Night 10 - 5 Minutes of Glory (Special Event!)

At some point over the course of the last three-five years, the younger generation in Michigan has been getting a might bit fed up with business as usual. The political system is pretty well broken, the jobs we thought would be here are hard to find, and the outlook is grim.  But in every corner of this State, there are people that want to talk about the good things the State has to offer, the good things that they have to offer the State, and other sometimes mundane, but hilarious topics.  People want Michigan to succeed, but one voice is tough to hear through all the noise.  But what if a few hundred of them got together in some vacant building somewhere and talked about how to fix things, all while having a drink or two with their friends?  Would that get people's attention?

...Cuz tonight...is Ignite...and I'm feeling, alright...

I really don't know how I made the connection between Whitney Houston's first number one hit and a frenetic five minutes of energy, information, and applause.  But I did.  Ignite Lansing (along with the little siblings in Ann Arbor and Detroit) is built on a fairly simple premise.  Founded by some folks at O'Reilly media, the basic idea is that, If given 5 minutes to talk about anything in front of a rapt audience, what would you say? In short, the creative class' wet dream.  Or, as one of Ignite Portland's organizers called it "Attention Deficit Theater."  

...Just five stolen minutes is all that we share...

Basically, presenters get five minutes and 20 powerpoint slides in which to enlighten the general public on some topic.  But why exactly is this on a 'nightlife' blog?  Well, I can't vouch for Ann Arbor or Detroit, but in Lansing, we make it an event.  Plenty of food and beer, a professionally built and lit stage, professional sound, and 500 or so people packed into some previously vacant or underutilized building in the area.  For one night, we bring a party to your neighborhood.  Maybe you are just there for the atmosphere and afterparty.  Maybe you want to learn about ice climbing.  Perhaps you just stumbled into a ticket and were curious.  In any circumstance, you will leave enlightened and feeling better about where we are going as a State. 

...We'll be making love the whole night through...

Okay, so the Play-on-Whitney's-Words doesn't hold for long.  But hey, Ignite is a hellacious time.  And if you are actually reading this, you don't have tickets, and you want to check out Ignite Lansing 3.0, drop me a note.  I will get you in.  I know people.

Ignite Lansing 3.0 is Friday, March 5th at the Knapps' Building in downtown Lansing.  Door is 6:30.  Tickets are free, but are already gone as they sold out in record time.  Keep an eye out for 4.0.

Night 9 - Blow. It. Out. (Special Event!)

Is this another damned music post? I mean, does the dumbass writing this really have anything else to say?  I need to write a sternly worded note to him...

.

.

.

Save it.  Know this about Michigan.  We can build cars.  We can build furniture.  We love the outdoors.  And we love to Rock with a capital R.  So suck it up.  We got 1000 nights to cover here.  At least 15% of those should involve music of some sort.  It makes you 34% happier. 

Tons of cities have historically put together big music festivals. Some are in parks or in the woods or all over a downtown. Michigan has them all and all over the State.  But the biggest and best is probably the Metrotimes Blowout in Hamtramck. You get yourself a wristband for $20, which gets you into all the venues for every band you want to see, plus shuttle buses between the venues.  [Wait a second?  Did he just say $20] You bet I did! Over 200 bands, four nights, free shuttles, $20.  It is a haven for local music.  Lots of good rock and punk, but there is probably something for everyone.  Best value in Michigan.  

Now, there is plenty of awsomeness to go around, but if there is one problem with The Blowout, it is that the big bands get the late night spots.  And often, some amazing bands play at the same time.  So you have to make a choice.  Do I want to see the Detroit Cobras at the Gates of Columbus Hall or am I in a Hard Lesssons mood at the New Dodge Lounge.  Not to mention the other 11 bands that are probably going to be playing at the same time!  But really, is that a problem?  I mean, you can just check out the other bands out and about in The D, right?  That just highlights the amazing feat that Blowout is.  They get scores upon scores of great local bands to all play together and create an amazing event.  

If you are still looking for reason to go, here's my last pitch.  There is a punk band called Kommie Kilpatrick playing.  If that isn't a reason to go, then I don't know what is.

