OK, so that title might be a little melodramatic in connection with the recent news that Prussia has decided to call it quits. These guys aren’t dying or anything. Their band is breaking up and they’re working on new projects – cool stuff from what I’ve heard so far. However, let’s admit that for those of us who had the pleasure to watch this band progress over the last 4(?) years, it’s hard not to be a little sad. Partially, this is because if you ever got the chance to see them play you’d know that it felt like you were part of something special. That feeling never went away, and I’m positive it’ll still be there, stronger than ever, for their final shows this weekend. But I guess another reason for the sadness might be how much we believed in them. Over the last year, it seemed impossible that this band that everyone held so dear in Detroit would not be equally embraced by the rest of the world (at least in the world of Indie). And yet, while that would’ve been nice for them of course, I realize it really wouldn’t matter much to me. In fact, I’m sure I’d feel a bit crazy and protective if they ended up on Conan, earning an even larger audience of screaming teenage girls.
But I’ll save the fancy speech and soliloquies (too late) for an actual writer. Here we make videos. Not always good ones, but sometimes decent ones that just never get seen. If in ten years someone were to ask me what our time and place in Detroit was like, and likewise what it was like to have a band such as Prussia making music around us, I could point to this video.
We had arranged for the band to play a few songs around the Russell Industrial Center – the freight elevator, the alleyway, the bathroom! – and that evening culminated with an intimate performance for family and friends inside the Silent Giants’ studio. Of course we had to complicate things by only using candlelight (which at the last minute meant we had to scrape together as many lanterns as we could find) so it’s a bit dark. However the outcome that evening was a Prussia show for their fans unlike any other.
Also, this has to be my absolute favorite version of this song.
OHTIS was one of those bands that suckerpunched me and most of my friends when we first heard them. I still have never heard more honest lyrics in my entire life. Upon being introduced to OHTIS, I realized right away that Single Barrel Detroit couldn’t just be about filming Detroit artists. We had to make exceptions.
If you know anything about the band and what Sam Swinson often sung about, you’ll realize why we filmed this in an abandoned church. I had “visited” the church a couple days prior to us filming and, fuck, talk about a scary experience. Nothing is more creepy than exploring an old abandoned church (alone), and on top of that, there was so much stuff left there that didn’t make sense. It really was a disorienting experience. Old pictures and computers and children’s toys and Bibles, falling church pipes and a vacant pulpit. Everything was staring at me. I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
The issue was that the day of the shoot it was raining, inside the building as well as out. That would have been cool if not for the fact that it was extremely dark as a result. Most of what we had planned to capture was impossible to film.
This video just barely got scrapped, partially because it was so dark, and also because there was a bit of interference on the microphones. However, watching it now and looking back I think it’s beautiful. Just Sam and Adam, as it often was. And it’s just like Sam to critique his performance with a “Meh” right after he’s managed to break your heart yet again.
p.s. My favorite part is seeing Sam’s breathe as he sings. Another really cold day.
Today we turn 3 years old! To celebrate, for the next few days we’ll be releasing a few outtake videos (one per day) that for one reason or another never saw light.
It just seems appropriate to start off with the very first shoot we ever embarked on.
Hard to believe but it was three years ago today that we convinced Charlene Kaye and bandmate Taryn Wood to follow us into the abandoned Lee Plaza Hotel for what would become the first installment in the Single Barrel Detroit series. We were always very fond of this particular video, but were forced to omit it from the original set for no better reason than we simply ran out of time when our website launched. After that, we just never got around to posting it.
What’s special about this video is that Charlene and Taryn didn’t even know they were being filmed at first. It was the end of the day, the temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees (which meant it was probably 10 degrees period) and we had asked Charlene just to mess around while we got some cool shots from across the roof. What ensued was an impromptu performance that truly captures the excitement of a spontaneous SBD film shoot. I love that you can see the cars on the Ambassador Bridge. I laugh when they laugh because I know they can’t feel the fingers playing their instruments. But in my opinion, the tail end is the best part. DP Mike Berlucchi managed to find some amazing shots of the city battling equally amazing silhouettes of Charlene.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. took a break from their tour to perform “Simple Girl” on Conan last night. Dressed to the nines, Josh got to display to all of TBS land his superior whistling skills and weirdo tele-microphone while Daniel bore a striking resemblance to that other guy in the commercials that aired in between.
