Plans are in motion for a wknd trip in July.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Kennsington to Hudson Mills
This morning Jon and I, Ace and Gary did an eight mile paddle down river. Great trip, lots of people on the water right now, it's really great exploring new sections of the river each week.
Plans are in motion for a wknd trip in July.
Plans are in motion for a wknd trip in July.
Project Bandaloop
Saturday night Brian and Kelly invited Susan and I down for a DSO event featuring Project Bandaloop. A very interesting combination of dance, climbing and rapelling on a vertical plane, set to the music of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
I think the DSO could have selected a better venue than the side of a lit parking garage for the event, but it was a really well put together none the less.
It was great to catch up with Kelly and Brian over dinner before the show. It's funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. The important things in life are not that complicated.
I think the DSO could have selected a better venue than the side of a lit parking garage for the event, but it was a really well put together none the less.
It was great to catch up with Kelly and Brian over dinner before the show. It's funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. The important things in life are not that complicated.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
APBA Boat Race - Walled Lake
Sunday, Jon and I met early and paddled Walled lake. We paddled around the boat course, then stayed around to watch one of the smaller classes run after we pulled out of the water.
Jon and I walked the pits before they closed it off and I took some photos of the boats on trailers in very early morning light.
I think we had more fun people watching as we did watching the race.
Jon and I walked the pits before they closed it off and I took some photos of the boats on trailers in very early morning light.
I think we had more fun people watching as we did watching the race.
Going nowhere Fast..
Bayside put on the event for the second year, the racers all say they love the event and hope to come back next year. This was Baysides sponsored boat, not sure how it did.
Officicial event welder.
Hydroplane enthusiast.
Carrie and family, we were great friends four jobs ago, it was great to see her, not much has changed for either of us.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race was in town this weekend, and Friday I didn't get a lot of work done, as my office desk in the Ren Cen is right on the river.
Jason came down for the afternoon and we took alot of pictures. Jason said he burned through 10 memory cards, at around 100GB of pics. I didn't take quite that many, but I did do some substantial damage, the trick is to get a picture of a plane blowing through a pylon, so you just fire away at at 4fps. No luck this year, but I did capture a cool pic of Kiss watching the airshow from the Windsor side.
It was great to see Jason, and I really enjoyed watching the time trials Friday on a beautiful day in the D.
Jason came down for the afternoon and we took alot of pictures. Jason said he burned through 10 memory cards, at around 100GB of pics. I didn't take quite that many, but I did do some substantial damage, the trick is to get a picture of a plane blowing through a pylon, so you just fire away at at 4fps. No luck this year, but I did capture a cool pic of Kiss watching the airshow from the Windsor side.
It was great to see Jason, and I really enjoyed watching the time trials Friday on a beautiful day in the D.
Kiss on the marquee.
Kirby Chambliss, the top US pilot.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Dead Weather
I've wanted to see Jack White perform for the last 10 years. So when Susan casually mentioned Friday evening that she heard that The Dead Weather was putting on a 'secret performance' tonight at the Magic Stick, it did not take much capitulation to cancel our Red Wing finals plans and promptly start driving in the direction of downtown Detroit. No advance purchase, tickets sold only at the door.
Referred to in one article I read as Jack Whites other other band, this is a side project he's started with members from the Raconteurs and lead singer Alison Mosshart from the Kills. It's been twenty years since Jack White has had a chance to go back to his musical roots and first love on the skins, and he did not disappoint.
The opening act was some good ole boys from Kentucky, The Cotton Tail band I think, and these guys had a definite White stripes sound. They were very entertaining and we hung in for most of the set. We bailed with a song or two left and opted to watch the last few minutes of the wings game on the patio, and give all of our senses a rest before the musical assault I knew lay before us.
Man these guys were good, from the moment they took the stage everyone knew we were going to be in for a really special night of music. The Dead Weather was clearly polishing their act before they explode onto the musical scene with the debut of their first album, and Jack chose his home crowd to bestow this musical honor.
