NXNE FILM presents The North American Premiere of BB King – The Life of Riley

 

 

NXNE (North by Northeast) announces the first wave of programming as part of NXNE Film. Presented in partnership with Hot Docs, NXNE Film will screen more than 30 movies from June 13-16 at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema and at alternative spaces throughout the city of Toronto. Film Festival wristbands are now available online at www.nxne.com/tickets and single tickets will be available at the end of May at www.bloorcinema.com. 

NXNE Film is proud to present the North American premiere of BB King – The Life of Riley on Friday, June 14. Directed by Jon Brewer, BB King – The Life of Riley is a powerful and insightful documentary about legendary bluesman BB King. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the documentary features Eric Clapton, Bono, Ringo Starr, Carlos Santana, Slash, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Ron Wood, Mick Jagger, Bruce Willis and more. Trailer: www.bit.ly/ZTL2xN

NXNE Film will reflect the whole festival’s eclectic programming by introducing comedy and art components to film screenings. NXNE Art will present movies and projections throughout the city and NXNE Comedy will screen documentaries and shorts at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, including a collection of comedy shorts selected by Toronto’s comedy group Laugh Sabbath. 

NXNE FILMS CONFIRMED TO DATE INCLUDE:

A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE – Sunday, June 16

Director: Igal Hecht

Join a group of Canadian stand-up comedians on tour in Israel as they generate laughs while discovering the universality of comedy. Organized by Yuk Yuk’s founder Mark Breslin, six comedians – Jews and non-Jews – set off to the Holy Land to perform their material in new surroundings. It isn’t long before they face religious, cultural, and political sensitivities very different from what they are accustomed to, leading them to a deeper understanding of their own comedy and the boundaries each is willing to cross.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ0eHywTGuQ

A.K.A. DOC POMUS – Sunday, June 16

Directors: William Hechte and Peter Miller

Packed with incomparable music and rare archival imagery, A.K.A. Doc Pomus features Doc’s powerful journals as read by his close friend, Lou Reed. Interviews with Dr. John, Ben E. King, Dion, Leiber and Stoller and BB King. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oOG3vUkKUM

ALL OUT WAR – Thursday June 13

Director: Rob Pilichowski *Canadian Premiere

All Out War follows the lives of four b-boys from different positions on the breaking spectrum. The stories of Machine, Alien Ness, Dyzee and Casper intersect at one of b-boying’s most prestigious competitions: The King of the Ring. www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rLB9KL3G4g

ALONE UP THERE – Saturday, June 15

Director: Sean Patrick Shaul 

Alone Up There is a first-hand journey to understand one of the most difficult comedic art forms. The feature-length documentary explores the culture of stand-up with interviews with some of today’s best comedians, including Sunee Dhaliwal, Graham Clark, Charlie Demers, and Erica Sigudson. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBKGCd2mvCA

THE GLOBAL GROOVE NETWORK – Saturday, June 15

Director: Courtney James *World Premiere

The Global Groove Network is the story of how EDM and DJ culture has grown from the underground and evolved the mainstream since its inception 40 years ago. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmjBo35bpzY

LAUGH SABBATH FILM FEST – Sunday, June 16

A collection of comedy shorts selected by Toronto’s comedy group Laugh Sabbath. Each short is under 10 minutes long and the whole collection will be run as a mini film fest in one screening. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xCE25-gdKw

NO JOKE – Saturday, June 15

Director: Matt Frame

No Joke is a movie about “unfunny” comedians. Rejected as hopelessly unfunny by hometown audiences, three Canadian standup comedians flee to America for a whirlwind comedy tour – accompanied by hapless tour manager, Vibrato 3.72 “The Human Vibrator” – to determine once and for all whether they are as funny as they believe. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRUTTIwGEgc

19 Years, 950 Bands, 30 Films, 80 Interactive Sessions, 75 Comedians, 35 Visual Artists, 7 Days.

NXNE Facebook     NXNE Twitter

Read More

CHECK OUT Warhorses show this Saturday night at the New Way Bar Ferndale - Sat 6/1

Julian Paaige

A Happy Death (Portland)

The Autonomics (Portland)

Warhorses

The New Way Bar

23130 Woodward Ferndale USA

 

Saturday June 1st 2013

9pm

$5

21+

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/355797404522317/?ref=2

Read More

Show Preview; Autumn Wolf, Casio Choir, Erno the Inferno & Alexis Fri., May 31, Magic Bag

Autumn Wolf's preforming and having a record release party tomorrow at the Magic Bag. I caught Autumn Wolf there a few months ago opening up for Flashclash, and really dug what I experienced. Autumn Wolf's music is a multi-dimensional mix of synths and electronics that feature songs that fit both the DJ set and indie synth scene. He's got beats and he sings too! His EP is called Primal Passion and will be available at the show.
In addition to Autumn Wolf there are three other artists that will make the night memorable as well. Casio Choir is a band fresh on the scene that plays rocking synth music. Erno the Inferno is one of my local favorite DJs that always plays a smooth mix packed with dance tracks. Also, on the bill and traveling from Grand Rapids is Alexis a synth-pop duo that have already released a couple of excellent EP's. Tickets are only $5 and 20% of the proceeds will be donated to the preservation of Michigan's wolf population.

