Cabin Fever

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contents fyi 6

Nonprofit group Food Gatherers open warehouse

green corner 6

The proposed WALLY commuter rail is one step closer

Reader’s Choice Ballots 7 cabin fever remedies 9 food feature 14

Dance the night away at Habana

by Laura Lubrano

february 2014 vol. 25 / no.2

19 music feature

Stand-up Bass player from Koffin Kats

by Jeff Milo

24 theater feature

Chatting with the women behind Redwood Curtain

by Sandor Slomovits

28 art feature:

UMMA Flip Your Field Series

by Louis Meldman

31 art interview:

A conversation with Margaret Carney

By Jacob Axelrad

32 current reads

The trials and tribulations of Robert Wallick

by Michael Pierce

34 everything else 37 crossword Correction

current

online exclusives The Root of all Dweezil The son of legendary rock guitarist Frank Zappa, Dweezil Zappa has dedicated his stage career to performing his father’s music, backed by a virtuoso band, in pure tribute fashion—much like a symphony orchestra might perform Beethoven, note for note exactly the way it was written.

On Wednesday, February 19, Zappa Plays Zappa at the Michigan Theater spanning 30 years of Frank’s discography. Current Magazine had a chance to sit down with Dweezil and discuss his new guitar workshops, writing original music and the importance of rehearsing to prepare to play complex material.

A helping of Tater Salad Legendary Blue Collar Comic Ron White will be hitting the Michigan theater stage Friday Febuary 21, Brandon Doriot caught up with him to talk charity, getting locked up for pot, and how to deal with a heckler.

Exclusive features at www.ecurrent.com

In our last issue in the health and wellness section we incorrectly labeled Ana Hough as her sister Diana Hough.

Also, we were not clear about A2 Yoga’s class offering. Please note that A2 Yoga is community driven by living the principles of business Guru Ari Weinzweig’s Striving for Third Place, but only has 5 classes a month that are free to the public. During these classes donations can be made in honor of A2 Yoga’s charity that month. With their regular programs A2 Yoga teaches over 45 classes with more than 10 styles of yoga. Find out more at A2Yoga.Net or call 734 216 4006 for more information.

A2Yoga.Net • 734 216 4006 2030 Commerce Blvd • Ann Arbor, MI 48103

HIRING !$6%24)3).' !##/5.4 %8%#54)6%3 s 0!24 4)-% &5,, 4)-%

s "ASE 3ALARY s #OMMISSION s -ILEAGE !LLOWANCE s 0HONE %XPENSE s -ONTHLY "ONUSES We offer a fast-paced, fun enviroment with high earning potential for motivated individuals.

Email your Resume and Info to:

ahornsby@adamsstreetpublishing.com 419.244.9859

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Adams Street Publishing Co. How do you cope with cabin fever?

Publisher/Editor in Chief

^ A Jamba Juice store, the first in the state, will open in The University of Michigan Hospital cafeteria in July along with Picasso Deli and Starbucks. 1500 E. Medical Center. jambajuice.com

Collette Jacobs (cjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) netflix, netflix and netflix

Co-publisher/Chief Financial Officer Mark I. Jacobs (mjacobs@toledocitypaper.com) A good book

Editorial

^ Ohio-based barbeque restaurant chain Old Carolina Barbecue Company is opening a location in the Cranbrook Village Shopping Center at 890 W. Eisenhower Pkwy. Franchisee Nick Ferris, an Ann Arbor resident, is looking to hire 35 employees. Oldcarolina.com

Assignment Editor: Matt Breneman (editor@adamsstreetpublishing.com) Alcohol Arts & Entertainment Coordinator: Joseph Schafer (josephs@adamsstreetpublishing.com) alcohol Art Curator: Jan Thomas (jthomas@adamsstreetpublishing.com) go for a walk in the woods

^ Local brewpub Wolverine State Brewing Co. has finally opened its kitchen, offering a menu that includes seven sandwiches and a variety of rotating specialty plates. The menu relies heavily on locally sourced produce and house-cooked meats. 2019 W. Stadium Blvd. 734-369-2990. Wolverinebeer.com

Staff writer: Griffin Messer-Kruse (griffin@adamsstreetpublishing.com) alcohol.

Calendar Editor: Marisa Rubin (mrubin@adamsstreetpublishing.com) alcohol Digital Media Specialist: Brandon Doriot (aspcmedia@gmail.com) alcohol Contributing Writers: Laura Lubrano, San Slomovits, Nan Bauer, Jeff Milo, Michael Pierce, Jacob Axelrad, Louis Meldman, Molly Schoen

^ The Blue Leprechaun, a popular campus haunt at 1220 S. University Ave., has closed indefinitely due to a burst pipe in a vacant office above the bar. 734-665-7777.

Theblueleprechaun.com

Art/Production Senior Designer: Leah Foley (leah@adamsstreetpublishing.com) random home improvement projects

^ Downtown’s Mani Osteria & Bar now offers brunch every Sunday from 10am to 2pm. The menu will include the restaurant’s familiar pizzas, charcuterie and cheeses along with a slew of new items. 734-769-6700. Maniosteria.com

Graphic Design: Brittney Koehl (adsin@toledocitypaper.com) go to the gym Jameson Staneluis (jameson@adamsstreetpublishing.com) work on creative projects Kyle Iwanicki (kyle@adamsstreetpublishing.com) i play team fortress 2 Sara Welborn (production@adamsstreetpublishing.com) Hikes in the snow

^ Corner Brewery, located at 720 Norris St. in Ypsilanti, is changing its name to Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery. 734480-2739. arborbrewing.com

Advertising Sales Manager: Aubrey Hornsby (ahornsby@adamsstreetpublishing.com) sean t. and insanity

^ After 100 years in business, Seyfried Jewelers has closed, as the owners could not come to an agreement on their lease with building landlords. 304 S. Main St. seyfriedjewelers.com

Sales Represntative: Melinda Prince (melinda@adamsstreetpublishing.com) constantly updating my wardrobe. new clothes will make me forget about the miserable weather Sales Coordinator: Emily Gibb (classifieds@toledocitypaper.com) play in the snow!

^ Open for only 10 months, the Firehouse Subs at 609 E. William St. has closed.

Customer Service Representative Lauren McLaughlin (lauren@adamsstreetpublishing.com) binge watch netflix

^ Michigan-based burrito chain Menna’s Joint plans to open their downtown location at 607 E. William St. by the end of the month.

The restaurant specializes in grilled wrap sandwiches, also known as “Dubs”. mennasjoint.com

Administration Accounting: Robin Armstrong (rarmstrong@toledocitypaper.com) suit up and build a snowman Distribution: Michele Flanagan (distribution@toledocitypaper.com) play games with my daughter

© 2014 by Adams Street Publishing Co., All rights reserved. 3003 Washtenaw Ave., Suite 3, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, Phone (734) 668-4044, Fax (734) 668-0555.

First class subscriptions $30 a year. Distributed throughout Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and neighboring communities.

Also publishers of:

Audited by

^ The Ypsilanti Public Schools Foundation Resale Shop has moved to the old George Elementary School Member

building on Ecorse Rd. The shop, which sells gently used clothes, furniture, electronics and appliances, raises money for student scholarships and grants to buy school supplies for district teachers. 1076 Ecorse, Ypsilanti.

734-714-1052. ypsiresaleshop.weebly.com.

Follow us on Facebook and Twittertwitter.com/annarborfamily

ecurrent.com / february 2014 5

fyi

green corner Riding the rail

Hunger games

Local nonprofit group Food Gatherers have opened an expanded warehouse at 1 Carrot Way. The new venture nearly doubles the organization’s ability to distribute food. The group, which has worked to alleviate hunger in Washtenaw County for 25 years, will increase its food storage capacity specifically to accommodate more fresh produce and protein. Food Gatherers was one of the country’s first food rescue programs—where food which would otherwise be discarded by retailers and restaurants is gathered and distributed to those who can use it—responsible for distributing more than 5 million pounds of food per year. Food Gatherers is sustained by nearly 6,000 volunteers—to get involved, call 734-761-2796 or visit foodgatherers.org

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The proposed WALLY commuter rail between Howell and Ann Arbor is one step closer to becoming a reality. Transportation Authority officials are launching a major study in 2014 to completely assess what the project would entail. The study will allow the Transportation Authority to estimate costs, pin down station locations and figure ridership estimates. The study is being funded by a $650,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration and could take up to 18 months to complete. The WALLY would utilize existing freight tracks to carry passengers from Howell into Ann Arbor in the morning and back to Howell at the end of the work day. Planned stops include Genoa Township, Whitmore Lake and Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor. —GMK

Ballot Requirements Please Print Legibly

Name:______________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ____________________/_______/_________ Phone Number: ____________________________________ email: ______________________________________________ Please send all ballots to: Adams Street Publishing Co. 3003 Washtenaw Ave., Suite 3 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

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Submit only ONE ballot per person. • You must vote on a minimum of 30 items. • Ballots that do not meet these requirements will be DISQUALIFIED. • No ballot stuffing! • No photocopies! • Vote only for business, organization, group or people operating in Washtenaw County. • Ballots must be postmarked or received via email.

Local Color Local Non-Profit Best Charity Do-Gooder Public servant Suburban Downtown College Course

Vote

INE L ON ecurrent.c om

Used Bookstore

Shopping and Services

Comic Bookstore

New Business

Outdoor Store/Gear

Green Business

Non-Chain Music Store

USED Furniture / Consignment Greenhouse / Nursery

Most Knowledgeable Music Store Staff

Home Boutique

Computer Service/ Repair

Locally Owned Women’s Boutique

Doggy daycare

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Cool Pros

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Bank Or Credit Union

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Looking Good Feeling Good Place To Get A Haircut

Bowling Alley Place For Your 21st Birthday

Massage Therapist

Music

Day Spa

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Place To Play Tennis

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Club To See Live Music

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Media print journalist

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Website

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Local Blog local Twitter Account

Mexican Restaurant Local Farm

Arts

Deli Fine Dining

Live Theater Venue

Coffeehouse

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Movie Theater

Locally Produced Food

Place To buy & see Local Art

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best desert

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best burger greasiest hangover cure

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Entertainment Annual Event

Current

Danceparty

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strip club

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Karaoke spot Pre-Game Hangout Sports Bar Gay And Lesbian Venue

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Story Idea Current Hasn’t Covered “Readers Choice” Category” I’d Like To See next year

Beat Cabin Fever Cabin Fever

It’s February. The holidays are long over, yet there’s still a long slug of winter ahead. The perpetual grayness seems to seep into everything, like slush soaking through your boots. It’s tempting to settle into hibernation mode, but let’s face it—getting out and doing something is far more rewarding than the binge-watching of TV. There are plenty of wintertime activities available, both indoors and out, and always something new to try. So get out and brave the cold! Your favorite shows on Netflix will still be there when you get back, we promise.

- By Molly Schoen

Hit the slopes There's nothing quite like the feeling of carving through fresh snow on skis or a snowboard. Just twenty miles north of Ann Arbor, Mount Brighton is a quick and easy way to get some wintertime sun and fun.

