WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5
The Greencards
WORLD CLASS NEWGRASS
Two Australians and an Englishman joined forces in Austin to form the Greencards, a trio performing bluegrass and Americana like down-home natives. Over the span of four albums, the Greencards have built upon the traditional bluegrass sound, incorporating everything from Irish lullabies to Latin American rhythms, a strategy that seems to work – they've gone from playing street corners to opening for the likes of Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Now based in Nashville, the Greencards are on tour behind their latest, the critically-acclaimed Fascination, and are slated to showcase their countrified-yet-worldly chops at this year's Lollapalooza. Doors at 7:30 p.m. at the Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1451; theark.org; $15.
THURSDAY & SATURDAY AUGUST 6 & 8
Jamie Foxx
BLAME IT ON THE FAME
Comedian, actor, musician and radio host Jamie Foxx rose from humble beginnings — portraying the ugliest woman in the world on In Living Color — to become a modern-day superstar — topping charts, winning Oscars and lording over his own satellite radio station, the Foxxhole. And nothing says superstardom like having to publicly apologize on late-night TV for lambasting a teen pop star (Miley Cyrus? Her? Really?). Foxx is on tour in support of Intuition, the star-studded, club-happy (Patrón tequila will get you in the zone) follow-up to 2005's R&B sex jam spectacular, Unpredictable. At 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-471-6611; olympiaentertainment.com.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY AUGUST 6-9
Kwame a River 2: The Wrath of Conyers
THE COMEDY POLITIC
Detroit politics — if you don't laugh, you'll cry. In that spirit, Detroit native Marc Warzecha presents his new comedy revue, The Wrath of Conyers, the follow-up to last year's satirical lambasting of the ousted mayor, Kwame a River: The Chronicles of Detroit's Hip Hop Mayor. This installment follows the saga of City Council President Monica Conyers as she presides over raucous and ridiculous council meetings, rejects Cobo contracts and feuds with eighth-graders. The revue also imagines Conyers meeting with Dr. Phil and having an illicit liaison with Ken Cockrel Jr. (Hey, it's Detroit! Anything's possible!) The sketches and songs also feature a bevy of Detroit's famous and infamous, from the Sam Bernstein family to Geoffrey Fieger. The revue kicks off this Thursday and continues Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Andiamo Novi Theatre (formerly Second City), 42705 Grand River Ave., Novi; 248-348-3838.
FRIDAY AUGUST 7
DAM Small Show
LESS IS MORE?
More than 70 hotshot local artists contributed works to the DAM Small Show, which features works limited in size to 12 inches square. But the small size is a coup for beginning art collectors, since all pieces are priced less than $250, a damn bargain for originals by some of the most recognizable names in the Detroit art scene, as well as some fashionable up-and-comers. Artists featured in the exhibit include Robert Sestok, Mary Fortuna, Gilda Snowden, Sergio De Giusti, Elizabeth Crank, Sharon Que and more. The reception, which features music by Motor City legend the Blackman, is from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Detroit Artists Market, 4719 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-8540; on display through Aug. 22.
FRIDAY AUGUST 7
Friday Night OUT!
LOUD & PROUD
Remember when MTV was cool and actually, you know, pertained to music? Well, Canada's MuchMusic still is and still does, thanks in part to comedian Trevor Boris. He knows music, he knows comedy, and when the two are put together, good things generally happen. Boris stars on the network's popular Trial by Video series, and he's also filmed a handful of prime-time comedy specials. He's yet to cross over to American audiences, but the opportunity to catch a rising star presents itself when Boris hosts Friday Night OUT! — an evening of comedy that's part of the Windsor Pride Festival. Star comedienne Sandra Bernhard (a Flint native) flaunts her cutthroat brand of foul-mouthed social satire as the evening's headliner. Her minions (who roll deep in the LGBTT community) can revel in her glam glory (hole) at Caesars Windsor, 377 Riverside Dr. E., Windsor; 519-258-7878. Tickets are $25-$45 (Canadian) and are available through ticketscene.ca. More info can be found at windsorpride.com.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY AUGUST 7-8
BoxFest '09
GIRLS ON STAGE
It's time yet again for the annual celebration of women in theater, BoxFest Detroit. Fifteen local female directors are given a chance to strut their stuff, with one lucky chica earning the proceeds from the event in the form of a scholarship to advance her career, and another given the opportunity to direct a show as part of Planet Ant Theatre's late-night series. The fest also features local female musicians, all-female improv troupes and female-inspired art in the theater's lobby. A special preview performance of three of BoxFest's plays is Thursday night, followed by a panel discussion on women in theater and music by Bricktown Station. Tickets are $20 and include drinks and appetizers. Regular performances take place at 7 p.m. Fridays and at 3 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 22, at the Furniture Factory, 4126 Third St., Detroit; tickets are $10 at the door or $30 advance for a festival pass. Info and schedule at 313-977-0146 and boxfestdetroit.com.
