The Remains of the D

Two Ideas: Please Steal

2011-03-17T16:19:00.007-04:00

Here are two very cool things.
1: The Chicago Mixtape (started in Chicago, early 2011)
2: The Mississippi Records Tape Series (started in Portland, early 2008)

Chicago Mixtape
The basic premise of their site is this: the music scene in Chicago has literally dozens of bands that roll through town each week, just in the world of Punk/Rock/Alternative alone. Why not give out free tastes of what's to come ahead of time? Casey Meehan, who started the series, decided to get people psyched about Chicago's upcoming shows by curating a mix each week that's filled with music from the bands that are just about to come to town. You sign up (free) and he sends you a mix with an mp3 track from each of these bands the week before. Free curated music for your ipod, sent to your inbox each week. If you don't like a track, just throw it out, it didn't cost you a dime. This is a super cool service. After you finish reading this post, go to www.chicagomixtape.com and check it out for yourself (I won't give you a hyperlink because I don't want to lose you just yet).

Someone from Detroit needs to get up off their bar stool and copy this idea. We have a great music scene here, not just in the world of punk and garage rock, but hip hop, electronic music, and others as well. The city is a showcase for national and international acts, not to mention the legions of homegrown talent that fill up our bars and clubs every night. You could probably finagle a way to get money out of this, maybe from the venues themselves, or at the very least, score yourself a few dates with the scenesters. The people I know who would be good candidates offhand (Greg Baise, Chris Koltay, Steve Nowara, etc) are all probably too busy making that scene work already to take on a big project like this. But I know there's somebody out there. Someone who goes to all the shows, has good taste, and at least some ability to motivate and get organized. I can't think of anybody myself. But one of YOU, kind readers, probably can. I have faith. Our rock scene needs it!

Mississippi Records Tape Series
Read this from the folks at Very Short List:
"Do you remember mix tapes? The owners of Mississippi Records—a vinyl-and-cassette-only record store located on North Mississippi Avenue in Portland, Oregon—most certainly do: They’ve put together the best mixes we’ve never seen (because you can get them only by visiting the store in person). But a Bay Area record label called Root Strata has digitized dozens of these tapes and distributed them (as free downloads) online. The series starts off with House of Broken Hearts—an hour-long collection of “Early R&B, Doo Wop, Rockabilly & Instrumentals”—and only gets better.

"Other tapes are devoted to early soul music, ’60s rock, funk and hip-hop, various kinds of world music, politically minded jazz, ska and rocksteady, postwar gospel, Quebecois psych-rock, and all sorts of old-timey music (which is Mississippi Records’ sweet spot). You’ll find selections of Lullabies & Dream Songs, and a collection of Classical Music for & by the People; one of the most charming mixes contains Difficult Songs for Children."

Wow. I'm sold. I started downloading some of these mixes, and they are most excellent. Very, very heavy stuff from all types of outsider genres.

The collection actually reminds me of some of the mixes that I've stumbled across in Detroit. I've found some pretty eclectic mixes in the time I've lived here, mostly without really trying. Some are on tapes, some on blogs, some handed out at shows, and others just made for me by friends. From time to time I get my act together and throw one of these up on the blog. I should be more consistent with that, because this music usually is really good, but... well, yeah... sometimes you just fall off your blog for a while.

Anyway, we all know that Detroit has a reputation as a seriously huge music city. Despite economic, political, social, racial, or other hardships in this city, the band has always managed to play on. Perhaps it's because of all this adversity, but that conversation is for another time.

When you walk into a place like People's Records on Woodward, this musical legacy literally surrounds you. From Berry Gordy carving out the sounds of the crossover "hit machine" in the garage of a West Grand Boulevard house, to the heart-wrenching religious numbers pressed in dusty vinyl and stacked neatly in hand-painted shoe boxes. A day spent between the headphones of the listening station is a true lesson in the struggle of this great industrial metropolis, sung in four part-harmonies.

Maybe hearing the Mississippi Records Tape Series selfishly causes me to wish that the caretakers of Detroit's vinyl vaults would curate something similar. I know personally that the collections that flow in and out of shops around town are filthy rich with nuggets. But then again, it's our first sixty-degree day this year, and I ought to get off my ass and stop pointing fingers.

Here's a link to the mixes, see what you think: http://rootstrata.com/rootblog/

Après-Ski Party at Hugh

2010-12-17T10:25:00.008-05:00

Kick those ski boots off and sip some champagne by the fireside at Hugh for the Holidays' après-ski party, this Tuesday 12/21. If you haven't made it out to Park Avenue's 3-week pop-up shop this holiday season, I urge you to check it out. This year's theme is Hugh Hefner on a swank Scandinavian ski holiday. The collection is part new, part vintage, with a heavy Danish Modern focus. Lots and lots of beautiful teak.

I dropped in this week and picked up a killer fondue set.

Rumor has it that this may be Mr Posch's last retail endeavor. He mentioned hanging this hat up and starting to look for a j.o.b. Please urge him not to make that mistake. His store is one-of a kind.

Hope to see you Tuesday.

Link to the website.

Dave Bing Volume 2

2010-12-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

This year's Holiday party is at Leopold's Books. Tonight!!! at 7 pm. Come as David Bowie or Bing Crosby, but don't come as Bill Cosby because that one doesn't really work. I tried last year. Damn, it's hard to find a box of puddin' pops in a pinch.

Tears Baby

2010-12-12T00:40:00.006-05:00

Just came across the November edition of Daptone Jukepox featuring a mix by Brad Hales, owner of People's Records on Woodward & Peterboro. Highly recommend it. Give Maggie Thrett's "Soupy" a try. Hard to imagine her day job was acting, not singing.

Here's the link:
http://daptonerecords.podbean.com/2010/10/29/tears-baby-by-brad-hales/

Spitzer @ the Burton

2010-12-06T17:17:00.017-05:00

Last Thursday, the night after the D Show, the Creative Arts Scholarship Series (CASS) debuted at the Burton Theatre with a special screening of Client 9: The Rise & Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Academy Award-Winning Director Alex Gibney came out to show the crowd his latest work. Those of us who weren’t too hung-over from the night before were able to get in a few more drinks and watch a great film in a hip Detroit theater, while raising money for the College for Creative Study’s Advertising Scholarship Fund.

If you’ve never been to the Burton Theatre, then you’re missing out. Once an elementary school auditorium, this hidden gem features velour seats, suspended iron & glass lamps and a modest stage where you can imagine grade-school students putting on Holiday pageants. The Burton hosts everything from zombie flicks to international award winners to blaxploitation to oddball/home made/found/psychedelic/’Never Seen Anything Like This’ movies. Always interesting. The theater hosts barbeques in the summer with a generous outdoor screen, grilled Porktown sausages and classic favorites like The Burbs & Polyester.

It was certainly the first time an Academy Award-Winning director dropped by to show his/her own flick, and his work did not disappoint. His take on the Eliot Spitzer story was less of a ‘here’s what happened & why he’s a bad/good guy’, and more of a ‘here’s how this story is a fairly-common tragedy that we’ve all read before’.

The Q&A benefited from the intimate size of the crowd and their industry experience. Questions ranged from how Gibney pulled off so many impossible, close-up interviews to more technical matters of documentary style and crew size. It was a pleasure to have such a tuned-in group, it made me feel smarter.

The Creative Arts Scholarship Series is devoted to supporting the development of the next generation of creative thinkers in Detroit by raising money for CCS Scholarships. This marked the debut event. I will be working to help this series gain traction. We aim to bring world-class film-makers to Detroit to screen their films, and eventually to branch out into music and art-based events as well. We're gonna start with a mission statement. One step at a time!

If you feel like you missed out on the invite, it’s probably because you did. We blew that part. But fear not, next time we’ll do it a little better! I promise.

Here’s to keeping more creatives in Detroit...

If you weren't able to join us, but are curious to hear what Gibney has to say about the film, check out a video of another Q&A here:

We'll have to get ourselves one of those fancy video-camera things to start taping our own Q&A's next time...

Forest

2010-11-23T15:33:00.008-05:00

Forest made one of my favorite mixes of all-time. I bought it for $5 at a 'Skate Laws' show at the Lager House. Played it out- until my tape player broke. Best part about the mix was the recurring themes: trumpeting elephants, conga drums, boisterous bass lines... weaving across the transitions. This was no ordinary mix. More of psychedelic circus act on tape. There were gorgeous tripped-out tracks, dusty R&B stomps and garage cuts. There was glam, there was more. But it all worked. It takes a sensitive ear to weave such an eclectic garment. Three cheers for Forest!

Help welcome Forest once again to Detroit as he presents "The Whip!" with Richie Wohlfeil at the Painted Lady in Hamtramck. Wednesday, 11/24 at 10pm. Sure to please!

More from Forest's bag of tricks:
Hott Lava (w/ Burton Theatre)
Jury Duty (w/ Robert Wells, Geoff Perin)
Dark Matter (w/ Aaron Lindell)
Skate Laws (solo Forest)

And of course mixes. We love mixes:
The Whip from Forest
Have Whip, Will Travel from Richie

From David Byrne's Journal

2010-09-28T15:36:00.007-04:00

David Byrne is in town right now working on a film. It sounds like he caught a pretty good whiff of the beautiful chaos that goes on here this past Saturday. He wrote at length about what he came across, the circumstances of the city, & where things might go from here. In the end he had this to say:
"Like D’Mongo’s, there are lots of hidden jewels in this town ...one can imagine that if the city center here can become more of the focus then a much smaller town with vibrant life might emerge."

Read on:
http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2010/09/092310-dont-forget-the-motor-city.html

Porktown Sausage Pizza @ Supino!!!!!!

2010-09-16T14:10:00.009-04:00

Just got back from a quick downtown lunch with Brian Merkel at Supino. Brian and John Schoeniger are the masterminds behind the tasty Porktown Sausage Co that's been on the rise lately.

So far they've packed sausages for the Burton Theatre Cinema bbq's and a few fundraisers. Mocad's 'Home Slice' event is up next for them at Eastern Market, 10/8.

Today marked the debut of the 'Welcome to Porktown Pizza'. Super duper tasty. Especially with those delicious cherry peppers.

I pitched in to help ring up a few coils over at Merkel's house a few months back when they were first experimenting with their meat. Lots of fun. It felt like we were part of a medieval guild, except without all the sobriety.

Congrats Gents! Keep on pushing! (ok, I'll stop with the homo-erotic meat references).

Lemonade Detroit

2010-09-13T17:30:00.007-04:00

What to do with a city full of lemons...

Lemonade: Detroit Trailer from Erik Proulx on Vimeo.

Detroit Lives!

2010-09-13T17:08:00.004-04:00

Take a few minutes to watch the 3-part video series about the DIY spirit of Detroit today. It sheds a pretty interesting light on the state of things here.

The Greenhorns

2010-09-13T17:06:00.004-04:00

'Home Slice'- Benefit for Mocad

2010-09-13T16:42:00.006-04:00

Third Thursdays in Midtown

2010-09-13T16:30:00.004-04:00

Burton + Hott Lava. This Saturday

2010-08-30T17:01:00.005-04:00

Draplin in Detroit

2010-08-27T13:51:00.020-04:00

The first joke his dad told went something like this: "For Christmas one year when I was a kid, my parents were torn between wanting to get me something to wear and something I could play with. So my mom had a breakthrough— she bought me a pair of jeans and cut out the pockets.

Smallest present I ever got! I still play with it today."

Aaron Draplin's dad tells a good dirty joke. No wonder his son grew up to have a taste for the gritty, old fashioned things in life.

Last night Aaron Draplin came to 1515 Broadway to speak to the Detroit design community as part of an event put on by AIGA Detroit & Team Detroit. 100-plus people packed into the sleek, backroom theater to hear the man speak. But first they were treated to his father's warm-up.

Draplin told tales of his start as a designer— heading out West from Michigan to find some "real mountains" and snowboard as much as possible. After designing graphics for snowboards and seeing them on the slopes, he had a revelation: he could make a living doing this!

Aaron's career grew out of this snowboard culture. He took on work making ads for friends' clothing companies, designing logos, painting signs, etc. He figured out how to do what he loved and scratched out a living doing it.

Aaron's done the big firm thing, and done it well. He tore things up at Snowboarder Magazine— earning Printmedia's Art Director of the Year award for 2000. But the big firm thing wasn't where it was at for Aaron. "They kept saying, we'll bust our asses this week and so we can take time off next week. But next week never came— instead it was just more work."

So after a few more gigs (and a body of stunning work), Draplin headed out on his own— taking commissions for clients, and more often than not— making work that he dreamed up himself. The lecture started with Aaron passing out trinkets— vintage slotted rubber coin purses, plastic pocket combs, old wood carpenter's pencils, and his infamous Field Notes guides. Mostly, these are products Aaron rescues form extension— shelved away in the back of some stockroom waiting to be thrown out. "Look at these black combs- the company that made these is now on to making crappy USB drives and stuff like that. They salespeople get disgusted when I ask to buy them. They've gotta go dust em off & bring em out. I'm saving them from the landfill."

He adds his own touch to these objects- Draplin design Co information, sometimes a new name (like the comb that's labeled a 'Hair Organizer'), or facts & dates written in classic type. He always keeps it fun.

