Detroit After Dark: Melody Baetens

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Category: Around Town

PJ's Lager House celebrates two years on Friday

It's been two years since PJ Ryder took over the Lager House in Corktown and slapped his name and a fresh coat of paint on it.

The celebration takes place Friday with a line up of local musicians performing songs by (and dressed as) bands such as Devo, the Velvet Underground, the Cramps, Modern Lovers, the Ramones, T-Rex and more. Cover is $5 and the fun starts at 9 p.m.

PJ's Lager House is at 1254 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. Call (313) 961-4668.

Category: Around Town

Bookies grand opening, and other bar-hopping adventures

I've been doing pretty good at keeping up with my New Year's resolution to visit one new place each week, be it a local store, restaurant or bar.

Friday night I attended the VIP grand opening of the new Bookies on Cass at Columbia. The new place is quite different than the old Bookies Tavern in the Book Building, but I saw a few familiar faces. (By the way, this bar is in no way connected to Bookie's Club 870, the punk bar that was on McNichols in the 1980s.) The new Bookies, which I've mentioned on this blog before, is three levels and includes a rooftop deck, and shuttle service to and from area sports arenas, or downtown office or apartment buildings.

For most of the evening I was perched at the second floor bar which overlooked the first floor dining area. Owners Mark Jerant and John Lambrecht gave short speeches and thanked their wives, and then Mayor Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. officially opened Bookies by the giant ribbon with a pair of oversized novelty scissors.

Later on, we settled in on the third level, which is my favorite. The first level is a little sporty, the second level is definitely VIP, but the third floor has an open air deck (closed at the time) and a great view of our unique city. It was on the third floor that I got the chance to meet the Mayor. I told him I wrote about local music for The Detroit News and as it turns out, he's a big Dirtbombs fan! Cool guy!

Another place I've visited recently for the first time is Delux Lounge in Greektown. This beautiful and dimly-lit bar was a nice place to get drinks with friends after dinner. With lots of plush lounging areas, I can imagine it's quite the pick-up joint on Friday and Saturday nights. Bartender Adam Hill is also an excellent mixologist -- have him make you one of the bars signature martinis.

I also tried a new restaurant. My favorite suburban sushi joint, Café Sushi wasn't open yet, so I traveled further down Maple to Shilla, a Korean and Japanese restaurant. I have to say my favorite part of this place was the atmosphere. Even the menus were beautiful. The food was decent, but we just tried the sushi (not as good as Café Sushi). If I went again I'd like to try the barbeque, which is cooked right at your table with a special grill.

Speaking of sushi, my next goal is to try out the new sushi bar at the MGM Grand Casino. I hope it's better than the sushi they serve in their buffet, yikes!

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Category: Around Town

Weekend recap: Troy Gregory, St. Patrick's Parade and…Orchestra Hall?

I thought I may lay low this weekend after the four-night Metro Times Blowout last week, but no such luck. The weather was nice and I had a few bucks in my pocket, so I took advantage of what Detroit had to offer.

Saturday night I went to the Majestic Theater Center to wish the Rock and Bowl a happy 25th birthday. The complex's bowling alley is far older than that, but they've been rocking and bowling simultaneously for the last quarter century. In the Garden Bowl, there was a stage set up on the lanes. It looked so cool. The best part was that people kept bowling right underneath the stage! So fun.

Upstairs in the Magic Stick, I caught the debut set of the new Troy Gregory band. This guy has done everything. He's toured the world with the Dirtbombs, played in Prong and Flotsam and Jetsam, is a budding filmmaker, and has written more songs than almost anybody in Detroit. He also jammed with Metallica once up on a time.

Troy's new band features a great mix of local musicians, including keyboard player Mary Alice, who was in Troy's last project the Step Sisters. Jackson Smith (formerly of the Paybacks and Back in Spades) and George Jacobsen (Darling Imperial, formerly of Capitol Cities) share guitar duties, trading off lead and rhythm duties. Scotty Hagen of the Grande Nationals and of Bellyache Records plays bass, and scene vet Scott Michalski (Volebeats, and formerly the Dirtbombs).

