City Fest to the Lager House Marathon (Sunday 7-8-07)- Part 2
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Music

M- Part 2

Able to park right in front of the lounge, we entered the place, ordered another beer, and found a seat near the stage. Brave Rifles and only Brave Rifles tonight baby! We've seen this band a number of times since we ran into them during this past Blowout over at Small's. These guys have quite a "unique" sound for a rock band, and believe me they do rock. They blend plenty of harmonies with melodic keys then hammer it home with enormous riffs and a pounding back beat. Just they way we like it. Their shows tend to get you off you're feet and moving to their sounds. They are currently readying their latest offering for a release party this August at the Magic Stick (rumor has it that it will drop 8/18 at the Stick) and previewed a number of tunes for us tonight. Wish I knew the name of this one song (actually that night I did but now it's gone hmmm…) that I really liked. Had their trade mark sound and featured Sean at one point on Lead Vox with Ray belting out a backing vocal that was superb! Can't wait for their new one, I'm sure it'll get quite a few spins in the player. Check them out at  braveriflesmusic.com . As it was getting past 11 pm, and with Thunderbirds Are Now! due on at 11, and The Hard Lessons due up at around 12pm, we decided to check out of the Northern Lights and ride on over to the infamous Lager House. 

The Lager House. What a crazy old place this is. If you love music, and have not been to the Lager House, you do not know what you're missing. I mean The Hard Lessons finishing out a day long music marathon at the Lager House! I haven't been this excited about a show at the Lager since Wendy and the Paybacks crew played there last fall!As you could imagine by now, we've been at this since like 3pm and it was now 11:30 pm as we are walking (ok stumbling) through the Lager's parking lot, there is this group of women standing around and as we walk past, guess who's standing in the middle of it all? Not surprising at all, The Anvil from the Hard Lessons! This guy certainly has the ladies around him at all times! You go Christophe! As we wipe the sweat from our eyes and pony up with the doorman, we enter into the depths of Lagerism. As we tell all who dare to venture into this palce with us, be prepared to be "Lagered", and tonight fit that bill perfectly. A balmy 115 degress inside, we where disappointed to find this band from Dayton Ohio on stage still. Not one to knock any bands, although they are from Ohio, we gave them a listen(you can check'em out here-humanreunion.com), then proceeded out the back door to our favorite resting spot, The Lager Patio! Full house! As we hammered down our who knows how many-eth beer, we got a chance to talk with Augie for a while and reflect on the year that they've had so far as a band. To put it simply, they're ecstatic about what has happened to them, and the road that they are cruising down. We expect some big things are heading their way in the future. 

Human Reunion load out, Thunderbirds Are Now! load in. Quick check and TAN! is off and running, and I mean off and running! We have never had the chance to see these guys before and lookout, they NEVER slow done. Don't get in these guys way or they will just roll right over you and never look back. Playing a experimental/garage/electro rock type of thing, Ryan Allen (guitar/vox) rips on his guitar from start to finish, as Scott Allen just goes completely berserk on his keys, and Matt Rickles makes as many faces while banging his drums as his long lost Grandfather (as in Don-JK) makes insults. A truly rambunctious group, they proceeded to educate us on what Thunderbirds Are Now! is all about. Playing their supercharged hits, "We Win ha ha" and "Shake Them Awake", Ryan A. invited Augie up on stage while Scott A. hit just about everything out there with his tambourine, including Augie's head. At one point during a scorching solo by Ryan, he actually stepped forward on the stage a little to far and he fell off (or was it into) the stage and landed with his back up against the Lager's PA and never lost rhythm as he just keep right on going. I don't believe anybody even noticed that had happened except for Don & I as he almost ended up on top of us! Crazy good stuff! Check these dudes out @ thunderbirdsarenow.com.  