How does he have time for all this?- Aaron follows the motto sleep when your dead. And he fuels his imagination with lots of junk shop runs.

Take a look at a clip from the recent film he made called the World's Longest Yard Sale. The real juice starts about 2 minutes in when he stumbles upon the goods: http://www.vimeo.com/13968517

Thanks for coming out Aaron, and c'mon back soon! More pics can be found on the flickr page.

Photos by Rebecca Goldberg.

Hanging In Midtown: From Model D

2010-08-17T14:55:00.003-04:00

Check out the great Model D piece about the Hanging Gardens collaboration...

Deconstruction Lecture 8/17

2010-08-04T12:44:00.003-04:00

Hanging Gardens - July 28 Pics

2010-07-28T11:44:00.010-04:00

This week we added some new plants to the Forest Arms. Here's a few current pics from this morning:

Find more here: www.flickr.com/groups/hanging-gardens/pool/

Hanging Gardens Update

2010-07-19T16:20:00.059-04:00

On my first day of work at Team Detroit I was given a list of projects to complete. It was a crazy list, totally random and thrilling at the same time. Most of the things straddled the line of possibility. From turning a house attached to a rundown 1950’s diner into a supper club, to helping transform the iconic Michigan Central Train Station into a Transportation Museum— it was a wild, beautiful bit of organized chaos.

The list had ten things on it. I had a hard time figuring out where to jump in, but I eventually settled in on the supper club idea and this blog.

My first project that I felt good about was the 'Twelve Young Versions of Twenty Ten' for the blog. It was a way to capture the confidence and creative drive of Detroiters that held strong in the wake of one of the worst years for this city on record. The responses to the questionnaire were brilliant and the portraits we took turned out pretty well. A friend of mine said that the New York Times article that came out the day before about young Detroit business owners was basically the same thing as the Twelve Versions, except not as juicy.

Well, another part of this list was a directive, not a creative project. The directive was to cut things off at the list of ten and not let any more ideas creep in. It was called The Gatekeeper. I guess I’m a bad gatekeeper, because about four months ago I added a project to the list that wound up taking up a good two month chunk of my time.

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This past May I had the chance to help organize Detroit’s first vertical garden on an abandoned building in Detroit. We called the project the Hanging Gardens. I can say on my own behalf that the project did have a few similarities to at least one of the ten projects on the list, but I'm not denying that I'm a bad gatekeeper.

The Hanging Gardens grew out of two things I was thinking about at the time. One was that the city could use some physical icons to embody the urban agriculture movement that’s happening here. The other was that empty window frames of Detroit's beautiful old buildings would make great sites for lush greenery.

I pictured the Gardens one day growing through the area that separates Midtown from Downtown. Cass Ave and Second run between these areas. Along the way is one of the most well-scaled stretches of empty city fabric in Detroit. It's also one of the roughest. From the handsome facades overlooking Cass Park to the intersections near Peterboro and Charlotte where the Burton School and Chinatown areas make T's with Cass. The area is called the Cass Corridor, and the part closest to the downtown, Lower Cass.

Who knows what will happen with Lower Cass - there's rumored plans of a hockey arena and parking, but who knows how far Little Ceasar's plans will take him. But that's not the business of this post or the Hanging Gardens Project. The business of the project is to create something meaningful for Detroit and to create something beautiful on a transitional building in an improving neighborhood.

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Here's what happened on the Hanging Gardens day:

We chose the Forest Arms as our site for this year's project. It's a very handsome building that sits in Midtown, just North of the Cass Corridor. It was ravaged by a fire in 2008 and is in the process of being rehabbed to its former glory. Read more about the building here.

75 volunteers from Team Detroit went down to the Forest Arms on May 21. There's a program called 'Good Deeds' that pays Team Detroit employees to do volunteer work for a day every year. We had a record response of 75 interested employees 30 minutes after the call for volunteers went out. We had to cut things off there, because we didn't have enough work for more people.

I hear pretty often how Team Detroiters miss the days when they worked downtown and felt a part of something larger. I think this response was a testament to that. Or to the fact that people love any excuse to get away from their desk and still get paid.

Anyhow, that day the volunteers planted English Ivy, Vinca Vines and variety of hardy, flowering plants into 200 Woolly Pocket gardens filled with organic compost. These pockets were then zip-tied to chains and hoisted onto pre-set hooks in the window frames via sky-lifts. When the lifts broke down we wound up just carrying the pockets up the stairs. That was kind of like walking after riding in a limo, but we managed.

UCCA and Greening of Detroit provided some great resources and expertise to help make the project happen. Greening sent out their head forester to help with the planting in the middle of their busy planting season. UCCA secured the building for the project, helped out on volunteer day and donated the plants and soil. They've also continued to water and fertilize the plants throughout this summer. UCCA rules. If anyone tells you otherwise, you should not be their friend.

During the volunteer day, Single Barrel Detroit did a music video shoot in and around the building. They filmed the Juliets, a Baroque Pop band from the area with a rich sound that complimented the architecture. Single Barrel's videos mostly take place in the amazing & haunting abandoned buildings of Detroit. Things were the same that day except that there were a bunch of sweaty people wandering around with dirty hands.

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Next week we will begin switching out the plants that did not make it with some pretty ones. This is very much a learning process.

The plan for the end of the summer is to assemble a time-lapse animation of the growth. Chris Turner has been kind enough to capture a picture of the building every morning. In late-September, we'll take the plants down and store them in a greenhouse over winter. Then start looking ahead to next year.

Check back soon for more pictures of the garden's growth, and thanks for reading.

Here's some pics from the volunteer day:

Watch Single Barrel Detroit's videos from the Hanging Gardens here.

This Sounds Like A Circus...

2010-07-15T12:15:00.002-04:00

I'm in.

Events!

2010-06-24T16:17:00.009-04:00

Tornadoes & earthquakes got you bummed out? Here's a few things on the horizon to cheer things up:

Tonight– grab a lawn chair & some cold beers and watch the Detroit Futbol League games on the Belle Isle soccer fields. Or skip the beers & get down with some martinis like the Villages fans do. A funny story about the Villages: when we played them last time– I'm on the Mexicantown team and after the Villages players repeatedly didn't chase down their own missed shots (a league rule), one of my teammates who hardly speaks any English said "they forgot to bring their ball boy." He nailed it. I guess you don't even need to know much English to make fun of villages fans! I kid, I kid.

Anyway, after the games- put your dancing shoes on and head out to Slows for a fundraiser to support Scott Benson's campaign for State Rep. $20 gets you full access to beer, white wine and the polished dance floor. Scott Z and Mike Tee from Macho City will be spinning rare dance records with Brad Hales (Magic City Soul Club). Here's a link to a fine mix of Modern Soul that Brad put together a little while back.

Tomorrow, start your night off right with the West Canfield Street Market. It's a first-timer for this event and the details sound great: locally-made & vintage goods, beats & eats— all in the front courtyards of the Canfield lofts. Sounds kinda like a well-designed block party.

After that, head to Oslo's sleek basement and get down at Fierce Hot Mess' 2nd Birthday Party.

For a taste of how the FHM dj's party, check out the Fierce Hot Mix Tape.

Saturday, the USA continues it's World Cup run with a must-win game against Ghana.

A good afternoon bike ride would be across the new pedestrian bridge over I-75 to get some tacos in Mexicantown. I just did that last weekend.

Don't eat too many tacos though. You'll want to save room for the Cinema Barbeque II at the Burton Theatre. 'Escape from New York' and 'Total Recall' are showing with Brian Merkel (the Abe Froeman of Detroit) grilling fine sausages. Can't go wrong!

Ninjas

2010-06-18T09:03:00.009-04:00

Ninja Kicks from a recent trip up to the Thumb area of Michigan. Some great country up there. We ate at restaurant up near Caseville called the Farm restaurant. I highly recommend. The interior could use a bit more imagination, but the food is pretty dead-on. The sun was out for the drive up to the thumb, and the ninja kicks were flowing. We stopped at Bronner's in Frankenmuth- the world's largest Christmas store (their billboard campaign extends as far South as Florida).

Another one from Windmill installation near Bad Axe, MI. I think Bad Axe has a slight edge on Hell, MI for coolest city names. Michelle's ninja kick form has a slight edge of it's own from the high elbow.

From this angle, these silos almost look like the Renaissance Center. I've always liked these classic-looking enameled blue steel silos.

Ninja Kick the Roof in! These are the shortest cottages I've ever seen. The gutters are at about chin-height. Not sure how anybody can stand in there. I think Santa could Ninja Kick his way in there if he got tired of all the chimney dust.

BTW- Have you seen this? It's a 1970s video of the Ren Cen just before it opened. CLASSIC soundtrack. What ever happened to this kind of booster-ism for new building construction?

A Basket Full of Greens

2010-06-09T12:08:00.014-04:00

Here's this week's basket from the CSA I joined this past spring.

Contents:
Two bags of salad mix (Arugula, Mizuna, purple leaf spinach, green spinach)
Edible flowers
Turnips/turnip greens
Swiss Chard
Oyster mushrooms
Garlic greens

The CSA is a collaboration between Brother Nature produce, Earthworks Community Farm and Faith Farm. Besides the produce, there's a prepared item in the basket each week. One week was Greg's carrot-based hot sauce, another was an unbelievably tasty jar of 8 Mile Honey. We've had Earthworks jam, oil-based potato salad with fresh herbs, and other good stuff as well. The CSA costs $26/week to join. Each week's basket is a lot for one person to handle, but it's perfect to share. The thing I like best about the membership to the CSA isn't all the special jars of goodness, it's the fact that I eat healthier because I get this produce each week. That sounds like infomercial speak, but it's true. It's like being on a sports team - I hardly work out unless I've got some kind of schedule imposed on me to get my self in action.

The other thing I really like about the CSA is figuring out how to cook with this stuff. Mostly I cook completely amateur dishes with the produce - like Mustard greens with Bacon, Onion and a cold beer. Or a side dish of Potatoes with Rosemary, Olive Oil and Salt. The Fresh Egg Sandwich I made with Traffic Jam Cheddar was a hit, but still pretty basic. Same thing with the Roasted Beet Salad.

But sometimes I pull off something legit with the items like Oyster Mushroom Risotto. Or I set out on a cooking tangent that sounds great at first but falls through in the delivery. Like Meatbread: a mixture of meatloaf and cornbread (this came to me in a dream a few years back, and I cooked it the next night for my roommate and his friend visiting town). Meatbread can also be called Cornloaf. The beauty of this dish is that you can serve it with ketchup/hot sauce, or maple syrup/honey. It can go either way. Just load up the table with condiments and have at it. Meatbread is still more of a "conceptual" meal then an actual "dinner" but one of these days I'm gonna nail it.

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Speaking of falling thru in the delivery... The Hanging Gardens volunteer day took place on 5/21 and it was a great success! I even surprised myself that things worked out as well as they did. The 90% chance of storms forecasted for that day never touched us. I was told that about a mile North of the Forest Arms it was a complete downpour for most of the afternoon.

Things have been growing quite well the past three weeks. We're in the process of putting together some videos and stock photos of the event, but for a taste of what the day was like, check out the public gallery of photos available here.

Hanging Gardens

2010-05-24T15:14:00.002-04:00

2010 May 21 Hanging Gardens 223
Originally uploaded by Schreiber.Melissa

Hoisting up the plants. This was fortunately much less daunting of a task then it seemed in the planning stages. Like most of the things that went down last Friday- things just seemed to work out for us. No rain, when the forecast calls for 80% chance of afternoon showers ???

Rooftop Juliets

2010-05-24T15:05:00.003-04:00

Rooftop Juliets
Originally uploaded by slange70

A rooftop performance by the Juliets for Single Barrel Detroit during the Hanging Gardens volunteer day.

5 Days

2010-05-17T13:29:00.005-04:00

...to go before the Hanging Gardens go up on the Forest Arms.

To-do list:

Order Plants

Quote trolleys/bus for volunteer transport

Find a tent system in case of rain

Say some prayers that we don't get rain

Find out how volunteers need to book their time to get paid for the day

Eat more of yesterday's homemade rhubarb pie

Email volunteers with agenda for the day

Edit the press release for the project

Follow-up with Marvin, Model D's photographer

Meet with Scott and Lorenzo about creating a sign for the project and developing web content

Find out if we need permits for the event

Test out fastening system for pocket gardens with building owner, UCCA staff, Phil and Tadd

Sleep

Get feedback on planting strategy from Greening of Detroit, JJR, landscape designers at Woolly Pockets

See what Single Barrel Detroit has in mind for a film about the planting day

Make sure the Juliets have all they need for their performance

Find out whether the DSO will be performing

Play in my first soccer game of the new Detroit Futbol League

Finalize catering for the event

Make up some kits for volunteers (t-shirts?)

Take another walk under the giant trees in Lafayette Park

Sleep a little more

I wish we could adopt a small army for this week, but this is gonna be sweet.

(Forest Arms - Second & Forest)

Crunch Time

2010-05-12T14:32:00.008-04:00

I've named my house and it's called the Ranch. I haven't had enough time yet to build the Ranch a fine deck, but that's because I've been on a pretty insane work kick lately.