The 250-foot gradual elevation may not be the most grandiose, but its certified instructors and range of beginner trails make it a great place for anyone to learn to ski or snowboard. In fact, Mount Brighton and many other ski areas across the state have also teamed up for a new program, Discover Michigan Skiing, designed to encourage people to get some exercise and learn how to ski. Open to everyone seven years or older, the program includes a beginner’s lesson, rental equipment, and a beginner’s area lift ticket all for greatly reduced prices. (For more information, visit goskimichigan.com.) More advanced skiers and boarders can take advantage of the hill's terrain park, complete with half pipe, moguls, and jumps. Since Mount Brighton was purchased by Colorado's Vail Resorts in 2012, the new ownership has been putting millions of dollars into improving all trails, lifts, and indoor amenities.

The hill, a little alpine getaway, is now better than ever.

Open seasonally, Mon-Fri. 10am-10pm; Sat. & Sun. 9am-10pm.

4141 Bauer Rd., Brighton. 810-229-9581 mtbrighton.com

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Beat Cabin Fever Cabin Fever

Stargaze

Boogie down

While Michigan's weather is consistently unpredictable, there's one thing you can depend on this time of year: gray skies. Alleviate the gloomy feeling with a trip to the planetarium at The University of Michigan's Museum of Natural History. Recent renovations to the planetarium saw the removal of the last analog equipment under the old canvas dome, meaning the shows now are all digital, and more stunning than ever. 3D imagery makes for beautiful explorations of the universe, and stateof-the-art projection allow viewers to take virtual trips through the furthest reaches of space, with accuracy ensured by the Digital Universe Atlas and other authoritative sources. Keep an eye out for Star Talk: the Night Tonight, a recurring event that shows what's going on in the current sky— with no pesky clouds to get in the way.

Held monthly at the Blind Pig, The Bang! is Ann Arbor's best dance party. Now in its 13th year, the event attracts mods, rockers, punks, glamazons—just about anyone who falls under the “hipster” blanket term—but all are welcome. Depending on the theme of the night (Tacopacalypse, Glitter and Gold, or Swimsuit Business, for example), people come dressed to impress and ready to cut loose. DJs spin classic soul, disco, garage rock, and retro pop hits—a welcome change of pace from the torturous dubstep blasting out of other venues. Despite playing older tunes, The Bang! is not a club night for the faint of heart—with so many bodies on the floor, get ready to get sweaty.

Schedule varies. $5 admission.

1109 Geddes Ave. 734-764-0478 lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/planetarium

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The Bang! returns to the Blind Pig with The Love Bang! on Saturday, February 15. $8, $11 under 21. 208 S. First St. 734-996-8555. Check blindpigmusic.com or facebook.com/thebangdanceparty for future dates.

Beat Cabin Fever

Go exploring Sometimes all it takes is a little adventure to shake off the monotony of another gray February day geocaching—a worldwide scavenger hunt some 6,000,000 players strong—is a great way to spend the afternoon, as you’ll never know what you’ll find. The premise of geocaching is this: players (called geocachers) use GPS devices and web printouts to search for things (called geocaches) outside, in public areas. Geocaches are typically waterproof boxes or jars that are filled with a logbook and free trinkets and treasures. To find a geocache, print out coordinate clues from the geocaching website, and search for the cache using a GPS device. Difficulty varies by cache; some are disguised and very well-hidden. When one is found, you sign the logbook, and take an item inside as a memento. In return, you’re asked to replace each item you take with one of your own, so that the treasure abounds for the next geocacher. The real fun in geocaching is not just the treasure, but also not knowing where you’ll end up. Discover whole new areas without ever leaving town.

Visit geocaching.com to learn more.

, Humans don t hibernate!

Go online to find more winter ideas

Get active indoors Even if it’s too miserable to consider going outside for any length of time, that’s still no excuse for inactivity. As so many of us hit that post-NewYear’s-Resolution slump at the gym, it’s a great time to get re-motivated by trying something new. The Ann Arbor area is home to many unconventional fitness options, from strengthening ballet barre exercises at Barre Bee Fit, to aerial and trapeze classes at the A2 Aviary. But in particularly frigid weather, Bikram Yoga may be the most appealing option. Practiced in sauna-like rooms, heated to 100° with 40% humidity, Bikram Yoga uses heat to strengthen and relax muscles. Hydration is key, as the steamy temps will have you sweating in no time.

Barre Bee Fit: 500 E. Washington, Ste.1 / 734-769-6996 barrebeefit.com/studios/ann-arbor/ A2 Aviary: 4720 S. State St. / 734-726-0353 a2aviary.com Bikram Yoga: 3227 Washtenaw Ave. / 734-975-2922 bikramyoga.drupalgardens.com

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Beat Cabin Fever Cabin Fever

Go Shopping A little retail therapy is always an effective cure for cabin fever. This is the time of year to curl up with a good book, so it’s essential to have some good reading material on hand before the next big storm. Fortunately, Ann Arbor has no shortage of independent bookstores. West Side Book Shop, located downtown, offers an impressive array of rare and collectible publications, with especiallyrevered selections of art books and maps. If you’re looking for author readings and various other events with your book browsing, Nicola’s Books routinely brings nationally recognized authors through its doors. For the more casual, paperback browser, Dawn Treader is jam-packed with used fiction, sci-fi, mystery and travel books. For your mystery novel fix, check out Aunt Agatha’s New & Used, Mysteries, Detection and True Crime Books. Those who prefer fresh stock should check out Literati Bookstore, a snug, hip store that’s got a friendly staff on hand to recommend the latest titles in the literature world.

West Side Book Shop: 113 W. Liberty St. / 734-995-1891. westsidebookshop.com Nicola’s Books: 2513 Jackson Ave. / 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Dawn Treader: 514. W Liberty St. / 734-995-1008. dawntreaderbooks.com Literati Bookstore: 124 E. Washington St. / 734-585-5567. literatibookstore.com Aunt Agatha's: 213 S. 4th Ave # 1A / 734-769-1114. auntagathas.com

Plan your escape Dishes piling up? Laundry too? Neighbor’s dog driving you mad? Consider a mini-getaway at a nearby hotel… preferably, one with an indoor pool, sauna, and hot tub. Weber’s Inn is a great choice. Its family-owned operations make it a unique destination; this isn’t some chain hotel off the interstate. The luxe amenities of Weber’s make a welcome change of pace for any visitor, and the sophisticated design lends itself to a feeling of being far, far away from the dreariness of the Michigan winter. If you don’t want to spend the night, Oasis Hot Tub Gardens let you reserve one or two hour soaks.

Weber’s Inn: 3050 Jackson Rd. / 734-769-2500. webersinn.com Oasis Hot Tub Gardens: 2301 S. State St. / 734-663-9001. oasishottubs.com

Go sledding

For a sure-fire winter blues fix, head to the hills.

Washtenaw County has plenty of good sledding options, from kid-friendly neighborhood hills to the steeper, sculpted slopes of golf courses— Huron Hills and Radrick Farms are two popular choices. Local areas with sledding hills include Hunt Park, Veterans Memorial Park, and Montibeller Park. In Ypsilanti, the Rolling Hills County Park is definitely worth scoping out—it even offers sled and toboggan rentals. Snowball fights are optional, but hot chocolate afterwards is a must.

Rolling Hills is open year round from 8am to dusk. $5 daily vehicle pass.

7660 Stony Creek Rd., Ypsilanti. 734-484-9676.

Hunt Park is open 8am to dusk.

Corner of Sunset Rd. and Spring St. Veterans Memorial Park is open 8am-10pm.

2150 Jackson Ave. 734-794-6230.

Montibeller Park is open year round 9am-5pm 4305 Ellsworth Rd., Pittsfield Charter Township.

734-882-2120

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BeatCabin CabinFever Fever

Play games Get active outdoors Any form of outdoor exercise can help keep cabin fever at bay. Just getting outside for a stroll can have a noticeable impact on your mood, and where better than at Nichols Arboretum.

The scenic overlooks and broad valleys make it an unparalleled choice for hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Trails along the Huron River are particularly striking this time of year.

Centrally located between UM’s main and north campuses, the Arb is easy to get to, yet spacious enough to get lost in. Finding solitude is easy at the Arb—even on a busy weekend afternoon.

Open year round, sunrise to sunset. Free.

1610 Washington Heights. 734-647-7600. lsa.umich.edu/mbg/

There just aren't many arcades like Pinball Pete's anymore.

All the old favorites are here—Donkey Kong or Ms. Pacman, anyone?—as you remember playing them, joysticks and all. There are also flashier, newer games, as well as the chance to win prizes. (Unless you really want one of those sticky hand toys, why not make a child’s day and give your tickets away?) For those who prefer being slightly more active, the arcade has skee-ball, air hockey, and pool, making it a great place to bring friends. Rather than sitting around and playing video games on your home TV all winter, at least Pinball Pete’s gives you the opportunity to power up a level and get out of the house.

Open Mon.-Sat. 10am-2am; Sun. 10am-12am.

1214 S. University Ave. 734-213-2502

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food food

Eat, drink and dance the night away at Habana

By Laura Lubrano On any given weekend night, it’s not uncommon to find a line of people wrapped around the corner of Main and Liberty Streets downtown, waiting to get into what is quickly becoming one of the city’s hottest nightlife venues.

Salsa dancing lovers flock to Habana on Thursday nights, which feature Latin music and free Salsa lessons, while DJs spin a more typical mix of pop, dance and Latin music on Fridays and Saturdays. While Habana is becoming well known for its nightlife scene, that’s not all it has to offer.

It originally started out in the space now occupied

by Blue Tractor BBQ on Washington Street. When the owners (the same great people at Mission Management behind places like Mash, Jolly Pumpkin and Grizzly Peak) opened Lena, they moved Habana into that new restaurant’s basement.

John Sleamon, General Manager at Habana, explained that the new location came with a new focus. “We really wanted to focus on providing a cool lounge atmosphere with good craft cocktails and Latin food,” he said.

Climbing down the stairs into Habana, one is transported into a world vastly different from the modern, airy space of Lena upstairs. The exposed concrete walls and dark wood contrast with the cozy leather booths, dimly lit overhead chandeliers and stained glass wall behind the bar.

We sat down at a booth along one of the walls and ordered the chef’s guacamole as an appetizer. The

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Habana Cellar Lounge 226 S. Main St. 734-994-2774 cafehabanas.com Mon-Tue 4pm-12am Wed-Sat 4pm-2am Sun 5pm-12am

guacamole, served alongside a heaping pile of tortilla chips, was quite good—very fresh, with nice big chunks of avocado, onion and tomato—but the real standout was the delicious chili-dusted tortilla chips. I could have eaten more of them, but I had to stop myself to make sure I still had room for my entrée.

For the main course, we opted to share the Cuban sliders and pulled beef brisket tacos. The sliders are Habana’s take on the classic Cuban sandwich: both smoked ham and pork belly on a dinner roll-sized bun, topped with Manchego cheese, pickles and mustard aioli.

