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2 january 2013 / ecurrent.com

ecurrent.com / january 2013 3

fyi 6Ann Arbor’s Moth StorySLAM

green corner 6Climate Science as Culture Change

Find Your Folk 10Current talks to The Head and The Heart, Frontier Ruckus and Trampled By Turtles before the AAFF

by Scott Recker and Julian Garcia

food: in review 19Zingerman’s Roadhouse

by Joe Saul and Lisa Leutheuser

contents january 2013vol. 24 / no.1

24 perspective: blues The blues are alright by Jerry Mack

22 perspective: rockJim Cherewick: Keep getting weirder by Jeff Milo

31 theater: The Meaning of Almost Everthing Jeff Daniels’ unveils his new humorous existential play at the Purple Rose by Sandor Slomovits

33 artbeatThe Kelsey Museum, Conserving Antiquity and Emilia Javanicaby Louis Meldman

35 everything else

38 crossword

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rgus

Rev. Robert Jones comes to the Ark

Macaroni like only Zingerman’s can do it, mmm!

Online exclusive at www.ecurrent.com current reads: Nobel Prize Winner

Toni Morrison does it again


green corner

fyiCollette Jacobs [email protected] Publisher / Editor in Chief

Mark Jacobs [email protected] Co-publisher / Chief Financial Officer

EDITORIAL Scott Recker [email protected] Arts & Entertainment Coordinator

Alia Orra [email protected] Assignment Editor

Matt Desmond [email protected] Staff Writer

Julian Garcia [email protected] Calendar Editor

ADVERTISING Aubrey Hornsby [email protected] Sales Manager

Kelly Schwarck [email protected] Sales Representative

Shannon Reiter [email protected] Sales Coordinator

Emily Gibb [email protected] Classified and Display Advertising

ART & PRODUCTION Kristi Polus [email protected] Senior Designer

Megan Anderson [email protected] Graphic Designer

Sarah Baird [email protected] Graphic Designer

Karin Cassavar [email protected] Graphic Designer

Brittney Koehl [email protected] Graphic Designer Jameson Staneluis [email protected] Graphic Designer

ADMINISTRATION Robin Armstrong [email protected] Accounting

Jan Thomas [email protected] Publisher’s Assistant

Michelle Flanagan [email protected] Distribution

INTERNS Marisa Rubin [email protected]

© 2013 by Adams Street Publishing Co., All rights reserved. 3003 Washtenaw Ave., Suite 3, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Phone (734) 668-4044, Fax (734) 668-0555. First class subscriptions $28 a year. Distributed throughout Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and neighboring communities.

Printed on recycled paper

Also publishers of:

Ann Arbor’s Moth StorySLAM

A survey some years back that found the number one fear of most people—surpassing even the fear of death—was that of public speaking. Clearly not getting that memo are the many volunteering to tell their stories in front of large audiences as a part of Ann Arbor’s Moth StorySLAM.

Modeled after the very popular NPR radio show, The Moth Story Hour, Ann Arbor’s version takes place on the third Tuesday of every month at the Circus Bar. The format is simple; every Moth night ten storytellers are chosen, at random, from those who sign up, to tell a five minute TRUE story. Three teams of judges, volunteers selected from that night’s audience, adjudicate, and the teller with the top score goes on to compete with the year's other winners in the next GrandSLAM Championship.

Contestants are required to tell stories related to the theme of the month, which is posted on the Moth’s website earlier. Well known actor, singer and comedienne, Satori Shakoor hosts, and the Circus Bar is always jammed with lines forming outside well before the doors open at 6pm for the 7:30pm show. With admission at $5 there are few better entertainment deals in town. Circus Bar, 210 S. 1st St. www.themoth.org/events. —SS

Eco-cultureAlthough scientists

around the world agree concerning the dangers of climate change, the debate remains amongst

the general public. Society has yet to fully embrace the recommended preventative steps despite the increasing amount of data and tangible examples, like

the recent hurricane, Sandy. On Tuesday, January 15 Andrew J. Hoffman, Director of the UM Erb Institute, will discuss “Climate Science as Culture Change.” Hoffman explores why the science world should explain the hard numbers demonstrating the severe effects of climate change and integrate different social values to avoid feeding skepticism and resistance. 7:30-9:30pm. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. 734-647-7600. www.lsa.umich.edu/mbg—JG


In early December, a veritable bombshell was dropped upon the Ann Arbor community with the news that Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger, nationally recognized and locally be-loved burger joint, will soon be forced to shut the doors of its iconic 550 S. Division Street location due to a property deal between the The University of Michigan and Patricia Shafer, the property owner and widow of Blimpy’s founder Jim Shafer, who opened the restaurant in 1953.

Sadly, negotiations have occurred outside the sphere of current owner Rich Magner, himself a Blimpy’s affiliate since 1969, who had no plans to close up shop and is currently ex-ploring the possibility of relocating elsewhere in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor is the kind of place which engenders uniquely strong ties of loyalty to locally owned private businesses, Blimpy Burger being particularly emblematic of this. The university, its academics and athletics, is obviously the domi-nant local institution, and the unique cultural climate it fosters provides the foundation upon which Ann Arbor thrives. But to what degree does the university itself owe a debt to the ‘lesser’ institutions — that patchwork of shops, restaurants, cafes, and nightspots — with which it has a symbiotic civic relationship? Does our attachment to such local cultural staples transcend simple nostalgia, and do we have a right ask them to be preserved as such for current and future generations of students and other Ann Arbor residents?

Moving on U of M expands, Blimpy Burger forced to relocateby Steve Gertz

The longstanding, generations-deep cult of “Blimpy addicts” would not exist without the storied quality of the restaurant’s burgers & deep-fried veggies, but those culinary traditions only account for part of the Blimpy’s mystique. With its cast-iron seating fixtures, checkerboard floor-tiling, pale-green formica surfaces, and “assembly line”-style open grill, the restaurant’s interior is an ef-fortless throwback to the greasy-spoon burger joints and soda fountains of the Technicolor era. It is an atmosphere achieved not by any pretense toward retroist design chic, but simply because the place has never changed.

It is precisely the potential for such a change that has upset loyalists and, however noble and practical Magner’s plans to reopen, it has become immediately clear that the Blimpy’s people know and love will not die a quiet death. Indeed, news of its closing has sparked a mount-ing local controversy. Perhaps most notably, Ann Arbor resident Daniel Lord, 45, has appealed to the masses with a Facebook-based “Save Blimpy Burger” preservation campaign, which, as of press time, has amassed nearly two-thousand supporters.

More buzz for your buck n U of M student’s get a new twist on an old favorite with Neo-Papalis, which recently opened at 500 E. Williams St., next door to the original Cottage Inn. Unlike the the Chicago deep-dish style made at the original PizzaPapalis,

Neo-Papalis will sling thin crust pies that are baked in stone-hearth ovens.

n A marijuana growth facility has been pro-posed to the city’s planning commission. Daryl Mynes, co-owner of People’s Choice Alterna-tive Medicine, applied to open at 834 Rail-road St. If approved, it would be the second in town; Green Vitality Remedies is already open at 576 S. Mansfield, which was approved in July.

n The Scio Township Planning Commission voted to recommend a conditional use permit request for the home improvement chain Menards on the corner of Jackson and Staebler Roads. If a site plan passes, the Menards may open in 2013 or 2014.


It doesn't matter if you've broken

New Year’s resolutions in the

past. Everyone has. But, a better

“you” doesn't necessarily involve

running four miles a day or

sporting six-pack abs; it starts

with gradual changes that make

you look and feel better. The

businesses in this guide will make

you happy, fit and ready to take on

anything, this year.

feature

People’s Food Co-op216 N. 4th Ave.734-994-9174 www.peoplesfood.coop

Knowing exactly where your food comes from is kind of tricky these days. The search for that information can be costly and tiring. But, the People's Food Co-op — a community-owned natural food grocery — makes it convenient and affordable, gathering organically grown, fairly traded and locally sourced products from around the state, so you can live a healthier lifestyle. You can shop there at any time without a membership; but you can become a member — and receive discounts for only $60.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Health


featureSPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Affordable Vet Services 611 S. Ashley St.734-926-0114 www.affordablevetservices.com Your pets aren't accessories — they're part of your family, and a big part of your life. Affordable Vet Services has the staff, the knowledge and — most importantly — the heart to help you keep them healthy. And happy. They know that money's not the issue when it comes to your pet, but it's comforting to know that they're committed to the highest quality of veterinary care at a price that won't break your bank.

Veg Michigan 1-877-778-3464www.vegmichigan.org

As heart disease and environmental pollution rise, Veg Michigan— the state's largest vegetarian organization — strives to expand the green lifestyle. Through a series of fun and informative events — from vegan potlucks to whole food education— Veg Michigan helps lead thousands of people down the path to happier and healthier habits. Check their website for events and get involved.


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Jazzy Veggie 108 S. Main St.734-222-0203www.jazzyveggie.com

Who said you can’t have vegan comfort food? From pizza with smoked apple sage veggie sausage to fajita burritos, Jazzy Veggie satisfies big appetites with plant-based cuisine. If you’re trying to eat healthier, but aren’t ready to give up those savory staples, this is your place: you can grab your “chicken” nuggets and fries here, and not feel guilty afterward.

Blue Nile 221 East Washington St.734-998-4746www.bluenilemi.com

A good meal nurtures the soul — and it doesn't have to be bad for you. The Blue Nile is an Ann Arbor institution for a reason. They know how to make your dinner an experience — from the hot towels to the amazing soft bread to the feast they put in front of you. And authentic Ethiopian dining is amazingly wholesome and healthy, with plenty of vegetarian options.

feature


A PREVIEW OF THE

36th Ann Arbor

Folk Festival

Find

your

Folk

: by Scott Recker and Julian Garcia

folk festival


Things are a little different this year. Instead of the usual format of the past few years — breaking down the two-day Ann Arbor Folk Festival's lineup into a progressive and classic night — both evenings will be a balancing act of vintage, contemporary, country, indie and Americana styles of folk.

"We really look at the festival as a whole and try to build variety throughout both nights," says Marketing Director Barb Chaffer Authier. "As time goes on, you will probably see more of a mix, as many of the older, more traditional artists are no longer with us. But more artists can resonate on either night." And this is a line-up we, here at Current, are excited about: on Friday, January 25 we get to see RodRiquez and TRampled by TuRTles back-to-back and on Saturday, January 26, to close everything out, The head and The heaRT follows lucinda Williams. Every aspect we like about folk bleeds together into a stellar line-up that will keep you on the edge of your seat. And it doesn't get much better than that.

Cont. on pg 12

The Head and the Heart continue their whirlwind rise by headlining AAFF Saturday night

folk festival


The Head and

folk festival

You guys blew up fast! Is there a formula to your quick rise to success?

I think it would be ridiculous not to note some luck in timing, in terms of folk music. Folk was always there, and had it’s moments, but I think now its got this mainstream resurgence. So a lot of the success we’ve had is wanting to play that kind of music and realizing there’s this whole movement going on around it at the same time.

Also, it’s not being afraid to put in a lot of hard work before you see anything pay off. When we were just writing songs — I dont even know if we were even playing shows at that point — we weren’t just gonna practice like a day or two a week—it was going to be three or four hours a day five days a week, treating it as if it were a full time job.

So you sense a shift in mainstream music towards the indie-folk/rock sound?

Yeah, I don’t think we would have been played on the radio nearly as much if Mumford (Mumford and Sons) hadn’t cracked that code somehow. Right around the time we were releasing our album they got played on the radio and we were like “Damn it, they beat us to it!” But its ultimately been really helpful for us and for bands like The Luminiers—they just got some Grammy shit going on! Which is rad. You’ve been touring nonstop since forming, do you notice anything different about Midwest audiences compared to your home crowd in the Pacific Northwest?

The big thing I notice is when we play places like New York or Los Angeles or Nashville, people

the heartSinger/guitarist Josiah Johnson chats about the Mumfordization of pop, opening for Obama and a new album by Julian Garcia

Time is accelerated for Seattle indie folk-pop darlings The Head and The Heart. They formed in the summer of 2009, signed with Sub Pop Records in November 2010, dropped an album in April 2011 and less than a week later they were playing network television on Conan. And a little less than four years after coming together, they snag the coveted Saturday night headlining gig at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. For most artists that success can take decades, or a lifetime (Rodriguez’s resurgence is only because a documentary revealed he wasn’t dead!).