The Metrotimes Blowout is March 3-6 all over Hamtramck. Wristbands are $20 and will get you into all the venues.  Ticket information is available through their website. 

Night 5 - Partying During the Day (Special Event!)

1,000 nights is, admittedly, a lot of going out at night.  Sometimes, you just get tired.  You just want to hang out at home.  And curl up and watch a movie...after you have spent the day doing something really, really unique.  So why not throw out an idea for a day event?  Something that nearly anyone in the State can support.  Something that everyone likes.  Chocolate.

Once a year, for a few hours, The Kellogg Center in East Lansing turns into the center of the Michigan foodie universe.  Or at least it seems like it should.  They host a fundraiser for the Michigan State University museum.  Which, in and of itself, isn't a big deal.  What is a big deal, is the type of fundraiser.  For the past twenty years, the MSU Museum's main fundraiser for the year has been The Chocolate Party. Which might combine two of the best words in the English language.  It is a culinary extravaganza of chocolate. There are cooking demonstrations, but most people are there to see the competition pieces and to sample the wares.  They estimate that they give out upwards of 10,000 samples each year. That is a lot of sugary chocolate goodness.  Fountains of chocolate.  Sculptures of chocolate.  Chocolate in every form and size.  Just looking at the pictures makes me hungry. It is a fun and delicious way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon. And once you get your sugar coma good and broken in, you can go home with your favorite friend and 'sleep' it off.

So if you are in the mid-Michigan area in February, I would encourage you to check out The Chocolate Party.  Good food for a good cause.  Always a good pairing.  And it is likely that you will see me there.

This year, The Chocolate Party is February 21st (this weekend!).  Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.

Night 4 - Free Your Mind (Special Event!)

I would say that I have had an interesting life thus far.  But a few events stand out when compared to the rest.  This night in Michigan is one of those events.  I really wanted to save this event for later on in the life of this blog.  And I am sure I will write about it a couple of times, because one blog posting really won't capture all that needs to be said.  But the event has crept up on me this year on the calendar and I really want to spread the word so if you are interested, you can plan to head down to The D.

Once a year, hordes of people descend on the Eastern Market in downtown Detroit, after dark.  This year, the event has been stretched to a total of eight days and will host thousands of people.  A far cry from its humble beginnings.  The event?

The Dirty Show - Not even remotely safe for work.  Sorry.

If you aren't comfortable with nudity, please, dear lord, don't go to Dirty.  You are going to have a horrible time.  But for those of you that are cool with the naked human form, Dirty is amazing.  It is half erotic art show, half performance art show, and half people watching show.  Okay, maybe I made that last part up.  But the people watching really is part of what makes Dirty so interesting. If you go to the show, odds are you want to be seen.  And some of the outfits, if you can call them that, are intended to be seen.  Men, women, and everything in between.  But lets talk about the show itself.   

The art is very adult oriented, obviously.  It threw me a little the first time.  But you get used to it quick.  You probably won't 'get' it all or even think some of it could be considered art.  But among the brazen nudity and odd photography, there are some amazing pieces of art.  I would say photography is the largest segment, but there are generally some great sculptures and some excellent abstract pieces.  None of it is cheap.  There were multiple times that I stopped, really had a connection to a piece of art, thought about buying it, then looked at the tag.  They do a great job of mixing it up every year and getting new, unique pieces and artists. It is juried and pretty well respected, so it has the feel of a more mainstream art show.  And it really attracts a varied audience. You clearly get the alternative lifestyle crowd (you will see a number of 'collared' people and their master/mistresses), but there are plenty of everyday normal people there.  In fact, I ran into a coworker. Slightly awkward.

Now, here is where I would probably offer to go with you, because I absolutely love it.  It really is a fun night out with someone with you can have a good time with.  But me and The Dirty Show are probably over.  Something about me being in the same zip code as one of the artists, probably a really, really bad idea.  So you are on your own.  Find a friend.  Enjoy it.  Buy some art.  And be prepared to tell some stories about it afterwards to help spread the word.

Dirty Show 11 started last night, February 12th, and runs until February 20th, at Bert's Warehouse Theater, 2739 Russell Street, Detroit.  You can get tickets at the door, but you should buy them in advance.  Bring your ID and pasties.