INSIDE: ‘Hairspray’ at Croswell n Poet Michael Hackney n ACGT n Jurich n McGinnis
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2 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
“I was just at home, practicing my new twist on The Twist.” — Link Larkin, “Hairspray”
STAGE: ‘Hairspray’ at the Croswell Opera House 4 MUSIC: Concert blends Persian, Western sounds 5 PUBLIC ART: ACGT calls for artists 7 WANDERING ROOTS: Jurich bugged by mosquito spray 8 VIDEO GAMES: Bravery and sacrifice in ‘Homefront’ 9 THE PULSE: Events Calendar 12 COMICS: Detroit’s Geoff Johns rocks DC Comics 14 POP GOES THE CULTURE: McGinnis wrestles CHIKARA 18
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Bridget Harrington and Lucas A. Wells IN ‘HAIRSPRAY’ • UMPHREY’S McGEE IN SYLVANIA • SHAYAN PARSAI • CHIKARA JUNE 22, 2011 • Episode 2 Chapter 25 • Toledo Free Press Star, Toledo, OH: “I think I’ve kind of been in a bubble, thinking that fairness was gonna just happen. It’s not.”
— Tracy Turnblad, “Hairspray”
Local poet to speak on bipolarity, creativity By Patrick Timmis Toledo Free Press Staff Writer ptimmis@toledofreepress.com
Michael Hackney loves to create. “My poetry means everything to me. I’m always thinking about my art,” he said. The 42-year-old local poet will speak on the link between bipolarity and art from 6-8 p.m., July 5 at Toledo’s Locke Branch Library. Hackney, who has bipolar disorder, will follow the talk with an exercise in free-writing poetry. Hackney said he will focus on the work of three “confessional” poets who struggled with mental disorders — John Berryman, Sylvia Plath and Robert Lowell. He will also speak on his personal journey with bipolar disorder, which he said is linked to his creativity. “Those of us with bipolar have experiences to talk about that normal people do not,” he said. “For instance, much of my subject matter deals with being in hospitals ... or being on a manic high when you feel like you’re invincible.” Hackney lacked direction in life until a Northview High School teacher introduced him to the works of a pioneer of American art. “I fell in love with Edgar Allan Poe when I was a kid,” Hackney said. “I wanted to be just like him.” He studied creative writing at Bowling Green State University and earned his master’s degree in liberal studies from the University of Toledo in 2007. He began writing poetry at BGSU, attracted by its freedom and spontaneity. Two books of his
Star of the Week
poetry have been published, “Learning to Write” in 2003 and “Mid-Western Shoes” in 2007. Hackney is working on a new collection of poems about all the girlfriends and lovers who have come into his life. He is also looking for an agent for his first novel, which he finished in January. “Abby Normal” is a love story about eight poets living in upstate New York during the 1980s, incorporating Hackney’s poetry into the plot.
Excerpt from ‘Abby Normal’ by Michael Hackney: “Just outside the doors of the public library, a handful of people are hovering about a standing ashtray; smoking and talking in hushed voices. A young boy in navy blue sweat pants checks his watch and smiles as Abby hurriedly approaches, flipping her sunglasses up into her shining auburn hair. Her eyes adjust quickly to the shimmering light. Everything around is lush and green and blooming, due to the perfect balance of sunlight and rain. Tiny, helicopter-shaped seeds are blowing into Abby’s bag as she reaches for a handful of pocket folders and a splotched and tattered notebook. Poetry is not a science, she thinks to herself: Poetry is made up of descriptive words charged with emotion. Free verse is a liberating and satisfying aesthetic, provided the stanzas are concise, uniform, consistent or strong, and not overly flowery. T.S. Eliot is superior to Whitman, but this should go without saying, Abby concludes. Anyone with a brain can see the obvious distinction.” O
5th Annual
Party @ The Park
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Michael Hackney studied at BGSU and the University of Toledo. TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR PHOTO BY LISA STANG
This Saturday, June25th, join us for our
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4 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
“Yesterday is history, and it’s never coming back!” — Motormouth Maybelle, “Hairspray”
Can’t stop the beat
Croswell Opera House hits it big with ‘Hairspray.’
By Jason Mack Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer jmack@toledofreepress.com
After playing every male character in “Spring Awakening” on Broadway, Lucas Wells is taking it easy playing only the lead role in the Croswell Opera House’s production of “Hairspray.” “I jumped at the opportunity,” Wells said. “I love this show, and I wanted to come home and see my family. I wanted to do a musical again, too. I hadn’t done one for a couple of months.” Wells, a Lambertville native, was not involved in theater while growing up. After playing in “The King and I” in the first grade, he didn’t perform until his sophomore year at Bedford High School. He dropped basketball to be in “Les Miserables.” He played the leads in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Footloose.” “In my senior year, I realized this is what I want to do for a living,” Wells said. “I didn’t do a whole lot of it growing up. I was in choirs. I learned how to sing that way and by listening to ‘N Sync.” He saw “Spring Awakening” during Christmas break of his freshmen year at Sienna Heights University. “It was the first Broadway show I ever saw,” Wells said. “I was sitting there thinking, ‘I can do this, too. I could be in this show’.” Wells and his roommate recorded an audition video in the girls’ bathroom in the performing arts center because of its good acoustics. After receiving dialogue and music from the show and sending in another video, he was flown to New York City for a series of seven auditions in four days. “It was pretty crazy,” Wells said. “[Composer] Duncan Sheik was there. He is one of my idols. It was very intimidating, but it was also one of the greatest experiences of my life.” Sheik must have liked what he saw, because Wells was cast as the understudy for every male role, a first in the history of Broadway. “It was crazy when they told me that’s what I’d be doing,” he said. “I was like, ‘Are you sure?’ I knew I could do it though. There was a bit of me in every one of those characters, so it wasn’t a stretch for me. Sometimes I felt a little schizophrenic. There
The cast of the Croswell Opera House production “Hairspray.” PHOTO BY Deveny Rosebrock
was a time when I played all six roles in a matter of a week and a half. It was pretty crazy.” The “Spring Awakening” tour ran from August 2008 until May 2010. Since then, Wells starred in “The Who’s Tommy” and performed in four Tennessee Williams plays. He also did a workshop for “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever.” He is going to England this summer to continue working on the musical and hopes to be cast when it hits Broadway this fall. The transition from Michigan to New York has been smooth for Wells. “I feel like I was born for it,” he said. “It’s really high paced, and I’m kind of a high-paced person. It’s non-stop auditioning. You always get more no’s then yeses, so you have to have thick skin. You never know what your next job is. It’s a little
TOLEDO
scary, but I like that.” Wells is also pursuing a career as an author with two plays in the works. The first is based on serial killer Dennis Rader and the devastation his children face after discovering his lifestyle. The other play is slightly more lighthearted. “It’s based off the funny stories of my family,” Wells said. “I come from a huge family, so I felt I had to write something about them. I’m the seventh of nine children with six boys and three girls. We’re all very close.” He plans to hold workshops for the plays in the fall of 2012, possibly at the Croswell. Wells also plans to write a musical with close friend and musician Sam DeArmond. Before tackling any of those projects, Wells has another week ahead as teenage heartthrob
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Link Larkin in “Hairspray.” “Link has been a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s not what I’m used to, because it’s a funny role. I’m not used to this lighthearted comedy. I usually do more serious acting. I’ve really enjoyed this. It’s a role I’ve wanted to play for a long time because it’s a cool singing role for a tenor.” Bridget Harrington, a junior at the University of Toledo, stars opposite Wells as his love interest Tracy Turnblad. “He’s easy to play off of with all he gives to the stage,” Harrington said. “I feel really good about the connection we have.” “Hairspray” plays at 8 p.m. on June 24-25 and at 3 p.m. on June 26. Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and students and $15 for anyone younger than 12. Visit Croswell.org for more information. O
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“If you protest ... J. Edgar Hoover will still be wire-tapping your cold body in the grave.” — Edna Turnblad, “Hairspray”
Kamancheh jam By Jason Mack Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer jmack@toledofreepress.com
Learning a new instrument is always challenging, but holding Skype lessons with the world’s best player never hurts. Shayan Parsai is learning to play the kamancheh from internationally acclaimed master Kayhan Kalhor. “That’s your idol,” Parsai said. “It’s Michael Jordan teaching you basketball. It’s a thrill for me.” Parsai, a senior majoring in pre-law at the University of Toledo, has played Western classical violin since the age of four. A couple years ago his father brought a kamancheh home from a trip to Iran, and he was hooked. “It gave me a feeling that the violin couldn’t,” Parsai said. “When you’re playing an ancient instrument like this, it’s almost like time travel. It’s a sense of home. It’s a sense of going back to your roots. For a Persian playing a Persian instrument, it’s gratifying to know you have such a rich historical background.” The kamancheh is a Persian bowed string instrument often referred to as a spiked fiddle. While Parsai still enjoys playing the violin, he prefers the loose nature of the kamancheh. “It’s a free-form instrument and is very expressive,” he said. “Unlike the violin, it becomes
TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JUNE 22, 2011 n 5
Concert will highlight new fusion of Persian, Western music.