The Head and the Heart consists of founders Josiah Johnson (vocals, guitar, percussion) and Jonathan Russell (vocals, guitar, percussion), with Chris Zasche (bass), Kenny Hensley (piano), and Tyler Williams (drums) with the lovely Charity Rose Thielen (violin, vocals) adding some feminine flair. They came together playing the open mic scene in Seattle, and after opening for some of the biggest acts like Dave Matthews, The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket and Death Cab For Cutie amongst others, the band continues their meteoric rise by headlining shows across the country. Current caught up with Josiah Johnson to talk about the band’s remarkable trajectory and to reveal what’s in store for January’s Folk Fest.


are so jaded because they can go see an awesome show seven days a week. So one show isn’t as big of a deal. I get the sense in the Midwest that no matter how many times a band tours through they are a little more stoked for it because they sometimes get passed over. The energy in the Midwest—there’s definitely something there you don’t get from some really huge markets on the coasts. The band did a lot of work to “get out the vote” and for Obama during the Presidential election. Was that something you were approached to do, or was the group compelled to?

We’ve been moving so fast, we know we’re doing well, but I don’t think we ever thought we could make a difference—we just didn’t think we were that big of a band. But we were first approached to play a fundraiser for Barak Obama around Seattle in February and that was incredible. We were like “We just opened for the president! That’s ridiculous! That’s such an honor.”

So we left it open in terms of anything that we could do, and they started asking us to do more, especially in battle ground states. We visited offices in Colorado, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

We definitely felt that since we’re on the road and we can’t be calling people, we could do something to get the volunteers psyched and energized about what they were doing. Let them know they are appreciated—that’s something we were excited to do.Recently you contributed to a holiday album with acts like The Shins, fun. and Paul McCartney for Starbucks. Is that a hipster ironic thing to like, or do people genuinely love Christmas songs?

I think people genuinely love holiday songs. When we recorded this song we didn’t want to record it a standard way. We wanted to record something that sounds like what we do, but you can’t entirely take it away from the feeling of what a Christmas song is like.

I think that people get into the holidays and get sentimental and those songs genuinely set the mood. Obviously, they can just as easily listen to old classics, but they choose to listen to these new bands take on it. So there’s a little bit of hipsterism in it for sure, but people genuinely get into the mood of Christmas.So when will fans get to hear some new tunes? Are you guys working on an album?

Yes! The last month and a half we’ve hunkered down in our practice space and we’ve taken songs we’ve written the last couple of years, arranged them and we’re writing some new ones. I think we’re like halfway to two thirds there. We’re gonna do some recording in January, write some more and finish up in early spring. I’m not sure when it’ll be out.

The goal is to play several of them (new songs) when we’re in Ann Arbor and that’ll be nice for us to hear the songs outside of our basement practice space.

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Williams Lucinda

ith country in her heart and blues in her fingers, Americana's scrappy sweetheart showed the world

that you don't have to be a boy to be a grizzled badass. Her self-assured delivery balanced by a tender poeticism, drove her to simultaneously be an outsider and one of the world's most respected songwriters. That probably has a bit to do with her being three and a half steps ahead of her time: country music, for the most part, has rewarded sugary female artists and, God knows, Lucinda punches as hard as any man out there.

W

Colin Hay

ou have to be a special sort of musician — and person, for that matter — to MC a folk festival. You have to be

articulate, funny, charismatic, witty, a little odd, and very talented. The Ark has a way of sniffing out viable candidates; and Colin Hay fits the description. As the lead vocalist for Men at Work, the Scottish-Australian songwriter and actor has made his mark on popular culture since the 80s, dropping albums with the group, being a member of Ringo Starr's All Star Band, and —where younger fans may have been introduced to him — as a sporadic cameo character on the TV show Scrubs. However you know him — or even if you don't — look forward to his short bursts after each act during tear down/set up time.

y

mORE FOlK TO FREaK OUT aBOUT...


MORE ON PG 17

folk festival

Cont. on pg 15


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In a few days [at the time of the interview; the concert took place last month in Cincinnati] you guys are playing with the Queen of Rockabilly, Wanda Jackson; that's pretty exciting stuff. Do you remember the first time you listened to her music?

I remember I had a YouTube hour with Wanda Jackson when I was a freshman in college. That wasn't the first time I heard Wanda, but it was the first time I delved into her, listening to song after song. I remember she had the song "Fujiyama Mama," which was a hit in Japan, that I was showing my friends for a while. Johnny Corndawg is also on the bill, which makes it a wildly eclectic line-up. How was that set up?

We had a show planned for that night in Cincinnati. I think we were going to be headlining. But, we were asked, and I think Wanda Jackson was looking for a place to play, and we would much rather open for Wanda Jacskon than play a headlining gig.Between the artwork and the single from the forthcoming album, Eternity of Dimming, it seems to be a reflection on the memories from childhood and how things were different then.

That is very accurate. The lyrics of the record were written by Matthew; he would definitely agree with you that it is about the difference between childhood and what is currently going on. For the artwork, all of the band members were in Matthew's backyard and he had set up all these things: the soccer balls, the party hats, the cake. And, yeah, he wanted it be a surreal childhood pizza party and, of course,

Trumpet, musical saw and melodica player Zach Nichols talks about the new album, complements from Ryan Adams and the Legend of Zelda by Scott Recker

It may be a weird time to have an album release party, but, on the first day of the festival —Friday, January 25 — Frontier Ruckus celebrates dropping their fourth full-length album, The Eternity of Dimming, there will be quite a few familiar faces around. The band formed in the early 2000s at Brother Rice High School in Detroit, where Matthew Millia and David Jones went to school. Since then, they have trucked through all the rites of passage: playing at Bonnaroo, being hailed by Rolling Stone, touring Europe, and now they bring it all back home, but first they catch up with Current.

we all brought our cameras and took pictures of it while the sun was setting. That's how we got the artwork. The last time the band put out an album, Ryan Adams tweeted that he "was loving the new Frontier Ruckus." After putting so much time and energy into something, what's it like to receive that sort of endorsement?

It felt really great. It was kind of a shock when he tweeted about us, because he was hanging out in Kalamazoo a few years before that and a friend of ours — who we didn't really know that well at the time, but now we do — recommended to him, since he had the night off, why not go see Frontier Ruckus; we were playing in the same town. So he came to the show, I think this was four years ago, and he said very nice things. After that — no communication for a few years; then he tweeted [about us]. It always feels nice when someone keeps track of you. I saw a YouTube video of you and Dave playing a variety of songs from the Legend of Zelda video game series. What's the best Zelda game?

Dave and I, we have had the argument about this. I kind of think Ocarina of Time is the best. I fell in love with the older Zeldas first, of course. But Ocarina of Time was so good.Speaking of Ocarina, one of the songs you guys played was the Lon Lon Ranch Theme song; someone commented on the video that Dave looks like Talon from Lon Lon Ranch.

He does. He definitely does. If he was wearing some overalls it would be even better. Next time.

Michigan’s own Frontier Ruckus is more than just a blip on the national radar

folk festival


The new record, Stars and Satellites, was recorded in a log house outside of the band's homebase, Duluth, where you guys lived and recorded in the same space. How did that shape the record? It made it more relaxed. [Sometimes recording] kind of has a doctor’s office feel to it or you have to worry about getting your money’s worth, because you're paying by the hour, so you just try to get it done. So this felt really good.You came into the band a little later than other members. How did you know the band was the right fit for you and that you were the right fit for the band?

I was looking to be in a traveling band. I liked their music and they seemed to like the way that I played. You guys recently did a cover of Bruce Sprinsteen's "Open All Night" on a tribute album honoring the 30th anniversary of Nebraska. What is it about that album that is inspirational to you?

Everybody just kind of liked the raw emotion of that record. It's not overproduced like some music can be; there's no studio trickery or anything.

You, Dave and Tim also have an electric side-project called Dead Man Winter. How did that start?

It's just an excuse for us to play electric instruments. Dave writes the music for that as well. And some of the stuff he writes wouldn't necessarily fit with Trampled By Turtles, so it's another outlet, I think, as a songwriter. I just watched the music video for the song "Walt Whitman," which was done by the creators of the show Squidbillies. It kind of threw you guys into the cartoon’s world — an animated version of the band, plays the song for the characters. I take it you guys are fans of the show?

I actually have never seen it. But, it kind of worked out. We did one of their theme songs; they have a different band do the theme song for each episode. We ended up doing one of those and that's how we got to know them. And then it came time for us to do a video and we weren't necessarily too interested in starring in a video; most of the guys in the band aren't into that, too much. We called up the Squidbillies guys, because we had already done that theme song with them, and they were into it. So, they made the video for us and it turned out pretty cool. I was pretty excited to be animated.

Fiddle Player Ryan Young chats with us about recording in a log cabin, The Boss and being animated by the creators of Squidbillies by Scott Recker

Trampled By

TurTles Not to lean on a movie cliche, but sometimes a prosperous door opens right after another is slammed in your face. Take, for example, Dave Simonett, a founding member of Trampled By Turtles who, a little over a decade ago, was playing a final gig in Duluth with an electric band he was in at the time, when someone, who offered to help carry his equipment, just walked off with his guitar into the night. What can you do? Dave dusted off his acoustic and started what has come to be recognized as one of the most important blue-collar Americana bands on the scene. Ten years and six albums later, Current caught up with the band’s fiddle player, Ryan Young, who joined the band almost five years ago and has been an integral part of the its evolution.

Trampled by Turtles step out of their home in Duluth and get animated

folk festival


MORE FOLK TO FREAK OUT ABOUT...

ROdRigUEz

RAEDelta

ne of the most interesting bands on the ticket, they have unbelievable four-part harmonies; the way they feed off

each other is uncanny, which brings up that three of them are siblings. Ian, Eric and Brittany Holljes — three of the band's six members — grew up together, bouncing from North Carolina to Nashville to San Francisco. Switching singing duties and building songs, they produce a wave of vocals, backed by rhythmic, pounding and deliberately overwhelming percussion, rolling guitars and sporadic keys. The only qualm is that sometimes the big vocals get a little church choir-ish; maybe, at times, they're just trying too hard to be earnest. But with a lot of hope, and a little skepticism, this is an act not to miss. —SR

O

t's safe to say this guy has traveled a Woody Guthrie-like bumpy road faster than anyone in the last half century.

If you haven't heard the story yet, in a nutshell, it goes something like this: he was signed in the early 1970s; released two albums; was dropped by his label; became wildly popular and inspirational in South Africa; had an album go platinum in Africa; all his overseas fans thought he committed suicide; he didn't know about any of the last three things mentioned and was found living in Detroit in the late 1990s. If you want the story in more detail, check out the 2012 documentary Searching for Sugar Man, which premiered at Sundance. But, in the meantime, just appreciate his hard-hitting social poetry that was amazingly — and rightfully — revived.

I

FRidAy, JAnUARy 25

City And Colour Rodriguez

Trampled By Turtles Delta Rae

Carl Broemel Frontier Ruckus

Brown Bird Colin Hay, MC

SATURdAy, JAnUARy 26The Head And The Heart

Lucinda Williams Dar Williams

Frank Fairfield The Steel Wheels

Brother Joscephus and The Love Revolution

Drew Nelson Colin Hay, MC

The festival starts at 6:30pm both evenings. Tickets are $35 and $47.50 for a single night;

$60 and $85 for series tickets. Order at 734-763-8587. For more info, visit

www.theark.org.

The 36th Annual Ann Arbor Folk

Festival

Cont. from pg 13


folk festival


in reviewZingerman’s RoadhouseBarbecue, burgers, and rutabagas as big as your headBy Lisa Leutheuser & Joe Saul

Outside, the Roadhouse’s smoker floods the parking lot with savory scents as a good barbecue should; inside, the countertops are decorated with vegetables grown on Chef Alex Young’s farm, which are featured prominently on the menu, along with burgers made of the farm’s own beef. “I feel like we’re really settling into our identity,” the chef says in a brief moment spared during preparation for an off-site dinner, “but that doesn’t mean we’ll be standing still.”

2013 will mark the Roadhouse’s 10th anniversary. Along that journey, Chef Alex and the Roadhouse have garnered recognition ranging from the coveted James Beard award to being designated as one of Bon Appetit’s “Top 10 New Barbecue Restaurants.” As Young’s Cornman Farms project has expanded, the Roadhouse has gone from buying all the ingredients, to growing a number of featured vegetables and using their own meat for many dishes. Five years ago, the Roadhouse started offering beef from their own Cornman Farms business as an option; they cut entirely over to it two years ago. “I’m still working about 60 hours a week at the Roadhouse, but now I’m doing about 20 at the farm,” says Young.

In this review, we’ve focused mainly on dishes that are usually on the menu, as opposed to seasonal ones which rotate off, but always look at the specials or you’ll miss some fabulous options. Big note: the staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and will bring you tastes of almost anything — so don’t hesitate to ask questions about the menu.

AppetizersSea Islands Sweet Potato Fries: Hefty thick-

cut fries with tender sweet centers and a sprinkle of sea salt, we think these are the best in the area. The spicy mayo pairs well and adds a kick. If you’re a sweet potato lover, you can substitute these for french fries on items like the burger.

Real Chesapeake Bay Crab Cakes: Made with a generous amount of blue crab, they’re small, but flavorful. The crab tasted fresh, and the seasoning is spot on with finely diced bell peppers and spices. The cakes are loosely packed, moist, and pan-fried to a lightly, crunchy golden sear.

