iSPY Magazine // July 2012

//CORNER RTY & ASHLEY July 2012 //OF LIBE ispymagazine.co

JULY

Beer Fest Drunken Barn Dance Father John Misty Victor Wooten

Ann Arbor Art Fair

iSPY Stage AD New &

s n a o L e cl i h e V d Use AS LOW

AS

* R P A .49% MONTHS

2 FOR UP TO 60

Why pay a higher rate?

CDCU and we may be able to lower your monthly payment!

Apply today.

YPSILANTI (734) 434-4130 ROMEO (586) 336-1100

OR ONLINE 24/7 AT www.cudrive.org

*APR = Annual Percentage Rate. Subject to change. Rate based on individual creditworthiness, model year and repayment term. Loans cannot be used to pay an existing loan at CDCU.

W. Michigan Ave. - Ypsilanti, MI - 48197 5397 W. Michigan5397 Ave. - Ypsilanti, MI - 48197

D L I U G

R E

L 2 1 A R 0 V E 2 5 ,8 1 I M M T -2 T 7 U S A S E 2 S -6 Y 1 I F L

S ER l EW a u R n An N B th GA I H IC M

E B

D N A

U J

E D I S R E IV R

OT P E D , K R A P

I M , TI AN L SI P ,Y N W TO

9 5

R F

LIMITED TICKETS REMAIN. GET YOURS TODAY

Over 400 beers from the best craft breweries in Michigan. Live music.

Food available for purchase. Rain or shine.

ADMISSION: Fri: $30 in advance, $35 at gate.

Sat: $35 in advance, $40 at gate. Limited ticket availability.

Advance ticket purchase encouraged. Includes 15 drink tokens.

Additional tokens available inside festival. Must be 21 or over. I.D. required.

TICKETS: Visit mibeer.com for online purchases or mbgmash.org to find available outlets and updated info.

mibeer.com

Ypsilanti’s event ordinance Section 10-288(c) prohibits the following within the special event area: dogs (except service dogs), horses, farm animals, uncaged domestic animals, snakes, exotic animals, bicycles, skateboards, roller-skates, rollerblades, and glass containers.

!

contents

JULY

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

[the buzz] 06 07 08

Death Cab for Cutie, Tenacious D, Fiona Apple

Elvisfest, Phantasmagoria, Purity RIng, Bombay Bicycle Club Mayer Hawthorne, Electric Ocean Strip Search, Florence + the

Beer Fest + pg 14

Machine

[foodie]

Carolyn Garay + pg 27

12 The Dish: Wolverine Grill 13

Adventures in Local Food #19

10

Ann Arbor Art Fair // Townie Party

15

Retyi. Set. Go. - Ann Arbor Summer Survival Guide

17

EL-P and Killer Mike

[scene]

14 Summer Beer Festival 16

Xierro

FAWN + pg 30

Father John Misty + pg 32

[around you]

28 July Events Calendar

[features]

19 Ann Arbor Art Fair Entertainment Guide 24

Ann Arbor Art Fair Feature - Drunken Barn Dance

26

Ann Arbor Art Fair Feature - Skeleton Birds

25

Ann Arbor Art Fair Feature - Misty Lyn

27

Ann Arbor Art Fair Featured Artist - Carolyn Garay

32

Father John Misty

30 FAWN 34

Victor Wooten

36

Rate it! - Sounds

[review] 38

Rate it! - The Cut

PUBLISHER + tim adkins

EDITORIAL +

[editor in chief] amanda slater [writers] amanda slater, tim adkins, stefanie stauffer, richard retyi paul kitti, marissa mcnees, aimee mandle, mary simkins, david nassar, jeff milo, treasure groh, jasmine zweifler

ART +

[designers] tim adkins, casey maxwell [photographers] bruno postigo, kristin slater

SALES +

[print + online] tim adkins / tim@pakmode.com [business development] bilal saeed / bilal@pakmode.com

Join Our Online Community

The Washtenaw County Events and Entertainment Guide Pakmode Media + Marketing 124 Pearl St. Suite 407, Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Office: 734.484.0349 Email: ispy@pakmode.com

Š 2012, 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.

www.ispymagazine.co

JULY 18-21 // CORNER OF LIBERT Y & ASHLEY

DRUNKEN BARN DANCE, MATT JONES AND THE RECONSTRUCTION, DRAGON WAGON, THE JULIETS, LAWLESS CARVER, SKELETON BIRDS, MISTY LYN AND THE BIG BEAUTIFUL, LITTLE ISLAND LAKE, AFTERNOON ROUND BEAR LAKE, BRAE, RYAN DILLAHA, BEN KEELER, JETTY RAE, PAUL LUC, CHRISTOPHER NORMAN, SMALL HOUSES, PATRICK DAVEY AND THE GHOSTS, THE BENDS, ANNABELLE ROAD, BLUESMATICS,MY PAL VAL, SCARECROW JONES, WORD OF MOUTH, *ENTRESLAM Presented by: *VISIT MISPYMAG.COM/ARTFAIR TO VIEW FULL SCHEDULE WITH ENTRESLAM SPEAKERS, LISTEN TO THE BANDS AND FOR MORE INFORMATION

AFTER PARTY SCHEDULE 7.18: Alley Bar // DJ Grafitti 7.19: LIVE // Mux Mool + Waajeed 7.20: Mark’s Carts // Hullabaloo 7.21: Necto // Red Room SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

THE BUZZ //

Death Cab for Cutie w/ City & Colour // Meadowbrook / July 4

BY TREASURE GROH Combing two of today’s most heartfelt, lyric driven and emotional musical acts could be a deadly mix – think hundreds of female’s hearts melting as they look on with a loving gaze. It’s a scene that will for sure be played out when City & Colour meets Death Cab for Cutie at Meadow Brook Music Festival.

With the soft, nostalgic voice of lead singer Ben Gibbard projecting his personal life onto the audience (much of the album speaks to his relationship with ex-wife Zooey Deschanel), it’s easy to see how fans of Death Cab endear them so. Operating as a mostly independent band in their early years, Death Cab eventually signed with Atlantic records – a move that prompted some fans to claim the band “sold out,” though still maintaining their introspective, melodic and sometimes experimental sound.

City & Colour, the moniker used for singer/ songwriter Dallas Green, presents a slightly stripped down version of what Death Cab has to offer. Green’s early work tended more towards an acoustic sentiment, with notable songs like “Save Your Scissors” and “Sleeping Sickness” taking center stage. While Green may take longer to release City & Colour albums (he doubles as a guitarist/vocalist for posthardcore band Alexisonfire), fans stick around and wait with bated breath for his next release.

Green’s latest album, “Little Hell,” often exhibits a full band, providing a larger, and louder, sound.

Come check out both bands when they hit Rochester for Riverfest 2012. Doors are at 5:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

6

i SPY JULY 2012

Tenacious D // The Fillmore / July 6

BY DAVID NASSAR PHOTO BY MICHAEL ELINS

Strap on your best air-guitar and bang your heads with mock-rock gods, Tenacious D, as they blow the roof off The Fillmore. Jack Black and his shredding sidekick, Kyle Gass, emerge from the ashes with their latest album, the phonetically indulgent “Rize of the Fenix.”

While I’ve never seen them live, one would think that expectations should be clear. You pretty much know what you’re gonna get with a Tenacious D show. Satirical, self-indulgent, over-the-top showmanship and a whole lot of rockin’ out. While their hey-day may be long behind them, Jack and Kyle still have that intangible quality to connect with an audience and bring out that inner rock star fantasy in all of us. Catch Tenacious D performing with special guest The Sights at The Fillmore in Detroit on Friday, July 6. Tickets are still available starting at $25. The show starts at 7 p.m.

Fiona Apple // The Fillmore / July 7

BY TREASURE GROH Everyone’s favorite 90s angst-riddled teen Fiona Apple is all grown up and ready to present her latest work at the Fillmore Detroit. Her first album in seven years, “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do” (or you can just say “The Idler Wheel”), presents a more self-assured Apple, proving that she’s a grown woman and far removed from her days of a teenage minx a la “Criminal.”

Her debut album, “Tidal,” fueled by pointed lyrics and a devil-may-care attitude, is something of legend among the indie/hipster crowd of today. Apple was quickly marked as a sassy, independent, outspoken female singer/songwriter (mostly due in part to her dramatic acceptance speech at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards). Her sophomore effort, “When The Pawn” (a 400 character poem as a title that first exhibited Apple’s fondness for lengthy titles), was critically successful but received far less radio play than “Tidal”’s singles.

After taking a six-year hiatus, Apple released “Extraordinary Machine,” which was also highly lauded as one of the best albums of 2005.

And now, “The Idler Wheel,” released in early June, presents a slightly cabaret-esque sound, with strong vocals and a thick skin and backbone that hadn’t been present before. With plenty of piano work, as typical of Apple albums, “The Idler Wheel” is poised to be Apple’s greatest work to date. Don’t miss this chance to see Apple perform live at the Fillmore Detroit. Doors are at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at livenation.com.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

// THE BUZZ

Phantasmagoria // The Loving Touch July 13

BY PAUL KITTI

Elvisfest // Riverside Park July 13-14/

BY AMANDA SLATER

The Michigan Elvisfest is one of those quirky, unique things that makes Ypsi …well, Ypsi. If you’ve never experienced the Elvisfest, you’re missing out. Just imagine Depot Town swarming with Elvis impersonators and thousands of adoring fans, eager to hear them perform The King’s hits.

Named one of the best music festivals in the Midwest by the Chicago Tribune and one of the ten festivals in Michigan that you’d hate to miss by

MiLife MiTimes, the Elvisfest began 12 years ago and has been growing ever since. As with all good festivals, there will be ample music, food and drink – and a whole lot of Elvi (at least, that’s what I’m assuming the plural form of “Elvis” is). Tickets can be purchased online at mielvisfest.org. Friday tickets are $12.50, Saturday tickets are $22.50 and a two-day pass is $30.

Minimalism, spirituality, meditation and nature top the list of this Detroit duo’s interests, which they bundle into a musical entity called Phantasmagoria. Combining rock and soul with the softer, more ambient tones of electronica, Lianna Vanicelli and Christopher Jarvis have created an intriguing breed of music that wears influences like MGMT and Tycho, while floating

Purity Ring // Pike Room / July 17

off in its own mysterious direction.

They’ll be joined by Ghostly International’s Shigeto at The Loving Touch in Ferndale for a special performance celebrating the release of their debut album, “Currents.”

Tickets are $5 at the door, which opens at 9 p.m. Ages 18 and up.

Bombay Bicycle Club // Magic Stick /July 25

BY PAUL KITTI

BY PAUL KITTI This Canadian singer/programmer duo formed in late 2010 when Megan James sang over Corin Roddick’s jumpy synth and ghostly vocal samples for the track “Ungirthed.”

Certainly more fitting for hip clubs or late drives than abstinence seminars, Purity Ring makes sublime electronic pop with entrancing melodies and dark edges – the kind of music that seems to peacefully lull you into a nightmare. “I’ve been unruly in my dreams and in my speech/drill holes in my eyelids so I can see you when I sleep,” sings

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

James on single “Belispeak,” her childlike vocals manipulated to a haunting effect. The band puts as much effort instilling that alluring imagery in their live presence as they do in their songs, elevating their shows above those of most electronic acts. They’ll perform at the Pike Room one week before their debut album drops. Doors are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance from ticketweb.com or $15 at the door.

This UK four-piece, named after a chain of Indian restaurants, got their one shot to prove themselves when they won a spot on stage at the annual V Festival in 2006. They must have nailed it because, a year later, they released two EPs and began amassing a rowdy following.

