A magical way to end a magical summer

I can't believe the summer is over. The weather was surprisingly mild for us Michigan folk, which made for some lovely lovely days, but boy did it go by fast.

This last show asked more questions than it answered, and it was a fitting way to go into autumn, a season I always find as a time for reflection. The performance by MGM could not be contained by the physical space of The Lot, and it spilled out into the sidewalk, the street, and even my neighbor's house. A mix of synchronicity and improvisation, the dancers took us through a chopped up narrative, but the story was up to us to imagine. My favorite reactions were bemused smiles and questioning head-tilts. The music of Inca Ore is difficult to categorize. It feels as much as it sounds. The unrestrained vocals of Eva Salens guided us into the dark of the evening, and the flute.... The flute was the perfect sound to hear in that lot, to make us think about magic maybe. Or just to be.

















It was indeed, magical.

Sigh, The End of Summer

The last show of the summer is here, and its going to be a

MAGICAL EVENING
Wednesday August 26
7-9pm (sundown)

7pm
MGM
MGM, or Modern Garage Movement, is the collaborative endeavor between Felicia Ballos, Biba Bell, Jmlly Leary, and Robert McNeil. The project uses dance and music to explore the relationships between disappearance, endurance and metamorphosis. MGM is a group of dancers that tour across the country like a rock n roll band with a cowboy attitude, performing in garages, yards and galleries. This performance is the last hurrah of their August residency in Detroit, so don't miss it!

Sunset Performance
INCA ORE
Inca Ore is the music project born to Eva Salens on her 25th birthday. She cites birthdays as a creative inspiration, as well as her neighbors in Oakland, CA which include preteen sisters, the mentally ill, Vietnamese families with a penchant for karaoke, and even a clairvoyant bad witch. her muses give an insight to her music existing as a "weave of oddities", and she describes her songs as "guided by ideas of gospel and centered around emotional and spiritual themes but playfully boogie with goofy touches and punctures of highness."

Neighbors

Please check out this article about my neighbors, the Kings! Howard King is The Lot's landscaper, neighbor, and friend. The website is http://www.detroitblog.org/ and look for the header "Animal Farm" August 5, 2009

Lost in Lights Seeking Encore

What a great show. The Lot was happy to be right where it was, in an evening of being in the moment and watching stellar performances. I only wish blogs came with audio.

PEAKING LIGHTS

REGRESSION

Lost in Lights

AUGUST 14 8-10pm
Friday Evening! Let's sit in the grass. Well, let's put down mats in the grass and sit on those. These two performances are going to feel good, i just know it.

Regression at 9pm! or as soon as it gets dark enough to see video projections!


Regression is an audio/visual experience masterminded by Detroit artists/musicians Alivia Zivich, Nate Young, and Mike Collino. Zivich and Young also work under the moniker Demons with Steve Kenney, and run an art and music label in Detroit, AA Records. Collino plays haunting violin in his solo project DOG LADY. Zivich is the video genius, crafting beautiful and hypnotic visual fields out of the sonic frequencies made by Young (who also performs in the band Wolf Eyes) while Collino adds his damaged melodies. The video and the music happen live, and experiencing the union will make you a better person.


Peaking Lights at 8pm!
Messed up Pop Music from Madison, WI
Rare sighting of these mystical creatures that live in rocks

Peaking Lights (Madison, WI) are a married couple that make self-described f*cked modern pop music. Reviews of their music often cite their marital bliss as the reference point for “sparks of warm fuzz” and “delicate psychedelia”. Making their own synthesizers and employing lo-fi recording techniques, Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis work in that magical land where art and music become one. The duo practice and record in a barn on the outskirts of town designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright disciple, and they run an eclectic resale store called the Good Style Shop that also serves as a spot for live music in downtown Madison. Let the sounds shower us with our own happiness.

Neo Country Heat Wave washes over Frog Mountain!

The rain brought the heat in full effect on Sunday, but we were ready for it. We had a snow tipped mountain and a big scoop of stroh's ice cream brought by the artists: Davin Brainard and Chris Kerr. Coincidentally my neighbors were having their own party, a fire hydrant water party! The parties quickly became one as The Lot patrons ran through the water finding relief from the heat and the kids discovered the art show, playing putt-putt and eating lemons out of the punch. It was lovely.
"1,000 Frogs" by Davin Brainard is a 20ft mountain of a painting, constructed entirely on site with the help of Michael Kearns. It is truly a sight to behold, rivaling the neon lights of the Motor City Casino just blocks away. Frog Mountain challenges us in a mysterious way, but the secret of Frog Mountain is in the frogs. Playing, pointing, napping and showing off their behinds, the frogs show us the world we want to be in. Brainard will be adding more and more frogs the month of August, so keep your eyes posted for more!

Chris Kerr and DeeDee Scacci came from Chicago with a truck full of love and an astounding array of lawn art. An impressive 9 hole putt putt course featured bridges over sand, a Michigan lake with lillypads and my favorite, a Better Made HOT chip bag complete with some leftover chips on the grass! Cut-outs of muscle cars, ice cream cones and the Original Vernors Leprechan brought us to our senses. We didn't know it before, but this is Neo Country, and The Lot is a city in that beautiful land.