SoupsAncho Beef Chuck Chili: Especially nice during the

cold months, this chili features cubes of Cornman Farms’ beef and black beans in a medium spicy ancho chili broth. A bowl or cup paired with Zingerman’s mini garden salad makes a nice lighter meal option. This can tend toward the salty side.

Rutabaga and Bacon Soup: WOW. If it’s on the menu, definitely give this a try. Many people don’t care for rutabaga’s flavor by itself, but in this case the smokey bacon tames and even dominates over the roasted, puréed rutabaga’s split personality between sweet earthiness and a hint of bitterness. We’re smitten! (It’s root vegetable season, and the rutabagas are grown at Cornman Farms.)

Side DishesSouth Carolina Corn Grits: If all you’ve had are

instant grits, you’re in for a treat. Zingerman’s uses organic stone ground grits with big mellow corn flavor. Normally served with Cabot cheddar, but great without the cheese, too. Staff tell a story about an older Southern customer who called her server over to express her surprise that the grits were made from corn; she’d been eating grits all her life, but found the flavor of these a revelation.

Carolina Gold Rice: Grits aren’t the only thing from the Carolinas at the Roadhouse. This unique variety of rice, considered the grandfather of long-grain rice in America, delights the tongue with its creamy sweet flavor.

Main DishesButtermilk Fried Chicken: Large, juicy pieces

of chicken, with a crust that’s perfectly crunchy and beautifully seasoned with black pepper. Even the breast piece was tender and moist. Comes with mustard coleslaw and mashed potatoes with (tasty!) chicken gravy.

Chef Alex’s Bearded BBQ Plate: Named in reference to the James Beard award (Alex is clean-shaven), this is a great plate for those who can’t settle on just one type of BBQ. You get a sampling of tender pit-smoked ribs, BBQ beef with Alex’s “red rage” tomato BBQ sauce, pulled pork with a South Carolina mustard BBQ sauce, and

Zingerman’s Roadhouse2501 Jackson AveAnn Arbor, MI 48103734.663.3663http://www.zingermansroadhouse.comMon-Thursday 7am-10pmFriday 7am-11pmSaturday 9am-11pmSunday 9am-9pm

Sweet potato fries and macaroni with smoked chicken get things heated up

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black kite 1/8

pit-smoked chicken with green tomato BBQ. Comes with a side of chunky mashed potatoes and braised collards cooked with bacon. We’re particularly fond of the pulled pork.

Macaroni, Smoked Chicken, and Monterey Jack: Representative of the Roadhouse’s line of Mac & Cheese entrees, this is a robust, hearty meal with nice amount of heat from New Mexico green chilies. The Italian-made Martelli macaroni has a great chewy texture that grabs and holds on to whatever sauce it’s in.

Grilled Mullet: A great example of the Roadhouse’s all-too-often overlooked fish specials. Grilling enhanced the mullet’s flavor, and the fish played well with the nutty and sweet flavors of the pine nut and apricot topping. Perfectly sauteed spinach and roasted veggies rounded out this great plate.

SandwichesCornman Farms’ Burger: This excellent burger

has dry-aged beef from Chef Alex’s farm, grilled over oak and served on a Bakehouse Onion roll. Ours came out a proper medium rare; seared and crunchy outside with a warm red-pink center. Zingerman’s house fries are skinny-cut and tend toward the soft side rather than the crunchy side.

Catfish Po’ Boy: They’ve switched from the too-crusty french baguette to a softer Italian baguette, which is a better texture for the filling and easier to eat. The catfish po’boy features a large catfish fillet fried up with a spiced creole cornmeal batter, garnished with heirloom tomato relish and mayo. Tastes as beautiful as it looks, and reasonable people can get a couple meals out of it.

Desserts In addition to offering a rotating variety of Zingerman’s

Bakehouse cakes and pies and Creamery gelatos, the

Roadhouse does some of its own desserts. (Dessert tip: If you’re looking for a smaller dessert, the kid’s menu features a brownie sundae that is half the size. )

Ari’s Donut Sundae: house-made donut, vanilla gelato, bourbon-caramel sauce, whipped cream, topped with a sprinkle Virginia peanuts and a bright red maraschino cherry. It’s impossible to not smile when this party on a plate arrives at the table. The gelato melts into the hot fresh-made donut, creating a heavenly blend of crispy donut and melting cream.

Butterscotch Puddin’: a staff and customer favorite. Creamy butterscotch with a sprinkle of sea salt that makes this dessert just sing on the tongue. Strong caramel notes give this pudding a depth of flavor that makes boxed pudding a poor, distant cousin.

As we were sitting at the counter on our last visit — we recommend this for food nerds, it’s like a front-row seat at a cooking show —Joe hefted a giant root vegetable displayed there, which was as big as a child’s head and asked if this was what the rutabaga and bacon soup was made out of. “Yep, they call that kind (of rutabaga) a Gilfeather turnip,” one of the chefs replied, leading to a discussion about the town in Vermont they were “invented” in and its annual turnip festival. Not only does the Roadhouse have great food, but it’s attracted a staff that’s passionate and knowledgeable about it. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

Lisa and Joe have been blogging about food in the Ann Arbor area (and points beyond) since 2004.

Check them out at www.kitchenchick.com.

Yes, that’s apricrot on the grilled mullet, and it’s amazing (so’s the chili!)

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cont. from page 19


Toddy timeA quick guide to the soothing winter drinkby Robyn Cleveland (Barman at The Ravens Club)

The New Year is upon us and perhaps you may be feeling the effects of holiday overindulgence. A wild night of cheap Champagne, sweet desert wine after Christmas dinner, enough eggnog to sedate an elephant, or that bottle of whiskey you got as a gift and plowed through in a weekend may be likely culprits. In light of this, I thought I’d share a few recipes for drinks that are more in the spirit of relaxation and recovery. The Toddy, sort of a generic term for a hot drink made with water, some form of sweetener, and of course booze, can come in many forms. Whether you’ve had a long afternoon shoveling snow, have a tickle in your throat, or just feel like getting cozy by the fire, any of the recipes here will be sure to wash the winter blues away — and not make you regret it the next day.

Classic Hot Toddy 1.5 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon (or similar) Honey to taste (start with one teaspoon) A lemon slice stuck with 4-6 cloves Juice from lemon wedge 6-8 oz. boiling water (add more if you like)

Add ingredients to mug and give a light stir; garnish with lemon slice and clove.

Scotch Toddy 1.5 oz. of quality blended scotch (I like Famous Grouse) Honey to taste 1 bag of strong flavored tea to stand up to the scotch (I prefer Earl Grey) Hot water

Add ingredients to a mug and stir lightly. Allow tea to steep and remove when ready.

Ramblin’ Rum Toddy 1.5 oz. Gold Rum (Appleton Estate or Mount Gay are nice) .25 oz. fresh lime juice 2 tsp. Demerara sugar 1 small slice fresh ginger Hot water Ground or grated allspice

Muddle ginger in mug then add remaining ingredients, stir lightly; top with a pinch of allspice, and garnish with lime wheel.

Think about creating your own versions during the long Michigan winter. Have fun!

Wednesdayongoing Italian Wine Tastings 6-7pm. $25. Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar, 3411 Washtenaw Ave. 734-971-0484. www.paesanosannarbor.com Indulge in a post-work wine tasting every Wednesday at Paesano Restaurant & Wine Bar. Five Italian wines will be on hand for sampling, with a mix of tasty appetizers.

sundayongoingThemed Brunch Buffet 10am-2pm. $19 adults, $9 kids 12 and under.The Quarter Bistro & Tavern,300 S. Maple Rd. 734-929-9200. www.thequarterbistro.com The Quarter Bistro’s chef, Ernest Prokos, has more than 45 years of experience in the

Ravens club1/4

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Chew on thisIn 2009, Kathy and Jim McDonald, owners of the (since closed) Bella Ciao Trattoria, visited San Diego and had a foodie epiphany. The city was hosting a restaurant week, giving people a chance to experience a multitude of menus without breaking the bank, with the intention of encouraging diners to patronize area restaurants. "They said, 'we have to do this!'" says Maura Thomson, executive director of Main Street Area Association. It was Thomson they approached with the idea of starting Ann Arbor Restaurant Week, now in its eighth installment. This year's event takes place from Sunday, January 20 to Friday, January 25, and offers an opportunity to try food at about 50 participating restaurants (from fancy to casual) for the lunch rate of $15 and dinner rate of $28. "It's a great opportunity to explore places you haven't been or places you haven't been in a while," Thomson says. Her three tips for surviving the frenzy are to make reservations, exercise patience, and tip a little more generously, since restaurant staffs put in extra effort to make the week special. One treat will be experiencing Isalita (on 341 E. Liberty), the new Mexican venture from the owners of Mani Osteria, which won't be officially open but will be offering a sneak peak during restaurant week. Located at various restaurants around A2; visit annarborrestaurantweek.com for a complete list. —AO

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kitchen and brings a unique approach to the stove. (“Cook with your heart, make food with your hands” is his mot-to.) His Sunday brunches are fun, themed four-hour culinary excursions — concepts range from Tex Mex to Morrocan.

6 sundayHome Espresso Workshop 1-3pm. $30. Zingerman’s Coffee Company, 3723 Plaza Dr. 734-929-6060. www.zingermanscoffee.com Learn the ins and outs of the home espresso machine. Start by learning the 4 Ms of making espresso, then enjoy a tasting, demonstration and a chance for hands-on learn-ing. The experience is very interactive, so only six slots are available per workshop — register early!

7 mondayAlong The Bourbon Trail 7:30pm. $35. The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St., 734-276-3215. www.tammystastings.com Learn the history of bourbon, one of America’s quintes-sential spirits. Though its smooth enough to enjoy on its own, instructor and cocktail aficionado Tammy Coxen will teach you how to create some incredible cocktails with it.

8 tuesdayConquer Your Cravings with Raw Foods 7-8:30pm. Free. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, 114 S. Main St. 734-994-4589. www.peoplesfood.coop Learn how to attain your ideal weight with a raw food diet from instructor Ellen Livingston.

10 thursday

Rush Hour Relief: Oregon Favorites5-8:30pm. $17. Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., 734-997-7507. www.wholefoodsmarket.comThe best time to do your gro-cery shopping may be when you have access to a delicious wine tasting. On this Thursday, take a break after work and enjoy an evening with an ex-pert who’ll discuss the Oregon

wines available for sampling. Cheese and appetizers will also be available.

12 saturday

Healthy Couples Cooking 6:30-10pm. $150/couple. Ann Arbor Cooks! 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030.annarborcooks.com Indulge in a date night that encourages you to eat healthy, too. Bring a bottle of wine to sip on while you learn how to prepare a guilt-free menu: cur-ried pumpkin bisque; arugula and apple salad with cranberry vinaigrette; maple balsamic glazed tempeh with shallot and chestnuts; and candied ginger pears.

Health Starts Here Passport Event Noon-3pm. Free. Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., 734-997-7500. www.wholefoodsmarket.com Enjoy an event that will help you keep those New Year’s resolutions. This passport event teaches healthy recipes and takes you through each department, tasting nourish-ing foods and learning simple dietary changes that can make a big impact on health. Those who visit every station and complete the passport will be entered to win a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card.

Second Saturday Coffee Company Tour 11am-noon. Free. Zingerman’s Coffee Company, 3723 Plaza Dr. 734-929-6060. www.zingermanscoffee.com These open-to-the-public tours allow coffee lovers to learn where their beans are grown and how they’re sourced and roasted. Then, test your palate with samples of the world’s best coffees brewed using different techniques.

13 sundayBrewing Methods Class 1-3pm. $10. Zingerman’s Coffee Company, 3723 Plaza Dr. 734-929-6060. www.zingermanscoffee.com Learn six different brewing methods for a single type of coffee, from pour-over to French press, and enjoy the unique flavors each technique brings out in your cup of joe.

15 wednesdayVegetarian Cooking 101:Big Game Vegan Favorites 7-8:15pm. $5. Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy. 734-997-7500. vegmichigan.org-Michigan’s largest vegetarian organization aims to educate you on cooking methods that will enhance your vegetarian and vegan know-how. Learn the benefits of a plant-based, meat and dairy-free diet and taste samples.

17 thursday30-Minute Dinners 10am-1pm. $75. Ann Arbor Cooks! 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030.annarborcooks.com Learn how to make dinner fast, without sacrificing taste. The menu of homemade 30-minute meals includes: spinach stuffed chicken breast with mac-n-cheese; sausage and potato casserole with mushrooms and green beans; and faux risi e bisi risotto with pan-roasted tilapia.

18 fridayMichigan Beer Tasting: Dark Horse Brewing Company 5-7pm. Prices vary. Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., 734-997-7507. www.wholefoodsmarket.com A rep from Dark Horse Brewing Company will be on hand to answer questions while you swig from their delicious brews.