Read More

Ferndale, June 1st, 2013 – Ferndale, MAIN STAGE

I caught this band on Sirius XM’s The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick. What a great host Larry is-- a former Billboard Magazine editor.  Larry is always the first with the music you want to hear and keep playing on your favoite devise. He turned me on to the Clicks. I heard them and  loved Lucas’ voice and music.

Next, what do you do? Goggle search and You Tube. You know how its done. But, only too often to find an excellent band still only playing across the creek or not planning any dates in Detroit.

Lucas and the Clicks are coming to Detroit ( actually, Ferndale ). This Saturday, 7PM. It’s a Gay Pride Extravaganza. Being I'm gay, I'm invitng you. And, you don’t have be! Just come have fun and enjoy the music. Pray it don’t rain. Namastee.

Read More

Ok stop bugging us now: FREE TICKETS: Jonathan Richman LIVE! at The Magic Stick Detroit - Mon 6/3

so this happens all the time - we run a ticket giveaway eons ago and then later on sometimes years later we get a bunch of emails the next time the guy comes around asking for freebies

fine....here you go

email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for ANOTHER shot to win these killer tix

Jonathan Richman

Magic Stick Detroit

Monday June 3rd 2013

Jonathan Richman has been writing songs, making records and performing live for most of his life, winning fans and making friends around the world with his guileless honesty and playfully catchy compositions.  His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness.

GET TICKETS HERE

Read More

Detroit Artists Market presents EDGE

EDGE

Pushing an edge… breaking established boundaries…

June 7th, 2013 – July 13th, 2013

The Detroit Artists Market (DAM) is pleased to present EDGE, a group exhibition of twelveartists reconfiguring established thinking and current perceptions of art. Juried by Melanie Manos, the exhibition runs June 7th–July 13th, 2013. DAM will host a public opening reception Friday, June 7th from 6:00 – 9:00pm where gallery visitors can experience this exhibition featuring paintings, sculpture, multi-media, and interactive works.

Gallery Talk: Saturday, June 22nd from 2:00-4:00pm.
DAM will be hosting a gallery talk open to the public with the juror and exhibiting artists.

EDGE features artists:
KT Andresky, Scott Berels, Jeanne Bieri, Coco Bruner, Rick Cronn,
Nanci LaBret Einstein, Marissa Jezak, Ted William Lottman, Kate Paul,
Amy Nicole Swift, Sue Carman-Vian, and Tommy Wilson.

Juror Melanie Manos describes, “Part of the lore of art history are those artists who push an edge, break established boundaries as to the definition of “art” and reshape the course of art for future generations. Artists have always sought new approaches and forms to express ideas current to their time and place, and in the process reconfigured established thinking and perceptions: the Impressionists who irked the Academy, Surrealists, DADA, DuChamp—and later conceptualists, Russian Constructivists, Abstract Expressionists , Actionists, Pop Art and Fluxus movements, Earth work, Happenings, Performance, Installation, Time-based work, Relational, Interactive, Interventionist, Net.art—among other less definable forms and processes.”

About Melanie Manos
The juror for EDGE is Melanie Manos, a performance and visual artist teaching at the University of Michigan. Her work examines the idea of containment and contained spaces—including mental, physical, societal and political constructs—through awkward physical moments and both ordered and disordered visual compositions. Manos is proud of her reputation for thinking inside the box—she first performed Refrigerator Intervention at Detroit Artists Market inside a refrigerator (with live video feed) as part of Detroit Now in 2003.

Detroit Artists Market
Detroit Artists Market (DAM) was established in 1932 and is the oldest, continuously operating nonprofit contemporary art gallery in the Detroit area. The DAM fosters a vibrant and distinctive artistic community in Detroit and Michigan by promoting, exhibiting and selling the works of emerging and established artists. DAM accomplishes this through art exhibitions, educational programming, and by serving as a resource to understanding and enjoyment of art.
The gallery is located at 4719 Woodward Avenue at Forest St. in Detroit (three blocks south of the Detroit Institute of Arts). Hours are 11am to 6pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. Exhibitions and events are free of charge. On-site parking is available. For more information on DAM programs, please call 313-832-8540, or visit www.detroitartistsmarket.org.

Read More

NXNE presents: BILLY TALENT / SLOAN / EVAN DANDO

 

 

NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE) has confirmed that punk rockers Billy Talent will perform a free show on Saturday, June 15 at Yonge-Dundas Square. Plus NXNE Film announces another Canadian premiere, NXNE @ YYZ returns, and The 7^th Annual Put The Boot In soccer match unveils the 2013 roster.

 

NXNE will take over Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) for four days of free concerts starting Thursday, June 13 with the legendary Social Distortion, presented by Monster Energy Drink, along with Old Man Markley, The Flatliners and Imperial State Electric. On Friday, June 14, Deezer Canada, the official streaming partner of NXNE, presents The National, in partnership with Collective Concerts, with CTZNSHP. 

Saturday, June 15 at YDS – presented by Ford – will feature a performance by hometown heroes Billy Talent headlining a full day of music including Millencolin, Big Black Delta, Moon King, Blinker The Star, We Are Scientists, Steve Hill and The Burning Boyz. 

Also confirmed by NXNE Music is Toronto’s Sloan, presented by Porter Airlines, who will play The Great Hall on Friday, June 14; and Evan Dando of The Lemonheads, performing Saturday, June 15 at The Rivoli.

