Orion Music & More is headed to town June 8th and 9th! Metallica and some of their friends will be taking over Belle Isle for the entire weekend. The event includes a crazy line-up of bands. There are the big names that stand out, like Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Deftones. Then there are some other bands that are still big, but not quite as giant, that stood out to us including The Bronx, Gogol Bordello, Dropkick Murphys, Rocket From The Crypt, The Dillinger Escape Plan, DEATH, Battlecross and Fidlar. There's actually a lot of good ones on the list and some you might be surprised by. You can check out the entire line-up here. On top of all of the music, there's also a car show, Kirk's Crypt (which features horror film memorabilia and actors as well as haunted attractions), Vans professional skateboarders and a killer food court featuring local favorites including Slow's To Go!
Tickets for Orion are $90 a day or $150 for both days. You can pick them up online here. If that price is a little too steep for you, you can still join in on the party with the Orion Preshows and Aftershow. These shows include both bands that are featured during the festival and some that are not. Friday night at St. Andrew's you can catch Baroness with Coliseum. Tickets for this show are $27 (after taxes and fees) and are available through Live Nation. The other Preshow is one that we are particularly excited about, featuring Chevy Metal (Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters), The Orwells and THE BRONX! Tickets for this show are $29.50 and available through ticketweb. The Aftershow for Orion is on Sunday, June 9th at The Fillmore and Dillon Francis, Adventure Club and 12th Planet will be playing. That show is $29 and tickets are available through Live Nation.
So, obviously there is a lot going on for Orion and they are basically taking over Detroit for the weekend! There are bound to be parties and rock stars everywhere! If you want to join in on the pre-party on Friday night, we want you to come party with us at the Orion Preshow at The Majestic Theatre. The bands will be killer and it's one of the best venues in town. Since we love The Majestic so much and they kind of like us (and you too), they are letting us give away FOUR PAIRS of tickets to their Orion Preshow Party featuring Chevy Metal, The Bronx and The Orwells! We hope you guys are as excited about this as we are! To enter, email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com with Orion Preshow in the subject line. Make sure to include your full name in the body of the email and just for fun, tell us what band you really want to see. We have a feeling we know who will get the most votes! If you want to double your chances at winning, enter through social media on Facebook or twitter. Tweet at us @hipindetroit with the hashtag #IWantToPartyAtTheOrionPreshow. Or tag us on Facebook and tell us why you want to go to this Orion Preshow! We will draw our 4 winners with their +1 on Friday morning! Good luck and see you at Orion Music & More!!!
Saturday at the New Way in Ferndale Julian Paaige and Warhorses are playing host to some friends from Portland! A Happy Death and The Autonomics are making their way across the country on tour right now and they have decided to make a stop in the Detroit area. We checked out the two touring bands and both are pretty awesome! One thing is for sure, this night is going to cover quite the spectrum of sounds. It starts off a little creepy, then gets a little poppy and almost dancey, then you kind of combine the two, and finally end the night with a heavier more psychedelic feel. A little different than some shows, but we're not complaining. Sounds like a fun night!
Doors will open at 9 p.m. on Saturday, with Julian Paaige kicking things off at 9:30 p.m. New Way Bar is located at 23130 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. For all of the details on this show, visit the Facebook event page here.
One of the best things about working on Hip in Detroit is constantly being turned on to new, different bands and music. We are constantly learning about music/bands that we haven't heard about and maybe wouldn't normally listen to, but we give them a try and it can change our minds about a genre.
I wouldn't say that rock and roll/bluesy bands are necessarily out of my norm, but it's not something I always lean towards. However, when we were given the opportunity to listen to The Sound Logic's new album, I knew I liked it right away. Heavy guitar always grabs my attention, especially coupled with interesting vocals. Musically, The Sound Logic has a bit of that Black Keys, bluesy rock feel, but they are definitely their own, maybe more Detroit-like, sound.
The band is made up of Jeff Knol on vocals/guitar and Yuri Pavlov on drums and they are based out of Detroit. Their new album, T.S.L., and was recorded and mixed at Cold War Studios in Grand Rapids by Rick Johnson (Mustard Plug) and mastered at Magic Garden Mastering (Black Keys, Beck, O.A.R.). There are 12 tracks in total and I have to say that "Lessons & Treasures" is my favorite, but their single, "Call My Name" is a close second.
T.S.L. will be released Saturday, June 1 and to celebrate it, the band is having a record release show at PJ's Lager House. They have a great lineup to compliment their own sound with Amateur Anthropologist, Sleepy Thieves and Hit Society, a band we've been meaning to see. The show starts at 9 p.m. and will only cost you $5 to get in the door. Plus, if you go that night, you'll get a chance to get The Sound Logic's new album for a discounted $5. Not too shabby! I also heard something about wearing a lot of denim to the show and you could get a special gift. I don't know about you, but I'm always up for more denim! If it's good enough for Ryan Gosling, it's good enough for me!
Check out the single from T.S.L. below as a teaser for Saturday night!
This Saturday in Ferndale is going to be a crazy one! In case you don't already know, June 1 is Ferndale Pride Day! If you're not sure what that is, Ferndale Pride strives to recognize and promote pride for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ally communities. Each year they have a festival to celebrate and promote diversity in the community. The festival includes tons of events like the Rainbow Run, food, music, bar/club events and lots more!
The festival officially begins at noon on Saturday with a rainbow balloon release, which is the finale to the run. The Rainbow Run is organized by the Ferndale Area Chamber of Commerce
and is expected to bring in 1,000 participants. You can run or walk in
it through Ferndale's neighborhoods. For more info on the run and to register, you can go here.
The street festival part of the day will take place on West Nine Mile and will go until 9 p.m. Some of the musicians that will be performing that day are My Pal Val, Chris Anthem, and All Day Monday. Feel free to bring the kids! There will be a children's activity area for them to have some fun as well. You can also catch a few speakers at 2:30 p.m. on the main stage. The speakers will include Jason Krzysiak and Ann Perry, Pleasant Ridge City Commissioners that were leaders in passing a human right's ordinance recently.
