iSPY June

JUNE Â 2011

The Washtenaw County Events and Entertainment Monthly

iSPY turns one david bazan fatboy slim brett dennen

yeasayer

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Rooftop Opening st June 1 Walk-in Seating Only!

347 S. Main Street Ann Arbor

(888) 456- 3463

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contents

JUNE

[the  buzz] 06

Andrew Bird, Aziz Ansari & Steve Martin

08

The Moth Invades A2

[scene]

Ann Arbor Summer Festival

09 12

Style: Mad Hatter Foodie: Taste of Ann Arbor Foodie: Palio del Sole

13 14 15

Foodie: Carson’s American Bistro

10 17 20 28 30 32

Fat Boy Slim

Foodie: Temptations & Tuptim Thai Foodie: Adventures in Local Food

[features]

A2 Summer Fest + pg 08

Fat Boy Slim + pg 10

The Antlers Yeasayer Black Jake + The Carnies Brett Dennen David Bazan

[around  you] 18

Event Calendar

24 27

Rate it!

33

Prohibition ends...Again

[review] Kick Some App

[depot  town  rag] PUBLISHER  + tim adkins

EDITORIAL  + [editor  in  chief] amanda slater [writers] amanda slater, ryan place, tim adkins, stefanie stauffer, paul kitti, joseph stromski, tom dodd, marissa mcnees, dwight thomas, aimee mandle, joshua trent, mary simkins, david nassar

ART  + [art  director] joey brandt [photographers] bruno postigo, kristin slater

SALES Â +

[business  development] bilal saeed/bilal@pakmode.com [account  executive] rob smothers/ rob.smothers@pakmode.com

Brett Dennen + pg 30 iSPY Â + Â The Washtenaw County Events and Entertainment Guide Pakmode Media + Marketing 124 Pearl st. Suite 307, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 .EkBD %@W 2@KDR VVV LHROXL@F BNL www.facebook.com/ispyypsi @mispymag

Carson’s + pg 13

Š 2010, iSPY. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part granted only by written permission of Pakmode Media + Marketing in accordance with our legal statement. iSPY is free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. For additional copies you must be granted written permission, with a possible associated cost.

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[THE Â BUZZ]

andrew bird// power center/ june 18

steve martin// power center/ june 25

BY AMANDA SLATER>>>>>>>> Chicago native Andrew Bird is perhaps one of the most beloved and talented indie-folk musicians.

Currently signed to Fat Possum Records, Bird sings, whistles and plays the guitar, violin and glockenspiel. A graduate of Northwestern University with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s GHJUHH LQ YLROLQ SHUIRUPDQFH %LUG VHOI UHOHDVHG KLV ÄşUVW solo album in 1996. After a stint playing in a full band called Andrew Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowl of Fire, he returned to being

aziz ansari// ann arbor/ june 20

BY AMANDA SLATER>>>>>>>>

Even if the name doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sound familiar, chances are youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen Aziz Ansari. Lately, this comedian has been popping up everywhereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from hosting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards to his current role as Tom Haverfordt on NBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parks and Recreation.â&#x20AC;? Ansari began performing stand-up comedy in New York while in college and was mentioned by Rolling Stone in their 2005 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Listâ&#x20AC;? as their â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hot Standupâ&#x20AC;? pick. In 2006, he won the Jury Award for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Best Standupâ&#x20AC;? at HBOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s U. S. Comedy Arts Festival. When he was cast in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parks and Recreationâ&#x20AC;? in 2008, he began receiving recognition from publications like Entertainment Weekly, who named him as one of 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Breakout Stars,â&#x20AC;? TV Guide, who called him a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scene Stealerâ&#x20AC;? and Yahoo! TV, who gave him the top spot on their â&#x20AC;&#x153;TV MVPSâ&#x20AC;? list. In addition to his role on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parks and Recreationâ&#x20AC;? and his standup career, Ansari has made D QXPEHU RI 79 DQG ÄşOP DSSHDUDQFHV LQ VKRZV OLNH q)OLJKW of the Conchordsâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scrubsâ&#x20AC;? and movies including â&#x20AC;&#x153;Get Him to the Greek,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Love You, Man,â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Observe and Reportâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Funny People.â&#x20AC;? Soon audiences will be seeing Ansari again on the big screen in the upcoming â&#x20AC;&#x153;30 Minutes or Lessâ&#x20AC;? starring Jesse Eisenberg, but before then he will be making a stop at 7:30 p.m. on June 12 at the Fillmore Detroit for his Dangerously Delicious Tour or you can catch him at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase on June 20 at 7 and 9:30 p.m.

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a solo musician, this time reinventing his sound. Now, years later, Bird continues to release records and wow audiences at concerts and festivals around the world, and Ann Arbor will get to experience Bird, along with VSHFLDO JXHVW +DOH\ %RQDU ÄşUVWKDQG DW WKH $QQ $UERU Summer Festival Mainstage at 8 p.m. on June 18 at the Power Center. Tickets start at $30 and are available online at www.annarborsummerfestival.org.

BY AMANDA SLATER>>>>>>>> Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all familiar with Steve Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comedy, but many do not know about his music. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right.

Film actor Steve Martin specializes in more than acting and stand-up. He also plays the banjo. In IDFW KH KDV D *UDPP\ 0DUWLQ IDQV ÄşUVW FDXJKW RQ to his musical side in the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, as the banjo was a staple of his stand-up act, and on his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Comedy is Not Pretty!â&#x20AC;? album, he included an instrumental piece called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Drop Thumb Medley.â&#x20AC;? His 1981 album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Steve Martin Brothersâ&#x20AC;? consisted of part stand-up material and part live performances of Martin playing banjo with a bluegrass band.

However, it was Earl Scruggsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; remake of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Foggy Mountain Breakdownâ&#x20AC;? (on which Martin played banjo) that received a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 2002. When Martin released his own an all-music album in 2008 called â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo,â&#x20AC;? he received a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2010. Martin has also appeared at the Grand Old Opry and has showcased his banjo playing skills on American Idol, The Colbert Report and Conan. This month, Martin will be performing at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival Mainstage along with the Steep Canyon Rangers at 8 p.m. on June 25 at the Power Center. Tickets start at $55 and are already sold out, but be on the lookout for last minute sales on eBay and ticket sale sites.

www.mispymag.com

THE BEAT YOU CRAVE. COME CELEBRATE iSPY MAGAZINE’S 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE! visit w w w.mispymag.com for more details

COVER: $10 EVERY 4TH SATURDAY IN THE RED ROOM AT NECTO NIGHTCLUB

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Enter at Necto main entrance; Separate Line, Separate Entrance Strictly 21 + up. Dress to Impress Patrons of SLS will have access to Necto

[SCENE]

the moth invades a2

THE Â MOTH Â â&#x20AC;&#x153;CRACKS Â UPâ&#x20AC;? Â THE Â ANN Â ARBOR Â SUMMER Â FESTIVAL

BY DAVID NASSAR >>>>>>>>

OPHIRA Â EISENBERG Â PHOTO Â COURTESY: Â facebook.com/TheMoth

Since its meager beginnings in founder George Dawes Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York living room in 1997, The Moth Mainstage has been reviving the art of live story-telling to packed rooms around the world, and will be hitting the main stage at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ann Arbor Summer Festival on Thursday, June 23.

The Moth is a critically acclaimed, not-for-profit organization that promotes and fosters the art of story-telling and celebrates the lived-experiences of story-tellers. Over the years, participants have included celebrities like Ethan Hawke, Moby and Darryl â&#x20AC;&#x153;DMCâ&#x20AC;? McDaniels, as well as other wellknown figures in journalism and the arts. But the true power of The Moth lies in the voices of real people telling real stories about the humanexperience. According to TheMoth.org, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moth stories dissolve socio-economic barriers, expose vulnerabilities, and quietly suggest ways to overcome challenges and see with new eyes.â&#x20AC;?

During the Summer Festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incarnation, five renowned story-tellers, including local talent Allison Downey and Holly Hughes, will spin their ten-minute yarns around the theme of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cracked Up: Stories of Comedies and Calamities,â&#x20AC;? live and without notes.

While all stories revolve around the established theme, what makes the event so engaging are the unique, revealing and unexpected ways in which

the story-tellers pull it off. And, since every story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate and often enlightening experience for the audience.

Since October 2009, The Moth StorySLAM has been embraced by standing-room-only crowds the first Thursday of every month at Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic jazz club, Cliff Bellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic style competition that invites locals to share their true-life experiences on stage in front of a live audience. In addition to The Moth Mainstage and StorySLAM, the organization also reaches out to students and disenfranchised adults in underserved neighborhoods, giving a platform to voices that might otherwise have gone unheard through the MothSHOP Community Education Program. The Moth also holds a free, weekly podcast that is downloaded over a million times a month, and the Peabody Award-winning, The Moth Radio Hour, airs weekly on Michigan Radio and is carried by more than 200 stations across the country.

Tickets to The Moth Mainstage at the Ann Arbor Summer Festival start at $25. The show starts at 8 p.m. For more information, visit AnnArborSummerFestival.org and TheMoth.org.

ann arbor summer festival + top of the park

BY MARISSA MCNEES>>>>>>>>

Since 1984, residents of Ann Arbor and people all over the country have come to look forward to the annual Ann Arbor Summer Festival. For 28 years, this event has provided the community with entertainment in music, dance, theater and comedy, and this year, from June 17 to July 10, patrons will have the opportunity to see over 100 scheduled events.

According to the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director, Robb Woulfe, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival got its start when founder, Eugene Power, envisioned a â&#x20AC;&#x153;summer cultural event that would connect audiences with world-class artists, bring the community together and showcase the city and state as a major arts destination.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Power worked in partnership with Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan to secure a place for the festival on campus and began presenting seasons of mainly classical music and theater,â&#x20AC;? said Woulfe. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, the programming scope is much broader, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve evolved into a multidisciplinary arts festival that attracts over 60,000 people to Ann Arbor each year.â&#x20AC;?

Heading into the 28th season, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schedule represents regional, national and international artists of all disciplines. This summer, patrons will have the opportunity to see Steve Martin, k.d. Lang, Andrew Bird and Los Lonely Boysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and those are just the indoor activities.

Top of the Park, the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outdoor program, has

8

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

grown into a community favorite and will feature admissionfree concerts, outdoor cinema, open-air spectacles and unique family attractions like extreme face-painting and a rock-climbing wall.

According to Woulfe, Top of the Park used to be featured at the Fletcher Street parking structure, but was moved in 2006 to the Ingalls Mall. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been really pleased with the freedom the move has allowed us,â&#x20AC;? Woulfe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now, more families are spreading out on the lawn, we have multiple stages and kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities, there are great local food vendors and a beer and wine garden, and we can accommodate growing audiences the festival has seen over the years.â&#x20AC;?

Along with its notable concerts, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival highlights include a hip-hop circus called Tom Tom Crew and the WRXULQJ VSHFLDO DWWUDFWLRQ $PRFRFRuDQ HQRUPRXV LQÄťDWDEOH luminarium, which will be brought over from the U.K. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really thrilled about the season ahead,â&#x20AC;? Woulfe said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truly our biggest yet.â&#x20AC;?

Tickets for the Mainstage series are available at www. annarborsummerfestival.org, at the Michigan League 7LFNHW 2IÄşFH RU E\ FDOOLQJ 9LVLW WKH IHVWLYDOpV website to enhance your festival experience by creating a customized calendar of music, movies and more.

www.mispymag.com

mad hatter [SCENE Â // Â STYLE]

BY DWIGHT THOMAS >>>>> The royal wedding was unmistakably the most supreme hat watching event of the year, and I, for one, ZDV QRW GLVVDWLVÄşHG WR VD\ WKH OHDVWuWKRXJK WKHUH ZDV a blunder or two. Beatriceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whimsical royal-topper got a good deal of harsh press online. However, the headpiece is being auctioned off on Ebay for charity. (Good for you, Beatrice!)

Disaster or not, I believe that the Britsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hat-lovingways will have an impact on culture on the other side RI WKH SRQG LQÄťXHQFLQJ $PHULFDQV WR EHJLQ ZHDULQJ PRUH XQLTXH KHDGJHDU DV D ÄşQLVKLQJ WRXFK WKDW EULQJV SHUVRQDOLW\ DQG ÄťDYRU WR DQ\ RXWÄşW +HDGSLHFHV VXFK as the ones seen here) are generally known as fascinators, which were all the rage in the 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and usually ZHUH PDGH RI D ÄşQH ODF\ KHDG FRYHULQJ DQG ZRUQ RQ numerous occasionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;just like any other accessory.

The look gradually fell by the wayside in the 70â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Now, unless you have been to a church service with grandma and her gal pals in the past 50 years or have been to a premium horse-racing event, these hats have had absolutely no part of our generationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence ...until now, and I have an inkling that we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen the last of these brimless beauties.

PRESENTED BY:

HATS Â BY: Â BRIANNA Â KENYON HAIR/STYLIST: Â DWIGHT Â THOMAS MAKEUP: Â KIMBERLIE Â NADA PHOTOS: Â BRUNO Â POSTIGO

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Model Andi maintains a fashion identity by wearing amazing, one-of-a-kind fascinators â&#x20AC;&#x201D; which, while not necessarily vintage pieces, promote a vintage aesthetic and a true style opportunityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;only found at Thomas Blondi Salon in Ypsilanti.

JUNE Â 2011

  9 Â

i SPY

[FEATURES]

"I've wandered the world, and I miss America, especially Detroit"

mixes it up in detroit

BY RYAN M. PLACE >>>>> Detroit has been an electronica hotspot since techno music started in the mid-80’s at Belleville High School with classmates Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May (known as the Belleville Three). Now, almost thirty years later, live electronic music is still going strong thanks to musicians like Fatboy Slim, who will be performing at Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival on May 30.

