Category: Music

PREVIEW: The MORE Senior Thesis Show

nina.j 1 Comment

The MORE Show

Tis the season of senior art shows and, really, what could be better? All month long, you will be perusing free exhibitions of preprofessional work. It will be displayed all across campus: The Work Galleries, The Jean Paul Slusser Gallery, The Ann Abor Art Center, The Warren Robins Gallery, and more.

Two life long friends and freakishly talented art students, Ellen Rutt and Megan O’neil, are putting together thesis’s of their four years of work  in the School of Art and Design.  The title of the show, The MORE Show, is an acronym of their initials (see Ellen’s graphic design on the poster below for a better idea of how that works). Unlike most other senior thesis shows, this one will be held off campus. The two found a vacant warehouse on South Industrial Highway (by RoosRoast coffee) across the street from the ReUse center, and refurbished it for their purposes. After much trash sorting, wall scrubbing, sweeping, painting and repainting, the space is now gallery ready. Not only are the canvases a part of their exhibit, but the very space itself.

It is fitting that this particular show would take place across from the ReUse center because the theme is closely tied to environmental justice and sustainable creativity. “MORE art, less waste.” As many aspects of the exhibition as possible have been locally sourced and reused or recycled. For example, the opening reception will feature locally farm-grown snacks and appetizers served on reusable plates and utensils. Even the musicians who will be playing live music  are Ann Arbor locals.

Not only that, the entire assembly has been a result of inter-talented trade; the cost of the production has been internalized through artistic cooperation. By that, I mean Ellen and Megan are paying their collaborators with art, not cash. As a graphic designer, Ellen has the ability to do all sorts of snazzy things for business people who need to look good on paper. In exchange for writing this article, she jazzed up my resumé using InDesign; she did the same for the photographer who will document the reception, and the musicians, who are coming out with a new CD soon (Fables by Ben Rolston), are receiving much advice on the color palette for the album art.

Ellen’s work is based in graphic design while Megan’s is in large scale oil and acrylic paint. She mostly paints figures but has an array of other pieces as well (I even did some nude modeling for her to help her prepare for the show and she traded me with a print. At first I was nervous, but Megan is so passionate about and deft with crafting the human form that her translation of my body into painting was an enlivening and surprisingly comfortable experience). You may recognize Megan’s work from a mural she was commissioned to paint about the  Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. As for Ellen, you may recognize her work from the pamphlets for the “Arts at Michigan” program or from The Vintage Twin, the revamped clothing store that used to be on South University (but now operates online). These ladies are preprofessional artists in the works. Be sure to ask for an autograph when you see them at their show; they won’t forget you when they’re famous.

Details on the Don’t Miss Show:

Opening Reception:

Saturday, April 14th 8pm,

1080 Rosewood, Ann Arbor 48104

Live music and refreshments

Click Here for directions

Additional gallery hours:

Monday April 16th- Friday April 20th

11am-5pm

AND! Furthermore, there will be  taxi shuttling students between The MORE Show and other off campus senior thesis opening receptions happening same night: a free ride departs every 15 minutes from 8-11 pm at the Cube behind The Union, The Ann Arbor Art Center on Liberty and Main Street, and on Rosewood where The MORE Show will be held.

Finally, to get more info straight from the artists themselves, check out the website: www.erutt.com

Attend the event on Facebook!

And be sure to pop into other exhibits this month. Info at the Arts at Michigan Website here.

Below are images of Ellen and Megan hard at work in the warehouse

Samples of Ellen and Megan’s artwork respectively

PREVIEW: F.O.K.U.S Vanguards

nina.j

F.O.K.U.S Vanguards

If you are strolling through the Diag this Saturday, April 14th, you will see something like a circus taking place. A velcro wall, a bicycling, skateboarding, and bedazzling stations, throwback food, live music, live artwork, and, of course, lots of dancing. The student group F.O.K.U.S (Fight Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success) is holding its 8th Annual Vanguards Event. Music by Maimounna Yousef and other fabulous performers will be sounding from the Diag from noon to 5pm, so be sure to walk by and add a little flavor to your Saturday. I attended last year and had a celebratory time being creative and collaborating with other students who were excited about creativity and social justice through the arts.

