iSPY July 2011

www.MispyMag.coMThe Washtenaw County Events and Entertainment Monthly JULy 2011

matt and kimtally hall

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ann arborART FAIR

shadow art fair

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contents JUly

[the buzz]06 Eddie Vedder, Death Cab for Cutie & more

08 Shadow Art Fair, Local Fireworks

[scene]10 Matt Altruda

11 Tally Hall

[features]12 Matt and Kim

20 Ann Arbor Art Fair Map

21 Ann Arbor Art Fair

22 Ann Arbor Art Fair: Xavier Nuez

26 Ann Arbor Art Fair Artist Profiles

27 IAMDYNAMITE

[foodie]15 Adventures in Local Food

16 The Dish: Frita Batidos & Gratzi

[around you]18 Event Calendar

[review]29 Rate it!

33 Kick Some App

[depot town rag]37 Elvis Lives in Ypsi

+ Cover photo by Xavier Nuez

pUBLisHER +tim adkinsEDiToRiaL +[editor in chief]amanda slater[writers]amanda slater, tim adkins, stefanie stauffer, paul kitti, joseph stromski, tom dodd, marissa mcnees, aimee mandle, joshua trent, mary simkins, david nassar[intern]chris mcneill

© 2011, iSPY. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part granted only by written permission of Pakmode Media + Marketing in accordance with our legal statement. iSPY is free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. For additional copies you must be granted written permission, with a possible associated cost.

ispy + The Washtenaw County Events and Entertainment GuidePakmode Media + Marketing124 Pearl st. Suite 307, Ypsilanti, MI 48197Office: 734.484.0349Fax: 734.484.0349Sales: 734.276.0876www.mispymag.com

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Gratzi+ pg 16

Xavier Nuez + pg 22

Matt and Kim + pg 12

A2 Art Fair + pg 20

aRT +[art director]joey brandt[photographers]bruno postigo, kristin slatersaLEs +[business development]bilal saeed/[email protected][account executive]rob smothers //[email protected] symington //[email protected]

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www.mispymag.com6 i SPY JUly 2011

[THE BUZZ]

eddie vedder//fox theatre/ june 26

mayer hawthorne//motor city casino/ june 24

chris bathgate//the ark/ july 15

frontier ruckus//

blind pig/july 16

dale earnhardt jr. jr.//

st. andrews/june 25

Detroit’s Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott, also known as Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., will be at St. Andrews on June 25. With their latest al-bum, “It’s a Corporate World” (released in June 2011), already receiving praise, their live show is even more intriguing. Despite their tongue-in-cheek name, the music of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. is sincere and serious, and the duo works

hard to provide a unique live experience for their audience. Known to take the stage in fire-proof racing suits, the band enjoys juxtaposing a silly personality with complex and engaging beats, loops and lyrics. And, in case you were wondering, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has given his blessing to the band and expressed his enjoy-ment of their music.

As one of the most prolific touring bands over the last twenty years, Pearl Jam has recorded nine studio albums, played to sold out arenas around the world, and has been perhaps the most outspoken, socially-conscious band of their generation. In 2007, frontman Eddie Vedder showed his solo-prowess, penning the critically-acclaimed soundtrack to Sean Penn’s film, “Into the Wild.” This June, Vedder will embark on a seventeen-date solo tour in support of his second solo album, the appropriately titled “Ukulele Songs,” featuring original tracks and covers performed on the uke.

While the album features a variety of relatively low-key love songs, there’s no doubt that Vedder’s powerful voice and enigmatic stage-presence will translate into a show that is not to be missed by any die-hard PJ fan. According to reviews from the first couple of tour dates, in addition to tracks off of both solo albums, Vedder will also be playing stripped down versions of Pearl Jam classics and may even include some of his favorite Dylan and Beatles covers. Vedder’s solo tour wraps up July 15 in his adopted hometown of Seattle, but you can catch him June 26 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. The show starts at 7:30, and a handful of tickets are still available, starting at $72.

While Andrew Mayer Cohen may not sound familiar, you might better know this singer/songwriter as Mayer Hawthorne—Motown doo-wop extraordinaire. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a hip-hop career, under the alias Haircut, but ended up as a full-time singer. So how did he get his stage name? He took his middle name and the street he grew up on, linking them together to create his soul persona. His first singles, “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” and “When I Said Goodbye” were released at the end of 2008. He then put out his debut album, “A Strange Ar-rangement,” in September 2009 and has been touring ever since. Hawthorne will be making his way back to the Detroit area and performing at 6 p.m. on June 24 at the Sound Board at MotorCity Casino

Believe it or not, local folk sensation Chris Bathgate got his start in a heavy metal band. His evolution into a Michigan folk staple began with his solo career in 2001. Bath-gate solidified his reputation as a local music icon with his widely praised album, “A Cork Tale Wake.” His latest album, “Salt Year” was released in April 2011, and according to Bathgate’s website, the album “promises to be Chris Bathgate’s most mature and fully-rounded statement to date” and is an album he describes as being “about ‘Love vs. Time.’” Bathgate will be at the Ark on July 15 with Abigail Stauffer. Tickets are $15 if purchased online at www.theark.org.

<<<<<<<<< BY MARY SIMKINS

BY DAVID NASSAR >>>>>>>

BY MARY SIMKINS >>>>>>

BY AIMEE MANDLE >>>>>>

7 JUly 2011 i SPYwww.mispymag.com

[THE BUZZ]

frontier ruckus//

blind pig/july 16

death cab for cutie//fox theatre/ july 28

With the release of their latest album, “Codes and Keys,” critics agree that indie rock favorite, Death Cab for Cutie, only gets better with age. Named after a song about teenage tragedy that was performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band in the late six-ties, over the last 14 years, Death Cab has made a habit of reveling in obscure refer-ences and profound, multi-layered lyrical prose that is laced with hip beats, haunting hooks and melancholy vocals. Any doubt-ing voices tempted to assert that the band’s coolness might have dwindled over time

were silenced following the recent release of their “Home is a Fire” music video, featuring street artist Shepard Fairey plastering song lyrics throughout Los Angeles. Not only does Death Cab still have “it,” but they are still continuing to innovate and, rather than just keeping up, continue to set the pace in the indie and alternative rock scene. Death Cab for Cutie will be performing at 7:30 p.m. on July 28 at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

Michigan folk darlings Frontier Ruckus re-turned from their European tour in June to a busy tour schedule in the United States. With all of its members hailing from small towns throughout Michigan, Frontier Ruckus encapsulates the Midwest spirit with a distinctive lyrical passion, and their Michigan shows are always made extra special with an air of homecoming. The band will be at the Blind Pig on Saturday, July 16, along with Appleseed Collective and Robert Ellis. Tick-ets are priced between $10 and $12 and can be purchased at www.blindpigmusic.com.

Tickets at palacenet.com, The Palace and DTE Energy Music Theatre Box Offices and . Charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

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<<<<<<< BY MARY SIMKINS

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>>>>


[THE BUZZ]

The time is upon us for another Shadow Art Fair. Created and organized by the Michigan Design Militia, the event will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, July 16 at the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti. With around 40 local vendors, the mission of the fair is to promote and support local artists and designers and foster a sense of community among all who attend.

The Michigan Design Militia (MIDMI) is comprised of Mark Maynard, Jennifer Albaum, Molly Mast, Timothy Furstnau, Chris Sandon and Melissa Dettloff. Accord-ing to the Shadow Art Fair website, when the consignment shop where they worked closed, they “decided to get together to see if [they] could help each other and the local community of independent artists by sharing [their] resources and experiences.” What they ended up creating was the Shadow Art Fair—an unconventional “art fair” that has been a favorite local event since its inception.

Do not come expecting a typical arts and crafts show – as Mark Maynard asserts in his blog (markmaynard.com), “We do go out of our way to involve people who will be fucking with the normal craft fair buyer/seller dynamic.” In the past, artists have “fucked with” the craft show dynamic by writing live haikus, painting hideous live portraits and serving gumbo with hugs. This year’s fair will feature glass artists, jewelry designers,

photographers and a furniture designer (just to name a few). Vendors must submit an application and be approved by the judging committee to secure a booth at the fair.

In keeping with the unconventional spirit of the Shadow Art Fair, there will be several out-of-the-box vendors present as well. One such organization is called Cuba Skate, founded by recent University of Michigan grads Miles Jackson and Lauren Bradley. As Jackson and Bradley state on their website (cubaskate.blogspot.com): “We want to bring with us skateboards, clothes, shoes, DVDs, CDs, magazines, iPods, headphones, really anything that Cubans don’t have access to. We are so lucky to have these resources at our fingertips here in the U.S. and we only hope that by making trips down to Cuba, we can make a difference in their lives.” The CubaSkate booth will not be sell-ing art, but raising awareness and funds for their endeavor.

So why have it at a brewery? This ques-tion is best answered by the simple equation on the event’s website, “Beer + Art = Fun.” The Michigan Design Militia also explains that a laid back location is key in promoting a relaxed and informal atmosphere where guests can spend a leisurely time hanging out and talking to artists …while, of course, drinking delicious beer.

Admission is not free – the cost, as always, is two pennies. This fee, combined with the selling of special Shadow Brews is the only profit made by the event’s orga-nizers. Most of the money raised at the Shadow Art Fair goes toward the production of the next Shadow event, and whatever is leftover goes into a fund to support local art initiatives. If you are under 21 and wish to attend the event, a parent must accompany you for the duration of your attendance. For more information, visit ShadowArtFair.com.

BY MARY SIMKINS >>>>>><<<<<< POSTER BY NICK MELODY

shadow art fair

BEER + aRT = FUN

BY MARISSA MCNEES>>>>>>

localfireworkscELEBRaTE THE 4TH wiTH a BaNg

The Lakeshore Family Festival FireworksWhen: July 1, 2, 3, 10:15 p.m.Where: 2500 Lakeshore Drive (Over Ford Lake)Price: $5 per car, $2 walk-insManchester Fireworks DisplayWhen: July 3, 10 p.m.Where: Carr Park (600 W. Main Street)Price: FreeHudson Mills Metropark FireworksWhen: July 3, 10 p.m. Where: Hudson Mills Metropark (8801 N. Territorial Road)Price: Vehicle Entry Permit ($25 for annual permit, $5 for day pass)

Plymouth Township FireworksWhen: July 3, 10:30 p.m.Where: Township Park (46640 Ann Arbor Trail)Price: FreeGibraltar July 4th FestivalWhen: July 4, duskWhere: Parsons Elementary School (14473 Middle Gibraltar Road)Price: FreeWestland Summer FestivalWhen: July 4, duskWhere: Westland City Hall groundsPrice: Free (other festival activities may have a fee)

Willow Metropark FireworksWhen: July 4, 10 p.m.Where: Willow Metropark (17845 Savage Road)Price: Vehicle Permit ($25 for an annual permit, $5 for day pass)Woodhaven Uncle Sam JamWhen: July 8, duskWhere: Civic Center Park (21869 West Road)Price: Free (other event activities may have fee)Roar On The RiverWhen: July 23, duskWhere: Elizabeth Park (4461 Elizabeth Drive)Price: Free (other event activities may have a fee)

Everyone loves a good fireworks show on a warm summer night. Celebrate the Fourth of July by checking out a few of these local fireworks displays:


[FEaTUREs]

michigan music and “tree town

sounds”BY PAUL KITTI >>>>>

From the brick walkway of Nickels Arcade to the 107.1 broadcast tower, rising local bands and aspiring street musicians are hard at work making sure that Ann Arbor’s soundtrack is never silent. As a result, one

can hardly pass through Ann Arbor with-out getting an earful of some of the best music the area has to offer. It’s a reality that all who call this city their home have either grown to love or at least embrace. Music is largely what defines this city, and passionate people like Matt Altruda are making sure the definition sticks.

