MICHAEL DAVIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY: HOW I TOOK DOWN THE MC5!

Michael Davis passed away February 17, 2012 and 6 years later Cleopatra Records has released this book... I read it and I have say it was unvarnished and highly readable. The title is appropriate, but it took all 5 members for the high performance group to stop.

There are all of the deadly sins and quite a lot of humor in the telling of the MC5 and Mike's life. It is as honest as any autobiography I have ever read. Mike is hard on everyone he meets but just as hard on himself...I give it 5 stars as it is light years better than any of these "Detroit" rock books of late. RK

New Book By MC5's Bassist Michael Davis “I Brought Down The MC5” Now Available!

Los Angeles - Famed bass player from MC5, Michael Davis, takes us on a rollercoaster ride of triumph and tragedy in his superb new 350-page memoir titled “I Brought Down The MC5”! The book includes rarely seen photos and original artwork by Davis!

“I basically wanted to be the MC5. The attack! They were really on! They were brilliant!” - Lemmy

MC5 was an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. The band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson.

The MC5's ANTI-WAR political views, rebellious lyrics and complex music positioned them as emerging innovators of the activist musical movement in the United States. Their loud, energetic style of back-to-basics rock and roll included elements of  rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz fusion. Quite a feat for 1966!

MC5 had a promising beginning which earned them a January 1969 cover appearance in Rolling Stone and a story written by Eric Ehrmann before their debut album was released. They developed a legendary reputation for energetic live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams.

In 1972, just three years after their debut record, the group disbanded.  The MC5 is often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of all time.

Their three albums are regarded as classics, and their anthem “Kick Out the Jams” has been covered by Kid Rock, Presidents of the USA, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Blue Oyster Cult, Bad Brains,  and countless numbers of up and coming young bands.

“For me, Michael was the original cool guy... He belongs in the Hall Of Fame, along with his whole group, for their contributions to American music and its politics.” - Iggy Pop

CHAPTERS:
Intro
Sandals And Needles
The Apple Bites Back
Like A Rolling Stone
Everybody Must Get Stoned
I Can Only Give You Everything
Getting Down
The New York Minute
The Promise Is Broken
Atlantic Crossing
Out Of The Frying Pan
Into The Fire
The Bridge To Nowhere
Delirious Alcoholic Megalosaurus
Play With Fire
The Oven
The Mind Shifts
The Road With No Name
My Time After Awhile
Epilogue

To purchase Michael Davis's “I Brought Down The MC5” book 

CLICK THE LINK BELOW:

I Brought Down The Mc5

READ MORE ABOUT THE MC5 HERE
READ MORE ABOUT DENNIS THOMPSON HERE

UNITED SOUND SYSTEMS MEMORIAL FOR ARETHA FRANKLIN TOMORROW

USS is honoring the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin this Sunday at United Sound Systems Recording Studios from 4-6 pm. All are welcome, there will be no admission charge.

QUEEN OF SOUL: ARETHA FRANKLIN PASSED AWAY AUGUST 16, 2018

GRETA VAN FLEET: NEW MUSIC VIDEO FOR “WHEN THE CURTAIN FALLS"

LOS ANGELES, CA - With the band’s new single “When The Curtain Falls" already Top 10 at Rock Radio and nearly eight-million streams to its credit, Greta Van Fleet presents the companion music video, a performance piece that finds the band in an esoteric foreign landscape filled with mystical symbolism, celestial events and otherworldly psychedelia.

When The Curtain Falls

Filmed in Southern California and conceived and directed by acclaimed visual effects artist Benjamin Kutsko (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Iron Man”), you can check out the video here!

Greta Van Fleet - Josh Kiszka/vocals, Jake Kiszka/guitar, Sam Kiszka/bass & keys, and Danny Wagner/drums - resume their tour schedule on September 7.

Dates are below.