That project I mentioned a few weeks back is called the Hanging Gardens. It's happening next Friday. Toby was right the second he heard about the idea. He said I should have come up with it months ago. Yes, at least months.

But we've pushed on thru and we're getting ready to have ourselves a real good time.

Here's the email we sent out yesterday:

50 volunteer spots filled up in 30 minutes. I think it's a new Team Detroit record. More details to come...

Cass Corridor Project Teaser

2010-04-21T18:25:00.009-04:00

A few weeks back I made quick mention of a project Toby and I are cooking up at Team Detroit. I'll warn you that it's quite a bit different then the Talent Show or the Holiday Shopping Guides, but there's still some good old Detroit businesses in mind.

I can't spill the beans on all the details yet b/c there's still some logistics to work out, but if you are any good at math, take this equation for a spin...

232 of these *

Toby Makes the Top-Twenty

2010-04-09T16:00:00.005-04:00

My boss made the LA Times 'Top 20 Noir Novels' with his novel Sharp Teeth. Great job, boss.

Rehabbing My New Mies Home

2010-04-07T16:35:00.020-04:00

When I bought my townhouse in Lafayette Park a few months ago I was told by a few of the older ladies on the co-op board that I had gotten the deal of the century. I figured that was what they said to everybody. Don't get me wrong, I was pumped about getting an actual Mies Van der Rohe-designed condo for under $100k. Especially one of the single-story ones with it's own private courtyard. But when I heard the same opinion echoed by a kind woman who's lived in the neighborhood since it opened in 1959, I started to think maybe it was true after all.

I had my work cut out for me though. The place desperately needed a new floor, it had some glaringly bad suburban cabinets, and there was some pretty liberal use of wood paneling on the walls.

The place is nowhere nearly finished. It's pretty empty, but at least I'm done with construction. I need to come into a big chunk of money before I can afford furniture for this place, but I can be patient. Check out some pics from the progress...

Shiny new OSB floor, gray walls, freshly painted ceiling

Kitchen with a face lift: I re-clad the existing cabinets, kept the counter tops and removed some extra cabinets. The kitchen was crowded with cabinets when I bought it.

One of the under-cabinet 'puck' lights

Stripping paint off the original outlet covers

Good as new!

Valve where ground water heat pump enters the water heater. Still can't believe these Detroiters were hip enough to install geothermal heating for these condos ten years ago. Score!

Kitchen when I first bought it. Notice engineered wood flooring (glued to the concrete slab), horrible pink-tinted wood veneer cabinets, wallpaper I won't even get into

Demolition of floor. Damn all that glue!

Pulling up crappy engineered floorboards, measuring for finished floor, removing wood paneling

Who puts wood paneling on a Mies?!

Now every night I get to put more of my stuff away. A.D.D. heaven... And don't miss that wall of technicolor cabinets in the background, a definite keeper

Magic City Soul Club Mix

2010-04-05T17:32:00.004-04:00

Brad Hales, Breck T. Bunce and Robert Wells have started up the very nice 'Magic City Soul Club' dance party at Cliff Bell's. It takes place the second Thursday of each month. Entry is free and the parquet dance floor is even freer.

Brad runs Peoples' Records on Woodward. Hands down the best rare record shop in metro Detroit. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Brad was one of the original dj's at the infamous Detroit Funk Night. That's the dance party that hit it so big that all the original dj's abandoned ship and attendance grew into the thousands. Pretty scary stuff.

Breck is a local collector of near mythic proportions. Know to some as "Brekula," few people have ever been inside his house to see his collection in person, let alone see him out at night. But if you've ever been to any of Detroit's record stores, thrifts, or junk shops, you've probably seen him. Once you hear him dj you will never forget how deep the man is. Game over.

Robert Wells is a friend who lives in Ann Arbor. Brad and Robert started Ann Arbor Soul Club when I was in grad school there, a few years back. Breck's a dj member of that club now, too. The party happens the first Friday of every month at the Blind Pig. It's one of the finest rare soul nights in the country (Brad and Robert will tell you this with a straight face). Those two put me on to the local soul club scene that happens throughout the Midwest, and websites like midwest45s.org. In fact, when Robert and I turned up in Chicago at the same time one weekend, he took me to the Windy City Soul Club there. It was in a fantastic artists' loft up on the 4th floor of an apartment building that had a beautiful bar in it - with booths and everything!

This Thursday Robert, Breck and Brad have invited Danny Kroha to spin records with them. Yes, rocker Danny of the Demolition Dollrods, the Gories and the Readies. He's been collecting soul 45s himself for years, so it should be a treat to see him give 'em a spin in the mahogany splendor of Cliff Bell's. PBR's will cost $2 and cover will be nil.

Check out the dusty magic on this great mix recorded by Robert (aka Northern Rob aka Rawberto aka Ern) and his track commentary below....

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Click here to listen:

If that doesn't work, paste this in your browser:

http://www.divshare.com/download/9046372-efd

I recorded this mix back in October of 2009, as a means of promoting our first party at Cliff Bell’s. I only know so much about these records, really, so if anyone has anything else to contribute, please feel free to do so.

(1) Just Can’t Leave You – Tony Hestor – Karate. Sublime mid-tempo soul, feat. the Pied Piper production team and an arrangement by Mike Terry. On a local label, feat. a dude in a kimono.

(2) Under The Moon – Rufus Wonder and the Additions – Lando. The dramatic vocals, background vocals, and music track knock me out on this one, every time. I think it has some sort of local connection, too.

(3) I’m Tempted – Sandy Hollis – Big Wheel. Local release. Chorus may wear a bit thin by the end… But lovely vibes work and duet vocals.

(4) Hide & Seek – Lillian Dupree – D-Town. Dig those drums! Tough D-Town, garage-sounding production. Her only release, local or otherwise, I believe.

(5) He Don’t Love You (And He’ll Break Your Heart) – Levon and the Hawks – ATCO. The band that recorded this r&b mover would later become “The Band.” No stuff!

(6) Where’s My Money – Willie Jones – Mr. Peacock. Essential r&b with some local ties. I think many people can empathize with Willie on this one – “Mr. Landlord, please give me a break!”

(7) I Had A Dream – Nathaniel Mayer – Fortune. Screaming, local, singalong doozy by one of the greats!

(8) Can You Win – Charlene and the Soul Serenaders – Paradox. Rare first release of this now very “in demand” sister soul/funk track with gospel-tinged lyrics.

(9) Hey You! Don’t Fight it! – The Montclairs – Arch. Gorgeous group harmony northern soul from the St. Louis area. Gotta love any track with two exclamation points in the title.

(10) I Thought You Were Mine –The Natural Four – ABC. The second, and for me, superior release/label of this northern soul staple.

(11) I’m Loving You – Cloudburst – Stormy Monday. Top-shelf 70s soul all the way from Kalamazoo, MI. Lovely vocals and a wicked guitar solo. “Books rather high,” as they say. (Sorry the recording isn’t better for this one.)

(12) Trying To Find A New Love – Percy and Them – Roulette. Local group with a few releases on different labels. Always great harmonies exhibited in their work.

(13) I Feel A Song –The Brothers Gilmore – Bantu. Thanks to Brad Hales for this killer modern soul track. “Cheers, mate!” Singalong 70s soul at its finest, recorded locally at Tantus studios.

(14) Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) – The Temptations – Gordy. Motown monster alert! Thanks to Breck T. Bunce for turning me on to this one. Known by northern soul enthusiasts to be one of The Temps’ best, though maybe not necessarily as well known by the public at-large.

(15) Baby Don’t You Weep – Edward Hamilton and the Arabians – Mary Jane. Tough to find local release, w/ production and writing credits going to Lou Beatty, the Brothers of Soul, and Mike Terry. Hard to top that pedigree, to be sure. And possibly the best northern soul string breakdown of all time ¾ of the way thru the track.

(16) Please Stay – Ivorys – Despenza. Big time Chicago soul action here that actually received some radio attention when it was released. This record, like many northern soul tracks, does an amazing job of capturing and expressing certain affects. Here, we’re confronted with loss and desire, as heard in the sweet distance of the string melody, the frantic immediacy of the guitar, and the alternately sassy and plaintive vocals.

(17) Where Did You Go – Four Tops – Motown. Speaking of affect… This was the B-side to the Four Tops’ first 45 single on Motown. The symphonic touch at Motown can be felt and heard on this one, to where pop music approaches and conflates itself with classical music. Levi Stubbs’ vocal performances rank among the strongest of all time, in my opinion.

Requiem for Detroit

2010-04-05T15:38:00.006-04:00

This television special about Detroit aired on the BBC this March. If you can find the time to watch it you should. It's a pretty good history of Detroit in an 90 minute special. As you can imagine, some pretty heavy stuff. Mr Findlay kindly breaks the show up into eight You Tube-sized chunks (yours truly makes a cameo in episode eight).

Watch all eight episodes here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/RobFinlay#p/u/6/8sfkqb7boSA

$30 Billion in 18 Months

2010-03-29T14:13:00.004-04:00

Should make for a good show...

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100326/METRO01/3260384/Foundations-seek-new-foundation-for-Detroit

'Cuz it's Cheap!

2010-03-29T14:00:00.008-04:00

Detroiters spend less than residents of every other US city:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/03/24/u-s-states-cities-where-americans-spend-the-most/?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl6%7Clink5%7Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F03%2F24%2Fu-s-states-cities-where-americans-spend-the-most%2F

Talent Show Pics!

2010-03-22T16:17:00.004-04:00

It shouldn't be too surprising that the 'hipster' recap of the Talent Show comes about a week after the 'gay' one. If you haven't read Supergay's piece, you should do that before reading this. He sums the night up pretty well (he's the one, after all that boils down the whole crowd into two equal parts: gays and hipsters). Pretty spot-on. He also had a pretty good vantage point for the night: he took home the gold from the talent show, he brought 'out' the most supporters (although most of them were likely 'out' already), and he took the cake in the pre-party hype.

We had a blast at one of Detroit's rarest and finest dives and succeeded in raising over $1,000 for Astro Coffee! Get ready for a flat white...

Alright, so on to the pics!

Here's the bar in back where people could smoke and mix with the vets...

Here's a portrait of the general himself, for whom we owe much thanks and respect...

This is what the scene was like in the 'hall' before the show got underway...

Act I: Phil Cooley does Phil Collins - "In the Air Tonight". Yes, Jeff Anderson is helping me with the backup vocals by pointing a blowdart gun at Phil Cooley's head...

Detail of Phil 'keeping it real' on the keyboards...

Act II was a gentleman named Robert who is a singer. He is legit. I don't have a pic of his performance, but check out the first pic on Supergay's post...

Act III - Dave Mancini chugs a pitcher of beer and slightly vomits. I don't think we need to see that.

Act IV- Supergay "rings those bells". A very well-done combination of storytelling & singing...

Detail of the gold medalist (note Patti showing her support)...

Let there be light! You know Astro Coffee will be good when the future owner runs home during the event to grab christmas lights & spots so we don't have to sit in a pool of crappy fluorescent light...

Robert Nelson was hilarious. If you don't know his weekly advice column on D'Mongo's website- you should check it out. Act IV, Robert the comedian (bronze medalist)...

Act V- Miriam & Rob Smith. They sang two beautiful, sad songs that flowed as naturally as Rob's glistening afro (I was told that anyway, I missed it for an ill-timed bathroom run). A great last-minute entry to the show...

Act VI- Ms Cindy Elmwood gets on the CASIO. She did a great version version of the Magnetic Fields. She was terrific. But this happened to be the point where things really fell off the tracks. Look at Jeff Anderson looking at you. It's kinda fun.

Oops! he started laying down...

In the end there was a terrific band called Pink Lightening that played a great mini-set. All the guys in the band help make that super-fine pizza at Supino's.

We had a bunch of fun. If you're wondering about the silver medal, it was taken by Roland Legitt who did't even enter the show. His rendition of Tina Turner's 'Proud Mary' during the karaoke warm-up was legit. It's a pretty nice accomplishment to take home a silver medal when you don't even enter the show...

Thanks to Supino's Pizza for the terrific prizes ($15, $25, $50 gift certificates!) and Slows Bar-B-Q for the donated food. The mac & cheese was such a hit that two girls actually argued about taking home the leftovers. I was in the middle of cleaning up when I saw the beef start to happen and when I returned from taking a table back up from downstairs it appeared that they'd given up and decided there would be no leftovers. Six or eight people were hovering and devouring all remnants on the spot. I set down the table and grabbed a fork.

Here's to two "first annual" events that look like they'll be back for more next year (Le Nain Rouge was a hit)! And thanks to Jon Dones for these great pics!

On A Friday Morning Sidewalk

2010-03-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

Three cups of coffee, this local soul gem, and I'm starting to feel like myself again today. Hangovers suck. Definitely not used to those Thursday night ragers anymore now that I'm a working man. But it was my pal Tadd's "28th" birthday dinner, so going big was a must. Add to the mix the Magic City Soul Club, and the train ran right off the tracks. We tried to invent 'the herringbone', a dance that goes along with the wood pattern of the stage. Great to see that event taking off. Had a blast & ready for the secret special guest next month.

Now that I'm starting to be coherent again, I just wanted to pass along four or five quick things.

First, a pic from the Talent Show...

