Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?

Subject: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Grab
Date: 21 May 01 - 09:07 PM

For my sins, I'm being shipped over to Ford in Detroit - initially for a couple of weeks and then maybe for another few weeks after that. I thought it'd be interesting to explore a few sessions while I'm out there, seeing as there's not much else to do in the evenings in a hotel apart from drink. So, time to pick your collective brains, please...

I'll be there June 3rd to 14th on this shift, and most likely be back again sometime not too long after that for anothe 3-4 weeks. I'll be staying somewhere in Novi, in NW Detroit. Any suggestions for good music locations? Anywhere that'll put up with a young English folkie with a tendency to sing Leonard Cohen, Dire Straits, and a less-than-family version of the Teddy-bear's Picnic? :-)

Also, are there any decent (and cheap!) guitar shops in Detroit? I'm seriously thinking about acquiring a Dobro/resonator while I'm over there (it's the same numbers as over here but dollars instead of pounds!) so any recommended places?

Cheers all,

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 May 01 - 09:52 PM

Novi is just down the road from Ann Arbor. There are an awful lot of great musicians in Ann Arbor, both permanent and transient. Check out the website for THE ARK. It was always fun when I lived in A2. I saw Art Thieme, John Hartford, David Bromberg, Margaret Christl, Gordon Bok, Bruce Phillips, The Chenilles before they were together as one, Leo Kretzner....and they had a great hootenanny night.

I like the bars around Trenton for great music, like around McClouth Steel, as well. You can cross over to Windsor and Clinton Hammond can direct you to lots of music. Check out the Friday entertainment section of the Detroit News/Free Press. harpgirl (makes me miss my old haunts)

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 May 01 - 09:56 PM

Herb David sells guitars in Ann Arbor. There is Great Lakes Banjo in Ann Arbor, and Elderly Instruments is just up the road in Lansing, Michigan. I used to visit a guitar shop downriver to jam but I can't remember the name of it....

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: GUEST,northfolk/al cholger
Date: 21 May 01 - 10:39 PM

Grab, harpgirls advice about the Ark is right on,for music, as well as Herb David for guitar sales... the advice regarding the News/Free Press is wrong, These scab papers are notoriously unreliable... when you get to Detroit, pick up a copy of the Metrotimes, or visit it at www.metrotimes.com/ they list all the music, food and entertainment venues, there is traditional music in small clubs all over... not much in Trenton any more. Dick O'Dows in Birmingham, and Conor O'Neils in Ann Arbor also many great places to eat and be entertained with a great exchange rate, across the river in Windsor.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Big Mick
Date: 21 May 01 - 10:49 PM

Seems like we need to get together while Grab is here. We can get Northfolk, MikeJ, IvanB, and whatever musicians we each know. Novi is not to far from Lansing. Grab, why don't you drop me an email at [e-mail]. I probably won't be available the first shift, but on the second time in I think we plat a Mudevent.

Mick

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 21 May 01 - 11:05 PM

When you get to Detroit, look for a copy of The Irish Connection... Otherwise know as The Irish Correction... The back page will tell ya a bunch of what's going on in the month...

Too bad yer leaving on June 14th... that's when Windsor's 4th annual celtic fest kicks off...

Better luck next time eh!

;-)

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 May 01 - 11:12 PM

Doesn't ddw and Clinton Hammond hang about in those parts too? Windsor?

So Grab...Ford? Want an automotive tie-in? Of course not, but what the hell..........

Do you know that Novi was once Tollbooth #6 (No.=Number, 6=VI....so No.VI became Novi).......damn but I got a ton worthless knowledge huh? WEll back then in the 30's it was also the home of Bud Winfield, perhaps one of the finest engineers of that or any period.....and a tremendous machinist too. So Bud and his brother build themselves a racing engine. It was a V-8 with overhead cams (and this was the thirties) and a supercharger. It had a small displacement of only 167 Cubic Inches and developedabout 650 Horsepower. 20 years later it was up to 860 Horsepower. It had a low bass roar combined with a high pitched whine, once heard, never forgotten. The cars it was installed in were never up to the engine and it's racing career was dismal, although every race fan loved them.......The engine was of course called, the Novi.