Speaking of music, if you need a little break from the festivities and want to head inside for a bit, you should check out the benefit at Found Sound. Starting at 6 p.m. there will be a show benefiting the Ruth Ellis Center, which is an LGBTQ shelter in Detroit. They are the only mission specific agency in the entire midwest that are dedicated to LGBTQ youth so it's a great cause to support. The event is sponsored by the Seaholm Gay-Straight Alliance and will feature some pretty great bands. The Flaks, Fires in Japan, Five Star Hotel, Matt Wixson's Flying Circus and Carmel Liburdi will all be playing. Just a warning, this is a school-sanctioned event, so leave the booze outside, no substances allowed. Cover for this show is only $5 and all proceeds go to the Center. Saturday should be a great day full of support and lots of fun. Ferndale Pride only comes once a year so go crazy!
Have you always wanted to be almost famous? Now's your chance! Transformers 4 is holding a casting call this Friday and Saturday for extras! The movie is set to film around the Detroit area beginning in June running all the way through August. If you are unemployed or can make yourself available to these fine filmmakers for the summer, this is right up your alley. Plus, this isn't just a chance for you to tell your friends that they can see you on the big screen. These extras spots are paid positions too! And you will be shooting along side some A-List celebrities, including Mark Wahlberg and Kelsey Grammer!
If all of this sounds great to you, here are the roles the movie is looking to fill: FBI Agents, Business People, Military, and Asian Families. If you think you could fit one of those parts, show up to Somerset Inn this Friday or Saturday dressed accordingly. Just a word of advice, if you aren't really Asian, but you really want to play an Asian family member, it probably won't work out too well for you. The crew also suggests that you bring a pen to fill out an application and your patience, so you might be there a while. They will be shooting photos of the applicants on site for free. So you don't have to bring a head-shot with you if you don't have one.
The Transformers 4 Casting Call is from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, May 31st and Saturday, June 1st. You must be in line by 2 p.m. to apply though. Somerset Inn is located at 2601W. Big Beaver Rd. in Troy. For all of the details on this movie and other movies being made in Michigan, keep an eye on the Michigan Film Office's Facebook page. Hope to see you on the silver screen!
This FridayAutumn Wolf will return to the stage at the Magic Bag to release his highly anticipated first full-length album, Primal Passion. We first met Autumn Wolf, a.k.a. Alex Kaye, when he opened for Flashclash at the same venue a few months back. This time he has brought along a great group of artists to open for him. Openers include Casio Choir, Erno the Inferno (from Slow Jams at Woodbridge every Monday) and Alexis (an amazing pop act from Grand Rapids). All three of these openers are worth the $5 cover charge by themselves, but add a performance by Autumn Wolf to end the night and this should be one fun dance party.
We have already had a chance to listen to the new album and to put it mildly, you will not be disappointed. This will be an album that you jam at parties for the next few months at least. Alex knows how to work a guitar and a crowd. He exudes so much energy that it's hard to believe that there is only a guitar, a synth and a boy on stage when you see him perform. Who knew one guy could light up a stage like that? Mr. Wolf will also be previewing his new music video before he performs as an added bonus for the crowd. So make sure to get there for the preview before the show.
Tickets are available here and if you purchase yours in advance, 20% of your purchase will be donated to the preservation of Michigan's wolf population, which is being threatened by new hunting laws. The Magic Bag is located at 22920 Woodward in Ferndale. Doors for this show are at 8 p.m. and tickets will also be available at the door. In the meantime, get yourself ready for this weekend by checking out one of the tracks from the newest album here featuring Lianna Vanicelli from Phantasmagoria.
Here at Hip In Detroit we get a lot of emails from bands and publicists that would like us to review albums, cover shows or set up interviews. All those emails go into a folder until we get a chance to take a listen and if we like what we hear, we usually contact the band and try to get the word out about who they are and what they are doing.
When I was sent information on Joe Hertler and the Rainbows Seekers I didn't send it to the folder, but instead immediately opened the email and had to check out what this band was all about. The email included a video of a live performance of the band. Even on video I saw what the fuss was all about. Everyone playing and watching was having a great time. I knew that I needed to talk to Joe and wanted to see him preform live as soon as possible.
What I learned is that Joe is a very charming dude who loves music and preforming it. He told us about his musical roots and even admitted to loving Kanye West, who is one of my musical obsessions.
He is writing and preforming music with a talented group of musicians who are in it for the right reasons, to show you a good time and get the crowd involved in the show. One of the reasons I continue to cover the Detroit music scene is because I dream of a world where we all attend each others shows and support each others creative endeavors. I grew up going to shows where everyone partied together and wasn't afraid to let loose, but at some point people stopped interacting and having fun and started acting way too cool to be watching a band. It really took away from the experience of going to a live show and is the reason that a lot of friends will no longer spend their hard earned cash to catch a performance.
I think Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers may be exactly what we need to turn this around and start bringing Detroit back together. Read what Joe had to say about the band, their latest recording and their upcoming shows and festivals this summer. We look forward to seeing him play live and believe that Joe and the Rainbow Seekers are onto something great.
HipInDetroit- Why did you name yourselves Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers? What is the story behind 'The Rainbow Seekers'?
Joe- "There was a record called “Rainbow Seeker” by the late, great Joe Sample. When we first started hanging out, we were listening to that record quite a bit. It has an awesome picture of him surrounded by a rainbow – and we thought it looked super badass. Plus, he’s a scientologist and the whole record is about Scientology. We think Scientology is funny. So it just made perfect sense."
HipInDetroit- There are six members in the band. Four were former front men themselves. Do you feel like having so many people with experience in having the spotlight on them adds to your live show?
