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Gaylord A boomtown Up North

NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • January 2 - january 8, 2017 • Vol. 27 No. 1

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to see that nonlocal peoples were helping protest an oil pipeline that may be 2 miles away and downstream.

Don’t know how much you trust oil lines — I tend to be influenced by things like the Kalamazoo River spill, or Deepwater Horizon — but if any of that stuff were 2 miles from me I would certainly protest.

And as far as his attempt at being impressive (“seek truth”), we are just getting done with the warmest year on record. I’m more impressed with 97 percent of real climate scientists who state global warming is no fraud.

— Mark Contrucci, Boyne City

Did drivers break any laws?

Regarding the letter by Mr. Emmott (Dec. 19 Express), I would like to know if any of these drivers broke any laws? Or were they not going 10 under the speed limit like Mr. Emmott would like them to?

If not, I find it very unprofessional and am amazed that your paper would call out these companies and a federal agency by name. I’m also sure BATA is happy. What bus was it, where, what did he do wrong?

I’m sure Mr. Emmott learned these skills from his buddy Michael Moore, who I never admit is from Traverse City; I claim he is from Flint. So do us a favor Mr. Emmott, turn in your license and take the BATA.

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Make elections fair and honest

As the dust settles from the last election, we must all agree that it is time to make improvements to our electoral system and basic election procedures. Democracy exists only when “We the People” have absolute faith in the integrity of our most fundamental right to vote for candidates and ballot proposals. That faith happens only if we are certain that each and every vote was freely cast, and every vote was honestly and accurately counted. Anything less can easily be construed as a “rigged election.”

Michigan had a chance to verify the accuracy of our 2016 election tally with a statewide recount, but anti-democracy

groups led by Attorney General Bill Schuette sued to stop the recount. You can draw your own conclusions, but history is replete with judgments about those who fear the truth, and they are seldom good.

Before the recount was stopped, just 39 percent of Michigan precincts had been completed. Sadly, 10.5 percent of the precincts were deemed “not recountable” — meaning mistakes were made by precinct workers and clerks in handling and storing the ballots. Simply put: They failed to do their job. Every single county had precincts that failed the basic conditions of integrity.

You can see the results at: www.michigan. gov/documents/sos/MIRecount_545037_7. pdf.

Adding to the criticism of our elections, we must also consider there were precincts that had over 15 percent of absentee ballots thrown out in the August primary election, and many other precincts had malfunctioning equipment, plus the Legislature is determined to make it increasingly difficult to vote, and so on.

Now why would anyone presume we have fair and honest elections anymore?

We no longer have the moral authority to criticize elections anywhere else in the world, and we never will until we make elections fair and honest here in America.

— David Petrove, Interlochen

Objections to letters on climate

Still trying to translate what two gentlemen said last week (Dec. 19 Express) — Russ Cage (“certain people have been trying to make unthinkable”) and Matthew Schoech (“eco-terrorist anarchist narrative”).

A couple things to note: Russ thought that Germany was in favor of coal as an energy source. For a much more balanced report on the Germans’ laudable green efforts, see “The Will to Change” by Robert Kunzig in National Geographic.

Matthew was shocked, shocked I say,

CONTENTS

features Crime and Rescue Map.......................................7

Rock the high seas..........................................9 Gaylord: A boomtown Up North.........................10 Blissfest off-season.......................................13 Amical’s cookbook series................................15 Seen.................................................................17

dates...............................................18-19 music 2016: The year in music..................................14 Clarinetist Dave Bennett...................................16 FourScore.......................................................20 Nightlife...........................................................22

columns & stuff Top Five...........................................................5

Spectator/Stephen Tuttle...................................4 Weird................................................................8 Style.................................................................8 Modern Rock/Kristi Kates.................................21 The Reel.......................................................23 Advice Goddess..............................................24 — Matt Veldman, Traverse City Crossword.....................................................25 Freewill Astrology...........................................25 CORRECTION The Crossed column in the Dec. 19 edition Classifieds......................................................26 misstated the Rev. Dr. William C. Myers’ treatment at an Eagle Scout ceremony. He was not escorted out by a member of his congregation. Express regrets the error.

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NORTHERN MICHIGAN’S WEEKLY • January 20 - January 26, 2014 Vol. 24 No. 3

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Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 3

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and minorities need us to speak up and advocate for them. Get involved with the Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center, the Women’s Resource Center, Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse, or the Traverse City Human Rights Commission. If you can’t volunteer, attend an event, submit a letter to the editor, or even better, write a check.

Mobilize and pitch in for a specific cause. Organize or participate in peaceful protests against sexism, racism or the abuse of our natural resources. Use social media for good by reaching out to other like-minded individuals who support your cause, or respectfully influencing others who are uneducated or unaware.

When we get involved in politics or community organizing, we use our time, talent or treasure to serve a greater good while helping to make our world a better place.

Welcome

Dairy

I’ve noticed that as I get older, my New Year’s resolutions have become less about selfimprovement and more about doing my part to give back and strengthen our community.

I’m pushing 50, so the idea of a legacy — how I am remembered and what I leave behind, is important to me. I’ve received tremendous gratification from volunteering, and it seems the more I get involved, the more I find myself saying “yes” to new opportunities.

As you know, this past election cycle was unlike anything we have ever experienced.

Forty-two percent of eligible voters chose to sit this one out — even with all that was at stake. People don’t appreciate the partisan bickering underlying the voting process,

and some truly believe their vote doesn’t count. Politicians are easy to dislike, and many of us distrust them based upon fake news or irresponsible media coverage.

Hillary Clinton hit the nail on the head when she said, “The worst thing that can happen in a democracy — as well as in an individual’s life — is to become cynical about the future and lose hope. That is the end, and we cannot let that happen.” I suggest that this is no time for hopelessness and despair. More than ever, we need to resolve to get involved.

The people who are affecting change — at the local, state and national levels — are the ones who have simply made the commitment to show up. When we get involved in politics or community organizing, we use our time, talent or treasure to serve a greater good while helping to make our world a better place.

There are many ways to make change.

Here are some ideas: Lobby our elected officials. The digital age has made it easier than ever to reach our politicians and make them aware of the causes we care about and the liberties we want to protect. And don’t shy away from the phone. According to a former Congressional staffer with a popular Twitter thread, this is the best way to get your elected representative to listen to us.

Attend town hall or city commission meetings. These meetings are where we can get our voices heard, in front of those who can actually do something about it.

Speaking at a commission meeting is an effective way to provide public input or to hold decision-makers accountable.

Get involved in our schools. If you have a child in school, learn about your school board or join your local PTA. Children with parents who are actively engaged in their education do vastly better than those who leave it to our overworked teachers and underfunded schools.

Stand up for our vulnerable neighbors. Victims of childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence, the homeless,

Join a voting league or political organization. A nonpartisan group like the League of Women Voters is a great way to stay informed, or choose a political group that aligns with your values. I’ve joined a local group called “Woman 2 Woman” that was formed to promote equality and opportunity. It has organized political conversations and even a bus trip for the Women’s March on Washington this month.

Embrace civil discourse. A much more effective means of making an argument, civil discourse promotes open-mindedness, mutual respect and compromise. Without it, we are less fit to engage in democratic politics, and less able to effectively deliberate. It’s not just about being nice — it’s about being constructive and productive.

Pound the pavement. If we want to influence people, it is good to actually go out and meet them. My husband and I were surprised by how open and civil our Traverse City neighbors were when we recently canvassed regarding Prop 3. Even if they didn’t agree, they seemed to appreciate the fact that we were out meeting face to face.

Join a campaign or work at a political headquarters. If you find a politician who represents the change you’d like to see, contact his or her office and get involved.

Stuff mailers, put up signs or distribute door hangers — these mundane tasks will push your candidate ahead.

If you really want to make a difference, run for office. You can champion the issues that matter, get the right ordinances or bills passed, end injustices, and move things in a positive direction.

I recognize that a lot of us are busy with our jobs, families and other responsibilities — but if you’re able, any one of these suggestions would make a heck of a resolution. Here’s to a hopeful New Year.

Christie Minervini owns Sanctuary Handcrafted Gifts in The Village at Grand Traverse Commons, and is passionate about gender equality, community development and ending homelessness.

this week’s

top five

art bomb

Seeds worker wins national award Leticia Rocha grew up in an unstable home and joined the Traverse City nonprofit SEEDS five years ago on a referral from Child & Family Services.

Now the 20-year-old has won national recognition as a Youth Conservation Corps worker for her devotion to environmental projects.

Rocha was named one of five “Corpsmembers of the Year” by the Corps Network in Washington, D.C. That means she was selected from over 24,000 youth serving around the country.

“I did not plan to stick around this long, but I realized that I love being outside, feeling the wind, and at SEEDS, I don’t feel isolated,” she said. “I am connected to people, and I am building projects that will be around for a long time.”

Youth Conservation Corps is modeled after the 1930s New Deal program the Civilian Conservation Corps and trains young people for environmental careers.

The Grand Traverse Art Bomb runs Jan. 7 to March 25 at Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City. Artists of all media from around the Grand Traverse region will display and sell their work commission-free. An opening reception will be held Jan. 14; encore reception and the Art Bomb Prom on Feb. 11; closing reception on March 25. Each reception will feature live music and performance art. facebook.com/GrandTraverseArtBomb

Help old newspapers get online The Leelanau Historical Society needs your help to win a grant to digitize part of its newspaper archive.

It is among five finalists competing for the 2017 DigMichNews grant and need postcards and tweets in order to win a $2,500 grant. The society hopes to digitally preserve 1877-1923 issues of the Leelanau Enterprise.

There are two ways to vote — write “DigLeelanau” on an old-fashioned postcard featuring a Michigan image and send it to the Clarke Historical Library at 250 E. Preston St., Mount Pleasant, MI 48850. Make sure it’s postmarked between Jan. 16 and Jan. 28. Postcards are worth 10 votes. Or, tweet using the hashtag #digleelanau between Jan. 23 and Jan 28. Tweets are worth one vote.

tastemaker Lake Street Market’s mushroom soup Canned soup, beware. Lake Street Market has taken something as deceptively simple as mushroom soup and elevated it to something remarkable.

This roux-based soup starts with the most important ingredient: the mushrooms, both fresh and dried.

“The primary mushrooms are shiitake, portobellos and morels, and then a mix of different exotic dried mushrooms,” said Lake Street’s Chris Meyer, who co-owns the market with Elizabeth Glass.

“We soak the dried mushrooms in water, boiling them and then letting them steep. We extract that water and use that flavor as part of the soup base.”

Local heavy creme and half and half from Shetler Family Dairy in Kalkaska is added to the roux with just a hint of thyme and the cooked mushrooms. Little additional seasoning is needed, Meyer said, because the mushrooms do all the work.

“The soup’s primary flavor is gathered from all the mushrooms,” he said. “We don’t add much else, because that’s all it really needs.”

The result is an earthy, savory bowl of goodness that’s just the right fit for a cold northern Michigan day. $4.50 gets you a full serving complete with crispy Westminster oyster crackers brought in from Rutland, Vt., or you can opt for a slice of baguette.

Lake Street Market is located at 306 E. Lake St. in Boyne City; lakestreetmarket. com or telephone 231-482-4450.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 5

QUESTIONS spectator by stephen tuttle The new year always starts with more questions than answers, doesn’t it? Some political, some not. For example: ■ Did you know we’ve had a satellite called Cassini circling Saturn since 2004?

■ Who would have thought Donald Trump owns, or partially owns, less than 10 percent of the properties bearing his name?

■ Who are the demented souls who name prescription drugs?

■ What do you bet there are already four votes on the Traverse City City Commission for 60-foot buildings where there should be 45-foot buildings? And they’re from the same four people who approved 90-foot buildings where there should be 60-foot buildings?

■ Did you know we’ve been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq longer than we were in World War I, World War II and Korea combined?

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6 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

duplication and waste? Did you know the Pentagon has denied it could save $25 billion annually in duplication and waste? Are you surprised by either?

■ Is it the Weather Channel’s fault winter storms now have names?

■ Are there going to be any cabinet nominees who actually respect the work of the department they’ve been nominated to lead?

■ If there’s no climate change, why are sea levels rising? If sea levels are rising as part of a natural cycle, why aren’t we preparing our coastlines?

■ Did you know it once snowed 76 inches in 24 hours at Silver Lake, Colo.? And there’s a place on Mount Rainier called Paradise where it snows every day and once recorded a whopping 1,225 inches for the year?

■ Are you embarrassed our astronauts now have to hitch a ride to the International Space

Is there anything more infectious than a laughing baby?

■ Are you surprised Americans contribute more money to charity than any other country in the world?

■ Don’t you think it’s a little odd Miami Beach is buying sand from the Bahamas to restore its beaches?

■ Has there been a day in your lifetime when there was not a sale at some furniture store?

■ How can every automobile insurance company save us hundreds of dollars compared to every other auto insurance company?

■ If the president-elect doesn’t believe scientists, doesn’t believe the intelligence community and doesn’t believe the military, whom does he believe?

■ Have you noticed all the video games advertised on television involve killing?

■ Does it concern you there may be up to 150,000 asteroids we’ve not yet located between here and the sun?

■ Did you know a third of the world’s children wake up every morning not knowing what, if anything, they’re going to eat that day?

■ Whatever happened to hydrogen fuel cells?

■ Is there anyone left, outside of the NFL, who doesn’t believe football can cause brain trauma?

■ Does St. Francis High School in Traverse City ever go a year without winning a state championship in at least one sport?

■ Has anyone figured out the county budget yet?

■ Does anything taste better than a full-blown Thanksgiving dinner?

■ Has it occurred to anyone the labor shortage in the local restaurant industry might be the result of too many restaurants?

■ Is there a city someplace that puts affordable housing in the most expensive neighborhood?

■ Did you know the Pentagon could save $25 billion annually by cutting bureaucratic

Station on Russian rockets?

■ Is there anything more infectious than a laughing baby?

■ Do you think Charter Spectrum’s rates would be cheaper if it didn’t constantly run commercials?

■ Do Traverse City City Commissioners know there is a city beyond the confines of downtown?

■ Did you know a broccoli-like vegetable called spigarello and a purple root vegetable called ube are this year’s super foods? Ever heard of either?

■ Aren’t you at least a little impressed there was not a single scandal of note during President Obama’s eight years in office?

■ Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone making decisions in Washington understood the difference between weather and climate?

■ Do you think Michigan has done enough to protect its water both above and below ground?

■ Shouldn’t the president-elect be concerned a foreign government interfered in our presidential election regardless of who it helped?

■ Why didn’t some local school districts know they were being overpaid, and why didn’t those that did say something?

■ What terrible thing do you believe is going to happen if you don’t look at and respond to that text immediately?

