Who: Dillon Francis with Trippy Turle and DJ Hoodboi
What: Money Sucks, Friends Rule Tour
When: December 3, doors open at 8 p.m.
Where: Royal Oak Music Theatre
Tickets: $29.50 plus service fees or $40 at the door
Dillon Francis is coming to Royal Oak to headline his Money Sucks, Friends Rule Tour and perform music off of his new album of the same name. One of his best albums to date, Dillon keeps you engaged throughout his wonderfully crafted electronic music tracks. You might have heard his collaboration with DJ Snake called “Get Low” that goes “get low when the whistle blow” and proceeds into a hypnotic beat. Get low with Dillon tomorrow night for this not-to-be-missed night out, and excellent mid-week break from studying for finals. Dance your stresses away.
For tickets, visit the AXS website here. Like Dillon on Facebook. Turn up for his Soundcloud. His YouTube channel is also quite the comedic feat and highly recommended on any day where you need a lift.
What does a tissue, a feather, a bottle of bubbles, a party popper, a plastic horse, a glow stick, and a hand clapper have in common? They could all be found in the goodie bag I received, as I entered the Michigan Theater last Friday night, ready to belt out the classic songs of Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas.”
Image Courtesy of WikipediaImage Courtesy of orientaltrading.comImage Courtesy of galleryhip.com
Donning the Santa Hat handed to me along with the goodie bag, I felt like an elf from the Polar Express. I followed the hordes into the theater, where the antique Barton organ was humming old classic favorites like ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and the ‘Chipmunk Song.’
The theater was packed with mostly families starting new traditions, and old friends remembering the past – a glorious mash-up of the new and classic, the young and old, coming together to celebrate the holidays. And if anyone could turn “White Christmas” into a “Rocky Horror” style experience, it is the Michigan Theater.
The red curtain lifted and the eponymous title song, “White Christmas” came on. In case you didn’t know the lyrics (????), the words were digitally projected onto the screen and looked just like the subtitles of those Disney Sing Along tapes we all watched so long ago. Throughout the movie, the subtitles prompted us to retrieve certain items from our goodie bag. Every time Emma the hotel clerk takes out her hankie, we shook our napkins (very lady-like, of course) at the screen and cried, ‘Boo-hoo.’
Image Courtesy of hookedonhouses.net
Grab your bubbles! It’s starting to snow!
The movie is centered around performances, and so, to imitate our role as an audience member for both the fictional performances as well as the movie itself, we were encouraged to flap our hand clappers when Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye finish their big dance number, or when Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen take their final curtsy. But, basically, we could “hand clap” whenever we wanted (very much like in a poetry slam when you snap for anything that you find especially smooth). Among this particular audience, the hand-claps seemed to be synchronized with the kissing scenes. It was like we were all back in seventh grade when we had to say something at the sight of kissing. Except, instead of “eww,” we let out a collective, “ooh!!!”
At the final scene when the General (who owns the hotel which has been financially saved) blows out the candles on his cake, we were prompted to get out the poppers. We all waited, hands at the ready. Anticipation bubbled throughout the theater, as we waited for him to signal the celebration. It was as if we, the audience, were part of the movie! Suddenly, POP!!!! Streamers flew every which way throughout the theater and the smoky smell of gunpowder filled the air.
If you ever get the chance to take part in a communal sing along experience, do it! Even if you don’t like to sing. Because it isn’t all about the singing. The community of movie watchers and you become one. Together, you bond over the 5D experience of the movie. The smells, the sounds, the tangibility of the fictional movie become real with your help! You help bring it alive, which is an amazing thing to experience. The Michigan Theater is unique in that they put on events like this: events that you the audience member bring to life; events that will become an annual tradition time and time again. Someday, when I’m 89 years old, I hope to bring my friends, my kids, and grandkids back there to the ole’ Michigan Theater and sing along to “White Christmas” tunes, just like I did in 2014.
For those of you who have practiced such discipline and have restrained from listening to holiday music before Thanksgiving, congratulations! (I can’t say I’ve been as strong…darn that Vince Guaraldi). Once the feasting has subsided this Thursday, it is officially appropriate to rock out to festive music! And what could be more fun than ringing in the holiday spirit than with a sing-a-long of the beloved holiday movie, White Christmas?
