Chris Samuels and Ian Swanson are back together again, this time at Paint Creek Center for the Arts. The main gallery has quite a few quirks to its architecture, but these two artists pride themselves on being able to activate challenging spaces, and this show was no exception.  It felt like a church, where most of the light was naturally coming in from the windows, and it was complete with altars, symbolic objects, secrets and Gregorian chants.  A small lit tube filled with silver and blue metallic flecks (which were pulverized solar cells) hovered with the austerity of a cross. Two video screens faced each other from across the room, their audio producing a somber harmony. Some aspects of the presentation were boring and ritualistic, but these artists are known for utilizing negative qualities as positives.

The opportunity to flip through various mixed media vinyl covers seemed to critique the ability to make abstract paintings that one could easily and quickly rifle through.  Demystifying the process and coming off as easy to create; ultimately making each one less and less special. This follows the same logic as Swanson’s other work that filters the top 12 tracks of Billboard’s Hot 100 list of 2010 into a grey sound wash. It is evident that Swanson takes time in each piece to reflect on how we take in information, specifically how we consume products; and chops it, puts it into a blender, and ionizes the thing until all that’s left is the story of its demise. What makes this show is to read the descriptions of the works. Be certain to take some time to check out the catalog, because you can tell that Ian is having quite a good time making work, especially when he notes things like “*fun fact: a ‘remorseless tactic’ is an anagram of ‘Laser Microcassette’”. I usually default to being offended when minimalist work lacks any description, as if their work is more interesting, that it defies definition, and effaces an opening into the work; so this show feels unique just because there are more descriptions than I’ve ever encountered in an art-povera-type exhibition.

Overall the look of the entire show works on an immersive level, but I definitely gravitated to more of the subtleties in the works than the pieces that had singular formal qualities. For example in Swanson’s process there is somewhat of an aesthetic sleight of hand, as the peripheral marks hold a lot of beauty rather than the object itself. This can be seen in the way that the tops of the records in the crate fan out, similar to a fore-edge painting on a book, or the imperfect repackaging around the cassette tape that creates a nice offset appearance. Samuel’s packaged paintings, with one on the floor, didn’t hold the same weight of a critique as Swanson’s paintings which were also on the floor, but there was a nice reflection that bounced off of their surface onto the door as the sun shone in. His sculpture that looked like a disassembled target shelf felt a bit cliché for him, considering he just made the work while listening to the “music”.  It didn’t really seem to translate any kind of synesthesia or celebration of hearing the gods, at least to this viewer. It settled on having its potential, and seemed satisfied simply including failure as an option. Visually though, the distanced collaboration (long-distance for them as they have worked much closer together when running ORG, or together as the ‘debt collective’) created unexpected similarities and new compositions that neither of them probably had any foresight into, and really, that’s part of the mystery of faith.

The show will be up until Feb 19^th, and while you’re up there, go check out Cynthia Greig’s show, Subverting the (un)Conventional at Oakland University, which is up until the 20^th!

Performances by:
DOCTORS ORDERS
MEAN MUGGER
JAMES BALJO
INVISIBLE CRACK
AND MORE…

$3 at the door

for more information email info@cavedetroit.com

http://cavedetroit.com/index.html

Cave
The Russell Industrial Center
Kevin Beasley, Admn. Dir.
1604 Clay St.
Detroit, MI 48211

Photo by Juan N. Only
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juannonly/3078521715/

In Yoruba mythology, an Odù is one of 256 divinatory principals, each associated with a traditional set of verses (or Ese), representing thousands of years of observations and predictions. In the Detroit music scene, Odu is an Afrobeat Orchestra comprised of the city’s best musicians, each of different genres, age, race, and background, representing Detroit’s strength in it’s musical diversity, and always delivers nothing short of a spiritual experience with every performance they give. The group is led by Adeboye Adegbenro on vocals/alto/tenor saxophone, who came to Detroit via Lagos, Nigeria, where he used to sit it with the great bandleader Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela Kuti, founder and namesake of Afrobeat, whose countless vinyl re-issues and work with greats such as Cream’s Ginger Baker have brought Afrobeat to the forefront of African music in recent years. Although the primary output of Afrobeat music was recorded in the nineteen seventies, many have continued to carry on its unbelievably funky rhythms and unmistakable sound. Over the years we have witnessed everyone from Brian Eno and David Byrne to Ann Arbor’s Nomo taking cues from Afrobeat’s grooves, yet few have managed to do this while retaining the spiritual roots woven deep within the beat—the soul, of you will. Odu is one of the few that do, a child of tradition, bringing dance and even (their namesake) The Odù Ifá, whose sixteen principals of divination also double as rhythm patterns.