These were a hit for me, especially since I’m a huge fan of anything containing pork belly.

The tacos were piled with pulled beef brisket, black beans, chimichurri sauce and queso salsa. The meat was tender and flavorful, and the toppings complimented it beautifully. Both the tacos and the sliders come with three items per order, more than enough to satisfy your hunger.

Habana’s bartenders pride themselves on craft cocktails—some of the most popular include mojitos, margaritas and sangria—and “everything is made to order with fresh ingredients,” Sleamon says. In addition to the regular cocktail choices, Habana bartenders also like to feature different seasonal concoctions—such as apple cider sangria and a vanilla mojito for the winter months.

Whether you’re looking for a light meal, a pre-dinner drink or late night dancing, Habana is the perfect place for a night out on the town.

ONGOING

Wednesdays

Wednesday Wine Tasting 6pm. $25+gratuity. Paesano’s Restaurant, 3411 Washtenaw Ave. 734-971-0484. paesanosannarbor.com

Taste fantastic Italian wines tasty appetizers.

Saturdays

Ann Arbor Farmers Market

8am-3pm. 315 Detroit St. 734-794-6255. a2gov.org

Take a stroll on down to Kerrytown to enjoy the fantastic market. This incredible open-air market has been an A2 institution for over 90 years.

Saline Indoor Farmers Market

9am-noon. Liberty School, 7265 Saline Ann Arbor Rd. 734-429-3518. cityofsaline.org

Shop an abundance of fall produce, delicious baked goods, eggs, local cheese and much more.

Sundays

Grange Sunday Brunch

10am-3pm. Grange Kitchen & Bar, 118 W. Liberty St. 734-995-2107. grangekitchenandbar.com

Relax on Sunday and enjoy this eclectic brunch menu featuring local farm produce.

1 saturday Cocktail Class Viva Vermouth

7:30-9pm. $35. The Last Word, 301 W. Huron St. 734-276-3215. tammystastings.com

Vermouth is way more than just an in-joke for the ultra-dry martini crowd. It’s an indispensable classic cocktail ingredient. Classes are handson, with lots of tasting opportunities. Registration required.

Russian Dinner

5-7pm. $12 per person; $30 per family. First Presbyterian Church, 1432 Washtenaw Ave. 734-662-4466. firstpresbyterian.org

Come and enjoy an authentic Russian meal sponsored by Russian Ministries. Proceeds will help fund mission work in the village of Davydovo and the building fund for St. Vladimir.

Reservations required.

5th Annual Winter Warriors

Noon-5pm. No cover charge, but donations of gloves, hats, mittens and socks are appreciated. Arbor Brewing Company, 114 E. Washington.

734-213-1393. arborbrewing.com

This yearly event is for locals to brave the elements and dine outside on the patio.

Warm up with ABC craft beer, hot beverages and chili while helping benefit the Shelter Association’s Delonis Center and support their “mission: to end homelessness one person at a time.”

food 5 wednesday Fondant Fundamentals: Creative Toppers for Cupcakes

5:30pm. $100. Sweet Heather Anne, 920 N. Main St. 734-913-2025. sweetheatheranne.com Learn how to work with fondant to make custom toppers perfect for cakes and cupcakes. Reservations required.

See more on pg. 16

Cassoulet Dinner

6:30pm. $40 (excluding beverages, tax or tip). Grange Kitchen & Bar, 118 W. Liberty St. 734-995-2107. grangekitchenandbar.com

Enjoy delicious French cuisine, perfectly paired with a selection of wine from the region.

Limited space available.

8 saturday Victorian Valentine Teas 1:30 & 4pm. $20/$25 non-members.

Kempf House Museum, 312 S. Division St. 734-994-4898. kempfhousemuseum.org

These popular fundraiser teas feature delicious homemade sweets and savories. See more on pg. 16

6th Annual Chocolate Extravaganza

10am-5pm. Throughout Chelsea.

734-475-3539. chelseamich.com

Stores throughout Chelsea will offer chocolate tasting, sales on chocolate-themed merchandise, door prizes and a medley of activities. Brochures with event listings will be available on the day of the event at participating stores.

13 thursday Beer Tasting: Hop Heads

7-9pm. $25 advance, $30 day of.

Arbor Brewing Company Tap Room, 114 E. Washington St. 734-213-1393. arborbrewing.com

You asked for it, you got it. This tasting is a hop lovers mecca.

Around 2 dozen favorite hop bombs will be paired with an appetizer buffet.

6+6 Wine and Cheese

6:30-9pm. $60. Ann Arbor Cooks!, 5060 Jackson Rd. 734-645-1030. annarborcooks.com

Taste 6 different cheeses with perfectly paired wines. You will learn how to pair and why not all cheeses and wines match.

Presented by Morgan & York.

16 sunday Fifth Annual Chili Cook-Off/Beer Tasting

2-5pm. Chili-only, $10/ages 5-10, $5/kids under 5, free/$20 (includes 10 chili tastings & 5 beer samples). The Wolverine State Brewing Company, 2019 W. Stadium Blvd. 734-971-2228. a2ct.org.

This mouth-watering fundraiser benefits the Ann Arbor Civic

upcoming edit

cont. on pg. 16

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food

Custom cupcakes

Impress your valentine with fantastical cupcakes, perfectly decorated for the holiday by creating custom toppers with fondant, a smooth icing-like topping used to decorate pastries and cakes.

Learn how to add a little elegance to any cake creation. Take home one dozen cupcakes with your hand created toppers, as well as delicious recipes to bake at home. Some tools are required, call for more information and reservations. Bring a friend and get 15% off the second attendee. Wednesday, February 5.

5:30-8:30pm. $100. Sweet Heather Anne, 920 N. Main St. 734-913-2025. sweetheatheranne.com

Tea time

Enjoy the warmth of delicious wintertime teas and melt-in-yourmouth sweets during one of two Victorian Valentine's Day tea seatings.

While you are warming your heart and palate with a variety of lovely foods, a fantastic selection of charming turn-of-the-century Valentines will be played on the Kempf family's 1877 Steinway grand piano. Saturday, February 8, 1:30 & 4pm; Sunday, February 9, 4pm. Reservations required. $20, members/ $25, non-members.

Kempf House Museum, 312 S. Division St. 734-994-4898. kempfhousemuseum.org —MLR cont. from pg. 15 Theatre, which provides opportunities for everyone in the community to participate in and experience live theater.

There will also be a 50/50 raffle and an auction.

Depot Town Chili Challenge

3pm. Woodruff’s, 36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti.

Participants can taste chili samples from local restaurants and vote for the best one.

Proceeds will benefit SOS Community Services.

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Coffee Cupping

6-7pm. Free, donations are encouraged. Ugly Mug, 317 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti.

734-484-4684. uglymugypsi.com

Coffee cupping (or coffee tasting) is the practice of observing the tastes and aromas of brewed coffee. Lead by a barista, cupping techniques will be explained and demonstrated, as well as practiced by the class.

18 tuesday Let’s Learn Nourishment

7-8:30pm. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tearoom, 114 S. Main St. 734-994-4589. crazywisdom.net Free

food

Chocolate & bourbon hour

Valentine's Day should be accompanied by delectable chocolates and romance. Bring your sweetheart to Zingerman's for their Valentine’s Day Chocolate & Bourbon Cocktail Hour, as their bourbon aficionados deliver a sample flight, perfectly paired with confections made by Joan Coukos of Chocolat Moderne. Solo for Valentine's Day? Don't worry! This is the perfect place to eat, drink and mingle. Reservations required. $45.

6-7pm & 8-9pm. Zingerman's Events on Fourth, 415 N. Fifth Ave. in Kerrytown Market & Shops.

734-663-3400. www.zingermansdeli.com

Honey is honey

If you’re struggling through another “blah” day at the office, stop and think about the plight of the honeybee, whose entire being is devoted to making honey, and yet its lifetime output is only 1/12 of a teaspoon. Help give thanks to the hard workers of the hive and enjoy some of the sweet sticky goodness at A Beekeeper’s Dinner featuring Laurey Masterton, author of The Fresh Honey Cookbook and the spokesperson for The National Honey Board, bringing honey enthusiasm and expertise to the dinner table.

Taste honey varietals, sample honey from different regions and learn to use the healthy honey benefits in your home cooking using Laurey’s recipes to satisfy your hungry hive.

Wednesday, February 19. 7-10pm. $65/person (Price includes food, tax and gratuity and excludes beverages) Zingerman's Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave. 734-663-3663. zingermansroadhouse.com —MLR Part of the People’s Food Co-op Healthy Living Series, this class will help you get started, or further nourish you in making the choice to focus on nutrient-dense herbs and wild food.

19 wednesday Beekeeper’s Dinner

7-10pm. $65 (excluding beverages).

Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Ave. 734-663-3663. zingermansroadhouse.com Laurey Masterson, author of The Fresh Honey Cookbook, will teach the benefits of eating honey. There will also be a variety of samples. Reservations required. See more on pg. 17

Rat Pad Release

6pm. Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St. 734-480-2739. arborbrewing.com Free Come and taste beers created by local brewers in the Corner Brewery’s 10-gallon Rat Pad brew system. Anything left after

9:00pm can be purchased and taken home in a growler.

21 friday Artini Martini Crawl

7pm. Downtown Ann Arbor.

Participants will taste the carefully crafted creations at each of the participating locations and will vote on their favorite drink at the end of the night. Purchase tickets at the Ann Arbor Art Center, 117 W. Liberty St.

25 tuesday Release Party: Stouts

6-7pm. $10. Arbor Brewing Company, 114 E. Washington St. 734-213-1393. arborbrwing.com Winter is the perfect season for drinking Stouts, come and try out several before they are all released in March, including the highly anticipated Michael Faricy Irish Stout. Light snacks will be provided.

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music

The Koffin Kats bring work ethic and ferocity back to rock and roll.

Kat scratch fever The stand-up (bass) lad behind the Koffin Kats

by Jeff Milo

How could a band with so much energy ever stop?

Vic Victor had his head under the hood of a Jeep when Current called him. He called us back a minute later, apologizing and saying and that we’d just caught him tinkering with an old motor. The Metro-Detroit native was giving his humble new ride a tune-up.

Trusty transportation has been crucial to the sustainability of the Koffin Kats. Recently surpassing the 10-year-mark, Vic’s punk-inclined rock trio released their seventh album, Born Of The Motor. That’s fitting: the band’s from “the Motor City” and is known for tireless touring schedules (220 shows in 2013 alone). Their live show could also be akin to something combustible, or maybe the relentless punch of pistons, so that motor motif fits.

Getting the sound out

“The fact is,” says Victor, “we wouldn’t be where we’re at, no one would know who we are, if we’d just relied on throwing songs up online and posting: ‘Hey, listen, listen!’

None of this would be possible if we didn’t get into our touring vans and drive them until their wheels fell off.”

As Victor sees it, this band came about through hitting the road and living in vans. So there’s inherent urgency to the fast tempos, fervent riffs and electrified quaver in Victor’s wild crooning style. Exhibited on Born, a record that finds them trying out heavy rock n’ roll, the band has evolved beyond their spastic punk origins.

