FEBRUARY 2018| FREE
MUSIC | ART | CULTURE
tyle S MEN’S
P6
A local guide to fresh and spirited self-improvement
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Regional pride during a month of reflection P12
LOVE IN THE TIME OF CANNABIS Romance blooms with buds, not roses P34
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February 2018 vol. 28/no. 02
15 food:
Repurposed for refueling: Detroit Street Filling Station Vegan restaurant stands up as community activist By Jeff Kass
PHOTO CREDIT: COLLIN COON
contents
Men’s Style Guide
19 music:
Make 2018 Fresh
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Spreads Message of Hope
6
College Student Seeks Spot on Ypsi School Board 12 DaQuann Harrison wants to
By Jeff Milo
24 theater:
revitalize schools and community
Jeff Daniels’ “The Trojan Women” Confronts Sexual Violence By Emily Slomovits
By Antonio Cooper
A Pioneer Once Again Former PHS student Jordan Greenway is the first
26 lit:
African-American USA Hockey Olympian
Epic Homegoing Unfolds Over Two-and-a-half Centuries By Patrick Flores-Scott
13
By Jeff Kass
Racial Tension 14 Feeling unsafe at U of M
27 film:
By Dylan Gilbert
Filmmaker Sultan Sharrief on the Importance of Giving Back
By Heidi Philipsen
33 Person of Interest
Katri Ervamaa: Professional Cellist and Chamber Music Teacher By Cammie Finch
29 arts & culture
38 crossword
34 cannabis
39 classifieds
37 astrology JANUARY 2018| FREE
MUSIC | ART | CULTURE
JANUARY MOST READ 1. Inside the local vape scene 2. Purple Rose debuts Jeff Daniels’ timely drama
BEST YEAR er
Ev
Get your 2018 off to a healthy start! p6
p12
p26
HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Inside the local vape scene
REVISITING “FLINT”
Purple Rose debuts Jeff Daniels’ timely drama
3. Health and wellness
ecurrent.com / february 2018 3
Adams Street Publishing Co. What’s your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Unable to Renew Lease, English Gardens Closes After twelve years in business at the Maple Village Shopping Center, English Gardens is closing. Brixmor Property Group, the new management company of the Maple Village Center is choosing not to renew the lease in order to allow LA Fitness to develop a new site and pay a higher leasing fee. Ann Arbor-Based Startup Mi Padrino Hits 50,000 User Milestone In just six months, Mi Padrino, the business created by married couple (and owners of The Crazy Cowboy Restaurant in Jackson) Kim Gamez and Victor Hugo has blasted past its initial goal of 600 users in its first year. Mi Padrino is an online funding platform, similar to Gofundme, but specifically targeted to the traditional Hispanic community practice of fund-sourcing for celebratory events like weddings, graduation parties and quinceañeras. The business is based in the downtown Ann Arbor business incubator Spark. Mi Padrino currently has ten employees, three fulltime, and due to unexpected demand for services, will soon add another ten full-time employees in the Jackson/Ann Arbor area. Ann Arbor Electric Vehicle Chargers Experiencing Highest Usage Yet According to the Downtown Development Authority, usage of the City’s 23 EV charging stations in the fourth quarter of 2017 was the highest quarter yet, climbing to nearly 30,000 kilowatt hours. Since the EV stations were installed in 2011, according to DDA Energy Consultant Dave Konkle, usage has replaced over one million miles of gasoline-fueled travel. Doorganics Comes to Ann Arbor The Grand Rapids-based organic groceries delivery company is expanding to Ann Arbor. Customers can shop online for groceries from more than 150 different Michigan-made items including farm eggs, pastured meats, fresh baked breads, and cheeses, plus organic deli salads and prepared meals. doorganics.com Ann Arbor Welcomes NYC-Based CityRow Fitness Studio The high-end fitness boutique offers 50-minute full-body workout classes that use rowing machines and free-weight strengthtraining exercises. CityRow owner Helaine Knapp is a UM alum and will team up with fellow former Wolverine John Rochte to open an 1800-square-foot space at 401 E. Liberty St. cityrow.com
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Collette Jacobs (cjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) CELEBRATING IT FOR 30 YEARS WITH THE SAME VALENTINE.
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Mark I. Jacobs (mjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) LOOKING OUT OVER NYC FROM THE OBSERVATION DECK OF THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
Editorial
Assignment Editor: Jeff Kass
(annarboreditor@adamsstreetpublishing.com)
HAVING DINNER WITH MY WIFE AT MANI’S OSTERIA. Calendar Editor, Staff Writer: Estar Cohen (calendar@ecurrent.com) FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS. Contributing Writers: Jeff Milo, Emily Slomovits, Vic Tanny, Patrick Flores-Scott, Cammie Finch, Antonio Cooper, Heidi Philipsen, and Dylan Gilbert.
Digital Media Tech Manager: Saul Jacobs (saul@adamsstreetpublishing.com) HEART SHAPED PIZZA. Web Guru: Ashley Boardman (digitalmedia@adamsstreetpublishing.com) THE 1ST VDAY MY BF AND I WERE TOGETHER HE GAVE ME A FUNNY CARD AND WROTE THE SWEETEST NOTE INSIDE. (I STILL HAVE THAT CARD).
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Production Manager: Imani Lateef (imani@adamsstreetpublishing.com) MARRYING MY WIFE. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOMMY #10YEARS. Senior Designer: Leah Foley (leah@adamsstreetpublishing.com) IT HAS YET TO HAPPEN. Designers: Kelli Miller (kmiller@adamsstreetpublishing.com) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL VALENTINES. Anita Tipton (atipton@adamsstreetpublishing.com) MY DAUGHTER’S HEART-SHAPED VALENTINE’S DAY CAKE.
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Ann Arbor Aims to Keep it 100% (Renewable Energy) by 2035 Ann Arbor has joined a growing list of cities across the nation committed to using all-renewable energy for municipal operations within the next two decades. City Council unanimously approved the resolution in December, directing the city to power 100% of municipal government operations with wind, solar or other clean energy alternatives by 2035 or sooner. “I’m delighted that this is moving forward,” said Mayor Chris Taylor. “Ann Arbor has a very ambitious Climate Action Plan. And while the municipal load is small, the work that we’re doing here, I think, will have a tangible effect.” The city’s municipal operations currently account for roughly 1.3 percent of Ann Arbor’s total community-wide greenhouse gas emissions. - JK
fyi AAATA Expands Express Bus Service to Ypsi
In addition to existing express routes to and from Chelsea and Canton, The Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority is now offering weekday express bus services from Ypsilanti Township along I-94. The new schedule provides two non-stop, rush-hour trips in the morning and afternoon between the Ypsilanti area and Ann Arbor. The Ann Arbor stops are on UM’s central and medical campuses and downtown. Express bus stops in Ypsilanti Township are at Joe Hall Drive and on Huron Street at James L. Hart Parkway. The promotional cash fare as the service launches is $1.50 each way. - JK
For a full schedule of AAATA bus services, check theride.org.
CORRECTION: Last issue (Current, January 2018), we incorrectly listed a business in our Health and Wellness Guide. Julie Hill is the owner of Imagine Three Beauty Studio, an organic salon where she also works as a hairstylist. 201 E. Liberty Suite 1, Ann Arbor i3beautystudio.com
ecurrent.com / february 2018 5
With springtime thaw of hearts and rising temperatures hopefully not far behind, now’s the time for locals of the male persuasion to think about how to emerge from winterhibernation looking presentable, and perhaps even approximating some kind of personal style. We’ve got the lowdown for you on where to find the crispiest fit, the most regally buttered dome, the flyest shoegame, the sweetest scents and the manliest spirits.
Where to go to get your head straight
If you’re like me and only get a haircut three times a year, you want to make sure you get the job done right. Get your head where the barbers are skilled, the ambiance is comfortable, and the conversation’s intriguing. Check out these spots:
Taylor & Colt
601 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor 734-929-2229 Taylorandcoltmi.com Taylor & Colt describes itself as “a Barber Spa for today’s modern man, catering to every grooming need in a relaxed and masculine environment.” Customers enjoy complimentary newspapers, wifi, and a coffee bar. Whether you’re looking for a fade, pompadour, fashionforward look, low-maintenance cut, beard trim, neck shave, razor shave, or deluxe hot steam shave, Taylor & Colt, promises to accommodate your desire.
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Coach & Four Barber Shop
806 S. State St., Ann Arbor 734-668-8669 Coachand4.com This iconic old school barber shop has played host to the heads of countless Michigan greats over the years, from Gerald Ford to Red Berenson, Bo Schembechler, Jim Abbott and Jim Harbaugh. If you want to hear the latest Wolverine gossip or debate the play calls in the previous weekend’s game while you get your hair styled, surrounded by hockey jerseys, hockey sticks, autographed footballs and photographs of Michigan athletes, Coach & Four is undoubtedly your headquarters.
Arcade Barbers
6 Nickels Arcade, Ann Arbor 734-665-7894 Arcadebarbers.com Providing hair care and styling in Ann Arbor since 1917, Arcade Barbers (in the Nickels Arcade off State St.) is currently owned by Tiffany Lakes Royal offering reasonably priced scissors cuts, clipper cuts, flat tops, buzz cuts, fades, low fades, Mohawks, celebrity cuts, high tops, bursts, 5 star cuts, beard trims, shampoos and clean ups. There’s also a LEGO train to occupy the kids while you get your dome buttered. Walk-ins welcome. No appointment necessary.
PHOTO CREDIT: COLLIN COON
MAN, MADE
compiled by staff
Eric Williams President, Puffer Reds
At Puffer Reds, the key to success is synergy— the interconnected relationships between sports, music and fashion, particularly footwear. Thirty-eight years ago, the business started as a record store, but quickly branched into sneakers, boots, designer jeans and t-shirts. “We got into footwear in 1981,” says Puffer proprietor Eric Williams, “when Run DMC started rapping about Adidas.” The links between sports, music, footwear and clothing became even more vivid when musical artists appeared in videos wearing jerseys, hats, and sneakers that paid tribute to their favorite athletes. “Basically, it’s a lifestyle,” Williams explains. “Kids grow up and they want to be like those athletes – hoop dreams, football dreams – how many kids want to be like Mike? We used to base a lot of our
business on music videos. We’d have them playing in the store all the time and we’d see what the entertainers were wearing.” Puffer Reds’ ability to capture that synergy between sports, music and fashion has allowed it to develop a national presence and serve as a destination for numerous athletes and celebrities looking for their next fit. “We’ve had tons of artists here,” Williams says. “Ice Cube, Eminem, Jeezy, Monica, CeeLo Green, Outkast, you name it.” All the notoriety has helped Puffer Reds become an Ypsilanti institution and play an important role in the community. “We do community things all the time,” Williams says. “We’ve done food drives where we collaborate with Food Gatherers. Every year, we do a customer appreciation cookout. We work with kids and have given out hundreds of pairs of shoes to kids who achieve in Ypsilanti schools. Part of being about a lifestyle means it’s about giving back.”
CONT’D ON P7
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Making clothes make the man
Anyone can wear the casual Ann Arbor uniform— hooded sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers. But to stand out and take your threads game up another level, check out these styling spots:
The Victor’s Collection by the M-Den
307 S. State St., Ann Arbor 734-436-8138 Mden.com No reason to limit your Wolverines-inspired gear to a Go Blue t-shirt and a maize-colored baggy pair of sweats. The Victor’s Collection has you covered with a vast array of U-M themed button-down shirts (including a Brooks Brothers Red Fleece University of Michigan Seersucker Hooded Sport Shirt for $106), sweaters (step up to the ultimate level with a Brooks Brothers University of Michigan Navy
Wool and Suede Cardigan Sweater for $625), outerwear (check out the Indiana Jones-esque Canyon Outback University of Michigan Eagle Ridge Brown Leather Bomber, $425), and even loungewear (Brooks Brothers University of Michigan Navy Plush Supima Cotton Robe, $215). If you’re into wristwear, you could indulge in the HAIL Brand University of Michigan Stainless Steel Watch ($349), or a set of University of Michigan 22k Gold Plated Cufflinks with Diamonds ($1200). As the official retailer of U-M athletics, a significant portion of each purchase goes to supporting U-M sports.
DILLY DILLY! BE A TRUE FRIEND OF THE CROWN
www.abwholesaler.com
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Van Boven Clothing
326 S. State St., Ann Arbor 734-665-7228 Located in the Nickel’s Arcade shopping gallery, this upscale men’s clothing store was founded by Peter Van Boven in 1921, a former captain of the U-M baseball team, and carries clothing from high-end casual through formal, offered with a personal touch.
Motivation Boutique
1203 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor 734-769-2260 Mtvtn.com If you absolutely cannot let go of your hoodie and t-shirt bromance, fear not. Motivation can hook you up with cutting-edge fashions in your favorite tags. See how you look in an Only NY pigment-dyed OK hoody in vintage emerald ($88), a Belief midnight champion pullover hoody in steel grey ($70), or a lavender-toned 10 Deep competition hoody ($105). T-shirt-wise, you could try Belief’s berrycolored Atlantic long-sleeve pocket T ($40), Undefeated’s black burning trees T ($28), 10 Deep’s pink double-vision T ($34), two-toned purple and blue lawless camo split
T ($52), or Stussy’s 80.17 FM white T ($28). There’s even a cool selection of casual hockey jerseys, jackets, baseball caps and, yes, warm-looking beanies including an ultra-nostalgic white, green and yellow Seattle Supersonics Mitchell & Ness with a white-green pompom that this writer might not be able to resist.