19 saturdayBread Baking 101 2pm. $10. Whole Foods Market, 990 W. Eisenhower Pkwy., 734-997-7500. www.wholefoodsmarket.com Instructor Eric will teach the basics of baking bread. Space is limited; early registration recommended.

22 tuesday8th Annual African American Dinner 7pm. $45. Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave. 734-663-3663. www.zingermansroadhouse.com Author Toni Tipton-Martin has devoted 30 years to re-searching the true secrets of African-American cooking and

banishing stereotypes. Now, she and Zingerman’s Chef Alex have put together a menu of classic African-American foods to savor while Tipton-Martin shares the rich culinary history of the dishes at hand.

23 wednesdaySimple Treat Buttercream Cakes 5:30-8:30pm. $90. Sweet Heather Anne, 920 N. Main St. 734-913-2025.sweetheatheranne.com Boutique cake studio Sweet Heather Anne is hosting a 3-hour lesson and building and decorating your own butter-cream cake. You’ll learn how to use all four of Sweet Heather Anne’s signature buttercreams, and have a gorgeous, decorat-ed cake to take home (and the knowledge to recreate it!).

24 thursdayThe Liver — Herbs That Nourish and Support 7-8:30pm. Free. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, 114 S. Main St. 734-994-4589. www.peoplesfood.coop Instructor Linda Diane Feldt will give you a new appreciation for how the liver functions and why it’s so important to keep it healthy. Feldt will also dispel myths related to liver “cleans-ing” and teach you which herbs help support one of the body’s most important organs.

26 saturdayPaella Party 6:30-10pm. $75. Ann Arbor Cooks! 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030. annarborcooks.com Instructor Sonia Urbaniak will lead you through a culinary jour-ney to Spain, with a tutorial on tapas, mixed paella, and mari-nated fruit on traditional flao (a Spanish olive oil crust pie).

30 wednesdayCafe Japon Croissants with Miyoko Honma 6-10pm. $85. Ann Arbor Cooks! 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030. annarborcooks.com Miyoko Honma, owner of Cafe Japon, will let you in on the secret to her flaky, buttery pastries in this crash course on croissants. Sweet and savory croissant recipes are on the menu: plain, ham and brie, pain au chocolat, apricot, fruit, and almond.

That’s amoreTammy Coxen has a passion for classic cocktails, and shares her drink creation expertise during monthly classes at A2's The Last Word. "My pattern in life is to [discover] something I find fascinating, learn everything I can about it, and then teach it to other people," Coxen says. On Monday, January 28, she'll introduce Italian bittersweet herbal liqueurs, Amaros, to your repetoire during her Amaro Amore class. Campari, Averna and Fernet Branca will be a few of the spirits you'll use to learn some classy, not-too-sweet cocktail recipes. Amaro, which is the Italian word for "sour" or "bitter", is a welcome end to many meals in Italy and are "so complex and interesting," Coxen says. "They have a lot of layers of flavor, a lot of different botanicals. It's just a really interesting group of spirits [that offer] lots of cocktail opportunities." $35. 7:30pm. The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St. 734-276-3215. www.tammystastings.com. —AO

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music


For Jim, it just wasn’t weird enough out there. That’s partly why he’s been so busy this year, with music and illustration: writing, recording, sketching and screaming.

Jim Cherewick’s an obtuse staple in the Ypsi/Arbor music scene, (and the art scene, too, really). A genial, bearded, down-to-earth dude, Cherewick’s a singer/songwriter type who scribbles lyrical lo-fi pop-chestnuts over acoustic guitar. Others, though, might recognize him as the tall, rail-thin frontman wobbling valiantly and vio-lently atop live sets for the post-punk grooves of Ypsi rock quartet Congress.

Still others might have even used Cherewick’s art to dab away droplets of mustard from their mouths. In-deed, much of his intriguing pencil-sketched, hand-drawn caricatures (often glossing the pages of local zines and National Geographics) have been captured on napkins. He even had an entire art show, recently, exclusively featur-ing works from his napkin-portfolio.

Having just wrapped a month’s long run of his work (drawings and posters) exhibited inside Ypsi’s Café Ollie, Cherewick’s lookng forward to finishing up (and releasing) a proper solo-LP (tentatively Heavy Chalk),

He says all spring and summer he’s tried to embrace a “GBV mentality,” referencing iconic indie-singer/song-writer Robert Pollard’s beloved lo-fi pop group Guided By Voices’ proclivity towards prolific song-production. With drummer R. Michael Stinson backing him up, Cherewick tries out a straight pop song, but then a dark, dirgey campfire singalong, and then maybe “…reciting the alphabet backwards over a low drum beat …that's exciting!” Why not?

“More odd ideas” “Keep getting weirder,” is a phrase that bends my ear,

during our chat, bar-side by the window at the Ugly Mug. (He’s even drawing while answering questions). He thinks that if hang-ups or self-doubt or useless clinging to tradi-tional forms and methods could be dropped, then, easily “people could kick more odd ideas out there.”

And should. Cherewick’s got his demos up on his soundcloud, if you’re intrigued. Or, check out Congress’

bandcamp site to sample songs from their second EP, Maker. This writer, if prodded for a Best-Of list from 2012, would include its opening single, the wavy-wiry “Holy Roller,” featuring, atop the rollicking rhythms and surf-timbre guitars, the characteristic yowl of Mr. Cherewick.

To produce the surfeit of slightly strange, uncannily catchy folk-pop fare featured on Heavy Chalk – Chere-wick unconsciously took a “musical fasting” — sparse in-takes (if at all) of music while just drawing and writing in meditative solitude, blissfully unaware of the cutting edge indie-scene.

“And that shows you a lot,” says Cherewick. “Sitting with your brain free of musical influence, it’s cool to see what you can do.”

His Best of 2012Cherewick provided his own Best-Of-2012 list for me

(and this column’s readers): Citing locals like The High Strung, Isles of E.S.P., Fred Thomas and Protomartyr (the latter’s latest single is titled “Ypsilanti”). But also, some not-so-surprising citations like the latest Guided By Voices, mixed with healthy blends of hip-hop (Why? Serengeti).

Yes, he’s looking forward to finally releasing Chalk, but, more so, he’s looking towards sliding deeper into the arts scene.

“I just wanna get weird,” says Cherewick. “But then, also, make you cry sometimes; ya know, to show you that you have a heart and that you’re human. We all wake up and we all freak-out sometimes…”

So translate that freak-out, Cherewick says, beyond the typical heart-on-the-sleeve folk stuff. “You can do other things with it, make it dark or biblical or whatever but also beautiful. I’ve tried as hard as I can to make it completely abstract, yet make it make sense…”

Find Jim’s work online (via Soundcloud) or, more likely, on a random show-poster. Or you can find him at the coffee-shop. He’ll be the one sublimely doodling away…

perspective: rockJim Cherewick: Keep getting weirderby Jeff Milo Photo by: Alexandra Dietz

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2 wednesday

Rock, PoP & HiP-HoP Duke Newcomb - Blind PigA2’s own homegrown MC takes the mic for a stellar performance of hard beats and lyrics that make you think as you nod your head. 9:30pm. $5 / $8 under 21. Jazz, Blues & R&B Jake Reichbart - The Earle Restaurant Reichbart is an Ann Arbor jazz institution, delighting audiences for almost 20 years, every Wednesday. 7pm.

3 thursdayJazz, Blues & R&B Laith Al-Saadi Trio - The Mash A2 legend Al-Saadi holds it down every Thursday.

Rock, PoP & HiP-HoP Rick The Raconteur - Blind PigAnn Arbor recording artist Rick the Raconteur has worked his way through nearly half of his debut solo album, “I”ll Have Another” and decided that instead of waiting for his en-tire album to be done, that he would give a halfway preview of what to expect. 9:30 pm. $5 / $8 under 21. acoustic, Folk & etHnic Breathe Owl Breathe - The Ark Michigan’s Breathe Owl Breathe is a trio with roots in indie, classical, and tra-ditional music. They play original songs that combine vocals, guitar, percussion, and classical-style cello from Colombian-born, Ann Arbor-educated Andrea Moreno-Beals. 8pm. $12.50.

4 friday

countRy & BluegRass Hoodang - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea Room Sonically restless and critically lauded, this Ann Arbor-based alt-country outfit has been tap-ping into that gleaming vein of auditory gold that travels back into the early part of the last century. 8:30-10:30pm. Free. The RFD Boys - The Ark These guys have been delight-ing southeastern Michigan audiences since 1969 with their fabulous musicianship and sly, exquisitely timed between-song humor. 8pm. $10-$11. Jazz, Blues & R&B Chris Canas Blues Revolution - The Mash The front man, Chris Canas; self proclaimed soldier for the blues, has put together a who’s who of veteran musicians to help keep the blues alive in the hearts of all music lovers. The C2B Revolution has a well blended set of classic covers and funky smooth originals that keep the audience jumping and the party going.

5 saturdayDance & tecHno DJ Scooty D - Millennium Club Hit the dance floor every Sat-urday with DJ Scooty D. 9pm. No cover. Jazz, Blues & R&B Thornetta Davis - Guy Hollerin’s Detroit diva Thornetta Davis will be delighting the crowd with her sultry blues vocals. 8pm. $5 acoustic, Folk & etHnic Derek Daniel - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea RoomKnown for his vocal styling, his music falls into the progres-sive folk/rock/blues vein, but disdains categorization and refuses to be pigeon-holed. 8:30-10:30pm. Free.

The Yellow Room Gang - The Ark This octet of Michigan song-writers is made up of “One Shining Moment” composer David Barrett, Detroit native and Great American Song Con-test winner Jim Bizer, contem-porary country-folk road warrior Annie Capps, Irish-American chanteuse Kitty Donohoe, four-time Detroit Music Award winner Jan Krist, Michael Hough and David Tamulevich of the “Music to Cure What Ails You” duo Mustard’s Retreat, and southeastern Michigan folk veteran Matt Watroba. 8pm. $15. 6 sundayclassical & sPiRitual The Rev. Robert Jones - The ArkRobert B. Jones has more than twenty years of experience as a performer, musician, story-teller, radio producer/host and music educator. He has opened for and played with some of the finest musicians in the world. 7:30-11pm. $15. Robert Satterlee - Kerrytown Concert House Pianist Robert Satterlee has developed a reputation as an accomplished and versatile solo recitalist and chamber musician. He plays regularly throughout the United States, delighting audiences with his incisive and imaginative perfor-mances. 7pm. $5-$25. 7 mondayJazz, Blues & R&B The Paul Keller Orchestra - Downtown LibraryThe Performance Network Theatre joins with the Ann Arbor District Library for a night of Big Band music featuring The Paul Keller Orchestra, one of Michigan’s finest, oldest, most-respected and well- traveled jazz big bands. 7-8pm.

Hush, Love Woodruffs / Sat., January 5With a gentle indie-folk pop sound, that has just the right amount of bite, Ann Arbor's Hush, Love, fronted by the simultaneously sweet and jaded voice of Lisa Ritchie, bridges heartache and hope. As Ritchie sings lines like, "I've seen old hearts led astray, I've seen love fade away," the rest of the band punches up the tracks, layering instruments and giving the melancholy lyrics a warm feel. These guys hit that sacred middle ground between heart-worn singer-songwriter introspection and intricate, yet catchy pop. $5. 9pm. Woodruffs, 36 E. Cross, Ypsilanti. www.woodruffsbar.com —SR

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8 tuesdayRock, PoP & HiP-HoP Blind Pig Showcase Night - Blind PigThis show features bands Scind, Up and Rising, Brother Apollo and Orchid. 9:30pm. $3. The Wailers - The Ark Reggae music has never stopped evolving, but for mil-lions of people from around the world it’s still defined by the songs of Bob Marley and the Wailers. 8pm. $30. 9 wednesday

Acoustic, Folk & EtHnic Open Mic - The Ark Looking for your big break, want to perfect your live performance skills, or just want

to have fun? Fifteen perform-ers have eight minutes (or two songs) each to do their thing. 8pm. $2-$3.

10 thursdaycountRy & BluEgRAss Freakwater - The Ark Lyrically, Freakwater continues to write about heartache and sadness, yet also touch on subjects not often broached in traditional country music. 8pm. $12. 11 friday

Rock, PoP & HiP-HoP Nodody’s Business - The Mash Nobody’s Business is a swingin’ rockabilly/roots rock trio from Detroit.

Seth Glier - The ArkThis 22-year-old singer, pianist, and guitarist, who abandoned college after one year because he “decided I should be playing for people and not for grades,” aims straight for the gut and has quickly established himself on the national scene, perform-ing more than 200 shows a year. 8pm. $15.

Acoustic, Folk & EtHnic Old Friends - Silvio’s Organic Pizza Old Friends is a trio consisting of Gary Williamson, Shekinah E., and Griff Griffin playing harmonica, acoustic guitar, mandolin/accordion and sing-ing. 7-9:30pm.

