Twitter-pated by the Sugar People.

When one of our reporters went to the home of Ypsilanti band The Sugar People, he was led to an upstairs room where one of the band members was waiting to talk to him. Naked. In a hot tub full of bubbles. With a glass of wine.

Luckily, the reporter said, the massive amounts of bubbles kept the whole thing PG, and he was able to do the interview without concern for his own morals (or getting fired). Although, when he came back to work, he told me: “I was so twitter-pated I forgot my jacket!”

(Can we make that the word of the day? Twitter-pated?)

Anyway, today he sent me a link to the band’s video blog. There is a recent post for an upcoming show that they have (Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Detroit Industrial Projects), but I recommend this episode:

That’s even BETTER than the mental picture I had.

Forth from its Hinges

The Forth from its Hinges art show, now in its second year, starts tomorrow and continues for four days. It is totally and completely awesome to see young people getting together, supporting each other, and putting themselves out there.

Roger and I will be reporting from the show on Friday, but I wanted to give you all some advance notice so you can catch the first couple of days.

Here’s their (really well-done) video: (oh, side note- I just discovered, through the link on the video site, that it was done by my friend David Meiklejohn. I didn’t know that when I said that it was well done, so no accusations of nepotism, thank you. Although, plug for David, he makes lots of good stuff)

Forth From Its Hinges from losingstrategies on Vimeo.

And you can click HERE to visit their site for more info.

Ypsilanti is Better.

About two months ago, there was a lot of buzz around the Ypsi-blog-osphere about this video, which was created by the family of former Ypsi mayor Cheryl Farmer and her family sell the city to potential investors. I think I got a press release about it too, but I could be making that up.

(I wanted to post maproom systems’ response video, but it won’t seem to embed in my browser, so you’re just going to have to find that one yourself)

I then went on a quest to find more videos and came up with this, which is pretty hilarious. I like the part where the guy extolls the virtues of the Red Roof Inn. What amazed me is that the youtube commenters didn’t seem to realize that this is a parody and seemed truly incredulous that ANYONE would be excited about the Red Roof Inn.

But today I saw the following video and, I have to say, it’s all over for me. This is the best “Come to Ypsilanti”-type video I’ve seen. Basically, the message is that Ypsilanti totally kicks a– (this is a family blog, since it’s somehow loosely related to a family newspaper).

So here it is, the masterpiece of marketing entitled, “Ypsilanti is Better”:

A Plea to Top of the Park.

I love movies. I really do. And I LOVE going to see movies for free, outside, in the summer.

So now that Top of the Park is over, let me give my official review: I hardly went this year. I stopped by once after A Prairie Home Companion long enough to buy Roger LeLievre a slice of pizza. One night a friend and I walked over because we were downtown on a Sunday night and wanted to see a movie, only to discover that the showing for that night was “Evan Almighty.” And the last time I went to see NOMO, and they were really good for the few minutes that I was able to wrangle my 3-year-old son before we had to leave. So I don’t fault them for that.

As a middle schooler, I remember watching MASH and Grease with my friends, sitting on a blanket on the concrete ground, happy to be allowed out past our normal curfews. I’m excited every year for the James Bond movie, and was especially happy in 2007 when they showed “Dr. No,” my favorite.

But the movie line-up this year was, well, pretty weak. I understand that they have to show movies that a wide range of people can enjoy. That doesn’t mean they have to be totally vanilla. ”Blades of Glory”? “The Pursuit of Happyness”? Really? I wouldn’t rent those movies, let alone make a night of going to see them outside.

And the movies that I did want to see were relegated to the early nights of the week, when a lot of us are busy with kids and tired from work and know that we have to get up at 6 a.m. the next morning. “Some Like It Hot,” “Goldfinger” and “Vertigo” were all shown on Monday or Tuesday. And who picked “Fearless” as the only foreign OR martial arts movie? That’s a pretty unimaginative choice. Actually, really, most of the film selections were.

There were good things. ”Goldfinger” was a good Bond choice. Like “Vertigo,” I was bummed that I couldn’t see it ’cause it was so early in the week, but I can’t keep griping about that. There are only so many days. And “L.A. Story” is a great comedy.

I don’t know how the Summer Festival handles the movie schedule and selection. It could be a committee, it could be one person, I’m not sure. I think I heard something about there being a new person in charge of the movies this year, but that is unsubstantiated, and I don’t really have time to substantiate it. But however they do it, let me put in my vote: Next year, do it differently.