I can only characterize their sound as louder and grittier and more raw than that of the Stripes or the Raconteurs. Jack White was clearly in charge of the band from behind his kit, and even from behind the mass of amps and drum parts and performers, he had a big big stage presence. My first thought was, this guy his huge, with a big 6'6” frame and massive biceps and a wiry, wild head of hair he really commanded attention. He just wailed away on the drums throughout the entire set, and played a big part in the vocals as well.
While Mosshart put on a truly gritty rock and roll female lead performance, it was just a bit over the top girl power for me. As I watched her perform, I just kept thinking, it just seems like female rockers just don't age that well. I couldn't think of a single midlife (i.e. old) female rocker that still commanded real rock and roll respect. Surprise of the night for me was the sound put out by lead guitarist Dean Fertita. This guy just layed down the sound, he also assisted the band with keyboards in a very White Stripes reminiscent sound.
Highlight of the night for me was easily when White ascended from his drum kit and took center stage as an assistant handed him a funky looking guitar. The crowd just took it over the top and he quickly responded with an aggressive blues rock solo that only took him a matter of seconds to break a string. He continued playing his guitar and battling the broken string without missing a beat, which just added to the drama and entertainment value of the performance. It was really awesome to see White behind a guitar, even if it was for just one song. White managed to exceed my expectations, seeing him perform live.
The band has an aggressive and unique sound, it was exactly my brand of music, and I really hope to see it catch. Susan was totally into the performance, and in particular lead singer Mosshart's pouty aggressive rock style. She's usually a good barometer for the quality of the night's show, and we both agreed, this was far and away, the best show we've seen together in a long long time. The fact it was a night veiled in secrecy, in a small, great venue, and so early in the bands history made the night that much more special for us. I would classify this evening as having the rare opportunity to wittiness the early formation of a super group, coming together with all their immense individual talent, and the sum of their musical contributions being somehow better than the parts. They were just that good.
In a bit of irony for the evening, this was the first show where I decided to bring down some of my camera equipment. I was told I couldn't bring in the camera on the grounds it was 'professional' equipment. When I finally stashed my gear back in the car and made my way in, the first guy I bumped into was carrying the same camera I was just told to leave behind. We talked and joked a bit, and I learned that Andrew is a contributor to a really cool local music and culture blog that I will most definitely follow.
So while my attempt at capturing this special event was a failure, I learned to stash my gear in Susans purse in the future, and I discovered a great new source of information on the local Detroit music scene. Not a bad trade off in the end.
I witnessed several people photographing the event with high end gear and big flashes, so I decided to take one crummy shot with my blackberry camera phone just to remember the event by, which came out just absolutely terrible. Oh well, live and learn..
Referred to in one article I read as Jack Whites other other band, this is a side project he's started with members from the Raconteurs and lead singer Alison Mosshart from the Kills. It's been twenty years since Jack White has had a chance to go back to his musical roots and first love on the skins, and he did not disappoint.
The opening act was some good ole boys from Kentucky, The Cotton Tail band I think, and these guys had a definite White stripes sound. They were very entertaining and we hung in for most of the set. We bailed with a song or two left and opted to watch the last few minutes of the wings game on the patio, and give all of our senses a rest before the musical assault I knew lay before us.
Man these guys were good, from the moment they took the stage everyone knew we were going to be in for a really special night of music. The Dead Weather was clearly polishing their act before they explode onto the musical scene with the debut of their first album, and Jack chose his home crowd to bestow this musical honor.
I can only characterize their sound as louder and grittier and more raw than that of the Stripes or the Raconteurs. Jack White was clearly in charge of the band from behind his kit, and even from behind the mass of amps and drum parts and performers, he had a big big stage presence. My first thought was, this guy his huge, with a big 6'6” frame and massive biceps and a wiry, wild head of hair he really commanded attention. He just wailed away on the drums throughout the entire set, and played a big part in the vocals as well.
While Mosshart put on a truly gritty rock and roll female lead performance, it was just a bit over the top girl power for me. As I watched her perform, I just kept thinking, it just seems like female rockers just don't age that well. I couldn't think of a single midlife (i.e. old) female rocker that still commanded real rock and roll respect. Surprise of the night for me was the sound put out by lead guitarist Dean Fertita. This guy just layed down the sound, he also assisted the band with keyboards in a very White Stripes reminiscent sound.