NXNE will present top festival bands at the NXNE @ YYZ concert series – marking the sixth year that NXNE and Toronto Pearson International Airport have worked together to entertain travelers. On Thursday, June 13, Terminal 1’s Arrivals Hall will host Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, of Kids in the Hall fame. And on Friday, June 14, Toronto seven-piece Mamabolo and indie stalwarts Blinker The Star will rock the concourse at Terminal 1. 

NXNE Film presents the Canadian premiere of If We Shout Loud Enough, a documentary about Double Dagger, a post-hardcore band from Baltimore, on Friday, June 14 at the Drake Underground, preceding a performance by Peals (featuring Bruce Willen from Double Dagger). This charming, funny film follows these DIY musicians, chronicling their history and final memorable performances – and features interviews with Dan Deacon, members of Wye Oak, Future Islands, Ruiner, Thank You and more.

NXNE and Right to Play will team up again this year for The 7^th Annual Put The Boot In charity soccer match. Canadian musicians (the Rockers) line up against a team of media moguls (the Rollers) in the country’s longest running fundraiser for Right To Play. This year’s match – on Sunday, June 16 at Lamport Stadium – will include Rockers and Rollers like Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene), Mike Haliechuk (Fucked Up), Scott Jardine (DirectKickTV), Adam Killick (CBC Radio 1), Adam Van Koeverden (Olympian) and many more. For the full team rosters visit http://nxne.com/information/soccer/.

All NXNE passes, wristbands and tickets are now available online at www.nxne.com/tickets.

19 Years, 1000 Bands, 30 Films, 65 Interactive Sessions, 200 Comedians, 35 Visual Artists, 7 Days.

NXNE Facebook     NXNE Twitter

NXNE acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters.

Read More

UPCOMING: Rival Sons May 31 @ St. Andrews

            Rival Sons are on their way back to Michigan. Friday, May 31 Rival Sons will be playing at St. Andrews Hall. They were originally scheduled to play at the Shelter, but got moved up to St. Andrews because of large ticket sales. Tickets are still on sale now for $14 on Live Nation. This is an all age show, so all are welcomed to enjoy one of the best rock bands I have heard in a while. With only three more shows in the United States, this will be a concert you won’t want to miss.

            Rival Sons is an American rock band from Ling Beach California. Formed in 2008 Rival Sons is on UK record label Earache. They have been opening acts for Kid Rock, AC/DC and Alice Cooper. Rival Sons has a huge popularity over in the UK and all around Europe. In 2012 they recorded their latest album in only 20 days and was followed by a sold out head lining tour in the UK and sold out shows around Europe. Rival Sons is an amazing true rock band, and this will be one concert that you won’t want to miss.

If you still need tickets you can get them here: http://bit.ly/10KNCSO

By Sara Giampa

Read More

Tonight's Stranglers Show POSTPONED until September

THE STRANGLERS **SHOW POSTPONED**

Thursday, May 30, 2013 at 8:00 PM | Magic Stick

The Stranglers show has been postponed until September. The exact date will be announced soon. Please retain your tickets as they will be honored for the new date.

From the band's management:

The Detroit show for tonight has unfortunately had to be postponed until September. The band have been in Toronto since Tuesday awaiting vital work visa approvals from the US Embassy who have failed to meet the deadline to enable the Detroit show to proceed. The band’s visas were finally approved this morning and will be on their way to the band later today but it is with deep regret that they will arrive to late for the band to enter the US and perform tonight’s Detroit show. The band’s management have been in negotiations to try and add the show at the end of the tour but there is not the availability so the venue and band have decided to return to Detroit on the proposed second leg of the tour in September. We apologise to the fans who have bought tickets and VIP packages and have waited 20 years to see the band but this situation was completely out of our control. The band will continue the tour in Toronto tomorrow as planned and the rest of the tour will be unaffected.

Read More

TONIGHT: THE STATIC DIAL W/ THE SCIENCE FAIR + PAUL SAMOTIS - GRASSHOPPER UNDGERGROUN - 9PM

 

Check out up-and-coming indie rockers The Static Dial tonight at fashionable Ferndale's Grasshopper Underground. Working with producer Andy Patalan; The Static Dial released their debut EP in 2011. A three track release; it was followed by a busy schedule of live performances, and some kind support from Detroit radio. A new extended single followed in 2012; featuring the tracks “Move Along” and “De-Optimisticating”; which expand on the band’s sound. A new video and full album recording are currently in the works; as are more live dates through 2013.

www.thestaticdial.com

www.thesciencefairmusic.com

www.paulsamotismusic.com

The Grasshopper Underground

22757 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale

Read More

Detroit Derby Girls: 2013 Championship Bout

Championship Bout of the 2012-13 Detroit Derby Girls season, the Detroit Pistoffs versus the Grand Prix Madonnas, on May 18th, 2013.

Coming into this bout the Grand Prix Madonnas had an undefeated season. The Pistoffs may have seemed like the underdog of the night, but they won the last two championships, and they have the most championships of any team in the league. On top of that, this is only GPM's third season, after being created as the Detroit Derby Girls' only expansion team.

