June 12-18, 2002

13 THU • MUSIC Dead Low Tide — Were you there where the Murder City Devils almost burned down the Gold Dollar? It was August 1, 2000, when a crowd of 20 fans and five slumped-over drunks witnessed the Seattle quintet leveling the place. Spencer Moody’s brilliant, drunken aggression led the band through a set of switchblade-wielding tough-guy-isms that has seldom been matched. Were you there when the band did the same thing at St. Andrew’s Hall, only three months later? Probably. As the opening act for At the Drive In (the deafening buzz band de jour in November 2000) MCD was starting stage fires at a sold-out St. Andrew’s, filled to the hilt with baseball cap-wearing insta-fans who bemoaned the band’s untimely death as if they’d been there all along. If you happen to be one of the 20 people to see Dead Low Tide, a rebound band with four of MCD’s five members, your into-’em-before-they-were-big cred will be impeccable. And this band actually deserves it. Dead Low Tide plays with Inside Five Minutes, River City Rebels and Ayndrone at Alvin’s, 5656 Cass, Detroit; call 313-961-MELT for information.

13 THU • LITERATURE John Sinclair and Ben Edmonds — There’s a reason that people who live in Detroit talk of Creem magazine with an almost religious reverence. When the mag’s former editor, Ben Edmonds, speaks with former Detroiter John Sinclair (who was dubbed by Creem as the "father of the Midwest rock and roll scene"), the delightfully cluttered Book Beat (26010 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; call 248-968-1190. will be home to a reunion of the Creem spirit. Sinclair will be promoting a new book of poems and two new CD releases, Fattening Frogs for Snakes: A Delta Suite (which was produced by criminally unsung Detroit legend Andre Williams) and Peyotemind. Edmonds will be peddling his latest book, What’s Goin’ On: Marin Gaye and The Last Days of the Motown Sound, published as a part of the "Mojo Heros" series by UK-based Mojo. This meeting of two cultural icons couldn’t be more recommended.

14 FRI • MUSIC Edgar Meyer with the DSO — Without a hint of exaggeration, Edgar Meyer is the best bassist in the world. His stunning virtuosity, impressive live performances and best-selling recordings have made him one of the most sought-after soloists and collaborators in classical music. But Meyer’s most admirable quality is his youthful passion and open-minded embrace of music from a variety of genres; it’s an antidote that could cure the terminal illness of orchestra programs around the country. This passion can be heard in every note of his own "Double Bass Concerto" which he will perform during his three night stand with the Detroit Symphony (June 14-16) at Symphony Hall (3711 Woodward, Detroit; call 313-576-5111).

15 SAT • FASHION Pas/Cal — It seems like Pas/Cal has almost materialized out of nowhere, like some kind of band of sugar-pop prophets that rose straight out of the pastel squares of the Candy Land board in the closet. The group’s falsetto hooks and up-tempo, guitar-driven melodies are compact explosions of felicity, short enough in length to appeal to a busload of Ritalin kids and skillful enough in craft to stay between the ears for a week. Pas/Cal will play as a part of a multidesigner fashion exhibition at the Museum of New Art, which will include work from Amy Bem and Mary Beth Carolan. The MONA is on the second floor of the Book Building (1249 Washington Boulevard, Detroit; call 248-210-7560).

15 SAT • MUSIC Dickey Betts — For those in the know, Dickey Betts is one of the most important voices in the early ’70s American rock landscape. As a founding father and key songwriter ("Revival," "Ramblin’ Man") of the Allman Brothers Band, Betts’ distinguished Southern-steeped rock continues to influence countless guitar players and songwriters. He will perform at the Magic Bag (22920 Woodward, Ferndale; call 248-544-1991).

17 – 19 MON – WED • MUSIC oMad for Tadd(cq) — Saxophonist Donald Walden leads his assembled heavy hitters through an open rehearsal (night 1) and an open recording session (nights 2 and 3) to salute the suave and savvy bop composer Tadd Dameron. Philly Joe Jones once led a band dedicated to the work of the late Dameron, but such tributes have been way too rare for the master behind such evergreens as "Good Bait" and "If You Could See Me Now" — not to mention plenty of undeservedly obscure flag-wavers and ballads. The band includes Rodney Whitaker on bass and Kenn Cox on piano. Music starts at 7:30 each night at Bert’s on Broadway, 1315 Broadway, Detroit. Rehearsal admission is $10; recording admission includes a meal for $25. Call 313-864-2337 for more info. A production of the Societie (cq) of the Culturally Concerned.