■ Did you know there’s mounting research indicating self-proclaimed multitaskers don’t complete any of their multiple tasks very well?

■ Isn’t it just a little disappointing science has not yet found a single vitamin or herbal supplement that improves health for the majority of us?

■ Did you know some Flint residents still don’t have safe drinking water? Isn’t that shameful?

■ Hoping for a good 2017? Me, too.

Crime & Rescue BAD NIGHT GETS WORSE When a drunk man pleaded with a plow truck driver to pull his car out of a ditch in exchange for $100, the plow driver refused and the drunk man punched him in the face, police said.

Grand Traverse County sheriff’s deputies were called to Garfield and Hammond roads near the Shell Gas Station around midnight Dec. 19 to investigate a pickup truck that had run off of the road.

When they arrived, they learned from dispatchers about an assault that had just taken place at the gas station.

A deputy investigated and determined that the person who punched the plow driver and the person who drove the pickup into a ditch were the same.

The 34-year-old Traverse City man was arrested, and as police attempted to draw blood at Munson Medical Center to determine his level of intoxication, the suspect kicked one deputy and tried to head butt another, police said.

SEARCH TURNS UP GUNS AND DRUGS When police stopped a car for speeding they also found lots of guns and marijuana.

State police pulled over a car Dec. 17 for traveling 68 in a 55-mph zone on U.S. Route 131 in Kalkaska County’s Rapid River Township.

There were two adults and two children ages 2 and 6 months in the car; as the trooper talked to the driver a strong odor of marijuana emanated from inside, according to a press release.

The car was searched, and police found five handguns inside the center console. The driver, a 25-year-old Manton man, didn’t have a concealed weapons permit, and he was arrested on firearms charges.

The search also yielded 2 ounces of marijuana, 35 pieces of marijuana gummy candies and 18 ounces of marijuana butter. It turned out the 31-year-old Manton woman who had the drugs was a medical marijuana card holder, but police said she was transporting the drugs illegally and was given a summons to appear in court.

CHASE LEADS TO CRASH AND ARREST A Christmas Eve police chase ended in a crash and an arrest.

Leelanau County sheriff’s deputies were called at 11:51 p.m. to assist Grand Traverse Band Tribal Police, who were in pursuit of a vehicle.

The white Chrysler was speeding on McKeese Road on its way out of the reservation when the driver lost control on North Jacobson Road and crashed into a snow bank, deputies said.

Police determined the driver, a 21-year-old Traverse City man, was intoxicated and wanted for absconding from parole. The man was on parole for a previous fleeing and eluding conviction.

The driver’s blood alcohol tested at twice the legal limit, and he was arrested for second-offense drunk driving and fleeing and eluding.

TIP LEADS TO ALLEGED HEROIN RING An anonymous tip led police to an alleged drug ring. Traverse Narcotics Team officers arrested three men suspected of dealing heroin, Kalkaska County Sheriff Pat Whiteford said.

The three arrested were Ryan John Hart, 35, Nathan Headapohl, 32, and Ryan Wayne Sherwood, 38.

Hart and Headapohl were arrested Dec. 20 and were charged with conspiracy to deliver heroin, among other felonies.

Information in the investigation led police to a Kalkaska Township residence where they arrested

by patrick sullivan psullivan@northernexpress.com

Sherwood and found heroin, methadone and an unregistered handgun, Whiteford said. Sherwood faces drug and weapons charges.

DRUNK MAN SLEEPS IN RANDOM HOUSE A Peninsula Township resident heard the sounds of an intruder and called police.

It turned out a homeless 21-year-old from Traverse City was drunk and wanted someplace to sleep.

Grand Traverse County sheriff’s deputies were called to the home Dec. 22 at 2:24 a.m. When deputies arrived, they followed tracks in the snow from the caller’s house to another house where the suspect was found sleeping in the basement next to a couch.

The man had a blood-alcohol level of .17 and said he was just looking for a place to sleep. He was arrested on two misdemeanor charges of unlawful entry.

FISHERMAN SAVED FROM LAKE A juvenile prison employee spotted a fisherman fall through the ice on a nearby lake and called police.

Crawford County sheriff’s deputies got the call Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. and responded to Howes Lake next to Camp Shawano, Sheriff Kirk Wakefield said.

A deputy happened to be in the area investigating a dog complaint. That deputy and others who soon arrived pulled a 64-year-old Grayling man from the ice and turned him over to medical personal on the scene.

The man was taken to Munson Hospital Grayling for treatment of hypothermia. He was expected to make a full recovery.

FISHERMAN DIES IN LAKE Two men who found a lone pickup truck parked next to Big Bear Lake and a minnow bucket sitting out on the ice thought those were ominous signs.

When men arrived at the lake Dec. 17 to check on the ice conditions, they feared someone had fallen through the ice and called 911, Otsego County sheriff’s deputies said.

Deputies, Charlton Township firefighters and EMS Heavy Rescue responded and confirmed the fears — they pulled the body of a 61-year-old local man out of the lake.

WANTED MAN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT A man wanted by police a dozen times over was arrested for domestic violence.

Leelanau County sheriff’s deputies were called to a home on Omena Road Dec. 22 at 4:47 p.m. where they found a 21-year-old Northport man who had allegedly assaulted his 22-year-old girlfriend when he was intoxicated and got upset because she wanted to leave the house.

The bystander told police the man grabbed the woman by the hair, brought her to the ground and repeatedly struck her in the face. The bystander broke up the assault.

The man was arrested for secondoffense domestic violence and for having two unregistered handguns in his home. He was also found to have 12 warrants for his arrest out of the 86th District Court for various offenses.

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TEENAGER PICKS WRONG HOUSE A teenager who attempted to get into a house that wasn’t his at 5 a.m. was arrested for drinking alcohol in violation of probation.

Residents at a house on the 800 block of Washington Street called 911 at 5:04 a.m. Dec. 19 to report that someone was attempting to get inside, Traverse City Police Capt. Jim Bussell said.

The teenager, who lives nearby, apparently got confused and thought the house was his. He had a blood-alcohol level of .22 and was arrested for violating probation he was serving for a previous minor in possession conviction.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 7

The scarf

by candra kolodziej

STREET STYLE Holes Against Humanity The rebellion against the absurdities of Black Friday this year by the organization Cards Against Humanity came in the form of raising money to dig a pointless hole in the ground. During the last week of November, people “contributed” $100,573, with Cards digging initially for 5.5 seconds per donated dollar. In 2015, according to an NPR report, Cards raised $71,145 by promising to do “absolutely nothing” with it, and the year before, $180,000 by selling bits of bull feces.

(Asked why Cards doesn’t just give the money to charity, a spokesperson asked why donors themselves don’t give it to charity. “It’s (their) money.”) [NPR via KUOW Radio (Turnwater, Wash.), 11-27-2016] Government in Action New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has completed its two-year project of assigning ID numbers (with arboreal characteristics) to every one of the 685,781 trees in the city’s five boroughs. More than 2,300 volunteers walked the streets, then posted each tree’s location, measurements, Google Street View image, and ecological benefits for the surrounding neighborhoods (rainwater retained, air pollution reduced).

(Privacy activists hope the National Security Agency is not inspired by this.) [Architecture Daily, 11-28-2016] ALISSA RUSSO Traverse City

MEG GUTOWSKI Elk Rapids

When northern Michigan is buried in snow, scarves provide cocoon-like comfort and make the daily trading of a cozy bed for the sky’s gray blanket just a little more bearable. This year, extra wide, brightly colored, and particularly chunky scarves are the way to stay warm. They show you still understand the difference between your down comforter and a snow bank.

SALVO CASTRONOVO Palermo, Italy

8 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

TONIA RODGERS Traverse City

The Continuing Crisis - A note in The New York Times in October mentioned a website that comprehensively covers everything worth knowing and wondering -- about shoelaces.

Ian’s Shoelace Site shows and discusses (and rates) lacing methods, how to mix lace colors, how to tie (comparing methods, variations and, again, ratings), lengths of laces (how to calculate, which formulas to use, what to do with excess lengths), “granny knots,” aglet repair and much more -- neatly laid out in dozens of foolproof drawings for the shoelace- challenged (because no one wants to be caught in a shoelace faux pas). [Ian’s Shoelace Site, http://bit.ly/1mVIpDO] - Though the presidential election of 2016 was certainly more volatile than usual, one reaction to the outcome was the apparent ease with which some in America’s next generation of college-trained leaders were sidelined by self-described emotional pain.

The Wall Street Journal reported that special attention was given by administrators at Tufts University, the University of Kansas and Ivy League Cornell, among other places, where their young adults could “grieve” over the election and seek emotional support, such as use of “therapy dogs” in Kansas and, at the University of Michigan, the availability of Play-Doh and coloring books for distraction.

[Wall Street Journal, 11-9-2016] Ironies (1) The county executive in Cleveland, Ohio, complained in November of lack of funds (because the county’s credit is “maxed out”) for necessary renovations to its wellknown sports and concert venue, the Quicken Loans Arena. (2) In November, after a companion asked Victoria Vanatter, 19, what blood-sucking was like, she let him slice her arm with a razor to have a taste, but the two then argued, and Vanatter allegedly grabbed a knife and slashed him for real. Police in Springfield, Missouri, arrested her after both people were stitched up at a hospital.

[Cleveland Scene, 11-30-2016] [Springfield

News Leader, 11-18-2016] - Recurring: The most recent city to schedule a civic-minded conference with community leaders to discuss options for affordable, accessible housing in a meeting place that was highly unfriendly to the nonambulatory was Toronto, in November. The first proposed site required a seven-step walk-up, but following complaints, officials relocated it -- to a building whose only rest room was in the elevator-free basement.

[Toronto Star, 12-7-2016] Questionable Judgments - The Space World theme park in Kitakyushu, Japan, opened a popular (with visitors) ice-skating rink in November, but was forced to close it two weeks later for being hugely unpopular (with social media critics).

The park had placed 5,000 fish and other sea animals in the ice deck of its “Freezing Port” rink so that skaters could look down as they glided along, gazing at marvels of nature (all dead in advance, of course, purchased from a fish market). Nonetheless, the park manager apologized for grossing out so many people and closed the exhibit (melting the ice and conducting an “appropriate religious service” for the fishes’ souls). [CNN, 11-28-2016] - The government-run Channel 2M in Morocco apologized for a segment of its daily TV program “Sabahiyat” that featured a makeup artist demonstrating techniques for obscuring blemishes on women subjected to domestic violence. The model being worked on had been made up with a swollen face and faked bruises. Said the host, “We hope these beauty tips will help (victims) carry on with your daily life.” (Bonus: The program aired Nov. 23 -- two days before International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.) [The Guardian (London), 11-272016] - Cunning Strategies: (1) Shogo Takeda, 24, said he desperately needed a job at the elevator maintenance company in Yokohama at which he was interviewing (with the president) on Nov. 10, but somehow could not resist taking the man’s wallet from a bag when the president briefly left the room. (Takeda had dropped off his resume beforehand and thus was quickly apprehended.) (2) Mark Revill, 49, pleaded guilty in November to stalking the actor Keira Knightley. He said he had become frustrated that his flood of love letters was being ignored and so approached the front door of Knightley’s London home and “meowed” through the letterbox. [Japan Times, 11-21-2016] [London Evening Standard, 11-21-2016] Wait -- You Mean This Is Illegal?

(1) A substitute teacher at Sandhills Middle School in Gaston, South Carolina, was charged with cruelty to children in December after she, exasperated, taped two kids to their desk chairs for misbehaving. (2) A second-grade teacher at Landis Elementary in Houston was charged with felony cruelty after video showed her punching a serial troublemaker in the head as he fought her while she walked him to the principal’s office. (3) A high school teacher in Glasgow, Scotland, got in trouble in November for proposing in a journal that teachers be allowed to cuss back at students who cuss them. He wrote that limiting teachers to “Don’t call me that” sends the wrong message. [The State (Columbia, S.C.), 12-3-2016] [KTRK-TV (Houston), 11-2-2016] [The Scottish Sun (Glasgow), 11-19-2016]

Rock the high seas on a winter music cruise

By Kristi Kates While some dream of a white Christmas (and we’ve got plenty of that already), others are dreaming of tropical temperatures, warm oceans and late-night dance extravaganzas.

If your holiday wish is the latter, start packing now for these 2017 winter cruises, which are an easy add-on to your next Florida vacation.

You probably already know the drill as far as the sun, fun, endless buffets and shipboard activities — but these are the only cruises on which the passengers, crew and entertainment all truly rock.

HOLY SHIP!: Jan. 6-10 and Jan. 10-14 EDM is hot, so two Holy Ship! cruises were put into the schedule this year to make sure there’ll be enough dance floor to go around.

The first sailing on Jan. 6 will include sets from DJ Snake, Tchami, A-Trak and Big Gigantic, while the Jan. 10 departure will leave with Fatboy Slim, Gorgon City and Felix Da Housecat on board. Both cruises start at Port Canaveral, Fla., on the Norwegian Epic and will sail to Nassau, Bahamas. holyship.com MONSTERS OF ROCK CRUISE: Feb. 2-7 That life jacket will serve you well both for any potential ship emergencies as well as for the mosh pits that are sure to surface during this heavy rock jaunt that departs Tampa, Fla., for Cozumel, Mexico, on the Royal Caribbean line. Queue side by side at the buffet with members of Night Ranger, Stryper, Slaughter, Queensryche and Saxon, and watch out for that rascally Vince Neil, who might persuade you to get another tattoo. monstersofrockcruise.com CRUISE TO THE EDGE: Feb. 7-11 The perfect rock cruise for the vintage progrock set, this journey (no, not the band) will be curated by classic legends Yes, and will include music from Mike Portnoy, Steve Hackett and Kansas. Also scheduled to be

on board is artist Roger Dean, who crafted many of Yes’ iconic, trippy album covers and can tell you the stories behind them. Cruise to the Edge departs from Tampa on the Royal Caribbean line, heading for Cozumel. cruisetotheedge.com THE ROCK BOAT: Feb. 10-15 Also departing from Tampa is this alterna-lite cruise that brings ’90s hitmakers like Better Than Ezra and Sister Hazel together with current singer-songwriter Andy Grammer, Nashville troubadour Ben Rector, American pop-rockers Parachute and newbies Knox Hamilton, who just released its debut album.

