Kick Off was a Blast - Now on to Night 1 of The Blowout!

Well it’s official, The Metro Times Blowout kicked off last night with a bang! We went to say hello to the bands that will be playing this weekend and to pick up our passes so that we could cover all of this weekend's events for you. We were surprised at how many people were there! Both the Garden Bowl and The Magic Stick were packed! 

We arrived just as FLASHCLASH began to play their set. They were set up on top of the bowling alley on an elevated stage. Frankly, Christie and I were pretty sure that they were going to fall through the stage at some point. Bryce was pounding his feet so hard that the entire stage was shaking. Alas, the only person who fell was me. The gutters on the bowling lanes were a death trap for heels! 

FLASHCLASH played a terrific set and sounded amazing. Yorg ran through the crowd and put on a great show, like he always does. Make sure that you check them out at South By Southwest, if you are going to be down there. They will not disappoint!

After FLASHCLASH, we made our way upstairs to pick up our passes for the weekend. We found that upstairs there were two more stages (there were also two downstairs) and there were a few local merchants selling their wears. We got a chance to say hello to Carrie from Glass Action, who makes the great 2 piece Michigan necklace sets. Keep an eye out for a feature on her & Glass Action soon! But, in the meantime, we cannot tell enough people about her great stained glass necklaces and decor. She has a lot of talent and a lot of new designs!

Although we didn’t do any interviews last night, we got a chance to meet up with some of the bands who we will be featuring in the next few days. We got to talk to Sean Sommers and Ryan Allen from Destroy This Place. They both looked very handsome and ready for a great weekend. We cant wait to interview their band and see them play the The Polish Village Cafe on Friday night. Check out our Pre-Blowout interview with Ryan about DTP. 

The best part about the Blowout is that you end up seeing a lot of bands you may have not heard of, because they start one band right as another ends. So, before you can even make your way to another stage you are already watching a new band. Last night we already caught some unexpected, great bands.

Tonight we will be out and about at The Blowout. We cant wait to see Real Detroit Weekly’s Band of the Year, Wilson. We told you they ruled, and now with Real Detroit to back up our claims, I expect that you will all head out to hear them! Front man Chad Nicefield knows how to start a party and front a band. We really enjoy the rock and roll presence that he brings to the stage. They are out on tour right now and only in town for this show so make sure that you see them before they are back on the road. 

To find out what shows we plan on being at during The Blowout, take a look at Christie's post from yesterday. Come up and say hello to Christie, Becca and me. We would love to meet some readers and find out what you want to see and read from us! We even have Hip In Detroit stickers to give you, if you come talk to us! Happy Thursday, Detroit! This weekend will be epic! 

~S