Michigan Music Blog

Led Zeppelin is done – well, technically they have been pretty much done for quite some time now. But over the past few years there has been some speculation of a reunion tour of the group, and this grew even more as the band did in fact reunite – although it was only for one show at the 02 Arena in London. Hell, the band even entertained possibilities of doing the tour without Robert Plant, who was adamantly against the reunion the entire time. But now it is official – their plans just didn’t work out, and the Led Zeppelin reunion tour will not happen; with or without Robert Plant.

It’s been two weeks since the ball dropped in Rosa Parks Circle in Grand Rapids, Michigan and everybody enjoyed their own New Year’s festivities, as well – but not everything went off without a hitch. Apparently, two people were shot while attending New Year’s On The Grand – both were hit by stray bullets as a result of somebody firing their gun in the air in celebration. Remember – what comes up, must come down.

There was also a man killed in a shootout with the police at the Lady Godiva Showgirls Lounge in Grand Rapids – the man was responsible for shooting 2 inside the night club just moments prior, on New Year’s Eve.

***Update May 26th 2009***

Check our comments for the latest updates on Dunegrass 2009!

We’ve heard from Ted and here’s the news….

“Hello Michigan Music Blog and lovers of festival music.
I bear good tidings and news of Dunegrass 2009. The spirit and reality of Dunegrass lives throughout the land and in the hearts of many such as the wonderful people above me here, and it is being planned as I type this. A new site has been secured just outside of Empire. We are reviving the original recipe for Dunegrass and the response is wonderful.
Our new site is http://www.dunegrass3.org
Please be patient for complete info to be posted.
Thank you all for the spirit of DG.

Ted

Just so you know, Grass Roots Productions is not and will not be involved in any way.”

*****

Original post 1/8/2009

According to the Leelanau News, there is a strong possibility that the Sleeping Bear Dunegrass and Blues Festival might not take place in Empire, Michigan in August of this year – and it might not take place at all. Dunegrass is a little-known festival that has been held in the Northern part of the Lower Peninsula for well over a decade now.

But the Leelanau News reports that Stephen Volas of Grassroots Productions, the company that runs and organizes the Dunegrass Music Festival is nearly a quarter of a million dollars in debt – and at this point it is unclear whether or not the Dunegrass 2009 festival will indeed go down as planned.

Well if you are reading this post, then congratulations – you’ve survived another year! And this one was a long and difficult one, for many, no doubt. But brighter times are ahead my friends, and it is now 2009!

Anyway, the folks at Michigan Music Blog just wanted to say thank you to all of our loyal readers we’ve gained over the past several months and thanks for making us your top source for all of the news in the world of Michigan music. Stay tuned in 2009, as we look forward to providing you all of the latest information as soon as we get it, here at Michigan Music Blog. Happy 2009!

Here it is ladies and gentlemen – the last day of the year 2008! Enjoy it while you can!

By now we probably all have our New Year’s plans set, parties organized and event tickets purchased (there’s a lot of good concerts in Michigan tonight); and some of us no doubt have already started the celebrating. Just remember to stay safe, and party hard but party smart. Most importantly, if you are drinking, DO NOT DRIVE. It’s just not worth it, and there’s no sense in taking the chance – especially on New Year’s Eve. Anyway, we here at Michigan Music Blog just wanted to wish you all a very HAPPY AND SAFE NEW YEAR’S EVE!

A very surprising move that shocked many basketball and Detroit fans alike was the trade of the Piston’s very own Chauncy Billups and Antonio McDyess, two great team players, for Allen Iverson of the Denver Nuggets. Billups has been the team’s captain for quite some time, and has led them to a NBA championship in the 2004 season and several other division playoff games. It’s hard to say what affect this will have on the team in general; of course the Pistons still have a stellar lineup with Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and more, but there is one thing we can all be certain of - Allen Iverson should be a great fit for the bad boy image of the Detroit Pistons.

After the Lions started the 2008 NFL season with a record of 0-3, the team’s president, Matt Millen was fired. This was a move that was a long time coming in the eyes of many Lions fans around the state, but it was only the beginning of the renovation of the Detroit Lions. It was announced just a few weeks later that the Lions traded highly unpopular wide receiver Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys, in exchange for the Cowboy’s first, third, and sixth picks in the 2009 NFL draft. And then, just a few weeks after the trade was completed and announced, Daunte Culpepper was signed to come in and lead the team at quarterback. Things might finally be shaping up for a good season next year for the Detroit Lions - as hard as that may be to believe.

One of the more popular bands on the music scene today, the White Stripes consist of Jack White on vocals, guitar, and other instruments and his wife, Meg White on drums and some occasional vocals. The two were married in 1996, and started playing music together privately in 1997 when Meg first learned to play the drums. Later that year, on July 4, 1997 the duo made their debut at the Gold Dollar in Detroit. Their first self-titled CD, on the independent record label Sympathy For The Record Industry, was engineered at the Ghetto Recorders studio in Detroit, Michigan just a few years later in 1999, and they’ve been making great music together ever since.