Round out your activities with a giant game of human Scrabble as the Norwegian Jade heads for Belize and Costa Maya, Mexico. therockboat.com CAYAMO CRUISE: Feb. 19-26 Americana tunes on tropical waters? Hey, why not — this cruise is celebrating its 10th anniversary, so while it’s not quite peanut butter and jelly, something about this combo is working just fine for folk music fans. Cayamo gathers up the likes of Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, the Wainwright Family, Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Patty Griffin and Richard Thompson for this Tampa-Cozumel-Honduras jaunt on the Norwegian Jade. cayamo.com SALTY DOG CRUISE: March 10-13 Hosted by L.A. Celtic punkers Flogging Molly, this cruise is all about punk and ska, departing from Miami toward Nassau to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the tropics. Along the way, you’ll get the opportunity to sing a little punk rock karaoke and then skank to tunes by The English Beat, Bouncing Souls, The Skatalites, NOFX and gypsy-punk outfit DeVotchKa on the Royal Caribbean Enchantment of the Seas. floggingmollycruise.com Kristi Kates is a contributing editor and freelance writer.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 9

Gaylord: A boomtown Up North Growth in jobs and new businesses is accelerating the biggest transformation for the small city since it branded itself the Alpine Village a half century ago

By Patrick Sullivan Gaylord native Gary Scott had moved to Indiana, where he and some partners started a business to invest in distressed properties.

He was talking to a banker in Detroit about real estate in Bloomington when he asked what kind of deals might be available in northern Michigan. The banker mentioned the “clock tower” building in Gaylord.

When Scott heard the name of his home town and pictured that iconic building on Main Street, he got excited. Fast forward to today: Scott and his partners own that building and 10 others nearby.

Scott is just one of a cadre of developers who’ve suddenly become interested in the small city at the center of the northern Lower Peninsula. In the past two years, tens of millions of dollars have been invested.

There are so many good jobs that a city once known for unemployment now has a housing and labor shortage. Gaylord is in the midst of its biggest change since 1963, when the city went all-in on old-time Swiss architecture and named itself the Alpine Village.

NEW TAKE ON AN OLD MOTIF The amount of money that’s pouring into Gaylord is staggering.

There was $13 million invested in 2015, more than $20 million in 2016, and there’s expected to be that much again in 2017, said Lisa McComb, executive director of Otsego County Economic Alliance.

There’s a $2.4 million streetscape project underway downtown to create new stamped concrete sidewalks and pedestrian islands.

The plan calls for 35 new trees, more benches and lights, plus two “entertainment nodes” for live music on Main Street, in addition to new utility lines, water main and sewer.

Scott has big plans for his properties amid this civic rebirth.

For one, he said he plans to honor Gay-

lord’s Alpine theme, but he wants to find a modern take.

“We’re less cedar board and stucco; we’re more steel. I think we call our look more of a mountain look,” Scott said. “You’ll still find boards on our property, but it’s different.”

Scott hopes to have many new stores and restaurants open in the coming year, and he is looking for restaurant operators who might be interested in the spaces he has for lease.

“A lot of the stuff hasn’t come out yet,” Scott said. “But there’s going to be a huge change in downtown by next summer.”

Among the projects underway is the James Quick House on North Center Street, where Scott is undertaking a historical restoration of the 116-year-old building to turn it into a restaurant and bar. Scott and his partners also purchased the Phoenix, a threestory, 20,000-square foot building on Main Street that he wants to turn into an upscale office space with retail on street level.

Scott’s company, Go North Properties, has purchased buildings that contain existing tenants who plan to stay. It also has bought vacant buildings it plans to turn into space for boutique stores or new restaurants.

The firm seeks to add high-end apartments with balconies and fireplaces in upper floors where there’s space.

The centerpiece of Scott’s Gaylord project, however, is the clock tower next to the Fifth Third Bank building, which Scott also owns.

The clock tower building will include thirdfloor apartments, second-floor offices and first-floor retail. At the back, Scott hopes to develop a row of bars and restaurants stretching to the Phoenix building that feature indoor and outdoor spaces. He hopes to create a commons area that will be the heart of downtown.

AND JUST DOWN THE STREET …

Scott is just one of several developers who’ve been spreading construction workers through town and kicking up dust.

10 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Snowbelt Brewing Company, for example, opened in September and offers craft beer and a modern menu. Also recently opened: Tap Room 32, which has 32 beers on tap, a selection that would have bewildered a Gaylord resident not long ago. A short walk away, the Main Street Market offers sandwiches, artisanal cheese and a good selection of wine.

In November, Gaylord’s SunFrog, the online T-shirt printing company that’s quickly become one of Otsego County’s largest employers, opened a boutique shop on Main Street that owner Josh Kent said he hopes will be a model for franchises across the country.

Just down M-32, west of the Interstate 75 interchange, the new retail development Shoppes on Main is partially complete. Aldi and Panera Bread have opened, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries is coming later this year. The shopping plaza is designed to be expanded to include several more stores.

There’s a Fairfield Inn almost open at the site of a former clothing store, and a Holiday Inn Express is expected to open in 2017 across town.

On Old Route 27 south of downtown, Jay’s Sporting Goods relocated to a larger facility inside the city limits. And at the former home of Jay’s, further south on Old 27, the 28,000-square-foot building has been renovated by Johnson Oil owner Kevin Johnson to become Ellison Place, a convention center and concert venue.

Treetops Resort secured a $4.5 million loan backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to revamp its two hotels, the Inn and the Lodge.

Gaylord has attracted banks, gas stations and a recreational vehicle dealer. More national names have also moved in. There’s a new Buffalo Wild Wings and an Aspen Dental Clinic. A Starbucks opened in October.

UP NORTH BOOMTOWN It’s hard to keep a handle on everything

This rendering shows Go North Properties’ plans for the clock tower building in Gaylord. The project will include apartments, retail space, bars and restaurants.

that’s going on. McComb, at the OCEA, is trying to keep up.

“We are experiencing private investment in Otsego County that no other county in northern Michigan is seeing,” she said.

McComb said Gaylord is booming because it positioned itself to be ready after the economic downturn of 2007-08. Gaylord reeled when the Georgia-Pacific plant closed in 2006, eliminating 200 jobs.

McComb said the city has been able to attract employers and development because the city made itself attractive.

“We had a thriving community throughout the downtown and had things in place like an industrial park and another new industrial park, and infrastructure that we invested in in the downturn,” she said. “We really are a community where someone looking to invest can find an existing building or land to do it really quickly.”

There’s also all the traffic, which many in Gaylord see nowadays as lifeblood rather than a problem. At I-75, Gaylord sees 35,000 vehicles pass each day. M-32 west of downtown sees nearly that much.

Gaylord is a place where travelers to Petoskey or Charlevoix turn left, and travelers to Alpena turn right. That’s made the land around the interchange fertile for restaurants and retailers and explains why so many national chains have moved in.

KEEPS YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND Ken Borton lives in the woods in Hayes Township, far away from the new hustle and bustle of Gaylord.

Borton, chairman of the Otsego County board of commissioners, is nonetheless delighted by the growth because it reverses a trend of young people growing up, finding no opportunities, and moving away.

“The area has been stagnant for a while,” Borton said. “There just hadn’t been great jobs in the area. So many people had been moving out, and our county had been aging quite a bit over the years.”

Now, Gaylord is starting to see not just new businesses, but a growth in jobs that offer a living wage.

“I see this as just the start of it,” Borton said. “I think businesses are just starting to become confident in the area.”

That means Gaylord is experiencing two problems that so many other towns would love to have — too few affordable housing units and not enough workers.

There are 48 rental units under construction at Northwind Apartment Homes — a building that will house 51 percent low- to moderate-income residents — and 36 more at a building nearby, but that only just begins to address Gaylord’s housing needs.

People who work in Gaylord today commute from a 100-mile radius, said McComb, who commutes from Petoskey to her job. Evidence of the massive number of commuters is in the numbers — Gaylord’s population is 3,600, but during the workday the number of people in the city swells to an estimated 10,000, McComb said.

LIVING WAGES AND PART-TIME RETIREES People are commuting great distances to Gaylord because the town offers the kind of jobs that are hard to find in northern Michigan.

“You’re not going to find a lot of skilled and management jobs in manufacturing outside of the Gaylord area,” McComb said.

“A lot of people, they drive through and they see everything, but they don’t realize at what level we’re seeing growth.”

At the forefront of new employers is SunFrog, one of the world’s largest T-shirt printers and among the 500 most-visited websites on the internet. The company has grown rapidly and employs 350 people.

SunFrog isn’t the only manufacturer in town. There’s a company that makes nicotine juice for e-cigarettes. Electrical components, particle board, brass and copper tubing, automotive dipstick tube assemblies, computer software, rubber auto parts, building materials, and circuit boards are also produced in Gaylord.

“There are help wanted signs all over the place. We’ve got people that are driving 30 to 50 miles to come over here to work” said Mayor John Jenkins. “People are looking for

jobs, and we’ve got jobs here.”

The tight labor market has meant that a lot of the service industry jobs are being filled by retirees, another population segment that’s recently found Gaylord and is driving demand for housing.

“A lot of it has to do with people who for eons have come here as a destination, a place for vacations, and eventually those people bought vacation homes up here, then they started coming up here and remodeling them into retirement homes,” Jenkins said.

GENERATIONAL SHIFT There were signs something was about to change even when Gaylord had few jobs and depressed housing prices.

“About four or five years ago, you started to see an influx of credit unions and banks coming to the area,” said Michael Perdue, owner/broker at Smith Realty Group. “I said, ‘Listen guys, the growth is coming, because banks just don’t up and build brick and mortar’” locations.

Perdue said the reason Gaylord is booming is a combination of the fresh air, clean water and outdoor activities and the fact that it’s a hub that offers a large hospital and is at a northern Michigan crossroads.

On top of that, despite the housing shortage, real estate remains affordable, compared to some other northern Michigan towns, he said.

Perdue doesn’t believe there is a conflict between the growth and the reason why people love to live in Gaylord. As long as the growth is smart, he said, it doesn’t have to threaten Gaylord’s status as a gateway to all kinds of activities that take place in the woods.

“Twenty years ago, Traverse City was a nothing little town,” said Perdue, who grew up there. “There wasn’t a whole lot going on there; there wasn’t the vibe there is now.

Gaylord is going through the same thing on a smaller scale that Traverse City went through. All you can do is have a say in how it’s developed.”

Perdue notes that much of the development that’s occurred recently is redevelopment of obsolete properties, which means that Gaylord is rebuilding its center more than spreading out.

For a young professional like Perdue, the new development means there are more interesting things to do on the weekend. The new brewery, tap room and sandwich shop mean lots of options and nightlife that just didn’t exist before.

The development is also symbolic of a

larger change — young adults are moving to Gaylord, and the older generation is turning over the keys.

“There’s a new generation of people coming to town, getting involved,” Perdue said.

“There’s a lot of new enthusiasm coming into the marketplace.”

GROWTH COMES WITH INCENTIVES The development boom should improve Gaylord’s tax base while it revitalizes its economy.

Taxable value across the city had fallen 19 percent since the economic crash of a decade ago, so the town needed a new infusion of funds, said Joe Duff, city manager.

Duff said a lot of the new development is actually revitalization because most of it is occurring at blighted, abandoned properties. Shoppes on Main, for example, is under construction at the site of a former auto parts store. That’s perhaps quieted debate over whether there is too much growth happening too fast.

The revitalization of abandoned properties comes at a price, however. In some cases, the developments have been granted tax breaks. Duff said those have been handed out thoughtfully and sparingly.

Jay’s Sporting Goods, for example, received a “commercial rehabilitation exemption” that freezes taxes on the property for twelve years so that it pays the distressed property taxes until 2024 in exchange for $1.3 million in investment.

Jay’s got that break because it moved into the site of a former Kmart that had been abandoned for four years and was an eyesore.

The city is using a “special assessment district” for Shoppes on Main to pay for public road and utilities improvements worth $779,000 over the next 10 years. Shoppes on Main represents a transformative $8 million investment in Gaylord, Duff said.

Jenkins said the city benefits from infrastructure investments like the one at Shoppes on Main.

The investment in the construction of a service road means that four or five driveways on a busy stretch of M-32 have been reduced to two, which will significantly reduce left turns into and out of that development and improve safety and the flow of traffic.

Borton, the county commission chairman, said he knows that a growing population will increase demand for services. He said he believes tax revenues will keep pace.

Anyway, he said, even if there is a delay in

More stores are expected to open at the Shoppes on Main retail development in Gaylord.

the added value some projects will bring to the tax rolls, that value will eventually be added to the tax base.

PRESERVATION AND PANERA BREAD Can Gaylord keep its identity amid all of this change?

Jenkins has been mayor of Gaylord for five years and served as police chief for 13 before that. A career in the state police took him away from his hometown when he was young, but he’s been back since 1987.

He’s seen a lot of change since then, but he believes the city will keep its character, despite everything that’s going on.

“We’re not Traverse City. We don’t want to be Traverse City. I mean, Traverse City is a nice place, but it’s big and it’s sprawling and it’s got a lot of traffic,” he said.

Gaylord is different. Despite all the growth, Jenkins said, it’s at heart a small town nestled in the woods amid lakes, streams, golf courses, ski resorts, snowmobile trails and fishing holes. He believes it’s attractive because it’s a small town, and even with the growth, it’s going to remain a small town.

Protection of undeveloped land could be one countermeasure to the growth. There’s been more interest in that since Gaylord’s boom began, said Laura Justin, executive director of the Head Waters Land Conservancy, which preserves land in 11 counties in the northeast Lower Peninsula and is headquartered in Gaylord.

“Our goal is not to have zero development, it’s to have a balance between development and land conservation,” she said.

Head Waters mainly works with private landowners who want to preserver large tracts of land. She said the number of calls from landowners has increased significantly in the last couple years.

Justin has watched the explosion of growth, and she’s seen her quality of life improve just as she’s recognized that her nonprofit’s work is more important than ever.

“Our overall mission is to have that balance. I mean, who doesn’t love that there’s a Panera Bread? I’m a vegetarian, so that’s a great option for me,” she said. “But I also know we’ve protected hundreds of acres of property within miles of that Panera Bread. I think that when you lose the balance is when you have the problems.”

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 11

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By Kristi Kates As part of its mission as a nonprofit to provide cultural enrichment for the community, the Blissfest organization — best known for staging the massive Blissfest Folk and Roots Music Festival in Bliss every summer — continues its work in the off-season to keep adding layers to the rich tapestry of folk, roots and world music it’s been importing Up North since the early ’70s.

The main facet of Blissfest that runs throughout the colder months is its fall and winter concert series, which is now in its 26th year.

The monthly series usually begins in late September and runs through May; most shows take place at Petoskey’s Crooked Tree Arts Center. And while it’s always good to fill those seats, it’s not necessarily about money this time of year for the Bliss folks — it’s about art.

“Although they’re often a break-even affair, we view the concerts as a chance to give back,” explained Jim Gillespie, Blissfest’s executive director, programming director and de facto guru.

