iSPY - October

Y R E W E R B R CORNE

Alt Release Party Oct 5, 2010 - 6:00 PM There will be finger food and plenty of Alt to go around. It's free for mug club members, $10 for nonmembers. Special discount on 6 packs for anyone in attendance!

SE rat PAD RELEA

- 6:00 PM Oct 20, 2010 ecial unique and nsp a r fo ly get it us on Join u ca yo , er be h small batc me early! once, so co

CORNER BOO-ERY’S COSTUME PARTY Oct 30, 2010 - 08:00 PM Come join us for a spook-tacular costume party! Will have all of your favorite brews on tap along with small batch brews brewed just forsome occasion! Costume contest, Prizes,the Music, and lots of dancing!

happy hour all day every monday 4-7pm tuesday -friday and sunday 8-close

lub! join the mug c

onalized mug, Perks include: Pers liters, $1 off of discounts on half free admission 6 all growler fills, ies, discounted en to all release part e parties AND wh packs during releas the same perks at you join you get in Ann Arbor!

Arbor Brewing Co

720 norris st. ypsilanti, mi 48190 734-480-2739 www.cornerbrewery.com

contents PUBLISHER Tim Adkins EDITOR Dan DuChene SALES Christine Laughren and Bilal Saeed CONTRIBUTING WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Tim Adkins, Katie Bertam, Laura Bien, Natalie Burg, Dan DuChene, Christine Laughren, Jonathan Knight, Jenise Pettibone, Amanda Slater, Janis Tsai, Raj Mehta.

ART DIRECTOR Kari McLeod AD DESIGN Joey Brandt SALES INFORMATION sales@ispyypsi.com CONTENT INFORMATION dan@ispyypsi.com WEB INFORMATION tim@ispyypsi.com Special thanks to Ms. Shela for an awesome cover shot and Kellie Howe for some great photos in Snap Shot.

JOIN OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY!

www.ispyypsi.com www.facebook.com/ispyypsi

05 13

www.myspace.com/ispyypsi

i SPY - The Ypsilanti Area Events and Entertainment Guide Proudly brought to you by Pakmode Publications, LLC and the MOJO News Group

124 Pearl St. Suite 307 Ypsilanti, MI 48197 info@ispyypsi.com © 2010, iSPY. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part granted only by written permission of iSPY in accordance with our legal statement.

The first copy of iSPY is free, additional copies are .25 and can be purchased by emailing info@ispyypsi.com

Snap Shot Bulletin Board OCTOBER EVENTS

features 09 10 14

LLIC Magazine

Sheila Palkoski

PG.8

Rollin’ Along with Jim Roll

sneak peak 06 07 08 12

Ypsifest 2010

Haab’s goes back to the future Ypsilanti Halloween Festival Bulletin Board

scene 17

Unseen Scene - River Street Bakery

18

@iSPYYPSi

10.10

Night Terrors at Wiard’s

review 19 20 22 22

G’s Caribbean Delights Elbow Deep The Droid 2 ‘Does’

Bartender Profile - Shannon Rusin

PG.20

+Exclusive online content at www.ispyypsi.com The 6th Extinction, by Evil Genius Entertainment Graves and Ghosts of Ypsi’s past Antique Truck Show at Riverside Park

www.ispyypsi.com

PG.5

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

october

is by far my favorite month of the year.

IT REALLY DOES HAVE EVERYTHING. OUTSIDE, SWEATER-WEATHER IS FULL-ON, AS WELL AS THE COLOR IN THE TREES. WINTER MAY BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER, BUT I’VE STILL GOT HAUNTED HOUSES, ORCHARDS AND COSTUME SHOPPING TO LOOK FORWARD TO BEFORE I HAVE TO START PULLING OUT CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. THIS MIGHT ALSO BE MY FAVORITE ISSUE OF ISPY AS WELL. THE PICTURE ON THE COVER THIS MONTH WAS SHOT

BY LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND CELEBRATED POST-CARD PEDDLER SHEILA PALKOSKI. YOU CAN READ ABOUT HER EFFORT TO TURN A DIME AS A LOCAL INDEPENDENT ARTIST IN THIS ISSUE. FITTING IN WITH THE COVER PHOTO, WE’RE CONTINUING THE HALLOWEEN THEME ONLINE AT ISPYYPSI.COM, WITH LOCAL INDEPENDENT ART. THERE’S A REVIEW OF A VAMPIRE MOVIE BY YPSILANTI HORROR PRODUCERS EVIL GENIUS AND OUR RESIDENT HISTORIAN, LAURA BIEN, HAS COMPILED AN ARTICLE OF SOME OF THE SCARIEST REAL-LIFE STORIES FROM THE AREA THAT COULD MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL. I’VE BEEN IN THE AREA FOR A

Michigan’s Best Costume Shop Is In Ypsilanti!

FANTASY ATTIC COSTUMES

WHILE, AND SHE SURPRISED ME WITH SOME OF THE PAST OCCURRENCES SHE WAS ABLE TO UNCOVER. IF YOU NEED MORE THAN A MOVIE OR A STORY TO SCARE YOU INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT, WE’VE GOT AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE LOCAL HAUNTED ATTRACTION. FINALLY, WE’VE GOT A LINE ON THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF HALLOWEEN – TRICK-OR-TREATING. THE ANNUAL YPSILANTI HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL WILL BE HELD DOWNTOWN THIS YEAR, AND THERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT THE COSTUME CONTEST AND CANDY DISPENSING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. ASIDE FROM THE CONTENT DEDICATED TO HALLOWEEN IN YPSI, WE’VE GOT ARTICLES ABOUT OTHER EVENTS, CONCERTS, RESTAURANTS AND BUSINESSES IN TOWN. THE KIND OF INFORMATION YOU’VE COME TO EXPECT FROM US AND USE TO PLAN OUT YOUR MONTH. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR READING.

FANTASY ATTIC COSTUMES 19 E. CROSS ST., YPSILANTI, MI 734.482.5409 • www.fantasyattic.com

SIMPLE, FRESH, HANDCRAFTED FOOD & BEER BEST HAPPY HOUR IN WASHTENAW COUNTY Plenty of Patio Seating Top Ten Burgers in the U.S.

by GQ Magazine

FRENCHIE'S From weddings to prison release parties, Frenchie's is your place to celebrate

DAN DUCHENE

dan@ispyypsi.com

In-house and off-site catering from 5 - 500 people

FREE RENTALS 56 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti, MI (734) 483-1035 Sidetrack (734) 483-5230 Frenchies www.sidetrackbarandgrill.com

snap shot

ISPY OCTOBER PHOTO GALLERY

LEFT TO RIGHT: SARA THOMAS, DAVID ARQUETTE, KELLIE HOWE, ROB GLUCH, CHRISTINA POINDEXTER POSE FOR A PHOTO AT SAVOY AFTER ARQUETTE FINISHED SHOOTING THE MOVIE “SCREAM 4” IN THE AREA.

