LAKES, PONDS & STREAMS being liquidated NOW! 13 tracts! 5 to 41 acres! 50-60% below market!

No closing costs! Owner terms! 888-738-6994 NewYorkLandandLakes.com

Searchable lists updated daily at

ecurrent.com

january 2018 call to advertise

734.668.4044 ecurrent.com / december 2017 39