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April |
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Cover of Current ConcertYou, the readers, have dwindled our panel’s 12 Ann Arbor bands in the Cover of Current Competition to the final four... |
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Pearloiners, Masturboats, and Silken Flesh Communicators! Oh my!Simon & Schuster recently posted videos on YouTube of various employees taking turns trying to read aloud portions of Nicholson Baker’s new novel House of Holes. No one gets very far before collapsing with embarrassed laughter. |
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Mr. B’s Piano CelebrationMark Braun (AKA Mr. B) has been staging his annual Blues and Boogie Woogie Piano Celebrations for fourteen years. Past participants have included a veritable who’s who in the world of piano greats, such as Monty Alexander, Henry Butler, Cyrus Chestnut, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. |
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Zakir Hussain & Master Musicians of IndiaZakir Hussain is a tabla virtuoso who has defied genres by collaborating with the world's best musicians like YoYo Ma, Van Morrison, Anoushka Shankar, and George Harrison. He has become one of India's most prized ambassadors and is known for unbelievable rhythms and uncanny improvisations. |
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An evening with artisansEver wondered about the artisan food created by the loving hands at Zingerman's? |
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Love the soundLouder Than Love — which screens at the Michigan Theater on Monday, April 9 — documents the rise of the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. |
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Control and conquerPretending to be something you’re not for affection is a pretty constant thing in society, and that's exactly what the coming-to-age upper-class Kate does in She Stoops to Conquer. She goes the opposite direction from the norm — pretending to be poor, so a wealthy Londoner takes notice of her. |
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The 42nd Annual Earth Day FestivalSince 1970, Earth day has aimed to raise awareness about the natural environment. Luckily, it can be both fun and informative thanks to the annual Ann Arbor Earth Day Festival, hosted by the Leslie Science Nature Center. |
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Be a foolThe most free-wheeling and fun display of moving art of the year, Festifools brings a lighthearted European tradition to Main Street Ann Arbor. On April 1, the Festifools procession of papier-mâché forms one of the most unique and quirky parades in the entire nation. |
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Charles Lloyd's Journey Towards LoveI was 11 years old in 1966. It would be four more years before I appreciated what happened at the Monterey Jazz Festival that pivotal year. Charles Lloyd's Atlantic Records release "Forest Flower" was the first jazz record I remember hearing. |
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Memorized epiphanies – Frontier Ruckus’s new psychic overloadSinger/songwriter Matthew Milia had no reservations making something epic, monumental, or even oceanic, in scope; an album from which “thoughtful and patient listeners” could “encounter a really rich experience” that they could return to “frequently and interact with in new ways each time.” |
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Don't go quietlyBela Fleck brings a whole new meaning to the word virtuoso; no doubt he meets the qualifying factor with outstanding technical skill, but through a storied career, he has risen above being a raw talent, changing the rules of bluegrass — a couple of times, actually. |
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Performance art prodigy in our midstMy readers and fans know that I’m a sucker for performance art. For me it’s the combination of live performance and the ephemeral, no-two-shows-the-same aesthetic, the closest we come now to what used to be called a “happening.” It’s my favorite part of our annual Ann Arbor Summerfest. |
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Rethink Green 2012In some places it's harder than others to make an environmentally-friendly change, but we live in a community filled with progressive people and businesses looking to make a difference. Here are some of our green leaders. |
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A little miracleThe Purple Rose’s next play, their 80th production since their founding in 1991, is a world premiere. Don Zolidis’ White Buffalo, which is now open, is based on an actual event, the birth of a white buffalo calf on a small farm in Wisconsin in 1994. |
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A green journeyThe Ragbirds are ready for the road — and they're doing it the right way. When we caught up with singer and multi-instrumentalist Erin Zindle, the Ann Arbor-based band had just left town for a showcase gig at Austin, Texas' famous South by Southwest festival. |
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Time for TOAST!!!The next time I go to hear Heywood Banks do his standup comedy concert—which will be on April 28, when he comes to The Ark—I’m bringing along aspirin, or maybe even some stronger prescription strength pain-killer. The last time I saw him, when he served as MC for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival in January, I hurt myself doubling up and falling down laughing. This time I’m also going to pack a box of Kleenex. |
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The Simple Secrets of a Wine GuruWhen I accidentally stood up Jorge Lopez-Chavez, the Produce Station’s “wine director,” for a recent lunch meeting, I had trouble getting ahold of him. He has no cell phone, and until they recently set up a Produce Station account for him, no email. Jorge (pronounced HOR-hey) is old school. |
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The Wurst BarThe Wurst Bar has a college bar feel, not surprising given its proximity to the EMU campus. On a week night, it feels welcoming to all. At first glance, it doesn't seem like the place where you'd find gourmet sausage, or really gourmet anything. |
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Minding Our BizAs the beautiful days begin to roll in, and the streets are filled with people kicking back on downtown patios, it’s easy to understand why the Daily Beast recently named Ann Arbor America’s 5th happiest city. |
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Local Food a Global SolutionPeople's Food Co-op of Ann Arbor will host sustainable agriculture pioneer and renowned author and lecturer Joel Salatin. |
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One for the FlockThe State of Michigan has followed suit with other regions in the country by implementing Safe Passage Great Lakes Days. |
