GENERAL MOTORS RIVER DAYS

With the bar exam about a month and a half away, I have been unable to sufficiently perform my duties at detroitarmy.com. Based on your opinion of lawyers, the bar exam may or may not be a legitimate excuse, but whether it is or isn't, is neither here nor there. It is what it is. If my staff ever grows larger than one (myself) and about 2/3 of a person (my much appreciated contributing writers), large commitments such as this hopefully won't take such a toll on the frequency of information provided.

Anyway, while I am presently unable to spend the amount of time on each story that they deserve, I have to mention that the GM River Days Festival begins tomorrow, and ends with the 50th Annual Target Fireworks on Monday June 23. There will be plenty to do over the four days, as new and improved waterfront activities have been added to last year's already lengthy list. It's always fun to be down by the river on a beautiful day, even if the national musical acts aren't very impressive (Hey, I love some old school Brian McKnight just as much as the next guy, and needless to say, B Mcknight worked miracles with the ladies during my high school days, but that doesn't by any means give justification for him being the headlining act).

Below I've provided a few informational links regarding the GM River Days Festival...

Detroit River Days Official Site
Waterfront Comes Alive for GM River Days
TellusDetroit.com

Detroit Army

GM PRESENTS-ROCKIN' ON THE RIVERFRONT

An event like GM's "Rockin' on the Riverfront" is a prime way to exemplify how great the Detroit riverfront can be and the range of possibilities for its use. Rockin' on the Riverfront is a concert series sponsored by General Motors and in partnership with 94.7 WCSX-FM, which will be held for 8 Fridays in a row from June 27th through August 22. The concept is to show off GM's line up of vehicles while providing concertgoers with entertainment including food, refreshments, great scenery, and classic rock.

The lineup, being classic rock themed, begins with headliner Pat Benatar on June 27th. The rest of the line-up is listed as follows,

* Mark Farner and Mitch Ryder – July 11
* Starship, starring Mickey Thomas – July 18
* Rick Derringer and Classic Rock All Stars– July 25
* The Guess Who – August 1
* Kansas – August 8
* Blue Oyster Cult – August 15
* Foreigner – August 22

In my view, the "quality" of the line up for Rockin' on the Riverfront shouldn't really be much of a concern. More importantly, it's great to see a company like GM taking advantage of our newly constructed riverfront area. I actually think the acts are somewhat secondary to the potential this event has to bring people from all over Metro Detroit down to the riverfront.

The Renaissance Center's website states:

"Refreshments and a variety of food concessions will be available at several locations on the plaza. Outside food, beverages or coolers will not be permitted. Additionally, pre-concert dinner options are available at the GM Renaissance Center’s delectable full service restaurants – Coach Insignia, Andiamo Riverfront, Seldom Blues, River Café, Sweet Lorraine’s and Asian Village. Special promotions will be announced soon.

Convenient parking is available for $5 per vehicle at the GM surface lot at the intersection of St. Antoine and Atwater, adjacent to the GM Renaissance Center
RenCen News

The only downside regarding Rockin' on the Riverfront is that "Outside food, beverages or coolers will not be permitted." I'd say that most people like to bring a cooler to an outdoor concert. The main reason is usually to bring alcohol, and while some people can get out of control, its unfortunate that patrons won't be able to spread out and share a couple beers of or a few glasses of wine among friends while enjoying everything this event has to offer.

Nevertheless, when free entertainment is held outdoors, on the water, and in a city, whether it be Detroit or somewhere else, the end result is usually good times.

For more information, call (313) 568-5600 or visit gmrencen.com
Detroit Army

MOVEMENT-DETROIT'S ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL '08

Movement, Detroit's Electronic Music Festival, or DEMF, is back in 2008 for another go around. Taking place from May 24-26 in Detroit's Hart Plaza, I've been told that DEMF 2008 has scheduled one of the most exciting line ups the event has ever seen.

Before we get into this year's event, a small history lesson is in order. When over 1.5 million people showed up at the festival each year, from its beginning in 2000 through 2002, it looked as if DEMF has an incredible future as an annual event in downtown Detroit. Subsequently though, as controversy regarding the festival ensued, and the event's organization changed hands, the future of the festival was in doubt.