It’s easy to toss them in the gang of mid-00s post-punk revivalists, but their folk leanings and more artistic approach puts them in a

slightly different class. Now three albums into their career, they’re still bringing buckets of readyto-party energy to their shows.

Bombay Bicycle Club will stop by the Magic Stick on July 25. Doors open at 8 p.m. and tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door.

BUZZ CONTINUED ON PG. 8

JULY 2012

i SPY

7

THE BUZZ //

Mayer Hawthorne // LIVE / July 26

BY AMANDA SLATER Mayer Hawthorne is everyone’s favorite soulsinging sensation (and local foodie) – but he also has a lot of other talents that may not be as well known to some of his newer fans. Prior to emerging as Mayer Hawthorne, Hawthorne was known as Haircut who DJed for the Athletic Mic League.

Now Hawthorne is getting the chance to put some of those skills back to work. After his performance at Sonic Lunch in downtown Ann Arbor earlier in the day, he will be heading over to LIVE at 9 p.m. where he will be DJing alongside Charles Trees for what is bound to be one of the coolest dance parties of the year. For more information, visit livea2.com or visit our website at ispymagazine.co.

8

i SPY JULY 2012

Electric Ocean

Strip Search

an engaging new performance series

Performances from Mike Fedel, Carrie Riddle, Arthur Oemke, Evan Mann, Akili Jackson, Jesse Morgan, Aaron Smith, Nick Mourning and Sean Kilpatrick, and MANY MORE!

7 pm | Wednesday, June 27 |

Electric Ocean Strip Search // Community Records / July 26 C  D I    ‐I 7:00‐7:30 pm

Community Records @ St. Luke’s 120 North Huron, Ypsilan� *Free and open to the public*

Bathe in your 5 minutes of

BY DAVID NASSAR Electric Ocean Fame!

Poets, storytellers, musicians and performers us at: unite in an exciting new monthlyContact performance nmourning@gmail.com series staged at Community gbreitenbeck@gmail.com Records in community-records.org Ypsilanti. Started by the EMU Student Creative Writing Group and sponsored by St. Luke’s Church, Electric Ocean Strip Search provides a venue for local writers and performance artists to share their work with the community.

An eclectic mix of Ypsi-area talent spanning the traditional to the wildly absurd, EOSS celebrates creativity in all its forms. Upcoming shows will be held June 27, July 26 and August 23. All shows begin with an open-mic at 7 p.m., followed by scheduled performers starting at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend free of charge (though donations are appreciated), and all are welcome to sign up to perform.

Community Records.org at St. Luke’s Church is located at 120 North Huron in Ypsilanti. For more information or to sign up, check out the Electric Ocean Strip Search page on Facebook.

A Summer Performance Series in collaboration with Community‐Records.org at St. Luke’s Center.

Organized by EMU Student Creative Writing Group and co‐sponsored by St. Luke’s Church.

Florence + the Machine // Fox Theater / July 31

BY MARY SIMKINS

British Indie pop sensation Florence + the Machine will be coming to Detroit after a busy European tour. Florence Welch and her talented group of backup musicians released their second studio album “Ceremonials” last fall after topping the charts with their debut album, “Lungs.” Florence + the Machine was nominated for the Best New Artist Award at the 2011 Grammy’s and was a huge crowd pleaser at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

Says Welch of her band’s sound: “I want my music to sound like throwing yourself out of a tree or off a tall building, as if you’re being sucked down into the ocean and you can’t breathe. It’s something overwhelming and all-encompassing that fills you up, and you’re either going to explode with it or you’re just going to disappear.”

Florence + the Machine will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on July 31 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Tickets range from $40 to $80.

For more information about tickets, visit ticketmaster.com. To hear the latest single from Florence, visit florenceandthemachine.net.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

Skydive Tecumseh ad

WWW.SONICLUNCH.COM JUN 7 LAITH AL-SAADI • JUN 14 DALE EARNHARDT JR. JR. • JUN 21 MITCH RYDER • JUN 28 JILL JACK JUL 5 FRONTIER RUCKUS W/CHRIS BATHGATE • JUL 12 SCARS ON 45 • JUL 26 MAYER HAWTHORNE & THE COUNTY AUG 2 THE MACPODZ W/SOPHISTAFUNK • AUG 9 SETH BERNARD & MAY ERLEWINE • AUG 16 THE RAGBIRDS AUG 23 BLACK JAKE & THE CARNIES • AUG 30 THEO KATZMAN

SCENE //

BY JASMINE ZWEIFLER The indisputable cultural tidal wave that sweeps Washtenaw County every year in mid-July is upon us once again. We all know it as the Ann Arbor Art Fair, but we also all have our own perspective on the experience. For some, it is a harrowing marathon of heat exhaustion and stroller dodging.

For others, it is a highly anticipated infusion of creativity and excitement.

Whichever side you’re on, or if you stand somewhere in the middle like most of us, The Ann Arbor Art Fair is not to be missed. The fair attracts over 500,000 attendees and is perennially on the top 10 lists of fairs and festivals in the country, so who are you to blow against the wind? You know you’re going, so check out some of the highlights of this year’s juggernaut.

The fair is actually divided into several different fairs that sprawl across the whole heart of the city. The Street Art Fair lives on North University and the central campus of U of M and attracts patrons eager to see some of the best street performers in the area. Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair, right where you would expect on South U, seems to be the most young and edgy of the three while the State

10

i SPY JULY 2012

Street Area Art Fair boasts 325 artists and merchants and definitely the best food you’ll find at the fair – which is a conclusion reached after exhaustive research compiled over years, I can assure you. Each area has a slightly unique flavor, but great art is a sure shot wherever you go. The offerings range from wood and leather artisans to metal smiths and fiber artists to the tamer fine arts like photography and painting.

But the fair has grown to much more than just an outdoor gallery teeming with sweaty people in its decades of maturation. In addition to human statues and buskers a-plenty, there are activity centers set up where children and the young at heart can create art of their own. Artist demonstrations are also a real treat where you can see experts practice their craft. The live music at the fair has also become a huge draw for lovers of the sonic arts.

Your very own iSPY will have its very own stage on Liberty between Main and Ashley streets and will doubtlessly be bringing you the best of the best in local music with artists like Drunken Barn Dance and The Juliets. The art attack begins on July 18. We’ll see you there!

Summer is the prime time to gather with friends to enjoy warm evenings, good food and exciting events to come. If you had the chance do all this and also support the Ann Arbor Art Fair, why wouldn’t you? Well, Ann Arbor’s Townie Street Party is in its eighth year of bringing the community together and celebrating all of the cooperation and enthusiasm needed (and generously given) by the residents of the area to make the Art Fair happen.

One of the things that make the Ann Arbor Art Fair-stravaganza so special is that it is completely free to the public. But that sure doesn’t mean that it is free to put on an event of that magnitude. In addition to being a kick-off party for the fair, The Townie party is a fundraiser that gives everyone a chance to chip in a little dough to keep the Art Fair strong.

The party aims to be super family friendly with a totally free art activity zone for the little ones

Steppin’ In It

where they can make a unique piece of art to take home. The Leslie Science and Nature center will also be on hand to help the fledglings create their own owl masks, sure to creep out their parents. Finally, there will be a kids gallery showcasing the budding minds of artists in grades 3 – 8.

I personally wouldn’t miss that gallery because, in my experience, kids trump adults every time in the creativity department.

Local food and drink from your favorite Ann Arbor vendors will be available, and the music lineup for the night is poised to be killer.

Steppin’ In It and Ryan Racine & Gas For Less will bring the roots vibrations for the evening and Orpheum Bell will provide the gypsy tango music. Curious yet?

You can see for yourself what the Townie party has in store on July 16 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at East Washington Street between Thayer and Fletcher and Ingalls Mall.

ART BY ADAM BOTA

Ryan Racine & Gas For Less Orpheum Bell

Townie Party

BY JASMINE ZWEIFLER

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

South Huron

South Washington

North Huron

Crossroads 2012

North Adams

Summer Festival

West Michigan East Michigan

FOODIE // THE DISH

Wolverine Grill Hamburgers and other Healthy Things

ARTICLE AND PHOTO BY ISPY TEAM

SO I’ve gotta start and finish this!!

12

i SPY JULY 2012

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

// FOODIE

Adventures in Local Food “Victory” #19 Gardens

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY STEFANIE T. STAUFFER

20 years ago Rodney King was beaten in Los Angeles. When the police officers caught on tape beating him were acquitted, one of the worst riots in LA history erupted, leaving deep scars of social turmoil and property destruction in its wake.

But sometimes the struggle itself is a victory, as this tumult birthed the South Central Farm.

Begun on an area of vacant, blighted land at 42nd and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles, the farm was a 14 acre resident-run community garden that was started to give the community something positive to focus on after the riots. And the garden did just that and more, as it was both the largest community garden in the U.S. and a veritable oasis in the heart of LA. The South Central Farm had citrus, banana and guava trees, and practically every vegetable that can be grown organically under the California sun. About 350 families grew food there for their own consumption, and there were rules against selling the produce grown in the garden. But in 2004, when the garden was 12 years old, they were served an eviction notice that transformed the gardeners into advocates for local and organic food and catapulted the garden to the forefront of the urban agriculture movement.

Between 2004 and 2006, members of the South Central Farm tried everything to stop the demolition of the garden. They formed the South Central Farmer’s Cooperative, hired a lawyer, www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

spoke constantly before city council and even raised enough money to buy the land (an offer that was sadly refused). Rep. Dennis Kucinich visited the garden and actress Daryl Hannah was one of many that camped out in the garden as a physical barrier against demolition. But to no avail. In 2006, the garden (fruit trees and all) was bulldozed in front of the gardeners. Today the land still sits vacant.

Too often, however, the story of the South Central Farmers stops there. But remember, sometimes the struggle itself is a victory, and in the case of the South Central Farmers, they were able to turn a terrible situation into an opportunity.

In essence, because of the struggle to preserve the South Central Farm, the growers were able to make the jump from growing food for their own consumption to being organic farmers at the helm of an incredibly successful grower’s cooperative that sells at seven weekly farmer’s markets and has been voted best produce. The only catch now is that the land they were invited to grow on is near Bakersfield, about 2.5 hours Northeast of Los Angeles, but it works for them because of the collaborative structure of their grower’s cooperative.

To me, the South Central Farmers are an inspiration, and I will always be thankful for having had the opportunity in 2009 and 2010 to help them sell their amazing organic produce

at the Watts Healthy Farmers Market in LA. Too often they’re discussed as a cautionary tale about the possible difficulties of sustaining community gardens or other agriculture projects in cities, when they should be celebrated for their resilience and ability to convert the loss of their land into an opportunity for both activism and local food entrepreneurship.

I see the same resilience and ability to turn food scarcity into food abundance in many of the urban farmers in Detroit, Flint, Ypsi and even Toledo. In fact, one of the reasons why I think that growers in Southeast Michigan and the greater Rustbelt region are at the forefront of the local food movement is this ability to turn blight into broccoli, stigma into strawberries and vacant land into love. For me, this is what urban agriculture is about: empowering people, rejuvenating communities and reviving local economies – with the added bonus of better access to healthier food!

So go visit some of our fabulous local urban farms this summer! Growing Hope’s annual Ypsilanti garden tour, the Tour de Fresh, is coming up on Saturday, July 21, while the Detroit Agriculture Network’s 15th annual tour of Detroit gardens is in August and Edible Flint’s 4th annual tour of Flint gardens is Thursday, August 9 from 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. starting at the Flint Farmers Market.

For more information about the South Central Farmers, check out the 2009 film “The Garden” and visit southcentralfarmers.com.