Now that TAN! was off the stage at 12:30 am, aprox 1 ½ hours later than I expected, I was kinda getting worried as I am due to work (as in my real job) by 8 am later that day, and The Hard Lessons haven't even came out yet! Oh well, I lived to tell about it! While Augie was out roaming around with his 2 cousins that were visiting from the homeland of Italy, The Anvil & KoKo started the task of loading in. When Augie finally came round to lend his hand, his first task was to make sure those owls were still secured to his and KoKo's stacks……Very obvious the amount of load in-load out experience this trio has over the years, as they were set up & checked in, in less than 10 min's. Awesome!  As the Jerome Cavanaugh Room (AKA The Sauna, it must have been 125 degress by this time!) filled up, the amps were turned on and away we went. Veering totally of course from their earlier set, The Hard Lessons proceeded to come full circle, as it was here, in this very room, on another Sunday in the not too distant past, which they set forth down this path of rock and roll stardom that seems ever so close. At one point during the set, Augie, you could see it in his eyes, was just itching to climb something. If you have ever seen these guys before you know that he likes to jump, climb and swing on just about anything he can get his hands on. And it was the PA he had his mind set on this time. So as he started to climb up the side of the Lager's "not so mammoth" PA, he made the statement to the sound guy, "Don't worry, I won't swing from your plastic pipes". Hmmm. Hey Augie, there just might be a song in that one for you! That's it, the show ended with Augie flying out the Lager's back door and out onto Michigan Avenue while KoKo & the Anvil continued to jam out the final beats of their set. As the Final notes were hit, the two of them followed Augie's key, and flew out the back door (which is actually in the front) and met up with us outside on Michigan Ave, while at the exact same time, out from the Real Front door comes the guy (assisted by the "bouncer") who was bugging everybody in the place about wanting to buy a "Light Blue Shirt"? If you've read Jasper's blog you'll know who I'm talking about…….Yes he was bloodied up a bit, but then again, this IS the Lager House! Rock on my friends.  

Dr2 is heading on over to the Fraser Fair tonight to catch Jason Hartless Jr. in the beer tent minus the Brian Schramm Band. (of course we have it on pretty good sources, that indeed on Saturday, Brian & Dave will be up on stage with him in the beer tent, before heading out to the Baker's Dozen later that night) Stay tuned, www.detroitrockreview.com will be unleashed soon……Over

Mark 

Sunday at Comerica Cityfest,Northern Lights Lounge,& The Lager House-D
Current mood: crazy
Category: Music

