urrent.com
2012 ec R E B M E V O N FREE
e n i z a g a M d n u o F f o nding i f e t d u o a b c a A de nt chats with Davy eeting his ool, m Curre p a n i y the u g d n d a a , e d d a a e ro h t n o " 9 s . r P . b o j s i h "Characte t of r a p g n i y f i most grat e ast
ex i l t a s t e o f t h e p f o e t s ing up a A ta s serv p. 20 E ve i me uture f e h t ind i c s a s t h ey c o w and e ing th a n d l y r D o d gg t a k e s l i f e u Joe P
p. 27
Eat. drink and
play Ypsi p. 6
Focus
onthe
We scope out three months of local culture
Arts p. 14
november 2012
vol. 24 / no.11
fyi 3
UM alum Martin Lee discusses medical marijuana
green corner 3
on the cover
UM Blue Bike rentals
31 theater: Superior Donuts
The Purple Rose highlights a “coward” with courage by San Slomovits
A decade of Found 9 33 Davy Rothbart celebrates 10yrs of Found Magazine by Scott Recker The cover photo was shot by LA-based photographer Dan Busta. Check out his work at www.danbusta.com.
food: in review 17 Biercamp by Joe Saul and Lisa Leutheuser
current cooks 20
Chef Eve Aronoff provides a taste of nostalgia and the future by San Slomovits
music feature 21
The Carolina Chocolate Drops return to The Ark by Sandor Slomovits
perspective: folk 27 sh s fre ring lind Pig b g B Pu e Joe al to th eri t a m
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november
Joe Pug takes life and lyrics as they come by Scott Recker
2012 / ecurrent.com
Photo Fine A © Museum rts, Bu o dapes f t
contents
artbeat
Manet exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art by Louis Meldman
Édoua 1832–1 rd Manet (F rench, 883), L ad which is curre y with a Fan ., n tl y the Tole do Mu featured at seum o f Art
35 current reads
New Prince bio offers purple perfection by Jason Webber
38 crossword 22 perspective: rock
Misty Lynn, Ferdy Mayne and Matthew Dear drop new albums by Jeff Milo
24 perspective: blues
Bettye Levette, Sonny Landreth and Mr. B by Jerry Mack
fyi
Collette Jacobs cjacobs@ecurrent.com Publisher / Editor in Chief Mark Jacobs mjacobs@ecurrent.com Co-publisher / Chief Financial Officer EDITORIAL Scott Recker scott@ecurrent.com Arts & Entertainment Coordinator Alia Orra editor@ecurrent.com Assignment Editor Matt Desmond mattd@ecurrent.com Staff Writer Julian Garcia calendar@ecurrent.com Calendar Editor ADVERTISING Aubrey Hornsby ahornsby@adamsstreetpublishing.com Sales Manager Kelly Schwarck kelly@adamsstreetpublishing.com Sales Representative
Shannon Reiter sales@adamsstreetpublishing.com Sales Coordinator Emily Gibb classifieds@ecurrent.com Classified and Display Advertising ART & PRODUCTION Kristi Polus kristi@adamsstreetpublishing.com Art Director Megan Anderson manderson@adamsstreetpublishing.com Graphic Designer Sarah Baird production@adamsstreetpublishing.com Graphic Designer Karin Cassavar kcassavar@adamsstreetpublishing.com Graphic Designer Brittney Koehl adsin@ecurrent.com Graphic Designer ADMINISTRATION Robin Armstrong rarmstrong@ecurrent.com Accounting Jan Thomas jthomas@adamsstreetpublishing.com Publisher’s Assistant Michelle Flanagan distribution@ecurrent.com Distribution INTERNS Marisa Rubin mrubin@adamsstreetpublishing.com
© 2012 by Adams Street Publishing Co., All rights reserved. 3003 Washtenaw Ave., Suite 3, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Phone (734) 668-4044, Fax (734) 668-0555. First class subscriptions $28 a year. Distributed throughout Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and neighboring towns.
Printed on recycled paper
Also publishers of:
Smoke and mirrors
Autumn brings a new season of Crazy Wisdom’s informational Salon Series which explores community issues ranging from health and wellness to politics. On Thursday, November 8, Crazy Wisdom presents an issue close to Ann Arbor’s culture when award-winning journalist and UM alumnus Martin Lee discusses topics related to his new book Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational, and Scientific. Lee is the associate editor of a journal of clinical cannabis, O’Shaughnessy’s, and director of Project CBD, which reports the latest information on cannabis science and therapeutics. He is also co-founder of the New York-based media research group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting). His previous books include the acclaimed Acid Dreams -- The Complete Social History of LSD: The CIA, the Sixties, and Beyond. With the recent crack downs on local dispensaries, the ongoing ambiguity of Michigan’s medical marijuana law vs federal laws and the university’s close cultural ties to pot, i.e. Hash Bash and John Sinclair, this should serve to be both relevant and educational. 7pm. Free. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room, 114 South Main St. 734-665-2757. www.crazywisdom.net — JG
green corner Take it outside!
For many outdoor enthusiasts autumn rivals summer as the prime season to get outside and explore. One of A2’s best places to go for all the information and gear you need is UM’s Outdoor Adventures. Along with offering planned adventure trips and logistics consulting on private excursions, they also rent out everything from tents to kayaks. Outdoors Adventures’ newest service, Blue Bikes, rents out bicycles to students, faculty and staff of the University, as well as the general public. The bikes are light duty mountain bikes that can handle road rides and lower level off-trail courses. Riders can be green by keeping their gas tanks full and biking around town or on A2’s scenic bike paths. Rental hours are Monday & Friday, 10am-6pm and Tuesday-Thursday, 12-6pm. Blue Bikes can be rented for $5 a day, $10 weekend or $75 a semester. Outdoor Adventures, 336 Hill St. 734-764-3967. www.recsports.umich.edu/outdooradv —JG
Courtesy of Univ. of Mich. Division of Student Affairs
Jennifer White jwhite@adamsstreetpublishing.com Sales Representative
ecurrent.com / november 2012 3
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Beer, politics and real estate Some major moves have happened this month — in several different senses of the word. A craft franchise is moving into a student housing complex, a local real estate agency is merging into one of the nation's largest and a local bar has filed a lawsuit to fight a state rule that doesn't allow endorsement signs at establishments with a liquor license. ■ A craft beer bar franchise is making it even easier for students to grab a pint of the globe's finest brews. World of Beer, which previously had no locations in Michigan, is opening on the first floor of the Landmark student high-rise, which houses about 600 residents. The franchise boasts over 500 beers, numerous TVs for sports and live music at each of its over 30 locations across the nation.
■ A top Washtenaw County real estate company made a huge move, merging with one of the nation's leading forces in the real estate game. Edward Surovell Realtors, which has been owned and managed by Ed Surovell for 30 years, has announced it will be merging into Howard Hanna Real Estate Service based out of Pittsburgh, which is the U.S.'s fourth largest real estate company. Ed Surovell will be on the company's board. ■ Aut
Bar is challenging a 1954 state rule that bans establishments with liquor licenses from being able to post campaign signs for politicians. They have filed a lawsuit in Detroit federal court under the grounds that the rule violates the 1st amendment. Currently, Michigan bars are allowed to post signage regarding issues, but not signs endorsing candidates.
12/8/12
ecurrent.com / november 2012 5
SPECIAL YPSILANTI GUIDE
Eat, drink and play Ypsi We showcase the best of the Southeast Michigan area, from A2 to Chelsea to Saline to Detroit. Ypsilanti has a flavor all its own; a charming mix of students and artsy types mixed with a rugged blue-collar feel that gets the blood moving. Take a close-up look at some upcoming events that demonstrate Ypsi’s heart and soul. Whether you’re looking for some cutting edge art, or just to spend some time with the kids, you don’t have to get too far away from home. Take a look at what got us excited.
Natural Dye Workshop Saturday, November 3, 1pm Fly Art Center 32 N. Washington If you're of a crafty mindset, but you're looking for a little extra color, you've got a great opportunity. Fly Art Center and Fresh Cut Textiles are presenting a Natural Dye Workshop for local artisans, teaching you how to use materials all around you to create amazing organic hues for your fabric work. You can find a lot of what you need right in your local supermarket — or even in your backyard. Fiber artists Amanda Cinco-Hoyt and Jenni Makens of Fresh Cut will show you techniques like "hapazome," in which you literally pound the color out of flowers with a rubber mallet. Learners will get to craft a hand-colored linen napkin of their own, which they can take home along with the skills to make many more. $10. Register at www.flyartcenter.org.
Woyzeck Thursday-Sunday, through November 5
Mix Studio Theater 130 W. Michigan Ave. The New Theatre Project invites you to a striking experimental theater experience, with Audra Lord’s unique interactive adaptation of German dramatist Georg Buchner’s unfinished masterpiece. It’s a theatrical haunted house, as visitors explore a world of jealousy and menace. 8 and 9:30pm. 734-961-8704. www.thenewtheatreproject.org.
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2012 / ecurrent.com
SPECIAL YPSILANTI GUIDE
Matisyahu Thursday, November 8, 6:30pm.
Eastern Michigan University, Pease Auditorium West Cross St. and College Place. Take a glimpse at one of the most singular musical and spiritual journeys of the era, as the one-man army known as Matisyahu comes to Eastern Michigan University. The man born Matthew Paul Miller has made his mark in the worlds of hip-hop (he once performed as MC Truth!), rock and especially reggae — if you're a casual music fan, you most likely just know him as "that Hasidic reggae dude." And Miller is indeed furiously proud of his Jewish heritage, and has devoted much of his music to it. But these days, he's leery of being pigeonholed, and has shed his trademark beard for a cleaner look. He's promoting his latest release, Spark Seeker, which gives a slightly poppier sheen to his Hebrew-infused songs of spiritual yearning. He's still one of a kind and worth coming out for. $30. www.blindpigmusic.com.
White Elephant Auction Sunday, November 11, 5pm. Michigan Firehouse Museum 110 W. Cross St.
You know the saying about "trash" and "treasure." Got some so-called useless junk to unload, and want to do it for a good cause? The Michigan Firehouse Museum presents a White Elephant Auction FUNdraiser, where guests can bid on each other's unique (but unwanted) possessions. Enjoy some hors d'oeuvres and desserts from local vendors, and maybe walk away with a plate of cookies or a stuffed squirrel. Bring your stuff at 5pm, auction starts at 6:30! 734-547-0663.
Starlight Spree and Tree Lighting Friday, November 30, 6-8pm. Downtown Ypsilanti You might not believe it, but it's almost time to kick off the holiday season. Ypsilanti, as always, is going to do it in style, as the Downtown Association presents the Starlight Spree and Tree Lighting. Be ready to get your holiday on — hot chocolate, cookies and all. The Ypsilanti Community Choir will be there to lead you in all the carols you love to hate to love — and rumor has it that Santa will make an appearance. And sure, this town is always a little naughty, but we like to think he knows how nice we are, too. And you'll definitely want to be there when the tree is lit on Library Park Plaza, before you hit some downtown merchants for your early shopping. You always shop early, right? We thought so. www.daypsi.com.
ecurrent.com / november 2012 7
SPECIAL YPSILANTI GUIDE
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feature
Davy Rothbart celebrates ten years of Found in Ann Arbor by Scott Recker
If you don't believe real life is stranger than fiction, just have a chat with Davy Rothbart. After starting Found Magazine — a yearly publication supplied with content by people who send in love letters, hate notes, shopping lists or other sidewalk literature — in his basement ten years ago, he's traveled the world, creating a wildly eclectic social network along the way, giving rides to hitch-hikers, taking liquor shots with NBA superstars and even finding a dead man in a pool. Which, by the way, was in Ann Arbor. (Davy looks at the story with his trademark optimism, feeling grateful to be able to chronicle a gritty pocket in his hometown he can't help but feel pride for: "It always feels good to write about the place you're from.") But, from the why-wouldyou-write-that embarrassing to the heartwarming tales, the thing that makes Davy such a special author is his honesty. Pick up his new book, My Heart is an Idiot, and you'll find a man who is capable of giving in to hedonism and going out of his way to help someone in a matter of minutes. It's fantastic. Before the Found tour van swings into Ann Arbor to celebrate the mag’s ten-year anniversary Current caught up with Rothbart to talk about sharing his darkest stories, taking a runaway teen hitch-hiker to San Francisco only later to find he turned into a popular DJ as well as making a literary con-man drink his piss. The book, My Heart is an Idiot, dives even deeper into your personal life than the movie — the good, the bad, the ugly. How have you become so comfortable sharing your deepest stories? I love reading really personal literature, the sort where people really open up and reveal themselves in powerful ways. I guess, since that's my favorite stuff to read, it makes me feel like wanting to take a shot at doing the same. And then, of course, I've been publishing people's most private thoughts in Found Magazine for the last ten years. The notes are so broad and personal, it felt only fair to open myself up in the same way — put it all out on the line.