As a dedicated band manager, pro-moter, booking agent and radio host, you could say Altruda is one of the engi-neers behind the city’s soundtrack. But it wasn’t until he found himself laid off from his job at Borders that he made the choice to act on his passion for music.

“I just decided that I wanted to follow my dreams more and work in the music industry,” Altruda recalls. “I started man-aging the Macpodz by luck—almost just by stumbling upon them, and I kept on growing, following my love for music and trying to make a career out of it.”

Since then, Altruda has booked stages for the Sonic Lunch music series as well

as the Ann Arbor Summer Festival’s Top of the Park, raised awareness within the community about local bands and events and has begun hosting Tree Town Sound, a radio program on 107.1 that showcases music from Washtenaw County artists.

“I really want Tree Town Sound to be a destination. I want people to be sitting on their porch drinking Oberon and listening to Tree Town Sound. I want people mak-ing dinner with their family listening to Tree Town Sound,” says Altruda. “Music brings the community together like noth-ing I’ve ever seen because it makes the people feel like they’re a part of some-thing. The goal of Tree Town Sound is to showcase amazing Michigan music, have people listen to it and say, ‘This is really good. I want to go out and support this. I want to become a part of this.’”

Airing every Sunday at 6 p.m., Tree Town Sound features a dose of the best new local music, in-studio conversations with rising artists and a few words from one of the most knowledgeable sources in the local music scene: Altruda himself. The show is broadcasted live and has featured artists such as Chris Bathgate, Nervous But Excited and Gun Lake.

“I’m hoping that the people coming on my show are seeing a good return by people listening and coming out and supporting them,” says Altruda. “In this town, people are making music that they

want to make. They’re not just making music that people want to hear. It’s their art, and they’re doing it the way they want to do it.”

It’s good to know that people like Al-truda, who have such a strong influence on what we hear, have a heart for music and an ear for what best reflects the spirit of this community. “I love all mu-sic,” Altruda explains. “Tree Town Sound is the sound of the community and the music that it makes. I feel some respon-sibility to play it all, and 107.1 is incred-ible with giving me complete freedom to put out whatever I want.”

Altruda’s passion for music is matched only by his desire to positively influence the younger generation. He spends time at The Neutral Zone, a teen center in downtown Ann Arbor that holds a re-cording studio where kids can make their own music. Young musicians with talent and ambition have even been heard on Tree Town Sound.

“It’s a way for me to reward the kids that are working hard and trying to make music, by bringing them on my show,” Altruda says. “I think getting kids in front of live music is important because it plants the seed. A lot of the responsibility for par-ents is to get their kids out to see live art, to see music and culture them so when they’re older they can appreciate it.”

Whether you’re tuning in to his broadcast or conversing with him on the

streets of Ann Arbor about his favorite bands, Altruda’s love for the city and en-thusiasm about its music comes across in a lively and sincere way. He sees Ann Arbor as a music town and is excited when he sees that music spreading to other places.

“The list goes on and on of bands that are from Ann Arbor playing all over the country and all over the world,” says Altruda. “Ann Arbor is the new Seattle. There are so many Michigan bands on each national festival bill, and it’s not luck, it’s all talent. There’s so much talent here, it’s almost overwhelming.”

Since it’s summer in Ann Arbor, there is even more great music around every corner, and all that talent is already busy composing the city’s summer soundtrack. The Roots Jamboree in Ypsilanti, performances from Chris Bathgate and Abigail Stauffer at The Ark and the Sonic Lunch lineup are just a few events that Altruda is looking forward to.

“If you love music, then you need to support it because times are tough right now for artists, and the only way live mu-sic is going to work is if people embrace it and support it and become a part of it. That’s my mission: to deliver it and make it more accessible.”

Tree Town Sound runs Sundays from 6 – 7 p.m. on Ann Arbor’s 107.1 FM. More information can be found at www.treetownsound.com.

LocaL RaDio HosT MaTT aLTRUDa aND His passioN FoR LocaL TUNEs


[FEaTUREs]

With the long-awaited new album, “Good & Evil,” set to be released on June 21 and a national tour kicking off in Grand Rapids on July 21, the Ann Arbor-based band Tally Hall is poised to make this a summer to remember. While they’ve experienced their fair share of adversity since the original release of their previous album, “Marvin’s Marvelous Me-chanical Museum” (2005), including changing labels, management and, for a brief time, lead singers, Tally Hall is excited to finally be putting out some new music. As guitarist / vocalist Joe Hawley expressed, “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a struggle to get to this point …but it’s ultimately a great feeling.”

While it’s been almost six years since their last album, the band has not been on holiday. Between high-profile gigs at festivals like Lolla-palooza and SXSW, writing and producing a ten part comedy series on their website and multiple appearances on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Tally Hall has not let up one bit. But, in a time when the music industry has changed drastically and it’s getting harder and harder for bands to get signed—much less break into the mainstream, nothing is for certain.

Considering Tally Hall’s light-hearted songwrit-ing and Monkees-esque penchant for comedy and theatrics, “Good & Evil” might seem an unusually serious title for the new album.

“There actually has never been a rock album entitled ‘Good & Evil,’ as obvious as it may seem,” explained Hawley. “At some point in college, when we were putting together ‘Marvin’s,’ we started thinking about whether the influence our band was having was a positive or an evil force. It’s supposed to be fun …but is fun necessarily even a good thing for people?”

Despite the philosophical title, fans shouldn’t ex-pect the sound of the band to be drastically different from “Marvin’s.”

“It’s difficult to judge, as a member of the band, but some people have said the sound has matured, and there might be a more consistent flavor since it

tally hall brings good

& evil to the blind pig

BY DAVID NASSAR >>>>>>>>

was recorded in a short amount of time and produced by someone outside the band.”

For their latest release, the band worked with producer Tony Hoffer, who has worked with the likes of Beck and De-peche Mode, which Hawley said was “absolutely glorious.”

“He was very confident about his musical opinions, and he worked with us very efficiently to produce an album that made sense to everybody at the time,” said Hawley.

While “Good & Evil” was originally recorded when the band was signed to Atlantic Records, its June 21 release will be through the Ann Arbor-based label Quack!Media.

“Some complex personal issues arose that kind of called into question the priorities associated with what we were doing,” explained Hawley, when asked about the band’s split from Atlantic. “I don’t even think I fully understand the mechanics of what happened yet. But everybody is still on fine terms. From what we understand, they enjoy the album.”

Although the new album may have been recorded in about a month, “Good & Evil” is the band’s first release in nearly six years. While you might expect the release of an album six-years-in-the-making to be an utterly joyous event, Hawley, with tongue-in-cheek cautiously said, “Well, it feels good… and evil. It’s kind of a complex series of emotions.” While it may have been a long road to this point, he added, “It’s a relief and it feels like a release of energy.”

The complex series of emotions may be especially prev-alent for Hawley, who had to make an abrupt departure from Tally Hall’s March 2010 tour with bands Jukebox and

the Ghost and Skybox. The band ended up bringing in Casey Shea to finish out the tour as Tally Hall’s lead singer. When asked to comment on the circumstances of his leaving, Hawley said, “I moved out to New York for a couple of reasons, and one of them was not the band. It was kind of a personal issue that blew out of proportion and it ended up conflicting with the tour.” But Hawley was quick to add, “It wasn’t limited to that—there were some management disputes, and everything just kind of got crazy at the time. It’s been kind of painful and it’s difficult to even compute at this point what exactly happened.”

The “Good & Evil” tour starts off with shows in Grand Rapids on July 21 and in Ann Arbor on July 22 at The Blind Pig. “It’s kind of a home base as a band. That’s where we got started,” Hawley said about play-ing at the Blind Pig. “Every time we return, it feels like home. I can’t imagine a time in life when that would be an inappropriate venue for our band.”

When asked about what he looks forward to most about returning to Ann Arbor, Hawley was quick to point to the local food scene. “Some of the restau-rants in Ann Arbor are just unparalleled and impos-sible to find elsewhere. Really, that extends to the other components of Ann Arbor culture …much as

The Blind Pig. It’s always a pleasure to experience those distinct aromas.”

With much of the past six years spent on the road for the band, Hawley admits that the members of Tally Hall have been forced to adopt sort of vagabond lifestyles. “I don’t know if any of us have addresses we would consider permanent right now. As we speak, I think two of us are in New York and three of us are in Michigan.” When asked about the effect that these years of touring

have had on the band, Hawley admitted, “Well, there’s been a lot of bars. Everyone is tired at this point, but we still enjoy it. The last tour, with all the origi-nal members, was extremely fun for everybody, and there’s no reason not to be optimistic about the results of this tour.” When asked if the band would

don their trademark colored ties this time around, Haw-ley said, “Yes. That will most likely be the case pending some miracle obstacle.”

As for what’s next for the band, Hawley says that they don’t know yet. “Zubin (Sedghi) and Ross (Feder-man) have enrolled in classes and we’re all consider-ing other possibilities for the fall,” he said. But after a little much deserved rest and distraction this fall, you can bet that Tally Hall will be back on the road continuing to put on one of the most infectiously fun live-shows around.

Tally Hall’s new album, “Good & Evil,” will be released on June 21. Catch the band at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 22 at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. Tickets start at $15.

“some of the restaurants in ann arbor are just unparalleled and impossible to find elsewhere.

Really, that extends to the other components of ann arbor culture.”


[FEaTUREs]

BY AMANDA SLATER >>>>

“somehow we spend every waking second together, and we still get along and we haven’t killed each other yet. I can’t figure it out.”

lessons learned with matt from matt and kim

Ever since Matt and Kim took all of their clothes off in Times Square for their “Lessons Learned” music video, indie music fans everywhere knew that it was love—not only between everyone’s

favorite offbeat couple, but between them and fans. iSPY was able to interview Matt of Matt and Kim to discuss their infamous music videos, their upcoming show in Detroit and what it’s like dating a bandmate.

•Rolling Stone says that you and Kim are married. Are you married?

No, we’re not married, but we have been together for a number of years. There’s been a lot of different information. We never lie about our relationship or anything like that. We never say it’s anything that it’s not, but I think people do assume things. We’ve just been dating for a lot of years.•How many years?Eight, I believe.•Is there a reason you haven’t gotten married? I don’t know. I just couldn’t imagine—especially in the

last few years or whatever—fitting anything else into my schedule, period. I guess weddings are really hard to put together. I’ve never even been to a wedding in my adult life.


I don’t know if my friends aren’t getting married or just no one is inviting me or what.

•What is it like being in a relationship with someone that you’re working with and creating music with?

Well, I think, in most cases in my history and in a lot of other people’s cases, it would be a total disaster. But, for Kim and I, somehow we spend every waking second together and we still get along and we haven’t killed each other yet. I can’t figure it out. The thing is, Kim and I, before we played any music together, worked on a lot of different things together. We worked on art stuff and did installations in a couple of galleries and did other bands’ album covers and things like that. We met at art school, and we just knew we worked really well together. We’re on the same page about a lot of things, and that’s how we ended up playing music together. It was not because Kim had ever played drums, because she hadn’t, or that I was a keyboard player, because I wasn’t. It was just that we worked on things well together.

•Despite the fact that you hadn’t played keyboard and Kim hadn’t played drums before, what made you decide to make a band? Did you have other musical experience?

