Also releasing a much-anticipated album are the Hard Lessons, one of D-Town’s favorite bands, who’ll be unleashing their ambitious B&G Sides to an adoring public this week, complete with an all-star record release party at the Crofoot Ballroom this Saturday night, July 26th.
The band is on the Metro Times‘ cover this week…but we thought we’d give you an early preview of that feature by breaking news (which will undoubtedly come as a stunner to some of the Hard Lessons’ fans): It looks like their drummer Christophe Zajac-Denek (aka The Anvil) is planning to relocate to the West Coast by the end of this year. Everything is still in the planning stages at the moment — and Zajac-Denek will indeed be playing the Saturday night show, as well as other upcoming local gigs — but the Hard Lessons will be entering a new career phase in the near future.
Said Augie Viccochi, the Hard Lessons’ guitarist-lead vocalist, to MT: “"[Christophe] will be playing with us for the next several months, so nothing is immediate by any means. But it definitely will be a transitional time for us. Everything is totally amicable, of course, and we've all had a great time playing together. But Christophe's moving onto a new chapter in his life, although everything's still somewhat uncertain at the moment."
In the meantime, the guitarist and keyboardist-vocalist Korin Cox (aka Ko Ko Louise) — who have a wedding coming up in August — have already started writing and recording their next album with the Electric Six's Zach Shipps, who produced both Gasoline and the band's Wise Up! EP, behind the boards.
Read the full Hard Lessons story tomorrow morning in the hard copy of the paper or online.
Congratulations to our young teenaged friends in the Displays, who self-release their debut LP, Ain’t Gonna Put Us Down, this week, complete with a CD release party this Friday, July 25th, at the Garden Bowl. The trio won the Detroit News‘Battle of the Bands competition back in 2007 (less than a year after their formation) — and used part of the prize money to complete this new disc. The band also finally has a permanent guitar player: Ben Van Camp from the Crooks is now in that spot…and he has some big shoes to fill, since some of the guest guitarists who’ve played with the band over the last few years include Gary Adams (Circus Boy), Molly Jean (the Decks), Cetan Clawson (who played with the boys at the Hamtramck Blowout last March) and, finally, one Mr. Eddie Baranek (of the Sights, of course), who’s the one who actually handled the guitar duties on the new album. The other members of the Diplays include lead vocalist-bassist Andrew Hecker and Josh Cohen on drums. Ain’t Gonna Put Us Down was recorded with Jim Diamond (who actually guest vocals on the lead track) at Ghetto Recorders. The Smashed Windows and Woodman will be opening the Friday night performance and the admission can’t be beat: It’s free. Look for a record review in the Metro Times in the near future.
Other record release parties this week include the Hentchmen, who celebrate the release of Iron Pimp, a 7-inch, three song vinyl EP (on Bellyache Records) with a show at the Park Bar on Saturday, July 26th; and the Javelins, who release their second album, Heavy Meadows, on Suburban Sprawl Records this week, with a celebration at the Belmont, also on Saturday night, the 26th. Look for Laura Witkowski’s review of the latter album in next week’s issue (May 30th) of the Metro Times.
In case you didn't make it down to the Concert of Colors this weekend, here are some rare (because the officials were extremely strict about the use of cameras at the event) from Don Was's Super Session show Sunday night, courtesy of our friend, Ms. Rebecca Cook, the CoC's official photographer. Thanks, Rebecca!
John Sinclair, Detroit's countercultural poet laureate, with Was and Jeff Grand.
Charlie "Charlie Hawk" Hawkins and VC L "The Mighty V!" Veasey of Black Merda.
Loretta Lucas, one-half of the Sisters Lucas.
Rachel Nagy of the Detroit Cobras.
Mitch Ryder belts out Jimmy Ruffin's Motown classic, "What Become of the Brokenhearted?"
The entire legendary crew onstage for a finale...
And finally...
Mr. Was embracing one of the Sudan Musicians for Peace troupe members.
ALL PHOTOS BY REBECCA COOK/CONCERT OF COLORS
Thanks to Doug Coombe and Michael Jackman for aiding the technically inept...!
One of the forefathers of rock ’n’ roll and R&B is the subject of a salute here in Detroit on Monday. We’re talking about Louis Jordan, who with his group, the Tympani 5, streamlined big band swing into a flashy combo style that sold in the millions in the 1940s and 1950s. Chuck Berry may have eliminated the horn section and traded the Jordan group’s piano for an electric guitar, but it makes perfect sense that he credited Jordan as being his No. 1 influence; the line from 1940s Jordan hits like “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie,” “Let the Good Times Roll” and “Open the Door, Richard!” to Berry’s hits and other sounds of the ’50s couldn’t be more obvious.
In addition to numerous musicians who’ve covered his works over the years — from Joe Jackson to B.B. King — the Broadway homage of Five Guys Named Moe and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the U.S. Postal Service this week issued a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jordan’s birth and his short 1940s movie (and hit song) Caldonia. It’s part of a five-stamp set honoring vintage black cinema.