Wow! Time flies. Nine months ago we told you about an ambitious cross-continent documentary undertaking from Mr. Philip Lauri of Detroit Lives! and camera compadre, Steve Oliver. We had high hopes, and based on the trailer below, it appears well worth the wait. Thankfully the tease is short-lived and you’ll be able to see the film in its entirety in less than a month at a premiere screening in the DIA’s Detroit Film Theatre (nice!). Follow the links below the video to purchase tickets and get more details on this much-anticipated film. See you there!
(not-so) Local music duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. placed in both Paste Magazine’s 50 Best Albums and 50 Best Songs of 2011 – an incredible feat for some homegrown talent. It’s a Corporate World was #6 on the list, while the single Nothing But Our Love came in at #14.
I know…rock lists are lame. But we can’t help but be excited for the Jr.’s and their success.
Charlie Slick crashes TEDxDetroit is the latest installment in our Tumbleweeds series.
Last week we met up with Charlie and Molly. They had no idea where we were taking them. In fact, the only information they were given was to bring whatever gear they could carry and to be ready to play. We learned a few things along the way such as … don’t send Charlie vague emails – he won’t respond. Also, it seems that Charlie has a unique way of critiquing art that could only be expected from a performer of his prowess.
Filmed and edited by Erin Curd. Sound by Andrew Smetek.
We hope you enjoy!
TEDxDetroit is a localized version of the annual TED event that invites creative minds to come together and share their ideas and talents.
Some of you have already had the pleasure of hearing Prussia’s Poor English from end to end – a must if you want to experience this creation as the band intended.
For the rest us, Tuesday marks the day we can all have the full 11 tracks in our possession.
So head here at midnight to download Pt.3 and make plans to hit their album release show @ the Old Miami on 11/11/11.
Any bets on what time they’ll take the stage that night?
The first part of Prussia’s much anticipated Poor English is available now! Head over to http://prussia.bandcamp.com and pay-what-you-like for the download.
Poor English is a three part affair, and each will be available in 10″ vinyl + digital download for 7 american dollars.
Take a trip with J. Anton Blatz and Rene Wymer as Chapter 6 in their Adventures close to home series finds them wide-eyed on the set of our upcoming Four Films project.
Enjoy the piece HERE and keep an ear turned for news on the release.
What can Detroit learn from Lodz, Poland? Lots. And the multi-tasking and multi-talented positivity generator otherwise known as Philip Lauri and Detroit Lives! plans to bring that discovery to life. In collaboration with filmmaker Steven Oliver, DL! will burst open the dialogue around post-industrial cities by uncovering the connections between this once textile powerhouse of the Russian Empire and our very own Motown, USA.
We’ve kicked in and we encourage you to watch the video below, then head over to the project page on kickstarter and do the same.
A while back we filmed legendary Motown Funk Brother Dennis Coffey onstage with Mayer Hawthorne at the Majestic Theatre. Thanks to STRUT and !K7 Records for putting this together. We hope you enjoy!
(onstage footage shot by Erin Cosens and Mike Berlucchi)
Look for Mr. Coffey’s new album, featuring a collection of great artists including Detroit’s own Mayer Hawthorne, Mick Collins (Dirtbombs) and Rachel Nagy (Detroit Cobras), dropping April 26 on STRUT.
The boys at Progress Report have been busy (we’ll spare you an unoriginal pun). Their album comes out this Friday, and to celebrate they’re throwing an album release party which will also serve as a kickoff for a month long tour. In addition to that, they have a new website which has already made friends with our website and wants to meet your website and produce little website spawn. The internet is so damn sexy that way.
The gentlemen(!!?!!) at Five Three Dial Tone Records did a great job of compiling a new record of all White Stripes covers done by some of the best of the local Detroit scene. We think it’s awesome and so should you. Word on the street is that they’ll be handing these out in cassette format at this year’s Blowout so try to get your hands on one before they run out.
In an effort to help lift one of our favorite Detroit bands to the point of national attention, we’ve decided to embark on an ambitious 2 month-long film project.
Its creation will feature the bountiful time, care and craft of many in Detroit’s artistic community and will be filmed at a richly-historic Detroit location.