Hank Schoch
Salesman and clothing expert, Van Boven Clothing At Van Boven Clothing, it’s all about the 97 years of history. Check their memorabilia closet with pictures of the young Peter Van Boven in his Wolverine Baseball togs, a pair of ancient boxing gloves that presumably also belonged to the founder, and a number of other items that offer an authentic peek into the Ann Arbor of the early and mid-twentieth century. “Part of the challenge,” according to Van Boven General Manager Tom Haney, “is we clothe everyone from students to corporate heads. While the store hasn’t really physically changed in 97 years, we have had to change with the times. We have classic clothes, but also pay attention to trends and we want to be on the cutting edge of that.” Haney points to Hank Schoch, a salesman and clothing expert who’s been with Van Boven for twenty years, as the kind of person who makes Van Boven special. “We’re trying to bring super high-quality clothes and all the personal service that allows customers to walk into the store and be happy with their experience. You get a high level of attention to service and expertise. We’re old school.”
Renaissance Clothing
306 S. Main St. Ann Arbor 734-769-8911 Renaissanceannarbor.com In business for over forty years, Renaissance carries fine gentlemen’s clothing and provides made-to-measure service for suits, sport jackets, trousers, shirts, overcoats and more.
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Shaping up your shoe game Look, it’s 2018. You can’t neglect quality footwear. Here are a couple places where you can find what you need:
Have you got spirits?
After hooking yourself up with a fresh fit, some fly shoes and a fade, maybe it’s time for a drink. We’ll cover all the incredible options for craft beers in June in our summer beer guide, but If you’re looking for something beyond a beer, check out these spirited spots:
Siris Restaurant and Ann Arbor Distilling Cigar Bar Company 207 N. Main St., Ann Arbor 734-263-1296 Sirisannabor.com Named after the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, Siris offers over 300 spirits in addition to 120 craft made brews. Add a very manly menu including the $20 Filthy Mac (creamy macand-cheese with chicken, pork, bacon and sausage, topped with spicy breadcrumbs and fried onions) and a fully stocked humidor with dozens of different high-end cigars, and you’re looking at a ‘no-doubt can’t miss’ evening.
Ollie Food + Spirits
42 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti 734-482-8050 Ollieypsi.com Billed as a “cozy space to enjoy the bounty of the Eastern Heartlands,” Ollie offers exquisite food and hand-crafted cocktails. Each drink is carefully calibrated for maximum smoothness, balance and taste. Innovative offerings include the Ghost in the Dawn (thai tea infused navy rum, firefly, cardamom spiked ginger liqueur, ancho reyes, condensed milk syrup, egg), the Rusty 49’ER (rye, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, turbinado, lemon, fernet branca, yukon jack, fall cherry), and the Old Tyme Mem’ry (rye washed bib bourbon, MI. maple syrup, vanilla, angostura, art in the age root, sarsaparilla).
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220 Felch St., Ann Arbor 734-882-2169 Annarbordistilling.com Because they grew tired of “industrial-grade spirits that taste more like butane,” the folks at Ann Arbor Distilling Co. set up shop to build spirits from scratch. They currently offer original creations of seasonal gins and vodkas, as well as a coffee liqueur and cherry eau de vie. All spirits, many of which have been recognized with national awards, are created from Michigansourced ingredients.
The Ravens Club
207 S. Main St., Ann Arbor 734-214-0400 Theravensclub.com With over 150 American whiskeys stocked at the bar, The Ravens Club offers a full slate of classic cocktails including an Adirondack with bourbon, tarragon honey syrup, fresh grapefruit and salt; a House Manhattan with rye, amaro, sweet vermouth and bitters, and a Hand-pulled Old Fashioned with bourbon, house made Old Fashioned bitters and sugar. Add a top-notch food menu and live music three nights a week (plus a DJ on Thursdays) and you’ve got the recipe for a thumbs-up man’s (or man-with-woman’s) night out.
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Puffer Reds
113 W. Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti 734-485-7050 Pufferreds.com Located in historic Downtown Ypsilanti, Puffer Reds has an almost four-decade commitment to offering premium-level streetwear brands and the most exclusive sneaker releases. Whether you’re looking for Adidas, Under Armour, Fila, Reebok, Puma or Vans, Puffer Reds offers a varied, sweet-looking selection at reasonable prices. Established in 1979, by Eric Williams as a place to find the latest hip-hop, R&B and jazz music albums, it has grown from a small record shop into a well-known shopping destination for nationally known celebrities, musicians and athletes.
Mast Shoes
2517 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor 734-662-8118 Mastshoes.com At Mast Shoes, the key is comfort. Style, is of course, crucial as well, but at Mast the staff, including, Molly, a Certified Pedorthist, make sure each shoe sold is constructed well, fits well and is comfortable. With over 10,000 pairs of shoes in stock – from dress shoes to work shoes to boots to sandals – Mast promises high quality, structurally sound, good-for-your-feet stylish options.
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Fridays:
Bill Sizer
General Manager, Renaissance Clothing If you’re like me (and the vast majority of journalists) and you need some guidance when it comes to picking out clothes that communicate a familiarity with respectable fashion, Bill Sizer is exactly the kind of guy you need to be talking to. Michael Phelps was smart enough to make that choice, while training at UM, when the record-breaking Olympian was set to do an interview with Roy Firestone on ESPN and he didn’t know what he should wear. “He walked in the store at 10 in the morning and needed a complete outfit by 2pm,” Sizer says. “I completely custommeasured and outfitted Phelps for that interview, and it wasn’t easy. His shoulders are huge and his waist as narrow as a middle-schooler’s.” Finding the right clothes for people is not just a job, but a passion for Sizer. He loves to make other people look good. “Clothing helps an individual represent himself,” he says. “I’m not so interested in people looking good for others, but in making themselves feel good. I want to make it so when someone buys something, it looks like it belongs to them.”
$3 Miller Lite Bottles, $4 Jack Daniels Drinks, $2 Bud Light Beer & Wing Specials, Trivia 7pm $ Cash Prizes $
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(734) 995-0100 ecurrent.com / february 2018 11
Black History Month In recognition of African-American History Month, we’re featuring pieces about DaQuann Harrison, a young mover and shaker in Ypsilanti with a goal of running for the school board, and Jordan Greenway, a former Pioneer High School student who is breaking barriers as the first African-American player on a USA Olympic Hockey team, as well as a first-person recounting of her experiences at UM by Dylan Gilbert. Also, don’t miss the opportunity this month to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo at The Ark.
College student seeks spot on Ypsi school board DaQuann Harrison’s key issue is education by Antonio Cooper
Ypsilanti teen DaQuann Harrison plans to run for the Ypsilanti school board, a step he sees as the first of many in his goal to improve Ypsilanti’s inner-city community. He is focused on the concept dubbed the ‘school-to-prison pipeline’, a system he describes as a common trap that targets inner-city children. “The school-to-prison pipeline forces kids, especially black children, into the criminal justice system,” he says. Excessive penal disciplinary policies force “the schools to keep punished children out of school and, as for me, or for people I know, you are left for the school day in a single parent environment without the parent. Kids usually turn to the streets for fun. This, in turn, results in kids doing drugs, or committing criminal acts, and eventually getting caught in the system.”
Suspensions lead to students missing out on crucial learning
Harrison, now a political science major at Washtenaw Community College, has, himself, spent time in the system, and admits he oftentimes found trouble traveling between out-ofschool suspensions and different legal difficulties. “I was expelled and I went through this system,” he says. “When I began to become educated on what the system actually was, I saw I didn’t reach the prison part of it yet, but I went through juvenile systems. When you’re not in school, you’re not being taught. Therefore, the only thing you know is the streets. You’re being selfeducated (and) you miss a lot of stuff you need to know.”
Negative impacts of standardized testing
When talking about issues plaguing students and the school system in general, Harrison says schools are being hurt by the pressures of standardized testing. This pressure, and the performance of students on those tests, ultimately has a large impact on school funding. “Teachers come to school to teach, but they can’t teach because our fundamentals are so down because students are always being prepared for tests, which is the way our schools are being funded,” Harrison explains. “If students can’t pass the test then there’s no money coming into the school. This means there are teachers who don’t have enough time to educate our young people on important things [not on the tests] that they don’t know.” Harrison describes the reliance on testing and the school-toprison pipeline as “a system designed to target inner-city kids.” He believes community involvement is necessary to end the continuous funneling of youth into the juvenile justice system. For him, the bigger picture is about more than just schools.
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Necessary steps
“I don’t like to call it the school-to-prison pipeline,” he says. “I like to call it the community-to-prison pipeline system because I feel like the schools are a part of our community and we’re not doing enough. Our churches aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, our parents don’t have the necessary resources to do what they’re supposed to do, our law enforcement system isn’t where it’s supposed to be. Our community is the reason why younger people are doing what they’re doing.” Harrison suggests starting with improving relationships within the community. “We have this beautiful flower that we want to see grow, which is our educational system. But the root of that flower is our relationships. So without the relationships we have nothing, we need the trust, the communication, the honesty and so forth. I feel that it is imperative that our churches are more involved with our youth. These community leaders need to be more involved, and really our political leaders who we elect to office, they should come to help out too. You really only see our leaders come out and do things when it’s time to vote around November.”
It’s all about heart
Harrison began his community involvement by working as a Youth Liaison in close proximity to the Ypsilanti’s sheriff’s office and Juvenile Detention Center. He also serves as a member of several Michigan based-organizations that look to influence schoolcommunity involvement, including the Washtenaw County SchoolJustice Partnership Organization (attendancematters.weebly.com) and the Juvenile Justice Board (michigan.gov/mdhhs). “My heart is in their hands,” he says of the Ypsilanti community he hopes will vote for him in November. “This isn’t for play, this isn’t a front or for pay. I really desire to better this community. No matter how far this goes, or how far God takes me, my heart is the community. Most things I do, I won’t get paid for, I’m doing this because of the passion.”
Black History Month Jordan Greenway A Pioneer Once Again Former Pioneer student first African-American hockey player on USA Olympic Team by Jeff Kass
When Jordan Greenway attended Pioneer High School, he eschewed the custom of his backpack-bearing peers and carried his schoolwork in a metallic silver briefcase. Greenway has never been one to follow a conventional path and now he’s forging a course all his own as the first African-American to play hockey for the USA Olympic team. Named to the team on New Year’s Day, he told ESPN, “It’s special. There’s not a ton of African-Americans who play this game... so this gives me a chance to influence kids who have my skin color. To have them not stick to stereotypes of what sport they’re supposed to play.”
Origins in upstate New York and a deal with his mother
African-Americans currently make up about 5% of the National Hockey League, a similar percentage to the number of AfricanAmericans in upstate Canton NY, where Greenway grew up. But Greenway, now 6’6” and 235 lbs., quickly grew past even the hockey mania of upstate New York. When he was only twelve, he asked his mother if he could move away and attend a private hockey prep school. She made a deal with him and his younger brother James that if they did all the research and completed the entire application process on their own, she would pay for the prep school, as long they earned university scholarships. The two brothers wound up at Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota, one of the top hockey prep programs in the country, and before living up to their side of the bargain— Jordan earned a full scholarship to Boston University and James to the University of Wisconsin— both brothers participated in the US National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor.
Jordan Greenway as a member of the USA National Development Team Program when he was a student at Pioneer High School.
A dedicated student on and off the ice
In his time at Pioneer from 2013-2015, Jordan was “a fabulous person and an excellent student,” according to Lisa Vollmers, a teacher who has served as Director of Student-Athletes Services for USA Hockey for the past 14 years. Indeed, Greenway’s academic focus is one of the reasons why he’s on the Olympic team this year. Instead of accepting a three-year multi-million dollar deal to play for Minnesota in the NHL(James, his brother, has been drafted by Toronto) he opted to return to BU for his junior year. That choice made him eligible for the Olympics, as players who have signed NHL contracts are now not allowed to
PJ’ S
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compete. A forward, Greenway plays an aggressive game that led him to be chosen 50th overall in the 2005 NHL draft. “I am so proud of him I could truly cry,” says Vollmers. “Jordan works incredibly hard and deserves this amazing opportunity. He will be an excellent representative for the United States at the Olympic Games. He has a fabulous personality that is an automatic draw to people, young and old. Jordan regularly made his way down to the administration wing at Pioneer to check in. Everyone enjoyed those visits!”
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ecurrent.com / february 2018 13
UM’s Racial tension My first few months at UM have been disappointing and scary by Dylan Gilbert As an Ann Arbor native, I was reluctant to go to Michigan. I wanted to experience something new in college. My reluctance was often met with reassurance that the UM campus would feel like a whole different city. Not fully believing that notion, I committed to attend Michigan. Now, with a semester under my belt, it has proven to be true, but not at all in the way I’d hoped. Ann Arbor is a relatively liberal and accepting community. It is by no means perfect, but it does a fair job maintaining an environment that is diverse in race, sexuality, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, those attributes do not carry over to The University of Michigan.
Moments of fear
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14
february
While Ann Arbor’s population is 8% African-American, the University of Michigan’s African-American population is 4.1% – a statistic I feel every day while on campus. I feel it when I am the only black person in my classes, and when there are only 5 of us in a 300-person lecture. Mostly, however, I feel it in the way students simply don’t know how to interact with me. In my first semester at UM, I found myself checking over my shoulder more than usual. I am not in Ann Arbor anymore and I feel genuinely unsafe. At my first football game, my friends and I asked a group of white male students if we could pet their dog. Their response to my blonde, blue-eyed friends was to gesture towards me, attempting to grab my hair and say, “If I can pet yours.” On another occasion, in October, while walking to a friend’s dorm, two white males walked past me, no more than two feet away, and looked me up and down. The brunette asked his friend while gesturing toward me, “Would you hit?” While holding eyecontact with me, the friend laughed and said, “No man, way too dark.” In November, while dancing with my friends on a Saturday night, I was having fun and felt as though I could let my guard down, until I was approached by a Caucasian male who grabbed my waist in an attempt to dance with me. I declined politely, saying I just wanted to dance with my friends. He responded with a snarl, and said, “Fine I don’t even like n---ers anyway.”