“We’re fortunate that our annual festival is not only our primary program service event, but is also our largest annual fundraiser, so the funds we raise in the summertime go to fund our year-round concerts, events and community outreach,” he said.

When Gillespie says “give back,” he means it. The Blissfest organization often provides free tickets to people and community groups that are under-served or can’t afford to go to the shows.

Many of the musicians who perform at the winter events are familiar faces, as they’re often local performers and/or Blissfest alumni. The roster is a good mix of regional favorites and a few imports hand-selected by Gillespie; he pointed out it’s a good chance to really narrow in on the performances in a different kind of environment than the festival itself offers.

“This setting also allows the artists to introduce new material and better judge how the audience reacts,” he said.

The winter series, which began in De-

cember with a CD release party for singersongwriter May Erlewine and then Blissfest’s Solstice Show on Dec. 17, took a break for the holidays and is now resuming with one concert each month, starting with a performance from Woody Pines on Jan. 21.

“Woody Pines is the essence of American roots music combining the best elements of country blues, jug band, hokum (rough blues) and hillbilly jazz,” Gillespie said. “Opening for him will be John Craigie, a Portland, Ore.-based singer-songwriter in the mold of John Prine, with witty songs and a storyteller’s delivery of deep humor.”

The Feb. 11 show will be Ten Strings and a Goatskin, a folk-fusion outfit from Prince Edward Island in Canada who present their high-energy maritime songs in both French and English.

March’s show on the 25th will feature the power trio of Michigan favorites May Erlewine, Rachael Davis and Lindsay Lou (of Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys), who appear together as The Sweet Water Warblers. “The sum talent of those ladies is even greater than the individual parts,” Gillespie said.

And the April 15 show is set to bring back “The Voice” finalist and Traverse City export Joshua Davis; the singer-songwriter will be performing with his own Joshua Davis Trio. He is expected to bring along Three Thirds, and Robinson and Rohe as opening acts. (The May show is yet to be announced.)

Gillespie’s enthusiasm for these shows is always evident. He’s an avid music fan and an accomplished musician in his own right.

He definitely has opinions and favorite artists, but does his best to be diplomatic when discussing Blissfest’s upcoming roster.

“Personally, I like them all, ’cause I booked them.” he said. “The alumni are always great, but I think the newbies are my favorites as far as sharing with the community.”

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For more information on the Blissfest fall and winter concert series, visit blissfest.org/concerts.

Kristi Kates is a contributing editor and freelance writer.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 13

2016

The year in music

By Kristi Kates The year 2016 was filled with expansive highs and lows: great albums and singles, expressive concert tours, musical achievements from both vintage performers and newcomers — and losses we’re still trying to comprehend.

Here’s a look at the past 12 months of music: January to March ■ The year started on a very low note when the legendary David Bowie passed away on Jan. 10, just two days after the release of what would be his final album, “Blackstar.”

■ Super Bowl 50’s halftime show featured headliners Coldplay sharing the field with pals Bruno Mars and Beyonce.

■ President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama named their favorite singles of 2015: the president chose Kendrick Lamar’s “How Much a Dollar Cost,” and the first lady picked Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”

■ The Great Indoor Folk Festival filled up the halls at Grand Traverse Commons with the tunes of Kirby, Carter Creek, Saldaje and Jim Hawley.

■ Moby published his memoir, “Porcelain,” which documents his life from suburbia to the New York City club scene and beyond.

■ Big winners at the Grammy Awards included Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber and Kendrick Lamar.

■ Scott Stapp took the stage at Ground Zero in Traverse City and revealed his revitalized music and attitude.

■ Kanye West released his latest album, “The Life of Pablo,” complete with appearances from Swizz Beatz and A$AP Rocky.

■ St. Patrick’s Day Up North was celebrated with two concerts: Dervish at The Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City, and Teada at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey.

■ After six years, Massive Attack released a new album called “Ritual Spirit.”

■ After the Grammys, Ed Sheeran suddenly announced that he’d be taking the rest of the year off.

■ The SXSW festival took over Austin, Texas, with performances from Crystal Castles, Tarmac, The Kickback and Phases.

April to June ■ Songstress Adele, still promoting her smash 2015 album “25,” kicked off a huge 56-date North American tour.

■ DJ Man-O-Wax and The Reminders performed as part of the Caravanserai II project

at The Dennos in Traverse City.

■ The Lumineers released their new album, “Cleopatra,” and took to the road to promote it.

■ A tribute album to ’60s band The Monkees called “Good Times!” was released, featuring covers of the band’s songs by Fountain of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo.

■Detroit’s Hart Plaza was the venue for the return of Movement Fest, which brought together a plethora of EDM performers and DJs. ■ The Charlotte Ross Lee Series started its season in Petoskey’s Pennsylvania Park with performances scheduled from Oh Brother Big Sister, Robin Lee Berry and Glenn Wolff, and the Epsilon Jazz Band.

■ The first-ever Electronica Music Awards show aired on Fox. ■ The ’90s returned via the I Love the 90s Tour, which featured performances from Tone Loc, Color Me Badd, Coolio and Salt-N-Pepa.

■ HBO debuted the first (and only) season of its drama-soap series “Vinyl,” the channel’s ode to the 1970s recording industry.

■ Popular Detroit radio station 89X celebrated its birthday by throwing a huge party at The Fillmore, complete with live performances from Silversun Pickups, Foals and Say Anything.

■ The Big Ticket Festival rocked Gaylord with TobyMac, Jetty Rae, Chris Tomlin, Switchfoot and Need to Breathe.

■ 2016’s Eurovision competition brought out the fans as always, with Ukrainian singer Jamala taking the top spot with her track “1944.”

July to September ■ Bluegrass punker Billy Strings was named one of Express’ Fascinating People for his original sound, right before he decamped to Nashville to kick off a tour.

■ Old Crow Medicine Show and opening act Brandi Carlile performed in concert at Interlochen Center for the Arts.

■ “Miss Sharon Jones!,” the rockumentary about soul singer Sharon Jones and the DapKings, hit selected theaters.

■ The MTV Video Music Awards handed out Moonmen to Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, Calvin Harris and Beyonce.

■ Lollapalooza took over Chicago’s Grant Park for its 25th anniversary with four full days of performances including sets from The 1975, Flosstradamus, Two Door Cinema Club, M83, Wolf Alice, Frank Turner, Ellie Goulding and LCD Soundsystem.

■ Rapper Pitbull was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Cyndi Lauper,

14 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Adam Levine and Bruno Mars were also awarded stars.

■ The Pitchfork Music Festival hit the Windy City’s Union Park with headliners Beach Boy Brian Wilson, Miguel, Neon Indian, Carly Rae Jepsen, Beach House and Petoskey native Sufjan Stevens.

■ The Traverse City Cherry Festival welcomed live concerts from Laith Al-Saadi, Kane Brown, Cheap Trick, Vanilla Ice and 1964 The Tribute.

■ The Summer Microbrew and Music Fest, also in Traverse City, featured headliners The Revivalists and Trombone Shorty, along with additional sets from The Change, Deep Blue Water Samba and That 1 Guy. ■ Huey Lewis and the News brought the ’80s back to Interlochen with a popular concert event.

■ Farmfest, just outside of Gaylord, presented another roster of folksy roots and bluegrass music with performances from Seth Bernard, The Go Rounds, Olivia Mainville and The Bandura Gypsies.

■ Indie ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro arrived from Hawaii to perform in concert at Interlochen.

■ Riot Fest got loud in Chicago with live sets from The Hives, Motion City Soundtrack, The Specials, Ween and Death Cab for Cutie.

■ “Walking in Memphis” singer Marc Cohn performed at the City Opera House in Traverse City.

■ Royal Oak’s Arts Beats and Eats Festival brought performances from Our Lady Peace, Cole Swindell and Broken Day Machine to the Motor City suburb.

October to December ■ The Front Porch Concert Series returned to Sleder’s in Traverse City with performances from Claude Bourbon, the Aoife Scott Band, The Waydown Wanderers, Izzy and the Catastrophics, and James Keelaghan.

■ Lady Gaga’s album, “Joanne,” hit outlets on Oct. 21, and she was also announced as the halftime performer for Super Bowl LI. ■ Gopherwood Concerts started back up in Cadillac for a 33rd season, with shows from Seth Bernard, The Whistle Stop Revue and The Schrock Bros.

■ Gwen Stefani debuted an animated TV show for Nickelodeon called “Kuu Kuu Harajuku,” all about a crime-fighting female pop band and its leader, G. ■ The Prine Time Concert at Traverse City’s City Opera House found a host of musicians, including Seth Bernard, Dan Rickabus of The

Crane Wives, Max Lockwood and Michael Beauchamp of Red Tail Ring, all paying concert homage to the songs of John Prine.

■ The songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smash Broadway musical “Hamilton” were feted on a covers album by The Roots, Ashanti, Sia, Miguel, Regina Spektor, Kelly Clarkson, Busta Rhymes and fun.’s Nate Ruess.

■ As President Obama prepared to exit the White House, he hosted the SXSL (South by South Lawn) fest that included performances from The Lumineers, Gallant and the DapKings (minus Sharon Jones, who did not perform). A short time later, Jones died at the age of 60 after a long battle with cancer.

■ Season 11 of “The Voice” wrapped up announcing this cycle’s winner, soul-country singer Sundance Head.

■ The Blissfest Winter Concert series started revving up, announcing shows from Woody Pines, Sweet Water Warblers, Josh Davis and Caravan of Thieves.

■ “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” returned to ABC-TV with host Ryan Seacrest and performances from Emeli Sande, Shawn Mendes, Lukas Graham and Niall Horan.

■ The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its 2017 inductees, which include Pearl Jam, Tupac Shakur, Journey, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra and Joan Baez.

Farewell

We lost many music greats in 2016, in a wave that started in January with the crushing loss of David Bowie and continued right up to the holidays. They will be missed, but their sounds will never fade: ■ David Bowie ■ George Martin (Beatles producer) ■ Leonard Cohen ■ Sharon Jones ■ Glenn Frey (The Eagles) ■ Maurice White (Earth Wind & Fire) ■ John Berry (Beastie Boys) ■ Leon Russell ■ Phife Dawg (A Tribe Called Quest) ■ Prince ■ Merle Haggard ■ Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane) ■ George Michael

Each cookbook menu at Dave Denison’s Amical in Traverse City pulls all of the recipes from a single cookbook.

Cookbooks featured this season at Amical’s Cookbook Dinner Series include “Koreatown” by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard; “The Mozza Cookbook”

by Nancy Silverton; “Persiana” by Sabrina Ghayour; Donald Link’s “Down South”; and “Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food” by Ivy Stark.

Amical’s cookbook series going strong after 20 years

By Kristi Kates Back in the late ’90s, downtown Traverse City’s Amical had been open for a couple of years when owner/operator Dave Denison decided the restaurant should do something different in the evenings to drum up business during the slower times of the year.

“I’d worked as a chef at Hattie’s (now closed) in Suttons Bay with Jim Milliman, and there was a special we’d done there where we’d create a menu around a cookbook,” Denison said.

Denison said the concept was popular, but not profitable. Still, it stuck in his head.

So, when he was trying to conjure up some new ideas for Amical, the cookbook menus made a comeback.

“I called Jim and said, ‘Hey, are you guys going to do that cookbook menu thing again?’ Jim said, ‘Nope, that’s crazy,’” Denison recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I think I’m going to try it,’ and he said, ‘Good luck!’”

Denison began working the cookbook menus into Amical’s schedule at the end of 1996 as its Cookbook Dinner Series.

“The first couple of times we did it, it was a financial disaster, really,” he said.

“The products and the labor were both very expensive. But when we turned to the people who attended those dinners — turns out they really liked it. So, we approached it as more of a marketing problem, figuring out how to do the menus more economically and how to get the word out.”

One of the difficult components at the start of Amical’s venture into the cookbook menus was ingredient availability, but those times have changed.

“Back then, for instance, we had to have Swiss chard flown in,” Denison said.

“But now, because of all the attention to the farm-to-table movement where people eat and shop more locally, we have more cookbooks to choose from that adhere to that culture, and both people and cookbook authors are also more forgiving when you substitute ingredients, which can make the dish even fresher.”

Each cookbook menu pulls all of the recipes for that particular menu from one singular cookbook: five appetizers, one soup, one salad, 10 entrees and one dessert.

“It’s an entire dinner menu with options, usually from an ethnically defined cookbook,” Denison said.

Amical picks one cookbook a month

from November through May, choosing the ethnic origin first, and then going through each cookbook to figure out which dishes guests would enjoy most.

“It takes time, though — it’s a process, and we kind of have a theme that we follow,” Denison said. “We start in November, then December is always a French cookbook. January is Asian, so lighter fare for after the holidays. February is Italian. March and April are ‘free’ months, so we just kind of pick whatever catches our eye. And then as the series wraps up in May, we usually choose something Latin American or Spanish.”

Next up, for example, is Amical’s Korean dinner (available Jan. 9-15), with the recipes sourced from the cookbook “Koreatown” by Deuki Hong and Matt Rodbard.

“I’m really looking forward to working with these recipes, especially the kimchi,” Denison said. “Korean food can be classified as Asian cuisine, but it’s actually very different; they eat a lot of meat, whereas Japanese food tends to be cleaner and more high-end, and Chinese food focuses a lot on street-style food.”

In February, the featured recipes will be Italian-based from “The Mozza Cookbook”

by Nancy Silverton (Feb. 6-12), and March

will be a culinary trip to the Middle East with the cookbook “Persiana” by Sabrina Ghayour (March 6-12.)

April’s menu will be from Donald Link’s “Down South,” a look into the cuisine of New Orleans (April 3-9), and finally, in May, the menu will be sourced from “Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food” by Ivy Stark (May 1-7).

Not only are all of these different cookbooks and cuisines a fun challenge for Amical’s chefs, the Cookbook Dinner Series has also become a dependable way for Traverse City locals to sample new and exotic cuisines in a favorite locale.

“The Amical Cookbook Dinner Series has been going on for so long now that people think we just kind of came up with it,” Denison said. “It actually took more work than people might realize, but it’s morphed into something really incredible over the last 20 years.”

Amical is located at 229 E. Front St. in downtown Traverse City. For more information on the Cookbook Dinner Series, visit amical. com; call 231-941-8888 for reservations.

Kristi Kates is a contributing editor and freelance writer.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 15

The legendary Benny Goodman inspired Dave Bennett to play jazz clarinet at a young age.

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16 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

Clarinetist Dave Bennett

carries on a legacy of swing

By Kristi Kates The parallels between clarinetists Benny Goodman and Dave Bennett are many.

Both hail from the Midwest — Goodman from Chicago, and Bennett from Detroit. Both started playing music around the age of 10. By the age of 14, Goodman had joined a musicians union and was in a band featuring famed 1920s jazz soloist Bix Beiderbecke; Bennett’s 14th year found him touring the U.S. with the New Reformation Dixieland Band.