Joe- "I might write the songs, but we’re very much a band. We all very much have our own creative role in the band and we don’t tell each other what to do, that is, unless it sucks. I have a lot of bad ideas, and I trust my band to let me know when one of my ideas suck. Our music is truly a team effort. And also, I think my band mates are awesome, hyper creative people in their own ways. I always wanted their personalities to shine on stage and for them to have part in the “public” aspects of music. Sad folk singers are boring. At least I think so – so I recruited a bunch of fools who are willing to get real foolish on stage. It’s way more fun that way."
HipInDetroit- Speaking of your live show, the internet is a-buzz that you bring a room to life when you perform. What do you do to get the crowd into the show and make sure they enjoy themselves?
Joe- "I grew up going to hipster shows where people cross their arms and feel entitled about their exclusive scene. That’s great and all, but I’d rather create a musical setting that anyone can come and feel that they are a part of it. Contrary to popular belief, I feel that it is the audience that makes a show great – not just a good band. I make people introduce themselves to each other and give each other hugs.
People go to shows for a few reasons… A-they go for the music, B- they go for the social/communal experience. That’s what it’s about; experiencing music you like with others. When people feel comfortable, they’re more receptive to that experience. If people are going to pay money to see us play, I’ll be damned if they leave thinking they didn’t have a couple smiles with their friends. Plus, I love hosting parties – and our shows are an open invitation to anyone who wants to party with the Rainbow Seekers. I think my music can be depressing at times, so we try to make our shows as ridiculous as possible to dampen the sad feelings."
HipInDetroit- Your latest album and video were recorded live at the Russell Industrial Center. Can you tell us a little about the five songs and the video that came out of that session?
Joe- "I’m Lebanese, and in good Lebanese form, I have 10,000 family members scattered around the Detroit area. I’m not gonna lie and say I grew up in Detroit, because I grew up in the Orion/Pontiac area – but the theme of those five songs was impermanence. What better place to hammer in the notion of impermanence than in beautiful Detroit, MI. My familial and nostalgic ties, in addition to it's conceptual appearance were too good to choose anywhere else."
HipInDetroit- Your website describes your music as folk infused with Motown, funk and pop. Is that the publicist's take on your music or is that an accurate descrption? How would you descibe it?
Joe- "As a band, we really only listen to Neo-Soul and Motown (and lots of Kanye, too). My band also has a jam-funk residency at the Union in Kzoo. They’re all funk musicians, but I write folky pop songs. The songs we make are because of everything that has ever come before us. Everything that has ever influenced us, both directly and in terms of the degrees of separation. We’re simply a melting pot of everything we’ve ever experienced. And we’ve experienced a lot of Motown, funk, folk and pop.
Also, our publicist said it’s what we sound like. We think she was right on!"
HipInDetroit- I read that you are thinking about changing your legal name. What name are you thinking of using and why do you want to make the change?
Joe- "So… I have a degree in elementary education. Education is my #2 passion in life, with music being my #1. Sadly, to do a good job at both, they can’t be done at the same time. There’s a level of professionalism I try to uphold in the classroom – and that’s made increasingly difficult to achieve when a google search reveals hundreds of photos of my acting like an idiot on stage.
It’s a two edged sword, because my students really look up to the fact that I play rock and roll – but at the same time, it degrades that “teacher” presence that I have in a classroom. I debated changing my name temporarily merely to uphold that professional dispositions that are required to be a great educator! That being said, I’m not jumping into teaching right now and rather focusing on music for the next few years. Whether I like it or not, I feel in many ways that it’s my social role to play music. I also feel that way because I’m not very good at professional sports. There are no professional Lebanese basketball players… that’s for sure."
HipInDetroit- You're playing a lot of festivals this summer, including Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing on July 12. What other events or albums do you have planned?
Joe- "Regarding the ones I’m allowed to talk about right now, we’re playing lots of beer festivals and smaller local festivals this summer, which I’m super stoked about. We’ll be supporting Chicago at Coast West this year and we recently played the American Beer Classic at Soldier Field, which was a riot. We have Festival of the Moon in Lansing and Taste of Ann Arbor (which isn’t really a festival, I suppose) among others that will be announced later. As a retired raver and festival patron, it was one of my biggest desires to have a summer with a big festival circuit. Fingers crossed ;)"
HipInDetroit- Since you're from Detroit tell us your favorite acts in the area, restaurants, bars and venues. Tell us why you love or hate this city (and it better be love!).
Joe- "I’m not going give the typical white boy Detroit revival speech right now, but you should be proud of where you’re from, wherever that might be. Our homes make us who we are – and maybe your life was tough, or maybe it was wasn’t… you should still be proud of the experiences you’ve had and how they’ve shaped you. Never stop exploring and never stop creating. That’s what I love about the atmosphere in Detroit right now. People are excited. They’re working hard and creating. And they believe in what they are doing and are proud of where they are from. People might be different, but we all feel the same things. If there were ever a notion to unite under, that’s it.
There’s a similar vibe going on in Lansing right now, where we’re from. There’s a big developmental and economic push happening and people are exited. They’re proud to say that they’re from Lansing, Michigan. It’s certainly happening in its own way, but there’s coherence to be found. I’m just glad people seem to be more proud to be from Michigan in general, despite it having been kind of a tough place to live as of recent. But I’ll tell ya, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. We’re not a Detroit band. We’re not a Lansing band. We’re a Michigan band. And we’re fucking proud of that.
Favorite bands right now? We played with Prussia a few times in the past. I was a bit skeptical about Ryan's new music with Jamaican Queens that came out, but those videos sold me. They're making some awesome stuff right now. That being said, I heard the Javelins are working on new tunes... and I'll always be partial to the Hard Lessons. It's music I grew up looking up to. And it will always be my favorite... haha. And Slow's is about the greatest thing on earth. I know that's cliche, but I really believe that. For Mexican, El Zocolo rules pretty hard, too. That's what I ate throughout filming the Russell sessions... I mostly just keep tabs on what's happening, because 75% of my listening pallet revolves around obscure techno and house music. I'm at The Works way more than I'd like to be... haha."