Highlight of the night for me was easily when White ascended from his drum kit and took center stage as an assistant handed him a funky looking guitar. The crowd just took it over the top and he quickly responded with an aggressive blues rock solo that only took him a matter of seconds to break a string. He continued playing his guitar and battling the broken string without missing a beat, which just added to the drama and entertainment value of the performance. It was really awesome to see White behind a guitar, even if it was for just one song. White managed to exceed my expectations, seeing him perform live.
The band has an aggressive and unique sound, it was exactly my brand of music, and I really hope to see it catch. Susan was totally into the performance, and in particular lead singer Mosshart's pouty aggressive rock style. She's usually a good barometer for the quality of the night's show, and we both agreed, this was far and away, the best show we've seen together in a long long time. The fact it was a night veiled in secrecy, in a small, great venue, and so early in the bands history made the night that much more special for us. I would classify this evening as having the rare opportunity to wittiness the early formation of a super group, coming together with all their immense individual talent, and the sum of their musical contributions being somehow better than the parts. They were just that good.
In a bit of irony for the evening, this was the first show where I decided to bring down some of my camera equipment. I was told I couldn't bring in the camera on the grounds it was 'professional' equipment. When I finally stashed my gear back in the car and made my way in, the first guy I bumped into was carrying the same camera I was just told to leave behind. We talked and joked a bit, and I learned that Andrew is a contributor to a really cool local music and culture blog that I will most definitely follow.
So while my attempt at capturing this special event was a failure, I learned to stash my gear in Susans purse in the future, and I discovered a great new source of information on the local Detroit music scene. Not a bad trade off in the end.
I witnessed several people photographing the event with high end gear and big flashes, so I decided to take one crummy shot with my blackberry camera phone just to remember the event by, which came out just absolutely terrible. Oh well, live and learn..
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Derek Trucks Band
Man I love discovering artists I've never had a chance to see perform. Derek Trucks had been on the radar for a long time, I've just never had a chance to see him play. Late yesterday afternoon I discovered the DTB would be in town that night, and I didn't hesitate. With my encouragement, Susan joined me last night at the Royal Oak Music Theatre.
We had a nice dinner at one of our favorite Royal Oak spots and made it into the theatre about half way through the opening act. I can't remember her name, but her Soul Blues performance did not leave much of an impression, and the sound seemed entirely off, just a jumbled mess of guitar, percussion and voice, none of which stood out. The crowd didn't seem too dialed into it either.
I had really high hopes for Derek Trucks and he did not disappoint. Derek has a very clean and deliberate style of play that reminded me of Eric Clapton; however he played with a slide bar the entire night, which gave his entire performance a characteristic 'slidey-oscilating-vibrato' sound. While the night was primarily rooted in a blues sound, he wandered through several unique soundscapes including a jazz fusion funk jam out that completely lost Susan for fifteen minutes in the middle of the show.
The band included a rich set of characters to include a flamboyant Detroit born drummer, a Rastafarian bongo / rhythm percussionist, a keyboard / flutist and a short greasy bass player that was playing the largest bass guitar I've ever seen. The band is joined by vocalist Mike Mattison, who had a really interesting voice, but lacked a certain energy or stage presence. Together, they put out a unique sound, with a hard to define, almost improvisional / world music vibe. Susan and I agreed the band had a really solid sound, but they were all foreshadowed (by volume and spotlight) by the lead guitar, and they were never really granted their rightful freedom to explore their musical space. The sound seemed off to both of us, where the lead guitar just stepped all over the rest of the band, and in particular the vocals, which we could barely hear. I wasn't sure if this was by design or just a bad night for the sound man.
It was a great set backdrop with excellent lighting and effects. I found myself wishing that I should have brought a camera.
Derek played an efficient and business like two hour set, with several guitar solo highlights, lights dimmed, all spotlights trained stage center, smoke machine turned on high, building momentum and energy and sound into a blues guitar frenzy. Susan mentioned that she kept waiting for the performance to end because on several occasions it sounded like he was building to a show finishing crescendo. I could see it was getting a bit exhausting for her, so we finally retreated from the front row to a table in the back for a diet Coke and a chair in time for his encore of two or three songs.