SEPTEMBER
7 The Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA*
8 The Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA*
9 Skookum Festival, Vancouver, BC Canada**
11 Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, AB Canada*
12 BMO Centre, Calgary, AB Canada*
14 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR*
17 Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA*
18 City National Civic, San Jose, CA*
19 The Masonic, San Francisco, CA*
22 iHeart Radio Festival, Las Vegas, NV**
23 The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA*
25 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ*
26 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ*
28 Union Event Center, Salt Lake City, UT*
29 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO*

OCTOBER
1 Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO*
3 South Side Ballroom, Dallas, TX*
5 Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX**
6 Cal Jam, San Bernardino, CA**
11 The Sylvee, Madison, WI*
26 Elysee Montmartre, Paris, France*
27 Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium*
29 013, Tilburg, Netherlands*
30 Mehr! Theatre, Hamburg, Germany*

NOVEMBER
1 Palladium, Cologne, Germany*
4 Berns Salonger, Stockholm, Sweden*
5 Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark*
7 Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany*
9 02 Kentish Town Forum, London, UK*
11 02 Kentish Town Forum, London, UK*
14 02 Academy Birmingham, Birmingham, UK*
15 Academy Manchester, Manchester, UK*

* - headline date
** - major music festival

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GRETA VAN FLEET
Taylor Vaughn
Taylor.Vaughn@umusic.com

Beau Benton
Beau.Benton@umusic.com

ARETHA FRANKLIN FUNERAL SERVICE ANNOUNCED AUGUST 31, 2018

Dates announced for Aretha Franklin's visitation, funeral services in Detroit Funeral services to be held Aug. 31 at Greater Grace Temple.

Franklin's body will lie in repose from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, which is located at 315 East Warren Avenue in Detroit.

The funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 31 at Greater Grace Temple, which is located at 23500 West 7 Mile Road in Detroit.

Here are more details about the funeral:

It will be a four-day event to celebrate her life.

For two days, Franklin's body will lie in repose at Charles H. Wright Museum for African American History. The viewing will be open to the public.

The funeral will be held at Greater Grace Temple and will only be for close family and friends. Organizers are working on a musical tribute with major recording artists. The venue is still being decided.

Right now, Franklin's body is being held at Swanson Funeral Home in Detroit.

View all Aretha Franklin coverage here.

By Katherine J. Wu

Aretha Franklin was no one’s understudy. But when the Queen of Soul took the stage at the 1998 Grammy Awards, she was not the singer audiences expected. At the eleventh hour, operatic legend Luciano Pavarotti had called to cancel his long-awaited headliner performance of “Nessun dorma” (None Shall Sleep) due to illness—and with no warning or preparation, Franklin agreed to step in.

It was neither her genre nor her typical vocal range. But Pavarotti was Franklin’s dear friend, and she had performed a heartfelt tribute to him earlier that week. With only 20 minutes notice, Grammy producers burst into Franklin’s dressing room with an outrageous request—and moments later, they were anxiously ushering her on stage. Read More Here

Aretha Louise Franklin (March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. She began her career as a child singing gospel at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan, where her father, C. L. Franklin, was minister. In 1960, at the age of 18, she embarked on a secular career, recording for Columbia Records but achieving only modest success.

After signing to Atlantic Records in 1967, Franklin achieved commercial acclaim and success with songs such as "Respect", "Chain of Fools", "Think", "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)", and "Spanish Harlem".

By the end of the 1960s she was being called "The Queen of Soul". Franklin recorded acclaimed albums such as I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You (1967), Lady Soul (1968), Young, Gifted and Black (1972) and Amazing Grace (1972), before experiencing problems with her record company by the mid-1970s.

After her father was shot in 1979, she left Atlantic and signed with Arista Records, finding success with the albums Jump to It (1982) and Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985), and her part in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers.

On August 13, 2018, Franklin was reported to be gravely ill at her home in Riverfront Towers, Detroit. She was reported to be under hospice care and surrounded by friends and family. Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson, and ex-husband Glynn Turman, among others, visited her on her deathbed. Franklin died at her home on August 16, 2018, aged 76. The cause was reported to be pancreatic cancer.