JULY 2012

13

i SPY

SCENE //

Summer Beer Fest

As temperatures rise and summer sets in on Yspi, those two magical words seem to follow me everywhere I go. Can you hear them? That’s right, I’m talkin’ about BEER FEST! July in Ypsi means only one thing: The Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival in Riverside Park. This year, the flagship festival and the Guild both celebrate their 15th anniversary and the fifteenth year of brining us the tastiest and most unique brews from around The Great Beer State.

With more than 60 Michigan breweries serving up more than 450 different beers, Summer Beer Fest is always a marquee event of the season. Whether you are a beer traditionalist or you like to experiment with the unique combinations and concoctions thought up by Michigan’s finest micros and brewpubs, the Summer Beer Festival offers a variety of choices to suit your tastes.

While all the details have not been released yet, you can expect tasty offering from local favorites like Arbor Brewing Company / Corner Brewery, Wolverine State and Jolly Pumpkin among many others. As usual, you can also expect that the biggest lines will be surrounding the always edgy and almost always fantastic, Shorts Brewing of Bellaire, Mich. Perhaps the most exotic brew I can remember from last year was Short’s Bloody Beer, a lighter-bodied ale brewed with Roma tomatoes, dill, horseradish, peppercorns and celery seed. No word about what specialty they’re bringing this year, but you can bet it will be something inventive. You can also bet they’ll have a variety of some of the most well-crafted, traditional styles that have made their brand explode in recent years like Bellaire Brown and Huma Lupa Licious.

The 15th Annual Summer Beer Festival will be held in Ypsilanti’s Riverside Park rain or shine on Friday, July 27 from 5 – 9 p.m. and Saturday, July 28 from 1 – 6 p.m. I’d recommend that you prepare for both rain and shine with an umbrella and plenty of sun block as experience has shown festival weekend to almost always be either blisteringly hot, overcast and rainy or both. A variety of live entertainment will be playing throughout both days, and you can enjoy food from a number of breweries and local vendors.

Tickets for the festival cost $30 for Friday and $35 for Saturday in advance ($5 more at the gate if available). Tickets include 15 drink tokens, each redeemable for a 3 oz. pour of your favorite Michigan brew. Additional drink tokens are available for purchase at the festival. You can visit Corner Brewery, Arbor Brewing or Wolverine State Brewing to purchase advance tickets or visit MichiganBrewersGuild.org for festival information and tickets.

Ypsi’s favorite festival turns 15

BY DAVID NASSAR

14

i SPY JULY 2012

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

RETYI. SET. GO. // SCENE

A2 Summer Survival Guide

Summers in Ann Arbor are non-stop fun (typically baked in blistering heat).

Here’s everything you need to know to survive one.

YOU

BY RICHARD RETYI

PHOTO BY MATTHEW ALTRUDA // THEO KATZMAN // TOP OF THE PARK Ann Arbor Summer Festival One of the largest summer events in Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival runs until July 8.

The highlight and your greatest challenge is Top of the Park, the festival of outdoor music, movies and outdoor spectacle (not my term). Let’s start with the most terrifying aspect of this year’s Top of the Park first — the dinosaur petting zoo. Did you see Park? Jurassic Park 2? Dinosaurs

BY Jurassic MARY SIMKINS do not truck with being petted. Stay away from this. I’d stick to safe entertainment options like the evening showing of The Big Lebowski (June 28) and the soothing sounds of Nervous But Excited (July 7). With all this outdoor activity, apply plenty of sunscreen. You’ll also need to stay fed and hydrated. Did you know the human body can only sustain life for 48 hours without ice cream or beer?

There’s plenty of both at the summer festival. If you’re on a budget, bring your vittles downtown and have a nice picnic. Or dumpster dive (not judging).

Art Fair From July 18 – 21, four Ann Arbor fairs combine into one giant, buzzing, art-on-a-stick Go-Bot of paintings, ceramics and intricate beadwork.

Shutting down the center of town and spreading its tentacles down South University, the Art Fair and its groupies will make life a terrifying mess.

Be wise and be prepared. First, understand that from Washington to William, bracketed by Ashley and Fletcher, the city will be a teeming mass of www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

sunburned human flesh and hippie sweat. Want to get a nice bite to eat at Tomukun Noodle Bar? Good luck fighting off that couple from Toledo and their 30 clones. Want to do some light shopping at Urban Outfitters? Be ready to wrestle over that last novelty flask (Milk!) with nine other budding boozehounds. As with the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, stay hydrated and fed. The one good thing about Art Fair is that it somehow draws packs of carnies to town who set up shop near the Michigan Union with towering edifices to elephant ears, funnel cakes and corn dogs. There is some decent art among the booths. There’s the guy with the ultra-lifelike mannequins and the other person who paints portraits of celebrities like John Travolta.

You can also spice up the Art Fair experience by printing one of many Art Fair Bingo cards and playing with friends. Just Google it and you’ll find a few. “Goths in sunlight! BINGO!” Ann Arbor Fourth of July Parade Skip this. What are you, five?

Sonic Lunch and AnnArbor.com Summer Series Every Thursday at noon through August 30, Sonic Lunch occupies Liberty Square with music, food and drink, featuring, among others, Mayer Hawthorne, Black Jake & the Carnies, Sidetrack Bar & Grill and Sava’s. Kitty corner at the AnnArbor. com public offices, every Friday at noon through September 7, the AnnArbor.com Summer Concert Series features musical performances from

Alejandra O’Leary, The Potter’s Field and a pack of hooligans (Neutral Zone Day). These are midday public events, so the first order of business is making sure your boss is okay with you taking a slightly longer lunch. Frontier Ruckus doesn’t want your Friday termination on their consciences.

Bring lunch — probably something light like super nachos or spaghetti — and enjoy a lunch hour of music, sunshine and clusters of unemployed 20-somethings with Master’s degrees. No flash photography please.

Michigan Theater Summer Classic Film Series If you’re sick of getting sunburned and rubbing elbows with hipsters, little kids with ice cream all over their hands and people from Jackson (gross), try the Michigan Theater Summer Classic Film Series sponsored by Bell’s Brewery. Every Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and Tuesday at 7 p.m., enjoy air conditioning, your very own seat and BEER while you watch classic films like The Jerk, Jaws and sing-a-long Mary Poppins. Be sure to go to the bathroom before the film, because there’s nothing worse than someone who stands up to pee in the middle of a film.

JULY 2012

15

i SPY

SCENE //

Adam Gray, a kid from Ypsi with a built in turntable.

Portable Beats

BY PAUL KITTI PHOTO BY BRUNO POSTIGO

16

i SPY JULY 2012

Raised in a musical household, Adam Gray, 18, learned to play drums and piano at a young age. It’s likely his parents had him singing from time to time as well, but his voice was destined for something a little different. As is the case with many musically-minded kids these days, he began to see his future in the electronic world.

Piano can be fun, but it won’t make anyone’s skull rattle. And while you can produce an infinite number of beats with a simple drum set, you can’t make any of them drop with that deafening 21st century thunder and growl.

During my interview with Gray at Ypsilanti’s Ozone House, he caught me up with his progression in this style of music. It only took a couple of minutes for him to prove why he was the champion of the Jam ‘N Slam, a local musical talent competition put on by Community Records in May. He had the techniques down – layering creative sound effects while maintaining the rhythm, incorporating breaks and pauses, speeding up and slowing down …that sort of thing. Sometimes the melody is neglected in this type of music or things become too repetitive or emotionally lacking. Gray flowed past these obstacles effortlessly, even when he transitioned to dubstep. But while most musicians would have a pair of headphones wrapped around their neck and a Macbook or turntable at their fingers, the only equipment Gray used was his vocal cords.

What started as a means to cure boredom two years ago took a more serious turn after about a year when Gray’s friends went from aggravated to tolerant to stunned while witnessing his talent take off. “When I was first starting, nobody liked it at all,” says Gray. “I couldn’t make any of the noises, and it was really annoying for everybody.

But having everyone tell me that I couldn’t do it just made me want to do it more, so I would sit in my basement for, like, three hours every day and just beatbox out of boredom.”

About that boredom thing – it’s too easy of an explanation for seeking out and developing what’s often seen as a bizarre, albeit impressive, skill. In Gray’s case, beatboxing is an ideal outlet given his brain activity. Unless he’s talking or sleeping, his mind is constantly picking his environment for beats. Washing dishes, passing the time between commercials, walking to the corner store or even filling in the silence at the end of an interview are all opportunities to create

a soundtrack. It’s amazing how productive one can be with an instrument that can’t be left in the car or forgotten at home.

Gray was joined at the Ozone House by a few of his friends, who I began to believe were present to prove that he wasn’t a beat-making android.

“We hang out on a daily basis, and you’ll hear some crazy beats from this kid,” says his friend Justin, whose record label connections have begun tapping Gray for his original touch. It seems his jaw-dropping performance at the Jam ‘N Slam – which was only his second public performance – is only the beginning of what could be an exciting career for the young beatboxer.

But if you scan local shows for the name Adam Gray, you’ll strike out. His stage moniker is Xierro (pronounced zero), inspired by his favorite beatboxer Reeps One as well as some presuccess putdown: “When I was growing up there were a lot of people who thought I was going nowhere, that I was a zero,” says Gray, “so I took that and adopted it… I am zero!”

What Xierro does is more than provide some background noise to be rapped over. His creations hold their own as potential full-fledged songs, especially when he ventures into dubstep turf. So, how does he sound like a normal human one moment and a set of speakers the next? “I’ve been learning to control the pitch of the air coming through my throat,” Gray explains. “There are two noises going in opposite directions, and I can make one go higher and the other go lower, which can be really complex...”

This is just one of many facets of layering involved in vocal percussion, creating an effect that Gray refers to as an auditory illusion. “When I’m stacking the sounds up, it sounds like I’m doing them one on top of the other, but I’m really doing them one after another,” he explains. “Your brain fills in what I don’t, and makes it sound a lot cooler than it actually is.” Essentially, it’s gotta be fast and precise or you might just sound like you’re choking on something.

While Gray doesn’t have any sort of “man vs. computer” agenda, it’s fascinating to hear technology inspiring purely human performance rather than overwhelming it. And that human element will always be essential to music, whether it’s a product of boredom or purpose.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

// SCENE

EL-P and Killer Mike’s Latest Musings This pair of rappers strike subversive into the cerebral mad yet mindful, dark but not depressing.

BY JEFF MILO If “Rap is dead,” as Killer Mike rhymed ten years back on his proper debut, then perhaps an Emcee’s best course of action to resurrect (/re-energize) its listeners is an amped incitement (his latest album has a visceral addendum to “Fuck the Police” via “Don’t Die”) and impassioned indictment (there’s also a dark, dirgey rap-railing against Ronald Wilson Reagan repudiating the Gipper for domestic terrors wrought in wake of his War on Drugs).

This formidable rap-power-pairing sent shockwaves through the hip-hop world last month with closely-timed dual drops of their respective albums, both of which affect a declarative pugnacity, a lyrical clenched fist, staking shelter against a new kind of hard rain-fallin’ – like raw, caustic, f-bomb-dropping folk-heroes, bolstered by a staggering production of dazzling dark synth dashes, grimaced bass grooves, gnarly guitars and a hail of pugilistic percussion.

In the worlds of “R.A.P. Music” and “Cancer 4 Cure,” one feels to be ever on-guard, not so much in a paranoid way (though those low moaning synth storms, gristly gargled bass booms and edgy clattered beats paint effective post-apocalyptic evocations) but more so in a wired, wits-about-you way. Dark drones and brooding beats predominate much of both rappers ferocious, yet poignant wake-up-calls, but it’s not to keep you peering over your shoulder. It’s more to keep

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

your eyes (and ears) open. Maybe it’s cynical, maybe it’s pissed-off, but maybe, also, it’s emboldening –in a good way. Do worry.