AFTER HER WEDDING TO JESSE SINATRA, TANYA “YPSI GIRL” BROWN, HER NEW HUSBAND AND HER DAUGHTER DRIVE OUT OF DEPOT TOWN IN THE SIDETRACK’S HUDSON.

DAVID ARQUETTE AND HAYDEN PANETTIERE DANCE AT SAVOY

WE’RE YOURS JASON MRAZ, AT THE EMU CONVOCATION CENTER. www.ispyypsi.com

KRISTINE THOMAS NEXT TO THE DIA PAINTING BY MARY CASSATT, “IN THE GARDEN”

MEMBERS OF THE EMU CROSS COUNTRY TEAM POSE AT THE EMU V ARMY TAILGATE.

WELCOME BACK! - COLLEGE NIGHT @ THEOS

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

sneak peak...

not to miss; ypsifest 2010 AFTER A TWO-YEAR HIATUS, YPSIFEST IS COMING BACK TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL BANDS FOR THREE DAYS AT SAVOY.

BY DAN DUCHENE

The event, which ran annually for four years until 2007, will feature more than 20 bands Oct. 14 – 16.

“YpsiFest was meant to be a celebration of what was going on in Ypsi,” said event organizer Anthony Gentile.

“It was an attempt to bring in bands from Detroit that weren’t playing in Ypsi at that point.”

The event was held at the Elbow Room, which Gentile said was “just starting to get chugging along” to its current status as a local live music destination. He said it attracted a lot of bands from the region that had not yet played in the city, many of which came back to the Elbow Room and other venues upon performing during the festival.

“I think this year at Savoy offers us a lot of possibilities,” Gentile said. “It just seemed like a good time to rev it back up.”

He pointed to Savoy’s size and management team as factors that could lead to increasing Ypsilanti’s role in the local music scene. “[Savoy] is a sweet new venue that allows them to play pretty decent-sized shows,” Gentile said.

Among other bands playing the three-day event, are the Muggs, Blue Snaggletooth, Lettercamp and Gentile’s own band – Ypsilanti-based Jehovah’s Witness Protection Program.

“Friday night is mostly straight forward and heavier rock and roll,” Gentile said. “Saturday more on the indie side. Maybe a little bit mellower, but awesome.”

Due to the volume of bands over the three days, YpsiFest will be taking advantage of Savoy’s new second stage. Gentile said the construction of the stage, closer to the bar, wasn’t planned just for the event, but for smaller shows played at the venue. However, the timing sure is helpful.

“We’ll be using both of them,” he said.

Cover for the event is $6 each night. Doors open at 6 p.m., with music starting at 8 p.m. Don’t wait for the music to start to show up, however. During the gap between the doors opening and the bands starting, there will be drink specials offered.

For more information in the event, visit the Savoy website at http://www.livesavoy.com/ or search for the event on Facebook.

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

www.ispyypsi.com

haab’s goes back to the future

BY DAN DUCHENE

AS THEY HAVE DONE EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST 23, THE OWNERS OF HAAB’S ARE OFFERING SELECT ITEMS ON THE MENU FOR THE ORIGINAL PRICES THEY WERE SOLD AT WHEN THE RESTAURANT FIRST OPENED. For one day only, Oct. 18, customers can get a chicken dinner for 50 cents, a spaghetti dinner for 40 cents or a barbecue pork sandwich for 20 cents. But get there early, as a steady line of customers are expected all day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

In 1976, Mike Kabat purchased the restaurant from brothers Oscar and Otto Haab, who opened the store in 1934. Mike’s son, David Kabat, partnered with his father in 1987. He said the restaurant is the oldest in Washtenaw County.

David said his father started offering the discount as a way to celebrate the anniversary of when the restaurant’s doors opened, but mostly as a way to thank the local customers who have kept the doors open for so long. “[Mike] had realized how much support he got from the community,” David said. “It is really a locally driven restaurant.”

He said the event has attracted throngs of customers since the deal began. He said they serve as many people as possible and there is always a constant line of custom-

ers down Michigan Avenue. While everyone in line gets served, wait times can last about an hour.

The restaurant does advertise the event through press releases to local media outlets, but David thinks its the deal to customers and word of mouth that drive the event.

“It’s been that way since the beginning,” he said. “With inflation, the deal has been getting better and better.”

With the full staff of 35 people needed to keep a constant flow of 150 people served in the restaurant at a time, the revenue generated from the Great Depression-era prices does not meet the cost of putting the food on the plates.

“The more people you serve, the more lose,” David said. “It’s never really been a factor.”

The 50-cent meal includes an entree of chicken in the rough, shoe string potatoes and a biscuit with honey. The Italian spaghetti dinner with meat sauce goes for 40 cents. And the barbeque pork sandwich comes with fries.

(734) 483-8200 Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Any luncheon entree

only $5

Must present coupon for discount offer expires 10/31/2010

sneak peak...

HALLOWEEN BALL AT BUFFALO WILD WINGS thursDay, oCtober 28, 2010 9 P.m. - 2 a.m.

$5 Cover or Donation of 2 CanneD or boxeD fooD items

trick ‘er treat

Portion of ProCeeDs to benefit

THE YPSILANTI HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL WELCOMES LOCALS TO LIBRARY PARK FOR A HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION.

Come CeLebrate haLLoWeen With us!

Costume Contest Silent Auction

BY NATALIE BURG

Do you remember Halloween ever being a bit of a let down as a kid?

You know, you’d plan your costume for weeks, get all dressed up, walk around your neighborhood, and then two hours later you were back in your living room with some candy, a rented movie and some smeared face paint.

Not true for Halloweeners in Ypsilanti.

For the lucky kids in this neighborhood, Halloween is a whole-community kind of thing. Each year, 800-1,500 kids cram into the Library Park and South Washington for the Ypsilanti Halloween Festival hosted by the Downtown Association of Ypsilanti, or DAY. This year, the big event will take place on Oct. 29 from 5 – 7 p.m.

“Everyone is invited,” said DAY member and Ypsilanti District Library Outreach Coordinator Donna DeButts said.

“There will be a costume contest, a DJ – Lawrence Wartley Jr., fire trucks, HVA’s Andy the Ambulance, face painting, candy and popcorn.”

If that sounds like a lot more fun than simply pounding on neighbors’ doors for Tootsie Rolls, that’s because it is. And there’s a pretty good chance that there will be Tootsie Rolls aplenty at the festival too.

No one is really sure when the Ypsilanti Halloween Festival began, but it’s been going on for awhile – at least 20 years or so, according to DeButts. It was back in the 1990’s when she got involved with DAY - then the Central Business Commu-

nity - and she realized that the Halloweeners were a familiar crowd.

“As a library employee I recognized that of all the downtown activities, this one most closely matches our target audience,” she said. “We know many children who come out for this event live within walking distance of our downtown library.”

Now the YDL hosts a complimentary event prior to the festival. At 4:30 p.m., kids can meet at the library for a free, “slightly scary” story-time.

