Tuesday • 3
IndepenDANCE
PARTY
You gotta wonder what our Founding Fathers would say if they knew the hallowed signing of the declaration would, in fact, annually provide Americans an excuse to get shit-faced. And yet, Independence Day excess has become a social norm — be the venue a back yard barbecue, a dank back alley, a downtown fireworks extravaganza or, in this case, an airport hangar-turned-nightclub. Grind with the faceless hottie of your choosing in a night of sky-shaking pyrotechnics and liquid courage at the Troy Airport Hangar, 2670 Industrial Row, Troy; 248-417-8481. Tickets begin at $30; call in advance to inquire about indoor and outdoor VIP cabanas.
Tuesday • 3
Tool
MUSIC
Maynard James Keenan, the dude who wrote suicide-inflicting ballads like "Sober" and cringe-inducing finger-pointers like "Hooker with a Penis," is back in Detroit with a fresh dose of "fuck you" social commentary. Following the 2006 release of Tool's latest album, 10,000 Days, Keenan's epic-length, metallic anthems range from bashing reality television and information overload to mourning the loss of his mother. Expect a show that features a lot from the new CD, and perhaps some favorites from Lateralus, Aenema and Undertow, at DTE Energy Music Theatre, 7774 Sashabaw Rd., Clarkston; 248-377-0100.
Friday • 6
Jimmy Scott and the Jazz Expressions
MUSIC
Last time he came through town, Jimmy Scott did a "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" that made you feel like you'd been a lost orphan all your life. And when he turned to the love ballads, he had ladies just a hollerin' (and maybe some men too) — which ain't bad for an octogenarian. You may or may not buy the argument that he's the original soul singer, but shame on you if you don't bow down to him as a true original. From Billie Holiday to Lou Reed, plenty of others have. And if you're wondering, yes, this is the same Jimmy Scott who did that bit in David Lynch's Twin Peaks. At 8 p.m. at the DIA, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900.
Friday • 6
Silence
ART
Silence. It's golden. Deafening. Endless. A virtue. Thirty artists interpret the various meanings of silence in an all-media show juried by former chief curator of the Detroit Institute of Arts Jan van der Marck. The opening reception will be held on July 13 from 6 to 8 p.m., and van der Marck will give a tour of the exhibit at 2 p.m. on the July 14. At the Paint Creek Center for the Arts, 407 Pine St., Rochester; 248-651-4110.
Friday-Sunday • 6-8
Holy Shit!!! Fest
MUSIC
The Odd Clouds are performing? Holy Shit!!! And Reptile Forcefield? Holy Shit!!! And Whores of Babylon? And Bad Thoughts? And we're having another music festival in Detroit? Fill in the blanks, add a few exclamation points, and then gyrate and bop to the eclectic sound of performers at the fourth annual Holy Shit!!! Fest, which boasts acts that are too provocative or dorky or just plain out there to make it to another one of Detroit's kajillion music fests. Expect primal hoots, unhinged keyboard pounding, distorted, psychedelic jams and a whole mess of talent at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MoCAD), 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2700.
Saturday, Sunday • 7, 8
Civil War Days
FUN FOR ALL
War may be hell, but fake war can be surprisingly quaint. Take this weekend, when Historic Fort Wayne will feature two days of gangrene- and typhoid-free Civil War re-enactments, complete with weapons demonstrations and live music. The fort's barracks, built in 1848, will house Union re-enactors for the weekend, with Confederate re-enactors camped outside on the lawn. And just like the real Civil War, you'll be able to catch some old-timey "base ball," courtesy of the Vintage Baseball Association, and live performances by the 5th Michigan Regimental Band. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission to this event is free. Parking is $5, and guided tours of the fort are $3. At Historic Fort Wayne, 6325 Jefferson Ave., at the foot of Livernois, Detroit; call 313-224-6385 or visit historicfortwaynecoalition.com for more information.
Saturday, Sunday • 7, 8
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Hell's Kitchen Dance
DANCE
Before he was Carrie Bradshaw's accented beau on Sex and the City, and before he was a dancewear mogul with a signature stamped on unitards and footless tights, Mikhail Baryshnikov's name stood alone — as a dancer, one of the greatest alive. The 59-year-old will perform sexy, modern variations of traditional ballet with his company, Hell's Kitchen Dance, capping off this year's Ann Arbor Summer Festival. At 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Power Center, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor; 734-763-3333.
Sunday • 8
Missile Defense: Catalyst for a New and Dangerous Arms Race?
ISSUES AND LEARNING
Dr. Robert Bowman, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, is well-known for his censure of the U.S. government — particularly the missile defense program. He knows his stuff: The former director of the Advanced Space Programs Development for the air force under the Ford and Carter administrations, Bowman received his Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Nuclear Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. Hear a bleeding-heart liberal thump his chest in a lecture sponsored by Peace Action of Michigan at the Pleasant Ridge Community Center, 4 Ridge Rd., Pleasant Ridge. Call 248-548-3920 for more information.
Monday-Friday • 9-13
Adult Art Camp
ART/ISSUES AND LEARNING
Ah, the salad days of youth. Memories of day camp are precious: Soggy PBJs, dizzy games of tag and Red Rover, hastily cobbled-together arts and crafts projects. But who says kids should have all the fun? Set aside a week to enjoy the Adult Art Camp, where students of all levels can take lessons in mixed media, painting, metalwork and ceramics. Oh — and forget tag (who has the lung capacity for that anymore?), there's an optional "recess" in the morning and afternoon where campers can perform yoga. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and teachers can earn continuing education (CEU) credits during the camp, which is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, 1516 S. Cranbrook Rd., Birmingham; 248-655-0866.
Tuesday • July 10
Kenn Cox Trio
MUSIC
The story of how Blue Note Records exec Michael Cuscuna came to put on 40-year-old recordings of Detroit’s Contemporary Jazz Quintet is told elsewhere in this week’s issue of Metro Times. But here’s his reaction: “ Man, was I shocked! They were as good as I had remembered them. They were absolutely fantastic.” That listening led to the reissue of the Detroit group’s two Blue Note discs under the title Introducing Kenny Cox and the Contemporary Jazz Quintet. With the exception of a few years in the ’80s, pianist Kenn (as he prefers to be called these days) Cox has been a dynamic part of the Detroit music scene while the CJQ’s only commercial discs went out of print and the group faded into obscurity. Hopefully the reissue will give Cox and the others the visibility they deserve. Regardless of what the rest of the jazz world does, you can check out Cox and his current trio (Marion Hayden on bass, Bert Myrick on drums) at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, 20510 Livernois Ave., Detroit, 313-345-6300.
ONGOING
Bottle of Red: Uncorked
COMEDY
The worst thing about improv is that it's hard to do improv. Well, it's hard to do well. Second City alumnae Margaret Edwartowski and Nancy Hayden have pretty much got it down, though: Paired together in a fast-paced, one-act sketch comedy, they lampoon and reflect upon the oddities of daily life. At 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays, the show runs until July 28 at Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff, Hamtramck; 313-365-4948.