I had played in a number of bands throughout high school and when I went to college. I always played guitar and bass, and Kim had wanted to learn how to play drums for a long time. She was just learning how to play drums--not to start a band or anything. She had just wanted to learn how to play drums. I learned how to play keyboard basically because I had this keyboard that I had borrowed from my neighbor years ago because it looked cool, but I had never figured out how to play it. All of it kind of turned out by accident. Matt and Kim weren’t necessarily going to be a drums and keyboard band. It was going to be whatever the hell Matt and Kim happened to play. In some of our early stuff there is guitar and baritone ukulele and stuff like that.

•I’ve heard that you’re the mastermind behind the music videos. Is that correct?

Yes.•You said that you and Kim do very well

working together, but what about that music video for “Cameras?”

The inspiration for it was trying to do a music video that had the energy of a live show --like a performance video. That was where the concept for that came from, but I do feel like Kim has been bitter about a number of things. While she had fun in the end and the video came out good, it took a lot of convincing to get her to do the video taking her clothes off in Times Square. There were a lot of things she didn’t want to do going into them and I had to convince her, but she really did want to do that “Cameras” video. We went through fight choreography and how you’re supposed to fight for a camera—like punching a foot away from someone’s face and whatnot. But when we got on camera, Kim just punched me square in the nose as hard as she could—bloody nose, black eye and everything. I felt like she was getting something out.

•But why did you choose to make a fight video?

It was a sensitive topic because my mom works with domestic violence cases at the district attorney’s office in Vermont, so we were sensitive to that. We just wanted a big, over the top, Hollywood-feeling fight scene. It’s just this classic part of cinema that’s in so many movies but is not seen that often in music videos. It was just about the fun and energy and excitement of all of that. Doing it was really fun.

•Is that kind of similar to how you came up with the idea for your “Lessons Learned” music video—just because it was a crazy, fun experience?

The simplest, most effective idea is a lot of times the best. I really wanted to do a one-shot video where there were no cuts or anything, so I thought of this idea. While most of our songs are quite upbeat, some of our lyrics are quite a bit darker. The lyrics [in “Lessons Learned”] are sort of about the freedom you get from hitting rock bottom. I thought, “Freedom--well that’s like taking off all of your clothes.” We talked about trying to do this in backstreets in Brooklyn and industrial areas, but I thought, “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this in Times Square or somewhere that’s really public, and that will show this freedom.” One thing just led to the next.•You’re getting a lot of success right now. How

does that feel?We appreciate it dearly. We never have any expectations

for anything. We do what we love because that’s what we love to do. When we started this band, we didn’t want it to be about money and notoriety or anything like that. We just love playing shows and we love writing music, and

[people happen to] like what we make. It’s always great to feel like things are moving forward. It keeps things fresh and new—especially on this tour. We’re doing bigger shows and all these venues that we’ve never done, and it just has this feeling of growth. It feels new, and it feels exciting.

•What should Detroit expect from your live show on June 24?

Detroit should expect what we’ve had in the past. Detroit has been great, and we’ve definitely had our share of dance parties together and whatnot. That’s always our bottom line—a sweaty, dance party, good time vibe. Along with that, we do have some extra stuff and tricks and production that we bring with us. We have this great whole light setup, but all that’s for is adding to the vibe of this dance party that we want to create. The Thermals will be with us—they’re an incredible band that we’re big fans of. They’re totally a party, so bring your dancing shoes.

Matt and Kim will be performing at 8 p.m. on June 24 at the Majestic in Detroit. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.mattandkimmusic.com.

[FEaTUREs]

HUGE DRAFT MICRO-BREW

SELECTION

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BURGER

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adventures in local food #7


[FooDiE]

If you’re not glad you live in Southeast Michigan yet, you’re not paying attention. In a state that has the second highest number of independently-owned farms in the nation and crop diversity that rivals California, we have some of the best locally grown food around! And it doesn’t stop in the fields. We also have many amazing cafés, restaurants, food carts and microbreweries

serving this delicious Michigan-grown food to us (including Zingerman’s Roadhouse, whose Chef/Farmer Alex Young recently won a 2011 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Great Lakes Region). In addition to these great places to eat, many of which have been reviewed in past issues of iSPY, we are also fortunate to have multiple farmer’s markets and local grocery stores like the Ypsilanti Food Co-Op where you can purchase this food for yourself. But I figure that since most of you know about these great establishments and have read past iSPY reviews (like this one http://mispymag.com/2011/06/check-out-the-ypsi-food-co-op), I’d put the spotlight on the fabulous farmer’s markets of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor.

Do you like fresh strawberries? Do you like running into people you know on the street? Do you feel the need to actually have a conversation with the person who grows your food? Well, then chances are we have probably seen each other or interacted in some way at the Downtown Ypsilanti and Depot Town Ypsilanti Farmer’s Markets. But for the rest of you out there who may have not been to a farmer’s market or who only go occasionally, this summer I invite you to give it a try more regularly. With a farmer’s market happening every day except Sunday and Monday in the Ypsi/Ann Arbor area, it couldn’t be a more perfect time to get local. So, go on and try it out. Who knows? You might actually become a crazed urban farmer like me after the experience (that or get to taste some incredibly high quality produce, meat, eggs, bread and perhaps even some Ypsi-grown, Ypsi-made hot sauce!). I promise that the only thing you will miss about your old chain grocery store is the air-conditioning...

If you are still hesitant, though, perhaps this study conducted last summer will persuade you: http://nofavt.org/pricestudy. It found that organically-grown items will always be cheaper at a farmer’s market than at the grocery store, whereas many conventionally-grown items are cheaper at farmer’s markets as well. With that said, I’ll see you at these fantastic markets!

pHoTo cREDiT: sTEFaNiE sTaUFFER

TUES.2PM-6PMMAY-OCT

WED.7AM-3PMMAY-DEC

430PM-830PMJUNE-SEPT

11AM-1PM3PM-5PM

JUNE-DEC

THURS.3PM-7PM

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FRI.3PM-6PM

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Downtown Ypsilanti Farmer’s MarketFerris Street at Hamilton (behind Key Bank Lot)http://growinghope.net/programs/market

Ann Arbor Kerrytown Market315 Detroit Streethttp://www.a2gov.org/government/communi-tyservices/parksandrecreation/farmersmarket/Pages/FarmersMarket.aspx

Ann Arbor Kerrytown Market315 Detroit Street

The Farm at St. Joe’s Farmer’s Market St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Lobbyhttp://www.realtimefarms.com/market/st-joseph-mercy-hospital-farmers-market

Ann Arbor Kerrytown Evening Market 315 Detroit Street

Westside Farmer’s MarketCorner of Maple and Jackson Ave, Ann Arborhttp://www.westsidefarmersmarket.com/

Ypsilanti Senior Center Farmer’s Market1015 N. Congress St.http://ypsiseniorcenter.org/News.html

Depot Town Ypsilanti Farmer’s MarketFreighthouse Plaza http://www.facebook.com/ypsidepottownfarmersmarket

gET LocaLBY STEFANIE T. STAUFFER >>>>>>

adventures in local food #7


[FooDiE // THE DisH]

frita batidoscUBaN-iNFLUENcED cUisiNE coMBiNEs NEw aND FaMiLiaR TasTEs iNTo soMETHiNg UNiQUELy DELicioUs

BY PAUL KITTI >>>>>>>>>

BY TIM ADKINS >>>>>>>>>

Located on West Washington Street across from Grizzly Peak Brewery, Frita Batidos is a relatively new restaurant that came from the vision of renowned chef Eve Aronoff (you may have seen her in a 2009 episode of Bravo’s Top Chef). Though not a Cuban restaurant, part of Aronoff’s vision was to incorporate some of her favorite elements of Cuban style cooking into menu items that would appeal to both those who want to try something new as well as those with more American tastes.

The Frita is a mildly spicy Cuban burger, layered beneath shoestring fries and served on a soft egg bun. Patrons can choose between several additional toppings (I recommend a fried egg), and a side order of incredible fries is a must. Batidos are tropical fruit milkshakes made with crushed ice and sweetened milk that can be ordered with or without rum. So, essentially, the restaurant is known for an exotic burger, fries and

shake combo that is prepared with tremendous quality and some added culture.

The building itself is very inviting, with a sleek, mod-ern exterior and a simultaneously elegant and casual interior with white walls and high ceilings. The space is very open and relaxed, and guests can either sit at one of the white picnic tables indoors or at a table outside. There is also a neat little snack bar outside with a sepa-rate menu of drinks and snack items hanging on the wall beside the counter.

The casual, inviting atmosphere, high-quality menu and late hours make this restaurant a great choice for all residents and visitors of Ann Arbor. After my experience at Frita Batidos, I have a new standard for burgers and fries—and a new restaurant to add to my list of favorites.

oUTsTaNDiNg sERVicE aND EXQUisiTE FooD MaKEs gRaTZi THE pREMiERE LocaTioN FoR iTaLiaN FooD iN soUTHEasT MicHigaN

It’s no secret that, for the finest Italian cuisine, Gratzi ranks among the top spots in all of Southeast Michigan. Maybe that’s because dining at Gratzi is more than just going to dinner—it’s an experience. The restaurant’s giant Renaissance-styled mural sets the tone for a fine dining outing that is made com-plete by a courteous, high-quality waitstaff and the freshest ingredi-ents available, making Gratzi the premiere location for Italian food in Ann Arbor.

For starters, I enjoyed some bread with a unique olive and oil mixture. It was the perfect combi-nation and got my taste buds ready for what was next. The Insalata Mista was served with a balsamic vinaigrette and fresh mozzarella cheese, which was delicious and portioned at the prefect amount—

light and just enough.For my entree, I chose Fettuc-

cine Con Pomodoro Basilico. It was a simple, vegetarian dish with a tomato basil sauce and a nice pair-ing of garlic and wild mushrooms. The fresh basil was a nice surprise when mixed with the mushrooms and tomatoes. It was simple and delicious—nothing over the top or heavy and was just right for pasta.

In true Italian form, I had to get the Canoli for dessert. It was a perfect ending to an almost perfect meal, with fresh, mixed fruit as a welcome addition.

Between the outstanding service and exquisite food, I had a fan-tastic experience and am already looking forward to my next visit to Gratzi.

gratzi

EVERY 4TH SATURDAY IN THE RED ROOM AT NECTO NIGHTCLUBJune 25th iSPY 1 Year Anniversary Party and July 23rd for the Best in Global House!

Enter at Necto main entrance; Separate Line, Separate Entrance Strictly 21 + up. Cover: $10 Dress to Impress

Patrons of SLS will have access to Necto

+18 up

www.necto.com


The Boys Themselves, 7 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

Cheap Trick, 8 p.m., Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel, DetroitChris Bathgate, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann ArborCold Cave, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, DetroitFrontier Ruckus, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

Demetri Martin, 8 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester HillsJosh Groban, 8 p.m., The Palace of Auburn HillsSteely Dan, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, DetroitSteve Forbert, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann ArborThe Dirtbombs, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, DetroitThe O’Jays, 8 p.m., Chene Park, DetroitSkrillex, 8 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre

The Goo Goo Dolls, 7:30 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills

RX Bandits, 6:30 p.m., Magic Stick, DetroitYes and Styx, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonLalah Hathaway, 7:30 p.m., Chene Park, DetroitThe Tsars, 8 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

Reel Big Fish, 6:30 p.m., Clutch Cargo’s, PontiacUnderoath, 6:30 p.m., Headliners, Toledo, OhioJimmy Buffett, 8 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre,

Koji, 7 p.m., The Crofoot Ballroom, PontiacSlayer and Rob Zombie, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonTally Hall, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann ArborLawless Carver, 9 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

“33 1/3:” Ann Arbor Summer Festival, 7 – 9 p.m., Arbor Brewing Co.