The set was fantastic. You could kind of tell it was their first live show, but these seasoned musicians could take anything that came their way (even an amp that fizzed out toward the end of the set). The music was kind of moody and emotional, with a lot of crescendos. Troy conducted the band and the audience with just a microphone in his hand. Everyone was fun to watch.

Sunday morning I woke up at the crack of noon to head down to Corktown's annual St. Patrick's Day parade. I spent most of the time in the area of PJ's Lager House. Inside, my Detroit News co-worker Diana McNary was hosting an Irish sing-a-long at the piano. Outside, it was obvious that this was rocker central. All of Michigan Avenue was filled with folks in green, but in things were a little darker in front of the Lager, where (underneath a tree decorated with empty beer cans) most of the crowd was in black hoodies and leather jackets. I saw many local musicians from bands like Chapstik, Elvis Hitler, Bill Bondsmen, the Dewtons, Snakeout, and new band the Plain Dealers. We cheered the folks walking in the parade (okay, we gave a little ribbing to the folks dressed as Star Wars characters) and merrily enjoyed the afternoon and the wonderful weather.

Sunday evening I got to do something different. I saw the Civic Youth Ensembles at Orchestra Hall in the Max M. Fisher Music Center. (Full disclosure: my little cousin is one of the viola players in the Civic Sinfonia, which performed last night.) I really like going to see the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and other events at the Max M. Fisher Music Center. No matter how cool you think you are, it can't hurt to see classical music performed live once or twice in your life.

Category: Around Town

In Thursday's Detroit News' My Time section

One of the biggest shows happening this weekend is the Jim Shaw Fundraiser Saturday night at the Magic Stick in Detroit.

A day-by-day look at the entertainment events taking place this week.

This week on the My Time cover, I give you a list of local resturants that offer more than just dinner.

Adam Graham writes about Winter Blast, taking place this weekend at Campus Martius.

Category: Around Town

In today's Detroit News' My Time section

Here's a list of entertainment events for the week.

I wrote a story about the 32nd Annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival.

This week in Glass Acts, I talk about upcoming spring beers.

Adam Graham talks to Slipknot.

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Category: Around Town

Everybody's workin' for the weekend

Not sure what to do this weekend? Here's a quick list of some live, local music events happening:

The Ferndale Blues Festival kicks off tonight. The multi-venue, multi-day festival includes dozens of acts and many spots in the Nine Mile Road and Woodward area. Proceeds help benefit the Midwest Aids Prevention Project. 8 tonight. Visit www.ferndalebluesfestival.org for more info.

Tonight the Hard Lessons will play a new venue in Rochester called the Factory. I hope to check this place out very soon. Carjack and Joey & the Traitors also play. 9 tonight. 334 S. Main St., Rochester. www.thefactoryrochester.com

Trick9 will play its first show Saturday at Northern Lights. The band features three former members of the Badways, Dan McKernan (of Desolation Angels) and newcomer Kate Jablonski. Trick9 plays with Prime Ministers and the Sunday Painters. 9:30 p.m. Sat. $5. 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit. (313) 873-1739.

Every night is metal night for some of us, but Saturday night is metal night at PJ's Lager House. See Year of the Pig (one of my favs), Rebreather and Bahamut. 10 p.m. No cover. 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit. (313) 961-4668.

The Sugar Daddies are having their CD release party Sunday night at D'Amato's. The New Orleans-style group was formerly the Gypsy Strings. The Motor City Sidestrokers open the show. 6 p.m. Sun. No cover. 222 S. Sherman St., Royal Oak. (248) 584-7400.

Category: Around Town

My New Year's Resolution

I've never really made a New Year's resolution, but here I go. Every week I'm going to try to visit a bar, restaurant or shop that I've never visited before.

I started my resolution on Friday with a trip to La Dolce Vita. This beautiful Italian restaurant is best known as a summer time hot spot for their Sunday brunch with bottomless mimosas and bloody marys. Even on a wintery Friday evening, the place was chic, the service was great, and the food was delicious (and affordable).

