Wonderfulness
They rolled out the Blue Carpet without a snag at the Redford Theatre last Friday, and an enthusiastic crowd gave its seal of approval to both Wonderland and the show's handsomely produced DVD. Jason McCombs and Casey Miller emceed from the stage and read a love letter from the delightful Roxi DLite, who (regretfully) was out of town that evening. Konrad Lee lounged magically with orchestral accompaniment. Milling about and taking seats after the doors opened were Keith Howarth, Jessica Shaw, Dan Haddad, Hayley Jane, Ese Esan, and Danielle Doxie Kaltz. It was certainly nice to see that same festive energy illuminate the Scarab Club on Saturday as an entire contingent of creative locals showed up to hear Jerry Vile and others dispense practical wisdom about the biz side of the art world. Spied here and there taking notes were Jane Fader, Chris Jablonski, Diane Irby, Charles Alexander, Luke MacGilvray, Dennis Orlowski, Bridgett Davenport, and Candy Draper. Make sure you make time for the Scarab's Emerging Artist Showcase series this year!

No Regular Play
When Elektricity first appeared in Pontiac, we weren't quite sure what to expect. They've been open for a couple months, but they waited until 1/13 to throw their official grand opening party. But now we know that we can always look forward to one hell of a night! Needless to say, the official grand opening event featuring No Regular Play was one for the books. With openers such as Ataxia, Secrets, and YOS, it's basically impossible to go wrong. Walking in, we heard some old-school disco from Secrets, which made us extremely happy. It also made the crowd go crazy! Dozens formed a giant circle, taking turns having dance-offs. There were some epic moves on display (along with some not-so-epic moves). As No Regular Play took the stage, we hopped up on the balcony to see what they were playing on. Looking down, Elektricity was completely packed with bodies groovin' to the funky beats – all vinyl, of course! With the main bar newly remodeled and the bartenders looking extra hot, the club was at capacity from 11 p.m. for the rest of the night. Grand opening night...success!

Metal (of the Swedish Variety)
Friday Night, the Royal Oak Music Theater was packed with metal fans galore. Swedish rockers In Flames brought a few other fantastic metal bands along for the tour, and we were loving Trivium and a stoner-rock group called Kyngs. What an awesome venue for some heavy metal!!

At The Bag, Mofro
On Sunday night, D-Days headed out to the Magic Bag in fab Ferndale to check out JJ Grey & Mofro. Opening up the show were Daryl Hance and JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound. Brooks and the Uptown Sound hail from the Windy City, and they had the packed house moving and dancing to their funky soul-groovin' sound. Then JJ Grey & Mofro took the stage and entertained the crowd with their whiskey-soaked, gritty lyrics and rockin' southern blues tunes. We threw back a few shots, danced a bit and had a kick-ass Sunday evening.

It's All C.R.E.A.M.
When you have a collective of artists as talented and individualistic as Wu-Tang, they can be hard to pin down. That said, the postponing of the 1/4 concert to 1/9 allowed some of the members of the Wu to get over an "illness within the group," although we were still minus a handful of key members. Luckily, with nine original members (eight living plus ODB's son), you're bound to get a damned good show no matter who shows up. Such was the story at the Royal Oak Music Theater – there was plenty of blunt-smokin' and champagne-poppin', and as to be expected, the roof nearly came off the place when they started "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit." So, folks, let's say one thing about the Clan – if you get a chance to see them live, no matter what the lineup, don't pass up the opportunity. (Just keep an eye on RZA – he gets a little wild at times.)

Showing Off
We braved the weather to make it down to the Auto Show again this year – funny how despite the fact that it's been a mild winter so far this year, D-Days picked the snowiest day to head down. But we were pleasantly surprised to find that our very own hometown automakers are kicking some serious ass! There are also some serious (i.e., bigger and more interactive) displays this year. We're talking QR codes, live presentations, new technologies, a wickedly cool Ford collaborative exhibit and an opportunity to dance with the Kia hamsters on the big screen! As expected, green technologies are in abundance on the show floor, highlighted by BMW (from the super-cool i3 to the premier of the ActiveHybrid 3 to the incredible i8 concept). Also of Motown importance is the Lincoln attraction – particularly its reveal of the all-new MK-Z concept (damn, that's one good-looking car!). And did we mention that their display is not only gorgeous, it's also HUGE? Most folks we overheard were saying exactly what we thought – it's by far the most attractive in the show. Now THAT is some Motor City Revival! | RDW