more of a vessel and a part of your body. With the violin, you’re more worried about making a shift or a note. The kamancheh is not as strict. There is more room for creativity.” When he first took up the kamancheh, Parsai developed an intense interest in Kalhor’s music. “His sound was appealing because he studied music in the West and brought everything he learned to Iran and meshed it together,” he said. “It’s a new genre. It’s very Persian, but it uses several accents, trills and glissandos that are very Western in that they’re skillful, fast and intricate.” Parsai learned almost exclusively by watching YouTube videos of performances by Kalhor. “I’ve listened closely to all of his work,” he said. “I just watched. It helped me a lot to the point where I was exponentially better. I could see my progress from week to week.” His father suggested getting into contact with a master to further his learning, so Parsai sent a message to Kalhor on Facebook. He was surprised to receive not only a response but an offer to hold lessons via Skype. “‘It’s very humbling, and it makes you realize how much work he’s put into his career,” Parsai said. “It’s a unique experience for someone to work with an idol and accept them as a teacher. You put someone on a high pedestal, and you have to rise to the occasion to be able to be on their level. You have to put aside being starstruck
and the awe and shock of being with a legend. He really is a legend among instrumentalists.” To spread his love of Persian music, Parsai requested Kalhor stop in Toledo for a performance during his tour of the United States. Kalhor accepted and will perform at UT on June 24. “We tried letting him know Toledo is a young population that is willing to grow musically,” Parsai said. “We have many people from different ethnic backgrounds. This region is vast with a large variety of people. I’ve met many that are knowledgeable about Persian and Middle Eastern music in general. We told him the Midwest area is an untapped resource. He really wants to spread the culture and the music.” Parsai is preparing for law school, but he’s also determined to spread his culture. “My passion is definitely in music, especially Persian music,” he said. “I want to be a frontrunner in spreading its culture, language and history. I have other dreams and aspirations academically, but as far as music I don’t think I’ll ever stop. Regardless of what career I pursue, I will always be trying to perform.” He is spreading word of the concert with performances at college campuses such as the University of Michigan and The Ohio State University. “Kayhan is a virtuoso by every meaning,” he said. “I’ve never seen anyone with his abilities on any instrument. He has a vast love and a crazy
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Shayan Parsai knowledge for music. He is culturally and historically aware. He’s not a political performer, but politics is always mixed into the music. Through his music he hopes to move on the idea of peace, harmony and a new era of freedom.” The concert will take place at UT’s Doermann Theater at 8 p.m. Premium and handicap tickets are $40 for guests and $30 for students. Standard seating tickets are $25 and $20 for students. “There’s something about the kamancheh that really hits home,” Parsai said. “The deep, warm tones of the lower strings and the cry of the upper strings captivate me. It’s almost like a vocal performance. It will always be my favorite instrument.” O
6 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
“Things need to change, and I won’t stop trying to change them.” — Tracy Turnblad, “Hairspray”
SUPPORT THE OFFICER WILLIAM MISCANNON SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN MEMORY OF TOLEDO POLICE DETECTIVE KEITH DRESSEL
The 5th Annual
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Oscar Bunch Powertrain Park - 5444 Jackman Road Ride leaves at 11 a.m. Event is Rain or Shine! $25 single rider / $35 with passenger Cost includes t-shirt for all riders / passengers and lunch at the Oscar Bunch Powertrain Park following the ride. T-shirt sales online or by mail for $20 each!
EARLY REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED! Go to: WWW.RIDEFORKEITH.COM ALL MOTORCYCLES WELCOME! Contact Sara Shaw at 419.699.0577 or sara@rideforkeith.com The Keith Dressel Memorial Ride P.O. Box 167334, Oregon OH 43616 Proceeds go to the Officer William Miscannon Scholarship Fund at Owens Community College in memory of Det. Keith Dressel.
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Dark Knight makes room for the ladies By Jim Beard Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com
Batman seems to be faring better than some of his comic compatriots in the upcoming relaunch of DC Comics’ entire line of publications. Perhaps the only true sad note comes with the announcement that Scottish-born writer Grant Morrison, who has taken the Dark Knight to new heights in the past five years, will be flitting to other DC projects. Ed Katschke, comics guru of Monarch Cards BATGIRL and Comics and avowed Morrison fanboy, wasn’t too thrilled by the news. “One of the few trepidations I initially had concerning the upcoming DC relaunch was the disposition of the Batman family of titles,” he said. “Grant Morrison has been the driving creative force behind Batman since 2006’s ‘Batman & Son’ storyline and I didn’t want to see all of the effort he had put into the character arbitrarily wiped away because the rest of the DC line wasn’t
faring as well. Thankfully, Morrison’s take on Batman is, by all accounts, remaining mostly intact and while he’s not set to write any Bat-related titles we have the sweet promise of the return of his recent hit, ‘Batman Incorporated,’ to look forward to in 2012.” Katschke also applauds the news of the prominent place the ladies in Batman’s life will hold in the new DC universe. “The two Bat-related titles that I am most looking forward to are ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Batwoman’,” he said. “Batgirl has always been one of my favorite characters, whether as the crime-fighting Dominoed Dare-doll or as the information/computer guru to the superheroes known as Oracle. I’m excited to see how noted Barbara Gordon writer Gail Simone not only gets Babs back on her feet — she’s been in a wheelchair for years following an unfortunate altercation with The Joker — but how she will fit in with this daring new continuity and the villains she’ll be facing. “Batwoman is one of the best new/revamped characters to come out of DC during the last couple of years. She’s a fascinating and multifaceted addition to the Batman family. I’ve been champing at the bit to find out more about her and her supporting cast, and finally seeing the debut of her solo series after months of delays is exciting indeed. Of course, the fact that it is writer-artist J.H. Williams III bringing his amazingly distinctive illustrative style to the character makes the wait even harder to bear.” O
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‘Detroit sound?’ What’s that? The cries of people being mugged?” — Velma Von Tussle, “Hairspray”
ACGT seeks artist for public project By John Dorsey Toledo Free Press STAR Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com
Old Orchard has a rich history and a bright future filled with creative energy, which will soon have another example on display for all to see. The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo (ACGT) is putting out a call for qualifications from artists of all mediums for the Old Orchard Public Art Project. The project is being funded by the city’s One Percent for Art program and administered by ACGT through its Art in Public Places Program. The commission is open to artists in the following counties in Ohio, Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, Wood and Wyandot and Lenawee and Monroe in Michigan. All artists must be 18 years of age or older. The overall budget for the project is $20,000. The artwork should consider the history of Old Orchard, its natural setting, unique architectural characteristics and the proximity to the University of Toledo. “We chose the Old Orchard area because it was the only council district didn’t have any pieces created through the One Percent for Art program. That gave us a focus. The call is pretty open ended, but the public nature of the project
does lend itself better to certain mediums that are more durable. That said, we don’t want to exclude anyone. We’re primarily looking for a single artist, but are also open to groups who can work well together to best represent the community,” said Dan Hernandez, coordinator of art in public places for ACGT. Interested artists must submit a letter of interest, resume, 10-15 digital images, image list and three professional references. They may also include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of all materials, if requested and a statement of intent. Submissions will be judged by members of a design review board. Qualifications must be postmarked no later than August 26, 2011. Finalists will be asked to submit a proposal and will be notified of their status no later than Sept. 30. “By asking for qualifications from artists we are able to get a very clear idea of what it is they do and an insight into their creative vision. We try to be opened-minded as far as what we’re looking for because most of the time what the artist comes up with will be better than anything we could have ever envisioned.” The selected piece will be installed at the first median/planter along Kenwood Boulevard as it intersects Secor Road. For more information, call (419) 254-2787 or visit www.acgt.org. O
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8 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
“If you want to be famous, learn how to take blood out of car upholstery.” — Edna Turnblad, “Hairspray”
Mosquito spray is so last century
W
e always have something to complain about. It rains for three weeks and we think it’s ridiculous. When the clouds finally break and the sun blesses us with its glorious heat, we’re annoyed because it’s so hot. And so the story goes. We love summer, but those damn mosquitoes will make us grind our teeth, slap ourselves silly, itch our skin to shreds and curse to the high heavens. We hate them so much that we have decided to poison ourselves. Trucks cruise down the streets of Lucas County from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and spray our yards, gardens, animals, and us with toxins that damage four of our major body systems, poison our food, and threaten our ecosystem. After more than 60 years of mosquito spray in our neighborhoods, this method of mosquito reduction proves to be ineffective and unsafe. The spray is a contact poison, meaning it must come in contact with the mosquito to kill it, leaving many untouched including the larvae that are waiting in still water to add new mosquitoes to your yard. It lingers for up to a week in the yard (beware pets and children) and much of it can end up inside your home from carriers. Spraying is counterproductive as it also kills mosquitoes’ natural predators, including birds, bats, frogs and dragonflies, allowing mosquitoes to multiply faster than before. Many people hope that the mosquito spray is preventing mosquito-borne illnesses, how-
