Weekly What’s-Up 5/16

Vet Fest

I know the tired hipster gripe that we have an abundance of “Fests” around here, be it in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor or in Detroit – but you can shut your mouth this weekend – this Fest is for Veterans. Actually, you can feed your mouth; show up on Saturday, show your support for local nonprofit Help For Our Disabled Troops and you can get a plate of roasted suckling pig compliments of charcuterie specialist, Chef Drew Dziewi. That’s right, a Pig Roast that leads to a night of music the Pig (…Blind Pig, that is). But this isn’t any all-meat-fest, there will be special vegetarian sliders and green bean salads. Food is served at Waterworks Park (398 S. 7th St) from 2pm until sunset (Vets eat free). After that, a fine line-up of bands keeps the Fest going from 8pm onward at the Blind Pig (208 S First St, Ann Arbor), featuring the atmospheric post-rock and ambient experimental pop of local outfits Truman and Northerner, the dazzling psych-jangle of indie-Americana rockers like Man Mountain, the more frenetic, post-punk-tinged bursts of Pulp Culture  and Amanita or the space-rock splashed indie-pop balladry of Narco Debut. 
Songs to sample/stream: Northern – “Selfridge”

Man Mountain  – “Lucerna”

This Blind Pig event is actually DAY 2 of a weekend-long Fest/tribute to veterans returning home from the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan. Click here for information on tonight’s first installment of Vet Fest –over in Detroit at the Old Miami.

New meaty material –release party in Hamtramck.

Speaking of Meat, though… Detroit’s icons The Meatmen, masters of acerbic, provocative satire disguised as purposefully putrid punk, are celebrating the release of Savage Sagas, their first new album in 19 years on Saturday night over in Hamtramck at Small’s Bar.  Easy Action, Nice Hooves and Gang Green will open things up, with music starting after 9pm.
Small’s Bar 10339 Conant St, Hamtramck, MI

More ravenous rock at Crossroads

Yeah, let’s keep on this punk-rock track, for now. As we mark nearly one whole month of a post-Woodruff’s Ypsi scene, it seems, encouragingly, that the Crossroads Bar & Grill is picking up the torch of main music hub – as they’ve got a noteworthy (and assuredly noisy) line-up of bands tonight. You might file them under, er, aggressive-sounding? We consider it lively. Others would consider it punk, hardcore, throat-curdling, amped-up, maybe even brutal. But sometimes you need that! Ypsi’s Decade Of Flies and Detroit’s Excommunicators will join tireless tremendo-rock-howlers Lizerrd – with music starting around 10pm – Crossroads Bar – 517 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti. 

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Jeff covers music for Current, posting weekly show previews and highlighting new bands in the area.

Jeff Milo
Jeff Milo
Jeff covers music for Current, posting weekly show previews and highlighting new bands in the area.

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