*Apparently the M.C./"birthday boy" Phil forgot to leave the stage for this act. You might guess why by all the PBR cans on the table (this is turning into the "wasted" post, sorry). Anyway, more on the Talent Show- including pics, videos & winners coming next week. I slack. But I've been going full-force on rehabbing my new house, so I can't help it.

Which reminds me to post a little bit of... Wierd Stuff Left Behind in My New House

No idea what pressurized fogger is, but it's nice to know someone cared enough to leave some behind for me. I've got more Wierd Stuff on the way, once I figure out how to best capture it.

Mike Trombley's Aries mix is coming up next. He's the former record shop owner that makes up 1/2 of Macho City. I have a hunch it's gonna be great. Check out Chris Koltay's Pisces Mix if you haven't yet. I played around with the settings a bit so you can preview some tracks while you wait for the download. Check it out.

And finally, an update from the "real job" front. My official job description at Team Detroit is to make this ad company famous. Honest. That is what I do three days a week (when I'm not wearing my other hat as a designer for M1/DTW Weds & Thurs). My boss Toby and I have tried a few different things toward that end and had varying degrees of success. But it's moving forward (isn't that some other poor company's ad campaign?). As of this week I pitched a project that aside from being a potentially enormous liability for the company, could be really neat. I don't want to spill the beans, but it involves some wonderful, haunted, tragic abandoned buildings here in Detroit. Something about making them a little more pleasant. I'm an architect, not an ad guy so I think about buildings more than slogans.

I sent an email this morning (with head partly cloudy) to the director of the UCCA to set up a meeting to see if they'd like to help out. They have a great track record of organizing volunteer-based beautification projects and more. For now, my task is to figure out how to curb some of the liability. Or to get Toby on board with the concept of blind faith. That might be easier...

(More from My Job as a Ford Ad Guy coming soon...) If only I could find a link to that great old PBS movie A Job At Ford's...

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*Thanks to Rawberto Wells for the youtube soul gem & Jon Dones for the Talent Show pic

**and Mr Cash in a tuxedo singing the all-time hangover anthem

In Detroit, It's Easy Being Green

2010-03-03T19:17:00.012-05:00

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

on Detroit Symphony Orchestra's website

by Jim Boyle

—My initiation to Detroit’s rich, and at times rabid St. Patrick’s Day energy came on a cold, desolate February night not long after moving to the city. My brother and I were recent transplants and, although my parents grew up here, we didn’t possess any hands-on knowledge of what made Detroit tick. I don’t recall the exact occasion but were doing some serious boy bonding with my Dad, who was zipping us around on his own walk-down-memory-lane. The moment came, as it sometimes does, for us to choose a watering hole where we would go quietly to a corner booth and solve the world’s problems. We were somewhere near Corktown and my Dad suggested the Gaelic League, Detroit’s long-standing Irish American Club on Michigan Avenue, which is more like a bar disguised as a club.

We opened the doors and were, miraculously, ushered to a skirted table near the front, and seated with some rosy-cheeked folks who could have been my own aunts and uncles. As it turns out we stumbled into a major Detroit happening – what I now know as the infamous Maid of Erin contest. It was warm and the beer was cold so we decided to hunker down as people kept pouring in. Over the next several hours we were front-and-center for a part talent show, part family reunion that culminated in the boisterous, standing-room-only crowning of the young Maid of Erin. Weird? Cultish? Well, I’m not done.

You see, this was the mere kick off. Over the next month I had similar, surprising experiences. On the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day my parents called again, this time to invite me to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, right across from the DSO. I arrived at a church bursting at the seams with seemingly every Irish and Irish-for-the-day person within 200 miles, all for the lively, once-a-year St. Patrick’s Day mass. Bag pipes, Irish dancers and a sea of green – my head was swimming. I’ve been told that the church sponsors a post-mass ½ barrel of beer but was swept away before I could confirm. Why? It was parade day and we needed to move on.

Yes, that very same day, every year, the bricked-paved Michigan Avenue jumps to life with tail-gate-like parties stretching over a mile on either side. Tents, local Irish music and dance, and green everything – hats, hair, beads – all in anticipation of the spectacle that is the actual parade. I ended up at Nemos – but could have been anywhere on the route – and wondered out loud “where did all these people come from?” And there, with the sun’s hi-beam bursting through the clouds like a spot light right on her, was a hand-waving Maid of Erin. Yes, the very same girl who won the pageant that started this surreal madness in the first place. We had come fill circle, and I was now a believer!

But wait, there was more! A cousin or aunt or someone purporting to be either tucked me under their arm and guided me over another Detroit institution – Nancy Whiskey’s. This hole-in-the-wall, hidden bar pulls you into the darkness and makes you forget time – not always a good thing. More of the same ensued until I went home very tired, yet amazed at my day. And St. Patrick’s Day was still 4 days away.

The actual day found me skipping the WJR St. Patrick’s radio morning show (which I would later find out is yet, another long-standing tradition) only to be invited later by my uncle for a celebratory pint somewhere along…you guessed it…Michigan Avenue. The tents were still up from Parade Day and the mob must have remained too. Whew!

Did I mention this happens every year, with this year’s version starting to amp up right now? And this year, I’m happy to say, there’s an added bonus. You can take in all the local fun and cap it off with “one of the foremost Irish traditional music groups in the world,” according to the The New York Daily News – Ireland’s own Cherish the Ladies (at the DSO on the weekend of March 18^th). After that rush of activity you just might be ready for some more relaxing environs.

Link to the article: http://blog.detroitsymphony.com/2010/03/in-detroit-it’s-easy-being-green/

Talent Show Recap

2010-03-02T15:15:00.005-05:00

Just finished reading a great post from the Readymade Mag blog, where the editors reminisced about their trip to Detroit earlier this year. Check it out, it's good stuff.

Also, wanted to drop a line to say thanks for coming out to the Talent Show. It was a great turnout and we had a blast- all helping the worthy cause of bringing great coffee to Detroit. If you have any photos from the event, please email them to remainsofthed@gmail.com. Videos would be great too (I know they're out there-!). Can't wait for Astro.

And lastly, this blog is gonna get a makeover. Once I finish the overwhelming task of moving. Please be patient, but know that it's coming- it'll be worth it.

Oh- and just one more thing. If you haven't heard about it yet, check out this festival:

Talent Show Tonight!

2010-02-26T08:19:00.005-05:00

Can you rap like her?

Or entrance like him?

The list of acts is almost full, but there's still room for the last-minute entry!

(special thanks to NY Times for the gift of the Tufts University Applicant's Essay Videos)

See ya there!

Pisces - Sounds of the Zodiac

2010-02-21T20:00:00.006-05:00

The 'Sounds of the Zodiac' is brand new to the blog. It's a series of soundtracks for the Astrological Calendar composed by some of the heavy hitters from Detroit's music scene.

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We start in the last house of the astrological calendar - Pisces (18 Feb - 21 Mar), the sign of the twin fishes. Presiding over the occasion is Mr. Chris Koltay, who serves up a doublemix of tracks packaged neatly to drop right into your itunes library. Himself more of a psychadelic bear than a fish, Koltay still manages to show a keen grasp of this introspective watery sign.

Some words about Koltay: He runs Case Quarter recording studio in Corktown and gets his late night drinks at Slows and LJ's. Once in a while Chris takes a field trip down the street to the Lager House to see a rock show. Or up to Canada to record Akron Family in a country farmhouse. Or along some foreign coast with Deerhunter. It's hard to keep track. Along the way, Koltay's gathered quite an eclectic bag of music. See/Hear when you press play.

The download will take a few minutes. Please be patient. Enjoy.

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Click to drop the mix in your itunes: http://homepage.mac.com/claszlo/filechute/Pisces%201.zip

Sample tracks:
"Back Street Mirror"
"Historie A Suivre"
"If I Were A Carpenter"

1) My Time- The weirdest thing that will stick in your head all day long. Like lemonade that's a tad sour. Really sticks with you. (2) Echoes- Gene Clark was in The Birds. Then he made this killer record of am gold. (3) Golden Earrings- No idea about Gandalf but if you don't like this song you are probably not very much fun to hang out with and the people you spend time with know it. So does the rest of your band or the other bartenders at the bar where you work. (4) Back Street Mirror- David Hemmings is this british actor who put out this spacious gem. Like Lee Hazlewood if he was a british gentlemen with a smoking jacket. (5) The First Thing I Do In The Morning- This Joyce Williams track is clearly not about Marijuana, but every time I hear it I swear it is. (6) Don't You Feel Me- Damon is the Abercrombie & Fitch trustafarian college freshman kid that jams acoustic with his buddy Zane at the Phi Cheetah Cheetah house. Also, oddly enough, some '70's band kicking out killer sexual psych jams. (7) Sam- Pisces. Obvious choice. This song made Broadcast and Management sob lightly. It was a faint mist. Very Heavy. (8) Massive Place- Sic Alps simply rule. Totally. (9) Before- Jim Schoenfeld was a goalie for the Buffalo Sabres. Hard to imagine him making a record that's worth it's salt. Well he didn't. It sucks. This song however is gorgeous. (10) Histoire A Suivre- The Honeymoon Killers. French, hot, and difficult. So redundantly incredible. (11) If I Were A Carpenter- Tim Hardin sings songs that stop time. If I never hear the Bobby Darin version of this song again it will be too soon. Tim's version is amazing. (12) Armenia City In The Sky by The Who. Untouchable. (13) Silver Birch- Del Shannon's music is not my idea of a good time. Your mom referred to this guy as dreamy at some point. Silver Birch is really quite the jam. (14) Extention 68- No idea about Glass Prism. Smokin' fuzz solo. (15) Funky Woman- Awesome Parliament early recording from Osmium. This one is about a woman who has funky drawers. Unreal. (16) Wichita Lineman- You know this Glenn Campbell song. Written by Jim Webb (see Richard Harris below). (17) Call Me Animal- You know this MC5 song too. Well you should. You live in Detroit. I'm from Ohio and I had this shit years ago. (18) Tell Your Mama- Dave Hamilton is also from Detroit. He made some amazing songs you know and this one you might not. (19) I Am The Marshal- I know nothing about Elton Motello. This ended up on my iPod somehow. If you like Eno's early albums this is up your alley. (20) Okolona River Bottom Band- Bobbie Gentry. Again no idea. Sounds like a lot of stuff. Something really infectious here. (21) Air- Aphrodite's Child is Vangelis' old band. He wrote Chariots Of Fire. Totally great. (22) Give Me Daughters- Remember that great Walkmen record that came out that you liked for longer than 20 minutes? Neither do I. But these guys do. It's the same guys with singer who isn't a chump, basically. And better jams. (23) Paper Chase- Richard Harris played Rafer Janders in the movie The Wild Geese. He also made a few great records with Jim Webb. Mr.Webb wrote songs for Glenn Campbell.

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Click to drop the mix in your itunes: http://homepage.mac.com/claszlo/filechute/Pisces%202.zip

Sample Tracks:

"I've Been Out Walking"
"You Keep On Looking"
"Red Tuesday"

(1) The Be Colony- Broadcast have been making amazing music forever. They are staggeringly good. (2) Green Crystal Ties- The Zachary Thaks make pretty good garage rock most of the time. Occasionally they do something brilliant. This is the case with Green Crystal Ties. (3) I've Been Our Walking- Awesome Jackson Brown early demo. (4) The Plague is my favorite Scott Walker song. Hooky anthem about the plague? Sign me up. (5) To Love Somebody- Dara Puspita are like The Ronettes if they were Indonesian. (6) Hurry, Tuesday Child- I know nothing about Deena Webster but this song is striking to say the least. (7) Moon Beeps- The Intelligence are almost singlehandedly saving rock and roll one show at a time. (8) You Keep On Looking- Gary Wilson. The weirdest pimp you could ever imagine singing the hottest nerdy make out jam. (9) Brigitte- Brigitte Fontaine is killing shit on this mellow psych folk number. (10) Down To The Wire is easily the best Neil Young cut from the early solo era. (11) L'Abandon- This Jean Le Fennec song encapsulates so much of what is good about french psych. (12) Highways- Jim Sullivan make this great loner folk rock. (13) Las Habladurias Del Mundo- Pescado Rabioso is some amazing Argentinian '70's rock. His name means rabid fish in english! The whole record is totally solid but this is my favorite. (14) Heaven Is In Your Mind- I hate Steve Winwood. Everyone does. Traffic rules though and this one rips. (15) Patience Is Virtue- William S. Fischer allegedly made this record soon after getting back from Vietnam. Astonishingly kick ass slow funk. (16) Storm Cloud- Not so much about Wolf People. (17) Videsh O.S.T.- Seriously authentic old sounding psychedelic rock made in 2008! Bali Tima blow the roof off the joint with this Indian funk rager. (18) The Author In Her Ear- Strapping Fieldhands hail from Philadelphia. They make amazing rackety pop jams. (19) Requiem Pour Un Con- Serge Gainsbourg is undeniable. This one still gets me. (20) Technique Street- The Homosexuals are the best band ever. Proof positive that England does more than deep fry candy bars. (21) It's A Dream- This Little Ed song is a total mindblower. Daytripper funk. (22) Chain Of Circumstances (Replacement Version)- Camper Van Beethoven are california art hippy rock. They covered Tusk in it's entirety. (23) Magnificent Dreams- Television Personalities made the scene with Part Time Punks. Their first record blew minds. This is from their second equally as incredible record. (24) Red Tuesday- I liked this Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve band live and this song just seemed a nice outro.