F.O.K.U.S. strives to create and foster a diverse community by using the arts as a common medium.
We encourages artists, art enthusiasts, and other communities to work together and expand their comfort zones
through arts-related events and dialogues; we provide inspiration for artists to follow their dreams,
for perspective artists to attempt an art and for audiences to enjoy it all through our productions. F.O.K.U.S. events
attract artists and audiences from all walks of life as we see this inclusive nature as the only way to truly grow and
develop as a community. Since 2003, F.O.K.U.S. has been creating exciting spaces for people to explore themselves
and widen their appreciation for the arts.

art is…what unites us.

For more information, check out their website and Facebook event. See you there!

Photos from last year’s Vanguards




REVIEW: The Steel Wheels

nina.j

The Steel Wheels at The Ark

On Thursday night, I did two things that every dignified, rising adult Ann Arbor-ite should do: have a tasteful glass of wine with an Italian dinner at a restaurant on Main Street and see a show at The Ark. The glass of wine being because I recently turned 21 and a friend’s uncle was in town and treated us to a fancy meal, hadn’t had a drink at a swanky restaurant yet. The show at The Ark because, its my third year at U of M and I’ve never set foot in the famous concert house. Following dessert, we crossed the street and entered into an evening of blues and bluegrass that was absolute entertainment. As part of their album release tour. The Steel Wheels were in Ann Arbor, all the way from Appalachia, bringing sounds and songs of the mountains. Think “O Brother Where Art Thou?” with a modern twist;  a younger Old Crow Medicine Show, though no less soulful.

The Steel Wheels have produced six albums in their seven year run together. Band members include Trent Wagler, Jay Lapp, Brian Dickel, and Eric Brubaker.  Of the four, the only locally sourced musician was Jay Lapp, who, half way through the show gave an adorable shout out to his wife and baby daughter who were in the audience. Their instruments ranged from bass, guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, a stomping stick, and a stomping block. But best of all, in my opinion, were the a Capella renditions. One of the charming things about the performance was that all four musicians shared one centrally-hung microphone, so when they sang in unison they had to lean together and be close. Their harmonies were pitch perfect! The band mates shared a heart felt energy for one another that was evident throughout the entire show. And hose musicians were workin’! Sweating profusely through their neatly buttoned up oxfords, suspenders, and cowboy boots they entertained the entire crowd of folks for ours on end.

To get a taste of what I experienced- minus the wine and fancy Italian dinner- check out The Steel Wheels! Either listen to a taste of their newest album, Lay Down Lay Low, on their Soundcloud. My favorite songs are Endure, Rain in the Valley, and the one that shares the name of album title. Fun facts about the song  Halfway to Heaven and Nola’s First Dance: they named after The Steel Wheel’s specialty coffee blend and Jay Lapp’s daughter respectively. How precious.

Do all that and enjoy, or, just cut to the chase and watch their most famous song, Red Wing.

The main act was prefaced by an equally talented group called Honey Honey. Another band absolutely worth clicking on. Another bluesy-bluegrass group, Honey Honey made a great appetizer for the harmonies that were to follow. Suzanne Santo and Ben Jaffe, who appear to be a duo in more than just a musical way, performed perfectly, accompanied by a bassist and drummer in their traveling band. Funny thing about their gig, the lady singer sprained her ankle and had to sit throughout the very danceable performance. Somehow though, she still looked stunning and absolutely captured the audiences hearts, mine included. Last year I saw Alice Glass of Crystal Castles rock out with a crutch on stage and it was awesome. Turns out the crutch is the most underestimated prop.

Check out Ohio, my favorite from their repertoire of the evening.

PREVIEW: Things Both Hushed and Grand

nina.j

Performance Ark presents

Things Both Hushed and Grand


Performance Ark is a U of M “student-led hub for developing artists looking to collaborate.” As part of a two day event, the group is producing its first ever evening length performance, titled Things Both Hushed and Grand. According to the artists, “this performance applies ‘dance party colloquialisms and tailored contemporary technique to a lo-fi bedroom pop sound to investigate the courage it takes to be “an absolute nobody.”