The Pistoffs had a rough start. They didn't score in the first five jams and had two jammer penalties, while the Grand Prix Madonnas gained 26, including a 10 point gain by Lily I. Monster in the 5th jam. The Pistoffs finally scored 3 in the 6th with Mean Streak, while Anomaly sat in the penalty as the Madonnas' jammer.

Anomaly made a 10 point play for the Madonnas in the 12th jam, giving them 46 points, while the Pistoffs had only climbed up to 11. Anomaly gave them another 9 in the 15th, and Racer added 9 more in the 16th, and the Madonnas were dominating, 68-15. They were still far ahead at the end of the first half, 75-26.

The second half starting looking very different in the 3rd jam. The Madonnas had Anomaly, their jammer, and 2 blockers sent to the penalty box. This gave Freakin' Rican a lot of room to maneuver. She used it to score 15 unanswered points, and give the Pistoffs their first big play of the game. Combat Cat scored them another 8 in the 4th. Freakin's Rican went back to the jammer line for the Pistoffs in the 5th, and scored them another 19, as Lily served some more penalty time. GPM hadn't scored anything yet in the first half, and they were now only 5 points ahead. A timeout was called. The teams, as well as the audience had to process what had just happened. This reorientation must have worked for GPM, because Racer McChaseHer scored 4 in the 6th jam, giving them their first points of the second half.

The 9th jam was a big success for the Pistoffs. Racer got sent to the penalty box, and Freakin' Rican scored 15 points for the Pistoffs, putting them ahead for the first time in the bout, 94-83. Racer was still serving out the last of her penalty time just as the 10th jam started, but she got out right away, and gained lead jammer status, while her teammates kept Mean Streak bottled up. Racer would net 23 points, the biggest play from either team that night, giving GPM the lead again at 106-94.

Anomaly and two blockers from GPM sat in the penalty box in the 11th jam, allowing Rican to score 10 for the Pistoffs, but that would be their last big play of the night. The rest of the bout would be settled by Racer. She scored 14 points in the 12th jam, and again in the 15th. The most the Pistoffs scored in any one jam for the rest of the night was 5. Final score, 159-114 for the Grand Prix Madonnas, giving them their first championship.

Kraken Whips, Co-captain of the Detroit Pistoffs:

Detroit Area Dork: What are you thinking right now about that bout?
Kraken Whips: I'm thinking they really wanted it. They really wanted it. When you come off two wins back to back, it's kind of hard to get everybody motivated, like, "we got to keep this". So it took us a while in the beginning of the season to get motivated, and recharged. I think we really showed up in the second half, but it wasn't enough. The penalties kept coming, and bleep happened. You take your wins, you take your losses, and you still have fun.
D: You guys only got 26 points in the first half, what was happening?
K: I think we're just trying new stuff. We're just trying to get our jammers out, trying to block their jammers. It tends to be a little difficult when you're trying to keep things fun, and still intense, hence, funtensity. We're trying to keep things fun. Sometimes, when you get too intense, you lose your focus, and you stop having fun. That's not good for anybody. We try to keep that focus. We really thought about it in the second half, made sure we were having fun, and then we played better.
D: What did you talk about in the locker room at half time?
K: We just talked about how to avoid penalties. We talked about playing together, and keeping each other light hearted, and trying to keep it fun, but intense. Sometimes it's hard to meld those two, but when you do, it's a really good mix.
D: Early in the second half, you had a string of 3 plays where you guys were scoring big, and you started to close that deficit. What were you doing differently to make that happen?
K: Not going to the box as much. I think that when our jammers go to the box, it kills us. Our defense is not as strong as it used to be, because we're still developing newer players to take those blocker positions. They're still developing, they did excellent tonight, and I'm sure they're going to continue to do well next season.
D: How do you think the Grand Prix Madonnas were able to get the momentum back towards the end of the second half?
K: They wanted it really bad because they've never gotten it before, and it's a big achievement for them to go undefeated. So that alone can be enough to build that momentum and carry them through
D: How would you sum up this season for the Pistoffs?
K: I'm absolutely proud of my team. They worked really hard. They still had a lot of fun, and they were really encouraging to one another. That's what builds a team. Playing everybody, playing smart, and having fun. That's a good team.
D: Do you know of any retirements coming from your team?
K: Not that anyone has said. People don't usually announce that until mid off-season. They're like, "oh god, next season is coming, I don't know if I can handle it". People are still on their highs. I'd be able to tell you that closer to the new season.
D: What sort of talents or skill-sets do you think you'll be looking for in the next players draft?
K: In the next draft I think we're going to look for more of a blocker that's really good at speed control. We're going to look for somebody who can play well with the teammates, and not just go off on their own and be a showboat. We're really good at keeping things at an equal level. Obviously there's going to be skill gaps, but we want everyone from the bottom to be as good as the top, and that's what we work for.

