ATG (Against the Grain) is a 4 Speed rock band out The Motor City. After just starting in 2009 they have spread their brand of intense rock and roll across the US with many tours, and show no sign of slowing down. They have shared the stage with such national acts as: The Meatmen (month long direct support on a tour), DRI, The Angry Samoans Zeke, Guttermouth, Jugheads Revenge, Agent Orange, Star Fucking Hipsters, D.O.A., The Flatliners, Hit and Run, Murphys Law, Hellmouth, Black Fag, and many more.
5/25/13
CD RELEASE PARTAY: Against the Grain 31 May @ Magic Stick
ATG (Against the Grain) is a 4 Speed rock band out The Motor City. After just starting in 2009 they have spread their brand of intense rock and roll across the US with many tours, and show no sign of slowing down. They have shared the stage with such national acts as: The Meatmen (month long direct support on a tour), DRI, The Angry Samoans Zeke, Guttermouth, Jugheads Revenge, Agent Orange, Star Fucking Hipsters, D.O.A., The Flatliners, Hit and Run, Murphys Law, Hellmouth, Black Fag, and many more.
FREE ADMISSION @ DIA for active military, Memorial Day–Labor Day
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| Soldiers Carousing with a Serving Woman Outside a Tent Phillips Wouwerman Photo ©2013, Detroit Institute of Arts |
For a list of DIA programs and activities, visit www.dia.org
CALL FOR ART: Corpus Illuminata
Rodriguez at the Masonic Theater
The Masonic Theater is kind of an opera house style theater room. The interior is similar to what you see inside the Fox Theater, but not as ornate, and the capacity is about 10% lower (4404, compared to 5048).
There was a bottleneck of people just trying to get to their seats. It was the result of ushers in tuxedos examining everyone's tickets and guiding them to their seats whether they needed the help our not.
Caught the last half of Jenny O. She's a singer-songwriter with some folk influences that kind of leans more in the indie-pop direction. She was nervous talking to the audience in between songs, but she kept her cool when she was performing. The sound system and the acoustics were great, and she sounded just as clear as her recordings. She'll be back in Detroit on June 23rd, at the Magic Stick.
Much like last November's show, Rodriguez needed help walking out on stage. Unlike last November, he had a band backing him up. They all looked like the guys from Fleet Foxes.
Rodriguez's stage presence was much the same as it has been. He told a lot jokes that he's told on stage before. There was the one about Mickey and Minnie Mouse at marriage counseling, and of course the secret to life. He frequently revealed his age, calling himself a "solid 70". He didn't pontificate about Detroit's politics this time though.
He threw covers into the set sporadically. I didn't always catch what they were right away. Someone else had to inform me when he did a Cole Porter, or a Nina Simone song. I didn't need any help identifying Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". It was weird that this song got a bigger crowd reaction than any of Rodriguez's originals. Overall the whole performance was tight, and there were several standing ovations.
Last November Rodriguez sold out the Crofoot at $20 a ticket. This was after the documentary about him came out, but before it was nominated for an Oscar. This show was announced after the Oscar was won, and the decision to have it in a huge theater paid off. This show sold out, with balcony seats at $35, main floor at $45, and the "orchestra pit" (first two rows?) at $55.
That's a long way from playing to a sparse crowd in a public park that didn't have to pay anything two years ago.
$40 t-shirts had me feeling the Establishment Blues all over again.
5/24/13
Wild At Heart movie review = In The House
Wild Bill Ketelhut provides the "blog" to this anti-blog