MEMF is the biggest electronic music festival in North America and will take place in Hart Plaza from Saturday, May 28 through Monday, May 30 on ĺYH VWDJHV UXQQLQJ VLPXOWDQHRXVO\ RYHU WKH FRXUVH of three days and nights and featuring a full-blown global cross-sampling of over 100 performers including: Fatboy Slim, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Felix da Housecat, Venetian Snares, Little Dragon, Space Time Continuum and Detroit’s own Paranormal Tek. These performers will supply the soundtrack for over 100,000 anticipated festival-goers looking to have a good time. It’s the kind of thing performers like Fatboy Slim live for.

Fatboy Slim is Norman Cook, whose driving energy, endurance and easy-going, fun-loving attitude are felt

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i SPY JUNE 2011

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[FEATURES] in his mixes, which are upbeat, offbeat and thoroughly enjoyable. In Detroit, I had to dial 36 digits to reach Cook on his cell phone in Brighton, East Sussex, south England. It was worth it to get the chance to speak to a man who sponsors an English soccer team (he is 12 percent shareholder of ”Brighton & Hove Albion”), has a wife and two children, runs marathons (he completed the inaugural Brighton Marathon, clocking in at 4:53:10) and will perform at 60-70 shows around the globe this year alone.

“I love staying busy,” he says.

However, as soon as I hear Cook’s voice on the other line, there is one seemingly unignorable question that is on my mind, and that question is: What is Fatboy Slim’s weapon of choice? (I had to ask.)

“My sense of humor is my weapon of choice,” laughs Cook.

Cook is likeable—not just as a musician, but also as a person. Arguably one of the top ten DJ’s in the world, this widely loved and respected international British DJ is well-accustomed to playing for crowds of hundreds of thousands of people in exotic locales and beach parties all over the globe and looks forward to adding MEMF to his list of performances.

“It’s a blast to go to the other side of the world and blow people’s minds,” says Cook. “I’m very excited to be coming back to America. I’ve wandered the world, and I miss America—especially Detroit.”

Cook cites David Bowie, Parliament Funkadelic, the Beatles, punk rock and hip-hop as his main musical LQĻXHQFHV DQG KDV VROG PRUH UHFRUGV LQ WKH 8QLWHG States than anywhere else in the world. When he’s not experimenting with new sounds or making funny music videos like his 2001 video “Weapon of Choice,” featuring a dancing Christopher Walken, he is touring constantly. In fact, he will be playing at Las Vegas’ Big Beach Boutique the day before his appearance at MEMF. Fatboy Slim’s tracks are intricately woven, multilayered masterpieces, and he doesn’t get as much credit as he should for his continuously developing sound that manages to perpetually remain several steps ahead of many of his contemporaries.

“My sound is a boundary-blurring mix of electronica, acid house, hip hop and big beat—just like my name, Fatboy Slim, which combines my love of pre-war blues music with an oxymoron. I like to mix things up.” And there’s no place better to mix things up than MEMF. Local event production company Paxahau Promotions has thrown MEMF every Memorial Day weekend since 2006. “Paxahau, as a team, devotes year-round planning to MEMF,” Detroit native and CEO of Paxahau and MEMF Director, Jason Huvaere, says. “Detroit is extremely supportive of the festival, and the city itself is an inspiring and historically relevant music town. I love the mix of people here.

I’ve been doing electronic events for 18 years now, and throwing MEMF is an absolute privilege.”

Cook seems to agree with this sentiment, saying,

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“I don’t get the same excitement making records as I do playing live and turning on crowds, so I’m really looking forward to MEMF. Detroit’s fantastic musical legacy, going back to 50’s soul, 60’s psychedelica, 70’s punk, 80’s techno and 90’s hip-hop has always attracted me.”

“I love Detroit crowds,” he says, adding that they are “one of the most enjoyable audiences in the world to play for.”

It’s true that no other place, no matter how exotic, can quite match the movement of the Motor City, so come out and connect with fellow music lovers, and dive into the pulsating sonic of MEMF’s beats.

7H_HOH\ SPJLUZLZ VMÄJPHS 4,4- HM[LY WHY[PLZ HUK WLYZVUHSS` WYVK\JLZ HU HKKP[PVUHS HM[LY WHY[PLZ PU +L[YVP[ ¸;OL WHY[`»Z JVUJLU[YH[LK PU /HY[ 7SHaH K\YPUN [OL KH` [OLU ZWYLHKZ V\[ H[ UPNO[ ¹ZH`Z /\]HLYL ¸;OL LU[PYL JP[` ^PSS IL VUL NPHU[ WHY[` HSS ^LLRLUK SVUN ¹ )L Z\YL [V JOLJR V\[ V\Y SPZ[ VM HM[LY WHY[PLZ ILMVYL OLHKPUN V\[ [V [OPZ `LHY»Z 4,4-

“I don’t get the same excitement making records as I do playing live and turning on crowds, so I’m really looking forward to Movement Electronic Music Festival.”

detroit memorial day weekend parties

BY RYAN M. PLACE >>>>>

Friday, May 27

3 p.m.—2 a.m.

Bang Tech 12 @ Bookie’s Tavern (2208 Cass) // FREE / 18+ 3 p.m.—2 a.m.

Radio Slave’s Birthday Soiree with Stacey Pullen @ Exodus Lounge (525 Monroe) // $15 / 21+ 9 p.m.—2 a.m.

Movement 2011 Opening Party with Paul Van Dyk & Anthony Attalla @ Bleu Detroit (1540 Woodward) // $25 / 21+ 6:30 p.m.—4 a.m.

Dubstep @ Fillmore Detroit (2115 Woodward) // $10 / 18+ 10 p.m.—4 a.m.

Funk Night @ Majestic (4120 Woodward) // $5 / 18+

Saturday, May 28

8 p.m.—7 a.m.

Nightsneak @ Bert’s Warehouse (2739 Russell) /// MEMF

After Party featuring Dave Clarke, Umek, Roni Size, DJ Godfather, Detroit Techno Militia // $30 / 18+ 9 p.m.—2 a.m.

Now in Stereo 2011 @ Exodus Lounge (525 Monroe) // $ 20 / 21+ 10 p.m.—2 a.m.

Circo Loco @ TV Lounge (2548 Grand River Ave.) // $20 / 21+ Sunday, May 29 6 p.m.—Midnight Sink or Swim Pool Party @ MGM Grand Hotel (1777 Third Street) // $25 / 18+

Monday, May 30

8 p.m.

Industrial Movement III @ The Shelter (431 E. Congress) // $20 / 18+ 3 a.m.—3 a.m.

Shit Show 2 @ TV Lounge (2548 Grand River Ave.) // $20 / 21+

JUNE 2011

11 i SPY

[SCENE // FOODIE]

taste your way through ann arbor

palio del sole opens for the summer

BY MARY SIMKINS >>>>

Popular downtown Ann Arbor restaurant Palio’s rooftop patio section, Palio del Sole, is now open! However, Palio Del Sole is much more than just the rooftop version of Palio. The menu at Palio del Sole is unique from the main restaurant, translating the classic Tuscan theme into more outdoor-friendly dishes, such as tapinades, appetizers, and pastas.

Palio del Sole is the perfect place to go for an intimate and laid-back evening with friends, as they recommend parties no larger than eight people. Happy hour is Monday through Saturday from 5—7 p.m. and on Sunday, including half-off specials on draughts and appetizers, as well as $2 off specialty drinks, such the Peach Bellini or Italian Margarita, and $2 off wine. Happy hour prices only apply to those sitting under the awning (near the bar). Palio del Sole is also the perfect place to celebrate birthdays—and receive a complimentary dessert. In addition to a free birthday dessert, a party of two celebrating a birthday will have their bill cut in half, while a party of three will have a one-third price cut, etc.

So whether its for a birthday or a relaxing night out, come check out Palio del Sole—and don’t forget to try their food at the Taste of Ann Arbor!

PHOTO CREDIT: GLORIA RZUCIDLO, AMERICAJR.COM

BY MARISSA MCNEES >>>> It’s always great to be a part of a community that has so many unique restaurants to offer, but boy is it hard to get a taste of them all.

Thankfully, the Main Street Association is bringing back a Taste of Ann Arbor this summer. On June 5, attendees will be able to sample dishes from over 35 different Ann Arbor restaurants.

“The Taste of Ann Arbor got started more than 20 years ago,” said Maura Thomson, executive director of the Main Street Area Association. “It used to be an ethnic festival here in Ann Arbor. That sort of evolved into this Taste of Ann Arbor. [Before,] it was a little more dance and cultural activities. Now, it is more focused on food and some entertainment.”

According to Thomson, the event runs two blocks of Main Street, and food tickets will cost 50 cents each. Food will be priced anywhere from 50 cents to four dollars.

This year, with 38 restaurants participating, patrons will be able to taste dishes that range from seafood from The Real Seafood Company, Italian favorites from Palio and Mediterrano and desert from The Cupcake Station, just to name a few.

With a focus on entertainment this year, the Main Street Area Association, with sponsorship from the Bank of Ann Arbor, has put together a lineup that is sure to please the growing crowds.

“It just keeps growing into a better mix of music,” Thomson said.

“Our community area has grown a little bit, and it just keeps getting better.”

The Taste of Ann Arbor 2011 will be June 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor. For more information, please visit www.mainstreetannarbor.org.

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taste of the month

[SCENE Â // Â FOODIE]

WORLD OF ROCKS Crystals, Minerals, Fossils, and Beads

CARSONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Â AMERICAN Â BISTRO

Raw Slabs, Tumbled Stones, Polished Gems Spheres, Figurines, Fossils, Shells, Meteroites and Arrowheads

CUSTOM BEAD WORK - HAND WRAPPED SPECIALITIES - FINDINGS - CLASSES SHOP HOURS: MON. WED. THURS. FRI. 12PM-6PM SAT. 10AM-6PM SUN. 1PM-5PM CLOSED ON TUESDAYS Visit our Rock and Bead Shop Take I-94 exit 183 to 42 N. Huron St. Ypsilanti, MI Just North of Michigan Ave. contact: gail@worldofrocks.com

734-481-9981 www.worldofrocks.com STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARY SIMKINS >>>>>>>>> Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s American Bistro, on Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor, brings an upscale atmosphere to family GLQLQJ ZLWK PHQX LWHPV WR ÄşW DQ\ budget. Whether you want seafood or steak (the specialties of the house) or a sandwich, or even macaroni and cheese, the menu and service come together in pursuit of one goal: comfort food.

I started with the corn chowder (with applewood smoked bacon and Vermont cheddar cheese listed as ingredients, how could I not?) and was surprised when it had some serious after-kick spiciness. Deciding on the main course was close to impossible, as everything looked delicious. So, at our serverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggestion, I ordered the Parmesan-Crusted Lemon Sole, served with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. It was good, but after the interesting and surprising flavors of the chowder, it came up just a tad on the bland side. However, my friend ordered the Grilled Chicken Club, and particularly enjoyed the

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house-made herb mayonnaise that accompanied it.

Apart from our excellent service and the relaxed, yet sophisticated, atmosphere, the highlight of our trip to Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was their namesake dessert: Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Carrot Cake. Served over caramel sauce and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the carrot cake was the perfect blend of salty and sweet to finish our meal. Mouth watering yet?

Carsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will participate in the upcoming Taste of Ann Arbor in June, with lunch specials (half-sandwiches or half slab of ribs with a cup of soup or seasonal berry salad) and dinner specials (half slab of ribs with grilled chicken breast or fettucine alfredo with chicken, and a choice of chocolate or carrot cake). Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be there â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the one eating the carrot cake.

JUNE Â 2011

  13  i SPY

[SCENE Â // Â FOODIE] <<<<<<< BY RYAN M. PLACE

temptations AUTHENTIC Â INDIAN Â CUISINE

Temptations is the next big thing, so come check out the original restaurant in Ypsilanti, located at 2876 Washtenaw.

Temptations is open daily from 11 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;10 p.m. The lunch buffet hours are from 11 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;2:30 p.m. on weekdays and 11:30 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;3 p.m. on weekends.

Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m.

Nestled in the corner of the busy Fountain Plaza strip mall on Washtenaw Avenue between Hewitt and GolfVLGH LQ <SVLODQWL VWDQGV WKH ÄşUVW UHVWDXUDQW RI $PHULFDpV next hottest food chain, Temptations Authentic Indian Cuisine. Inspired by former University of Michigan Ross professor and management guru C.K. Prahalad, Temptations owner Priya Dass decided to create a very interesting business model. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every customer is different and Temptations reaches out to all the various segments, not just select segments.

Our model is having a central location surrounded by satellite centers, thereby taking the food to the customer, instead of waiting for them to come to us. Our employees are very well-trained and we focus 100% on the customers,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Temptations is in the process of going national, we will be the top Indian food chain in America.

We just opened a Temptations location three hours south in a suburb of Columbus in Ohio and will be opening more throughout the United States.â&#x20AC;?

Dass grew up in Bihar, India and came to Ann Arbor from Kolkata in 2006 to get his MBA from U of M Ross in 2009 DQG IHOW DQ LPPHGLDWH DIÄşQLW\ IRU 0LFKLJDQ q, IHHO YHU\ DW home in Washtenaw County,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud to be a Michigander and wanted to offer the total Indian food experience. Indian food is very complex, and we show great respect for Indian cuisine.â&#x20AC;?

Temptations is a 4,000 square foot Ypsilanti spot that is staffed with roughly 15 employees and offers truly authentic

Indian dishes like: Vegetable Manchurianâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a delicious little mixed vegetable dumplings with chopped onions ($5.45), ginger, garlic and soy sauce, Daal soupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a bowl of red lentils and vegetable broth ($2.95), Tandoori chickenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;grilled chicken marinated in yogurt and Indian spices ($12.95), Chadni kebabâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;grilled chicken breast marinated in sour cream ($13.95), butter naanâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;leavened bread ($1.45), Tandoori rotiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whole wheat bread ($1.45), Mango Lassiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;delicious mango yogurt-milk that tastes like a smoothie ($2.95), Dhaba dal Tadkaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;lentils cooked Dhaba style ($9.95), lamb Mehtiâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;tender lamb in onion sauce with garlic and fenugreek leaves ($12.95), chicken makhani also known as butter chicken ($11.95) and more.