Afterward I attempted to visit Café D'Mongo's Speakeasy on Griswold near...I'm not sure, it took me a while to find it. I know they are only open on Fridays, but they were not open yet (or at all) when I visited last Friday.

The Friday before the New Year, I swung into Commune Lounge in Royal Oak. This cozy spot is located in the basement of Bastone, one of my favorite Royal Oak restaurants. Look in Thursday's My Time section for my full report of Commune.

Other new-to-me places I plan to hit in the near future are Ferndale's new pool bar the Loving Touch, the Caucus Club (a downtown classic), Finn & Porter's in the historic Fort Shelby Doubletree, Partridge Creek Mall in Clinton Township, and the Factory, a live music venue in Rochester.

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Category: Around Town

Have some Halloween fun this weekend

Halloween is the best for me because I love seeing people dress up. You can try to look as cool and hip as possible all year, but the last week in October, you have carte blanche to leave the house looking like a total weirdo. It's great!

Last night I was at the Magic Bag for the Wolfman Man Fur Ball (full disclosure: I performed at the event with my band Swamp Sisters). All the characters from "Nightmare Sinema" (a local horror movie show on My TV 20) were there doing little skits, and they showed the film "Satan's School for Girls." Bellyache Records was also on hand with the new Muggs 7-inch single and the new double LP by the Go.

My favorite part of the night was seeing the Casket Bastards and the 3-D Invisibles. The Casket Bastards take a lot of cues from classic surf and horror punk bands, but I like them mostly because they are totally silly. The 3-D Invisibles -- a ghoulish staple of the local music scene for nearly 20 years -- were fantastic. They were dressed as skeletons, complete with masks AND gloves, showing what true pros they are. They played stompy, scary surf music with a B-movie twist. Two amazing and talented bands that are perfect to see around Halloween.

There is so much going on this weekend! Here's a list of choice events:

Big '80s Halloween Flashback at Paycheck's Lounge in Hamtramck.

Creepy Cheaply Halloween with the Von Bondies at the Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac.

Haunted Wedding with Wolfman Mac at Erebus in Pontiac.

The Go's record release party for "Tracking the Trail of the Haunted Beat" at Magic Stick in Detroit.

Underground Haunted House with Los Minstrels del Diablo at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Original Funk Night at Russell Industrial Center in Detroit.

Halloween Freakout with Easy Action, Chapstik and They Never Sleep at Lager House in Corktown.

If you do go out, please remember to bring a designated driver or take a cab, and don't forget to tip your bartenders!

Category: Around Town

In today's Detroit News' My Time section

Here's a rundown of some select entertainment events for the week including Global Thursdays at the AANM, the Access Detroit Block Party, Lager's one-year anniversary, Gwar, King Khan & BBQ Show and much more. For events of a Halloween nature, click here.

I also tell you about Sam Adams' crazy new beer.

Adam Graham talks to Jon "the Shy One," of New Kids on the Block who play the Palace Saturday. The 12-year-old girl inside me is totally freaking out (I was a huge Donnie fan back in the late '80s).

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Category: Around Town

Get a deal on local entertainment options

With the economy the way it is, people have less extra cash to spend on entertainment. A few local sites are giving you a break this month. All of this isn't exactly fodder for Detroit at Night, per se, but a deal is a deal.

-- On Monday, Oct. 13 the Detroit Zoo will offer $2 off admission. That means just $9 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 2-12.

-- See three shows for one price at Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts' Jazz Cafý. For $30, get tickets to see Jeff "Train" Watts (Nov. 7-8), Victor Goines (Nov. 28-29) and Javon Jackson (Dec. 12-13). Tickets are normally $14 for each show, but with this deal you get three concerts for $10 each.

-- IMAX films at the Henry Ford are just $5 every day through Nov. 6. That includes the summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight," plus family-friendly films such as "Lewis & Clark," "The Magic of Flight" and more. That's a savings of up to $6.75 per ticket.