While the Ypsilanti Halloween Festival is directed toward kids 12 and under, there’s fun for parents and all community member as well.

“The kids are so adorable in their costumes,” DeButts said. “And with the advent of the costume contest I have seen some really innovative costumes. It is a way for DAY and volunteers to give back to our community.”

As there will be no trick or treating store to store, there’s plenty of room for volunteers to help with candy stations. Anyone interested in helping can call DeButts at 734-879-1303 or e-mail Debutts@ypsilibrary.org.

“This is a perfect opportunity for sororities/fraternities, honor societies, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts to do something for the children of Ypsi,” DeButts said. “We could use face-painters, jugglers, people in costume to wander the area making everyone feel welcome.”

Karaoke Contest & More...

Call For Details 734.480.7410

216 James L. hart Pkwy 734.480.7410

*MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO PARTICIPATE

BWW1472_v3.indd 1

9/14/10 10:50:32 AM

feature...

get creative with llic ERIK SIMMONS LOOKS TO PUT THE MIDWEST ON THE ARTISTIC MAP.

BY NATALIE BURG

“LLIC” stands for “Live, Learn, Inspire, Create,” and this mantra is a perfect representation of founder Erik Simmons’ efforts to get the new Midwest art and music culture magazine off the ground.

Part of the challenge is LLIC is more than just a publication – it’s a vision.

What began as an assignment in his design entrepreneur class while pursing his MFA in graphic design from EMU, turned into a brainchild worth sinking his teeth into.

Simmons’ idea was to launch a nonprofit, quarterly arts magazine that would also function as a member of the community. LLIC hosts events for local artists, as well as supports area charities. Oh, and it’s other unique selling point? It concentrates exclusively on Midwest creatives.

“I am always reading art culture magazines that gear towards the east and west coast, but nothing really ever examining the creative energy thriving in the Midwest,” Simmons said. “There doesn’t seem to be much of a focus on the Midwests’ creative culture.”

In fact, Simmons credits Ypsilanti’s own “creative element” as an inspiration for LLIC, as well as a demonstration of how much the Midwest has to offer the arts world.

The idea, it would appear, is a good one. Though the lifespan of LLIC has included just one printed publication, Simmons now coordinates a staff of 13 and has hosted and participated in a handful of successful events.

Those events include the Art at the Laundromat collaborations between LLIC and set of DJ’s going by the name “The Laundromat.”

“They’re a group of guys that wanted to do a dance party that would pretty

www.ispyypsi.com

much be like a roller disco but with no roller skates,” Simmons said.

Throw in some art and Art at the Laundromat, which kicked off at the Keystone Underground on Aug. 7, was one bustling good time.

“We had about 100 people come on our first night, ready to enjoy local art, dig for records and dance the night away,” Simmons said. The event recurred on Sept. 4, and the hosts intend to continue the fun on a monthly basis.

For all its community elements, LLIC has some serious goals in the arts publication department.

“I want to not only make it fun, whimsical and lighthearted but also explore art and music culture on an intellectual scale,” Simmons said. “I want the magazine to examine the connections between people that are creatively minded in Michigan and the whole Midwest.”

Lofty as their goals may be, the LLIC crew plans to set their sights high and simply make it happen. Simmons was motivated by the words of well-known graphic designer Carlos Segura, who said one has to fail a lot before becoming successful.

“I had to follow through with my passions because no one else is going to do it for me,” he said. “If I fail, at least I can walk away knowing I tried.”

Fortunately for LLIC and the Midwest arts community, Simmons’ trial is looking pretty successful thus far. The next issue will be released on Oct. 31 and will be sold in stores located between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.

The issue will include a wide collection of artist profiles, band profiles, music/ art review column, short stories, food recipes, poetry, and music features.

To suggest a story idea, ask a question or to just say hi, you can reach LLIC at llicmagazine@gmail.com. Past issues and up-to-date info on the publication can be found at llicmagazine.tumblr.com.

LLIC wants you to connect with them, because when it comes down to it, con-

nection is what the project is all about.

“We want to suggest a common connection within the creative community,” Simmons said. “We want to give that connection a voice so that readers can be inspired to go out and be motivated to do something creative.”

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

feature...

the face behind the postcard ARTIST PROFILE:

SHEILA PALKOSKI

BY DAN DUCHENE

Though she grew up in Dexter and currently lives in Ann Arbor, local photographer Sheila Palkoski’s 10 years at Eastern Michigan University have given her an affinity for Ypsilanti.

“It’s definitely my spot,” she said.

Palkoski is the artist behind the suggestive photograph of two feminine legs straddling Ypsi’s iconically suggestive water tower. She has turned what was created for the Dirty Show, an annual erotic art exhibit in Detroit, into a recognizable and hard-to-forget post card sold in the area.

Sold at the Rocket in downtown Ypsilanti, Palkoski has created different postcards based on the same theme for various occasions, such as St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas and graduation. Though the postcards have become a good selling product in the stores where it has been put on the shelf, the number of stores has been decreasing.

“The Rocket is the biggest seller,” Palkoski said.

“They sell my stuff like crazy “It ain’t nothing like it used to be,” she said. “Everyone is going under or going out of business.”

Palkoski has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from EMU, with a minor in art history. Aside from her postcard work, she has been shooting photos for Real Detroit Weekly, writing for Examiner.com and has covered a lot of events in the Ann Arbor area for a variety of other publications.

She does all this while working as a toolmaker for the Ford Motor Company.

“I can’t quit my day job,” she said. “I keep reminding myself I do it because I love it, not for the money.”

Palkoski said she has become frustrated with the market for independent artists in the region. Aside from her Ypsi-centric postcards, she has designed buttons and a line of Detroit-centric post cards that she has tried to get in stores throughout the area.

She said she has tried gift shops in major Detroit attractions, trendy shops in Detroit and Ypsilanti bookstores. She said she has been repeatedly told they only

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

SHEILA AND THE ONE AND ONLY SLASH. purchase products from corporate suppliers.

“Nobody wants to take on my product,” Palkoski said.

“Trying to get people to sell my shit is really tough.”

Through her sales at the Rocket and various art shows in and around Detroit, she knows her items sell.

She has a lot of pride in her work and has enjoyed the success she has created for herself.

“It’s fun to just sit there and watch people’s reaction,” Palkoski said of attending various art shows in the area. “My work is appealing and entertaining for a lot of people.”

After seeing her postcards, she said many people who have never been to Ypsilanti say they plan to come visit just because of her postcards. She said she also receives e-mails from people who had previously lived in Ypsi and get a postcard mailed to them by a friend.

“They are sent around the world,” Palkoski said.

“It’s just really neat that it helps get my images around the world.”

She is also entertained by the mystery surrounding the original 8-by-10-inch print created for the Dirty Show.

After the show, she said people from the Elbow Room had asked her to hang the photo in the bar. It’s life at the Elbow Room was short-lived however. Palkoski said a group in the bar created a diversion and after the situation was cleared up the photo was noticed missing from the wall.

“It only lasted a couple of weeks and somebody stole it,” she said.