Relay for Life, 10 a.m., Washtenaw Community College, Ann Arbor

7/4:Fourth of July Parade, 10 a.m., Starts at William & State St., Ann Arbor

7/8:Rolling Sculpture Car Show, 2 – 10 p.m., downtown Ann Arbor

7/8 – 7/9:Michigan Elvis Festival, Depot Town, Ypsilanti

7/9:One Helluva Ride: Bicycle through Hell, Chelsea

7/21:Manchester Chicken Broil, 4 p.m., Alumni Memorial Field, Manchester

7/22 – 7/23:Michigan Brewer’s Guild 11th Annual Summer Beer Festival, Depot Town, Ypsilanti

Arts

“Pantomime” at Riverside Arts Gallery, Ypsilanti

Mayer Hawthorne, 6 p.m., Sound Board at Motor City Casino Hotel, DetroitTim McGraw with Luke Bryan, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonBuddy Guy and Jonny Lang, 7:30 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester HillsLivingston Taylor, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann ArborMatt & Kim, 8 p.m., Majestic Theatre, DetroitBedouin Soundclash with Bear Lake, 9 p.m., Shelter, DetroitHarm’s Way, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann ArborTimothy Monger Stage Park, 9 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

6/25:Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., 8 p.m., Saint Andrews Hall, DetroitJunior Boys, 8 p.m., Pike Room at the Crofoot, PontiacLL Cool J, 8 p.m., Chene Park, DetroitTara Tinsley and Buttonsphere, 7 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

Steven Curtis Chapman, 7 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonU2, 7 p.m., Spartan Stadium, East LansingEddie Vedder, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, DetroitThe Waymores, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor

Katy Perry, 7:30 p.m., The Palace of Auburn Hills2194, 9:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor

Dave Boutette Acoustic Open Mic, 6 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

6/29:Owl City, 6 p.m., The Fillmore, DetroitGerald Albright, 7:30 p.m., Chene Park, DetroitMotley Crue and Poison, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonKaki King, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann ArborTheodore, 8 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

The Boys Themselves, 7 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann ArborThe Finer Things, 6 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

He is We, 6 p.m., Eagle Theater, PontiacErr…, 9 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

Rick Springfield, 4 p.m., Stars and Stripes Festival, Mt. Clemens

Lynyrd Skynyrd, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston

100 Monkeys, Saint Andrews Hall, DetroitFuture Genies, 9 p.m., Woodruff’s, Ypsilanti

The Temptations, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston

Celsius Electronics, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

Vans Warped Tour, 11 a.m., Comerica Park Parking Lot, DetroitPeter Frampton, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonA Perfect Circle, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, DetroitChris Webby, 8 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

Freshman 15 and City Lights, 5 p.m., Pike Room, PontiacSugarland, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonR. Kelly, 8 p.m., Fox Theatre, DetroitShawn Phillips, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann ArborCut Copy, 8 p.m., Royal Oak Music Theatre

Matisyahu with Tea Leaf Green, 6:30 p.m., Saint Andrews Hall, DetroitKid Cudi, 7:30 p.m., DTE Energy Music Theatre, ClarkstonR. Kelly, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, DetroitTom Rush, 7:30 p.m., The Ark, Ann ArborRusted Root, 8 p.m., Magic Stick, Detroit

Steddy P & DJ Mahf, 9:30 p.m., Blind Pig, Ann Arbor

The Tartan Terrors, 8 p.m., The Ark, Ann Arbor

[aRoUND yoU]

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BY AMANDA SLATER>>>

COMMUNITY//

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6/30 – 7/30:Ann Arbor Women Artists Summer Juried Exhibit, River-side Arts Center, Ypsilanti

7/16:Shadow Art Fair, 12 p.m. – 12 a.m., Corner Brewery, Ypsilanti

7/20 – 7/23:Ann Arbor Art Fairs, downtown Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor Documentary Festival: “Food, Inc.,” 7 p.m., Café Ambrosia

6/21:Double Feature at the Michi-gan Theater: “The Godfather,” 3:30 p.m., Ann Arbor

6/24:“Louder Than a Bomb,” 7:30 p.m., UMMA Helmut Stern Auditorium, Ann Arbor

6/26:“The Grapes of Wrath,” 1:30 p.m. , Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

6/27:“Grey Gardens,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann ArborAnn Arbor Documentary Festi-val: “GasHole,” 7 p.m., at Café Ambrosia

6/28:“The Grapes of Wrath,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

7/4:“Marwencol,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

7/5:“Goldfinger,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

“West Side Story,” 1:30 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

7/11:“Nénette,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Documentary Festival: “Fabled Enemies,” 7 p.m., at Café Ambrosia

7/12:“West Side Story,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

7/17:NT Live: “The Cherry Orchard,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor“La Dolce Vita,” 1:30 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

7/18:“Waste Land,” 7 p.m., the Michigan Theater, Ann ArborAnn Arbor Documentary Festival: “The Yes Men,” 7 p.m., Café Ambrosia

7/19:“La Dolce Vita,” 7 p.m., Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor

Comedy

6/23:

Doug Benson, 8 and 10:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase

7/1 & 7/2:Kevin McPeek, 10:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase

7/15 & 7/16:Kevin Downey Jr., 10:30 p.m., Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase

7/16:Demetri Martin, 8 p.m., Meadow Brook Music Festival, Rochester Hills

[aRoUND yoU]

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TICKETS AT PALACENET.COM, THE PALACE BOX OFFICE AND . . CHARGE BY PHONE AT 1-800-745-3000.

FRIDAY, JULY 8LAWN 4-PACK ONLY $44

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COMEDY//

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art fair map

art fair deals


Since it’s inception in 1960, the Ann Arbor Art Fair has drawn hundreds of thousands of people from across the nation for a weekend of food, fun and, of course, art. Originally composed of several individual art fairs, as of this year, the Ann Arbor Art Fair is now one (very large) art fair with the mission of increasing public knowledge and appreciation for contemporary fine arts and crafts and to connect artists, the Ann Arbor community and the general public. This year’s event will be held July 20 – 23 in the streets of downtown Ann Arbor.

The Ann Arbor Street Art Fair started in 1960 as a way to draw exposure and people to local merchants, and it has grown steadily over the years. It is generally regarded as one of the best art fairs in the country, earning national recognition and numerous awards. In 1967, The State Street Area Fair jumped into the mix, and three years later the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, sponsored by The Guild, joined them to help expose the talent of local artists. When “The Original” relocated to the streets surrounding Burton Carillon Tower in 2003, The South University Art Fair came along to fill the vacated area. Today, the entire fair draws several hundred local and national artists and more than 500,000 visitors over the course of four days.

The Ann Arbor Art Fair offers the general public an opportunity to interact with artists, view and purchase arts and crafts and participate in a wide range of activities, street performances and artist demonstrations—as well as take advantage of the distinctive shops and restaurants in Ann Arbor. For artists, the fair presents an opportunity to participate in one of the foremost art fairs in the nation and expose their work to a national audience. As Allen Levy, a Virginia-based acrylic paint and mixed-media artist says, “I’ve only been doing art events for about two years, and this will be my first time in Ann Arbor. I decided to apply to this show because of the reputation it has.”

The fantastic reputation of the event has grown over the years, not only due to the artists and visitors it draws, but also because of what it has meant to the local community.

“I love it. I’ve been going since I was seven years old,” says Ann Arbor native Marlena Goodsitt. “It’s just cool seeing all the different mediums that artists work in, and it’s a great place to people-watch because everybody goes.”

Visitors will be able to see a wide variety of fine arts and crafts throughout the fair, including painting, photography, mixed media, clay, glass, jewelry and much more. Visitors can also experience street performances, artist demonstrations, create their own works of art at the Art Activity Zone, visit the Beer and Wine Garden, as well as browse the numerous merchant sidewalk-sales and local restaurants. And, if you’re like the rest of us and your wallet is a little light these days, there’s nothing to fear. Although nationally recognized as a fine arts and crafts fair, the Ann Arbor Art Fair offers original art for every pocketbook.

[FEaTUREs // aRT FaiR]art fair deals

a2 aRT FaiR poisED FoR aNoTHER EXciTiNg sUMMERBY MARISSA MCNEES >>>>>>>>

BY DAVID NASSAR >>>>>>>>

the return of the ann arbor art fairOne of the highlights of spending sum-

mer in the Ann Arbor area is the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. But even if art isn’t your thing, it’s still worth braving the art fair crowds to check out local merchants’ incredible sidewalk sale deals. Every year, as thousands of people come to view work created by talented artists from across the country, shops and bou-tiques in downtown Ann Arbor offer great deals on everything from clothes and shoes to books and camping gear—and this year will be no exception.

Some of this year’s sidewalk sales in-clude discount books from Borders (with discounts ranging from dollar buys to 75 percent price reductions), certificates for free haircuts from the Douglas J. Aveda Institute and sales on the latest fashions from Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Poshh and Ragstock.

However, budget conscious fair-goers can also bring home a piece of the art fair’s renowned art, as many of the fair’s vendors offer deals on a variety of pieces. Don’t forget to check out the art fair’s official website where you can purchase a gift certificate for the art lover in your life—prices range from $25 – $500.

For more information on artists, loca-tions and other fair activities, visit www.artfair.org.

FEATUREDEVENTS DATES, TIMES, + DETAILS

Street performances by George Tait: The Living Statue, Mr. B and Bob CulbertsonArtist demonstrationsLive entertainment every dayBeer and wine gardenTwo children’s tents

Dates: July 20 – 23 2011Times : Wed. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.Sat 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Details: Parking is available at various locations throughout downtown Ann Arbor. For more information regarding activities, locations and parking, visit www.artfair.org


Each year, the Ann Arbor Art Fair welcomes hundreds of exceptional artists—ranging from painters to sculptors and everything in between. Many of these artists have become fair-goer favorites who return year after year. Xavier Nuez is one of these artists, and his Alleys & Ruins series has captivated many with Nuez’s unique style of photography that makes his photos of urban landscapes seem almost other-worldly. iSPY had the opportunity to discuss the Alleys & Ruins series and more with Nuez, who discussed the time he spent living in Ann Arbor, how he got started taking photos and some of the dangerous encounters he’s had on the job.

How many years have you been part of the Ann Arbor Art Fair?

It is the show I’ve done the most times (this will be my eighth or ninth year). It’s the show where I first made enough money to think, “Hey, maybe I’m onto something here!” I used to live in Ann Arbor, so coming to the show is a great time to connect with old friends.

When did you live in Ann Arbor and what brought you here?

I lived in Ann Arbor from 2003—2006. Before that, I was in Toronto and had divorced the year before, so I was looking for a fresh start. I was earning a lot of my revenue from commercial work, but I felt I was ready to go full-time as an artist, and I had a rep living in Ann Arbor. Plus, I loved the city and had friends there. It was a no-brainer. I loved the friendly people and that you could be in the city one minute and driving along a country road soon after. As a Canadian, I also liked how the city shared many of my moral and ethical views. I used to play pool a lot in Monkey Bar, which I think now is called Full Moon. And I was a regular at TC’s Speakeasy in Ypsi. And, of course, it was so close to Detroit—a city I loved to explore and photograph. I think I walked through every downtown Detroit alley in my three years living in Ann Arbor.

What have been some of the biggest “milestones” in your career as an artist?