Wild At Heart
Just caught this very interesting French movie by Francois Ozon, "In The House" which sounds more like the title of a home invasion movie than a story about a forlorn teacher and his gifted, yet unusual pupil. English teacher Germaine is finding it painful to be reading his student's listless and inane writing assignments when he comes across part one of a series of stories written by the introverted Claude, a 16 year old loner, about a friendship he is starting up with a fellow student, Rapha Jr. From a broken home, Claude visualizes what like in Rapha's household would be like and uses his talents at math to work at becoming his tutor. He uses his access to essentially spy on his home life and integrates himself slowly in the general day-to-day flow of the family even finding himself lusting after Rapha's mom. The movie takes a somewhat understated voyeuristic tone as his teacher becomes smitten with this story.
Germaine sees real talent in Claude's work and wants to mentor him to see if Claude can find the success as a writer that Germaine failed to find. Germaine straddles the line of what is real and what is made up in Claude's stories as he shares the stories with his wife. Germaine slowly becomes as obsessed with Claude's stories as Claude is with Rapha's home life and takes a bigger and bigger role in shaping the outcome. The movie does a great job on keeping us wondering what is real and what is made up in the storytelling process as we reach the end of the story. We have this feeling as Germaine's wife both wants to hear more about the stories but is concerned that her husband is becoming too involved in the process for his own good.
Like Germaine, we as viewers also become entranced by Claude's increasingly invasive insertion into this families life. And when things start to unravel, Ozon does a wonderful job showing the destruction of the intellectuals (Claude, Germaine and his art gallery working wife) and the strengthening of Rapha's more conventional family. The movie is very well acted and the relationship between Germaine and Claude never gets totally out of touch. Ozon keeps in very realistic and plays on our own voyeuristic needs to keep us entranced by the story. It is a joy to see the way Claude feeds his story to his teacher and tries to manipulate him in finding him interesting. This is a very fascinating film and well worth catching. It opens tonight at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak.
I gives this film an A-. Don't miss this film.
5/23/13
Rock on The Range Day Two
GREAT UPCOMING SHOW: Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds - Magic Stick Detroit - October
Kid Congo Powers Pt 3 from bill streeter on Vimeo.
FREE VINYLS: Keeping it real with a few Swamp Dogg re-releases from Alive Natural Sounds
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With the electronic music of DEMF dominating the Detroit landscape over the next 5 days we wanted to bring it back "downtown" so to speak with a vinyl giveaway from our pals over at Alive Natural Sounds who have been pressing records for many local detroit bands while also bringing back releases from players like Swamp Dogg from 1973
check it out and win a copy from MCB
email motorcityblog@earthlink.net for your shot to win
and keep your eyes peeled for our monthly promo
with Alive Natural Sounds Records every month
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High Arrow - Smalls Bar Hamtramck - TONIGHT 5/23
Hamtramck MI 48212Phone: (313) 873-1117
Beauty & The Beats - Inner Street Gallery Detroit - Friday 5/24/2103
UPCOMING: BOW WOW WOW - Token Lounge Westland - Friday July 5th 2013
Keep you schedule cleared for Bow Wow Wow who are set to play a show at Token Lounge in Westland on Friday June 5th 2013
Token Lounge
28949 Joy Rd
Westland, MI 48185
Make-Overs - Donovan's Pub - Thurs 5/23
Here's one for you...next week do not miss show with Jeecy and the Jungle, FUR, EFB and The Rose Cult - Smalls Hamtramck 5/31
5/22/13
This Weekend I Have A 3 Day Appointment with Movement
It’s getting close to Movement time and I’m getting super excited just thinking about it. In a couple more days Detroit will be inundated (not that we aren't already) with electronic music fans, artists, DJ, dancers etc. I’ll be there for some of all 3 days taking photos, talking to artists and hanging out. You might even catch me moving around a little doing something that might be called dancing (that’s a stretch when you consider it’s me.) Movement will have 5 stages this year, each with their own flavor and atmosphere. I’ll be sampling a little bit of each stage. Here’s a short list of the artists I’m making sure I catch:
2pm Underground – Nina Kravitz
3:30pm Red Bull – Shigeto
6:30pm Electric Forest – SuperVision
8:30pm Red Bull – Dave Clarke
10:30pm Beatport Stage – Moby
2pm Electric Forest – K@dog
4pm Beatport – Soul Clap
5:30 Red Bull – Adult.
9PM Electric Forest – The M Machine
10:45 Red Bull – Squarepusher
3pm Electric Forest -- Deastro
4:30pm Red Bull – TOKiMONSTA
7pm Electric Forest – Break Science
KOBRA AND THE LOTUS REVIEW.

I was blown away by Kobra and the Lotus. They lived up to the standard set by their cd. This is a band to watch.
I got a copy of their cd a couple of weeks before the show. Inspired from the heyday of NWOBHM, I was taken back to when I first got into metal. So, the cd set a high standard that seemed hard to live up too. Kobra and the Lotus took it to another level. Kobra Paige's voice is more than strong enough to hit the high notes and sustain the low growls. The band has the chops to play.
Kobra Paige's first concert, Judas Priest, is what inspired her to pursue her path into music and metal. Taking her cues from the heyday of metal and adding her mark, you will be taken on a heavy metal journey. Songs of fighting inner demons will be your guide. The band has the same inspiration which results in a tight knit heavy metal for a new generation.
Enjoy the photos:
COMING IN AUGUST: Rootwire Festival in Ohio
Rootwire returns to Kaeppner’s Woods in Logan, Ohio August 15-18 peeking its head into the nexus of nature and culture once again. The heart and soul of Papadosio’s artistic expression, Rootwire is a multi-day event that envelops those in attendance in a cascading flow of artistic expression from live music to painting, installation to performance art, presentations, workshops, ceremony and more. Well known for their relentless touring schedule, mindful melodies and transcendent tracks, Papadosio has become one of the major acts today seeking to reshape and transform the music festival landscape.
The musical lineup is hand selected personally by Papadosio, and features jaw dropping sounds from local, regional, national and international acts. Visually Rootwire offers the largest festival based visionary art gallery in the Eastern United States, hosting an international artist lineup whose works are of the most moving and stunning expressions committed to canvas. Rootwire has been designed with you and your personal experience and growth in mind.
Tickets for the Fourth Annual Rootwire Music Festival include all 4 days and nights of camping, parking, and all entertainment are available now at http://www.inticketing.com/events/rootwire2013
For complete Rootwire ticketing options and information on presale general admission please visit www.RootwireFestival.com or http://www.facebook.com/rootwirefestival
5/21/13
Detroit's Movement (Festival Preview)
By Sara Giampa
Rock on The Range Day One Review
IT'S THE BREEDERS.

FUN was the feeling of the night. It had infected everyone. The crowd was giddy with anticipation.
The band had fun too. Smiling the whole night. Bouncing around and dancing, smiling the whole night.
The crowd was mixed. There were people that were fans from before to kids waiting to see them from the first time. I even seen a family with their kids. It was a long night for the little ones, they went to sleep. Very cute.
I was a radio fan of the Breeders, but after this show, I'm more than a radio fan. I will be getting some of their music. I had a fun evening with The Breeders. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a semi regular tour. I know I and the crowd would be happy to see the Breeders every so often.
Enjoy the photos.




