2018 / ecurrent.com
On occasions during three out of the four months of my first semester, I felt threatened and uncomfortable. As a black woman, I have experienced treatment like this before, but never so consistently in the place I have always called home. My fall semester has proven to me the reassurance I was fed about UM holds true. The university campus is not the same as the city I grew up in. In Ann Arbor, I felt relatively safe and valued as a black person. At UM, I don’t feel free to experience the exploration college is supposed to offer because I am always guarded. When a university limits black students to a mere 4% of the student body, it instills in that small number of us who were admitted a sense that we do not belong here and, based on my experiences, many white students maintain the same belief. At least in the present environment, my white peers and I are not afforded an equal college experience at UM. Whether we are studying in the library, tailgating at a frat, attending a football game, or going to a play, I, and people who look like me, bear the extra weight of feeling unsafe on campus.
Dylan Gilbert, Ann Arbor native and graduate of Pioneer High School, is a first-year student at The University of Michigan.
food
and spicy queso. The jackfruit carnitas are also present in the highlight dish of the night, the Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos (three corn tortillas, jackfruit carnitas, tofu queso, jalapeño, pickled red onions, avocado, lime). Again, you’re not going to experience the precise taste of a meat taco with this re-imagined selection, but the flavors mix exquisitely to deliver a meal that is satisfying.
Repurposed for refueling: Detroit Street Filling Station Vegan restaurant stands up as community activist by Jeff Kass
PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN SMYTE
Founding and supporting the Youth Justice Fund
Once upon a time in Ann Arbor— specifically beginning in 1925 when it first opened— the building at 300 Detroit Street served to fuel automobiles as the Staebler Family Oil Company. Some forty years later, it shifted to offering a different kind of fuel when it became the Ann Arbor Fish Market, and its drive-through front area was closed off with white stucco, creating the triangular-shaped edifice still in existence today. In 1977, the building became Argiero’s Italian Restaurant. With the addition of an outdoor covered porch fronting the corners of Detroit and Catherine St., the warm, welcoming dining spot served the city for four decades as a place to eat hearty, authentic Italian food in a family atmosphere. With co-founder Tony Argiero’s death in January, 2016, the restaurant eventually closed on Mother’s Day, 2017, with the posted message, “Love Always, Argiero Family.” Purchased by Phillis Engelbert and Joel Panozzo, co-owners of the popular veganfare Lunch Room, the Detroit Street Filling Station (DSFS) opened in August, 2017, as a high-end, fine-dining extension of the more casual Lunch Room. Within a few months, the restaurant underwent yet another revision, ditching the white linen and separate lunch and dinner menus to redefine itself as “Casual Dining and Creating Community.”
A restaurant that brings people together
“Basically, we wanted our food to be in price ranges that are affordable to everyone,” says Engelbert. “We have a big beautiful space right in the middle of things, and we wanted to open it up to everyone. People need each other. There’s a lot of isolation out there, and if we can bring people together, that’s what we want to do. There’s a natural synthesis.” Flyers posted around the restaurant ask patrons to partner for community events such as poetry readings, book groups, knitting cohorts, concerts, charity events and bingo nights. Weekly bluegrass music nights take place on Wednesdays following the after-school, open-time artwork session on Wednesday afternoons. The restaurant plans to host an exhibit created by UM’s Prison Creative Arts Project, hoping to become a permanent host of rotating exhibits featuring PCAP art. Other ideas include a potential game night on Thursdays, a showtunes night, and a concert featuring a string quartet. The food offerings include a sub featuring chick pea-mushroom meatballs and pepperoni seitan. Similarly, the Loaded Nachos Tots (seasoned tater tots, cashew nacho cheese, jackfruit carnitas, salsa, cilantro) don’t so much imitate the nachos experience as morph it, with tater tots dipped in a particularly flavorful
The restaurant stands behind the notion of serving as fuel for community activism. In June, 2017, The Lunch Room teamed up with local prisoner rights advocates to start a new non-profit organization, the Youth Justice Fund (YJF) with a mission to “assist returning citizens, sentenced as youth to a term of imprisonment, with services and resources necessary to ensure human dignity and full participation in their communities.” A significant portion of each week’s proceeds at DSFS go toward supporting the organization. In fact, the restaurant pays an employee to work part-time to serve as the program’s administrator while looking to hire formerly incarcerated youth and helping them adjust to participating in the community. “We’re hiring people,” Engelbert says. “We got our first young person, he went in at 14, he’s 23 now, so after nine years inside, we’ve taken him clothes shopping, helped him get a scholarship at the Y because he likes to work out, helped him get ID and learn the bus system. He would have been sent out homeless into the Michigan winter, but instead he’s working for us.” This ability to reimagine a life-trajectory is at the heart of what DSFS wants to do. “In terms of the work we’re doing, it’s all that,” says Engelbert of the notion of affording people the opportunity to restart their lives. ”I was talking to an employee on New Year’s Eve and I asked him what he was doing a year ago, and he was homeless. Now he has a steady job with benefits. He has a new set of teeth because we offer health and dental insurance. He’s been sober for a year. He and his wife are moving into a house. It is really all about second chances.”
300 Detroit St., Ann Arbor 734-224-2161. facebook.com/detroitstreetfillingstation 11am-9pm, Tuesday-Saturday. 10am-3pm, Sunday Brunch.
ecurrent.com / february 2018 15
Ongoing Mondays Free Pizza Monday 7:30pm. Beer Grotto. beergrotto.com. Free
Fridays Pub Food Fridays
11am. Lucky’s Market Ann Arbor. luckysmarket.com. Free
Grab a beer and have a slice of free Domino’s Deep Dish pizza!
Pub food specials including Local Beer Battered Fish n Chips, the House Smoked Turkey Reuben, House Cut Fries, and pints!
Tuesdays
Drink & Draw
Wine Special
All Day. Bigalora. bigalora.com
Enjoy 50% off all wine bottles.
Wednesdays Wine Night Wednesdays
4-10pm. Evans Street Station. evansstreetstation.com
Enjoy 1/2 off bottles of wine from the Evans Street List! Can’t finish the bottle? You can have it corked and wrapped up to take home. Bottles available for retail purchase as well.
Thursdays
4pm-7pm. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com. Free
Unwind from the workweek and flex your creative muscles while enjoying exclusive Pointless craft beers. Writing and drawing prompts, doodle starters, colored pencils and markers all provided.
Saturdays Yoga & Mimosas
11:30am. $5. The Pretzel Bell. viefit.com
Vie pairs up with Captain’s Room for a special brunch activity: an invigorating yoga class followed by discounted brunch drinks.
Sundays
Cantina Thursdays
4pm. Lucky’s Market Ann Arbor. luckysmarket.com. Free
House-made tacos and great craft beer!
Beer & Board Games
4-7pm. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com. Free
Play board games while enjoying brewed-on-site craft beer! Games are provided, but feel free to bring along your own.
Fall in love with the Phantom at Gratzi Attend a night of spectacular food and live opera! Chef Dan Gawura offers a 3-course dinner paired with Banfi wines as diners enjoy Dino Valle’s new production of The Phantom in Love, performed by the Bellini Opera Theatre. The first course features Roasted Beet Carpaccio with mozzarella di bufala, toasted hazelnuts, basil puree, and endive in a white balsamic reduction. The second course offers a choice between Lamb, Cioppino, or Caprino. For dessert, choose between Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Tartufo or Milk & Cookies with fresh whipped cream and fresh fruit. - JK
$89.95, reservations required. 6pm & 10pm. Thursday, February 8. Gratzi, 326 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 888-456-3463 (DINE), gratzirestaurant.com.
1 Thursday Wine Dinner: Classic Wines from Famous Regions 6:30pm. $87. Evans Street Station. evansstreetstation.com
Indulge in a spectacular evening hosted by Sommelier Shane Nicholson of Eagle Eye Imports. 6 Wines and 6 Courses. International Gruit Day 3pm-11pm. Brewery Becker. brewerybecker.com. Free Craft brewers pay homage to the historical traditions of brewing with botanicals. Get $1 off Brewery Becker’s Gruit beer, the Vargdricka, all day.
Cocktails 101
7pm. Thrivent Financial. tammystastings.com. Free
Tammy’s Tastings will teach the Art of Mixology in this small group setting. All are welcome to meet the Ann Arbor Group of Thrivent Financial during the class.
2 Friday
4 Sunday Super Bowl Party
5-11pm. North Center Brewing Co. northcenterbrewing.com. Free
Come on out to this Super Bowl viewing party with tailgate specials including $1 off pints during the game.
5 Monday Pub Trivia
7-9pm. Ashley’s Ann Arbor. ashleys.com. Free
Take part in a trivia game and enjoy a $5 burger special, along with Ashley’s impressive beer menu.
6 Tuesday
Pigeon Hill Brewing will host a featured Michigan brewery night with a beer list including the Walter Blondale, Walter Gets Buzzed, Grapefruit Renny DIPA, and more.
Join for a lesson on all things Sour. A brewery representative will be on hand from Michigan’s Brewery Vivant to lead the discussion and answer questions.
Chili Cook Off
Noon-2pm. $10. Milan Main St. letschillwinterfest.com.
Prizes for top three entries, selected by a panel of judges as well as a People’s Choice Award.
2018 / ecurrent.com
Stroll through downtown Milan for wine tastings as well other adult beverages. Each of the participating venues will offer light refreshments.
Brewery Vivant Beer School
3 Saturday
february
3-7pm. $30. Milan Main St. letschillwinterfest.com
Pigeon Hill Night
6-9pm. Detroit Filling Station. lunchrooma2.com. Free
16
Let’s Chill Wine Walk
6-9pm. $10. Hopcat Royal Oak. hopcat.com
7 Wednesday Toffee Pairing
5pm. $9. Canton Brew Works. cantonbrewworks.com
A pairing of toffee and craft beer with Mel’s Toffee. Tickets include three 5 oz. pours of beer, and three 1 oz. portions of toffee.
Drink & Draw
11 Sunday
7pm. $12. Jolly Pumpkin. jollypumpkin.com
SASHA Farm Valentine Dinner
Enjoy the relaxing combination.
6pm. $75. Detroit Filling Station. thelunchrooma2.com
8 Thursday
of craft beer and art!
Enjoy a delicious vegan dinner at this special fundraising event for the SASHA Farm Animal Sanctuary. Each ticket includes: Appetizers, 2 entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar available. For food allergy/special diets requests email: banquet@ sashafarm.org
Musical Dinner Theatre
6pm. $89.95. Gratzi Ann Arbor. gratzirestaurant.com
A night of spectacular food and opera. Enjoy Chef Dan Gawura’s 3-course dinner with wine pairing and The Phantom in Love, performed by Bellini Opera Theatre. The dinner includes dishes like Roasted Beet Carpaccio, Mint & Goat Cheese Rack of Lamb, Caprino, and Pistachio and Dark Chocolate Tartufo.
9 Friday Valentine’s Week
11:30am. Evans Street Station. evansstreetstation.com
Celebrate Valentine’s with a romantic meal. Enjoy a seasonal menu featured all week long along with specials from the kitchen and bar. Or, take your celebration to the next level with the Dinner for Two feature with optional wine or beer pairings. See the website for varying prices.
Artini
6:30pm. $55. Ann Arbor. annarborartcenter.org
For the 10th Annual Year, the finest downtown bars and restaurants in downtown Ann Arbor will compete to create the city’s most artful martini. Proceeds benefit the Ann Arbor Art Center! Visit the website for a list of participating venues.
10 Saturday Mastering Mozzarella
2pm. $75. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com
Learn the secret to making terrific fresh mozzarella from the experts! In this fun-filled class, see the ins and outs of making this simple, yet delicious cheese. Adults and children over 12 are welcome.
Get V-Day Frisky with Chocolate and Whiskey
12 Monday
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone, quality chocolate, and high-grade spirits at Zingerman’s American Whiskey & Chocolates. Libation expert, Beth Vandergrift, guides participants (partake-i-pants?) through three of her favorite spirits: mild and mellow Tennessee whiskey, sweet and smoky Kentucky bourbon, and spicy and robust Monongahela rye. Chocolate specialist Emily Case presents a varied selection of creamy white, velvety milk and decadent dark chocolates to experience along with the spirits. - JK
$35. 7:30-9pm. Wednesday, February 14. Zingerman’s Greyline, 100 N. Ashley St., Ann Arbor, 734-663-3400, events.zingermanscommunity.com. ‘90s Bar Crawl
2pm-10pm. $15-$25. Ann Arbor. 90sbarcrawl.com
Relive the glory days at the ‘90s Bar Crawl. Tickets include a signature bar crawl cup, a welcome drink at registration, and drink specials at numerous Ann Arbor bars
Night Out: Rosé
4pm. $85. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Practice techniques for showcasing your favorite vino with everything from roasted and glazed vegetables to a rosé cherry gastrique. Learn how to achieve the ultimate crispy duck breast and create a pretty-in-pink tiramisu featuring rosé.
Stone Ground, Locally Made Chips visit annarbortortilla.com to see where you can find our products
No Preservatives 100% NON-GMO Gluten Free
Cocktail Class: Cuban Cocktails 7:30pm. $45. The Last Word. tammystastings.com
Mojitos, Daiquiris, Cuba Libres and more – few places in the world have seen the birth of as many essential cocktails as Cuba. In this class, learn about the history that made them possible, and explore classic favorites and lesser known creations.
13 Tuesday A Parade of Authentic New Orleans Flavors
7pm. $55. Zingerman’s Roadhouse. events.zingermanscommunity.com
Michigan Spirits Cocktail Class
4pm. $45. Evans Street Station. evansstreetstation.com
Learn about some of the best Michigan Spirits on the market, and get professional tips and techniques to make your own cocktails.
Let the Roadhouse bring carnival to you for Mardi Gras 2018! Enjoy a strolling dinner party featuring the best of New Orleans cuisine including fresh oysters, po’boys, gumbo, King Cake, beignets, and more.
Bourbon County 3 Year Vertical
6pm. Beer Grotto. beergrotto.com. Free
Pasties & Beer
6pm. Canton Brew Works. cantonbrewworks.com. Free
Indulge in a special Pop-Up Dinner with pasties from the Motor City Pasty Company. beer.