By far the most prestigious recognition came from The New York Times. A reporter followed me

[FEaTUREs // aRT FaiR]

URBaN LaNDscapEs aND gLaM BUgs wiTH aNN aRBoR aRT FaiR aRTisT XaViER NUEZBY AMANDA SLATER>>>>

IMAGES COURTESY OF XAVIER NUEZ>>>>>>>>>>

“I would photograph these grim, bleak and dangerous places, but I would add an idealized, fairytale version on top of them.”

around Brooklyn while I shot at night and wrote a lengthy exposé, calling the Alleys & Ruins series a masterpiece. Just as thrilling, at age 18, The Montreal Gazette wrote one positive sentence about my work within a larger piece about the group show I was in. (Not only do artists crave recognition, but they need it to move up.) I’ve exhibited in many museum group shows, but another milestone is coming up: my first solo museum show at the Bolinas Museum, which is 30 miles north of San Francisco.

How did your career as an artist/photographer start?I used to paint and draw a lot as a child and through my

teens. When I was 18, I took my one and only photography class in college. It literally transformed me, and, for once I knew what I wanted to do with my life. After graduation, panic set in as I was forced to face the reality that no one hands you a career in photography. I pursued my art, while trying to make ends meet with small commercial jobs and with jobs assisting other photographers. After five years, I had gotten into debt and decided to take a regular job working as a file clerk for the government at correctional services. It was a million miles from where I wanted to be, so, after a year of this, I renewed my commitment to my art and quit my job. It was a defining moment. Within a year, I had developed the Alleys & Ruins series and the Glam Bugs series, and I made a serious effort to get good commercial jobs—which eventually did start coming my way.

How did you get the idea to start photographing your Alleys & Ruins series?

Many roads in my life merged in the same place to create the series. As a child, I loved playing in alleys and exploring aban-doned or “haunted” houses. As a teen, I often dragged friends into these places to show them what I thought was an alternate type of beauty. My dad’s tales of being homeless as a child also had a big impact. Then, growing up in a French separatist part of Quebec and being cast as an outsider for having immigrant parents and for being in English school had another profound effect. Virtually every day of my life, I was reminded I didn’t belong. I started to struggle with depression and social anxiety. I remember a key turning point in my life was when I became transfixed by the space under a stairwell and finally decided that, if I ended up homeless and living in an alley, I could live with that. It was an epiphany. The alley series began soon after. I would photograph these grim, bleak and dangerous places, but I would add an idealized, fairytale version on top of them. This duality became important to me and permeates most of my work, this idea of something being [all] of these extremes at the same time—both ugly and beautiful, depressing and inspiring, downtrodden and powerful, bright and dark, repulsive and inviting, tense yet peaceful. I started developing a kind of

“My art is very much about dignifying what’s been rejected.”

affection for the underdog. My art is very much about dignifying what’s been rejected. When I started the series 20 years ago, I wanted to shoot these places exactly as I found them in a true documentary spirit, while seeking out the conditions that would create dreamy versions of a grim and stark reality.

Some of your photos look almost unreal. What can you tell me about your artistic process and how you achieve that look?

In my three main bodies of work, I think I’m trying to build another world. A large part of that process is how I’m imagining that other world and that thought tangent is difficult to explain. I rely mostly on my still faintly beating child’s heart. When a scene takes me back to a certain vision from my youth (to a time I’ve tried but failed to pinpoint), I know I’m onto some-thing. I’ll be staring at a scene in a dark alley, and I’ll suddenly get a flush of feelings that we live in a world full of mystery and magic and that an enchanted land might be waiting behind a crumbling door. These are warm feelings in a cold environment. That’s when my


23 JUNE 2011 i SPY

logical side has to move in and try to re-cre-ate what I’m feeling. I bring lights and colored gels to these places at night. The technical process can vary greatly from one image to another, but what is usual is that I will shoot a very long exposure (20 minutes is average, but some are as long as 90 minutes). I shoot with a 50-year old Hasselblad film camera, and I use film that gives me vivid colors. The variety of city lights creates different colors on film, and that is the base of my lighting. During the long exposure, I’ll walk around with my lights and colored gels, adding lay-ers of illumination and color to the existing light or to areas that are completely dark. Half of the time, I’ll walk into the frame in front of the camera so I can light stuff more precisely, but I wear dark colors and I move quickly so I won’t appear in the photo. The Glam Bugs and Crystals are shot in a studio, where I use large studio lights. The bugs are difficult to light, but the process is much more traditional than the night shots for Alleys and Ruins.

Tell me a little about your Glam Bugs and Crystals series. What made you start taking these photographs?

The Glam Bugs are closely tied to the Al-ley series conceptually. In both bodies of work, I’m dignifying what’s been rejected. With the night shots, I’m glorifying rejected space, while, in the bug series, I’m glorifying rejected creatures. In both series, the images

are all about people, even though there are none in the shots. The Glam Bugs actually has little to do with bugs. The bugs I use and the little sets I build are a way of propping up the rejected and dejected of our society. I take these bugs, which get little to no respect and which are considered ugly—even horrifying close up—and I make them powerful figures in the alternate world I create. There are war heroes, pop divas, evil villains and so on. And, as in the alleys, I ultimately make these dead (and often decomposing) bugs look beautiful. The Crystals are close up photos of dinner plates that I re-glaze and re-paint. It’s a very odd process I dis-covered by accident over 20 years ago. They connect to the other two bodies in that I’m taking rejected plates, found in yard sales or Salvation Army stores, and creating a chic, dignified style of beauty with them.

What is one of your craziest Alleys & Ruins stories?The craziest story has to be when I went to Compton, California in

south central Los Angeles in 2008. I was in an alley with two friends, lighting an old water tower with a bright spotlight (Alley 116). In retro-spect, I was just asking for trouble. The gang ruling this turf saw the lights and found us. They chased us back to our van, where we had time to throw the gear in and lock the doors. They were yelling at us to get out of the van, and I suspected, if I tried to drive away, there would soon be bullet holes in the doors. It’s a long story and available on my web site, but it involves us amazingly becoming friends with the gang and being given permission to continue with my photos, later being followed by two cops storming us later with laser-guided weapons, who were then scared off by the fact that this gang was paying off their boss! In the end, I produced two of my best images—Alley 116 and 103. We ended the night by going for dinner and beers and with my new friend, Jorge (the gang leader), telling me I was welcome back in his territory any time. I sent him prints of the finished photos.

For you, is the thrill of these encounters or the possible danger that accompanies these photo shoots part of the appeal of these particular subjects?

The danger has never been part of the appeal—it’s just something I’ve had to put up with. But I have to admit, after a bad incident occurs, there is a part of me that thinks that was cool.

What do you think is the purpose of art? Why do you enjoy creating art?Imagine a world without visual art in your home or in public spaces,

or on the big and little screen or coming out of speakers or performing on stage and you’ll understand the purpose of art. But, to take it a step further, art has a different purpose for the creator and the consumer, and every consumer has different triggers making them connect or discon-nect in their own way. I don’t know why a happy song and a sad song can both be just as beautiful and transcendent.

I create art because I don’t know what else to do. What is your advice to aspiring artists?Every path is different, but I know I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t

for a thick-headed perseverance, combined with planning and a non-stop re-assessing of what I was doing. I love making art, but being an artist is also a business. The sooner you can be comfortable with that, the better off you will be. I also wouldn’t have succeeded if I had lost my zeal to make art. It took many, many years to find my vision and then to let it grow and mature. It is still growing today. And, because of my love for the process of creating, the way to let my vision grow was just to step out of the way and allow it to find itself.

Xavier Nuez lives in Chicago. His family lives in Montreal, where he grew up. He does gallery and museum shows across the country. To see more of Nuez’s work, to read Alleys & Ruins stories and for more infor-mation about upcoming shows, visit http://www.nuez.com.

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ART FAIR!



Some people know early in their lives that they are destined for an art career. For Virginia painter, Allen Levy, this realization did not come until he first spent years in the corporate world. But, since he traded his suit and ties for paint and canvass a few years ago, Allen has not looked back. Working mainly in acrylic and mixed

media, Levy describes his paintings as “[resembling] dreamscapes of the landscape,” and he achieves this distinctive style through layering, mixing, pouring and a healthy dose of chance. His experimentation with color, light and luminosity combine to form truly moving, and sometimes very abstract, compositions.

Growing up in Fort Wayne, IN and attending Purdue University, Allen started his career in marketing. It wasn’t until his senior year of college that Allen took his first art class.

“I had no idea I could paint early on. I took one elective art class during my last semester in college where the professor told me to always remember I have talent. The desire was never ignited until about five years ago,” he says.

Although he was a late-comer, Allen has no regrets about his choice to pursue an art career.

“I almost think it’s my destiny, how everything just came together, so I took the gigantic leap and said goodbye to the corporate world,” he says.

Allen has developed a unique style that combines elements of traditional landscape por-traits with more abstract layering techniques. When asked if his Midwest roots had anything to do with his style, Allen replied, “Yes, without a doubt. The Midwest is very flat, which reflects my horizontal elements. Also, I live in the DC area, so painting was my way to relax and my style reflects this.” Allen cites Rothko and Turner as major influences, but admits that “as I am not formally trained, this truly is my own unique style.”

When asked about his process, Allen says, “I know what colors I want and a general idea of the composition, but I just let things happen to a degree. I think it’s better that way. My process is all about layering. Each layer is a different musical instrument that, combined, cre-ates something beautiful.”

With such a loose, improvisational style, it would be hard for many artists to determine when a piece is truly finished. Allen says that the composition must have balance, harmony and be “pleasing to look at.” He adds, “It’s done […] when it feels right.”

Allen Levy’s work can be seen at the Ann Arbor Street Art Festival on July 20 – 23. To view more of Levy’s work and learn more about him, visit http://www.allenlevystudios.com. Later this summer, Allen will be nearby at the Chicago Tribune Magnificent Mile in early July and at the Port Clinton in Highland Park, Illinois in August.

ann arbor art fair artist profiles“I had no idea I could paint early on. I took one elective art class during my last semester in college where the professor told me to always remember I have talent. The desire was never ignited until about five years ago.”

“Art is how I respond to life in general.”

allen levy

Working out of his native-Florida, oil painter Richard Currier has earned numerous awards for his stunning figurative, still-life and landscape portraits. But, awards and accolades are not every-thing to him.

“Honor awards are very subjective and depend highly on who is giving it and who you’re competing with. The biggest award for me is when someone appreciates your work enough to purchase it for themselves,” he says.

A professional artist since the late 1980’s, Currier’s work has been dis-played at a variety of galleries and exhibitions across the U.S. After studying at Ringling College of Art & Design, he toured Paris and Amsterdam before returning to Micco on Florida’s east coast. In reflecting on his time abroad, Currier said, “I stood in front of paintings for hours in museums awestruck by the impact of the work. I can’t say my work was influenced as much as the European attitude toward art in general [influenced me]. Art and artists are regarded with such respect and acceptance (at times to a fault) that we have yet to embrace fully.”

Art, Currier says, “is how I respond to life in general. I’ve always drawn and painted as far back as I can remember. I would have continued to make art whether or not it produced my income. I’m just fortunate that it has.”

But Currier has not always been certain about where his art career would take him. “I began as many do—just out of university or art school and say[ing], ‘now what?’ They don’t teach this part. It took many years to discover my own voice and figure things out.”

With dozens of awards over the years and gallery representations at Angela King Gallery in New Orleans and at Lombard Contemporary Art in Orlando, it might be tempting for Currier to say he’s made it, but he says, “If you need stability and consistency in your life, don’t quit your day job. This can be a roller coaster with no guarantees.” However, he adds that, despite the challenges of trying to make a living through painting, “I could not think of a more meaningful and rewarding life as this.”

