Come to Open Mic night tonight at the Michigan League Underground. This weekly event brings together many aspiring artists and amateurs that have the hopes of getting their names out there and winning the $40 prize at the end of the semester. I’m not exactly sure what to expect, but I’m excited to go out and support my fellow students and enjoy different genres and artistic styles
Presented by Michigan Unions Arts and Programs
You should join me!
When? 8:30pm
Where? Michigan League Basement- The League Underground
How much? FREE (bonus!)
Why? Because it is fantastic!
Also, if you are a mucsician, singer-songwriter, or spoken-word artist, feel encouraged to sign up between 7:30 and 8:30 to perform in the show.
As always,
This is Danny Fob: Artist and Art Reviewer
Tomorrow, at 7:30 pm at the Michigan Theater, there is a sneak preview of the new movie “Answer This.” It’s a locally produced film by Christopher and Michael Farah, and features our very own Ralph Williams, along with Christopher Gorham, Arielle Kebbel, Nelson Franklin, and Chris Parnell. It’s the story of a thirty-year-old University of Michigan graduate finally coming of age through his experience with the First Annual Ann Arbor Trivia Tournament. It should be a good time, and not just because we’ll see some familiar faces! As a senior myself, I’m looking forward to watching a story about someone coming to terms with their graduation from U of M – it’s hard to imagine leaving.
Given the excitement over this film, the 7:30 showing is sold out…but there was a second screening added! Same night, 10 pm. If you’re interested, here’s more info!
I’m sure you’ve seen the flyers around campus. I almost felt deja vu until I recalled in disappointment the night that never was. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I could have found my tickets to get a refund but I spent the rest of my months blocking it out of memory until recently when I heard the news. Alas, just my luck, I found my tickets in some generic enevelope in some old book in some old backpack while cleaning my old bedroom. All I can say is: ecstatic.
As I retell this story to you, I urge you to not let shows go unattended, bands unnoticed, songs unheard. This band is absolutely phenomenal and I am almost positive they will not disappoint live. Although the show will take place tomorrow at 7pm at the Michigan Theater, tickets are still available! I only just got my tickets yesterday still scoring 4th row on the main floor so don’t be discouraged by timing. Student tickets are a steal at $16.50 for balcony and $19.50 for main floor, and if you’re slow-paced like me and still have your old tickets, you can exchange them for new ones!
If you’re still not sure you’re going, watch this.
Recap:
Who: Broken Social Scene
What: Mystery gags
Where: Michigan Theater
When: This Friday @ 7 pm
How: MUTO open till 4 today & tomorrow, try checking at the door as well.
First time I became a big fan of Johnny Cash’s (and of course June’s) music was after seeing “Walk the line”. I still love the song “walk the line” a lot! And so when I heard that Rosanne Cash is going to be performing at the Hill Auditorium tonight, I was thrilled.
Rosanne Cash
Rosanne Cash’s “The List” is from the list of essential country songs that her father felt she must know to be a country music singer. She picked from that list and rendered her own unique view to the songs to come up with her own list. Today’s program is a mix of songs from the Appalachian traditions, the early country songs, the Southern gospel, delta blues as well as what is considered today’s country music. In short, it promises to be a nice way to review the old sounds that became a part of what all America is.
Tickets @ the door , tonight 8 pm at the Hill auditorium.
What better way to kickstart another lovely school year than by “participating” a truly novel concept for theatre – David Leddy’s Susurrus. This play is literally a walk around the park! Using the lovely landscape of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens as well as the latest technology, David Leddy’s play involves the audience in the fullest possible way imaginable in a theatrical set up.
David Leddy's Susurrus
You are given an ipod shuffle and and a map and asked to “watch” the play. You listen to a track and the actors “walk you through” the gardens and a suspenseful story (with adult themes) unfolds. Excerpts from operas, some soothing music for the transition between tracks, references to Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are all part of the play.
This is a great way to explore the Botanical Gardens in the nice nippy Fall weather as well as enjoy something truly novel.
Student tickets at $10 and show times Weds 9/29-Fri 10/1: 3:30 pm to 5:15 pm
Sat 10/2-Sun 10/3: 11:00 am to 5:15 pm.
The Blind Pig is generally a fairly correct representation of my worst nightmare. It’s smokey, smelly, and inappropriately dark. The music is too loud and poorly mixed. The crowd is impolite and pushy. It’s always a cool-but-what-if-we-had-a-better-venue experience.
So, Friday night at the Blind Pig, I was very pleasantly surprised. The room was transformed for the Ann Arbor Film Fest and Dark Matter’s presentation of Flying Lotus. The walls were lined with bed sheets and they hung from the ceiling. There were projections from the sides of the room with multiple digital projectors at once. And, there was a beautiful, old 16mm projector perched above the sound board in the back of the room. I watched the opening act, Mahjongg, from the back and I could hear the faint clicking of the projector colliding with the rock and roll on the stage. Though my family never played 16mm films (update! Obviously not 9mm…that would be pretty heavy hitting), I very strongly associate the 16mm clicking sound with home movies and family reunions. I picture Franklin Delano Roosevelt at his vacation home, sipping lemonade.
I would have had a difficult time seeing Flying Lotus sipping lemonade on a lawn chair last week at the Blind Pig. The sold-out crowd went nuts every time he changed tracks. The Flying Lotus albums are not terribly danceable. The tracks are often a-rhythmic and too weird to move to. The live set, however, was radically different. He added a heavy beat and a strong dub-step influence to keep the audience, at least, bobbing heads the whole time. At times, the gross dude in front of me’s hair was too close to my face to do anything but nod my head and back away. At other times, the whole dance floor was moving together. He mixed popular tracks from Radiohead (see video below) and Lil’ Wayne into the heavy electronic music he is known for.
I am generally unimpressed by electronic DJ performances. I have trouble seeing the artistry in playing on a computer. From the floor, it usually looks like the artist is just choosing the next song from his iTunes catalog. Flying Lotus, however, put on a show. He fed off the crowd’s energy, danced around, poked fun at the ‘bored’ girl in the front row, and, more generally, seemed fully in control of the Blind Pig atmosphere.
Unfortunately, the Film Festival continues to have a problem attracting a diverse audience. The only diversity was in the range of cool kids wearing seemingly expensive outfits to the cool kids wearing seemingly thrifty outfits. Some were old enough to wear ear plugs. Most weren’t. This audience make up is most disappointing because the show really had incredible crossover appeal. If you got into the show, you were going to dance.
My apologies that the review is a bit late. Because it is a bit late though, the good people over at Mood Gadget have posted a high video quality, solid sound quality video of Flying Lotus’ mix of Radiohead’s Idioteque. Check it out below (there is also an HD version on their YouTube site)
Also, review of ‘An Evening With Kenneth Anger’ at the Ann Arbor Film Festival- coming soon.
