Freedom of Religion: A Cult for Us

With all the new congregations to join these days, it's hard to choose. That is, there's The Satanic Temple, Ghost, and we've now discovered the Church of the Cosmic Skull. As long as they don't expect us to keep exact change for the comet in our pockets at all times, we can't really go wrong. Who in the hell carries cash these days, anyway? Oh, hey...maybe that's significant.

Krillin Time

Over the weekend, members of Morning Shadows had a run-in with intergalactic invaders, who for whatever reason, play surf music.

Indeed, we ventured out to PJ's Lager House on Saturday and witnessed Evil Eye Doctor launch an attack on Krillin, Detroit's crew of instrumental surf herders. It was great. If you haven't seen them, write it down. Weave it into your own evil plan, and watch their FB feed for updates on their upcoming shows.

Fuzz Fest 5 was this past weekend at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, and we missed it. It's a three day event featuring local rock acts, and it's one of the best things the 'Pig does these days. It belongs on your calendar, so keep June in mind when you're thinking about local rock events that give you more bang for your buck.

Recently, we also saw Primus and Mastodon at Freedom Hill, and busied ourselves with writing new material. In fact, we're about to make some big changes to our lineup and begin a new project, but that's a post for another day. The current Primus tour is in support of their album, the Desaturating Seven, based on a children's book Les Claypool kept in his own children's library when they were little. The live show takes the audience through the tale visually, as it unfolds musically. It was a seamless presentation, supersaturated with color and sound. If anyone thought their best days were behind them, they apparently haven't seen this tour. Any Primus fan needs to get tickets before they miss out on one of the most entertaining shows we've seen in our concertgoing lives. If you have never seen Primus, this is the tour to see.

In early June, the new Ghost album came out. We wrote a seven page piece on our thoughts about the split, the album, and the direction of Ghost, but we're holding off on publishing. For the time being, we can only recommend that those who miss the original majesty of the band check out the other projects of former Ghouls, such as Tid (Swedish for, "time," pronounced, "teed"), Priest, and Magna Carta Cartel.

With the changes afoot, this blog is shifting direction. There hasn't been a good source for local rock music discussion in our area for a long time. The Metro Times and the Current both cover some acts, but they cover a broader range of entertainment, and have limited space. We have decided to dedicate this blog to our local music scene here in the Detroit/Ann Arbor/Jackson/Lansing region. There is too much talent in the region to rely on limited print media for properly showcasing what we have.

Summer Concerts

This June, Primus and Mastodon are coming to Freedom Hill, and Morning Shadows will be in the audience. Where will you be?

Photo Request

Above: Vittata Vulgaris doing a sound check at an Ann Arbor house party in late 2016.

Do you have any photos of Morning Shadows playing live? Email us at morningshadowsannarbor@gmail.com

Weird Wisconsin

Though we haven't played a show in over a year, we've been seeing an increase in activity on our ReverbNation account. It started when this goofy band from Wisconsin checked out our music, and things have been getting busier since then. So, we'd like to show them a little appreciation by sharing their music. They're called Barrun/Runes. How is that pronounced? How do they sound? You'll have to ask them.

Is there Nothing to Report?

Just today, rumors began circulating that Ann Arbor legend, The Nothing, may be planning a reunion show. So far, these are only whispers. Will they? Won't they? What's the word? You'll have to stay tuned to hear it.

Also, we've recently learned that the Blind Pig has new owners. We're really hoping they make some long awaited changes. New Owners, hear our plea! You're townies, so we don't have to tell you about how precious this venue is to our local music scene. What would make things really great there?

• A good cleanup. Every time we have played there (in various capacities), our supporters have expressed how they wished the place wasn't so gross. Of course, there are plenty of people who can tolerate the grime, but there are LOTS who avoid it. A little facelift would do wonders. Oh and hey, how about some local art? A Treetown Mural, perhaps? 
• A friendlier atmosphere. Another thing we hear with GREAT frequency is that several of the staff are SUPER RUDE. We've heard this several times from a wide variety of people from several walks of life. We do not hear this about other venues we frequent, who run very similar operations. 
• More support in advertising shows. We're happy to contact WCBN, the Current, Mlive, the Metro Times, and other local media outlets to promote our show. We'll hang flyers and do weird little things around town to generate interest. We'll list it with Songkick. We'll send out notices via email, ask our friends, and blog to kingdom come. Still, bands really need the support of their venues. Local media are more apt to cooperate with bands in publicizing their events when the venue is also promoting them. If you want to see a really fantastic example of a local establishment who is doing it right, check out PJ's Lager House. Their website and approach is amazingly band-friendly. 
• Better booze selection. We live in Michigan, home to some of the world's best craft brews. We have traveled out of the country, even, and had beer enthusiasts light up when we mention we're from Michigan. Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor are Beer Destinations! Surely, the pig can tap into the offerings we have available locally. 

We're looking forward to spring, and all the fun things planned in the coming months. What about you?

Hamtramck Music Festival 2018

Lately, we've been checking out local bands to see what's out there, and with whom we might like to play shows. Huge music festivals really help. We were in Ferndale recently, and stopped at one of their record stores, where we picked up a flyer for the Hamtramck Music Festival. This is a goldmine of local talent. For us, it's a printed choose-your-adventure music list. Two bands that really stood out to us this year are Earth Engine, and The Savage Seven. Granted, we haven't been able to hear all the bands on the list, and not everyone has their music where it is easily found online (Bandcamp, Youtube, Spotify, Soundcloud, Reverb Nation). Still, this year's offerings sound really promising, and there seems to be a wider variety of genres represented.


Have you been to the festival in years past? Are you going this year? What do you think about it?


What's that? You don't know when it is? Well, it kicks off today. In fact:


http://2018.hamtramckmusicfest.com/


From their website:

"The 5th Annual
Hamtramck Music Fest

is a music event in Detroit’s beloved enclave of Hamtramck, March 1–4, 2018. Celebrating Metro Detroit’s diverse music community, audiences hop venue to venue via foot, car, or shuttle to experience live performances by over 162 bands in 21 of Hamtramck’s favorite bars, venues and restaurants. One $10 wristband provides three days and nights of live music for the community, with many shows 18 and up, as well as daytime performances for family audiences."