“What my people need and the opposite of bull-shit,” Killer Mike raps on his album’s closing title-track, while his close collaborative ally, producer and Def-Jux founder El-P exclaims, “No more lies…/ Look at me / I’m on to you.” Look. That’s part of it, just look, this is toughened, thoughtprovoking rap, but if it’s anti-anything (and they’re both anti-lots of things, often: the government), it’s especially anti-escapism.

Not your poppy fluff, for sure.

Be mad, yes (that first R. in Killer Mike’s title stands for “Rebellious”) as much as be mindful – as “R.A.P.”’s “Anywhere But Here” slows things down from the shoulder-shunt catharsis and is a quieter meditation, cruising through Harlem, “you ask what happens to a dream deferred / Langston, well it kills itself….” then, bereaving over the chorus “There are too many ghosts in this town.”

Their protest-tinged agendas don’t drownout the dazzling production, though. Both albums, instrumental/sample-wise, are atmospheric dynamos, churning fibrous fuzz and cardio-kicked beats. That’s the thing – engaging yet enraging.

El-P / Killer Mike will perform on July 8 at the Blind Pig with Mr. Motherfuckin Exquire and Despot. All Ages are welcome. Tickets are $20. Doors open at 8 p.m.

JULY 2012

17

i SPY

CALENDAR // AROUND YOU

SKYDIVE TECUMSEH

18

i SPY JULY 2012

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

MATCH BY MATCH

THE FERDY MAYNE

GUN LAKE

July 18-21

2012 Ann Arbor Art Fair Entertainment Preview

2012 Ann Arbor Art Fair Here’s the South U Main Stage lineup:

3:00 to 3:30 Nicole P’Simer 3:45 to 3:15 Asleep & Awake 4:30 to 5:15 Abigail Stauffer 5:40 to 6:30 Rootstand 6:45 to 7:15 Chris Bathgate 7:30 to 8:00 Celsius Electronics 8:15 to 9:00 Nickie P with Wolfie Complex 9:15 to 9:45 FLASHCLASH

Thursday

3:00 to 3:40 Chief Blues Officer 4:00 to 5:00 Ben Daniels Band 5:15 to 6:15 Khalid Hanifi 6:30 to 7:30 George Bedard & The Kingpins 8:00 to 9:00 Back Forty

Friday

3:00 to 3:45 Kimberly Grambo 4:00 to 4:15 The Deep End 5:15 to 6:00 Finer Things 6:30 to 7:15 Match By Match 8:00 to 9:00 Jukebox The Ghost 9:30 to 10:50 DJ: Ross Federman of Tally Hall

Saturday CHRIS BATHGATE PHOTO BY BRUNO POSTIO

FOUNTAIN STAGE Wednesday

Friday

Thursday

Saturday

11:00 Arts in Motion Dance & Music Studio 12:00 Carillon Bells 1:00 O’Hare Irish Dance 2:00 The Moxie Strings 3:00 Match by Match 4:00 Roland Remington 5:00 Michael Malis Trio 6:00 Fiddlers ReStrung

11:00 Paul Tabachnek 12:00 Carillon Bells 1:00 Amy Saari 2:00 Gwenyth Hayes Trio 3:00 WCC Dancers 4:00 Cottonwood Cloggers 5:00 The ShaneReaction 6:00 EMU Jazz Combo *Additional Perfomers Boogie-Woogie Piano with Mr. B North University at Ingalls Mall

12:00 to 1:00 Spencer Michaud 1:15 to 2:00 Gun Lake 2:30 to 3:30 Shari Kane & Dave Steele 4:00 to 5:00 Corndaddy

Made Possible by Michigan Council for Arts and Cultrual Afffairs

MAIN STAGE

Wednesday

TIMOTHY MONGER

11:00 Dark Eyed Molly 12:00 Carillon Bells 1:00 Daycroft Treble Makers 2:00 No Excuses 3:00 Brian Rizzardi 4:00 Kate Monaghan 5:00 Timothy Monger 6:00 Tracy Kash Thomas

11:00 Olivia Lloyd 12:00 Carillon Bells 1:00 U of M Ballroom Dance 2:00 Hoaloha Polynesian Dance Group 3:00 Hoodang 4:00 Dan King & The Blueberry Incident

George Tait – The Living Statue North University at Thayer

Bob Culbertson – Stickman Music North University and Fletcher

BY PAUL KITTI

PHOTO BY KRISTIE BRABLEC

Entertainment Preview Wednesday, July 18th through Saturday, July 21st Wednesday–Friday, 10 am-9 pm, Saturday, 10 am-6 pm

iSPY Magazine Stage After Party Schedule Wednesday: Alley Bar // DJ Grafitti Thursday: LIVE // Mux Mool-Waajeed Friday: Mark’s Carts // Hullabaloo //CORNER OF LIBE RTYand & ASHL EY Corner of Liberty Ashley

JULY

Wednesday

Christopher Norman

Matt Jones

2:30 3:30 4:30 5:30 6:30 7:30

Satruday: Necto // Red Room

Word of Mouth Patrick Davey and the Ghosts Christopher Norman Little Island Lake Afternoon Round Dragon Wagon

Thursday 2:30 3:30 4:30 5:30 6:30 7:30 8:30

Ben Keeler Paul Luc Jetty Rae Brae Bear Lake Skeleton Birds Matt Jones

Friday

The Juliets

12:30 2:30 3:30 4:30 5:30 6:30 7:30 8:30

Entreslam* Misty Lyn Scarecrow Jones My Pal Val Ryan Dillaha The Juliets Lawless Carver Drunken Barn Dance

*Entreslam is a story telling competition featuring Saturday 1:00 The Bends Jim Roll, Matthew Altruda, Joe Bellanca and more.

2:00 Annabelle Road

Annabelle Road

3:00 Small Houses *Times and schedule 4:00 Bluesmatics subject to change

Comprised of four, award-winning, juried art fairs, this renowned event transforms Ann Arbor into an impressive outdoor art gallery showcasing the best in fine art and fine crafts.

DOWNLOAD THE ART FAIR APP: Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, the Original (53 yrs) 734.994.5260 www.artfair.org State Street Area Art Fair (45 yrs) 734.663.6511 www.a2statestreetartfair.com Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair (43 yrs) 734.662.3382 www.theguild.org Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair (13 yrs) 734.663.5300 www.a2southu.com

THINGS TO SEE AND DO Learn about and buy art from the nation’s best artists 3 entertainment stages Artists’ demonstrations Family-friendly interactive art activities (see map) More than 150 restaurants and 4 outdoor food courts Distinctive shops and galleries Special sidewalk sales Cover Photo Credits: Bruno Postigo and M10 Marketing

WWW.ANNARBORARTFAIRS.COM

PARKING // MAP Art Fair Trolley Trolley links all fairs (see map for stops).

Trolley tickets (ride all day), $1.

Parking and Park & Ride Options (See map for routes & stops. Complete info online including directions to shuttle lots, www.artfairs. visitannarbor.org.)

Downtown parking structures and lots Parking fee: $12 per day AATA Art Fair Park & Ride Shuttle (www.theride.org) Two locations: Pioneer High School and Briarwood Mall Parking free Round-trip $3; One-way $1.50 Students & Fare Deal cardholders, One-way $.75 Senior/ADA cardholders & kids five and younger ride free Shuttle stops: Main Street at William and S. University near State Street Buses return to both parking locations from either shuttle bus stop Trinity Westside Art Fair Park & Ride Shuttle Location: Maple Village (155 N. Maple Rd.) Parking free Round-trip $3 Five and younger ride free Shuttle stops: Washington and Main, Washington and State (see map for stops)

Frequency & Service: 10 – 15 minutes Wed-Fri 9am-10pm; Sat 9am-7pm Pets not allowed; service animals welcomed Buses & Trolley are wheelchair accessible and airconditioned. Wheelchairs are available at the fairs, 734.975.6800 for info, visit www.artfair.org.

Parking at Downtown Structures & Lots Convenient parking in downtown Ann Arbor structures and lots is $12 per day. Parking is also offered at area churches, schools, and other organizations throughout downtown; rates vary. Parking structures and lots may fill quickly, so consider using the shuttles. To view and print maps of parking lots and structures, click here.

Parking Structure Locations: Ann & Ashley Parking Structure Forest Avenue Parking Structure Fourth & Washington Parking Structure Fourth & William Parking Structure Liberty Square (Tally Hall) Parking Structure Maynard Parking Structure Advance Parking Reservations: Park n Party Reserve your parking spot in advance for an entire day in any of the downtown Republic Parking structures Visit ParknParty.com to make your reservations.

Metered Lot Locations: Parking meters are located on most downtown streets, and include 30 minute, 1 hour and 2 hour meters. Cost: $1.00/hour, Monday through Saturday, 8am-6pm.

325 Depot St. - 35 spaces Broadway Bridge Lot - 18 spaces, 2 handicap Community High - 83 spaces, 4 handicap (open to public on weekends only, weekdays in summer when school is out) Farmer’s Market - 75 spaces, 3 handicap (closed on market days: Wednesdays and Saturdays, April December; Saturdays only, January - April) Fourth & Catherine - 49 spaces, 3 handicap Kerrytown - 25 spaces, 1 handicap (closed on market days: Wednesdays and Saturdays, April December;Saturdays only, January - April) Main & Ann - 46 spaces, 2 handicap Main & William - 23 spaces, 1 handicap Attended Lots: First & Huron Parking Lot South Ashley (Kline) Parking Lot Automated Lots: Fifth & William Parking Lot

ANN ARBOR ART FAIR // FEATURE

// SCENE

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

JULY 2012

23

i SPY

FEATURE // ANN ARBOR ART FAIR

Drunken Barn Dance Poised to Let Loose

Scott Sellwood is inspired by everything that goes into the “violent burst” of a soccer game.

Asked to list recent inspirations, sure, he notes a few folk-rock essentials like John Prine, but he admits to getting a kick out of watching the 2012 EUFA Euro Soccer Championship and bringing that to a stage or a studio.

As a result, he subconsciously refers to his band, Drunken Barn Dance, as “a team,” and, although he’s on the phone with iSPY from his apartment in New York, he considers any venue in Michigan to be “home-court advantage.”

“I find the camaraderie and the training so compelling,” the singer/guitarist says. “You have to be prepared. You try to prepare and then you just lay it out there and see what happens.”

There’s coincidence to why Sellwood is drawn to that. He and his band (Ryan Howard (drums), Scott Deroche (guitar), Greg McIntosh (guitar) and Jim Roll (bass) approach recording sessions like marathons, make the songs ready, head in for one day (with dozens of beer cans substituting Gatorade) and swing, hurdle, kick, what-have-you till the field is run.

“That’s the goal,” Sellwood says. “That’s me. I like to let it loose, but then I also like to make music

24

i SPY JULY 2012

that’s poised and beautiful.”

Things are going well for the songwriter who adopted Ann Arbor as his beloved home throughout most of the last decade. The music licensing service he fostered out in New York, RightsFlow, got bought by Google last December and now he works for YouTube. He’s sparked, muse-wise, by recent attendances to Songwriters’ Hall of Fame inductions, including Bob Seger, recently and the lesser known Don Schlitz (who wrote the Kenny Rogers tune “The Gambler”).

Schlitz’s acceptance speech credited his success to realizing at a young age that didn’t have to write about his own life.

