All weekend, Detroit will crackle with some of the planet’s most exhilarating, inventive sounds. Movement 08 takes place May 24-26, and Walter Wasacz penned a terrific piece on the event in this week’s Metro Times. Get down to Hart Plaza but, first, learn the history of the fabled Amen Break. UPDATE: 5/27 - Model D put together a great slideshow of the event.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of taking in a show at The Magic Stick, you’ll know why Rolling Stone magazine calls it one of America’s “Best Rock Clubs.” I’ve seen many gigs there myself — Alejandro Escovedo being one of the most memorable – but it’s been some time since I’ve visited the Woodward Avenue mainstay, also a great place for events and parties.
DJ Afrika Bambaataa, Larval, Niagra, and The Polka Floyd. Oh, and Flint’s own Sandra Bernhard as host. That’s only part of the exceptionally diverse, compelling lineup that will take the stage at the 2008 Detroit Fringe Festival, which celebrates “Experimental Music, Art & Fashion” and takes place tomorrow (Saturday), April 5 at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Check out the full schedule, and try to get yourself downtown.
Connecting the blind and print-imparied with vital information, the Detroit Radio Information Service continues to do magnificent work in the community. Volunteers read newspapers, magazines, and other material to listeners who hear the broadcast over special radio receivers that tune in this sub-channel of WDET-FM, Detroit Public Radio. I was a volunteer DRIS reader myself, and later was lucky enough to work as Volunteer Coordinator, where I met a host of wonderful people, including longtime director, Kim Walsh. The organization is celebrating 30 years of “Audio Information Excellence” in 2008, so consider supporting this important service by making a donation today.
A friend and I used to joke about how you could get arrested in Michigan for saying ‘mass’ and ‘transit’ in the same sentence. But it’s an issue that, no pun intended, is gaining momentum in this state. Nettie Boivin of Mi Life Mi Times offers an insightful article on the topic, one deserving not only of further discussion but, more importantly, immediate action. In January, Metromode tendered a piece on an aspect near and dear to me: The Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line. I’ve been banging that drum for some time, as the days when Detroit is separated from Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, both physically and psychologically, are long gone, no matter what certain residents of either region may think. Let’s get moving on this, folks. Do it for the planet and for your kids.
…so let’s hope the magic of 2006 returns in 2008. I’m guessing it will.