While they are not a professional hockey team, the Muskegon Lumberjacks were quite popular amongst Michigan sports fans from all over the state all throughout the 1980’s and even into the 1990’s, when the team enjoyed a great deal of success not only on their home ice of the LC Walker Arena. Excitement waned however, and the team switched their colors and even their name, and would spend the next several years known as the Muskegon Fury. To start of the 2008-2009 season however, the team was reverted back to the old Muskegon Lumberjacks, and they are regaining their massive popularity back slowly but surely.

Hi folks! Hopefully you are all sitting at home in your pajamas, maybe even curled up in front of the fireplace, or sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket and enjoying your new gifts. But if by chance you are browsing the internet here on Christmas day, we here at Michigan Music Blog just want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and of course, Happy Holidays!

We truly hope that everyone is enjoying their holidays, it won’t be long now until the New Year so you need to make the most out of what little time is left here in the year 2008 (safely and responsibly, of course!)

Well, it’s snuck up on us after all. Here it is – Christmas Eve, 2008. In another week it will be a whole new year, but we’ve got more important things to think of right now. In just a few short hours it will be Christmas morning, if you don’t have your Christmas shopping done yet, you’re in a lot of trouble!

Of course, it’s not too late to hit the few stores that remain open, hoping you can find something to satisfy that last minute gift idea. It’s possible – you’ll just have to deal with all of the others who are left scrambling for a present on Christmas Eve, too. Fortunately for me, I finished all of my shopping months ago.

Fans of Michigan Wolverines football have been left greatly disappointed, as their favorite team finished the 2008 season with only 3 wins and a whopping 8 losses, the most games lost ever in the school’s 129 year history. Obviously this is quite unusual for the Wolverines, who are usually amongst the best teams in college football, and nobody is quite sure what, or who to blame for this poor season. Hopefully they can turn around for 2009 and let Michigan fans know that this was only a fluke in what has already been a long and very prosperous school history at the University of Michigan.

Berry Gordy was born on November 28, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan as the seventh of eight children. In an early effort to strike it rich quickly, Berry dropped out of high school in the 11th grade to pursue a boxing career – which he did until 1950 when he drafted by the U.S. Army for the Korean War. After his return, he enjoyed limited success as a songwriter and singer before deciding to take on the world of record producing. In January of 1959 Berry Gordy borrowed $800 from his family and founded Tamla Records, an R&B Record. Nobody knew that these would be the founding roots of the Motown music scene as have come to know and love it today.

The Detroit Tigers have been all over the place lately – one year they are competitors for the world championship, the next they’re back in their slump. You never know quite what to expect from these guys from one season to the next, and 2008 was no different. In late July they got rid of their popular all-star catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, in a trade to the Yankees for pitcher Todd Farnsworth – a move that disappointed many Tigers fans, and one that still hasn’t really proven to be all that worthwhile, in my opinion. But Jim Leyland knows what he is doing, and I’m sure he has some tricks up his sleeve for the 2009 baseball season.

The Detroit Red Wings provide Detroit sports fans with consistent, action-packed entertainment every single year – whether you like hockey or not. And that’s why it is no surprised that the Red Wings have finished their 2008 season with a record of 11-2-3, good enough for second place in the Western NHL conference. Though the team is not really a favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year, Detroit fans remain hopeful and with the Detroit Red Wings, anything is possible at any given moment, and indeed this season isn’t going to be over until the fat lady sings. We’ll keep an eye on this one, and you can bet if the Red Wings win the cup again, you’ll hear about it here!

Although the year 2008 isn’t quite over, there isn’t much time left. And even though this is the Michigan Music Blog, you can’t live in the state without being exposed to sports. With that, we are bringing you a multi-part series that focuses on some of the biggest events that happened in the world of Detroit Sports throughout the year 2008; and as any Michigan sports fan knows quite well, there have been some huge changes indeed. So we are going to take a break just for a moment from the normal bright lights and loud noise of the concert arena, and instead take a look at the bright lights and loud noise from the sports arena.

Gary Storck, director of the Wisconsin-based Madison NORML (National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws) is very pleased with the voter’s decision in the state of Michigan, and he believes that this will open up the door for the states surrounding the Great Lakes to legalize marijuana for medical purposes, as well. After all, if marijuana is the best possible treatment for a patient who would otherwise have no other hope, why shouldn’t they be able to use it, and even gain some comfort from it? Indeed in some cases and some people, it is absolutely the only thing that seems to help.

