Oh, and another thing … Blowout X lineup announced

Get your schedulin' pencils ready, 'cuz we got ourselves a Blowout!

Speaking of Keewanawesomefest …

Keewanawesomefest is happening Feb. 23 through 24 on the campus of Michigan Technological University, located in scenic Houghton, Upper Peninsula.
It's two nights of Michigan music (with plenty of JHaJ faves) brought to you by Michigan Tech's own WMTU.

The organizers would like you to know that if you will be heading to KFest from the LP that you needn't worry about getting tickets ahead of time. However, you should contact the organizers via their Myspace page to RSVP. Those travelling across the bridge should also know that sleeping arrangements can be found for them if you drop a message at http://www.myspace.com/keweenawesomefest.

February Gig Calendar

Be mine … and take me to see Saturday Looks Good To Me!

February may be the shortest month of the year, but it's not short on Michigan concerts. There's plenty to see and hear, with the biggest buzz being on the weekend of the 23rd, a weekend that holds not only the triumphant return of Saturday Looks Good to Me, but also Keewanawesomefest, the greatest indie rock festival in the history of Houghton.

Dates, comin' at ya!
Feb. 1
—Rescue, Camerata at Rubble’s in Mt. Pleasant
—DJs Richard Pan!c, Grand Master Casimer (of PAS/CAL) and John Headband (Johnny Headband) at The Belmont in Hamtramck

Feb. 2
— Canada, The Word Play and New Grenada at The Magic Stick in Detroit
— El Boxeo, The Kyle Sowashes, Alpine Tanker 11 at Player’s Pub in Adrian
— Great Lakes Myth Society, Mason Proper and Great Fiction (CD release) at the Magic Bag in Ferndale
— Rescue, The Silent Years, The Never at Albion College Coffee House in Albion
— Annie Palmer, Fields of Industry, Red Light Chamber Choir at 310 Olive in Ypsi

Feb. 3
—El Boxeo, The Kyle Sowashes, Segernomics at the JMAC in Jackson
— Great Lakes Myth Society, Empty Orchestra, The Moodie Veto and Kocho Bisexual at The Elbow Room in Ypsi
— The Silent Years, Virgil Waters, The Never, Bear Mountain Picnic at The Neutral Zone in Ann Arbor
— Annie Palmer, Real Live Tigers, Evan Bickler Williamsm, Michel Anne Eriewine at The Island of Children’s Children in Ann Arbor

Feb. 6
— Perhapsy, The Epitomes, Gas For Less, The Pricks at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor
— Annie Palmer, Almus Magnus and Real Live Tigers at Fifi’s French Press in Mt. Pleasant

Feb. 9
— The High Strung, Ghost City and The Teeth at The Magic Stick in Detroit
— SayHy Radio Birthday Blowout featuring The Hard Lessons, Bringing Down Broadway, Monte, Tips, Fuller, The Killing Moon, Maxx Rebo, Ender, The Sophomore Year at The Hartland Center for the Performing Arts in Hartland
— That’s Him! That’s The Guy!, The Blades of Grass and Outrageous Cherry at The Halfass in Ann Arbor
— The Singles, Scarlet Oaks and The Horse Rifle at The Lager House in Detroit
— The New Green at The Elbow Roomm in Ypsi

Feb. 13
— Perhapsy and Pattern is Movement at Mac’s Bar in Lansing

Feb. 16
— The Hard Lessons at Albion College Coffeehouse in Albion
— Chris Bathgate, Bear Mountain Picnic, The Metroids at Midwest Lovefest in Ypsi
— The Silent Years at The Lager House in Detroit
— Annie Palmer, Todd Deathrage and Scotty Karate at Corktown Tavern in Detroit

Feb. 17
— Canada, Perhapsy, Light Switch Decision and Shark Sandwich at The Neutral Zone in Ann Arbor
— The Mighty Narwhale, Yip-Yip, Mr. Squid, The Show is a Rainbow at the DAAC in Grand Rapids

Feb. 18
— Zoos of Berlin, The Recital and The Subjects at The Lager House in Detroit

Feb. 23
— Keewanawesomefest, day one, featuring Mason Proper, The Might Narwhale, MC Trashpedal, Annie Palmer, Charlie Slick, Santa and Rudolph, The Mahonies and Anarkinda at The Black Box in Houghton
— Saturday Looks Good To Me (OMG!), Starling Electric and Chris Bathgate at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor
— The Hard Lessons, Frontier Ruckus and Dirt Road Logic at Mac’s Bar in Lansing
— The New Green (acoustic) at The Tap Room Annex in Ypsi