Adegbenro has kept a good family of musicians behind him over Odu’s five years or so as a band. The current lineup includes the exiled Bohemian National Home’s founder and coordinator Joel Peterson on bass; Emmanuel on drums; Nick Schillace on guitar; Dan Velic on guitar; Marko Novachcoff on baritone sax; Michael Carey on tenor sax; Sam Beaubian on trumpet; Jennie Knaggs with vocals/percussion; Ryan Gates on percussion; and Bill Hafer on percussion.

The Odu Afrobeat Orchestra is currently gearing up for a show at the newly renovated Alvin’s (5756 Cass Ave Detroit, MI 48202) on February 5th where they plan to make a live recording of their set.

Shooting Spires is the solo-project of Brooklyn-based art rock ensemble Parts and Labor bassist/keyboardist, BJ Warshaw. The sound of this one-man-band hearkens the earliest Eno-inflected releases by Roxy Music, with a rich layering of keyboards, drum machines, over-driven guitars and voice, accented by occasional blasts of saxophone and random synthesizer loops. The resulting songs are simple, hook-laden pop buried under a sonic cloud reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine, Animal Collective and Brian Eno’s exploratory rock albums.

Deastro is the product of Randolph Chabot, a very productive kid from the outer reaches of suburban metro-Detroit. For several years Chabot has kept his Deastro persona alive through a series of home-recordings and internet releases. His early sound brought together a mash of retro-80’s, Nintendo inspired synth-pop and celebratory prog-rock, all performed by Chabot alone in various guises (drums along with pre-programmed synths, singing and playing synthesizer along to pre-programmed rhythms, etc.). On this evening, having just released their ‘Moondaggers’ LP on the internationally renowned Ghostly International label, Deastro will premiere its newest incarnation as a full band.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit
4454 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-6622
www.mocadetroit.org

Opening reception Friday, January 15, 2010 at 6:00pm
Through February 21, 2010
at the Russell Gallery

Alana Carlson’s moody compositions in oil capture unique individual expressions, drawing the viewer into an organic, open ended story that ultimately leads us to reconsider what it is to be human. Show runs from Friday, January 15th to Sunday, February 21st. Opening reception is on Friday January 15th from 6 – 9 p.m. with live music by Jura.

Formed in 2003 jura is the voice/guitar of Martin Starman and the guitar/percussion of former Asha Vida member Eric Pieti. After years of finding their sound and recording in Martin’s basement studio, they ventured out to play their songs for the masses in 2006. Then in 2008 Jura added Frank Stephens, drummer for demonic kraut rock band, Red China.

Alana says : “Sometimes when I write a Biography, I make up a bunch of stuff about being from a remote fishing village or a retired circus performer.  Although these things are a thousand times more interesting than my real life, I’ll be honest this time just for you.  I’ve had a passion for art ever since I can remember, and an irrational addiction to the “dead art” of figure painting for the latter half of my life.  I’m interested in capturing the glow of light on skin and individual expressions. I’m interested in creating open- ended stories with a rotating cast of characters generously modeled by my friends.  I’m interested in personality quirks and strange behavior.  I’m interested in whether you think the person in that painting is dead or asleep or singing.”

The Russell Gallery is located on the first floor of building 3 in the Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay Ave, Detroit, MI 48211. Follow signs for the Russell Bazaar.

Wheatpaste

Photo by Trevor Long

Come to the Cass Cafe on Sunday, January 17th for a night of Music and Bike Sprints with friends from The Hub of Detroit and meet some new friends starting a bike co-op in Lansing as we kick off 2010 with a bang!
Prizes for fast sprinters provided by The Hub of Detroit bike shop!

Musical performances by:
Wheatpaste
and
Jericho Offriguez
Sprinting will start after the first band, race early and race often!

You will be surrounded by the art exhibit “Andy-licious Matthew Sandwich” featuring Matthew Lewis, Andrew Krieger and Matthew Hanna which you can savor at you leisure.

The Hub of Detroit is a full-service non profit bicycle shop servicing the Cass Corridor and greater Detroit. It fills a void in Detroit’s bicycle community by providing sale of bicycles, accessories and parts, and bicycle repairs.

All profits from The Hub of Detroit bike shop support youth and educational programming and outreach youth and educational partnerships in the community. The Hub also provides mechanical support staff for area bicycling events and educates those who want to learn how to repair their own bicycles.