The piece is choreographed by U of M Department of Dance students Tehillah Frederick, Julia Smith-Eppsteiner and Katy Telfer. Dancers include Tehillah Frederick, Edith Freyer, Allie Harris, Natalie Niergarth, Maddy Rager, Molly Ross, Julia Smith-Eppsteiner, Katy Telfer & Cara Zonca, also students in the department. The show is paired with music by funky, up-and-coming local band Fthrsn (click here and here to get a sonic taste test).

I asked Julia Smith-Eppsteiner a few questions about her collaborative work and she gave me a hearty glimpse into her process:

Is this related to school at all? Yes and no. We have established ourselves as a student organization at the University, all the dancers we’re using are in the dance department of SMT&D, as is the musician, and we are partially funded by Arts at Michigan mini-grant. But in a lot of ways it is independent from the school … Firstly, we met Macklin Underdown (fthrsn) at a music concert/dance party at Arbor Vitae. Secondly, we also are funded by independent donors via Kickstarter. And most importantly, we’re doing this production on our own time. This isn’t our BFA Senior Thesis, we’re not getting any credit for it and aside from the assistance and encouragement from faculty members we approached, this project is independent of our departments.

How did you get the idea to make this performance happen? The three of us (Tehillah, Katy and I) have been interested in each other as collaborators/choreographers/movers for a long time and sort of joked about making a show together at the end of our freshman year (we’re all juniors currently). Tehillah brought it up to us again at the end of this past summer and until we saw Mackie perform at a party in October we didn’t get concretely going on anything. Once he was on board and making songs, we were pushed to make it actually happen and create deadlines for ourselves to generate movement phrases and keep us moving forward (deadlines such as Collage Concert and a Telluride Lecture Series we did titled Defining Movement). We’ve been seriously working on Things Both Hushed & Grand since November, us four responsible for everything on both the creative and business sides of the production.

Who did the posters? Jessica Ford, a BFA student in the Art and Design School, with a focus in painting. She’s been a dream.

All performances are free of charge and open to the public. For more information on the show, check out the Performance Ark Facebook page. One of the exciting and novel things about this particular performance is that it will shift venues with each of the three iterations:

Friday, March 23rd

Studio 1 black box theatre in Walgreen Drama Center on North Campus

Doors are at 4:30pm, performance at 5 pm.


Friday, March 23rd

Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St

Exhibition Gallery

Doors at 8pm, performance at 8:30


Saturday, March 24th

Campus Chapel, 1236 Washtenaw Ct.

Doors at 1:30pm, performance at 2pm




REVIEW: Tree City & The Contraband

nina.j

Tree City & The Contraband

Last  Saturday night, Ann Arbor hip-hop group Tree City took the stage at The Blind Pig. First real night of spring break and what better to do than get down to some local sounds with some super funky musicians? The group performed to a crowd of happy college spring breakers freshly released from exams. The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable but hype enough to feel the spirit of freedom.

Tree City was formed in Ann Arbor in 2005 by 3 MC’s and a DJ/MC. By day, they are known as Evan Haywood, Kyle Hunter, and Jacoby Simmons. By night, as Clavius Crates, General Population, and DJ Cataclysmic respectively. The group originally included two others- Mike and Cheeks– but both have fled to the west coast, and then there were three. The trio supplies “eardrums with a  unique brand of hip-hop” via live shows around town (including last month’s Eighth Annual Midwest Hip-Hop Summit at The League) as well as through their recordings. The complete discography includes The TreE.P. (2007), Black Trees (2008), Say It Again (Single) (2010), and Thus Far (2010), and most recently Definement (2011). And luckily, you can hear samples of everything they’ve got to offer on their website!

The show at the Pig on Saturday opened with sounds from DJ Charles Trees, Thrills & Saul Good, Passalacqua, and Tunde Oliniran. And finally, headliner Tree City, as a combined act with The Contraband. The combo is an extension of other local artists that have been playing with Tree City as a group for a year. Musicians include UM students and grads Ben Rolston on bass, Julian Allen on drums, Yuma Yesaka on the saxophone and electronic wind instrument, Keaton Royer on the synthesizer and Michael Malis on synthesizers and keyboards.

The performance featured all original material. Definitely danceable; definitely a good time. The main act was worth the ticket, but the openers also warmed up the crowd nicely. Most original, in my opinion, was Tunde Oliniran, whose performance included some level of experimental/interpretative dance (click here to get a taste of what I’m talkin’ about).