If I had to characterize the night, I would say it was really good, but not great. There was nothing in Derek's sound that I had not heard before, and it seemed to lack that certain something you can't explain that just sends the audience over the top. Susan and I also agreed that a lot of the music sounded alike, and seemed to go on longer than it really needed to. What Derek achieves in crazy guitar talent, he seems to lack in rock star charisma, and to me, it showed through in his performance. It just seemed to lack a certain quality that makes you drop your jaw and stand in awe as you take in the sound. I found myself watching the performance more objectively than emotionally and saying, wow, this guy can really play the guitar, but I was never really pulled too deeply into the musical experience. There seemed to be a lack of soul if you will.
All of this may be a bit nitpicky however, as it was a very entertaining performance, and he definitely had a few moments of WOW, just not enough for me to call the night a totally over the top guitar jam performance.
I would definitely see him the next time I have a chance, I may just lower my expectation a bit, and try to dig a little deeper into appreciating the music, rather than just standing and waiting to be blown away.
We had a nice dinner at one of our favorite Royal Oak spots and made it into the theatre about half way through the opening act. I can't remember her name, but her Soul Blues performance did not leave much of an impression, and the sound seemed entirely off, just a jumbled mess of guitar, percussion and voice, none of which stood out. The crowd didn't seem too dialed into it either.
I had really high hopes for Derek Trucks and he did not disappoint. Derek has a very clean and deliberate style of play that reminded me of Eric Clapton; however he played with a slide bar the entire night, which gave his entire performance a characteristic 'slidey-oscilating-vibrato' sound. While the night was primarily rooted in a blues sound, he wandered through several unique soundscapes including a jazz fusion funk jam out that completely lost Susan for fifteen minutes in the middle of the show.
The band included a rich set of characters to include a flamboyant Detroit born drummer, a Rastafarian bongo / rhythm percussionist, a keyboard / flutist and a short greasy bass player that was playing the largest bass guitar I've ever seen. The band is joined by vocalist Mike Mattison, who had a really interesting voice, but lacked a certain energy or stage presence. Together, they put out a unique sound, with a hard to define, almost improvisional / world music vibe. Susan and I agreed the band had a really solid sound, but they were all foreshadowed (by volume and spotlight) by the lead guitar, and they were never really granted their rightful freedom to explore their musical space. The sound seemed off to both of us, where the lead guitar just stepped all over the rest of the band, and in particular the vocals, which we could barely hear. I wasn't sure if this was by design or just a bad night for the sound man.
It was a great set backdrop with excellent lighting and effects. I found myself wishing that I should have brought a camera.
Derek played an efficient and business like two hour set, with several guitar solo highlights, lights dimmed, all spotlights trained stage center, smoke machine turned on high, building momentum and energy and sound into a blues guitar frenzy. Susan mentioned that she kept waiting for the performance to end because on several occasions it sounded like he was building to a show finishing crescendo. I could see it was getting a bit exhausting for her, so we finally retreated from the front row to a table in the back for a diet Coke and a chair in time for his encore of two or three songs.
If I had to characterize the night, I would say it was really good, but not great. There was nothing in Derek's sound that I had not heard before, and it seemed to lack that certain something you can't explain that just sends the audience over the top. Susan and I also agreed that a lot of the music sounded alike, and seemed to go on longer than it really needed to. What Derek achieves in crazy guitar talent, he seems to lack in rock star charisma, and to me, it showed through in his performance. It just seemed to lack a certain quality that makes you drop your jaw and stand in awe as you take in the sound. I found myself watching the performance more objectively than emotionally and saying, wow, this guy can really play the guitar, but I was never really pulled too deeply into the musical experience. There seemed to be a lack of soul if you will.
All of this may be a bit nitpicky however, as it was a very entertaining performance, and he definitely had a few moments of WOW, just not enough for me to call the night a totally over the top guitar jam performance.
I would definitely see him the next time I have a chance, I may just lower my expectation a bit, and try to dig a little deeper into appreciating the music, rather than just standing and waiting to be blown away.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Memorial Weekend
For the second year in a row, we spent the Memorial weekend in the Smokey Nountain National Park. This year we brought all of the family with us.