Feb. 24
— Keewanawesomefest, day two, featuring Matt Jones, The Victrolas, Misty Lyn, Arrah and the Ferns, Sycamore Smith, Hell Town Trio, JungleKatAgility, This is Deer Country
— Zoos of Berlin, Scarlet Oaks and I, Crime (CD Release) at National Bohemian Home in Detroit
— The Mighty Narwhale are looking for a show in northern Michigan to pay for gas on their way back from Houghton. Contact them at www.myspace.com/mightynarwhale

Feb. 25
— Camerata and The Never at Mac’s Bar in Lansing

As always, if we've missed a show, feel free to tell us so in a comment and leave all the juicy details with it

oh those properssessss

Mason Proper in CMJ

Canada, The Satin Peaches, Mick Bassett, Rescue at The Blind Pig, 1/25/07

Another Thursday at the Blind Pig began with diminished expectations but ended in increased returns. Why diminished expectations, you ask? Well, because we thought Rescue would be the night’s penultimate act, but were in fact the first band to play. Having figured our travel time around this incorrect assumption, Annie and I totally missed their set.

We got there as Mick Bassett’s set was starting. I’m sure the dude gets this thrown at him all the time, but … Dylanesque.




Annie said The Satin Peaches were better this time around.




Then came Canada. A request to have the venue’s disco ball spinning during the set may have been inspired by memories of proms past, but this was really a homecoming dance, for it was the Canadians’ first Michigan show in a few months.

Continuing the “Thursday Nights In January” trend, Canada’s set featured a healthy dose of new songs, some set to appear on their next full-length, some set to appear on a split release with Page France.



The most choice of the new songs was a messy little number featuring the heretofore unknown horn skillz of Joe and Amy. I could make a pun about The Canadian Brass here, but I won’t.



Somebody out there in Internetland is going to totally ream me for this, but it was really good to see Canada again. Good to hear old favorites and good to hear songs that threaten to become new favorites. Good that when the sound guy slapped a “10 More Minutes” sign on one of the monitors, they could still squeeze in “Look to the Trees.” We’ve missed you Canada.



Canada
MySpace
Web site

Upcoming Michigan shows
Feb. 2 — The Magic Stick with New Grenada and The Word Play
Feb. 17 — The Neutral Zone with The Wellness Plan

The Satin Peaches
MySpace
Web site

Mick Bassett
MySpace

Rescue
MySpace

Upcoming Michigan shows
Feb. 1 — Rubble's in Mt. Pleasant with Camerata
Feb. 2 — Albion College Coffeehouse with The Silent Years and The Never

Mason Proper, The Satin Peaches and The Pop Project at The Blind Pig, 1/18/07

I think I’m out of touch with the hierarchy of show lineups these days, because for me, the headliners of last Thursday’s show at the Blind Pig were The Pop Project. This is probably because
a) I’ve never seen them live playing their own songs (only the songs of Weezer’s Pinkerton)
b) My anticipation for new material from the soon-to-be-released Stars of Stage and Screen was immense.



Said high expectations were thankfully matched, as the new material was sharp, fresh and worth a few months of waiting. Of course it was excellent to hear a full-band version of “Hearts and Flowers,” but I freaked out just as much about other new additions to the Project’s repertoire like “Not the One,” “Never Got a Break” and “Stand In.” Though many of the new numbers paint a less-than-sunny picture of being in a band, Zach, Dave, Will and Adam’s performance was not as jaded as the lyrical content would imply; how could it be with such peppy hooks?

Also, during “House of Books,” they made everyone hug. And that’s just plain adorable.



The Satin Peaches still haven’t done anything to impress me. They’ve got another chance this Thursday, but their fuzzed-out, effects laden sound isn’t doing anything for me quite yet.




As equally reliant on effects though more compelling was Mason Proper’s set, though it just might have compelled some crowd members to be obnoxious and drunk. Seriously, I’ve never seen so many people drinking straight from a pitcher.

Lead Mason Jonathan Visgr didn’t let screams for him to take his clothes detract anything from his performance, which spanned the spectrum of childlike energy — coyly wrapping himself up in his hoodie or just plain freaking out during some of the knottier instrumental moments in the set.





The Proper can unleash quite the noisy wail when they want to, but there’s more to it than ornamental loudness. “Chemical Dress Eliza” has a shout-along chorus, but it’s got a sllinkily funky groove in the verses, too.