Similarly, you won’t find out much about Sellwood in his own songs. Well, not in that direct diaryesque candor. The guy’s got a higher, nasally toned voice, sure, but that doesn’t mean he’s gonna take that “emo”-ish route. He’s often inventing intriguing, hard-boiled narratives, “outlaw-songs” he calls a few, with bruised brooders and heartening heroes – some of them poignant lullaby strums, others fist-whirling, voice-trilling, moon-howling drinking songs and others, still, shoegaze-sweetened, feedback-fogged murder-ballads.

To talk to the lead singer/guitarist of Drunken Barn

BY JEFF MILO

PHOTO BY DOUG COOMBE L-R: Ryan Howard, Scott Deroche, Jim Roll, Greg McIntosh, Scott Sellwood

Dance, you’d think he never left the Mitten State.

In fact, most of his bandmates still call the YpsiArbor area home. Roll engineers DBD albums at his audio HQ, Backseat Studios, in Ann Arbor, where, in August last year, they wrapped what will be their forthcoming third album (out later this summer, tentatively split as three EPs, on Quite Scientific).

New York’s treating him just fine (though Michigan summers “can’t be beat”), and he’s cultivating steady DBD fans there. “The stuff I’ve stayed connected to back to Michigan is the stuff that matters most: the people. The dudes all being from Michigan, Fred and the Saturday Looks Good To Me-community,” (Sellwood was a former SLGTM member), “and Jim’s studio and Frontier Ruckus. I just wish I got to see people more.”

The new album’s swooned with quieter, acoustic, finger-picking ballads and flared with rapid-fire, “rambunctious barn-burners.” Poised. Prepared.

Don’t miss Drunken Barn Dance’s performance at iSPY’s stage at the Ann Arbor Art Fair on Friday, July 20th at 8:00 p.m. on Liberty between Main and Ashley.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

ANN ARBOR ART FAIR // FEATURE

Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful

BY TREASURE GROH

PHOTO BY DOUG COOMBE

If you were to fish the internet for tunes by Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful, you’d find plenty from their debut album, “For The Dead.” And, chances are, you’d love it for the moving lyrics and folk-y, Americana sound. But that was in 2009, and Misty Lyn Bergeron – the gifted chanteuse that leads the Big Beautiful – will be the first to say that it’s not a great representation of who the band is today.

“If you listen to the first record, it doesn’t really represent what we sound like now. It’s three years old. Our live show actually has a lot of different genres blended into it,” she says. Bergeron and Co. were set to release their sophomore album in the winter of ’11 – needless to say, that didn’t happen.

“Actually the new material has nothing to do with that record. This is even newer material,” says Bergeron with a laugh. “The record has been delayed for various reasons. When you think it’s gonna be done, it just takes longer than you think every time.” Bergeron is aiming for a fall release, but that begs the question: What is she making now?

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

If you’ve suddenly found yourself daydreaming of to keep it going,” she says. new summer jams, the only way to feast your ears Bergeron will certainly keep it going this summer on what Bergeron has to offer is to catch one of as she sets out to play a slew of shows with Big the band’s live shows, such as their slot on iSPY’s Beautiful at her side. One of the first opportunities stage at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. to see her perform is at the Art Fair, and it’ll also It’s appropriate that Bergeron would be playing be one of the first chances fans have to hear new another beloved Michigan Festival (she’s performed material. at Mittenfest, Harvest Gathering and the Ann Arbor “I am kinda itching to get out and play the new Folk Festival), especially since it’s where the singer- songs, and the band doesn’t know them yet,” songwriter caught the performance bug. she reveals. “[Summer] is a different time of year, “I would find myself at these musical festivals – a different vibe. It’s a little more chill. You get to found myself standing in the crowd and I loved it so hang out with a lot more musicians because of the much. I couldn’t not be a part of being on stage,” festival thing.” And that’s just what Michiganders she says. (and, no doubt, Midwesterners as a whole) will get Bergeron felt it was “almost painful” not to be the opportunity to do from July 18 – 21 when the creating the music she loved and decided to take streets of downtown Ann Arbor flood with paint, a detour from the college degree she earned and plaster and plenty of entertainment. start doing something she knew she’d never regret For more information, check out facebook.com/ – even if money is tight and success is uncertain. misty-lyn-the-big-beautiful.

“It’s something I have to do. I don’t feel like it’s a choice I have. It’s not easy. The life an artistZWEIFLER BY of JASMINE certainly isn’t easy, so you have to have love for it

JULY 2012

25

i SPY

FEATURE // ANN ARBOR ART FAIR

Skeleton Birds Building their wings mid-flight

BY PAUL KITTI

Wherever there are great bands, there are great unknown bands. It’s a full-time hobby, keeping track of all the sounds being generated between Detroit and Ann Arbor, and it’s easiest to let whoever bubbles to the top stake a claim on your must-check-out list. But sometimes the ones you don’t hear about are the ones making the most noise.

About a year ago, Ypsilanti-based Skeleton Birds released their second album, “The Silver Age,” from its cage. It was the first album that brothers Jonathan and Jeremy Edwards recorded with their full lineup, which was formed after the release of 2008’s “The Owl.” Deftly polished and full of brooding intensity, it wasn’t the type of album you’d expect to pry out from deep within the cracks of the local music scene. But maybe that’s where this band needs to be for now: evolving in the shadows, ensuring there’ll be a prize at the bottom of the bag for those who are willing to dig.

As singer/guitarist Jonathan Edwards describes it, Skeleton Birds was originally a nameless vessel for creative output. He and his brother Jeremy had just parted ways with Detroit-based indie rock act The Silent Years and were looking to take a more personal direction with their songwriting. Breaking from the intensity of four years in a touring band and devoting more time to things like family and school, their musical output took a more natural

26

i SPY JULY 2012

and comfortable pace.

“Initially it wasn’t really much of anything grandiose,” says Edwards. “The idea was, after getting out of The Silent Years, I had a batch of songs I didn’t really know what to do with, so my brother and I figured we’d record some. But not with intent of starting a band, just to have some fun.” Those recordings became the entirety of “The Owl” and a building ground for Skeleton Birds, which at the time was still more of a loose idea than a band.

Four years later the project has a more definitive shape and eclectic style derived from the different backgrounds of the five band members. Edwards’ influences make up a hefty chunk of the backbone.

Raised to love the Beatles and forming a musical identity around mid-nineties rock, his songwriting melds disciplined structure with Radioheadlike experimentation and consistent, accessible grooves. The songs themselves, atmospheric and meticulously layered, hint at a slow-burning creative process.

“We don’t really construct our songs from start to finish,” Edwards explains. “It’s a little bit more scattered. I’ll always have something around to record with, and if I get even a little snippet of something I like, then I’ll record it and go back to it later and piece old ideas into new ideas. But in the end, we manage the process of refining it and

making it flow, giving it form.”

But, like their progressive sound, Skeleton Birds’ songwriting process is in continual development.

Lately, they’ve been playing and writing more as a band rather than on an individual basis, which Edwards believes allows for more spontaneous things to happen. The results will be revealed in a set of new songs that you’ll be able to hear when they perform on the iSPY stage at the Ann Arbor Art Fair, which takes place July 18 – 21.

“We definitely want to start playing more than we have,” says Edwards. “And because we do have a lot of new songs, we’d like to record them in some way, whether it be in an EP or a new album. We’d like to record it fast and support it with a bunch of shows.”

With Edwards getting married this summer and another band member expecting a new little addition to his family, their performance in July will be a rare one. But come fall, Edwards says the above goals will be set in motion. And I, for one, am looking forward to seeing a great unknown band become a great known band.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

ANN ARBOR ART FAIR // FEATURE

Carolyn Garay

Ann Arbor Art Fair Featured Artist

BY JASMINE ZWEIFLER

The Ann Arbor Art Fair has been the showcase for Michigan artists for decades, and Carolyn Garay is a relative newcomer to the party. Her Washtenaw County cred is impeccable with diplomas from both Pioneer High and Eastern Michigan University, but that isn’t the only reason we’re crazy about her.

Her sensuous and psychedelic images capture the imagination and won’t let go. We got the chance to chat with her about her work and the Art Fair.

Here’s what she had to say: Is this your first Ann Arbor Art Fair?

Actually, last summer was! I was wait-listed far, far down on the list and was called two days before the actual fair with the spot opening up last minute! I was not prepared at all, but realizing the amazing opportunity I would be missing, I said yes and called in as much help as I could! Seeing the range of reactions to my work at the fair very was interesting (I found out little boys voiced their “ews” pretty openly at my naked ladies …give them a couple years) and overall very inspiring!

What sorts of ideas do you try to express?

My interests have always been with people: what goes on behind the eyes, who we all really are inside to ourselves and what that self really is. And which part of our different conflicting selves, the

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

different sides of each of us, do we hold as our real true self, if any? I create personifications of these selves, these drives, these creatures and enter them into my worlds. I try to express a dreamlike eeriness that still feels somewhat pleasurable. A discomfort that is also somehow alluring or intriguing.

Your work has a very dark and surreal edge at times, have you ever had any pushback of people encouraging you to be more “conventional”?

Well, there was always my mother, who was always super supportive, but she would tend to ask me why the girl I just drew couldn’t be smiling and maybe holding some nice flowers or something instead of bleeding out creatures from the nose, for example. I am aware of what I could avoid in order to have my work appeal to more people, and I have been encouraged to do that in order to make things more sellable with less of an edge, in some circles. (I don’t listen. I’m not starving that much yet – plenty of Ramen stocked.)

Your colors are lots of times psychedelic and occasionally absent. What are your ideas on the function of color?

Watching a lot of rainbow bright as a child and

with the 90s color pallet being amazingly neon, those are the main culprits of my obsession. But really, I just love bright color. I feel like it could be a disease. I am clearly obsessed with my magenta and lime green paint tubes. I think in my work, color functions as a way to enhance the surreal, dreamlike, “trippy” feel that I tend to want to create in these worlds or places. My imagination works in rainbow with dark places scattered throughout.

My imagination has rainbow vision, even double rainbow, all across my brain – so intense.

What’s next?

I’m pushing myself now to get more personal while trying to find a balance between subtle, eerie, humor and darker obsessive emotions.

My work recently has become much larger, and I am attempting to let go of the figure as the main focus – at least for a while in order to explore the obsessive, impulsive need for my creatures, bugs, cupcakes and other worlds of my little selves that exist in me.

JULY 2012

27

i SPY

CALENDAR // AROUND YOU

July //

2012

BY AMANDA SLATER

music 6/30: • Chris Dupont Trio & Jim Cherewick, 7 p.m., Ugly Mug, Ypsilanti • iSPY Magazine 2 Year Anniversary, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s Ypsilanti 7/1: • Tesla, 3 p.m., Stars and Stripes Festival, Mt. Clemens • The Rocket Summer, 6 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac • Sarah McLachlan, 7:30 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills • Becca Stevens, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/2: • Victor Wooten, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/3: • Neil Diamond, 8 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Bill Frisell, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/4: • Death Cab for Cutie with City and Colour, 7 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills • Bison Machine, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti • Lonesome County, 10:30 p.m., Circus, Ann Arbor 7/5: • Ours, 7 p.m., Shelter, Detroit • Aerosmith and Cheap Trick, 7:30 p.m., The Palace, Auburn Hills • Ishka, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Gandalf Murphy & the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/6: • Warped Tour, 11 a.m., The Palace,

28

Auburn Hills

i SPY JULY 2012

HAVE AN EVENT? SUBMIT IT ONLINE. FOR FREE!