This Friday marks a show and a party that we have been counting down the days 'til at Hip In Detroit. Against The Grain is releasing their 3rd full length album Friday, May 31st at The Magic Stick. Joining them that night will be Beast In The Field, Frank White, The Amino Acids, The Swingin' Dicks and SNAFU. We were lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the new album, Surrounded By Snakes. It's so fucking good. I realize that's quite the simple explanation, but it's the first thing that comes to mind after listening to this CD. Most bands could only hope to put out an album as good as ATG's previous full length Motor City Speed Rock. The fact that this band has followed that up with an even better album in just a year's time is amazing. Some of the songs on Surrounded By Snakes aren't quite as fast as other Against The Grain songs, but there's still enough speed-rock on the album to balance it out and keep the die hard ATG fans satisfied. Although some of the songs are slightly slower (for this band at least), many of them have chorus lines that crowds are bound to pile up for and shout along to, which is an added bonus. Every show will be even more of a party than they have been in the past.
Check out the music video for the title track "Surrounded By Snakes" and some footage we got of "Last Breath" during the Blowout.
In anticipation for this album and show we wanted to catch up with the band to get the inside scoop on the album, see what the band has been up to and what's next for these guys. Drummer Rob Nowak was nice enough to answer all of our questions. Here's what he had to say.
Hip In Detroit- How would you describe Against The Grain to someone who has never heard you before? Rob- "Hey Christie, thanks for taking the time to ask us some stuff! ATG is a musical speed-ball of whiskey slammin' speed rock that delves into some sludgy-fuzzy-rock n roll every now and then."
Hip In Detroit- Tell us about the new album! Where did you record? How did you come up with the name? Where did you get some of your inspiration for this CD? Rob- "The new album is a continuation of all things loud, heavy, and fast all based around rock and roll. It was written in 2 months, and recorded at The Tempermill in Ferndale with the talented Tony Hamera over 3 days. Drums and bass were recorded live (10 of the 12 tunes first take) on analog.
This album's music is a little more based around the song writing and less fast as shit all the time as our previous record. CD drops May 31st, record (out on Self Destructo Records) drops July 12th.
The album title comes from the selfishness you see when you're out on the road. These last two years we've been out on the road pretty much non-stop. We've met some of the greatest people in the world, but we've also seen a lot of backstabbing and selfishness by other bands. There are bands out
there that are entirely about themselves, and won't do anything that doesn't benefit for themselves. We wrote the song after a stream of some bad run-ins. We are not about that. We are about community, friendship, and good times. One hand washes the other."
Hip In Detroit- Who in the band writes the songs? Is it a group effort or is there a mastermind? Rob- "Our songs are always started off by one person, then the rest finishes. Everyone in ATG writes at least 2 songs per album, but we all know what were good at writing. Chris and Kyle write most of the lyrics. It's very organic though. Every song, every person has a little bit of say, that's why our albums can have 12 songs, all written by 5 people. Usually starts with a riff."
Hip In Detroit- So, you recently shared the song "Last Breath" off the new album and said that Kyle wrote it about killing his step-dad. What's that all about? Or do we not want to know? Rob- "You don't want to know."
Hip In Detroit- You guys are getting ready to head out on a pretty extensive tour. Where will you be heading? Any dates/towns you are especially looking forward to? Rob- "We plan on playing every major city this year. We want to be road-dogs. No sense in staying here, or you'll all get sick of us! We're in this for the long haul.
I'm excited for our dates with The Swingin' Dicks, The Hookers, and Angry Samoans. It's always fun to tour with another band. Denver, Madison, Green Bay, Chicago, PA, SLC, So-Cal, TX. All always great to us. Excited to see a lot of our old friends too! Now it's to the point where every city we're looking forward to spending time with a few friends we've made. It's awesome."
Hip In Detroit- You booked the entire tour yourself which
must have been quite the feat. Any advice or dos and don'ts for other bands working on booking tours? Rob- "In the beginning it's about making friendships and long-standing business relationships with clubs, bands, and promoters. Be prepared to lose your ass and expect nothing to go as planned. It's a big ball to get rolling, hold in there and have fucking fun. Treat other bands with respect because in the beginning we all started because we're all music fans!"
Hip In Detroit- Are there any must have items that the ATG tour van has in it at all times? What's the one thing you guys can't live without while you are on the road? Rob- "We're pretty fucking minimalistic actually. We don't have AC in the van (even out west!), no tablets or anything. Give us some good grub here and there and an iPod. We get REAL tour weird after a couple days haha. We shoot hoops and shit during days when
we're bored. Go out to eat here and there. Good brews and friends. BBQs with friends are major moral boosters."
Hip In Detroit- Tell fans what to expect at the album release show on May 31st. Rob- "Your hearing to be impaired."
Hip In Detroit- What's next for ATG? Rob- "More releases and touring. Some exciting big tours we're currently working on. Vinyl!"
Hip In Detroit- What would be the ultimate goal for Against The Grain? Touring with someone? Getting signed to a certain label? World domination? Rob- "To have a party sub back stage at every show waiting for us. 3 kinds of meat."
Against The Grain's release show on Friday is being presented by Black Iris Booking. Doors for this All Ages show open at 7 p.m. and it's only $6 to get in. The CD is only $4. So 10 bucks is getting you one of the best CDs put out this year and you get to see 6 kick ass bands. You can't really beat that! There will also be raffle tickets available at the door for $1 to win one of the 5 test presses of Surrounded By Snakes on vinyl.
Speaking of winning... the ladies of Hip In Detroit and Black Iris Booking want to give you the chance to win your way into this amazing show. We are giving away one pair of tickets to get in on Friday. So, whether you are too broke to spring the $6 each to get in or if you just want to try your luck, here's what you have to do. Head on over and "share" the ATG poster that is on our Facebook page here. One lucky person will get in for free with a friend. We will be picking the winner Friday morning! Good luck!