The 1954 classic film, featuring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, tells the story of two war buddies turned entertainers who fall for a pair of sisters (Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen). The boys follow the girls to a resort, conveniently owned by their former commanding officer. But the resort is in jeopardy of getting shut down. What better excuse to stage a show than to help save the resort?
On Saturday night, Men’s Glee Club presented a strong program that combines traditional, contemporary, and familiar works. They have shown the strength of collaboration, and provided a nice break from the busy, pre-Thanksgiving workload.
“The value of one, the power of all” — this is the phrase that I heard at the retreat I have attended in the past called LeaderShape. To me, this concert was demonstrative of this quote. Each and every member of the Men’s Glee Club puts in significant effort into rehearsing and memorizing the works, as well as marketing and managing their own concert. Then, they all come together on stage to perform a phenomenal show. From doing choreographies together to marching on and off the stage, the members of the Men’s Glee Club really used their energy and enthusiasm to create a show that was entertaining both musically and visually.
While the commissioned works, familiar Michigan songs, and the entertaining act by the Friars were all wonderful, I must say that the most favorite part of that night was Part III and IV, in which the Men’s Glee Club shared the stage with the Carman-Ainsworth High School Choir. As a part of the Brothers in Song program, the Men’s Glee Club members have been collaborating with various young men’s choirs in nearby high schools for six seasons. While the Men’s Glee Club made great presence in the first half leading to this, the two choirs combined provided the audience with heartfelt connections. And to think most of those students had never sung in a choir before… It was truly impressive, and reminded me that music education can truly affect students’ lives. I hope they remember this night, when they rocked the gig at the historic Hill Auditorium.
Singers of Carman-Ainsworth High School. Source: Men’s Glee Club Website
Another moment of sharing the stage happened at the very end of the concert, in which the alumni of the Men’s Glee Club were asked to come up on stage and sing the alma mater, “The Yellow and Blue,” together. Some 50 or so men came up on stage, both young and old, and it was an impressive sight. It just goes to show how many people have sung in this ensemble in the past 155 seasons — that 50-or-so men must have been just a tiny fraction of the entire alumni network. I chuckled as I saw Dr. Jerry Blackstone, the current Director of Choral Activities and former conductor for the Men’s Glee Club, walk up on stage and join the alumni discreetly.
Michigan is very lucky to have one of the most prestigious male chorus groups in the country — and they lived up to that title at their 155th Annual Fall Hill Concert. They have shown the value of the Men’s Glee Club as a strong choir, as well as the power of combining the aspiring singers and the seasoned singers in one night.
Whiplash (2014) was a difficult movie to watch. I find myself hoping that this world driven by high-level stress, intimidation, and discrimination would never exist. The cast and crew did some serious work in illustrating this level of frustration and unpredictability.
The movie features a story of a young and aspiring jazz drummer at a fictional prestigious conservatory called Shaeffer Conservatory, who interacts a private teacher that tries to make his life as a drummer extremely difficult. The two become involved in a very strange relationship tied with the desire for success and the obsession with music-making. The movie stars Miles Teller as Andrew Neyman, the drummer; and J.K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher, the terrifying teacher.
Terence Fletcher, the director of the topmost band at the prestigious Shaeffer Conservatory in New York City, is a mysterious character. We never know what he could actually be thinking. He yells a lot, but sometimes he can be affirming, too. He occasionally smiles or even shows tears, but those emotions feel fake because of horrid actions he takes to “get the most out of the musicians.” It was terrifying to see. Fletcher used multiple homophobic, sexist, racist, ageist, and demeaning comments in general to his band members, exercising power harassment. And to think the next Charlie Parker can, or has to, survive all of these oppressions to get to the top, to build thicker skins? I’m glad I’m not at Shaeffer.
This movie also shows how male-dominated the jazz world is. There were exactly two female players in the entire movie. Just two, out of dozens. One was in the lower-level jazz combo, and she messes up her solo quite more than her male counterparts when Fletcher comes to observe. Another was not given much airtime. Is this really how females are regarded? If the directors like Fletcher actually exist, there is no way female players can thrive — with no regard to their ability as a player. It’s one thing to be extremely strict and unyielding; it’s another to be discriminatory and threatening.
