Blogs: Author Archive

Blowout 15 is over and I survived it on only 25 bucks. To tell you the truth, I really didn’t think I’d make it this far. I wasn’t hip to many of the bands on the bill for night four, so I stuck to what I more anticipated to see. As I clawed the...
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Goddamn, that was loud. I kicked off Blowout night two at Kelly’s Bar to see the Phantom Verses, an acoustic trio of dual guitars and bass. They brought to mind that whole late 90s, post-grunge sound coupled with the kind of alt-metal hooks that short hair-era Metallica were known for. Over at the Polish...
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Blowout 15. Last year is almost a blur to me now. But, that’s the mark of any really good time, right? It was my first experience with Blowout and there were so many great shows and experiences whizzing by that it was almost overwhelming. One memory does stick out clearly in my mind, though;...
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The ever perceptive and extremely hardworking Black Iris booking brings another amazing show to the Magic Stick. Japan’s completely bonkers trio Guitar Wolf unleashed their leather-clad brand of punk rock on an extremely receptive crowd Wednesday night. Detroit’s Gorevette opened the night with a set of bouncy, sneering rock. The  quartet is one of...
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Saturday was a wild night at the Old Miami. Capping off Scrummage Records‘ weekend Cinco de Mayo festivities with a bang, the club booked some of the most frenzied and noisiest bands they could find. Principal among them were the Japanese duo Pikacyu-Makoto, consisting of Pikacyu from the duo Afrirampo and Kawabata Makoto from...
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Legendary soul man Melvin Davis touched down in Detroit at PJ’s Lager House last night. The 69-year-old veteran packed the club and, by the end of the night, had the entire place rocking like the soul clubs of yore.  Prepping for his 17-date tour of Europe starting next month, Detroit’s Soul Ambassador and his...
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Saturday night served as the gathering place for all the armchair space cadets in the city as Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor, Suuns and the Black Angels brought the Magic Stick a little bit closer to space. Kicking off the night were Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor. Sisters are among Detroit’s finest psychedelic bands....
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For those who spurned the Detroit Music Awards last night (or those whose wallets couldn’t meet the price) the rest of the city offered, well, just what it offers every Friday night; rock n’ roll furor fermenting around every corner. At least, that’s how it was at PJ’s Lager House. Surprisingly packed considering the...
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“Where are we, in fuckin’ Alaska?” That was a remark someone made to me as I was leaving Paycheck’s Lounge, nearing midnight. By then much of greater Detroit was covered in a few inches of snow. But that did not deter the dedicated Blowout spectators. In fact, for many, the harsh backdrop just further...
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At first glance I figured Blowout night three would be the least interesting of the four. Sandwiched between Telecollision and the Sights tearing it up Thursday and my anticipation for Saturday, many of Fridays’ acts just slipped under my radar. I found myself taking chances on bands I’ve never heard before, which is part...
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