A2CAF 2017: Ben Hatke interview at AADL

INTERVIEW VISUAL ART PULP


Downloads:
720p Video
MP3

During the Ann Arbor Comics Art Festival -- aka A2CAF -- in June, cartoonist Jerzy Drozd interviewed his fellow author-illustrator Ben Hatke about his work. The two were on the third floor of the downtown branch of the Ann Arbor District Library, standing in front of the framed works that comprise the exhibition Ben Hatke: Art and Adventure:

Explore the plucky heroes, eerie monsters, and fabulous realms of artist and author Ben Hatke in an exhibition of original art from his picture books and graphic novels. Illustrations and watercolors from Nobody Likes a Goblin, Zita the Spacegirl, Julia’s House for Lost Creatures, and a few surprises. (The exhibition runs through August 31.)

The talk between Drozd and Hatke runs 41 minutes. Pressed for time? Grab the MP3; the conversation works fine as a podcast. Or if you want to skip around, see the list below with the topics discussed and their times in the video/MP3:

Tools Crew Live: Approachable Minorities

INTERVIEW TOOLS CREW LIVE MUSIC PULP


Downloads:
MP3 for "Bodies” + “Bet"
720p video, 480p video or 240p video

Tools Crew Live is an ongoing video series where we invite artists to perform with gear borrowed from the Ann Arbor District Library's Music Tools collection: aadl.org/musictools.

* This video contains explicit content. *

As evidenced by their name, Approachable Minorities make strong social statements couched in playfully pointed language. The Ypsilanti hip-hop trio -- MCs Drew Denton and TJ Greggs with DJ Marcus McKinney -- released its debut album, Afro-American, in April 2016, and Denton’s solo LP, The Ascension Theory, arrived in December.

Approachable Minorities have worked hard to promote their music through a series of concerts under the name Northern Threat Entertainment, but the group is largely still a Washtenaw County phenomenon. But any label or manager looking to sign a talented and motivated group of artists who are ready to put in the work to promote their art would do well to turn 2017 into Approachable Minorities’ breakout year.

Impressed by the ensemble’s creativity and energy, we invited Approachable Minorities and their friend Cole Greve to check out a bunch Music Tools from the Ann Arbor District Library, learn how to use the gear, and come cut a Tools Crew Live video. The group re-created two cuts from Afro-American -- “Bodies” and “Bet” -- on the library’s gear and performed the songs at AADL’s downtown branch on June 9, 2017.

We spoke with Denton about the group’s history, the stories behind the songs, and the challenges and rewards of learning new music gear from scratch.

Video Snapshot: First Fridays, Ypsi Pride, and Ebrahim Soltani & Parisa Ghaderi at YES!

VISUAL ART PULP INTERVIEW


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720p video, 480p video or 240p video

Ypsilanti was poppin' last Friday. With YES! Experimental Space celebrating its new exhibition, "Waiting for the Past: Ebrahim Soltani & Parisa Ghaderi," Ypsi Pride holding its first annual festival, and the ongoing monthly throwdown First Fridays in full effect, Ypsi was full of people enjoying the city.

Donald Harrison, who runs YES!, 7 Cylinders Studio, and is making the documentary Commie High: The Film, ran his camera and captured the sights and sounds going down in Ypsilanti on June 2, 2017.

Full STEAM Ahead: Intermitten highlights the intersection of art and tech

A lot of folks blame the influx of tech companies in Ann Arbor as a prime reason for the rising rents that have gradually pushed portions of the creative community out of downtown. The Intermitten conference returns June 8 and 9 to remind us that artistic adventure and modern business success don't need to be mutually exclusive or adversarial (even if there's no immediate solution to the rent situation).

Now in its second year, Intermitten brings together speakers to discuss how "how creativity in both art and technology helps us add value to our home, work, and global communities," as stated on intermitten.org. "We're technology people with creative prowess and artistic people powered by tech, and we unite to discover the many ways in which working together and thinking creatively can help us accomplish our goals."

Trevor Scott Mays, co-founder of Intermitten and director of support operations for Duo Security, walked us through the event's brief history, current focus, and bright future.