ever, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that 80 percent of the people bitten by West Nile Virus (WNV)-infected mosquitoes experience no symptoms at all and 20 percent get only mild to moderate flu symptoms. There were only four cases of WNV in Ohio in 2010 (no deaths) and only one in 150 people contracts a serious illness from mosquitoes if they are immune-deficient to start. According to the World STACY Resources Institute, spraying might actually make us more susceptible to WNV since the chemicals in the spray attack our immune system (in addition to our respiratory, nervous and reproductive systems). In a 2003 WNV study, the CDC stated that spraying from a plane or a truck was the least effective form of mosquito control. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, which can collect in buckets, tires, bird baths, bowls, low places, under hose leaks, etc. in your yard. They will live one to two weeks in the water before they hatch. Larvae will not survive
if there is motion in the water, from a pump from filter, for example, or if the water is emptied in intervals of less than one week. Fish, ducks, amphibians and bats will also feed on mosquitoes and their larvae. Moving water and adding predators are much more effective and healthier options of mosquito reduction! Even if spraying was effective, the associated health and environmental risks would not be worth it. Chlorpyrifos is the active ingredient in night-fogging spray and was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2000 from use in household products, but ironically is still used in the spray in our neighborhoods. The CDC found chlorpyrifos in 95 percent of tested Americans as of 2006. Sprayed toxins enter our bodies as we breathe it in from residues on our food in the farmers’ fields and our home and community gardens. Diseases linked to pesticides like chlorpyrifos include: ADHD, Alzheimer’s, asthma, autism,
JURICH WANDERING
ROOTS
birth defects, cancer, diabetes and more. Additionally, mosquito spray is contributing to colony collapse disorder, responsible for the disappearance of one-third of our honeybee colonies, on which we depend for all of our food. Section 921.24 of Page’s Ohio Revised Code states, “No person shall transport, store, dispose of, display or distribute any pesticide ... in such a manner as to have unreasonable adverse effects on the environment (land, air, humans ...)” Baldwin’s Ohio Revised Code states in Chapter 3719.30 that “no person shall leave or deposit ... poisons in a common street, alley, lane ... or a yard or enclosure occupied by another.” If the chemicals in mosquito spray are known to cause damage to our bodies, our ecosystem, children, are regulated against in the state code and are not proven to be effective in reducing mosquito count, why do we use them? Choose to opt out of having mosquito spray spread across your yard and into your home. Many homes and community gardens have already chosen to be chemical free. Since this is a spray carried through the air, encourage your neighbors to opt out and create a “spray-free” street and neighborhood in order to have the greatest effect. You can “say nay to spray” by calling Toledo Area Sanitary District (TASD) at (419) 726-7891. For more information visit sites. google.com/site/saynaytospray. O
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“Plastic little spastic.” — Penny Pingleton, “Hairspray”
Bravery, sacrifice color ‘Homefront’ By Michael Siebenaler Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com
Guerilla warfare in the USA becomes a reality due to a reunited-Korean invasion in 2013 in this warfare-action video game, which also has a newly reduced price. Kim-Jong-un leads the Greater Korean Republic occupation as electronic warfare, scattered U.S. military and the overall political atmosphere weakens our defenses. This cinematic, character-driven experience aims for more emotion with taut war scenarios on our home turf. The first-person shooter game, developed by Kaos Studios (“Frontlines: Fuel of War”) and published by THQ, centers on a poignant invasion story written by screenwriter John Milius (“Red Dawn,” “Apocalypse Now”). This military action shooter begins in Colorado, where the protagonist Robert Jacobs, a former Marine helicopter pilot, immediately finds himself in a survival situation. Even though Jacobs is recruited by a local resistance group, he quickly becomes a leader among Boone, Connor, Rianna, and Hopper, a Korean-American technical expert who creates an intriguing dynamic because his teammates discriminates against him because of his Asian heritage. Players might also find an extra emotional element similar to the Allies during World War II.
Betrayal, sacrifice and bravery all factor into the plot as characters mainly fight for survival while providing some support and completing secondary missions. Jacobs cannot take many hits, even on easier difficulty levels, but his team takes a lot of punishment, similar to the “Battlefield: Bad Company” games. Consequently, many players might adopt a “let your guys do the fighting” strategy, which does not always work. If others are yelling a lot, then it is not safe to go out into battle unless you have a specific plan. Some violent content is overly manipulative, like a passing scene where a child sees his parents murdered. The visual textures blend well into the environment, but the character animation is still a bit rubbery. The Golden Gate Bridge action sequence represents a great graphic highlight. This mode takes place before the U.S. military scattered. The mission-based gameplay offers 32 total players (16 on a team). Each version features seven maps with an extra “suburbs” map in the Xbox 360 version. The online pass is not required, but is definitely recommended for a noticeably expanded multiplayer gameplay. This recommended game is currently banned in South Korea and censored in Japan (***, rated M for blood, strong language and violence, also available on OnLive (North America), PC, and Xbox 360). O
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”Love is a gift, a lot of people don’t remember that.” — Motormouth Maybelle, “Hairspray”
Vision with direction By Alan Sculley
Toledo Free Press Star Staff Writer star@toledofreepress.com
Like many of today’s bands, Umphrey’s McGee has found itself debating the question of how to best release new music into the market. The band, which will play at Sylvania’s Centennial Terrace at 8 p.m. July 7, is rethinking how it will release a new batch of songs that will arrive this year. At the start of the year, the band had announced its intention to release its new songs in a series of three EPs over the course of 2011. According to keyboardist/singer Joel Cummins, that thinking has since changed. “This is something that has yet to be finalized, but we’ve really been searching for the right format to put out some new music,” he said in a recent phone interview. “As the music business and the way people digest music change, it’s something that we want to adapt to as well and really make it easy and fun for our fans.” Now, Cummins said, the band is leaning toward releasing an EP followed by a full-length CD, perhaps this summer. Releasing three EPs initially made sense, Cummins said, in that the new songs seemed to fall into three groups in terms of its style. But as the band continued to consider what the EP release plan involved, other factors seemed to suggest that grouping some songs onto an EP and then putting the others on a full-length CD made more sense. One issue that will influence how Umphrey’s McGee will ultimately release its new material will be whether the group signs a record deal. “We’re kind of shopping this stuff around right now to a few different indy labels that are interested in putting this stuff out,” Cummins said. “So once that gets determined, I think we’ll have a little more kind of vision with the direction.” This is not the first time Umphrey’s McGee — which includes Cummins guitarist/singer Jake Cinninger, singer/guitarist Brendan Bayliss, percussionist Andy Farag, drummer Kris Myers and bassist Ryan Stasik — has gotten creative in how it gets new music into the hands of its fans. The group’s 2009 CD, “Mantis,” represented
I
an experiment on two fronts. In general, in the years since the band formed in Chicago in 1997, it had road tested new songs on tour before they were released for any of the group’s first eight albums (two of which were live recordings). But for “Mantis,” the group decided not to play any of the new songs before the CD was released. “That was kind of a conscious effort for the first time for the band ever really to just drop an entire new batch of material on our fans and give them that experience, and let us try that out and see how that feels,” Cummins said. In addition to the CD itself, the group also put together a bonus program for fans who pre-ordered “Mantis,” in which over the next year, they received access to a wide range of bonus material that included unreleased songs, live recordings, photos and video clips showing how band members developed certain “Mantis” songs. “I think we were all really happy with how that went,” Cummins said. However the band chooses to release its new music, one thing that appears certain is that the songs will be varied and reflect the fact that Umphrey’s McGee has not been sitting still musically since finishing the “Mantis” project. Cummins hinted that a good chunk of the new material takes the band back toward the funkier, more groove-oriented sound that characterized the group’s early albums, as opposed to the heavier, more progressive rock sound the group explored on “Mantis.” “There are a couple of tunes that we’ve recorded that are in that heavier vein,” Cummins said. “That was going to be one of the EPs, some tracks that I think would probably fit in with the ‘Mantis’ material well. Then some of the other stuff is a little more dance-friendly, a little more women-friendly, one of those things that never hurts. We like to make music for dudes, but we like to keep the ladies happy, too.” Cummins said the new material, compared to the songs on “Mantis,” sounds a bit more spontaneous, free-wheeling and more like a live band performances. “The arrangements in general are a lot more open-ended with some of the newer stuff that we
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Umphrey’s McGee to play Centennial Terrace on July 7.