P
One story that struck me was when you shared finding a dead guy in a pool at the home of a girl where you were cheating on your then-girlfriend. You fled, so no one would know you were there — not even the police. How did you have the guts to write about that? sta Bu I had a lot of talks with the legal department at the publishing company. an D by to With this one, they were like, 'This was a criminal investigation, are you sure you ho continued on pg 10
ecurrent.com / november 2012 9
feature
and gave her point of view. And little things like these morning TV shows [the subject of one of the stories]. I've continued to do those. It's just so funny how far my accomplishments have brought me when I get to, like yesterday morning in Portland, Oregon, I got to sleep in the van for a couple hours, do the morning TV talk show and the other guest they had on with my was the World's Fattest Dog. [laughter] I was like, 'That's awesome, I've made it now.'
continued from pg 11
want to publish that.' I did, ultimately, because it was found to be an accidental drowning. I felt like there's not a great risk of anyone trying to come back and press charges. And, also, as a small loophole for myself, I put a disclaimer at the beginning saying that some of these stories may be fictionalized. So, if it came down to it, I could say, 'It was fiction.' You also made a guy who was duping over aspiring authors drink your piss. [Davy went to one of his contests, couldn’t find him, ran into him at a hotel bar and later that night made the guy drink urine under the threat of beating him up.] Did you ever hear from him or about him again? I looked him up recently, to see, and I was disappointed to find he is running those shady literary contests again. I will say this — this is what I took from it. I think I got through to him that day. Some shift happened. Even if it meant he cared a little more. If he's putting more care into the contests and trying to make them more legit, more genuine, then I'm cool with it. While you were writing it, which story did you have the most fun revisiting? I really enjoyed most of them. Some were painful memories, but even though there were humiliating moments in my own life, I feel like...I think it was the director Al Brooks, who said, "Tragedy plus time equals comedy." Which is true. Most of these have happened a few years ago or earlier, so the sharp, painful part of the memory has subsided; so now I can really see the humor and hilarity in some of these situations. Probing into the direct moments of your own past is at times uncomfortable. There were a few that were pretty meaningful for me to think back about. One that I just expectedly really grew fond about and felt good about was "Canada or Bust". That kid, Hakim, that I picked up and took to San Francisco. Part of that, for me, he has remained a guy in my life. We talk every few months. He's doing really well now. I actually just saw him on tour in New York City. I didn't know he would be there, I thought he was still down in Miami, but we got to hang out. On this tour I keep running into characters — and when I say "characters" it's in quotes, because they're real people. It's fun to
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Since the release of the book, has anything happened that you plan to write about? You know...yeah. This tour has been a real rush of interesting experiences. I love that experiences accumulate so quickly. When you're going to a different city every day, when you're seeing friends, old friends, and you get to connect with them briefly — it's really special. And I'm interested in writing a book or doing a film about somebody on tour. I've thought about making a movie about a musician who is on the road again and who is going through a wide variety of experiences — maybe it'll be a book.
see the book come to life over the course of this 79 city tour. Who else from the book have you run into? Anna from "Ain't that America." She lives in London still, but she was in New York and she came and hung out at our show. It was fun. She came to this party for the book release and my editor, Shawn, was there and I got to introduce him to Anna and Hakim. It was fun for him, I think, because these characters were coming to life. One of the craziest parts of the book is when you serendipitously run into Hakim on a beach on Hawaii. Yeah! That's how I felt when I ran into him in New York because I had no idea he was going to be there. He showed up with his mom, who I had never met. They hadn't seen each other in five years and that was her birthday, so I got to meet her. I apologized to her. In the story, I don't necessarily present her in the best light, but she said she thought it was honest; she had been going through some tough things at the time. And the first story is about my mom and the tricks me and my brothers used to play on her. She happened to be in Seattle. So, I read that story and she got up afterward
november 2012 / ecurrent.com
We've touched on the grungy characters and success stories, but in terms of the stories in which you're fallen for girls too quickly, has revisiting those memories made you less susceptible to that? I would like to think so, but I can't say completely, so I don't know, I mean, maybe its something you can't turn off. It still happens, but maybe I've gained some perspective. I'm able to recognize those urgent feelings aren't ones I'm able to keep at bay, but at the same time it doesn't mean I have to act on them. What has been the most gratifying aspect of running Found for a decade? I'm endlessly fascinated with the people we share the world with. And getting these deep, powerful looks at so many different people's lives through their to-do lists and journal entires has just been this incredibly profound lesson in life for what it means to be human.
The Fou nd 10th an nive rsa ry fea tur ing Da vy an d Pet er Rot hba rt com es to the Las t Wo rd, 301 W. Hur on St. on Fri da y, Nov em ber 16 for tw o sho ws 7pm an d 9pm . Tick ets ar e $8 & $6 for stu den ts. Pro cee ds ben efi t 826 Mic hig an .
e v i s u l c x e n a n Davy let us ru new book of xe cerpt from his Heart is an hs ort stories, My stands now. dI iot, which is on
How I Got These Boots by Davy Rothbart
Just past Flagstaff he appeared, a tiny, grizzled man on the shoulder of Highway 64 with his thumb out, wearing a backpack bigger than himself. I pulled over a little ways past him and climbed out of the car and watched him waddle toward me. A tin canteen and a pair of hiking boots with red laces dangled from his pack, clanking together every couple of steps. His short white hair, creased face smudged with dirt, rumpled jeans, and oil- stained sneakers gave him the look of a homeless track coach. “Young man, thanks for stopping!” he said, thrusting out a hand. “Name’s John Molloy. Where ya headed, where ya headed?” "The Grand Canyon,” I said. His eyes sparkled. “Bingo! Me too!” In the car, headed west again, John told me his story. For thirty- fi ve years he’d worked in a machine shop in Lowell, Massachusetts. But his lifelong dream was to visit the Grand Canyon. He’d read dozens of books
feature about it, studied its geology and its history; he’d even cut out pictures from National Geographic and pasted them to the wall above
his bed. A few weeks before, he’d been talking about the Grand Canyon with the guys he worked with, and one of them had said, “For Chrissakes, shut up already! What is it with you? It’s always the Grand Canyon this, the Grand Canyon that. Look, you’ll never make it there, and it’s depressing to hear you go on and on about it every damn day.” John looked at me with a mischievous glint. “So I said to him, ‘Okay, I quit.’ Turned in my tools and walked out.” He’d scraped together enough money for a Greyhound ticket as far as Amarillo, said goodbye to his mother and his teenage son, who shared his apartment, and hopped on the bus. It had taken him three days to reach Amarillo and three more days to hitchhike six hundred miles to Flagstaff. Now that he’d found a ride— me— to take him the rest of the way, he was shaking with excitement. “I can’t believe we’ll be there in less than two hours,” he said. He clapped his hands. He drummed on the dashboard. He rubbed his eyes and whistled at the sight of each towering cactus we passed. Then he peered at me. “Say, you’re pretty quiet. What you brooding about?” I told him about my wrecked heart, the girlfriend who’d left me and moved to Scotland, how I hadn’t dated or kissed another girl in two years. And now the girl I’d flown to Arizona to see— captain of the Phoenix Suns dance team— had let me down; when I’d arrived, she’d told me about her new boyfriend, an NFL punter. It was actually the punter who’d suggested I check out the Grand Canyon. “I’ve never been more lost,” I said. Still, I felt lucky that I was about to witness someone realize their lifelong dream. My own dreams seemed hazier and more impossible. I explained to John that I wanted to be a writer but was so caught up in an unsolvable hurt and ache, I hadn’t written a word in months. We passed the ranger station at the outer perimeter of the park, and for the next twelve miles, as we
rolled closer to the edge of the Grand Canyon, John leaned halfway out his window like a happy dog gulping up the first breezes of spring. His buzzing energy buoyed me and began to tug me from the darkness. At last we reached the first overlook, and John bounded from the car, sprinted toward the edge, and gazed out across the vast chasm for a few seconds, then turned back toward me and shot two fists skyward, eyes wet, face shining. I took a picture of him and laughed out loud, exhilarated myself. We whooped it up for a minute, alone at the top of the world. The sun hung lower, and we hiked an hour down into the canyon. John, blissed-out and bubbly, pointed out rocks and wildlife, gushing with information. This wasn’t just run-of-the-mill tourbook stuff; it was endless. Not only was I blessed to be with someone in such a radiant state, I was also visiting the Grand Canyon with a guy who had, seriously, transformed himself into one of the world’s top experts on the Grand Canyon. Finally, he fell into a kind of stunned, contented silence, and we made our way back up to the rim. The canyon hummed at our backs. We found the park campground and pitched a tent in the dark. It began to snow. John passed me his canteen. “Have a sip of this,” he said, grinning. “It ain’t water.” In the morning, we drove down to the park office to see if we could stir up a job for John working trail maintenance or guiding hiking tours. The head ranger, astonished at his depth of knowledge, hired him on the spot. I bought John a few days of groceries and paid for his campsite through the weekend. “Look,” John said, “I can’t let you just spend a hundred bucks on me. You got to take these.” He pressed his hiking boots into my hands. Before I could protest, he said, “They don’t fit me. I got the ugliest blisters you ever seen. I’ll do better on the trail in my sneakers. Here, take ’em.” He gave me a hug. “Now get on back to Chicago. I’ll hold the fort down here.” A year later, when I left Chicago and drove to New Mexico to follow my dreams of being a writer, I was wearing those boots with the red laces. On my dashboard was the picture of John Molloy at the edge of the canyon, fists raised toward the sky. Excerpted from MY HEART IS AN IDIOT by Davy Rothbart, published in September 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Copyright © 2012 by Davy Rothbart. All rights reserved.
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Focus ontheArts
It's the season to be artsy. Say goodbye to fall and hello to winter with the best music, theater, art and film the city has to offer.
NOV
2012
For even more events www.ecurrent.com
4th Annual Romanian Film Series Saturdays & Sundays, November 3-4 &
17-18, 4pm. Free. Helmut Stern Auditorium, UMMA, 525 South State St. 734-647-0524. www.umma.umich.edu
Discover films that spotlight Romania like Outbound (Nov.30), Tuesday after Christmas (Nov.4), Philanthropy (Nov. 17) and The Phantom Father (Nov. 18), with Q & A's or special lectures before and following each show.
Friday, 8th
Ongoing
Superior Donuts Through December 15.
Wednesdays-Saturdays, 8pm; Wednesdays & Saturdays, 3pm; Sundays, 2pm. $27-$42. Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. 734-433-7673. www.purplerosetheatre.org
Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tracy Letts's comedy-drama about an unlikely friendship of a donut shop owner who's just about given up on life and his idealistic employee should light up the stage at Chelsea's legendary playhouse.
Brighten your existence with this purveyor of soulful hip-hop with jamming world rhythms and conscious, spiritual lyrics.
Don Giovanni
November 8-11. Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday & Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. $20-$26 general admission / $10 student. Power Center, 121 Fletcher St. 734-764-2538. www.umich.edu
Enjoy University Opera Theatre & University Symphony Orchestra students for this production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's take on the classic Don Juan myth.
The Ark presents this indie-pop temptress just a short drive up in Royal Oak as she proves her longevity and inspires a new generation of fearless female artists.
Tuesday, 15th
Mike Birbiglia
8pm. $35-$44.65. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org
Friday, 16th
This comedian is ready to take on A2 after the success of his award-winning offBroadway hits Sleepwalk with Me (2008), and My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend (2011).
8pm. $10-$50. Hill Auditorium, 825 North University Ave. 734-763-3333. www.ums.org
Band-O-Rama: American Salute 7:30pm. $5-$18. Hill Auditorium, 825 North University Ave. 734-764-2538. www.umich.edu
The UM University Bands come together to celebrate American culture with a program that ranges from traditional marches to Broadway and contemporary rock n’ roll.
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The UM Department of Musical Theatre perform this comedy based on the Weekly World News reports of a half-boy, half-bat.
Aimee Mann
Sabor Latino
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra heats up with some Latin flavor as they present an evening featuring Uruguayan guitar sensation Marco Sartor.
Bat Boy: The Musical
November 15-18. Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday & Saturday, 8pm; Saturday & Sunday, 2pm. $26 / $10 students. Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin Ave. 734-764-2538. www.umich.edu
8pm. $39.50-$49.50. Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St. Royal Oak. 734-761-1818. www.theark.org
Saturday, 3rd 8pm. $10-$58. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-994-4801. www.a2so.com
Chris Jordan explores contemporary mass culture with statistics combined with images of mass produced products condensed into single frames that reflect the impact of the western world’s growing global footprint.
sunday, 10th
UMMA, 525 South State St. 734-647-0524. www.umma.umich.edu
This exhibition gives insight to 1700's British America and coincides with Benjamin West: General Wolfe and the Art of Empire which displays 40 works of the acclaimed 18th century American painter including his iconic painting The Death of General Wolfe (1776).
603 E. Liberty St. www.art-design.umich.edu
Photo by Cindy Elliot
Discovering EighteenthCentury British America: The William L. Clements Library Collection Through January 13, 2013.
Matisyahu
6:30pm. $28 adv. / $30 day of. EMU Pease Auditorium, 900 Oakwood St., Ypsilanti. 734-487-1849. www.blindpigmusic.com
Penny W. Stamps Speaker Series:5pm.Running the Numbers Free. Michigan Theater,
november 2012 / ecurrent.com
Gilberto Gil
Don't miss this world music icon as he continues his journey modernizing the vibrant sounds of Brazilian pop.
Saturday, 17th
Dave Holland Big Band 8pm. $18-$48. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.ums.org
Bassist and composer, Dave Holland, leads his big band out for a night of high energy entertainment.
The Carolina Chocolate Drops 7;30pm. $50-$500. The Ark,
316 S. Main St. 734-761-1818. www.theark.org
This Grammy-winning quartet carries the souls of traditional Southern folk and blues into the new millennium for The Ark's 16th Annual Fall Fundraiser.
friday, 23rd
Content of Process 6-9pm. Free. Gallery Project, 215 4th Ave. 734-997-7012. www.thegalleryproject.com
This exhibition explores how an artist has an original intent, which evolves through a series of split second — conscious and subconscious — decisions.