The Hub of Detroit is located at 3611 Cass Ave in Detroit and can be contacted at (313) 879-5073 or visit http://thehubofdetroit.org.

The Cass Cafe is located at 4620 Cass Avenue in Detroit the telephone number is (313) 831-1400 or visit http://casscafe.com

Hood ornament: From Shorb’s Car Crash series

For the opening of Bethany Shorb’s “Crash” An automotive themed art show. Inspired by the J.G. Ballard novel Crash and the Normal song “Warm Leatherette” Bethany designed a line of automotive ties for Cyberoptix, her hand-screened necktie company.

Expanding on her the automotive themed neck-wear, Bethany has created original works of art, photography and the big reveal -Supplemental Restraint System: Reclaimed Deployed Airbag featuring silk screened impressions of dead celebrities.

These are the works of an imaginative artist and photographer named Bethany Shorb who took the mundane reality of neck-wear and proceeded to give it a twist or two in new directions – with bold color, bolder materials, and the novel idea that a traditional symbol of subservience could be transformed into “a subversive object of desire.”

Supplemental Restraint System: James Dean Imprint
- Frontal Passenger.
850 Dernier Nylon, waterbased printing ink, thread.
[Reclaimed Deployed Airbag]
Bethany Shorb, 2010

Reaching that milestone was aided immeasurably by Shorb’s other talents; besides photography, she is trained in sculpture, costume design, and prop construction. And THOSE accomplishments, we hasten to add, are complemented nicely by her brutally direct understanding of what see sees or what she wants us to see. Shorb has tackled a variety of subjects and (as evidenced by a recent exhibit inspired by J.G. Ballard’s novel CRASH) her “eye” is not a blinking one by any stretch. Something is heated to an almost unbearable degree in her works.

323East Fourth in Royal Oak, MI.
http://www.323east.com/

Mansions, Castles, Cool Homes Great Music

Thornetta Davis

Detroit’s historic neighborhood Palmer Woods toots its horn, strums its strings, and draws sellout crowds to its jazz, classical and world music concerts held in its historic homes. The first concert of the Palmer Woods Music in Homes featuring Blues queen Thornetta Davis on Saturday, December 26 (day after Christmas), is almost sold out, and the sales are lively for the eight additional concerts in the series. Concert tickets, $35 each, are available at www.palmerwoods.org or by calling 313-891-2514 for information. Discounts for groups and series tickets are available.

The 2009-2010 Lineup for Palmer Woods Music in Homes:

Saturday, Dec. 26, 8 pm
Thornetta Davis Trio with jazz stars A. Spencer Barefield, guitar, and Don Mayberry, bass
The holidays would certainly be blue without Motor City Blues Queen Thornetta Davis to warm things up in a breathtaking Old English Castle. Davis’s powerful voice has helped keep the local Blues, R&B and Soul scene alive and earned her a spot in the Detroit Music Hall of Fame.

Saturday, Jan. 30, 8 pm
Dwight Adams Ensemble Mardi Gras Celebration
When Dwight Adams calls out Mardi Gras on his trumpet, it connects the entire history of jazz from old New Orleans up to today. A regular in Stevie Wonder’s touring band, Adams will lead his ensemble in an authentic Mardi Gras celebration in one of our most magnificent and palatial homes.

Sunday, Feb. 28, 7 pm

Violinists Joe Striplin and Velda Kelly, bassist Rick Robinson,
and violist John Madison

Lotus Ensemble: Violinists Joe Striplin and Velda Kelly, bassist Rick Robinson, and violist John Madison
Great composers such as Duke Ellington, William Grant Still,  Scott Joplin and Detroit’s own Rick Robinson receive the spotlight with this quartet of Detroit Symphony and Michigan Opera Theatre string players in an exquisitely-crafted Tudor. The Takeaway’s new star national radio host Celeste Headlee, Grant Still’s granddaughter, will join us.

Saturday, March 27, 8 pm
Nadim Dlaikan’s Dearborn Traditional Ensemble
Some of the best Middle Eastern music in the world can be heard in Detroit. Flutist Nadim Dlaikan, oud player Abdu Karim Bader and tabla player Mustapha Atat share the beautiful melodies and rhythms of their ancestors. Their talent has graced the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and we now can enjoy it in the aura of an elegant, spacious manor in Palmer Woods.