Currier will be displaying his work at this year’s Ann Arbor Art Fair. To view work by and information about Richard Currier, visit www.RichardCurrierArt.com. In addition to the Ann Arbor Art Fair, you can also find Currier at the upcoming Boardwalk Art Festival in Virginia Beach and the Cain Park Art Festival in Cleveland later this year.

richard currier

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<<<<<<<<< "DESTINY” BY ALLEN LEVY

<<<<< "POUND OF FLESH” BY RICHARD CURRIER



Highly praised for their energetic live shows, IAMDYNAMITE (formerly Mahoney) proves that less is more. Hailing from a small town just outside of Ann Arbor, the two man band consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Chris Martin and drummer Chris Phillips. Despite the limited instruments played, the band aims to make music that is simplistic, yet infectiously upbeat. With a new album on the horizon, IAMDYNAMITE has taken to their tour bus (technically a Scion) to travel all over the U.S. and cultivate fans from the ground up. While wrapping up the tail end of their tour, Chris Martin was able to fill us in on upcoming shows and where the last few months have taken them.

You just did an album preview in Ann Arbor at the beginning of June. Can you tell me about it?

We were gone for a whole month playing on tour, and that was our last show of the tour. It was nice to finish at home and see everybody. The sense of being done and doing it in your home-town was cool.

Speaking of which, you guys just did SXSW. What was that like?It was really great, and it was the first time we ever done it.

SXSW is a little hard to get into, so it’s an honor. There are some

fantastic bands that you stumble on to, so it’s really cool. Every band we saw play (on purpose or by accident) was really phenomenal.

What is the name of the new album?We actually don’t have a title for it yet. We have a few in

mind, but, as of right now, we don’t have one in particular.When does the album come out?In the beginning of September. For the fans that were not able to attend the album preview,

how would you describe the sound and style of the upcoming album?

We recorded it the old school way with reel to reel tape, and we had never done that before. We try to keep the songs without a lot of fat on them--no tuba solos or any-thing like that. Our goal for making the album was to con-centrate on melodies and drums. Nothing unnecessary.

I heard that one of you lives in the area and the other lives in North Carolina. Do you think that affects collaboration?

It hasn’t been a big obstacle to be in different towns. If we want to write or jam out some new stuff, either one of us could come to where the other person is. We’re just a two man band, so it is pretty straight forward. So far it works great.

You guys are about to gear up and go on tour again soon. How do you get ready for it? Any rituals or superstitious stuff?

I’m not superstitious, but I always spend a lot of time

richard currier

IAMDYNAMITEcHRis MaRTiN EXpLaiNs cRoss coUNTRy coLLaBoRaTioN, wHaT To Do wHEN aLL yoU HaVE aRE ENDLEss MiLEs oF RoaD aHEaD aND oN pLayiNg THis yEaR’s aNN aRBoR aRT FaiR BY AIMEE MANDLE >>>>>

learning other people’s songs. I feel like it keeps our chops up. It’s a way to challenge yourself so you don’t get bored doing the same songs every night. We don’t wear the same socks the whole time or never wash our pants.

When you’re not on tour, what are you usually doing?We spend a lot of time writing and hanging out with our

friends and family. When you’re touring, you’re always in motion, so it’s nice to be in one spot. It’s tougher when you’re in a car driving somewhere.

I imagine it’s tough. You’ve got to entertain yourself a lot on the road.

Yeah, we try. You start doing things that maybe you didn’t do before, like going into gas stations and being weird to everybody just because it entertains you. You can’t help but start to make faces at people when they drive past you on the road. You’ve been in the car for eight hours and you’re losing your mind, so you have to do something.

It sounds fun.Well, we’ve tried every car game you can think of. We

did find some really odd ones from when they first in-vented cars. You count how many cars are on the side of the road and, if you see a white horse, it’s a bonus point. We’re always on the lookout for suggestions. We could put it in our album artwork. Maybe that’s too random.

I also heard that you are playing on iSPY’s stage this year at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Is there anything in particular that you are looking forward to about that?

Growing up near Ann Arbor and playing in a band, you always want to play the Art Fair because there are so many people. Just to get a chance to do that will be pretty cool. We’re looking forward to it.

For the people who have never seen you play live, what can they expect to see?

We’re a two-man rock band, so we try to focus on catchy, good melodies and high energy. A lot of times when you play, no one has ever heard you before, so you try to take that into account when you’re writing and per-forming. You want everyone to instantly have a great time. It’s not always possible, but that is what you aspire to.

You guys used to be called Mahoney but are now IAMDYNAMITE. Is there a reason for the change? When we signed with a new management company,

they suggested changing our band name. We said we would give it a try, thought of IAMDYNAMITE and loved it. We were about to make an album, but it hadn’t happened yet, so it was good time to change the name before we released something.

How did you come up with the name?I was reading a book on existentialism, and there was

a quote from a philosopher saying, ‘I am not a man. I am dynamite.’ It was about giving your own meaning to life. I thought that ‘I am dynamite’ was such an empower-ing phrase. We thought it was cool because it has a real meaning, but it is also kind of funny to say, and that ap-pealed to us.

IAMDYNAMITE will be playing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20 on iSPY’s stage at the Ann Arbor Art Fair. For more information, visit www.iamdynamite.com.

Photo by Brad Bond

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1/2 ISPY INHOUSE


[REViEw]If the days of grunge scrubbed

away the care-free fun of rock n’ roll, the Arctic Monkeys have been trying to revive it ever since their 2006 debut, “Whatever people say I am, That’s what I’m not.” While the playful English lads may have taken us on a darker, slightly more abstract journey with 2009’s “Humbug,” their newest album, the sug-gestively titled “Suck it and See” (that might be a subtle sug-gestion to critics who panned “Humbug” for being too inac-cessible) represents a return to the unabashed whimsy of their earlier work.

The new album is decidedly more upbeat and poppy than its predecessor, and it may very well be a breath of fresh air for hardcore Monkeys fans pining for a return to the days of “Dancing Shoes” and “A Certain Ro-mance.” Even with that said, for all of its sardonic wit and pop-appeal, “Suck it and See” may be the Monkeys’ most “adult” album to date.

The album opens with “She’s Thunderstorms,” an upbeat, Strokes-esque indie-pop ballad, and “Black Treacle,” one of the catchiest tracks on the album, and one that might make Rivers Cuomo and the boys a bit jealous. Darker cuts like “Don’t Sit Down Cause I Moved Your Chair” and “All My Own Stunts” are somewhat reminiscent of “Humbug,” but are nicely balanced by tracks like “Library Pictures” and “That’s Where You’re Wrong,” which could have easily come off of “Whatever People Say I am…” or “Favourite Worst Nightmare.” Some songs, like “Reckless Serenade” and the title track “Suck it and See” mark a return to the sarcastic, relationship-based narratives that have made Alex Turner one of the most respected rock lyricists across the pond. And, with the throwback feel of these songs, I can’t help but picture a crooning Vegas lounge-singer rather than four skinny boys from Sheffield. The first single off the album is the oddly simplistic “Brick by Brick,” a straight-forward, old-school rock song ala AC/DC. (This might be the only track that seems out of place on the album, and is definitely a red-hearing first-single, but was prob-ably released as another sarcastic dig at the critics who loved to hate “Humbug,” as in: “You wanted a mindless pop/rock song… well, here you go.”)

In the end, “Suck it and See” may not please every Arctic Monkeys fan completely. It truly seems to be just the next progression from a band whose lives have changed drastically over the past six years. But this album may also be their most comprehensive, not one of the 12 tracks seem rushed or incomplete. And, while it may not contain the same level of snide rudeness that seemed to define the early Monkeys, there’s no doubt that this band is still in it to have fun and maybe, just maybe piss a few people off in the process.

aRTisT: arctic MonkeysaLBUM: suck it and see4/5 TowERs By DaViD NassaR

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summer music guide

STAFF PICKSSummer Playlist

Aimee Mandle: “Spank” – The Naked and Famous “Roll Up” – Wiz Khalifa “Cardiac Arrest” – Teddybears “Slow Motion” – The Shitsez “Dreams Money Can Buy” – Drake

Mary Simkins: “Train Song” – Todd Snider “Love That I Found” – Led Zeppelin “Better People” – Xavier Rudd “Henrietta” – The Fratellis “(Song for my) Sugar Spun Sister” – The Stone Roses

David Nassar “10 A.M. Automatic” – The Black Keys “Web” – The Roots “Black Math” – The White Stripes “MFC” – Pearl Jam “L.A. Woman” – The Doors

Paul Kitti “Officer” – Slightly Stoopid “Laredo” – Band of Horses “Girlfriend in a Coma” – The Smiths “Mardy Bum” – Arctic Monkeys“Lola Stars and Stripes” – The Stills

Joshua Trent: “California On My Mind” – Wild Light “Sweet Disposition” – The Temper Trap “Orange Sky” – Alexi Murdoch “Marquee” – Greg Laswell “MoneyGrabber” – Fitz & The Tantrums

Chris Adams “You Wanna Freak Me Out” – My Morning Jacket “Baby Missiles” – The War on Drugs “Sacred Heart” – Cass McCombs “Gypsy” – Fleetwood Mac “One More” – Cymande

Kristin Slater: “Sleepy Head” – Passion Pit “Hospital Beds” – Cold War Kids “Sleep through the Static” – Jack Johnson “Under the Bridge” – Red Hot Chili Peppers “Rill Rill” – Sleigh Bells

Bruno Postigo: “CMKY” – James Blake “Civilization” – Justice “Afterburner” – Panda Bear “Go Outside” – Cults “Miercoles” – Omar Rodriguez Lopez “My Step” – Little Dragon

Joey Brandt “Rain is a Good Thing” – Luke Brian “Spirit in the Sky” – Norman Greenbaum “Long Summer” – Keith Urban “Life’s Been Good to Me” – Joe Walsh “Junkyard” – Page France

Amanda Slater: “Helena Beat” – Foster the People “The Internet Killed the Video Star” – The Limousines “Lisztomania” – Phoenix “Kids” – Sleigh Bells “Heads Will Roll” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Bilal Saeed: “I Do It” – Big Sean “I’m On One” – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne “Fire in Your New Shoes” – Kaskade “Satellite” – Mansions on the Moon “Give Me Everything” – Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack

Tim Adkins: “The Count” – Todd Osborn “Levee” – Chris Bathgate “Morning Thought” – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. “Orion Town 2” – Frontier Ruckus “Monkeys Upstairs” – Iron and Wine

summer music guide

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www.mispymag.com

With five albums behind them, My Morning Jacket has explored numerous stylistic avenues. They have dabbled in reggae, folk, rock, and their specialty – head boppin’, jam-out tunes. With no one genre to call their own, they are an interesting anomaly in the current musical line-up. And, after a three year gap from their last album, the band has reinvented their original style by infusing elements from different decades and bands in “Circuital.”

Throughout the album are themes of where the

band is going and where they have been—or, at the very least, the journey that got them between the two. Opening up the ride is “Victory Dance,” a track that slowly builds up from its Western-themed intro into a heavy, guitar laden acid trip. The title song is over seven minutes long, swinging between twangy guitar-plucking and poppy beats. Other highlights include “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” with its acoustic guitar strumming and smooth vocal lull, the Beach Boys-esque “Outta My System” that ruminates on bad choices throughout youth and female harmonies and a funky melody in “Holding on to Black Metal.”

“Circuital” tends to shift between paying homage to past artists and going back to the band’s roots. Each song sounds like it is channeling music that came out on vinyl or an eight-track, but with a twist. While it isn’t ground-breaking, it does retain an edge that sets the band apart from similar artists, such as Band of Horses or Fleet Foxes. Despite the genre-hopping that occurs throughout the album, there is a common thread that pulls it all together. Whether it is Jim James’ adaptable vocal approach or the album’s back-to-basics attitude, the “Circuital” maintains its folky roots while managing to explore new territory. Kind of like a quirky cousin, My Morning Jacket’s lat-est release keeps things fresh and unique.