A golden moment of the night, bass player Ben Rolston said, “was experiencing the audience interaction that is a major part of hip-hop. Evan or Kyle would start a chant and the crowd was right there with them, giving that energy back to us. Coming from mostly playing music where the audience connection is less direct its really wonderful to be a part of.”

I got to drop in on a rehearsal at The Neutral Zone a few nights prior to the show. It was exciting to be able to watch the evolution of the performance from practice to a complete work of art. Even in a trial run, without the lights and crowds, the group has really got it going on. Nothin’ like some good old fashioned local music to get down on over Spring Break.

Look out for more Tree City shows happening around town. In the meantime, get connected! Check out the Tree City: homepage, Facebook page, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

REVIEW: Pina

nina.j

The Oscars happened last Sunday and The Artist was a sweep. But this time next year, look out for the film Pina. See it in theaters now, remember it when awards season rolls around in a year. This spectacle is bound to be a hit.

Based on the life and work of German choreographer Pina Bausch, this 3-D film mixes an explosive combination of mediums: film, dance, choreography, set design, music, sound, lighting, language, graphics, special effects, cinematography. A sensational splendor.

Pina’s work in modern dance escalated in the 1970’s and continues to be influential today. Her role as a director is most prominent in Tanztheater, which translates to “dance theater.” She spearheaded a company in Germany by the same name, though throughout her career she worked with the gamut of cross-continental dance fame. In Tanztheater, Pina created celebrated pieces such as Rite of Spring (1975), and Café Müller (1978). Both are exemplary of her outrageous style: in the former, dancers move about on stage completely covered in soil and in the latter, they aggressively crash into chairs and tables on a café set. Both are reenacted beautifully in the film.

Image from Café Müller

Image from Rite of Spring

So thats the overview of who Pina is: a creative, expressive, and innovative movement artist. And now about this crazy movie that she inspired: Oscar-nominated film maker Wim Wenders has been a fan of Pina since the 80’s and decided to document her work in action. His crew followed hers long before the project took off, building artistic relationships between those in front and behind the camera. Unfortunately, days  before the shooting began, Pina died unexpectedly of a sudden cancer. The fim, therefore, began a tribute to her life more than just a portrayal or her work ethic.

The sets incorporated a wild combination of elements. Here, I mean earth elements: dirt, mountains, water, plant life. Some performances were filmed on a traditional stage, while others sought peculiar venues like rooftops, subway trains, swimming pool decks, or glass paneled houses in the woods.

The dance numbers were performed by professionals from Pina’s company. Their segments were separated by close- ups combined with voice overs in the variety of languages spoken by the worldly crew: Spanish, French, German, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, English, and more. They talked of Pina as a guiding artist and all that her ingenuity and freedom of expression taught them about themselves, their bodies, and their work.

Counter to the common conception of dancers as always youthful, these workers ranged vastly in their ages. I found this point to be very curious. It spoke to the life long development of artists and how they become enriched as they ripen in their craft. Their ages may be have been evident on their skin, but the astounding strength and nimbleness of the dancer’s bodies far from gave them away. In fact, there was one piece in which dancers of various eras of life were dressed in identical outfits, confusing the audience about who was who. It was a number that could only have been performed for screen dance. I don’t see how this switching of characters could be performed live without the trickery of editing.

I asked my cousin, who works as a professional ballet dancer for the Boston City Ballet, his opinion on the work. “I thought it was beautiful,” he said. “She’s so unique in her choreography.”

And I agree! Watching Pina was one of the most visually pleasing experiences I have had in a long time.It was creative, stunning, marvelous, and inspirational beyond belief. I would feel badly for anyone who misses the opportunity to experience it.

Hurry up and see it! I’m serious, this was a very powerful artistic undertaking. The documentary has already swept up  The European Film Awards and German Film Awards, as well as receiving nominations or Official Selections from The Academy Awards, New York, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals. Pina is only playing at the Michigan Theater through this Sunday, March 4th. Check the Michigan Theater website for show times. Also, here’s and interview with director Wim Wenders from the New York Times. For more background on the production, check out the movie’s website .