Umphrey’s McGee may release three EP recordings this year. PHOTO COURTESY UMPHREY’S McGEE
have,” he said. “The ‘Mantis’ stuff, there was a lot of lyrical focus as well. But there were a lot of little things that were going on and there was a lot of texture and a lot of depth to every track.” Fans can expect to get a sampling of the band’s yet-to-be-released new material on this summer’s tour, as Umphrey’s McGee began changing up its set lists at the start of the year. “We’re very fortunate to be in the situation of having a really nice large chunk of original music from which to choose whatever we want to play that night,” Cummins said. “So we always kind of take the end of the year and the beginning of the year as well to work in some new original music and some new covers, too.” The band continues to evolve its visual production, working closely with its lighting director.
“It’s evolved in a way that the band is really excited about,” Cummins said. “Jefferson Waful has been our LD now since late 2008. So 2009 was really a year of him learning a lot of the material and getting comfortable with it. “With all of the improvisation we do live on a nightly basis, we really need to have somebody who gets those subtleties of communication and what’s going on onstage, and can be right on top of it in the moment,” he said. “It’s not the kind of thing where the show is programmed and that’s how it’s played. So it really is a huge opportunity for creativity with the visual end, and Jefferson has stepped up and has been everything we hoped he would be. I know it’s a huge aspect of our show for the fans. They really dig the visual element of it, too.” O
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‘Real food’ guru By Amy Campbell SPECIAL TO TOLEDO FREE PRESS STAR star@toledofreepress.com
The group assembled in the Canadian Club Lounge at Caesars Windsor in late May was a mix of male and female, dressed up and dressed down, young and old, but they were all buzzing, enthusiastically accepting canapés as they kept one eye on the door. They might have been waiting for a political activist, guru or rock star, but the actual object of their anticipation was a combination of all three: Guy Fieri, the rock star chef who advocates feeding children “real food” and is a culinary guru to millions. Windsor was the third stop on Fieri’s 14-city roadshow, a mix of comedy and cooking with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude. At the pre-show reception in the Club Lounge, the Fieri faithful weren’t shy about their devotion. Tami Whittington came to Caesars from the Toronto area and was elated at the prospect of meeting the chef. Whittington runs the restaurant for the UPS logistics campus in Burlington, Ont., and said Fieri is a staff favorite. “This is a dream,” Whittington said. “My friend at work will never believe this. We talk about him all day long.” Fieri didn’t disappoint when he arrived a few minutes later in the California casual T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops that have become a trademark. He charmed the crowd, moving from table to table making easy small talk. To a woman wearing sequins he stopped and said, “Did you get dressed up for my show? Look how cute you are!” Before leaving the party, Fieri autographed copies of his latest cookbook, “Guy Fieri Food,” and posed for photos with fans. Fieri’s culinary career started in 1978 when the enterprising sixth-grader started selling soft pretzels out of a cart he and his father built; 20 years of restaurant experience and a trip to France later, he was a successful restaurateur in Santa Rosa, Calif. But the road to the Guy Fieri Road Show began in earnest when he won Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star” in 2005, launching his first Food Network show, “Guy’s Big Bite,” followed soon after by “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” In 2010, he made the crossover to network television as the host of NBC’s “Minute to Win It.” The Guy Fieri Road Show takes the personality TV viewers have come to love, backs it up with DJ Cobra providing music and sound effects from a booth onstage, and gives some cooking tips in the process. After an opening video promising, “This ain’t your mama’s cooking show,” Fieri came onstage with a squeeze bottle in each hand, squirting water high into the air before pointing out to one of his “krew” which sections should be fired on with a T-shirt
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cannon. Then he told his Canadian audience they were the first. “After the first tour, we knew if we were going to do another one we wanted it to be international. And Windsor, we’ve done it here tonight!” he said, ramping up the considerable energy in the room. The rest of the show was a runaway train of cooking and comedy, with the Caesars audience 100 percent onboard. Wearing a yellow and black chef ’s coat featuring a skull and crossbones topped with a chef ’s hat, Fieri delivered accounts of his childhood and his early restaurant experiences with the nuance and timing of a seasoned comedian. Recounting his first attempt at deep-frying a turkey, Fieri soon had the audience repeatedly inserting the phrase “ice cold beverage” with gusto, right on cue. Between his onstage stories and video clips of the “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” appearances of his sous chefs, Panini Pete, Gorilla and Stretch, Fieri gave short, sometimes interactive cooking demonstrations. Pouring olive oil into a skillet, he asked audience members what they noticed about the oil as he swirled it in the pan. “It’s slow!” one called back. “That’s right — that means it’s not hot enough,” he said, noting that the viscosity of the oil should be more like that of water. “It should be fast in the pan,” he said, putting the skillet back on the stove. “There will be a test on this later.” Loosely related to food was Fieri’s nod to his “Minute to Win It” fans, for which he pulled volunteers from the audience to participate in the show’s “Face the Cookie” challenge. Fieri narrated the action and the rest of the audience roared as eight fans used only their facial muscles to move two Oreos from their foreheads to their mouths. In addition to cooking tips, Fieri gave eating tips: Eat with your children and cook with your children to teach them healthy eating habits. In 2009, Fieri helped draft California legislation establishing the second Saturday in May as “Cook With Your Kids Day,” and earlier this year established the Cooking With Kids Foundation (www.cwkfoundation.org) to encourage healthy eating habits and strengthen family relationships by working together in the kitchen. “We’ve got to cook with our kids,” he told the Windsor audience. “We’ve got to show them where their food comes from.” Fieri’s 2011 Road Show coincides with the release of “Guy Fieri Food,” a 400-plus-page, hardcover cookbook peppered with stories — some of them stories he tells in the show — of Fieri’s culinary adventures and antics, from pretzel cart to roadshow. But sous chef Stretch, aka Jeff Rumaner, is happy to tell one story the book humbly doesn’t: the impact Fieri and his “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” has had on the restaurant business. “He’s done a lot for the mom-and-pop places,” Rumaner said. “He’s opened a lot of doors for a lot of people.” O
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Guy Fieri helped found ‘Cook With Your Kids Day.’ ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
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MUSIC The Ark This small venue offers a showcase for lesser-known acts. 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. (734) 761-1451, (734) 761-1800 or www.theark.org. O Jimmie Dale Gilmore & the Wronglers: 8 p.m. June 22, $20. O The Lloyd Cole Small Ensemble: 8 p.m. June 23, $25. O Livingston Taylor, Seth Glier: 8 p.m. June 24, $20. O Annie & Rod Capps, Jason Dennie: 8 p.m. June 25, $15. O The Waymores: 7:30 p.m. June 26, $15. O J.D. Souther, Jill Andrews: 8 p.m. June 27, $20. O Sara Swenson, Red Tail Ring: 8 p.m. June 28, free.
Bar 145 This new venue features burgers, bands and bourbon, if its slogan is to be believed. 5304 Monroe St. bar145toledo.com. O DJ J Wayne: Sundays. O Mike and Ty: June 22 and 29. O The Websters: June 23. O Downstroke: June 24. O Hang the DJ: June 25.
The Blarney Irish Pub Catch local acts while taking in the pub’s modern Irish and American fare. 601 Monroe St. (419) 418-2339 or www. theblarneyirishpub.com. O Dave Carpenter: June 23. O Hey Monea! June 24. O Regael: June 25.
Blind Pig A variety of rock, soul, pop and alternative acts perform at this bar. 208 S. First St., Ann Arbor. $3-$20 unless noted. (734) 996-8555 or blindpigmusic.com. O Scared to Death, Err …, Zombie Jesus & the Chocolate Sunshine Band, the Unfaithfuls: 9 p.m. June 22. O Blue Snaggletooth, Weisswolf, Hangers on: 9:30 p.m. June 23. O Harm’s Way, the Mike Hard Show, Ground Zero, the
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State: 9:30 p.m. June 24. O Tara Tinsley, Eric Tice, Jim Heines: 7 p.m. June 25. O Buttonsphere, the White Ravens, Snow People, the Greatest Hits: 10 p.m. June 25. O 2194, Reverend, Graders, Downriver Zero: 9:30 p.m. June 28. O Kaki King: 8 p.m. June 29.
Bretz Bar 2012 Adams St. (419) 243-1900. O Deja Dellataro and Felaciana Thunderpussy: ThursdaysSaturdays.