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Thursday, 6th
The Wheeler Brothers 8pm. $15. The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
Friday, 21st
734-761-1818. www.theark.org
This five-piece folk rock band has been conquering audiences with their blend of guitar picking Americana that flirts with hipster indie vibes.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream December 6-9. Thursday, 7:30pm; Friday & Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 2pm. $20-$26 general admission / $10 student. Power Center, 121 Fletcher St. 734-764-2538. www.umich.edu
The UM Department of Theatre & Drama presents a performance of Shakespeare's classic romantic fairy tale.
Saturday, 8th
wednesday, 28th
Caravan of Thieves 8pm. $15. The Ark,
UMS presents this high-definition broadcast straight from the National Theatre of London of Shakespeare's timely play about consumption, debt and ruin.
Mix a little rock n' roll bravado with old world gypsy jazz sounds and you get these merry musicians.
NT Live: Timon of Athens
thursday, 29th
Penny W. Stamps Speaker Series: At Home in the Body 5pm. Free. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. www.art-design.umich.edu
Janine Antoni is a multi-media artist who has used her body as a tool, a canvas and a muse for her art including turning her brain waves during dreams into patterns for a weaved blanket.
316 S. Main St. 734-761-1818. www.theark.org
825 North University Ave. 734-763-3333. www.ums.org
Making history with three consecutive Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Reeves takes the stage with special guest blind singer-songwriter /guitarist Raul Midón, and his renowned rhythmic beats and distinct voice.
Lisa Lampanelli
2012
This flannel and denim laden folk rock band has earned both critical and commercial acclaim with lingering harmonies and country sounding undertones.
tuesday, 8th
National Theatre of Scotland: The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Through January 13. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30pm; Enjoy this intimate theater experience as the story of an uptight Scottish academic, Prudencia Hart, goes on a dream-like journey in a secluded bar where the patrons (the audience) become a part of the performance.
Seth Glier
One of today's best up and coming singer/ songwriters gets set to woo A2 again!
825 North University Ave. 734-763-3333. www.ums.org
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org
Interspecies Communication 6-9pm. Free. Gallery Project,
8pm. $15. The Ark, 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1818. www.theark.org
8pm. $5-$25. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 North Fourth Ave. 734-769-2999. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Band of Horses 7:30pm. $32.50-$59.55.
friday, 4th
Friday, 11th
Thursday, 13th
Monday, 3rd
JAN
Friday, 8pm; Saturday, 2pm & 8pm; Sunday, 6pm. $50. Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti. www.ums.org
Saturday, 1st
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra teams up with the UMS Choral Union for this perennial holiday favorite.
In honor of the possible end of days and the Mayan Calendar join composer, multiinstrumentalist and, computer programmer Robert Newcomb as he combines elements of numerous musical disciplines, cultural domains and technology for a unique improvisational performance.
The Gallery Project presents another cerebral exhibition exploring life's interactions and meaning.
Comedy's brashest voice is coming to offend and make audiences laugh uncontrollably doing so.
Handel’s Messiah 8pm. $10-$36. Hill Auditorium,
415 North Fourth Ave. 734-769-2999. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com
215 4th Ave. 734-997-7012. www.thegalleryproject.com
Dianne Reeves Quartet w/ Raul Midón 8pm. $10-$48. Hill Auditorium,
8pm. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org
DEC
Possible Futures: Winter Solstice Concert 8pm. $5-$25. Kerrytown Concert House,
2013
sunday, 18
Global Jazz Project
Global Jazz Project presents traditional to avant-garde jazz infused with world music concepts, giving global jazz with free and experimental creative dimensions.
Saturday, 15th
Francis Alys: Guards University of Michigan Museum of Art,
Saturday, 19th
Mozart Birthday Bash 8pm. $10-$58. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734.994.4801. www.a2so.com
525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. www.umma.umich.edu
This Belgian artist documents 64 of the Queen of England's guards marching throughout the city of London.
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra will pay tribute to Mozart with a night of selected works featuring Principal Trumpet William Campbell and violinist Yehonatan Berick.
ecurrent.com / november 2012 15
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food
Biercamp Artisan Meats
in review
Biercamp
1643 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 734.995.2437 www.bier-camp.com Monday - Saturday 11am - 7pm
A distinct personality
Joe Saul and Lisa Leutheuser Hansen and his designer partner Hannah Cheadle had some initial zoning difficulties when they decided to move back to Michigan and open their artisan meats shop in Ann Arbor, but they managed to persevere, and do what they do best — smoking and curing meats. The shop itself has a very distinct personality, sort of Upper Peninsula cabin with some quirky touches, like the stuffed rooster (labeled "Little Walt;" we didn’t ask) or the photo of the Fawlty Towers cast quietly slipped in with the framed family photos (they're fans). We've reviewed the prepared sandwiches below, and have also written up a sampling of the other meats. We've barely scratched the surface, though, so go in, have a look at the cases, and ask for tastes.
Sandwiches
The pulled pork, the brisket (except Mondays), and one or more types of hot dog or bratwurst are available hot and ready to go until they run out. If you want to know what they're serving on a given day, friend their page on Facebook where they announce it. 16 Hour Pulled Pork - beautifully smoked, with a full savory pork flavor and that melt-in-your-mouth texture that comes from letting the fat cap melt during the long cooking process. You know, the way proper pulled pork should be. 12 Hour Smoked Beef Brisket - equally tender as the pulled pork, with charred bits at the ends, and deeply satisfying for beef lovers. Again, sandwiches are dressed with just a bit of sauce to complement, not hide, the beef. Steamship Round - thick slices of flavorful roast beef, with a homemade horseradish sauce. If you've never had a real roast beef sandwich before, you're in for a very pleasant surprise. Habañero Hotdog - this dog should please those looking for something spicy hot to light up their tastebuds. We thought the habanero in our dog was well balanced with the meat, but the heat does grow with each bite.
Bacon
Biercamp not only does traditional bacon, but also some less common variants, as well as applying traditional bacon techniques to other meats. Applewood Smoked Bacon - pork, and capable of handily knocking its more famous competition out of the ring. Peameal Bacon - The most Canadian of all bacons
is something we actually don't see here very much — cured pork loin coated in fine cornmeal. Biercamp's rendition is fabulous. Herbes de Provence Lamb Bacon - Thinly sliced and nicely marbled, it cooks up just like "regular" bacon. The herb de provence seasoning complements the lamb. Duck Bacon - Biercamp does multiple types of "duck bacon" made from cured duck breast with the fat attached.
Sausage
Because Hansen and Cheadle do a lot of experimentation and are constantly adding new items, it's impossible for us to do more than touch on a few of the myriad of sausages. Cajun Smoked Sausage - a nice sausage, a bit salty, a bit spicy, and with notable garlic flavor. Olive Loaf - growing up, luncheon meats like olive loaf and pimento loaf were kind of scary. This, however, combines actually good pork with good olives to produce something that explains why people would put meat and olives together in a sausage in the first place. Sriracha Lamb Sausage - strongly flavored, this sausage might be too much for some people by itself. We're thinking of trying it cut up and mixed with white rice. Walt recommends putting it on pizza, which also makes sense. Balaton Cherry Bratwurst - one of our favorite sausages, this combines a bratwurst base with dried Michigan cherries, for a result that's unusual and a bit on the sweet side. Hopwurst - the hops really stand out, giving this wurst a slightly bitter flavor which pairs brilliantly with mustard. Hillbilly Breakfast Sausage - available in patties or links, this is what you expect it to be, but tastier with sage, black pepper, and chili flakes.
Jerkies and Meat Sticks
Biercamp offers a range of jerkies (beef, pork, chicken) — all made from thick slices of good-quality meat, marinated in different sauces. It's hard to know what will be available on a given day, since they rotate and experiment with things, but the standard beef jerky, the Lizano salsa ones, and all of the Asian-inspired ones are especially good. A word of warning here; Walt has an unusual heat tolerance, so when he says something is hot (e.g. the "Quattro Crazy" jerky, made with four hot sauces), don't ignore the warning. ecurrent.com / november 2012 17
food
6 tuesday Winter Farmers’ Market
3-7pm. Free. 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti. 734-480-2739. www.growinghope.net
The Downtown Ypsi Winter Farmers’ Market will offer access to tasty, fresh seasonal produce every Tuesday at Corner Brewery. Not only can you enjoy shopping local, but you can reward yourself with a beer, too!
Locavore supper
A fresh, Michigan-sourced meal sounds enticing enough — but the ingredients are gathered within an hours drive of A2? That's the delectable challenge Chef Brandon Johns of Grange Kitchen & Bar will take on during the restaurant's 52 Mile Dinner, a clever ode to seasonal produce. Everything but the salt and olive oil will be sourced from local farms, with an emphasis on using ingredients so close they could make refrigeration an afterthought. Johns is up for the culinary test — going hyper-local, he says, will "push the creativity" of the evening's menu. $55 cuisine/$35 optional beverage pairing. Both prices exclude tax and gratuity. Wednesday, November 7. 6:30pm. 118 W. Liberty. 734-995-2107. grangekitchenandbar.com. —AO
2 friday Terminator Release Party
6-8pm. $10 / Free, club members. Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington St. 734-213-1393. www.arborbrewing.com
a “richly spicy with a subtly sweet malt palate and a clean, crisp, dry hop finish.” There’ll be light snacks, too, and growler fills are 50 percent off.
Taste Arbor Brewing’s winter lager, a German Dopplebock,
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7 wednesday My Vegetarian Thanksgiving
6:30-9:30pm. $75. Ann Arbor Cooks,5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030. www.annarborcooks.com
Learn how to whip up a tasty 100 percent vegan Thanksgiving dinner with instructor Allison Shelters. Even carnivores can glean some new side dish ideas — think carmelized onion and white wine whole grain bread stuffing, pecan-crusted Seitan, braised brussel sprouts, scarlet roasted vegetables, and vegan pumpkin pie.
8 thursday Holiday Wine Show
6:30pm. $45. Paesano, 3411 Washtenaw Ave. 734-971-0484. www.paesanosannarbor.com
Enjoy samplings from 25 different wines presented by five different regional wine
purveyors at this special installment of Paesano’s weekly Wednesday wine tastings. The jovial atmosphere will include an appetizer buffet and plenty of Italian spirit!
Coho Wine Dinner
6-9pm. $65. 5ive Restaurant, 44045 5 Mile Rd., Plymouth. 734-357-5700. www.stjohnsgolfconference.com
Environmentally-conscious Napa winery COHO Wines owner Gary Lipp will attend, giving guests an opportunity to learn more about his awardwinning vinos. Executive Chef Jason Stoops’ menu pairs the wines with foods under the theme ‘air, earth, sea and land,’ pulling ingredients from each aspect to delicious effect. The ‘air’ portion includes cured crispy skin duck breast, roasted cauliflower puree, potato-apple rosti, in a pinot-noir reduction.
9 friday Evening of Chocolate & Bubbly
5:30-8pm. $80. Sweet Heather Anne, 920 N. Main St. 734-913-2025. sweetheatheranne.com
Decadent cake truffles and sips of delicious bubbly will make for a glam evening of baking during Sweet Heather Anne’s second technique class of the season. Participants will leave with twodozen beautiful cake pops and the know-how to make varieties of the goodies for their parties.
Vegan Potluck
6-8pm. Humane Society of Huron Valley, 3100 Cherry Hill Rd. 734-357-5700. www.vegmichigan.org
Share compassion for animals and a love of vegan food at this fun and educational potluck. The Humane Society of Huron valley and VegMichigan will co-host the event in an effort to spread and celebrate their animal-friendly message. Bring a dish and help spread the word.
10 saturday Classic American Cakes with a New Twist 9am-1pm. $65. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030. www.annarborcooks.com
This baking class explores classic cakes with an American twist. The menu is definitely sweet enough to inspire a gorge-fest — some highlights include old-fashioned banana cake with peanut butter filling and chocolate buttercream and classic spice cake with salted caramel frosting. Register online through www.wccnet.edu.
12 monday Carpaccio With Francesca Giarraffa
6:30-8:30pm. $55. 3135 Washtenaw Ave. 734-994-2300. www.aareced.com
Carpaccio, the raw meat pounded into delicious thin slices, is a modern Italian export. Francesca Giarraffa will guide you through two salads meant to showcase this delicacy: raw beef tenderloin on a bed of greens with shaved Parmesan cheese, truffle oil and lemon juice, as well as a raw swordfish version.
Cocktail Class: Better with Bubbles
7:30-9pm. $35. The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St. 734-276-3215. www.tammystastings.com
Elevate your holiday entertaining with a class devoted to cocktail making with champagne. The class will teach all the ins and outs of mixing your own drinks at home with lots of opportunities to taste your creations!
15 thursday Herbal Pain Relief with Linda Diane Feldt 7-8:30pm. Free. Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea Room, 114 S. Main St. 734-665-2757. www.peoplesfood.coop
Learn the pain-relieving power of herbs for migraines and headaches, and gain a better understanding of the safe and unsafe ways of combining herbal and conventional therapies.
24 saturday Feast!
10am-4:30pm. Free. (suggested donation $2-$5) Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-647-7600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg.com
Take a deeper look at the fruits and veggies humans have been chopping for centuries during the exhibit Feast! A Cross-Cultural Culinary Tour of Plants from Around the World. Explore the role of plants in cooking and celebrations, from cinnamon in Sri Lanka to the figs of Ancient Rome. Extended hours until 8pm on Wednesdays. Exhibit runs through January 6, 2013.
28 wednesday Go Wisconsin! Dinner
7-10pm. $50. Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave. 734-663-3663. www.zingermansroadhouse.com
The cheesiest state (in a good way) is the inspiration behind the Go Wisconsin! dinner event. The craftsmanship and quality of that state’s cheeses will be on display, paired with cocktails from Death’s Door Spirits.