• American Idol Live, 7 p.m., Joe Louis Arena, Detroit • Tenacious D, 7 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit • Stevie Nicks, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit • Motown InDpendence, 8 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Flossstradamus, 9 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac • Ann Arbor Soul Club, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Detour, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Team Ethic Album Release with the Juliets, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/7: • Def Leppard with Poison, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Fiona Apple, 7 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit • Alberta Cross, 8 p.m., Pike Room, Pontiac • Tycho, 8 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac • Dirty Deville, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Janiva Magness, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Gun Lake, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/8: • El-P, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Diana Lawrence & Phoebe Hunt, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Deuce Illusive, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/9: • Reel Big Fish, 6 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Lionheart, 7 p.m., Magic Stick Lounge, Detroit • Adrian Legg, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/10: • Dave Matthews Band, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Professor Cat, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig,

ispymagazine.co

Ann Arbor • Johnny Clegg, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/11: • Big K.R.I.T., 7 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Alexander O’Neal, 7:30 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit • The Henry Clay People, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit • Evans Blue, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • James Vincent McMorrow, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • A-Sho, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti • Relentless Mules, 10:30 p.m., Circus, Ann Arbor 7/12: • Foghat, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Right Away, Great Captain!, 7 p.m., Pike Room, Pontiac • The Deep End, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Edwin McCain, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Under the Streetlamp, 7 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre 7/13: • Ted Nugent and Lynrd Skynyrd, Noon, Jackson County Fairgrounds • Great White, 5 p.m., Uncle Sam Jam, Woodhaven • Maze, 6:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • The Third Annual Greatest Night of Summer, 7 p.m., Emerald Theatre, Mt. Clemens • Tech N9ne Concert, 8 p.m., The Perani Arena, Flint • Father John Misty with Youth Lagoon, 8 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac • Dragon Wagon, 9:30.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Kedder Avant, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s,

Ypsilanti 7/14: • Night Ranger, 5 p.m., Uncle Sam Jam, 5 p.m., Woodhaven • The Airborne Toxic Event and Minus the Bear, 7 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit • Trace Adkins, 8 p.m., Dow Event Center Saginaw • 112, 8:30 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit • The Good Lovelies, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • The Devil Elvis Show, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti • Killer Flamingos, 10 p.m., Millennium Club, Ann Arbor 7/15: • Santana, 8 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Corey Harris & the Rasta Blues Experience, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Deuce Illusive, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/16: • Lower Dens, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit 7/17: • Nickelback, 6:30 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Smokers Club Tour, 6:30 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Tonight We Unite, 6:30 p.m., Magic

Stick, Detroit • Nicki Minaj, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit • Purity Ring, 8 p.m., Pike Room, Pontiac 7/18: • Further, 7 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills • Iron Maiden with Alice Cooper, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Beach House, 8 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac • Detroit Love Muscle, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

AROUND YOU // CALENDAR 7/19: • Van Halen, 7:30 p.m., Joe Louis Arena, Detroit • Mary Wilson, 8 p.m., Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel, Detroit • Global Dance Festival Detroit with Knife Party, Dillon Francis and Emalkay, 8 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre • Dark Eyed Molly & Jo Pie Whyld, 7 p.m., Ugly Mug, Ypsilanti 7/20: • Identity Festival, 2 p.m., Elektricity Festival Grounds, Pontiac • Bizarre and Prozak, 7 p.m., Emerald Theatre, Mt. Clemens • Rascal Flatts, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • 1964 The Tribute, 8 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochster Hills • Fresh Music Festival, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit • Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas with the Hand Grenades and FAWN, 8 p.m., Magic Bag, Ferndale • Liars, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit • House of Chanel, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor 7/21: • Gorilla Zoe, 5 p.m., Harpo’s, Detroit • D-Man Hollywood Night , 6 p.m., The Fillmore, Detroit • The Company We Keep, 6 p.m., Shelter, Detroit • O.A.R., 7 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills • All Day Movement, 8 p.m., Emerald Theatre, Mt. Clemens • Elzki, 8 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Isley Brothers, 8 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit • Agalloch, 9 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Elbow Deep, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/22:

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

and FAWN, 8 p.m., Magic Bag, Ferndale • Liars, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit • House of Chanel, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor 7/22: • Mayhem Festival, 1:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Infinity Hour, 5 p.m., Pike Room, Pontiac • Rusted Root, 7 p.m., Saint Andrew’s Hall, Detroit • Junior Brown, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor

• Aaron Lewis, 7 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre 7/23: • Mickey Hart, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, Detroit • Danny Britt and Marvin Dykhuis, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/24: • Morning Glory, 8 p.m., Magic Stick Lounge, Detroit 7/25: • Shelia E, 7:30 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit • Bombay Bicycle Club, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit • Teddy Geiger, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Refused, 7 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre • Small Noises, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti • Whistle Pigs, 10:30 p.m., Circus, Ann Arbor 7/26: • Mindless Behavior, 7 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit • Fang Island, 8 p.m., Pike Room, Pontiac • JD McPherson, 9 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Buckwheat Zydeco, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/27: • Girl in a Coma, 7 p.m., Shelter, Detroit • The Temptations, 7:30 p.m., DTE

Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Logic and Tayyib Ali, 7 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Lucciana Costa, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Dragon Wagon Album Release, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/28: • Gin Blossoms, 6 p.m., St. Clair River Fest, St. Clair • Jimmy Buffett, 7:30 p.m., Comerica Park, Detroit • Ledisi, 8 p.m., Chene Park, Detroit • Pitbull, 8 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Cult Heroes, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Jay Stielstra, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor • Matt Jones & the Reconstruction with Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful, 10 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/29: • Michael W. Smith, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • George Thorogood and the Destroyers, 7:30 p.m., Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel, Detroit • Chuck Prophet, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/30: • Slide Ireland, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor 7/31: • Big Time Rush, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston • Oberhofer, 7 p.m., Pike Room, 7 p.m., Pontiac • Florence + the Machine, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, Detroit • The Bouncing Sould, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit • Another Grand Design, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor • Riverfolk Festival Songwriting Contest, 7 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor

comedy

7/15: • George Watsky, 6 p.m., Shelter, Detroit 7/21: • Jim Gaffigan, 8 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston

COmmunity

7/1: • Hudson Mills Metropark Fireworks, 10 p.m.

7/3: • Manchester Fireworks, Carr Park 7/3 – 7/7: • Manchester Community Fair, Alumni Memorial Field 7/13: • Rolling Sculpture Car Show, 2 – 10 p.m., downtown Ann Arbor • Derby Dimes Recruitment Fair, 5 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti 7/13 – 7/14: • Michigan Elvis Festival, Depot Town, Ypsilanti 7/13 – 7/14: • Saline Celtic Festival 7/14: • Bicycle Through Hell, Chelsea 7/15: • Huron River Day, Gallup Park, Ann Arbor 7/16: • Townie Street Party, Ingalls Mall, Ann Arbor 7/17: • The Moth, 6 p.m., Circus, Ann Arbor 7/18 – 7/21: • Ann Arbor Art Fair, downtown Ann Arbor 7/19: • Manchester Chicken Broil, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., Alumni Memorial Field 7/26 – 7/28: • Chelsea Summer Festival 7/27 – 7/28: • Michigan Brewer’s Guild Summer Beer Festival, Depot Town, Ypsilanti 7/31 – 8/4: • Riverfolk Festival, Manchester and Ann Arbor

JULY 2012

29

i SPY

FEATURE //

FAWN

BY MARY SIMKINS

If you haven’t heard of Detroit band FAWN, their new album “Coastlines” or their record label Quite Scientific Records, that’s all about to change.

FAWN’s recently signed with the same label that has encouraged local artists such as Chris Bathgate, Frontier Ruckus and Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jr. and released a debut album from the carefree, hilarious foursome from D-town.

It’s an instinct, and probably a bad one, to race to assign a niche or identity to a new band based on geography or musical comparisons. If there is one thing I’ve learned about FAWN through listening to “Coastlines” and speaking with them a bit, it’s that none of that interests them. They’re just four friends making music that they like with the hope that their audiences will agree that they’ve made something special.

I was able to speak with the whole band over speakerphone (future!) while they drove home from a recent practice. Vocalists Christian Kiddo and Alicia Gbur have been working hard with drummer Matt Rickle and guitarist Mike Spence to make sure their upcoming album release party and first

30

i SPY JULY 2012

few local shows go off without a hitch.

Amidst absurd jokes on both our parts and some slow-dying laughter, I was able to learn a bit more about QuiSci’s exciting new artists.

I watched the video on your website of some of the moments in the recording process.

Making an album seems like a lot more work and maybe less fun than playing for a live audience – how has the process been for everyone, and are you nervous or relieved to be moving onto this next stage?

We had a great time making the album – it’s always a drawn out process and it was for us this time. It was a fun process creating something that will last forever – whatever you do is going to be how the song is remembered. We went out to Indiana and recorded, got away from everything and just focused on the music. The man who owned the studio had nine cats, so those are the cats you see in the video. If you’re allergic to cats, you might want to stay away from this place.

Alicia’s pretty allergic. She had to sleep in the sound booth.

So, everyone must ask this, but what’s the meaning behind the name FAWN? We really just started naming names and playing with words to find one that sounded good. We ended up settling on FAWN for a number of reasons.

It resonated with us because this band was a new beginning, and we all thought of “fawn” as being the birth of something new. There’s also the idea of fawning over something, which could never be bad.

And if you look at some of the artwork on the site, you’ll see we also enjoy a connection to nature.

Would you say that being from Detroit forms a large part of your identity as a band?

There seems to be a lot of interest in Detroit, and, if it seems like we’re part of a new Detroit, it isn’t us trying to project ourselves that way. Most of us are from Detroit, and I guess if someone who isn’t from Detroit wants to attach that meaning to us, then that’s okay.

You’ve all been in bands prior to forming FAWN. Has that helped to unite the group professionally or does it make for some differences in musical perspectives?

All of us like that this band is in neutral ground, and everyone is open to whatever – which is pretty fun and refreshing to not have any notion of what we wanted it to sound like.

A recent press release from your label Quite Scientific Records described “Coastlines” as paying homage to old Detroit rock sounds while focusing a great deal of energy on the future and new beginnings. Was this the message you planned for your debut album or did it emerge through the process?

Everything just kind of came through in the music and everyone just added things. All have an equal hand in creative process. It doesn’t really come out planned. It’s just everyone throwing stuff on the table and all of our influences together that make it what it is.

So everyone has an equal hand in the creative process?

Absolutely.

Are you thinking about touring yet or hoping to stay in the area and build a Detroit following?

Our plan is definitely to get out and play some shows, and I don’t think we’ll be doing anything major until late summer / early fall, but we’ll definitely be around till then and we’re excited to share our music with local fans.

If you missed the band’s release party in Ferndale for the album “Coastlines,” be sure to check them out at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on July 20, where they’ll be playing with Jessica Hernandez.

To learn more about FAWN and sample some of their music, visit wearefawn.com. To read my review of “Coastlines,” visit ispymagazine.co.

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

SCENE //

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

JULY 2012

31

i SPY

FEATURE //

“I think it took me a long time to work up the courage to admit to myself that I’m just a little narcissist who only wants to do his own thing, and that’s ultimately okay.”

The Gospel According to Father John Misty 32

BY AMANDA SLATER

i SPY JULY 2012

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

// FEATURE

Before you read any further, there’s a few things you need to know: First, it’s okay to be selfabsorbed. Second, hooking up with a girl in a graveyard is not disrespectful. In fact, it’s actually a better way to commemorate death than a funeral.

And finally, sometimes it’s worth leaving one of the most successful folk bands in history in order to be true to yourself. These are just some of the lessons learned from the church of Father John Misty. He’s both loveable and erratic and, like all good spiritual leaders, his ministry started when he wrote a book.