However, since it was the only print created that wasn’t signed or numbered, she said she’ll notice it when she sees it.

“It’s almost like a legend now,” Palkoski said. “I figure it’s probably hanging in some frat house.”

www.ispyypsi.com

5PM 9 2 BETR O T C YO REE FRISDHAINGTON ST

Ypsilanti Antiques

7PM

WA

Antique and period furniture, clothing, jewelry, collectibles, retro

& more!

For more information contact the Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau 106 W. Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734) 483-4444 www.visitypsinow.com

Apple Annie's Vintage Clothing & Jim MacDonald Antiques 29 E. Cross Street Ypsilanti, MI (734)481-0555

Bowerbird Mongo

Ypsilanti Food Co-op

At the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, fresh, delicious food is just the beginning. Nourish your family. Discover local foods.

Connect with others and help build a strong community.

It all comes together here.

210 West Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 482-4595

Salt City Antiques

115 West Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 487-1259

Materials Unlimited 2 West Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 483-6980

Open Daily 9 am - 9 pm

Schmidt's Antiques

5138 West Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 434-2660

(734) 483-1520 312 N. River Street

$5 OFF

your entire purchase

Mix

Limit one coupon per customer Alcohol not included Offer expires Oct. 31, 2010

130 W. Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 961-8704

sneak peak...

OCTOBER bulletin OCT 2ND...

CONTINUED

PUPPET SHOWS FOR CHILDREN

KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND, 7PM-2AM

DREAMLAND THEATER, 3:30PM

EMU HOMECOMING

THE WHITE RAVENS, SKY DROPS, BLIND LIARS

CHECK EMICH.EDU FOR ALL EVENT DETAILS

SAVOY, 7PM-11PM

CHRIS BATHGATE, MISTY LYN, LAKE FOLK

YPSIFEST

OCT 3RD

BIKE YPSI SUNDAY RIDES

RECREATION PARK, 1PM-2PM

ANTIQUE TRUCK SHOW

RIVERSIDE PARK, 10AM-4PM

PUPPET SHOWS FOR CHILDREN

“PIANOS ‘ROUND TOWN”

NELSON AMOS STUDIO & AROUND DEPOT TOWN & DOWNTOWN YPSI, ALL DAY OCT 14TH

OCT 1ST

BIKE YPSI FRIDAY MORNING RIDES MEET AT BEEZY’S CAFÉ, 8AM-9AM

‘NIGHT, MOTHER BY MARSHA NORMAN RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 8PM

UNDERGROUND ROOTS

KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND, 10PM-2AM

OCT 2ND

‘NIGHT, MOTHER BY MARSHA NORMAN RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 8PM

VETERANS FOR PEACE CHAPTER 93 CORNER BREWERY, 7PM-11PM

JOHN LENNON BIRTHDAY CONCERT FUNDRAISER CORNER BREWERY, 7PM

DUELING PIANOS RETURN! PUB 13, 8PM-2AM

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

OCT. 10TH

YPSILANTI SONG WRITING FESTIVAL

SAVOY, 10PM-2AM

SEPT 24THOCT 11TH

board

DREAMLAND THEATER, 3:30PM

OCT 5TH ALT RELEASE PARTY

CORNER BREWERY, 6PM

EMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL V IPFW CONVOCATION CENTER, 7PM

OCT 7TH

THE HAND GRENADES, SATIN PEACHES, THE BLUE SQUARES SAVOY, 7PM-11PM

OCT 8TH

EMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL V WMU CONVOCATION CENTER, 7PM

OCT 9TH

ARTOBERFEST

PUB 13, 11AM TO 7PM

DREAMLAND FUNDRAISER DREAMLAND THEATER, 7PM

ZOMBIE BALL

SAVOY, 9PM-2AM

EMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL V NIU CONVOCATION CENTER, 7PM

THE MUGGS, THE BOYS THEMSELVES, WRATHGATE, AND MARC COGMEN SAVOY, 8PM

OCT 22ND

ANIMAL FARM - A FAIRY STORY BY GEORGE ORWELL DREAMLAND THEATER, 7PM

HAMLET

EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 7PM

DIVIDING THE ESTATE

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 8PM

OCT 15TH

EMU WOMEN’S SOCCER V NIU SCICLUNA FIELD, 3PM

EMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL V MIAMI (OH) CONVOCATION CENTER, 7PM

OCT 16TH

DREAMLAND TONIGHT!- THE SCARY SHOW! DREAMLAND THEATER, 7PM

EMU WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL V BGSU CONVOCATION CENTER, 7PM

OCT 17TH EMU WOMEN’S SOCCER V WMU SCICLUNA FIELD, 1PM

OCT. 23

SWEET DREAMS EVENT

THOMAS BLONDI SALON 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY SILVER CARPET, MODELS, MUSIC, DRINKS AND MORE! 6PM-?

PUPPET SHOWS FOR CHILDREN DREAMLAND THEATER, 3:30PM

OCT 18TH TRIVIA WITH NAME THAT TUNE PUB 13, 10PM-2AM

OCT 20TH RAT PAD RELEASE

CORNER BREWERY, 6PM

OCT. 21ST DIVIDING THE ESTATE

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 8PM

OCT 23RD PUPPETRY IN THE ALLEY

BEHIND DREAMLAND THEATER, 2PM-10PM

HURON GUN COLLECTORS SHOW

WASHTENAW COUNTY FARM COUNCIL GROUNDS, 9AM-4PM

SWEET DREAMS EVENT

2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY THOMAS BLONDI SALON, 6PM

HAMLET

EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 7PM

DIVIDING THE ESTATE

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 2PM AND 8PM

www.ispyypsi.com

OCT 24TH

OCT 28TH

FAMILY FRIENDLY SHOWS

ISPY HALLOWEEN BALL

DREAMLAND THEATER, 2PM-4PM

HURON GUN COLLECTORS SHOW

WASHTENAW COUNTY FARM COUNCIL GROUNDS, 9AM-3PM

HAMLET

EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 3PM

A BENEFIT FOR SOS COMMUNITY SERVICES BUFFALO WILD WINGS, 9PM-2AM

EMU FOOTBALL V UT RYNEARSON STADIUM, 4PM

DREAMLAND PUPPET TROUPE PRESENTS: CHILDREN OF THE CORN DREAMLAND THEATER, 7PM

HAMLET EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 7PM

DIVIDING THE ESTATE

RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 2PM AND 8PM

OCT 30TH

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 7PM

OCT 29TH DOWNTOWN HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL AND SOS FOOD DRIVE YPSILANTI DISTRICT LIBRARY PARK, AND ON NORTH AND SOUTH WASHINGTON STREETS, 5PM7PM

HAMLET

EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 7PM

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 7PM

CORNER BOO-ERY’S COSTUME PARTY CORNER BREWERY, 8PM

OCT 31ST

DREAMLAND PUPPET TROUPE PRESENTS: CHILDREN OF THE CORN

DEADMAU5

HAMLET

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS RIVERSIDE ARTS CENTER, 7PM

+HAVE A WEEKLY EVENT YOU’D LIKE

US TO INCLUDE? SEND AN EMAIL TO EVENTS@ISPYYPSI.COM AND WE’LL INCLUDE IT NEXT MONTH AND ONLINE!