Thanks for listening. This was written at 3 am on little sleep after a long day of tracking The Dirtbombs who also happen to be nine ways of awesome. Apologies for the ramble. Long live the Fish!

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Chris Koltay

Clients-

Studio-
Holy Fuck, The Dirtbombs, SSM, Akron Family, City Center, The Readies, Lee Marvin Computer Arm, Afghan Whigs, Hermano, My Morning Jacket, The Intelligence, Shoe, Mirror Twins (Sisters Lucas), Demolition Dollrods, Augustana, Vaux, Thin Lizzy, Gardens, etc.

Live-
Akron Family, Deerhunter, Enon, Holy Fuck, Broadcast, Liars, Women, The Dirtbombs, The Intelligence, Sick Of It All, A Place To Bury Strangers, White Williams, Vaux, Vega 4, The Selmanaires, etc

Recording Studios-

1995-2001:

Ultrasuede Studios
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

2005-present:

Case Quarter

Corktown, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Fall 2008:
Petit Eglise
Farnham, Quebec, Canada

Winter 2008:
Trout Recordings
Brooklyn, New York

Snowbirds Come Home to Roost

2010-02-21T16:09:00.003-05:00

By TOBY BARLOW

Published: February 20, 2010

New York Times OPINION —

RON AND PATTY COOLEY met and fell in love 42 years ago as students at Eastern Michigan University. After a stint at Ford in the early ’70s, they left Detroit behind, taking over her family’s modest real estate business upstate. The company prospered: for 30 years the two worked together, helping to finance, build and sell more than 1,000 homes.

With their two sons grown, Ron and Patty sold the business and semi-retired down to Naples, Fla. Ron took up golf, sometimes seven days a week, occasionally 36 holes in a day. Patty gardened. Their lives in the Sunshine State were relaxed and tranquil, the sort of serene ending that retirement brochures promise to us all. But, unsurprisingly, the collapse of the housing market had a serious impact on a couple with a nest egg tied up in real estate.

Ron and Patty looked around and did the math. Florida’s economy seemed to be declining even more steeply than the Motor City’s. In Detroit, they had roots, their sons had moved into the city and started a barbecue restaurant, grandchildren had arrived. So, weighing their options, they came back. They moved into a downtown loft, just a few blocks from the empty lot where Tiger Stadium once stood.

I first encountered Ron and Patty at an early morning fund-raiser for a neighborhood charity. Talking to them, I found that just like other new arrivals — the artists and recent college graduates coming here from other towns — they spoke of Detroit’s potential with an almost exalted optimism. Instead of depressing or slowing them down, the move has been a thrilling one and they shared examples of how exhilarating their life is downtown.

Being at the center of things means they can walk to the Avalon bakery on Saturday mornings and to the new Comerica Park for baseball games in the spring. Instead of endless golf, they now go to events like the fund-raiser where we met or lectures on design and sustainable development.

Talking about Florida, Ron sounds like someone who made it onto the lifeboat in the nick of time. Yes, they had to sell their home down there at a loss, but a former neighbor in Naples recently sold a similar house for less than half of what the Cooleys got. Ron estimates that with the nation’s battered 401(k) accounts, it could take decades before Florida returns to any sort of substantial growth.

Meanwhile, Patty and Ron are helping their sons expand their restaurant to a new location. Patty is involved in the local school system’s literacy program. Ron enjoys walking down the street to spend time with his grandchildren, the kind of time that, in his ambitious, younger days, he didn’t get to have with his own boys.

In the nation’s shared imagination, Detroit continues to be worse than a punch line — it’s an apocalyptic wasteland teetering right at the edge of the end of the world. When people hear that I live downtown, they ask, “Where do you get your groceries?” and “Where do you get your dry cleaning done?” and when I answer “Well, at the grocery store and the dry cleaners,” they simply look confused. In fact, few can imagine living a life here.

The truth is that my Detroit — and Ron and Patty’s Detroit — might no longer be a city where dreams come true the way they once did. But this story still demonstrates some important things: how lives and businesses can thrive here, how rewarding it can be to have family close and, at the very least, how nice it is that we’re not in Florida.

---

Link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/opinion/21barlow.html

Getting All Wilsonian

2010-02-19T09:50:00.008-05:00

Friday, January 29th, 2010

by Detroit Symphony Orchestra

http://blog.detroitsymphony.com/2010/01/getting-all-wilsonian/

by Jim Boyle —

Let me start by admitting that at one point in my naïve, narcissistic youth the Beach Boys were nothing more than an engine helping propel my scrawny, exuberant body down a mud-soaked hill at Pine Knob (we called it “surfing” at the time). Brian Wilson’s place in the pantheon of pop may have been gaining steam, but it was nowhere on my radar. It was only after my voice changed, my mind became more supple, and I started reading about, and hanging out with rock and pop music snobs from Detroit and beyond that I denoted a prevailing theme – Brian Wilson is some sort of genius.

Look no further than Detroit’s own Don Was for case study number one. Co-founder of the critically lauded funkish-rock-like-soul outfit Was (Not Was) and music producer for the likes of Bonnie Raitt and The Rolling Stones, Was knows a thing or two about music. When it comes to Brian Wilson, he may not have written the book but, he did direct the movie – a 1995 documentary about Wilson’s life, I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times. The movie was the culmination of years of working together, during which Was told Record Hunter magazine that “I realized he (Wilson) was the greatest of them all….he just invented impressionism in rock’n’roll music.” In the film, Tom Petty even gushes (is that possible?) about Wilson, “I don’t think you would be out of line comparing him to Beethoven.”

The critics, for their part, aren’t only intrigued with both the Brian Wilson myth (the troubled youth, drugs, mental illness, etc.) and music (the innovation, front-and-center harmonies, and on….), but how it continues to unravel in the broader pop canon. Everyone from indie darlings Animal Collective – who in many critical circles, including Spin Magazine, feel have last year’s best album in Merriweather Post Pavilian – to the well-regarded Fleet Foxes, are either compared to Wilson and the Beach Boys or site them as a major influence. If I only had a free iTunes song for every time someone said that Pet Sounds is “the greatest album…ever.”

Detroit’s unabashed purveyors of crisp, clean pop, Pas Cal, were swept up in Beach Boy comparisons almost from the start, even though they didn’t particularly consider them a musical influence (note to self, don’t name a song The Bronze Beached Boys). Pas Cal front man Casimer explains:

“I was always more of fan of the myth of Brian Wilson, that is, the crazed musical genius who locks himself in the studio for months recording 20 pianos all playing the same three notes, more than I was a fan of those three notes.” Adding that, “as time went on and we wrote and recorded more songs, I can kind of see what those critics were getting at, but it took us like 20 more songs & a lot of discovery for us to even remotely earn that description.”

All of which seems to underscore that, in the critic’s quick desire to contextualize our music, Brain Wilson sits at an undeniable perch in our cultural consciousness, invited or not.

In Detroit, where music nerds sometimes run thicker than traffic, you can’t throw your hair back without hitting someone who’s ready to flex their Brian Wilson knowledge. It’s a badge of honor that should be out in full force February 18-20 the DSO takes on the music of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys in their stunning venue. So if you want to get sense for what all the Brian-Wilson chatter is about jump, on board.

Movie Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3871015193/
Don Was: http://www.myspace.com/wasnotwasfreaks
Pas Cal Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qxrpgyil9M
Animal Collective in Spin Magazine: http://www.spin.com/gallery/40-best-albums-2009?page=40
Fleet Foxes: MySpace: http://www.spin.com/gallery/40-best-albums-2009?page=40

Beach Boy Al Jardine on the Fleet Foxes in Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/07/01/beach-boys-al-jardine-on-fleet-foxes-theyre-awesome/

Back Under the Cloudblanket

2010-02-15T14:02:00.002-05:00

After slipping out of town for a week - I'm slowly greasing up the wheels to pick up where things left off. Check back later in the week for a good nugget or two...

Around Town Today...

2010-02-02T15:52:00.004-05:00

A great video from the crazy fellas making an ice house...

Ice House Detroit: February 2

A nice article about some Frenchmen who think it's smart to invest in Detroit...

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/french020210.aspx

A rad little trailer from a Frenchman who's making a film about post-industrial Detroit (with footage of stoves being launched from a 10 storey window)...

http://www.vimeo.com/2371774

the best French fries in Detroit...

Motz (this link is broken)

Talent Show 2/26/10

2010-01-29T10:36:00.004-05:00

Remember when we posted that flyer a few weeks back for the Talent Show? Well, if you don't- no sweat, because we had a few minor details to work out with that version. Nothing much, just mainly a couple of grammar mistakes & such. Punctuation, that kind of thing. Sometimes you just get so excited that you hit enter before you really take a careful read of something. Here's the official goods... Designed by Kristen Dean

Best Show Posters of '09

2010-01-22T14:23:00.006-05:00

We asked six of the best show poster artists around Detroit to send us their best stuff from 2009. Check out a handful from each and vote for your favorite (once I figure out how to get blogger's polling button to work right!).

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/haute-2-deaths-09-posters.html

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/nina-bianchis-09-posters.html

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/pinky-blasters-09-posters.html

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/macho-citys-09-posters.html

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/michael-hanlons-09-posters.html

http://remainsofthed.blogspot.com/2010/01/ben-lucketts-09-posters.html

Enjoy!

Nina Bianchi's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:22:00.003-05:00

Pinky Blaster's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:21:00.003-05:00

Macho City's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:19:00.002-05:00

Haute 2 Death's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:17:00.002-05:00

Michael Hanlon's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:16:00.002-05:00

Ben Luckett's '09 Posters

2010-01-22T14:11:00.002-05:00

Phil Cooley Lecture

2010-01-22T09:57:00.004-05:00

A Staggering Tale of Fabulous Success

2010-01-18T09:14:00.004-05:00

By TOBY BARLOW

Published: December 8, 2009

Under the Influence Magazine

http://www.undertheinfluencemagazine.com —

It is rumored that in the spring of 1951 a mystical genie appeared in a vision before Albert Como, the last great Republican mayor of Detroit. She was wearing feather boas, leather pants and a slightly transparent loose lace top that the mayor could not help but oogle at as this particular wardrobe style would not become fashionable until the Motor City’s own Suzi Quatro ruled the airwaves almost a quarter century later.

The mayor had just returned to his home after a boozy roast dinner with the Greater Hamtramck Polish League and had settled in for little a nightcap of rye on ice by the fire. The rest of his household was fast asleep. The inebriated and tired mayor, wanting to refresh his drink, reached again for the rye but instead accidentally picked up an old dusty ceramic bottle. Now, nobody is sure where the mysterious bottle came from, but there are records that he had earlier received it as a gift from a visiting Palestinian delegation. Whatever its source, he grappled to get the top off and inadvertently released the genie.

Arriving in a flash of smoke and glitter, she immediately asked him for his greatest wish. Awestruck but still in the heady throes of the evening’s Pole Town political theater, the mayor immediately proclaimed, “I want victory for the people!” She asked if he meant all the people everywhere at which he came to his senses, snarled, scoffed and said, “Hell, no. Only the bastards who voted for me!”

With that, she was gone.

Cobo had, in fact, hoped for three wishes, he thought that was how genies generally operated. His second wish was going to be for thirty million dollars and his last wish would have been a night of rough, sweaty and slightly deviant carnal bliss with the feather laden genie herself, but as it turned out that one single wish was all he got.

Whether this slightly fabulous story is true or not, it is certainly true that what followed was the greatest success story of all time. All the people who voted for Mayor Cobo were indeed victorious. The A.F.L. union workers and the middle class whites who had supported him continued to get generous raises from the automobile companies, even the rival C.I.O. union prospered, and so great was their victory that, one by one, they were able to pack up their belongings and head right out of Detroit’s city limits, driving off to resettle in the blossoming suburban neighborhoods of Royal Oak, Ferndale and Sterling Heights.

The vast global corporations that had funneled money into his coffers were victorious as well, and soon they too left their downtown high rises behind, constructing vast business parks for themselves on the outskirts of town in cities like Warren, Southfield, and Troy, and consequently gutting Detroit’s tax base.

In the end the only people who were left behind were the ones Mayor Cobo had shown little interest in, the poor, the minorities, and the unskilled laborers.

There are those who will tell you Detroit’s demise began over a decade later, with the violent race riots of 1967, but that was just an accelerant to an urban unraveling that had, in fact, already begun. In fact, with the G.I. Bill and the UAW labor victories, the great American Dream was born, spawning a prosperous middle class that viewed urban living as less aspirational than the more placid suburban lifestyle being packaged and sold to them by real estate developers, department stores, and television commercials. If you could get out by golly you got out and thanks to — depending which story you believe —the successful struggle of organized labor or the appearance of a voluptuous genie by Albert Como’s fireside, there were now over a million people who could afford to leave Detroit, precipitating the sort of massive civic breakdown not unlike the hive collapse syndrome currently plaguing bee populations everywhere.

