NIGHT & DAY: A Good Start

In this week’s FilterD I make no apologies for having a huge crush on melodic pop tunes. We’re not talking the endless overplayed Top 40 hits that have all the weight of cotton-candy but rather local, do-it-yourself bands that drag their drum kits from one lowing paying gig to the next and still find the energy and wit to churn out infectious pop grooves and catchy melodies that give you warm fuzzies and something extra to think about. This week Ann Arbor plays host to a trio of shows worth your hard-earned cash… paltry as it may be. At The Blind Pig there’s the double bill of Hard Lessons and Lightning Love, and at Club Above, Old Empire. Both shows will kick start your pop music heart and send you humming a happy tune for the rest of the weekend.

Want something a bit more bluesy and soulful? Lee Harvey Osmond does a damn fine job of channeling J.J. Cale in their mellow Canadian-based almost supergroup, which includes members of the Cowboy Junkies and is fronted by Tom Wilson.

For those who need some quiet time, there’s Monte Nagler’s luminous photos on display at Gallery of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. A chip off the ‘ol Ansel Adams block, his images are from the dream you always wish you’d had. he’ll even be on hand tonight to yack all about it.

If cold weather’s your thing, Performance Network is celebrating the joys of death by freezing in their production of K2, which is about a pair of mountain climbers stranded on the world’s second highest peak. Thrills, chills and theatrical monologues about manly pursuits will be had by all.

But the show that’s got my heart all-aflutter, is comedian Maria Bamford at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. This bold-haired, perky, pretty version of Jonathan Winters is pure comic gold. I don’t mind saying I have a serious crush. Although, I’m not sure any would want to date all the voices that comes spilling out of her head.

Get On The Good Foot

…As James Brown used to incomprehensibly croon. Rather than wax dark poetic about the strife and struggles of being an artist in ailing Ann Arbor, I’d like to point you to a couple of positive cultural indicators.

The first is Ann Arbor City Council’s decision to continue supporting the newly minted Percent For Public Art Program. Roughly 18 months old, the program and its commission has courted no shortage of controversy, making it a ripe target for politicos hoping to use our current budget woes as an opportunity to grind their axes on. I have said my peace on the subject in past columns and I’m happy to report that public art will remain a part of the city’s plans for the future. Hopefully, the commission (which I have been nominated to become a part of, by the way) will find innovative and inspiring ways to rally the interest of local groups and utilize the many many talented people in our region.

On the venerable institution side of things UMS, which has imported magnificent music, performance and art for 131 seasons, received a $600K grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. What does that mean? Well, for an organization that operates on $6.5 million, it’s a pretty darn big infusion of support, helping to guarantee that Ann Arbor will remain a destination for world class artoists and entertainers.

On the other end of the financial spectrum and (more importantly) seeding the ground for more homegrown talent, Chelsea Center for the Arts expanded its scholarship and tuition assistance program by awarding 13 scholarships to 11 students. Kids who demonstrated both talent and financial need were provided with the opportunity to study guitar, voice, mandolin, and piano. I can’t wait to listen to their bands ten years from now.

And last, but certainly not least, The Michigan Theater, along with all the other cool things it’s achieving, became one of only eight film venues in the country to become part of Sundance Film Festival USA. The idea is that the famed fest will screen for the very first time 8 of their films in venues across the nation. Even cooler, the filmmakers will be on hand for an after-screening Q&A. It’s a way of allowing those who can’t come to Park City to have a little bit of Park City come to them. On January 28th, The Michigan will be showing Cyrus, a film by Jay and Mark Duplass, and starring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei, Jonah Hill and Catherine Keener. This world premiere is already 3/4 sold out, believe it or not. Be there or be square.

Until next week, please, consume your culture locally.

Jeff Meyers
Editor

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