30 friday (un)Corked Wine Tasting: Bubbles, Bubbles and more Bubbles! 7-8pm. $25. The Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty. 734-663-7848. www.producestation.com
Champagne is the perfect holiday libation. Sample ten amazing dry sparklers — it’s party planning made fun.
Craft Distilleries in Michigan
food
by Robyn Cleveland (Barman at The Ravens Club) With a strong and well-known presence in the craft beer scene, it seems only natural that Michigan be at the forefront of the craft distilling boom that’s taking place all over the country. Just over a decade ago, there was only one legally operating craft distillery in the state, according to The American Distilling Institute (ADI). Last year, there were 11 (and I expect that number may be doubled by now). By contrast, in 1896 there were over 8,000 licensed distilleries in the U.S. Nationally, ADI counted 234 distilleries in 2011 up from just 24 in 2000. Michigan’s 11 craft distilleries rank us around in the top ten nationally in this growing industry. Michigan’s abundant agricultural resources and a strong farm-to-table culture play a key role in the distilling renaissance. In addition, 2008 changes to state laws lowered the license fee from $10,000 to $150 and softened requirements on production and distribution. Some of the first to strike out into the unknown were the micro-breweries and wineries that already had the base knowledge and equipment necessary to get going. Today, however, we see more fruit farms and independent operations focusing solely on spirits production making adventurous headway into the market with more surely to follow.
Distilleries to watch: • Journeyman
DistilleryThree Oaks,MI • Ugly Dog DistilleryChelsea, MI • Black Star FarmsSuttons Bay, MI • Grand Traverse Distillery- Traverse City, MI • New Holland Brewing & DistillingHolland, MI
All of these distilleries make quality unique spirits that have garnered local and national awards. Many offer tours and tasting rooms for a start to finish experience. For more info on America’s distilling past and future check out: Distilled Spirits Council of The United Stateswww.discus.org The American Distilling Institute www.distilling.com
ecurrent.com / november 2012 19
food food
current cooks
A taste of nostalgia, and maybe the future
An injury during a coffee trip to Honduras caused Eve Aronoff to close her Kerrytown restaurant, eve. But her ‘exile’ dinners have kept the taste alive.
by Nick Roumel
How serendipitous that I ran into Eve Aronoff at dinners reflect eve’s commitment to a seasonal menu; so Morgan & York’s, buying Spanish olive oil for her funky although they include an all-eve menu, they don’t feature Frita Batidos restaurant. “I have a deadline,” I told her. the same food. “And I was going to call you tonight to write about eve in The one I attended in February included a mind exile.” boggling 10 courses – not to mention three side dishes Eve the person graciously sat down with me to on every table and three wines. Starting with “inspired talk about eve the restaurant, which closed down its nachos” on wontons with crème fraîche, the meal Kerrytown space in January, 2011, making lots of people proceeded through Moroccan scallops, curried mussels, sad. Eve included. macadamia encrusted salmon, Thai Eve explained, “My original BBQ chicken, and beef tenderloin. The “eve in exile” intention was to run both restaurants — finale was a pot de crème with brown c/o Frita Batidos eve and Frita Batidos. But on a coffee sugar cream and rum-soaked grilled 117 W. Washington field trip to the Honduras in 2010, I had pineapple. Eve managed this dinner Ann Arbor MI 48104 a bad fall and hurt my back and pelvis. with just three former eve staffers. No (734) 761-2882 It was a complicated injury. The doctors one else — including servers — had fritabatidos.com told me I risked permanent disability.” experience with this menu. Yet patrons Facebook: Frita Batidos Nonetheless, Eve was willing to try were thrilled. As Matt, a fellow diner keeping both places open. She asked told me, “I have not had a meal like her landlords at Kerrytown for a short lease renewal, that in a long time. Every dish was nailed.” but they wanted a longer period. Unable to come to For August’s meal, Eve served a “Peak Growing terms, she closed eve and focused on Frita Batidos. Frita Season tasting menu.” This included a “duet of Summer opened in fall, 2010 and has quickly become a hotspot Soups” and an entrée she explained is “very personal to for casual dining, with its emphasis on Cuban-inspired me — Moroccan chicken in phyllo with candied limes modern cuisine. and spicy summer greens. It was my final exam dish at But Eve still misses her beautiful eponymous Cordon Bleu” (the famous French cooking school). The restaurant, that made the culinary world take notice. August menu also included beef tenderloin Chimichurri, She garnered accolades from Alice Waters, Mario Batali, Michigan corn pudding, squash blossoms stuffed with the James Beard Foundation, and even Bravo’s “Top chorizo, and “Lincoln Log goat cheese with salsa verde,” Chef” competition. Now that her back has improved closing with “summertime sundaes.” and stabilized, this former Brandeis University Russian Until Eve reopens for good, we must content literature student dares to dream of reopening eve in a ourselves with these Brigadoon-like “retrospective new space. dinners.” If you missed the first two, watch for the next Until then, she and her fans must remain content with one in the winter. Sign onto Frita’s Facebook page for eve retrospective dinners at the Frita space. The first one advance announcements, and don’t delay a second in was February 26, and the next occurred exactly six months getting your tickets for these rare and nostalgic later, on August 26, quickly becoming a near-sellout. These commemorative events.
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music
A drop of sweetness Americana favorites return to The Ark
Venerable folk outfit The Carolina Chocolate Drops headline The Ark’s annual fall fundraiser on Sunday, November 18
by Sandor Slomovits
The Carolina Chocolate Drops return to Ann Arbor on Sunday, November 18 for The Ark’s annual Fall Fundraiser. Essentially a scaled down version of the famed coffeehouse’s January Folk Festival which always brings in many of the top names in traditional and contemporary folk music, thus ensuring that there’s something for everyone’s taste, the Fall Fundraiser enlists a single artist or band to accomplish the same purpose. The CCD fit that bill admirably. If you’re a purist and delight in hearing American music as it likely sounded when it was brand new 150 years ago, you’ll be in the right place. If you prefer songs and performances that speak to today’s issues with an acoustic sound that punches way beyond its weight, get in line. If you just plain like music and could care less if it’s old or new, trad or rad, as long as it’s played superbly and with passion, don’t plan anything else for that night. Which doesn’t mean that CCD spatchcocks together a mishmash of something for everyone. There is a very satisfying coherence to their wide-ranging work. The band started out about a half dozen years ago as a trio that faithfully researched, studied and performed the authentic sounds of African American string bands of the late 19th and early 20th century. Their 2010 recording, Genuine Negro Jig, (the title comes from a mid 1800’s fiddle tune by that name) which won a Grammy, featured Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons along with Justin Robinson on a kaleidoscope of Southern string sounds. Their new recording, the evocatively titled “Leaving Eden” shows them expanding into jazz, blues and even contemporary songwriting.
Giddens and Flemons are still the heart of CCD, but their Ark show will introduce two new members, Hubby Jenkins and Leyla McCalla, who are featured on their new recording. Jenkins brings some hot guitar picking and adds another couple of pairs of bones, (more about that later) to CCD’s percussion bag, while McCalla mixes in her cello, an instrument not often seen or heard in string band music, but one that she manages to make totally at home in CCD’s sound. Giddens is an Oberlin classically trained musician with serious opera creds (and therefore a real flair for the dramatic) and impeccable but by no means precious technique on vocals, fiddle and banjo. McCalla contributes a music degree from New York University and wide experience on the New Orleans popular music scene. Flemons and Jenkins, both of whom honed their skills as buskers add more of the raw, in your face showmanship that is a hallmark of CCD shows. Flemons, who is one of the most graceful and tasteful bones players ever to play that ancient percussion instrument, is now sharing the bones spotlight with Jenkins. Their duets are visual and aural pyrotechnic delights. Ann Arbor audiences have thrilled to the CCD on their previous visits to the Michigan Theater and Hill Auditorium. Seeing them up close and personal at the Ark is likely to be an even bigger treat. The Carolina Chocolate Drops play The Ark, 316 S. Main St., on Sunday, November 18. Tickets start at $50. ecurrent.com / november 2012 21
music
perspective: rock Something Misty This Way Comes: Also—Ferdy Mayne, Matthew Dear by Jeff Milo
New Album: Misty Lyn & The Big Beautiful
There’s no better time for Arbor/Ypsi singer/songwriter Misty Lyn Bergeron to put out a new album; it would just have to be the dead of autumn. For her voice, her words, those resonant acoustics and tingly tones she cooingly crinkles towards altogether affect this gorgeous/overcast, this bleak/beatific ambiance all it’s own, embodying, in song: the season’s grayedrainbow clusters. With The Big Beautiful, Bergeron premiers her 2nd LP, False Honey’s (November 3rd at the Blind Pig - online now via iTunes and Bandcamp). But there’s much more to Misty and her richly augmenting rock-tingeing quartet (Ryan Gimpert/Matt Jones/Jim Roll/ Carol Gray), more than just harmonious hints of pastoral leaf-rustlin’; her lyrical fare is as stormy (yet picturesque) as this cooling season’s inherently shifting state; songs of stark transition. There are moments of rousing warmth, with up-tempo string-sawed, strum-n-chimed ditties spliced by midnight rovers, detoxing lingering uncertainty through sweeps of haunting pedal-steel and uneasy guitar cascades. Our mirror-gazing narrator fearlessly lays out some personal pains and finds resolution; change is coming and its chill can be biting but most of these sublime songs seem to indicate that for Misty, a personal springtime could come early… On some songs, the light will do this mellifluous songbird no good, her timing’s delayed and she’s only got this one note that’s getting harder to hold…But the music goes on, she resolves that she’s gonna sing this one note, sing it out (and be backed by some dazzling mandolin jangles and fiery guitars, barn-burner drum bustles and steady bass beats like a heavy, yet unflinching heart.) All she’s got is this one note; all she’s got, in the face of whatever kinds of rainy days, is this music. “I sing out my one note…till you hear what I have to say…” New E.P.: Ferdy Mayne Ypsi-psyche-folk quartet Ferdy Mayne let loose a pair of singles online last month and it’s a welcomed
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listen, three-years-to-the-month since their proper debut (Chase That Jackrabbit). “Quaint Mosaic of Fate” is a guitar-charged rocker that sounds, refreshingly, as far as six (not just three) years ahead of where singer/songwriter Shane Firek started, maturing from a colorful and angular Americana-skewing into this, invigorating anthemic rock-whipped, complex rhythms, tighter hooks, bracing fogs of fuzz and above it all, Firek’s soaring rasp – find it on bandcamp. New Album: Matthew Dear Matthew Dear’s not local …but Michigan can still legitimately claim a little piece of this shadowy-synthedup murk-maven of indie-techno/funk-flecked musings. Because in some views, his career as a world-renowned electro-composer/ performer/ DJ/ producer started here in Ann Arbor; the Texas-native’s younger years spent studying at U-M proved formidable, not just for him but for another appreciator of Detroit’s seminal techno progenitors, Sam Valenti – who went on to found Ghostly International, (thus fostering Dear’s early works, including a 12” single entitled “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit.”) So there’s all that. Now Dear’s returning to his old alma mater to stir up a bit of dizzy/dreamy/dance fits at the Blind Pig (November 7), touring in support of his fifth album Beams. Beams, having being recorded in a barn in upstate New York, perhaps brought Dear towards brighter tones and the outdoorsy aesthetic affecting more bliss than brood. But these are still light-dimming, cruise-control-grooving nocturnes; loops, blips and graceful glitches adorn this steady shimmy-set. But the snappier funk riffs and fluid bass gives more heart to the synthetic aesthetic still pumping at a steady techno-pop-friendly BPM.
Cooper with songwriter and singer Susan Urban. 8:30pm. Free.
Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins
Ryan Montbleau Band The Ark
Justin Townes Earle
The Majestic Theater / Friday, November 2
Justin Townes Earle is probably the best bridge Americana music has connecting its past and future. His finger-picking style pops with that oldtimey grit, keeping alive the spirit of the dust bowl troubadours, while his soulfully-charged vocals and ever-changing arrangements charge forward. And at 30, he’s already kind of an elder-statesman; he began playing with his father, Steve Earle, before he was a teenager and has already dropped five albums of his own. $20. 7pm. 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-9700. www.majesticdetroit.com. —SR
1 thursday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
The Milk Carton Kids The Ark
This harmonizing, minimalist duo, use two guitars and two voices to create a new combination of back-porch Americana and classic folk. Relying on compelling narrative, natural stage chemistry, and a seamless interplay between their 1950s acoustics and well-constructed harmony lines which play more like counterpoint melodies. 8pm. $15.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Milo Greene - Blind Pig
This rising indie-rock quintet plays dreamy tunes while harmonizing, sharing lead vocals and often switching instruments during performances. 9pm. $10.
2 friday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop We Are The Union The B-Side
Ann Arbor/Metro-Detroit based ska-punks return to Ann Arbor for a free show in support of their newest full-length effort, You Can’t Hide The Sun. 7pm. Free.
Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Mixed Nuts Silvio’s Organic Pizza
Paul, Rick, and Tom are three troubadours from Chelsea who will entertain you with acoustic originals and covers. 7pm. No cover.
February Sky Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room
February Sky is traditional singer and Celtic guitarist Phil
They make catchy folk-pop with lyrics made for singing along. But what really sets them apart is instrumental artistry that adds deeper jazz and funk layers to the sound. 8pm. $16.
3 saturday Classical & Spiritual
Sabor Latino Michigan Theater
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra heats up with some Latin flavor as they present an evening featuring Uruguayan guitar sensation Marco Sartor. 8pm. $10-$58.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
Band-O-Rama: American Salute - Hill Auditorium
The UM University Bands come together to celebrate American culture with a program that ranges from traditional marches to Broadway and contemporary rock n’ roll. 7:30pm. $5-$18.