End of today's moment in automotive history.

Have a good time.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: harpgirl
Date: 21 May 01 - 11:36 PM

...not to be confused with the Chevy NOVA, which was quite unpopular in Mexico. No Va!!!! Another great corporate decision; sell it in Mexico!!!! Bill Ford is environmentally conscious though, and my ex-husband makes the nuts and bolts for FMC. His company is aptly named. (I wonder why he kept telling me to buy a Ranger made on a Monday in July)...hg

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 22 May 01 - 03:45 AM

catspaw49...

Last I heard, that bit about Novi and how it got it's name is urban myth... Last -I- heard...

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: catspaw49
Date: 22 May 01 - 04:02 AM

Could be, but the engine was definitely NOT a myth of any sort.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: northfolk/al cholger
Date: 22 May 01 - 08:49 AM

Grab, I share Mick's inclination, give me some notice at:

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Grab
Date: 22 May 01 - 08:57 AM

Excellent, cheers folks. I'll get some research done on the web and pick up copies of those papers when I get there. I don't know exactly what's happening yet, but if there's any sessions that ppl go to (eg. "every Friday at Paddy's Bar on the corner of 19423rd Street") then I can try for those and meet up there. Work may or may not be hectic, so I don't want to set up any special meetings-up just yet until I know how that's going to pan out, but I can try and make any regular sessions that ppl would be going to anyway.

I've got a catalogue for Elderly Instruments (got a book from them) - that's how I know about the prices. I didn't realise they were close to Detroit, might head up there and do some shopping at the weekend.

Interesting about Novi's origins, Spaw. Have to ask the guys at Ford about that, they're likely to know. On an automotive note, the Vauxhall Nova suffered from similar problems to the Chevy variety, plus it was made in Britain in the 80s so it was cack anyway!

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: northfolk/al cholger
Date: 22 May 01 - 12:41 PM

Grab, Just a short note to say that when you are in Novi you are as close to Ann Arbor as you are to Detroit, if you factor in traffic...open mic night at the Ark is Tuesday or Wednesday...all other nights great performers... I saw Utah Phillips there last Saturday. Detroit has a few great blues places, The Music Menu, The Old Miami, Bert's Marketplace... The Cadieux Cafe has Folk, a Hoot on Wednesdays, and feather bowling... and Belgian beer and mussels. Bakers Keyboard Lounge is the world renowned Detroit Jazz Club...

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: ddw
Date: 22 May 01 - 08:56 PM

Hey, I'd be up for getting together with Grab and other Detroit-Windsor 'Catters — as long as it's on a Saturday. The Yorkshire Tornado works Fridays and is usually too bushed to be up for much and I work Sundays, starting at 4 p.m. Damned job really puts a cramp in the music thing.

Grab, you've already got a lot of good advice for the area, but you might want to check out Windsor as well. We've got a Windsor Folk Society acoustic night on Friday, June 8 and if you gave me notice I could put you on the list to perform. We generally sign up a week in advance.

Other than that, Windsor has a lot of music clubs — several that feature Celtic, a couple that feature blues (usually urban/electric — not generally my bag, but better than lots of other things) and others that have a mix of stuff. The Windsor Star runs a pretty complete listing of who's playing where in the Friday edition.

cheers

david

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Grab
Date: 23 May 01 - 11:31 AM

Looks like I'll actually be in Ann Arbor now, so I've no excuses for going out with you lot! I'll try and make it to the Ark on Tuesday or Wednesday then - any particular time?

David, I'm afraid Multimap won't tell me where Windsor is. Is it far from Ann Arbor? Trouble is, I've no way of knowing what work's going to be like, so I'm wary of making fixed commitments on weekdays. Weekends is a different matter - I should be on for something on Saturday (June 9th).

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 May 01 - 11:39 AM

Grab...

Windsor is about 45 minutes or so from Ann Arbor... But I forget what highway it is...

;-)

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Big Mick
Date: 23 May 01 - 03:21 PM

It's I94, Clinton. It is accessible whether you come through the tunnel, or use the bridge. Easier from the bridge though. I hope that we can work this out. I am not available until the second week he is here, but I sure would like for us all to find a place and meet. ddw, are you in the area? Perhaps you, or someone could find a locale? Clinton, it is naught but a short drive into Windsor. Maybe we could get together at your local?