Goodman’s early influences included legendary clarinetists like Johnny Dodds and Leon Roppolo, while Bennett’s first clarinet inspiration was … the legendary Benny Goodman.

Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall appearance was one of his most famous concerts, and the first in the hall to feature a jazz bandleader.

Bennett himself performed at Carnegie Hall as a featured performer with The New York Pops in 2013. But while Goodman left us in 1986, Bennett’s still here to carry the clarinet torch and is expanding upon his original influence with modern seasonings.

Bennett’s introduction to both the clarinet and Goodman happened in fifth grade, when his grandparents bought him a starter clarinet from the local pawn shop, not knowing if the 10-year-old would stick with the instrument.

“I played in the school band and learned to read music in school, but I started playing by ear within a month,” Bennett said.

“I also heard Benny Goodman around that same time, which really blew me away.

I could hear what this instrument could do — it sounds crazy, but I knew then what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

That pawn shop purchase was more than justified, as Bennett went on to dig into other musicians from the swing era. He modernized his sound as he became older by listening to a broader range of music, starting with the rock ’n’ roll of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis.

“Everything that I listen to influences me to some degree, whether it’s performance intensity, or how I hear certain songs can be restructured harmonically,” he said.

The Carnegie Hall appearance was confirmation that he was moving in the right direction. “It was the greatest night of my life,” Bennett said. “Once the plane landed in New York, I was soaking in every part of the experience; the rehearsals, the prep. I even got to try Benny Goodman’s clarinet before the show. We re-

ceived two standing ovations during the show.

I sometimes tap myself on the shoulder and ask myself if that really happened.”

It’s Bennett’s enthusiasm for performing that translates on stage, when he inherently tailors his demeanor to the kind of music he’s playing. Classic jazz or swing are presented with a Goodman-like elegance — he sometimes even cultivates a look similar to Goodman’s — and the more raucous sounds of Bennett’s “Rockin’ the ’50s” shows, in which he pays homage to Johnny Cash, Presley and Lewis, find Bennett’s usually well-coiffed hair in disarray and the energy turned up to 11.

“I think jazz is a very passionate music that really gets inside people,” Bennett said. “I know that it moves us when we play it — and when we see the audience’s enthusiastic response, it builds the momentum of the show.”

Up next, Bennett is working on a new album that will primarily feature original material, on which he’s collaborating with co-writer and arranger Shelly Berger from Toronto, who will also be producing the record. Bennett plays guitar, piano and drums in addition to the clarinet.

“I’m very excited about it, as we’ll be taking the clarinet into areas that it hasn’t really been in before,” said Bennett. “I’m heavily influenced by Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, and I think some of those sounds will be there.”

The album is expected for release in summer 2017; in the meantime, Bennett will be spending most of his time on tour.

“I spend about 80 percent of my life on the road,” Bennett said with a laugh.

For his upcoming Swing Kings show at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey, Bennett is bringing along his band: Paul Keller on bass, Pete Siers on drums, Tad Weed on piano, Jim Cooper on vibraphone, Hugh Leal on guitar, and Carol McCartney on vocals.

“We’ll be performing songs associated with Benny Goodman and other swing-era clarinetists like Artie Shaw and Woody Herman,” Bennett said. “It’s an original presentation, too, not a re-creation — we put our own new spin on many of the songs.”

Swing Kings with Dave Bennett will be in concert at Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7; tickets are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers, and $10 for students. For more information, visit crookedtree.org.

Kristi Kates is a contributing editor and freelance writer.

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NORTHERN SEEN 1. Malik Hassanaly and Kristin Tenney went shopping at the farmers market at The Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

2. Tyler Barrett got into the holiday spirit outside Miner’s North Jewelers in downtown Traverse City.

3. Kellen Wressell, Russell Arlt and David Saganski drank North Peak beer at the M22 store during Men’s Night in downtown Traverse City.

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4. Katie Potts of Petoskey Cheese and Emily Paquette of Frog Hollow Farm teamed up to teach a farm-to-table holiday entertaining class.

5. Willow Cort, Shireen Knott of Bliss Soaps and Kelly Cort of The Court House chatted with fellow artisan Stell Michelsen of Stellwork during the holiday artists market at North Perk coffee in downtown Petoskey.

6. Charlotte Noble performed as Rachel Moore and Violet Edens greeted customers at Sincerely Betty during Men’s Night in downtown Traverse City.

7. Jane Harris caught up with friend Sigrid Hansen at Stafford’s Perry Hotel’s Appreciation Party in Petoskey.

8. Grant Blackmer and Ben Horney fit right in at The Jolly Pumpkin’s ugly Christmas sweater party on Old Mission Peninsula.

9. Bridget Foltz picked out some carrots from Providence Organic Farm at the Boyne City farmers market.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 17

dec 31

saturday

CHEBOYGAN LGBTQ & FRIENDS GROUP COFFEE GATHERING: 10am, Purple Tree Coffee & Books, Cheboygan.

jan 01

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CHERRYT BALL DROP: Held at the corner of Front & Park streets, Downtown TC. Enjoy a live DJ starting at 10pm, with the countdown to the Dropping of the Cherry at midnight. www. cherrytballdrop.com

-------------------DOWNTOWN GAYLORD NEW YEAR’S BALL DROP: Enjoy a heated tent, bonfire, live music by Neshama under the Pavilion on Court St. from 8pm-midnight, & more.

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NYE AT GTR: 10pm, Grand Traverse Resort, Acme. Throwback to the 80’s. Dance party on Level 17 with a photo booth, fog, disco balls, complimentary breakfast at 1am, & more. Tickets: $20 or free with Aerie NYE Dinner receipt. grandtraverseresort.com/newyearseve

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NYE BRIDGE DROP: At midnight Charlevoix “drops” the U.S. 31 drawbridge over the Round Lake Channel. This party at Bridge Park, Downtown Charlevoix includes snowman building, carriage rides, bonfires, live music, two fireworks shows, & much more. Activities start at 1pm; event ends at 2am. visitcharlevoix.com/bridgedrop

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COUNTDOWN TO NOON: Activities including decorating the ball & a time capsule craft begin in the Great Lakes Room, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC at 10am, & the countdown of the ball drop commences at 11:59am. Activities continue until 3pm. greatlakeskids.org

-------------------NYE AT CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN: Starts at 4pm, Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville.

Featuring Jungle Family Fun, music by DJ CDX, Teen DJ Dance Party, Torchlight Parade, Fireworks Over the Mountain & much more. crystalmountain.com

-------------------CHERRYT COMEDY: Laugh in the New Year with Nate Armbruster & Mike Stanley at City Opera House, TC at 8:30pm. Tickets start at $10 & all proceeds benefit area non-profits, including the Salvation Army & Father Fred Foundation. cityoperahouse.org

-------------------NYE AT TREETOPS RESORT, GAYLORD: A family party will be held in the Oak Room featuring dancing to DJ music, pizza, a photo booth & more. The adult party in the convention center includes live music by CP2, late night snacks, fireworks & more. 8pm-1am.

Info: treetops.com

-------------------ANNUAL PAJAMA PARTY: 7am-5pm, Downtown Elk Rapids. Enjoy bargains on River St. elkrapidschamber.org

-------------------RESOLUTION 5K: 9am, Cadillac Area YMCA. 5K & Kids 1 Mile Fundraiser. cadillacareaymca.org

-------------------NYE AT CTAC, PETOSKEY: Enjoy art, music, dance & theater; performances & workshops; food; “Midnight at 9” Ball-drop on Division St. & more. Alcohol-free. For all ages. 5-9pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. $3 students, $7 adults. www.crookedtree.org

-------------------NYE DINNER DANCE: 7pm – midnight, Corwith Township Hall, Vanderbilt. Featuring live music by the Northern Nites, dancing, food & more.

Tickets: $7.50 or $15/couple; available at door.

-------------------FREE KIDS MOVIE NIGHT: 7:30-9pm, Aspen Room or Alpine Room, Treetops Resort, Gaylord. Featuring “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”. treetops.com

--------------------

SNOWSHOE HIKE: Meet at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, Empire at 1pm. www.facebook. com/sbdnl

sunday

dec/jan

RESOLUTION RUN: 11am, The Little Fleet, TC. 5K run/ walk that benefits Traverse Health Clinic. resolutionruntc.com

jan 02

monday

jan 03

tuesday

FREEZIN’ SEASON: 10am3pm, Great Lakes Children’s Museum, TC. Indoor ice & snow sensory play. greatlakeskids.org

31-08 send your dates to: events@traverseticker.com

PARKINSON’S NETWORK NORTH MEETING: 6pm, MCHC, rooms A & B, TC. 947-7389.

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AUSSIE WILDLIFE: Marsupials, Monotremes & More. 7pm, Grow Benzie, Benzonia. Free. amaliaexplores.com

-------------------GVSU TC ALUMNI: 5:30-7:30pm, The Parlor, TC. Drinks are half off & food is 25% off until 7pm. https://www.gvsu.edu/alumni/traversecity-club-44.htm

-------------------AUDITIONS: For “The Mousetrap” at Schmuckal Theatre on the lower level of Old Town Playhouse, TC at 7pm. There are roles for three women & five men. oldtownplayhouse.com

jan 04

wednesday

REHABILITATIVE ALTERNATIVES TO JAIL: Noon, Leelanau County Government Center, Suttons Bay. A LWVLC business meeting will follow this forum. 231-271-5600.

-------------------AUDITIONS: (See Tues., Jan. 3)

jan 05

thursday

HEART & HEALING ART: “Mindful Drawing”. 7pm, John & Marnie Demmer Wellness Pavilion & Dialysis Center of McLaren Northern Michigan, Petoskey. Free. northernhealth.org/classes

-------------------OFF THE WALL MOVIE NIGHT: Dinner, 6pm; movie, 7pm, Helena Township Community Center, Alden. Sign up for potluck at Alden District Library. aldenlib.info

jan 06

friday

HORIZON BOOKS, TC EVENTS: 10-11am: Story Hour. 8:30-10:30pm: Live music with The Sleepwalkers. horizonbooks.com

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FIRST FRIDAYS FOR FOODIES: Cheese 101. 11am, Crooked Tree Arts Center Kitchen, Petoskey. Taste several families of cheese while talking about what makes each style different. Free. crookedtree.org

jan 07

saturday

“CLARINET SWING KINGS” WITH DAVE BENNETT: 7:30pm, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Tickets: $25 CTAC members, $35 non-members, & $10 students. crookedtree.org

-------------------CROSS COUNTRY WINTER TRAIL DAYS: Try snowshoeing & cross country skiing for free at Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls. There

18 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

The 23rd Annual Downtown Bridal Show will be held on Sunday, January 8 at City Opera House, TC from noon-4pm. Nearly 30 wedding vendors will be on display, with a Bridal Fashion Show taking place at 3:15pm featuring the latest trends from Captain’s Quarters Traverse City, one oak bride, To Have & To Hold Bridal Boutique, & Yana Dee. Free. Find ‘Downtown Bridal Show’ on Facebook. Photo courtesy of Downtown Traverse City.

will be a half-hour group lesson & free rentals.

Must register: 231-549-6088.

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KIDS MOVIE NIGHT: 7:30pm, Aspen Room or Alpine Room, Treetops Resort, Gaylord. Tonight will feature “Happy Feet”. Free. treetops.com

-------------------STAND-UP COMEDY: 8:30pm, Old Town Playhouse, TC. Featuring “Today’s Master Storyteller” Norm Stulz. Tickets, $15. oldtownplayhouse.com

-------------------NEW YEAR’S MOONLIGHT SKI: 7pm, Grass River Natural Area, Bellaire. Self-guided ski on groomed trails. Bring a headlamp. $5 suggested donation. grassriver.org

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8TH ANNUAL WINTER TRAILS DAY: 10:30am2pm, Timber Ridge Resort, TC. Presented by TART Trails, Vasa Ski Club, Einstein Cycles & Timber Ridge Resort. Includes free trail access, introductory ski lessons, fatbike demos, guided snowshoe hikes & use of equipment rentals.

Free, but must register in advance: traversetrails. org/event/wintertrailsday2017

jan 08

sunday

CROSS COUNTRY WINTER TRAIL DAYS: (See Sat., Jan. 7)

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ANNUAL DOWNTOWN BRIDAL SHOW: Noon-4pm, City Opera House, TC. Featuring 30 wedding vendors & a Bridal Fashion Show. Find ‘Downtown Bridal Show’ on Facebook.

-------------------BUCKETS OF RAIN BENEFIT: Featuring Dennis Palmer performing from 4-6pm at the Acoustic Tap Room, TC. Tickets, $10. Through the construction of urban gardens on abandoned city lots, Buckets of Rain diminishes urban blight, rekindles hope in struggling neighborhoods, brings fresh vegetables into the neighborhoods, & feeds the homeless through partners. bucketsofrain.org

ongoing

SUNDAY SNOWSHOE HIKES: Meet at the Michigan Legacy Art Park trailhead, Thompsonville at 2:30pm. Held on Sundays from Jan. 8-29. $5/adult. Free for youth 17 & under with paying adult. michlegacyartpark.org

-------------------SNOWSHOE, WINE & BREW: Sundays, Jan. 8 – March 5, Old Mission Peninsula, 10:40amnoon. Park at Jolly Pumpkin to board the TC Brew Bus & start your trek. $20. tcbrewbus. com/events

-------------------ICE SKATING GAMES: Saturdays, Jan. 7 – March 11, 1-3pm, Harbor Springs Sk8 Park/ Ice Rink. Find ‘Harbor Springs Sk8 Park’ on Facebook.

-------------------FREE COMMUNITY CLASS: Every Weds. at 7:30pm at Bikram Yoga, 845 S. Garfield Ave., TC. bikramyogatcgr.com

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SATURDAY SNOWSHOE HIKES AT SLEEPING BEAR DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE: Held on Saturdays, Jan. 7 – March 11. At the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, Empire at 1pm. Free, but reservations required: 231-326-4700, ext. 5010.

-------------------FESTIVAL OF TRAINS: Through Dec. 31, Carnegie Building (CTAC), TC. Presented by the Northern MI Railroad Club, City of TC & Great Lakes Children’s Museum. Admission, $5. For more info & hours visit: greatlakeskids.org/trains.

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OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS: No dues, fees, weigh-ins, or diets. Meeting Tues. at 12:15pm; Thurs. at 1:30pm; Fri. at 8am; & Sat. at 10:30am. Call Pat: 989-448-9024; Tom: 231590-8800; or Genie: 231-271-1060.