The Electronica music scene has been a part of Detroit's history for almost 30 years. Legend has it that Detroit Techno was started in the 1980's by the "Belleville Three," which included members Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, and Derrick May. The three men were black males from the Detroit suburb, although I say that term loosely, of Belleville, Michigan. As fate would have it, all three men bonded over music as they found themselves outcasts in an extremely white town.

After visiting Chicago and hearing the sounds of house music, the three guys decided to take house music's dance style sound from Chicago, and add mechanical sounds by using analog synthesizers and drum machines to form what is now known as Techno. By 1988-89, the European rave scene embraced the sound coming from Detroit and Techno became its own music genre.

While Techno, house music, and Electronica never took off as mainstream in the U.S., to this day, the music is extremely popular abroad, and especially in Europe. Each member of the "Belleville Three" still tours the globe and continues to create new music. European Electronica music has shown its appreciate for what Detroit has done for the genre by honoring it in many songs, including just recently the worldwide hit, "Put Your Hands Up for Detroit" by Ferde Le Grande.

In response to Detroit's great electronic history, the first Detroit Electronic Music Festival was created in 2000 by Carol Marvin, founder of Pop Culture Media, and former sponsorship organizer of the Detroit Jazz Festival and the Michigan State Fair. Carl Craig, influential Techno producer in the Detroit scene, was hired as "artistic director" for the event. The inaugural festival was deemed a huge success as it unexpectedly saw over 1 million people attend. Subsequent festivals in 2001 and 2002 drew even larger crowds, topping off at about 1.7 million.

But controversy soon ensued, as Carl Craig was fired for not fulfilling the terms of his contract. Subsequently, in 2003 and 2004 the event was placed in the hands of "Belleville Three" member Derrick May, who changed the event name to "Movement." Yet, the event's luster was just not there, and in February 2005, May resigned from his post after losing thousands of dollars.

From there, another "Belleville Three" member, Kevin Saunderson, took control of the event, and re-named it "Fuse-In." Unfortunately, like fellow friend Derrick May, Saunderson was not able to create a profit from the event, and by 2006, the event changed hands again, this time given to Ferndale based Paxahau, a electronic record label and booking agency. Paxahau again changed the name of the event to, "Movement, Detroit's Electronic Music Festival." While Paxahau claims that Saunderson, May, and Craig support the festival under Paxahau's management, only May has confirmed this, although I am told Carl Craig will perform at the 2008 event.

Since Paxahau took over organization of the event, all reports have been that DEMF is back on top and continually growing. The fact that the 2008 event is even taking place is a testament to that.

Organizers of the 2008 DEMF festival hope to continually upgrade the quality of the event in order to support its growth. An article on Remix Magazine's website states:

"The festival will feature four distinct stages - each with its own unique personality. The Vitaminwater Stage, the Beatport Stage, the Real Detroit Stage and the Red Bull Stage. This is the first year the Red Bull Music Academy is presenting a stage at any US festival."
(Remix Forums)

The article explains that, "The Red Bull Stage and the Beatport Stage represent two of the most significant improvements to this year’s festival. Both stages feature new structure designs to provide the audience with an optimal listening and dancing experience. The stages include new vinyl roofs and metal structures, ensuring a foundation strong enough to hold the sound and lighting systems. Plus, the stages provide more space, better sightlines and protection against inclement weather conditions. In addition to these new stages, the festival will feature drastically enhanced sound systems to provide attendees with outstanding sound quality."
(Remix Forums)

Like I always say, we don't pretend to be too hip at DetroitArmy, so I won't comment on the lineup, but as stated before, DEMF's 2008 lineup is apparently considered a doozy. With all this in mind, May 24-26 is a perfect time to come downtown, enjoy great weather, and have an incredible time at one of this country's best electronic music festivals. Expect to see technoheads, electronica junkies, ravers, urbanites, suburbanites, and people just trying to have a good time. Electronic music doesn't have to be your cup of tea to enjoy this event, and everyone should take advantage of this exciting festival right in our backyard.

With the expected large turnout and our support, the 2008 event should keep Detroit in the Electronica spotlight, while reminding outsiders of Detroit's status as one of the most influential cities that electronic music has ever seen.