We were recently turned on to a band from Philadelphia called Restorations. They seem like a fun band and I really like what I've heard so far on their bandcamp page. But even better, we can all see them live soon on May 30 when they are in town! They will be playing at one of our favorite venues, Small's, along with a stellar lineup, The Menzingers, Fake Problems and Captain We're Sinking. Tickets are $13 and it is an all ages show. However, we here at Hip In Detroit just love giving away tickets, so we are going to be giving away two tickets to this show. To enter all you have to do is email us at HipInDetroit@gmail.com with your full name and 'I want to see Restorations' in the subject line. We'll draw the winner the morning of the show, so make sure to check your email that day!
To get us all pumped for the show, we thought we'd ask the band some questions. Guitarist Dave Klyman was nice enough to answer them for us. Check it out and make sure to enter to win a ticket so you can see them for free on May 30!
HipinDetroit- Tell us a little about the band. How long have you been together? How did you meet?
Dave- "Restorations started somewhere between 2008 and 2009 but I (Dave) have been playing music with Jon for what feels to be about a million years, give or take. Our previous band simply couldn't tour and exist as the unit it once was and this was our attempt to take a bit of a step back, not have touring in the equation, write some more relaxed music and tell some stories. We clearly didn't do too well at that because we are, releasing more loud records, and looking down the barrel of yet another tour. Our current lineup is rounded out by Ben, Dan, and Carlin, all of whom played in more or less like minded bands somewhere in the course of that same million years. We're a good hodgepodge of unlikely weirdos and goofballs that can somehow string a decent tune together."
HipinDetroit- How would you describe your music to someone that hasn't heard it before?
Dave- "Rock and/or roll with more overdrive and delay pedals."
HipinDetroit- Who are your biggest musical inspirations?
Dave- "We're all over the musical map in terms of what we listen to and are influenced by. It really depends what mood you catch us in. Inspiration happens everyday whether you're paying conscious attention or not. The happenings surrounding a show or a trip to a record store might provide more inspirational content than the actual performance or record you wind up with."
HipinDetroit- You released a new album called LP2 last month. Tell us a bit about how it came together.
Dave- "It came together in our cramped and usually overheated practice space. LP2, like our other records, is a result of the five of us throwing ideas at each other like spaghetti strands till something sticks. Somehow, the results of our previous spaghetti slinging (Restorations, 2011) found their way to the good folks at Side One Dummy in sunny CA and they said, “We're in a gamblin' sort of mood, so let's do a new record together!” So here we are now. "
HipinDetroit- You guys are about go on an awesome summer tour with The Menzingers. What else is in store for Restorations in the future?
Dave- "Nothing concrete to speak of just yet. There's some awesome stuff in the works."
HipinDetroit- Have you ever been to Detroit before? If so, what was your favorite part? If not, what are you looking forward to seeing here?
Dave- "Never been to Detroit. We've seen some of the weirder parts of Michigan in our time, so maybe the city will be a bore? Or even crazier? We'll see."
People of Detroit really are doing some great things in and for the city. Everywhere you look something new is opening, someone is fixing something up or people are just supporting Detroit in general. The Motor City Grounds Crew are no different. They are working hard to make a difference in Detroit for the better.
Started in 2010, Motor City Grounds Crew's project is to provide lawn and curbside maintenance for 50 acres of City of Detroit parks and surrounding vacant properties. They go out every 10 days to work and maintain 9 parks that total 45 acres. They are making a change in their city by making schools and parks safer and cleaner, and reclaiming the neighborhoods.
Right now they are trying to raise $1,000 to help them keep these parks going through the peak summer season. One thousand dollars really isn't that much if everyone pitches in a little. And keeping these parks open gives Detroit residents somewhere nice to go and take their kids and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. The sad truth is that Detroit does need a lot of work, and all of the people taking it upon themselves to make it beautiful again are truly impressive.
If you want to donate to the project, visit their Razoo page here. There is still two months left to donate, but the sooner you do, the sooner they reach their goal! To see examples of the parks they have been working at, head over to their Facebook and check out the pictures. Remember how much fun you always had at parks when you were younger, or even now still? Just think about that and how much even a small donation could help with this project. If you want to do more than just donate, you can volunteer to help clean up the parks, or take a look at the list of things they need here.
This Saturday all of the bands you want to see, that aren't playing at Bled Fest, are playing under one roof at P.A.N. Shop. And, lucky for you, P.A.N. Shop is much closer to home and doesn't give a shit if you bring beer in. Saturday's lineup includes The Hangdowns, SUB, Worship This (OH), Worlds Scariest Police Chases (PA), The Gutter Ghouls and Snakewing. Quite the diverse mix of bands, made up of some of the best guys in town!
P.A.N. Shop is always a good time, but we have a feeling that this show is going to be extra crazy. Last time we caught Worlds Scariest Police Chases was down the street at Toepfer House. They actually took part in a PBR Chugging Contest that we put on that night. Now they posted on Facebook that they are "sponsored by PBR"... we're just going to go ahead and pretend we had something to do with that. You can check out the video from that fun night below.
Those guys have also been playing some shows with Anti Flag lately, so maybe this will end up being the un-official official Bled Fest after party...
On top of these out-of-towners, we're sure Snakewing will be amazing, as always and The Gutter Ghouls will be super entertaining. Plus, since we caught S.U.B. at the Blowout for the first time, we've been looking forward to seeing them again. We haven't checked out The Hangdowns or Worship This yet, but if they are included in this lineup, they must be good!
If you've never been to P.A.N. Shop before, it is located at 22641 Van Dyke in Warren. It can be hard to spot, so keep an eye out for the address on the west side of the road. Remember to park in back of the venue and BYOB. Also keep in mind that the guys that run P.A.N. are super cool and don't need to do what they do. So don't be a dick! They even keep the bathroom clean! What venue does that!?!? Thanks to the guys over at P.A.N. for doing what they do and putting on great shows.
Saturday's show starts at 8 p.m. and it's only $5 to get in. For all of the other details, head over to the Facebook event here. Get ready to party this Saturday everyone!!!