Temptations features a Wi-Fi lounge, live music on Fridays and Saturdays and an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet from 11 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;3 p.m. where you can select food from roughly 15 very classy stainless steel buffet bowls.

Temptations also offers very creative Food Box specials for $5.95 at their four satellite centers: EMU Student Center, U of M Ross, U of M Pierpont Commons and the Adrian College Cafeteria. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We sell 350 food boxes a day alone at Ross. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very popular,â&#x20AC;? says Dass.

The Temptations national franchise venture is driven by Dassâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 33-person Rainbow Hospitality LLC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to make people feel very welcome by creating a national network of people. This is a community venture, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always looking for investors to join us.â&#x20AC;?

<<<<<<< BY RYAN M. PLACE

tuptim thai

work waves and love staying busy,â&#x20AC;? says Kris.

In 1978, Kris moved from Chiangmai, northern Thailand to live in THAI Â RESTAURANT Â STAYS Â BUSY Honolulu, Hawaii for twenty years before moving to Ann Arbor, Mich. in Tuptim Thai is the best Thai food Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve 2001. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend in Ann Arbor urged had in Michigan. Not that Siam Square or us to open a Bangkok-style Thai restaurant Thai Thai or Bangkok Cuisine or Bankok KHUH VR ZH GLG 0\ ÄşUVW 0LFKLJDQ ZLQWHU 96 or Orchid CafĂŠ are bad--theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all very ZDV YHU\ VFDU\uLW ZDV WKH ÄşUVW WLPH , HYHU good. But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just something extra drove in snowy conditions. I was on US-23, special about Tuptim Thaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings and and I was driving about 10mph!â&#x20AC;? says Kris. exceedingly polite wait staff. For a smaller, However, despite the change in climate, more intimate restaurant, Tuptim Thai does Kris says that he and his family truly love not disappoint.

Michigan and have found the people of Tuptim (pronounced Tupp-tim, not ToopWashtenaw County to be very friendly. tim) â&#x20AC;&#x153;ruby,â&#x20AC;? according to owner and head â&#x20AC;&#x153;We love that most people here are chef Kris Vilassakdonond. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why our eager to take advantage of the rare global restaurant is themed with ruby red colors sampling of ethnic foods that Michigan ofpunctuated by gold columns,â&#x20AC;? he says. fers, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud to throw Tuptim Thai Tuptim Thai opened in 2002, and this into the mix,â&#x20AC;? he says. family operation is run by Kris along with Aside from regular Thai restaurant his wife, who work upwards of 70-80 hour staples like Thai spring rolls with plum a week, assisted by an extended family sauce (three for $5), chicken with spicy baof part-time helpers in the form of three sil sauce ($12) and Pad Thai ($10), Tuptim cooks, three waiters and Krisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sister-in-law Thai also offers Thai restaurant rarities like and co-owner, Anong Leetrakul. crispy duck breast in tamarind sauce ($20), â&#x20AC;&#x153;We know the momentum, we ride the

14

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

steamed Chilean sea bass ($20) and the QHZ ÄťXII\ DQG GHOLFLRXV ;DQJR FKHHVHFDNH

GHHS IULHG LQ D WRUWLOOD ÄşOOHG ZLWK \RXU choice of Tuptimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homemade sauces: Mango, Pineapple or Strawberry.

Mostly everything on the menu can be ordered mild, medium or hot, and many of the items feature Thai curries made with coconut milk and Jasmine white rice. My personal favorite combination that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve EHHQ HDWLQJ DW 7XSWLP 7KDL IRU WKH SDVW ÄşYH years is bowl of Tofu Tom Yum soup ($5) which features lemon grass, galangal-giner DQG NDIÄşU OLPH OHDYHV EURWK ZLWK PXVKrooms, Pad Thai ($10â&#x20AC;&#x201D;add Shrimp for $2), and a cup of herbal Thai hot tea ($2) with a slice of mango cheesecake ($6) for dessert. That succession is an absolutely RXWVWDQGLQJ FRPELQDWLRQ RI ÄťDYRU WDVWH and texture.

Tuptim Thai is located at 4896 Washtenaw in Ann Arbor and is open Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Friday from 11 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;2 p.m. and from 5 p.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;9:30 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from noonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;9:30 p.m.

www.mispymag.com

[SCENE Â // Â FOODIE] PHOTO Â CREDIT: Â STEFANIE Â STAUFFER

adventures in local food #6 SAVE Â CFA

BY STEFANIE T. STAUFFER >>>>>> Catherine Ferguson Academy has a farm. Complete with an apple orchard, beehives, goats, chickens, turkeys, geese, and even a horse in the pasture, CFA is arguably the most famous urban farm in Detroit. But CFA is much more than just another Detroit urban farm. Catherine Ferguson Academy is also a high school for pregnant and parenting teens (one of three of its kind in the United States), that currently boasts a 90% graduation rate and 100% rate of graduates attending two or four year colleges, which is a remarkable feat for any school to accomplish, let alone one in the heart of Detroit. CFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success

www.mispymag.com

comes directly from the dedication of its staff and students and its emphasis on hands-on learning.

In the award-winning film â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grown in Detroit,â&#x20AC;? Dutch filmmakers Mascha and Manfred Poppenk give us a rare glimpse into how such hands-on learning happens at Catherine Ferguson, showing audiences how the students make value-added farm products like honey and apple cider during class.

In the film, viewers also get to see how the students learn to grow, harvest, and then sell their produce at CFA and at Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eastern Market under the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Grown in Detroitâ&#x20AC;? label.

This footage makes it clear that the educators at CFA are committed to providing their students not just with the education to become better parents, but also with the skills and training necessary to secure jobs in the burgeoning green economy. It is made clear by the film that the students are committed to acquiring those skills since many would have been forced to drop out of school if CFA did not exist.

So, Catherine Ferguson sounds like an amazing school, right? Maybe even like a school that should be a model for Detroit and elsewhere? As a self-taught urban farmer, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m amazed

and at times even jealous of the things Catherine Ferguson students get to learn in school! Above and beyond its curriculum and mission, however, CFAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most important contribution is as one of those unique places that brings everyone together regardless of race, class, gender, age or political views (something Detroit needs much more of). So then why is Catherine Ferguson Academy at the top of the list of Detroit schools to be closed this -XQH E\ HPHUJHQF\ ÄşQDQFLDO PDQDJHU Robert Bobb?!

Last year, CFA was also on Bobbâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s closure list until the community fought back and successfully defended its right to remain open. Yet here we are again in the same predicament, although now the DPS emergency manager has more power and is aggressively seeking to silence the desires of school board and community members alike, even having CFA students and their teacher arrested for attempting to defend their school. ,URQLFDOO\ WKLV WDFWLF RI DUUHVW ÄşUVW DVN TXHVWLRQV ODWHU KDV VHHPLQJO\ EDFNÄşUHG for Bobb as CFA caught national attention alongside Benton Harbor on â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Rachel

Maddow Show.â&#x20AC;? Maddowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage WULJJHUHG D ÄťRRG RI DUWLFOHV DQG EORJV about CFA, which perhaps encouraged Bobb to cancel a public hearing about all the DPS closures scheduled for May 3.

But CFA students, teachers and their supporters responded by marching through the streets of Detroit from CFA WR %REEpV RIÄşFH GXULQJ WKH IROORZing week. And, as they walked down Woodward Avenue, people waved, supportive horns blared, cars spontaneously blocked intersections to let them pass, and they kept chanting: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need books, supplies, and small class size.

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to privatize!â&#x20AC;?

7R ÄşQG RXW PRUH DERXW &DWKHULQH )HUguson Academy and to help CFA remain open, please visit: www.grownindetroitmovie.com. If you would like to voice your concerns about CFA and all other proposed DPS school closures and program cutbacks, I urge you to contact the DPS emergency manager directly (*note: the position will soon transition from Robert Bobb to Roy Roberts). That contact information is located here: KWWS GHWURLWN RUJ DGPLQ ÄşQDQFH manager .

JUNE Â 2011

  15  i SPY

[SCENE]

QRQSURÄ&#x;W RIIHUV JUDQWV to michigan artists

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>> 7KHUH LV D QHZ QRQSURÄşW LQ 0LFKLJDQ with the mission of supporting Michigan visual artists, musicians and other artisans called The Artist Knits the Mitten or TAKTM. 7$.70 LV D VWDUWXS QRQSURÄşW EDVHG out of Livonia with the pledge of bringing grants to artists in Michigan through a campaign called One Million Michiganders. The idea is for one million individuals from the state of Michigan to each pledge one dollar to raise the funds necessary to help young and talented artists stay in Michigan instead of seeking employment elsewhere. TAKTM aims to support all types of Michigan artists, inFOXGLQJ ZULWHUV ÄşOPPDNHUV SDLQWHUV DQG other artisans.

The organization was created by Perth Elliott, a local musician that has lived in

Michigan her entire life. A former Eastern Michigan University student, Perth is proud to be a part of the reinvention and the rebuilding of the state. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am infatuated with this landscape. (I am) a free soul with a burning to create.

I want to fund the artist and shelter the homeless,â&#x20AC;? she says.

TAKTM is at the forefront of providing a change in the artistic business model as well as a landscape for artists to succeed LQ 0LFKLJDQ ,W LV D QRQSURÄşW PRYHPHQW with the primary aim of reinventing the Michigan economy through art that exists to inspire, invest, connect and encourage artists and citizens to work together to rebuild Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscape.

For more information, visit www.theartistknitsthemitten.org.

PERTH Â ELLIOT

',6&28176 7+$7 5($//< &2817

16

&20,1* -81( IRU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ YLVLW ZZZ PLVS\PDJ FRP OLYLQJORFDO

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

www.mispymag.com

[FEATURES]

the antlers emerge from â&#x20AC;&#x153;hospiceâ&#x20AC;? with something full of life

BY PAUL KITTI >>>>>>> The Antlers created more than an album with 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospice.â&#x20AC;? Through creatively restrained atmospheric instrumentation and honest, grief-stricken vocals, they told a story of love and sickness and loss that VWUXFN D ÄşHUFH HPRWLRQDO FKRUG LQ ZKDW LV now a dedicated fan base. It was the kind of album that bled incredible care and affection through the headphones of every listener, and, like any good story, it spread.

Now, more eyes are on The Antlers as they release â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apart,â&#x20AC;? an album that ÄşQGV WKH EDQG NHHSLQJ VRPH HOHPHQWV RI â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;? in their backpacks while exploring new territory. After nearly two years of touring in support of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospice,â&#x20AC;? frontman Peter Silberman, drummer Michael Lerner and multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci selfproduced the new album in their Brooklyn VWXGLR RYHU D SHULRG RI ÄşYH PRQWKV $QG as The Antlers now prepare for summer shows in Europe, Canada, and the United States, fans can expect to hear a band that has emerged from the chaotic aftermath of the brilliant â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;? with a new sound and energy that is no less powerful or inspiring and is likely to attract even more ears. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a blueprint for [â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Burst Apartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;],â&#x20AC;? says Cicci. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We conceptualized it, not in the way Hospice was conceptualized, but in understanding the arch and the mood and the textures, basically ÄşJXULQJ RXW ZKDW LW ZDV JRLQJ WR VRXQG like. Then we went into the studio and tried to make what we imagined, rather than going in with a bunch of songs

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sketched out in advance.â&#x20AC;?

It had to have been a daunting challenge, following up an album that was received by thousands on a personal level. But The Antlers are a group of talented, dynamic musicians who have managed to produce a follow-up that stands apart from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;? as a bold, GHÄşQLQJ QH[W VWHS IRU WKH EDQG q+DYLQJ KDG D ÄşUVW UHFRUG WKDW ZDV successful, kind of accidentally, there are a lot of traps you can fall into trying to make a sophomore album,â&#x20AC;? Cicci explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot going on in your head, like, do we try to make the same kind of record for the people who already like us or do we try to make something different? But you try not to make a record for how people are going to react to it. [â&#x20AC;Ś] You try to make a record for yourselfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;one you would want to actually sit at home and listen to, otherwise you can fall into these traps that can misdirect you.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really happy with the record,â&#x20AC;?

Cicci adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And if everyone hates it, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ÄşQH , ZLOO VWLOO OLVWHQ WR LW r KH ODXJKV 7KH $QWOHUV LV WKH ÄşUVW EDQG &LFFL KDV been a part of, and he admits he was caught off guard by their rapid growth following â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospice.â&#x20AC;? Since that albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s release, music has become his full time job as the band has been playing in larger venues before a snowballing fan base. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The past two years weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve played bigger and bigger rooms, and you have to VWDUW WR ÄşOO WKH URRP ZLWK VRXQG D OLWWOH EHWter,â&#x20AC;? Cicci says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four to six

thousand people in huge rooms, you have to respond to that in a way thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not quiet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you have to become bigger and bolder.â&#x20AC;?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mission they seem to have accomplished in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apart.â&#x20AC;? And, while itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to note the differences between this album and its predecessor, describing the Antlersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; overall sound is still a challenge. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sort of a rock band, kind of ambient at times, kind of electronic-y at WLPHV NLQG RI GDUNf ,WpV YHU\ GLIÄşFXOW WR explain,â&#x20AC;? Cicci says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something you can categorize easily. I guess you could just say weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a rock bandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the simple answer.â&#x20AC;?

And, while attempting to describe â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;? would be like summarizing a story that can only be appreciated when told in full, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apartâ&#x20AC;? is no different.

There is a strong presence of electronic music on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apart,â&#x20AC;? a style the band has taken interest in and incorporated alongside Silbermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emotive vocals and tensive guiWDU HIIHFWV %XW RWKHU LQÄťXHQFHV FRQWULEXWH to their emerging sound as well, making for DQ DOEXP WKDW LV DV GLIÄşFXOW WR FODVVLI\ DV LW LV XQLÄşHG LQ YLVLRQ â&#x20AC;&#x153;We listened to a lot of electronic music and spent long hours in the van listening to reggae and dubstep and soul town,â&#x20AC;?

