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| DMA 2003 Part Three: Donkey Ball & Party Yak |
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 by Mitch Phillips
Unable to understand one word bleeding off the microphones and frustrated by humorless security guys in tight suits who won't let us anywhere near the stage, Napoleon K and I decide to go where the real action takes place - no, not the parking lot or the women's bathroom, but the State Theatre lobby. It's network central every year, where scenesters are seen and players are on parade. Oh, the drama...
Lowdown In The Lobby
 Metro Times' luscious ink-slinger Sarah Klein saunters by with such fashionable flair I forget her name by the time she's near enough for me to blabber, "Hey, aren't you the uh, the uh . . uh . . . the chick from MT?" I'm stammering like a sweaty-palmed groupie in search of validation. She nods in the affirmative and graciously strikes a pose baring one long, shapely gam (be still my beating heart ). Klein improves upon the bleached bombshell stereotype of old; she's got all that and talent and brains too! (throb) Our good-humored coverage of her transition from back-page scenester with Loose Lips to MT feature writer garnered more hits than any story since (check it out here). How can somebody so smart be so fine? Yeah, I know: In your dreams pudgey-boy. You can bet on it, Sarah.
We chance upon the danger-girls of Broadzilla hanging with hellbilly destroyer Dylan Dunbar from Long Black Sedan (whose "Lousiana Prison" CD is currently burning up my new car stereo). The 'Zillas are still touring hard, still promoting "Lady Luck", still looking good and still able to kick The Donnas ass on any given day of the week. It's hard to believe the world wouldn't prefer our Detroit Danger-Broadz to those skirt-wearin' pop-tart strum-pets.
I do a double-take on singer Rachael May; at first I'm thinking she's yet another vicitim of pomp-culture rhinoplasty ("...must attain perfect symmetry...must attain pefect symmetry..."), but then I realize she just let her Betty Page bangs grow out. In any case, I'd still buy the life-size poster for my office door. The Broadz' took Outstanding Metal Act once again, but they've long deserved our respect and, in my imagination, are carving-out a permanent place in Detroit rock history. Now if the rest of the country would just get a clue we could bid them adieu on their way to collecting their well-deserved bling-bling. God love dangerous women and Detroit rock & roll.
Drummer Dan Stackpoole keeps stuffing copies of Kilkenny debut CDs in my hands as I do R.A.M. giveaways. He keeps us laughing whenever he's around. Off stage, singer/songwriter Nick Woods plays the straight  man to Dan's lager-induced hijinks and, I assume, will drive him home when he's pissed-off everyone else in the room with his keen sense of sarcasm (Hey, having a drummer with personality comes with special responsibilities). The garage duo recently went trio with the addition of bassist Eric McNary (formerly of Black Magic Crossing). Now that Dan has a new playmate, maybe Nick can get back to writing some more great tunes like "Marvin".
I pick up three copies of Happenstance's latest CD, "Natural"; two that someone left on the marble stair spindle and one more from singer/songwriter Robert Navarre himself. He's giving away "Pre-Release" copies in hopes of collecting some honest feedback from listeners (a very good idea). But if he only knew who he gave them to; I shredded his debut with my insensitive brutishness (also known as constructive criticism or, thanks to American Idol, "Simonism"), so I was really curious to hear his follow-up material. Get your own a pre-release copy (there's still one in our MB geocache) and lend Robert a hand by simply rating the songs from 1 to 10 and dropping him an e-mail at word_man1@msn.com.
Experimental Respite
Feeling a bit claustrophobic from the elbow-to-elbow crowd around the bar, K and I retire to the balcony for a sit-down. It has the best view of the stage, it's own little bar, and there's only a handful of people mulling about up here. There's plenty of room to breathe and to enjoy the All-Star performance of The Detroit Experiment. According to the Rope-A-Dope Records website, the 14 member all-star jazz band (including bona fide trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave) cut a self-titled CD as the second in a series of city-specific releases mixed by Detroit techno legend Carl Craig. Now, living music from a large ensemble drifts up into the balcony like the exquisite smoke of hand-rolled Raj Laksmi incense, intoxicating us as we listen and dumbfounding us into silence. It's such a refreshing departure from the pop music competition it's like someone just opened an exit door to let the fresh air wash the room free of egocentric sin. Wow, my musical palette needed that!
The Joy is in The Process
My 2003 DMA highlight: meeting David Asher, Garrick Owen and Bill Hefflefinger, reggae disciples of The Process. I really dig their "Blood & Bones" CD, particularly "Run Them Down" and the latest version of "Rapdown" which I can't wait to break out at the beach this summer. The band's recently celebrated their 10th anniversary and are releasing "Legacy Live" - their second DVD release, following "Pigman, The Movie". You must check it out..
Hot Pants & Donkey Ball: Way ahead of her time...
Specs Howard mentor Dick Kernin (who also instructed K, btw) introduces former student and DJ Karen Savelly who accepts a Distinguished Achievement Award for her long presence in the Detroit radio market (apparently, just showing up for work every day does have its rewards). My earliest memory of Karen "Boom Boom" Savelly will always be of her promotional appearance at a Donkey Basketball game at Muir Junior High around 1978 (in ruby-red hot-pants, if memory serves). Now that was a distinguished achievement - at least to my 13yr old hormones.
And the, "In Spite of Overwhelming Apathy Award" goes to...
...Tom & Sue Ness, who accept their well-deserved Distinguished Achievement Award for providing us with 15 years of JAM RAG Magazine. The chattering crowd all but ignore them  (shame on you). I clap, holler and whistle conspicuously loud in the midst of a cluster of people by the bar who seem they couldn't care less that true believers are being recognized for their selfless dedication to musical creativity, independent thought and local empowerment. The Ness' are only ones I know with the principles, the vision, the dedication and the balls to take on the FCC and the corporate hegemony of the public airwaves. I'm not worthy of their benevolence; I'll never last fifteen years in this game - I probably won't last another fifteen months. Feeling a bit disheartened by the crowd's disrespect, I decide it's time to leave D-town to the wildlife.
Party Yak in Detroit
We won't be attending any fancy after-parties, hanging with the privileged urban glitterati or even going to another club to continue the festivities. Nightlife doesn't hold the allure it once did; ever since last November, my brain has been chemically altered by nicotine-free sobriety. Now I'm actually looking forward to the long drive home so I can just be quiet and pore over the CD's we picked up at the Detroit Music Awards. That's what it's about for me now; the intimate relationship with the music. The rest of it - the parties, the glitz, the photo-ops and the schmoozing - I'll leave those to the younger scenesters who can drink all night long and live without regret. Now I wonder how I ever did it. The answer comes as we find party Yak spewed on the back of K's parked Explorer (click image above left). Now, I remember quite clearly.
- Mitch Phillips
If your bored, check out Mitch's review of the 2001 DMA Awards or The 2002 DMA Awards.
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Re: DMA 2003 Part Three: Donkey Ball & Party Yak (Score: 1)
by tksgroupie on Monday, May 19, 2003 @ 14:01:05 MDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.thekingsnakesfans.homestead.com | | enjoyed this article very much!!! thanks for writing it mitch, since we didn't go, i wanted to hear all the good stuff, you came through for me! |
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Average Score: 5
Votes: 3
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