Bronze Boar Be sure to check out this Warehouse District tavern’s namesake, overhead near the entrance. 20 S. Huron St. (419) 244-2627 or www.bronzeboar.com. O Open mic night with Chris Knopp: Mondays. O Luke James: Tuesdays. O Jerod: Wednesdays and Thursdays. O Swamp Kings: June 24. O See Alice: June 25.
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Dégagé Jazz Café Signature drinks, such as pumpkin martinis, plus live local jazz performers. 301 River Road, Maumee. $5 weekends for cafe seating. (419) 794-8205 or www.degagejazzcafe.com. O Gene Parker & Friends: 7-10 p.m. June 22 and 29. O Jason Quick: June 23 and 28. O Jeff McDonald Group: 7:30-11:30 p.m. June 24-25. O Michael Peslikis: June 29.
The Distillery
Consider hopping the Detroit River for this casino’s entertainment offerings. Ticket prices, in Canadian dollars, are for the cheapest seats; attendees must be 19 or older. Caesars Windsor Colosseum, 377 Riverside Drive East, Windsor, Ontario. (800) 991-7777 or www.caesarswindsor.com. O Paul Rodgers: 9 p.m. June 25, $35. O Diana Krall: 9 p.m. July 1, $55.
Karaoke is offered Tuesdays, but paid entertainers rock out Wednesdays-Saturdays. 4311 Heatherdowns Blvd. (419) 382-1444 or www.thedistilleryonline.com. O Gregg Aranda: Tuesdays. O Dave Carpenter: June 22. O Calen Savidge: June 23. O Velvet Jones: June 24-25. O Kyle White: June 29. O DJ Brandon: June 30.
Centennial Terrace
Doc Watson’s
This venue next to a quarry hosts dance parties, swing bands and rockers. 5773 Centennial Road, Sylvania. (419) 882-1500 or www.ticketmaster.com. O Swingmania: 7-10:30 p.m. June 29, $8.
Named in honor of the owners’ forefather, this bar and restaurant serves a variety of dishes and entertainment. 1515 S. Byrne Road. (419) 389-6003 or docwatsonstoledo.com. O Andrew Ellis, Lucky Lemont: 10 p.m. June 24. O Ryan Dunlap: 10 p.m. June 25.
Caesars Windsor
Cheetah’s Den A different band performs each week. 702 E. Broadway St. (419) 754-1903. O DJ Lamont: Tuesdays. O Devious: Thursdays (also open mic night)-Saturdays.
Fat Fish Blue Serving blues and similar sounds, as well as bayoustyle grub. Levis Commons, 6140 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg. (419) 931-3474 or fatfishfunnybonetoledo.com.
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in-Bay and Kelleys Island! Congrats to Texaco Country Showdown qualifiers: Dee Cromly, Katie Jordan and Zachary Shaffer! O O Tantric Soul: 9:30 p.m. June 24 and 8:30 p.m. June 25. O VocallNKorporated: 11 a.m. June 25, $7.
French Quarter J. Pat’s Pub Live entertainment after 9:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. Holiday Inn French Quarter, 10630 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg. (419) 874-3111 or www.hifq.com. O Lazy River Band: June 24-25. O Green Eyed Soul: July 1-2.
Griffin’s Hines Farm Blues Club What started as house parties in a farmhouse basement evolved into Northwest Ohio’s legendary blues mecca. Billy Branch, 7 p.m. June 25, 3750 S. Berkey Southern Road, Swanton. $12. www.hinesfarm.com.
ICE Restaurant & Bar This local, family-owned enterprise offers food, drinks and music in a sleek atmosphere. 405 Madison Ave. (419) 2463339 or icerestaurantandbar.com. O Athena Johnson: 6 p.m. June 23. O Dan and Don: 7 p.m. June 24 and July 1. O Calen Savidge: 8 p.m. June 25. O Thornetta Davis: 6 and 9 p.m. June 30, $20-$25.
JJ’s Pub Live music is on Saturday’s menu; the genre varies, along with the cover charge. Karaoke is on tap 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, and a DJ starts spinning at 9 p.m. Fridays. 26611 N. Dixie Hwy., Perrysburg. (419) 874-9058 or jjsperrysburg.com. O John Barile and Bobby May: 8 p.m. June 28.
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Kerrytown Concert House
Spicy Tuna
Top of the Park
This venue focuses on classical, jazz and opera artists and music. 415 N. Fourth Ave., Ann Arbor. $5-$30, unless noted. (734) 769-2999 or www.kerrytownconcerthouse.com. O Hot Club of Detroit, Jon Irabagon: 8 p.m. June 23. O Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival: 8 p.m. June 24; 2 p.m. June 26.
This sushi bar offers occasional entertainment to accompany the fishy dishes. 7130 Airport Hwy. (419) 720-9333 or spicytunasushi.com. O DJ Jimmy James: 10 p.m. Fridays. O Karaoke: 10 p.m. Saturdays. O Jeff Stewart: 7-11 p.m. June 23.
Lair Lounge
Stella’s
Live music is offered on Saturdays. 3332 Glendale Ave. (419) 385-7850. O Crossover Band: June 25. Ronn Daniels performs weekly at this pub. 8-11 p.m. Thursdays, 141 Main St. (419) 697-6297 or www.toledomainstreet.com.
Nouveau cuisine gets a helping of music Thursdays through Saturdays. 104 Louisiana Ave., Perrysburg. (419) 873-8360 or www.stellasrestaurantandbar.com. O C.J. Manning and Leslie Lane: June 23. O Eddie Molina and Charlene Ransom: June 24. O Karen Harris and C.J. Manning: June 25. O C.J. Manning and Charlene Ransom: June 30.
Manhattan’s
Tequila Sheila’s
This “slice of the Big Apple” in the Glass City provides entertainment most weekends. 1516 Adams St. (419) 243-6675 or www.manhattanstoledo.com. O Vytas and Steve: 7-10 p.m. Wednesdays. O Open mic with Bread and Butter: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Mondays. O Dick Lange Trio: 6 p.m. June 23. O Stonehouse: June 24. O Daniel Isaac & Company: June 25.
A corner bar-type hangout with DJ-provided tunes on Saturday nights. 702 Monroe St. (419) 241-1118. O Open mic with Jason Kelley: 9 p.m. Thursdays. O Hip-hop night: 9 p.m. Fridays.
Part of Ann Arbor’s Summer Festival, these events feature lots of music and the occasional movie. Additional activities for kids (and their adults) are held at nearby locations. 5 p.m. (unless noted), University of Michigan’s Ingalls Mall, East Washington Street near Fletcher Street, Ann Arbor. (734) 994-5999 or www.annarborsummerfestival.org. O Monsieur Guillaume & His Zydeco Hepcats, October Babies: 6:30 p.m. June 22. O Laith Al-Saadi Trio, Billy Brandt & Sarana VerLin: 6:30 p.m. June 23. O Nathan K, Jim Roll, Delilah DeWylde and the Lost Boys, the Millionaires, Body Rock and Wally Sparks: June 24. O String Cheese, Royal Garden Trio, Funktion, NOMO, Subvader: June 25. O Patrick Elkins & the Rainbow Vomit Family Band; the Boogers; Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street: June 26. O Lake Folk, Mike Smith and His Cadillac Cowboys: 6:30 p.m. June 28. O Los Gatos, Zap Toro: 6:30 p.m. June 29.
Mainstreet Bar and Grill
The Village Idiot
A variety of genres to wash your drinks down with. Open mic nights, 9 p.m. Wednesdays, no cover; $5-$7 cover other nights. 602 Lagrange St. (419) 246-3466 or www.mickeyfinnspub.com. O Justajunkie Films: 8 p.m. Thursdays. O Brother, Rick Kurek: 8:30 p.m. June 24. O The Miracle Vitamins, the Ground Is Lava: 8:30 p.m. June 25.
Tunes combined with pizza and booze, some would say it’s a perfect combination. 309 Conant St., Maumee. (419) 8937281, (419) 740-2395 or www.villageidiotmaumee.com. O Old West End Productions: Wednesdays. O Bob Rex: Sunday afternoons. O The Eight Fifteens: Sunday evenings. O Frank May, Ben Barefoot: Mondays. O Mark Mikel: Tuesdays. O Wilbur Shaw: June 23 and 30 and July 1. O Reese Daily Band: June 24. O Ric Caswell Allstars: June 25.
Mutz @ The Oliver House
Webber’s Waterfront Restaurant
This pub offers handcrafted brews … and live entertainment. 27 Broadway Street. (419) 243-1302 or www. oh-maumeebaybrewingco.com. O Open mic hosted by Breaking Ground: 10 p.m. Wednesdays. O Karaoke: 10 p.m. Thursdays. O DJs Dirty Baby, APB, Russell Jones: Saturdays. O Breaking Ground: June 17. O Beg to Differ: June 24.