The terrible leadership of Fletcher is not to say the well-written plot and stellar acting should go uncredited. I felt like I was on a roller coaster all the way; I could never expect how a scene would turn out, and it was thrilling. Miles Teller acted out the agony of wanting to become the best and please Fletcher so realistically; J.K. Simmons fit into the role of stubborn and unpredictable director perfectly. Not to mention, the music they played were high quality — living up to the name of the nation’s top conservatory. The amount of cursing and violence was a little out of my taste, but I guess that’s why the movie is rated R.
In a nutshell, Whiplash is a movie worth watching — but not for everyone. The scenes can get pretty graphic with blood, violence, and verbal abuse. You don’t have to be a music student to appreciate this movie, either, because this movie is more about life than about music. If you have some free time before you feast on those Thanksgiving dinners, check it out at the State Theater.
You could see it from the way he enters the room, lightening up the cold weather mood with a smile. From his first “Aloha Ann Arbor.” From the way he collapsed his inner fingers in and stuck out his pinky and thumb to create the “hang loose” sign. From the way he bowed to the audience. From the way he fist-bumped his bass player after every song, as if it was the best time he’s ever played each song – consistently. You could see that Jake Shimabukuro is one of the nicest performers around, and has a unique talent.
When I entered Hill Auditorium, my eyes were filled with a startling haze that replicated what one might see at a rock concert or a smog-filled arena. On stage were four stalks of concert lights. I was wondering how Jake was going to fill the stage. Would he sit on a stool, Nirvana-esque, and we would listen? Would he be leaping about like Lindsey Stirling? The audience surrounding me had a good mixture of young children and families, college students, and surprisingly, a large community of white-haired folks. Could one musician cater to all people in this broad spectrum of ages?
And then Jake came on the stage, and the lights flared with vibrant colors, bouncing shadows off the walls. While his bass-player appropriately took the simple accompaniment lines and stayed stone still, Jake made up for his stillness by strumming right into an uplifting, high-energy ditty. It must be difficult to create kinetic intrigue, especially when holding such a small instrument as the ukulele. But Jake’s stage presence (although one in his position may feel awkward by the way he bopped his head and bent his knees in rhythm) became larger than himself and was quite necessary for the enjoyment of the show.
If happy had a sound, it would be the ukulele.
Jake is most well known for his covers of classic rock songs such as “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which resonated with the older generation in the audience. While he played these two, as well as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (*sobbing*) and Ave Maria, he also played quite a few original pieces, which were terrific! He has a unique talent in that he is not solidified in one genre. He is a master of many styles, including flamenco, bluegrass, rock, Hawaiian, and Japanese folk songs! Although he has the skill and control over his flying fingers, his instrument is able to achieve different tones through the use of several effect pedals, as well as one which he can create a sound sample and then loop it and play with it in the background. He told us that many of his pieces are influenced directly from experiences in his own life, as art usually is. Past travels to Japan led him to write a piece called “Ichigo Ichie” which translates to “the once-in-a-lifetime crossing of paths with a person who you may never meet again.” His own childhood in Hawaii inspired a Hawaiian-style folk song. He told a tender story about his friend’s grandmother who, while in the hospital, hallucinated that blue roses were on the ceiling and were dropping their petals on her – a powerful image. This story inspired his elegiac song entitled “Blue Roses Falling.”
The show would have suffered, I think, without Jake’s conversational interlude. He brought us closer, knitted a connection between him and the audience in this moment of ichigo ichie. We were able to listen and appreciate his music in a different way, because we understood how his head worked. We could empathize with the way he felt when he was composing the piece. He probably paid homage to the wonderful venue of Hill Auditorium five times during the night, revealing that he was awe-inspired by the beautiful structure we walk past every day (this parallels how amazed we are by the instrument that he plays daily). Jake is a performer who not only wants to entertain, he wants to inspire, he wants to uplift, and bring good cheer to the world. He gave a quick fatherly preach to the younger generation in the audience : “to choose whatever they’re passionate about and go out into the world and do it.” He followed up with “And you don’t need drugs. I’ve been drug free my whole life. You don’t need them.” Although perhaps a little overdone, I know that he meant well. He believes in “music education,” which got the entire auditorium applauding. After a little research on him, I am pleased to find out that the 38-year-old has created his own music education non-profit organization called “The Four Strings Foundation,” proof that he does not just talk, but follows his own advice.
Aloha Jake. We hope you come back to Ann Arbor and bring your sound of happy with you.