I think the title says it all. It was a wild, rockin' Sunday in the city.  If you were there and followed our trail, you already know.  If you you weren't, this is how it went.  Sunday started for the DR2 clan by heading into the city for Comerica Cityfest.  95 degrees in the shade, food everywhere and music on stages at every point on the "T" that was the tastefest.  After wandering through and sampling the incredible selection of food offered thoughout the fest it was time for the main course, Detroit rock-and-roll.  The music began by catching The Silent Years on the Pure Detroit Stage at 5:00.  Josh Epstein's vocals combined with the upbeat melodies had us thinking that we wanted to see this act again.  Their upbeat pop/rock blend was a great start to a day that just kept getting better.  as the mercury soared and it became a battle to stay cool, DR2 split up.  H-Hour was 6:00, when Cheap Trick opened on the Motor City Casino Stage and The Cetan Clawson Revolution was jammin' at the New Center Stage.  Cheap Trick came on stage to a huge crowd!  They may be aging a bit but these guys can still rock!  Robin Zander came out and got the crowd going with a promise to do all the favorites from the past, (Dream Police, Surrender, etc..) and some new stufff from their, just-released disc, their first studio album in 3 years! Tom, Rick, and Bun E. helped him keep the promise.  if, like me you remeber these guys from the 80's, you couldn't help be amazed that they are still going strong, an awesome show!!Then it was off to see the Cetan Clawson Revolution.  These guys, Marc winter on bass, Andrew Spaulding on drums, and Cetan Clawson on lead guitar and vocals, opened up on the New Center stage to a small crowd that quickly grew as they began their set by blazing through their bluesy-rock originals, including White Heat.  This 3-piece has a very original mix of alt rock, blues, and garage sound that has you thinking of the White Stripes and Brian Schram while still keeping a very Blues rock feel.  I kept thinking of Detroit's own Danny Mehtric and the Muggs sound as I listened to these guys.  A very solid, fresh, sound, keep an eye on this group and catch their show if you can, I know I will!I will try to keep moving quickly it was a loooong night and we've just begun.  Next was a quick jog back to the Pure Detroit Stage for the Hard Lessons.  The first of two shows for them on Sunday.  You can always count on a great show from this motor city trio but they outdid themselves this night.  As the temperature soared and the crowd quickly grew to huge proportions, Augie, Koko, and the Anvil lit it up with a show for the ages.  They powered through all of the crowd's favorites, opening with Carey Say's and and continuing through Bamboo, Sea and Be Scene(with augie admitting it was written about Detroit), Wicked Man, their amazing cover of Hey, Hey, My, My, and all the others we all know so well.  But, undeniably, the highlight came near the end of the show when Augie went out into the crowd, stood on a chair and proceeded to talk to the crowd about a basket of topics.  The amazing year they have had, where he comes from and most importantly where he chose to stay, DETROIT!  Augie made it clear that while "others" went off to Nashville and the like, and told him they should also get out they chose to stay here.  It was amazing to here him put this into a long, unrehearsed, heartfelt message about our city. I can't say how proud it made me!  Unbelievable, big props to the whole group for staying real and staying in the city.  But....it doesn't end their. As we left the fest at about 8:00, we realized the night was still young and there was an after-party at the Northern Lights Lounge with The Brave Rifles.  So... we headed that way. Talking to Sean before the show, we mentioned that after their set we were heading over to The Lager House for the Hard Lessons.  We told him we would see him there later, since he live "within crawling distance" as he said.  Ray, Chris, Sean, Steve, and Adam came on about 10:15 and tore through a set of their very recognizable originals.  We have seen these guys a few times now and they never dissapoint,  Sunday night was no exception. Their distinct style, energy and the quality of their music is a must-see if you ever get the chance.Next, and yes the night was not over yet!  We jumped back in the ride and ran over to The Lager House.  If you like Detroit Rock and have not been to the Lager House, you are missing a Detroit Classic!  Everyone who is anyone has played the Jerome P. Cavanagh room.  Auggie said that they began on a Sunday at the Lager House and they were going to come back to a Sunday night at the Lager House.  But first, The Thunderbirds Are Now!  This group of Detroit rock crazies is all energy, personality and big sound!  What a ride!! Between Scott Allen's hysteria on keyboard, Matt Rickle's expressions on drums, Ryan Allen's guitar and vocals, and Julian Wettlin's steady bass these guys grab your attention. They definitely "leave it all on the playing field", giving everything they have for the full time up on stage.  There are no slow songs in their set!!  What a show! Before the end of their set Augie came out, to stand in the crowd and watch the show, but he obviously couldn't contain himself and ended up on stage rockin with T.A.N.!!Which leads us to the finale.  The HardLessons..Part Two.  I have already said so much about this Detroit gem that I don't want to be repetitive but a few highlights from the show.  To start, during the first song augie lost his pic and preceded to use a credit card like he did "back in the day"!  What a madman, he didn't miss a beat, with Koko and the Anvil they rocked right through a completely different set than earlier in the day! I could go on forever but I think you get the idea.  Don't miss a chance to catch them if you can.  I think very soon we will be paying a lot more to see them.  I think big things are on the horizon for them!!Well....that's it!  the night end with the DR2 gang headin' home and dropping into a rock-induced stupor.......until next week!!!!!!D