The Beer Grotto was thrilled to tap Goose Island’s legendary Bourbon County Brand Stout on Black Friday. Now, they’re even more thrilled to do a 3 year vertical of Bourbon County. ‘15, ‘16, and ‘17 vintages will be on-tap!
Searchable lists updated daily at
ecurrent.com
ecurrent.com / february 2018 17
Home Sweet Home
6:30pm. $75. Zingerman’s Greyline. ozonehouse.org
An evening of wine, chocolate and cheese at Zingerman’s Greyline venue to support the deserved safety for all LGBTQ+ youth in Washtenaw County.
Ypsilanti Indoors Farmers Market
3pm. Ypsilanti Farmer Markets. growinghope.net
Continue to enjoy local goods as the market moves indoors. Find seasonal produce, eggs, baked goods, jewelry and more!
14 Wednesday Anniversary Party with Witch’s Hat Brewing Co. All day. Hopcat Ann Arbor. hopcat.com. Free
Hopcat Ann Arbor celebrates it’s 3rd anniversary with Witch’s Hat Brewing Co! The beer list will include brewery exclusives and collaborations.
Short’s Brewing Valentine’s Day Beer Dinner
6pm. $69. Karl’s Cabin Restaurant & Bar. karlscabin.com
Treat yourself to a six course meal for a memorable beer & dinner Pairing. In addition to the special menu, there will also be a raffle with great beer prizes! Advance purchase required by calling 734-455-8450.
American Whiskey & Chocolates
7:30pm. $35. Greyline. zingermanscommunity.com
Enjoy a night on the town pairing some great American Whiskey and Chocolate! Spirits will include Tennessee whiskey, Kentucky bourbon, and Monongahela rye paired with a selection of velvety milk and decadent dark chocolates.
15 Thursday Polenta Three Ways
6pm. $29 - $59. Huron High School. aareced.com
Join Francesca Giarraffa on a journey to Italy as she prepares polenta three ways. Leave the class with a full belly and recipes to delight your friends and family.
16 Friday Cooking Class: Chinese New Year
11am. $75. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Techniques for cooking in a wok and handling shellfish. Plus, get plenty of hands-on practice with sautéing, steaming, knife skills and more.
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february
Wine & Cheese Pairing
6pm. $35. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com
Join Tessie, Zingerman’s resident Certified Cheese Professional and wine lover, for an evening of tasting and exploration. Taste through a spectrum of wines from favorite vintners paired with wine-friendly artisan cheeses.
Winter Banquet
6pm. $30. Ann Arbor Marriott at Eagle Crest. michiganlegion.org
Celebrate with the American Legion Family at their 2018 Winter Banquet. Social Hour runs from 6-7 pm with dinner beginning at 7 pm.
17 Saturday Introduction to Fresh Goat Cheese
2pm. $125. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com
For the first time ever, Zingerman’s Creamery is sharing techniques and recipes for making fresh goat’s milk cheeses! This is a two day class. The second is Sunday, Feb 18th 12pm-4pm.
Whiskey Business 2018
7:30pm-10:30pm. $45-$65. Royal Oak Farmers Market. whiskeybusinessmi.com
This event will feature over 100 whiskeys from around the world. Attendees can meet brand ambassadors that will offer their unique descriptions of the products. Additionally, numerous restaurants will be serving various whiskey-inspired appetizers.
18 Sunday Dutch Oven Cooking
10am. $75. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Take your cooking to new depths of flavor. Learn how to get the most out of your Dutch oven, from braising proteins and vegetables to creating slow-cooked, one-pot suppers.
Brunch and Open Talk
11am. $14. Weber’s Ann Arbor. webersinn.com
Ann Arbor Women’s Group hosts a brunch for Women in Recovery. The theme is “Living Life to the Fullest.” There will be fellowship, great food, and a free raffle for gifts. Registration fee includes brunch, and a coffee, tea or soda.
19 Monday 10th Annual Local Food Summit
7:30am. Morris Lawrence Building. localfoodsummit.org. Free
Celebrate 10 years of community, centered around local food. Discuss the movement and explore how food brings people together.
2018 / ecurrent.com
20 Tuesday
25 Sunday
CBS Tapping Party
Annual Chili Cook-off
The bar will tap the ever popular Founders CBS and have a Euchre Tournament to celebrate!
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre is having its ninth Annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser! This year, WSBC will be offering beer specials to complement the chilis created by a roster of both new and returning chefs. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, as A2CT announces its 2018-2019 season.
1pm. The Session Room. sessionrooma2.com. Free
Taco Tuesday: Cooking Class 6:30pm. $75. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Up your Taco game by learning to make corn tortillas and salsa at home. Plus, get hands-on practice braising and sautéing to create savory, crave-worthy toppings that will make you fall in love with tacos all over again.
21 Wednesday Hearty Main Course Salads 11am. $75. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Practice roasting seasonal vegetables, cooking dry beans and making a twist on traditional pesto to create a trio of hearty salads to get you through long winter nights.
22 Thursday Couples Dinner: Porchetta Tuscana
6pm. $119. Casa di Cesca. casadicesca.com
Join Francesca Giarraffa as she prepares a Tuscan meal with dishes like porchetta tuscana (Tuscan style roast pork), fagioli all uccelletto (Tuscan style ragu), and dessert.
23 Friday Cheese 101
6pm. $30. Zingerman’s Creamery. events.zingermanscommunity.com
A delicious introduction to the world of cheese! Join Tessie, one of the Creamery’s Top Shop managers and resident Certified Cheese Professional, as she guides you through the seven major styles of cheese.
Sushi Knife Skills
6:30pm. $85. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Get plenty of hands-on practice with advanced knife skills and sushi rolling techniques. Plus, learn pro tips for making sushi rice and the ultimate miso soup.
24 Saturday Obsessed with Tahini
1pm. $75. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Learn how to add depth of flavor to savory sauces and not-toosweet cookies with versatile sesame seed paste. You’ll get hands-on practice cooking dry beans, puréeing, roasting, baking and more.
2pm. $10 - $20. Wolverine State Brewing Company. a2ct.org
Seafood Stew Supper
4pm. $85. Sur La Table. surlatable.com
Showcase your love for seafood in cioppino, San Francisco’s signature fisherman’s stew. Cover the ins and outs of shellfish cleaning and handling, along with some basic fish butchery. Plus, create fresh-from-the-oven focaccia and a light green salad to round out the meal.
26 Monday Year Round Gin with Ann Arbor Distilling Co. 7:30pm. $45. The Last Word. tammystastings.com
Gin & Tonics may be the perfect summer drink, but gin is so versatile that it has a place in every season. In this class, taste and mix with all four of Ann Arbor Distilling Company’s seasonal gin offerings.
27 Tuesday Beer Dinner
7pm. $30. Hopcat Ann Arbor. hopcat.com
A special beer dinner collaboration with Oskar Blues Brewery. The menu will include pairings such as the Pinner Throwback IPA with spicy mussels, the 2015 Ten Fidy Stout with grilled salmon, and the Death by Coconut Porter with cannoli ice cream filled crepes.
28 Wednesday River’s Edge Mini-tap
Noon-11pm. Clubhouse BFD. clubhousebfd.com. Free
Enjoy delicious brewery favorites like Chicken & Waffles as the Clubhouse taps exclusive beers from River’s Edge Brewing Co.
music Ladysmith Black Mambazo Spreads Message of Hope Iconic South African ensemble believes in healing power of music by Jeff Milo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (LBM) creates a transformative experience with uplifting vocal music. The heavenly harmonies of this South African mbube acapella ensemble come to The Ark this month, part of an extensive world tour in support of their two recent albums. LBM was formed more than 50 years ago by Joseph Shabalala. Western and pop culture audiences know them best for their collaboration with Paul Simon for the album Graceland, recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London. Their elaborate and celebratory concerts swell with airy melodies, warm tones, and radiant lyrics encouraging hope, praising peace, and spreading love. The late Nelson Mandela designated them South Africa’s “Cultural Ambassadors to the World,” and in that capacity they strive to prove to any
Grammy-nominated Ladysmith Black Mambazo, with tenor Albert Maibuko in the upper left corner, will bring their uplifting songs and style to Ann Arbor.
audience the true power of music; powers for healing, rejuvenation, and cultivating compassion. Both their 2017 albums, Songs of Peace & Love for Kids & Parents Around The World, and Shaka Zulu Revisited were nominated for Grammys. Mdletshe Albert Mazibuko, currently the member with the longest tenure, joined LBM in 1969. Current chatted with Mazibuko about the Ark show on Saturday, February 17. How can a LBM performance demonstrate the power of music?
We’ve always felt music has a strong healing power. It’s strong medicine. This is what our founder, Joseph Shabalala, wanted his music to do: help the people of South Africa! We went through such turmoil and strife. Things might be wrong in your day-to-day life, but when you listen to music it can make things a bit easier. At least that’s what we hope. What inspired LMB to make an album for children and parents? We
love singing to children. We want them to hear messages of love and how they should live in a peaceful way. There’s so much trouble for kids, whether it’s what they see going on in the news, or what goes on in their own lives: bullying, fighting, etc. We want them to hear songs with a positive message about how to treat others and how others should treat them. And whether its children listening or adults, we think these messages of peace and love are important..
The predominant message, vibe, and the energy of your music is about hope... that can be such a fragile thing sometimes. What do you tell your audiences or your fans who might be feeling distressed more than usual, these days? This is
very true, that hope is fragile. It’s the belief in one’s life, one’s world becoming more positive. I think it certainly comes down to each individual’s mindset and finding a community of people who feel the same way. By coming together as a community, be it in one house, on one street, in one town, one country or even one world, we can strive for change for the better. Sure, people experience disappointment, but through that disappointment comes a new hope for the future. A better life, a better world is there. We just need to keep trying.
When you perform around the world, what is always your biggest hope? To affect people! To make a
difference in their lives. To add hope, love, and some peace. Let them feel those emotions. That’s why they come. To feel something we can take with us to use in the future. Something to make people’s lives better, even for a small amount of time. That’s our hope, every night.
$45. 7:30pm. Saturday, February 17. The Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor, 734-761-1451, theark.org
ecurrent.com / february 2018 19
music Ongoing Sundays The Wes Fritzemeier Jazz Experience 6pm. Chelsea AleHouse. chelseamich.com. Free
End your weekend on the right note! Featuring Jed Fritzemeier, Brian Brill and Wes with the occasional special guest.
The Heather Black Project 8pm. Ravens Club. ravensclub.com. Free
The Heather Black Project plays inspired renditions of classic Jazz repertoire every Sunday with rotating special guests. $5 suggested donation.
Dynamic Duo In Love And Banjo
$45-$85. 8pm. Monday, February 19. The Ark. 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1800. theark.org
7pm. $10. Zal Gaz Grotto Club. zalgaz.org
The Paul Keller Orchestra performs Big Band Jazz every Monday night! Keller’s groups are highly regarded throughout Michigan.
Jesse Kramer Trio 9pm. Ravens Club. ravensclub.com. Free
Local drummer Jesse Kramer leads his trio featuring bassist Rob Bickley and pianist Rick Roe. $5 suggested donation.
Wednesdays Thunderwüde
8pm. Chelsea AleHouse. chelseamich.com. Free
Wes Fritzemeier, Jason Dennie, and Tommy Reifel take the stage to deliver a down-home bluegrass sound.
Thursdays Jazz & Cocktails
1 Thursday Reverend Robert Jones Sr. is a nationally recognized musician and educator who has opened for Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Leon Russell, among others. As part of the Gift of Art series, he and his wife Bernice Jones will showcase the music that has formed the basis of American popular music.
Rachael Yamagata
7:30pm. $20. The Ark. theark.org
Woodstock, New York–based artist Rachael Yamagata is known for her soul-baring, gut-punching songs of love lost, perseverance, and triumph. Don’t miss this dynamic, cathartic, and often comedic show.
2 Friday Shannon Lee & Peter Smith 8pm. Ypsi Alehouse. ypsialehouse. com. Free
Original singer/songwriter Shannon Lee plays her hum-worthy tunes with her musical partner, guitarist Peter Smith.
7pm. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse. cultivateypsi.com. Free
Wine, Women, & Song
EMU Jazz Night
Celebrate the 16th year of this beloved KCH tradition! This event features the musical talents of local female celebrity artists from the classical, jazz and cabaret genres.
Enjoy live Jazz from local artists and a special winter cocktail menu. 9pm. Tower Inn. towerinncafe.com. Free
Join Ypsilanti Jazz veterans and students for this weekly jam session.
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Enjoy this relaxed closing night after three weeks of No Safety Net performances and workshops. This show will feature DJs and musicians from Detroit’s Seraphine Collective and appearances by No Safety Net artists. Free entry with a No Safety Net ticket stub.
4 Sunday Celtic Jam Session
2pm. Chelsea AleHouse. chelseaalehouse.com. Free
Traditional Celtic music played in a casual format. Feel free to join in if you have an instrument, or simply stop by to enjoy the music
Schubert’s Winterreise
12:10pm. University Hospital. med.umich.edu. Free
Paul Keller Orchestra
9:30pm. $5. Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com
The breathtaking originality of banjo-wieldling duo Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck is a must-see for all music lovers. Hear traditional songs in an innovative new light along with beautifully heartfelt originals on February 19th, at The Ark. Abigail’s voice is as sweet as it is deeply moving, while Bela’s unique banjo playing has been regarded as highly inventive. More interesting, the two are not only partners in music, but partners in life. -EC
Gospel, Blues Music & History
Mondays
Decompress: A Closing Night Celebration of No Safety Net
8pm. $20 - $50. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com
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Gabriel Kahane’s Book of Travelers
8pm. $30 - $45. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. ums.org
After the 2016 presidential election, singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane packed a suitcase and set out on a 9,000-mile railway journey around the US, in an attempt to better understand his country. Hear the music inspired by the journey.