Aretha Franklin's family continues to coordinate memorial and funeral plans following her death Thursday morning in Detroit.

Details will be announced in coming days, likely early next week, said Gwendolyn Quinn, spokeswoman for the singer's family. Multiple events will be held in Detroit, Quinn said.

Arrangements are being handled by Swanson Funeral Home of Detroit.

GRIT NOISE ROCK N ROLL AUTHOR DAVID CARSON MAKING APPEARANCE IN DETROIT!

(photo Leni Sinclair) 

From Author David Carson:

Ahh - I wince at self-promotion BUT Cary Loren and the folks at Motor City Muscle: Rock 'n' Muscle Car Festival have asked me to come up and do a multi-media presentation on Detroit's late sixties/early seventies music scene based on Grit Noise & Revolution. I'll be at the Underground Stage downtown at Hart Plaza this Friday (17th) at 5:15. Such a convenient time. It's all free. Jeez - I hope somebody shows up!

Buy a copy of Dave's book to have him sign!

Grit, Noise, and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS ANNOUNCE SUMMER TOUR DATES!

BAND CELEBRATING TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF CHANGES ALBUM

NEW ALBUM SIX OUT NOW VIA RISE RECORDS

For the Fallen Dreams have announced their Summer 2018 tour plans. The band will hit the road for a North American trek, which includes stops in Canada, this August. The dates marks the first leg of the Changes tenth anniversary tour. The band's album of the name dropped in 2008. To celebrate, For the Fallen Dreams will perform Changes in its entirety.

The trek will also feature Sworn In, who are celebrating the fifth anniversary of their Start/End EP. The band will perform the EP in its entirety on the tour. Also performing will be Bodysnatcher, who jump on the tour on the fourth date. Stay Sick Recordings artist Sleep Waker will appear on the first three dates Bodysnatcher's stead. An additional support act will be announced shortly. Confirmed dates are below.

About the trek, singer Chad Ruhlig said, "It's hard to believe it's been a decade since the release of Changes. We've made a life time's worth of memories playing these songs with fans all over the world and we couldn't be more excited to announce this run 10 years later."

He continued, "I still remember where we were when this record came together. The feeling of uncertainty of where music would take us and the drive as young musicians, packed in a van to play our music to whoever would listen.

That's the point, to reflect on how far you've come, to enjoy the journey, and to connect with those who remember where they were and how they felt the first time they heard this album. We look forward to reliving some of those memories and establishing new ones with all of you. Thanks for sticking around — see you soon!"

For the Fallen Dreams released their latest album Six, through Rise Records earlier this year.

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS ON TOUR:

WITH SWORN IN + BODYSNATCHER

8/3 — Lakewood, OH — The Foundry*
8/4 — Dayton, OH — Rockstar Pro Arena*
8/5 —Pontiac, MI — The Pike Room*
8/6 —Toronto, ON — Hard Luck
8/7 —Montreal, QC — Ritz
8/8 —Buffalo, NY — Rec Room
8/9 —Albany, NY — Jupiter Hall
8/10 —Worcester, MA — Palladium
8/11 —Brooklyn, NY — Kingsland
8/12 —Trenton, NJ — Champs
8/14 —Easton, PA — One Centre Square
8/15 —Richmond, VA — Canal Club
8/16 —Greensboro, NC — Blind Tiger
8/17 —Atlanta, GA — Masquerade (Purgatory)
8/18 —Jacksonville, FL — 1904 Music Hall
8/19 —Orlando, FL — Soundbar
*No Bodysnatcher; Sleep Waker appears instead,

FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS ONLINE:

  

LENI SINCLAIR : THE DOCUMENTARY

Leni Sinclair never had a weekly column in mainstream newspaper indeed her work was published by what we would call the social media of her time yet her work has endured. Through her photographs she documented the changing world around her. And when she wasn’t photographing it, she was driving change by opening galleries, communes, rallies and food co-ops.

It’s a story about standing up for your beliefs and encompasses activism, feminism, civil rights, culture, and art. And while it’s a historical story, it’s very timely.