Hellen @ Comerica City Fest 2007- Pure Detroit Stage  

Hellen @ Comerica City Fest 2007- Pure Detroit Stage

Ok, let's get this straight right out of the gate. If you think an all girl 5 pc from Detroit named Hellen can't rock, YOU ARE WRONG! From the first time we stumbled across Hellen at Kelly's Bar in Hamtramck during the 2007 Blowout, we were hooked. On Friday afternoon, it was cemented into our minds that we need to keep a close eye on this explosive group of women. As we headed onto the streets of Detroit and into this years Comerica City Fest, the skies above grew gray and the winds became menacing. At the Pure Detroit Stage, crews were rushing to button down the hatches as the girls from Hellen rushed to get their gear up on stage and into safe haven. Mission accomplished as the skies opened up and the rain came down. Rain delay. For nearly a half an hour we huddled under the canopy of the New Center, awaiting the blue skies that could be seen heading our way. Finally, the crews began to open up the sound booth & get the stage back into shape, as the girls from Hellen quickly got set to go. Finally the moment we've been waiting for arrived, as the girls launched into their fast paced "Don't Need You". With Emily Schaller (drums) and Amanda Metzer (bass) providing the beat for the heavy guitar riffs that Becca Tyler (rhythm) and Charmain Azzopardi (lead) deliver, they set the stage for Katie Galazka's tantalizing vocals. Dressed in her trademark short skirt, Galazka demands your attention, and she gets it! The crowd started moving up as Hellen jumped into their foot stomping "Oh Johnny!", which features a blazing lead by Azzopardi that leaves everyone moving to this catchy tune. Even after having to cut their set in half, the girls delivered a powerful ending to the show with "Take Me Away" and two new songs, one of which is named "F.U.C.F.". Emily Schaller (on drums) is stricken with the terrible reality of having Cystic Fibrosis (although you'd never know with her killer performance on the drums) and this song, "F.U.C.F.", is written in recognition of her condition. These girls are charitable and should be an inspiration to all. Later this month, Emily will be organizing "City to City Ride '07" for Cystic Fibrosis in which participants bike from Detroit to Chicago all to raise money for the Rock CF Foundation in the fight for a cure. The man we'll call "Pink Shirt" shut the girls down even after the audience's pleas for "one more song!" After the show we went back stage to congratulate the girls on their killer show, and they welcomed our presence by posing for pictures and exchanging friendly conversation. Later we ran into them all over the CityFest tasting food and hanging out; Charmain had her mind set on some Under the Eagle Pierogis. It was really great running into Danny Mehtric, Tony Muggs, and Andrew Hecker and getting a chance to chat with them. On July 13 at the Detroit Brewing Company the girls are going to perform once again in a benefit show for an employee of DBC. The girls are working towards getting an EP out there sometime in the near future. What an awesome group of rock girls; check them out at www.hellenofdetroit.com. We would like to see a lot more of this rockin' group in our city (or your's)!!!! That's all for tonight, we're off to Da Club for Hell Rides North on Friday night. Hellen and Detroit Rocks!!!-DR2 Over.

