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Last Updated:
Mar 19th, 2008 - 07:43:02 |
What does Christmas mean to you? Because you may want to consider
redefining your own relationship to the season as symbolized by
50-some-odd musicians scrambling around the beer-stained floor of the
Magic Stick, hurriedly rushing guitars and amps on and off its humble
stage to serenade city dwellers as blusters of snow cyclone against the
skylight, each flake wishing they could get in to join and revel with
you in the loud rock ‘n’ roll music and crazy yuletide antics.
Christmas doesn’t have to mean competing with your conniving cousins on
who spent more and it doesn’t have to mean tossing pictures of your
ex-girlfriend in a Santa hat onto the fire to fuel the roast of
chestnuts.
What it should mean, (and what it will mean at Detroit Sounds and
Spirits) is a community of people with a mutual affection for peace,
togetherness, creepy claymation films and punk rock covers of “Little
Drummer Boy” coming together for one beautiful evening to celebrate the
most wonderful time of the year as well as raise some money for
charity.
This year’s grand line-up includes The Hard Lessons, Blanche,
Thunderbirds Are Now!, American Mars, The Go, New Grenada, Johnny
Headband, Porchsleeper, The Muldoons, Pas/Cal, The Paybacks and many
more. Organized by Thomas Trimble from American Mars and Dave Feeny
from Blanche, this event raises money for COTS — the Coalition on
Temporary Shelter ($11,000 to date, according to Dave).
“The idea was to do a classy sweater and scarf Christmas cocktail
party,” Dave said, “centered around Blanche, American Mars and Sunshine
Doray — all confessed suckers for the Christmas pageantry from
television’s second golden age: the 1970s. It’s 25-plus bands, two
stages, some video nonsense and some irreverent emcees. It’s
equal parts Rankin-Bass and Andy Williams with just a splash of MC5 to
taste.”
“One thing I want to make sure and say is how very much we appreciate
all the bands who have played and who have donated their time every
year to help make it happen,” Thomas added.
“The heart and soul of the spectacular really centers on the Thom McCan
Carolers, who were formed as the finale for the first year’s show,”
Dave explained. “It featured as many performers that we could jam
into choir robes. The Carolers have grown into a ragamuffin-vaudeville
dance troupe and wannabe-community-theater-dramatists. They’ve
been the subject of a Behind the Music-style rockumentary and made up
the cast of 2004’s after-school special The Skinniest Santa. They
embody the spirit of the spectacular; just a good reason to spread a
little Christmas cheer.”
Not only can we raise money for charity or embrace lost childhoods in a
hazy, glorified claymation-worshipping glaze (with beer), but we can
experience a unique approach to a rock concert. “It seems that a large
amount of people who go to shows are too fickle to pay attention to the
band on stage anyways,” John Nelson of New Grenada said. “So, the more
we can do to make someone take notice of what is happening, the better.”
“We just try to play good rock ‘n’ roll music for people that care
about good rock ‘n’ roll music and want to have a good time,” Brian
Raleigh of Porchsleeper said. “That, in itself, is pretty unique these
days and that’s the spirit that we’ll try to bring to the Christmas
show as well.”
Plus, with each band playing only one song, it’s the equivalent to
aurally eating the most varied, hallucinogenic box of Lucky Charms
ever. Here’s a few words of good cheer from some of the bands involved:
Real Detroit: What classic Christmas songs would make for the best punk rock covers?
Thomas Trimble (American Mars): “Run, Run Rudolph.” It mentions urination.
Keith Thompson (Johnny Headband): Fast ones.
Brian Raleigh (Porchsleeper):
In general, covering a traditional holiday song is a recipe for
disaster for a rock band. The only real exception to this rule is
probably the Phil Spector Christmas Album. The best Christmas songs
really aren’t Christmas songs at all like “Fairy Tale of New York” by
the Pogues or Tom Waits’ “Christmas Card From a Hooker In Minneapolis.”
So, when choosing to play a Holiday selection, it’s best to either
write your own or go as obscure as possible.
Ryan Allen (Thunderbirds Are Now!):
Most Christmas songs tend to be in major keys, and so is basically any
Ramones song you could think of — so in turn, something like “I Saw
Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” interjected with a four-four beat and some
revved up power chords would be an easy song to punk out. But, who
wants easy? A cover of “Here We Go A-Wassailing” would really get the
math rockers pumped.
RD: Favorite Christmas movie?
John Nelson (New Grenada): Jingle All the Way. Any movie starring Schwarzenegger, James Belushi and Sinbad is too good to be true.
KT: A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is a guide for living.
RA: I remember being very much
into the California Raisins' Christmas special as a kid. Nothing like
watching claymation raisins get a little bit of the Christmas spirit up
in their pruned bones.
RD: If your band were a family, how would you celebrate the season?
TT: We are a family — litigation.
KT: We would all go to bed and
wait for Santa to deliver our presents. We wouldn’t sleep a
wink. Around 5 a.m., we’d all jump out of our beds wearing our
long johns, and run into the living room to find a note from Santa ...
“Dear Johnny Headband, I regret to inform you that I forgot your gifts
this year. But the good news is that I have a $30 gift certificate
to the Home Depot. Love, Santa.” The end. | RDW
Fifth Annual Detroit Sounds and Spirits • December 22 • Magic Stick
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