Motor City Sidestrokers Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room
The husband-and-wife team of Bob and Ellen Doster takes on the lead and harmony vocals, with Bob on guitar and Ellen belting out the tunes with her amazing voice. Doc Mariotti is the Sidestrokers’ resident fiddler, mandolin and occasional guitar player, and Tex Ragsdale slaps a bass line while lending back-up vocals. 8:30pm. Free
Jazz, Blues & R&B Bobby Murray Band Guy Hollerin’s
Blues guitarist Bobby Murray played with the great Etta James for twenty two years. Bobby currently leads his own band since moving to Detroit from California in 1996. 8pm. $5.
Dance & Techno DJ Scooty D Millennium Club
Hit the dance floor every Saturday with DJ Scooty D. 9pm. No cover.
music 4 sunday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Daniel Johnston Blind Pig
Johnston has spent the last 20 or so years exposing his heartrending tales of unrequited love, cosmic mishaps, and existential torment to an ever-growing international cult audience. 8pm. $20.
5 monday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Shawn Mullins - The Ark
Shawn’s music is overflowing with perfect rhymes, telling detail and underlying glimpses of truth. 8pm. $20.
6 tuesday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
Stephen Kellogg And The Sixers - Blind Pig
If you’ve been itching to crank up some bracing, timeless rock & roll, then this band is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. 8pm. $20 adv. / $22 day of.
7 wednesday Jazz, Blues & R&B
Bettye LaVette - The Ark
With a voice as powerful as Etta James and a story as compelling as Tina Turner, Bettye LaVette is finally embracing the superstar status that has eluded her since the sixties. 8pm. $17.50.
Jake Reichbart The Earle Restaurant
Reichbart is an Ann Arbor jazz institution, delighting audiences for almost 20 years, every Wednesday. 7pm.
Dance & Techno
Matthew Dear - Blind Pig
Depending on whom you ask, Matthew Dear is a DJ, a dancemusic producer, an experimental pop artist, a bandleader. 9pm. $12 adv. / $14 day of.
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ecurrent.com / november 2012 23
music
perspective: blues State of the blues by Jerry Mack
The blues is a current. In its purer form the blues won’t be found in the mainstream of popular music, but it is a foundation and underlying force upon which much of contemporary music is built. In spite of its rigid 1-4-5 chord structure, the blues is very fluid in its delivery and keeps the listener moving. Since its acoustic, African-American origins, the blues has become and is as electrifying as anything plugged in. Keep yourself current and check out some of the great blues found at our local clubs. Bettye Levette returns to The Ark for a soulstirring performance on the 7th. The Detroit native who is celebrating her 50th year as a professional performer has never lost her touch for telling the story the way it is, heart and soul. As a teenage singer whose impassioned efforts of hit singles ended with diminished results at the hands of exploitive managers and promoters, she has since struggled, bounced, and grabbed life by the horns to establish herself as a leading female figure in the music world. Among her recent accolades are performances and recognition from rock music heavyweights and a stirring rendition of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come at Barak Obama’s 2008 Inauguration. Packing a new CD Thankful N’ Thoughtful, and a biography, A Woman Like Me, she will move you when she sings her story. Slide guitarist Sonny Landreth will electrify your evening with a pyrotechnic display of rockin’ Louisiana swamp blues on the 11th. His mastery of the open -tuned slide guitar is elevated by a unique fingering-picking ability that drives audiences wild. His mesmerizing guitar work starts with the bent notes of raw Delta blues that are transformed into driving rhythms and end up as stratospheric riffs screaming the blues. He brings with him his latest CD, an all-instrumental effort, Elemental Journey. Mr. B serves up some of his finest blues, jazz, and boogie woogie for a Thanksgiving weekend roots piano feast at the Ark on the 24th. Ann Arbor’s director of blues, boogie-woogie and jazz piano traditions, Mr. B has always delighted crowds whether it’s at the Art Fair, Top of the Park, or joining long-time local blues and roots rock journeymen for a gig.
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Delbert McClinton, inset, Bettye Levette, above, and Sonny Landreth, below, all take the stage at The Ark
Look for Bill Kirchen and Delbert McClinton coming to the Ark on December 4 and 20, respectively. Guy O’Hollerin’s Local Blues & Brews at the Holiday Inn near U of M’s Campus keeps you on course with a Saturday night line up of great local blues and roots music bands in a spacious dance-oriented atmosphere. Bobby Murray Band brings home big time urban jump blues on the 3rd. Murray’s guitar work with Etta James in the 1990’s earned him national attention as well as recognition from BB King and long-time friend Robert Cray. Don’t miss this Motor City guitar maestro. Chris Canas Blues Revolution on the 10th features funk and gospel fused blues highlighted by Canas’ searing guitar work. Jerry Mack and The Terraplanes drive home house- rockin’ blues and roots rock on the 17th. Steve Nardella, long time Michigan roots rocker, plays jump blues and swing standards on the 24th. Happy Hour At Live every Friday from 6:00 to 9:00PM continues to be the happening event to jumpstart your weekend. FUBAR resonates with pop and R&B renditions and originals on the 2nd. Drivin’ Sideways invites you in for a rockin’ urban honky tonk party on the 9th & 30th. The Vibratrons open the doors of your musical experience with state of the art vintage rock on the 16th. Guitarist songwriter Khalid Hanafi whose musical incarnations include Map Of the World, the Maypops and Kiss Me Screaming hosts a CD release party on the 23rd with special guests. Conor O’Neill’s keeps Main St jumpin’ with a solid mix of house rockin’ blues from The Terraplanes on the 3rd and traditional jump blues standards and rockabilly from Michael May & the Messarounds on the 15th and the Shelter Dogs on the 24th. Check out Laith al-Saadi’s powerful, pyrotechnic guitar and vocals covering a wide range of pop, rock, soul, blues and jazz standards and originals. He plays The Black Pearl on Tuesdays; Bar Louie on Wednesdays; The Blue Tractor on Thursdays. The Detroit Blues Society keeps the blues alive in the Motor City. Check out the website for event updates, information on area bands, monthly meeting schedules and membership opportunities at www.detroitbluessociety.org .
Lucy Wainwright Roche & Lindsay Fuller
music
The Ark / Thursday 8
fret work, and an airtight, seemingly veteran rhythm section, creating an elaborate and euphoric sonic landscape. 9:30pm. $8 / $11 under 21.
Lucy didn’t go into the family business right away, but thank God she eventually did. The daughter of folk musicians, Loundon Wainwright and Suzzy Roche, Lucy was an elementary teacher in NYC for many years, before 2006, when she decided to pursue music full time. Armed with the family’s trademark angelic voice and evocative capability, she pulls every bit of her weight in a dynasty of giants. And Lindsay Fuller adds a dark Southern sound when the duo appear on stage together. $15. 8pm. The Ark, 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1451. www.theark.org. —SR
cont. from page 23 Country & Bluegrass
Dragon Wagon Cavern Club
A2’s favorite band brings rollickin’ bluegrass this November to the Circus’s Weds Nite Bluegrass series. 10:30pm. $5 under 21.
8 thursday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Matisyahu EMU Pease Auditorium
Brighten your existence with this purveyor of soulful hip-hop with jamming world rhythms and conscious, spiritual lyrics. 6:30pm. $28 adv. / $30 day of.
Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Joe Pug - Blind Pig
This gritty troubadour brings his blue collar tunes to A2 without any gimmicks. 8pm. $12 adv. / $14 day of.
9 friday Jazz, Blues & R&B Team Isoscelove Silvio’s Organic Pizza
The two trios, Team Love, and Isosceles, join forces for an evening of eclectic covers and originals. 7pm. No cover.
Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Ghost City Searchlight Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room
Ghost City Searchlight plays charismatic folk-punk inspired by traditional Celtic and American folk songs infused with raucous energy. 8:30pm. Free.
Tom Chapin - The Ark
The younger brother of Harry Chapin and the son of renowned drummer Jim Chapin, Tom Chapin has the knack of appealing equally to adults and children. 8pm. $22.50.
10 saturday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
Aimee Mann Royal Oak Music Theatre
The Ark presents this indie-pop temptress just a short drive up in Royal Oak as she proves her longevity and inspires a new generation of fearless female artists. 8pm. $39.50-$49.50.
David Bazan Band Blind Pig
David Bazan was, for many years, the songwriter and driving force behind the acclaimed indie band Pedro the Lion, building a dedicated following and selling a couple hundredthousand albums based in large part on his extraordinary melodic sense and erudite, theologically-themed songs. Tonight they play all of Pedro the Lion’s Control. 9pm. $12 adv./ $14 day of.
Killer Flamingos Cavern Club
One of Detroit’s best rock bands ignites a pop-rock explosion that A2 begs to get hit with again and again. 10pm. $5 21+ / $10 under 21.
Songs of Sheldon Harnick Kerrytown Concert House
Brent Wagner and students from the U of M Musical Theatre Department present a tribute to lyricist Sheldon Harnick. 2pm. $10-$30.
Classical & Spiritual
Miyabi Downtown Library
Spend a delightful afternoon with Miyabi, a traditional Japanese music group who play the Koto – a Japanese stringed instrument. 1pm.
11 sunday Jazz, Blues & R&B
Freddy Cole Kerrytown Concert House
Freddy currently leads a quartet made up of himself, guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey. 4:30pm. $15-$35.
15 thursday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Katie Herzig - The Ark
Featured on the bill of the 2009 Ann Arbor Folk Festival, Colorado-to-Nashville transplant Katie Herzig fronted a band called Newcomers Home for eight years and then broke out with her solo release “Weightless.” 8pm. $15.
Sonny Landreth - The Ark
Louisiana’s mesmerizing master of the slide guitar can do it all—think three-finger left-hand chords with a bottleneck on the left little finger, and a whole battery of effects coming from the right hand. 7:30pm. $25.
12 monday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Lynn Miles - The Ark
Canadian-born songwriter Lynn Miles combines the emotional intensity of Lucinda Williams with the common-touch songcraft of Shawn Colvin and delivers the results in a beautiful melancholy package. 8pm. $15.
13 tuesday Classical & Spiritual
Finnish National Romantics: Sibelius And Madetoja - Kerrytown Concert House
Co-sponsored by University of Michigan’s Residential College and the Scandinavian Program, this show features Finnish national romantic chamber music by two Finnish composers, Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) and Leevi Madetoja (1887-1947). 8pm. Free.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Pentatonix - Blind Pig
This 5-person vocal band, born in Arlington, Texas, combines various genres such as pop, soul, R&B, and electronic music. 8pm. $20.
16 friday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic Gilberto Gil Hill Auditorium
Don’t miss this world music icon as he continues his journey modernizing the vibrant sounds of Brazilian pop. 8pm. $10-$50.
Old Friends Silvio’s Organic Pizza
Old Friends is a trio consisting of Gary Williamson, Shekinah E., and Griff Griffin playing harmonica, acoustic guitar, mandolin/accordion and singing. 7pm. No cover.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
Deals Gone Bad - Blind Pig With elements of ska, rocksteady, reggae, and American soul, DGB is sure to please on the dance floor. 9pm. $8 adv. / $10 day of.
17 saturday Jazz, Blues & R&B
Dave Holland Big Band Michigan Theater
To Light A Fire - Blind Pig
Bassist and composer, Dave Holland, leads his big band out for a night of high energy entertainment. 8pm. $18-$48.
14 wednesday
Jerry Mack And The Terraplanes Guy Hollerin’s
Thoughtful indie rock is brought to life with this up and coming trio. 9:30pm. $5/ $8 under 21.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop
The Broad’s Way: Belters From Babs To Burnett Kerrytown Concert House
Acclaimed singer and actress Julia Hawkins has performed extensively through out the Midwest and the South to rave reviews and presents a tribute to some of Broadway’s leading ladies and the women who have been influential to her. 8pm. $5-$25.
Weekly Blues and Brews gets rowdy with Jerry Mack and the Terraplanes. 8pm. $5.
Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Iris DeMent - The Ark
With a heartfelt, homespun voice that listeners recognize instantly, Iris released some of the most powerful roots albums of the 1990s. 8pm. $30.
Roster McCabe - Blind Pig This Minneapolis outfit combines soulful vocals, lush programming, heavy guitar riffs, swirling and intelligent
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music cont. from pg 25
18 sunday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
The Carolina Chocolate Drops - The Ark
The Carolina Chocolate Drops proved that the old-time, fiddle and banjo-based music they’d so scrupulously researched and passionately performed could be a living, breathing, ever-evolving sound. 7:30pm. $50-$500.
19 monday Jazz, Blues & R&B
Oluyemi And Kenn Thomas Duo Kerrytown Concert House Kenn Thomas is a pianist and synthesizer player who lives in Ypsilanti, and just happens
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to be Oluyemi’s brother who himself is a master of many instruments, with a particular predilection for the bass clarinet, C melody saxophone, and musette. 8pm. $5-$25.
20 tuesday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
The Crane Wives The Ark
Using three-part vocal harmonies, eclectic instrumentation and a knack for dynamics, they create organic music that is both accessible and innovative. Each live show features contagious energy as well as original music that ranges from whisper quiet ballads to danceable grooves.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Pinback - Blind Pig
Between two musicians, Pinback lays out beautiful melodies that are deceptively complex, layering sounds and
2012 / ecurrent.com
instruments upon one another and trading contrasting vocal parts with ease. 9pm. $15.
21 wednesday Dance & Techno Shigeto - Blind Pig
Come on out for vividly beautiful electronic music. Beat-driven but given to richly textured sound design, rhythmically fractured but melodically sumptuous. 9:30pm. $10.