Victor started the Koffin Kats with guitarist Tommy Koffin in 2003. Like most bands, they busted their collective asses in small clubs for small returns (sometimes just for free beer). Victor’s motivation was unshakable, in-

stilled in him from one of his earliest concert attendances: the influential and insanely energetic live outfit from punk: Reverend Horton Heat. “It blew my mind,” says Victor. “I decided: ‘Well, this is what I want to do for a living!’”

Playing for a living

Making a living in music is the trickiest part for bands in the post-internet age. It involves an all-or-nothing commitment to the road, as demonstrated by the Kats. “Our lives can be 80%-band and 20%-everything else, but we have a great support system behind us with our family and friends.” Five years ago, as their tours grew longer, both in duration and distance, Vic, Tommy and drummer Eric Walls, realized they’d have to take that leap of faith and make the major push towards life on the road.

It worked. They’re now a functioning, tax-paying pack of working musicians. Tommy has since moved on “to start a more normal life,” Victor says of the amicable split. Guitarist EZ Ian now rounds out the band, as Victor continues to furiously slap and lean upon his upright bass with Walls back on the kit.

How did they make it this far and this long? A.) Touring. B.) Fans. “We can get up there and jump around like monkeys all day but if nobody’s responding then it’s gonna stop. The crowd eggs us on as much as we egg them on.

And we’ve been able to grow with our fans, these ten years; it’s a really cool thing.”

Koffin Kats will perform with The Gutter Ghouls and Break Anchor. Thursday, February 21, 9pm. $10.

Woodruff’s 36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti. 734-985-6804. woodruffsbar.com ecurrent.com / february 2014 19

music Photo by Liza Marie Mazzucco

Joshua Bell

Hill Auditorium / Sunday, February 16

For Valentine's Day weekend, Hill Auditorium presents an artist who knows how to romance the strings.

Sometimes referred to as the "power of the violin," Josh Bell performs classical music with a swooning gusto. His 2012 tour roused the kind of reaction from audiences that one expects from an arena rock show, not a classical recital. The afternoon's program includes work by Beethoven, Stravinski and Tartini.

Sunday, February 16, 4pm. $80-16. Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave. 734-763-3333. ums.org—JS

1 saturday Jazz, Blues & R&B

Wine, Women and Song XII - Kerrytown Concert House

p.m.

Enjoyed annually by sold-out audiences comprised of both women AND men, Wine, Women and Song features the musical talents of local female celebrity artists from the classical, jazz and cabaret genres.

7:30pm. $20-$50.

4 tuesday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

George Kahumoku Jr. The Ark

Two masters of Hawaiian slack key guitar playing the music that Hawaiians play among themselves. 8pm. $20.

5 wednesday Classical, spiritual Ariel Quartet - Rackham Auditorium

Characterized by its youth, brilliant playing, and soulful interpretations, the Ariel Quartet has earned a glowing international reputation in just a few years on the professional circuit. 7:30pm. $24 - $46.

6 thursday

february 2014 / ecurrent.com

Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

Kara Kauffman - Crazy Wisdom Bookstore

Having grown up in the countryside just outside of Windsor, Ontario, Kara Kaufmann has spent time living in Ann Arbor and has recently re-located to Cleveland. 8:30pm. Free.

Jazz, Blues & R&B

Mischka Seo - Kerrytown Concert House

Mischka Seo is a powerful and versatile drummer who plays in the styles of pop, rock, funk and jazz. The concert celebrates the release of Seo’s debut album, “Mischka!”.

8pm. $5-$25.

Shari Kane & Dave Steele Green Wood Coffee House Shari and Dave first met in the summer of 1991, crossing paths as performing blues musicians. 8pm. $12.

Classical, spiritual

Aaron Tan - King of Kings Lutheran Church Award-winning pianist and organist Aaron Tan presents a concert of solo piano music from Renaissance England to 20th century America. 7pm.

Free.

8 saturday

Classical, spiritual

Jazz, Blues & R&B

Born in Latvia, violinist Gidon Kremer has had an unconventional career, beginning studies with violin master David Oistrakh at the age of 18 and going on to win first prize in Tchaikovsky International Competition. 7:30pm. $10 - $60.

Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Ellen Rowe will perform standards and new works.

Special Guest Jimmy Heath will perform with Bob Hurst, Ellen Rowe and Michael Gould.

8pm. Free.

Kremerata Baltica - Hill Auditorium

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7 friday

Jazz Festival - Rackham Auditorium

Mr. B’s Annual Birthday Bounce - Kerrytown Concert House

Jazz, boogie woogie and blues pianist Mark Lincoln Braun returns for his annual Birthday bounce. 8pm. $5-$30.

Peter Madcat Ruth - Crazy Wisdom Bookstore Ruth has toured for years with Dave Brubeck, and is now a part of Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play. 8:30pm. Free.

9 sunday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

The Verve Pipe Kids’ Show - Michigan Theater

The Verve Pipe are back ready to reach a new generation with their family-friendly songs.

1:30pm. $15.

11 tuesday Jazz, Blues & R&B

Steve Wilson Masterclass Moore Building

A musician’s musician, Wilson has brought his distinctive sound to more than 100 recordings led by such celebrated and wide-ranging artists as Chick Corea, George Duke, Michael Brecker and Dave Holland.

2:30pm. Free.

13 thursday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop The Wild Feathers - The Blind Pig

Nashville’s The Wild Feathers are pure Americana rock and roll that is part Led Zeppelin and part The Band. 9pm. $15.

14 friday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

Old Friends Silvio’s Organic Pizza

Old friends bring you the beautiful songs of the last 50 years from Santana to Otis Reading to Neil Young to Pink Floyd.

7pm. Free.

Spencer Michaud Crazy Wisdom Bookstore

15 saturday Classical, spiritual Indian Table w/ John Churchville Crazy Wisdom Bookstore

Local tabla player John Churchville hosts an evening of Indian classical, light classical, fusion and folk music. 8:30pm. Free.

16 sunday Jazz, Blues & R&B

Joshua Breakstone Kerrytown Concert House

Fans of jazz guitar in the vein of Grant Green will love Joshua Breakstone, a knockout guitarist whose style has been described as “fire in velvet.” 4pm. $5-$30.

Classical, spiritual Joshua Bell Hill Auditorium

A poet of the violin, Joshua Bell enchants audiences with his breathtaking virtuosity. See note on opposing page. 4pm. $10-$80.

18 tuesday Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

Habib Koite - The Ark

Malian guitarist Habib Koite is one of Africa’s most popular and recognized musicians.

7:30pm. $20.

19 wednesday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Zappa Plays Zappa Michigan Theater

Zappa Plays Zappa

music

Wednesday, February 19 / Michigan Theater Frank Zappa was an undeniably talented yet wildly eccentric musician—most rockers would shrink from writing a song like “Yellow Snow.” He was, in kind, prolific: before his death in 1993, Zappa managed to release over 60 full-length albums both as a solo artist, as well as with his band, The Mothers of Invention. Zappa’s oldest son, Dweezil, an accomplished musician himself, has dedicated his career to keeping his father’s music alive. On Wednesday, February 19, Dweezil will bring his band of fusion-minded progressive rock musicians to the Michigan Theater for a night of tribute and reinvention of classic Frank Zappa songs. For a fee, guitar players can also attend the Dweezil Zappa Guitar Masterclass —players must bring their own guitars and arrive at 2:30pm. Show at 8pm. $33 - $55 (Master class $87 – only 15 slots available), Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. For tickets, visit michtheater.org or ticketmaster.com.— GMK

Classical, spiritual

The Things of Music - Towsley Auditorium The Washtenaw Community Concert Band explores musical elements, performing various pieces. 7:30pm. Free.

21 friday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Hoodang - Crazy Wisdom Bookstore

Sonically restless and critically

lauded, this Ann Arbor-based alt-country outfit has been tapping into that gleaming vein of auditory gold that travels back into the early part of the last century. 8:30pm. Free.

Blue Snaggletooth Blind Pig

Combine Black Sabbath, Motorhead and Jimi Hendrix to get the fiery rock and roll of Blue Snaggletooth. 9:30pm. $10.

cont. on page 22

This is the first official live concert event of Frank Zappa’s Music since his untimely passing—conducted by his son Dweezil. See note on this page.

8pm. $33-$55.

20 thursday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop Joe Pug - Blind Pig

Chicago-based singer-songwriter Joe Pug has toured extensively with Steve Earle and M. Ward. 8pm. $14.

Michaud is a singer-songwriter that uses an elastic tenor voice to cover an incredible range of genres. 8:30pm. Free.

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cont. from page 21

22 saturday Rock, Pop & Hip-Hop The Soil & The Sun The Blind Pig

Corn-fed, Michigan-made experimental spiritual orchestral rock that utilizes oboe, violin, guitars and even accordion.

9pm. $10.

Classical, spiritual St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hill Auditorium

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic returns to Ann Arbor, bringing along the young pianist Denis Kozhukhin, who makes his UMS debut. 8pm. $10 - $85.

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Russian Circles Tuesday, February 25 / The Blind Pig

Photo by Chris Strong

music

The heavy stuff—extreme bands— usually skip over Ann Arbor in favor of Detroit, if they play the Midwest at all. Instrumental artmetal trio Russian Circles, however, are from Chicago, so they have some empathy for the region. Maybe that’s why they’re bringing their gorgeous longform sonic jams to The Blind Pig. Their heavy-riff style of music evokes the psychedelia of Pink Floyd and the interweaving rhythms of Tool. The show comes in support of their critically acclaimed 2013 album, Memorial, which received positive press from NPR and Rolling Stone. 9pm. $16. The Blind Pig, 208 S. 1st St. 734-996-8555. blindpigmusic.com—JS

27 thursday

28 friday

Jazz, Blues & R&B

Jazz, Blues & R&B

Jazz virtouso Lionel Loueke leads this guitar workshop masterclass. 2:30pm. Free.

Flutists Brandy Hudelson and Shanna Gutierrez use beatboxing and vocal percussion to perform their avant-garde works for flute. 8pm. $5-$30.

Lionel Loueke Masterclass - Moore Building

february 2014 / ecurrent.com

The Electric Flute Project Kerrytown Concert House

Acoustic, Folk & Ethnic

Quench - Crazy Wisdom

An evening with Quench will include original takes of songfavorites from folk and popular music along with some terrific home-spun songs. 8:30pm.

Free.

2 sunday The Pleasure Garden

3pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

This spring, the Michigan Theater presents the Zounds Hearing Hitchcock Film Series— a celebration of the master of suspense. In this 1926 Hitchcock sizzler, a chorus girl at the Pleasure Garden meets adventurer Hugh Fielding and they get engaged, but when Hugh travels out of the country, she begins to play around.

4 tuesday Murder!

7pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

In this 1930 Hitchcock whodunit, an actress in a traveling theatre group is found suffering from amnesia standing next to a dead body. She is tried and convicted of the murder, but Sir John Menier is convinced of her innocence. Part of the Zounds Hearing Hitchock Film Series.