Cicci recalls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On Sirius radio there was this station that was mostly all Motown and soul and even some old funk, and that really worked its way in. We spent a whole tour listening to Motown.â&#x20AC;?

While it would be incorrect to say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apartâ&#x20AC;? bears no relation to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospice,â&#x20AC;? fans can expect something that is similarly tragic yet also hopeful, a sound that FRPPXQLFDWHV IUXVWUDWLRQ DQG FRQÄşGHQFH focus and range. &LFFL FODULÄşHV WKH GLVWLQFWLRQ VD\LQJ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not really doing anything antiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with this record, but this isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

a sequel to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hospice.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not part two RI D VWRU\ :H LPDJLQHG WKLV ZDV WKH ÄşUVW record we were releasing and we could do whatever we wanted, and used the things we like about our music and its origin to make something that we feel is cohesive and fun and not necessarily similar to what we have done before.â&#x20AC;?

He also pointed out that while the band was pleased with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hospiceâ&#x20AC;? and its warm reception, they were careful not to adhere to any labels that the album may have placed them under. With â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apart,â&#x20AC;?

Cicci says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to make more of a summer record, something you can drive around and listen to or sit outside in the sun and hear. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not necessarily a happy record, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feelings of optimism and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less despair and confusion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a little more hope.â&#x20AC;?

Regardless of whether or not their sound can be categorized, one thing is for sureâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; this is a band that bleeds honest emotion, both through their recordings and live performances, and their simultaneously bold and vulnerable sound can be attributed to a deep appreciation for the power of music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine not having [music],â&#x20AC;?

Cicci says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It has always been an outlet for me. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a product of emotion, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just there, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a naturalistic impulse to create something. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very comforting and reminds us all that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re human and helps take our minds off the inevitabilities of life and death. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of ZKDW KHOSV \RX ÄşJXUH RXW WKLQJV DERXW WKH world and about yourself.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Burst Apartâ&#x20AC;? was released on May 10, 2011. The Antlers will perform on June 12 at the Magic Stick in Detroit.

Doors are at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $13 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster. All ages are welcome.

JUNE Â 2011

  17  i SPY

[AROUND Â YOU]

L@X ITMD

BY AMANDA SLATER>>>

,42(" +5/25 Â&#x201E; Silverstein and Bayside, 5:30 p.m., The Crofoot, Pontiac Â&#x201E; Neon Trees, 7 p.m., Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit

+5/26 5/26: Â&#x201E; Arctic Monkeys, 6:30 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit Â&#x201E; Crash Test Dummies, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Samiyam, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

+5/27 5/27: Â&#x201E; Rusko and Z-Trip, 6:30 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit Â&#x201E; Theo Katzman, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Back Forty, 9:30 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+5/28 5/28: Â&#x201E; Movement: Electronic Music Festival, 12 p.m., Hart Plaza, Detroit Â&#x201E; The Finer Things, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Graham Parsons & The Go Rounds, 10 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+5/29 5/29: Â&#x201E; Brett Dennen, 6:30 p.m., Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit

+5/30 5/30:

Â&#x201E; Front Line Assembly, 9 p.m., Shelter, Detroit

+6/01

6/1: Â&#x201E; Gaelic Storm, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Cash Harrison & The Terrible Decisions, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Wolf Eyes, 10 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

18

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

+6/02 Â&#x201E; Coke Dick Motorcycle Awesome, 8 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+6/03 6/3: Â&#x201E; The Maine and Augustana, 6 p.m., Clutch Cargoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Pontiac Â&#x201E; Phish, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston Â&#x201E; The Sights, 10 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+6/04 6/4: Â&#x201E; Panic at the Disco, 6:30 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit Â&#x201E; Get Up Kids and Saves the Day, 7 p.m., Headliners, Toledo, Ohio Â&#x201E; Lauryn Hill, 8 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit Â&#x201E; The Music of Led Zeppelin, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston Â&#x201E; Algernon, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Robyn, 7 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak Â&#x201E; Chris Bathgate, 10 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+6/06 6/6:

Â&#x201E; Yeasayer, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, Detroit

+6/07 6/7: Â&#x201E; Michael Bubleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, 8 p.m., Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio

+6/08 6/8: Â&#x201E; Othello, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

+6/09 6/9:

Â&#x201E; Eliza Gilkyson, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; 10 Miles of Blue, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

+6/10 6/10: Â&#x201E; Bell X1, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E;

Â&#x201E; The Mighty Diamonds, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

+6/11 6/11: Â&#x201E; Taylor Swift, 7 p.m., Ford Field, Detroit Â&#x201E; Black Jake & the Carnies, 9 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+6/12 6/12: Â&#x201E; The Antlers, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit

+6/13 6/13: Â&#x201E; David Bazan and Band, 7 p.m., Pike Room at the Crofoot, Pontiac Glee, 7:30 p.m., Â&#x201E; The Palace, Auburn Hills

+6/14 6/14: Â&#x201E; Rihanna with B.O.B. and J. Cole, 7:30 p.m., The Palace, Auburn Hills

+6/15 6/15: Â&#x201E; 1DWDVKD %HGLQJĹ°HOG S P The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac Â&#x201E; Against Me!, 7 p.m., Saint Andrews Hall, Detroit Â&#x201E; Najee and Tim Bowman, 7:30 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit

+6/16 6/16: Â&#x201E; New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys, 7:30 p.m., The Palace, Auburn Hills Â&#x201E; The Go Goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston Â&#x201E; Jehovahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Witness Protection Program, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Sirsy, 8 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti

+6/17 6/17: Â&#x201E; Paul Thorn, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Secret Twins, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

Â&#x201E; Great Tibulation, 10 p.m., Woodruffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Ypsilanti Â&#x201E; Ann Arbor Summer Festival Opening Night Celebration, 5 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Sisters of Rock N Roll, 6:30- 9 p.m., Live @ PJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S, Ann Arbor

+6/18 6/18:

Â&#x201E; Borgore, 8 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak Â&#x201E; Andrew Bird, 8 p.m., Power Center, Ann Arbor Â&#x201E; Orquesta Sensacional, The Jill Jack Band, Theo Katzman and Abigail Stauffer, 5 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

+6/19 6/19: Â&#x201E; Drivinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Sideways, The Board of Education and the Deep Fried Pickle Project, Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

+6/21 6/21: Â&#x201E; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with The Macpodz, 8 p.m., Power Center, Ann Arbor

+6/22 6/22: Â&#x201E; October Babies and Monsieur Guillaume & His Zydeco Hepcats, 6:30 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

".,$#8 6/3: +6/03 Â&#x201E; Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me Tour with Heather, Josh & Brad, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit

+6/12 6/12: Â&#x201E; Aziz Ansari, 7:30 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit

+6/22 6/22: Â&#x201E; Dave Donaldson, 8 p.m., Laff Tracks, Novi

%(+, Â&#x201E; +5/27 Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Greatest Film Ever Sold,â&#x20AC;? opens at the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

+6/19 6/19: Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Despicable Meâ&#x20AC;? screening, 10 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

+6/21 6/21:

Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Social Networkâ&#x20AC;? screening, 10 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

+6/22 6/22: Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back to the Futureâ&#x20AC;? screening, 10 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

13 +5/05-­5/28 Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Figuratively Speaking,â&#x20AC;?

Interpretations of the Human Form, Riverside Arts Center Gallery, Ypsilanti

+6/02-­6/25 Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Y-Collective: Collapse, Skin, Energy,â&#x20AC;? Riverside Arts Center Gallery, Ypsilanti

+6/10 Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ypsi Style,â&#x20AC;? Riverside Arts Center Gallery, Ypsilanti

+6/18-­7/08 6/18â&#x20AC;&#x201D;7/8:

Â&#x201E; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Play.Space,â&#x20AC;? A Photo Exhibit

by Myra Klarman, Power Center, Ann Arbor

+6/16-­6/19 6/16-6/19:

Â&#x201E; PTD Presents: Soccer Moms & Reapers, 8 p.m., 2pm on Sunday, Ypsi

+6/23-­6/25 6/23-6/25:

Â&#x201E; PTD Presents: Soccer Moms & Reapers, 8 p.m. each night, Ypsi

www.mispymag.com

[AROUND Â YOU] ".,,4-(38

+6/23

+5/20-­5/21

Â&#x201E; The Moth Mainstage, 8 p.m., Power Center, Ann Arbor

Â&#x201E; TNTP Extends the Everyman Project, 8 p.m both nights, Ann Arbor

+5/21 5/21: Â&#x201E; Eleven West Salon & Spaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Local Best Bridal Show, 10 a.m-6 p.m. Â&#x201E; Ypsilanti Pride Day, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m., Ypsi

+6/05 6/5: Â&#x201E; Dexter-Ann Arbor Run Ĺ°QLVKHV LQ GRZQWRZQ $QQ Â&#x201E; Arbor 6/5) Taste of Ann Arbor, 11 a.m.- 5 p.m., downtown Ann Arbor

6  S.  Washington  St.  Ypsilanti,  MI  -  (734)  956-0526 www.elbowypsi.com  -  www.facebook.com/elbowroomypsi MON-THURS. AND SUN. 9PM - 2AM - FRI.-SAT. 8PM - 2AM

+6/10

Â&#x201E; 6/10: Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Green Fair, 6â&#x20AC;&#x201D;9 p.m., Main Street, Ann Arbor

+6/21

Â&#x201E; 6/21: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rock the Mallâ&#x20AC;? teen music competition, 7 p.m., Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor

www.mispymag.com

THE LINEUP:

Monday 5/23: Call it Karma, A Hero's Fate, Call it Fiction Yellow Sabbath Team Ethic Tuesday 5/24: Punk, Pabst, and Porn w/ Midwest Skies and DJ Horrorshow Wednesday 5/25: Junknation presents Way Back Wednesday a night of old school hip hop Thursday 5/26: The Alibi Crew Friday 5/27: The Wall Clocks EP release party w/ the White Ravens and Shotgun Philharmonic Saturday 5/28: Andreyka, As They Sleep, Die Strong Tuesday 5/31: Punk nite w/ People Grinding Axes, Gigantaur Wednesday 6/1: Allcoy, Adelade Thursday 6/2: A concert to celebrate the life of Josh Paruszkiewicz Friday 6/3: P Funk nite with memebers of the P Funk All stars Saturday 6/4: Rose from the Ashes, Stone the Manic, Quit your Job Thursday 6/9: Violets for Verona, Heroes on Parade, Sycamour, Abandon the Prophecy Friday 6/10: Kinetic Stereokids, Vacant Fever Saturday 6/11: IAmDynamite, Black Irish, White Shag Thursday 6/16: 3 Blue Teardrops Friday 6/17: Funktion w/ The Floorwalls Saturday 6/18: Kro-Magnon, General Bastards, Sleep Paralysis

JUNE Â 2011

  19  i SPY

[FEATURES]

from LSD trips to rock operas anand from yeasayer tells all

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>>>>>> You might imagine the members of Yeasayer to be a really eccentric group of guysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or you might imagine them to be rock stars in every possible sense. After talking to Anand Wilder of Yeasayer, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say that both of those assumptions arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t entirely trueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;yet they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t entirely false, either.

While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty clear that Wilder is, by no means, an eccentric recluse, the band does use the writings of various philosophers and futuristic theories as inspiration for their music. And, while the rumor that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Odd Bloodâ&#x20AC;? was the result of an LSD trip isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t true, the LSD part is trueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;somewhat.

Overall, Wilder seems like an average guy who always knew he wanted to make music, but just wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure if he could make a living at it. He went to Penn in Philadelphia for college, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in history with a minor in French. He did some assistant teaching and even considered abandoning his rock star dreams for a while. But, in the end, he and the other members of Yeasayer were able to do what so many young aspiring musicians are unable to doâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;they can make records that are fresh, different and catchyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or at least enough to earn them a national audience and to propel their 2010 album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Odd Blood,â&#x20AC;? to Rolling Stoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of the 30 best albums of the year.

So, in that sense, Wilder and the rest of Yeasayer are somewhat extraordinary.

But, in his free time, Wilder insists that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty normal guy who likes Netflix and writes rock operas (okay, so not totally normal).

'NV CHC HS EDDK VGDM XNT GD@QC 8D@R@XDQ R @KATL g.CC !KNNCu V@R M@LDC HM SGD ADRS @KATLR NE AX 1NKKHMF 2SNMD I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve lost faith in Rolling Stone being the arbiter of good music. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put Britney Spears on the cover like a million times. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hold as much weight for me, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still pretty exciting. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be really excited if we got the cover of Rolling Stone. #HC XNT @KV@XR JMNV SG@S XNT V@MSDC SN L@JD LTRHB I went through stages where I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if it was possible to make a living as a rock musician, but it was always something I wanted to do. In my free

20

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

time, when I was growing up, I played cello, I sang in choir, I sang in rock bands, I played guitar whenever I could, I banged on the piano, I wrote songs with friends. Chris and I have been friends since we were six years old. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been writing songs since we were 12 years old. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a longstanding partnership, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been something that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted to do. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just, once you get old, once youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 16 or 17 or 18 you think, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, that never happens for anybody.â&#x20AC;?

And you go through a period where you think, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, maybe I should just become an accountant or a lawyer or something.â&#x20AC;? And then, at a certain point, you just go for it, and if it works out, it works out.

(R SG@S GNV HS G@OODMDC ENQ XNT 'NV L@MX A@MCR VDQD XNT HM ADENQD I was in a band in high school that I was pretty happy about, and then I went to college. Towards the end of college, I was working with a few friends on music, but they left to travel, so I was back on my own. Then I met back up with Chris in New York. As an adult, after college, Yeasayer was the only project that I was fully dedicated to.

6G@S BNKKDFD CHC XNT FN SN I went to Penn in Philadelphia.

6G@S V@R XNTQ OQNFQ@L Bachelor of Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;history with a French minor.