[REViEw]

aRTisT: sondre LercheaLBUM: sondre Lerche4/5 TowERs By MaRy siMKiNs

aRTisT: Foster the peopleaLBUM: Torches5/5 TowERs By aMaNDa sLaTER

aRTisT: My Morning JacketaLBUM: circuital4/5 TowERs By aiMEE MaNDLE

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summer music guide

summer music guide

summer music guide

While Foster the People’s first infectious single, “Pumped Up Kicks,” has been circulating for the better part of a year now, the group belabored the release of their first full-length album until fans had almost forgotten about them. But when the Los Angeles-based indie-pop band finally released “Torches,” indie fans welcomed the album with open ears.

From the very beginning, “Torches” sucks listeners in with the irresistibly catchy “Helena Beat” and doesn’t let up until the very end—without any “filler” songs. From “Call It What You Want” to tracks like “Houdini,” “Torches” is upbeat, with sincere and meaningful lyrics—making it the perfect summer soundtrack for those who are looking for an alternative to mainstream summer “club” hits. It’s an album that doesn’t miss a beat and will be hard to top when the group begins to work on their sophomore release, but, with a start like this, it’s more than likely that Foster the People will con-tinue to impress.

When I spoke to Sondre Lerche in May, he told me that his new release would be “stripped of frills and back to basics.” It’s an approach that seems to have given him room to experiment with vocal range and rhythm.

Alternately melancholy, upbeat, bitter, and optimistic, the songs of “Sondre Lerche” are all, in their own way, somewhat unpredictable. The first track, “Ricochet” begins only with Lerche singing and occasionally strumming his guitar, singing a few forlorn lines about love lost. However, he lightens the mood with an upswing of catchy lyrics and bouncy rhythms in the next track, “Private Caller.” The emotional rollercoaster continues from there with the slowed-down, “Red Flag,” in which a lovely melody pairs with romantic, but vaguely pessimistic, lyrics. As a first-time listener, I liked each track better than the one that pre-ceded it and found myself eager to hear what would come next.

Whether singing along to rhythmically upbeat and lyrically catchy tracks such as “Go Right Ahead,” “Never Mind the Ty-pos” or “When the River,” or feeling pensive along with “Coli-seum Town,” “Domino,” “Living Dangerously” or “Tied Up with the Tide,” Lerche’s songs have a tangible effect on one’s mood. But just when you think he’s brought you down, the very next song is likely to get you tapping your foot.

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Tickets available at palacenet.com, The Palace Box Office and . Charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

In association with


[REViEw]

The film poster for “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold,” hanging in the lobby of The State Theater, depicts a smil-ing Morgan Spurlock clothed entirely in advertisements. Hotels, beverage companies, automobile manufacturers, clothing lines and airline companies have their logos branded across his body, connecting their product to the movie and, correspondingly, the eyes of every person who strolls through the theater lobby. It’s the kind of gimmicky, shameless and unavoidable product placement that would normally evoke feelings of aggravation and disdain—if it weren’t so comically intentional.

It’s sad that they had to go so over-board to get the point across – other-wise people probably wouldn’t get the joke. We are so conditioned to seeing products displayed everywhere they don’t belong, it’s like we’re almost able to ignore them entirely. But this ability to ignore has only pushed advertisers to be more aggressive and creative with their product placement, to the point where almost any movie, bever-

FiLM: The greatest Movie Ever soldDiREcTED By: MoRgaN spURLocK3.5/5 TowERs By paUL KiTTi

age container, or computer screen is telling you to buy something. Personally, I’m sick of it. And, thankfully, so is Morgan Spur-lock.

You may remember Spurlock from his 2003 documentary “Super Size Me,” where he ate nothing but McDonald’s for thirty straight days, demonstrating the ugly toll that fast food has on our bodies. His unique ability to identify a societal problem and bring it to light in a humorous way is what made “Super Size Me,” and now, his latest documentary, so engaging. While “The

Greatest Movie Ever Sold” might not be the most thrilling choice of entertainment for your next Friday night, it offers insights that may change the way you look at other films. Essentially, this is an experiment/documentary about product placement, funded entirely by product placement. The cameras follow Spurlock as he visits dozens of companies and pitches his film idea, and how the company can benefit from writing him a check. The film’s great-est quality is that it completely exposes the relationship between filmmakers and advertisers, allowing viewers a behind-the-scenes look at why and how two seemingly unrelated things—such as Iron Man and Burger King—can be paired together in commercials and posters and billboards.

Things get more interesting as Spurlock comes close to securing enough sponsors to fully fund his project and has to accom-modate for all the contractual stipulations that himself and the sponsors had agreed upon. In the movie, the only car he can drive is a Mini Cooper, the only beverage he can consume is POM Wonderful, and the only gas station he can frequent is Sheetz.

“The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” creative-ly meet the demands of its corporate spon-sors while retaining the humor and relevan-cy Spurlock is known for. Clever corporate jokes, ridiculously obvious advertisements and animated on-screen illustrations are scattered throughout the film, separating it from most other documentaries by balanc-ing its informative qualities with Spurlock’s special breed of humor. This should be mandatory viewing for those who work in marketing and entertainment, but I think that any individual who has ever felt over-whelmed or annoyed by undesired adver-tisements will gain a new perspective and a few laughs from this unique film.

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It seems that movie trailers these days go one of two ways: either you see all the good scenes from the movie and are left with no reason to go, or they show you just enough to pique your interest, but you walk away not having the slightest clue what the film is about. After months of trailers and viral advertising, J.J. Abram’s highly anticipated follow-up to “Star Trek,” the mysterious summer blockbuster “Super 8,” was finally revealed to audiences.

Let me first say that I thought “Super 8” was really good. That being said, I can understand the mixed reviews it has gotten from critics. I think it all has to do with expectations. Personally, I didn’t have any, and I think that’s why I liked it so much. For movie-goers who are expecting a monster-movie thriller, they will be disappointed. This is not a monster-centric story, but rather one focused on the residents of Lillian, Ohio, when they unexpectedly find themselves in the middle of a mysterious U.S. military cover-up.

The going-comparison at this point seems to be that the film is a cross between “The Goonies,” “E.T.” and “Cloverfield”—and I would say that’s a pretty accurate description. When Joe (Joel Courtney) and his friends sneak out one night to shoot a scene for their zombie movie, they find themselves in the middle of a violent train-wreck. However, after miraculously surviving the accident and inadvertently filming the escape of some mysterious cargo, strange occurrences begin happening across town. As the out-of-touch adults in town revert to panic-driven hysteria, Joe and his friends take it upon themselves to save the day.

Is “Super 8” somewhat predictable? Yes. Does it get somewhat hokey towards the end? Yes. Is the ending original and emotionally moving? Not really. But this is not meant to be a film that breaks the mold, but rather one the works effectively within the mold that great storytellers like “Super 8” producer Steven Spielberg developed years ago with “E.T.” and “Close Encounters.”

FiLM: super 8DiREcTED By: J. J. aBRaMs4/5 TowERs By DaViD NassaR


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+++rate it+++FiLM: The Hangover part iiDiREcTED By: Todd phillips3/5 TowERs By DaViD NassaR

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FiLM: Everything Must goDiREcTED By: Dan Rusk2.5/5 TowERs By aiMEE MaNDLE

Taking a break from his outlandish, but lovable comedy roles, Will Ferrell exercises his serious acting chops in “Everything Must Go”—although this isn’t Ferrell’s first foray into drama. He’s already shown his ability to break away from his go-to characters in films like “Winter Passing” and “Stranger than Fiction.”

Adapted from Raymond Carver’s short story, “Why Don’t You Dance?,” the film opens with alcoholic Nick Halsey (Will Ferrell) being fired from his job due to a business trip bender. After that, everything else spirals out of control. Nick’s wife leaves him, changes the locks to the house and dumps all of his possessions on the front lawn. His company car gets repossessed, and his credit cards and

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While good comedy sequels might be rare, few have garnered the kind of anticipation that has been brewing since the 2009 breakout comedy hit, “The Hangover.” With fans poised to see Zach Galifianakis and the boys put one more bender under their bachelor-party belt, “The Hangover Part II” broke records on its way to earning more than $139 million in its first week.

While The Hangover Part II provides its fair share of shockingly funny moments,

the recycled jokes and been-there-done-that storyline make you wonder if they even tried to come up with something original.

Two years removed from their raunchy Vegas escapades, we find Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Doug (Justin Bartha) making plans for friend Stu’s (Ed Helms) Thai-land wedding. No, he’s not re-marrying his showgirl ex-wife played by Heather Graham in the original, but rather Lauren (Jamie Chung), whose traditional Thai father is anything but impressed with Stu. Just as in the original, a seemingly inno-cent first toast of the night leads directly

to a morning of questions and regrets. The remainder of the movie finds the wolf pack trying to piece back together the events of the previous night and get Stu back in time for his wedding, with the same screw-ups and shocking revela-tions as in the original movie.

With only Zach Galifianakis’ character left to get hitched and huge box office numbers over Memorial Day weekend, I wouldn’t doubt that we’re going to see “The Hangover Part III.” Let’s just hope there’s something new besides a different exotic backdrop and a couple forget-table, minor characters.

phone get shut off. With nothing left to lose, Nick camps out on his front lawn with a mini fridge full of PBR.

When threatened with being removed from his property, Nick is given an out by his AA sponsor, a detective (Michael Peña). He must sell everything within five days, but once that time is up, he will be forced to leave. In the process of selling his belongings, he builds and breaks connections with neighbors and former acquaintances.

Overall, “Everything Must Go” felt restrained and lacking a depth of raw emotion that Ferrell is capable of delivering, making this a bitter-sweet viewing. On one hand, the film delivers a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Viewers want Nick to get out of his funk and start to piece his life together. On the other hand, there is a lot of space throughout the film with very little to fill it. It becomes primarily character-driven, and we are left following Ferrell’s sad, but quiet cathartic journey. There are no melodramatic melt-downs or obvious solutions to what seems like a solvable problem—which might be, in some ways, more like real life.

vs.

Gone are the days when you have to wonder what the name of that song is that you hear while you’re at the coffee shop. Nowadays, we just pull out our phone and find out. The only problem we have now is figuring out which app we should use to find out what it is we’re listening to.

Shazam and SoundHound are the two most popular apps for this, but which is better?

Both apps do just about the exact same thing—when you hear music, load the app, “tag,” let the app listen to the song for a few seconds, and it will tell you what song/artist it is. At that point, there’s links to purchase the song on iTunes, see tour information for the artist, read the lyrics for the song you’re listening to, share the song via social networks, etc.

Both apps have a paid version and a free version (both paid versions are $4.99). But while the free Shazam app only allows users to tag five songs per month, the free SoundHound app allows users to tag an unlimited amount of songs. The only reason to get the paid version of SoundHound is to eliminate advertisements, which aren’t that cumbersome to begin with. SoundHound Infinity (as the paid version is called) also comes with a home screen widget, which allows users to identify songs quicker—although, for the casual user, $4.99 is a bit steep for this added feature.

So which should you use? I would recommend using SoundHound over Shazam. Shazam is more popu-lar and better advertised on TV and magazines than SoundHound, but, in my experience, it’s not as good as SoundHound. I’ve found that SoundHound tends to work better when there is more background noise. Often times, when you’re in a crowded bar or coffee shop and try to tag a song with Shazam, it comes up empty. With SoundHound, I’ve almost never had this happen. SoundHound is normally the faster of the two apps as well. SoundHound is a great app to have, and it’s one that you’ll use all of the time. It does cause you to spend more money on iTunes than you would otherwise, but discovering new music you love makes it worth it.

