Don't Believe Everything You Read
Contrary to what has been passed around the media machine lately, the Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens is now open – and will remain open – despite the legal troubles of its previous owners. The current GM, Mike Mitchell, is ironing out the details with the city, and more importantly, the bank that owns the note on the building, in order to keep the concert hall from being shuttered. As we're well aware, in tough financial times, a facility like the Emerald can be a huge economic factor in reshaping a blossoming downtown area, and everyone should be pulling to keep the theater from becoming another chain drugstore or Joey's Hamburger Shack or whatnot. Mitchell was able to confirm with D-Days that he has more national acts booked, and that the facility is actually enjoying one its best years in recent memory (don't forget, we've caught shows there in the past year by ICP, Fuel, Tech N9ne, Candlebox, Bret Michaels, Sponge, Slaughterhouse and more). Catch upcoming acts – like Taproot, Soulfly, Days of the New and the Ying Yang Twins – in the near future, and be careful not to believe everything you read in print (except here), on the interwebs or hear on the street.

Up Close and Personal with Evans Blue
The Graveyard of Empires Tour, featuring Evans Blue, made a stop at The Blind Pig this past week. Kaleido opened the show, giving everyone a wild taste of Detroit rock n' roll. Christina Chriss rocked the mic, as always, and we have to admit – we're pretty jealous of her hair. Next up were two Ohio groups, 7th Cycle and State Your Cause (which flew over well, considering this was Ann Arbor). Despite the U of M/OSU clash, both bands tore the intimate venue apart and left just enough space for Evans Blue to do the rest of the damage. Lead singer Dan Chandler's vocals, combined with the immense talent coming from the percussion department, left us covered in goosebumps and partially deaf for the next 24 hours (not complaining). Although we would have loved to hear more of the band's older material, D-Days was still highly impressed with the new album.

Tapped!
As we bid Wolfgang Puck a fond farewell, we ease the pain by welcoming MGM's newest venture – and it couldn't be more fitting, considering this is Craft Beer Month! Tap is the brand-spanking new corner-style pub inside MGM Grand Detroit. Paying tribute to Michigan's industrial and architectural history – plus a celebration of Detroit's history and great sporting heritage – it will boast nearly 10,000-square feet of space, complete with a dining room (that seats over 100 guests, in addition to the nearly 300 that the pub seats, and offers over 80 food items) and specialty cocktails. The topper? How does 30+ beers on tap and 30+ bottled beers sound? Welcome to your new favorite beer pub.

Colorful Maneuvers
Who showed up at Re:View Contemporary for War Paint? No, let's rephrase that question: Who DIDN'T show up for War Paint? Niagara's first Detroit solo in seven years soared like a P-51 Mustang gunning for the sun and a large crowd just kept getting larger throughout the evening. No K-rations or MRE's, but cool libations helped everyone beat the heat. We spotted the talented one herself holding court alongside such guests and admirers as Tom Thewes, Jef Bourgeau, Ron Zakrin, Camilo Pardo, Nikki Hansen-Paluch, Rick Manore, Cristin Richard, Tromba Fiemeinska, Kenny Corbin, Alyssa Baron-Klask and Retro Kimmer. All the paintings enjoyed well-deserved attention, but we noted that a particular canvas delineating nealry ten variations of the acronym SNAFU struck a responsive chord with many.

Takin' it to the Streets!
D-Days hit the 51st annual Wyandotte Street Art Fair this Saturday and trolled through hundreds of artists like Lily Arnett, Brian Miller, Kristen Olivares, Ron Jacek, Rich Backer and Robert Harris. Between catching the Rise Above BMX show and hitting the Live Green Fair, we got a chillingly accurate card reading from the stellar psychic's at the Boston Tea Room. Though they did not foretell the amazing meal we were about to enjoy, we found ourselves feasting on smoked kielbasa from Kola's Kitchen and sipping on sodas from Bayou Billy's. With full bellies we headed to the beer tent to cool ourselves from the steaming summer sun. While soaking up our suds we caught performances by The Black Glasses, the Handgrenades and the Rushmores on the art fair's main stage.

FLINT PARTY CENTRAL!!
As if we needed to tell you how rad of a show Foxy Shazam puts on, we might as well also mention that the accompaniment of Wilson to that equation last Wednesday at the Machine Shop in Flint not only knocked our socks off – it pretty much kicked us in our asses. If you haven't taken the time to see either of these groups yet you're in luck, considering Wilson's one of our local favorites, so you'll likely be able to catch them around town soon. | RDW