6DQD XNT OK@MMHMF SN SD@BG @S SGD SHLD NQ V@R HS ITRS RNLDSGHMF XNT VDQD HMSDQDRSDC HM Yeah, that crossed my mindâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;teaching. I did a lot of assistant teaching in schools around Philadelphia,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  coming  up  with  songs  and  lyrics  and  sounds  and  are  trying  to  make  things  sound  fresh  and  exciting,  \RX KDYH WR ÂżQG other  avenues  for  inspiration.â&#x20AC;? and it was definitely something that I thought about, but it just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really pan out.

-NS @R HMSDQDRSHMF @R 8D@R@XDQ Well, who knows? It seems like being in a rock band is the most interesting thing in the world, and it is really exciting. We get to travel all over the world.

But who knows? Teaching in a classroom could be the most exciting thing in the world or some other job that seems really boring. It just depends. A lot of being in a band, once you get down to the nitty gritty, is a lot of travelling, a lot of being away from home, a lot of spending time in night clubs drinking beer or somethingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something that people love to do on that one night a week, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not something that they choose to do every night of every week.

www.mispymag.com

[FEATURES] What do you like most about being in a band?

I love creating music. I like to take an idea and turn it into a recording, then put it out into the world and play it live for people and see the reaction that it causes in people. And just to say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I came up with that. I made that.

That was my idea, and it had some resonance to this person in Australia or Mexico City,â&#x20AC;? thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really special. :KHQ GLG \RX IHHO WKDW <HDVD\HU Ä&#x;UVW stepped onto the national stage, and when did you realize that a career in music is something you could really do?

I guess one of the big ones was when we played Conan for the first time. And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re about to play Conan again, which is really exciting. That was a show that I watched when I was in high school, and junior high school and college. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d always see bands on it or be looking for your favorite bands on it. Then we played it ourselves, and he was into our bandâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; which was pretty surreal.

With how unique your style of music is, were you surprised that it was that well received?

Noâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I guess we always want to kind of blend the experimental with pop.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always known that we have these great, hooky songs that people can sing along to, so it was sort of like the sky is the limit. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing music thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like Lady Gaga, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also not playing them most weird, experimental stuff, either.

People sometimes put musicians like yourself up on a pedestal and think you must be really eccentric and weird, but, talking to you, you sound like such a normal guy. What do you do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I like to do the same things that everybody likes to doâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;go on vacation, surf the internet, watch Netflix, play basketball.

What are some of your favorite movies?

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t knowâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I like every kind of movie.

Every kind?

Pretty much every kind. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a genre that you could present that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hate that genre.â&#x20AC;? Some of my favorite movies are romantic comedies.

Like what?

Is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Back to the Futureâ&#x20AC;? a romantic comedy?

Maybe in some respects. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a classic, though. Any others?

I guess the genre of movies that I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fast and the Furious.â&#x20AC;? I keep seeing these ads for this movie, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t this movie already come out?â&#x20AC;? 2 Fast 2 Furious? Fast Five? Fab Five Fast?

How many different variations of the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;fastâ&#x20AC;? can you use? But, you know what, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never actually seen any of those movies, so I might watch it and be like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get it. These movies are that good that they need to have five movies.â&#x20AC;?

when machine and man have kind of combined forces. It just gave us inspiration. When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming up with songs and lyrics and sounds and are trying to make things sound fresh and exciting, you have to find other avenues for inspiration. You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just be strumming a guitar back and forth or it will just end up sounding the same. So, we like to read different philosophers and the latest science and art movements and see how we can apply it to music.

Can you tell me whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on with the musical/stage show you were personally

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Świth  all  of  our  contemporary  recording  capabilities  [â&#x20AC;Ś]  there  is  a  mic  thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  right  up  next  to  everything,  and  youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  constantly  wondering,  whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  the  soul?  Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s  WKH GHSWK" $QG \RX FDQ QHYHU ÂżQG LW ´ I have to ask, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Odd Bloodâ&#x20AC;? was partially inspired by a 2008 LSD trip you guys took in Australia. Is this true?

No, that was an example of Rolling Stone magazine taking liberties. We did take LSD together as a band, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not like we were writing our album on acid. I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done it since then. It was just an interesting experiment with a psychedelic drug that I think a lot of people have done before us and a lot of people will do afterwards.

Was that the only time you ever did LSD? It was the only time I ever did it.

So, it had no influence on the album?

None of the trippiness from that experience kind of reached over into the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s formation?

No, I listened to our first album when I was on acid and thought, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whoa, we were really trippy then.â&#x20AC;? But I think the things that turn you on when you are completely sober also turn you on when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re high on drugs or beer drunk or wine â&#x20AC;Śhigh.

I also read that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Odd Bloodâ&#x20AC;? was partially inspired by the inventor Ray Kurzweilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theory that computer intelligence will eventually supersede the human mind. Is that true?

We took these Kurzweil ideas and we were trying to meld it with what music might sound like in a time

working on?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coal into Diamonds.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much finished.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just going to be a recording for now. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve sort of given up on putting together a stage show for myself just because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not my area of expertise.

What made you want to make a stage show in the first place?

The album is a musical, so it has a story and everything, and I got a bunch of different friends who are in great bands to sing all the characters.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much done. We have 11 songs and 7 or 8 different vocalists, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a really great albumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;diverse, a lot of different styles of music. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a true rock opera, but, as far as putting on a stage show, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really have the skills to do it. If someone wants to use it and says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m an off, off, off Broadway producer, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to put this play on. Can I use it?â&#x20AC;? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say, sure. I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have time.

My job is to play guitar in Yeasayer.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how I make a living. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how I pay my rent. To really do something like that well, it would have to be your main passion. For me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a side project.

When do you anticipate that recording being released?

I was focusing on that 100% two weeks ago. Since then, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve switched

to Yeasayer, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m so excited about the new Yeasayer songs that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been working on that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been ignoring emails, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of come to a standstill. Hopefully it will come out this year. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to coordinate with the band, but I think it will come out in 2011.

When do you anticipate the next Yeasayer release?

Hopefully 2011, but most likely 2012.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited with the way things are going with this new album. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying a new way of working on songs. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing a lot of recordings with a stereo recorder that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d use to interview someone. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just been setting it up in the middle of our practice space and hitting record, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sound that all of us think sounds so good. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so hard to achieve that with all of our contemporary recording capabilities where there is a mic thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right up next to everything, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re constantly wondering, whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the soul? Whereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the depth? $QG \RX FDQ QHYHU ÄşQG LW 6R DOO WKHVH recordings that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been doing, I think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to inspire the way that we actually record the album once we are in the studio.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard that your live show is really cool. <HDK ZH WDNH D ORW RI WLPH WR ÄşJXUH out our stage show. Basically, this tour that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coming up on right now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to be making any money on because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all going into lights. I think a lot of people think, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a cool band. All we need to do is play our guitars and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be exciting for an hour and a half.â&#x20AC;? But thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole world out there of visual effects and lighting that really can augment the experience of being at a show, so of course weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to take advantage of that. There might be an appearance by the grotesque creature from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Madder Redâ&#x20AC;? videoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;he only comes out every once in a while to help us sing. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited because we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ever been to Detroit before. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always been a place that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wanted to check outâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially being from Baltimore, I feel like thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some kind of kindred spirit, some connection between the two cities. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re both former industrial behemoths, fallen by the wayside, hopefully on the upswing, so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited to play that show.

JUNE Â 2011

  21  i SPY

JULY 22 a 23 2011

Beer Festival FRI SAT 5-9 a 1-6

[REVIEW]

+++rate

ARTIST: Fleet Foxes ALBUM: Helplessness Blues 5/5 TOWERS BY PAUL KITTI There are only a few things you should know about Fleet Foxes: they are an indie folk band from Seattle, they now have two nearly perfect albums under their belt, and they are possibly the purest sound in modern folk music.

Their 2008 self-titled debut had a humble, natural quality and was a collection of rustic sounds intricately arranged and prone to transport listeners to a mystical woodland or some deep, mountainous valley. Upon accruing widespread critical praise and a loyal following extending throughout Europe, Fleet Foxes quietly set about crafting a follow-up that would be deeper, richer, and even more rewarding than their refreshingly brilliant debut.

Fleet Foxes’ overall sound on

“Helplessness Blues” remains largely unchanged, with elements of folk and classic rock blended smoothly and layered beneath harmonious gang vocal arrangements, which have come to act as the band’s most distinct instrument. Lead singer Robin Pecknold has a voice that could very well exist for the sole purpose of combining language and emotion with folk instrumentation; he sounds considerably weathered and more introspective than when we last heard him, but his voice merely steers the music in the right direction without ever threatening to overwhelm it. Fiddles and mandolins and acoustic guitars breezily contribute to the depth of sound as carefully restrained percussion adds bounce and vigor when needed.

The album eerily sounds like a musical extension of nature itself, a sound that most true folk bands aspire to but few reach.

“Helplessness Blues” is most profoundly distinguished from its predecessor in its lyrical depth and thematic unity. Pecknold begins posing questions in album opener “Montezuma,” singing “So now I

it+++

am older than my mother and father when they had their daughter/ Now, what does that say about me?” The DOEXP ĺQGV KLP ZUHVWOLQJ ZLWK TXHVtions about identifying purpose and coping with age, all the while communicating an impression that he is trying to force a complicated soul into the simple, beautiful world of the music he is creating. Pecknold embraces the subject matter encapsulated in the album’s title, yet thrives off an undercurrent of positive feeling that is present at all times throughout the album. He doesn’t discover the answers to most of the questions he poses, but takes comfort in the GUHDPV DQG GLVWUDFWLRQV KH ĺQGV along the way. “If I had an orchard, I’d work till I’m sore,” he daydreams on the album’s self-titled single.

Neither a repeat of nor a departure from their debut, “Helplessness Blues” is a glorious extension WKDW ĺQGV WKH EDQG HPEUDFLQJ WKHLU talents while exploring the depth of their craft. This is a haunting and strangely uplifting work, one that will establish Fleet Foxes as the standard of modern folk music only two albums into their journey.

PHOTO COURTESY: SEAN PECKNOLD

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ARTIST: The Antlers ALBUM: Burst Apart 4/5 TOWERS BY PAUL KITTI When singer/guitarist Peter Silberman recruited multi-instrumentalist Darby Cicci and drummer Michael Lerner for the production of 2009’s “Hospice,” I can’t imagine he anticipated the admiration and recognition his new trio would receive upon the album’s release. It was a refreshingly personal and emotionally devastating concept album that found an appreciative audience, one that has been waiting two years to see what The Antlers’ next move would be.

That next move comes in the form of “Burst Apart,” a forty-minute statement

24

i SPY JUNE 2011

consisting of ten cohesive tracks that SUHVHQW D YLEUDQW DQG FRQĺGHQW VRXQG While “Hospice” drew its power from the narrative it was bound to, “Burst Apart” allows The Antlers to exercise more freedom lyrically and musically, resulting in an album that is less emotionally affecting but more accessible and demonstrative of what the band is capable of.

“Burst Apart” employs a variety of electronic elements while still giving preference to more natural instrumentation, and every song carries with it a dark, atmospheric quality. Continuing a staple of their style, The Antlers occasionally raise the noise level in sudden and brief tantrums rather than adopting more progressive song structures, which makes the album all the more varied and captivating.

Every so often Silberman lets his voice loose, creating tiny moments of painful energy, but even at his most modest and subdued, he communicates sincerity

behind every word. He moves back and forth between anguished and hopeful, like he’s sorting through his options without achieving an answer. There are traces of nervousness and paranoia in both Silberman’s voice and the instrumentation, characteristics of “Hospice” that have leaked modestly into the new material.

The majority of these songs are directed towards an unnamed romantic partner, as was the entirety of “Hospice,” but the tone has turned from sympathetic and weary to defensive and authoritative.

Emphatic opener “I Don’t Want Love” communicates an attitude of resolve that didn’t surface until about midway through their last album. Most of the lyrics focus on a desire for intimacy and the complications that arise from relational dependence, with the haunting “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out” acting as the thematic backbone of the album (“we lost our chance to run/ now the door’s too hot

to touch/ we should hold our breath with mouths together now”).

“Burst Apart” doesn’t match the emotional power of its predecessor, but I don’t think that’s what The Antlers were trying to accomplish here. “Hospice” was a tough album to follow, but they have come through with an offering that is tight and focused, and, in many ways, more revealing of their intentions as a talented and quickly emerging indie rock group.

www.mispymag.com

+++rate ARTIST:  Atmosphere ALBUM:  The  Family  Sign 3.5/5  TOWERS  BY  AIMEE  MANDLE

it+++

[SNEAK Â PEEK]

about a fatal car crash in â&#x20AC;&#x153;If You Could Save Me Now.â&#x20AC;?

In contrast to the intimate sincerity of the whole album, Atmosphere includes tracks that are reminiscent of earlier work, such as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bad Bad Daddyâ&#x20AC;? with its lazy guitar riffs that come across like a drug-induced IX]] q6KHpV (QRXJK r IHDWXULQJ D XSEHDW RGH WR D VLJQLÄşFDQW RWKHU DQG â&#x20AC;&#x153;Millennium Dodo,â&#x20AC;? which focuses on bad choices and minimalistic rhythm. Though some of the tracks align with Atmosphereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preceding themes, they come across as imitations that are trying too hard to reclaim their old glory days. But as an encompassing whole, the album shows that the duo is continually growing in their craft and producing music that shows their wisdom and evolution.

Despite the backlash that has come from purists and longtime fans of Atmosphereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Family Signâ&#x20AC;? illustrates just how far the duo has come since their debut and offers something new to the masses. Slugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cocky attitude and sarcastic lyrics have been traded in for maturity and insight into life, love and familial themes. While his smartass bite is noticeably absent from the album, it is still clear that he hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lost his ability to eloquently narrate his personal experiences.

Whether or not the album resonates with critics and fans all depends entirely on what the listener is looking for. Those who have grown alongside Atmosphere over the last decade may be prepared to take the next steps in whatever direction the duo has chosen, and for those who are searching for heavy-hitting tracks featuring Slugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mocking approach and Antâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slick beats, previous albums are in abundance.