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kick some app!

>>>>Why this kicks app:

Ypsilanti July Events

For information on these and other events check out our redesigned web site at VisitYpsiNow.com

July 1-3 20th Annual Michigan Camaro SuperfestJuly 8-9 12th Annual Michigan ElvisFestJuly 16 Shadow Art FairJuly 22-23 Michigan Brewers Association Summer Beer FestivalJuly 23-24 Thunder Over Michigan Air Show

app: shazam3.5/5 TowERs By JosHUa TRENT

app: soundHound4.5/5 TowERs By JosHUa TRENT

When you’re constantly on the move and changing from one atmosphere, mood and situation to another, it’s hard for your music collection to keep up—and it’s next to impossible to have a playlist for each of these moods and situations. I take that back, it was next to impossible. Say hello to Ghostly Discovery.

Here’s how it works. Start by selecting your mood. Your mood changes throughout the day and they’ve basically got them all covered. From sad to laid back onto energetic and aggressive, there’s a color and mood for you. Then you can pick the style of music you’d like to listen to—whether it be digital or organic or music that’s faster or slower. Click “Discover” and the app will generate a playlist to

fit your mood. Within that new page, you can now learn more about that artist, purchase that song or star favorite tracks to share with friends. Not feeling it? Hit the next button and move onto a new track by a new artist and let the discovering begin.

I’ve used this app in so many different scenarios. It’s been the background music for iSPY staff meetings and I’ve used it while on the treadmill at the gym, cleaning my apartment, getting ready to go out to ‘da club and even for random dance parties at the office. Just think of it as that goofy mood ring you used to wear—only this one pumps out jams. It’s kind of that.

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>>>>Why this kicks app:app: ghostly Discovery4/5 TowERs By TiM aDKiNs


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Depot Town RagTribute Artists return for Ypsi’s ElvisFest

E l v i s l i v e s i n Yp s i

iSPYread more from

Depot Town Ragat mispymag.com

By Tom Dodd

Thirty-three years after his death, reports of Elvis-sightings continue across the country, but it still seems the best place to spot The King is on the streets of Ypsi’s Depot Town on July 8 and 9.

In 2000, Depot Towners asked permission from Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. in Memphis, TN, to bring what may be the world’s greatest entertainer back to life on a big stage down by the Huron River in Ypsilanti. Over time, locals saw the enormous crowd of fans as a huge draw toward the renovation of their historic neighborhood. Nearly 10,000 attended the 2010 ElvisFest.

When the Depot Town Association and its Community Development Corporation abandoned their sponsorship last winter, Festival Director Mary Decker picked up the enthusiasm of her loyal volunteers and determined to keep the Michigan ElvisFest alive. Decker and her followers have re-grouped into a nonprofit entity and will mark the 33rd anniversary of the passing of Elvis Presley this month as they continue the ElvisFest here.

Not a contest, but a true concert with spectacular performances from the opening act to the hyperbolic finale, by the best professional Elvis Tribute Artists in North America.

The main attractions at Ypsi’s ElvisFest are the Elvis Tribute Artists, but other performers are also featured, including acts in the style of artists such as Tom Jones and Roy Orbison. Musical attractions of the weekend program include a salute to the military, a children’s area, and a candlelight vigil in memory of the life of Elvis Presley.

The Michigan ElvisFest works closely with Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, an international organization dedicated to providing food for housebound, often elderly, people. Funds raised by colorful event help people in the Ypsilanti area receive food on a daily basis just as Meals on Wheels has been doing since its inception in London, England during World War II.

The Ypsilanti event brings an ethic of the American South to Riverside Park: talented and dedicated performers, respectful and adoring fans, southern favorites at the food concessions, a laid-back beer tent, activities for the tots, and an attitude of dignity and civility long observed in Ypsilanti’s grasp of history and heritage.

Elvis would be 76 years old today and his fans span four generations as they gather on the grass in Riverside Park for the 12th annual Michigan ElvisFest.

Dwight icenhower, of Pomeroy, Ohio, has shared the stage with Dj Fontana, The Jordan-aires, The Sweet Inspirations, Cynthia Pepper, Julie Parrish, Charlie Hodge And Joe Esposito

Canton, Michigan’s Chris Ayotte also does impressions Of U.S. Presidents, famous politicians, sportscasters, and a variety of other celebrities.

“More legendary than ever” –Harrah’s Las Vegas elevator poster“One of the best music festivals in the Mid-west,” Chicago Tribune “One of the ten festivals in Michigan you’d hate to miss,” MiLife MiTimes


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spoNsors of thE dEpot toWN rag >>>>>

Elvis exits as Jacob, Isabella top baby-name listBy STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, AP WASHINGTON — Elvis has left the list.

Ending a run that started in 1955, Elvis did not make the list of 1,000 most popular baby names compiled by the Social Security Administration. The name never topped the charts, peaking at No. 312 in 1957 and making a slight comeback after Elvis Presley died in 1977. But The King’s first name was in the

top 1,000 for 55 straight years, something that cannot be said for, say, Barack, which has never cracked the list.

“I was all shook up,” Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue said. “It’s been a tradition tracking his ups and downs, and to see him drop off the top 1,000, I have to be honest, we took that very hard at Social Security.”

We l o v e a p a r a d eGarrison Keillor tells of the big

parade in Lake Wobegon where so many of the town’s folks marched in the event that there was no one left to watch from the sidewalk as they passed by. That’s never been a problem in Ypsilanti. Ypsi enjoys thou-sands of performers with even more folks in the street-side audience. Still, if you want to, you can march in the first part of the parade and then walk back to watch the rest of it pass by. We love parades here.

Many of this year’s parades will fol-low routes not seen before as street work and sidewalk repair stretches through the season, but our traditional parades continue nonetheless. We are a bit like New Orleans in that way.

• Ypsi’s 2011 parade season began with the March of the Mutts on St. Paddy’s Day and continues through-out the year.

• The Memorial Day event was not actually a parade, but a procession to honor our veterans, stopping by the World War I memorial plaques at the Huron River to play taps and toss wreaths of flowers into the water, then moving on to more solemn ceremo-nies at Highland Cemetery.

• Some like to think July’s steady

stream of Elvis Tribute Artists up and down our streets is a parade, but it’s not. That preening procession is just a lot of creative dressers and perform-ers showing their respect for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but it’s still a great show.

• On July fourth, we celebrate Independence Day with one of the oldest parades in Michigan. It’s highly patriotic and features flags, bunting, and anything red, white, and blue on this happy day.

• August’s annual Heritage Parade celebrates our town’s venerated old stuff: music, cars, trucks, bicycles, historical organizations, and even old people. This year’s theme will focus on the Yankee Air Museum’s collec-tion of World War II memorabilia.

• And then there’s the informal every-Thursday-night parade of vintage vehicles as they glide in for Cruise Nights all summer long. When they angle park, it seems to qualify as a “stationary parade” in which it’s the audience that moves along the street.

Ypsilanti puts on a season-long show in its streets.

Sponsored by DAY: Downtown Association of YpsilantiWith support from Ypsilanti Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

July 8, 6-10 p.m.HOMETOWN PARTYMartindales, Shelter Dogs, As the Crow Flies. Kinks and the Krew

July 16, 6-10 p.m.FOLKS, ROOTS, AMERICANBilly Brandt & Sarana Verlin, Potter’s Field, Frank Allision, Jo Serrapere &

John Devine, Annie and Rod Capps

July 22, 7-10 p.m.COUNTRY NIGHTJulianne & the Rogues, GW Staton & the Black Crystal Revue

July 29, 7-10 p.m.R&B, SOUL, GOSPELNoteWorthy, Eddie Hughes

August 5, 7-10 p.m.BLUES, INTERNATIONALHarper, Shari Kane & Dave Steele, John Latini

August 12, 7-10 p.m.ANN ARBOR – YPSILANTI LEGENDSGeorge Bedard, Steve Nardella

August 13, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.US-12 GARAGE SALEwww.us12heritagetrail.org/garagesale.asp

August 19, 7-10 p.m.JAZZ/WORLDJohn E. Lawrence, Washt-enaw Community College Youth Choir Ensemble, Muraga, Dave Sharp

2011 CROSSROADS SUMMER FESTIVAL In Downtown Ypsilanti N. Washington between Michigan and Pearl

Come out this summer for Halcyon Sundaze 5th year in the beer garden! We’ll be enjoying another season of lazy summer Sundays full of warm weather, cold beer, and chill grooves. Returning and rotating DJs spin lazy summer sounds, deep cuts, and classics, ranging from down tempo beats and breaks to funk, soul and rock & roll, reggae, blues, electronica, you name it. There is always a special beer brewed just for the day. Rain or shine from 2-9. No cover. As always, Cousins Vinyl will be selling $1 records. LLIC magazine will be showcasing the area’s best upcoming artists while getting everyone hip to their all killer, no filler publication. We had a great turn out for both May & June, here are the remaining summer dates:

Saturday July 23rd, Join us under the big tent for our MBG Summer Beer Fest unofficial after party featuring LIVE music & Halcyon dj’s from 5-11pmSunday July 24th, we’ll be barking up the dog days of Halcyon and in the beer garden, music goes from 2-9pm

Sunday August 28th, Halcyon coincides with our annual Summer BBQ. Join us for games, food, music and beer 2-9pm

Sunday September 11, We bid a fond farewell to Indian Summer, music goes from 2-9pm

Jul.

Aug.

Sep.http://www.halcyonsundaze.com/

Every month the brewers at ABC and Corner Brewery party with mug clubbers and guests in celebration of a new beer release. Release parties run from 6-8 and include samples of the featured beer, light appetizers, and 30% off carry-out during the event. Release parties are FREE for mug club members and $10 for non-members.

Join us for the Summer Shadow Art Fair! The Shadow Art Fair is a juried event that allows local artists to exhibit and sell their works within a comfortable, friendly, and supportive setting. This one-day, 12–hour event is held each year at The Corner Brewery. Local music, featured brews, and other special activities add a distinct flavor and sense of community to this creative showcase. Please visit http://shadowartfair.com for more information.

Come enjoy the ONLY Microbrewery in Ypsilanti after MBG Summer Beer Fest! Corner Brewery is only 1/4 mile down the road.

Friday: Come meet our friendly staff and stay for a beer or two.Saturday: We’ll be partying in the beer garden spilling into the parking lot under the beer tent for the un-official MBG after party. Come out for brews, food, dj’s and LIVE entertainment featuring Rootstand from 5pm-11pm.Sunday: Come hang out in the beer garden and listen to the chill sounds of Dannboy for Halcyon Sundaze.

The third Wednesday of every month we release a special small-batch beer call the Rat Pad. The Rat Pad is a 10 gallon brew system at Corner Brewery used by local amateur and professional brewers to create interesting fermented concoctions for your drinking pleasure.Rat Pads are released at 6pm and are available while supplies last. If there is any left at 9pm, you can take the Rat home with you in a growler.

July 22-24

Rat Pad ReleaseJuly 20, 2011 @ 6:00 PM

Summer ShadowArt FairJuly 16, 2011 12PM-12AM

MBG Summer Beer Fest weekend ‘11Jul 22, 2011 toJul 24, 2011

Hop Town BrownRelease PartyJuly 20, 2011 @ 6:00 PM

For more information visit www.cornerbrewery.com 720 Norris St (Just one block N of depot town) Ypsilanti MI 48198 (734)-480-2739

SUMMER EVENTS YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS!

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Beer Festival Beer Festival

iSPY July 2011

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