Category Archives: Michigan

I live in Michigan, been there all my life, generally in the Detroit or East Lansing areas.

Vote for Courtney Robb !

So I only ask y’all for a favor about once a year (maybe twice). This one is to take a listen to the wonderful Courtney Robb sing and then vote for her. (Thank you!)

Listen here – http://www.myspace.com/courtneyr
And vote here – http://www.myspace.com/local_long_distance VOTING IS OVER
You do not need a MySpace account to vote.

Actually, it’s just the second step that’s the favor. The first step is if only you want to make an informed decision, but I’m telling you she’s great! It’s the first voting poll on the left, it’s about one screen/page down (just below “the fold”) and I had a little problem hitting the “vote” button with “Safari” so you might need to try Firefox.

CourtneyrobbCourtney was on their radio show and having people return to be on a “listener’s choice” show and if she gets enough votes, she gets to come back.

She writes her own stuff and has a sound kinda like Anna Nalick, Jewel, Avril Lavigne, Aimee Mann and all that kind of acoustic/earthy music that I love.

And once you decide you like her, go see a show if you’re in the Detroit area (all around the Detroit, Royal Oak, Mt. Clemens, Allen Park, Redford area), she’s great!

* Full disclosure – She’s my niece, but that’s not why I’m helping to get get votes, it’s because she’s excellent is why I’m encouraging you to vote.

Update – VOTING IS CLOSED and Courtney was way ahead the last few times I looked so if you listened and voted, Thanks!!

The Police

I saw The Police in concert tonight at the Palace in Auburn Hills. They were excellent!!!! You’d never know these guys hadn’t toured in years, any other reunion (or county fair concert) I’ve ever seen you could tell everyone was out of practice, but not these guys.

I had a great seat, I wasn’t real close but I was a few rows off the main floor, I had a way better seat than the people who were 15 feet from me on the main floor that (I think) paid a lot more. They had an incredible stage setup, huge video displays and great camera angles.

Here’s the run down on the guys:

  • Sting – Awesome singer. He probably looks less old than the rest of the gang. (I don’t think he did any of his own songs, but his son’s band did open).
  • Stewart Copland – Excellent on the instruments, probably better than the other guys. Not sure what he’s done lately on his own (remember when he did the theme for The Equalizer TV series?).
  • Andy Summers – Looked a little ragged (sorry Andy). I’ve seen him in concert (he opened for Tangerine Dream), I thought he was a lot more mellow.

    I took a few photos, but I don’t know how to get them off the (stupid) Verizon RAZR v3 phone I have from work (my Treo is in the shop). I can’t seem to bluetooth them or e-mail them to a regular e-mail account, anyone?

    And what was up with the really old guitar of Sting? It looked in pretty sad shape, there must be a story (and someone must know it).

  • Best Buy Grand Opening – Allen Park

    As we’ve discussed before, I’ve got a new Best Buy Opening nearby in the north end of Allen Park (Fairlane Green). We’ll I just saw a billboard and the Grand Opening is June 29th 2007. There is another BB in Dearborn just 4-5 (7?) miles away so I wonder if that one might be closing soon…

    Laura Veirs in Detroit




    Laura Veirs

    Originally uploaded by garylapointe.

    Laura Veirs at an excellent intimate show in Detroit at the Majic Stick. If you’re a fan and you didn’t come, you really missed out…

    Silent Violet CD Release Party

    SilentvioletcdI’m heading on over to the Magic Bag in Ferndale (Michigan) to see Silent Violet tonight. It’s a CD release party and Ben Cyllus and Daniel Zott are also playing this evening too (I don’t think I’ve ever heard them before).

    So I figure I’ll see a few new bands and buy a new CD and get it autographed!

    Today’s List

    Had a bunch of things to do and I think I got most of them done. I’ll have to check the list that I forgot and left at home…

  • See Doctor: to fix this congestion – got shot, got drugs!
  • Barnes & Nobel: Educator discount week – got three books and 25% off!
  • Dollar store: Get some spare reading glasses – selection stunk but I gat a tiny pair in tiny durable case to keep in the car and a tiny fold up pair (they fold up half the normal size). Actually they had some decent ones but just not in my size. The question is if they are reading glasses, why do they print the size of magnification so small on the glasses?
  • Target: pick up prescription – got it! Doc said it might keep me awake so not to take it late in the day, I’ll start tomorrow.
  • Staples: use that $10 off $10 coupon before it expires – I was just going to get some office supply “stuff” but I picked up tax software on sale.
  • Gas Station: get gas – Prices were heading back up so I filled it up.
  • Hair cut: get it cut – it’s shorter (all of them).
  • Dearborn Credit Union: they’re letting new customers open up a $1,000 CD with 10.47% interest – Most places are giving about 5% so this seems like an easy way to make $50. I did not accomplish this task.

    Later: I did cehek my list at home and this is more than I had on my list :)

  • Midnight Espresso Cafe, Dearborn

    So I stopped by the Midnight Espresso Cafe in Dearborn. I really like it there but it’s generally pretty smokey (lots of smokers hang out and smoke cigarettes or a hooka) but they didn’t look too busy so I stopped by. WOW! They just renovated and made it much bigger and it seems brighter too!

    They’ve got a wide variety on the menu, I’m guessing much of it is Arabic in origin. Whenever I bring people here they generally find something interesting that they like. I generally get the BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and that’s what I’m getting today.

    Bonus, I pulled out the laptop hook up my phone as a modem and realized I connected to a network! So they’ve got WiFi now too (or else the business next door does), with their new larger non-smoking section and WiFi I think I’ll be here a bit more often now.

    A Musical Week

    So it’s been a musical week for me. This is my third outing for music in the last four days.

  • Thursday I saw Sia at the Majestic Theater in Detroit.
  • Friday was the Indie Chick Night at Trixie’s coffeehouse in Roseville, MI. They were raising money money for a shelter. The only performers I had seen before were Audra Kubat and Lisa Hurt. But now I’ve seen Silent Violet (who’s off to London to record an album), Jessika Carmichael and lil’ Emily too.
  • Sunday it’s the Bittersweet Cafe at the Buzz Bar in Detroit. This is usually Blair and Audra (but she called and canceled since she’s sick) and as usual they have a guest so that’ll be Loretta And Julie Lucas (whom I’ve never heard).
  • And next Saturday is Jewel in Mt. Clemens at the Emerald Theater!