This Point Place eatery hosts weekly entertainment on its patio with a river view. 6339 Edgewater Dr. (734) 723-7411 or www.webbersrestaurant.samsbiz.com. O Junkanoo Brothers: June 26.
Mickey Finn’s
One2 Lounge at Treo Live music starts at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 5703 Main St., Sylvania. (419) 882-2266 or treosylvania.com. O Jason Quick Trio: June 24. O MightHaveBen: June 25.
Ottawa Tavern Casual meals with weekend entertainment. 1815 Adams St. (419) 725-5483 or www.otavern.com. O Hot Cha Cha, Prisoners: 10 p.m. June 22. O The Great Unknown, Kellen & Me: 10 p.m. June 23. O Great Lakes Crew: 10 p.m. June 24. O The Kickaways: 10 p.m. June 25. O Shivering Timbers, the Faux Paus: 10 p.m. July 29.
Pizza Papalis Get slices with a topping of entertainment. 519 Monroe St. (419) 244-7722 or www.pizzapapalis.com. O Don Coats: June 24. O Arctic Clam: June 25.
Robinwood Concert House A home for the avant garde and untraditional, this Old West End venue hosts artists on the experimental end of the musical rainbow. 9 p.m., 2564 Robinwood Ave. $5 donation. www.toledobellows.wordpress.com. O Bran(…)Pos, Robert Turman, Startless, Jason Soliday: June 23. O Trevor Watts, Veryan Weston: June 29, $10.
Wesley’s Bar & Grill A huge variety of beers helps wash down the entertainment. 1201 Adams St. (419) 255-3333 or wesleysbar.com. O DJs Folk, Mattimoe and Perrine: Fridays. O Kentucky Chrome: June 25.
Woodchucks The place to go for an eclectic mix of people and music. 224 S. Erie St. (419) 241-3045. O Karaoke: Wednesdays. O Crashdollz, FIRE, Downspeed: June 25.
Yeeha’s Country and rock with a little “Coyote Ugly” style. 3150 Navarre Ave., Oregon. (419) 691-8880 or www.yeehas.com. O Rayz: June 24. O Glasgow Kiss: June 25.
Zia’s This Italian restaurant hosts magician Andrew Martin on Sunday nights. The restaurant is open 4-9 p.m. Sundays, The Docks, 20 Main St. (419) 697-7138, (888) 456-3463 or www.ziasrestaurant.com.
Brown Bag Summer Concert Series Grab your ham (or veggie) sammiches and listen to some tunes while you digest. Vendors will be on hand for those who forget to pack! 12:15-1:15 p.m. Wednesdays, north lawn of Toledo Lucas County Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. (419) 259-5207 or toledolibrary.org. O Glinda’s Bubble: June 22. O Deep Water: June 29.
Music at the Market Weekly concerts will pierce the summer heat. 7 p.m. Thursdays, Commodore Park, Louisiana and Indiana. (419) 8732787 or www.perrysburgarts.org. O On the Beach: June 23.
Lunch at Levis Square concert series Downtown Toledo Improvement District conspires to set lunch to music. Noon-1:30 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 25, Levis Square, North St. Clair Street and Madison Avenue. (419) 249-5494. O Glass City Steel: June 23.
Levis Commons Summer Concert Series Northwest Ohio musicians will entertain near the boulevard fountain. 6-8 p.m., Town Center at Levis Commons, 3201 Levis Commons Blvd., Perrysburg. (419) 931-8888 or www. shopleviscommons.com. O Kelly Broadway: June 24.
Party at the Park The track hosts concerts before the evening’s harness races. 5 p.m. Saturdays, Raceway Park, 5700 Telegraph Road. $2. (419) 476-7751 or www.racewayparktoledo.com. O MAS FiNA: June 25.
Tuesdays, Trotter’s Tavern, 5131 Heatherdowns Blvd. (419) 381-2079 or (419) 708-0265. O Dixieland jazz: 5-7 p.m. June 23, Wolf Creek.
Sunset Serenades: Razor Sharp Objects A summer series that capitalizes on Olander Park’s lake views and natural accompaniment (geese and ducks are known to sing backup). 7 p.m.-dusk June 22, Nederhouser Community Hall, Olander Park, 6930 Sylvania Ave., Sylvania. $3 parking for non-Sylvania School District residents (or park at nearby Tam-o-Shanter and walk in). (419) 882-8313 or www.olanderpark.com.
Verandah Concerts The Fostoria Community Band will perform along the stately porch of the presidential center. 6:45-8 p.m. June 22, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Spiegel Grove, Hayes and Buckland avenues, Fremont. (419) 332-2081, (800) 998-7737 or www.rbhayes.org.
Kem This R&B/smooth jazz artist will be joined by Alex Bugnon. 8 p.m. June 24, TMA Peristyle, 2445 Monroe St. $49-$69. (419) 381-8551, (800) 745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
TMA concert Visual and audible arts combine for a new experience. Great Gallery (unless noted), 2445 Monroe St. (419) 255-8000 or toledomuseum.org. O All Chopin Evening by Irina Arbatskaya: 8 p.m. June 24.
Kevin Devine This award-winning singer-songwriter will lead a family singalong program called “Great Lakes, Great Songs.” www. toledolibrary.org. O 4 p.m. June 28, Washington Branch Library, 5560 Harvest Lane. (419) 259-5330. O 7 p.m. June 28, Sylvania Branch Library, 6749 Monroe St., Sylvania. Registration: (419) 882-2089. O 1:30 p.m. June 29, McMaster Center, Toledo Lucas County Main Library, 325 N. Michigan St. (419) 259-5207. O 4 p.m. June 29, Sanger Branch Library, 3030 W. Central Ave. (419) 259-5370.
BG & MORE
BOWLING GREEN
Courtyard Concerts
Grounds for Thought
Rock while you eat rolls at this series of lunchtime concerts. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesdays, Latham Courtyard, downtown Findlay. (419) 422-4624 or www.artspartnership.com. O Paul Franks: June 28.
This BG coffeehouse serves a mean brew of blues, jazz, rock and more by the world famous and locally renowned in an intimate setting. 174 S. Main St., Bowling Green. (419) 3543266 or www.groundsforthought.com. O The Student Loan: 7 p.m. June 23.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival mainstage events
Where other events at this seasonal soiree are free, these shows require ducats. Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor. (734) 764-2538, (734) 9945999 or www.annarborsummerfestival.org. O Los Lonely Boys, Alejandro Escovedo & the Sensitive Boys: 8 p.m. June 29, Power Center. $30-$45. O k.d. lang and The Siss Boom Bang, the Belle Brigade: 8 p.m. July 1, Hill Auditorium, 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor. $35-$75.
Swingmania With its focus on swing music, Jeff McDonald’s group of musicians provides a peek into another era, with music from bandleaders such as Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, the Dorseys and more. With combos from trio to full orchestra, the performers provide music for all occasions. (419) 7080265, (419) 874-0290 or www.swingmania.org. O Swing Revival Party: 8 p.m. Thursdays, South Briar Restaurant, 5147 S. Main St., Sylvania. (419) 517-1111 or (419) 708-0265. O Big Band All Stars: Dancing is encouraged. 8-10:30 p.m.
Grumpy Dave’s Comedy Nights This venue offers weekly humor-fests (maybe to make up for the crankiness). Above the Easy Street Cafe, 104 S. Main St., Bowling Green. $3-$5, unless noted. www. grumpydavespub.com. O Troy Davis, Ron Sweet: 9 p.m. June 28.
The Happy Badger This shop features fair trade foods and natural products, including talent, which will be featured in a series of musical brunches and dinnertime entertainment. 331 N. Main St., Bowling Green. (419) 352-0706 or www.happybadger.com. O Brian Lang Duo: 1 p.m. June 25.
Classified Hot Local Singles: 419-873-1200 Browse & Respond FREE Gay/Bi 419-873-3000 Use FREE Code 7744, 18+
14 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
”Right now, as we speak, your daughter has entered a hotbed of moral ... turpentine.” — Amber von Tussel, “Hairspray”
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Geoff Johns has the job he always dreamed of.
BLOODY MARY BAR SUNDAYS! STARTING AT 2 P.M.