Sideline
8pm. $20-$27. The Ark. theark.org
Hear this powerful group of seasoned bluegrass pros in the intimate setting of The Ark theater.
3 Saturday
4pm. $40 - $55. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. ums.org
This live performance of a winter journey across a landscape of lost love is not to be missed.
Around the World in 88 Keys 4:30pm. $10 - $27. The Stone Chalet. stonechalet.com
Members of the People Dancing Company will join with special musical guests in an elegant, sensory-friendly program of dance and music.
5 Monday Music Mondays: Abigail Stauffer
7pm. Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. arborbrewing.com. Free
Neal Anderson Duo
Music Mondays presents local singer/songwriter Abigail Stauffer.
Trumpet player Neal Anderson leads his Jazz duo at the cafe.
EMU Jazz Concert
5pm-8pm. Avalon Ann Arbor Cafe & Kitchen. avalonbreads.net. Free
Matt Boylan
6pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Live music with the local act.
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
8pm. $14 - $75. Hill Auditorium. ums.org
Join for this program steeped in the music of Estonian composers, including the beautiful fifth symphony of Eduard Tubin, who fled to Stockholm in 1944 when the Soviet Union occupied Estonia.
6 Tuesday 7:30pm. Pease Auditorium. emich.edu. Free
Sit back and enjoy the cherished music of Jazz legends Thelonious Monk and Horace Silver played by the Eastern Michigan University Jazz Ensemble. Kuinka with The Accidentals 8pm. $15. The Ark. theark.org Brothers Zach and Nathan Hamer, along with Miranda Zickler and Jillian Walker, came together in 2014 to form a unique breed of string band. Michigan’s fast-rising Accidentals open the show.
7 Wednesday 10 String Symphony & Mark Lavengood
8pm. $15. The Ark. theark.org
Mark Lavengood is a virtuosic dobro player known for his work with Michigan bluegrass band Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys. Now, he is embarking on his own solo project! The 10 String Symphony joins.
Harry Allen Quartet
8pm. $5-$30. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Swing Bros. recording artist Harry Allen has over thirty recordings to his name. The acclaimed tenor saxophonist will be joined by Chicago guitarist Andy Brown, as well as local favorites Paul Keller and Pete Siers.
Wednesday Jazz: Jesse Kramer Trio
8pm. Old Town. oldtownaa.com. Free
Drummer Jesse Kramer leads his trio for this weekly Jazz series.
8 Thursday
Robbie Fulks
8pm. Green Wood Coffee House. greenwoodcoffeehouse.org. Free
Robbie Fulks has the soul of a country singer and the mind of a vaudevillian. Enjoy his crossgenre antics and clever, heartfelt writing at the coffee house.
10 Saturday Guitar Club
10am. YDL-Downtown. ypsilibrary.org. Free
Guitar Club is for guitar players of all levels and ages (18+). Teach each other songs, listen, collaborate and learn to plays guitars together. Acoustic, electric and all other types of guitars are welcome.
School of Rock Performs 12pm. The Session Room. sessionrooma2.com. Free
Ann Arbor’s School of Rock performs at the Session Room!
A Cappella 2018 Quarterfinal
7pm. $20 - $25. The Power Center for the Performing Arts. arts.umich.edu
6:30pm. Nagomi Sushi. nagomiannarbor.com. Free
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella! Support these amazing singers as they compete to advance to the Great Lakes Semifinal.
Music at The Ark: A Brighter Way Benefit
Rock, Pop & Soul
Some of Ann Arbor’s most popular musical acts will come together to benefit A Brighter Way, a program that focuses on mentoring and providing social support for people after prison and jail. Featured artists include Annie & Rod Capps, Chris Buhalis, Mr. B., and more.
Celebrate Valentine’s with a concert full of music from the 70’s and 80’s. Music selections will include hits from Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, The Who, and The Eagles, among others.
Doug Horn Trio
Live Jazz with Doug Horn Trio!
7:30pm. $15-$100. The Ark. theark.org
Mary Lambert
8pm. $18 - $20. Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com
Inspired by folk singers as well as spoken-word performers, Mary Lambert is a brutally candid writer who deals directly in her art with her past traumas. Hear her latest EP, Bold, live in concert.
9 Friday Jason Dean
6pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Live music with local act Jason Dean.
Cheryl Wheeler
8pm. $25. The Ark. theark.org
An intimate performance by Cheryl Wheeler, a heart-wrenching romantic balladeer, marvelous observational humorist, poet, and committed activist.
7:30pm. $10 - $30. Village Theater. michiganphil.org
Albert Lee
8pm. $25. The Ark. theark.org
Hear this British guitar legend whose career highlights include two Grammy wins and work with the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman, The Crickets, the Everly Brothers, Joe Cocker, Emmylou Harris, and many more.
13 Tuesday
music Wednesday Jazz: Sonic Perfume
8pm. Old Town. oldtownaa.com. Free
Balkan Dance Party
Saxophonist Patrick Booth and drummer Jonathan Taylor join forces to create the unique sound of improvisational duo Sonic Perfume.
Rhyta Musik hosts a Balkan Dance Party with Eastern European drink specials at the bar.
Adam Lebeaux
7:30pm. $5. Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com
14 Wednesday Drummunity Circle with Lori Fithian
7pm. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room. crazywisdom.net. Free
Get your hands on a drum and add your sounds to the community groove. All are welcome to join the circle. No experience necessary. Drums will be available for use.
Neal Anderson Quintet
8pm. Ziggy’s. facebook.com/ziggysypsi. Free
9pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Live music with local folk rock act Adam Labeaux.
15 Thursday Jen Sygit & Sam Corbin
12:10pm. University Hospital. med. umich.edu. Free
Whether its mournful blues tunes, haunting folk ballads or rousing bluegrass numbers, Jen Sygit sings with clarity and emotion. For this concert, she performs with her frequent duo partner and fellow Earthwork Music member Sam Corbin.
Neal Anderson, a Detroit-based trumpeter, improviser, and composer leads his quintet regarded for their unique performances weaving melody with improvisation.
NOW Ensemble
8pm. $10 - $35. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com
NOW Ensemble is a dynamic group of performers and composers dedicated to making new chamber music for the 21st century.
11 Sunday Acoustic Routes: Cape Breton Fiddle Night
7:30pm. $10 - $15. Stony Lake Brewing. stonylakebrewing.com
Hear the music of the Scottish Highlands brought to Canada by impoverished immigrants in the early 19th Century – featuring three of the Northeast’s most acclaimed traditional musicians.
12 Monday Music Mondays: Wire in the Wood
7pm. Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. arborbrewing.com. Free
Music Mondays presents local bluegrass favorite Wire in the Wood.
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Abbie Conant: Women in Music
19 Monday
5pm. Eastern Michigan University. emich.edu. Free
Abbie Conant is the first female musician to be in the Munich Philharmonic. She will give a talk about the status of women in music, her experiences as a woman trombonist and her fight against gender discrimination.
16 Friday Mia Green
6pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Live music with singer/songwriter Mia Green.
Juggernaut Jug Band
8pm. Green Wood Coffee House. greenwoodcoffeehouse.org. Free
Live traditional music with the Juggernaut Jug Band!
17 Saturday
Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn 8pm. $45 - $85. The Ark. theark.org
Talib Kweli Tour Travels to Ann Arbor World renowned Hip Hop artist Talib Kweli brings his Radio Silence Tour to the Blind Pig on February 18th. Talib has worked alongside superstars Mos Def, Kanye West, J Dilla, and Madlib, but his socially conscious lyrics stand strong on their own. The instrumentals of his latest release are at once driving and organic, featuring artists Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, and Bilal. Collaborator Niko Is and DJ Spintalect join Talib for this promising lineup. - EC
$28. 8pm. Thursday, February 18. The Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St. 734-996-8555. blindpigmusic.com.
Dan Orcutt
6pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Live music with the local act.
This comedy-based dueling piano show is a fun, high-energy party. Pianists sing and play everything from Jimmy Buffet, Tom Petty, Disney, Lady Gaga, Elvis, Metallica, and more.
!FFORDABLE 6ET 3ERVICES
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess 7:30pm. $14 - $65. Hill Auditorium. ums.org
Porgy and Bess is without rival the most famous 20th-century American opera. It has been performed worldwide and features such well-known songs as “Summertime,� and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.�
An Evening with Brandy Clark 8pm. $20. The Ark. theark.org
Celebrating 11 years
Washington-born singer/songwriter Brandy Clark has landed on best-of-the-year lists by outlets including American Songwriter, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and NPR. Hear songs from her new album, “Big Day in a Small Town.�
WASHTENAW
Winner
!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
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7pm. Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. arborbrewing.com. Free
Music Mondays presents local funk & soul artist Isaac Ryder.
20 Tuesday
18 Sunday
8pm-10pm. The Ark. theark.org. Free
Composer Jason Hawk Harris comes to Michigan with a new EP, “Formaldehyde, Tobacco & Tulips.� Non-perishables will be accepted for Food Gatherers.
21 Wednesday Bluegrass Jam with Wire in the Wood
8pm. Detroit Street Filling Station. thelunchrooma2.com. Free
Bring your instruments to this bluegrass jam with Wire in the Wood!
Wednesday Jazz: Treetown Swingtette
8pm. Old Town. oldtownaa.com. Free
Join the Treetown Swingtette for this weekly Jazz series.
22 Thursday
Talib Kweli: The Radio Silence Tour
A Night for Us: Colorful Soul
Talib Kweli has, for more than two decades, been considered a standard bearer for “conscious rap.� Both as a part of the hiphop duo Black Star with Yasiin Bey and as a solo act, his music provides social and political commentary layered over a bed of eclectic production.
This monthly series celebrates and highlights artists of color in the Ann Arbor area. A featured artist will perform a half hour set followed by an open mic. There will also be free soul food.
8pm. $28. Blind Pig. blindpigmusic.com
Full Medical and Wellness Services Teeth Cleaning â—† Radiology Surgery â—† Vaccines Heartworm and Flea Preventative Comprehensive Laboratory Fully Stocked Pharmacy Prescription Diets
Music Mondays: Isaac Ryder
Jason Hawk Harris
Dueling Pianos
7:30pm. $23-$40. Tecumseh Center for the Arts. thetca.org
BĂŠla Fleck and Abigail Washburn have a musical partnership like no other. BĂŠla is a fifteen-time Grammy Award winner who has taken the instrument across multiple genres, and Abigail Washburn a deeply profound singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player. They’ll perform pieces from their Grammywinning self-titled debut as well as their new record, “Echo in the Valley.â€?
7pm. Canterbury House. canterburyhouse.org. Free
23 Friday The Sebastians
8pm. $10 - $30. St. Andrews Episcopal Church. academyofearlymusic.org
Lauded as “everywhere sharpedged and engaging� (The New York Times), the Sebastians present their program of High Baroque trio sonatas that explore the variety of styles used by composers of different nationalities.
24 Saturday Livonia Symphony Orchestra’s New Horizons Concert 4pm. $10-$20. Louis Schmidt Auditorium. livoniasymphony.org
Join the Livonia Symphony Orchestra featuring piano soloist Dr. Michael Coonrod as they perform a new composition by composer Richard Cioffari.
Mike Vial
6pm. Mash Bar. mashbar.net. Free
Mike Vial has played 1000+ gigs across the United States and Canada. Catch his original music at Mash!
Mr. B’s Annual Birthday Bounce 8pm. $10 - $35. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Jazz, boogie woogie and blues pianist Mark Lincoln Braun (a.k.a. Mr. B.) returns to Kerrytown Concert House for his annual Birthday Bounce!
25 Sunday
26 Monday Music Mondays: Travis Aukerman Trio
7pm. Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. arborbrewing.com. Free
Drummer Travis Aukerman leads his Jazz trio for Music Mondays.
Wednesday Jazz: Tim Haldeman Trio
8pm. Old Town. oldtownaa.com. Free
Saxophonist Tim Haldeman leads his trio for this weekly Jazz series.
27 Tuesday
Vance Gilbert
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Come and renew acquaintances with a longtime Ark favorite! Former Folk Festival MC Vance Gilbert is a stalwart of Boston’s vibrant songwriting scene, having opened for Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, and the late George Carlin.
South Africa’s legendary township harmonizers bring their joyful music to the Ark. The ensemble has more than 50 recordings (including Paul Simon’s “Graceland”) and has earned three Grammy awards.
8pm. $20. The Ark. theark.org
28 Wednesday
8pm. $45. The Ark. theark.org
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theater “The Trojan Women” Confronts Sexual Violence Euripides’ 2400-year-old play spotlights gender dynamics relevant today by Emily Slomovits
Eastern Michigan University welcomes to the stage Ellen McLaughlin’s adaptation of Euripides’ “The Trojan Women.” Written in 415 BCE, the play tells the story of the widows of Trojan soldiers who endure captivity and sexual violence at the hands of conquering Greeks. “The Trojan Women” is a cautionary tale and a tragedy in part because, unlike much of the recent solidarity demonstrated by women in the #metoo movement, its female characters are powerless, and choose not to help each other. The all-student cast will be directed by EMU Theatre Lecturer Jennifer Graham, who Current caught up with to talk about the production. What made you choose this play?
I have always been interested in the movement qualities that can be created in Greek theatre – specifically the chorus. It [also] has almost a completely female cast, which is beautiful and a rare thing in the theatre world. This year, many allegations of sexual harassment and assault have been made by women against men in power. You must have decided to direct this show before the allegations started to come out in the news… I have been interested in directing
this show for about six years, certainly before all the allegations. The current climate has given me a lot to consider in my direction of this piece; had I directed it six years ago, it would probably have been very different. It certainly gives this production a really contemporary context.
Why is it important to you to be directing a show about oppressed women and the men they are standing up to? Well, the women in
this play do not get to stand up to the men, which is the real tragedy. They are
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(L-R) Lindsey Scheidler and Shelby Seeley star in this cautionary tale about what happens when women do not working together.
spoils of war, tokens to be sold to the highest bidder. On one hand, it’s great to see women have the ability to be heard and stand up against the oppressors. On the other hand, not every woman has the luxury to do that, and we see both types of women in this play. Helen has the power because of her beauty to stand equal with men, and the other women destroy her because of it. One of the things you focus on in your teaching is movement for the actor. How does movement play a part in your concept of this show?