We are left with what remains, a city rife with contradiction. It is neither a completely blank slate nor is it truly a functional urban center. It is not a complete ruin nor is there anything resembling a prosperous sustainable economy. The city is rich with opportunity, ripe for the taking, while at the same time short-sighted opportunists continue to create obstacles to progress. The city stands as a beacon of failure while at the same time there are inspirational new stories of success. For instance, while some bemoan the fact that not one chain supermarket operates within the city limits, excellent small independent businesses like the Honeybee Supermarket prosper. Instead of an Outback Steakhouse we have Slows barbecue, which is regularly packed to the rafters. Instead of a Pottery Barn, there’s the Bureau of Urban Living where a holiday shopper can always find unique, idiosyncratic gifts. Finally, in a world of million dollar tear-downs, we have real estate market so devalued, you can easily buy a refurbishable house for less than a hundred dollars.

Adding to the sense of possibility is the fact that these opportunities can be found in a place that is as close to a natural eden as one could reasonably hope to find. In a world threatened by increased coastal flooding and rising sea levels, Detroit is situated a two hundred miles inland. In a world where fresh water is increasingly scarce, we comfortably rest between two of the world’s most enormous freshwater lakes. In a world where heat and drought are on the rise, we enjoy a reasonably temperate climate and healthy precipitation.

It is all here for us.

So in one way or the other, this is the city of the future. Our collective wisdom will either lead to a renewal of civic responsibility or we will squander one of the greatest opportunities for rebirth that the world has ever seen. There has never been a city as successful as Detroit and the absolute proof is that a vast number of people were able to leave because, for good or ill, they could all follow their dreams. Now it is time for a new dream. Now it is time for a new kind of success. Like Mayor Cobo alone in his study, the choice is ours.

---

Twelve Young Versions of Twenty-Ten

2010-01-11T04:00:00.004-05:00

(posted on a doorway in the Cass Corridor)

In a city that's used to some pretty rough media coverage, journalists feasted like sloppy gluttons on Detroit in '09. My friends and relatives back in Chicago read all this stuff and ask me if I'm some kind of crazy Sadist for moving to Detroit. They can't fathom why I would ever want to set foot here, let alone buy a house and plant my roots. "Aren't you supposed to drive thru red lights at night in Detroit...?"

Well, there's plenty of good reasons to spend time and get to know Detroit, and as Toby Barlow just wrote in his article for 'Under the Influence Magazine's' Detroit Issue, this place can grant you your wishes. So, as we at the Remains of the D kick off our first 'two week project' (hopefully not destined to become the "too weak project!"), we want to take a minute to let a range of the young voices that make up today's Detroit say some words about 2010. We hit up 12 people under the age of 40 with a questionnaire and asked that they keep it brief. Some of them did, others kinda didn't- but they're all worth reading. Click on each person's link to read their full responses. Enjoy.

---

"In 2009 I received anywhere from 3 to 10 emails a week from some journalists somewhere asking me to help them with their stories about Detroit because they've come across my website..."

-Jim Griffioen, sweetjuniper.com (click to read more)

"I moved back to Detroit because of the possibilities here. Detroit's struggles are real, and so are the statistics. However, it's how we, as a community, react to these adversities, and learn from our difficult past... It is clear that the people of Detroit are it's greatest assets..."

-Phillip Cooley, Slows Bar B Q (click to read more)

"Young people in Detroit have the ability to act on their dreams and try out new and risky ideas in a way that is not as possible in other cities. We feel like the things we can do in Detroit are limitless and, because the cost of living is low, we can afford to be creative in how we structure our lives."

-Andy & Emily Linn, City Bird (click to read more)

"...you can either follow headlines and allow them to dictate your way of thinking, or you can aspire to make your own. When you decide to look at the city in a positive light, you become free to the many ways in which change is in fact possible."

-Daisuke Hughes, Astro Coffee (click to read more)

"My favorite thing of '09 was witnessing positive change and being a part of it, despite the negativity."

-Rachel Leggs, Rachel's Place (click to read more)

"A lot of people were excited about the elections of Dave Bing and Charles Pugh... But the specifics on their policies seemed to be missing from the conversation. I think the same can be said of the city on a broader level. The energy is here but we as a community have to get more engaged to see true change."

-Roland Leggett, ACLU (click to read more)

"Detroit is probably the one city that a group of college age fuckups can start a theatre for six grand."

-Burton Theatre (click to read more)

"I think the events of last year are going to motivate people to step up and get involved in their communities. Almost 2000 people signed on to be tutors in Detroit Public schools in the past few months and work on the gardens around town are on point. Small contributions can go a long way in this town and people are ready to give back."

-Larry Williams, assistant prosecutor (click to read more)

"Among the millions of little articles about Detroit, few are able to articulate the nuts and bolts of why people choose to live here. It's interesting to watch the majority of writers try to understand Detroit."

-Torya Blanchard, Good Girls Go to Paris (click to read more)

"Out with the “O” nine, in with the twenty dime and my laser guns be soundn’ like pew, pew, pew, pew."

-Hygienic Dress League (click to read more)

"In the fall of 2010... Zach Klein and I will be opening a charcuterie shop named Corridor Sausage Co. in the Cass Corridor."

-Will Branch, The Whitney (click to read more)

As we wait for Macho City to wake up after their latest gig, please take another look at the bold action in that photo. Feel the beat and wonder. Their responses are coming soon...

Dave Bing Party at Hugh

2010-01-05T11:58:00.002-05:00

Photos taken by Dorota Coy Bilica

PWPP (People With Playboy Pics)

2010-01-05T11:49:00.002-05:00

Thanks for giving us the green light to look, Hugh!
& thanks for the pics, Dorota

Phillip Cooley's Version

2010-01-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

Phillip Cooley & company opened Slows Bar-B-Q just a few years ago. When he's not helping make that place a wild success, Phil does things like build parks and teach kids how to use power tools.

---

Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I am in Detroit because I wish to be here. I am very fortunate to have experienced life in many other cities, but I moved back to Detroit because of the possibilities here. Detroit's struggles are real, as are the statistics. However, it's how we, as a community, react to these adversities, and learn from our difficult past. This is a city like no other, and rather than strive to become the next Williamsburg or Berlin, I am hopeful that Detroit will learn from the past successes, and failures, of other great urban centers. I have never lived in an urban environment with such a strong sense of community. It is clear that the people of Detroit are it's greatest assets, something the media continually fails to comprehend. The people and Detroit's other strengths, infrastructure, industrial know-how, architectural heritage, and urban agriculture, to name a few, don't typically make headlines. I do not wish to generalize, but many in the mainstream media, especially in the United States, seem to lack the mental capacity to see our potential. I do not always blame them. When I moved here seven years ago I had an inkling of what I would find, but I am surprised and inspired by this place every day.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

I am optimistic for our new government. This is the first time I've felt this way since Kwame Kilpatrick took office. Mayor Bing's appointments that I have had experience with have been incredibly progressive. I am also excited about Governor Granholm's appointment of Robert Bobb.

I hope more Detroiters see the possibilities that abound and take pride in their city. It's hard. People who have lived here for as long as sixty years in this man-made "disaster" find it hard to be optimistic. But it is growing. More and more, I see people volunteering, standing up for themselves, growing their own food, etc. Personally, I hope to continue to learn from my mistakes - and make fewer of them.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

This is a city that allows us great freedom. It's up to us to use that freedom to positively affect our community. When you move to Detroit, you have a chance to be who you want to be. Here, you are who-you-say-you-are, as long as you do the work. In other cities, you are who-you-are-told-to-be (until you grow old and then become who you were twenty to thirty years ago, but with half the energy and openness). This city is a blank canvas and it's residents are the artists. Ryan Schirmang said it best, "I have friends that are musicians, baristas, architects, painters, and bankers. Anywhere else, architects only hang out with architects, musicians only hang out with musicians..." when describing the creative environment with such great collaborations from diverse perspectives.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

I opened a restaurant with my partners in Detroit because I am an environmentalist. I believe in dense urban areas. I also feel that environmental justice is about people and community and that, by creating 61 jobs in an impoverished community and showing that success is possible in such an environment, that we are truly a triple bottom line company: Caring not only for the environmental and fiscal impact of our business, but also about the social impact. I find many reasons - fiscally, environmentally, and socially - to open a business in Detroit.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

Burton Theatre, Mayor Bing (so far), City Council, City Bird, Leopold's, Good Girls Go To Paris expansion, Le Petit Zinc and Supino's hitting their stride; a better than expected Tigers team; ping pong at the Lager House, Shangri-la, Roast Happy Hour and bar menu, Honey Bee Expansion, Eastern Market Expansion/Improvements, Dequindre Cut, ROC United coming to town; ClandesDine, Macho City, Majestic Cafe revamp, Hugh, Re-View Gallery, and much more.

Burton Theatre's Version

2010-01-01T17:50:00.001-05:00

The Burton Theatre set up shop in an empty school in the Cass Corridor, screening films in the second floor auditorium. They put a pool table in the boys' bathroom.

---

Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I think to an extent there was a sizable correlation between the media's coverage and approach to Detroit and our experiences. On a microcosmic level we were able to experience troubles and impasses with the city government and the police department. Our zoning hearing was a great example of why this city finds itself in the undesirable spot it's in, between the neighbourhood in-fighting and the perception from city officials that any thing outside of the downtown/foxtown area is unworkable and, maybe more alerting, uninhabitable. It took the zoning board of 5 people about a half an hour to acknowledge that we were not a porn theatre but in fact a credible operation moving in to an area just off the campus of one of the most densely attended colleges in the country.

All that aside though it is definitely a more workable city than the media would have you believe. There are so many committed and pro-Detroit people within the area that would do almost anything to help you succeed. From the other small business owners in the area to the actual patrons who have donated art for our walls and even time watching our parking lot there is a much stronger sense of community than the media would have you believe.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

I think the major difference in the city for us would be a stronger year where people are figuring out that we are a destination and further, we will strive to make a stronger commitment to programming for the city. It took us a little while to get an idea of what people in this town want to pay to see. With money as tight as it is for most people and the fact that, whatever you think about the city it is definitely a place where nightlife and entertainment remains competitive. What other city in the country can you get a beer for $2? So we are working to keep our place a new destination and maybe drop the idea that we are a "hidden gem." The goal for us and hopefully every other small business in the area is to just be a gem. We need to drop the idea that Detroit exists as a big city that you can hunt around and adventurously find the cool little spots. Granted, I love making a new discovery in this town but it would be nice to lose the perception of being a bright spot in a bad city. Can we instead just start to look at this place as an actual functional city? - and perhaps when we do it will encourage other places to open and take on the hidden gem moniker.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

I think we live in Detroit because it is a place where you can make things happen. We have all lived in other towns and experienced life in bigger or more vibrant towns but there is a certain energy in Detroit that you can tap into and really feel like you are making a big difference. David (one of the gentlemen who runs the BURTON) summed this up best when he observed that when you move to most major cities you ask what can New York/Chicago/LA do for me, but in Detroit you are asking what can I do for Detroit. There is such a strong sense of caring and community and further a thriving art scene that makes this place almost an island. We all know the perception of this town and we can have this whole town to ourselves as everyone outside remains dismissive. Speaking specifically toward the Burton it also remains that Detroit is probably the one city that a group of college age fuckups can start a theatre for six grand.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

The reason why not Royal Oak, New York, Chicago is the fact that there isn't this type of energy. When my car was stolen I moved to Royal Oak and to say I was unimpressed is a great understatement. The surrounding towns and larger towns in this country have lost their personality; they have become larger suburbs with taller buildings. New York specifically feels this way to me. Remove the gritty romance and the post 9/11 feelings of fellowship and actually walk through that town. I found things to be a Royal Oak hiding in the New York facade. I can only drink at so many Caribou's, eat at so many Rio Wraps and night cap at so many TGI Friday's. There is something so unimpressive about a city - no matter how big - that has traded character for a Barnes and Noble. I think that we are lucky in this town to be so removed from the corporate radar as such an undesirable destination. We are lucky that we have scared Wal-Mart away, because instead you can shop at the Bureau of Urban Living. Borders couldn't sustain so we can instead go to KING and Leopold’s. I like that about this town, dive bars everywhere and 20 stop shopping. That said, the major plus I think is a high quality of life for a low cost of living. Detroit is a very cheap town and that to me is a very appealing thing.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

Selfishly my favourite thing in Detroit in '09 was the city's residents making Taxidermia (a bizarre Hungarian film that we showed at the Burton) the biggest surprise cult film of the year. At our tiny theatre it out grossed every other theatre in the country.

Outside of the Burton I have to say that the best part of Detroit this year was finding Open City (a great resource for small Businesses).

Will Branch's Version

2010-01-01T17:10:00.001-05:00

Will Branch plans to open the Corridor Sausage Company in the Cass Corridor of Detroit in 2010 and loves the Spartans. (wish I could somehow poke some fun at that, but my Wolverines have been slacking lately on all fronts).