5 wednesday Maafa 21- Is Killing a Race Okay?

7pm. Halle Library, 955 W. Circle Dr., Ypsilanti. 313-828-4919. emich.edu Free.

Maafa means Great Disaster in Swahili. This documentary explores the greatest disaster that is still happening in the 21st century to the African-American community.

12 wednesday Sunshine

7pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

In acclaimed director Danny Boyle's unsung science fiction masterpiece, a spaceship traveling with a nuclear bomb races to the sun, hoping to re-animate the dying star. But the crew keeps denying they are on a suicide mission.

13 thursday The Long Walk Of Nelson Mandela 6:30pm. Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4265. aadl.org. Free.

The prestigious PBS series Frontline produced this stirring and comprehensive film of the extraordinary life of the late Nelson Mandela, the man who embodied the black South African struggle for freedom.

15 saturday New World

2pm. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org Free.

Part of the Korean Cinema Now Series. A detective infiltrates into one of the biggest gang organizations in Korea.

Romeo + Juliet

Midnight. $7. The State Theater, 233 S. State St. 734-761-8667. michtheater.org

Baz Luhrman’s re-telling of Shakespeare’s most tragic romance takes place in Venice Beach, California instead of Renaissance Venice—but the warring families still speak in old English. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes star as the titular lovers, but the film’s real selling points are its killer soundtrack and slick sense of style.

16 sunday The Lodger

1:30pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

The first classic Hitchcock, this silent film involves a gentlemanly lodger who hides a secret, while a serial killer stalks the streets. Could they be the same man? Part of the Zounds Hearing Hitchock Film Series.

18 tuesday The Lady Vanishes

7pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

A rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train in this comedic Hitchcock classic. Part of the Zounds Hearing Hitchock Film Series.

20 thursday Knights of Badassdom

9:30pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

Finding Seoul

film

With its wealth of stylish and forward-thinking directors, South Korea has quietly established itself as a country with a film scene to be reckoned with.

The Michigan Theater, in association with the Nam Center for Korean Studies, will celebrate the country's cinematic prowess with the Korean Cinema Now film series. Whether you have an obsession with Seoul's brand of celluloid, or are looking for a primer in modern East Asian film, this series is your ticket. The series will continue through April, but in February, enjoy detective thriller New World (2/15) and heist comedy The Thieves (2/22). Every Saturday, 2pm. 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org Free.—JS

26 wednesday

preview of hot films coming to the Michigan Theater in 2014.

Martin Bandyke's Moving Pictures: Academy Awards Preview

The Fly Fishing Film Tour

7pm. Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4265. aadl.org. Free.

Martin Bandyke, movie maniac and the morning host on Ann Arbor's 107one, is joined by Michigan Theater's Russ Collins for a lively discussion of the 2014 Oscars. Martin & Russ will take questions and opinions from the audience and give a

28 friday 7pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

The original and preeminent exhibition of fly fishing cinema, The F3T is a one of a kind experience. Each year fishy folk of all ages gather at premieres to soak up films from around the world, spin a few yarns amongst friends and dream about casts still unmade.

Knights of Badassdom follows three dedicated LARPers (Live Action Role Players) as they take to the woods to reenact a Dungeons and Dragons-like scenario. Trouble arises after they unwittingly conjure a female demon.

22 saturday The Thieves

2pm. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org Free.

Things get funny in this Korean crime comedy. In order to let things cool down from their latest heist, Popeye and his group of thieves go to Macao on a job, but encounters an old nemesis.

23 sunday Foreign Correspondent 4pm. $10. The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org

This thriller won Hitchcock Best Picture at the Oscars in 1940.

An unnamed female protagonist marries a wealthy gentlemen whose massive home is haunted—along with his mind— by his mysterious first wife, Rebecca. Part of the Zounds Hearing Hitchock Film Series.

ecurrent.com / february 2014 23

theater

Michelle Mountain (far right) takes on veteran homelessness head-on in Redwood Curtain.

Revealing themselves Chatting with the talented women behind the Redwood Curtain

Sean Carter Photography.

by Sandor Slomovits

Lanford Wilson's play, Redwood Curtain, is the Purple Mountain: I feel like since we knew each other pretRose Theatre's winter offering. Stephanie Buck is making ty well […] I just felt like we didn’t have to say a lot in her directorial debut, and longtime Purple Rose actress rehearsal either, which is pretty rare. and director Michelle Mountain will take on one of the Tell us about Redwood Curtain. three roles in the play. Current talked with them about Buck: It’s about a young girl, Geri, seventeen, who working together and about Redwood Curtain. is looking for her biological father, who she believes is a Buck: I was an apprentice here at the Purple Rose homeless Vietnam vet living in the redwood forest in Caliin the 2006-2007 class, and then, after that, I got hired fornia. She has been adopted into a very wealthy family as a stage manager, which is really excellent training for in California, and her adopted father has passed and now directing. You facilitate for the director, but you also get she’s looking for her biological father, and she thinks she’s to listen to all the notes that the director gives the actors found him. She’s staying with her aunt, who Michelle is and see what things work for peoplaying, and the play is about how ple—what sort of language works they come to all be looking for I love the sort of for different types of actors. I think themselves, together. directors have to be able to speak collaborative work that The title is intriguing. many languages. You have to talk theater gets to be, that A curtain is something with designers in a way that works for them, you have to talk to an ac- you don’t get very often that you can hide behind, but it can also reveal. tor the way that helps them, and elsewhere.

Redwoods bring to mind different actors are different. Once — Stephanie Buck, Director the past, and history. the show opens, the stage manager Mountain: I feel like it’s a is in charge of maintaining the acredwood curtain because while tors and everything. I love the sort of collaborative work that theater gets to be, that you don’t he is hiding in there, hidden knowledge is in there too, get very often elsewhere. This show came up and Guy and throughout the course of the play, so many things are (Sanville, Purple Rose’s Artistic Director) asked me if I revealed. The longing for your family, to know who your family is, and that they acknowledge you, is thousands and would direct it, and I said, “Yes!” (Laughter) thousands of years old.

In about two seconds. (Laughter) Buck: I was lucky. When I first started stage manag- Like the redwood forests.

Buck: It’s a real world where magical things happen. ing there were also a lot of new actors in this company.

They were learning how to perform for ten weeks and I Redwood Curtain runs through Saturday, March 15, 8pm. $27-42. was learning how to maintain actors for ten weeks. The The Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St. Chelsea. first show I stage managed, Michelle directed. I was an 734-433-7673. purplerosetheatre.org apprentice for a long time while she was an actor, so we became very comfortable with each other.

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theater

7 friday

14 friday

Neil Simon's Rumors

Fri, Sat, 7:30pm. Sun 2:30pm. Adults: $13 presale, $15 door; students, seniors: $11 presale; $13 door.

Community Theatre of Howell, 1400 W. Grand River Ave., Howell.

517-545-1290. cththeatre.org

From the master of American theatrical comedy, Rumors features several posh couples comically trying to hide disparaging events and truths from the police, as well as one another. Runs through Sunday, February 16.

The Play's the Thing 2014 8pm. A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann St. 734-971-2228. a2ct.org Free.

Emu Students Isaac Reimer as Adam and Amber Lawson as Evelyn.

College, no humor

The people you meet change your life—sometimes on purpose. In The Shape of Things, a dark romantic comedy by writer-director Neil LaBute, Evelyn, an MFA student does just that. Like a dark mirror to the classic myth Pygmalion, Evelyn's relationship with her classmate Adam transforms him, physically and mentally—and not always for the better.

Wednesday, February 12. Runs through Sunday, February 16. 9pm Wednesday, 7pm Thursday through Saturday, 2pm Sunday. $7-15. Eastern Michigan University, Quirk Spoonberg Theater, 900 Oakwood St., Ypsilanti. 734-487-1220. emich.

The Play's the Thing 2014 allows playwrights to hear their plays read and get the audience’s feedback afterwards.

On this night there will be four ten-minute performances, including Falcons and Behavioral Repercussions by Sunny Wong, and Something Big, Professor Parker on Pot, and The Return of the Right Turn by Lori Reece.

Also runs 2pm on Sunday, February 9.

9 sunday 3pm. $15 adults//$10 students and seniors (62 and over). Towsley Auditorium, Morris Lawrence Building, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. 734-302-3502. hooverstreetdance.com.

Hoover Street Dance Company's first performance is the premiere of The Snow Queen, an original full-length ballet by Artistic Director Colette Kenville based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen.

2pm. A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann St. 734-971-2228. a2ct.org Free.

The Play's the Thing 2014 allows playwrights to hear their plays read and get the audiences feedback afterwards.

The final performance is the fulllength play, Going Viral, written

by Joseph York.

february

2014 / ecurrent.com

Framed by a pre-performance benefit dinner supporting Toledo Opera, and an after-party for all ticket-buyers, this year's gala is not to be missed. Five divas will join the Toledo Symphony, conductors James Meena and Robert Mirakian, and narrator Kevin Bylsma for an evening of operatic show-stoppers.

20 thursday Hay Fever

Thurs 7:30pm, Fri, Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. $28-$22, $10 students.

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N. University Ave. 734-764-2538. umich.edu

This comedy by Noël Coward, one of the world’s most hilarious classics, tells a tale of a weekend getaway gone awry.

Hay Fever has charmed audiences since 1925. Runs through Sunday, February 23.

Thurs 7:30pm, Fri, Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. $17, $10 students. Walgreen Drama Center, Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin Ave. 734-764-2538. umich.edu

The best-known love story in Western civilization, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a celebration of pure and romantic love tragically cut short by the rashness and folly of youth. Runs through Sunday, February 23.

ongoing Next to Normal

Going Viral

26

7:30pm. $200. Valentine Theater, 410 Adams St, Toledo. 419-255-7464. toledoopera.org

Romeo & Juliet

The Snow Queen

10%

Toledo Opera/ValentineTheatre Fundraiser Gala: The Ladies in Red

OF F

8pm. Thurs $19, Fri, Sat, Sun. $25, $22 seniors, $13 students.

Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin Ave. 734-971-2228. a2ct.org

This Pulitzer Prize and Tonywinning rock musical explores the lives of a suburban family coping with crisis and mental illness. Runs through Sunday, February 2.

WITH

THIS

A D

ecurrent.com / february 2014 27

art UM re-mixes UMMA’s DNA Sonia Sheridan, Self-Portrait in Time, 1989, digital print, UMMA, Gift of Professor Diane M. Kirkpatrick, 2000/2.15

Flip your field, baby!

UMMA's faculty takeover

By Louis Meldman

Running through March 16, 2014 is the second exhibition in the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s Flip Your Field series, which asks noted UM faculty members to consider artwork outside their field of specialization and curate a show using works from UMMA’s collection.

This exhibit’s guest curator is Professor Larry Cressman who has selected photographs from the UMMA’s extensive collection and put together two contrasting arrangements of photographic imagery.