(AP) Geoff Johns doesn’t wield a magical power ring. But he has something in common with Hal Jordan, the character played by Ryan Reynolds in “Green Lantern.” Jordan, a fighter pilot chosen as the first human to join the intergalactic Green Lantern Corps, can think of things and make them materialize. Similarly, Johns, 38, who’s originally from metro Detroit, always dreamed of seeing “Green Lantern” on the big screen someday. Now that day has arrived and he’s the film’s co-producer. “I am really, really happy with the movie,” he said by phone from Los Angeles, where his day job is being the chief creative officer of DC Entertainment and his night job is writing acclaimed comic books. A lot is riding, franJOHNS chise-wise, on how “Green Lantern” does at the box office this weekend. But already, an emerald-hued marketing blitz is under way. Besides the film, there’s “Green Lantern: Emerald Knights,” an animated movie just out on Blu-ray and DVD; “Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters,” a new video game; Green Lantern roller coasters, and an upcoming “Green Lantern” animated series for the Cartoon Network. Johns deserves much credit for reinvigorating the character, who while a mainstay in the DC comics kingdom never had the popularity of Batman or Superman. Johns brought back Hal Jordan as Green Lantern for DC in the mid-2000s. He rebooted the character’s origin story for a modern audience in “Green Lantern: Secret Origin,” which had a big influence on the movie. Fans of comics say Johns treats the DC universe with love and respect, and understands the history and personalities of the superheroes populating it. “It took a smart guy from Detroit to boil down decades worth of the world’s greatest comics to get to the essence of what super-heroes should and could be. Geoff didn’t reinvent the comic book wheel; he just reminded us why it rolls in the first place,” said Jim Beard, a comic book writer and columnist for Toledo Free Press Star. Friends say Johns is a nice, approachable guy who’s a walking encyclopedia of comics lore. Josh Hamman, a friend since the seventh grade, describes how Johns has a memory that sounds almost photographic. “Once he read a comic, he’d remember almost every detail of it,” said Hamman, a Web developer for Speedshape, which has offices in metro Detroit and elsewhere.
Drawn to DC Comics
Johns, who grew up in Grosse Pointe and Clarkston, was a comic book fan long before he was a star in that world. Whenever his family would go to Livonia to visit his grandmother, he says, he would stop by Classic Movie & Comic Center, a large store remembered fondly by generations of local fanboys. “Literally anything I could ask for, they would pull out. Whether I could afford it or not was another question. But I could at least look at it,” Johns said. Early on, he gravitated toward the world of DC, not its rival, Marvel, and was a fan of 1978’s “Superman” movie, two allegiances that would help shape his career. Hamman, also a DC fan, said he and Johns would sit around talking about which titles they’d write someday. He also recalled Johns and another friend creating their own comics series. After graduating from Clarkston High, Johns immersed himself in movies at Michigan State University, where he studied film and media arts. Geoff Murillo, a college friend and fellow member of MSU’s student filmmakers club, recalls how they would talk all the time about movies and read as many screenplays as they could find. “He and I put together some money so we could rent a Laserdisc player in Lansing, so we could see the wide-screen version of ‘Superman,’ which wasn’t on VHS, and ‘Jaws,’” Murillo said. After college, Johns headed for Los Angeles, where coincidence — or destiny — intervened. While cold-calling the office of “Superman” director Richard Donner, he was accidentally connected to the big man himself. “They transferred me to a bunch of people and he picked up. I got an internship that way. Pure luck,” Johns said. As Donner’s assistant, he worked on “Conspiracy Theory,” the 1997 thriller starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. When filming was taking place in New York, Johns gave a tour of the set to some DC guys as a thank-you for sending a book on conspiracies from a DC imprint. “They said, ‘Why don’t you pitch something to us? You sound like you love comics and you have a background in film.’ I was working 90 hours a week back then on the movie. It took me about a year until I had time to write.” DC liked what it saw. Johns started out writing “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.,” a 1999 comic book with a character inspired by his sister, who died in the TWA 800 crash. He also co-wrote “JSA” with David S. Goyer, an Ann Arbor native and Hollywood veteran who is writing “Man of Steel,” the next Superman movie. “It’s really kind of serendipitous that we get to continue to work together like this. People from Michigan know what I’m talking about. They’re just good, solid people,” said Johns, who remains a big booster of his home state. n JOHNS CONTINUES ON 15
“I’m a bad, bad girl who needs to be punished.” — Tracy Turnblad, “Hairspray” n JOHNS CONTINUED FROM 14 Eventually, Johns pursued writing full-time, accumulating a string of successes for DC. His fiveyear stint on “The Flash” and revamping of “Green Lantern” were notable assignments. He also worked on “Teen Titans,” “Action Comics,” which he co-wrote with Donner, and “Infinite Crisis.” The multifaceted Johns has an interest in television, too. He was a consulting producer and writer for Goyer’s TV version of “Blade,” has written episodes of the CW’s “Smallville” and was a staff writer for a season on Adult Swim’s irreverent “Robot Chicken.”
Keeper of the flame
In 2010, Johns was named chief creative officer of DC Entertainment, where he watches over “creative development, in conjunction with other Warner Bros. divisions, on film, animation, interactive and the creative on licensing,” he said. He plays a key role in preserving the image of characters and guiding their future as they move into other media. According to Johns, the most important thing is understanding the emotional and conceptual core of the characters and stories, so they can retain the elements that have resonated for generations with fans. “There’s a reason why these characters last and capture new readers every time they meet them and that’s the stuff you want to preserve.” You can see that philosophy at work in the “Green Lantern” movie, which, along with action scenes and special effects, explores a budding superhero’s psyche. When Hal Jordan is selected as
Green Lantern, he must face his fears and confront the meaning of courage. As a kid, Johns and his brother would talk about what Green Lantern would be like as a movie. Johns pictured the cantina scene in “Star Wars” with all the different aliens. “I thought, well, Green Lantern’s like that times a hundred. And they’re all wearing green and black uniforms. They’re space cops. The backdrop it has, the canvas you paint the stories across, is just gigantic.” Johns is a perfect conduit between comic books and other creative venues, says Rob Allstetter of Ann Arbor, producer of the Comics Continuum website and TV show that airs at 6 a.m. Saturdays on WMYD-TV in Detroit. “He understands comics (and fans) because he was one, he goes to conventions, he’s written comic books for years. But I think he also understands the mainstream media and reaching out to the general public,” Allstetter said. For the much-anticipated relaunch of the DC universe this summer, Johns is writing “Justice League,” “Aquaman” and “Green Lantern.” His pal Hamman says he’s one of the hardestworking people he’s ever met. “When you talk to him, he’s always got 50 ideas going.” The boy who loved comics has conquered their universe. Now Johns wants others to feel the same sense of wonder for the “Green Lantern” movie. “Green Lantern captured my imagination as a kid. To get Green Lantern out there and introduce so many people to it, along with a whole new generation of kids, that’s the thing I’m probably most excited about,” Johns said. O
TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JUNE 22, 2011 n 15
mexico
BRINGING THE FLAVORS OF
to northwest ohio
experience the
Northwest Ohioans have always enjoyed the hot flavors of Mexico, and our warm hospitality. Come to one of our restaurants and experience a delicious dining adventure tonight!
Loma-Linda’s
“BIEN VENIDOS AMIGOS”
Specializing in Mexican Food since 1955
419-865-5455
10400 Airport Hwy.(1.2 Mi. East of the Aiport) Lunch & Dinner, 11 a.m. to Midnight Closed Sundays & Holidays
BARRON’S CAFE
Everything Mexican From Tacos to Enchiladas to Delicious Burritos
419-825-3474
13625 Airport Hwy., Swanton (across from Valleywood Country Club) Mon. - Thurs. 11-11 p.m. Fri. - Sat. 11-12 a.m. Closed Sundays and Holidays
• 20TH ANNIVERSARY •
THE ORIGINAL MEXICAN RESTAURANTE & CANTINA IN TOLEDO
419-841-7523
7742 W. Bancroft (1 Mi. West of McCord) Mon. - Sat. from 11 a.m. Closed Sundays & Holidays
ARTURO’S
FRITZ & ALFREDO’S Original Recipes from Both Mexico and Germany
419-729-9775
3025 N. Summit Street (near Point Place) Mon. - Thurs. 11-10 p.m. Fri. - Sat. 11-11 p.m., Sun. 3-9 p.m. Closed Holidays
Casual Dining • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
ParkSmart multi-level parking garages are conveniently located close to the Huntington Center, SeaGate Convention Centre, Fifth Third Field, Imagination Station, Valentine Theatre, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Promenade Park on the Maumee River. When you plan your next visit to downtown Toledo check out our website: www.parksmart.org Downtown Toledo Parking Authority • 227 North St. Clair Street • Toledo, Ohio 43604 • 419-242-7515
16 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
”You can’t stop my happiness, ’cuz I like the way I am.” — Edna Turnblad, “Hairspray”
Join us for Sunday Brunch
®
Upcoming June Jazz Schedule
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July 1st & 2nd:
THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY:
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July 1st & 2nd:
Paul Vornhagen
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Ghoulwill Ball Goodwill to host Halloween fundraiser based on costume theme, ‘Resurrecting the ‘20s.’