MONDAY

LAITH AL-SAADI – SAVOY, 10PM-2AM NAME THAT TUNE – PUB 13, 10PM-2AM

TUESDAY

80’S NIGHT – PUB 13, 10PM–2AM DOWNTOWN FARMER’S MARKET – KEY BANK LOT, 2PM-6PM MOTORCYCLE MANIA – DEPOT TOWN, 6PM-9PM

OPEN MIC – KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND, 10PM-2AM

EMU QUIRK/SPONBERG THEATER, 7PM

EMU CONVOCATION CENTER, 8PM

YOU CAN FIND THESE HAPPENINGS EVERY WEEK THROUGHOUT THE MONTH.

WEDNESDAY

DREAMLAND THEATER, 7PM

OCT 25TH

THE GOODS

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! PUPPET SHOWS FOR CHILDREN DREAMLAND THEATER, 3:30PM

THURSDAY

CRUISE NIGHTS – DEPOT TOWN, 5PM-9PM LIVE JAZZ – KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND, 9PM-12AM HAIRY KARAOKE – SAVOY, 11PM-2AM COLLEGE NIGHT W/EMYOU! THE MAGAZINE – THEO’S, 9PM-2AM

FRIDAY

UNDERGROUND ROOTS – KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND

SATURDAY

1294 Anna J Stepp (S. Huron Street) Ypsilanti, MI 48197 • (734) 487-7660 FIND US ON

DEPOT TOWN FARMER’S MARKET MARKET PLAZA, 8AM- 1PM DEPOT TOWN CRAFTER’S MARKET MARKET PLAZA, 3PM-7PM HELLOVA DANCE PARTY – KEYSTONE UNDERGROUND, 10PM-2AM DUELING PIANOS - PUB 13, 8PM-2AM

SUNDAY

BIKE YPSI SUNDAY RIDES – RECREATION PARK, 1PM-2PM KARAOKE WITH GYPSY – PUB 13, 10PM-2AM TODD OSBORN – SAVOY, 10PM-2AM

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rollin’ along FROM BACKSEAT TO DRIVERSIDE, JIM ROLL OWNS THE LOCAL CREATIVE HIGHWAY.

BY AMANDA SLATER

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

You can’t be involved in Ypsi’s creative scene without at least having heard of Jim Roll.

One minute he’s on stage performing with Matt Jones. The next he’s recording Frontier Ruckus’ new album. When he’s not on stage or in the studio, you might see him around Ypsi sipping a cup of coffee at Beezy’s or teaching at Washtenaw Community College. Or perhaps you caught a glimpse of him acting in one of the films featured in the 48 Hour Film Festival.

There’s no denying that Roll wears many hats, to say the least. And, it seems he’s always open to adding more.

Currently, Roll runs his own recording studio (Backseat Productions), plays in two bands (Drunken Barn Dance

and Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful), teaches recording at Washtenaw Community College and, in his spare time, does some acting on the side. He also is a solo recording artist, who hopes to eventually return to the studio.

Normally, when someone is involved in so many projects, it’s almost impossible to be successful at any of them.

However, each of Roll’s roles is remarkably successful—and each holds a special place in his heart.

“I think that [everything I do fits] together,” he said, as he listed off his various endeavors. “The acting thing is a creative outlet. Playing in bands is a creative outlet that keeps me in tune with music. Recording is the technical side of that. I really

www.ispyypsi.com

enjoy teaching. And, I suppose the ultimate creative outlet would be getting back in the studio to do my own record.”

Originally from Chicago, Roll came to the Ypsi-Ann Arbor area almost 20 years ago for school. He received a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan in the early 90’s, and hasn’t left since. An Ypsilanti resident for the last two years, Roll said that the city feels like home.

“I think what I like about Ypsi and the Midwest is that there’s a slightly gritty, beatup feel to it,” he said.

It’s an element that he thinks influences the region’s music for the better.

“I don’t think I’m a person who is speaking from a small fishbowl when I say that the talent in this area per capita is more than I’ve ever seen before – people who I’ve been lucky enough to record,” he said.

Located in Ann Arbor, Roll’s studio, Backseat Productions, has serviced a number of well-respected musicians ranging from Frontier Ruckus and Breathe Owl Breathe to Chris Bathgate and Nervous But Excited.

“I’m really lucky to work for all my favorite musicians,” he said, adding that bands like Frontier Ruckus are among his favorite people in the world.

In fact, Backseat Productions is so successful that Roll is planning to expand his studio. After purchasing studio space attached to Backseat Productions’ existing space, Roll plans to make the addition into a self-serve studio called Driverside Productions, where bands will be able to rent out studio space and recording equipment.

“Nowadays a lot of bands record at home or have a member of the band who knows about the recording industry,” he said. “I figured this would be a really inexpensive option. Rather than hiring me and engineering a bigger studio, people can come in and record their drums or whatever they need all in a day and have it be a lot more inexpensive than a traditional studio. It seems like the most talented musicians are often the ones who don’t have a lot of money.”

Roll said he first started recording when he was young, in an attempt to record his own music.

“I recorded one part into one boombox, then played that boombox back and recorded another part into another boombox, and kept going back and forth,” he said.

He said it was around the time he was ready to record his own full-length album that the digital revolution hit. Thus, Roll decided to buy the equipment necessary to record an album instead of paying someone else to do it for him. As the word began to spread that he owned recording equipment, more and more artists began to ask him to

www.ispyypsi.com

record their albums as well.

Although Roll says the ultimate payoff of playing music is a good song, according to Roll, one of the best things about having a recording studio is the opportunity he has to “encourage people and not squash their creativity, but to make an environment where people can create and express themselves.”

“The song that comes out of it is a huge rush for me and happens to use all my skills along with it,” he said. “But, for me, it’s about bringing people together and creating an environment where people can create.”

If all that weren’t enough to make Roll a local celebrity, he’s also dating Bee Mayhew, a fellow who’s-who of Ypsi and owner of Beezy’s Café in downtown Ypsi. The two, who he said met at a New Year’s Eve party at Matt Jones’ house, have now been together for almost two years. He said Bee is a constant source of encouragement and inspiration in his creative endeavors.

“Bee is a very creative, expressive person.

I get a lot of creative support, feedback, advice and all-around business ideas from her,” he said. “She’s very talented at community organization, which is a lot of what she’s done at Beezy’s – build a place for people to gather, combining cool personalities.”

Roll said places like Beezy’s and the community that forms around them is part of what makes Ypsilanti a great place to be an artist.

“Ypsi is more affordable [than a lot of other places] and artists often gather to the most affordable areas because they don’t get paid well and there is no infrastructure for them, so you make your own,” he said.