---

Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I have seen enough pictures of the Corktown Train station to last a lifetime. From Time magazine to local media to every hipster with a digital camera, we are often given this husk of a building as a symbol for decades of neglect and mismanagement in the city (or as a memorial to the infamous Megatron rampage of ’07). I am sick of these pictures. When I look back at 2009 I want to remember the symbols that we cheered for, and no single cheer was louder than that of a green and white crowd at Ford Field on April 4, 2009 when the Michigan State Spartans defeated the Connecticut Huskies in the Final Four semifinals. A lot of media coverage was dedicated to how the Spartans were lifting up and saving a city. Even coach Tom Izzo admitted to playing with a burden for the city. Maybe there was some overstatement but maybe there wasn’t. Before the game, when I stood in the Ford Field atrium and looked out the windows at 30,000 plus fans dressed in green and white lining the city streets, or when the 60,000 – 70,000 Spartan fans took over what was technically a neutral site, it was impossible not to be lifted up. As Detroiters, we love our sports. We make a holiday of the Tigers opening day, spend too much time wondering who the Lions will draft, and give our hearts to the Pistons and Red Wings during their annual playoff runs. As excellently detailed in Sports Illustrated’s September 2009 cover story “The Righteous Franchise: The Tiger’s Bold Stand with Their Fans,” sports aren’t just a leisure activity in Detroit. They are a symbol and an escape. Sometimes that is what we need. Something to cheer for.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

Well, the Pistons and Red Wings are off to disappointing starts and the Tigers look doomed to a year of rebuilding and cost cutting so lets not talk about sports as a metaphor for this one. In the fall of 2010, should everything go according to schedule, my business partner Zach Klein and I will be opening a charcuterie shop name Corridor Sausage Co. in the Cass Corridor. We will have fresh and smoked sausages, cured meats, and other delicious meat based products. A lot of these items are part of a dying craft in this country, but it is something we both love, and are grateful for the chance to bring some of it to Detroit. Currently, we sell to various restaurants in Detroit and Ann Arbor but are excited about expanding that, retail space, and maybe even home delivery.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

I guess I should say I live here for friends and family. Honestly, where else can you get great Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Lao cuisine all within a few miles?

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

Right now, I am the sous chef at The Whitney so it is pretty nice to work in a beautiful 1800’s mansion. Plus the food is pretty good.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

Other than my afore mentioned love for the Spartans? Well, I did get married in 2009. It was a pretty beautiful day out at Stony Creek Metro Park – lots of friends and families, good slow smoked BBQ, excellent beer from Atwater Brewery, and a beautiful misty ceremony in the woods. Distinctly Michigan.

Andy & Emily Linn's Version

2010-01-01T16:46:00.001-05:00

In the summer of '09 Andy & Emily Linn opened City Bird, offering a mix of vintage clothing and locally designed objects. They are not a couple.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

When we read most articles about the city we feel like they are about a completely different place than the Detroit where we live. Many of the negative aspects of Detroit featured in recent media coverage are true, but there are so many opportunities here and great things happening which are often overlooked by national media. While the essence of the national focus seems to be of Detroit as the epicenter of the recession and a symbol of decline, our version of Detroit is a place of hope and possibility where young people especially are able to accomplish goals and projects that might be financially or physically impossible in other places.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

We’re excited about changes in local politics and development: some new City Council members, the city charter being revised, council being elected by district, the further development of the Sugar Hill Arts District, the Riverwalk, and the Dequindre Cut, and strides in bringing light rail to the region. As in 2009, we hope that our neighborhood will continue to become more walkable, with new restaurants, stores, galleries and services. We live down the street from Emily’s elementary school and it has been amazing to see the positive changes that have occurred in our neighborhood since she attended that school. After standing empty for a few years, her old school itself now houses an art-house theater, which is representative of the changes taking place.

For us personally, in 2010 we will continue to expand the store that we recently opened and we will each move into our own new houses in the neighborhood. We look forward to having the opportunity to help new businesses open nearby, just as our current neighbors have helped us.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

We live in Detroit because it is one of the most incredible and unique cities in the world. Detroit has resources, cultural amenities, and architecture that are vestiges of its prosperous past, while at the same time any new idea is possible. Young people in Detroit have the ability to act on their dreams and try out new and risky ideas in a way that is not as possible in other cities. We feel like the things we can do in Detroit are limitless and, because the cost of living is low, we can afford to be creative in how we structure our lives. Additionally, our family has lived in Detroit for seven generations and we feel very connected to this place. We love riding our bikes and exploring Detroit – we have lived here for most of our lives and we still find new things almost every day. 

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

We recently opened a store in Midtown called City Bird. We sell work by about 50 other artists and designers as well as our own line of Detroit-themed housewares and accessories. Additionally, Emily is an artist and works in the art studio at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Andy is a consultant at Zachary and Associates, a planning and development firm.

We like working and owning our store in Detroit because we really care about Detroit, not only because it’s our home, but because we feel like we have a real stake in our community and an opportunity to make an difference in our neighborhood. Opening our store has been an amazing experience - we’re grateful that we have received such incredible support from other small business owners and our neighbors. Because rent is cheaper here than in other places, and because of the inspiring network of small business owners (organized loosely through a great organization called Open City), opening our brick and mortar store was less daunting than it would have been elsewhere.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

2009 exemplified the cooperative spirit and unlimited potential in Detroit. Last year we were most excited about all the new places that opened! Leopold’s Books, the Burton Theater, Hugh, Rachel’s Place, the Dequindre cut, Le Petit Zinc, the Green Garage, Shangri La, Curl up and Dye, Hello Records, The Lot, and Good Girls Go to Paris were some of our favorites.

Jim Griffioen's Version

2010-01-01T08:06:00.001-05:00

Jim and his wife Sara's blog 'Sweet Juniper' helps to explain the adventures of parenting in Detroit.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

Yes. In 2009 I received anywhere from 3 to 10 emails a week from some journalists somewhere asking me to help them with their stories about Detroit because they've come across my website, and I'm just some white guy who moved here from California four years ago. Before the 2009 media orgy really built up steam I did show a few journalists around. I was the bookish band geek who'd caught the eye of the high school quarterback ("Time Magazine wants me to show them around!") after a couple weeks of that I became the raspy-voiced slut smoking a cigarette in the back seat of Vice Magazine's 1983 Trans Am. When Vice asked me to show them around I said 'no I'm not showing any more New Yorkers around Detroit' and then they asked me if I would help them write a story about why I didn't want to show any more New Yorkers around Detroit. That turned into a widely-read story on the Detroit national media shitstorm. I hope some of these people parachuting in to write about the city are more aware now that everyone else has been ridiculed for working from the same preconceived template.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

I try not to pay too much attention to what year it is. If I do I just start feeling old, like when you see that kids born in 1992 can buy cigarettes now.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

I moved here intentionally from San Francisco. The people who can't understand why we love Detroit often cite silly reasons like a lack of "shopping" or "ethnic dining" when pressed about why they wouldn't want to live here. In San Francisco or New York or Chicago, I always find myself retreating into the mentality of a "consumer." What can I buy? What is the trendiest place to eat? I had to consume in order to justify how hard I was working at a job that paid well but did nothing for my spirit. Unfortunately, neither did buying "stuff." In Detroit, the landscape is different. With so little commercial activity, the feeling of being just another consumer is flipped to where almost by necessity your creative instincts take over. I like to think that the landscape of other cities trains you to be a consumer; in Detroit, you have to be creative just to survive.

But even as a consumer in Detroit, you have the chance to support endeavors started by other creative people you might have a personal relationship with, or businesses that have stuck around for years because the national chains never bothered coming here. It's been said before in a variety of ways, but I really love that the city seems to nourish a creative spirit in just about anyone who comes here (though, without tempering some expectations it is easy to be overzealous and ultimately disappointed).

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

As a parent, I don't get out much in the evening. I enjoy exploring the city with my kids, especially in the warmer months on our modified 1962 Schwinn 3-seater racer. We love looking for pheasants. We like all the nature and overgrown stuff. I grew up in the country and parts of Detroit feel a lot more like the places I explored as a kid than anything out in the suburbs or even the now-developed area where I grew up (outside Kalamazoo). I also like meeting people I'd never encounter in a suburb or some big city full of other boring yuppies just like me.

As far as a job, I was a lawyer in San Francisco but haven't had a real job here other than taking care of my kids and maintaining a blog that reaches a few thousand people every day and actually pays the bills.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

The grand opening of the Dequindre Cut. There were marching bands, free food, hundreds of bikes and pedestrians and dogwalkers, and an appearance from Mayor Bing. It was a beautiful day and everyone out there had a really good time.

Rachel Leggs' Version

2010-01-01T07:58:00.001-05:00

Rachel Leggs has packed a tiny, century-old row house in Corktown with a great collection of vintage apparel for men and women, making it very easy to find good clothing for her photoshoot.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I did see a correlation in the local media. The local media really worked hard to highlight positive businesses in Detroit and good things happening around our city.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

I think the city as a whole will become even more positive than it was in 2009. I want to make more of an effort to bring positive change to the city by volunteering.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

I live here because I love it! It's that simple. Corktown is the only place I've ever really felt at home.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

Art, food, music and fashion. I own a vintage shop. None of the other places are my city. DETROIT.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

My favorite thing of '09 was witnessing positive change and being a part of it, despite the negativity.

Torya Blanchard's Version

2010-01-01T07:57:00.001-05:00

Torya Blanchard owns and operates Good Girls Go to Paris, a creperie with two locations in the city of Detroit. She was featured in the New York Times just yesterday.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

No. Among the millions of little articles about Detroit, few are able to articulate the nuts and bolts of why people choose to live here. It's interesting to watch the majority of writers try to understand Detroit.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

New city council. And for me personally, hopefully I'll be getting a new house to renovate in Brush Park and a GGGTP location in Grosse Pointe Park.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

It has taken my entire life to cultivate and tame the city. I can only quote Milton by saying "The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of hell and a hell of heaven." Detroit's not so different from other places. We just have a lot of space.

Why not open GGGTP in Royal Oak? in Chicago? in NYC?

Royal Oak has a lot of restaurants in it's downtown already. But I would love for someone to open up a GGGTP in Chicago. Ditto for New York.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

I rediscovered my new favorite store in Detroit, the "Big" Book Store on Cass near Wayne State. Bill, the shopkeeper, has been working there since ever I was in high school. That place makes me deliriously happy.

Hygienic Dress League's Version

2010-01-01T07:56:00.001-05:00

The Hygienic Dress League ties up a lot of the ad space on abandoned buildings in Detroit.

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A message about Detroit from HDL:

“…No, never ever, come back and try again man  If you come back, I'll be the first to shake your hand  Competitions good, it brings out the vital parts  The Abstract Poetic, majors in recital arts  Do it for the kids, the elders and the rap peers  When the job is done, then we hear a lot of cheers  Gotta feel the vibes, come from my creation  If the hands clap are filled with elation  Here I am ghetto, full with a lot of steam  Think I gotta, I think I gotta, I think I gotta scream  'cause that's how good it feels child  Let your hair down, so we can get buckwild  Do your ill dance, don't think about the next man  We must have unity and think of the bigger plan  The vision, we fall, we must stick together…”

Tribe Called Quest

Roland Leggett's Version

2010-01-01T07:54:00.001-05:00

Roland Leggett is the field organizer for the Michigan chapter of the ACLU. He got that sweet jacket at Value World.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I did see a correlation in the sense that there was an obvious degree of change in the air here. I think the media did an adequate job of capturing some of that energy. However, I think the specifics were lost on a lot of people. A lot of people were excited about the elections of Dave Bing and Charles Pugh, for example. But the specifics on their policies seemed to be missing from the conversation. I think the same can be said of the city on a broader level. The energy is here but we as a community have to get more engaged to see true change.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

Well, the gubernatorial election has a lot of potential impact. The US Social Forum this June will be a great event too. I’m also excited to see community nutrition and alternative energy increasingly becoming a part of the local conversation. I know I plan on logging a lot more time on my bike when the weather changes.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

Life for me wouldn’t work anywhere else in Michigan. The energy, creativity and resolve that people have here is incredible and inspiring. Most of the things we’d like to see happen here in the city, we have to work together to accomplish. So we exchange ideas with our neighbors and have conversations about what we can do as individuals to effect change here in the city. That’s one thing I never experienced growing up in the suburbs.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

I love music and I love to eat and there’s an abundance of great restaurants and great music here. I also have a passion for social justice and politics. I’m the field organizer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. While we’re a national organization, the issues and the challenges we have here in Michigan are particularly unique. Additionally, I feel a particular connection to our office and Michigan in general because I’m from here.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

It’s a self serving answer but my favorite things that have happened here were getting a job that I love in the city and finding a great apartment. They’ve enabled me to get the more engaged in the community that I’ve ever been. As much as I love the city it isn’t lost on me how fortunate I am to live here while not having the struggles so many of my neighbors face.