Discounted pre-sale admission tickets to the festival are $40 for a weekend pass or $175 for VIP tickets. The festival’s hours are 12 Noon to Midnight.

For more information on Movement 08 - Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival or to order tickets, visit DEMF or Paxahau.com
Detroit Army

2008 COMERICA CITYFEST

The 2008 Comerica Cityfest (formerly the Tastefest), is returning to the New Center area this year for the fourth of July weekend from July 2-July 6. The Cityfest, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, is in essence a collection of food vendors, along with multiple performance stages which line the streets of W. Grand Boulevard between Cass and Third, essentially in front of the old General Motor's headquarters and the Fisher Building.

There will be four performance stages at this year's event, each one taking on its own personality. The stages include, The Motor City Casino Stage (presented by The Detroit News), The Pure Detroit Stage (presented by Real Detroit Weekly), The Grand Boulevard Jazz and Blues Stage (presented by Hour), and the New Center Council Park Stage (presented by Metro Times).

The Motor City Casino Stage will hold some of the most well known headlining acts which include performances by De La Soul, and George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic. For a free concert, it's hard to beat De La Soul and George Clinton. De La Soul is a classic hip hop group, and besides the obvious funk pioneer stature of George Clinton, he has a nice Detroit affiliation as well. In 1963, and early in Clinton's career, Clinton and his group Parliament moved to Detroit in hopes of recording for Motown. They ended up landing a contract with independent record label Revilot Records, which released numerous Parliament albums. Clinton also wrote songs for Motown groups, including The Jackson Five and Diana Ross.

Additionally the Pure Detroit Stage will mostly be showcasing Detroit's own best and brightest hip-hop, rock and electronica groups, the Grand Boulevard Jazz and Blues Stage will feature local and national Jazz and Blues acts including Detroit's own Thornetta Davis, and the New Center Council Park stage will show off Detroit's best folk and indie rock banks.

While the event is free, including all of the performances on each of the four stages, food and beverage purchases from the vendors help subsidize the cost. The food line-up is always extremely good and while not finalized yet, past years have included around 50 vendors with a wide range of unbelievable choices from a slew of great restaurants around metro Detroit. Each vendor has its own out door tent at which they offer a selection of some of their favorite dishes. Each item is priced in tickets which they sell at the event. The price is $7 for 11 tickets and while out of context that doesn't mean anything, from my experience, the prices are not too outrageous.

Moreover, this year festival-goers will have more time to experience Comerica Cityfest 2008 with its new extended hours. The festival will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

If you would like to learn more about Comerica Cityfest 2008 please visit the Newcenter website at: Comerica Cityfest 2008

If you would like to know more about previous Cityfest's, check out the 2007 website which lists performances from last year, as well as food vendors: Comerica Cityfest 2007

Detroit Army

MODEL D APRIL SPEAKER SERIES-"HOW SOUTHWEST DETROIT GROWS"

If you have never been to www.modeldmedia.com and taken a look at their "internet magazine" about Detroit, you should. It is another website which chooses to take a positive look at Detroit and employs a proactive approach to problems facing our city and region. In addition to their "internet magazine," Model D also hosts a monthly speaker series in which different speakers present their ideas and experiences regarding interesting and sometimes pressing issues about Detroit.

The Model D speakers for the month of April include Kathy Wendler of the Southwest Detroit Business Association, Jim Saucedo of State Farm Insurance, and Tim Thorland and John Van Camp of Southwest Solutions. As a group, they will talk about the ways in which Southwest Detroit is growing, what potential investment opportunities there might be, and what the neighborhood as a whole is doing to attract more residents and new businesses.

If you are unfamiliar with Southwest Detroit, and wonder why Model D would host speakers in connection with this particular area of Detroit, plenty of reasons can be found. For one, while most of the city of Detroit is shrinking and losing residents, Southwest Detroit is actually gaining. If nothing else, this is the reason why there is so much interest about this area and why it is hailed as a success story in an otherwise bleak neighborhood outlook.