LeniSinclairDocumentary.com

MITCH RYDER: NEW INTERVIEW WITH ELLIOT STEPHEN COHEN

The Original Voice of Detroit Rock n Roll

Truly thrilled to see a new interview with Mitch Ryder! Had to share it with you guys!!

Mitch Ryder – Still Rockin’ His Way

BY ELLIOT STEPHEN COHEN © 2018

“The very first time I heard myself described that way, I was pissed off,” complains veteran singer Mitch Ryder, in response to being labeled “Blue-Eyed Soul.” “First off, my eyes are brown, and I didn’t originally know it referred to white singers that some critics felt were trying to sound “black.” Hey, I was just inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame. So what can I tell you?”

Born William S. Levise Jr. in the small town of Hamtramck, Michigan, on February 26, 1945, his name was changed 20 years later by veteran music producer Bob Crewe (of Four Seasons fame) who spotted the young singer’s group, Jerry and The Rivieras, stealing the show from headliners The Dave Clark Five. He signed them to his new DynoVoice label.

After changing the band’s name to Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Crewe attempted to capture the onstage excitement to vinyl, by pairing a medley of the old blues standard “C.C. Rider” with Little Richard’s “Jenny, Jenny,” which hit the charts as “Jenny Take A Ride.” Other hits followed, including their most successful, a medley of “Devil With A Blue Dress On” and another old Little Richard number, “Good Golly This Molly.”

Ryder has since recorded 27 albums, the latest of which is The Promise. He’s an acknowledged influence to such esteemed performers as Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Bob Seger, and in 2011, he penned a “warts and all” autobiography, Devil With A Blue Dress: My Wild Life As A Rock and Roll Legend, a story he hopes to bring to Broadway. Read full interview here

JEAN LUC PONTY US TOUR STOPS IN DETROIT AUG 15 2108 CHENE PARK

Legendary French Violinist Jean Luc Ponty To Tour The US Summer 2018!

Los Angeles - Legendary French violinist Jean Luc Ponty and his band will be continuing their “Atlantic Years” tour in the US beginning August 2018! Jean Luc Ponty is a pioneer and undisputed master of the violin in the arena of jazz and rock. He is widely regarded as an innovator who has applied his unique visionary spin that has expanded the vocabulary of modern music.

Says Jean Luc, “We're calling it 'The Atlantic Years' tour since I am touring with my band from the late 70's - 80's with whom I recorded several albums for Atlantic Records, and we perform some classics from these early albums exclusively.”

The Jean Luc Ponty Band features:

Jean Luc Ponty – violin
Jamie Glaser – guitars
Keith Jones – bass
Rayford Griffin – drums
Wally Minko – keyboards

Jean Luc Ponty Band 2018 US tour dates:

8/13 - Chicago / The City Winery
8/14 - Chicago / The City Winery
8/15 - Detroit / Chene Park
8/17 - Pittsburgh / Allegheny County South Park Bandshell
8/18 - Philadelphia / Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA
8/19 - Alexandria VA / The Birchmere Music Hall
8/21 - Annapolis MD / Rams Head
8/22 - Annapolis MD / Rams Head
8/23 - Newton NJ / Newton Theatre - Skylands PAC
8/24 - Beverly MA / Cabot Theatre
8/26 - Westbury, Long Island NY / The Space
8/28 - Albany, NY / The Egg
8/29 - Fairfield CT / The Warehouse
8/30 - New York City / Sony Hall Theatre

After studying classical violin at the Paris Conservatory, Jean Luc Ponty turned to jazz in the 60's. Thanks to his revolutionary style he collaborated with some of the best European and American musicians such as Eddy Louiss, Daniel Humair, Niels Henning-Ørsted Pedersen, John Lewis, Lalo Schifrin, and Quincy Jones. He became the first bebop violinist and US jazz magazine “Down Beat” created a violin category for him in its critics' poll, until then violin was in the 'miscellaneous instruments' category.