Stars & Stripes Fest 2007- Review
Category: Music

Stars and Stripes Festival- The Clem 2007

Unbelievable. That pretty much sums up this event. A Closed off Clem, warm/dry weather, food, vendors, lots of music, crazy people and COLD BEER. What more can one want? Well here's my short list. 1^st – more entrances/exits from the grounds. (although we did not have an issue with this personally, but could see it being one) 2^nd-although I may be dreaming here, but why not take on the flavor of the "other" stages and put some of our many Local "National" acts on the main stage? I'm sure I don't need to list those who fall into that category. If there is one city/state/metro area who could pull that off, it would be this State. Oh well, maybe one day. Anyways, since this is DR2 I will only say this about the "National" acts, They were good and I enjoyed them all. Now on to the more important stuff like, how was the fest itself & how were all those local acts during their sets? Well if you were not one of the "estimated" 300,000 to attend any of the 3 days the fest ran, shame on you! I mean this is Detroit Rock City, and I include the Clem in there too! Man what an awesome time we had. We attended all 3 days and not once was there any hint of a problem. Parking was a breeze, even Friday night for the Fireworks show. $5 and we parked across SB Gratiot in one of those Municipal lots and were able to get in and out quick. Although the beer was a little pricey, it was Bud, it was Cold, & it was very available. Never had to wait in a line, especially if you found Monica over at Fritt's serving cold ones from the Ice Trough for $2 bucks. They got busted and were not serving over the fence Saturday or Sunday…..bummer. And the food, you got hungry just walking down main street and smelling it! Again a bit pricey, But if it meant a KR or UK on the main stage…………….And the PA's they had there were awesome. The sound boards looked used and older but the JBL's they had stacked looked right out of the box! Talking with the sound guy (can't remember his name) at the Wrif stage, they were pushing 42,000 watts out of them! The Main Stage suffered abit from the "open" layout, but only from a far. Up close it was also rocking. The Wcsx stage was a bit more laid back with a very small board, virtually no sound guy, and a smaller, but still new JBL's. Let's get to the music. Friday afternoon we caught Greenstreet on the Wrif Stage. These guys play sort of a "pop rock" style, catchy riffs, and lots of harmonies. Although the crowd for this set was minimal, they put on a solid performance. Greenstreet hails from Troy, Mi and includes brothers Matt (Lead Guitar) & Mike Vendittelli (Bass), Matt Kysia (Vox, Rhythm Guitar) and Scot Poloney on drums. These guys are getting some national exposure as they head out for shows in Chicago on Friday, then up to the Summerfest in Milwaukee Saturday. Catch them before it's too late at Royal Oak's Fifth Avenue July 13th, check them out @greenstreetband.com.  Mt. Clemens home boys Critical Bill opened the main stage Friday afternoon with a loud bang. Never caught these guys before, so it was a real treat to see their set in their own hometown. By the reaction of the crowd, my guess is everyone felt the same. From the mold of a KR, Critical Bill plays a Hip Hop/ Rock style of music. They definitely have a large following as evident by the total eruption that took place as Lead Vocalist Powerdise & the boys slide into there "anthem" – This is Critical. Wow, just a sea of pumped fists as they ripped this one across your face. I loved it! These guys are becoming quite the regional act as they been playing throughout the Midwest and beyond as support for Tech N9ne. Next hometown show is @ the Emerald on Aug 9^th; find them at critical-bill.com. We headed over to the Wcsx Stage to see Barb Payton, then headed back to the wrif stage (after a quick visit to Fritt's) to catch Detroit's own Mindcandy. Seemed as if a whole lot of people had the same thought! Mindcandy drew them in, and in what was billed as Bass player Terry's last gig with Mindcandy, proceeded to rock the nearby courthouse. Hope there wasn't any trials going on during this set! Loud and rambunctious, Rudy pranced across the stage with confidence as we all Recognized that these guys rock. Of course they also Dropped A Bomb on all of us as they finished one rousing set. Probably one of their best sets I've witnessed from Mindcandy to date. They certainly benefited from that huge PA!. Check them out at    mindcandyrock.com, as they have a new CD about ready to drop. Now I did find myself back at the Main Stage for a quick view of Puddle of Mudd before sneaking back to the Riff stage to catch those downriver boys Ray Street Park. You would have thought that these guys were also from Mt Clemens as they had the whole street packed with fans, and this during Puddle of Mudd's headlining set. Motor City Love at it's finest. Needles to say, if you were there, RSP delivered a final knock out punch, closing out the first day of music on the Wrif Stage. Lot's of head banging-fist pumping was going on every where. I just love it when Rick Stafford wails out King of Everything with Terry Alan alongside just pounding that bass! What a set, what a first night! As the sun went down, the Annual Mt Clemens fireworks went up. Nice display to end the night and send every one off before a huge return on Saturday for day 2. 

 Day 2.