“Then a community will build where creative people gather and you’ll get energy from that. Then a place like Beezy’s or something will open and you’ll meet a lot of different kinds of creative personalities.”

Roll said it’s a community that he has greatly benefited from, particularly in the opportunities he has had to rub shoulders and collaborate with so many talented musicians.

“I’m very lucky because I play in two bands with two separate groups of people who are amazing musicians,” he said as he encouraged members of the Ypsilanti community to come out and support their local musicians.

“It’s easy to say, ‘They’re just a local band.’ But they’re not. There are not many people out there like Matt Jones and Chris Bathgate. I’ve just been really lucky to be in a place where there are world-class musicians. I hope people don’t take for granted how good the musicians in this scene are.”

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

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scene...

half baked

RIVER STREET BAKERY BOUNCES BACK FROM A JUNE FIRE WITH HOPES OF ROLLING IN THE DOUGH.

BY NATALIE BURG

In the food world, there’s organic, whole food from sustainable systems, and then there’s actual organic, whole food from really sustainable systems.

The River Street Bakery prefers the latter. Anyone can produce delicious, preservative-free baked goods, but how often do you find real, whole breads and goodies baked in an honest-to-goodness, Keebler-Elf-style, wood-fired brick oven?

If you think that sounds impressive, keep listening. This oven is fueled by wood chopped by employees, who then control the temperature with the fire. The bricks get so hot that while the oven is only fired on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it’s still warm enough on the off days to bake cookies, granola and muffins.

Now that is baking.

The River Street Bakery’s amazing brick oven has been around since the business began in 1989, but unfortunately, both it and all of its tasty output have been in the “unseen” category since spring. Ypsilanti has been without its wood-fired bakery for four months. It was supposed to be out of commission for upgrades and repairs for a few weeks, but right after operations resumed, a June fire put it right back out of business.

No one has felt the absence of the bread baking more than Corinne Sikorski,

www.ispyypsi.com

the general manager of the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, which owns and operates the bakery next door.

“It’s been really sad to be without it,” Sikorski said. “There’s a quality to the crust - a texture and nuttiness - that you just can’t experience bread made any other way.”

Sikorski compares the style and quality of River Street Bakery bread with that of Zingerman’s Bakehouse, a company she talks about with the kindness and respect of a friend rather than a competitor.

“They have a really good, high-quality bread,” she said. “Ours are also made with whole grains and are sourdoughbased, so they are similar in that way.

The difference is our oven, but they make great bread too.”

Like its parent organization, the River Street Bakery began as a volunteer-driven, community effort. It was 1989 when the organizers of the Wildflower Community Bakery in Ann Arbor decided to create a bakery in Ypsilanti using the same model.

“The only problem was,” Sikorski explained, “because it was communityowned, when it fell into financial trouble, no one had enough of an investment to save it.”

Fortunately, there was a communitydriven business right next door ready to

make the investment themselves.

At the time, in 2005, Sikorski had been with the co-op for more than 25 years, and she, her staff and community of consumers owners looked at the River Street Bakery as a remarkable opportunity.

“The biggest thing was the potential for really great bread,” she said. “It was a really great addition for our product mix to have our own fresh bread.

“And it was there. The equipment was there, the space - it was literally next door.”

With all of that potential, and all of the bakery’s success since, this year’s June fire and bread-less summer is just a little bump in the road for the River Street

Experience

Lezley Anne An Ypsilanti Dress Shop 128 W. Michigan Ave. Ypsilanti, MI (734) 485-0113

Open every day 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Bakery. The breads are back in the oven and on the shelves for the delight all Ypsilanti Co-op customers. Their selection of bread, cookies, granola, muffins, pies, tunovers, brownies, and more can also be found at the People’s Food Coop in Ann Arbor, as well as both Ypsilanti Farmer’s Markets.

The re-opening of the River Street Bakery is also perfectly timed for its famed, annual cranberry sage holiday bread.

“It will probably be ready in November,” said Sikorski, “maybe late October. It’s just... it’s so good.”

Either way, it sounds like it’s been worth the wait.

One of a kind Designer Created Apparel at Affordable prices Designs made with Cotton Jersey, Woven Cotton, Repurposed Fabric & more…

Original designs printed by David Heikk’s Decorated Apparel Studio T-Shirts by David Austin and David Austin Gallery

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

scene...

ypsi night terrors

BY JANIS TSAI

ON HALLOWEEN, WHY SHOULD KIDS GET ALL THE TREATS? Starting 7 p.m. on Sept. 25, Wiard’s Orchard transform from a wholesome cider mill and apple orchard, into a dark and scary haunted theme park called Night Terrors. With six haunted attractions and live monsters, Night Terrors is full of tricks to treat even the most composed adults.

“Wiard’s Orchard haunted attractions are definitely not geared towards younger kids,” said Thomas Vogl, one of the live monsters employed by Wiard’s. “Wiard’s is in a farming community, so there are a lot of teenagers and college kids looking for something to do.”

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

Night Terrors began with just a barn across the street from Wiard’s Apple Orchard that Mike Conners decided to decorate and fill with live monsters to scare guests in 1985. For Conners, working at Wiard’s is an act of love.

“I built it [the scenes] with other guys,” Conners said, “There is constant maintenance. There have been times I felt a gust of wind and hear things. There have been times my skin crawls.”

Currently a manager at Wiard’s, Conners has been working there for 20 years, after first coming to Wiard’s while taking kids on a field trip. That is where he met the owner and he has come back every season since.

“There have been times when I get a radio call telling me someone is inside [a haunted house] screaming and freaking out,” Conners said. “That is when I’ve

got to turn on the lights and I see someone standing there, refusing to move, and I have to say, ‘It’s OK. It isn’t real, we’re all humans’” What sets Night Terrors apart from other haunted houses are the live monsters, who are trained Wiard’s employees taught to put terror in guests’ faces. They are not allowed to touch the guests.

Night Terrors is the largest haunted thrill park in Michigan, and enjoying all six attractions takes about two or three hours, and not because of the lines.

One particularly interesting attraction is Alien Caged Clowns, which plays up people’s phobia of clowns. Another one is The Asylum, where the scene is a crazy house. Some of the live monsters are in cages, but some have escaped.

“Fear of the unknown is a great human curiosity. I think if you enjoy the season,

you should definitely come check it out,” Vogl said. “Walking through a haunted attraction goes by so quick, it’s worth seeing it all if you can afford it. It’d a cool place to go on a date.”

The Labyrinth, which is a corn maze where the live monsters’ one responsibility is to make sure guests do not go the right way. Other attractions are the original haunted barn, The Mined Shaft, and a hayride. Free cider and donuts are served at the end of the hayride.

Each haunted attraction is $15, but for $29, guests can experience all six attractions. The haunted amusement park runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October. The last day it runs is Oct. 31.

For more information, contact Wiard’s Apple Orchard at 734-482-7744. Visit Night Terrors online at www.nightterrors. biz/index.htm.

www.ispyypsi.com

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g’s caribbean delights

BY JANIS TSAI

Trinidad. That word does not come up often, except maybe in a game of Trivial Pursuit.