Breaking away from formulaic traditions can be a tricky endeavor in the music world. The risk and reaction from fans and critics alike is largely unknown until the very end. In this case, Minneapolis-based hip hop duo Atmosphere put it all on the line with â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Family Sign.â&#x20AC;? The album is by far the biggest departure from MC Slug and producer Antâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s previous work lyrically and musically. No longer is Slug spitting out caustic humor about doomed relationships and his partying habits, layered between Antâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soul-sampled beats. Instead, this album verges on something entirely different. )URP VWDUW WR ÄşQLVK WKH WUDFN MRXUQH\ LV D PDUULDJH between guitar riffs, somber piano melodies and even softer beats. Woven in-between are Slugâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poetic storylines of the rise and fall of complex interpersonal relationships. For the most part, the album embraces a darker depth than ever beforeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; and it pays off. Highlights include the metaphorical downfall of a friend in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Became,â&#x20AC;? the mellow but devastating telling of spousal abuse in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last to Say,â&#x20AC;? and the piano-driven rap ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ARTIST:  The  Gorillaz ALBUM:  The  Fall 2.5/5  TOWERS  BY  AMANDA  SLATER Perhaps the Gorillazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sneakiest full-length album-release, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fallâ&#x20AC;? dropped without as much as a healthy dose of pre-release buzz.

And, for a band that simultaneously thrives on mystery and attention-grabbing stunts, that might seem somewhat strange â&#x20AC;Śor completely expected. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fallâ&#x20AC;? makes it clear that Damon Albarn is trying something new. Gone is the evidence of the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s former hip-hop sensibilities. Instead, the album takes the Gorillaz even farther into the electronic arena than ever before. (The opening track, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Phoner to Arizona,â&#x20AC;? is something that could easily have been dreamt up by the Chemical Brothers, for instance.) â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fallâ&#x20AC;? also diverts from the Gorillazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s typical star-studded guest lineup, as this albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only noted guest appearance comes from Bobby Womack on the track â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bobby in Phoenix.â&#x20AC;?

Recorded almost entirely on an iPad during www.mispymag.com

WKH *RULOOD]pV ODVW 8 6 WRXU ZKLFK LV UHÄťHFWHG in the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s many U.S. city-inspired track titles), â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fallâ&#x20AC;? is a somewhat puzzling mix of electronic beats, spacey sounds and unexpected additions (ranging from yodeling in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seattle Yodelâ&#x20AC;? to the sleepy, country/western beat in â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Parish of Space Dustâ&#x20AC;?). While the track â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revolving Doorsâ&#x20AC;? delivers some of the more melodic aspects of what audiences have come to expect from the Gorillaz, it is also one of the albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only tracks that includes a complete set of vocals and lyrics, as many are mostly or entirely instrumental.

While â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Fallâ&#x20AC;? has its enjoyable moments, it comes across as somewhat scattered and is GHÄşQLWHO\ D IDU FU\ IURP WKH FDWFK\ KLS KRS DQG dance rhythms that fueled the Gorillazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past momentum.

JUNE Â 2011

  25  i SPY

[REVIEW]

+++rate

FILM:  Bridesmaids DIRECTED  BY:  Paul  Feig 3.5/5  TOWERS  BY  AIMEE  MANDLE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The blonde thinks itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a prank call, hangs up and is then stabbed to death

by Ghostface.

From there on out, just hit repeat as this sort of thing continues for an hourFILM:  Scream  4 and-a-half, with nothing other than the DIRECTED  BY:  Wes  Craven YLFWLPV EHLQJ GLIIHUHQW IURP WKH ĺOPpV 3/5  TOWERS  BY  JOSEPH  STROMSKI  II previous installments.

That being the case, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have much Ten years after her last encounter with to say about â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scream 4â&#x20AC;? other than it Ghostface, Sidney Prescott returns to entertained me for a bit and let me know Woodsboro to promote her self-help book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Out of Darkness,â&#x20AC;? in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scream 4.â&#x20AC;? that actress Neve Campbell is still alive.

What I did appreciate about this While in town, Prescott is reunited with survivors Dewey Riley and Gale Weath- ÄşOP KRZHYHU ZDV KRZ ZRQGHUIXOO\ LW disguised downtown Northville, Mich., ers-Riley. And, of course, Ghostface. as good oleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Anytown, USA. The only â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scream 4â&#x20AC;? starts just as you would LPDJLQH u WKH VDPH H[DFW ZD\ WKH ÄşUVW Northville storefront I was able to recognize was The Bees Knees, which is WKUHH ÄşOPV GLG %XW WKHQ DJDLQ MXVW DV located on East Main St. you would imagine, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scream 4â&#x20AC;? also Other than that, Northville, to me at IROORZV WKH VDPH VWRU\ OLQH DV WKH ÄşUVW least (thanks to Hollywood magic), was WKUHH ÄşOPV ZKLFK LI \RX GRQpW UHPHPnonexistent.

I did, however, really enjoy ber or are one of the few people raised seeing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Filmed in Michiganâ&#x20AC;? line in the 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who missed out on this near the end of the credits. slasher-series, goes a little something (Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too bad that line is going to be like this: appearing less and less in the future.

A telephone rings.

Thanks, Rick...) â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hello,â&#x20AC;? asks the blonde high schoolIn short, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Screamâ&#x20AC;? fanatic, hottie, who has larger than average breasts.

STARRING: Â NEVE Â CAMPBELL, Â ,pG UHFRPPHQG WKLV ÄşOP EXW LI QRW â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your favorite scary movie?â&#x20AC;? asks a person disguising his or her voice. youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not missing anything if you skip it. COURTNEY Â FOX, Â AND Â DAVID Â ARQUETTE

26

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

it+++

Despite what you have heard, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bridesmadesâ&#x20AC;? is not the female version of â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hangover,â&#x20AC;? nor is it another wedding themed rom-com. This smart (but incredibly raunchy) comedy ventures into new territory by putting female comediennes in the forefront while not falling into stereotyping traps.

Directed by Paul Feig, produced by Judd Apatow, and co-written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bridesmaidsâ&#x20AC;? focuses on the zany, comedic aspects of friendship.

When we meet Annie (Kristen Wiig), her life is falling apart. After the bakery she had opened went XQGHU DQG KHU ER\IULHQG OHIW KHU VKH ÄşQGV KHUVHOI sleeping with a self-centered jerk, living with a couple of odd, albino-looking siblings and barely making ends meet at a jewelry store. To top it off, her best friend, Lillian, (Maya Rudolph) is getting married and has asked Annie to be her maid of KRQRU )URP WKHUH $QQLH OHDGV D EDQG RI PLVÄşW bridesmaids through a series of wedding traditions, while battling for best friend status with rich and snooty Helen (Rose Byrne). However, Annieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to successfully carry out her maid of honor duties rapidly decreases as she begins to lose control of her life.

Instead of launching into the conventional HOHPHQWV RI IHPDOH GULYHQ ÄşOPV q%ULGHVPDLGVr utilizes gross-out humor, hilarious dialogue, and bizarre, but believable, situations in each of the events that lead up to the big day. These are also WKH UHDVRQV ZK\ WKH ÄşOP GRHVQpW VLQN LQWR PHUHO\ becoming a depressing stretch of wrong turns and bad choices on Annieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part.

To be honest, there were a few cringe-worthy scenes that were hard to stomach, such as the food poisoning scene. It was almost as if these ZHUH WKURZQ LQ WR PDNH WKH ÄşOP ÄşW WKH $SDWRZ mold. While they were funny, it seemed as if VFHQHV OLNH WKLV ZHUH WU\LQJ WR SURYH WKDW WKH ÄşOP wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for the female population. Nonetheless, it added to the gross-out, comedic effect that makes â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bridesmaidsâ&#x20AC;? different from other femaledriven comedies.

While Wiig and the supporting cast were entertaining in their roles, it was Melissa McCarthy who stole the show. McCarthy was exceptional as Megan, Lillianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future sister-in-law, whose bachelorette party theme of choice is a female version RI ÄşJKW FOXE +HU RYHUDOO FUDVVQHVV LQ HDFK VFHQH and delightfully blunt lines are gut-busting laughter inducing, which is largely due to the outrageous and shameless nature of her dialogue.

Overall, with its outstanding cast and uproarious hijinks, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bridesmaidsâ&#x20AC;? is a step in the right direction for female-led comedies.

www.mispymag.com

[REVIEW]

kick some app!

APP: Â Instapaper 4/5 Â TOWERS Â BY Â JOSHUA Â TRENT

but never have the time to read them.

Instapaper allows users to easily download articles and read them in the app later, with or without 3G or Wi-Fi coverage. From within the app, you can also post articles to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Evernote. Instapaper is also great for those who use a couple of different devices for reading, as users can save an article for later on their computer, start reading it on their iPad, and then post it on Twitter from their iPhone.

>>>>Why  this  kicks  app: The day a friend told me about the wonders of Instapaper was the day I began using Instapaper every single day. This is not an app that you will buy and forget that you have, left to be unused in an ambiguously named folder on the fourth page of apps on your phone.

Do you remember all the articles that you wish you had had WLPH WR UHDG EXW ZHUHQpW DEOH WR ÄşQLVK DW WKH WLPH" 1R \RX GRQpW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and now you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to. Instapaper is the perfect app for DYLG UHDGHUV ZKR ÄşQG DUWLFOHV WKH\pG ORYH WR UHDG DOO RI WKH WLPH

There are tons of great features in the app. It has a built-in dictionary, you can change fonts and font sizes, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great â&#x20AC;&#x153;nightâ&#x20AC;? setting so you can read in bed at night without being blinded, tilt scrolling allows users to continue down the article by just tilting their phone, you can follow friends on Instapaper to see articles that your friends â&#x20AC;&#x153;liked,â&#x20AC;? and a ton of other awesome things.

The only catch is Instapaper isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t free, and, in the world of apps, $4.99 is a little pricey. So, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to make the investment, talk to a friend who already uses Instapaper, and listen to them tell you about how they couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live without it. Then spend the $4.99. You wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret it.

By now youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably heard of some of the wonderful iPad apps that aggregate your favorite news and magazine sites into one, easily accessible location like Flipbook, APP: Â FLUD Pulse or FLUD. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an 4/5 Â TOWERS Â BY Â TIM Â ADKINS iPad, so I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell you which is best. However, FLUD recently released itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free iPhone app, and, I have to say, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite impressive.

FLUD advertises itself as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;News Eco System,â&#x20AC;? which is fairly DFFXUDWH WR ZKDW LW LV ,Q WKH SDVW , ÄťRRGHG IROGHUV ZLWK GLIIHUHQW QHZV sources and magazine apps, and I no longer have to do that. Now, through RSS feeds, they all go to one place, and they look and feel great all at the same time. And you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to pinch to zoom to read articles anymore. All the content and images are loaded relatively

quickly and precisely with each refresh. This is especially helpful when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the treadmill trying to catch up on the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s news or local HYHQWV <RX FDQ MXVW VZLSH IURP SXEOLFDWLRQ WR SXEOLFDWLRQ ZLWK D ÄťXLG like motionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which is pretty nice.

>>>>Why  this  kicks  app: Simply put, FLUD works. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve tried other readers like Pulse for my iPhone, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the user interface and it took forever to load new articles. With FLUD, everything looks good, and I can use it for all of my article reading needsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;from importing my Google Reader feeds to sharing content on Facebook and Twitter. I can also sync my Instapaper account with FLUD and save stories Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to read later. And, with FLUD, I can â&#x20AC;&#x153;Loveâ&#x20AC;? articles, which get saved in a separate folder so that I can refer back to them in the future.

X 6ISIT OUR blog!

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click  The  Blog  button  on  www.mispymag.com

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Special  promotions  and  exclusives  on  photos,  videos,  the  iSPY  team,  and  more!  If  you  want  to  be  featured  as  a  contributor,  follow  us  and  let  us  know.  YOU  could  cover  our  next  event!

JUNE Â 2011 i SPY

  27 Â

[FEATURES]

<<<<<<< PHOTO CREDIT: KRISTIN SLATER

black jake + the carnies

THE  SELF-­PROCLAIMED  â&#x20AC;&#x153;KINGS  OF  CRABGRASSâ&#x20AC;?  TALK  ABOUT  THEIR  THEATRIC  STYLE,  BROKEN  ANKLES  AND  WHY  THEY  LOVE  BEING  A  PART  OF  THE  ANN  ARBOR/YPSI  COMMUNITY

BY PAUL KITTI >>>>>>>

Of all the bands originating in the Ann Arbor/Ypsi area, Black Jake and the Carnies pride themselves in being the most manic, offbeat and theatric one around. While their live shows are rambunctious and reminiscent of some dark, southern back-porch dance party, their actual music certainly isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t offbeat, with the six talented musicians approaching classic rock structures with energetically-wielded bluegrass instruments.

They have performed all throughout the Midwest, including venues such as The Ark and the Magic Stick, and they recently embarked on a certain-tobe-crazy European tour. But before taking the stage on bluegrass night at the Circus Bar in Ann Arbor, we had a chance to sit down with Black Jake and his lively carnies to talk about their music. "@M XNT DWOK@HM VG@S XNT BNMRHCDQ SN AD RNLD NE SGD DKDLDMSR NE BQ@AFQ@RR LTRHB Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Basically we take a lot of Americana roots genre music and mix it up a little bit with stage antic theatrics and whatnot, a little bit of circus stuff and punk rock, and put it all together. And we always play it faster than we record it, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our philosophy.

Joe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Crabgrass is an aggressive style of music.

28

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

7KH ÄşUVW FRXSOH VKRZV ZH SOD\HG ZH ZHUH DOO VLWWLQJ down, but pretty soon everyone was moving and jumping around. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but do that.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We all kind of have a special ingredientâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;brew it in a musical bottle, cap it, then we show up at a show, shake that bottle up, pop the top off and cover WKH FURZG LQ Äş]]LQHVV 0DUN t 7KH ÄşUVW \HDU ZH SOD\HG ZH ZHUH ZHDULQJ overalls, but that went out really fast. One of the interesting things about the music is that even though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty aggressive and off the rails, we all know what were doing at any given moment.