Mick

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 23 May 01 - 04:19 PM

The Kildare House is the best pub -I've- ever been in...

and from the tunnel, it's idiot simple to find... and similar but slightly farther from the bridge...

Keep me in the loop as the time draws closer and I'll post a 'trip-tick' from either or both...

;-)

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Grab
Date: 31 May 01 - 01:23 PM

A followup for those who've expressed an interest (poor deluded fools! Mwahahahaaa...! Ahem.)

I'll be at a hotel in south Ann Arbor, just off Interstate (? Highway? dunno) 94 at junction 177. The hotel is the Extended Stay America, in case anyone feels an urgent need to contact me. I'll be arriving on Sunday and finding my feet Monday (and practising driving on the wrong side of the road! :-). My plans then are to visit Elderly Instruments on Tuesday evening after work to try some guitars (and most likely buy one), and then hit the Ark on Wednesday. I doubt there'll be any problems identifying me as soon as I start singing - just look for the Brit with the Lancashire accent.

David, I'd love to come along to that club on Friday, if there's still room. I've finally found where Windsor is, so that should be OK. :-) Assuming I've not crashed the car already by driving on the left-hand side, of course.

Any particular styles of music for the Ark? or for your club, David? I'll stick to trad until I'm sure, but I do like my blues, Leonard Cohen and Dire Straits...

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: ddw
Date: 31 May 01 - 06:51 PM

Grab — I'll call and get you on the list for the Windsor Folk night on June 8l The music is very eclectic — people do everything from English/Irish/Scotish or whatever trad to Beatles, Cohen, Dylan — whatever, as long as it's acoustic. I do mostly blues there and there are very few who do, so they always seem to be up for it.

I'll PM you with details of how to get in touch with me.

If anyone else wants to come, drop me a PM and I'll provide the same info for you.

For anybody in Michigan/Ohio or wherever, he's how to find the place.

WFS holds its open mikes (limited to eight acts a night, signed up within the week leading up to the performance) once a month except in July and August. They're in Mackenzie Hall, a community centre in Windsor's west end.

From the Ambassador Bridge, take a HARD right as soon as you clear the customs/immigration kiosk (careful, you're cutting right across the truck lanes to do this, but it's legal) and go right back under the bridge. After about three blocks you hit a T intersection at Riverside Drive. Turn left. The road goes through a dipping S curve, then crosses Mill Street (traffic light) and one block later hits Brock Street. Mackenzie Hall is on the left, a big stone building that looks like exactly what it was — a small-town courthouse. There's free parking in a lot at the front or on the street directly across from it.

For the monetarily challenged, these things are free but we do pass the hat for donations to help cover the expense of the hall.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: ddw
Date: 31 May 01 - 11:39 PM

BTW, Graham — just looked at my post above and realized I made a typo that might be confusing. That date is June 8.

And if you don't hear from me until Monday, don't think I've forgotten. I'm only onlike at work and when I leave tonight (actually 1 a.m. Friday) I probably won't be back till then. I work Sunday evenings, but often don't have time to get on the Net.

Cheers,

david

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 01 Jun 01 - 01:48 AM

June 8th eh... I may just drop on by and see how much coffee I can drink in one setting...

;-)

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Grab
Date: 01 Jun 01 - 12:28 PM

Cheers guys. I don't know how much access I'll have to the Internet for the next week, so I may be inaccessible. If Ford do block non-work access, I'll try and find a convenient Internet cafe somewhere to pick up any PMs or anything.

To contact me, either use PMs or use my email address:-

rationalelectronics@(spamstopper.)yahoo.co.uk

Remove the "spamstopper" bit in brackets to email me (sorry, slight paranoia attack, but it stops robots trawling my email address).

Graham.

Subject: RE: Help: Any sessions in Detroit area?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 04 Jun 01 - 02:16 PM

Cool...

I just found out that I'm off friday night... June 8th... so I may just ghost on down to the WFS Coffee House... just to see what I can see...

Mayhaps to see ya there!

;-)