And when the drunkees called for an encore, it was clear who the night belonged to. I may have come to see The Pop Project and Mason Proper, but they knew it was all Mason Proper’s show.
-Erik

Madisonfest Documentary- Repost

Thursday 1/25, 9 PM, at the Bluish Barn (712 N. Fifth Avenue) in Ann
Arbor, FREE, BYOB. From the Bluish Barn's website
http://www.bluishbarn.com :

"Madisonfest: a Documentary

Next Thursday January 25th is your chance to hear one song by almost
every single performer at last Summer's Madisonfest. (One person
declined to be filmed and the footage of two others was ruined
somehow.) Local filmmaker Shawn Wernette was there with his camera
during the entire local music festival, and he's premiering his
finished work here at the Bluish Barn.

Of course, if you missed the Madisonfest, this is your chance to get a
sense of what happened. But what I like about the format is that it
performs a sort of leveling to what can be a confusing and seemingly
impenetrable local music scene for people who might not have ever
heard of Madisonfest. You don't have to be part of the scene to know
about some obscure house show where one of these artists is playing.
You don't have to stay up late in a smoky bar or sit awkwardly among a
bunch of reverent scenesters. And you don't have to be assaulted with
reminders about merch for sale or feel weird about leaving to go to
the bathroom - or just leaving. People ignorant of the local "folk"
scene - or whatever it's called - can judge the performers alongside
each other onscreen, one song at a time.

It's incredibly mediated, but incredibly convenient, like many modern
pleasures. Come get to know a huge chunk of Ann Arbor's local music
scene in 2 hours in the comfort of the Bluish Barn parlor room."

A Message to: All Michigan Musicians

The following is a repost from Canada's myspace page

So we have this idea for a publicity photograph, sort of like the Harlem Jazz picture from 58 (attached below), we'd like to get as many Michigan musicians in one picture as possible, kind of like what Sub Sprawl did, only with even more people.



Date and location as yet unknown. Let us know if you are interested in being a part of this! We are so lucky and proud to be a part of such an amazing music scene in such a wonderful part of the world. Join us to document this moment in time!

We were thinking maybe the West Park Band Shell?

Confirmed for this so far:

Great Lakes Myth Society
Chris Bathgate
That's Him! That's The Guy!
Tom (War Between The States)
Sh! The Octopus
Sweet Ride Caddy
Dave Lawson (Pop Project?)
Zach Curd (Pop Project?)
Zoos of Berlin
The Dardenelles
Mike Vasas
Sarah Gardiner (photographer)
Child Bite
MC Trashpedal
James Collin
Windmill Music
Annie Moss + Erik Adams
Bobby Pennock
Matt Jones
Carol Catherine
Zach Norton (w/ El Boxeo gang we hope)
Timothy Monger (of course)
Gregory McIntosh (of course)
Annie Palmer
Misty Lyn

Misty Lyn had the incredible idea of using multiple photographers for this, as there are so many talented camera wielders in the area, each with their own style....So....if you're a photographer and would like to take a picture of this for everyone, let us know and we'll add you to the list. (Thank you Misty Lyn).

We realize this is a huge undertaking, and that we're sort of ripping off Sub Sprawl (bless their hearts), but if we can pull it off it'd be a lovely thing to look back on in 40 years for everyone involved. We emailed every band/musician in the Metro Detroit area we could think of, but please feel free to ask around/bring anyone you want with you to this event.

thank goodness for a good review

The Silent Years in Pitchfork

The Word Play, Javelins, Lone Wolf and Cub (final show!) at the JMAC 1/4/07

Despite some minor flooding at the JMAC venue, it was a good evening of music. I got to see my three favorite drummers perform!

The Word Play sounded fantastic, as always. I finally purchased their album, “The Right to Bear Arms.” So good!







I was excited to see Javelins perform before 2/3 of them head out on the Thunderbirds are Now! US and European tour. It was a great set.





A huge number of fans showed up to see Lone Wolf and Cub’s final show. Since I’m a relatively new fan of this band, I accepted the guidelines of seniority and moved towards the back of the audience and did not get any photos. The band was well loved last night, and seemed to have a fittingly bitter-sweet ending.

The Word Play
Myspace
Website
Upcoming MI shows:
Jan. 13- The Lager House in Detroit with New Grenada, Pop Project, Syscrusher

Javelins
Myspace

Lone Wolf and Cub
Myspace
Website

xo,
annie moss