A New Ride, A Radio Tutorial, and A Run To Detroit
In the space of 36 hours, I made two trips to Detroit, took in a show, and helped a young lady make a dream happen. It was a pretty good day.
Let’s get the headline out of the way: I HAVE ACQUIRED A VEHICLE!
My new ride is a 2016 Buick Encore. It has been lovingly cared for, has relatively low mileage, and looks to be the perfect solution for my touring and rideshare needs. It gets good mileage, carries a fair amount of gear, and is even fun to drive. Trust me when I say that this is an enormous relief.
So many of you have been worried about my tour status and the state of my mental health in recent weeks as I have worked to deal with another dead vehicle on the eve of a massive tour. The outpouring of love, generosity, and kindness has been truly overwhelming, and I cannot begin to properly thank you for your donations, purchases, and notes of encouragement. It has truly meant so very much to me.
Things have been a bit of a whirlwind since I snagged the car as soon as the dealership opened on a recent Thursday morning. My first full day and change with the car was a rush of activity, excitement, and connection that left my heart full and my anxiety abated, at least for a while.
Immediately after taking ownership of the new Buick, I headed toward the very city where Buick had been founded; Flint, Michigan. My friend Courtney is a high school art teacher in the city and she had asked me several weeks earlier if I might be able to help her student craft a radio show as part of the art class. I was absolutely game. Courtney and I had been trying to find a way for us to work together with some of her students for the last couple of years, but with our busy schedules, we could never seem to make it happen. This time, Courtney had an idea to focus on just one student.
From the get go, Courtney told me how much I would love Lily, and her love of music. I sent messages back and forth with Courtney as we hatched a plan of how to teach Lily tout together a radio show. We discussed options of in-person versus virtual meetings to prepare and get to know each other. I mulled over the logistics of how I would teach Lily all of the technical aspects of a radio show while also making sure she had fun and got to also explore the art of the exercise. Then, Courtney threw me a curveball; Lily is completely blind.
With that news, any visual teaching I was planning to do was out the window. While at first it seemed to be a huge hurdle, it meant that we could now focus solely on the music itself. Lily wouldn't have to bother with any of the busy work, she could just pick the songs and play DJ.
I arrived at school just before my 11:00 meeting with Courtney and Lily. After initial greetings, we all got together in a small classroom where a few other students were working independently with the help of a couple of special education teachers. Lily, and the other students in the class are all part of the Special Ed program for students with special needs, like Lily’s blindness.
Almost immediately, Lily and I became the center of attention as I asked Lily about her favorite bands and songs and why she wanted to put together a radio show. Initially she was shy, but eventually Lily opened up and became the funny and bubbly person that charms everyone in her wake.
We hatched a plan for Lily to make a playlist for her radio show and we scheduled a date just before my tour for me to come back and record Lily’s DJ snippets. From there, I’ll take all of the pieces and put them together for a special radio show at the end of June where Lily will be the first ever guest host here at WAIM. I’ll be sharing the show, photos, and the full story of Lily and her radio show soon.
Once I had finished up with Lily and Courtney, I headed southward for the city of Detroit. I had plans to attend a concert with my sister and brother-in-law that evening in Royal Oak just outside of the city. With a few hours to kill before our scheduled meetup at dinnertime, I decided to do a bit of urban exploring. But first, lunch.
Within an hour, I was at Detroit’s famed Eastern Market to grab linch at my favorite Detroit pizza spot, Supino’s. While they make a traditional Neopolitan pie I lieu of the locally favored Detroit style, I think it’s the best pizza in the city. I looked forward to a daytime cocktail, a small salad and a couple of slices with the rest of pie saved for leftovers. Sadly, my dreams were dashed as I quickly discovered that Supino’s was undergoing a renovation in their dining room and were set up for carry out only.
