I don’t think I’ve ever left an auditorium feeling all at once inspired, giddy, heartbroken, and moved. Audra McDonald’s concert at Hill Auditorium Friday night was honestly the best musical performance I’ve seen in a long time. Her voice is one that hits you so hard you just sit there in awe, letting it swell in your heart and resonate throughout your entire body. Yeah, to say she’s got pipes barely skims the surface.

My friend Gina and I squeezed our way through the massive herds of people as we finally found our seats up in the mezzanine. I was thrilled to see how few empty seats remained in the gigantic auditorium. Dodging canes and tripping over wheelchairs, I was immediately surprised by the amount of elderly people occupying a majority of those full sections. Audra McDonald seems like a very current artist to me, with the musical theater performances of hers I first fell in love with; however, after this performance I understood the appeal for that particular audience: her repertoire for her concert drew largely upon older shows and jazzy 1930s and 40s songs! This was definitely one of the most surprising yet superb aspects of her performance. As if we weren’t already aware of how amazing McDonald is, she was able to wield even such classics as “I could have danced all night” with a nuanced, stylistic approach. A newer song she did include in her performance (and one that was probably my favorite moment of the concert) was when she sang “I’ll be here” from the musical inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, Ordinary Days. It was a tear-jerker to be sure.

One of the many great things about McDonald is she isn’t just a singer – she’s an entertainer. Between songs, she would give stories and background information that seemed all at once personal and professional. From what she orders at Chipotle to the tragic death of her father, she shared details of her life and experiences as if it were just her and I in the room. It felt so intimate – and to pull that off in a room that sits over 3,000 is really something to be marveled at.

After the performance, Gina and I walked back humming “Stars and the Moon” and gushing over all our favorite parts of the concert. We spent a good two hours once we got home looking up all the songs she sang and buying them on iTunes. Audra McDonald’s concert was above and beyond my expectations, and I hope everyone gets the chance to experience her uplifting and heart-warming vocal talents. To say it’s hard to convey passion in music is an understatement, but McDonald makes it look easy.

Friday, November 11^th the Oregon born band Blind Pilot is expected to land in Ann Arbor, MI. Tickets cost $15-20, so why not spend a few shekels on what will be the perfect hybrid of folk-inspired music mixed with west coast indie pop, especially for fans of The Shins, Iron and Wine, Coconut Records, and Fleet Foxes. Scheduled to take off at 9pm, Blind Pilot’s performance will take center stage at local downtown Ann Arbor venue The Blind Pig, located at 208 South 1^st Street.

Amongst the hustle and bustle of a busy college life, it seems as though there’s hardly time to breathe. So, when the moment strikes and there’s a minute to spare, why not venture to the University of Michigan Museum of Art? Certain places on campus such as the art museum and graduate stacks provide the perfect temporary escape. Environments such as these enable students to loose themselves and to momentarily disconnect from the whirlwind of academics. The UMMA encourages students to engage in something cultural, but proves to be more energizing than mind draining. Who knows how many times a day students pass the art museum on their way to class, glance into the glass box that is The UMMA Projects, and wonder what in the world is in there. After a long day of back-to-back classes, a sudden calm awaits by simply wandering the gallery stalls and taking a few minutes sitting down, or rather standing around, Mark Di Suvero’s current exhibit: Tabletops.

Perhaps Suvero’s work is unfamiliar, but chances are readers know more about the American artist than they imagine. The mammoth red-painted steel sculpture outside the art museum is in fact a Suvero sculpture, as is the smaller, rusted swing structure nestled between the new and old wings of the museum. Rumor has it, if you look at the red beams from any direction the word “art” appears. Similarly, many of the structures within the exhibit express hidden symbols.

In his youth, Suvero worked in construction but after a close encounter with a crippling injury, Suvero was unable to work construction and turned to welding. With time, Suvero became a skilled sculptor and his art became well known in the realm of Abstract Expressionism. Suvero’s work employees recycled materials and salvaged industrial metals, synonymous with public art. Surely many communities outside of Ann Arbor have noticed an increase in the number of modern art popping up around town.

Tabletops is a caprice of Suvero’s work, varying in year of creation and materials. Suvero’s pallet includes various materials such as steel, wood, titanium, and treated metals married together to create something unrecognizable. Suvero’s sculptures thoughtfully consider physics, music, balance, and play with shape, proportion, and movement. Perhaps the boldest works of Suvero’s artistic expression are the vibrant, large-scale, abstract paintings positioned on two of the four walls of the glass box. In the center of the gallery lies a multilevel platform with a multitude of sculptures, each displaying a unique arrangement of angles, amorphous shapes, lines, and curves. Many of the sculptures look antiquated, either tarnished with time or covered in rust.

Some materials appear to be ‘found objects’ that Suvero discovered and morphed into something new. Certain facets of the metal structures are comprised of familiar objects like an old mechanical wheel or a rusted nail. Items such as the steel beams and rusted gears bring to mind the increasing number of abandoned buildings and factories close to home, such as the Packard Plant in Detroit. Historical landmarks such as these once housed the machinery and workers that built Industrial America. However, the nuts and bolts that once held our country together continue to crumble. Today, the architectural units America built itself around are relics, or ruins, of history standing still.

Tabletops is on exhibit at the University of Michigan Museum of Art until February 26^th, allotting plenty of time to plan a visit or to stop by when it’s least expected. At some point between now and February make a promise to visit, break through the glass walls, and investigate. Most importantly, continue to search for hideouts on campus. Maybe you’ll love the UMMA, maybe you’ll hate it, but I promise you will appreciate the time you give yourself to consider it.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is coming to the University of Michigan. Put on by the Rude Mechanicals, a student theater group here on campus. They’re giving a new setting to the classic tragedy; the costume and set design being themed on the AMC show Mad Men. It should be a really exciting and innovative show. Tickets for students are only $3 and the show plays Friday 8pm, Saturday 8pm, and Sunday 2pm. I’m going for the Friday show, but I encourage everyone to find the time to go and see it!

Sending you love and light,

Danny Fob