The first is a display of many different images focusing on the subject of trees. It is a traditional, classical assembling of shots by everyone from Ansel Adams to artists you’ve never heard of. Well, at least I hadn’t heard of them until now. But they’re marvelous and the striking salonstyle arrangement of them is part of the fun.

On an adjacent wall, Cressman has arranged a collection of photographs that have been uniquely manipulated by each artist, using the photographic process itself to create surprisingly individual statements. Sure, photos are everywhere today, from cell phones to surveillance tapes, all en route to the Photoshop. But these selections are a cut above, or maybe a thousand cuts. They push the boundaries of thought as much as of visual representation.

Cressman's credentials

A renowned artist and professor at the UM School of Art and Design, Cressman earned his B.S. in design in 1968 and his M.F.A. in printmaking and drawing in 1975, both from the UM school of A&D. Since 1976 Cressman has taught printmaking and drawing at the UM Residential College. He formally joined the A&D faculty in 2004 and has also been serving on the faculty of the UM Summer Study Abroad Program in Florence, Italy. Nice gig, Cressman! He is also a very successful private exhibitor, represented by the prestigious Hill Gallery in Birmingham, Michigan since 1986.

Over the past 25 years, Cressman’s work has evolved markedly through his explorations of drawing as a threedimensional form of expression. He elevates the line on paper to a material reality that transcends the theoretical,

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non-dimensional line and plane. It was natural, therefore, that he was selected to represent the A&D faculty in the new exhibition Constellations – Lines and Pictures, which runs through Friday, February 14 in the Slusser Gallery in the A&D Building on North Campus. The show, curated

by Peter Dykhuis of the Dalhousie Gallery of Halifax, Nova Scotia, purports to create a conversation investigating the lines, literal and conceptual, that both connect and divide us physically, geographically, socially, politically and spiritually. I like it just for cool pictures and objects.

And it’s a good excuse to get to the A&D building, which is a living organism of beauty and artistic energy.

Chaos theory and atom smashing

Farther afield, the Cranbrook Art Museum has two shows, both running through Sunday, March 23. The larger, The Islands of Benoît Mandelbrot: Fractals, Chaos and the Materiality of Thinking, is an interesting depiction of art based on Chaos Theory and Fractal Geometry, the radical departure from Euclidian geometry that describes, mathematically, natural shapes like coastlines and clouds.

The second show, which I found utterly enchanting, is Waylande Gregory: Art Deco Ceramics and the Atomic Impulse, an exploration of the work of, not surprisingly, Waylande Gregory (1905-1971). Gregory redefined American ceramics in the 1930s and 1940s and one of his most important stints was as Resident Ceramic Sculptor at Cranbrook in the early 30s. The exhibit features more than 60 works by the artist, especially pieces from his Fountain of the Atom installation, which stole the show at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Gregory pioneered a number of breakthroughs in the technique of ceramics, allowing for monumental pieces by building from inside out using repeated firings, first with a honeycomb infrastructure, then an outer “skin,” and finally his own quasi-secret glazes.

There is a lovely new monograph of the exhibition available at the museum.

UMMA, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills. 248-645-3320. cranbrookart.edu/museum/

1 saturday Symposium: Encounters with Islamic Art: Reception, Revival, and Response

Helmet Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 10 am. 734-764-0395.umma. umich.edu Free.

This one-day symposium will accompany the exhibition of Doris Duke's collection of Islamic art. The symposium aims to shed further light on the many ways in which collectors, scholars, artists, and architects have encountered Islamic artistic traditions during the modern period. umma.umich.edu

2 sunday UMMA Guided tours

1pm and 2pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

UMMA has assembled a choice group of domestic design objects in a new dedicated Design Gallery. Both design aficionados and novices will recognize some of the historic work on view. In addition, UMMA docents will guide visitors through the galleries on diverse tours.

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VOTE!

art

Hands-On Workshop: Comic Artists Forum with Ryan Estrada

1pm. Downtown Library, 4th Floor Meeting Room, 343 South Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. aadl.org Free.

Skype with Ryan Estrada and learn how to become your own editor. The forum is for beginner and professional comic enthusiasts and cartoonists.

He will help instruct people on how to build their career and art.

4 tuesday Snapshots From A Fleeting World: Altered Photographs

by Sue Finley The Malletts Creek Branch , 3090 E. Eisenhower Pkwy. 734-327-4555. aadl.org Free.

Sue Finley is a photographer, traveler, and recent cancer survivor. This exhibit will show her talent for altering photographs, mostly of serene scenes in nature. Through Thursday, March 13.

6 thursday Degenerate Art Ensemble

4pm. The Michigan Theater, \603 E. Liberty St. 734-668-8463. michtheater.org Free.

Degenerate Art Ensemble's work is inspired by punk, comics, cinema, nightmares and fairy tales driven by the energy of live music and their style of

Middy Potter: Amusing Assemblages The WSG Gallery is hosting an exhibit of artwork, entitled Springs and Things, featuring multimedia artist, Middy Potter. Potter uses found objects as an avenue of discovery, exploration and expression.

While the diversity of materials provide challenges and stimulates invention, Potter’s sense of humor is often injected into his amusing sculptures using juxtaposition and context.

He remarks, "it is great fun to find an object and use it as part of a sculpture....I add a dash of humor, a bit of whimsy and a pinch of wonderment." The opening reception is Friday, February 21, 7-9pm; the show runs through Saturday, March 22. WSG Gallery, 306 South St. 734-761-2287. wsg-art.com Free.—JT Happy to See You

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Call for artists

cont. from pg. 29 visceral movement theater and dance. These immersive meditations tear away the waking world, expressing unimaginable possibilities.

The Janus of Tiger: Korean Decorative Painting,

4:30pm. $7. Hatcher Graduate Library, 913 S. University Ave. 734-764-0400. umich.edu Free.

The Nam Center for Korean Studies will present a lecture

by Byung-Mo Chung on the images of tigers and magpies in traditional Minhwha folk paintings.

7 friday In Conversation: Doris Duke’s Shangri-La

12pm. A. Alfred Taubman Gallery I, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

Ashley Dimmig, UM PhD student in History of Art, will introduce the exhibition Doris Duke's Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art, and various high points of this eclectic and legendary collection.

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Attention painters, posters, poets videographers and artists of all sorts: the annual Social Justice Arts Festival is accepting entries for this year's showcase, which will take place on Saturday, March 29 at the UM School of Social Work. This year's theme is Creating Socially Just Neighborhoods: The Power of Art. Applications due Friday, February 28. Complete an application at sswartfair.wordpress.com/get-involved/ artist-application/ UMMA Lunchtime tours

12pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

Designed specifically for the lunch hour, UMMA staff and student docents will offer thirty minutes of conversation about art in the UMMA galleries around fresh, entertaining, and seasonal themes such as love, heroes, food, and more.

8 saturday Minhwa at Michigan: A Hands-On Demonstration

on the decorative painting tradition of Minhwa—or Korean folk painting—an art form that filled people's homes as well as the palaces of Korea.

17 monday Graduate Student Art Exhibition Ford Gallery, Eastern Michigan University, 900 Oakwood St., Ypsilanti.

734-487-1849. emich.edu Free.

Hosted annually, this all-media exhibition features the work of current MFA and MA students.

Reception Wednesday, February 19, 4-7pm. Runs through Wednesday, March 12.

2pm. $7. University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

Learn both history and technique in this unique workshop

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21 friday UMMA Fridays After 5

5pm. University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

In response to visitor feedback, the Museum will stay open after 5pm once per month until May. All of UMMA's galleries and special exhibitions will remain open until 8 pm during this exciting series.

26 wednesday Stop Making Sense: Constructs and Narratives, Real and Imagined 5:30pm. Multipurpose Room, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

As part of their exciting new Hub lecture series, the Institute for the Humanities offers a visit to the UMMA New Media Gallery exhibition entitled Affecting the Audience: Anthony Discenza, Aurlien Froment, and Dora Garcia.

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art The cutlery curator In conversation with

Photograph courtesy of Peter Lee

Kate Maury’s ornate kitchen table Centerpiece— just one attraction at the Dinnerwear Museum

Margaret Carney

By Jacob Axelrad

In 1943 Norman Rockwell painted “Freedom from Want,” depicting a family sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner, smiling and laughing above pristine silverware as they wait for grandmother to serve the turkey.

According to Dr. Margaret Carney, director of The Dinnerware Museum on Main Street, this is the classic image most Americans associate with dinnerware — something cherished by an older generation, when large family dinners were the norm and mother kept china in the dining room cabinet for special occasions.

Carney aims to challenge this belief. The Dinnerware Museum does have the “traditional dinnerware” of Rockwell, but it also has contemporary pieces from around the world, demonstrating the bonds that tie people around the dining table.

“If we all thought about it probably everybody would be interested in dinnerware,” Carney said in a recent interview.

“We all celebrate the important aspects of our daily lives through the memories of special dining events. That’s kind of universal.”

Carney, who was previously director of The ScheinJoseph International Museum of Ceramic Art in Alfred, NY, developed an interest in dinnerware after being exposed to the work of Hungarian-born industrial designer Zeisel, who created best-selling dinnerware in the 1950s.

When Carney decided to start the world’s first museum devoted entirely to dinnerware, her ancestral home of Ann Arbor was a logical choice. Citing the city’s “foodie” culture and hospitality toward the arts, it made sense to continue her love for all things dining-related in the city.

Pete Scherzer

Some pieces, like this cup and tray, work as a single display piece.

Three courses

Though the non-profit museum has yet to find a permanent home, it has already found success in its first two pop-up exhibitions, held last year in Ypsilanti and Chicago; Carney hopes the 500 N. Main pop-up will find similar success. The Museum's current exhibit, “Three Courses,” curated

by Carney, breaks down into three sections, or “courses,” containing work from the U.S., Europe and Asia.

The first course, “Whetting your Appetite,” features dinnerware from around the world. The second course, “Setting the Table,” features “celebrity dinnerware” used by historical figures like Thomas Edison and Henry Ford on camping excursions. And the third course, “Getting a Snack,” features historic snack sets, one of which includes sculptures of two small rats standing next to a cup and saucer in a piece called “Rat Snack Museum.”

As Carney noted, most pieces on display have been used in people’s homes.

Roy Lichtenstein Photograph courtesy of Bill Walker

“A majority of the functional dinnerware that’s in the collection has been used by people and loved by people and holds all the memories in the world for them,” she said. Many of these pieces “spark another person’s memories when they come in and see it and say, ‘Oh, I remember that.’ Or ‘My aunt had that China.’ ” For Carney, such experiences are key in her motivation to share the viewing of dinnerware from across the world.

“Everybody has these shared experiences,” she said. “And that’s really what dinnerware’s all about. It gives you a window into the habits and customs of people all over the world.”

Three Courses runs through Monday, May 12. Open weekends 12-4pm and by appointment. 500 N. Main St., Ann Arbor, 697-382-1415. dinnerwaremuseum.org ecurrent.com / february 2014 31

current reads Memories of UM Robert Wallick remembers Subtle Implications

by Michael Pierce

“Que Sera Sera,” Doris Day once eloquently sang— the simplicity of this statement can’t be overstated, but the complexity it conveys takes a lifetime to understand.