6GDQD CN XNT CQ@V HMROHQ@SHNM ENQ XNTQ KXQHBR @MC RNLD NE SGD RSNQHDR SGDX SDKK Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Whenever I get particularly angsty or down about something, where I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel I have anything I can do about it, I try to write a song about it somehowâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directly about the thing or just a made up story.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jake pretty much writes awesome lyrics and good skeletal structures of a song, then everybody in the band adds accent to it, and it comes together in one magical Black Jake vision.

What inspired your band name?

Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember what made me

think of the band name. I think the Black Jake part was supposed to EH SLUDWH \ RU VRPHWKLQJf , JXHVV LW UHÄťHFWV WKH ZKROH GXSOLFLW\ RI entertainment where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed to make everybody happy, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this undercurrent of evil or untrustworthiness, like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s setting you up, like a con. Like you take a dead rat and put it in a cotton candy machine and hand it to a kid, and say â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some cotton candy!â&#x20AC;?

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m missing three permanent teeth that I was actually born ZLWKRXW VR LWpV D QDWXUDO ÄşW IRU PH WR EH FDOOHG D FDUQLH 'NV CHC XNTQ VHKC RS@FD OQDRDMBD DUNKUD -DNH t ,W DOO VWDUWHG ZLWK -RH -RH ZDV WKH ÄşUVW RQH WR VWDUW MXPSLQJ around, then Mark did, then everyone else didâ&#x20AC;Ś Except for me, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play games.

Zach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We played this one show in Jackson where the stage was a trailer, a wagon almost, and it had spring suspension, so we were playing on it, and it was rocking back and forth. Then we just started jumping, and it started rocking like a trampoline. It was hilarious and everyone enjoyed it. I think that was a precipitating moment.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; All of us really enjoy doing this. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s straight up fun, and the more we played together it just snowballed. We were having a good time on stage, and hopefully that started to spread to the audience. :KHQ ZH ÄşUVW VWDUWHG , DFWXDOO\ SOD\HG VLWWLQJ GRZQ DQG HYHU\ERG\ was moving around so much and having such a good time that I eventually felt jealous and was like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have to learn to play the drums standing up.â&#x20AC;?

Joe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start playing music until I was in my late twenties. I promoted music and I was into music and I had always wanted to be RQ VWDJH VR IRU PH LW ZDV D GUHDP WR XS WKHUH :KHQ , ZDV ÄşQDOO\ DEOH to, I wanted to let 30 years of pent up energy loose and jump around.

6G@S @QD RNLD NE XNTQ HMlTDMBDR -DNH t 7KH 3RJXHV DUH SUREDEO\ WKH PRVW REYLRXV >LQÄťXHQFH@ EXW thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jonny Cash and a little Gillian Welch in there and some random old timey music. Sort of vicariously, maybe some Alice Cooper and 0LVÄşWV VWXII MXVW IRU WKH WKHDWULFV RI LW Jesse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I started learning to play the accordion because I was listening to bands like Gogol Bordello and Devotchka that have more of an Eastern European thing going on, and even to a lesser extent, The Decemberists. I liked the way they were using the accordion. I liked the minor key of it, but they also still kept their energy upâ&#x20AC;Ś Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get the crowd into a groove then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just stop and change the tempo completely. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of fun watching everyone try to adjust to it.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just trying to break ankles all across the Midwest.

Mark â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I destroyed my ankle in Kalamazoo trying to jump from a post. I put one foot on it, jumped backwards and just rolled it. I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I probably just gotta stretch it back,â&#x20AC;? so I stomped on it as hard as I could. I played the rest of the show standing on one foot and Zach carried me to the car after. There was this chick that was a nurse that said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can take care of you,â&#x20AC;? and I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m cool.â&#x20AC;? Later, I was like, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I just have that hot chick take care of me?â&#x20AC;? I was sitting there with a bunch of ice and duct tape wrapped around it after this Kalamazoo nurse had offered to nurse me. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong with me?

Jesse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mark is the most injured carnie.

6GX CN XNT SGHMJ LTRHB HR @M HLONQS@MS O@QS NE @ BNLLTMHSX Zach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Music is a true expression of humanity. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who we are and everybody has music in them. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just real, Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not contrivedâ&#x20AC;Ś On various songs we invite people to come on stage and we encourage the audience to learn the words and sing along because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all a part of engaging with people and singing together.

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[FEATURES] Joe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; For me, music is connection. My family has always played music, and I played with them. This band is all about community and family. To me, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s something so cool about being connected on stage in that expression or performanceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unlike anything else.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I think music is still one of the only things that a lot of people can get together all at once and rally around and have a good time. And, if they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like the music, they can huddle in the corner and bitch about it together. It just unites people, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automatically going to give us a sense of community.

Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all got wildly different political and religious views. With the band, when it all comes down to everybody just singing along, all that stuff doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really matter and being human is what counts.

6G@S V@R SGD OQNBDRR NE QDBNQCHMF g2TMCQX ,@XGDLRu KHJD Zach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; We took a longer, slower and more deliberate approach to the whole project. And I think, as a result, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re gonna

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be happier with the end product.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I think it was a lot more fun to make this record than the last oneâ&#x20AC;Ś I think this one had more vision, and we had a better time recording it because we would all get together in the studio and work on things WRJHWKHU ZKHUHDV WKH ÄşUVW RQH ZDV SLHFHG together here and there. This one was more of a long, drawn out process and a little more complicated, but I think it was more like a labor of love.

Jesse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The band was still kind of formLQJ ZKHQ WKH ÄşUVW RQH ZDV UHFRUGHGf :H werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a cohesive unit. We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as you see us until a couple months after that.

6G@S @QD RNLD SGHMFR XNT KHJD @ANTS SGD 8ORHK@MSH MM QANQ @QD@ Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Everybody is really cool. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home.

And people are not afraid to dance around hereâ&#x20AC;Ś We need feedback from the audiHQFH VR ZH FDQ ÄşJXUH RXW WKH HEE DQG ÄťRZ of the set and make changes. In Ypsi and Ann Arbor, people are quick to dance, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really encouragingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially at Circus.

Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a really cool artistic collective where a lot of people know each other.

It almost feels like when you go to a show in the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area, you are a lot more involved and a lot more invested in it. I think that helps out and people enjoy themselves more. In this area, you also JHW D ORW RI UHDOO\ FRRO RXWVLGH LQÄťXHQFHVu people that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t from the area that just come to check things out, like on bluegrass :HGQHVGD\ QLJKWV DW &LUFXV 7KLV SODFH ÄşOOV up, and people have a good time dancing and jumping and sweating.

Joe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I like being able to walk to gigs.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve probably played like ten different places where we walk half a mile to play a show. And I think the camaraderie in the music scene is pretty fun. "@M XNT SDKK LD VGX 3GD ,HBGHF@M 1NNSR )@LANQDD HR RNLDSGHMF XNT FTXR QD@KKX KNNJ ENQV@QC SN Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one mile from my new house!

Joe â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I like that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to build up a marquee Michigan festival, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically in our backyard. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crazy to think that we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be playing it when you can basically hear it from most of our front porches. I like the camaraderie of it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

looking forward to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lineup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the best lineup theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve gotten.

Mark â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Backstage is a blast too. They have great food and couches in the middle RI WKH ÄşHOG ZLWK D WHQW RYHU LW <RX GRQpW get that anywhere else. I feel theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re really trying to take care of the musicians. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also got a stage thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most suited for Joe climbing up the rafters.

Jake â&#x20AC;&#x201C; [Joe] did a ten foot leap one year, at least ten feet, from it!

(R SGDQD @MXSGHMF DKRD XNT C KHJD NTQ QD@CDQR SN JMNV Bill â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Just that we really appreciate all the people that have come out and danced and sang along and jumped up on stage and played the games. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really made this fun to do.

Black Jake and the Carnies will have a CD release show for their new album â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sundry Mayhemsâ&#x20AC;? on June 11 at Woodruffs.

They will also be playing in the Michigan Roots Jamboree August 5â&#x20AC;&#x201D;7. For more information, visit www.blackjakeandthecarnies.com.

JUNE Â 2011

  29  i SPY

[FEATURES]

brett dennen gets personal

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>>

Brett Dennen is starting to make a name for himself in the music scene. After opening for acts like John Mayer and the Dave Matthews Band, performing on several late night shows, having his tracks featured on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” “House,” and “Scrubs,” and headlining in cities across the United States, he is now back on the road promoting his newest album, “Loverboy.” But despite his growing fame, there’s still a lot we didn’t know about the northern California native— whether it’s about his time spent home-schooling, his artistic family or his girlfriend of over a year. We got the chance to speak with Dennen, during which he spoke about his new album, his past and his overall love for life. %HQRS NE @KK XNT ITRS B@LD NTS VHSG @ MDV @KATL 3DKK LD VGX CHC XNT B@KK HS g+NUDQANX u I think it was just how I was feeling. I just feel like a loverboy. It could be romantic, but it’s not necessarily what I was thinking. It’s more that I just want this album to be an ode to love, and I want it to make people feel good and feel the love and share the love. %NQ XNTQ E@MR VGN G@UDM S KHRSDMDC SN g+NUDQANXu XDS GNV VNTKC XNT R@X SG@S HS CHEEDQR EQNL XNTQ OQDUHNTR VNQJ It’s the most upbeat, funky rock and roll record that I’ve ever made, but I think when you listen a little deeper, you’ll hear that I put more of a personal touch on everything—not just the lyrics, but the way I am and how I put myself into it a little more—my own style and craft of songwriting. I think I know who I am as a writer now a lot more than I ever did. I have my own craft and my own technique, and it’s good to hear that all throughout. Because of that, I think it’s a well thought out album and a strong collection of songs that have a lot of chemistry.

8NT CD@K VHSG RNLD RDQHNTR SNOHBR NM SGD @KATL DUDM SGNTFG SGD @KATL RNTMCR RN TOAD@S 'NV CN XNT QDBNMBHKD SG@S Like I said, I think it’s my most upbeat album and my most funky album, but it’s also one of my most emotional albums. It cuts to the core more than the other albums, and I think that’s because it’s so personal. I try to connect with people emotionally, but I don’t want it to be a bad thing. I want it to be done to upbeat music, so you feel a whole range of emotion, not just bad.

(R SGD RNMF g#@MBHMF @S @ %TMDQ@Ku @ANTS @MX O@QSHBTK@Q ODQRNM R CD@SG It came from a conversation I had at the time with a friend about life and death and what goes on at funerals. It’s more about the celebration of life than it is about

30

i SPY JUNE 2011

mourning death. I sort of used my own personal experience from funerals and things that I’ve felt and shared between family members at funerals, but it’s not about any one funeral in particular.

6G@S @QD RNLD NE SGD NSGDQ ODQRNM@K SNOHBR SG@S XNT CD@K VHSG NM SGD @KATL There’s heartbreak and falling in love. There’s being let down. There’s feelings of failure. There’s feelings of wanting to stand up for what’s right. I think there’s a little revenge in there—humor, playfulness, life and death.

Everything sort of makes its way in there at some point.

3DKK LD @ KHSSKD @ANTS XNTQ A@BJFQNTMC 'NV NKC @QD XNT MNV I’m 31. #N XNT BNLD EQNL @ LTRHB@K E@LHKX Not really. My mom played the piano a little bit, but I think I come from more of an artistic family. Everybody in my family is an artist. My brother is a brilliant piano player, and I kind of missed the boat on that, but he’s incredible. My dad works with paint and wood and does a lot of sculpture, and my mom is a painter and a quilter and does a lot of fabric work and needlepoint. I think we’re just a really artistic family, and I had a really

“I think Detroit is going to really love this album.” artistic upbringing. I was homeschooled for most of my life. I spent a lot of time getting comfortable being an artist and getting creative. I think that’s what allowed me to be a songwriter. I’ve spent a lot of time being creative and getting to know myself and express myself and feel comfortable with that. I think that’s where it comes from.

6G@S V@R HS KHJD ADHMF GNLD RBGNNKDC @MC VG@S L@CD XNTQ O@QDMSR CDBHCD SN CN SG@S I grew up in a little country town, and I think my parents sort of looked at the options. It was a different time back then. My father was a carpenter and we could survive on his salary, so I think they just decided to do it. It was a lifelong dream of my mom’s to home-school her children. It was the right time and place, and they could afford it. I’m very thankful for it. For me, someday, when I have a family, if the time and circumstance is right, I would love to home-school my children.

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[FEATURES]

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I  never  dreamed  of  being  a  singer/ songwriter  or  a  rock  star  or  anything  like  that.  [â&#x20AC;Ś]  I  thought  it  would  be  cool,  but  I  had  friends  and  family  members  tell  me  I  should  go  for  it.â&#x20AC;? #HC XNT GNLD RBGNNK @KK SGD V@X SGQNTFG RBGNNK I stopped in junior high.

'NV KNMF G@UD XNT ADDM L@JHMF LTRHB I started learning guitar when I was 12 years old. I started writing songs when I was 21 and started performing when I was 23 or 24. At the time, it was more for fun and for the love of music. I always loved playing and spent a lot of time learning my favorite songs and playing them, hanging out with friends and trying to be around music. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thankful for my friends and their encouragement that helped me actually tell myself that I could do it, because I never dreamed of being a singer/songwriter or a rock star or anything like that. I never had this secret desire to do that. I thought it would be cool, but I had friends and family members tell me I should go for it.

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6GDM CHC XNT EDDK XNT G@C XNTQ AHF AQD@J Well, you know, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I had a big break, just lots of little breaks. A couple years after college, I was writing songs and making music. I got a manager and she helped me make an album. I got to open for a lot of great musicians like John Mayer and Dave Matthewsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;little EUHDNV OLNH WKDW GHÄşQLWHO\ KHOSHG DQG all the while, I was grinding it out on the road and developing a fan base. #N XNT G@UD @MX SHLD ENQ XNTQRDKE Yeah, at this point, music is my life, so I sort of have to make it my life and put my heart and myself into everything I do.