Cookie Rumble, Captain of the Pistoffs, in the oddest post-bout interview I've ever had:

Detriot Area Dork: What are you thinking right now about that bout?
Cookie Rumble: Well, that bout was intense. You can definitely tell the difference in the team we played last year. Seeing them in practice, they're always there, they're working hard. A little too serious for me, but hey, whatever floats your boat. I'm more into the happy face. They're more into "we're going to kill you". They played hard, they played tough, and they earned every point they got, except for one. That was my fault.
D: You guys only got 26 points in the first half. What was going on?
C: I know! Well, you know what? We decided to play with their emotions. We did it on purpose. They came out of the gate swinging. We have always had an issue warming up. We're a little bit slow to the game. The game starts, and like 15 minutes later we're, "Oh yeah, we're playing a game. Awesome. Let's get in on this." They played hard, we kind of got loosey-goosey. I'm very proud of the fact that we pulled it back together, score some points, make them shake in their skates a little, put up a fight. I'm just glad that we gave them a fight.
D: What did you talk about at halftime to reorient yourselves?
C: Mainly, we have to pee. Eat some Redvines. We sacrifice a burrito. Then we remind ourselves that when it comes to home league, we're here to learn to play hard, have fun, and to be proud of ourselves. There's no "you better do this, you better do that", it's "Remember why you're here. You put in the time, you put in the effort, you put in the money, you put in your life for a sport. You better go in and be proud of yourself". That's about it.
D: Early in the second half, your team had a string of three jams where you were closing that deficit. What did the team do to make that happen?
C: We decided that we didn't want to lose by a bajillion points, that we were going to give them a fight. We tried to play smart, and it worked for a hot second. Then they got wise to us, and we got into penalty trouble. You could tell they were getting kind of worried.
D: After that three jam streak, did you call the timeout, or did they?
C: I think they did.
D: They needed time to regroup after that shellacking? [In hindsight, "shellacking" might have been an overstatement, but it was a huge turning point in the bout]
C: I wouldn't call it "shellacking", but I think they called it, because I didn't call it. I just go out and play when I'm told to. I'm a little bummed that I couldn't go out and jam this game.
D: Why weren't you able to jam today?
C: My right foot has planter facetious, which is the muscles underneath the foot, the ones that are connected to the Achilles' Heel, and I have tendonitis in the posterior tibia tendon. So it really hurts to put pressure on my foot, which I kind of need to walk, skate, run, jump, dance, have fun. I was on crutches for two weeks, up until yesterday, and I was off skates for two weeks. First time I was on skates was last night, for one minute, and I was like "all right, cool, I can play, I think".
D: Towards the end of the second half the momentum changed again in the Grand Prix Madonnas favor. What did they do to change that?
C: They stayed calm, and that's what does it. They realized what was going on. They regrouped, and Racer had a good run, and that kind of breathed a little bit of life back into their bench. I think whoever stays calm on the bench, doesn't lose their cool, understands that it goes jam to jam. If you have a bad jam, shake it off, and you get to start all over again.
D: Did it seem like there were a lot of jammer penalties in this bout?
C: Oh, heck to the yes! Heck to the yes! I really believe that it's because everybody is lining up on the jammer line. Jammers have to pretty much push a wall of people who don't want to move. That tends to lead to a lot of back blocks, and forearms maybe. You're pushing on them with your forearm. I think it's because people now are relying on jammers to be more agile slower, when jammers are used to being agile fast. A fast pack, you have to cut through people fast. Now, all that stuff you worked on for the past few years, forget it. Now you have to be slow and pass through the pack. I think it puts a lot of people in situations where jammers get it in trouble. It puts a lot of stress on a jammer to not only be fast when the pack is fast, but to be fast when the pack is at a dead stop. It's a lot of pressure.
D: How would you sum up this season for the Pistoffs?
C: Am I allowed to say holy shit? Holy shit. I'm proud of them. Even though we didn't win the championship, we're still here, nobody got injured, we're all going to have fun at the after-party, and we're going to start it all over again next season.
D: What kind of talent and skill-sets are you going to be looking for in the draft?
C: When I go into the draft as a captain, it's not so much skill and talent, although definitely that helps, it's the attitude of "I wanna work hard", but no mean-face competitiveness. I'm a firm believer that my team is a place where you learn, you work hard, but you also have fun. Nobody wants to come to derby and have it be another job. It's got the hours of a night job, but you don't get paid. So why would you be miserable? I want somebody who, A, has a good work ethic, B, knows how to have fun, and not take themselves seriously. You know, I really want to learn how to do the worm. Bully used to do the worm, but she's on baby leave, so maybe someone who knows how to do the worm. I just flop on the floor. It's awful, nobody likes it. I usually end up hurt. It feels like Christmas. "All I want for next season is..."

Captain Spanish Ass'assin, of the Grand Prix Madonnas:

Detroit Area Dork: What are you thinking right now about that bout?
Spanish Ass'assin: I'm thinking I couldn't be happier. The team has worked for three years to get to this point, and we finally pulled it off. I really couldn't have asked for more out of the team.
D: In the first half, the other team only scored 26 points. What were you doing to shut them down like that?
S: We were focusing on our defense. We had really tight four person walls, and our first plan was to keep the jammer back, and our jammers knew that they were going to be kind of on their own for a little bit until we could get them some help. We were locking their jammers down, and it was working really well.
D: Early in the second half, the Pistoffs had a three jam streak where they were scoring a lot of points. Did your team start to get nervous?
S: No, for some reason, we couldn't stay out of the box. When you don't have players on the track, and you don't have a jammer on the track, you can't score points, and you can't really stop them very well from scoring points. So that's what happened.
D: Did your team call the timeout after that three jam streak? Did you need to reorient yourselves?
S: Yeah, we were trying to throw off the flow of things, and regroup, and throw them off the streak that they were on. It was just a good sports strategy.
D: Later in the second half, you regained the momentum, took the lead back and widened it. What did the team do to pull that off?
S: I think we finally got all four players back on the floor. We adjusted a little bit. Figured out what they were calling penalties on, and trying to counter it so we wouldn't get called more on them. Once we had our players back on the floor, we kind of calmed down, went back to what we were doing in the very beginning, and tried playing that way again. Thankfully it worked.
D: There seemed to be a lot of jammer penalties.
S: Yeah, I agree.
D: Was there a certain trend among all of those penalties?
S: No one really likes going to the box, but I did notice that there was a lot more penalties this bout. I don't know if things are just getting called tighter. I'm not really sure. This was definitely a higher penalized bout than we're used to at least.
D: How would you sum up this season for the Grand Prix Madonnas?
S: This season was pretty much the cherry on top of everything. We just started 3 years ago. We came in third place the first year. Second year we came in second, so this year we knew that we had to go for that first place win. We've been building, learning, strategizing, and doing everything that we could. We finally wrapped it up, put a bow on it, and brought it home.
D: What talents and skill-sets are you going to be looking for in the draft? Do you even get draft choices when you're the champions?
S: You do, but you get the last pick of the first round because you came in first. We'll get number five in the draft, and it'll go on from there based on numbers. Depending on the turnover this year, we've got some players that have been skating for a long, long time. I'll be interested to see who all stays around, who might be moving on with their lives, and maybe doing something after derby. We'll see. I hope we don't lose too many of them. We might lose a couple of our girls.
D: Do you know of any retirements yet?
S: I could probably guess, but I don't want to, because I don't want them to go away.

All photos by Dan Bachorik

This post written by:

I'm a dork, I live in the Detroit area, and sometimes I take blurry photos on an outdated camera

Read More

The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit

The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit is an album consisting of 11 tracks by 11 different acts in the Detroit music scene.  Each band was recorded on 1/4” analog tape and then pressed onto vinyl at Archer Records, Detroit.

The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit first started when Lee Majors and Joshua Woodcock compiled a set of bands to record a project in the vein of the Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit, which was recorded and produced by Jack White.  They spoke to Jack White and Ben Blackwell for advice and started the recording process.

The talent in Detroit is great and picking bands to include was difficult, but in the end 11 acts were chosen to be featured on the album.  The bands all recorded in Detroit using the same recording equipment, and almost everything heard on the album, outside of vocals, was cut live.  The recording process lasted from August 2012 to March 2013, and in that time each of the bands came in and recorded one of their favorite songs for the album.



The Ashley’s, fronted by Tom Bahorski, open up the album with their riffy “Blonde Anita.”  Next are The ILL Itches, a Detroit garage band, with their song “Hallelujah.”  The Boy Wonders, a costumed 2-piece with a penchant for fighting crime, recorded their song “Living in France.”  Next, Citizen Smile recorded “People I’ve Done Wrong,” an atmospheric song with a deep message.  Closing out side A of the record are The HandGrenades with the song “Her Eyes,” full of their now infamous harmonies and catchy melodies.  Opening up side B of the Pathetic Sounds of Detroit are new-comers Nam Kook & the Typhoon, fronted by Hounds Below and Patrick Davy & the Ghosts member Adam Padden, with their song “Don’t Think Less of Me.”  The second track features The Bad Mics with one of the most energetic songs on the album, “I Feel Good.”  Punk-Grunge band Hit Society provided the fast-paced, “She Said,” while recent Detroit Music Award Winners White Shag rocked out their song, “Not Me.”  Patrick Davy & the Ghosts, a fixture in the current Detroit music scene, recorded their song, “It’s Never Easy,” and the talented Emily Rose closed out the album with the beautifully sung “Funfair,” which she recorded in one take.

The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit will be released on June 8th, 2013, at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit Michigan.  10 of the acts will play on 2 stages, and the $7 entrance fee will include a copy of the 12” vinyl.
The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit - Quick Guide

What it is:
The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit is an album exclusive recordings of up and coming Detroit acts that will be released on vinyl and for download. Unlike other compilations which simply compile previous recordings by the bands involved, all the bands recorded on the same recording equipment, with the same producer, and share a cohesive sound.

History:
The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit was first started as a followup to Jack White's The Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit, a 2001 compilation that achieved great acclaim. It featured many of the biggest up and coming bands, including The White Stripes, The Von Bondies, and The Detroit Cobras. It was recorded on analog tape in Jack White's house specifically for the recording and released on Sympathy for the Record Industry. It continues to be a topic of music fans both in Detroit and as far away as Europe, where people continue to seek the hard-tofind original release.

Process:
The Pathetic Sounds of Detroit started first with an extensive look at the localmusic scene over the summer of 2012. Bands were selected from these shows and approached to be a apart of this compilation. Recording began in August 2012 and ended in March 2013. Bands came into the studio and recorded live onto 1/4" analog reel to reel tape. Those recordings were then mixed onto tape and the final mixings sent to Detroit's Archer Record Pressing to be pressed onto vinyl. We received help and support from Third Man Record's Jack White and Ben Blackwell during the process, and the compilation was named by Ben Blackwell.  The entire process was filmed and promotional videos and interviews will be released up to the album release and after it.
Goals:
The goal of the project has always been to give talented local bands in Detroit more exposure and to also promote other Detroit bands to extend out of their normal comfort zone by working together with new ideas.