23 friday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Matt Watroba - The Ark
Kick off the holiday season with a concert by a Michigan folk music institution! After years at WDET’s “Folks Like Us,” Matt Watroba is now a host at the FolkAlley.com online radio station, and he’s the kind of guy who makes friends easily. 8pm. $15.
Ebb Tide - Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room
All three members of the trio collaborate on songwriting. Ebb Tide will be playing original tunes with a folksy, classic country and old rock-n-roll vibe. 8:30pm. Free.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop The Finer Things Blind Pig
These guys serve up deliciously poppy tunes filled with layers of eclectic sounds. 9:30pm. $7 / $10 under 21.
24 saturday Jazz, Blues & R&B Mr. B - The Ark
Each year Mr. B stops in at The Ark for a Thanksgiving weekend concert, and it always brings something new from this local treasure. 8pm. $20.
cont. on pg 28
music music
perspective: folk
Ode to Levon
Joe Pug: Dodging the wind by Scott Recker
Recently Joe Pug was going through a lyrical dry-spell. For the better part of a year, since around the time he finished his latest album The Great Despiser, he couldn’t write a song without scrapping it. But the 20-something folkie armed with blue-collar sensibilities and a poetic articulateness wasn’t really worried about it; he would just have to be prepared when the creative flood gates once again lifted. And a couple of weeks ago they did. “You can’t make it do it, you can’t force it to do it, it just comes when it comes and hopefully you’re ready,” says Pug. “And hopefully you’ve spent time sharpening your abilities and your craft, so when it comes you can put it on paper as quickly and as clearly as possible.” Really everything in his short and successful career — from recording his first, highly-praised EP of scrappy solo work, 2008’s The Nation of Heat, to opening for the late, masterful drummer of The Band and dynamic Americana musician, Levon Helm — has been a juxtaposition to this clear-eyed perspective. And living by that work-in-themoment, don’t-fret about-the-future paradigm has been treating him pretty damn well.
Call it what you will
College wasn’t for him. He left before his senior year, moving from North Carolina to Chicago. (“I didn’t know it was the right move; I just knew the wrong move was staying where I was.”) He picked up a construction job and started plucking around on a guitar he hadn’t picked up for years. Before long he was playing open mics. Then there was a stroke of luck: he befriended a studio engineer that liked his sound and allowed him to use recording slots when other musicians cancelled at the last minute. These accidently became the Nation of Heat Sessions. “We didn’t even know we were making an album at the time; we just had nothing better to do,” say Pug. “I had some songs and he had some studio time,” says Pug. “At a point I realized I liked more songs than I didn’t like. That was the tipping point” Obviously, just like almost any celebrated underground album it took a while to take off. He gave it away for a long time, but he did it a little bit differently: He mailed it, paying for the postage, to anyone who was interested — even sending multiple copies for friends. “Now it’s absolutely standard that if you’re an inde-
pendent band, trying to break in, you have to give your music away — that’s just sort of the deal,” he says. “But, five years ago, it wasn’t exactly reinventing the wheel or anything, but it was at the start of that curve and I feel like we caught it at the right time.”
Don’t look back
Joe Pug opened up for the late Levon Helm at one of his final shows, that took place in Ann Arbor at the Michigan Theater. He filled Current in on that experience: “When he stepped onstage — and I think in the late stages of his life he was in a fair amount of physical pain —it seemed like it all melted away from him and he was this lightbeam with happiness emanating from him. It was like watching Buddha being on the drumkit or something, man. You hope you can feel a small bit of the contentment that he seemed to feel at the shows.”
Ever since then its been rapid-fire releases and non-stop touring. There was another solo EP, In The Meantime, then he made the edgy, now-almost-expected move in the acoustic-roots world: He formed a band and went electric. “It’s a different world,” he says. “There was a time a couple years ago when I went through some pretty difficult growing pains getting used to it, but I’m playing with this small group right now and when we go on the road, we’re really tuned in.” 2010’s Messenger showed glimpses of it, but it wasn’t until Great Despiser that the full band was truly let loose. And while the Nation of Heat seemed to be about a country — and its values — circulating back to the same old destructive ideas, Despiser appeared to follow a redemptive journey of how a good heart can specialize in bad decisions. But Pug claims no body of his work is conceptual. “I wish I could give myself the credit of some master plan or a premeditated direction, but my plan is just to sit down and write the best songs that I can,” he says. “But I feel that if you’re pretty in touch with yourself and your writing, if you have a natural process of getting things out from deep within, they are sort of naturally going to be about the same themes. It’s a part of the story — your own narrative — that you’re living at that point of your life.” Joe Pug plays the Blind Pig, 208 N. First St., with Amy Cook on Thursday, November 8 at 8pm. Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 day of. For more info, visit www.blindpigmusic.com. ecurrent.com / november 2012 27
cont. from pg 26 Steve Nardella Guy Hollerin’s
Nardella has been blasting away with his 1956 Gibson for decades now, and can rattle off more than 400 vintage tunes – from the blues to ‘50s rock and even the archives of ‘40s swing. 8pm. $5.
28 wednesday Classical & Spiritual
Mad About Chamber Music Kerrytown Concert House Students from the chamber music program at the University of Michigan perform a variety of works. 8pm. Free.
Country & Bluegrass
Lonesome County Circus Bar & Billiards
These guys have soaring vocal harmonies and hard-driving roots rhythms for high energy bluegrass. 10:30pm. $5 under 21.
30 friday Jazz, Blues & R&B Sel De Terre Silvio’s Organic Pizza
This group will get you tapping your feet and up dancing for sure. They play traditional Cajun music; driving 2-steps, beautiful waltzes and some bluesy Creole songs. 7pm. No cover.
Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Winterbloom - The Ark
Internationally successful singer-songwriters: Antje Duvekot, Anne Heaton, Meg Hutchinson, and Natalia Zukerman have carved their own paths in indie folk, Americana and pop, they have celebrated one another’s accomplishments on the road, and fostered the spirit of collaboration. 8pm. $20.
Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop The Macpodz - Blind Pig
One of A2’s favorite bands continues to get audiences rollin’ on the dance with high energy jazz and funk infused jams. 9:30pm. $10/ $13 under 21.
29 thursday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic
Leo Kottke - The Ark
His music encompasses influences from all over the world, and players from outside the folk world closely follow what he does. 8pm. $35.
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For even more events www.ecurrent.com
ecurrent.com / november 2012  29
film
slain fellow officer. Promised reinstatement in the force in exchange for his efforts, Tellis is paired with the victim’s volatile ex-partner Henry Oak (Ray Liotta) and soon begins to actively seek the killer in an increasingly complex case.
14 wednesday Spin
Free. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main. www.elmoshideaway.com
Panning for gold
How could a 1980s how-to-care-for-your-ferret video not be awkwardly hilarious? And that's a taste of what the guys from The Found Footage Festival — which screens at the Michigan Theater on Wednesday, November 14 — have up their sleeves. Joe Pickett (The Onion) Nick Prueher (Late Show with David Letterman) host — in person — this unique assembly of old, embarrassing VHS tapes that were found on the street, at a garage sale or a thrift shop. Just hope mom and dad didn't sell that music video you made in 6th grade. $11. 9:15pm. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org. —SR
5 monday True Romance
$10. 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.
Quentin Tarantino scripted this wild and wooly blend of action and dark comedy, which reached theaters a year before his breakthrough hit Pulp Fiction. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a well-meaning but socially unskilled comic-shop clerk whose idea of a big night out is catching a Sonny Chiba triple-feature at a downtown grindhouse.
7 wednesday Movement One
$10. 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.
This dance documentary follows Emmy-nominated choreographer Teddy Forance and a group of 19 dancers as they create a 30-minute dance production in just 8 days.
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The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Free. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main. www.elmoshideaway.com
Audiences applaud at the end of this documentary. New Zealanders Jools and Linda Topp have become phenomenally successful among the Kiwis for the sprightly combination of comical characters and catchy ditties, and this exuberant film captures the joy they bring both to their performance and to their daily lives.
12 monday Narc
$10. 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org
Suspended from the police force following an undercover drug bust gone horribly awry, Detroit undercover narcotics officer Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is reluctantly goaded back into active duty in hopes that he can help to crack the case of a
2012 / ecurrent.com
Pirated satellite feeds revealing U.S. media personalities’ contemptuous plans for their viewers come full circle in Spin. TV out-takes appropriated from network satellite feeds unravel the tightly spun fabric of television, a system which silences public debates and furthers the intolerance of anyone outside the pack of journalists, politicians, spin doctors and televangelists who manufacture the news. Spin moves through the L.A. rebellion and the floating TV talk-show called the 1992 U.S. presidential election.
18 sunday I Am
$10 suggested donation. 1pm. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.
Faced with his own major depressive crisis, director Thom Shadyac (Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty) interviews philosophers, psychologists, and men and women of faith and science about the meaning of life, what’s wrong with the world, and what we can do to fix it.
19 monday Louder Than Love: The Grande Ballroom Story
$10. 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.
While the West Coast was grooving to the sounds of the “Summer of Love” in 1967, Detroit was pumping out a hard-driving, gritty, raw sound. At the epicenter of this seminal music scene stood the Grande Ballroom, Detroit’s original rock and roll palace. That sound was Louder Than Love.
23 friday Warner Bros. Cartoons
$10. 11:30 am. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty St.. 734-668-8397. www. michtheater.org
Enjoy a laugh with friends and family as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and all of the Looney Tunes gang take over the silver screen of the historic main theater. The Michigan Theater will show a selection of Warner Bros. cartoons for all ages and offer the perfect pitstop during the start of the busy holiday shopping season.
24 saturday
UM-OSU Football on the Big Screen
Free admission; suggested donation $35 individual / $20 child or $100 family.11am. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org
Watch the epic battle live as the Vada Murray Fund for Cancer Research hosts its first annual Tailgate Party to raise funds for cancer research.
26 monday Standing In The Shadows of Motown $10. 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.
Based on the book of the same name by Allan Slutsky, Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a historical tribute to the unsung heroes responsible for some of the greatest hits of pop music. Part documentary and part concert performance, this film is an introduction to the intriguing personas of the Hitsville studio band originally assembled by Berry Gordy in 1959.
28 wednesday American Autumn: An Occudoc
Free. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main. www.elmoshideaway.com
This necessary and informative film looks at the faces behind the Occupy Wall Street movement. Looking at “occupied” NY, DC, and Boston, it’s an effective and heartfelt clarion call. We see footage of dramatic clashes with baton-wielding, pepper-spraying police, but more of the focus is on event speakers and on-the-fly interviews with organizers and participants.
theater Randolph Mantooth, left, and Brian Marable in a scene from The Purple Rose’s production of “Superior Donuts.” Below, director Guy Sanville
Carter
Draft-dodging, donuts and a second chance The Purple Rose highlights a “coward” with courage The opening play of the Purple Rose Theatre’s 20122013 season is Tracy Letts’ “Superior Donuts,” the play that followed Letts’ “August: Osage County” which won the Pulitzer prize in 2008. Randy Mantooth, perhaps best known for his work in the long running 1970s, “Emergency!,”portrays an aging 60s former draft dodger who now runs a donut shop in Chicago. I spoke with Mantooth and Guy Sanville, the Purple Rose’s artistic director, who is directing Superior Donuts.
Tell us about the play.
Sanville: This script, the deeper we get into it, the more incredible it is. It’s a really great piece of writing. This play has a lot of heart in it. So did August: Osage County. This play doesn’t have incest in it! [As that one did] (Laughter) I think Mr. Letts wrote this one from the heart. It’s good heart. It’s not stupidly sentimental. It’s a play about a guy who finds the courage to become a friend. There’s a sweetness to it and a lot of heart. It’s easy to dismiss that as light. He did try to write a comedy here, although I laughed my ass off at August: Osage too. He’s also said that he wanted to write a play about Chicago, where he’s lived for 20 years. In many ways this play is a love letter to Chicago. Mantooth: His descriptions show that he not only knows the history of Chicago, but he also has this real fondness for it and that comes out in the dialog every time. The play shows the dark side of Chicago as well. It exposes that.
Superior Donuts takes place in the present, but your character, Arthur, grew up in the Vietnam era, right?
Photos by Sean
by Sandor Slomovits
Mantooth: Arthur is an evader, he goes to Canada, spends a lot of time there. He couldn’t even come back for his father’s funeral. He has to deal with that. He has to deal with the fact that his father was not forgiving [Arthur for going to Canada]. I was lucky. I was in school then, and by the time I got out of school, it [the war] was over.
So this role hits pretty close to home for you.
Mantooth: I think for anybody our age it will hit very close to home, because they will all sit there and go…
There but for the grace of…
Mantooth: Yeah. Arthur had hope as a kid. He had to have had hope as a kid; otherwise, if he hadn’t had hope, he’d have gone to Vietnam! But he paid a dear price for making that decision, to not go. Sanville: Arthur has been called a coward his whole life, and then he has to choose whether or not to fight for something.
He’s getting a second chance?
Sanville: I think it’s very much a story of redemption. It’s one of the things that appealed to me. I love stories about second chances. Superior Donuts runs through December 15th at the Purple Rose Theatre. Tickets are $27-$42. Times vary. www.purplerosetheatre.org ecurrent.com / november 2012 31
theater Comedy
1 thursday
Ben Creed
$8-$13. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com
As soon as Ben hits the stage his quick wit and charismatic comedy takes over. He brings his refreshingly original material, and dead on delivery to us from the Big Apple - with an outrageous outlook on life that will have you rolling in the aisles. Through November 3.