While Southwest Detroit is most notably known for Mexicantown and the surrounding plethora of popular Hispanic restaurants, Model D's website states:

"Southwest Detroit is an exciting area for many reasons: its ethnic diversity, strong commercial districts, dense residential areas, successful cultural and community organizations, and many former residents still loyal to the old neighborhood."
Source: Model D

Just recently, Corey Williams of the Associated Press wrote a story about Southwest Detroit and the positive strides it has recently made. He makes reference to the influx of a large population of Hispanic residents, recent development activity and the surprising fact that this is occurring in Detroit, and not in a city within close proximity to the Mexican border. In the article, Olga Savic, of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., stated, "It's one of the few places in the city where you are seeing a lot of private investment."
Source: Associated Press

As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to hold the April speaker series about Southwest Detroit. More than anything, this event is a great opportunity to hear about a success story in the city. Hopefully, attendees can learn something which he or she can put to use within the city and/or the metro area. It's an opportunity to listen to plans and ideas that worked, instead of listening to why a plan did not, which is something that some people in Michigan have not done in some time.

The event will take place on April 23, 2008 at 5:00 p.m., at the Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle. It is sponsored by Model D, the Detroit Yacht Club, and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

The event is free, but space is limited, so you must register beforehand. If you would like to attend this event, you can register at Speaker Series Registration
Detroit Army

RED BULL AIR RACE

You've got plans for the weekend of May 31. The Red Bull Air Race is coming to Detroit and it should be a scene. Taking place on Saturday May 31, and Sunday June 1, the event is basically a race through the sky where pilots must navigate through an obstacle course in the fastest possible time. The races are also supplemented by a program of show flights.

It started in 2001, but this is the first year that a leg of the Red Bull Air Race tour will be held in Detroit. This year it will only be held in one other U.S. city, San Diego, and since 2003, it has only been held in two other U.S. cities, San Francisco and Reno, Nevada. Worldwide it is only held in ten cities each year.

There will be two ticketed areas, one in Windsor, and one in Detroit, accompanied by "premium concessions," and jumbotrons so that race fans can catch a birds eye view of the aircrafts. In Detroit, the race can be seen on the Detroit riverfront, from the Renaissance Center to Belle Isle. Race promoters expect that the race will attract 100,000 spectators and pump $64 million dollars into the local economy.

While the Red Bull Air Race website says it picked Detroit because of its rich aviation history, reputation as a great sports town, and international waterway, the seed was planted by Jon Rimanelli, CEO of of Detroit Air Racing Inc., a Detroit based company of aviation enthusiasts. A prime example of how we all can make a difference in Detroit/Metro, Jon intensely lobbied for the event, and once officials took notice of how the Detroit River stacks up against other waterways in the world, the pieces were in place to bring the race to rock citay.

If you'd like to know more about the races and all the locations, check out the Red Bull Air Race website at Red Bull Air Race

If you want information on buying tickets or Detroit hospitality packages, here is the link: Detroit Red Bull Air Race Ticket Information
Detroit Army

GOLD: A FUNDRAISER FOR THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DETROIT

The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) seems to be on a roll since opening in October of 2006, hosting interesting and thought provoking exhibits, while also hosting a multitude of popular events. Most exhibits are free, but on March 29, MOCAD will host "Gold" a fundraiser which will provide museum goers an opportunity to see great performances and eat delicious food, while raising money so that MOCAD can keep up the museum and continue to entertain Detroiters year round. This is a great opportunity to do something different than going to the local Irish Pub on a Saturday night and is a great way to support the museum which has provided Detroiters and visitors alike with impressive and well received exhibits over the past year and a half.

The fundraiser will include an evening of art, fashion, and music. In addition to the festivities, patrons will have access to the ongoing exhibitions Holy Hip Hop! New Paintings by Alex Melamid and ReFusing Fashion: Rei Kawakubo, as well as musical performances and a raffle.

There will be two types of admission tickets available. Individuals who pay $75 are able to arrive at the museum beginning at 7:30, and will have access to cuisine from multiple restaurants throughout the Detroit Metro area. Some of these great restaurants include Forte of Birmingham, Slows of Corktown in Detroit, Tribute of Farmington Hills, and Small Plates and Vicente’s of Downtown Detroit. Entertainment during the dining portion of the night includes a collaborative performance by filmmaker Martha Colburn and Detroit-based musician Ian Clark. Something important to note is that ticket holders who pay $75 to arrive at 7:30 p.m, are invited to take part in an open bar and food for the entire evening.