We want to keep the mystery band a surprise for as long as we can…but we can give you a few clues: They are one of the most talented bands in the city – hands down, they’re unsigned, and they will soon be releasing their first ever studio album.
You can trust us on this one.
For more details on the project, please visit our KICKSTARTER page
We truly appreciate your help in spreading the word!
Photographer Cybelle Codish, who shot the stills for our Satin Peaches series, is having her work displayed at The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Read all about her recent successes!
D. Allie (United States of Mind) is getting the word out about his latest project Progress Report in an effort to help fund the album. We figured we’d let him tell you in his own words what they’re asking…
“Peace my people,
D. Allie here. Some of you may know that we have been running a kickstarter campaign for the last month to raise funding for our debut album and if you don’t know, now you know. There are rewards at each level of funding. For example, at $10 you get a copy of the album so this can really be considered a pre-purchase for the album. Furthermore, if you’re local to the Detroit area that also gets you free admission into the Album Release Party which will be March 25th @ The Magic Bag Theater. If you can donate or help spread word in any way at all words cannot describe the level of appreciation. Below are links to a Free Download of our 7 inch which we released late last year and a link to the music video for our lead single. I hope this message finds you all in good health. Thanks for all you have done for us thus far, and thanks in advance for all you may do.”
A collective effort out of Brooklyn NY, Green Screening is interested in redefining the music video while supplying their audience with a unique way of experiencing live music. By filming bands in front of a large – you guessed it – green screen, and adding visual stimulants later, you can experience a great band summiting Everest with guitars and foot pedals in tow. About a month back they featured Detroit’s own Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr in all their NASCAR glory. Check it out and then check out the behind-the-scenes of the production.
Following their outdoor performance in front of Michigan Central Station, we sat down with the band LIARS and discussed their latest album, the creative process, working in LA and possibly recording in Detroit! A special thanks to Chris Koltay and Sarah Vaughn.
filmed by Mike Berlucchi
second camera J. Groth
edits by Patrick Duffy
As one of the main musicians behind monster-contest-winning band The American Secrets, indie 5 piece The Great Fiction, and of course one half of sky’s-the-limit duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., local artist Daniel Zott has most certainly had his hands full. On top of all the group action this year, he also added a trio of releases to his growing solo catalogue.
So I guess it only makes sense that we’d wake up early this morning and find yet another new release waiting for us in our inbox. This time, a seasonal gem, 13 Christmas classics that he’s made very much his own.
Here’s the message from Daniel himself:
Happy Holidays,
I would like to give you a FREE gift for supporting my art this year.
I made it last year as a gift for my fiancée and we didn’t want to keep it to ourselves. I hope it makes you smile, dance, and sing around the house and in your car this cold winter. Feel free to share it with your friends and family.
We attached a helmet cam to Detroiter Amy Kaherl to capture her journey. Read her sentiments below and check out the video cut by Philip Southern.
(photo courtesy of the Detroit Free Press)
Riding my bike in Tour de Troit seemed to be a no-brainer as I tend to ride as much as I can. I ride my bike in the city more than I drive and so it was fun to be a part of a group of over 3000 to ride for 30 miles around Detroit. I moved to Detroit this year after being outside of it for the last ten. I passed by my bars, restaurants, art projects, and even neighborhood. I went through parts of town I had never seen before and rode my bike over the Belle Isle Bridge, one of my favorite parts of the city. The ride was beautiful, the wind at times so strong. There were moments that I ran into friends and times when I rode it alone. I became recognizable because there were large pink feathers on top of my helmet coupled with a feather entwined rat tail.
Maybe I see the potential beyond the decay. I have become more alive, more self-assured, and more aware of myself and my neighbors in the short time I have lived here. I ride my bike. Create art within a community context. Play some records. Create Shenanigans. All in all it’s pretty fantastic.
After his screening in Montreal, French film Director, Florent Tillon traveled to Detroit with his film DETROIT WILD CITY. The film has received global attention and was recognized at the International Festival of Montreal. Tillon used his time spent in Detroit in 2008 and 2009 to capture what he viewed as the essential beauty of a real city. His memories, such as the trees that used to adorn the rooftop of the now deceased Lafayette Building and the people whom he met showed true signs of survival. Though released during a period where many other films are showcasing the “Urban Ruins”, Tillon’s approach sets his film apart from the others. When we sat down to talk about the film with Florent and his team of two (Assistant Director Francois Jacob and sound artist/recordist Helene Magne), it felt as though we were catching up on an old friendship, and the friendship was our city.