15 monday Pat Dixon
$8-$13. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com
Recognized as a top-notch writer and engaging performer, Dixon combines a conversational style with tight, punchy material all fueled by a uniquely off-kilter comedic sensibility. Pat has appeared on Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend,” “Comedy Central Presents Pat Dixon,” as well as “Comedy.tv” and “Stand Up 360.” Through November 17.
29 monday Moody McCarthy
$8-$13. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com
Ever since Moody began honing material in the 1900s people have predicted stardom for him. Well, those people have been debunked. But Moody kept honing (he’s a honer) and became a superb stand-up comic. Based out of New York, he’s left crowds wanting more {Hey, is that an insult?} all over North America and even Asia. With his playful take on everything from the allure of women with raspy voices to the joys of
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crossing time zones, Moody is bankable in any venue. Through December 1.
Theater
2 friday
A Night in the Windy City - Chicago Style Donut Soiree $200. 5:30 pm. Village Conference Center, 1645 Commerce Park Dr. Chelsea, MI. 734-433-7673. www.purplerosetheatre.org
The Purple Rose Theatre Company celebrates its fall production, Superior Donuts, with a Chicago-themed gala event. The event will feature a cocktail hour, fall harvest dinner with vegetarian options, live music, a photo booth, live auction and a performance of Superior Donuts. After dinner and the live auction (emceed by Lucas Daniels), guests can ride a trolley car, provided by Tecumseh Trolley & Limousine Service, to the Purple Rose Theatre for an 8:30pm performance of Superior Donuts.
9 friday The Glass Menagerie
$13-$15. 8pm. The Village Theater, 50400 Cherry Hill Rd., Canton. 734-394-5300. www.cantonvillagetheater.org.
Tennessee Williams’ award-winning portrayal of a disintegrating family in the American Deep South is one of his most sensitive and tragic plays. Amanda has struggled to raise her children, Tom and Laura, during the depression. Now she is seeking to marry off her shy, crippled daughter, fearing that Laura will become an old spinster, and worried that Tom will abandon them both to seek out a life of his own elsewhere. Laura’s reclusive life revolves around her collection of glass animals, each as delicate and fragile as she is. When Tom brings a friend home to meet her, she finally believes there is
2012 / ecurrent.com
15 monday Legally Blonde
$10-$25. 8pm. Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N. University. 734-971-0605. www.a2ct.org
From the beloved movie Legally Blonde, onto the musical theater stage steps Elle Woods,
the perky sorority girl who chases her ex-boyfriend, Warner, from undergraduate school to Harvard Law. Convinced that she just needs to prove to her ex that she’s smart enough to take seriously, Elle embarks on a quest to earn a law degree and Warner’s heart, but learns so much more along the way. Through November 18.
On the stage
The fall theater season is at its height. And whether you're a fan of the classics or the edgy and modern, here's some of the best of what's coming.
Don Giovanni
The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance presents Mozart’s beloved opera, directed by Robert Swedberg and conducted by Christopher Lees. It’s a soaring take on the sordid tale of a legendary lover meeting a day of reckoning. $10-26. Sunday, November 11, 2pm. Power Center, 121 Fletcher. 734-764-2538. www.music.umich.edu.
National Theater Live: Timon of Athens
An often-overlooked Shakespeare work gets a lavish modern-dress treatment in the latest live screening of London's National Theater. Stage veteran Simon Russell Beale stars as the wealthy Athenian who spends his fortune on his friends and descends into a private hell of disillusionment. $22. Wednesday, November 28, 7pm. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. www.michtheater.org.
White as Snow, Red as Blood
A dark and timeless fairy tale of murderous jealousy and unlikely rescue gets a lush and lyrical reworking, in V. Glasgow Koste's adaptation of Snow White. Jenny Koppera directs this family-friendly show. $15 adults, $12 students. November 30-December 9. Eastern Michigan University Theatre. 734-487-2282. www.emich.edu/emutheatre—MD
artbeat Manet at the TMA by Louis Meldman
Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883), The Railway, 1872–1873. Oil on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Washington.
I told you to mark your calendars months ago and now it’s here: The world’s first in-depth examination of Édouard Manet’s work as a portraitist. When I say “here” I mean the Toledo Museum of Art, less than an hour away. The exhibition, Manet: Portraying Life, runs through January 1. It was co-organized by the TMA and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, where it will open at the end of January. The show consists of more than 40 works of art from more than 25 of the world’s most prestigious museums. As you know, Manet (18321883) was one of the most stylish, beloved and influential Western European painters, rightly called the father of Impressionism and indeed of Modern Art. Not technically an Impressionist himself (he began as a Realist and always sought to exhibit in the academically jurored Salon) he was a personal friend and elder contemporary of Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cézanne – all the biggies! His later work ushered in the Impressionist style: painting that creates an impression on the viewer’s eye rather than recreating the subject like a photograph. From a distance it looks very real, while a photograph begins to blur. Now regarded as the most popular style of painting among the American public, Impressionism is characterized by visible brushstrokes, emphasis on light and movement, and prosaic subject matter. Whereas academic painting had trended to Biblical, epic, historic, allegorical and mythological themes, the Impressionists documented contemporary modern life, its routines and familiar settings in private and public, in the home and in the streets, in the city and country.
Painting everyday life
Manet came from an influential family. He never had to seek commissions and could afford to paint his family, friends, favored models and those with shared political values, like the future Prime Minister, Georges Clémenceau. He became friends with the leading Parisian men of letters, including poets Baudelaire and Mallarmé. Monet, Proust and Zola were pallbearers at his funeral. (Aside: By chance I came across Manet’s grave with its handsome bronze bust on a stately column in the charming Passy Cemetery near the Trocadero.) At a time when the public confused Manet with Monet, Zola published in
Courtesy of the John Kobal Foundation
art
1866 “A New Style of Painting: M. Édouard Manet” Fred Astaire and Ginger which eased Manet’s acceptance Rogers for “Swing Time,” into the Salon and RKO, 1936 by John Miehle. immortality. (AnHollywood glamour. other aside: I hapIf your partner doesn’t dig 19th cenpened upon the tury French art, maybe he or she will exhibition “Boncome along for the spectacular TMA jour Monsieur exhibition Made in Hollywood: Manet” at the Photographs from the John Pompidou Center Kobal Foundation. More than 90 in 1983, a sweeporiginal vintage prints of the greatest ing review of Mastars and idols from 1920-1960 by 30 net’s oeuvre. But of the finest photographers of the era. as an examination Gods and goddesses like Gable and of his portraiture, Garbo, Harlow and Hepburn, Marilyn the TMA has that Monroe, Cary Grant, Gloria Swanson beat. And this is and Gary Cooper, Bogart, Dietrich, the exclusive U.S. Astaire and Rogers and Chaplin and venue.) Brando and many more. The traveling And there’s show was organized by the Santa Barmore! A parallel bara Museum of Art. When it was at the exhibit compleNational Portrait Gallery in London it menting “Manet: brought in a record-setting number of Portraying Life” visitors. This is its final stop. And it is “Prints and is fine art, not your father’s National Authors from the Enquirer mockup. Time of Manet.” It comprises 120 books, photographs, prints and graphic arts from the same era by the most prominent artists of the period, including Corot, Renoir, Whistler and Manet, himself. This is not strictly portraiture, but a general survey of that art world including landscapes, nature and political works. You can see how the invention of photography, so perfect and exact in its way, spurred the movement to Impressionism. And you will get a vital political-contextual perspective, given that in those same years as our Civil War, France was experiencing warfare from within and without that led the leading artists to fight or flee the country. The show runs through January 20. ecurrent.com / november 2012 33
art
aristocracy. Despite the firm’s abrupt end in 1918, the legacy and name of Fabergé continues to hold a place in popular culture.
From beginning to end
The life of art, just like the life of the person creating it, can change with a single splitsecond decision. The Gallery Project’s newest exhibition, Process as Content — which has a reception on November 23 — will focus on the artist's initial intent and how the work consciously and subconsciously evolved throughout its creation. Friday, November 22 through December 30. 6-9pm. The Gallery Project, 215 S. 4th. 734-997-7012. www.thegalleryproject.com —SR
Grammar of the Elite
The Gallery Project, 215 S. Fourth Ave. 734-997-7012. www.thegalleryproject.com
The latest thought-provoking themed exhibition from the Gallery Project, featuring work in multiple media from cutting edge artists.
Reminiscence of Ann Arbor: Oil on Canvas
Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center North Lobby, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr.734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa/exhibits
A conceptual piece by Namim Kim at the Gallery Project
New Exhibits
2 friday Politically Erect: The Visual Stimulation of Politics
7-11pm.Robbins Gallery, U of M School of Art and Design 2000 Bonisteel. www.art-design.umich.edu
Just in time for the general election, University of Michigan students explore a range of modern day political conceptions through varied media. The show is put on by Helicon, the History of Art Department’s sponsored club.
Drop-in and Draw: Fridays in the Gallery
$10. 11am until 1am. University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-7032. http://www.umma.museum.org
This drop-in gallery class offers an opportunity to be more than an observer at the Museum. With the guidance of the instructor, learn to observe the works in the UMMA collections; experiment with proportion, perspective, line quality, value, composition, and personal style. No experience necessary; all are welcome! This event occurs weekly on Fridays.
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3 saturday Archifest 2012: A Showcase of Work by Local Architects
Ann Arbor District Library, Mallets Creek Branch, 3090 E. Eisenhower Pkwy. 734-327-4200. www.aadl.org
The American Institute of Architects Huron Valley Chapter is proud to present their second biennial showcase of architecture designed by local architects. Huron Valley Chapter members of the AIA work and / or live in Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, or Washtenaw County.
10 saturday 10 Under 40
6-8pm. River Gallery Fine Art, 120 S. Main St., Chelsea. 734-433-0826. www.chelsearivergallery.com
In early spring of 2012 Chelsea River Gallery launched their 2nd major competition in their 9 year history as one of Southeast Michigan’s premier fine art venues. In keeping with their mission to identify and promote emerging talent as well as exhibit mid-career and established visual artists, the gallery sent out a regional call for entries to artists under 40 years of age. Ten artists were selected as finalists, with
2012 / ecurrent.com
work including paintings, prints, drawings, ceramic sculpture, video installation and performance art.
30 friday
begin at 9pm.
Impressions: Selections From Stewart and Stewart 6-8pm. Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St. 734-994-8004. www.annnarborartcenter.org.
A stunning collection of work from the Bloomfield Hills publisher of fine art prints. Norman and Susan Stewart have invited artists to create fine print editions in their studio since 1980, and their output has been featured in museums, galleries and private collections worldwide. This retrospective features work spanning the past four decades.
ongoing
Fabergé: The Rise and Fall Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900. www.dia.org
This show features more than 200 precious objects from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, home of the largest collection of Fabergé in the United States. The show traces Karl Fabergé’s rise to fame, highlighting his business savvy, artistic innovations, and privileged relationship with the Russian
Born and raised in China, Mingshi Huang studied at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan, where he earned his graduate degrees. Huang travels extensively between the US and China and currently teaches at Nanjing University in Jiangsu Province. Recently, he completed several monumental museum commissioned sculptures in China. This exhibition is a reminiscence of Huang’s work done while in Ann Arbor.
Bowling, Burgers & Dogs
Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center North Lobby, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. 734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa/exhibits
After receiving a BFA from Rutgers University, Denise Rohde went on to study photography with renowned photographer Art Sinsabaugh at the University of Illinois. Working for years in a darkroom, the switch to digital allowed her to draw from her painting and printmaking experience. Being able to combine mediums digitally has unleashed her imagination.