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ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - YOUNG PEOPLE’S MEETING: Fridays at 8pm, Grace Episcopal Church (basement), TC. www. district11-aa.org/ ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - OPEN SPEAKER MEETING: Saturdays at 8pm, Munson Medical Center (basement), TC. www.

district11-aa.org/

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COMPULSIVE EATERS ANONYMOUS - HOW: Held every Thurs. from 5:30-6:30pm at Friends Church, 206 S. Oak Street - at 5th Street, TC. For more info: traversecityCEAHOW.org

-------------------YOGA 1-2: With Kelly Stiglich 500-ERYT at GT Circuit, TC on Tuesdays at 5:30pm. $10 suggested donation. gtcircuit.org

--------------------

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS (ACA): 5:30-7pm, Thursdays in the basement of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, TC. To address the residual effects of having been raised in dysfunctional household. adultchildren.org

-------------------OM GENTLE YOGA: With Kelly Stiglich 500-ERYT at GT Circuit, TC on Saturdays at 10:30am. $5. gtcircuit.org

-------------------MCLAREN NORTHERN MI DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP: Meets the second Mon. of each month from 7-8pm at the John & Marnie Demmer Wellness Pavilion & Dialysis Center, Petoskey. northernhealth.org/wellness

art

THROUGH THE WINDOW, ALL MEDIA: Through March, Three Pines Studio, Cross Village. threepinesstudio.com

-------------------“PET INSPIRED ART”: Works of local artists at GT Distillery, downtown TC. Runs through Dec. 946-1259.

--------------------

---------------------------------------

PROTECTION: This Woodland Indian screenprint by Jackson Beardy is installed on the east wall of Cuppa Joe, 1060 E. Front St., TC. dennosmuseum.org

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“MAKING ART TOGETHER”: The Northport Arts Association hosts this open studio every Thurs. from 10am-1pm in the Village Arts Building, Northport. northportartsforall.com

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PLEIN AIR PAINTING EXHIBIT: Presented by the Plein Air Painters of Northwest MI at City Opera House, TC. Runs through Dec. cityoperahouse.org

ADOPTION SATURDAYS: Pets Naturally, TC hosts one dog & one cat from the Cherryland Humane Society on Saturdays from 11am2pm. www.petsnaturallytc.com INDOOR FARMERS MARKET, THE VILLAGE AT GT COMMONS, TC: Held in The Mercato on Saturdays through April 29 from 10am-2pm. thevillagetc.com

CTAC ARTISANS & FARMERS MARKET: Fridays, 10am-1pm, Bidwell Plaza during good weather, or Carnegie Building, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. crookedtree.org

-------------------BLISSFEST JAM SESSIONS: Every Sun., 1-4pm, Red Sky Stage, Petoskey. Bring your instruments or just sing along or listen. www. redskystage.com.

-------------------BOXING FOR PARKINSON’S: Parkinson’s Network North meets at 10am every Mon. at Fit For You, TC for these free sessions. gtaparkinsonsgroup.org

--------------------

“JUST FOR US” BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP: Meets the first Tues. of every month from 6:30-8:30pm at the McLaren Northern MI John & Marnie Demmer Wellness Pavilion & Dialysis Center, Petoskey. 800-248-6777.

-------------------SONG OF THE MORNING, VANDERBILT: Free yoga classes, Tues. – Fri., 7:30-8:30am. songofthemorning.org

-------------------PETOSKEY FILM THEATER: Showing international, indie, art house & documentary films on Wednesdays, Fridays & Saturdays. Carnegie Building, 451 E. Mitchell St., next to Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petoskey. Donations welcome.

For schedule find ‘Petoskey Film Theater’ on Facebook. 231-758-3108.

-------------------DEPOT COFFEEHOUSE: Fridays from 6-7:30pm at After 26 Depot Café, Cadillac. Enjoy coffee with dinner or dessert while listening to live entertainment. 231-468-3526.

O N LY A T Y O U R N E I G H B O R H O O D B I G A P P L E B A G E L S ®

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MIDWEST TWILIGHT: This painting by Glenn Wolff has been installed on the south wall of the Omelette Shoppe, Cass St., TC. dennosmuseum.org

DEBTORS ANONYMOUS: 12 Step Meeting.

Held on Tuesdays from 7-8pm at Munson Community Health Center, east door, Room G, TC. For info, email: tcdajp34@gmail.com

BAGELS HAND-CRAFTED

6TH ANNUAL GRAND TRAVERSE ART BOMB: Jan. 7 – March 25, Right Brain Brewery, TC. Artists of all media in & from the GT region will display & sell their work commission-free. Opening Reception will be held on Jan. 14; Encore Reception/Art Bomb Prom on Feb. 11; & Closing Reception on March 25. Featuring live music & performance art. facebook.com/GrandTraverseArtBomb In Water: A Photographic Exploration: Beth Price Photography. Through Dec. at SPACE, second floor, TC. All print sale profits benefit FLOW. bethpricephotography.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------HIGHER ART GALLERY, TC: - Call for Artist Submissions: For the spring show “Sacred Spaces”. Deadline to apply is Feb. 20. Visit higherartgallery.com for info.

- Call for Jewelers: For a market event: Valentines Day Jewelry show on Feb. 5. Call 231-252-4616 or email higherartgallery@ gmail.com for info.

- Call for Artists: 1st Mark Makers Competition: Calling all acrylic painters to battle it out in front of a supportive live audience in 3 rounds of friendly painting competition. We are looking for 6 artists . DEADLINE to apply is January 10. The event is to be held at Higher Art Gallery, TC on January 27. For details on how to apply please visit: higherartgallery.com - Open Mic Night to Begin in February!: Seeking music, storytelling, poetry, spoken word, performance art, magic & more. Submit your idea to be a part of it. Please submit your info & performance medium to: higherartgallery@ gmail.com

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Celebrating 60 Years!

-------------------CROOKED TREE ARTS CENTER, PETOSKEY: - Back to School: CTAC Teachers’ Exhibition: Runs through Jan. 7 in the Atrium Gallery.

- “Painters Reunite”: Charlevoix Circle of Arts, Jordan River Arts Council, & the Boyne Arts Collective will join together with Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Kitchen Painters for this holiday exhibit, showcasing their work. Runs through Jan. 6 (except Dec. 23 (after 1pm) – Jan. 2) in the Bonfield & Gilbert Galleries. crookedtree.org

-------------------DENNOS MUSEUM CENTER, NMC, TC: - Permanence & Impermanence: Iceland – a Land of Temporal Contrasts. By Jean Larson.

Runs through Jan. - Grandmother Power: A Global Phenomenon: The works of renowned photographer Paola Gianturco. Runs through Jan. dennosmuseum.org

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 19

FOURSCORE by kristi kates

The Wild Feathers – “Live at The Ryman” – Warner Bros.

The Wild Feathers’ first live album was recorded at the famed Ryman Auditorium, the original permanent home of the Grand Ole Opry and a venue that’s soaked in a deep musical history.

Much of this heritage seems to have rubbed off on the Nashville-based band in these performances, which are infused with unyielding refrains and powerful riffs on tracks like “Got It Wrong” and Rolling Stone pick “Left My Woman” — you’d never know this was recorded at the end of their 2016 tour, because it sounds like a band energetically chomping at the bit to begin.

Kate Bush – “Before the Dawn” – Concord

Over 155 minutes and three discs, elusive songstress Kate Bush returns after 35 years off the stage to mesmerize her London audience with these live performances, pulled from her multishow run at the Hammersmith Odeon. Act One is an unplugged set of sorts, scrolling through a long list of hits that have inspired performers like Florence and the Machine, Placebo and Wild Beasts; in Act Two, Bush performs “The Ninth Wave,” the conceptual B-side of her 1985 “Hounds of Love album,” which is slightly less accessible in its strangeness, but no less compelling.

The Hold Steady – “Boys and Girls in America” – Vagrant

Brooklyn rockers The Hold Steady have always been something of a divisive band, tucked tidily into the category of “the cool kids,” yet eschewed by actual up-and-coming hipsters. But that’s not the band’s biggest problem, at least not on this album; that would be the preoccupation with whiny party songs, in which the kids of America completely devolve into useless complainers. If The Hold Steady were made up of high-schoolers, this would perhaps just come across as growing pains; from a band of a dozen years, especially one whose frontman (Craig Finn) has talent well evidenced on the band’s other albums, these tracks just seem lazy.

Marconi Union – “Weightless” – Proper Records

Spawned from a single eight-minute, chill-out ambient title track that’s been called one of the world’s most “tranquil” songs, this full-length album of Marconi Union … pieces? ... compositions? … expands the trio’s sweeping electronic sound into additional audio vistas, broken into six parts, each with its own view on how to mellow out your world. While each are quite different — “4” is something of a waltz, for instance, while “5” is more minor and “2” is brighter — all coalesce into a greater whole that is indeed as serene as the critics say.

20 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

MADONNA DOES ‘CARPOOL KARAOKE’ WITH CORDEN Don’t mess with Detroiters, even when they’re no longer living in the Motor City. Madonna was the latest guest on James Corden’s uber-popular “Carpool Karaoke” segment (on CBS’ “The Late Late Show”), and not only did she and Corden bust out several great singalongs, but Maddie also threw out several high kicks right in the front seat of the SUV, trashed Corden’s choice of clothing, dished about dating Michael Jackson, vogued to her own hit single “Vogue,” and demanded that Corden be her, well, let’s just say slave.

He’s been on several major tours, has a Grammy win and six full-length albums — a pretty good set of accomplishments for 20 years in music, and Armin van Buuren is going to be celebrating all of it with anniversary tour dates and a special “The Best of Armin Only” show. For starters, the Armin Only Embrace world tour will hit California for a pair of dates Feb. 3-4 before van Buuren heads overseas for additional shows in Germany, Russia, Indonesia and Singapore (more U.S. dates are expected to be added.) The Dutch DJ will then return to his homeland on May 13 for that best-of career retrospective performance at the Amsterdam ArenA, which will be his first solo show there. Tickets for all of the above are on sale now at insomniac.com/arminonly.

Irish DJ Annie Mac will mark her first performance of 2017 (as well as her first in over half a year) at this spring’s Lost and Found

DOWNTOWN

MODERN

ROCK

BY KRISTI KATES

Festival on the sunny island of Malta. Lost and Found will also include performances from Jamie Jones, Armand van Heldon, Giggs, Seth Troxler and Solardo, and is set for April 13-16. Tickets for the four-day event are available now at lostandfoundfestival. com and would make a great spring break trip, especially if you add in tickets to some of the boat parties and castle raves that can be purchased separately.

Vintage Motown singer Aretha Franklin is set to be honored at a special event at New York City’s Carnegie Hall; Franklin, who has influenced everyone from Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey to Beyonce and Alicia Keys, will be feted for her contributions to music.

Tickets for the show start at $48 and go up to $10,000 for special VIP packages (100 percent of net proceeds are going to music education organizations), and the show itself will feature performances from Rhiannon Giddens, Kenny Loggins, Living Colour, Sarah Dash, Heart’s Ann Wilson and The Frames’ Glen Hansard, among others. The event will take place on March 6.

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK The Flaming Lips are returning with a brand-new album, “Oczy Mlody,” which will hit outlets on Jan. 13, and you’ll also be able to catch them live in Michigan in March. The avant-garde band will be in concert at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on March 14, with tickets for that show on sale now; check out The

Flaming Lips’ official website, flaminglips.com, to get the rest of their tour dates and catch up with the band.

MichiBUZZ Another of Motown’s own, Stevie Wonder, teamed up with pop singer Ariana Grande for the soundtrack single “Faith” from the new animated feature “Sing,” in theaters now. … Post-hardcore band At the Drive-In is playing just a few selected dates this spring, and one of them has been just announced for Detroit’s Fillmore, where the band will be performing live on March 27. … Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie, two of the most successful solo artists of all time, are uniting for a joint 35-date tour this year that will include a stop at Detroit’s Palace of Auburn Hills on April 11. … Head to Van Andel Arena on Jan. 8 for the 2016 Winter Jam, a full night’s worth of inspirational rock, pop and folk from Tenth Avenue North, Andy Mineo, Britt Nicole, Thousand Foot Krutch and Colton Dixon.

… The Magic Bag in Ferndale will be the spot to hit if you dig the blues, which will be happening in full force during the Anti-Freeze Blues Festival on Jan. 7 with performances from Lurrie Bell, Thornetta Davis, Joe Louis Walker and Johnny Rhoades.

ROCK TRIP

It’s not quite “Top Gear,” but the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Jan. 8-22) is the premier destination in the Midwest for gearheads — and this year, for fans of legendary ’60s music too. After you’ve checked out all the cars, stick around for the show’s Studio 25 after-party with a performance from The Beach Boys. Tickets are $150 per person including gourmet food and the concert, but what better way to see the band that sang about the “Little Deuce Coupe”?

Comments, questions, rants, raves, suggestions on this column? Send ’em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com.