Daisuke Hughes' Version

2010-01-01T07:53:00.001-05:00

Daisuke Hughes plans to open Astro Coffee in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood in 2010. It will be in the storefront with the star painted on it, right over his shoulder in the photo to be exact.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

Yes and No. Yes in the sense that I had lost my job in February and joined the legions of unemployed in the city, where headlines of doom and gloom didn't exactly soften the blow. And no in the sense that you can either follow headlines and allow them to dictate your way of thinking, or you can aspire to make your own. When you decide to look at the city in a positive light, you become free to the many ways in which change is in fact possible. By meeting and surrounding myself with people who share this way of thinking, I've been able to avoid the relentless negativity, and enjoyed a very positive 2009 given the circumstances.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

I think 2010 will be different simply because it is not 2009. As unkind to the city as this past year was, the general sense around town is one of optimism for 2010 and good riddance to 2009. However dismal the outlook, we are still in the midst of a revival. There are those that acknowledge this and those that don't, but keeping this positive momentum going is certainly a focus for myself and sounds to be that of others as well. There are a lot of important projects that could break ground in 2010, both of large and small proportion that could really define where the city is going.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

Well, I have one of those typical stories of having grown up in the region and having quickly exported myself anywhere but here. Over the course of seven years I chose to live in New York, London, Sydney, and Tokyo before finally booking a ticket to return to Detroit. Moving back to the states was a big deal and I was deciding between a move back to Brooklyn, or a new and uncharted territory only 40 minutes from my hometown of Ann Arbor. Clearly it was Detroit in the end, and so far no regrets. The biggest factor for me was understanding that Detroit needs people like us, desperately. It is wide open to those creative and resilient enough to see its potential and to work towards it. The reward in that is much greater than I could accomplish becoming another statistic in Brooklyn's constantly growing creative class.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

Well, I'm currently working on opening a specialty coffee shop in Corktown called Astro Coffee, a few doors down from Slow's Bar BQ. Its been an intense process that has seen nearly every new small business owner in the city lending their knowledge and support for my venture as I've done for theirs. Its a beautiful thing. What other major city could you open an 800 sq. ft. shop and expect anybody to care or take notice like they do here? With the help of a strong word of mouth community and online publications such as Model D, we've got a lot of exposure and support at the moment. People want a cool city and we're starting to see visable signs of that.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

The best aspects of 2009 for me was seeing the comeback of the small independent retailer. With the likes of CityBird, Leopold's, Hugh, Good Girls Go To Paris, Shangri La, Supino's, and the Burton Theatre; we saw tremendous strides towards becoming the city we all dream of. People are taking it upon themselves to fill gaps in our offerings and are helping to make the city more attractive to residents and visitors alike.

Larry Williams' Version

2010-01-01T07:52:00.001-05:00

Aside from putting criminals in the slammer, assistant prosecutor Larry William plays bass guitar for the band Tyvek.

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Did you see correlation between your experience of Detroit and the media's depiction in 2009?

I think most Detroiters are not paying much attention to media's depiction of the city. This is old hat for anyone that's been around here for some time.

What'll be different about 2010- for the city? For you personally?

2010 is going to be better for the city. I think the events of last year are going to motivate people to step up and get involved in their communities. Almost 2000 people signed on to be tutors in Detroit Public schools in the past few months and work on the gardens around town are on point. Small contributions can go a long way in this town and people are ready to give back.

Why do you live in Detroit? How's it different from other places?

Family and friends are the main reason that I'm in Detroit.

What kind of things do you get into in Detroit? Do you have a job? What is it? Why not do it in Royal Oak? in Chicago? NYC?

I work as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Wayne County, outside of work I play bass guitar in a couple of bands and spin records every other week at Jumbo's. Living in Detroit, I'm five minutes from the Courts downtown and close to most of places that I hang out at.

What's your favorite thing that happened here in 2009?

My favorite event was the opening show at The Lot, "Cooking with Power Tools". Shouts out to Mary Beth Carolan and host Kathy Leisen for putting on a wonderful show.

How a Billionaire Can Make a Billion Dollars

2009-12-30T12:21:00.001-05:00

Toby's latest - printed in the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/toby-barlow/how-a-billionaire-can-mak_b_404253.html

Talent Show Venue Scouting

2009-12-18T10:06:00.003-05:00

A message from the Polish Veteran Hall's board of directors:

Dave Bing Holiday Party Poster

2009-12-17T10:27:00.003-05:00

Hanging Meats in Detroit

2009-12-15T11:44:00.004-05:00

This photograph shows a recent pancetta & chorizo hanging in the basement of O'Connor Development on Michigan Avenue in Detroit, the early stages of our "Charcuterie Club," known also as "Meat Club." Pictured, from left: Mr. Dave Mancini, Mr. Chalres Sorel, Mr. Phillip Cooley and Mr. Putnam Weekley.

The gentlemen:
Mr. Mancini - Supino Pizzeria (www.supinopizza.com)
Mr. Sorel - Le Petit Zinc (www.lepetitzincdetroit.com), Lafayette Cafe (www.99cafelafayette.com), Chez Oskar (www.chezoskar.com)
Mr. Cooley - Slows Bar-B-Q (www.slowsbarbq.com)
Mr. Weekley- Detroit Drinks (www.detroitdrinks.com)

Mr. Weekley's advice on wine and beverage selection is quite possibly the perfect weapon in a young suitor's arsenal. The man cannot much get a sandwich when he visits the city of New York without some young lad accosting him for a good wine tip. On the evening pictured here, Mr. Weekely shared the acute insight that perhaps seventy years had lapsed since the practice of hanging meats in ones' basement was observed in the Corktown community of Detroit.

Detroit Talent Show

2009-12-14T14:36:00.001-05:00

This Thurs 12/17 - scouting/brainstorming trip for the Detroit Talent Show!!! @ the VFW hall in SW Detroit. Phil originally thought this thing up last year as a possible holiday party for Slows, but somehow it fell off its tracks...

Well, last Friday while running on the treadmill & trying not to watch some terrible infomercial about a lousy broom swifter I pulled this one back out of the bag. Quickly started scheming with Dorota Bilica- one of the artists responsible for the Hygenic Dress League and day-jobber at the downtown YMCA. It's gonna be a fundraiser for Dai Hughes' Astro Coffee project, coming Summer, 2010.

So who's coming to help scout?
Daisuke Hughes (Astro Coffee)
Kristen Dean (architectural/graphic designer from M1)
Phillip Cooley (Slows Bar-B-Q, all things Detroit)
Steve Coy/Dorota Bilica (Hygenic Dress League, U of M Art Faculty)

Can't wait. I haven't been to this gem of a dive bar in quite a while. We'll keep ya posted...

A Free-Market Pub Crawl

2009-12-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

I've had about five people in the last two weeks ask me whether my boss is Santa Clause. And it's not because of some kind of strange resemblance. He certainly didn't go ahead and legally change his name to Santa Clause like my dad's co usin did. I'm guessing it must have been because we passed out 5,000 of these around town:

Now Santa's got a pretty good thing going- fame, a pretty good track record for showing up and getting the job done, and he's always got those hot momma's kissing him under the mistletoe. And I know, I know- he gets to fly and stuff- and I don't want to belittle that- but how about a full-on pub crawl that ends in divebar karaoke and a rock show for a day at work. Santa's kinda got nothing on that. Especially not when it was my first day working at a so-called "real job" in a year and a half.

Let me explain. The three of us met up on a Saturday afternoon back in November to take these things to the streets. We had some great success right off the bat- Slows Bar-b-q agreed to take about a thousand and put one in with each bill going out. Maybe that was a bit of a shoe-in since Phil is one of the owners, but its always smart to start out on a good note. 'Hit all the balls in front of you' is what my professor, Perry Kulper once said. But that streak continued pretty well for the rest of the day. When all was said and done- we got six places that see a steady stream of city and suburban folks to actively shlep these guides on behalf of Detroit small businesses - either by having waitstaff slide them in with bill presenters or put them into those metal-loopy things that sit on the tables.

Now, not every place we visited was quite so happy to help their fellow Detroit businesses. But not for our trying. We'd sit at their bar anyway, and happily drink one to them in any case.

Well, that was the first time I'd been drinking with Phil and Toby. And if there's one thing the three of us have in common-it's that we're all top-notch dreamers. I mean, I for one as a child set a new school record in third grade by getting 28 check-marks on my report card. I had my two best friends in class with me and we were always talking, scheming, working on the next big thing. The teacher would always be yelling, "Sit on the Seat and Stay There!" And we'd mimic her, adding an H somewhere within that first word, but anyway- I digress. Well, Toby and Phil are actually more than just dreamers- they've actually done some real things in this city, some real great things, I might add. And they've managed to pick up some pretty good connections along the way. So when you throw them together for an afternoon/evening of drinking- you're bound to get some really good seeds planted. I for one have a solid four projects at work now because of that day. All dreamed up over rounds of various whiskey drinks. This blog is one of them.

#2 started when Toby saw my friend Ko's car parked on Michigan Ave out front of Slows. She's got this old Explorer. Hasn't driven it for like six months. Tires have been flat, battery dead, muffler shot, stereo gone. And Toby starts talking about how we should fix it up for her. Phil's like- I can get her keys. And I'm thinking that'd be sweet. Now about five seconds later I've officially filed that thought in the Never-Gonna-Happen-In-A-Million-Years folder. Which has seen a lot of use in the past year and a half I've lived here. But I guess Phil didn't. Cause he wound up calling me the next morning saying - hey homeboy, how we gonna do this for Ko? And I'm like ...uh ....yeah ...we should ... ...do it. Well, we did. And it was pretty amazing. I'll get to that whole thing in another post. Her car looks snazzy, btw.

Well, after Slows we went to a place that didn't much like our shtick. But we still stuck around and had a drink. We've got wills of steel. The bartender was a young, nervous little guy who broke a bottle while trying to introduce himself to us. But I guess I'd be nervous too if I was trying to pull off the kinda stuff he's up to at the tender age of like, 19 (can't be more than 23, honest). He moved to a loft in Brush Park- a place that's sort of a graveyard of old 19th Century mansions. Out of his home he runs a speakeasy called the Breakfast Club with his girlfriend, a chef. It runs the 1st Friday of every month, starting after 2am with three inspired breakfast dishes and a full bar. Candle-lit, raw, exposed brick walls, a dj upstairs in the loft, tables scattered all around. Beautiful scene. I went this past Friday and it blew my mind. Felt like I was walking into the party for which they invented cocaine. Well anyway, the guy took our names and emails and said he'd add us to the guest list. When you go there, they give you this card, which you'll need to get in every time after:

We also planned a trip to Cuba for Phil and Toby's birthdays in February at that bar. I can't wait. (I guess that's #5, forgot about that one till now. Gotta remind Phil and Toby).

Oh, and I also forgot to mention the stop we took in North Corktown at the new pump-track that Phil helped build the day before we all met up. We went there right after Slows. We pulled up and there were a handful of folks hanging around geeked about their shiny new park. Phil had brought over a bunch of dirt left over from the landscape project we built in front of Michigan Central Station this summer and these guys helped guide him & his bobcat to make a figure-8 track for the bikers to ride. The corner of Cochrane & Sycamore in North Corktown: 1967- Riot Hell. 2009- Dirtbike Heaven. Victory.

Well anyway, a few other places, a few really great drinks and varying degrees of success with those shopping guides. We sure did have a lot more to say about them as time went on though. I remember at Union Street, where in the end they picked up what we were putting down, that all three of us were talking while the owner tried to listen. He scanned each of our faces right to left, sometimes nodding, like he was reading a really big book.

At Michael Simon's Roast, we got some appetizers and a round of Rye & Sodas. Delicious. I'm pretty sure it was here that Toby dreamed up the Slows cookbook. That's #3. Slows has a pretty amazing story. The block it's on was a cold wench of a place a few years ago (please forgive my french) before Phil's family purchased four buildings and got a group together to open up the Bar-B-Q shop there. The place has since become the miracle child of Detroit. It's like a crackhouse for suburbanites. And a local favorite to boot. Enter the restaurant's info into Business Plan Pro and see what happens... You'd have to pull out some voodoo magic to get it to show you the sales figures they pull in Downtown Detroit. Anyway, we were talking something about Slows and the community around the old Michigan Central Station. And about how it seems like the successful business owners in Detroit 'get it' that you have to support the whole community to succeed and not just fend for yourself. Something like that. Phil was noticing that our track record with the guides was hitting this point home,

And that's when Toby started talking about doing a cookbook/business community/Detroit story. How to build a business in Detroit and how to make a mean 'slaw all rolled into one. He's already mentioned it to his publisher at Harper-Collins, the one that put out his book 'Sharp Teeth' and it seems like there's a good chance we can get it rolling.

Well, we crossed the finish line with two places for a drink without the shopping guides. Jumbo's Bar on 3rd Street and The Lager House in Corktown. Jumbo's is a first-class cinder-block dive. No windows. Right in the heart of the sketchy Cass Corridor- well, maybe not as rough as those days when you could catch a show at the Gold Dollar, but still not the place you'd want to go start up a game of midnight tag. We each took the karaoke mic for a spin to celebrate.

And finally, things ended at the Lager House. If I ever was a sharp guy, I sure wasn't by the time I got there. I almost blew the surprise we had in store for Ko- but managed to cover it up somehow. Then we watched the band (usually I'd at least know the name of the band I go see, but I guess I just had a lot on my mind after my first day of work...)

Oh, and there's also a top secret project I'll be working on involving that Lucky Old Train Station. See that's #4. But I can't say a peep about that. And there's also a #6 and that's a bar, but I can't let that one outta the bag either. Highly confidential stuff. Well, for Santa Clause, and all the Fans of the Underdog City, goodnight. We'll see you in Cuba.