Great time fishing with Bryan and hiking with the kids. The kids had never seen a tourist trap like Gatlinburg before, and we lit it up on earthquake rides, bumper boats the Hollywood Cars Museum and fudge.
Next year we may try it again and go big on the hikes, or we may look for another National Park as a destination
Great time fishing with Bryan and hiking with the kids. The kids had never seen a tourist trap like Gatlinburg before, and we lit it up on earthquake rides, bumper boats the Hollywood Cars Museum and fudge.
Next year we may try it again and go big on the hikes, or we may look for another National Park as a destination
Bryan and Mitch on top of Clingmans Dome, Mt Mitchell to the East, highest point in Eastern US.
Bryan and I have this same photo from when we were kids. This fiberglass bear has been here for at least 25 years.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Room for two more
Saturday Jon, Ethan and I did a nice paddle from Hudson Mills to Ann Arbor. A little over three hours and 12 miles. One great set of rapids, and lots of small stuff to surf in.
Just as we were getting back to the put in spot with the boats it started to poor.
We've got a local map all marked up with some ideas for trips, it's been a great start to the summer and I'm really looking forward to what we have planned. So far Jon and I are five for five weekends in a row with the boats. Ethan will be a great addition to the group, he's got great enthusiasm for the sport, and will push us to do further distances and drive further to find new spots. New sport, new friends, I couldn't be happier with the decision Jon and I made to buy boats this spring.
The funny part is, not three summers ago, I put an old perception boat and some old paddling gear out by the side of the road with a 'Free - Take' sign on it. It lasted about ten minutes. For a bunch of reasons, I just wasn't using the boat. I have found this to be true so many times over, with just some subtle changes in my patterns, like how and where I store the boat, having some friends to share the enthusiasm with, being less distracted by other pursuits, I have transformed the activity into something I really enjoy.
This morning, Ben is coming out to see what this is all about, and we will join Ethan and another friend at a spot near my house.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Early morning paddle
This spring Jon and I bought kayaks, with a commitment to try and get out at least once a week.
We had a great session last week, early morning. Susan expressed some interest in the sport, so last night we bought her a kayak as well. We bought her a boat about twice as fast as mine, which will help, but it's going to take her some time to develop the strength to keep up some pace.
In the past we've had some terrific paddles together renting kayaks in places like Maine, Northern Michigan, and just down the street, so it was an easy decision to bring her into the sport.
Susan and I took a shake down cruise this morning and it went really well. Some really nice wildlife just minutes from our home, it's great to able to enjoy it from the water.
We had a great session last week, early morning. Susan expressed some interest in the sport, so last night we bought her a kayak as well. We bought her a boat about twice as fast as mine, which will help, but it's going to take her some time to develop the strength to keep up some pace.
In the past we've had some terrific paddles together renting kayaks in places like Maine, Northern Michigan, and just down the street, so it was an easy decision to bring her into the sport.
Susan and I took a shake down cruise this morning and it went really well. Some really nice wildlife just minutes from our home, it's great to able to enjoy it from the water.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Banff Mountain Film Festival
Last week Jon, Ben, Mike and I attended the 2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival in Ann Arbor.
A great collection of short films, and it was great to get a couple of good freinds together.
Link
A great collection of short films, and it was great to get a couple of good freinds together.
Link
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Ireland
The last week in March Susan and I traveled to Ireland for a week with our parents, back to the motherland for both families. A wonderful trip, with very warm people and spectacular scenery.
Seven days was not enough time to see the country. We would have really liked to see the north where my family is from, but renewed social unrest had us changing our travel plans.
Seven days was not enough time to see the country. We would have really liked to see the north where my family is from, but renewed social unrest had us changing our travel plans.
Blarney Castle
Tarbert, IRE
Skibbereen, IRE
Southernmost point in Ireland
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Steelhead are running
Sunday Bryan, Bill and I fished the Pere Marquette River. Steelhead have just begun running. It seems we may have been a couple days early.
Bryan knows the river so well, not alot of fish, but a nice float down the river none the less. So nice to finally be getting outside again.