SATURDAY AUGUST 8
Tour de Dearborn
SPOKE OUT
It seems an odd bike route: a meandering 22-mile ride through the city known for Ford Motor Co. But this weekend, a pack of riders will tour Dearborn, pedaling by Greenfield Village, West Dearborn, the Fairlane Mansion and the Ford Rouge Complex. It's part of the suburb's weekend-long Homecoming Festival, which celebrates all things Dearborn. The 22-mile tour (organized by Detroit Bikes!) will ride at a beginner's pace and follow all traffic laws, and it's BYOB: bring your own bike. The ride ends at the Dearborn Homecoming Festival. Helmets and signed liability waivers are mandatory. Ride departs at 10 a.m. at the east end of Ford Field, 22051 Cherry Hill Rd., Dearborn; detroitsynergy.org.
SATURDAY AUGUST 8
House Music Picnic & Backpack Drive
EATS, BEATS & BAGS
A fundraiser for SCP-Backpacking for Success, the House Music Picnic charges a backpack filled with school supplies as admission to a family-friendly picnic featuring a heavy-duty lineup of Detroit DJs. The supplies are given to financially disadvantaged children at Bennett and Sherrill elementary schools in Detroit, as well as to kids at COTS-Peggy's Place Women & Children's Shelter. DJs include Reggie "Hotmix" Harrell, Bruce Bailey, Norm Talley, Aaron Carl, Alton Miller and more. Bring your own food to grill, and groove for a good cause from 10 a.m. till dark at Belle Isle Shed 19, Detroit; scpmichigan.org for info, including a list of additional locations accepting backpack donations.
SATURDAY AUGUST 8
Tori Amos
CORNFLAKE GIRL
The original ivory-tinkling chanteuse, Tori Amos earned critical acclaim and a rabidly devoted cult of followers with 1992's Little Earthquakes, which debuted her now-trademark sonorous decadence and starkly confessional lyrics. And while Amos' recent tendency to record overly ambitious, sprawling concept albums may have cost her some fans, her 10th disc, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, is something of a return to form — featuring melodies of beauty and bombast, and personal explorations of female navigation of power, vice and religion. A highly emotive and passionate performer, Amos pounds her piano at 8 p.m. at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-961-3500.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY AUGUST 8-9
Michigan Medical Marijuana Expo
KNOW BEFORE YOU GROW
Get up to snuff on the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act at this expo, which features everything you ever wanted to know about cannabis of the medical variety. The event includes displays of cultivation equipment, a used equipment sale, caregiver groups, four clinics to screen potential patients, and educational workshops on everything from growroom design to making bubble hash. Attorneys will also be on hand to answer legal questions, and more than 25 guest speakers will take to the stage to expound on the medical benefits of Mary Jane. Admission to the expo is $10, workshops are an additional $30 each. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, at 2520 22nd St., Detroit; info at 313-898-6000 and mmmexpo2009.com.
SUNDAY AUGUST 9
Ida Maria
NORWEGIAN HELL RAISER
Tales of boozing and naked boys dominate Fortress Round My Heart, the debut disc from 24-year-old Norwegian punk-pop princess Ida Maria. Already a success in Europe, she's bringing her raspy howl (We Are America says it's Nico meets the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde. Hmmm. ...) and fast-paced garage punk stateside, gaining notice with such bad-girl, good-time sing-alongs as "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked." Ida Maria performs with Half Light Music at 7 p.m. at the Crofoot's Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-858-9333; $10 advance.
SUNDAY AUGUST 9
Ear Pwr and Toro y Moi
THIS AIN'T NO DISCO?
Disco/Secret is a weekly party for sleazy and sexy folk featuring a soundtrack of classic disco, Euro funk, soul, electro and more, with the occasional live performance sweating things up. This week, catch underground electro-dance duo Ear Pwr, who, as members of the Dan Deacon-led Baltimore club kid set, ignite basement parties with chirpy disco anthems created with self-made synths. Also on the bill is Toro y Moi, one of the musical identities of 23-year-old South Carolina native Chaz Bundick, whose lo-fi explorations cover ground from Motown to Animal Collective-inspired noise pop. At the Detroit Eagle, 1501 Holden St., Detroit; 313-833-6379.