His pioneering work on the electric violin in the 70's attracted the attention of pop and rock musicians, he recorded with Elton John and participated to several tours and legendary recordings with Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. In 1975 he founded his own band and became one of the most prominent figures of the jazz-fusion movement in the USA, selling millions of albums that all reached the top of the US charts. Ponty's most recent album “The Atacama Experience” is considered as one if his best and to this day Ponty keeps touring with his band around the world.

Ponty also collaborates on occasional projects such as “The Rite of Strings” with Stanley Clarke and Al Di Meola. In 2011 Ponty joined the mythical American group RETURN TO FOREVER IV with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Frank Gambale for a world tour spanning on 5 continents.

Ponty received the 2007 Jazz Trophy in Germany, the medal of Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur in France in 2009, the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Awards in Ireland, and the Grand Prix of the Sochi Arts Festival in 2012 in Russia from the hands of world famous classical violist and orchestra conductor Yuri Bashmet. In 2012 Ponty performed his music with Orchestre Pasdeloup for his 50-year career celebration at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, then again with symphony orchestras in Brazil, Russia and Hungary in 2012 and 2013.

In April 2013 Herbie Hancock invited him to perform in Istanbul at “International Jazz Day” for UNESCO. Ponty also founded a new quartet with his daughter, pianist-singer-composer Clara Ponty which performed in France and Germany in 2014. Ponty also performed with the 89 musicians of the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orcherstra for the Siberian Christmas Festival.

In 2014 Ponty recorded an album as an acoustic trio with Stanley Clarke on double bass and Gypsy-French guitarist Bireli Lagrene, which was released on Impulse/Universal in the Fall 2015.

Jean Luc recently formed the Anderson Ponty Band with Jon Anderson, co-founder and lead singer of British progressive rock band YES, a CD and DVD was released in 2015 followed by a North American concert tour.

The Band:

Jamie Glaser (guitar) is best known as the guitarist for grammy award winning musical acts, Jean Luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Bryan Adams, Gloria Trevi, Manhattan Transfer and more. His guitar can be heard on over 170 albums as well as on the biggest sitcoms of all time, Seinfeld and Married With Children. Jamie compositions can be heard weekly on CBS sports, ABC, Animal Planet, History channel, Discovery, and ESPN. His solo albums have been successful worldwide.

Keith Jones (bassist) has worked with many well known music artists such as Joe Sample, The Crusaders, Al Jarreau, Jean Luc Ponty, Carlos Santana, Andy Narell, Wayne Shorter, Kenny Loggins, Mark Isham and many more. His distinctive bass lines can be heard on hundreds of recordings.

Rayford Griffin (drums) has been internationally respected as among the most inventive, volcanic and versatile drummers in music, having amassed stellar credits with virtuosos ranging from Jean Luc Ponty and The Stanley Clarke Band, George Duke, to Dave Koz, Anita Baker and Michael Jackson.

Wally Minko (keyboards) is a well respected and highly accomplished member of the LA music scene and has toured and recorded with some of the most well known and successful artists in the world! Some of the artists Wally has worked with include Toni Braxton, Pink, En Vogue, New Edition, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Arturo Sandoval, Gregg Rolie (Santana/Journey), Eddie Money and the Anderson Ponty Band, featuring legendary Yes vocalist, Jon Anderson and world renowned jazz violinist, Jean Luc Ponty.

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KRAUTROCK BAND faUSt APPEARING AT EL CLUB JULY 13!

German Krautrock legends faUSt will be making a rare appearance at El Club in Detroit on July 13, 2018!

faUSt is an experimental rock band which came out of the Hamburg music scene in the late sixties. Formed in Wümme in 1971, faUSt were the first band to have the term “krautrock” applied to their music, and to the genre that ensued. faUSt were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as an instrument. Their live appearances were explosive (literally), as the pinball machines and jack-hammer legends detail.

Krautrock Legends faUSt to Tour North America Summer 2018!