For even more events www.ecurrent.com
everything else Current Reads New Prince bio offers pure purple perfection by Jason Webber
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to discuss a book; nay, THE book, on this crazy little thing called Prince. And, baby, it’s a star. Much has been written about the legendary Minneapolis wunderkind Prince during the course of his 30+ year career, with bios ranging from the brilliant (“Prince: A Pop Life” by Dave Hill) to the mediocre (“Purple Reign” by Liz Jones) to the execrable (“Possessed: The Rise and Fall of Prince” by Alex Hahn). But author/screenwriter/lecturer Matt Thorne has written what should be the final word on the mad genius known as Prince Rogers Nelson. At a spine-busting 562 pages, there is now quite literally nothing more to say about Prince or his music. It’s all here—dance, sex, romance, and above all, the music. Oh my God, the music. What immediately separates “Prince” from any previous bio written on the man is that Thorne avoids most of the clichés that typically befall the celeb biography. In an age of Kitty Kelleys and Andrew Mortons, Thorne doesn’t focus on the more lurid aspects of Prince’s life, nor does he even really tell the story chronologically. Little attention is given to Prince’s love affairs (outside of which muse inspired which song) or his personal eccentricities but Thorne analyzes Prince’s music to an almost microscopic degree, dissecting his vast discography with an attention to detail that borders on being overwhelming. Filled with fantastic interviews with former Prince collaborators including Dez Dickerson, Matt Fink, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman; even ol’ Chris Moon, who gave Prince his first crack at a professional recording studio way back in the mid-‘70s. Obviously, this book will only really appeal to Prince fans and to music scholars who truly wish to understand the true depths of Prince’s artistry and genius, but those purple-minded freaks who can breathlessly describe what it was like the first time they heard Prince will find this book to be downright orgasmic. Pop culture and music theory professors across the world will no doubt be sending their students to the college bookstore to buy this tome and considering what a page-turner it is, this one will unlikely be returned on “sell your textbooks back” day (for the record, physical copies of “Prince” aren’t yet available in the States yet but you can order the paperback edition from Amazon’s UK site. The Kindle edition is readily available at the regular Amazon site.). Thorne does an amazing job of not only charting the course of Prince’s artistic development but of showing exactly how and why Prince still matters in a day when no one really buys CDs anymore and the only way an unknown artist stands a chance of being signed is to appear on “American Idol” or “The Voice” or to become a YouTube sensation. While Prince
was one of the true pioneers of the online music world (he mentioned the concept of file-sharing as far back as ’95 in the song “Get Wild”), he ended up renouncing the Internet as “dead” just a few years ago. There’s no official website, no Prince videos on YouTube, and he hasn’t followed the road usually taken by other aging music titans by remastering and rereleasing his back catalog with outtakes and extra tracks. Thorne may be an amazing journalist and researcher but he’s also clearly a fan and he gets just as frustrated with Prince as all of us who continued to buy his albums during the years when he was writing ‘Slave’ on his face and using that male/ female symbol as his name. And let me tell you, if you declared yourself a Prince fan during those wilderness years, you often got some pretty frosty looks. But “Prince” reminds us that despite Prince’s many missteps (like, oh, say, “discovering” Carmen Electra), this enigmatic man remains one of the few musicians since the invention of rock-n-roll to ever have truly been touched by genius. Thorne has accomplished a truly remarkable task by producing the definitive work on one of the world’s most important artists—not an easy thing to do. But he’s done it. “Prince” by Matt Thorne Faber and Faber, 562 pages
ecurrent.com / november 2012 35
everything else
Meet Journalist Susan Whitall
Downtown Library / Thursday, November 15 Susan Whitall rocks
out! The envy of many aspiring rock journalists is making her way to the Ann Arbor District Library to discuss her incredible career and some of her most memorable interviews with the biggest rock stars and pop culture icons. Whitall is one of the leading national observers of the historic Detroit music scene. She was one of the women on staff with the legendary Creem Magazine in the 1970’s and eventually earned the job as the publication’s editor. Since the 1980’s she has been a feature writer for the Detroit News. She also authored the books Fever: The Fast Life and Mysterious Death of Little Willie John and the Birth of Soul and Women of Motown. She will also be signing books after her discussion. 7-8:30pm. Downtown Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4555. www.aadl.org—JG
1 thursday Transforming the Human Spirit: From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace
Free. Pierpont Commons, 2101 Bonisteel Blvd. www.facebook.com/TransformingMI
The exhibit is organized by the Value Creation Society, an officially recognized student club at the University of Michigan. The exhibit covers topics that threaten human security such as poverty, war and nuclear weapons. Through November 10.
A Voyage To The Edge Of The Universe With Author Terence Dickinson 7-8:30pm. Downtown Library, 343 South Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. www.aadl.org
In this highly illustrated presentation, astronomy author Terence Dickinson begins with the stars and constellations seen on a clear night from his backyard in rural Ontario, then reveals the grandeur of the universe as seen through telescopes and by satellites and space probes. The program includes tips on the easiest way to find and view planets, stars, constellations, northern lights and advice on buying your own telescope. Terence will also cover details from his justreleased new book Hubble’s Universe: Greatest Discoveries And Latest Images.
3 saturday Annual Hosta Seed Trade
10am-2pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-6477600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg
A hosta seed trade and special presentation on embryo rescue by Patrick Brown.
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Transforming the Human Spirit: Keynote Lecture and Community Dialogue 1-3:30pm. Pierpont Commons, 2101 Bonisteel Blvd. www.facebook.com/TransformingMI
The audience is invited to participate in a discussion on nuclear abolition, education, poverty, environmental sustainability, and the role of religion, philosophy, and human attitude in helping resolve these issues.
7 wednesday Meet Chef and Author Brian Polcyn
7pm. Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. www.nicolasbooks.com
Polcyn will do a demonstration and signing of his new book “Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing.” Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn inspired a revival of artisanal sausage making and bacon curing with their surprise hit, Charcuterie. Now Chef Polcyn delves deep into the Italian side of the craft with Salumi, a book that explores and simplifies the recipes and techniques of dry curing meats.
8 thursday Meet Author Dick Wagner 7pm. Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. www.nicolasbooks.com
Rock guitarist and Detroit area native Dick Wagner will be signing and discussing his memoir ‘Not Only Women Bleed: Vignettes From the Heart of a Rock Musician.’ As well as being musical director and long time collaborator with Alice Cooper, Wagner also penned many songs for Aerosmith, KISS, Lou Reed, Frank Sinatra and many more.
10 saturday
24 saturday
7th Annual Wine, Women, & Shopping Ladies’ Day & Artisans Market
23rd Annual Handspinners’ Holiday Fair
Come kick off the holiday season in downtown historic Chelsea, and beat the rush with a memorable day on the town. Wine, dine, and explore the train depot Artisans Market, all while supporting local businesses. Just look for the red and white balloons!
Holiday shoppers and collectors of fiber art will find much to tempt them at the 23rd Annual Handspinners’ Holiday Fair. This popular event, presented by the Spinner’s Flock handspinning guild will offer a wide variety of items handcrafted by guild members. In addition to handspun yarns, this sale will feature knitted, woven and felted garments, as well as hats, purses, jewelry, toys, dolls, ornaments and felted wall hangings. Books, spinning wheels and related equipment will also be available. Demonstrations of handspinning and other fiber crafts will take place throughout the day.
10am-6pm. Historic Downtown Chelsea, Main St., Chelsea. 734-433-0595. www.Winewomenshopping.com
Eco-Restoration Workdays 9am-12pm. Reader Center, 1610 Washington Heights. 734-647-7600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg
Enjoy and learn about the beautiful natural areas at Nichols Arboretum as you contribute to the restoration efforts. Education and tools provided. Individuals welcome to drop-in; groups register in advance. Volunteers under age 18 must submit a permission form prior to participation; those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
11 thursday Miracle Plants and Renegades
1-4pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-647-7600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg
All invited to a program presented by the Michigan Cactus & Succulent Society in which attendees can share stories and information about the culture of plants that were the most difficult or the easiest to grow. Attendees can also share stories about any “miracle” plants or plants that appeared to die but later came back to life.
16 friday Michigan Collegiate Job Fair
9am-2pm. $10 by Novemeber 9th / $15 door. Burton Manor Banquet and Conference Center, 27777 Schoolcraft Rd., Livonia. 734-487-0400. www.mcjf.org.
The bi-annual Michigan Collegiate Job Fair (MCJF) brings graduating seniors and alumni from Michigan’s colleges and universities together with approximately 100 employers to meet one-on-one at this one day event.
10am-4pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-4757922. www.spinnersflock.com
Midnight Madness November 30 7pm-Midnight
28 wednesday Michigan’s Vanishing Train Stations: Architecture, History And Sense Of Place 7-8:30pm. Downtown Library, 343 South Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. www.aadl.org
In this lecture and slideshow, Detroit News reporter Michael H. Hodges discusses the functional and stylistic evolution of the train station over the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the range of styles architects employed to both tame and exalt rail transportation. With references to news accounts, literature and film, he will also examine the central role the train station once played as the nation’s principal crossroads — a much-used, much-loved public space that has no real analogue in American life today.
30 friday Midnight Madness
5-9pm. Downtown Ann Arbor. www.mainstreetannarbor.org
It’s party time in the Main Street area! Join local business owners as they welcome guests with extra special savings. Stores are open late with early Holiday sales. Santa Claus and Miss Washtenaw County will be roaming the sidewalks!
18 sunday Weird & Wonderful Orchids
2-5pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-647-7600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg
A presentation by Dawn Schlote of Mystic Orchids in Ohio on the culture of a number of very unusual orchids. Also, show and tell, raffle, and related items for sale.
For even more events
www.ecurrent.com
ecurrent.com / november 2012 37
crossword
Diamond Capers
Across 1. "You ready to let a real expert give it a try?" 5. Dr Pepper rival, once 11. Members of James Brown's band 14. Bored trucker, perhaps 15. Place for whiskey or bullets 16. Chit 17. Ballplayer arrested for battery, abuse, and possession of drugs and firearms 19. Most preferred, slangily 20. Have a title to 21. Inquire 22. Note on some birthday party invites 24. Mature, in a way 26. New York county near Pennsylvania 27. Ballplayer indicted for perjury 33. Oft-satirized Evangelical bracelet letters 36. HBO character Gold 37. UK adoption source 38. Hawaiian tuna 39. Things both baseball players and criminals might show up in 42. ___ Thai (Marnee Thai dish) 43. Historical Greek city 45. Airport with an Anchor Brewing Company pub 46. Power-mad ruler of old 47. Ballplayer arrested for possession of cocaine, driving under the influence, and battery 51. Hang off of 52. Exhibit Museum of Natural History prefix 56. 100 centesimi, once 59. See 61-Across 61. With 59-Across, cocktail at some themed summer parties
62. Certain menagerie 63. Ballplayer convicted of racketeering 66. White ___ (hamburger pairing, at times) 67. It's from the heart 68. Historically black university in Tennessee 69. You might gain them at the Big House: Abbr. 70. "Lonely Planet" recommendation 71. Shouts at a football game (the other kind) Down 1. Minimum wage gig, perhaps 2. Pack ___ (prepare for a lowkey evening, in a way) 3. Binary type of question 4. Hot temper 5. Ross School degs. 6. You might pull it to get your way 7. 7 letters, on old phones 8. Peaceful 9. Words repeated by Samuel L. Jackson in the diner scene from "Pulp Fiction" 10. Some modern critics 11. Brief second 12. Skiff, e.g.
13. Highway behemoths 18. Steel Reserve malt liquor rival 23. Big name in dog diets 25. Chicago airport code 26. Checks in the fitting room 28. Moo goo ___ pan 29. West or east end 30. 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards host Mike 31. See 64-Down 32. Iraq's Muqtada al-___ 33. Waver? 34. Forehead-wiping word 35. Psychedelic guitar pioneer, to fans 39. "Well aren't you Mr. Fancypants!" 40. Craft in some rumored cover-ups 41. Christian n¸-metal band 44. Not diffÈrent
46. Demolition crew's compound 48. One who deals with a lot of bull shit? 49. Research funding sources 50. Like, big 53. It's provided free by most clients 54. Bit of corporate encouragement 55. Wayne County Fair sounds 56. "The Osbournes" patriarch 57. Mascot to be avoided, in vintage Domino's ads 58. Forever 59. You might change one when winterising your car 60. ___ nitrite (club drug) 64. 31-Down tournament souvenir 65. English electronic act since 1990
for crossword answers, go to ecurrent.com
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style sense
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Bazaar and luncheon on November 9 at Bethlehem United Church of Christ, 423 S. Fourth Ave, Ann Arbor (734-665-6149). Luncheon begins at 11:30 am. Bake sale, crafts, and more begin at 10:00 am. Luncheon tickets for $10 for beef or turkey, salads, pies. Contact church office for tickets
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------------------------------------Meet the Midwives! An open forum to ask questions about the midwives at New Moon Midwifery, home birth, waterbirth, doula support or options in childbirth. 6:30-7:30pm at the Center for the Childbearing Year ~ 722 Brooks St. Ann Arbor, Mi 48103. Free. For more info call 734-424-0220 or www.newmoonmidwifery.com
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Homebirth Circles A social gathering and discussion group families who are considering ------------------------------------- for homebirth, planning a homebirth or Drivers needed to deliver have birthed at home. Sponsored Current to Ann Arbor and by the Midwives at New Moon surrounding areas: Midwifery. 7:30-8:30pm at the Once a month, great pay. Center for the Childbearing Year email distribution@ecurrent.com Brooks St. Ann Arbor, ------------------------------------ ~Mi722 48103. Free. For more info 2012 federal postal call 734-424-0220 or www. positions - now hiring! $13.00- newmoonmidwifery.com $36.50+/hr., Full Benefits / Paid -----------------------------------Training. No experience. Call today! Prenatal, postnatal, 1-800-593-2664 Ext. 141 and sports ------------------------------------ Swedish, massage. Nationally certified. experienced otr drivers van Clinic on A2’s west side. Chair or division: Runs 48 states, heavy table. 17 years experience. Holiday from WI to Philadelphia-Baltimore, MD Gift Certificates or on-site events. area. Flex home time. 99% No-Touch. Call Carol: 734-368-2138 Top Pay! Vacation/401k/Vision/Dental/ Disability/Health. Require Class A CDL, ------------------------------------2 yrs OTR exp., good MVR, references. Call Ruth/Mike TTI, Inc. 1-800-5582664 www.TTItrucking.com
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WANTED
Jacob Down, American Apparel manager and alterations specialist We spotted Down crossing South State Street and had to ask — are you from around here? The glittery do-rag and harem sweatpants somehow worked, and well. Turns out Down is a native Michigander with a penchant for East Coast experimenting when it comes to his wardrobe. We stopped him to talk about standing out and his future fashion dreams. By Alia Orra
How’d you put this getup together?
I wanted to look like a ‘90s thug, so I got some glittery pantyhose and cut them and put them on my head.
Do you ever get any flack for the unique head accessory?
You run into a lot of people who are like, ‘Dude, you look dumb.’ Girls are allowed to have fun with accessories, why aren’t we?
Is being uniquely dressed a passion for you?
It’s not about being stylish. It’s about being happy. When I first moved to Ann Arbor, I was always all buttoned-up and J.Crew. I decided that when I’m old I’ll have to wear that — I’d feel silly wearing a stocking on my head when I’m 30, so I decided to have fun now.
Where are you from originally?
Howell, a small farm town. I have a different uniform when I go back there.
You work at American Apparel. Do you hope to stay in the fashion industry?
It’s so outlandish to dream of being a designer. As long as I have a sewing machine and I can do alterations, I’m happy.
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