Tomorrow night, a band hailing from Florida that has been through a lot of changes and craziness since their inception in 2007 will be playing right here in Detroit. They are a punk band called Flashlights. They started out as a solo acoustic project by Terry Caudill and have since added other members Tony Oriza, Will Powell and Melissa Hopkins. They recently released a new EP called Don't Take Me Seriously that you can listen to here.
Flashlights will be playing with one of our new favorite bands, the Ill Itches. We finally caught up with them a couple weeks ago at the Blowout when they played at One Eyed Betty's and besides have quite a clever name, they put on a great show. We also had a chance to talk to the band before they played that night. Check out the interview.
This show is a free one so you have no excuse to not go even if it is a school night! They are playing the Garden Bowl at the Majestic Complex and the show starts at 10 p.m. For more information, check out the event page here.
Memorial Day weekend is finally upon us and it is time to officially kick off the summer. What better way to celebrate the beginning of summer 2013 than to attend the Movement Electronic Music Festival this weekend, May 25, 26 & 27 in Hart Plaza.
Movement, formerly known as DEMF, has been an annual celebration of music in Detroit since the summer of 2000. The city is taken over for 3 days by an injection of people from near and far. This year's lineup can be found here. The festival will have 5 stages and a vendor area that will include booths to do a little shopping and a lot of above ground and underground camping areas to support all the people who will be staying out there all weekend.
I was excited to see that our very own Phantasmagoria will be playing. Tickets are $49 a day or
$99 for a three day pass. You can purchase passes here. Lets get weird Detroit!
Started nine years ago, Bled Fest is the only festival of it's kind. It takes place in a school and features five stages throughout the building. The best part is that you can see all of these great bands for only $25. The fact that the organizers of this festival are able to book such huge acts and keep the price so low says a lot about the companies that sponsor this event, which include Fusion Shows, Run For Cover Records, No Sleep Records, InkAddict, Capeside Records, Top Shelf Records, Northwestern Mutual and Students for Choice.
The best part about Bled Fest is that it's all ages so no one has to be left out. This also means that there is no alcohol served at the event or allowed inside, but all of you drink too much anyways so you could use a day off! Take this as an opportunity to actually remember how much fun you had the next day.
The party starts bright and early at 11:30 a.m. Word on the street is that Andrew W.K. may be hanging out stage-side during the Flint Eastwood set sporting a bolo tie. Wilson was enough to get us to the show, so everything else is a bonus! Any one of these bands are worth the admission price of the whole festival. For more information or to purchase tickets, head over to bledfest.com.
It’s time for this month's High Vibrations on May 23rd and this installment is being billed as the Movement pre-party. High Vibrations is an event at The Loving Touch that features a mixed group of electronic artists from the Detroit area. They describe it as “dedicated to showcasing the forward thinking futuristic electronic music community of Detroit”.
High Vibrations is always free and it is always a good time. This month's event will feature Phantasmagoria, Eddie Logix, Lord Scrummage, Doc Waffles, Jon Zott, Slufter and Skotarczyk. It's a great chance for someone like me to hear new music that I may not normally be exposed to and to have a few drinks.
The LT was recently remodeled and expanded it’s stage and dance area. There is more room to pack the place and have a dance party so why not take the opportunity. The weather is finally starting to get warmer and the clothes are finally starting to come off. Time to break out your mini skirts and come kick off the festival season with Detroit’s best. The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward Ave Ferndale, MI.
Friday night we attended the Destroy This Place LP release at the Lager House. For $10 we got in the door and got a copy of their new album, which was freshly pressed to vinyl courtesy of Bellyache Records.
The album contains a download code so you can also get all the files online. I truly think that is the ideal way to put out music these days. CD’s are almost extinct and MP3’s do not offer the sound quality that many of us would like to hear. So this is the perfect way to get your fans the best of both worlds. If you do not listen to albums, I find it is fun to frame ones with interesting covers, and Destroy This Place didn't let us down with the creepy still of the deer man featured on their cover.
This show boasted a killer lineup from the start and not one of the three opening bands disappointed. We enjoyed Braided Veins, Palaces and Touch the Clouds. We were especially happy to finally catch Touch the Clouds after missing them at the Blowout a couple weeks back. Each band was unique and featured a slightly different style from the last.Destroy
When Destroy This Place finally hit the stage around midnight we have to admit that we were kind of exhausted and a little burnt out. But, the energy that they brought to the stage reverberated throughout the room and the crowd came alive and danced and yelled and had a good time with the band. They even played a Hole cover to close the night that had me screaming at the top of my lungs. I was impressed by how precise the band played and loved Ryan’s guitar solos. You could tell that they were as excited to be playing as the fans were to hear it. Overall it was one of the better live sets that I have seen by any band in awhile.
Before they played, we had a chance to sit down with them in the creepy basement of the Lager House and talk about the band and the making of the album. Check that out and make sure to download the new album and give it a listen. I promise that it is worth your time. After all, Lil Bub liked these dudes so why shouldn't you!
By now everyone has heard about "Searching for Sugar Man". The documentary came out last year and even won an Academy Award for Best Documentary. After hearing about it and reading every article related to it, I have been wanting to see this movie for what seems like years. The other night I finally saw what all the hype was about.
"Searching for Sugar Man" chronicles the unbelievable story of how Sixto Rodriguez, of Detroit, was an amazing musician, but just didn't make it at all in the United States. However, he was as big as the Beatles, even bigger than the Rolling Stones according to some, in South Africa. To make it even crazier, everyone across the Atlantic thought that Rodriguez had committed suicide on stage in the middle of a concert years ago. Everyone there thought he was dead, but they kept on listening to his music and had no idea that he was actually living an extremely modest life right here in Detroit.