Radical Collaboration: Allied Media Conference in Detroit

PREVIEW PULP

The 19th annual Allied Media Conference happens June 15-18 at Wayne State University in Detroit. The conference draws all types of media makers, with "media" being "anything you use to communicate with the world," so conference participants come from wonderfully diverse backgrounds. The conference is also organized collaboratively, so it’s different from year to year. Participants can expect to attend panels and workshops, but also screenings, tours, arts, and music events, strategy sessions, karaoke, and bowling. There’s a lot to take in, and the scope of the experience is inspiring.

Ahead of this year’s conference, we chatted with Katie Dover-Taylor, Ypsilanti resident and librarian, who has been involved with AMC for several years, about what you can expect from the conference, radical librarianship, and how AMC’s Detroit roots might provide an opportunity to experience conversations about Detroit in a different way.

Rave On: FoolMoon 2017 in moving pictures

FILM & VIDEO PULP


Downloads:
720p video, 480p video or 240p video

It's hard to believe FoolMoon 2017 took place a few weeks ago; we're still glowing from the April 7 event and it has nothing to do with the neon paint we still can't get off our bodies.

To keep the FoolMoon vibes illuminated a bit longer, our talented photographer and videographer Tom Smith combined some images from the event with the techno track "bland western charm" from the album chromedecay tracks pt. 2: 2001-2005 by Bill Van Loo. (The Ypsilanti-based Van Loo also did one of our Tools Crew Live performances; check out the videos here.)

As the FoolMoon afterglow begins to fade, keep this page bookmarked for emergency illumination.


Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.

Tools Crew Live: Mogi Grumbles

INTERVIEW TOOLS CREW LIVE MUSIC PULP


Downloads:
MP3 for "Library Jam 1"
720p video, 480p video or 240p video

Tools Crew Live is an ongoing video series where we invite artists to perform with gear borrowed from the Ann Arbor District Library's Music Tools collection: aadl.org/musictools.

Mogi Grumbles, the nom de plume of Alex Taam, sounds like a villain in a Superman comic. But the name's origin story isn't quite so heroic.

"It was a nickname given to me around the time I first started publishing my music," Taam said. "From how I understand it, it was a rap lyric originally from my friend Ian. He came up with the name in the song, but then it got dubbed to me because I was such an 'curmudgeon.' ... The name stuck, my label liked it, so there it is."

Those 2009 releases on Moodgadget -- Revolutions Per Minute and the split Worst Friends vs. Mogi Grumbles -- launched Taam's music career, which has expanded into videogame soundtrack work, rescores of classic movies, and studio recording and mastering for other artists.

The two Mogi Grumbles songs Taam composed for the third installment of the Ann Arbor District Library's Tools Crew Live series are called "Library Jam 1" and "Library Jam 2," but they could have easily been called "Retro-Futuristic Sci-Fi Soundtracks 1 & 2." Taam squeezed all the warmth out of the various keyboards he employed, making for a cozy couple of tunes that could easily accompany a voyage into deep space or a daring escape from a postapocalyptic landscape.

These videos were recorded on February 28, 2017, and a few weeks later, Taam answered questions about how he approached this session and the gear he used.

Halloween Events Around Ann Arbor

Halloween Events This Weekend

It's the Great Pulpkin, Charlie Brown.

If you're looking for some fun events around town for the Halloween weekend, read on for creepy cemetery tours, devilish dance parties, shadow puppet theatre, and more Halloween arts & culture:

Book-Themed Halloween Costume Contest
Monday, October 31st - 10:00am-9:00pm
Literati Bookstore - Ann Arbor, MI

Halloween at the Market
Saturday, October 29th - 12:00pm-2:00pm
Ann Arbor Farmer's Market - Ann Arbor, MI

Highland Cemetery Lantern Tours
Sunday, October 30th - 7:00pm-9:00pm
Highland Cemetery - Ypsilanti, MI

Shadow Puppet Double Feature
Saturday, October 29th - 9:00pm-11:00pm
Triple Goddess Tasting Room - Ypsilanti, MI

Cultivate Masquerade & Costume Bash
Friday, October 28th - 8:00pm-12:00am
Cultivate Coffee & Taphouse - Ypsilanti, MI