Spencer Michaud - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea RoomLocal favorite Spencer Michaud is a narrative singer-songwriter that uses an elastic tenor voice to cover an incredible range of genres and emotions. He draws upon the ghosts of Mo-town, Tin-Pan Alley and the folk tradition to create a sound that is both theatrical and sincere. 8:30-10:30pm. Free. JAzz, BluEs & R&B Johnny Lawrence - Kerrytown Concert HouseThis a life long resident of Ypsilanti is one of Michigan’s most talented and respected guitarists. 8pm. $5-$30.

cont. on pg 27

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As one years ends and another begins, the blues keeps playing to the cycle of time with heartbeat rhythms, a head full of steam and the soulful sound that lets you know wher-ever it is being played, like Little Milton Campbell sang, “Hey, hey, the blues, it’s alright”.

Guy Hollerin’s Local Blues & Brews at the Holiday Inn near UM’s campus on Plymouth Road and US 23 has been providing a danceable rhythm & blues venue on Saturday nights for almost five years. The club will celebrate their fifth anniversary entertaining us in March. To get ready for the next phase they will be closing the restaurant and bar for renovations January 21st, re-opening on February 16. But in the meantime…

Thornetta Davis, one of the most popular blues sing-ers in the Detroit area returns on the 5th with a new CD in the works. She grew up singing in the church choir — the prerequisite for all great blues singers. Behind her a band of seasoned musicians will rock your troubles away with big time blues and soul from the Motor City.

Get set for some funky and swinging ‘jump blues from Motor City Josh & the Big Three on the 12th. From the first notes out of his Telecaster guitar you can tell Josh has big fun playing the blues and is a natural crowd pleaser. He plays the blues straight up — no chaser — and the Big Three keep the dancin’ groove tight.

Root Doctor checks in from the Lansing area ready to cure your ills with a shot of rhythm & blues on the 19th. Vo-calist and founding member, Freddie Cunningham is the doctor in charge with a prescription for writing grooveable originals and arranging an award winning blend of R&B, and soulful dance covers.

The LIVE Club on S. First St. at Huron keeps Fridays rockin’ with the weekly Happy Hour from 6 –9pm with host band Drivin’ Sideways playing country and rock favorites on the 11th and 25th. Fubar plays soul, rock, and country covers on the 4th. Experimental rock-n-groove band the Mr Largebeat Experience performs on the 18th.

The Mash, below the Blue Tractor BBQ on East Washington St. is the newest cool venue featuring roots dance music in their cozy wood-lined room. Chris Canas Blues Revolution with funky soul blues on the 4th and 26th; Jump blues and boogie from the The Bluescasters on the 5th and 25th; Rockabilly styles from Nobody’s Business on the 11th; The Flying Crowbars play roots blues on the 12th. Guitarist and singer Laith al-Saadil, leads the faithful every Thurs-day night. Check it out.

The Ark is not featuring any blues acts in its 36th Annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival at Hill Auditorium, but they are bringing the gospel –blues duo of Rev Robert Jones and Sis Bernice Jones on the 6th. Robert has worn many hats in the music business in the last 20 years including the role of radio producer/host and music educator. Along with wife Bernice they explore the many roads and stories that folk and gospel traditions present to us in life from down home blues to ringing spiritual duets.

Guitarist-singer Kelly Joe Phelps delivers blues and gospel inspired roots music on the 18th A major influence on his music are Delta guitarists, Skip James and Robert Pete Williams both of whom had deep spiritual leanings in their music and personal life. Following in those big shoes, Phelps shows his dedication utilizing a mastery of 6 and 12-string guitar techniques and a background in jazz and ex-perimental music. His new CD Brother Sinner and the Whale displays his soulful yet smooth voice interpreting gospel themes with the blues.

The 19th Annual Anti-Freeze Blues Featival weekend at the Magic Bag in Ferndale will feature headlin-ers Savoy Brown with Kim Simmonds on the 4th and the legendary soul rockin’ singer-songwriter Andre Williams on the 5th.

The Detroit Blues Society is always ready to present you with their history and listings of the best blues in the Detroit area. Check out their website at www.detroitbluessociety.org.

perspective: bluesThe blues are alright by Jerry Mack

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Clockwise from left: Motor City Josh, Thornetta Davis and Rev. Robert Jones and Sis Bernice Jones

music


12 saturdayClassiCal & spiritual Where the Music Comes From - Kerrytown Concert HouseCome hear some of Washt-enaw county’s professional singers and help rescue the community from hunger! 2pm. Donations accepted. roCk, pop & Hip-Hop The Shelter Dogs - The Mash The Shelter Dogs were cre-ated as a way to explore their shared love of Old-School Swing, Blues, Lounge and Rockabilly music. aCoustiC, Folk & EtHniC John Churchville - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea Room Local tabla player John Church-ville hosts an evening of Indian classical, light classical, fusion, and folk music. Come hear the sounds of a musical tradition that dates back over 2000 years. 8:30pm. Free.

Jill Jack Birthday Bash - The Ark You get all of Jill Jack in a performance—her blend of folk and rock traditions, her open humor, her fine band. 8pm. $20.

River Raisin Ragtime Revue: Ragtime Extrava-ganza! - Michigan TheaterThe River Raisin Ragtime Revue (R4), a 13-piece ragtime orchestra, presents a wonder-ful evening of vaudeville, bur-lesque and music hall. 8-11pm. $30 General Admission, $50 Priority Seating.

13 sundayClassiCal & spiritual The Girly Show: Michigan Women Sing Michigan Men - Kerrytown Concert HouseThe junior and senior girls of the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre Department come together for an hour of music with Michigan roots. The concert will feature music writ-ten by University of Michigan graduates like Andrew Lippa, Pasek and Paul, Gavin Creel, Nick Blaemire, etc. as well as current students in the musical theatre department, all who just happen to be men. All pro-ceeds will benefit SafeHouse Women’s Shelter of Ann Arbor. 2pm. $5-$25.

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Detroit Symphony Orchestra - Hill AuditoriumUMS and the Detroit Sympho-ny Orchestra have partnered together for years, bringing many moving performances to UMS audiences. This latest partnership seeks to celebrate the 100th birthday of Hill Auditorium with a concert that features the Frieze Memorial Organ. 4pm. $10-$75. Country & BluEgrass Robin and Linda Williams - The Ark This duo offers a unique homespun blend of bluegrass, folk, acoustic country, and old-time music that has stayed fresh and often profound for four decades now, as a dozen musical trends have come and gone. 7:30pm. $20.

14 mondayroCk, pop & Hip-Hop Marc Cohn - The ArkWhen Cleveland native Marc Cohn released a luminous piece of pure pop songcraft called “Walking in Memphis” in 1991, he earned a Best New Artist Grammy and a perma-nent place in American musical consciousness. Now he’s back with “Listening Booth: 1970”—not a nostalgia trip but a fresh look at some songs of that era. 8pm. $45.

An Exotic Night of Flute Fantasy from Sea to Sky with Sharon Sparrow - Kerrytown Concert HouseThis evening’s performance is by Sharon Sparrow, flutist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with pianists Mi-chele Cooker, Pauline Martin, and David Gilliland and cellist Una O’Riordan.The program includes a rarely heard perfor-mance of the classic George Crumb “Song of the Whales” complete with actual recorded whale song! 8pm. $5-$25.

16 wednesdayaCoustiC, Folk & EtHniC Gemini’s “When I’m 64 Concert” - The Ark Twin brothers San and Laz Slo-movits were born in Budapest in 1949 and left Hungary after the 1956 revolution. Come cel-ebrate their 64th birthday and the start of their 40th year of playing music! Though most of the time they play music for children and families, this will be a concert for adults. The brothers will play music and recall favorite memories from each of the four decades of their career. 8pm. $12.

music


cont. from pg 27

17 thursdayClassiCal & spiritualGabriel Kahane & yMusic - UM Arthur Miller TheatreWriting and performing music that moves effortlessly from dense modernism to spare ver-nacular song, pianist, compos-er, and singer Gabriel Kahane has established himself as a leading voice among a genera-tion of young indie composers redefining music for the 21st century. Plays again Jan. 18 at 8pm. 7:30pm. $35.

18 fridayroCk, pop & Hip-Hop Match by Match - Blind PigThis A2 duo combines intri-cately orchestrated music with epic harmonies to create a sound that sets the bar high for indie pop/rock. 9:30pm. $7/ $10 under 21. aCoustiC, Folk & EtHniCAguanko: Alberto Nacif’s Afro-Cuban Jazz Project - Kerrytown Concert HouseOriginator and host of the Cuban Fantasy program on WEMU-FM for 10 years, Alberto honed his percussion skills with conga/bongo master Armando Peraza (of Santana fame). 8pm. $5-$25.

Juggernaut Jug Band - Green Wood Coffee HouseJug band music is blues, ragtime, swing and jazz com-bined in a strange concoction spawned in Louisville, home of the Juggernaut Jug Band.To-day, as then, a jug band is the ultimate party band. 8-11pm. Billy Brandt - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea RoomBe prepared for a genial, con-vivial, and musically rewarding evening with songs you know, songs you might know, and songs you will discover and treasure (and pssst—it just might be his birthday, too!) 8:30-10:30pm. Free.

19 saturdayaCoustiC, Folk & EtHniC Shelley Miller - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea RoomChicago singer-songwriter Shelley Miller isn’t afraid to take chances. A writer’s writer, less interested in genre than honesty, she pens darkly soul-ful tunes with a rootsy vibe about life just outside the lines. 8:30-10:30pm. Free.

Simon & Garfunkel Retrospective - The Ark AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle have been performing their tribute to the music of Si-mon & Garfunkel for more than a decade, and by now a lot of their shows are sellouts. With a quiet stage and an acoustic gui-tar, AJ and Jonathan will bring back plenty of memories, not only of the classic hits but also of the more obscure songs. 8-11pm. $22.50.

ClassiCal & spiritualMozart Birthday Bash - Michigan TheaterCelebrate this year’s edition of the Mozart Birthday Bash with A2SO Principal Trumpet WIl-liam Campbell who will dazzle you with Papa Mozart’s charm-ing Baroque-Inspired Trumpet Concerto. Local favorite Yehonatan Berick, hailed for his tremendous performance with A2SO in 2011, will play Wolf-gang Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3. The spirited evening concludes with Symphony No. 35, the “Haffner,” one fo the most energetic pieces Mozart ever wrote. 8-11pm. Visit www.A2SO.com for ticketing information.

Jazz, BluEs & r&B Root Doctor - Guy Hollerin’s The deeply rooted, soulful connection shared by founding members Freddie Cunning-ham (lead vocals) and James Williams (bass guitar & vocals) anchors the band’s sound. Root Doctor plays a diverse mix of classic soul and R&B alongside traditional blues and inspired original material. 8pm. $5.

20 sunday

aCoustiC, Folk & EtHniC Maura O’Connell - The ArkPeople talk about the Celtic roots of country music, but the two traditions have never blended as well as they do with Maura O’Connell. She’s traveled between the U.S. and Ireland, both physically and mu-sically, and she’s put together a music that’s uniquely her own and yet seems like it’s always been here, powered by her graceful, gorgeous voice. 7:30-11pm. $25.

21 mondayJazz, BluEs & r&B From Cass Corridor to the World: A Tribute to Detroit’s Musical Golden Age - Hill Auditorium On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, UMS and the U-M MLK Day Symposium celebrate the very unique relationship of the city of Detroit to the music it helped create and shape. Beginning with trumpeter and educator Gerald Wilson (a Cass Technical High School gradu-ate) and continuing through the great Detroit artists and men-tors who have sustained the music through the second half of the 20th century. 7:30pm. $10-$44. DanCE & tECHno Factory - The Necto Featuring A2’s best goth, in-dustrial, synthpop and alterna-tive dance with DJ Jinx. 9pm. $1-$3. 22 tuesdayaCoustiC, Folk & EtHniCTake a Chance Tuesday featuring The Suitcase Junket - The ArkThe Suitcase Junket is Matt Lorenz’s throat-singing, slide guitar playing one-man-band! Matt became The Suitcase Junket in 2010 to test the boundaries of how much sound can come out of one performer without loops or electronic tricks. 7:30-11pm. $25.

24 thursdayroCk, pop & Hip-Hop DJ PIgpen - Blind PigRoyal Oak’s DJ Pigpen spins the night away with remixes and original tracks. 9:30pm. $5/ $8 under 21.

25 fridayClassiCal & spiritual Wine, Women and Song XI - Kerrytown Concert HouseEnjoyed annually by sold-out audiences comprised of both women and men, the show features the musical talents of local female celebrity artists from the classical, jazz and cabaret genres. True to tradi-tion, complimentary wine will be served. Program runs again on Jan. 27 at 4pm. Jan. 25-26, 8pm. $20-$50. roCk, pop & Hip-Hop Liz Royce - Silvio’s Organic Pizza Liz Royce from Cowgirl Cabaret plays popular, rock and country songs and more on the piano, and sings. 7-9:30pm.

