Summer Music in Michigan

There is nothing I enjoy more than camping out for a weekend, heading out for a night, or dropping by for a day at one of Michigan's many summer festivals.  I have always been looking for a site that has it all, or most of it anyway, when it comes to dates, times and websites for all the festivals and I think I have finally found it.  Madmanmike.com is your yearly Michigan festival guide.  It has all the festivals arranged by month and date and includes websites if they are available where you can get updated festival info.

I have only sampled a few of our great state's summer festivals but have never been let down.  Some standouts include Islandfest in Kalamazoo and Wheatland Music Festival in Remus, MI.  Have fun this summer and feel free to let me know what festivals you are going to!

Electronic Music Festival - Detroit

It's called the Movement and it starts today and goes until Monday night.  It's a festival celebrating techno music in Detroit, where techno started.  Located in Hart Plaza, the party goes all weekend and promises to be pretty rad... if you like techno.  I have been through my techno phase and came out the other side alive.  I don't mind some every once in a while but wouldn't say I follow the genre.  But if you want to get outside this weekend and dance Hart Plaza is the place to be.  At the festival's site www.movement.us you can view videos, read about the history of the festival and review the performance line up.  Don't forget your glow sticks!!!

Ferndale Blues Fest and Fritter's

Today marks the kickoff of the Ferndale Blues Festival with the first performers taking the stage at 7pm tonight at Angel's Cafe with the Tom Dennis Trio. The festival lasts through Feb. 6th with nightly concerts at many bars and restaurants in the downtown area with proceeds going to the Michigan AIDS Coalition and Ferndale Youth Assistance charities.

As a part of the festival there will also be a BBQ rib cook off taking place at Dino's on Saturday Feb. 6th. The "rib burn" will take place from noon-5pm with entertainment by the Reefermen to follow.

A free shuttle will be running festival goers from venue to venue on Friday and Saturday to catch all the acts. For some beer, blues and BBQ head to the Ferndale Blues Festival this weekend or next!

FRITTERS

Apple Fritters is like the dive bar of donut shops in Ferndale. There is nothing fancy about the inside. Bare bones tables and chairs with a no non-sense aura about it. The kind of thing you expect when you think local dive bar. I had the pleasure of stopping in at this local Ferndale donut shop this morning for some coffee and a fritter.

They have all the fresh donuts out on the counter and some on the shelfs for display for you when you walk in. I of course chose the apple fritter due to the name of the establishment and a large coffee. I will tell you the fritter was fantastic and the coffee good too! In an effort to help out local businesses I will try to frequent The Apple Fritter Doughnut Shop more often, but I will tell you it will not be difficult to do. Head out as early as pre-dawn and as late as mid-afternoon for some fritters!

SXSW Music Festival + Free Music

If you love music then you know about SXSW (South by Southwest) the music festival that happens every year in Austin, TX.  It is upon us again and this year it will be held March 13th - 22nd in 80 venues in the streets of Austin.   

Bands from all over the country and even... the world come to play at SXSW.  Among them are three bands from Detroit!!!  

Outrageous Cherry - They sound like a grungier version of The Shins, but these guys might have been around longer.  You can catch them at their last show before SXSW at the Double Door in Chicago tomorrow (Friday, March 13th at 8pm).

Easy Action - Hard Rock is the easiest way to describe them.  Loud and proud these guys sound like growling monsters that love to ROCK!  You can check them out at their last show before SXSW Saturday night (March 14th) at The Comet in Cincinnati, OH. at 10pm.

The Von Bondies - The self described Indie/Rock/Alternative group has been a Detroit staple for a number of years.  When you hear people talk about hip rock groups from Detroit they speak of two bands... The White Stripes and the Von Bondies.  The latter of which is the lesser known group globally but I think more popular in the Detroit area.

Good luck Detroit bands in Austin... make us all proud!

FREE MUSIC

Unfortunately I will not be attending the festival but I will be doing the next best thing, and that is listening to the free 10 song sampler available from NPR on iTunes.  That's right folks, you can now download a free sampler with 10 songs from some of the artists that will be at the festival.  I just downloaded it this morning and although it's nothing fantastic (they want you to go to the festival) it was free and will do for me.  

All you have to do is have iTunes on your computer already or download it here.  

Then go to this website and click download sampler.

Standouts are The Avett Brothers (whose fan club sent me the link to the sampler) and The Decemberists.

If you are going to Austin say hi to Willie Nelson for me and don't forget to check out the above mentioned bands live so you can brag to all your friends and enjoy copious amounts of street cred.