It’s a small island nation, so small it needs “and Tobago” to ring a bell. I don’t know what comes from Trinidad, but I found out at G’s Caribbean Delights.

Located next to Lover’s Lane on Washtenaw Avenue, it was hard to find because they still don’t have a sign for their store, even though they have been open since December 2009. The sign they do have says Eagle’s Nest.

As soon as I stepped in, I was immediately out of my comfort zone. The owners, a mother and daughter team named Jane Valentine and Kim Carrington, were busy gossiping with customers who spoke in heavy vowels, just like them. As I waited in line the owners and one of the customers broke out in reggae, which they sang loudly and proudly.

“The ‘G’ stands for my grandmother, Gwendolyn,” Carrington said. “Without her there would be none of this. She taught me to make the dishes I cook today.”

The restaurant had limited seating, with four small plastic tables and two chairs for each table. The walls were decorated with steel drums and a sequined Carnival outfits. The kitchen, with its steel pots and rows of burners, was in direct view, right behind the cash register.

“Because the Caribbean is a mixture of people – the Caribbean has Indians, Chinese, Africans, Syrians – everybody eats everybody’s food,” Valentine said.

“Roti is supposed to be Indian, channa

www.ispyypsi.com

and potatoes are an Indian dish, but we cook that because of the Indian influence in Trinidad.”

Their menu was hard find because it competed for attention with other flyers and magazines littered on their one counter. I gave up looking for their paper menu and I just ordered my food from a whiteboard on the ground.

When I finally found their menu, it was well organized, full of food I never knew existed. I puzzled over choices, like cassava pone, a sweet cake similar to bread pudding that uses cassava root. My only regret is I found the menu after I had ordered my dinner of macaroni pie, fried plantains, jerk chicken and white rice for $7.42.

“The key ingredients are the spices,” Valentine said. “Where we live (Trinidad) is cosmopolitan, so east and west meets.

We use a lot of Indian spices and we use African spices. It’s a combination of stuff.”

My food was alright. It was well-cooked and simply served in a take-out box. It worked out, because the portions were so large, I took half of my meal home. The wait was not too bad. The people who patron G’s are friendly and welcoming. I had a brief conversation with a complete stranger and in a matter of minutes, I found out he went to EMU for construction management and his wife is a Spanish professor there. He said that at G’s, “we’re friends, but we’re family.”

The jerk chicken was covered in sauce similar to the smoked dark taste of barbeque sauce. Jerk is a spice blend that originated in Jamaica, where it is dry

rubbed or marinated into meat. The jerk at G’s was a blend of allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The chicken was messy to eat because of the bones and the sauce. They only have plastic utensils and it was easier to eat the chicken with my hands.

The jerk chicken left me craving some water, which they did not offer. I was about to ask for a glass of water but I changed my mind at the last minute to buy banana pop instead, for $2. It was from a brand I never heard before, called Solo. They are a popular brand in Trinidad and it cannot be found in the United States. Valentine and Carrington have to order it from Canada.

What stood out were the fried plantains.

They wait until the plantain is ripe before it is ready to cook. Though Valentine describes making them as easy and simple, the result deceives a different story. Fried in butter and canola oil until they were blackened, they were crisp on the outside until you bite into them. Then they crumbled into a total mush of rich flavor and texture.

It was a guilty pleasure. I am glad I had the less complicated macaroni pie and white rice to balance the dominant flavor of the jerk chicken and fried plantain.

I went there with Amanda Parks, a vegetarian, and she ordered curried channa, garbanzo beans, and curried potatoes with red beans and rice for $7.42.

“There weren’t very many options, but

they were accommodating, and the channa and potatoes were super delicious,” Parks said. “It was cooked just right and was just spicy enough to be flavorful and not overwhelming.”

Carrington served the dish with humor and accommodation. She said, “I put in a little extra for you to make up for the protein.”

I enjoyed the red beans and rice. G’s seasons their red beans with onion, garlic powder, salt and sugar. Ketchup was added when preparing the rice. It reminded me of Taiwan, where many people put ketchup in their fried rice too.

There is not a Caribbean community within Ypsilanti, but I have seen more people from the Caribbean in my 30 minutes at G’s than I have seen in the three years I have lived in Ypsilanti. There is a book on the counter of G’s where people from all over the Caribbean leave their contact information. This might be the start of a greater Caribbean presence in Ypsi.

“I thought that it was really good, and I hope that they get more business,” Parks said. “According to the people who frequent there, the cuisine is very close to what you would get in the Caribbean.”

When you are eating G’s, you are eating culture, you are eating heritage. Ypsilanti is proud of celebrating its own heritage, but G’s reminds us to try others – the rewards can be delicious.

OCTOBER 2010

i SPY

review...

elbow deep

BY ADRIENNE ZIEGLER

CALL IT NAÏVETÉ OR IGNORANCE OR PLAIN OLD CREATIVE APATHY, BUT BEFORE WRITING THIS STORY, I ACTUALLY BROWSED OVER TO URBAN DICTIONARY TO READ UP ON THE MAINSTREAM MEANING OF THE TERM “ELBOW DEEP.” Not that I didn’t have a rough idea of the popular definition of the tongue-in-cheek moniker for Ypsilanti’s only gay night, but we journalists try to check and re-check our facts. My hunch was correct. “Elbow deep” does indeed refer to fisting.

And if you don’t know what “fisting” is, I highly urge you to look that up on Urban Dictionary, too.

But on the last Saturday of every month, ElbowDeep means so much more to us here in Ypsilanti than an idiom that would make my mother blush.

ElbowDeep is one of Washtenaw County’s most energetic gay nights, and it happens right here on Washington Street in Ypsilanti. Once a month and with considerable fanfare, you can swagger into Savoy and fully immerse yourself in a diverse crowd of people, lush decorations, bumping dance music by DJ Humanfly and performances by one of Southeastern Michigan’s premiere drag revues, The House of Chanel.

“We normally cater to a gay establishment as a form of gay entertainment,” said Jennifer, a drag performer with House of Chanel. “With ElbowDeep, it allows it to be more mainstream, and I think that’s good in this day and age.”

ElbowDeep started at the Elbow Room in the summer of 2009, but has grown exponentially since its initial introduction. After Andy Garris moved from the Elbow Room to manage Savoy, he invited the divas to come with him to the new digs.

The upgraded ElbowDeep offered the same great flavor in a more sophisticated space.

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

“It’s gone down really well,” said Dave LaFave, one of event’s original organizers. “The people that show up here are looking for an alternative to The Out Bar and The Nectarine and maybe they don’t want to drive all the way to Detroit to go to GiGi’s or Gold Coast. I’ve been really impressed and pleased.”

LaFave, the event’s decorator extraordinaire, and his boyfriend Kurt Russeau (A.K.A. DJ Humanfly), partnered from the beginning with House of Chanel to provide some glam entertainment and bring some glitz to the event. Jennifer and Maxi, mainstays of ElbowDeep, said they love performing in their hometown for this particular crowd.