Disappointed, I wandered around a very quiet Eastern Market and found myself at Henry The Hatter, an old school haberdashery. I perused the Scottish flat caps, and looked longingly the Irish winter hats. I tried on a summer fedora, and marveled at the craftsmanship and beauty of the chapeaus around me. As much as I wanted to make a purchase, none of the hast I tried looked as good on me as I would have liked. I am sensitive about my round head, and hats just accentuate the size and shape of my massive dome. Furthermore, my hair is one of the few physical features that I possess that give me any sense of pride. It seems silly to cover it up unnecessarily.
Leaving Henry’s, I continued walking around the market I was surprised by the lack of activity. Sure, it was a weekday, but it was already well into May and it seemed like there would be more going on. I hopped back in the car and started to make my way downtown for a world famous Detroit coney dog instead of a pizza.
There are two coney dog joints in Detroit that are infamous. They stand right next to each other and are a symbol of an old family rivalry. National Coney is a bright, well lit and newly constructed restaurant. There is plenty of seating and a large staff to service hordes of customers. Lafayette is an old school joint that sits in a somewhat dilapidated space in the middle of the block. Its green facade and interior are a faded relic from another era, but vibe is one hundred percent Detroit. The dog and the ambience at Lafayette are totally my speed. I couldn’t wait to get a couple of coneys and a Coke into my face.
Downtown Detroit is a hub of construction and renovation. As such, much of the city’s street parking is torn up and I had a helluva time finding anything within blocks of Lafayette to leave my new whip. I tooled around Campus Martius, the main center “square” of Detroit, still there was no parking to be found at all.
Eventually, I gave up on the Coney and retraced some of my route backward to find Xochimilco, a restaurant in Detroit’s Mexicantown neighborhood. I had been thwarted at two lunch spots already and was beginning to grow quite hungry and a bit doubtful that I would end up with something other than a mediocre lunch.
Xochimilco is an old school Mexican restaurant housed in a massive white brick building. The interior is quite dark, and features dark red leatherette booths, old fashioned stone-work on the walls and the feeling that you have gone back in time. My chicken burrito with rice and beans was good but not great. It was authentic enough, but I found myself feeling as though I were settling for the meal after having my hopes set on other culinary delights.
After lunch, I made my way to the Heidelberg Project a few minutes from Xochimilco. The Heidelberg is an outdoor art installation created by artist Tyree Gunton to shine a light on the urban blight of Detroit. The project is a community effort that repurposes discarded items of all varieties into public art installations.
On the afternoon of my visit, there were a handful of cars slowly trolling down the street to view the project. A couple of other folks had parked their car and gotten out to walk around and gawk just as I had. There was a small crew of landscaper carefully mowing and trimming around each of the installations. The project itself is about two city blocks long with installations, and artworks on either side of the street. The street itself is painted with brightly colored circles, which can also be seen on the neighboring houses.
Everyday items like dolls, shopping carts, telephones and TVs are arranged, manipulated, or augmented to become a work of art. There is a haunted feeling in the works as it evokes the forgotten nature of Detroit and its denizens. This is a city that has been maligned, beaten, and left for dead. Still it continues to survive, and even thrive. The Heidelberg is a shining example of that resolve and the beauty it can hold inside of it.
After a lovely forty five minutes at the Heidelberg, I decided to make my way to another Detroit landmark, John King Books. The store was opened in 1965 and its massive four floors of inventory contain more than a million books in stock at any given time. Its a genuine marvel to wander up and down the aisles.
This was my first visit to the famed bookseller and to be honest, I was overwhelmed. I had not come in with anything in mind and the sheer volume of selection and inventory was somewhat mind-blowing. I contentedly browsed the racks and marveled at the old building and all of her charms.
John King offers a huge volume of books, but the quality of their selection is remarkable as well. They had a massive collection of Modern Library and Loeb Classics for sale. There were a number of first and second editions and signed hardcover editions by some of the most vaunted names in American letters.