A couple of guys in South Africa decided to figure out where Rodriguez came from because he was surrounded in mystery. They idolized this guy and had no idea where he was even from! After a lot of investigating they finally found his daughter via a website about their search. This of course led to them discovering that their idol was actually alive. Rodriguez ended up going to South Africa and played sold out shows in stadiums and arenas in the 90's, then coming back to Detroit where no one had any idea who he was.
I knew most of the story before sitting down to watch the movie (and hopefully you did before reading this), but no matter how many times you hear it, this story is still insane. It doesn't sound like it could be real, but this is Detroit and it seems like unbelievable things are always happening here! The movie is done incredibly well and does a great job of telling the story. The only parts that I didn't like that much were a couple of the weird animation/transition things, but they are fairly insignificant in comparison to the rest of the movie. Everyone should watch it and then proceed to listen to the music. It really is an amazing story. I know I'm just gushing now, but it's not often that you come across a story like this.
Rodriguez still lives in the same house that he's lived in for 40 years in Detroit. Despite his new found fame he is still living quite modestly, giving most of his money away to family and friends. This is an extremely talented man that never got any recognition until recent years and seems to be the most grounded person you can imagine. He wouldn't even go to the Oscar's when the movie about his life won because he didn't want the focus to be on him!
I am happy that he is finally receiving some sort of fame now, because his version of folk-rock really is great. Some of it seems familiar, but I doubt I heard it so I might just be crazy. If you were smart enough to buy a ticket months ago to see Rodriguez play at the Masonic Temple tomorrow (Saturday, May 18), you are lucky! He has been on tour this whole year and is continuing on through the year all over the world.
If you are like me and not lucky enough to get to see him live tomorrow night, try renting or buying "Searching for Sugar Man". It's a really moving movie that has jump started a Detroit musicians career and changed history. Rodriguez does have one more Michigan date on June 22 at the Traverse City Wine & Art Festival. So you can make the drive up there to see him, but hopefully he'll start playing regularly in Detroit and we can all catch this legend live on stage! If you're interested in learning more about Rodriguez because the story does not stop where the movie ends, you can visit his website here.
Come one come all, the freak show is coming to town! This Friday, May 17th the Trumbullplex is hosting New York’s The Freak Kings as they perform some of the most outrageous side show acts that you have ever seen. The Freak Kings are two heavily modified creatures called Illustrated Penguin & Baron Von Geiger. Baron can lift objects with hooks in his eyes and holds the world record for extreme pierced weightlifting. These talented freaks also do some of the more traditional stunts including walking over a bed of nails, blockhead, fire breathing and sword swallowing. You can check out a performance from Coney Island New York below.
Christie & Becca had the chance to see these amazing men last year at Sideshow by the Seashore during a visit to Coney Island. They said you're not going to want to miss this! The show starts at 8 p.m. and the cover is $7. For all of the details, visit the Facebook event page here.
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday the Motor City Comic Con will be at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. This is the 24th year for Michigan's largest comic book convention, with over 250 people from the comic book industry and more than 40 actors and actresses participating in the event.
Amongst the long list of people to see at the convention this weekend, there were a few that popped out at us. First off, the legendary Stan Lee will be signing autographs on Saturday, which is pretty amazing. Advance tickets to meet with Stan are sold out, but there will be some available at his table. You probably want to get there early if you want to try to score one though!
Some others that stand out above the rest include Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), David Della Rocco & Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints), the Grandpa from Texas Chainsaw Massacre (John Dugan), Edward James Olmos (all kinds of stuff, but more recently Dexter), Robert Carradine & Curtis Armstrong (Revenge of the Nerds) and Alex Winter (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure). There are a ton of other great ones on the list, which you can see here. As you can tell from our picks, we're bigger fans of the pop culture/media side of Comic Con than we are of the comic book side. For the list of Comic professionals (writers, artists, etc.) go here.
One major thing to keep in mind if you plan on going to the Motor City Comic Con is that there is an extra fee to get an autograph from most guests. Sometimes there's even a photo fee and an autograph fee. So plan on bringing some extra $$$ if you want to meet a lot of celebrities! Actual tickets to get in to the convention are available online here or at the door for $25 for one day or $60 for a 3 day pass. Buying tickets ahead of time will save you a few bucks. Motor City Comic Con runs Friday from 12:30-7 p.m., Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. For all of the detail on this year's show visit MotorCityComicCon.com. Make sure to keep an eye on their Facebook page too for updates throughout the weekend!
The boys are back in town and they're about to cause some trouble. After being bled on, jizzed on, and baptized by the church of Gwar, the party animals of Wilson are ready to go on tour with a legend. This Friday, May 17th Wilson will open up for Jason Newsted's band called Newsted.
For those of you that don't know, Jason was the bassist of a little band called Metallica. Wilson will be bringing their unique brand of Fuckery to the stage as they open up for Newsted in places like Chicago, New York and New Jersey. They may very well steal the show. With Chad beating on the bass drum and Kyle hanging from the ceilings, Wilson's live show has slowly become something of an urban legend. I assure you all the legends are true and it's better than you can imagine when you see it in person.
The band's new album Full Blast Fuckery won't be out until July 9th, but you can preview a track called “College Gangbang” here.
Friday's show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $22 at the door. The Crofoot Ballroom is located at 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac, MI.
It's been 9 months, but it's finally soccer time in Detroit again! Put the Wings and Tigers on the back burner for the night and head out to Detroit City FC's first home game of the season this Friday, May 17.
In case you missed out last year when it started, here is a little background info on the team for you (or check out our post from last year). Detroit City Football Club (DCFC) is a minor league soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League's Midwest Great Lakes Conference. It's a grass roots organization that works hard to bring soccer to those that love it in Detroit, while representing the city positively.
Going to a DCFC game is something that everyone should do this summer. Like, seriously, it's a lot of fun- soccer fan or not. You can't help but to get caught up in the energy, especially if you sit with the hooligans, which I highly recommend. They're on their feet the whole game. There is smoke, as well as lots of yelling and craziness. Make sure to pick up a scarf, t-shirt or jacket when you're there so you can get all decked out in Le Rouge gear and fit right in.