Subtle Implications, an autobiographical piece by UM alum Robert Abraham Wallick, explores the importance of accepting this idea as truth: that humanity is a complex project, and we are all thrown into difficult life-situations. The book also delves into ideas of reincarnation, and probes the reader to embrace life’s pitfalls without the need for escaping into an other-worldly afterlife.

“With reincarnation, we are always in this world. If people can accept this idea it would be a far better place,” Wallick explained to Current.

Reconciling science and religion

As a former Sunday school teacher with a strong interest in theoretical physics, Wallick spent his life attempting to reconcile the worlds of science and religion. Though this may be more common in the 21st century, it was definitely less so 45 years ago. The call to action, according to Wallick, is to “break through to the awareness that people are energy; we’re all made from the same material, and there’s more going on than what we can see.” This feeds back into the ideas of reincarnation that he discusses in the book.

Esoteric language aside, this is a book written with everyone in mind. Wallick's life events are written in a conversational tone, as though the reader is listening to a friend talk over a cup of coffee. As the story of his life progresses, the reader may discover that the 20th century Midwest experience is not always so boring and simple.

Sprinkled throughout the book, Wallick confesses many details about his personal life that most would deem too

Tell your tale

Personal storytelling is on the rise. Judging by the success of radio programs like NPR’s Snap Judgment, and the longevity of events like the Ark’s 27th annual Storytelling Festival, it’s obvious that the public appetite is whetted for real stories by real people. This year’s fest boasts two national storytellers: Donna Washington (at right), who meditates on life with children, and Tim Tiller, whose stories come framed in his Choctaw Native American Heritage. Local storyteller Jane Fink, who performed several times around Ann Arbor in 2013, rounds out the line-up.

Saturday, February 15, 7:30pm. $20. The Ark, 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1800. theark.org—JS

embarrassing to reveal. When asked about this he laughed and said: “When you get to be my age, you don’t have the same inhibitions that you do when you’re young.”

Life steps

The loss of innocence is conveyed throughout the book as the reader is taken from a child heavily involved with the church to a young adult who drops out of college and commits extortion against an insurance company; “The step from Sunday school teacher to Jackson State Prison was a big step, and you have a lot to lose when you make that step”, says Wallick. Later in life, Wallick is saddled with another challenge as he becomes the caregiver to his brother, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

These examples are only a handful of the challenges and tribulations that the author has overcome throughout his life.

In it’s simplest form, the book is a personal narrative of the life-shaping events of Robert Wallick, but there is more to the story than just an autobiography; at the core of the writing is an appreciation for human suffering and loss. In his view, “We’re here in the middle of an education. We’re learning about who we are and what we are, and negative experiences are a good thing, you really pay attention when it hurts.”

Wallick's Subtle Implications was self-published in 2013, and is available on amazon.com

Local Reads sunday 2

wednesday 5

3pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

7pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

Author Event: Vic Strecher

Local author and University of Michigan professor Vic Strecher will be at Nicola's Books for a signing and discussion of his book On Purpose, a self-help guide, college lecture, confessional, and timetravel adventure all rolled into one, On Purpose uses a beautiful, fantasy-fueled, graphic novel format to tell a story of self-discovery and personal growth you'll never forget.

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Author Event: Charles Finch

Author Charles Finch, best known for his mystery series featuring Charles Lenox, will be at Nicola's Books to read and sign his new novel, The Last Enchantments. After graduating from Yale, William Baker goes to work in presidential politics.

Disenchanted, he leaves and embarks on a year spent at Oxford where he has an impassioned affair that will change his life forever.

thursday 6

Diane Seuss Poetry Reading

5pm. Helmet Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-764-0395. umma.umich.edu Free.

Award-winning poet Diane Seuss will read a collection of her poems as part of the Zell Visiting Writers Series. Her third collection, Four-Legged Girl, is forthcoming from Graywolf Press in 2015. Her second book, Wolf Lake, White Gown Blown Open, received the Juniper Prize for Poetry and was published in 2010.

Local Reads friday 7

tuesday 18

7pm. Helmet Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-7640395. umma.umich.edu Free.

6pm, doors, 7:30pm, stories. $16 advance, $8 door. The Circus, 210 South First St. 734-913-8890. themoth.org

Mark Webster Reading Series

Two MFS students of fiction and poetry, each introduced by a peer, will read their work as part of The Mark Webster Reading Series.

sunday 9

AuthorEvent: Brenda Meisels

The Moth’s Ann Arbor StorySLAM

Everyday people bring their stories to the table, and tell them live, bearing all in this celebration of the world’s oldest art form as presented by the award-winning The Moth story hour.

3pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

thursday 20

Local author Brenda Meisels will be signing and discussing her second novel, Four Walls and a Leaky Roof, which is about the turbulent late 1960s. A $3 donation from each book sold will be given to Safe House.

5pm. Helmet Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-7640395. umma.umich.edu Free.

thursday 13

Marianne Boruch Poetry Reading

5pm. Helmet Stern Auditorium, University of Michigan Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. 734-7640395. umma.umich.edu Free.

Poet Marianne Boruch will read a collection of her poems as part of the Zell Visiting Writers Series. She has published eight books of poetry, most recently Cadaver, Speak.

sunday 16

Author Event: Bob Morris 3pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

Local author Bob Morris will be signing and discussing his book, Built in Detroit: A Story of the UAW, a Company and a Gangster. The story is about his father, Ken Morris, president of one of the largest and most influential local unions of the United Automobile Workers.

monday 17

Literacy Orientation Meeting 7pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

Washtenaw Literacy will be holding an orientation meeting at Nicola's Books for anyone interested in becoming a tutor for adults who have difficulty with reading and writing. No experience is required and training will be provided.

Paisley Rekdal Poetry Reading

As part of the Zell Visiting Writers Series, poet Paisley Rekdal will read a collection of her poems. Rekdal is the author of a book of essays, The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee; the hybrid genre, photo-text memoir Intimate; and four books of poetry: A Crash of Rhinos, Six Girls Without Pants, The Invention of the Kaleidoscope, and Animal Eye.

sunday 23

Author Event: Stephanie Kadel Taris 3pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

Ann Arbor author Stephanie Kadel Taris will be signing and discussing her memoir, Mountain Girls. A native West Virginian. She wrote Mountain Girls— a memoir and social history—as a way of exploring the history and culture of her home state and the choices women make in today's mobile society.

tuesday 25

Author Event: Kim Harrison 7pm. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave. 734-662-0600. nicolasbooks.com Free.

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison will be at Nicola's Books for the release of the next book in the Hollows series, The Undead Pool, as well as a Q&A and signing.

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everything else

33rd Annual Great Lakes Shipwreck Festival Saturday, February 22

Learn about the ancient shores of the Great Lakes and the very deep and mysterious history hidden below the current. The Ford Seahorse Scuba Dive Club, in conjunction with the Detroit Historical Society’s Dossin Maritime Group and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, are proud to present the Great Lakes Shipwreck festival, which will feature entertaining presentations, book signings and exhibits from local maritime artists.

Woman Diver’s Hall of Fame inductee, Valerie van Heest, will share her two new Lake Michigan presentations.

David Trotter, whose team found a very historically significant shipwreck in 2013, will present as well. The day will also include diver related information, such as shipwreck travel destinations and equipment representatives, as well as underwater parks and local diving hot spots. For a complete schedule, visit website. 9am-5pm. $25. Washtenaw Community College: Morris Lawrence Building, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. 734-459-8476. shipwreckfestival.us —MLR

1 saturday Sean Patton

8 &10:30pm. $13 before 6pm, $15 at door. Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 E. Liberty St. 734-996-9080. aacomedy.com

Sean Patton is a New York based actor and comedian. His comedy glorifies the beauty of human imperfection rather than the classic punch joke set up. He recently made his television debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and has also been on Conan and other shows.

2 sunday Groundhog Annual Prediction

7:45am. Free/ optional breakfast: $8 adults, $6 children, kids under two years free. Howell Conference & Nature Center, 1005 Triangle Lake Rd., Howell. 517-546-0249. howellnaturecenter.org

Woody, Michigan's official groundhog will make her

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annual prediction, which has been correct eleven times out of fifteen (a record that vastly surpasses Punxutawney Phil's 39% accuracy rate). This celebration of the changing seasons includes a crazy costume contest for kids; to dress up in costumes representing their hopes for an early spring or in favor of six more weeks of wintry fun. The contestant with the most outrageous outfit will receive one free week of summer day camp.

3 monday New Member Night

7-9:30pm. Trinity Lutheran Church, 1400 W. Stadium Blvd. 734-265-0740. olconline.org Free

This is the opportunity to join Washtenaw County's original mixed LGBT chorus group for the upcoming concert season. No sight reading skills or audition are required. Also on February 10.

everything else

Scottish Country Dancing: Tartan and Thistle Scottish Country Dancers 7:30-9:30pm. $5. The Barn at Gretchen's Child Care Center V, 2625 Traver Blvd. 734-761-7030. gretchenshouse.com

Learn to dance jigs, reels, and strathspeys to live music. Scottish Country Dancing is social, not performance oriented, and is suitable for all ages. No partner necessary. Beginners always welcome. Monday nights until February 24.

road trip — Detroit & Toledo Stranahan Theater Toledo / Thursday, February 6

Rock of Ages

4 tuesday Ann Arbor Camera Club

7:30pm. Wines Elementary School Auditorium, 1701 Newport Rd. 734-3274781. annarborcameraclub.org Free

Members will be showing their digital images and prints on various subjects as well as the assigned topic: To The Horizon.

Floral Bouquet Workshop

7-8:30pm. Malletts Creek Branch: Program Room , 3090 East Eisenhower Pkwy. 734-327-8301. aadl.org Free

Tracy Swinburn of Ann Arbor's Red Poppy Floral Design will be teaching people how to make a small hand-tied bouquet for you, your special someone, or just for fun.

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Huntington Center Toledo / Wednesday, February 5 Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown is one of the hardest working musicians in country music—his concerts feature rotating setlists, premier stage production and an electrifying backing band that deftly segues from genre to genre throughout their performances.

Fresh off a recording studio visit produced by the legendary Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), the Zac Brown Band will truck into Toledo’s Huntington Center.

7pm. $56.35 - $86.25. Huntington Center, 500 Jefferson Ave., Toledo. 419-255-3300. zacbrownband.com

Dubbed “Broadway’s biggest party,” this musical pairs the hair metal hits of the 80’s with a we’renot-gonna-take-it storyline. Drew, a naïve young man, who moves to LA with big city dreams, finds refuge at a Sunset Strip hair bar, but when do-gooder parents try to have it replaced with a strip mall, things get heavy. 8pm. $68-28. Runs through Sunday, February 9, 2pm. Stranahan Theater.

4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., Toledo. 419-3818851. stranahantheater.org

Detroit Institute of Arts / Friday, February 21 A Band Called Death

Before the boom of punk in 1977, a band called Death played underground music in Michgian-to nobody. This trio of Africanamerican musicians helped invent a popular genre of music and then vanished.