Jazz, BluEs & r&B The Bluescasters - The Mash Rollickin’ blues gets the eve-ning off right down in the cellar. Isosceles - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea RoomIsosceles is a music trio which plays originals by Tim Berla, Jim Cooney, and Shekinah Errington, along with a range of covers from the worlds of jazz, pop, folk, and more. The members share the vocal duties and play a wide variety of instruments including guitar, bass, accordion, mandolin and flute. 8:30-10:30pm. Free.

music


26 saturdayAcoustic, Folk & EthnicMark Jewett and Bobby Pennock - Crazy Widsom Bookstore and Tea Room A fun night is in store with a singer/songwriter in the round comprised of Crazy Wisdom fa-vorites Mark Jewett and Bobby Pennock! Mark and Bobby will be trading songs back and forth, as well as collaborating on a few.8:30-10:30pm. Free.

Rock, PoP & hiP-hoP Nickie P - Blind PigFrom murky basements to major venues, Nickie P. (a.k.a. Sick Nick) has pleased crowds over South Eastern Michigan and Northwest Ohio. 9:30pm. $10/ $13 under 21. Killer Flamingos - Cavern Club One of Detroit’s best rock bands ignites a pop-rock explo-sion that A2 begs to get hit with again and again. 10pm. $5 21+ / $10 under 21.

Seth Glier The Ark / Fri., January 11Every year it's almost a guar-antee that the performers that blow away the Ann Arbor Folk Festival's crowd will be booked in the following months at The Ark. And with stunning tenor, brutal honesty, and powerful believability, all driven by a melancholy piano, Seth Glier was clearly hot on the target list. His ability to take over a room, no matter what size, is uncanny for one guy. But this dude certainly has some pipes. 8pm. $15. The Ark, 316 S. Main. 734-761-1800. www.theark.org. —SR P

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by:

Tom

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re27 sunday

Acoustic, Folk & EthnicMariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán - Hill AuditoriumMariachi Vargas is one of the most highly regarded ensem-bles in the history of mariachi, decisively shaping the art form. Masters at melding the old world style of mariachi music with new, innovative pieces, Mariachi Vargas is appealing to

audiences across all genera-tions. 4pm. $10-$46.

31 thursdayclAssicAl & sPiRituAl Vagabond Opera - The ArkThis group presents the new wave of opera—lusty voices singing in 13 languages and presenting a cabaret of rich musical phrasing, sparkling lyrics, and indomitable stage presence, all played with exuberance, skill, and the gritty Vagabond edge. The band’s lineup features four vocalists, including trained operatic tenor and soprano vocals, accordion, tenor saxophone, clarinet, two cellos, stand-up bass, and drums. 8. $15.

JAzz, BluEs & R&B Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/ Wynton Marsalis - Hill AuditoriumPerforming music that links today’s improvisers with the rich history of traditional and contemporary big-band compo-sition, the Jazz at Lincoln Cen-ter Orchestra, led by Marsalis, brings an expansive range of music to the most treasured international stages. 7:30pm. $10-$54.

Check out more events ONLINE (or submit your own) at www.ecurrent.com


8 tuesday Worlds of the Maya$5. 7:30pm. Tecumseh Center for the Arts, 400 N. Maumee St. 517-423-6617. www.theTCA.orgKiwanis Travel Adventure Cin-ema. Hosted by filmmaker and world traveler Sandy Mortimer.

9 wednesdayBye Bye Birdie Free. 9pm. Arbor Brewing, 114 E. Washington St. 734-213-1393. www.arborbrewing.com Inspired by Elvis being drafted into the U.S. army, the 1963 musical comedy Bye Bye Birdie, follows teen pop idol Conrad Birdie (a play on Conway Twitty), who is chosen to ship out and fight for his country. Birdie, whose draft notice devastates teenage girls nation-wide, chooses Sweet Apple, Ohio as the place for a farewell concert, and small-town girl Kim is selected to be his final love interest. She’s thrilled, but her boyfriend isn’t — and a whole lot of teenage drama follows. Hungry for ChangeFree. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideway, 220 S. Main St. www.elmoshideaway.com.From the creators of the best-selling documentary Food Matters, Hungry for Change ex-poses what the diet, weight loss and food industries do to promote our consumption of their products. Find out what’s keeping you from having the body and health you deserve and how to escape the diet trap forever. Doctors, nutruition-ists, and authors who have reversed cancer, obesity, and more are interviewed. The greatest strength of the film is it’s straightforward nature, ap-proached as one would a conversation.

13 sundayThe Never Ending Story$10; free for children under 12. 1:30 pm. Michigan Theater,603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.orgWolfgang Petersen adapted

Michael Ende‘s children’s story for this charming fantasy film that spawned several sequels. Bastian (Barret Oliver) is dealing with his mother’s recent death. His father (Gerald McRaney) is an imperious sort who continually lambastes Bastian for daydreaming and falling behind in school. On top of his father’s badgering, he has to contend with a bunch of school bullies waiting for him in the schoolyard. One day he decides to play hooky and walks into a strange bookstore, where in the attic, he discovers a book called “The Neverending Story”.

16 wednesdaySolartaxiFree. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main St. www.elmoshideaway.comThe story of an epic, 18-month adventure, the first ever ‘around the world’ adventure in a home-made car powered exclusively by the sun. Louis Palmer and Solartaxi meet princes, movie stars, politicians, scientists, and ordinary people. Full of surprises and apparently insurmountable obstacles. Solar energy is functional, efficient, and most importantly, reliable. A car with zero emission is not a dream.

18 fridayFilm & Concert: Cinema Night Special: An Evening Of Experimental Films And MusicFree. 7pm. Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Avenue. 734-327-4555. www.aadl.orgLooking to discover something unusual in the world of film? Experience this delightful night of film and live music! Cinema Night Special brings together a 70-minute feature, a shorter experimental film, and live music in-between with the No Excuses Band. Popcorn will also be served.

19 saturday

Late Autumn2pm. Free. Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8397. www.michtheater.org.

Anna (Tang Wei) is on her way to Seattle to attend her mother’s funeral on a special weekend release from prison, where she is serving time for killing her abusive husband. On the bus, she meets Hoon (Hyun Bin), a “companion for hire” for lonely, older women. Both are running away: Anna from her past and Hoon from one of his clients’ husbands. Both find something in each other while they spend a day together in the misty, autumnal city of Seattle.

23 wednesdayA Conversation about RaceFree. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main St. www.elmoshideaway.com.From the director, Craig Bodeker: A Conversation about Race” is my answer to President Obama’s call for such a dialogue. As I state in the opening lines of the film, “I can’t think of another issue that is more artificial, manufactured or manipulated, than this whole construct called, ‘racism.’ In this groundbreaking and contro-versial new film, conventional wisdom on race and racism is redefined. It will change what you think you know about racism.

24 thursdayBuckFree. 6:30 pm. Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4555. www.aadl.org.Buck, the acclaimed 2011 docu-mentary about his life and work, is a richly textured and visually stunning film, following Branna-man from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. This film, created to move people to make changes in how they deal with horses and life’s challeng-es, won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and was shortlisted for an Oscar for Best Documentary. It intends to inspire, motivate and teach through principles of respect, partnership and trust rather than anger, fear and intimidation.

Brutal masterpiece Balancing plot and style isn't an easy thing, but David Lynch pushed the envelope on both with his innovative 1986 mystery noir Blue Velvet, which screens at the State Theater as part of midnight series on Saturday, January 12. Probably learning from his overloaded prior release, Dune — which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound, but smashed by critics for a loose, confus-ing plot — Lynch went for a more personal tale with Blue Velvet, following an eccentric college kid who returns to his hometown after his father suffers a stroke. He finds a severed ear in a field on the way home from the hospital, and his curiosity throws him into a brutal string of events as he runs afoul of a violent criminal (played by Dennis Hopper at his most unforgettable). $7. 11:59pm. State Theater, 233 S. State St. 734-761-8667. www.michtheater.org/state —SR

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film

30 wednesdayPink Ribbons, Inc.Free. 7pm. Elmo’s Hideaway, 220 S. Main. www.elmoshideaway.com.Pink ribbons are everywhere: T-shirts, hats, yogurt cups, KFC buckets, car ads, NFL stadiums - the list goes on and on. They make people feel good, as if engaged in a successful battle against breast cancer. But who is really benefitting? More and more women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Wouldn’t it be something if some of the very companies that profit from their pink mar-keting campaigns have actually contributed to the epidemic by selling known carcinogens?

31 thursdayBlacking Up: Hip-Hop’s Remix of Race and IdentityFree. 6pm. Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4555. www.aadl.org.This documentary, winner of the American Library Association’s 2011 Notable Videos for Adults Award, examines the popularity of hip-hop among America’s white youth, and considers whether this reflects new racial understanding in white America or reinforces an ugly history of stereotypes.


theater

Fourteen of Jeff Daniels’ plays have been produced at the Purple Rose Theatre, one al-most every season since the theater opened in 1991. Daniels’ plays, often laced with hu-mor, have been about a wide variety of sub-jects, some semi-autobiographical, others less personal. His fifteenth play, The Meaning of Almost Everything, premiering at the Purple Rose on January 10th, and running through March 9th, is perhaps his most quirky and most whimsical to date. The tongue-in-cheek, grandiose sounding title alone clues you into that. It’s a comedy with elements of slapstick, vaudeville and farce, yet it’s also a tragedy, as it explores the joy and pain of life and the ab-surdity of it all. "I've never been one to think

whatever may come after this life will be better,” says Daniels. “One can

always hope and pray and believe, sure, but given the choice between the known and the unknown, frankly, it seems a lot of us would rather just stay put, thank you very much. That's the 'What if...?' that drove the

writing on this one. How do we turn this life of ours into an everlasting one? Forget leav-

ing a legacy or living on in other people's memories, I mean staying put. Right here, right now, forever and ever. That it doesn't work that way is the conflict in the play. And in us."

Truly universalizing the story, the two everyman characters in the play don’t even have names, just letters.

Actors Matt Gwynn and Michael Brian

Ogden portray roles “A” and “B,” two men in an undefined place and time. They’re safe and comfortable, but nothing happens to them or around them. One of them wants to stay. The other is less certain. Guy Sanville, the Purple Rose’s longtime Artistic Director, and the play’s director says, “It’s about a guy who has decided to stay in a bubble. Knowing what we know about life, the heartaches, that it’s going to end, he’s decided to play it safe. I like this play because it asks a lot of big questions. I think Jeff is talking here about finding the courage to face the truth. This play isn’t about facing death, it’s about facing life."

The Meaning of Almost Everything opens at The Purple Rose Theater, 137 Park St. in Chelsea, on January 10.

$27-$42. Times vary. For more information, call 734-433-7782 or www.purplerosetheater.org.

theater

Courage to face the truth Jeff Daniels' new existential play by Sandor Slomovits

The Meaning of Almost Everythings’

nameless heroes grapple with the big

questions

Photos courtesy of Sean Carter Photography


theater

Bedroom FarceAnn Arbor Civic Theater / January 24-27As a teenager you think your love life is hard and the smooth-sailing adults just don't understand — then you enter adulthood and realize you were being a melodramatic punk, because things get way more complicated and, often times, even stranger. That's where Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce — which will be performed at the Ann Arbor Civic Theater January 24-27 — sets up its story: following four married couples in the 70s through an unexpected whirlwind of relationship drama in the dawning of the sexual revolution. $17. 8pm Thursday - Saturday; 2pm Sunday. Arthur Miller Theater, 1226 Murfin Ave. 734-971-2228. www.a2ct.org

BrillThe Performance Network / January 10 - February 10Brill is billed as a comedy with music. Written by Ann Arbor playwright, David Wells, with music by local rock icon, Frank Allison, of Odd Socks fame, the play takes place in the renowned Brill Building in Manhattan, once the epicenter of pop music, where musicians could find a publisher, cut a demo, and make a deal with radio promoters—all in that one building. Set in 1959, the story follows a Big Band songwriter trying to come to terms with the advent of rock ‘n’ roll, and also with the young woman who walks into his office, and life, with her guitar. Brill received raves from audiences at the Network’s Fireside Festival, where it was work-shopped a year ago, and stars local theater veterans, Phil Powers and Sarah Leahy. Powers is intrigued by Brill’s setting. “Once we Americans figured out that Russia wasn't going to turn us all into Communists, we exhaled to Bill Haley and the Comets. The music that Frank Allison has put together for Brill is wonderful stuff. Frank and I went to school together and to play his music is both an honor and a pleasure.” Performance Network Theater, 120 E. Huron. $27-$39.7:30pm Thursdays; 8pm Fridays and Saturdays; 3pm Saturdays; 2pm Sundays. 734-663-0681. www.performancenetwork.org -SS

On the Stage The best of what’s up next

The cast of Bedroom Farce from left: Emily Caffery, Molly Logue, Mario Merola (below), Ashley Davis,

Jarrod Cassar, and Morgan Brown

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Comedy 3 thursday

Bill Bushart$6 - $12. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com.Bill’s ability to recant everyday situations in a unique and demented manner has earned him a bit of a reputation as a bad boy. His repertoire of one-liners and high-energy stage shenanigans are one-of-a-kind. His quick wit and smooth delivery make his show one you won’t want to miss, although be warned, his choice of topics can be rude, crude and downright raunchy. Through Jan. 5.