In honor of DCFC, last week MillKing It Productions released a special limited-release beer. City Red is a red IPA made by MillKing It Productions. Click here to see a list of locations that MillKing It beers are available so you can try it yourself and get into the spirit.
The home opener against AFC Cleveland on Friday is a special game. DCFC have a particular goal for the night, besides kicking Cleveland's ass of course. The club wants to have the largest crowd anywhere in the National Premier Soccer League. I know the games last year had pretty good turnouts, so why not try it out yourself this year and help them out with some Detroit spirit of your own? If you get there early you'll even get a special treat courtesy of Solid Dudes Kitchen. Head to Harry's for pre-game festivities and to join the rest of the supporters marching in to the game at Cass Tech High School. The gates open at 6:30 p.m. and kick-off is at 7:30 p.m.
Another reason why these soccer games are so good is that they are easy on the wallet at only $5 a ticket! If you're a big fan, you can buy a season ticket for only $35 for all 8 games. Word has it that there will be a lot of good, local music played at the games this year as well! Go Detroit!
We are ashamed to say that it has been awhile since we have seen our friends in The Dewtons. Lucky for us, they are playing at Corktown Tavern this Thursday night with a pretty killer line-up. The show will feature The Dewtons, Flamingo Nosebleed (IN), The Isotopes (Vancouver) and The Flaks. This is your last chance to see The Dewtons play in the Detroit area until September, so you better not miss it.
The Dewtons have been touring quite a bit over the last year. So Thursday's show is sort of a "welcome home" and "we won't see you for awhile" wrapped into one. The three piece always puts on a great show. If you aren't familiar with the band or you just want to check out some of their music, they have a few songs on Reverbnation.
Doors to Corktown will open at 9 p.m. on Thursday and you have to be 21+ to get in. The cover charge is only $6, which is a steal if you ask us. You'll want to make sure you make it out to catch all of the bands on this bill. Word has it that Flamingo Nosebleed is pretty awesome too. So make sure you check out all 4 bands and pick up some merch from the touring guys. For all of the details, visit the Facebook event page here.
Bled Fest is coming up fast and a campaign to party has begun. Flint Eastwood is working on getting headliner Andrew W.K. to come party on stage with them during their set. The band is urging their friends and fans to help get the word out by sharing the video below. They hope that if enough people encourage the king of partyin' hard, he won't be able to say no. Check out the promo Flint Eastwood has come up with.
Quite the proposal! Pizza and a bolo tie! If you want to help Flint Eastwood out, simply share the video on your Facebook, Twitter, etc. Make sure you tag Andrew W.K. though so he gets the message! For the bands exact instructions on what they want you to do click here.
Last weekend The Hounds Below played The Metro Times Blowout in Ferndale and had what we all felt was one of the best performances of the weekend. Word of how great this group is must be getting out because this weekend they will be opening for the The Whigs at The Magic Stick.
The Whigs defined American Garage rock in 2005 with their self released album Give Them All a Fat Lip. They are out touring for their newest album called Enjoy the Company, which was released this past September. This bill was already solid with The Whigs and Drivin' N' Cryin' scheduled to play, but when The Hounds Below added on, the show became a lot more interesting.
We have been impressed with Hounds since the first time we saw them open for Flashclash with a small, ten minute showcase at The Magic Bag before they went to SXSW this year. As soon as they were on our radar, we made sure to start following and covering their pursuits. Apparently we are not the only ones doing so because the crowds keep getting bigger and their name is getting mentioned in more and more places each week.
This show should be a solid night of good rock and roll and as always we are happy to announce that 2 lucky people will win 2 tickets to this show courtesy of hipindetroit.com. To enter, please e-mail your full name with the subject line Whigs/HoundsBelow to hipindetroit@gmail.com. We will pick two winners the day of the show and announce them via e-mail/Facebook/Twitter. The event is on May 17th at 8 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance and $17 the day of the show. For those that don't know, the Magic Stick is located at 4140 Woodward in Detroit.
Friday night brought us to The Loving Touch once again. Apparently we didn't get enough of it the week before. However, there was, in our opinion, a can't miss show there that night as Terrible Things was headed to town with Modern Suits and Detroit's own Bastardous.
We're going to start the story out with the most important thing we learned all night, then we'll get to the review. We got to the bar a little before 9:30 p.m., which in our minds was super early. Not so much! The first band had already started. From what we heard through the grapevine, weekend shows are always going to start early now at The Loving Touch, with the new goal being to have them done by midnight to open the bar back up. We can't confirm that's the definite truth, but it's a good thing to keep in mind!
So, our night started early with the first band, Modern Suits from Philly, hitting the stage. The new stage configuration is way better than the old one, leaving a lot more room on the floor for the crowd. But, when there aren't many people there, it also makes it look way more empty. The guys didn't seem to let that bother them too much though and still played a pretty solid set. The five piece has a new EP out now that you can check out here.
Next up for the night was Terrible Things, who we thought were playing last which made us think we completely missed Bastardous. Luckily that wasn't true. Terrible Things was great. They were extra great for those of us that were fans of The Color Fred and Taking Back Sunday. But, overall most of the crowd seemed to be into the set and entertained by the band as a whole, especially the 12 string guitar. I have listened to the bands latest album way more often since I saw them play on Friday. So, that's always a good sign. I highly suggest checking Terrible Things out next time they are in the area. Until then, check out their album Pre-Transmission that's streaming on their Facebook page.
Last to hit the stage was Bastardous, featuring Nick Gigler, Rich Tschirhart and Tony Vegas. We don't really know much about this band yet, but we're guessing Wedge and Chuck just didn't show up for The A-Gang practice one night. Nonetheless, we are looking forward to catching up with those guys and finding out more about them soon. Head over to their Facebook page and give them a "like" so you can be sure to catch their next show! After Friday night, we're really looking forward to hearing more from this threesome.
Thanks again to Brian Southall for bringing this show to town. We hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as we did!