This is the life Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m choosing to lead, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really look at it as time to myself or time working. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all sort of the same thing. I take vacation time and go to the mountains or go on trips or go backpacking or sit at home, but I have a lot of

fun doing what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I want WR GR ,WpV YHU\ IXOÄşOOLQJuHVSHFLDOO\ EHLQJ on the road. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tiring, but I get to play music every night and I get to be with my friends. I get to travel. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dream come true. I have a wonderful girlfriend, and I love her very much. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inspired me DQG LV GHÄşQLWHO\ P\ PXVH ,WpV KDUG WR EH on the road away from her, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what I choose. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it different. You have to make it work and trust that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the way it should be.

'NV KNMF G@UD XNT ADDM C@SHMF GDQ A year.

(R SGDQD @MXSGHMF HM O@QSHBTK@Q SG@S XNT DWODBS EQNL XNTQ TOBNLHMF #DSQNHS RGNV I think right before we play Detroit, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in Canada, so I think it will be fun to be back in the states. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a little while since we were in Detroitâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a couple of years, I think, and I actually

really love St. Andrews. I think Detroit is going to really love this album. I have one album that kind of sounds like it belongs in Nashville, and I have one album that belongs in a little northern California town, and I have one album that sounds like it belongs in L.A., but I think â&#x20AC;&#x153;Loverboyâ&#x20AC;? belongs in any American cityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;any good American city with good, hardworking people that want to have a good time like Milwaulkee or Detroit. I think people will really dig it, and I think people should come out and expect to have a good time.

Brett Dennen will be performing at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 29 at St. Andrews in Detroit. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased at www.livenation.com .

JUNE Â 2011

  31  i SPY

[FEATURES]

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I  do  let  loose  and  have  fun,  but  I  never  stop  thinking  about  these  serious  things.  To  me,  theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re  not  mutually  exclusive.â&#x20AC;?

david bazanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long and winding road

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>>>>>

32

i SPY JUNE Â 2011

Often the types of artists that we are most likely to put on pedestals are tormented geniuses. Perhaps we idolize them because we identify with them in some way and want to vicariously confront our fears, our doubts and our pain through their experiences. Or maybe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because everyone loves a good comeback story or because we are part of a culture that often preaches that LWpV RQO\ WKURXJK DGYHUVLW\ WKDW ZH DUH DEOH WR DFKLHYH WUXH IXOÄşOOment. But regardless of the reason for our fascination, there is no denying its existence.

Torment can come in the form of eternal, nagging questions, or it can stem from a complex past or inner demons. David Bazan is plagued by all three. Having grown up in an evangelical, conservative Christian home, Bazan has famously wrestled with questions of faith, God and the eternalâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;often very publically through his music, while also overcoming alcoholism. But these are the qualities, in addition to his musical talent and lyrical genius, that make him so beloved among his fans. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s almost like they take comfort in knowing that, whatever they may be going through, they are not going through it alone. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s someone else out there who understands what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like. And isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that what music is all about?

Years ago, Bazan was known for his role in Pedro the Lion, a band that often used various characters to examine human nature and sometimes Christian themes in a raw, honest fashion.

For quite some time, it was a known fact that Bazan was a Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;having even performed a rendition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be Thou My Visionâ&#x20AC;?

at Cornerstone. However, as Bazan grew older and began to ask even PRUH GLIÄşFXOW TXHVWLRQV KH HPEDUNHG RQ D MRXUQH\ WKDW PDGH KLP question his most core beliefs. This journey was chronicled in many of his solo albums, but was especially displayed in his 2009 album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Curse Your Branches.â&#x20AC;? Now it seems that Bazan is starting from scratch. He no longer calls himself a Christian and is not entirely sure what he believes. He may or may not believe in God, but is relatively positive that he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in, what he calls, â&#x20AC;&#x153;invisible thingsâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;although, he admits, he is still collecting data about these things and is FXULRXV DERXW ZKDW KH PD\ ÄşQG â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sometimes I feel like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible that some form of a God could H[LVW EXW HYHQ WKHQ , KDYH D YHU\ GLIÄşFXOW WLPH LPDJLQLQJ WKH KHXULVWLFV of that,â&#x20AC;? he says, saying that he has a hard time logically believing in an omnipotent god and that there are many days during which he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even begin to imagine a scenario in which a god could exist. However, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still reading books, asking questions and writing songs to continue to work all of these questions out. And, although his newest album, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Strange Negotiations,â&#x20AC;? doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delve into these topics as much as his former album, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still there, lingering in the background.

The song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Change,â&#x20AC;? references Bazanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s battle with alcoholism. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was very much about me,â&#x20AC;? Bazan says of the song. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was a period where I met all of these great people, but I was just hammered the whole time, just having a great time. [The song] was kind of a loving, mocking little reference to that time.â&#x20AC;? (Bazan has since overcome his drinking problem, which he says is a much more â&#x20AC;&#x153;convenientâ&#x20AC;? way to live.)

Many of the other songs on the album, like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wolves at the Door,â&#x20AC;? wax political, as Bazan says that the wolves referenced are â&#x20AC;&#x153;people whose primary vocation is making money.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a class of these people who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help others because the accumulation of wealth is their only job and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no end to that job,â&#x20AC;? says Bazan. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this insatiable thing, and those are the very people that many working class individuals are putting their trust in.â&#x20AC;?

And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just the stingy wealthy that Bazan has in his crosshairs.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also our culture as a whole. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People have no idea where their food comes from,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People have lost any real sense of their connectedness with the land, with one another.â&#x20AC;?

With statements like these, it would be easy to imagine someone as deep and serious-minded as Bazan as some kind of recluse who VKXWV KLPVHOI RXW IURP WKH ZRUOG LQ RUGHU WR FUHDWH PXVLF DQG SRQWLÄşcate, but Bazan not only participates in life, he actually enjoys it.

Bazan has a wife of almost 12 years and two young childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;which are two jobs that require a great amount of dedication, and neither of which he takes lightly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Both [my wife and I] have talked about the fact that, if weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to make it, which is not the most common thing ever, we just have to be serious about it and not play games or have little back doors open just in case. And being serious about that has helped me to understand what it means to be serious about a lot of other things,â&#x20AC;? he says.

However, there is more to Bazan than just the serious side. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I joke too much most of the time, and I really like people. I like social interaction, and I always have a great, great time. [â&#x20AC;Ś] I really enjoy being alive and just hanging around,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do let loose and have fun, but I never stop thinking about these serious things,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not mutually exclusive.â&#x20AC;?

On June 13, Bazan will get the opportunity to let loose in the metroDetroit area when he plays at the Pike Room in Pontiac. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll play most of, if not all of the new record, some stuff off â&#x20AC;&#x153;Branches,â&#x20AC;? some Pedro and maybe a Headphones tune,â&#x20AC;? he says of the upcoming Pike Room show. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will be rock and roll.â&#x20AC;?

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[DEPOT TOWN RAG]

Depot Town Rag

iSPY

read more from Depot Town Rag at mispymag.com

By Tom Dodd

Prohibition ends.....again!

Dispense with this

IF YOU SAW IT ON THE SIDE-­ WALK, YOU’D STEP OVER IT

EVERYTHING’S UNDER CONTROL ON EAST CROSS STREET: Tats, unions, pot, and booze, all carefully regulated by State of Michigan statutes and standards

When the district’s 1870s Oliver House railroad saloon saw the coming of the 18th Amendment (known informally as the Volstead Act) initiating the country’s prohibition of alcohol in 1919, the proprietors dug in their heels and kept their business open with ice cream and lemonade, rent from railroaders who lived in the upstairs rooms, and a downstairs dining room. When the Act was repealed in 1933, the saloon went on to become Dad’s, Ken’s, The Alibi Bar, and Aubree’s Saloon.

The neighborhood has had other experiences with controlled substances. Aubree’s has now expanded one bay to the west, usurping the space that was Weber Drug for many years. In his last years as pharmacist there, Don Wallaker never told his customers KH ZDV UXQQLQJ RXW WKH EDFN GRRU WR KDYH WKHLU SUHVFULSWLRQV ĺOOHG DW . 0DUW KH continued to give personal, hands-on service to his life-long customers who received their meds in the old railroad district. And, like the tavern next door, Weber Drug had to meet strict standards for safeguarding their controlled substances.

Today, State of Michigan controls are reaching one more property to the west of the previous liquor and pharmaceutical security controls.

Jeff Cifor, 53, who has opened a new State-controlled enterprise at 35 E. Cross, operates Ann Arbor Health Collective next to Trader Joe’s, and another Collective in Taylor. What had been the home of Standard Printing since the 1930s is now the location of the Depot Town Dispensary. Pot sales have moved inside––off the street.

But it’s harder to get served here than at a bar or pharmacy. More “proofs” are necessary at Michigan’s new “pot stores.” You’ll need a Medical Marijuana Card that begins with a doctor’s referral, and Michigan Health Department approval. With their okay, Collective members may enter the

waiting room to present their “paperwork” to a receptionist for admission to the “med room” where a variety of products await inspection.

Warning: there’s no fancy packaging here. Most of the offerings look like something you would step over if you saw it lying on the sidewalk. Grungylooking wads of weeds are made more palatable only by the exotic monikers attached to them.

Product names are every bit as goofy as those found on meds at big-box drug stores, taking sentimentalists back to the days of Haight-Ashbury, Chicago’s Old Town, Detroit’s Plum Street, or even Depot Town’s Old Town Bazaar: Sour Diesel, Purple Gorilla, Blue Dream, Denny’s Haze, Purple Star, Pineapple Kush, Jamaican Lambs Bread, and Stawberry. The shop’s exotica are at least more memorable than lacossamide, natalizumab, or glucosamine condritin, just a few of the many controlled drugs available with or withouit prescription at the local bigbox pharms.

Proprietor Cifor says about 50% of his product is “smokeable,” while the Dispensary’s other products include oils, sprays, balms, candies, cookies and other treats.

THESE SNACKS ARE NOT FOR KIDS...UNLESS THEY HAVE A PERMIT

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JUNE 2011

33 i SPY

[DEPOT Â TOWN Â RAG]

No matter how you spell it....

Marijuana or marihuana? Although the State of Michigan spells potâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditional name in a strange manner, the legislation stands strong for either usage. In the section IRU qÄşQGLQJV GHFODUDWLRQr 6HFWLRQ q7KH SHRSOH RI WKH 6WDWH RI 0LFKLJDQ ÄşQG DQG declare that: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modern medical research, including as found by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine in a March 1999 report, KDV GLVFRYHUHG EHQHÄşFLDO XVHV IRU PDULKXDna in treating or alleviating the pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with a variety of debilitating medical conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports and the Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics show that approximately 99 out of every 100 marihuana arrests in the United States are made under state law, rather than under

federal law. Consequently, changing state law will have the practical effect of protecting from arrest the vast majority of seriously ill people who have a medical need to use marihuana. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although federal law currently prohibits any use of marihuana except under very limited circumstances, states are not required to enforce federal law or prosecute people for engaging in activities prohibited by federal law. The laws of Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Washington do not penalize the medical use and cultivation of marihuana.

Michigan joins in this effort for the health and welfare of its citizens.â&#x20AC;?

(SOURCE: 2009 Legislative Council, State of Michigan)

Co n sul t your doctor The Marijuana Policy Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model medical marijuana law allows patients to obtain a medical marijuana card if they have a qualifying medical condition and a licensed physician believes they are likely to receive therapeutic or palliative EHQHÄşW IURP WKH XVH RI PHGLFDO PDULjuana. The model bill lists the following qualifying medical conditions (although state departments of health have added

even more): cancer; glaucoma; positive VWDWXV IRU KXPDQ LPPXQRGHÄşFLHQF\ YLUXV DFTXLUHG LPPXQH GHÄşFLHQF\ V\QGURPH hepatitis C; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Crohnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease; agitation of Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease; nail patella; the treatment of these conditions; or a chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syn-

Localism Index :6<9*,! :[HJ` 4P[JOLSS PU 5H[PVU (WYPS 4P[JOLSS PZ H ZLUPVY YLZLHYJOLY ^P[O [OL 5L^ 9\SLZ 7YVQLJ[ HUK H\[OVY VM )PN )V_ :^PUKSL! ;OL ;Y\L *VZ[ VM 4LNH 9L[HPSLYZ HUK [OL -PNO[ MVY (TLYPJHÂťZ 0UKLWLUKLU[ )\ZPULZZLZ Perhaps weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not doomed to an economy controlled by a few giant corporations after all. A growing number of signs suggest that local, independent businesses might just be making a comeback. Depot Town just might have been on to something these ODVW KXQGUHG DQG ÄşIW\ \HDUV Number of independent bookstores that have opened since 2005: 437 Increase since 2002 in the number of small specialty food stores: 1,414 Increase since 2002 in the number of small farms: 111,830 Number of farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets active in 2010: 6,132 Percentage of active farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets started since 2000: 53 Percentage of bank assets held by small and midsize community banks: 22 Percentage of small business loans made by small and midsize community banks: 54 Growth in deposits of small banks and credit unions since 2008: $77 billion Number of chain pharmacy locations that opened in 2009: 177 Number of independent pharmacy locations that opened in 2009: 474 Number of Independent Business Alliances and Local First groups in 2005: 30 Number of Independent Business Alliances and Local First groups in 2010: 143 Percentage change in 2010 sales for independent businesses in cities without a Buy Local First initiative: 2.1 Increase since 2002 in the number of Starbucks stores: 3,297 Increase since 2002 in the number of independent coffee shops: 4,923 drome, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures (including but not limited to those characteristic of epilepsy), or severe and persistent muscle spasms (including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis).

This list of key medical references addresses marijuanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to alleviate each of these conditions, which can serve as a valuable resource when

talking to your doctor about whether medical marijuana is right for you. Depot 7RZQ IRONV KDYH FRQÄşGHG KRZ WKH\ VHH all this medical and legal language as an appropriate expression of concerns of security for controlling how we use drugs of all kinds, whether they are alcoholic, pharmaceutical, or naturally produced.

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