If you'd rather arrive late, for only $15 dollars, individuals can arrive at 9:30 p.m., as Detroit musicians will play pop cover songs from the past 30 years with their own distinct flavor. For individuals who arrive at 9:30 p.m., a cash bar will be available.

Bands performing at 9:30 p.m. include The Go, T3 (Slum Village), Lee Marvin Computer Arm, Bad Party, The Silent Years, Dee Jay Frankie Banks, Dark Red, EsQuire, and The Sisters Lucas.

To read about these artists, performers, and other details, check out the official website for the event at MOCAD Gold Event.

MOCAD is located at:
4454 Woodward Ave.
Detroit, MI
48201
Detroit Army

2008 Detroit Fringe Festival

The Fringe Festival is back this year and hopes to improve upon an impressive showing in 2007. The Fringe Festival runs for 32 hours straight in celebration of experimental music, performance art, fashion, film and visual art. This year's performers include legendary rap music pioneer DJ Afrika Bambaattaa, Polka Floyd and Champions of Breakfast. Visual artists include world renowned artist Mark Ryden and Detroit's own Niagara and Glenn Barr.

We don't pretend to be too hip at Detroit Army.com, so while I can't comment on many of the performers, Afrika Bambaataa definitely rings a bell. He was instrumental in the development of hip hop in the 1970's and rose to fame especially in the socially conscious crowd in the 1980's. We had no idea what he had been doing for the last twenty years, but what do we know? Apparently he continued to speak out against apartheid in South Africa and more recently had taken on the challenge of curbing gang violence, all while continuing to spin, make records and collaborate with other artists.

Whether you know the artists/performers listed or not, the whole idea of the festival is pretty cool. Detroit doesn't/can't have a late night scene (unless you are at a house party, or doing something illegal), so the thought of being able to hang out and watch bizarre behavior, acts, and performances with a bunch of hardcore hipsters all night in Detroit sounds like good times to me.

The show is hosted at the Music Hall Center for Performing Arts in Detroit, beginning at 2 p.m. April 5 to 4 a.m. April 6. Tickets are $35. Music Hall is at 350 Madison Ave., Detroit.

Call (313) 887-8500
Visit www.musichall.org
For a complete festival lineup, visit www.detroitfringefestival.com

Oh, and also, the host of the show is Flint native Sandra Bernhard. (I hesitated at mentioning this fact earlier because I can't stand her, but it is what it is.)
Detroit Army

Detroit's Downtown Hoedown

On one of those 20/20 type shows the other night, they were interviewing a convicted murderer who was apparently schizophrenic at the time he committed the act. He spoke of topics in the variety of spaceships, aliens, voices telling him to do things, and finally, how he found himself at the "Hoedown at Hart Plaza in Detroit." I wasn't surprised at all. Spaceships, aliens, and Detroit's Downtown Hoedown fit into a nice category together, especially coming from a schizophrenic murderer. The belated point is that the Hoedown in Hart plaza is both bizarre and great, kind of like aliens and spaceships.

I know that people from all over metro Detroit come down to the city for all kinds of events, and yet the hoedown still seems like the most out of place. The hoedown, which is celebrating its 25th anniverary, must be a good time though, as it continues to succeed as an extremely popular event every May. According to multiple sources, it is widely recognized as the largest free country music festival of its kind in the world.

This year's hoedown is once again at Hart Plaza on the weekend of May 9-May 11 and it might be the most prolific hoedown in the 25 year history. The headlining acts including Jewel on May 9th, Trisha Yearwood on the 10th, and Gretchen Wilson closing out the festival on the 11th. In addition to the headliners, there will also be over 30 other acts throughout the weekend including performers from out of state, along with up and coming local artists.

So put on your cowboy boots and hat and you'll be ready to party with every country music fan within a 7 hour radius, and maybe even some schizophrenic criminals.

Jewel, Trisha Yearwood will Headline Detroit's Downtown Hoedown
Detroit Army