SBD: Lately Detroit has received much attention. It seems like some comparisons are being made between the Palladium Boots series, DETROIT LIVES and your body of work. What is your reaction to that?
FLORENT: It’s normal. Is the question what do I think of the other?
SBD: I suppose I am asking because I do not feel that your film should be put on the same level as the boot commercial.
FRANÇOIS: For me, [Florent’s] film would not be an advertisement.
FLORENT: Well, we did sell some t-shirts.
FRANÇOIS: DETROIT LIVES, for me, what the whole film is relying upon is to give people a little pang in the heart, reenacting all the founding myths of Detroit, but these are done in a Cadillac while driving by. Everybody is an entrepreneur in the movie. It feels to me like they are selling an idea of Detroit. The fact that they emphasize this is even more depressing.
SBD: The reason I ask is that the direction the Detroit Lives crew took is very obvious. They took a specific path that offered them what they wanted to show about the city. You obviously chose a different path, no?
FLORENT: Some characters we shot were the same, Larry, East Town Theatre…
SBD: And with Larry it was really the first mention of the repopulation of Detroit
FRANÇOIS: ‘The White kids’, laughing
FLORENT: Yes, he’s obsessed with that
SBD: But in all fairness, after 60 years of white flight all of a sudden the kids from the suburbs are coming down in hordes to certain areas. It seems like you chose to not necessarily exclude that part of it, rather to focus on the pioneering and the people who were already there and are making do with what they have. What is the reason you went that way?
FLORENT: There [are] two parts of the film that are connected, the first part is when someone is explaining what happens when the houses or the factories are abandoned: there are the plants, after that there are the insects. They are very tiny elements but when they spread, when they occupy the space, they begin to open the gate for the larger animals. The larger animals come because there are resources; they rebuild nature so the biggest animals can come and feed themselves. The other part is the pioneers and the settlers. The pioneers are leaving cities to find a new frontier, a new territory. They are interested in emptiness and the settlers are interested in something that is full, so they are total opposites. This part of nature I thought was really connected so I deliberately chose to avoid the people who have solutions, people who say, ‘Ah, Detroit is going to be that, or this…’
I preferred to end it with Larry Mongo and the Professor just to let people imagine, to use their own imaginations. There is a sentence that is very important to me, “Looking for the city is more important than finding the city” and I made the film exactly like that. Thinking about and looking for but not finding, that was more interesting to me.
SBD: In reference to the city’s reputation with crime, hate and murder, do you find that as an outsider you push through things more than people who are from here? Were you able to show the city in a different light? We want to know what you see.
FLORENT: It keeps on changing. So that is a good symbol. It is a different city than it was when I was here a year ago. Things go on very fast. I hope that the city will be colonized again, but I do not know if I will love the city as much as when it was decolonized.
FRANÇOIS: If I can, I will translate for Helene. She wants to reflect on your question about seeing the city differently… ‘Artists are beyond their geographical [borders]. Artists give themselves permission to think differently. They are looking for a form of truth, that is not necessarily the truth but it will be a form of truth’.
FRANÇOIS: Probing for your own truth makes you make choices. For example, there is a lot of fiction in the documentary. We feel there is an essence that we are trying to get at but sometimes fiction helps you get to that reality [better] than that reality itself. Being an artist, you also give yourself permission to be unfaithful.
FLORENT: And also the truth is different for people who come.
SBD: As a French Director, did you feel any sort of responsibility portraying a city that you are not from?
FLORENT: When I was finished I sent the film to someone and he said, “Oh, I thought you were making a film about nature and wild life, this is not what I expected. This is one more film about ruins and I’m not interested, sorry.” That was the first feedback. Even Geoff said that I had to be ready for the backlash.
SBD: I think that the element of survival rings very clear in your film. How would you describe it when you think of the survival of Detroit?
FLORENT: There are a lot of people who do not have a chance to go forward. They really have to survive. Their houses are collapsing and they have to fix what they have. When we talk about [the young settlers in the city], they are wealthy compared to other people. I do not know what they are going to do, maybe that’s why they are not in the film. Maybe they’ll leave, maybe they’ll find jobs with Hantz farm. That might be best. I don’t know.