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Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 21

nitelife

dec 31 - jan 8 edited by jamie kauffold

Send Nitelife to: events@traverseticker.com

Manistee, Wexford & Missaukee

• 522 - MANISTEE Tues. -- Karaoke Thurs., Fri., Sat. -- DJ • BUCKLEY BAR - BUCKLEY Fri. -- DJ Karaoke/Sounds - Duane & Janet • CADILLAC SANDS RESORT Porthole Pub & Eatery: Thurs. -- Live music

SandBar Niteclub: Fri. & Sat. -- Phattrax DJs Fri. -- Karaoke/line dancing, 8:30 Sat. -- Dance videos, 8:30 • COYOTE CROSSING - HOXEYVILLE Thurs. -- Open Mic Sat. -- Live Music • DOUGLAS VALLEY WINERY MANISTEE

Sun. -- Live music, 1:30-4:30pm • HI-WAY INN - MANISTEE Wild Weds. -- Karaoke Fri.-Sat. -- Karaoke/Dance • LOST PINES LODGE - HARRIETTA Sat. -- Karaoke, dance videos

Grand Traverse & Kalkaska • ACOUSTIC TAP ROOM - TC Tues. -- Open & un-mic'd w/ Ben Johnson, 7-9 • BUD'S - INTERLOCHEN Thurs. -- Jim Hawley, 5-8 • FANTASY'S - GRAWN Adult Entertainment w/ DJ • GT RESORT & SPA - ACME Lobby: 1/6-7 -- Blake Elliott, 7-11 Aerie: 12/31 -- John Pomeroy, 7-11 • HAYLOFT INN - TC Thurs. -- Open mic night by Roundup Radio Show, 8 Fri. - Sat. thru Dec. -- Two Old Broads & 3 Buddies Fri. - Sat. thru Jan. -- The Cow Puppies • HORIZON BOOKS - TC 1/6 -- The Sleepwalkers, 8:3010:30 • LEFT FOOT CHARLEY - TC 1/6 -- Kyle Skarshaug, 6-8 Mon. -- Open mic w/ Blake Elliott, 6-9 • LITTLE BOHEMIA - TC Tues. -- TC Celtic, 7-9 • NORTH PEAK - TC Kilkenny's, 9:30-1:30: 1/6-7 -- Sweet J Band Mon. -- Michigan Team Trivia, 7-9; Toxic Trivia, 9-11 Tues. -- Levi Britton, 8-12 Weds. -- The Pocket, 8-12 Thurs. -- 2 Bays DJs, 9:301:30

Sun. -- Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7-9 • PARK PLACE HOTEL - TC Beacon Lounge: Mon. -- Levi Britton, 8:30-11:30 Thurs. - Sat. -- Tom Kaufmann, 8:30-11:30 • PARKSHORE LOUNGE - TC Fri. - Sat. -- DJ • RARE BIRD BREWPUB - TC 12/31 -- Biomassive & G-Snacks, 10 1/2 -- Open Mic/Artist Night, 6-9 Tues. -- Trivia night, 7 • SAIL INN - TC Thurs. & Sat. -- Phattrax DJs, karaoke, dance videos • SIDE TRAXX - TC Weds. -- Impaired Karaoke, 10 Fri.-Sat. -- DJ/VJ Mike King • STATE STREET GRILLE - TC 12/31 -- Balsam Brothers, 7-11 • STREETERS - TC Ground Zero: 12/31 -- The Journey Tribute wsg Jesse Jefferson, 9 The Reserved Ultra Lounge: 12/31 -- DJ Ricky T w/ Z93, 8 • TAPROOT CIDER HOUSE TC 1/1 -- Kids Open Mic, 3 1/8 -- Kids Open Mic, 3 Tues. -- Turbo Pup, 7-9 Thurs. -- G-Snacks, 7-9 Fri. -- Rob Coonrod, 7-9

Sat. -- Chris Dark, 7-9 • THE LITTLE FLEET - TC 12/31 -- Disco Dance Party, 7-2 • THE OL' SOUL - KALKASKA Weds. -- David Lawston, 8-12 • THE PARLOR - TC 1/3 -- Clint Weaner, 7:3010:30 • THE WORKSHOP BREWING CO. - TC 12/31 -- Broom Closet Boys, 8-12 1/2 -- Open Read Poetry, 7-9 1/3 -- Strum Ukulele Sing-ALong Night, 6-8 1/6 -- Local DJ: Case of Base, 8-11 1/7 -- Brett Mitchell, 8-11 Weds. -- WBC Jazz Society Jam, 6-10 • TRATTORIA STELLA - TC Tues. -- Ron Getz, 6-9 • UNION STREET STATION - TC 1/6 -- DJ DomiNate 1/7 -- Skin & Friends • WEST BAY BEACH RESORT - TC 1/6 -- The Offbeat Band, 7-9:30; Shawny D, 9:30-2 View: 12/31 -- DJ Motaz, 8 1/4 -- Comedy Night, 7-9:30 1/7 -- DJ Motaz, 9-2 Thurs. -- Jazz w/ Jeff Haas Trio & Laurie Sears, 7-9:30

Antrim & Charlevoix • BC TAPROOM -- BC 12/31 -- Adam & the Cabana Boys • BRIDGE STREET TAP ROOM - CHARLEVOIX 1/1 -- Ben Overbeek, 6-9 1/3 -- Michelle Chenard, 7-10 1/6 -- Owen James, 8-11 1/7 -- Chris Koury, 8-11 1/8 -- Chris Calleja, 6-9 • CELLAR 152 - ELK RAPIDS 1/7 -- Jessica Dominic, 7:30-9:30 • JORDAN INN - EAST JORDAN Tues. -- Open Mic w/ Cal

Mantis, 7-11 Fri. & Sat. -- Live Music • MURRAY'S BAR & GRILL - EAST JORDAN Fri. & Sat. -- Live Music • QUAY RESTAURANT & TERRACE BAR CHARLEVOIX Weds. -- Live jazz, 7-10 • RED MESA GRILL - BOYNE CITY 1/3 -- The Urban Sturgeons, 6-9 • SHANTY CREEK RESORTS - BELLAIRE Ivan's 12/31 -- Jedi Mind Trip, 9

22 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

• SHORT'S BREWING CO. - BELLAIRE 12/31 -- 3 Hearted, 9-12 1/1 -- Levi Britton, 8-10:30 1/2 -- Mike Moran, 7:30-10 1/3 -- Open mic & Community Jam w/ Seth Bernard, 7:30-10:30 1/6 -- Olivia Mainville & The Aquatic Troupe w/ Jack the Bear, 8:30-11 1/7 -- Fauxgrass, 8:30-11 • VASQUEZ' HACIENDA ELK RAPIDS Acoustic Tues. Open Jam, 6-9 Sat. -- Live music, 7-10

Four time Emmy Award winning composer/songwriter & lead guitarist/vocalist for rock band The Bihlman Brothers, Jeff "Jabo" Bihlman plays Mustang Wendy's in Harbor Springs on New Year's Eve & Stormcloud Brewing Co., Frankfort on Fri., Jan. 6 from 8-10pm. Photo by Pasi Rytkonen

Leelanau & Benzie • BELLA FORTUNA NORTH L.L. Fri.-Sat. -- Bocce e DeRoche, 7-10 • BLACK STAR FARMS - SB Third Weds. of ea. mo. -- Jazz Café w/ Mike Davis & Steve Stargardt, 7-9 • CABBAGE SHED - ELBERTA 12/31 -- Live band Thurs. -- Open mic, 8 • DICK'S POUR HOUSE - L.L. Sat. -- Karaoke, 10-2 • JODI'S TANGLED ANTLER BEULAH Fri. -- Karaoke, 9-1 • LAUGHING HORSE THOMPSONVILLE

Thurs. -- Karaoke, 9 • LEELANAU SANDS CASINO - PESHAWBESTOWN Tues. -- Polka Party, noon-4pm • LUMBERJACK'S BAR & GRILL - HONOR Thurs., Fri., Sat. -- Phattrax DJs, karaoke, dance videos • MARTHA'S LEELANAU TABLE - SB Weds. -- The Windy Ridge Boys, 6-9 Sun. -- The Hot Biscuits, 6-9 • ROADHOUSE - BENZONIA Weds. -- Jake Frysinger, 5-8 • ST. AMBROSE CELLARS BEULAH

1/6 -- Chloe & Olivia Kimes, 6-9 1/7 -- Alfredo Improv, 6-9 Thurs. -- Open mic night, 6-8 • STORMCLOUD BREWING CO. - FRANKFORT 12/31 -- Dot Org, 9-12 1/6 -- Jeff Bihlman, 8-10 1/7 -- Awesome Distraction, 8-10 • TUCKER'S - NORTHPORT 12/31 -- NYE Party w/ The Wild Sulleys • WESTERN AVE. GRILL GLEN ARBOR Fri. -- Open Mic Sat. -- Karaoke

Emmet & Cheboygan • BARREL BACK RESTAURANT - WALLOON LAKE VILLAGE Weds. -- Michelle Chenard, 5-8 • BEARDS BREWERY PETOSKEY Weds. -- "Beards on Wax" (vinyl only night spun by DJ J2xtrubl), 8-11 • CAFE SANTE - BOYNE CITY 12/31 -- The Shifties, 8-12 1/5 -- Pete Kehoe, 6-9 1/6 -- Sean Bielby, 8-11 Mon. -- Nathan Bates, 6-9 • CITY PARK GRILL PETOSKEY 12/31 -- Tell Yo Mama, 9 1/5 -- Open mic night w/ Lee Dyer & Tai Drury, 9 1/6 -- Annex Karaoke, 10

1/7 -- Polar Bear Recon, 10 • DIXIE SALOON - MACKINAW CITY Thurs. -- Gene Perry, 9-1 Fri. & Sat. -- DJ • KNOT JUST A BAR - BAY HARBOR Fri. -- Chris Martin, 7-10 • LEO'S NEIGHBORHOOD TAVERN 12/31 -- Bowie & Prince Silent Masquerade, 10-2 Weds. -- Karaoke Night w/ Michael Williford, 10-1 Sun. -- S.I.N. w/ DJ Johnnie Walker, 9-1 • MOUNTAINSIDE GRILL BOYNE CITY Fri. -- Ronnie Hernandez, 6-9 • MUSTANG WENDY'S HARBOR SPRINGS

12/31 -- Jeff Bihlman 1/6 -- Chris Koury 1/7 -- Nelson Olstrom • OASIS TAVERN - KEWADIN Thurs. -- Bad Medicine, DJ Jesse James • STAFFORD'S PERRY HOTEL - PETOSKEY Noggin Room: 12/31 -- A Brighter Bloom 1/1 -- Sean Bielby 1/6 -- Pistil Whips 1/7 -- Kellerville • STAFFORD'S PIER RESTAURANT - HS Pointer Room: Thurs. - Sat. -- Carol Parker on piano

Otsego, Crawford & Central • ALPINE TAVERN - GAYLORD 1/6 -- Mike Ridley, 7-10 1/7 -- Adam Hoppe, 7-10 • DEAD BEAR BREWING CO. GRAYLING 12/31 -- Duffy King • MAIN STREET MARKET GAYLORD

12/30-31 -- Acoustic Bonzo 1/6 -- Dave Menzo 1/7 -- Sweet Tooth • TIMOTHY'S PUB - GAYLORD Fri.-Sat. -- Video DJ w/Larry Reichert Ent. • TREETOPS RESORT - GAYLORD Hunter's Grille:

1/6 -- Risque, 9-12 1/7 -- Risque, 9-1 Oak Room, Main Lodge: 12/31 -- The Family Party w/ DJ, 8-12:30 Treetops Convention Center: 12/31 -- New Year's Bash w/ CP2, 9-1

2016’s brightest moments in entertainment

By Meg Weichman

Felicity Jones

TRY OUR HOT AND FRESH PIZZA * GRINDERS * WINGS * PASTA * CALZONES *

Another year has come to a close, and it’s time for another random collection of a few of my favorite moments, performances and mock awards from the 75-plus new-release movies I saw in theaters, along with some other exemplary pop culture additions.

BEST TRAILER Sir Richard Burton’s original Broadway cast recording of the “Finale Ultimo” from “Camelot” reads as a little too on the nose or obvious of a choice to back the teaser trailer for “Jackie,” a film about Jackie Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination. But its unorthodox delivery and mournful melancholy perfectly complement director Pablo Larrain’s unconventional storytelling and haunting, impressionist imagery. There simply could not have been anything better to introduce us to the film.

BEST NONMUSICAL MUSICAL MOMENT It practically goes without saying that “La La Land” would receive the honor for best musical number of 2016, but my favorite musical moment from a nonmusical would have to be the delightful birthday song foster mom Bella sings to her foster son Ricky Baker (YouTube it right now!) in “Hunt for the Wilderpeople.” As she plays her kooky original composition on her tabletop mini keyboard and Ricky lovingly gives in to singing along, this sublime little interlude not only establishes their bond and the substantial changes Tupac-loving Ricky has already undergone, but also the offbeat elation and oddball pleasures that await in this wise and warm charmer. Ricky Baker forever!

BEST NARRATION I could listen to Robert Redford recite the telephone book. And it’s that ruggedly tender drawl of my dreams that perfectly established the tone (both literally and figuratively) that so separates “Pete’s Dragon” from standard kiddie-film fare. His narration and performance imbues the film with a soulful wisdom and quiet gravitas that helped make this genteel fable about a boy and his dragon my favorite family film of the year.

BEST WORDPLAY Any year we get a new Coen brothers film feels like a gift. And “Hail, Caesar!” was an utterly delightful studio-era Hollywood romp that, even if you think doesn’t rank among their many masterpieces, still has those absurdist moments and inspired characters you just won’t get anywhere else. Case in point: sophisticated drama director (Ralph Fiennes) trying to direct singing cowboy actor (Alden Ehrenreich) as he badly flubs the line “would that it were so simple” with his deep-fried accent to uproarious and gleeful effect.

BEST FILM PROMOTION Only one film publicity campaign this year rose so high above the rest that it stands on its own as a unique work of culture. The promotion for Key and Peele’s debut feature about a stolen kitten, “Keanu,” brilliantly tapped into the zeitgeist, stayed so smart, clever and fun that it didn’t even feel like I was being sold a bill of goods. Perhaps it was so good that it set the bar too high for what turned out to be a disappointing flick, but I’ll always have “kitten, please” and my “Keanu” cat calendar to hold on to.

BEST ENDING Though not a feature film release, I have to honor the final film in Netflix’s “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” for its masterful and fanfriendly achievement that made it the high watermark of nostalgic TV revivals. With only four final words, creator Amy Sherman Palladino not only got to end the series the way she originally intended (Palladino was not able to return for the final season in 2007), she created one of the most simultaneously

all medium premium - supreme pizzas $10 satisfying and infuriating endings — infuriating only because it was so perfect, leaving us all wanting more.

BEST DUO Move over Scorsese and DiCaprio, for my money there’s no better match made in cinematic heaven these days than director Jeff Nichols and actor Michael Shannon. Just this past year, the pair gave us what is without a doubt one of the year’s best and most underseen films, the magnificently compelling “Midnight Special,” and then Shannon also had a brief, but essential, cameo role in Nichol’s award-winning “Loving.” Seriously, as far as I am concerned, the resplendent scene in which Shannon plays a Life Magazine photographer utterly eclipsed the rest of “Loving.”

I can only hope these two keep making multiple movies a year together.

NASTIEST WOMAN I was going to give this to the stars of the hilarious “Ghostbusters” reboot (step off, misogynistic internet pissants!) and then to Amy Adams in “Arrival” (for her sheer brilliance), but in the 11th hour the awesome Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” appeared and changed my mind. Because not only is she a rebellious badass getting in the way of making the Empire great again in one of the very best war/action/not really sci-fi/films to ever war in the stars, the Kathleen Kennedy-led executive team behind the film at Lucasfilm is 50 percent female. Next up: finally having a woman behind the “Star Wars” camera (keep the faith padawans).

BIGGEST SURPRISE When I first read about “Swiss Army Man’s” bizarro premiere at Sundance — where it was introduced by the programmer with “I’m not sure what this is about, but I thought it should be here” — I knew I had to see it if only to unlock the mystery of its premise that can be most easily distilled as the “farting corpse of Harry Potter movie.” And while that description is indeed apt, it belies the sweet sincerity and exhilarating originality that has the power to reignite your enthusiasm for the cinema.

Check it out!

