Yeah, the Wilco show is sold out, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to do in A2. Editor Jeff Meyers weighs in on efforts to bring the local arts community together, as well as his six picks for your entertainment consumption. Top of the heap: ex-Soul Coughing lead Mike Doughty, whose stop-start guitar and layered lyrics are a special kind of singer-songwriter poetry.
Ann Arbor has an international and rarefied reputation for violin making. Concentrate visits the studios of two local masters --David Burgess and Joseph Curtin-- for a look at the skills, technology and artistry that produces some of the most beautiful sounds in the world.
Man, tis the season for great concerts and performances. Along with the recent rain has come a steady down pour of A-list acts hitting the Ann Arbor area. Editor Jeff Meyers points you to six events worth scoping out while lamenting shows that sold out too quickly. Et Tu Carolina Chocolate Drops?
Grrrrr, it's a bear market for entertainment at the Michigan Theater this week. The jewel in Ann Arbor's downtown crown hosts a bevy of bitchin' shows, including psychedelic neo-pop folksters Grizzly Bear. Heck, even Jay-Z likes 'em. Editor Jeff Meyers ponders the growing hipness of UMS, points you toward the YP Underground and gives you the good word on what's worth checking out.
Interns could have a big future at Ghostly International. The electronic and ambient music label has recently brought on three interns and plans to hire another 1-2 this fall.The Ann Arbor-based firm intends to use the three-month internships as a tryout of sorts for new employees. The interns who do well and make a spot for themselves on the Ghostly team will be brought on as full-time employees.Ghostly International has 15 employees across the U.S., including three at its downtown headquarters. Future plans for that space include a possible retail location for the music label’s apparel, music and other merchandise.Even though many of the Ghostly International's employees work remotely from big cities across the U.S., like Los Angeles and New York, the company still considers Ann Arbor its home and major influence. Sam Valenti, the firm's founder, still maintains a home in downtown.Source: Ghostly InternationalWriter: Jon Zemke
It's a roots revival at the Ark this week as Phillie-based Hoots & Hellmouth bring their acoustic-gospel-psychedelic-rockin' songsmithin' to the stage. Brimming with passion, soul and energy, these guys put on a helluva fun show. And they're only one of six blink-and-you'll-miss-it events spotlighted in this week's filterD.
Toronto's Great Lakes Swimmers run the emotional spectrum from heartache to heartbreak. Drenched in reverb and boasting luminous melodies that evoke such artists as Nick Drake, Emmy Lou Harris, and Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), this new-to-you band is only one of six scintillating events we spotlight in this week's filterD, your local guide to what's worth checking out.
We only pick six events each week (after all, even the big guy in the sky took a day off) and Michigan-born, Raconteurs bandmate Brendan Benson is the tasty foam at the top of this week's cultural cappucino. A master of sublime powerpop gems, he's celebrating the release of his first solo disc in four years with a free show at A2's downtown Borders then a gig at The Blind Pig.
Ten years ago this August the idea behind Ghostly International was only a dream for Sam Valenti, a dream that the University of Michigan student incubated in his dorm room in Couzens Hall.Today it's an internationally recognized electronic and ambient music label that supplies pay checks for six employees, a handful of independent contractors and numerous musical artists. It continues to grow, moving into places like retail stores and iPhone applications. "We've tried to move with the times," Valenti says. "Obviously, the record industry was in tumult or recession before the country was."That doesn't mean Ghostly is abandoning the music that made it famous. It still plans to produce the records and shows that its fans yearn for, but also use them as a launching pad for diversify its business plan. Among its target industries are film and beauty shows.Valenti expects such diversification will lead to further expansion of the record label's payroll and its fan base. But big growth or no, he still plans to keep the business' headquarters in downtown Ann Arbor.Source: Sam Valenti, founder and owner of Ghostly InternationalWriter: Jon Zemke
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