SBD: It is true that there is a specific difference between the repopulation of Detroit and the survival
FRANÇOIS: As soon as the city is not their own, that creative class might so somewhere else.
SBD: A long time ago we used to be called the Paris of the Midwest. Now the creatives are culminating and coming together. Do you think that that is something that could rebuild Detroit and revive that era?
FLORENT: Yes, of course. Detroit has always been the city of the future for me. It was a laboratory and when it became very destroyed they made the film RoboCop. There is a strange destiny for Detroit to be the laboratory of the future.
SBD: You mentioned RoboCop, and I know that you wrote an article entitled “RoboCop City”, so is that what sparked your interest in the city, did RoboCop do it for you?
FLORENT: It is one of my favorite films. I think that the movie culture brought a lot of interest in the city. There was a story there that was the real story of Detroit. The political point of the film is that America is carnivorous; poverty, drugs, economy and for all of this I was attracted to the city. But after all that, it was the people here and the real story that opened the gate for me.
Please do your best to venture to the Burton Theatre and catch the last screening of DETROIT WILD CITY on October 13.
Which sucks to say the least, but the lesson here kids is this:
Axl Rose’s potty mouth can actually help catapult your career, and getting pooed on by actual pigeons sucks bigtime, but nothing could be worse than getting crapped on by Dave Matthews:
We had a chance to sit down with Craig Fahle in the WDET studio earlier today. If you caught us during your lunch break, thanks! If you missed us and would like to listen in, here’s a link to the mp3 podcast of the show:
With a big Mitten primary only a few days away, the political chatter is starting to pick up around town. Well, we here at Single Barrel would like to call your attention to an important race happening right here on the world wide web. Detroit’s very own The Victorious Secrets. A super-group of sorts who you may remember as winners of the ‘April in the D’ contest, or recognize from their other “real” bands, or even just know personally because they are really cool dudes. The Secrets are one of four finalists for the Free Credit Report (dot com) Band Contest and they could really use your votes. And not just because they’re from Detroit, but because they have the best name and clearly the best performance. Hands down. The competition? L.A., New York and Chicago. All the more reason….
The Victorious Secrets are: Daniel Zott, Mike Mulliniks, Steve Saputo, Bryon Rossi, Daniel Rossi
It all started with a cello, an acoustic guitar, a single camera and one of Detroit’s architectural treasures, long vacant.
In February 2009, a small crew assembled at the Traffic Jam on 2nd and Canfield. We ordered coffees and waited anxiously for two adventurous and unassuming musicians to arrive. A brief meet-up turned quickly into a caravan down Michigan Avenue, a careen down Grand Boulevard and a one-by-one hop into the hollows of Lee Plaza.
6 hours later we emerged in all states of frozen, but immensely excited about an experience that is still pretty difficult to categorize. What can you say about a day that involves stumbling upon old Coleman A. Young campaign paraphernalia, stepping onto a snow-covered 17th floor rooftop with a seldom seen view of the Detroit skyline and watching as Charlene Kaye sings a Bessie Smith tune from the late 20’s with a winter sunset as a backdrop?
We’ve done this – in varying degrees of ceremony – 12 times now. And for just over a year, we’ve been sharing these experiences with you on our site.
Well, we’ve finally had a chance to catch our breath and make some enhancements to the site.
This is the start of our official blog. We will have regular posters, a few celebrity bloggers, and you’ll likely see a post or two from us as well. Our regular contributors will be introducing themselves to you shortly so we hope you stay tuned.
We added a FEATURES box so now we’ll be able to share our special projects that don’t exactly fit into our traditionally defined Single Barrel Shows. Check out the ‘dAP festival videos featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Silverghost and Charlie Slick. And then a just-released-today feature on the Hanging Gardens project at the soon-to-be-redeveloped-but-for-now-an-awesome-blossoming-urban-garden at Forest Arms in Midtown.
You may also notice we released a brand new Single Barrel Show today. We’re excited to share The Juliets @ the Forest Arms Hanging Gardens. We shot this while documenting the project mentioned above and we hope you enjoy it.
So that’s it for now.
Thanks to all of you who’ve been following along and supporting us over this past year. We really hope you like the changes. Leave a comment or two. And if you’re interested in contributing, we’d love to hear from you.
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