The Name:
The album was coined by Ben Blackwell, and he believed it would be ironic while also paying homage to the original Sympathetic Sounds of Detroit Album.

Release:
June 8th, 2013 at PJ's Lager House. The release show will feature most of the bands featured on the compilation, and their $7 entrance fee will allow them to see the show and also receive a copy of the vinyl 12" album with download code.

Track Listing
Side A
The Ashleys - “Blonde Anita”
The ILL Itches - “Hallelujah”
The Boy Wonders - “Living in France”
Citizen Smile - “People I’ve Done Wrong”
The HandGrenades - “Her Eyes”

Side B
Nam Kook & the Typhoon - “Don’t Think Less of Me”
The Bad Mics - “I Feel Good”
Hit Society - “She Said”
White Shag - “Not Me”
Patrick Davy & the Ghosts - “It’s Never Easy”
Emily Rose - “Funfair

Read More

Jukebox The Ghost @The Blind Pig

Jukebox The Ghost

w/The Elwin

Saturday, June 1st, at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor

$16, early show, doors at 6:30

Jukebox the Ghost released their third album, Safe Travels, in June of last year. The album marks a period in the band’s career that’s steeped in change, both personally and professionally. The band themselves relocated from Philadelphia to New York City and played over 200 shows since the release of their last album in 2010. In the midst of so much change, the band spent months in the studio creating what would become “Safe Travels”, a record that represents a shift in the band’s creative trajectory.

Read More

Interview with Matt Kelly of the Dropkick Murphys on The Orion Music & More Festival, Touring and Boston.

Matt Kelly of the Dropkick Murphys chatted with me by phone this afternoon before their show in Salt Lake City, UT tonight to talk about the upcoming Orion Festival on Belle Isle. We also discuss the For Boston charity benefits, touring non-stop, their latest videos and growing up in Boston.

Audio Interview

Upcoming tour dates:
May 28 In the Venue Salt Lake City, UT
May 29 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
May 30 Boston Strong Concert Boston, MA
Jun 01 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK
Jun 02 Minglewood Hall Memphis, TN
Jun 03 Track 29 Chattanooga, TN
Jun 04 The Ritz Raleigh, NC
Jun 06 Marathon Music Works Nashville, TN
Jun 07 Bogart's Cincinnati, OH
Jun 08 Orion Music + More Detroit, MI
Jun 09 LC Pavillion Columbus, OH
Jun 11 Sherman Theater Stroudsburg, PA
Jun 12 Paramount Theater Huntington, NY
Jun 13 Upstate Concert Hall Clifton Park, NY
Jun 14 Amnesia Rockfest Montebello, Canada
Jun 15 Echo Beach @ Molson Canadian Ampitheater Toronto, Canada
Jun 26 Egyptian Room Indianapolis, IN
Jun 28 Kanrocksas Kansas City, KS
Jun 30 Boonstock Music Festival Gibbons, Canada
Jul 01 Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, NM
Jul 12 Blue Loon Fairbanks, AK
Jul 13 Chilkoot Charlie's Anchorage, AK
Aug 16 Mountain Park Holyoke, MA
Aug 18 The National Richmond, VA
Aug 19 House of Blues Myrtle Beach, SC
Aug 21 Skyline Stage at The Mann Philadelphia, PA
Aug 22 Ives Concert Park Danbury, CT
Aug 24 Newport Celtic Rock Festival Newport, RI
Aug 25 Stone Pony Summer Stage Asbury Park, NJ
Aug 27 Town Ballroom Buffalo, NY
Aug 28 Club Fever South Bend, IN
Aug 29 Harley Davidson 110th Anniversary & H.O.G. 30th Milwaukee, WI
Sep 14 The Shindig Festival Baltimore, MD


Official site: http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DropkickMurphys

Official site: http://twitter.com/dropkickmurphys

Read More

Rock on The Range Day Three Review

DAY THREE

SUNDAY, MAY 19

Rock on The Range 2013 has turned out to be the most successful year yet for the largest festival in North America. The entire weekend was completely sold out and brought together over 100 000 fans in three days from all over the world.

Music is a universal language that speaks volumes unlike any other. I have never experienced this on such a massive level until ROTR. Day three was even more explosive than the previous two. All three stages were set up to keep the place energized for the entire day. Just look at the line up below. 

 For many people ROTR has become an annual outing and a chance to let go of every day stress, a chance to rock out  with old friends and to make some new ones. 

It still amazes me how much music can bring people together. Just take a glance at this photo below. A  fan along with his wheel chair being supported by complete strangers as he crowd surfs and makes it safely up to the front of the stage. Age, race, cultural differences mean nothing at a festival like this. Everyone is there for the music. It's incredible to be a part of something like this.

 The bands were just as excited as the fans were to be there....

 Jonathan Davis of Korn: “The fans at ROTR have always been great to us, but this year...when we stepped out there…with their biggest crowd yet…that s#*? was just sick!! What a rush!”

Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach: “As far as rock festivals in America go, Rock On The Range is #1 in my book. Straight f****n epic! The line ups are always great and the fans are insane. Thank God for Rock On The Range! In my opinion, it's exactly what rock needs right now, a festival that is fun for both the fans and the bands. Can't wait to do it again and again and again!!!!!”

The ROTR Crowd

Toronto's own Thousand Foot Krutch played to a huge crowd at the Jager stage.  The PBR stage was on fire all day with bands like Ghost, In This Moment and Device which includes front man David Drainman of Disturbed. I had a chance to catch up with Device early in the day to take some promo pics which included quick chat with David. David lit up light a Christmas tree when I asked him how his wife and baby are doing. David and his wife Lena Yada are expecting their first child (son) in 5 months. These guys put on a fantastic show which started out with their single "vilify".

Device

Ghost

In This Moment

 Lamb of God had security guards lining up getting ready for some serious carnage as well. The fans were chanting for Randy while waiting for the band to take the stage. As usual they did not disappoint. 

Lamb of God

Last, but not least I have to give a shout out to all the people that work the festival. To all the staff, including the security team, first aid workers, stage hands, promoters, etc.

"Thanks for a job well done and we will see you all again next year!!!"

Jager Stage

O'Brother

Beware of Darkness

Thousand Foot Krutch

Middle Class Rut

Deuce

Babst Blue Ribbon Stage

Big Wreck

Red

Ghost

In This Moment

Device

Lamb of God

Monster Stage

Sick Puppies

Sevendust

Steel Panther

Skillet

Volbeat

Bush

Alice in Chains

Soundgarden

https://www.facebook.com/rockontherange

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12782056@N03/sets

Read More

Movement 2013 – Sounds and Sights

This post and photos from Mikel O.D. of MPAD Media (keep checking back because there will be more MCB Movement coverage to come)

This year’s Movement Electronic Music Festival was another epic success with all 5 stages hosting numerous brilliant sets and a massive crowd that brought in the styles and energy that make the festival one of the best. This was my first year with a photo pass and I took full advantage of it taking over 600 pics for the 2 days I attended. Here’s a breakdown of what I heard and saw :

Day One: Saturday
I arrived around 2pm and found a line already formed a couple blocks long but moving at a pretty good pace. My first stop was at the Made in Detroit stage for Ataxia. The Made In Detroit stage, I’ll call the “feel good” stage as there were plenty of people but there was always room to move and the crowd there was definitely moving and grooving the entire weekend.

Ataxia

Later I made my way to the Underground Stage which was complete madness. Stacked from front to back with little room to spare, if you were into to the more amped up side of things this was the place. But I think once those that staked their place in the main floor area probably didn’t have an easy time moving from there. My time in the Underground Stage was well spent as I took in a fantastic set from Nina Kraviz who came all the way from Russia to play.

Nina Kraviz

The Red Bull Stage was the headliner stage (with a couple notable exceptions) where the immense floor and seating area had a good crowd throughout the day and filled to capacity for the evening sets. I saw Shigeto play, who has a different approach to his electronic music set as he played drums for most of his set mixing it in with electronics. Onra, from France came on next and played a set of what I am going to call exotic hip hop.  In the evening Carl Craig played an inspired set that enthralled the crowd for his entire 90 minute set.

Shigeto

Carl Craig

At the back in the wooded area was the Electric Forest Festival area where dubstep and hip hop beats ruled and the crowd was a mix of dubsteppers and a more bohemian crowd. Here, I saw Sinnestar perform as well as new-to-Movement DJ Nit Grit, who comes from Bay area. His heavy dubstep set got the crowd worked into a real frenzy.

Nit Grit

The night reached perfection for me on the Beatport stage as Moby played an incredible set that didn’t let the crowd rest for second. I hadn’t seen Moby perform in quite a few years and didn’t know what he would have in store for the night. Turns out, Moby is still a stellar artist that gives his all on the stage. He jumped on his DJ table throughout the night edging the crowd ever closer to sheer ecstasy.

Moby

Day 2: Sunday
I’ll be honest and admit that I probably over-extended myself on Saturday (blame Moby!) so I took a lax approach to Sunday. Arriving later in the afternoon at the Red Bull Stage I took in a set of throwback electro and industrial from Adult. The duo had a tremendous stage presence with Adam behind his synths in leather jacket and Nicole cavorting around the stage singing both their old and new songs from their excellent release “The Way Things Fall.”

Adult.

Later Audion (Matthew Dear) played a DJ set behind some sophisticated decks. His music was full of beats but also had quite a bit of nuanced noise which made it one of the more interesting sets of the weekend.

Audion

For the evening I spent my time at the Electric Forest area where I got a chance to take some photos from the stage area. I was expecting a set from The M Machine (who are great) but instead Big Chocolate was performing a thick set of hip hop and electronics.

Big Chocolate

I ended the night with Stacy Pullen, which truth be told, was one of the only artists I saw actually mixing vinyl. With some regrets, I didn’t make it back for Monday which I’m sure was another day of great music with local favorites Deastro and Phantasmagoria making appearances.

Finally, the other part that makes Movement such an incredible event are the people that come to their show with their enthusiasm and particular sense of fashion to compliment the music. Here’s a few pics of the weird and wonderful people:

You can see more of my pics from Movement at my MPAD Media and flickr pages.

Read More