Father John Misty, of course, is Joshua Tillman (also known as J. Tillman). And the band that he recently left was Fleet Foxes. Although the move seemed incomprehensible to many (Who leaves a talented, critically-acclaimed band right in the middle of their greatest success?), it made perfect sense to Tillman.

“It seemed very natural to me,” he said. “I was exhausted from trying to keep my own creative ambitions in the margins of my life instead of making them the main event.”

So, that’s what he did. He packed up and started over – just like he packed up and left Seattle at 3:30 a.m., leaving without a destination in mind. He took off in his van for eight months during which he rediscovered himself and wrote a novel (which is printed on the liner notes for “Fear Fun,” his debut Father John Misty album).

“I started writing this book where there were no boundaries, and I discovered very quickly that I was writing the whole thing in my own conversational voice,” he says. “It wasn’t particularly precious – mostly kind of funny, satirical.”

“It was kind of this turning point where I was having fun in my creative pursuits as opposed to conducting them with fear and trembling,” he says.

In that moment of clarity, he says he realized that his conversational voice was good enough to write in, so he stripped off the pretense that comes with traditional songwriting and realized that to really write from his own experience and his own voice, he needed a fresh start in every way – which included a brand new name. You could almost call it a come-to-Jesus moment.

The tongue in cheek treatment of religion www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

(bordering on sacrilege at times) woven throughout “Fear Fun” is no mistake. Tillman is more than aware of what he is doing – perhaps painfully so.

Having grown up in a religious setting, Tillman even briefly considered becoming a pastor as a youth – only to later become disillusioned and angry at his upbringing.

“At some point my number one mission became to make as big of a joke out of it as I could,” he said during an interview with LA Weekly.

And there’s no doubt that this philosophy leaks into his music, as he admits himself when discussing the way that his experience in Fleet Foxes and making music as J. Tillman shaped his career. (“You can’t really talk about [the music] without talking about my experiences,” he says. ‘It would take forever to explain the myriad of ways my experience has informed what I do creatively, but I’d definitely say there [would be] no music I’m making now without those things as experiences.”)

But when I speak to Tillman, there is no talk of religion. And he doesn’t seem angry. In fact, he seems quite comfortable as he puts me on hold momentarily to light a cigarette. Maybe it’s a sign that he’s finally where he’s meant to be – doing his own thing without having to conform to the wishes of anyone, whether that be his family or a religious institution or a band like Fleet Foxes.

“I think it took me a long time to work up the courage to admit to myself that I’m just a little narcissist who only wants to do his own thing, and that’s ultimately okay and of little consequence,” he says. “It’s not something to wring your hands in existential angst over.”

It doesn’t take long for listeners to realize that Father John Misty is most definitely a departure from J. Tillman or Fleet Foxes. It’s satirical. It’s witty. It’s unexpected and borderline transgressive at times. Yet, it’s not all fun and games. There are still soul-searching moments of inquiry peppered throughout. One of these moments is captured in the now single “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sleeps.”

The track draws listeners in with its very first notes and is simultaneously grungy, gripping and compelling, wrestling with the concept of life and

death over the backdrop of a funeral. It tells a story that sounds too detailed and too personal to be fabricated – and since it’s a Father John Misty song, it’s not.

“The song was kind of an accumulation of these two experiences,” he explains. “I was going to my granddad’s funeral, which was a bizarre experience in that I had been absent from all family events for 10 years or something. And I was struck by the misery of the modern western style funeral. It was kind of addressing a fantasy as opposed to commemorating anything that life is really about – and to me sort of suppressing the natural instinct or response to death. It sent me into an impotent rage. The next time I was at a graveyard was at a party at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. I was hooking up with a girl thinking about the continuum between sex and death and all that stuff and was really struck in that moment by how much more of a tribute that may be than a funeral.”

“It’s really just about me and my deeply conflicting impulses and ideas,” he adds. “And the cross section of that dissonance is absolutely where the song lies.” And, perhaps, in its finer moments, it can be said that is where the album itself lies. But “Fear Fun” also disguises those moments in jokes and outlandish satire – and that might be because it’s who Tillman really is or it might be because that’s how he’s grown accustomed to presenting himself. Regardless of the reason, I can’t help but think that his parting comments are somewhat telling. Before we exchange goodbyes, I ask him what viewers should expect from the show.

“It’s like watching an epileptic clown give his final thesis for his speech writing class,” he says.

I ask, “How so?”

“Oh, you’ll see,” he says mysteriously – a joke, of course. But then again, they always say that there is a lot of truth in jest.

Father John Misty will be performing with Youth Lagoon at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 13 at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac. Tickets are $13 in advance or $15 at the door and can be purchased at thecrofoot.com.

JULY 2012

33

i SPY

FEATURE //

BY PAUL KITTI

Talking Shop with Victor Wooten

BY AMANDA SLATER

To say that Victor Wooten is a phenomenal musician would be a gross understatement.

Not only is Wooten the bassist for the critically acclaimed (and five-time Grammy winning) jazz fusion / post-bop / progressive / bluegrass group of musicians known as Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, but he also creates his own music – sometimes alone or sometimes with other musicians. Wooten was named “Bass Player of the Year” by Bass Player magazine three times in a row and was the first person to win the award more than once. Don’t believe the hype? A quick YouTube search will quickly put any doubts to rest.

Now, over 20 years after Bela Fleck and the Flecktones first formed, Wooten is something of a renaissance man. He seems able to play almost any instrument. He enjoys acrobatics and circus tricks. He is a father of four (two girls and two boys). He is passionate about nature, and he enjoys giving back to the community – something he does through visits to schools and through his camps (Vix Camps at Wooten Woods Retreat) that combine learning about nature and music. When I spoke to Wooten, he was in between camps and was able to briefly chat with me about his upcoming performance at the Ark in Ann Arbor and

34

i SPY JULY 2012

more.

What gave you the idea to start doing camps?

We are in our thirteenth year. It’s all ages, all instruments and tons of fun. In the early 90s I took a class in nature skills and wilderness survival, and, when I was studying with this man, I just realized that what he called nature and awareness, I called music. So, in my mind, it seemed like he was teaching music. I took a lot of his exercises and turned them into music exercises, and they really work. We do a lot of blindfolded exercises because when one sense is taken away, the rest are heightened. For one of our exercises, we eat a meal blindfolded and silent. A lot of it is just about the approach. You think about how you learned to talk. That’s the approach that I use for music.

No one really taught you to talk. No one told you to practice. You didn’t know you were a beginner.

When you were young, no one even corrected you when you made a mistake. Actually, instead of your parents correcting you and telling you you were saying things wrong, they started saying things like you. And so you are always made to feel good about how you talk, even if it’s a mistake.

When you’re learning to talk, you’re allowed to talk to people who already know how to talk. So

you get a chance, to use a musical term, to jam with professionals all the time. That causes you to learn quickly. Within a couple of years, you can communicate with just about anyone. But we don’t follow that natural process in music. We put people in classes – beginner level, intermediate. You have to practice hard. You’re not allowed to play with professionals until you’re good enough. And it’s just a process that slows things down. So basically we’re just following what I call a natural process.

What’s your favorite thing about playing music?

One of the biggest things I like about performing is the feedback from the audience. If you think about it, it’s the only thing in the world that I can think of where everyone there is on your side. They paid money to come support you and what you love to do. What I’d be doing even if no one was around, people pay to support me doing it. The closest thing I can think to that is a sporting event, but the only difference there is half of the people there are against you. And so music is kind of in a world by itself.

I know that you played in a band with your family growing up.

I’m the youngest of five brothers, and when I was born, they already knew they needed a bass player

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

// FEATURE – so that was me. Almost from birth, I had a role to fulfill.

What do you like about playing in a band versus playing solo?

It’s always fun playing with other great musicians.

That’s where you really learn. When I play solo, it’s mostly my own music and I’m pretty much in charge of it, so it’s just a way of experiencing a different part of being musical. I like both. I like every musical thing I get to do. It helps me exercise a different part of who I am.

Do you link music to any sort of spirituality?

Everything is linked to spirituality. Whether you recognize it or not. Music is something that most people can’t see. You just feel it. It’s easy to understand the spiritual side of something like that. But the more people learn about it, it becomes an intellectual task – then I believe it becomes less spiritual for a lot of people.

Do you buy into any one particular religion?

No – the same way I don’t buy into only one style of music. Music is bigger than any one style, the same way that God, if you want to call her that, is bigger than any one religion.

What do you enjoy other than music?

I have four kids that keep me busy doing all sorts of things. They play music and they sing and they dance. They do all the things I wanted

to do. They’re better acrobats now. They’re better singers. They’re doing it all. I like to read. I’m a big nature buff, so I like being outdoors and learning about nature, tracking animals, learning about birds and plants. I love anything athletic. I love the circus – not only watching it but learning and doing some of the things in the circus. Crazy habits and pastimes. Whatever I like, I learn how to do it – whether it’s acrobatics, tightrope walking, juggling, unicycling, magic …that kind of thing.

What’s one of the things that you are looking forward to when you visit The Ark? This show is going to be very different from what anyone has ever seen me do. I have a collection of seven great musicians who are all switching instruments in the show. Four of us are bass players, but it’s rare that we ever are playing bass at the same time. Some of us are playing horns, cello, upright bass, guitars, all sorts of different things. So the whole band is switching instruments – even in the middle of songs at times. It’s a lot of fun. I like [the Ark] a lot. Even though it’s small, there’s a lot of benefit to it because you can look into the eyes of everyone there in the audience. I have a lot of friends in Michigan and in Ann Arbor. There’s a high school there that I go and visit – and actually we just

had a camp for their jazz department. It’s just a great town, a great place to play, and I’m looking forward to it.

Victor Wooten will perform at 8 p.m. at The Ark in Ann Arbor. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased at theark.org. For more information about Vix Camps, visit vixcamps.com.

Young Professional Spotlight What has been your career highlight?

What keeps you in the area?

For so early in my career, I have been fortunate to meet and work with many talented business and community leaders. I have had the honor of being invited to participate on various committees and boards, including the Board of Directors of Ele’s Place.

And, I have had the privilege of speaking at numerous events and conferences, including the Women’s Exchange of Washtenaw Annual Forum and the University Event Planners Annual Conference. The highlight of my career came in 2010. After meeting with the Vice President of Operations, the Charles Reinhart Company, Realtors created a marketing position specifically for me to help market the brokerage and provide assistance to the agents.

Ann Arbor is a vibrant community with so much to offer. From the beautiful parks, delicious restaurants, fairs, festivals and events, there is never a shortage of things to do and see. I am very fortunate to live and work in Ann Arbor. I love everything about our community!

Converge Ad

Megan Crosbie Marketing Coordinator Charles Reinhart Company, Realtors B.A. EMU, Marketing www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

Connect with A2Y Converge

Why are you involved with the A2Y Chamber and A2Y Converge?

I am passionate about connecting with other young professionals. A2Y Converge provides an opportunity to meet young professionals from all business sectors and backgrounds. In addition, A2Y Converge is platform that creates personal and professional growth opportunities in a fun environment.

JULY 2012

35

i SPY

REVIEW // SOUNDS

rate it+++

ARTIST: Fiona Apple ALBUM: The Idler Wheel 4/5 TOWERS BY PAUL KITTI The sole purpose of this paragraph is to introduce the title of Fiona Apple’s first album in seven years: “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do.” Perhaps it’s a warning of things to come. Besides being a fun little puzzle to solve with an encyclopedia in hand, the title precedes an experience that I wouldn’t call easy listening. It can be as easy as a series of forgettable whispers, but only if you’re not really listening. Solving the entire puzzle on the table requires some patience and concentration, and it feels uncomfortable, even jolting. Apple has always been in the deep end of mainstream pop, emotionally speaking, and exploring this album requires an oxygen tank.