Vagabondages in North America tour featuring founding members Jean-Hervé Péron & Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier

German Krautrock legends faUSt will be embarking on their Vagabondages in North America tour in July 2018! faUSt is an experimental rock band which came out of the Hamburg music scene in the late sixties. Formed in Wümme in 1971, faUSt were the first band to have the term “krautrock” applied to their music, and to the genre that ensued. German for “fist,” and also the protagonist of Goethe's eponymous play, faUSt were one of the first bands to use the recording studio as an instrument. Their live appearances were explosive (literally), as the pinball machines and jack-hammer legends detail.

Featuring founding member Jean-Hervé Péron, faUSt's North American tour begins on July 11th in Chicago. There will be line-up changes and guest additions at various points of the tour – founding member and drummer Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier will join the ensemble in Brooklyn on July 22 to the end of the tour. Also featured with the band is guitarist Amaury Cambuzat.

Hello faUSt friends in Canada and USA!

As for 1994! and for the fifth time now, faUSt will ride again the highways of your continent, up and down from Chicago/IL to Montreal/QC, across and back, from Brooklyn, NY to L.A., CA, spreading the good words of DadaKrautRock.

Here all musicians involved in the tour... well, almost all because we do have “last-minute guests”...

faUSt line-ups:

July 11 line-up:
Bobby Conn (vocals and guitarist), Monica BouBou (vocals and violin), Josh Johannpeter (drums), Amaury Cambuzat (guitar and vocals), Tim Barnes (drums and sounds), Jean-Hervé Péron ((vocals, strings, wind and tools)

July 12-21 line-up:
Amaury Cambuzat, Tim Barnes, Jean-Herve Peron

July 22 line-up:
Amaury Cambuzat, Tim Barnes, Braden Diotte (bass and sounds), Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier (drums, vocals, tools and metal), Jean-Hervé Péron

July 25-29 line-up:
Ernsthafte Angelegenheiten (all-female punk trio), Amaury Cambuzat, Braden Diotte, Werner 'Zappi' Diermaier, Jean-Hervé Péron

faUSt Vagabondages in North America tour dates:

July 11 - Chicago (IL) - The Empty Bottle
July 12 - Cinncinatti (OH) - Woodward Festival
July 13 - Detroit (MI) - El Club
July 14 - Hillside Festival / Guelph (ON) / Canada
July 15 - Toronto (ON) / Canada - Jamfactory
July 16 - Montreal (QC) / Canada - BAR LE RITZ PDB
July 17 - Portland (ME) - Space Gallery
July 18 - Boston (MA) - Brighton Music Hall
July 20 - Philadelphia (PA) - Underground Arts
July 21- Baltimore (MD) - Creative Alliance
July 22 - Brooklyn (NY) - Murmrr Theater
July 25 - San Francisco (CA) - The Chapel
July 26 - Felton (CA) - Don Quixote's Music Hall
July 28 - Los Angeles (CA) - Summer Happening / Social Shamans / The Broad
July 29 - San Diego (CA) - Casbah

In May 2017 faUSt released a new album “Fresh Air”; a partially live CD, some tracks were compiled from the band's gigs in Los Angeles, Austin and Jersey City in 2016. To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-A ir-Faust/dp/B06XR82XV9/ref=ntt _mus_ep_dpi_1

For more information:
http://faust-news.blogspot.com /
http://www.art-errorist.de/

DETROIT RIVER DAYS 2018 FULL LINE UP

There are so many amazing musicians performing at River Days and it is only 11 days away!! Check out the full lineup here and view the complete schedule READ MORE

MOTOR CITY MUSCLE® FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE LAUNCH PARTY AND MEDIA EVENT

Announcing the launch of the inaugural Motor City Muscle® Festival with an exclusive, authentically Detroit party at the historic Ford Piquette Avenue Plant – birthplace of the Model T. Make history and revel in automotive and musical inspiration as MCM announces the complete festival schedule of events.

The exclusive party inside the Ford plant and in its courtyard will present two rock stages featuring performances by Detroit-raised Danny Koker of the History Channel television show Counting Cars and his band Count's 77 and Detroit Music Award-Winners The Muggs.