Sat., April 24, 8 pm
Orquesta La Inspiracion
Led by Puerto Rican-born congero Ozzie Rivera and music director-pianist Bill Meyer, Orquesta La Inspiration is the hottest Latin band in the Motor City. This 10-piece unit, featuring the golden voices of Mickey Figueroa and Armando Vega, fuses local salsa and jazz veterans into a musical tour de force.

Saturday, May 22, 8 pm
Flutist Eric Lamb & Pianist Paul Vasile
Celebrate Spring with Mozart, Schubert, Doppler, Bach, Debussy, Barber and Saint-Saens. These classic masters will come to life with Lamb and Vasile’s masterful interpretations in a stunning hall, surrounded by stained glass and especially designed for chamber music.

Jazz Fest in the Woods at Frank Lloyd Wright-Turkel home
Fri. & Sat., June 25-26, 8 pm
Sunday, June 27, 2 pm
Spencer Barefield & Friends
Acclaimed jazz guitarist A. Spencer Barefield joins with Juno award winner bassist Dave Young and drummer Djallo Keita to team up with three of Detroit’s jazz greats.

Friday: Rayse Biggs Tribute to Trumpet Masters
Biggs, a dynamic horn player who’s worked with Freddie Hubbard and Dizzy Gillespie, will play their works and that of Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown and more.

Saturday: Grooving with Sax Virtuoso David McMurray
Recording artist and sideman to Bob James, Kid Rock and Kem, McMurray will play Barefield originals and works by Monk, Mingus, Coltrane and more.

Sunday: Horn Master Wendell Harrison
This Sun Ra alumnus and cofounder of the legendary Tribe, has worked with jazz giants Grant Green, Eddie Harris and many others. Recently he’s been performing with Carl Craig and Tribe.

Long considered to be one of Michigan’s premiere communities, Palmer Woods actively works to preserve and enrich the quality of life in Detroit. The concerts help raise funds for neighborhood preservation and improvements, as well as support the arts and project a positive and creative image about Detroit. Performance are held in different historic Palmer Woods mansions, castles and cool homes each month through June. The “concert halls” have included homes designed by legendary architects Minoru Yamasaki, Albert Kahn, Richard Marr and others. Many of the homes have never been open to the public. Two non-profits, the Palmer Woods Association (501c4) and the Creative Arts Collective (a 30-year-old Detroit-based 501c3 directed by Palmer Woods residents Spencer and Barbara Barefield) join hands to present the third year of this series.

Concerts are produced by the Creative Arts Collective. The Palmer Woods Association and Creative Arts Collective present Palmer Woods Music in Homes to strengthen our neighborhood and Detroit’s image, showcase Palmer Woods as a wonderful place to live and visit, and enrich the quality of life and cultural environment in our city. Concerts are supported in part by Be Well Medical Center in Berkley, Barefield DesignWorks, Blossoms in Birmingham, Elegance by Design in Ferndale and DMC-Sinai Grace Hospital.

Theo (Defiance, Ohio) has assembled a veritable all-star cast of a band (not that that’s any great feat in Athens) to bring his poetically honest songs to exuberant life. The Georgia Gang is rolling into town again, this time with a new record (their second) hot off the presses (Orange Twin Records). Complementing the brass of the Grizols, Detroit’s Petal Shop are bringing the strings. Folksy Americana with a similarly familial warmth. August Meow is the moniker of Dan Clark, who will be opening the evening with his songs.

www.myspace.com/nanagrizol , www.myspace.com/petalshop

4210 Trumbull St
Detroit, MI 48208

Our group formerly known as Jennie and The Sure Shots has changed its name to Lac La Belle and is playing two shows to support the Detroit release of our new, eponymous CD. Our urban hipster show will be at The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. Lac La Belle will open with a medium length set, followed by Technical Drawings- the latest project of pianist and Table of the Elements artist Melissa St. Pierre. Her interests range from Cage-ian and Partch piano works to Japanese acid rock clamor and many points between. Detroit’s Sugar Coats, featuring members of Lee Marvin Computer Arm and Detroit Cobras, close the show with some Flying Burrito Brothers style country rock. Doors at 8 pm; $6. Mocad is located at 4454 Woodward, Detroit.

Saturday, Nov. 7th: night two of Lac La Belle’s CD release weekend at The Yes Farm

The second night of our CD release weekend takes place at a favorite newer venue The Yes Farm (located at 3410 Farnsworth, Detroit- at the corner of Farnsworth and Moran). Agrarian hipsters can enjoy two sets of music by Lac La Belle following the Harvest Festival in the heart of Detroit’s longest running urban farm. Doors at 10:30, first set at 11 pm; $5.