“It’s a special show because it’s not like any of the other ones that we normally do,” said Maxi, an Ypsi local. “This one is different because the crowd is completely different. It’s completely mixed… and I love that.”

Experiencing a drag show is definitely one of those things that you have to do at least once in your lifetime.

Each of the bedazzled ladies go all out for the crowd, lips-synching, gyrating and dancing to some of their favorite diva tunes in outfits that would make Cher jealous. We’re talking swaths of crystals, Tina Turner wigs, feather boas, papa-don’t-preach baby bumps, and some truly brazen shoes.

And this is not your amateur drag revue, either.

Jennifer and Maxi recently celebrated their 20th anniversary as The House of Chanel.

“I used to watch a lot of the girls back in the day and I would always be sitting out in the audience talking all kinds of shit about them. ‘OOH her hair is bad, da da da, blah blah blah,’” Maxi said of her life before her drag career. “On a dare, [a friend] told me he’d take me shopping and buy all the stuff for me to do it once, and I did it once and the rest is 20 years ago.”

So round up your friends on Oct. 30 (and by the way, we mean all your friends – gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and even the straight ones), and strut your stuff down to Savoy for Ypsilanti’s only gay night. Experience for yourself all the vivid, glittering, flamboyant fun of ElbowDeep.

www.ispyypsi.com

cut

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colour

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texture

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To be free to be you . . . be Blondi

36 N. Huron Ypsilanti MI 48197 734-961-8152

www.thomasblondisalon.com

review...

dissecting the Droid 2 THE MOTOROLA DROID 2 IS THE SECOND GENERATION OF DROID THAT REALLY ‘DOES’.

i SPY OCTOBER 2010

shannon rusin of Bistro

BY AMANDA SLATER

BY TIM ADKINS Being someone who’s big on perceptions, simply holding the Droid 2 makes the phone feel like it’s a quality product. It’s got some weight to it.

That’s probably the thing I least like about any Blackberry, they have no weight to them. They just feel cheap. I know that seems like a petty thing to complain about, but having a phone in my pocket that I know is there, is a feeling I like.

I guess that was more of a rant about hating Blackberries and less about my first impression of the Droid 2. Either way, you get the point.

The Motorola Droid 2 isn’t a new and exciting idea of a phone. It’s not going to change the future of mobile. It’s simply a relatively nice upgrade from the original Droid, which did all of the above. It comes packed with all the regular Droid goodies, but the Droid 2 does have a few new features that are worth expounding upon.

FLASH Yes, that’s right, the Droid 2 comes pre-loaded with Adobe Flash Player. This means you can virtually view any website right from your phone. I especially enjoyed this because I like browsing different art and photography sites, most of which are built with flash, and I had no issues accessing the content.

AESTHETICS As I previously mentioned, I like the weight of the phone, but it feels nice as well. It’s got that soft touch-grip ensuring feel to it. It’s pretty much exactly the same size as the original Droid, but the keyboard has been updated with more modern and user-friendly features and it also feels nice on your thumbs. No text blisters here.

BARTENDER PROFILE:

ESSENTIAL FACTS:

ANDROID 2.2 Faster performance, improved browser and an android market update. There are a lot of improvements for developers as well, but I’m not a developer so I can’t tell you much about it from a personal experience level.

There were really only a couple things I think Motorola got wrong with the Droid 2.

I don’t for the life of me understand why they only equipped it with a 5 mega-pixel camera. It’s not bad, but it’s not as good as some of it’s competition that have the 8 mega-pixels and in my opinion for the average person buying a phone the 3 mega-pixel difference, makes for an easy purchasing decision. The other thing I didn’t care for was the tiny on/off switch at the top of the phone. It was hard to find at times and it’s on a weird angle of the phone that doesn’t allow it to always work as easy as it should. I guess it was more annoying than an actual problem.

The Motorola Droid 2 is the perfect phone for those of you trying to get away from the Blackberry or those who have the original Droid that just want the upgrade. I enjoyed

my time I had with the Droid 2 and I’m confident you will too.

SIGN: Cancer STATUS: Single BIRTHDAY: July 11, 1988 HOMETOWN: Canton, Mich.

SCHOOLS ATTENDED: Salem High School, Schoolcraft College FAVORITE DRINK: Red Stag whiskey & Michelob Ultra LIKES: Going out to the country & driving around in mud trucks.

FAVORITE MUSIC: Everything, from country to rock FAVORITE MOVIES: “Really lame dancing movies like Center Stage & Step Up.” 3 WORD SELF-DESCRIPTION: Unpredictable, outgoing & blunt BAR: Bistro Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING AT BISTRO? A: Three years.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BISTRO? A: The people that come in. I’ve been here so long that I know everyone that comes in now. I have fun with all of them. That’s why they like coming back.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YPSI? A: A lot of my friends live out here. It’s a nice area. I’ve been out here for a long time. I used to come out and just hang around the bars out here.

Q: WHAT DRINK DO YOU THINK BEST DESCRIBES YPSI? A: A Long Island Iced Tea. Q: BEST PICKUP LINE YOU’VE GOTTEN? A: When I ask guys what they want to eat and they say, ‘Chicken Caesar salad and some wings and your phone number.’ That’s when I tell them it’s not on the menu.

Q: FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER BEEN TO BISTRO BEFORE, WHY SHOULD THEY COME? A: It’s nice and open. There’s a lot of TVs, and it’s just a nice place to hang out. It’s a good place to relax and have a few drinks. It’s not like you’re shoulder to shoulder with people. There aren’t people dancing all around you in a sweaty mess. It’s a nice, clean environment where you have your space. And the drinks are priced well.

BISTRO IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF WASHTENAW AVENUE BETWEEN GOLFSIDE AND HOGBACK. ADDRESS: 4735 WEST WASHTENAW AVE, ANN ARBOR, MI 48108, PHONE: (734) 572-0912 www.ispyypsi.com

FREE Life Time Membership!

(734) 484-5100 www.washtenawfcu.org

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Low to No Service Fees Great Rates on Savings & Loans FREE Checking No Per Check Fees VISA with NO Annual Fee FREE Online Bill Pay FREE 24-Hour Online Banking FREE E-Statements Checking Account Overdraft Protection

New Location September, 2010 1861 Whittaker Rd. Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Main Office 424 S. Mansfield Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734) 484-5100 info@washtenawfcu.org Branch Office 5421 Whittaker Rd. Ypsilanti, MI 48197 (734) 961-0506 24 Hour ATM Available at Main And Branch Office

Membership Information Anyone who works, lives, worships or attends school in Washtenaw County is eligible to become a member of Washtenaw Federal Credit Union. Once you become a member, your immediate family is also eligible to join.

If you change jobs or relocate, you can still maintain your membership in the credit union.

www.ispyypsi.com i SPY is federally OCTOBER 2010up to $250,000 by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which is administred by the National Credit Union Administration.

Each WFCU account insured