The woman who manned the main counter near the entrance of the store pegged me as a first-timer as I walked into the shop. Perhaps it was the look on my face or the gate in my mouth as I gawked at the beautiful books, but she spotted me right away and kindly handed me a map. She kindly told me that the map I held in my hand was mostly correct, but some if it had changed. The placards on the wall were similarly semi-reliable. She warmly suggested that if I needed anything, I just come and find her. That seemed like great advice.
Not only are the floors of John King packed with books, but there are paintings in the stairwells, vintage photographs in artful frames and various ephemera floating in every corner of this magical space. Even if one has no intention of buying a book, an hour or two at John King is likely to resurrect your inner bibliophile.
I opted to leave John King empty handed as nothing shouted that I must bring it home with me. And, with my pocketbook still quite stung from the car ordeal, a purchase probably wasn't a wise move any way. I was happy to take my and enjoy the experience of John King. I suspect that next time I step through the door, I’ll have a title or two in mind.
As I exited the John King parking lot, I took a look at the clock and tried to gauge if I had time to make one additional stop before heading to my sister’s house for dinner and a show. Our planned rendezvous was set for a few minutes after 5:00 that afternoon. With a bit of time to spare, I took a detour ton my way north to stop for a photo opportunity.
The Hitsville U.S.A. building sits right on Grand Avenue on the north side of Detroit’s downtown area. The small home and garage where the Motown label was founded and where the bulk of its early hits were recorded is a site of pilgrimage for thousands of music fans each year. They come from all over the world to see this magical space where history was made. While I didn’t have time for a full fledged visit, I had time to pay my respects and to take a photo.
I have long crowed about how much I love Detroit and the state of Michigan. Motown is a prominent jewel in that crown of pride for my homie state and adopted home city. With a few minutes to spare, I pulled down a side street and managed to get across the street and take in the beauty of this small, sacred spot.
I watched the families and groups of friends take selfies and saunter in for the tour. I made my way to the median and got a good vantage spot for my own selfie. As I said when I shared the image on social media, “When you are in Mecca, you take the time to stop and pray”.
I made it to my sister’s house just in time to enjoy some dinner and a couple of homemade whiskey drinks before Emily and her husband Rock and I headed out to the Royal Oak Music Theater to see The Decemberists to celebrate Emily’s 44th birthday! This is a band that my sister and I have seen several times together already. In fact, a few years ago we saw them together on my birthday.
This show is part of a lovely tradition that my sister and I started a number of years ago; we go to two concerts a year together to celebrate our birthdays. The shows are not required to take place on the actual birthday, but it’s an added bonus when they do.
This year, there were actually, two shows that we considered for Em’s celebration. Neil Young & Crazy Horse were also playing at a large outdoor amphitheater just outside of Detroit on the same night. Having seen the Decemberists a number of times already, I was leaning toward Neil Young, but Emily chose the Decemberists, and dammit it’s her birthday. In retrospect, it was probably a good call as I almost never have a great time at the huge outdoor shows anymore.
The Royal Oak Music Theater is a converted old movie palace and former vaudeville theater that is one of the finest spots in Detroit to see a show. As usual, the Decemberists put on a terrific show full of bombast, clever wordplay, and nerdy theatricality. It has all of the itinerate parts for someone in love with the English language, storytelling, and unabashed nerdy. My guess is that at least 60% of the Decemberists audience on a given night was once in the AV Club or Quiz Bowl.
After the show, I dropped Em and Rock off at their house and made my way toward my own bed after a very full and wonderful day. It felt great to have wheels once again and to feel a forward momentum. I rode home on the high of a day in Detroit and the glory of live rock and roll.
Cheers,
Matty C
Glad to see things turned around for you. Life is fluid so we just have to hang on for the ride. And having never been to Detroit, I loved your travelogue.
Great stuff, Matty. A life-long memory for Lily. Kudos.
In the opener you mention TWO concerts. I've read this three times and am only seeing Decemberists. Did I miss something?