Don’t show movies that everyone has already seen in the last year or two (”Juno”) that don’t merit a big screen showing (I loved “Juno,” but I was perfectly fine watching it in my living room). Don’t relegate the classics to Monday or Tuesday nights. Those are the best movies for a night out. 

Pick a martial arts movie that’s really good. May I suggest “Drunken Master,” which isn’t too violent, or, if you want to do Jet Li, “Fist of Legend” (a remake of my favorite Bruce Lee movie, “Fist of Fury.”)

Or let me nominate your movie selection committee. May I suggest Ben Malciewski of the Ypsilanti District Library (seriously, if you haven’t seen the film library that he has created, you really need to get over there), and that one guy who works at Liberty Street Video whose “Employee Favorites” shelf is always really good. 

Just kidding. Sort of. Okay, I’m not.

Shimmer sparkle summer pop!

This morning I was driving to the Ypsilanti office; the sun was shining, the trees were green and blowing in the breeze, and I found myself yearning for that elusive and yet so enjoyable rite of summer: The perfect pop song. Something catchy with great drums that makes you want to drive the long way to the lake.

For me, “Young Folks” by Peter Bjorn & John was the song of summer 2007. The year before that it was Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s “Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth.”

So what’s it going to be this year? I’ll admit that I’m really out of the loop. Suggestions?

WHOis: Rita Riggs

The latest installment in the WHOis: profile series is in the paper today.

Doing these videos has become my favorite part of work. I get to meet interesting people, videotape their lives, and create something (hopefully) cool to watch. It’s one of those “I can’t believe I get paid to do this” type things. Which cancels out all the stories that I have to write about people’s pets. Or the weather.

Shooting this video was really fun. I spent the better part of a day traipsing around Ypsilanti with a girl in a leotard and tutu. I shot her hooping on the median in the middle of Michigan Ave. while cars slowed down and honked (interestingly, it was mainly women doing the shouting), an abandoned firing range, and in the Frog Island Park amphitheater.

The music is off of the Ypsisongs CD, courtesy of my friend Brandon.

It’s my favorite video that I’ve done so far. I hope you like it too.

You can read the full interview on mlive.com.

One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.

Since Roger LeLievre was out yesterday, I had to do the weekend entertainment video by myself.

It got really, really weird.

In which I give an opinion on something I know extremely little about.

I admit that I have never seen “Dancing With the Stars,” so I have no basis for what I’m about to say other than the headline I read in yesterday’s paper:

Yamaguchi wins ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Well… Ummm… Duh.

It’s like a headline that says Agassi wins ‘Badminton with the Stars.’

I think, from what I’ve gleaned, that the purpose of the show is to pair otherwise unqualified celebrities with professional dancers and see who can dance better or something like that. Somehow a professional figure skater seems pretty qualified to me.

I will now get back to trying to track down Drew Barrymore. I will let you in on this confidential newsroom tidbit: I have just obtained a cell phone photo from a woman who met Drew on the streets of Ypsilanti on Tuesday.

Rumor also has it that Drew dined at the Wolverine, but those ladies ain’t talkin’.

Soon we’ll all be rich!

Come for the carnage. Stay for the booty-shaking.

So I know that I’ve ragged on them before for churning out the same-old-same-old, so I have to give props (excited props, actually) to the folks at The Bang!, who are taking their show on the road.

Here it is, straight from the mouth – well, keyboard – of Bang! priestess Dru:

this thursday may 22. your number one mixtape sex-plosion dance party the Bang! boxing ! wrestling! sexual dance power like never before! believe it.

the bang! detroit. boxing. wrestling. blood on the dance floor.

the bang! comes to the Detroit’s DIA and brings you the biggest & wildest night of your life. Dance madness. real boxing. men in tights.
the bang!

I think it sounds AWESOME. Because boxing is sweet. And I’m pissed that I can’t go. But rest assured, I’m sure, that in addition to the carnage, there will still be plenty of drunk, dancing people with cool hair.

Robot ponies for Video Monday.

Oh my. First let me tell you how this happened.

I was writing my weekly Ypsi nightlife column, and I needed to check out one of the artists coming to the Dreamland Theater next weekend (a week from this coming weekend… I work WAY in advance).

I typed in her link.

And I found this.

I was so excited I had to stop what I was doing just to open a new window and tell you about it.

Then I went to youtube and found this:

And she’s coming to OUR LITTLE TOWN! Well, I live in Ann Arbor, so Ypsi’s not really MY little town. But it’s close enough. And I used to work there. And some of my best friends live in Ypsi. Well, at least they used to.

Laura Barrett is at the Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington, in Ypsi on Saturday, May 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. For advance tickets: www.menomenology.com.