By Zach Davis Toledo Free Press Staff Writer zdavis@toledofreepress.com
Goodwill Industries of Northwest Ohio will celebrate the Halloween season by scaring up a new Toledo tradition. “The Ghoulwill Ball” will take place at the Heather Downs Country Club on Oct. 28 and will feature music, food, a casket raffle, a cash bar and other surprises. The inaugural theme will be “Resurrecting the ’20’s.” “We wanted to come up with a signature event that happens every year that people look forward to,” Director of Development and Marketing Mark Harris said. “We wanted to have a ball that would be affordable to most everybody to come and have a really good time while benefiting HARRIS Goodwill and helping put people to work.” Goodwill serves 13 counties in Northwest Ohio. Their program selling clothing donations back to the public gives back 84 percent of proceeds to help the less fortunate in part by improving employment numbers. “Unlike other organizations we don’t have tax levies and we don’t go to you,” Harris said. “We ask you to donate your used clothes. We sell those and use those funds from the stores to provide job training, job placement and create job streams to individuals with barriers to employment so that they don’t have to be on public assistance.” The idea for the Ghoulwill Ball in Toledo began originally in Texas six years ago. The Goodwill in Austin designed the original
Ghoulwill Ball, creating a Halloween celebration which would take place annually in a haunted hotel. “It’s grown to be a huge social event within the community and that’s the kind of thing we want,” Harris said. “When we have an event like this, you are really helping put people in Northwest Ohio to work and that’s what it’s all about.” Although the Heather Downs Country Club is not a hotel, Harris said it was the exact type of facility they were looking for. The Club will also provide the food through its catering service, Catering by Scott. “The whole place will be decked out to look like an old abandoned haunted mansion,” Harris said. “It’s just a beautiful, old type of building. “We thought ‘This is the feel. It looks like a mansion from the 1920s,’ which was when it was built.” Harris has also suggested adding to the fun by recommending that the visitors can find their costumes at Goodwill. “We encourage people to shop at their local Goodwill, put together the costumes with stuff they find there,” Harris said. “You don’t have to but it makes it even more fun. Again, everything that you spend there helps put people to work.” Tickets for the Ghoulwill Ball will cost $50 for a single ticket, but will cost $45 each if you buy two or $40 each for a group of four or more. “There will be a whole story built around the thing,” Harris said. “There will be dancing, food is included, there’s a cash bar and all kinds of surprises that happen. We want it to become something people really look forward to.” For more information on the event, call (419) 255-0070 or email Mark Harris (mharris@ goodwillnwohio.org) or Sheila Miano (smiano@ goodwillnwohio.org). O
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“Would you keep that racket down? I’m trying to iron, here!” — Edna Turnblad, “Hairspray”
TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM / JUNE 22, 2011 n 17
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1996 TOYOTA AVALON XLS Auto, Air, Burgundy...............................Was $5,125 2001 CADILLAC DEVILLE DHS Loaded, White .................................Was $8,995 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY SE Loaded, Black ........................................Was $11,200 2003 TOYOTA RAV4 Fully Loaded, Black.........................................Was $12,110 1996 NISSAN 300ZX TURBO Loaded, Red .....................................Was $12,995 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE Auto, Air, Silver ......................................Was $13,995 2003 MERCEDES BENZ ML350 Loaded, Silver ..............................Was $14,815 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA LE Well-Equipped, Silver .........................Was $16,210 2006 BUICK RENDEZVOUS CXL Equipped, White ..........................Was $18,365 2006 BMW X3 3.0i Loaded. Silver ..................................................Was $22,025
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18 n JUNE 22, 2011 / TOLEDOFREEPRESS.COM
Catch “Jedi of Pop Culture” Jeff McGinnis Tuesday mornings on 92.5 KISS-FM.
CHIKARA returns I
A publication of Toledo Free Press, LLC, Vol. 2, No. 25 Established 2010. Thomas F. Pounds, President/Publisher tpounds@toledofreepress.com Michael S. Miller, Editor in Chief mmiller@toledofreepress.com EDITORIAL
Mary Ann Stearns, Design Editor mastearns@toledofreepress.com James A. Molnar, Lead Designer jmolnar@toledofreepress.com Brandi Barhite, Associate Editor bbarhite@toledofreepress.com Sarah Ottney, Special Sections Editor sottney@toledofreepress.com Chris Schmidbauer, Sports Editor cschmidbauer@toledofreepress.com Lisa Renee Ward, Web Editor star@toledofreepress.com ADMINISTRATION
Pam Burson, Business Manager pburson@toledofreepress.com CONTRIBUTORS star@toledofreepress.com
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Charles Campos (419) 241-1700, Ext. 227 ccampos@toledofreepress.com
Toledo Free Press Star is published every Wednesday by Toledo Free Press, LLC, 605 Monroe St., Toledo, OH 43604 • (419) 241-1700 Fax: (419) 241-8828 www.toledofreepress.com. Subscription rate: $100 /year. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright 2011 with all rights reserved. Publication of ads does not imply endorsement of goods or services.
n the summer of 2010, the independent wrestling company named CHIKARA ran several shows in the Midwest, including its first appearance in Michigan. Speaking then with Toledo Free Press Star, the company’s co-founder and owner, Mike Quackenbush, said expanding to new areas was always a gamble for a small JEFF promotion like his own. But the gamble paid off, and now CHIKARA will return to the Midwest starting on June 24 with a show in Chicago, followed by stops in Taylor, Mich., on June 25 and the greater Cleveland area June 26. “I don’t know that the Midwest would humor us more than once a year, but an annual visit doesn’t seem to hurt,” said Quackenbush in a recent interview. Last year’s shows had the added benefit of appearances by former-and-future WWE star Bryan Danielson, who had been controversially released just days before. But Quackenbush said that he felt CHIKARA’s brand of wrestling was more than capable of bringing in audiences even without Danielson on this year’s cards. “I think people come to see our brand because they like what we do. I don’t doubt that many people gave us a look thanks to the fortunate timing of that, but people come back to see us again and again because they grow attached to our overall aesthetic, more than to a single performer,” he said. With gleefully over-the-top characters, an emphasis on being family-friendly and more, CHIKARA’s unique product indeed sets it apart from much of modern wrestling, and has led to the company drawing an increasingly devoted base of fans. Major events like this April’s “King of Trios” have been some of the company’s most successful to date, with “KOT” becoming CHIKARA’s best-selling DVD ever. “It’s a great vote of confidence from the fans out there,” Quackenbush said of “Trio’s” success. “This is their stamp of approval. Those numbers don’t lie. People really, truly enjoyed this event, maybe more than anything else we’ve done in 10 seasons.” But for all the highs CHIKARA has seen in the past 12 months, there has been one tragic low. Alex Whybrow, who trained with the company and performed as “Larry Sweeney,” tragically passed away in April. Whybrow had appeared for CHIKARA as recently as last November. “We’ve never weathered something quite like this. But the CHIKARA family is stronger for having to face this down together,” Quackenbush said of Whybrow’s passing. “We’ve lost a brother.
And we all wrestle with the sadness, the guilt, the anger, all those crazy emotions that come with it, and we face it down together. We cherish each other a little more these days, because we all see how fragile our existence is. And we all hope to never suffer something like this again.” The company’s major storyline event of 2011 — a months-long tournament to determine the first CHIKARA champion — has been dedicated to Whybrow’s memory. The company has existed for nearly a decade, which seems like a long delay before finally crowning its first champion, but Quackenbush said the wait was by design. “For me personally, I always find it laughable when a wrestling company crowns a champion on its first card. What are you the champion of then? An organization that is three hours old? Show some longevity. Evince
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Quackenbush brings unique vision of wrestling to Ohio and Michigan. some tenure first. This is our 10th season. We’ve built a global brand with an identity and vision uniquely ours. It’s time for one person to emerge as the champion of what we’ve grown into.” That identity is often at odds with the expectations of “mainstream” wrestling, which suits Quackenbush and his company’s fans just fine. “I tried to watch some WWE a few weeks back, to see if Mistico would be on, and I wanted to claw my eyes out before the first commercial break,” Quackenbush said. CHIKARA definitely does not present the same product as WWE — nor does it want to. “We are a lot like college radio,” Quackenbush said. “There are ideas out there, maybe just outside the mainstream, worthy of attention. Worthy of experimentation. Not everyone listens to Top 40 FM radio. Not everyone listens to the same band, over and over and over. “That’s like watching WWE and nothing else. It’s bland, it’s middle of the road, and maybe, it’s a little played out. But there’s something fresh waiting just down the dial, if you dare to turn it. There is more than one approach to the prowrestling performance genre. If we can open people’s minds to that, then we are doing something of real value.” O Email Jeff at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com.
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