But what does this mean for marijuana in the state of Michigan? Quite frankly, it doesn’t mean very much. First of all, this will not allow “pot clubs” to open up business like California, and not many people will even be eligible to receive marijuana as a form of medical treatment, anyway - you have to be first diagnosed with a serious or terminal illness. For those who are issued a prescription, you still may face penalty and persecution. As marijuana is still illegal on a federal level, even state propositions like this one cannot guarantee that you can smoke marijuana and get away with it.

With a whopping 63 percent of the vote, Proposition 1 has indeed passed in the state of Michigan, hereby it the 13th state in the country to legalize medical marijuana. This makes it legal for certain patients with specific debilitating diseases and illnesses to purchase, grow and use the cannabis plant for medical purposes. This is a highly controversial debate, and the decision to pass this proposition will no doubt be argued extensively for quite some time to come. However, seeing as how the proposition has already passed here in the state, there will be little that opponents will be able to do now.

Well, as we all know the hottest debate on the election ticket of November 2008 was the race for our new president between Barack Obama and John McCain. However, nearly every state had several propositions on their ballots concerning very important topics and issues that affect them on a local level, rather than a national level. One of these propositions that voters in the state of Michigan had a choice on was known as Proposition 1 - The proposition to legalize medical marijuana in the state. And on November 4, 2008, the citizens of the state of Michigan made their voice heard loud and clear.

Just about a week ago the Michigan Music Blog went from a Google Page Rank of 0 to a Page Rank of 2 – that means we must be doing something right – how cool is that?

Anyway, it wouldn’t have happened without our hundreds of visitors every month, so keep it coming, and make sure to tell all of your friends about the Michigan Music Blog! Soon to be your absolute definitive source for all music news straight from the state of Michigan – whether it has to do with local bands playing in bars around town, or national bands doing concerts in venues and stadiums, you can find it here on Michigan Music Blog.

If you are reading this blog post right now, chances are you are one of the smart ones (or ignorant ones, depending on who you ask) that stayed home during Black Friday. And who can blame ya? With all of the traffic, and the pushing and shoving, and of course the hassle of long lines, it’s just not really worth it in my opinion. Personally, I find the internet has deals that are just as good as the stores do today, and I don’t even have to leave my house. When it comes to Black Friday, the World Wide Web is most definitely the best way to do your shopping.

Well it’s finally here – Thanksgiving! A time for giving thanks, relaxation, getting in touch with friends and family members, but most importantly – vacation time from work, tons of good food and beer and football! What could be better! This year the Detroit Lions square off against the Tennessee Titans at Ford Field for their traditional Thanksgiving Day football game. And while the Detroit Lions generally do pretty well on Thanksgiving Day, I can’t help but to put my money on the Titans. The Lions have just been doing way too horrible to get my bet on this match. Sorry guys, better luck next year.

Well now there are just a few days left until Thanksgiving, and for many people around the country that means only one thing: Black Friday. For those of you who don’t know what it is, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving where all of the stores have their biggest deals of the year. People wait in line for hours on end, some lining up even the night before or at the crack of dawn, so they can hopefully beat the crowds and get the deals they want. Retailers go to great lengths to advertise the deals they are having, so many people are shopping for just a few specific things. Whatever way you do, Black Friday is a mess, and I’m staying indoors all day long!

Well, the time that we have all been dreading is finally here – the first accumulation of snowfall in the West Michigan area. We’ve had a little taste over the past few days, but that lake effect snow was definitely kicking up yesterday in many parts of the state. I don’t believe this particular batch of snow will stick around for too long, but you still better get your snow shovels out and you winter clothes ready – it’s been holding off as long as possible here, but I have a feeling that the snow will soon be here to stay; and just in time for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas!

As of Friday – November 14^th, it is official - the popular movie theatre “Studio 28”, located on 28^th Street in Grand Rapids, Michigan will be closing its doors after a 60 year history in West Michigan. It was created by Jack Loeks, one of the earliest pioneers in the movie theatre industry. Studio 28 started out as a drive-in movie theatre, before later adding one indoor movie screen. In 1988 the theatre expanded to 20 full indoor screens – the largest movie theatre in the entire world at that time. For those of in the West Michigan area, Studio 28 was a staple on 28^th Street in Grand Rapids, and it will be missed.

That’s right, in some spots here in the state of Michigan, the price of gasoline is actually BELOW $2!!! Just a few months ago it was nearing the $5 dollar mark – as a result people started driving much less, and now demand has gone done for gas – driving our price down, too. That’s the good news concerning the automotive industry in Michigan. However, there is bad news, too.

General Motors has released a statement that says they will probably run out of money in 2009. This could be a huge disaster for the economy not only in Michigan, but all around the country. We’ll be watching this story very closely as it unfolds.