Black Cat Cabaret - Neighborhood Theatre Group
Friday, October 28th and Saturday, October 29th - 8:30pm
Bona Sera - Ypsilanti, MI

Halloween Treat Parade
Monday, October 31st - 11:00am-5:00pm
Main Street Area - Ann Arbor, MI

A2DC Presents: Hullabaloo Halloween Spooktacular
Sunday, October 30th - 6:00pm-10:00pm
Ann Arbor Distilling Company - Ann Arbor, MI

The Bang! Halloween Dance Party
Saturday, October 29th - 9:30pm
The Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI

Nightlife Arcade Gaming Spooktacular
Friday, October 28th - 6:00pm-9:00pm
The Forge by Pillar - Ann Arbor, MI

Review: We Came, We Drank, We Polka Danced: It’s Oktoberfest Time in the City!

REVIEW PULP

Das Boot // The Brat Pack / Photos by Kevin Sharp

Das Boot // The Brat Pack / Photos by Kevin Sharp

Even before I changed careers and became a teacher, fall has always felt like the “new year” to me. The weather changes, the trees look different and pretty, people buy new school clothes and there’s just a general feeling of settling into a new routine. And it's Oktoberfest time!

Every year, Arbor Brewing Company closes down Washington Street and throws the party of all parties with brats, German potato salad, an Oom-pah Band, and of course, plenty of beer. Thirsty patrons, some decked out in lederhosen and dirndls, enjoyed the four beers on tap this year: Euchre Pilsner, Olde #22 German Alt, Festbier, and the Oktoberfest marzen.

The first Oktoberfest beer that I ever had was from the late Leopold Brothers in Ann Arbor. The deliciousness of their beer prompted me to investigate more. A classic Oktoberfest should be malty but not overly sweet; have a light to moderate toasty malt aroma; low to moderate hop bitterness; and an overall smooth, clean, and rich malty character. Arbor’s Oktoberfest fit the bill perfectly. It was the choice of Events and Marketing Manager Elizabeth Cain-Toth. “It’s my personal favorite, perfectly balanced with spicy hops and sweet malts.”

Festbier, the newest beer, hit all the right notes. Made with paler grains and more hops than the marzen, this lager was crisp and clean all the way through. In addition to the two other beers, Oktoberfesters could also enjoy red wine or hot, spiced cider. Immigrant Sons brought the music, playing German drinking songs, top 40 hits, and polkas.

As a special treat this year, two liters of beer were available for the taking if one bought an Oktoberfest “boot”. Beer boots began as a military hazing ritual, and they used actual boots to drink from! The tradition came to America along with the GIs returning from World War II. The boots are now made from plastic or glass, but the drinking remains the same. There are some rules to follow when drinking from the boot, including that one must pass the boot clockwise, one must drink again if one is splashed, and whomever lets the boot touch the table buys the next boot. (None of these rules were abided by me, because I got the brilliant idea of scooping beer out like it was a punchbowl. That sort of worked).

If you missed it, you can still enjoy the beers on tap at Arbor Brewing Company. Get a brat and create your own, private Oktoberfest -- but without the lederhosen, unless you are reallllly into it. Prost!


Patti Smith is a special education teacher who lives in Ann Arbor with her husband and cats. She is the author of two books about Ann Arbor, the most recent is a history of the People’s Food Co-op. Visit her at PattiFSmith.com or @TeacherPatti on Twitter.

UMS Wallace Blogging Fellows Announced - and Announcing September Arts Events

And

And the winners are...blogroll please...Marissa Kurtzhals and Adam DesJardinis!!

The area's arts and culture coverage just got a little bit wider with the announcement of the 2016-2017 UMS Wallace Blogging fellows!

Wallace Blogging Fellows (and fellow bloggers) Adam DesJardinis and Marissa Kurtzhals "will serve as curators who make monthly recommendations about events throughout Southeast Michigan, whether presented by UMS or by other organizations."

Kurtzhals has a great compilation of can't-miss September events, including: 2nd Annual Murals in the Market at Detroit's Eastern Market, Ypsi Song Fest: Motown Revisited, Elephant Revival at The Ark, Cabaret at The Dio Dinner Theater, and Pop-X.

Read her full post for images and details and watch your September calendar fill up!