Enjoy additional performances from the MCM Motor-Rock Contest Winning Bands, Cadillac Kidz, Choking Susan, The Lows and The Seatbelts.

JUNE 21 Motor City Muscle® Festival | 

Exclusive Launch Party & Media Event

by American Entertainment Technology

TICKETS
$88 – $313

Thu, June 21, 2018

7:30 PM – 11:30 PM EDT

LOCATION

The Historic Ford-Piquette Avenue Plant

461 Piquette Street

DETROIT, MI 48202

View Map

BRUNO MAJOR MAKES DETROIT DEBUT THIS SATURDAY @MARBLE BAR!

Heads up, London indie upstart Bruno Major will make his Detroit debut at Marble Bar (1501 Holden St) on Saturday, June 2.

TICKETS

The singer-songwriter's "versatile and vulnerable" (Billboard) sound listens somewhere in between Nick Drake, Rhye, D'Angelo and James Blake, ranging from "futuristic soul to warm, jazz-flecked finger picking, to minimalist bass and vocal combinations" (Paste).

Sam Smith hand-selected Bruno as support for his "The Thrill Of It All" UK Arena tour, which just wrapped in April. (No surprise, Boston Globe says Bruno "...splits the musical difference between Sam Smith and James Blake").

LISTEN to his latest project, achingly vulnerable, 12-track, R&B-inspired pop collection: 'A Song For Every Moon' (my faves "Just The Same" and "Wouldn't Mean A Thing").

A Song For Every Moon

MAMBO SONS' GUITARIST TOM GUERRA NEW RELEASE AMERICAN GARDEN!!

ABOUT AMERICAN GARDEN:

After I did the “All of the Above” and “Trampling Out the Vintage” solo albums, I continued developing new song ideas and recording them as I went along. A little over a year ago, my longtime friend, the bassist extraordinaire Kenny Aaronson, asked me about collaborating with him on songs for the upcoming Yardbirds studio album, scheduled to be produced by Jack Douglas later in the year.

Kenny’s been playing with The Yardbirds for a number of years and they are just a stellar rock and roll band. Of course, I jumped at this opportunity, and we started sending ideas back and forth. Over the next several months, we developed several song concepts into various stages of completion, and had a good time along the way!

Guest musicians including Kenny Aaronson (bass), Jon Butcher (guitar), Morgan Fisher (piano), and Garry Segal (harmonica).

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All the while I kept working on my own as well, as there seemed to be so many things to write about. Real world inspiration produced many of these tunes, including the title track, which was written after some long conversations with some Vietnam vets – the verses are their stories, and the chorus is my take on how all of our vets continually to be treated; “Blood on the New Rising Sun,” about the Charlottesville protests; and both “Jack for Joe” and “Meet Me at the Bottom of Your Glass,” about lost friends.

I always wanted to write a tune using just piano and voice, a la Tom Waits, so that’s how the demo of “Meet Me” started out. For the final version, I enlisted the help of virtuoso pianist Morgan Fisher, who brought elegance to my ragged tune.

Another collaboration resulted from monster guitarist Jon Butcher’s suggestion that it would be fun to work together. I thought “Blood…” might be a good vehicle for a collaboration, since it had a lot of real estate for Jon to do his thing, and he did not disappoint, laying down electrifying guitar parts on his vintage Tele.

As the songs started piling up, I received the disappointing news that The Yardbirds would not be doing a new album, so I decided that some of the tunes that Kenny and I wrote together, including “Goodbye to Yesterday,” “The Lyin’ King” and “Family of One” would appear on this album. Also included here are my arrangements of “The Story,” popularized by Brandi Carlile, and “Walls,” a tribute to Tom Petty that I recorded in the days following his passing.

The last song I wrote for this record is the first song you hear on it, “Nevermore,” about a guy of a certain age who is trying to convince himself there are brighter days ahead.

So here’s my third solo cd, “American Garden.” 

 I hope you like it, and TURN IT UP LOUD!

-Tom Guerra, May 30, 2018