This documentary tells the story of one of the best-kept secrets in rock music—and Michigan history. 9:30pm. $8.50. Detroit Film Theater, Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-833-7900. dia.org

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cont. from pg. 35

6 thursday

Derick Lengwenus

8pm. Thursday, $10/Friday & Saturday, $13 (advanced tickets are available at a reduced price). Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 E. Liberty St. 734-9969080. aacomedy.com

In 2000, Derick Lengwenus started his career in Montreal and one year later, he performed on HBO's Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Since then he has been busy filming his own comedy special on CTV, and winning Best Comedy in the Montreal Fringe Festival.

Also on Friday & Saturday, 8 & 10:30pm.

7 friday "Hoedown Skate": Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation Funky Frosty Friday

7:15-8:45pm. $6/17 & under and Seniors 60 & over, $5/ Skate Rentals, $3. Buhr Park Ice Rink, 2751 Packard Rd. 734-761-7240.

Everyone is invited to wear their cowboy or cowgirl hats and skate to country and west

8 saturday

ern music.

Hearts for the Arts

6pm. $175. Barton Hills Country Club, 730 Country Club Rd. 734-994-4801. a2so.com

The evening will feature two auctions, an elegant champagne reception, a not-to-be missed chef's dinner, and live music. Proceeds will benefit community-wide educational and artistic programs of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. For live absentee silent auction bidding, go to biddingforgood.com/a2so

9 sunday Minecraft Craft: Create a Colorblock Creeper Tote 2-3:30pm. Downtown Library, MultiPurpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. aadl.org Free

Learn to make a DIY color block creeper tote to show off your love for the video game MineCraft.

11 tuesday Monthly Variety Show & Open Mic

7-9pm. Ugly Mug Cafe & Roastery, 317 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti.

734-484-4684. uglymugypsi.com Free

The show will spotlight four to six musicians and spoken word artists from across the SE Michigan/NW Ohio region, followed by a short open mic segment to close the show.

DOn’t FORGETE! T TO VO See pg. 7

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14 friday Owl Do I Love Thee?

7-9pm. $15 per couple. Leslie Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Rd. 734-997-1553. lesliesnc.org

Snuggle up with your special someone, admire the owls and their heart-shaped faces, and go on a lantern-lit self-guided tour with poems and sonnets.

There will be hot chocolate, chocolate covered strawberries, and a fire to warm you upon return. Registration required.

Valentine's Partner Thai Massage

5 & 7pm. $70 per couple. Sun Moon Yoga Studio, 404 W. Huron St. 734-929-0274. sun-moon-yoga.com

Learn therapeutic Thai massage techniques, perfect to help de-stress and relieve tension. Registration recommended.

19 wednesday Big Shot Paper Crafting

6:30-8pm. Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-8301. aadl.org Free

Come see how the machines can affect your paper crafts.

Learn how to use the mini diecut machines and techniques to make cards.

20 thursday Fundamentals of Marketing Your Business 6-8pm. Cleary University, 3601 Plymouth Rd. 734-929-9091. annarborscore.com Free

This seminar presents practical applications of marketing concepts designed to grow small businesses. A strategic, well planned approach to marketing is demonstrated as well as several hands-on marketing techniques.

21 friday AACTMAD Ballroom Dance Party

7pm. Entire evening $15, open dancing $10. 4531 Concourse Dr. 734-644-1485.

Spend the evening dancing all of your ballroom favorites. No experience or partner necessary. Free admission for February birthdays. Food and drinks are potluck- bring your favorites to pass.

23 sunday A Benefit for the Michigan Marriage Challenge

1pm. $25/ $100, supporters/ $250, Benefactors. The Ark, 316 S. Main St. 734-761-1800. michiganmarriagechallenge.com, theark.org

This benefit is an opportunity for supporters of marriage equality to help make it a reality, as well as to help raise funds for the DeBoer-Rowse

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health events 1 saturday Basic Yoga

10:45am. $15. Sun Moon Yoga, 404 W. Huron St. 734-929-0274. sun-moon-yoga.com

This yoga class uses traditional yoga posture and breath techniques that will calm and clear your mind while promoting healthy joints and a healthy digestive and cardio-vascular system.

6 thursday

Relating Like A Pro: Relationship Panel and Potluck

6:30pm. Back into Balance Vibrational Wellness Restoration Center, 1007 Wright Street #5. 734646-1351. Donations accepted.

Love experts Eugene Hedlund and Monique Darling will explore how to hold difficult conversations, understand different love languages and balance giving and receiving love.

Discussion will include various relationship agreements such as monogamy, open relationships and polyamory. facebook.com/vwrestoration.net

8 saturday

Goddess Flow: Yoga in Honor of the Divine Feminine

9-10:15am. Hygeia Center for Healing Arts, 220 N. 5th Ave. 734-769-6100. hygeiacenter.org Free

Honor your divine female energy in this vinyasa style yoga class that celebrates the Goddess within. The monthly class will move through six posture flows accompanied by music.

Some previous yoga experience is recommended.

Women only. Reservations required.

17 monday

Ann Arbor Downtown Group Run

6:30pm. Running Fit, 123 E. Liberty.

734-769-5016. Free

Every Monday, runners of all abilities will enjoy this weekly 3-8 mile run. Snacks will be provided. Rain or shine. (no run on February 3 & 10).

ts More event online a m .co ecurrent family to legally co-adopt their three children.

Learn and Play Bridge in One Day

11am-4pm. $10/ Students, $5.

Michigan League, 911 N. University Ave. 248-646-3967. uunions.umich.edu/league

Learn how to play bridge and then practice your new skills.

Registration required.

18 tuesday

Trauma and Chemical Use and Addiction

7:30-9pm. St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Dr., Ypsilanti. 734-485-8725. dawnfarm. org Free

Current research shows the relationship between chemical use, addiction and trauma. This presentation by an award-winning trauma expert will review events involved with trauma exposure, trauma specific symptomology, and how to aid individuals struggling with trauma and addiction.

Twin Hearts Meditation

7pm. Center of Light, 200 Huronview Blvd. 734-330-5048. centersoflight.org. Free.

Designed by Master Choa, the advanced meditation technique is aimed at achieving universal consciousness for the planet.

The Twin Hearts Meditation has been practiced globally by thousands of people from many different religions and backgrounds. This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series.

21 friday

Mama Bear Women’s Classes 6:30pm. $20 / session. Sunward Cohousing Community in the Forest, 424 Little Lake Dr. 734-531-8330. naturelearningcommunity.org

Gather with like-minded women around a crackling fire inside a hand-built shelter in the woods. Craft, sing, share stories and celebrate the beauty of nature while exploring the themes of women’s lives. Directions to shelter given upon registration.

25 tuesday

Collegiate Recovery Programs: Supporting Second Chances

7:30:9pm. St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Dr., Ypsilanti. 734-485-8725. dawnfarm.org Free

The transition to a college environment can pose significant risk to a recovering student.

This presentation will provide an overview of the national and local efforts to build recovery support programs on college campuses, and provide information about what parents and students should look for as they explore their options for pursuing a degree of higher education. This program is part of the Dawn Farm Education Series.

25 tuesday AACTMAD Tuesday English Country Dance.

7pm. $8, $4 students, free under 14 with parent. Chapel Hill Condominium Clubhouse, 3350 Green Rd. 734-665-7704. aactmad.org

Have fun at this informal dance night. No partner or experience needed. First-timers, start at 7pm.

crossword Across 1. Language of many Buddhist texts 5. Soft-shelled food, perhaps 9. Moved inconspicuously 14. Word after breast or testicular 15. Pint that may be weisse 16. Trendy diet modeled after the ostensible habits of cavemen 17. Space opera starring Kanye as Jar Jar and Fergie as C-3PO? 20. Moon with Ewoks 21. Citation abbr.

22. Winter shot targets 23. Starts to attract flies, say 25. Attend 27. Channel with programming such as “The Real Lunch Ladies of Lincoln Middle School”?

33. Into underground stuff 34. Flowery band 35. Perfect places 37. ___ U 38. Not fully soft, as shells 41. Orchestra’s locale 42. Vibe 44. Emulate pigeons 45. Tops 46. VIPs at a printer convention in Prague one week, Paris the next?

50. Polite permission request 51. Obama campaign concept 52. As well 55. Taj Mahal city 57. Cold War weapons 61. Cream that proto-Nissan owners had to apply to their vehicles on summer days?

64. One may be snaked 65. Foul-mouthed 1950s heartthrob Paul 66. Bart and Lisa’s driver 67. Pull 68. America, Europe, etc., with “the” 69. “Good thing we locked the door before the monster got in” Down 1. Animated skunk Le Pew 2. Nerve cell transmitter 3. “Columbo” law enforcement gp.

4. Words delivered with a hangdog expression 5. Letters for a gap in the schedule 6. Cuffed 7. Play group?

8. Delightful time?

9. Beach hero’s skill 10. Content of a certain trendy diet 11. Major Middle Eastern airline 12. South American country with a redand-white flag 13. Prepare, as a kind of salad 18. Disney movie about a hacker 19. Scores 24. Poker player’s giveaway 26. Like Wes Anderson movies 27. A total ten, spelled slangily 28. Disney character with no legs 29. Autobiography written with Kurt Loder 30. Cheyenne Woods, to Tiger 31. Cars sold at auction, casually 32. Dog in heat?

36. Editor’s “it’s fine after all” 38. One may be gray 39. “I’m good” 40. WWII leader sentenced to death in 1948 43. Gradual absorption 45. Admitted wrongness 47. Vice presidential runner-up Paul 48. Horror film villain with sadistic puzzles 49. Like some fails

52. Throws in 53. “Tomb Raider” protagonist Croft 54. “Sit!” relative 56. Letter from millennia ago 58. Kiss hit 59. Dole (out) 60. Toledo gets about 37 inches of it per year 62. ___ Chicago Grill 61. Telenovela family member 63. Served, as on a committee

for crossword answers, go to ecurrent.com

Double Teamed

ecurrent.com / february 2014 37

current trendz

Savannah Haley, Belleville

Miranda Reams, Ypsilanti Amanda Orr, Ann Arbor

Clutches Kaylie Krause, Belleville

The casual or formal minimal hassle, light weight, easily accessible accessory. Making toting needed toiletries and nightlife must haves fashionable and effortless.

Want to see more A2 street style? Visit ecurrent.com/ Style

Makinley Angle, Ypsilanti Melissa Cischke, Westland Rachell Clark, Belleville

38

february

2014 / ecurrent.com

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EDUCATION

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EVENTS

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Mom2Mom Consignment Sale March 15th at Liberty School, 7265 N. Ann Arbor St., Saline. 9-2 pm, $1.00 entry. More info at: mom2momconsignmentsale.com

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SHARI`S BERRIES - Order Mouthwatering Gifts for your Valentine! SAVE 20 percent on qualifying gifts over $29! Fresh Dipped Berries starting at $19.99!

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ecurrent.com / february 2014 39