10 thursdayDean Edwards$11 - $17. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com. Veteran of SNL, Television, and the big screen, Dean Edwards brings his impressive repertoire to the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. With numerous standup, live, and film credits under his belt Edwards brings his individual wit and humor to the stage for waiting A2 residents. Called a master per-former by some, Dean Edwards is surely a must see.

17 thursdayBill Hildebrandt$6 - $12. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.com.Yup, it’s pedal-to-the-metal comedy this week with this good-natured comedian who has a streamlined delivery and an uncanny ability to make the ordinary explode into an unexpected paradox of comedy. Bill Hildebrandt has the diversity required to appeal to a wide range of audiences. Listed as one of the “Funniest People In Detroit” by the Detroit Free Press, Bill is the only comic to headline an entire month solid at a Detroit comedy club.

24 thursdaySean Kent$8 - $13. 8pm. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 East Liberty. 734-996-9080. www.aacomedy.comCritically acclaimed standup comic and winner of the prestigious San Francisco and Seattle International Comedy Competitions, Sean Kent has been praised as having “an ur-gency not seen in comedy since the likes of Bill Hicks.” The Austin, Texas native is currently performing his hard-hitting socio-political comedy to packed houses worldwide.”

TheaTer

8 tuesdayThe Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart$50. 7:30 pm. Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti. 734-480-2739. www.arborbrewing.com/brewery.Pull up a chair and wet your whistle for an evening of anarchic theater, live music, and strange goings-on as UMS takes theater into the pub, moving to the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti for six performances.One wintry morning, Prudencia Hart, an uptight academic, sets off to attend a conference in the Scottish Borders, the region of Scotland that borders England. As the snow begins to fall, she finds herself trapped in a secluded bar with strangers, only to be swept away on an enchanting, dream-like journey of self-discovery filled with magical moments, devilish encounters,

and wittily wild karaoke.24 thursdayUnder the African Sky $10. 10am. Towsley Auditorium, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 East Huron River Dr. 734-995-0530. www.wildswantheater.org.A delightful, humorous collec-tion of African tales performed through storytelling, acting, and drumming. Colorful costumes, masks, and traditional music will delight and teach our littlest fans, with lots of opportunities for audience participation!

25 fridayMartha Graham Dance Company$22-$50. 8pm. Power Center, 121 Fletcher St. 734-647-3327. www.ums.org. A program including some of Graham’s psychological dances, growing out of her fascina-tion with the life of the mind, interpersonal relationships, and the use of symbols to express human feeling. It brings together the work of several choreographers to illuminate a theme that captured the imagination of artists as modern dance developed, and continues to provide inspiration for those working today.

Shaking Earth$15. 7pm. Eastern Michigan Theater, 103 Quirk Building. 734-487-2282. www.emich.edu.Based in 1939, at the beginning of World War II, in small town Missouri — which relied heavily on sharecroppers — two young girls form a friendship against all odds.

Check out more events ONLINE (or submit your own)

at www.ecurrent.com


art

There’s a lot happening this month in the Ann Arbor art scene, so there’s no reason not to make your rounds through a series of fascinating, innovative and very different exhibitions. Go alone or bring your spouse, kids, friends, parents or grandparents like me to the Kelsey Museum at 434 South State Street on Central Campus.

In addition to the 100,000 ancient and medieval ob-jects from the civilizations of the Mediterranean and the Near East and the fabulous new William E. Upjohn Exhibition Wing there is, now through next month, a special exhibition: “Conserving Antiquity.” The show highlights the essential but generally unheralded work of preserving art and artifacts. You’ll go behind the scenes to experience the fascinating and challenging work of conservators, combining scientific and anthropologic re-search and hands-on dexterity with art, archaeology and human history. You’ll see, for example, an ancient Egyp-tian mummy mask, a Roman soldier’s leather armor and learn about their centuries-long conservation.

You’ll interact with conservators investigating mysteri-ous artifacts and see two short films, one on the amazing, decades-long journey of the Kelsey’s Barosso watercol-ors from the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. And, of course, you’ll be dazzled by the gigantic watercolors themselves. On Friday, January 18 at 6pm in the Kelsey’s lovely Lecture Hall, Clara Deck, Senior Conservator at the Henry Ford Museum, will speak about conservation at huge history museums like the Henry Ford. On Friday, February 1, John Steele, Conservator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts will talk about recent conservation projects at the DIA. Ask

him what it was like to handle the one-of-a-kind bejeweled eggs that are part of “Fabergé: The Rise and Fall, The Collection of the Univer-sity of Virginia,” still running at the DIA through January 21.

Across the street from the Kelsey is the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Opening on January 19 and running through June 16 is “Florencia Pita/FP mod.” The Argentina-born, Los Angeles-based Pita is a rightfully world-renowned architect, installation artist and decorative art designer. She will be a household name some day and this is your chance to see her fun, wild and amazing work up-close and personal. No surprise, a related publication is part of the UMMA Book Series, the perfect gift for the artist and art lover in your life.

How does she do it? The omni-talented Emilia Ja-vanica, fresh off her Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Michigan’s School of Art and Design is working a number of full time jobs with phenomenal success. She is the Programming Coordinator at North Quad. She is a Mentor for the University of Michigan Museum of Art project “Many Voices,” in which ama-teurs are taught and nurtured to make short videos. Her short play “Apocalypse” was performed last month at the Performance Laboratory in Detroit, where she has co-curated projects since 2010. Most exciting for me, she will direct a presentation by UM School of A&D professor Holly Hughes’ performance art classic “Clit Notes: A Sapphic Sampler.” Watch this space for showtimes in March.

art

artbeatWinter wonderlandby Louis Meldman

The Kelsey Museum’s exhibition shines a light on the painstaking work of preserving the legacy of antiquity, like this ancient earthen vessel

art


artNew exhibits

9 wednesday Landscape Forms: Paint-ing Retrospective 4:30 pm. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. 734-769-2999. www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. A U-M graduate from the School of Art & Design in 1949, Karin L. Bodycombe forged new territory in the arts. Working to pave the way for others, she studied at Wayne State University and earned a degree in Art Education in 1952, later inspiring many student artists. Creating in wa-tercolor, gouache, pen, acrylics and oils, Bodycombe said of her work, “I paint landscape compositions reducing them to the basic areas or forms of the subject resembling the environment only through the tiles. Brush strokes express my feelings.” Bodycombe has won many national awards and has exhibited her work in solo shows in Michigan and beyond.

13 sundayOf Many Faiths: The Work of Suzanne and Fred Beutler 4-6pm. Amster Gallery, Jewish Com-munity Center of Greater Ann Arbor, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. 734-971-0990. www.jccannarbor.org. Fred Beutler has been a dedicated photographer since the age of seven. Currently, he is the Photographer for the Ro-tary Club of Ann Arbor, and has worked on special assignment with other civic organizations. Suzanne Beutler has been ac-tively participating in local artist organizations and has exhibited her work in museum shows, gallery exhibitions, invitational group exhibitions, public art in Ann Arbor and Cincinnati. 15 tuesdayArchifest 2012: Competition 5pm. University of Michigan Pierpont Commons, 530 S. State St. 734-763-5900. www.campusinvolve-ment.umich.edu. In January, the Center for Campus Involvement hosts a Juried Art Competition, where art enthusiasts and passersby alike can vote on the best showcases of art at Pierpont. Enjoy light refreshments, and don’t forgot to vote all month! Winner announced January 31.

16 wednesday2013 Annual Juried Stu-dent Art Exhibition Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan Uni-versity, 900 Oakwood St., Ypsilanti. 734-487-1849. www.art.emich.edu Hosted by IGG, the Annual Juried Student Art Show is the showcase of undergradu-ate Student work for the Art Department. This year’s show

is be juried by Gary Grimshaw, a noted Detroit-based poster artist. Grimshaw, known for his psychedelic 60’s aesthetic, has made posters to promote a wide range of clients including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and MC5. | 19 saturday Florencia Pita/FP mod University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. www.umma.umich.edu. Organized by the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Flor-encia Pita/FP mod explores the provocations and intersections of digital technology, material experimentation, femininity, and ornament in the work of Argentina-born, Los Angeles-based architect and designer Florencia Pita. The exhibition and its related publication, part of the UMMA Books series, trace the evolution of Pita’s design ideology through instal-lation pieces, urban design, tableware, furniture, and architecture, as well as small adornments.

SMTD @ UMMA Free. 1-4pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art, University of Michi-gan. 734-764-0395. www.umma.umich.edu This year’s SMTD@UMMA installation explores the way we talk about music and art, anchored by seven terms common to both: tone, line, texture, color, volume, con-trast, and shape. Guided by U-M composition faculty Kristin Kuster, STMD graduate composition students develop new works on each of these terms, premiered by student ensembles in spaces through-out the museum. UMMA curators provide suggestions about works on view that these terms call to mind. 27 sunday Artist Demonstration: Ralph Taylor, Caribbean Mardi Gras productions 12pm. Detroit Institute of Arts,5200 Woodward Ave.,Detroit. 313-833-7900. www.dia.org. As organizer of Detroit’s Carib-bean Day Parade, artist Ralph Taylor has become known for his incredible Mardi Gras inspired costumes and parade puppets. Get to know the man behind the procession as he shares some techniques for making costumes and parade objects.

oNgoiNg Brain Fitness Puzzle Art: Ali Berman Free. Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. 734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa. New York artist Alli Berman had a CVA (stroke) years ago. She experimented in her studio and

came up with art that is view-able, touchable, and movable and incorporates a therapeutic art concept. Berman now cre-ates exciting colorful interactive art installations to help people of all ages and abilities develop stronger, faster cognitive func-tion as they enjoy her relaxing sensory experience.

Inside and Out: Fragments and Narratives in Clay Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. 734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa Mari Ogihara uses clay as a medium for its close resem-blance to skin. Her ceramic sculptures create tension and unity between raw and orna-mented surfaces and illicit feel-ings of sensuality and serenity. Through February 4, 2013.

Landscape Forms: Painting Retrospective Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. 734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa. A U-M graduate from the School of Art & Design in 1949, Karin L. Bodycombe forged new territory in the arts. Working to pave the way for others, she studied at Wayne State University and earned a degree in Art Education in 1952, later inspiring many student artists. Creating in watercolor, gouache, pen, acrylics and oils, Bodycombe said of her work, “I paint landscape compositions reducing them to the basic areas or forms of the subject resembling the environment only through the tiles. Brush

strokes express my feelings.” Through February 4, 2013.

Garden of Eden and Tree of Life: Snowflake Paper Cuttings Gifts of Art Gallery, Taubman Health Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. 734-936-4000. www.med.umich.edu/goa Did you know that the Garden of Eden is also the Garden of Infancy? That the tree of life is also the life giving womb? In new work illuminating familiar favorites, snowflake master and UM physician Dr. Thomas L. Clark delves into the biological significance of ancient symbolism in exqui-site, hand-cut paper creations. Clark’s snowflake of the tree of knowledge explores the biological origins of good and evil, shedding new light on the curves of the serpent. Through February 14, 2013.

Motor City Muse: Detroit Photographs, Then and Now Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. 313-833-7900. www.dia.org. For more than 70 years, photographers have found inspiration for their work from the people, city streets, and automobile culture of Detroit. This exhibition includes select photographers who, through their personal vision and pho-tographic skill, have captured subjects, past and present, specific to Detroit, its changing landscape, architecture and auto industry. Through June 16, 2013.