Physicality is always a part of my art; I see theatre through movement. In this show I will be using a few specific movement
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qualities with the actors; we will be playing with elemental movement, i.e. wind, water, earth, and air. What do you hope audiences get from this play? I hope people see
themselves in the characters, feel anger at the modern parallels, and see the uniquely feminine strength the characters possess.
Recommended for age 16+. $15/general. $12/seniors and students, $9/main stage. February 2-11. 7pm, Fridays and Saturdays. 2pm, Sundays. EMU’s Sponberg Theatre, 124 Quirk Hall, Ypsilanti. 734-487-3130. emich.edu
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lit Epic Homegoing Unfolds Over Two-and-a-half Centuries Author speaks at Rackham Auditorium
The weight of family history
Each chapter follows one character as they struggle for freedom, to find love, make a family and a better life for their children. Like Marcus the PhD student, it would be easy for the reader to feel this epic saga is too much to handle. But Yaa Gyasi writes beautiful, compelling stories. Any chapter of this book could be extracted and stand alone as a stunning piece of short fiction. In the context of the novel, however, the readers sees individuals fighting to survive as they carry the weight of their family history like an unruly baton. The baton contains subconscious memories of physical pain, oppression, heroism, strength and guilt. Each person struggles through their moment in history, until the moment they hand the baton off to the next.
by Patrick Flores-Scott
Toward the end of Yaa Gyasi’s stunning debut novel Homegoing, winner of the 2106 American Book Award, readers meet Marcus, a Stanford PhD student who sets out to research the convict-leasing system. As a young man, his grandfather had been arrested on trumped-up charges, then leased by the state of Alabama to a coal mining company, where he was forced to work in the mines for years. Marcus wonders how he can write about his grandfather’s imprisonment without writing about the Great Migration and Jim Crow. How can he write about the migration without talking about the cities that took the migrants in? How can he not talk about Harlem? And if he talks about Harlem, how can he leave out his father’s heroin addiction, or the ensuing “war on drugs?” To Marcus, the task of telling the entire story is overwhelming.
Sisters separated by fire
With Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi has found a way to tell this epic story, and a slew of other ones as well. The narrative begins and ends at The Castle, a British fortress on the Gold Coast of Africa where future slaves were held in a dungeon, then shipped to America. The book follows the stories of sisters, Effia and Esi, raised by different mothers after their own perished in a fire. When she comes of age, Effia is married off to a British officer and lives in The Castle, above the dungeon. Her sister, Esi, is taken from her tribe, sold to the British, held in The Castle, and shipped off to an Alabama plantation. The novel follows the lives of their families, beginning in the 1760s and extending through modern times. Effia’s line lives through war, Colonialism and the fight for independence in what would become Ghana. Esi’s line survives slavery and the Jim Crow era and all forms of oppression in Alabama and Harlem.
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Washtenaw Reads selection
Homegoing is the 2018 selection for Washtenaw Reads, “a community initiative to promote reading and civic dialogue through the shared experience of reading and discussing a common book.” The novel is a terrific choice, as Gyasi leaves each reader wondering how best to use our own knowledge and power to reshape the next generation.
Free. 7pm. Tuesday, February 6. Rackham Auditorium, 925 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor. 734-585-5567, literartibookstore.com.
film Filmmaker Sultan Sharrief on the Importance of Giving Back He sharpened his skills in Ann Arbor and shares what he knows with youth by Heidi Philipsen
Sultan Sharrief is currently in Boston and doing work in the Comparative Media Studies program, connected to the MIT Media Lab. He also won a Knight Grant to build a curriculum to bring communities together and create restorative justice plans, which he’s working on with Allied Media Projects in Detroit. On the Board of the Michigan Theater, he was in town for the Grand Reopening of The State Theatre. The feature film he produced, “Destined,” which opened there, was shot in Detroit and Ann Arbor. Sharrief also works with interns at the University of Michigan on various behind-the-scenes elements of his “Street Cred” show. Current spoke with him about his projects, experiences, and goals. You are kind of the epitome of Sustainable Enterprise in Filmmaking.
Yes, well, a lot of my work is focused on, “How can we challenge the mainstream media?” If we don’t have the resources to do some giant project, how can we figure out different ways to design filmmaking and media-making processes that have the legs to go national? And so we’ve developed a big focus on providing voice for those who are underrepresented, primarily people of color and people of lower income who don’t have a voice in mainstream media-making. How has Ann Arbor shaped you as an artist and citizen?
I grew up in Inkster and never did anything creative. Never had one art class, never took lessons on an instrument, never learned to paint when I was younger. I always wanted to do those things, but my family never had the means. I have eight siblings, so my parent’s answer to,“Oh, there’s a new club I’d like to join… there’s a new this…” was always: “No, we can’t afford it. If one of you takes art, you all will want to take art. So, no, we can’t afford it.” I came to the University of Michigan in 2001. All my career started in Ann Arbor. I shot my first feature film during my senior year of college as a film student at U of M and we basically created a summer film camp— because a bunch of us would get these menial internships and I asked, “Why don’t we all just stay here and shoot our own movies?” So we did that in 2005. I was also an intern for the Ann Arbor Film Festival under Vicki Honeyman. That’s really where it started. Vicki would drag me around with her to events and so I became introduced to Old School Culture of Ann Arbor that a lot of students don’t get exposed to… like Mark Tucker and I would run the stage show productions of The Burns Park Players… I’m a freshman in college. I met Jerry Rosenburg over there then at the Michigan Theater I started the University of Michigan ice-carving team my freshman year. Sophomore year, we did the Main Street Ann Arbor Ice Carving Festival – we got sponsorship from Gratzi’s and ChopHouse. Mind you, I’m 18, because I got into college early, and I’m organizing with the city, getting city permits, and
getting blocks of ice delivered all over Main Street and I ran that for the next four years. Getting to Ann Arbor was the first time I was able to access these things that I had only dreamed about growing up. What would you say to people who feel like they are already “too old” to take up things, and think that they have no chance in pursuing a new interest?
Meet new people. Get a new network. A lot of what I focus on working with youth isn’t just teaching them new film skills, but also teaching them new communication skills. A lot of the reasons I resonated with a lot of people was they were not used to this young Black kid from Inkster strutting into the Ann Arbor Film Festival office and barking my ideas around. I tell kids it isn’t just about what you can do, but also about relationships. You need to expose yourself to different things. Another thing is accessing resources. When you grow up lower income or under-privileged, you’re taught you can’t access what you don’t have. I learned at the University of Michigan about these programs that were free and would even provide transportation and scholarships for sleep-away art camps—but no one was ever telling us about those things. When we were growing up in Inkster, nobody handed us a flier or reached out and said, “Hey, if you like film, here’s a summer film camp – and they provide scholarships for that.” A lot of my work is getting people to realize it’s on you to go out and look for those things. What’s coming up that you’re excited about?
Cinetopia this year. Last year was a turning point for us in terms of really having a film festival feel. Now we’re going to have seven screens with the State Theatre open, so it’s going to enable us to expand our programming. I’ll still be curating the Detroit Voices section. I’ve been really focused on building the filmmaking community in Metro Detroit. We host a filmmaker brunch and I want to continue building that. I’m trying to focus on building networks so the call I have with Sundance is about building the Detroit filmmaking community. Cinetopia is still very much a part of that.
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arts & culture
Ongoing
Mondays
[misc]
[misc]
Knitting Night at Cultivate
6pm. Cultivate Coffee & TapHouse. cultivateypsi.com. Free
A group meditation with a short discussion on topics of interest. Everyone welcome.
1st & 3rd Sundays
7pm. Washington Street Education Center. chelseamich.com. Free
Tuesdays [health]
$104-$625. 7-10pm. Saturday, February 24. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. thatslivedetroit.com.
Cue This Comedy, AudienceInspired Improv No two shows ever the same! A host brings a volunteer on stage to spin the Genre Wheel which determines the style of the show. Audience volunteers select crucial sound and lighting cues. The only thing the performers know is the genre; everything else surprises the League of Pointless Improvisers as they perform. - JK
$15, 8pm show. $12, 10pm show. Friday, February 9. Pointless Brewery & Theater, 3014 Packard St., Ann Arbor. 989-455-4484. pointlessbrew.com.
Kaleidoscope Student Arts Festival Sparks Cross-Cultural Dialogue Is Eminem an artist playing his part in a global arts movement, or a cultural thief? How about Miley Cyrus, or Post Malone? Student groups from across The U-M campus will debate such issues, particularly surrounding Gershwin’s opera Porgy & Bess, and share art and performance, including Southeast Asian dance, Korean Pop, Black Gospel, spoken word, and more. An open, safe dialogue about cultural appropriation in the arts will invite the audience to engage in questions like, how do artists respectfully share and borrow from one another? And, where are the lines between representation, glorification, appreciation, and appropriation? - JK
Free. 5:30-7pm. Friday, February 16. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, myumi.ch/L1mjn.
8:30pm. Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea. sweetwaterscafe.com. Free
Weekly Meditation Sitting
[health]
Raucous and rousing comic Ron “Tater-Salad” White, he of cigarsmoking, scotch-swilling Blue Collar Comedy Tour fame, heads to the Michigan Theater on Saturday, February 24. White, one of the top three grossing US-touring comedians each of the past five years, has earned a Grammy nomination, a Gold Record, and 3 of the highestrated one-hour specials in Comedy Central history. - JK
Talent Night at Sweetwaters Show your unique talent in a supportive environment. Featured artists perform from 8:30-9:15pm. Open Mic starts at 9:30pm. All submissions must be original and family friendly.
All ages and levels welcome at this weekly craft gathering!
A Taste of Tater Salad
1st & 3rd Fridays
“Being in Tune” Community Meditation
12pm-12:30pm. The Ark. aacfm.org. Free
Drop in for a weekly 30-minute mindfulness meditation in the warm, inviting environment of The Ark. Teachers from AACFM rotate leading each week.
[misc]
Eastside Weekly Euchre Tournament
7pm. $5. Banfield’s Bar & Grill East. banfieldsbar.com
Ages 18 & over are invited to play at a fun and friendly euchre tournament! No partner needed. Cash prize for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place.
[dance]
Tuesday Tango
9:30pm. $5-$10. Studio of Movement Arts. somastories.net
Drop-ins welcome at this Argentine Tango Class! You don’t need to have a partner to attend. The studio is located above the People’s Food Co-op.
Wednesdays [misc]
Trivia Night
7pm-9pm. Arbor Brewing Company. arborbrewing.com. Free
Trivia Wednesdays are in the lounge with two games at 7pm and 8pm.
[comedy]
Comedy Jamm
8pm. $5. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
See a variety of comedians from beginners to veterans cut loose on stage for this weekly standup open mic!
[literary]
Ann Arbor Poetry
7pm. Espresso Royale Cafe. espressoroyalecoffee.com. Free
Open mic and feature series hosted by Simon Mermelstein and Garret Potter.
1 Thursday [literature]
Zell Visiting Writers Series: Robin Coste Lewis & Elif Batuman 5:30pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com. Free
Robin Coste Lewis, the winner of the National Book Award for Voyage of the Sable Venus, is the poet laureate of Los Angeles. Elif Batuman has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2010. Hear these two renowned writers speak at this monthly series.
[education]
Ypsilanti’s Black Civil War Experience 7pm. YDL-Whittaker. ypsilibrary.org. Free
Nearly seventy Ypsilanti AfricanAmerican men served in the Civil War, including many who had previously escaped from slavery. Learn about the Ypsilanti AfricanAmerican men who served in the Civil War. This lecture discusses their lives in camp and the racism they faced in the military, the battles they participated in, the plantations they liberated, and their lives after the war as they came home to an unfinished revolution.
[theater]
Million Dollar Quartet
7:30pm. $24 - $35. Encore Theatre. theencoretheatre.org
Experience opening night of the musical, Million Dollar Quartet. This show runs from Feb. 1 Feb. 25. Visit the website for tickets and more information on showtimes. CONT’D ON P30
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[theater]
They, Themself, and Schmerm 7:30pm. $30. Arthur Miller Theatre. ums.org
Part classic stand-up comedy special, part confessional memoir, and part performance art, They, Themself and Schmerm is Becca Blackwell’s disturbingly hilarious personal tale detailing the tragicomic transitions in life, family, sex, and gender while asking what it means to be truly authentic.
[comedy] Nore Davis
8pm. $10 - $16. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
Nore Davis is a comedian and actor who has appeared on Comedy Central and MTV. Catch this NYC stand-up for his weekend feature at the Showcase! The show runs Thurs.-Sat.
[art]
2 Friday
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Conversation with Paul Mavrides 12pm. Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. aadl.org. Free
Artist Paul Mavrides, long-time resident of San Francisco’s Mission district, gives a talk on his comics, graphics, paintings and artworks exploring the cultural oddities, conspiratorial mysteries and all-too-human fiascos of contemporary society.
[misc]
Ypsi Pride Turnabout Fundraiser 2pm. $6 - $8. Bona Sera Underground. bonaserarestaurant.com
What is a Turnabout? It’s when a Drag King or Queen recreates someone who does not perform or dress in drag. The new Drag King or Queen then performs their favorite number! Proceeds benefit Ypsi Pride.
[literature]
Graham Cotten & Clayton Wickham
7pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art. events.umich.edu. Free
The Mark Webster Reading Series presents emerging writers in a warm and relaxed setting.
[film]
Groundhog Day
7pm. $8 - $10. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org
A special screening of the classic comedy starring Bill Murray!
[theater]
Kiss Me Kate!