The Detroit connection? Former Judge Claudia Morcom has been a friend for years of Jordan’s widow, Martha, who lived in Detroit for a time in the late ’50s (before her marriage to the considerably older Louis). Morcom set wheels in motion for a Detroit event to coincide. Martha will be on hand to autograph copies of her autobiography, The Debutante That Went Astray. A brief film about Jordan will be screened. And two bands will pay tribute to Jordan: Ben’s Friends Big Band and the DeSean Jones Jazzy Five.
It all starts at 5:30 with a book signing and reception, followed by the film, with music starting at 7 p.m. At SereNgeti Galleries, 2757 Grand River at Lodge Freeway, right by the Motor City Casino. Tickets $15. Call 313-715-0170.
First, our State Department banned that possible terrorist Boy George from entering our country last month (hit the link to the video below for a spit-take – literally – from the State Department’s rep at a press conference when the conversation goes from the serious topic of Iraq to the Boy!). Now, they’ve also banned the Master Musicians of Jajouka – first brought to attention by late Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones in the late '60s and collaborators since then with everyone from Ornette Coleman to the surviving Stones…which means the group will not be performing at this weekend’s annual Concert of Colors. It seems that, according to the U.S. Consulate in Ottawa, because several of the group members’ names are similar to names on a U.S. government watch list, additional processing time for their visa application will take approximately three months as opposed to the usual timeline of a few days. The fact that the Department of Homeland Security granted P3 "unique artist" status to these individuals is irrelevant to the Department of Justice. The bad news is that the group has been forced to cancel all U.S. dates on its current tour and will likely absorb a financial loss. The good news, we guess, is that the musicians can apply this visa application and all related fees towards another visa application for 2009, which they will start processing prior to August st1 of this year in order to begin the process now for next year. That means maybe we’ll see the Master Musicians at the Concert of Colors…in July 2009.
In other Concert Of Colors news, former Detroiter Don Was – who’ll be in town to headline a Detroit Super Session onstage, featuring members of the Dirtbombs, the Go, Sisters Lucas and Mitch Ryder, among numerous others (see our feature in tomorrow’s paper) – will be producing and collaborating on a song calling for peace in Sudan with a group of musicians from that country calling themselves Sudan United for Peace. As the International Criminal Court in The Hague this week considers issuing an arrest warrant for the president of Sudan for alleged war crimes, Sudan’s leading performing artists are in the U.S., calling for an end to violence in their nation…with the Concert of Colors one of only two shows the group will be performing in the U.S. The recording session will take place this Thursday, July 17th, at Royal Oak’s Rustbelt Studios. Sudan United for Peace will then be playing the Concert of Colors on Saturday, July 19th, at 6 p.m. on the Chrysler Main Stage; the Was Detroit Super Session will take place the following day, Sunday, July 20th, at 7:15 p.m. on the same stage.
Detroit expatriate photographer Sue Rynski – now a resident of Paris, France – recently opened a show at the Galerie Nivet-Carzon in that city, spotlighting her classic photos from the Detroit punk scene of the ‘70s, with a special emphasis, of course, on Bookie’s 870. You can watch a video of Ms. Rynski and the opening (complete with subtitles) here.
Ms. Rynski (as shot by her pal and Advice Goddess columnist Amy Alkon) and one of her classic Detroit shots below.
Black Market -- often praised over the years as Detroit's best reggae band -- will reunite for the first time in three years on Saturday, July 26th, at Mario's in Troy (1477 John R Rd., Troy; 588-6000). All of the band's original members will be on hand to celebrate the release of two new products -- In Concert (a collection of live roots reggae, including Detroit guitar legend Jim McCarty, who was a member of the group for almost two years) and Nuclear Reaction, a new CD featuring 12 original tunes. The show is being filmed for inclusion on a new DVD, Black Market: The Movie, a collection of performances and videos filmed as close as Detroit and as far away as Jamaica. The band has received at least 15 awards over the years at both the old Metro Times Music Awards and the newfangled Detroit Music Awards...In other reunion news, Detroit’s legendary hip hop collective D12 (sans the late Proof, of course) reunited last Saturday night, July 12th, at St. Andrews Hall. Royce da 5’9’’ was also on hand (despite his well-publicized falling-out with the group and Eminem some time ago). Among the participants stepping up to the mic to join the crew were Elzhi and Slum Village’s T3…Finally, during Ted Nugent’s recent much-publicized 6000th show at Pine Knob on July 4th, the Madman was joined onstage by original Ted Nugent Band member Derek St. Holmes, as well as Detroit drum superstar Johnny Bee" Badanjek (of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels). The latter wasn’t as much a reunion as a celebration, since Nugent has always pointed at the Detroit Wheels as the local unit that inspired him the most.
Got an e-mail yesterday afternoon from HiFi Handgrenades honcho John Speck, informing us of all kinds of cool stuff the band's up to following their opening slot tour with the Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl himself chose them for the gig) earlier this year. The band is leaving at the end of July for a three-month tour, which includes a few Western Canada and Pacific Northwest Warped Tour dates, as well as a few European festivals (including Belgium's Pukkelpop, Frequency in Vienna, and the well-regarded Leeds and Reading Fests in jolly ol' blighty). The European swing will also include a few club dates, including support dates with with Alkaline Trio and Millencolin, before heading back to the U.S. for a tour with Streetlight Manifesto, and then ending with the band's debut performance at Fest 7 in Gainesville, Florida.