Stopped first to get some of them damn stupid "corn dogs"! These things are so bad for you that they're good! The goal today was to catch one of our favorite bands, Radiocraft. But first we were surprised to find Radiocraft's guitarist, Ronnie Alcini, performing with the band Stealing Alan's Rights on the Wcsx stage. A pleasant surprise as we were takin back by their smooth sound. We will need to dig in a bit on these guys as we enjoyed their set. As we headed toward the Wrif Stage, Ronnie, in true Detroit style, ran past us down Main Street, amp in tow and guitar in hand, to meet up with Radiocraft, who were in process of setting up for their 5 pm slot. What is it about Radiocraft? It seems as their stage gets bigger, PA louder, and the crowd larger, they react to the moment in front of them. Suzie Ferro feeds of these bigger shows, leaving no doubt that she definitely can front a rock band. As her band mates deliver the pulsing beat, Suzie takes command of the stage pulling her audience "into" her songs, while demanding your attention as she flawlessly moves across the stage. Giving us all their hits from the 2^nd CD Red, they ripped through the title track Red, Bakersfield and one of our favorites, The Wheel. Thanking the men & women of our military, Radiocraft reached back to their first cd for Soldiers Fortune, as Suzie again sparkled with her dazzling vocals. They then pushed forward, treating us to Bribe The Guards, a new one from their forthcoming EP. As their set was winding down, she lit up  Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown, as Suzie & Radiocraft left us all feeling as if we had just attended a show at the Palace! Quite a remarkable set from a well established group. Radiocraft is set to drop a new "EP" sometime this fall. Can't wait to get our hands on this disc, as this time Grammy-nominated producer, Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nickleback, 3 Doors Down, Bon Jovi, etc) has taken over the controls for this release. Suzie says to expect the same 70's rock  sound, but with fatter guitars & a bit more 'tude, as this disc will prove to be their best effort yet. They're set to open up for the Zen CD release party July 6^th over at the Bullfrog.  Check them out @ http://www.radiocraftmusic.com.  Afterwards we did hit up on Karen Newman's Star Spangled Banner and the sweet flyover by the US Air Force, before catching Flint's very own Mark Farner.  Very captivating performance from the Grand Funk Railroad singer, as he rotated between his own & GFR tunes. One of the favorites was his rendition of I'm Your Captain, with his vocals rolling over the chorus and the entire audience singing every word with him……… 

Day 3.

Waking up tired, hung over and feeling like hell swarmed over, we pulled ourselves together enough to get over to the Fest for the final day. With our sights set on the 4 pm slot with Overloaded, we headed in and over to the Wcsx stage to catch Erich Goebel. Erich is a renowned "Blues" guitarist from Detroit. He has recently released his latest disc called East Side Soul, which features Johnny Bee Badanjek, of Mitch Ryder, Rockets fame. His electric style proved to be a real crowd pleaser as he played his ax behind his back for an entire song. Interesting set from this long time Detroit Blues veteran.  Check his site out at erichgoebel.com. Judging by today's crowds, word must have been spreading of the ongoing musical onslaught taking place here in The Clem. Very well attended today, as the lines for food and of course beverages seemed much longer than the past 2 days. Good to see, hopefully all expectations are being met, and we'll have Stars & Stripes Fest back next year. Anyways, as the 4 pm slot drew nearer, we made our way back over to the Riff Stage for the explosiveness of Overloaded. Boy, word really must have gotten out as the wrif stage was swollen with fans for such an early set. You could feel the anticipation of the show we would all soon witness when Overloaded took the stage. Firing the first shot with their mega anthem, everybody's fist was in the air for this first song "Feeling Overloaded". I love this song. Featuring great riffs from one of the area's best guitarist, Erick Kluiber, and a biting vocal from Chris Gillen, this tune gets everyone on their feet & pumping their fist. By the time they got to the rapid fire of the hit tune ShotGun, the audience had moved to the front of the stage to witness this bombastic performance that was going down in The Clem. Luckily, thanks to a couple "Late" arriving fans that wanted to hear Feeling Overloaded, Chris announced that indeed they would play it again, provided everyone pumped their fist to the song. Well indeed they did. How awesome to get to hear your favorite tune twice in one set, kind of unprecedented. With Screamin Scott looking on, Overloaded launched into their set closer "Hellfire". As the name suggests, this tune rips through you, as the heavy base from Michael Massie and Lorenzo Gonzalez pounds off your chest. Fitting end to one of the more "heavy" sets of the entire festival. Overloaded certainly has that unique look and sound of Detroit Rock & Roll, and quite recently opened up for Godsmack at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, and also up in Mt Pleasant. Their also set to drop a new disc in August, with a CD Release party scheduled for August 3^rd over at the Magic Bag. Check these guys out @ www.overloadedmusic.com. Back to the CSX stage to check out this Danny D guy. Never heard of him, and needles to say, was quite surprised to hear his stuff. Hailing from Hamtramck, Danny D literally grew up in the center of Detroit Rock City. Suffering from Tourette's Syndrome & sounding similar to a Bob Seger, Danny D's set drew mainly from his CD Sunny Days. Check his new CD out at CDBaby. Back to the Wrif stage to check out them "Earworms", who play that distinct Garage Pop Punk. Not a bad set. Dressed in all black, they popped through their set with catchy riffs and vocals. You can catch up with them @http://www.myspace.com/theearwormsdetroit.

