When I Die I’m Gonna Go To Detroit…

Everything, every engagement or project, this week, around Detroit anyway, is spoken of in terms of :after Blowout…

“Oh, yeah, that, …been meaning to get to that, …(or), we’ll meet up and figure that out / talk that over ….-

“…After Blowout.” (blowout.metrotimes.com/)

Because we really can’t focus on anything else until after the floodwaters of the nation’s largest all-local music festival start subsiding down the drains of Hamtramck sewers, the impressive echoes of a hundred bands and a hundred amps evaporating away from the northern Detroit enclave in that misty first week of March and thus kicking off, properly, the 20102 Season of live music.

It’s, essentially, the local music scene’s Mardis Gras.

But, that’s just how the 4-day sonic squall is regarded east of Ypsi…I’m not sure how many of you are as eager for it…We’re hoping to see some of your shining happy faces around the Whiskey and the Jar and the Painted Lady and Jean’s and all the other insufficiently lit, beer-spilt, tile-chipped holes-in-the-walls in which many locals who call some Washtenaw-region their home will be performing.

But there is more to focus on this week – Blowout’s not some cool-kid-prerequisite, some mandatory-engagement, you can stay local, round these Washtenaw parts…

à First thing I’m looking towards is a Tribute Night at the Blind Pig, Sunday, March 3^rd: A dozen bands, being for the benefit of your ears and your indisputable inner-Beatles-dork, will align for a Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Jam – as many bands for as many songs from that concept-album-of-concept-albums (that is, if you squish together both the intro and reprise of its title track).

There isn’t enough room on this page to go into where this album stands amongst the Fab Four’s uncanny cannon of work. Though, admittedly, yes, a fair number of fans consider it their best. And, though its likely that the bands involved with this line up – The Ferdy Mayne, The Finer Things, Match By Match, Doug Mains & the City Folk, Wolfie Complex, Alejandra O’Leary Rock N’ Roll Band, Spencer Michaud, Back Fordy, George Bedard & the Kingpins, Gameboi, David Nefesh and The Greatest Hits… –may be inclined to agree, we should save the true debate for the floor of the Blind Pig, bantering between songs. (http://blindpigmusic.com $10/ under 21 $13 | 18+ Doors 7:30 pm)

Sample:
The Ferdy Mayne: http://theferdymayne.bandcamp.com/track/you-wearin-dresses

Match By Match: http://matchbymatch.bandcamp.com/track/american-crowbar

à One of my new favorite local bands, an Ypsi outfit, doesn’t have any music streaming on the Internet yet – and this is days, perhaps even a full fortnight, after I’d already written another separate online digi-rant, delighted over their dynamics, albeit, but still airing my irksomeness over being unable to stream a song for readers.

But Chit Chat, (featured image above) I’m telling you, dear-reader – would be worth checking out, regardless if it’s a weeknight (Wednesday, March 7^th, at Woodruff’s), just set aside your homework or pretend you don’t have that early day-job shift clanging out its alarm clock doom the next morning and embrace the oh-so-bracing, clattery/jangly, space-pop-tinged, surf-rock-dabbling, shoegaze-warping re-imagining of punk; two-minute pinball ricochets wringing out strange new dark dreamy charges. You can find their cassette at Café Ollie, if you’re so intrigued…

Anyway – Chit Chat will be playing with another new favorite of mine, Congress – who, like Chit Chat, I’m admittedly jumping on the bandwagon a bit late since both bands got going as far back as last summer (’11). But Congress, who brings more of a straight rock sound, tumbling drums, propulsive bass and snaky guitar roars to forge more of a rolling psychedelic thunder sorta trip with throaty howled vocals, distinguishes itself, momentarily, from Chit Chat in its facilitation of online samples for your ears:
http://congressmusic.bandcamp.com/track/holy-roller-live

And with this splendid show coming together – it means that I, and maybe you too(?) will get a chance to discover the roughhewn wails and keyed-up garage cuts of a band I’ve yet to see (and even had yet to listen to, before this current rambling), that being Green Lights – who are streaming this charmingly titled tune: “When I Die I’m Gonna Go To Detroit.” http://thegreenlights.bandcamp.com/track/when-i-die-im-gonna-go-to-detroit

à The very next day – March 8^th @ the Blind Pig – Detroit’s ambient/electronica/space-folk/pop duo Phantasmagoria (and, yes, they swirl together all of those sensibilities into a mesmeric mix), are going to be opening up for raucous funk rock rousers The Electric Six. Aficionado rounds out the bill for this evening – but to whet your auditory appetites, take a listen to Phantasmagoria (helmed by computer-composer Christopher Jarvis and singer/percussionist Lianna Vanicelli) remixing last year’s single from E6’s Heartbeats and Brainwaves LP – “French Bacon”