7:30pm. $15 - $30. Tappan Middle School Auditorium. burnsparkplayers.org
Now celebrating its 35th season, the Burns Park Players present the beloved musical Kiss Me Kate, featuring the music of Cole Porter. Proceeds from the show will benefit performing arts in the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Visit the website for more information on showtimes and tickets.
3 Saturday [art]
Birds of Prey Photography Workshop
9am. $25 - $75. Robin Hills Farm. robinhillsfarm.com
Professional photographer Kate Zurenko and the Michigan Avian Experience bring a rare opportunity to photograph native birds of prey. Participants will have the chance to photograph several birds in an indoor “studio” setting.
[art]
Rip Watercolor Wine Down
7pm. $35. Flipside Art Studio. flipsideartstudio.com
Watercolor landscapes for beginners-advanced artists. Experiment with watercolor techniques to create a collaged landscape. For ages 21 and older.
[theater]
The Trojan Women: Opening Night
7pm. $9 - $15. Sponberg Theatre. emich.edu
The Trojan Women is a profound, poetic tragedy set in the city of Troy after a brutal war to retrieve the beautiful Helen has ended. Visit the website for more information on showtimes.
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4 Sunday
[comedy]
The Arcade - Improv Jam
7:30pm. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com. Free
Join in on some short-form improv games! All experience levels welcome. Come to watch or to play.
[community]
New Member Night
7pm. Trinity Lutheran Church. olconline.org. Free
An Opportunity to join Washtenaw County’s original mixed LGBTQ chorus. No commitments, just come to see if it is the right group for you. All are welcome LGBTQ & allies. No sight reading skills or audition are required.
6 Tuesday
[dance]
Advanced English Dance 7pm. $4-$8. Concourse Hall. aactmad.org
Susie Lorand and Will Jaynes lead dancing to music by Childgrove. Informal; no partner or experience needed. All dances taught and prompted.
[literature]
Author Yaa Gyasi
7pm. Rackham Auditorium. literatibookstore.com. Free
Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana in 1989, raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and is a graduate of the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. In this lecture, she will discuss her novel, Homecoming, which has been described as a modern masterpiece.
[misc]
Moth StorySLAM
7:30pm. Greyline. themoth.org
This month’s theme is transit! Prepare a five-minute story about planes, trains, and automobiles. Sign up at 6:30pm to tell a fiveminute story, volunteer to be on a judging team or just sit back and listen when the show begins. Visit the website for ticket information.
7 Wednesday [literature]
Joseph Keckler: Dragon at the Edge of a Flat World 5:30pm. Rackham Auditorium. stamps.umich.edu Free
For this special speaker series event, Joseph Keckler will read from his latest book, Dragon at the Edge of a Flat World. Drawn from the stories of his life, Keckler’s essays explore the corners of downtown New York, where he made his name performing his songs and plays, and back to the Midwest, where everything began.
[misc]
Stony Lake Trivia
7pm. Stony Lake Brewing. stonylakebrewing.com. Free
Wednesday night Trivia at Stony Lake! Two games at 7pm and 8pm. Come for craft beer and prizes.
[comedy]
Full Metal Jokers Presents: An Indoor Standup Comedy Show 7:30pm. $10. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com
See standup comedy performed by national headliner Robert Jenkins and drink craft beer brewed on site!
8 Thursday
[environment]
Measuring & Tracking Sustainability
7pm. Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. aadl.org. Free
Join experts from Ann Arbor city government, industry, and U of M as they examine current ways to measure and track the success of sustainability programs.
[theater]
Original Musical Premiere: Disaster! 7pm. $15. Riverside Arts Center. riversidearts.org
Catch the regional premiere of this hilarious new musical! Disaster! features some of the most unforgettable songs of the 1970s. “Knock on Wood,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Sky High,” “I Am Woman” and “Hot Stuff” are just a few of the scintillating hits in this comedy.
[comedy]
Andy Woodhull
8pm. $10-$16. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
Andy Woodhull recently appeared on Conan, the same year his half hour special premiered on Comedy Central. Catch his run at the Showcase Thurs.-Sat.
[comedy]
Birth of a Ho’ Ass Nation
8pm. $10. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com
In this fast paced one-man comedy stage show, Jacob Russell takes you on a hilarious history based journey through the sometimes egregious, sometimes inspiring American black experience.
9 Friday
[education]
Kadji Amin Lecture
2pm. Lane Hall - 2239. umich.edu Free
A lecture by Kadji Amin, Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Emory University.
arts & culture
[comedy] Cue This
8pm. $15. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com
Cue This brings the audience into the game of creating this improvised one-act show. The host brings a volunteer up on stage to spin the Genre Wheel, which will determine the style of the show. Starring is resident cast, The League of Pointless Improvisers. No two shows are the same! Shows at 8pm and 10pm.
[theater]
Penny Seats Theatre Presents: Edges 8pm. $15. Kerrytown Concert House. kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Edges is a song-cycle about four thriving adults asking the questions of everyday life. Written by Tony Award Winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul in their sophomore year at the University of Michigan, this show explores the hardships and balancing act of the human experience.
10 Saturday [film]
Korean Cinema Now: Our President
1pm. $8 - $10. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org
In 2002, the Millennium Democratic Party elected its’ first presidential candidate by introducing a popular election system. While politicians like Ki Ra-seong have joined the election, Roh Moohyun (the very last candidate with only 2% approval), throws in his hat. This is the story of a nation and the nation he led.
[literature]
Discovering Zen in American Poetry with John Wolff
3:45pm. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room. crazywisdom.net. Free
The Driftwood Shrine author, John Gendo Wolff, will discuss poetry by Americans like Emily Dickinson and William Carlos William, highlighting the influence of Zen in their work.
[misc]
11 Sunday [theater]
Stephen Sondheim’s Follies 7pm. $18-$22. Michigan Theater. michtheater.org
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess: A New Edition from the University of Michigan 12pm. Kempf House Museum. umich.edu. Free.
[comedy]
Porgy and Bess is one of the great American operas. Editor Wayne Shirley, in collaboration with University of Michigan, as well as the Gershwin families, has worked diligently over the last decade to produce the work’s first critical edition. Join this discussion on the composition and reception of the work.
7:30pm. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. pointlessbrew.com. Free
[comedy]
This high-definition broadcast comes from the National Theatre in London. This dazzling production features a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, with Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee, and Imelda Stanton starring as the magnificent Follies.
8 Pointless Minutes
Sign up for a spot to play in a long form jam. Each group gets eight minutes! All experience levels welcome. Come to watch or to play.
12 Monday
[film]
Demons of Paradise
4pm-7pm. University of Michigan North Quad, Space 2435. events.umich.edu. Free
Demons of Paradise is the result of ten years of work. A Tamil documentary filmmaker living in Sri Lanka is seeing the Civil war from the inside. This special screening is presented by the CSAS Lecture Series
13 Tuesday
Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Show
8pm. $10-$12. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
Enjoy an unconventional Valentine’s Day at this special comedy show!
15 Thursday [education]
Abbie Conant: Women in Music 5pm. Eastern Michigan University. emich.edu. Free
Abbie Conant is the first female musician to be in the Munich Philharmonic. She will give a talk about the status of women in music, her experiences as a woman trombonist and her fight against gender discrimination.
[film]
[theater]
6:30pm. Ann Arbor Pittsfield Branch Library. aadl.org. Free
8pm. $10 - $25. Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth. kickshawtheatre.org
Fire At Sea
See Oscar-nominated and first nonfiction film to ever win the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Fire at Sea takes place in Lampedusa, a remote Mediterranean island that has become a major entry point for refugees into Europe.
Go Red Soiree
[literature]
A fundraising social dance party for the American Heart Association. The evening will include a silent auction, a Rumba dance lesson, performances, and social dances.
7pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com. Free
7pm. $10. The Dance Pavilion. thedancepavilion.com
14 Wednesday
[education]
Morgan Jerkins: This Will Be My Undoing Morgan Jerkins’ work has been featured in The New Yorker, Vogue, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Elle, Rolling Stone, Lenny, and BuzzFeed, among many others. Hear her discuss her new book, This Will Be My Undoing: Living at the Intersection of Black, Female, and Feminists in (White) America.
Kickshaw Theatre Presents: Or Or, takes place (mostly) during one night in the life of Aphra Behn, poet, spy, and soon to be first professional female playwright. Against a background of a long drawn-out war and a counter-culture of free love, cross-dressing, and pastoral lyricism, the 1660s look a lot like the 1960s in this neo-Restoration comedy. Visit the website for additional showtimes.
[comedy]
The Total Offensive Politically Incorrect Show 8pm. $10 - $12. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
This stand-up show is packed full of totally offensive political incorrectness! CONT’D ON P32
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[art]
16 Friday
Art Now: Drawing Opening Party 6pm. Ann Arbor Art Center. annarborartcenter.org. Free
The fourth annual exhibition in the Ann Arbor Art Center’s Art Now Series. This year’s exhibit features innovative work in drawing. It highlights artists that employ traditional drawing processes, as well as artists who move across disciplines.
[comedy]
8pm. $10 - $16. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
One of Kira’s greatest achievements is shooting her latest stand up special, You Did This To Me, which was completely self-produced and shot while 7 months pregnant. Come see her weekend feature at the Showcase! The show runs Thurs.-Sat.
17 Saturday
[art]
Modern Macrame
10am. $50.95. The Guest Room. facebook.com/theguestroom306
Learn to make your own gorgeous, modern wall hanging in this beginner macrame workshop! Leave with a finished wall hanging, and the know-how to design and create more pieces on your own.
[misc]
Death Café with Merilynne Rush and Diana Cramer
10:30am. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room. crazywisdom.net. Free
Eat cake, drink tea, and talk about death. This event has no agenda and participants guide the conversation. This is not a grief support group, but a way to further the cultural conversation about the one thing everyone has in common.
19 Sunday
Walk & Snap Photo Hike
1pm. Independence Lake County Park. ewashtenaw.org Free
Michigan winter can provide the perfect subject or backdrop for photography. Explore winter nature and basic photography with experts to improve your nature shots. Register online at parksonline.ewashtenaw.org.
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2pm-3:30pm. Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. aadl.org. Free
A feature length documentary on photographer Suzy Lake, one of the seminal feminist artists to evolve out of the heyday of the 1960’s. A master of the art of self-portraiture, Lake influenced Cindy Sherman as well as a host of other female photographers.
19 Monday
[education]
Indigenizing Futures, Decolonizing the Anthropocene 4pm. Tisch Hall - 1014. umich.edu. Free
Kira Soltanovich
[art]
Suzy Lake: Playing with Time
This presentation will cover and integrate a range of topics related to Indigenous studies, from the Dakota Access Pipeline to Indigenous science to imagination.
20 Tuesday
[literature]
Fiction at Literati: Thisbe Nissen
7pm. Literati Bookstore. literatibookstore.com. Free
Novelist Thisbe Nissen will be reading and discussing her latest book, Our Lady of the Prairie. The book has been received as a sharp and bitingly funny novel about a professor whose calmish midwestern life gives way to a vortex of crises.
21 Wednesday
[literature]
[community]
A Night for Us: Colorful Soul 7pm. Canterbury House. canterburyhouse.org. Free
This monthly series celebrates and highlights artists of color in the Ann Arbor area. A featured artist will perform a half hour set followed by an open mic until 10pm. There will be free soul food and everyone is welcome to attend.
[art]
Photography Tour of Japan with Carlos Diaz
7pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens. events.umich.edu. Free
Carlos Diaz, a professor of photography at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, shares photographs and reflections from his trip to Japan.
[theater]
Disgraced: Opening Night
8pm. $12 - $18. Riverside Arts Center. riversidearts.org
Disgraced is a drama/comedy about questions of identity and reinvention in the contemporary world. The play has had acclaimed runs in Chicago, New York and London and won the 2013 Pulitzer prize for Drama.
[comedy] L.A. Hardy
8pm. $10 - $16. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. aacomedy.com
Originally from Cleveland, OH, and now living bi-coastal in Los Angeles and South Florida, L.A. Hardy is a comedy veteran! See him during his weekend feature at the showcase. The show runs Thurs.-Sat.
One Pause Poetry Salon 8pm-10pm. Argus Farm Stop. argusfarmstop.com. Free
A greenhouse for poets, nurturing an appreciation for written art in all languages and encouraging experiments in creative writing. Published poets or those encountering poetry for the first time are encouraged to share or listen.
22 Thursday
[dance]
U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance Students 12:10pm. University Hospital. med.umich.edu Free
This performance is a part of the U-M Community Outreach Performance Series. Performers prepare repertoire and interactive presentations with assistance from SMTD faculty and staff for different age groups in various venues throughout the community.
2018 / ecurrent.com
[art]
23 Friday
One Day Introduction to Alcohol Inks
6:30pm. $65. Ann Arbor Art Center. annarborartcenter.org
Explore drips, drops, landscapes, flowers and beautiful abstracts using the unique medium of alcohol inks. No previous experience required!
24 Saturday
[education] Science Cafe
5:30pm. Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub. umich.edu. Free
Science Cafés provide an opportunity for audiences to discuss current research topics with experts in an informal setting.
25 Sunday
[misc]
Open Stage
7:30pm. Pointless Brewery & Theatre. Pointlessbrew.com. Free
Do you play in a band, do improv, write poetry, belly dance, or have some other talent you would like to perform? Then sign up for an 8 minute slot on the Open Stage. Space is limited, so the first 12 to sign up on the website get a spot!
26 Monday
[misc]
Open Mic
8pm. W. Cross Station Bar & Grill. wcrossstation.com. Free
An opportunity for artists from all fields to share their talents. Come sign up for a spot on stage or enjoy as an audience member.
27 Tuesday
[health]
Golden Yoga
6pm-7pm. $100-$160. Monarch Yoga Community. amplifycolectivo.com
This class is a body-positive space for brown women and gender expansive folks of all shades, shapes, and sizes to connect to your body, process stress and trauma, and affirm one another’s excellence.