While Apple’s vocals and lyrics still work together beautifully to form raw slices of her soul, “The Idler Wheel…” is a departure, musically, from what she had begun to build with her debut “Tidal.” Percussion comes and goes like background chatter throughout these ten songs,

36

i SPY JULY 2012

which are at first little experimental pop curiosities, strategically minimal with unidentifiable sounds slipped into their thin layers.

While the sounds range from pleasant to disarming, consisting primarily of piano and acoustic guitar, it’s Apple’s voice and what she’s saying that gives this album its incredible depth. It feels obligatory to commend an artist for being real and honest with their work when honesty is a mandatory force behind art, but Apple goes beyond intention: she’s so transparent and self-aware, it’s as if she’s forgetting she even has an audience. “I just made a meal for us both to choke on/ every single night’s a fight with my brain,” she warns early on in “Every Single Night.”

Like most of the songs here, it progresses like a painful unraveling of thought, a result of the friction arising from her desire to embrace intimacy while the demons in her head sabotage every attempt she makes. It’s a theme she spends the entire album sparring with, and, if you listen closely, she’ll make you feel every blow.

These earnest Minneapolis musicians excel at making records that play out like self-conducted therapy sessions. Their most memorable album, 2005’s “Commit This to Memory,” presented a band on the edge – twitchy and intensely neurotic with a sardonic sense of humor constantly at work redeeming the depraved behavior coloring the lyrics.

They’ve become more focused and mature over the past seven years, which underlies “Go”’s solidity as well its restrained personality.

The band’s still putting synth and electric guitars together in distinct Motion City fashion while pushing further away from their punk leanings in favor of a more lightweight, poppy sound. The distortion on opener

“Circuits and Wires” represents the last bit of restless energy left in their system, and instances of Justin Pierre’s absorbing self-loathing are few and far between. “I’m a screwup of epic proportions, a walking hand grenade,” he sings on “True Romance,” a backwards love song tied with “Everyone Will Die” for the album’s most sticking moment.

These guys used to have a snappy sound that stuck out like the cackle of the class prankster, and, while a pat on the back may be in order for their turn in a more mature direction, it isn’t until the prankster cleans up his act that you remember how endearing he actually used to be.

ARTIST: Motion City Soundtrack ALBUM: Go 3/5 TOWERS BY PAUL KITTI

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

A few months ago, Emily Haines announced the upcoming release of Metric’s fifth album, “Synthetica,” through a letter to fans. Besides reminiscing about when times were simpler without the presence of technology and strict rules for making it big, Haines clearly defined the framework and parameters of the new album. “‘Fantasies’ was all about pushing ourselves out into the world, going to unknown places and shaking off everything familiar,” she wrote. “‘Synthetica’ is about staying home and wanting to crawl out of your skin from the lack of external stimulation.

‘Synthetica’ is about forcing yourself to confront what you see in the mirror when you finally stand still long enough to catch a reflection. ‘Synthetica’ is about being able to identify the original in a long line of reproductions. It’s about what is real vs. what is artificial.”

It would be almost too easy to pin this as a lament for yesteryear and all of its straightforward glory – but not when Metric is known for masterfully spinning

ARTIST: Metric ALBUM: Synthetica 4/5 TOWERS BY AIMEE MANDLE

SOUNDS // REVIEW

out coliseum sized synth indie pop with a darker, intelligent edge. Instead, the album is a demonstration of just how far the band has come in the last 10 plus years in their art and their profession.

With that in mind, the album uses opener “Artificial Nocturne” to set the tone with its open lyrics, while weaving in fluttering synths and cryptic organs. Hit single “Youth Without Youth” artfully bends and distorts all sound except Haines ethereal voice and pulsating drums. Despite the album’s overwhelming showcase of synth-pop, Metric does offer some contrast. “Lost Kitten” uses Haines’ candied vocal offerings and dark lyrics to give some balance. On “Clone,” Haines kicks down her walls with her vulnerable verses and fluid guitar.

Over the years, Metric has delved into their unique sound and produced music that has become iconic. “Synthetica” is just another example of how they continually grow as a band while staying true to their style and sound.

rate it+++ Cincinnati-based indie band Walk the Moon couldn’t be more excited about the release of their self-titled debut studio album. Nicholas Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman and Eli Maiman independently released their first album, “i want! i want!” in November 2010, so you may have heard their music before. However, their February 2011 signing with Mick Management brought them the opportunity to record with producer/songwriter/ mixer Ben Allen and release “Walk the Moon” under RCA Records label.

As for the album itself, I loved it. Give me solid lyrics and a fun yet unexpected instrumental backdrop, and I’m hooked. The first track, “Quesadilla” comes on strong with heavy percussion

www.ispymagazine.co // @ispymagazine

and light, thoughtful lyrics, then starts to pick up the rhythm and synth. The rest of the album follows suit, never losing energy or lyrical meaning.

Men’s magazine “Esquire” featured the single “Anna Sun” on their list of “11 Songs a Man Should be Listening to This Week.” “Anna Sun” combines fast-paced and slightly melancholy lyrics with upbeat instrumentals in what seems a perfect formula for a hit single. I like the humor and fast beat behind the track “Tightrope,” but not a single track seems out of place on this fantastic debut studio record.

Learn more about the band, and where you can pick up their album at walkthemoonband.com.

ARTIST: Walk the Moon ALBUM: Walk the Moon 5/5 TOWERS BY MARY SIMKINS

JULY 2012

37

i SPY

REVIEW // THE CUT

rate it+++

FILM: Prometheus DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott 4/5 TOWERS BY PAUL KITTI No matter how bad you may want to close your eyes during the slimy, slithering, disgusting moments in Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” – and there are dozens of them – the stunning beauty embedded in each frame will have you fixated. The planetary moon LV-223 is the stage for the terror, a vivid artwork that makes “Avatar”’s Pandora look like a neon ball of CGI. The atmosphere is tense and murky. The creatures are frightening and organic and the detail is overwhelming. If the story was half as compelling as the world in which it takes place, this “Alien” prequel may have outranked its revered counterpart.

The script is brimming with bright ideas, tough questions and winding mysteries, and it’s about five drafts short of making good on any of its ambitions. Upon awakening from two years of hyper-sleep, the crew of the spaceship Prometheus is informed that the moon they’re about to land on could be home to the engineers of humanity, as suggested by some archaeological findings back on earth.

38

i SPY JULY 2012

Led by an icy, humorless Charlize Theron, the crew of underdeveloped characters gets busy being eaten, burned, chased, slit open and overall bummed out about their trip turning sour. Among the pilots, archaeologists and brainless gun-toters is David, an android played by Michael Fassbender with poise and mystery. Even when his head becomes temporarily detached and we see wires stemming out of his neck, he’s the most painfully human character in the movie.

Perhaps the geek-level hype fueling this film’s urgency has made its shortcomings sting way more than they should. Sure, characters make unrealistic decisions and the plot feels stressed from trying too hard, but at no point during its two hours is “Prometheus” anything short of interesting. It’s a flawed work of art that’s chilling, intense and likely to stick in your brain and creep you out for days afterwards.

The basics: Jack Black stars as Bernie Tiede, an effeminate, loveable, charitable assistant funeral director in the small town of Carthage, Tex. Literally everyone in the town loves him for all his amazing qualities (one of them being making the dead look amazing in their caskets). He eventually befriends the elderly, prune-lipped widow Mrs. Marjorie Nugent (MacLaine) who is as ornery as a mule. Bernie enjoys the lavish lifestyle the rich widow bestows upon him, never realizing it comes with a price: his freedom.

Marjorie eventually gets a case of the “never-leave-mes,” and Bernie snaps. It’s a true story, so you can go ahead and Google the ending if you want – but for the few of you who want a surprise, I won’t spoil it.

Black’s portrayal of Tiede is pretty spot on. With the simplicity that Black can provide (although he all too often goes over-the-top in films), he comes off as a convincing mortician and even more so as a God fearing, wholesome man.

MacClaine does a marvelous job of being a crotchety old lady, even

wearing the floral Floridian-like attire to match her on-screen age.

Most of the laughs come from the real life townspeople, who Linklater interviewed for the film. Their nononsense Texan charm shines through, and you can’t help but chuckle when one blue-hair talks of Marjorie Nugent being seen buying see-thru teddys.

That said, there is a bit of a lull after the climax (one could argue that there are two climaxes perhaps) where Bernie carries on with life, donating money to the church, buying playhouses for neighbor children and being the Dudley-Do-Right of a citizen that he is. It does get tiresome hearing about how amazing Bernie is all the time, but however annoying that may be, McConaughey’s characterization of District Attorney Danny Buck is certainly one of the biggest turn-offs. He lacked humor – even when you could feel that what he was saying was a joke, it was one that you didn’t even want to put forth the effort to laugh at.

Perhaps he should stick to naked bongo playing.

FILM: Bernie DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater 3/5 TOWERS BY TREASURE GROH

facebook.com/ispymagazine // www.ispymagazine.co

rate it+++

FREE GIFT FOR NEW MEMBERS

MMMP PATIENTS & CAREGIVERS WELCOME!

FREE TO JOIN! Benefits of membership:

Always 4 Gram eighths Savings at 1/4, 1/2, and 1 ounce Discounts for Veterans, Seniors, and Disabled Patients Free Gift when you bring in a referral Free Gift on your birthday!

734-929-2602 Hours: Monday - Saturday 11am - 7pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

321 East Liberty St.(side garden entrance)

FILM: The Dictator DIRECTOR: Larry Charles 3/5 TOWERS BY JASMINE ZWEIFLER Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest highly anticipated romp has him starring as the eponymous “Dictator,” General Admiral Haffaz Aladeen. He gleefully oppresses his fictional North African nation of Wadiya with a flamboyance that is a clear concoction of (now dead) dictators Muammar Gaddafi, Kim Jong Il and Sadaam Hussein. He stamps out malcontents and beds Hollywood royalty with Megan Fox showing that even she has a price in a hilarious cameo as one of the general’s bedmates.

Through a series of machinations by one of his henchmen, played by the part chameleon part human Ben Kingsley, General Aladeen finds himself stripped of his carefully cultivated identity on the streets of New York. We watch him painfully fumble through everyday social interactions and menial tasks from which his lofty position has shielded him. This is where Anna Faris as the proto-hippie, feminist foil Zoey comes in. She lovingly guides and defends him through his struggle, believing

Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Aladeen to be a political refugee from Wadiya and not its infamous leader. His ineptitude reaches its hilarious apex when Zoey instructs him in how to engage in the most basic of male pursuits…get me? It is these moments that harken back to previous hapless protagonists Borat and Bruno, and it is when the movie is at its jaw-dropping best.

Director Larry Charles has helmed all of Baron Cohen’s films as well boatloads of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld episodes, so his cred is unimpeachable. His deftness allows the film to retain the feel of the controlled chaos of Borat but with a discernible story arc. While this is indeed an accomplishment in and of itself, I would make the case that absent the documentary style, the film seemed stripped of its claws and the element of danger that made his previous films something that people couldn’t stop talking about.

“The Dictator” keeps the zaniness high but has softened Baron Cohen’s edges a bit too much.

a2wellness.org

FIRST

CLASS STUDENT LIVING YPSISTUDENTHOUSING.COM

APPLY ONLINE TODAY

great location to campus + private bedrooms & bathrooms + resort-style amenities + fully furnished apartments 734.485.9999 | 1000 N. Huron River Dr