Well, it’s all said and done folks, and America has made her collective voice heard loud and clear. The winner, without a doubt in the world, is the Democratic nominee Barack Obama – and he is not only our next United States president, but he is also the United States’ first black president to ever take the Oval Office. With Joe Biden as the Vice Presidential, Democrats all around the country are hopeful and optimistic that they can fix this huge mess that was made by George Bush over the past 8 years, and turn this economy around – and hopefully this happens sooner rather than later.

Today is an important day for the citizens of our nation – and I’m sure you probably already know what it is. But for those of you who need a reminder – today is November 4, 2008; Election Day. So get out there and vote – polls will be open until 8 pm, and are located in convenient locations in every city in every state, so you don’t have an excuse. Make sure you get out and make your opinion heard today! And remember, it’s important that you vote not only on the president of the United States, but on any local issues and positions that are on the ballot in your area, as well.

For all you registered voters here in the state of Michigan – we have an important announcement to make at the Michigan Music Blog.

We want you to make your voice heard, and when you go to the polls tomorrow, VOTE YES ON PROP #1 – the proposition for medical marijuana in Michigan. Don’t think this is going to result in a bunch of lazy stoners getting fake prescriptions here – this is only for those who are in dire need of help, such as AIDS patients, and those with certain forms of hepatitis or cancer. Many have tried other medications that simply don’t work as well as medical marijuana – so VOTE YES ON PROP #1!!!

Well, Halloween (and October, for that matter) has come and gone…and now it’s time almost time for Thanksgiving. But first, we’ve got to bring Daylight Savings Time to an end, and that happened last night, on November 2, officially at 2:00 am.

So hopefully everyone remembered to set their clocks back an hour before they went to bed, or they might just end up being early for work in the morning! Anyway have a great day, and remember – November 4 is Election Day, and it’s gonna be here before you even know it – make your voice heard in this year’s election and go out and vote!

Well it’s finally here – Halloween! All the ghouls, ghosts, goblins, vampires, witches, and zombies are coming out tonight for one thing. And that is of course to collect tons and tons of delicious candy!!! What a great holiday!

And since it’s Friday, a lot of adults have parties going on later on in the evening, too. And this is just a friendly reminder from Michigan Music Blog to all of you folks enjoying Halloween either with your kids, with your friends, or even by yourself:

STAY SAFE AND HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Before you know it, it’s going to Christmas, and then the New Year – are you ready for 2009?

That’s right, now your #1 source for all the music news in Michigan is now live on MySpace! And we’re off to a good start, but of course, we could still use your help!

Check us out at http://www.myspace.com/michiganmusicblog and add us as a friend, leave a comment or anything else! Also, be sure to tell all of your friends about Michigan Music Blog, this site, and our Myspace Profile…let’s spread the word and make sure the entire state of Michigan stays right on top of all the latest news, tours and events in the world of Michigan Music!

We at Michigan Music Blog just want to wish everyone a Happy Labor Day! Hope you all enjoyed your extended weekend (we sure did), and as always, I hope you guys got to check out some sweet live music during the weekend (again – we sure did). No matter where you were at in the state, every bar and night club was hype. And of course, there are a lot of great shows coming here in Michigan – so stay tuned to Michigan Music Blog, workin’ hard to bring you all of the hottest and latest music news in the entire state of Michigan.

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Here are some shows coming up in the Detroit area for you to ponder over. There’s a couple good ones!

Saturday, August 30 The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony

Tickets at $32.50 pavilion and $10 lawn are on sale now.

Monday, September 29, 2008 Weezer The Palace of Auburn Hills

Tickets at $45, $39.50, and $25 are on sale now.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 The Who The Palace of Auburn Hills

Tickets at $79.50, $59.50 and $39.50 are on sale now.

Monday, November 03, 2008 Coldplay The Palace of Auburn Hills

Tickets at $97.50, $77.50 and $49.50 are on sale now.

Neil Young The Palace of Auburn HillsTickets go on sale September 12

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Wow, ya know…I never quite realized how big of a heavy metal scene Muskegon has – I mean, I certainly knew there was a scene, but I thought it mostly revolved around one or two bands – If He Dies He Dies, Orange October, and a few others…but as I was browsing local bands on a very popular social networking site the other day, it soon came to my attention that there are dozens of new heavy metal bands popping up in Muskegon! And judging from what I’ve heard just by listening to one or two songs from each, they’re good too! I’m gonna have to keep an eye on you Muskegon!

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Welcome one and all to the Michigan Music Blog. I’ll be your host, MMB, and the goal of this blog is to provide you with all of the latest news, events and information in the world of Michigan music. We have quite a musical scene here all over the state – from jam bands and reggae music in Ann Arbor – techno, house beats and freestyle rapping in Detroit – to heavy metal and rock scenes in towns and cities like Kalamazoo, Flint, Grand Rapids and even Muskegon – to bluegrass and jazz festivals all around the state, Michigan really does have something for everyone when it comes to music.

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