The band's debut LP, Carry On, is now also available via New Romance for Kids Records in Canada, Rough Trade/FAEC in Japan (the latter label is also distributing an exclusive five-song EP) and, as of August 26th, on Deck Cheese Records on the U.K.
Speck also says the Grenades have 10 new songs demoed for their next album. They're aiming for a springtime '09 release date ... and still looking for "a good fit on a U.S. label" (interested parties can contact the band via their MySpace page or e-mail here and we'll forward your e-mail to Mr. Speck).
Looking good, dudes.
Here's the band's full upcoming itenerary:
Aug 5 2008 Warped Tour Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Aug 6 2008 Warped Tour Calgary, Alberta Aug 8 2008 Warped Tour Boise, Idaho Aug 9 2008 Warped Tour Seattle, Washington Aug 10 2008 Warped Tour Portland, Oregon Aug 14 2008 Pukkelpop Festival Belgium Aug 15 2008 Frequency Festival Vienna Aug 16 2008 Magnet Club Berlin Aug 17 2008 Molotov Hamburg Aug 19 2008 Live Music Hall w/ Alkaline Trio Koln Aug 20 2008 Koko w/ Alkaline Trio London Aug 23 2008 Reading Festival Reading Aug 24 2008 Leeds Festival Leeds Aug 25 2008 Garage w/ Alkaline Trio Glasgow, Scotland Aug 26 2008 Ambassador w/ Alkaline Trio Dublin, Northern Ireland Aug 28 2008 Cafe Drummond Aberdeen, Scotland Aug 29 2008 Westport Bar Dundee, Scotland Aug 30 2008 Academy 2 Newcastle Sep 1 2008 Leadmill (small hall) Sheffield Sep 2 2008 Fibbers York Sep 3 2008 Night & Day Manchester Sep 4 2008 Sugarmill Stoke Sep 5 2008 West End Centre Aldershot Sep 7 2008 Met Lounge Peterborough Sep 8 2008 Barfly Liverpool Sep 10 2008 Soultree Cambridge Sep 11 2008 Esquires Bedford Sep 12 2008 Forum Tunbridge Wells Sep 13 2008 Bullingdon Arms Oxford Sep 15 2008 Joiners Southampton Sep 16 2008 Engine Room Brighton Sep 17 2008 Metro London Sep 18 2008 Cavern Exeter Sep 20 2008 Club 85 Hitchin Sep 21 2008 Roadmenders Northampton Sep 23 2008 Academy w/ Millencolin Birmingham Sep 24 2008 Academy w/ Millencolin Bristol Sep 25 2008 Astoria 2 w/ Millencolin London Sep 26 2008 Wedgewood Rooms w/ Millencolin Portsmouth Sep 27 2008 Rock City w/ Millencolin Nottingham Sep 28 2008 Academy 3 w/ Millencolin Manchester Sep 29 2008 Garage w/ Millencolin Glasgow, Scotland Oct 8 2008 Crazy Donkey w/ Streetlight Manifesto Farmington, New York Oct 9 2008 Starland Ballroom w/ Streetlight Manifesto Sayreville, New Jersey Oct 10 2008 Northern Lights w/ Streetlight Manifesto Albany, New York Oct 11 2008 Infinity w/ Streetlight Manifesto Buffalo, New York Oct 12 2008 Agora w/ Streetlight Manifesto Cleveland, Ohio Oct 13 2008 Intersection w/ Streetlight Manifesto Grand Rapids, Michigan Oct 14 2008 TBA w/ Streetlight Manifesto TBA Oct 15 2008 Bluebird w/ Streetlight Manifesto Denver, Colorado Oct 16 2008 Avalon w/ Streetlight Manifesto Salt Lake City, Utah Oct 17 2008 Brickhouse w/ Streetlight Manifesto Phoenix, Arizona Oct 18 2008 Key Club w/ Streetlight Manifesto Los Angeles/Hollywood, California Oct 19 2008 House of Blues w/ Streetlight Manifesto San Diego, California Oct 30 2008 FEST 7 Gainesville, Florida
The Handgrenades and some dude who plays with guys named Bruce and Conan.
Cool Detroit rock art and poster show opening next Wednesday, July 16th, at the Butcher's Inn in the Eastern Market (1489 Winder; 313-566-0966), featuring work by local legends Mark Arminski, Gary Grimshaw, Carl Lundgren, Leni Sinclair and Thomas Weschler. Opening night will feature music performances by two of our faves, Caroline Striho and John Sinclair with Jeff Grand. Be there or be whatever...
We got this news too late to get it in last week's issue -- appears to be something of a last minute addition -- but our friend (and local rock star) Matthew Smith and his band Outrageous Cherry will be playing the Bohemian National House (with Troy Gregory and the Stepsisters) tonight at 9 p.m.
The Boho House is at 3009 Tillman St., Detroit; 313-737-6606. See ya there...
