Night and Day

Wednesday • 31
Animal Liberation Orchestra
MUSIC

While we normally can’t bring ourselves to extol the virtues of a jam band, we here at Night & Day have heard good things about the Animal Liberation Orchestra. Their sun-soaked funk jams and bass solos (yes, bass solos) are rumored to spread dancing fever to crowds of thousands. They were a hit at Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Festival this year and, if our hippie barometer can be trusted at all, that’s a good thing. Throw on the Birks; put the dreads in a ponytail and jam. With Jack Johnson and Matt Costa at the Meadowbrook Music Festival, 3554 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills; call Ticketmaster at 248-645-6666.

Thursday-Sunday • 1-4
Panic in Detroit
MUSIC

After spending long days at the Hamtramck Festival this weekend, why not pop on over to the Painted Lady and make it a few long nights in Hamtramck too? For the Labor Day weekend (Thursday-Sunday) the Painted Lady will host Panic in Detroit, a post-punk, art-rock showcase. Headlining opening night will be P.A., a promising new band led by Chris McInnis (former They Come in Threes) and Courtney Seedy (Outrageous Cherry). Other noteworthy acts include Blue Girls (former Piranhas), Genders, Heroes and Villains, and the Wolfman Band. At 2930 Jacob, Hamtramck. 313-874-2991 or myspace.com/paintedlady for detailed lineup information.

Friday-Monday • 2-5
ArtS, Beats & Eats
FUN FOR ALL

Downtown Pontiac teems each Labor Day weekend with the annual Arts, Beats & Eats festival. Devotees — and there are a lot of them — of the annual event know that the whole family can enjoy kids’ activities like Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Adventure Tour, an animatronic wildlife safari, and the Fisher-Price Toys Exhibit, a favorite among the 5-and-younger crowd. There’s also a variety of food offerings from local restaurants and five rockin’ stages to keep the crowds entertained. This year’s A-list acts include indie rock badasses Sloan; hip-hop gal, Ciara; and ’80s heartthrob Rick Springfield. artsbeatseats.com.

Saturday • 3
Jungle Madness: Motor City Tiki Art Show
FUN FOR ALL

Nothing says summer like a good Tiki party. What better way to wind down the season than with a good old-fashioned evening of Tiki, lowbrow and kustom kulture art? Featured artists such as Jeff Shea, Dave Burke and Mattfink will display a variety of metal sculptures and paintings, while show coordinator (and former owner of vintage-kitsch store Cat’s Meow) Nancy Hay will sell a variety of Hawaiian wares and antique collectibles. Exotic retro-surf-rock-hula music will be provided by DJ Del Villarreal. At Chin Tiki, 28205 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 734-421-1627.

Saturday-Sunday • 3-4
The Smeet Frog vs. the Sundress of Doom
THEATER

In yet another piece of puppet theater creativity, main character Smeet Frog and his friend Timmy happen across a sinister plot devised by the evil Doctor Darkula and his acerbic cohort, Lawyer Numbreaster. When the diabolical duo invent a sundress that turns Smeet Frog and Timmy’s friend Suzy into an unstoppable shopping machine, the heroes must figure out a way to save their poor friend. Dreamland Theatre, 44 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-657-2337.

Sunday-Sunday • 4-11
Roots of Brazil in U.S.
ARTS/ISSUES & LEARNING

Earlier this year, an MT cover story told of Jose Vincente Dantas, better known as Mestre Caboquinho, and his quest to popularize the theatrical martial art of capoeira in metro Detroit. The dancing moves of capoeira are some 500 years old, out of Africa by way of Caboquinho’s native Brazil, and have spread around the world. His capoeira studio, Centro TABCAT, celebrates its grand opening with Roots of Brazil in the U.S., an international conclave of capoeira and related Brazilian dance and music, featuring lectures, workshops and public demonstrations. Highlights include a Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Afro-dance workshop with Roslene of the Brazilian group Ile Aiye and a closing, Sunday, 3 p.m., presentation of a roda, a capoeira game in the round. The action is at Centro TABCAT, 4647 Michigan Ave., Detroit, except for a show of Brazilian samba music and dance on Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Firefly Club, 207 S. Ashley, Ann Arbor. 313-361-9030, 734-697-1563 or click on Roots of Brazil at tabcat.org.

Tuesday • 6
The Mitten Movie Project
FILM

Starting this week, Thought Collide Productions in association with Emagine Theater in Novi will dedicate every first Tuesday of the month to the Mitten Movie Project. The projects will feature full-length films, shorts, animation, music videos and documentaries with a common thread — they all display the talents of the Michigan filmmaking community. In order to be considered for the project, movies must be produced, directed or animated by Michigan artists, or must use Michigan actors and locales. The event commences with a variety of short films including A Little Off the Top, by Oz Productions, directed by Marshall Zweig and Russ Orlando; Starlet, directed by Ickytrip; and Stephens & Thomas DDS, by Planet Ant actor Nate DuFort. At 6:30 p.m. at the Emagine Theater, 44425 W. 12 Mile Rd., Novi; 248-319-3456.

Ongoing
Call for Entries: Threads
ART

Mosaic Productions is having a call for entries for its second annual fashion extravaganza, Threads. The show will be meld fashion and art — the idea is to create a wearable work of art unlike any other. There will be three main categories: accessories (bags, footwear, hats, etc.), outerwear (shirts, jackets, pants, etc.) and underwear (use your imagination). Entries are due by Sept. 10, 2005, and can be dropped off Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Johansen Charles Gallery, 1345 Division St., in Eastern Market, Detroit. Call Mosaic Productions, 313-342-6143.