Bryan knows the river so well, not alot of fish, but a nice float down the river none the less. So nice to finally be getting outside again.
This was a beautiful little Rainbow..
fishin'
Monday, March 09, 2009
New Friends
Sent from family in California. Michaela & her new friend in an early morning visit over the weekend.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Ice Boats \ Ice Kites
Sunday the conditions were right on the lake for fun. Sunny, clean ice and big wind. I packed my trainer kite, skates and some cold weather gear for a couple of hours on the lake.
While out on the lake I saw Bruce ripping it up in his DN, so I made my way over to his place and talked for a while. He had lost a critical part on one of his hot passes across the lake and was packing it in for the day. I was disappointed, as I had brought along my big camera to get some shots of him and the boat.
As I was packing up my gear to leave, there were a couple of guys putting together some ice boats so I stayed around and took a couple of photos. They could see I had an interest, so they invited me to go out for a ride in a two place boat.
Wow, it's hard to describe that kind of fast. We were across the lake in under a minute at over 90 mph. Ice chips flying everywhere, the wind just howling and my teeth absolutely frozen from the massive smile my face.
After a couple of high speed runs, we brought the boat in for a thaw out session. Dave was kind enough to offer up one of his smaller boats, and invited me take it out onto the lake. Man what a blast. I followed behind him out onto the lake and had it up on two runners within a few minutes. While not nearly the same kind of speed as his big boat, it was an absolute riot none the less. I played around for another twenty minutes before bringing it in for the others.
A huge thanks to Dave Barry for graciously sharing his equipment, time and knowledge with me on a day when he could have selfishly spent the time playing in the wind. I really appreciated his willingness to expose me to the sport and share information.
Very very tempting. It's such a short season, but so much fun. Add Ice Boats to the list..
While out on the lake I saw Bruce ripping it up in his DN, so I made my way over to his place and talked for a while. He had lost a critical part on one of his hot passes across the lake and was packing it in for the day. I was disappointed, as I had brought along my big camera to get some shots of him and the boat.
As I was packing up my gear to leave, there were a couple of guys putting together some ice boats so I stayed around and took a couple of photos. They could see I had an interest, so they invited me to go out for a ride in a two place boat.
Wow, it's hard to describe that kind of fast. We were across the lake in under a minute at over 90 mph. Ice chips flying everywhere, the wind just howling and my teeth absolutely frozen from the massive smile my face.
After a couple of high speed runs, we brought the boat in for a thaw out session. Dave was kind enough to offer up one of his smaller boats, and invited me take it out onto the lake. Man what a blast. I followed behind him out onto the lake and had it up on two runners within a few minutes. While not nearly the same kind of speed as his big boat, it was an absolute riot none the less. I played around for another twenty minutes before bringing it in for the others.
A huge thanks to Dave Barry for graciously sharing his equipment, time and knowledge with me on a day when he could have selfishly spent the time playing in the wind. I really appreciated his willingness to expose me to the sport and share information.
Very very tempting. It's such a short season, but so much fun. Add Ice Boats to the list..
DODE"S DIAMOND. Crazy Speed.
This guy was hauling on skis, faster than I've ever seen anyone on a kite. Even when he put the kite in the neutral position, it took him 100 yards to stop with a 20" rooster tail of ice behind him as he came to a ski chaddering hockey stop Giant Slalom style.
I would say he was overpowered for the conditions with a 6M kite, but he seemed like he was in control and stayed at if for hours, crazy conditioning.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
BLITZEN TRAPPER
experimental folk rock
Brian invited me out to Magic Stick Friday night to hear a band he's really been into lately, Blitzen Trapper.
Band had a great sound and huge versatility. Very talented group, playing a wide range of acoustic, electric, harmonica, keyboard, melodica, bird whistle music. Dillion was the first name that came to mind, but they were so much more than that.
They had some stuff that I really liked and some stuff that seemed down right off to me. It's so refreshing to hear a band that is willing to really explore their musical space, and these guys certainly did that. I could see these guys getting big, the crowd loved them, and I did too, they had a great sense of humor and really put on an entertaining show.
It was so great to see Brian and catch up on life and music.
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