Weekend the Wright Way, May 18, 19, 20

May 18, 2012

Travis Wright joins Craig with his weekly suggestions for makig the most of your weekend in The D.

Friday May 18

Sigur Ros “Valtari” Listening Party @UHF 512 S Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfmusic.com Iceland’s Sigur Rós sounds like nothing else you know, which is both their greatest asset and biggest barrier to full-on crossover success, which isn’t something they’ve ever worked after anyway. The sound blends contemporary classical and Nordic pop sensibilities with an ethereal vibe made from bowed guitars, airy sustain, and frontman Jonsi Birgisson’s falsetto elvin howl.

Tracy Morgan @ Royal Oak Music Theatre 318 West 4th Street Royal Oak;248-399-2980; royaloakmusictheatre.com Before his eight season on SNL, and way before his blury role as Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock, the sometimes-controversial comedian Tracy Morgan toured the country with blue comedy stand-up routines that prodded at everything and everyone. He returns to the stage tonight at Royal Oak Music Theatre..

The High Strung Record Release @ the Loving Touch Prolific and road tested, the High Strung are among the top tier bands in Michigan, a proud sonic export if there was one. Beyond their recent music placements on film (Everything Music Go, Will Ferrel) and TV (Shameless , William H. Macy) these straight ahead odd-rockers are inexplicably talented musically, creating bursting and completely new sounding backdrops for singer Josh Malerman’s distinctive timbre. They’re celebrating the much anticipated new record ¿Posible O' Imposible? In the meantime, to get a feel, I urge you to check out the last record, Ode to the Inverse of the Dude.

Jerry Vile’s “The Secret Life Revealed” @ the Bankle Fine Arts 2944 Woodward Ave., Detroit $5 From the man that brought you the game-changing alt-weekly Orbit, as well as the kinkiest collection of erotic from around the world with The Dirty Show, comes a one-man show. Expect the unexpected. Show requires a $5 “viewing fee,” which is so very Vile.

Young, Wild & Free in the D @ 4731 Gallery 4731 Grand River Ave., Detroit This free event celebrates all sorts of young talent straight outta the D. Celebrated graffiti artist Sintex will have works on display alongside photography from the likes of the prolific and provoking work of Vanessa Miller and high fashion runway shows from Adriana Pavon and Fotoula Lambros.

Saturday & Sunday ... Tashmoo Biergarten Spring Fling @ 1416 Van Dyke (Between Agnes and Coe) It’s back! Detroit weekend pop-up biergarten is back this weekend for TWO DAYS – noon till 9 p.m. It's a family-friendly event, but you must show ID to purchase beer tickets. Featured Michigan brew includes: Arcadia Ales Whitesun, Atwater’s TC Cherry Wheat, Short's – ControversiALE, New Holland’s Poet Oatmeal Stout, Founders’ All Day IPA, Motor City Brewing Works’ Hard Cider and, my personal favorite selections, Jolly Pumpkin’s Calabaza Blanca and Bam Biere. Foods available for purchase from People's Pierogi Collective, Corridor Sausage Co. and Porktown Sausage. Plus, there’ll be chess, checkers, cornhole, and backgammon to play among other games Garten Rules: No smoking. No dogs, Littering, Soliciting. Bikes must use the provided bike racks). No outside food or beverages allowed. Shirtd, shoes, pants and/or shorts required. Must be 21 to drink and all alcohol must remain in the biergarten. Treat the neighbors as you would treat yours.

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit’s Now That I Can Dance @ the Detroit Film Theatre inside the Detroit Institute of Arts
Performances at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 18-19, and at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the Detroit Film Theatre, inside the DIA, at 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit (entrance is on John R); $20 general admission, $12 for students and seniors; purchase at mosaicdetroit.org or at the DIA box office, 313-833-4005. From my recent Metro Times cover story: “With well-honed humor and well-toned drama, the early Motown story is unfurled through the perspective of Anderson and the Marvelettes, though we get plenty of the Miracles, Vandellas and Contours, as well as Stevie Wonder and Mary Wells. And if there were an antagonist, it'd be the original diva herself, Diana Ross. It's hard to say if the acting or singing is better. On one hand, there were times when you had to remind yourself that these actors aren't even out of high school yet. But being that the audience knows the rhythms and lyrics to every song in the production, it's safe to say the play delivers the purest form of fun when they're singing. Now That I Can Dance chronicles the early years of Motown, when Marvin Gaye wanted to be "the colored Sinatra," Martha Reeves was a secretary, and Berry Gordy was just beginning to build the foundation of an immense culture-shifting factory in what looked like just another house on West Grand Boulevard. If you're reading this as a Detroiter, Now That I Can Dance is, in a way, also your story. It's set in a time when our nation's social fabric was being tested and torn, yet the American Dream was coming alive one song at a time in the Motor City. Given the state of bewildering social, political, economic and racial polarization that exists today, this production reminds us of the magic we're capable of making in the midst of it all.