Despite the fact that the garage rock heyday in Detroit is long gone, at least in commercial terms, Bombach feels that the band is in the right place. "You have to be tough to make it here," he says."

"We're not actually from the city of Detroit, we're from Westland, a crappy suburb of Detroit," Bruhnsen adds. "Westland is one of the places where you have to drive to Detroit or to Ann Arbor to actually do something. But I do love hanging downtown. The only other big city I've been to that I feel like I might be able to live is Chicago, and that feels a little more dangerous than Detroit at this particular point in time. Detroit's not nearly as bad as people think it is. Downtown Detroit is safer than some of the suburbs."

The Fuzz guys, currently working hard on their next album and preparing for this weekend's show at the New Dodge in Hamtramck, run their own record label, financed by Bombach. On the surface, it might seem a little late for a garage rock band with a "The" in front of the name, but these guys are doing things on their own terms. They'll live or die by their own sword. So where do they see themselves in 10 years' time?

"Music's the only thing I'm good at," Bombach says. "But I'll be dead in 10 years."

Brett Callwood writes City Slang.

Send comments to him at letters@metrotimes.com

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