 Well, it was off to catch the Gin Blossoms and then home to recuperate from this amazingly never ending weekend of great Detroit Rock & Roll. As you can see by the post date here, it took a few days to do just so! Be sure to check out the pic's from this and other amazing events we have attended. Next week we're off the City Fest to catch Hellen on Friday, the The Hard Lessons on Sunday! Detroit Rocks. Over.    

Mark 

The Bloids, Frequency 54, & Core Effect@ Club 54 - Review

The Bloids, Frequency 54, & Core Effect @ Club 54 6-28-07 

After last week's performance by The Brian Schram Band, da Club seemed a bit empty for tonight's show. But that didn't last long. As the night moved on, the crowd moved in. Opening up tonight was a highly anticipated (for me) set from the Ann Arbor based group "The Bloids". We sadly walked in at the end of their performance at the Blender Magazine show inside the Magic Bag about a month ago. Luckily we love local music so much, that we picked up their new CD "Memories Of Things I,ve Never Done" anyways. Good move, thank you. With a name like The Bloids, I was certain that this disk would sound like Detroit Garage ( BTW- I love that sound too.). But much to my surprise, it was nothing of the mold! Sounding more like a Steely Dan type of thing, these guys grabbed my attention, I just love their style of writing where every song has story to be told. This carries over to their live performance as well, where Mr. Wax opens up on stage and let's all of us inside with his story telling. With The "Reverend" Jim Jones supplying the rhythms on Guitar and Uncle Kracker's current drummer, Steve Stetson, driving the beat, The Bloids delivered one smooth & groovy set. Steve was flying out to North Dakota the following day to meet up with Uncle Kracker as they were opening up for Ted Nugent Saturday. Kinda cool, huh? Covering most of their new cd, they finished their set with A Girl Named Paradise, a radio friendly song that should be spinning on the airwaves today. These guys where a thrill to talk to, and stayed the whole night to show their support for the local scene. Watch out for these guys, they can be found at bloidsmusic.com. Check 'em out. Now while watching Justin from Frequency 54 hurt himself at the "Power Punch" machine, (just kidding) the boys from Flint were warming up this night for their CD release party Saturday up in their neck of the woods at the Machine Shop. Justin seemed pretty confident that they would fill the Machine Shop for that show, and my guess is they will. These guys deliver a "Rock" solid performance every time we see them, and tonight was no different, although we did miss Justin's "table dancing" as he chose to leave this out. LOL.  Lots of fan's up there, and they do come down here to support them as well. I remember the first time they played the club this past winter, the 54 cent freaks practically filled da Club themselves, on a THURSDAY!! Can't wait to get a chance to spin the "New" one. They currently have 2 disks out, with "Beginnings" set to drop at the party Saturday. Congratulations to Frequency 54 as they are set to support Saliva at the Machine Shop August 16^th. Check them at frequency54.com. Core Effect was on last, closing out the night @ da Club, and having played this club before, proceeded to give us the lively show they're known for. Playing off their Avenue of the Americas CD, the boys cranked through the jams, giving us "Certainty" that Core Effect was in the da Club! Always fun to watch, they are scheduled to play over at the Bag July 21^st. You can catch up with them here-coreeffect.com . Anyways, stay tuned with DR2 as we are heading to the Stars and Stripes Festival in The Cleme all weekend. Gonna be a fun one, don't miss it! Over.

Mark