Connecting the dots The Gallery Project is no stranger to making you think, analyze and discover how art connects to different aspects of the world. interspecies, an exhibition that opens with an exhibition on Friday, January 4, is the fourth time the gallery has explored science through art; this time addressing how different species communicate with one an-other. From humans harmonizing with humming birds to dolphins being the social butterfly of the sea, this exhibition, complete with documentaries, focuses on an interweaving harmony through everything that breathes. "We are so excited about this, because there is so much research in the sub-ject area," says co-director Gloria Pritschet. 6-9pm. Gallery Project, 215 S. 4th Ave. 734-997-7012. www.thegalleryproject.com —SR

Urban Coyote by Rick Pas, part of the interspecies exhibit, explores science though art.


everything else 9 wednesday

IndiVisible: African Native American Lives in the Americas Monday-Friday, 12-6pm; Sundays, 12-5pm. Free. Duderstadt Center Gallery, 2281 Bonisteel Blvd. 734-764-0478. www.lsa.umich.edu/ummnh An important part of the American story has long been invisible—the story of people who share African American and Native American ancestry. For 500 years or more, African American and Native people have come together, creating shared histories, communities, and ways of life. Often divided by prejudice, laws, or twists of history, African-Native Ameri-cans are united by a double heritage that is truly indivisible. Their historic journey will be explored in an upcoming exhibit at the University of Michigan. The exhibit will be on display from January 9-31. The gallery will be open from 12-6pm on Martin Luther King Day. 10 thursdayIdentities in Red, Black and White: A Roundtable Discussion 4-6pm. Free. UM Arthur Miller The-atre, 1226 Murfin Ave. 734-764-0478. www.lsa.umich.edu/ummnh Often divided by prejudice, laws, or twists of history, African-Native Americans are united by a double heritage that is truly indivisible. Their historic journey will be explored in an upcoming exhibit at the University of Michigan. This public program will address mixed-race identities from autobiographical and storytell-ing perspectives and within the context of social and cultural analysis. The roundtable panel-ists express a mixed native identity of some kind -- whether that connection is via fam-ily ties and/or cultural ties. A reception and exhibit viewing will follow the discussion.

13 sunday

Annual MLK March 2pm. Washtenaw County Court House, 101 E. Huron. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu Participants are invited to attend the Second Baptist Church 10:45am Sunday ser-vice. Program theme”Moving The Dream Forward.” U.S. Representative John Lewis is the speaker. Transportation will be provided to the Court house, or participants can meet at the Court House to march to the church. The march begins at 2pm. Light refreshments and fellowship following the march.

15 tuesday

Meet Poet John F. Buckley 7pm. Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. www.nicolasbooks.com Local poet John F. Buckley will be at Nicola’s Books for a reading and signing of his latest collection, Sky Sandwiches. This collection describes how desires lead to absurd hopes and stale resignations, humble dreams and sublime despairs. It recounts the ways people may seek both eternal salva-tion and a half-decent Italian sub. Parts are tender. Parts are funny. Parts will get stuck in your braces.

The Making of the Dream: MLK, Detroit, and UM 4pm. Haven Hall, 505 S. State St. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu This event will explore the ties that bind the city of Detroit and the University of Michigan to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Stephen Ward (DAAS/Residential College) will moder-ate a discussion of Dr. King’s participation in the Great March to Freedom in Detroit of June 23, 1963 where the “Dream” speech was first presented. Dr. King’s visit to U-M in 1962 and the memorial held in his honor at Hill Auditorium following his assassination in 1968 will also be discussed.

16 wednesday

La Fuerza: The Influence of Latinos in American Culture & Politics – The Legacy of Cesar Chavez and the Evolution of Mar-tin Luther King’s Dream 4pm. Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington St. 734-763-3333. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu Christine Chavez, grand-daughter of Cesar Chavez and political rights activist, talks with a panel of experts about the changing demographics of American Politics and Culture, and how the growing Latino population is helping to shape the evolution of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Dream. 17 thursdayPenny Stamps Speaker Series: Sur un air de Charleston: Black & White 5pm. Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu A short film directed by Renoir in the late twenties, right after he had discovered jazz, Sur un air de Charleston is a little masterpiece, albeit unknown, of the silent movie period. A product of the roaring twen-ties, it can be construed as a critique of France’s racial con-text, then at the height of its colonial Empire. But it also has to be considered on the much broader scale of transatlantic cultural exchanges. Two musi-cians, Olivier Thémines and Guillaume Hazebrouck, invite you with scholar and author Brent Edward Hayes to discov-er this astonishing film with a “ciné-concert/conference.” The movie, accompanied by a live original music, will be followed by a lecture and discussion on the question of race within the artistic context.

18 fridayMeet Illustrator Kadir Nelson 6:30pm. Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. www.nicolasbooks.com Meet award winning artist/illustrator Kadir Nelson with his new children’s book “I Have a Dream.” On August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, Martin Luther King gave one of the most powerful and memo-rable speeches in the nation’s history. His words, paired with Caldecott Honor winner Kadir Nelson’s magnificent paintings, make for a picture book certain to be treasured by children and adults alike. Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens Daily, 10am-4:30pm. Free. Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu A photography exhibition featuring images of African American gardens in the southern United States and their creators captured by pho-tographer Vaughn Sills. In the spirit of “outsider” and folk art traditions, these gardens con-jure their own unique aesthetic and cultural significance while reminding us of the rhythms of nature and the presence of the divine in everyday life. Exhibi-tion runs January 18 through March 10.

21 monday

Meet Author Peter Benjaminson 7pm. Nicola’s Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. www.nicolasbooks.com Author Peter Benjaminson will discuss his new biography “Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Super-star.” This history draws upon years of interviews with Wells’ friends, lovers, and husband to tell the whole story of a woman whose songs crossed the color line and whose voice


everything else

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captivated the Beatles. It is also based on four hours of previously unreleased and un-publicized deathbed interviews with Wells.

22 tuesdayMeet Author John Charles Simon Downtown Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 7-8:30pm. 734-327-8301. www.aadl.org John Charles Simon, in his new book, “Why We Laugh: A New Understanding” presents, for the first time ever, a truly comprehensive explanation for human laughter—every human, every laugh, every context, and every reason. It offers insight into laughter’s most probable

evolutionary origin and answers difficult questions including laughter’s contagious quality, sense of humor, and what laughter says about humans as individuals and as a species.

Colorblind: How Not See-ing “Color” Actually Hin-ders Justice and Equality 6-9pm. Free. Sunward Cohousing Community Common House, 424 Little Lake Dr. 734-764-0478. www.ummnh.org January’s community conversa-tion is entitled: Colorblind: How not seeing “color” actually hinders justice and equality. Explore this approach of ignor-ing race. Is it possible to truly be “colorblind” How has this played out historically in the

U.S., and how does “color-blindness” currently affect systems of education, employ-ment, criminal justice? Could it possibly do more harm than good? Community members are invited to share their thoughts through a facilitated conversation. Please bring teens, a friend, your voice, and an open mind. Refreshments will be served.

23 wednesdayScience Café: Race and Public Health 5:30-7:30pm. Conor O’Neill’s Tradi-tional Irish Pub, 318 South Main St. www.conoroneills.com There is no question that illness and mortality rates are higher for minorities in the United States, even when there is control for access to care and socio-economic status. What are some of the causes of these health disparities? How can society address them? Charles Wilson, from the Washtenaw County Public Health Department, will address this and other ques-tions. Other speakers to be announced.

An Evening of Poetry and Written Word 7-9pm. Free. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tea Room, 114 South Main St. 734-665-2757. www.crazywisdom.net Laszlo Slomovits, one of the twin brothers in Ann Arbor’s nationally-known children’s folk music duo, Gemini, performs his musical settings of poems by Jennifer Burd, widely pub-lished author of Body and Echo (Plainview Press, 2010) and Daily Bread (2009). Jennifer will also read poems. All writers welcome to read their own or other favorite poetry or short fiction afterward at open mic.

27 sundaySewing Expert Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch 2-3:30pm. Downtown Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. www.aadl.org Gretchen “Gertie” Hirsch is a

passionate home seamstress, a sought-after sewing teacher, and the creator of one of the web’s most popular sewing blogs - a place to share tutorials and lively posts about sewing as it relates to fashion history, pop culture, body image, and gender. Come for a fascinating afternoon with Gertie as she discusses her blog, her craft and her book “Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing: A Modern Guide to Couture-Style Sewing Using Basic Vintage Techniques.” This brand-new title is an extension of the blog and is packed with lessons on couture techniques, cus-tomization and Gertie’s spirited, modern style.

Behind the Scenes Day 9am-5pm. Free. Ruthven Museums Building, 1109 Geddes Ave. 734-764-0478. www.lsa.umich.edu/ummnh Behind the Scenes Day is a rare opportunity to visit behind the scenes at the four muse-ums of the Ruthven Museums Building on the University of Michigan Central Campus. The Museum of Anthropology, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Paleontology, and Museum of Zoology welcome you into collections areas, research laboratories, exhibit preparation areas, and other spaces not usually open to the public. Meet scientist-curators, collection managers, exhibit preparators, and student re-searchers, and find out more about their work. Space on guided tours is limited. Visitors are advised to come early to sign up for the tour of their choice.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Symposium University of Michigan / Monday, January 21The University of Michi-gan will celebrate the life, work and inspira-tion of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an entire day of events for the 27th annual MLK Symposium. The event also marks the beginning of the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech in 1963. Along with several side lectures and activities through-out campus, there will be a Victory March & Rally for Affirmative Action at 11:30am beginning at the corner of South University and South Forest with the rally in The Diag at 12:30pm. The Keynote Memorial Lecture Speaker is Morris Dees. Mr. Dees grew up in the Jim Crow south of Alabama and at the height of the civil rights struggle he took on cases to defend those whoe were oppressed. In 1970 he formed the Southern Poverty Law Center, along with Julian Bond and Joseph Levin and continues work towards equality to this day. For more informa-tion and a full schedule of events visit the website. Events begin at 8:30am. Free and open to the public. Lecture, 10am. Hill Auditorium, 825 North University Ave. www.mlksymposium.umich.edu—JG


crosswordBeyond Belief Across1. Wolverine football matchup system4. Group activity, at times7. School subject with variables14. “___ get it now!”15. Offroad vehicle, for short16. Trump, for one17. Without a prayer, and like 24-, 34-, 46-, and 56-Across19. Little auk20. Scroogelike21. Senate Majority Leader Harry22. Crap23. Hansen who retired from NPR last month24. Museum wing dedicated to small change? (Roman, war)26. O.T. book about returning to Zion27. Religious branch28. ___Vista (search engine that still exists)29. Hat in westerns32. Early label for R.E.M.34. Movie featuring performers who croon into cans? (Greek, marriage)37. Baseball rival of SEA and TEX38. Unmediated observer41. Place with tons of bars44. Company with toy trucks45. National anthem contrac-tion46. Determine the geological origin of, say? (Rome, sun)49. Temporary failure, as of judgment51. Like hell52. Housekeeper’s concern53. Dark and gloomy, aestheti-cally54. “It is easier for a camel to

go through the eye of ___ ...” (Matthew 19:24)56. Ave. in a ghost town? (Greek, war)57. Chrysler partner, once58. ___ kwon do59. Former Formula One driver Fabi60. Parents’ weekend hirees61. New Zealand new wave band Split ___62. Ballad ending?

Down1. Bewilders, as the mind2. Spicy Sabor Latino sausage3. Body heat?4. Big name in Britpop5. Online crafts warehouse6. Letters on coaches’ chalk-boards7. Truant, perhaps8. ‘60s protest type9. Short-lived “Sanford and Son” spinoff10. Frequently overoptimistic DTW guess11. Indian city in 1984 gas leak news

12. Follow an Arabesque pattern?13. Nipple area18. Hall of Fame quarterback Dawson21. Find out what that weird dude from high school is up to, via Facebook24. Gilpin of “Frasier”25. Certain devout Brooklynite27. Sonic the Hedgehog company30. You’ll get them regularly if you have gas31. Biology class topic32. Comic book artist’s choices33. Way, for short35. “That’s all ___ ...”36. Noob

39. “That much is obvious”40. ___ set (future engineer’s toy)41. Spiritual struggles misun-derstood by extremists and American conservatives alike42. Torah VIP43. Disrespectful roommate’s reply to an inquiry about that last slice of pizza you were saving44. Canadian jerks47. Discombobulate48. Stick for a drawer49. Talk show host George50. Part of D.A.: Abbr.53. Paranoid fed. employee55. 911 responder, for short56. Touristy time in Paris

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Soona Amhaz, U of M engineering student and sales associate at Urban OutfittersAmhaz's sweet take on trends (from her velvet skirt to her leather boots) appealed to us. We caught up with the Las Vegas native and self-described science-loving fashionista to get some style tips.

How would you describe your personal style?I think my personal style is sophisticated with an urban twist. I like mixing classic with contemporary things.

What's classic versus trendy to you?I love chiffon, I love pearls, I love all those traditional things. But to make it more contemporary I might add combat boots to what I'm wearing.What's a style pet peeve to you?Camo. I really don't like camouflage. I will never wear it — I don't understand why it keeps coming back.

How do you decide what to wear in the morning?I definitely dress according to my mood. Some days it's pale pinks, other days I dress like a cyber goth. I honestly feel like the less you have, the more creative you become in putting outfits together. I'm a college student, so I have to be careful how I spend money on clothes. There's nothing wrong with recycling clothes — it's a skill everybody should master.

Do you plan on breaking the mold and being a trendy engineer?I definitely want to be a stylish engineer. I feel like there's this idea that loving science and loving fashion are mutually exclusive. I've met a lot of people who are in engineering and love fashion.

style sense

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