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MOST GIF-ABLE FILM This year’s most profound cinematic experience is also the one that should get a special place of honor on Tumblr feeds. I can’t wait for “Moonlight” to be released on Blu-Ray so I can make animated GIFs of all the unforgettable reactions, piercing glances and deeply felt gestures that I want to watch in a loop until my heart just can’t take it any more — particularly from the film’s final achingly emotional reunion scene.

BEST REAL-LIFE HOLLYWOOD MOMENT While not a film, I simply could not mark a year in entertainment without talking about an event of such inconceivable magic and joy-inducing power that not even Hollywood could dream it up. I’m talking about Game 7 of the World Series, a game whose heart-stopping thrills, jaw-dropping twists and mythical destiny made plain the profound truth behind the question, “How can you not get romantic about baseball?” Go Cubs!

Petoskey, Lansing, Mt. Pleasant, Gaylord and two locations in Traverse City.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 23

the ADViCE GOddESS Sleeping Booty

You Had Meh At Hello

Q

Q

: I’m a 32-year-old guy, and I want a real relationship. I am good-looking and charming and can get girls into bed pretty early on, but I’m beginning to wonder whether that’s hurting me. I think I end up starting relationships based on sex instead of common interests, personality, etc. Does it pay to hold off on sex, and if so, how long?

— Wanting It Real

A

: There are some wonderful committed relationships that started off with “I want to spend the rest of my boner with you!”

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24 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

adviceamy@aol.com advicegoddess.com

The reality is, those lovebirds probably got lucky (in getting it on with someone they happened to be compatible with). When you have sex right away, you’re prone to getting into a hormone haze — a sort of sex fog — that ends up blurring just about everything but the bed (and maybe the kitchen table, three or four times).

Though people are increasingly getting into relationships through hookups (“sex first/ date later”), relationship researcher Dean Busby and his colleagues find that waiting to have sex seems to keep “feels so right!” from killing your ability to see whether it actually is. In their research, dating for at least a month before having sex was associated with higher relationship stability and satisfaction, better sex, and better communication.

Again, this isn’t to say that people who have sex on — or even before — the first date won’t have satisfying relationships. But as the researchers put it, “the rewards of sexual involvement early on may undermine other aspects of relationship development and evaluation” — for example, keeping partners from putting as much energy into “crucial couple processes” like hammering out communication. It can also prolong relationships that ultimately don’t work when both people are dressed and standing up.

You don’t have to set your sex clock according to the research: “Oh, look at the time — week four and a half; better get it on!” The point is to wait until you see whether you really like a person and click with them in all the essential ways. Six months into a relationship, if you grab your partner and kiss them as if the world were ending, it should be because you love them that deeply, not because it’s the best way to get them to shut up that doesn’t involve jail time.

: I’m a man in my 50s. I recently started seeing this fantastic lady. She’s my ideal woman except for one small thing: There is no sexual chemistry. However, I don’t plan on having more kids. Also, my body’s slowing down, and sex just isn’t at the top of my list anymore. I’m looking for my true best friend and partner. Still, without any real chemistry, is this relationship doomed?

— Seeking

A

: Okay, so you feel sex isn’t all that important to you now. Good to know…but not quite the same as donating a treasured artifact to the natural history museum — with a plaque: “Harpoon for display purposes only.”

Your best friend whom you aren’t attracted to and don’t have sex with is — wait for it — your best friend. Sure, a relationship is a best friendship, but it’s more. The sexual part of it -- sharing your body — makes for a deeper level of intimacy than, say, “Want a bite of my Reuben?”

Unlike checkers or “Words with Friends,” sex isn’t just an activity. It’s an activity that causes biochemical reactions — like a surge of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin. Though the research on these is in its infancy in humans, they seem to act as a form of emotional glue in some mammals that have been studied — in the wake of sex, causing little rodent-y things called prairie voles to velcro themselves to that special someone.

As for this woman you’ve been seeing, think about how it must feel — right from the start — to have you about as sexually interested in her as you are in one of her end tables.

Also consider that being in what sociologist Denise Donnelly calls an “involuntarily celibate relationship” — wanting to have “shared erotic pleasure” (of some kind) but having a partner who refuses — is extremely corrosive. Beyond leading to affairs in 26 percent of those surveyed, it led (predictably!) to sexual frustration (79 percent), feelings of rejection (23 percent), and depression (34 percent).

But, whatever, right? I mean, BFFs forever!

The thing is (assuming she isn’t madly in love with you), if you two admit that the spark simply isn’t there, you can still spend your lives together — just not in the same bed. Better to celebrate your best-friendiversary than mourn on your anniversary — that you still want your partner just as much as you used to, which is to say not in the slightest.

aSTRO

lOGY

tweet by a person who calls himself Vexing Voidsquid. “I feel imbued with a mysterious positive energy,” he wrote, “as if thousands of supplicants are worshipping golden statues of me somewhere.” Given the astrological omens, I think it’s quite possible you will have similar feelings on regular occasions in 2017. I’m not necessarily saying there will literally be golden statues of you in town squares and religious shrines, nor am I guaranteeing that thousands of supplicants will telepathically bathe you in adoration. But who cares how you’re imbued with mysterious positive energy as long as you are?.

and magnetism are different expressions of a single phenomenon. Scottish scientist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell (18311879) was the first to formulate a theory to explain that startling fact. One of the cornerstones of his work was a set of 20 equations with 20 unknowns. But a younger scientist named Oliver Heaviside decided this was much too complicated. He recast Maxwell’s cumbersome theory in the form of four equations with four unknowns.

That became the new standard. In 2017, I believe you Aries will have a knack akin to Heaviside’s. You’ll see the concise essentials obscured by needless complexity.

TAURUS

"Keep Dividing"--the pieces get smaller and smaller. by Matt Jones ACROSS 1 “Better Call Saul” star Odenkirk 4 BLT spread 8 Keeps from happening 14 “The Simpsons” character with an 18-letter last name 15 Common freshwater bait fish 16 Outcast 17 50% of an ice cream dessert?

20 “The Zoo Story” dramatist 21 As of this time 22 Look to be 23 Spock’s dominant feature 26 Blow the socks off 28 One of many on a serialized TV show 32 Indiana-Illinois border river 37 James Bond novelist Fleming 38 Capitol Hill figures, slangily 40 Mythical monster that’s part woman, part serpent 41 25% of property to play in?

45 “David Copperfield” villain Heep 46 Stir-fry ingredient 47 Number that looks like itself repeated, when expressed in binary 48 Insect with two pairs of wings 50 Maintenance sign 53 Jacques or Jeanne, par exemple 55 Scuba spot 56 The “Y” in YSL 60 Sweater, say 62 Deck that all episodes of Hulu’s “Shut Eye” are named after 66 12.5% of a push-up undergarment?

70 Cat or goat type 71 Poker couple 72 Capital attachment?

73 What many gamblers claim to have 74 “___ Like the Wind” (Patrick Swayze song) 75 “Help wanted” sign?

DOWN 1 ___ Men (“Who Let the Dogs Out” group) 2 Flashy gem 3 Flower bed planting

4 Titular TV attorney of the ‘90s-’00s 5 “Now I understand!”

6 Big guffaw 7 Jst say yes 8 “Bridesmaids” producer Judd 9 “Batman Forever” star Kilmer 10 Cultural periods 11 Gain altitude 12 Withstand 13 Pillow cover 18 “Dogs” 19 Drops in the grass 24 Mature 25 Angry bull’s sound 27 Pedestrian path 28 Excite, as curiosity 29 Dern of “Jurassic Park” 30 Lighted sign at a radio station 31 Be rude in a crowd 33 Howl at the moon 34 Cremona violinmaking family name 35 It’ll make you pull over 36 “I ___ thought about it” 39 Late “60 Minutes” reporter Morley 42 Bitterly cold 43 Watered-down 44 Like a litter of puppies 49 City where the Batmobile is driven 51 “The Jerk” actress Bernadette 52 “Bearing gifts, we traverse ___” 54 Use blades on blades 56 Affirmative votes 57 Crawling with creepers 58 Frittata needs 59 Chance 61 Destroys, as bubble wrap 63 MLB stat, incorrectly but commonly 64 “... ___ I’m told” 65 Bagpipers’ caps 67 One less than quattro 68 “Yeah” opposite 69 D20 or D8, in D&D games

BY ROB BREZSNY

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I thought of you when I read a

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Light, electricity,

“Jonesin” Crosswords

JAN 2- JAN 8

(April 20-May 20): ): ”The thornbush is the old obstacle in the road,” wrote Franz Kafka. “It must catch fire if you want to go further.” Let’s analyze this thought, Taurus. If it’s to be of maximum use for you in 2017, we will have to develop it further. So here are my questions. Did Kafka mean that you’re supposed to wait around passively, hoping the thornbush will somehow catch fire, either through a lucky lightning strike or an act of random vandalism? Or should you, instead, take matters into your own hands -- douse the thornbush with gasoline and throw a match into it? Here’s another pertinent query: Is the thornbush really so broad and hardy that it blocks the whole road? If not, maybe you could just go around it.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The fictional

character Scott Pilgrim is the hero of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s series of graphic novels. He becomes infatuated with a “ninja delivery girl” named Ramona Flowers, but there’s a complication.

Before he can win her heart, he must defeat all seven of her evil ex-lovers. I’m sure your romantic history has compelled you to deal with equally challenging dilemmas, Gemini. But I suspect you’ll get a reprieve from that kind of dark melodrama in 2017. The coming months should be a bright and expansive chapter in your Book of Love.

CANCER June 21-July 22): The creature

known as the short-eared elephant shrew is typically four inches long and weighs a little more than one ounce. And yet it’s more genetically similar to elephants than to true shrews. In its home habitat of southern Africa, it’s known as the sengi. I propose we regard it as one of your spirit animals in 2017. Its playful place in your life will symbolize the fact that you, too, will have secret connections to big, strong influences; you, too, will have natural links with powerhouses that outwardly don’t resemble you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “When I look back, I

see my former selves, numerous as the trees,” writes Leo poet Chase Twichell. I’m sure that’s an experience you’ve had yourself. Do you find it comforting? Does it feel like being surrounded by old friends who cushion you with nurturing familiarity?

Or is it oppressive and claustrophobic? Does it muffle your spontaneity and keep you tethered to the past? I think these are important questions for you to meditate on in 2017. It’s time to be very conscious and creative about shaping your relationships with all the people you used to be.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “’Life experience’

does not amount to very much and could be learned from novels alone . . . without any help from life.” So said Nobel Prize-winning author Elias Canetti, who was born in Bulgaria, had British citizenship, and wrote in German. Although his idea contradicts conventional wisdom, I am presenting it for your

consideration in 2017. You’re ready for a massive upgrade in your understanding about the nature of reality -- and firsthand “life experience” alone won’t be enough to ensure that.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I am rooting for you

to be flagrantly unique in 2017. I vehemently want you to be uninhibited about expressing your deepest, rawest, hottest inclinations. In this spirit, I offer the following four rallying cries: 1. “Don’t be addicted to looking cool, baby!” - my friend Luther. 2. Creative power arises when you conquer your tendency to stay detached.

- paraphrased from poet Marianne Moore. 3. If you want to be original, have the courage to be an amateur. - paraphrased from poet Wallace Stevens. 4. “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” - Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki.

ScORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “There is a

desperation for unknown things,” wrote poet Charles Wright, “a thirst for endlessness that snakes through our bones.” Every one of us has that desperation and thirst from time to time, but no one feels the pull toward perplexing enchantments and eternal riddles more often and more intensely than you Scorpios. And according to my astrological meditations on your life in 2017, you will experience this pull even more often and with greater intensity than ever before. Is that a problem? I don’t see why it should be. In fact, it could make you sexier and smarter than ever -- especially if you regard it as a golden opportunity to become sexier and smarter than ever.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I hope you will seek out a wide range of intoxicating experiences in 2017. The omens predict it.

Fate sanctifies it. I hope you will gracefully barrel your way through the daily whirl with a constant expectation of sly epiphanies, amusing ecstasies, and practical miracles. There has rarely been a time in your life when you’ve had so much potential to heal old wounds through immersions in uncanny bliss. But please note: The best of these highs will NOT be induced by drugs or alcohol, but rather by natural means like sex, art, dancing, meditation, dreamwork, singing, yoga, lucid perceptions, and vivid conversations.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) When it’s

summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the birds known as arctic terns hang out in Greenland and Iceland. Before the chill sets in, they embark on an epic migration to Antarctica, arriving in time for another summer. But when the weather begins to turn too cold there, they head to the far north again. This is their yearly routine. In the course of a lifetime, a single bird may travel as far as 1.25 million miles -- the equivalent of three roundtrips to the moon. I propose that you make this creature your spirit animal in 2017, Aquarius. May the arctic tern inspire you to journey as far as necessary to fulfill your personal equivalent of a quest for endless summer.

PIScES (Feb. 19-March 20): In June 1962,

three prisoners sneaked out of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, located on an island in San Francisco Bay. Did they succeed in escaping?

Did they swim to safety through the frigid water and start new lives abroad? No one knows. Law enforcement officials never found them. Even today, though, the U.S. Marshals Service keeps the case open, and still investigates new evidence when it comes in. Are there comparable enigmas in your own life, Pisces? Events in your past that raised questions you’ve never been able to solve? In 2017, I bet you will finally get to the bottom of them.

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 25

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26 • January 2, 2017 • Northern Express Weekly

IDEAS. OPINIONS. LEADERS. 2017 Opinion Writer Lineup

Northern Michigan’s Newspaper

CARLIN SMITH

Emmet County Supports a pro-business agenda I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you, we are in charge of our own attitudes. (Charles Swindoll)

STEVE TUTTLE

Grand Traverse County Registered Unaffiliated Voter “Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”

ISAIAH SMITH

Grand Traverse County Independent “You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”

CHRISTIE MINERVINI

Grand Traverse County Critical Thinker, Independent Voter “We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others.” (Will Rogers)

MARK PONTONI

Emmet County Proud Progressive “Where fair and balanced came to die.”

JACK SEGAL

Grand Traverse County Progressive Internationalist “Ending the violence is never a bad strategy. “

TOM KACHADURIAN

Grand Traverse County None Of The Above “People can only be found in what they do.”

AMY HARDIN

Grand Traverse County Progressive “Our great democracies still think that a stupid man is more likely to be honest than a clever man, and our politicians take advantage of this prejudice by pretending to be even more stupid than nature made them.” (Bertrand Russell)

MARY KEYES ROGERS

Grand Traverse County Equally Disgusted By Both Parties “The world is run only by the people who take the time to show up”

CHRISTOPHER STRUBLE

Emmet County “Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.”

GRANT PARSONS

Grand Traverse County Milliken Republican Democrat “One never knows, do one?”

(Fats Waller/Tony Berry)

Northern Express Weekly • january 2, 2017 • 27

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