28 Wednesday
[literature]
An Evening of Poetry and the Written Word
7pm. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room. crazywisdom.net. Free
Hear from acclaimed authors Katherine Edgren, Jennifer Burd, and Laszlo Slomovits. All writers are welcome to read afterward at the open mic.
[misc]
Tax Tips for Artists
6pm. Ann Arbor District Library Downtown. aadl.org. Free
Connect with the local arts community learn how artists can best manage their taxes through discussion with experts.
person of interest Katri Ervamaa Occupation: professional cellist, chamber music teacher by Cammie Finch
What first drew you to the rich, dark sound of the cello? I was accepted to a special music
program in third grade, and I had to pick an orchestra instrument. My flautist aunt suggested cello and since the school needed one for the orchestra, I agreed. I had to pick something. In so many ways it was serendipity. I think I fell in love with the sound right away, I was drawn to how similar it is to the human voice. We found a really great teacher and I made quick progress. Only later I found out I have four professional cellists in my extended family, so maybe there is a cello gene in my ancestry.
You play in three different chamber music groups and two bands. What do you enjoy most about participating in a variety of ensembles? I’ve always found small ensembles to
be just like any other human relationship, requiring a great deal of commitment and energy. My newest group, the Järnefelt Piano Trio, was founded last year for the occasion of Finland’s 100th Year of Independence. Most of all, I love having a conversation and communicating in the language of music. I feel I get to know my colleagues deeper and quicker than I get to know people through regular conversation. There’s nothing better than being on stage with beloved friends and feeling the energy we generate together. What are you listening to these days? I always listen to a lot of Queen, especially “A Night at the Opera” and “News of the World.” I just bought a bunch of cello CDs: my new favorite Bach Suites recording by Jean-Guihen Queyras and a couple Truls Mørk recordings I didn’t have before.
so we can go sledding, have pea soup, and cardamom bread with whipped cream! The old legend says whoever slides the farthest has the best crop in the coming season.
Have you taught any Finnish traditions or customs to your children? They all have dual citizenship so they better know the
around the river. We just moved from the southeast to northwest side of town and I had never been to Bird Hills or the Barton Nature Area. Those trails are just wonderful!
customs! There is a wonderful Finnish community in and around Ann Arbor, and we get together frequently. We celebrate all the old holidays: in February, we are hoping for snow on Shrove Tuesday
What has been your favorite discovery since coming to Ann Arbor 20 years ago? I do so love the different parks
Listen to Katri play at www.katrimusic.com
ecurrent.com / february 2018 33
Cannabis Love in the Time of Cannabis Spark romance with buds rather than roses by Vic Tanney
As Valentine’s Day comes around once again, it’s worth taking a look at how cannabis can spice up your love life. Though the jury is still out on the direct effects of cannabis use on sexual desire (scientific studies are scarce), experienced and novice users alike attest to the plant’s aphrodisiac powers. While the stigma that proclaims cannabis consumers as lazy and unengaged gradually decays, a study published just last year found cannabis users have more sex. The proliferation of Michigan’s cannabis community brings new brands and strains looking to capitalize on the niche of errotic cannabis products. Take ‘Sexxpot,’ an indica strain developed to possess an aphrodisiac effect with lower THC content (14%) meant to keep the user calm rather than overwhelmed. There are also everyday strains rumored to enhance the pleasures of love. The experts at Bloom City Club say Master Kush, Red Dragon and some phenotypes of Blue Dream are all approved for bedroom use. Sexy cannabis products also extend past buds to encompass lubricants and condoms. Find these THC infused potions, said to increase sensitivity, at local dispensaries including Bloom (Sundara Lubricant - $60). For medicated massage essentials, stop into Greenstone Society downtown for roll-on aromatherapy rub
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by local company Essential Organics and CBD vanilla shea butter by Chronic Remedies. For the less adventurous patient, there’s also the trusty Valentine’s Day standby, chocolate. THC- and CBD-infused dark chocolates are an easy way to work some weed into your romantic gestures this year. Even if you’re not quite ready to incorporate cannabis into your love life, the cannabis aphrodisiac niche is growing. As cannabis use becomes widely accepted, expect scientific research to improve these products to the degree you may one day see them adorning the family planning aisle shelves at your local pharmacy.
ecurrent.com / february 2018 35
ROAD TRIP
French Duo Les Nubians Hits Detroit Vocal duo Les Nubians, comprised of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, bring their distinctive Afropean, Urban, R&B sound to the home of Motown. Bursting onto the musical scene in the late nineties and winning the 1999 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best New Artist, Group or Duo and receiving two NAACP Image Award nominations in 2000, Les Nubians have toured the globe for the past two decades, collaborating with noteworthy performers like The Black Eyed Peas and Mos Def. Hosted by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, this event is part of the DSO French Festival 2018. - JK $15/general. $49/VIP experience, includes premium seating and free drink. 9:30pm. Saturday, February 24. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111, dso.org.
Searchable lists updated daily at
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FEBRUARY free will astrology © Copyright 2018 Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In all of history, humans have mined about 182,000 tons of gold. Best estimates suggest there are still 35 billion tons of gold buried in the earth, but the remaining riches will be more difficult to find and collect than what we’ve already gotten. We need better technology. If I had to say who would be the entrepreneurs and inventors best qualified to lead the quest, my choice would be members of the Aries tribe. For the foreseeable future, you people will have extra skill at excavating hidden treasure and gathering resources that are hard to access. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stories have the power to either dampen or mobilize your life energy. I hope that in the coming weeks, you will make heroic efforts to seek out the latter and avoid the former. Now is a crucial time to treat yourself to stories that will jolt you out of your habitual responses and inspire you to take long-postponed actions and awaken the sleeping parts of your soul. And that’s just half of your assignment, dear Taurus. Here’s the rest: Tell stories that help you remember the totality of who you are, and that inspire your listeners to remember the totality of who they are. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Author Anaïs Nin said, “There are two ways to reach me: by way of kisses or by way of the imagination. But there is a hierarchy: the kisses alone don’t work.” For two reasons, Anaïs’s formulation is especially apropos for you right now. First, you should not allow yourself to be seduced, tempted, or won over by sweet gestures alone. You must insist on sweet gestures that are synergized by a sense of wonder and an appreciation of your unique beauty. Second, you should adopt the same approach for those you want to seduce, tempt, or win over: sweet gestures seasoned with wonder and an appreciation of their unique beauty. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are you more inclined right now to favor temporary involvements and short-term promises? Or would you consider making brave commitments that lead you deeper into the Great Mystery? Given the upcoming astrological omens, I vote for the latter. Here’s another pair of questions for you, Cancerian. Are you inclined to meander from commotion to commotion without any game plan? Or might you invoke the magic necessary to get involved with highquality collaborations? I’m hoping you’ll opt for the latter. (P.S. The near future will be prime time for you to swear a sacred oath or two.) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In March 1996, a man burst into the studio of radio station Star FM in Wanganui, New Zealand. He took the manager hostage and issued a single demand: that the dj play a recording of the Muppet song “The Rainbow Connection,” as sung by the puppet Kermit the Frog. Fortunately, police intervened quickly, no one was hurt, and the kidnapper was jailed. In bringing this to your attention, Leo, I am certainly not suggesting that you imitate the kidnapper. Please don’t break the law or threaten anyone with harm. On the other hand, I do urge you to take dramatic, innovative action to fulfill one of your very specific desires. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many varieties of the nettle plant will sting you if you touch the leaves and stems. Their hairs are like hypodermic needles that inject your skin with a blend of irritant chemicals. And yet nettle is also an herb with numerous medicinal properties. It can provide relief for allergies, arthritis, joint pain, and urinary problems. That’s why Shakespeare invoked the nettle as a metaphor in his play *Henry IV, Part 1*: “Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety,” says the character named Hotspur. In accordance with the astrological omens, Virgo, I choose the nettle as your power metaphor for the first three weeks of February.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When I was in my early twenties, I smoked marijuana now and then. I liked it. It made me feel good and inspired my creativity and roused spiritual visions. But I reconsidered my use after encountering pagan magician Isaac Bonewits. He didn’t have a moral objection to cannabis use, but believed it withered one’s willpower and diminished one’s determination to transform one’s life for the better. For a year, I meditated on and experimented with his hypothesis. I found it to be true, at least for me. I haven’t smoked since. My purpose in bringing this up is not to advise you about your relationship to drugs, but rather to urge you to question whether there are influences in your life that wither your willpower and diminish your determination to transform your life for the better. Now is an excellent time to examine this issue.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): *Knullrufs* is a Swedish word that refers to what your hair looks like after sex: tousled, rumpled, disordered. If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you should experience more *knullrufs* than usual in the coming weeks. You’re in a phase when you need and deserve extra pleasure and delight, especially the kind that rearranges your attitudes as well as your coiffure. You have license to exceed your normal quotas of ravenousness and rowdiness. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In his “Crazy Lake Experiment” documented on Youtube, Harvard physicist Greg Kestin takes a raft out on a lake. He drops a tablespoon of olive oil into the water, and a few minutes later, the half-acre around his boat is still and smooth. All the small waves have disappeared. He proceeds to explain the science behind the calming effect produced by a tiny amount of oil. I suspect that you will have a metaphorically comparable power in the next two weeks, Scorpio. What’s your version of the olive oil? Your poise? Your graciousness? Your tolerance? Your insight into human nature? SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 1989, a man spent four dollars on a painting at a flea market in Adamstown, Pennsylvania. He didn’t care much for the actual image, which was a boring country scene, but he thought he could use the frame. Upon returning home, he found a document concealed behind the painting. It turned out to be a rare old copy of America’s Declaration of Independence, originally created in 1776. He eventually sold it for $2.42 million. I doubt that you will experience anything quite as spectacular in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. But I do suspect you will find something valuable where you don’t expect it, or develop a connection with something that’s better than you imagined it would be. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the 1740s, a teenage Capricorn girl named Eliza Lucas almost single-handedly introduced a new crop into American agriculture: indigo, a plant used as a dye for textiles. In South Carolina, where she managed her father’s farm, indigo ultimately became the second-most-important cash crop over the next 30 years. I have astrological reasons to believe that you are now in a phase when you could likewise make innovations that will have long-range economic repercussions. Be alert for good intuitions and promising opportunities to increase your wealth. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Would you like to shed unwieldy baggage before moving on to your next big challenge? I hope so. It will purge your soul of karmic sludge. It will prime you for a fresh start. One way to accomplish this bravery is to confess your sins and ask for forgiveness in front of a mirror. Here are data to consider. Is there anyone you know who would not give you a good character reference? Have you ever committed a seriously unethical act? Have you revealed information that was told to you in confidence? While under the influence of intoxicants or bad ideas, have you done things you’re ashamed of? I’m not saying you’re more guilty of these things than the rest of us; it’s just that now is your special time to seek redemption.
Homework: What’s the best, most healing trouble you could whip up right now? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.
ecurrent.com / february 2018 37
PUT IT ON THE LINE Across 1. Othello pieces 6. Barrier that should you cross boiling oil will likely be poured on you 10. Actor Sebastian of “I, Tonya� 14. Loosen, as laces 15. Doing nothing 16. “Kickstart My Heart� metal band, for short 17. Boiling ___ 19. Fair thing 20. Point in the dining room 21. Family vehicles that move tons of shit 22. Like weak tea 23. Philadelphia Soul league 25. Small sheepdog, familiarly 26. Talking ___ 32. Leaves off 33. Some city bonds, for short 34. Scarborough of MSNBC 37. Contributed (to) 38. Home to Spaceship Earth 39. “Hamilton� narrator 40. It follows twelve 41. With a bad outlook 42. “Guardians of the Galaxy� director Gunn 43. Pressure ___ 46. He succeeded and preceded Churchill 48. Breaks in the program 49. Head kerchief 50. Hits the slopes 53. Award given out by Prometheus Global Media 57. Actor Wilson 58. At close range, and a hint to this puzzle’s theme 60. Pick up a Kindle 61. “Incoming!� 62. Muhammad’s birthplace 63. Stately trees 64. Old flat-bottom boats 65. “Hypothetically...�
38 
  february
Down 1. HVAC tube 2. Cross initialism 3. Blow away 4. One who’s likely seen all the Academy Award nominees 5. Brief moment 6. Catching aid 7. “Garfield� bowser 8. They’re given to the poor 9. Gym top 10. Interview before the interview 11. Track and field event 12. Tax cheat’s nightmare 13. In dire straits 18. Netflix rival 22. The thing I’m doing 24. Some scores in the 23-Across 25. Minor incision 26. Bouncing stick 27. Rial estate? 28. Set up a Periscope, say 29. Louvre Pyramid architect 30. Bit of old gold 31. Fancy mushroom 35. Android build that came after Nougat 36. Prefix with while 38. Alternately 39. Staff marking for what’s played with the left hand 41. Blood type: Abbr. 42. 49ers CEO York 44. African antelopes 45. Extremely big 46. Love to bits 47. Sweat lodge freebie 50. Like kimchi and kefir 51. Pistol’s recoil 52. Comic book artist’s supplies 54. Resinlike substances 55. Cuzco founder 56. “Go ahead� 58. Kissing on the street, briefly 59. Obesity-measuring metric: Abbr.
2018 / ecurrent.com
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Homeward Bound Rescue League
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Looking for Foster Families! To apply for one of our adoptable pets, please fill out an application Email us for more info
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I am a good boy. I grew up outside, but a nice family took me in. It is great living indoors, but I am still learning how to be a social kitty. I love dogs and do fine with other cats. If you give me a chance, I promise I will come around and be the best cat ever! I just need some time to get comfortable. Please send in your application today. I cannot wait to meet you.
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MUNCHY: 1 Yr, Male, White Tabby
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DEADLINES Ad copy must be received at NOON on the 15th of the month prior to publication.
Hi there! I am a friendly, happy, healthy gal! I just love to run and play. My foster mom says that I would do best as the only pet in my new home. I am not too keen on other dogs and cats, but I love my people! Are you ready to spoil me and play with me? Please send in your application today!
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2018
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