Friends on TV

While I have seen my sister's family quite a bit on the television whether it be my sister promoting something on the local news or my bro-in-law talking art on Antiques Roadshow, friends/classmates have also made television cameos over the years. Case in point about 20 years ago when I was watching Wheel of Fortune (rarely watch the show) and one of the contestants was a Milford grad. I texted friend Jim, "Are you watching Wheel of Fortune?" "Yep, crazy!" Milford grad Joe H. didn't take the grand prize as I recall but bumped into him years later and he told me about all the hoops/interviews he had to go through to get on. 

Another friend making their television appearance just happened this past Saturday morning as I was watching one of the PBS shows that cover "good people" stories from around the state. It was a re-run of an episode but had never seen it before. Right around the 7:33 mark of the attached, we get introduced to Milford grad Sue and her incredible chalk journey. I remember seeing one of her creations back in 2019 during one of the Bald Mountain Music Festivals; pictured below. I didn't think twice about it at the time but she has been creating for quite awhile now. Her hand must hurt but she's making people smile.

(7:33 mark)

https://www.pbs.org/video/destination-michigan-1601-qj0whh/

Investigative Journalism

With the internet, we have many choices for information, some good, some bad. I like to get my Michigan State sports news from various sites as I'm too cheap to pay for the articles on the main publication sites. Being cheap has its limitations though as you have to read some article headlines that have no reason being published, like the one attached here. A walk-on football player is entering the transfer portal. Really? "I'll show the team, I'll go and walk on for another school!" 

Come on A. Brewster, you can find better things to write about.

Trail Head 

Book Reviews

With Winter greeting us earlier than normal, a good time to stay inside, sip your favorite sip and grab a book. Some recent reads by the large melon:

Shakey: Neil Young's Biography

While the the book is labeled a 'biography', the author does a nice job of mixing Young's interviews into a semi-autobiography. Neil, being Neil, didn't want the book out and fought for it's release. The book title, 'Shakey', I thought was reference to Neil's epilepsy but understand it's more about never knowing what he would do from one day to the next (reminds me of someone...). It's a long read but good content throughout, starting in Neil's Canadian upbringing with his crazy mom, 'Rassy'. Rassy has left us but if she were still here, don't fuc* with Rassy. A road trip to California (in Neil's hearse that he used for gigs) brought about Neil getting involved with Buffalo Springfield ('Buffalo Springfield' is a brand of steamroller I learned). Stephen Stills had quite the ego but what front man doesn't have one? We go through Neil's marriages (he had a little mix of everything with the wives he had) and the love he had for his kids, a couple of which had illnesses that required constant attention. Neil may have been an odd ball overall but he did not back away from being a dad. I did enjoy the way he screwed with the record labels when he could. They wanted commercial/pop songs and he would do the opposite. 

Party of One: A Fuzzy Memoir

Comedian Dave Landau's autobiography. He doesn’t fit the stereotype of what I perceive someone who went to a Grosse Pointe high school to have. But what a period of adolescence he had.  We were screwballs growing up but at least we had the benefit of dirt roads and police officers telling us to more or less "shoo" when they saw us doing something stupid; Landau, while he did push the limits to an extreme, didn't have that courtesy.

A good, short read, with thankfully a happy ending with all the times you'll say "no way" reading it.

Waiting on the Moon: Artists, Poets, Drifters, Grifters, and Goddesses

J. Geils Band (or 'Geils Band' as he refers to them in the book) front man Peter Wolf's autobiography. The "woofa goofa" throughout his life had interactions with Marilyn Monroe, Muddy Waters, Faye Dunaway (married her),  David Lynch the filmmaker, Eleanor Roosevelt, Tennessee Williams, Merle Haggard, Rolling Stones, Sly Stone, Alfred Hitchcock, Andy Warhol and Van Morrison to name a few. The stories are incredible, however, Wolf either has an incredible memory or a creative one as he has dialogue noted back and forth with all his interactions. Not necessarily a bad thing but reminds me of Bruce Springsteen's autobiography where he had just a bit too much detail of what happened 40 years ago.

North Ride

The northern bike tour headed a little further north this week to Boyne City, a town that was almost my northern residence prior to my current locale. 

Prior to finding my place in Frankfort, I was also looking in the Boyne City/East Jordan/Charlevoix/Petoskey areas. The house that I bid on in Boyne City had about the same square footage and the proximity to water that I have now with a smaller yard, smaller garage and a smaller "to do" list. I threw a bid out there of the list price; and so did 10 others (this was on the first day of the listing) so they put in a second round of bids and one individual upped the price by $100K with their bid which put me out of my happy place for price. 

This week I got a second look around the area and while it is a beautiful city, I have no regrets as I enjoy the simplicity of Frankfort where there are no stops lights (one blinking one). The entire COUNTY only has one stop light.  

Part of the Boyne City festivities was a mountain bike ride at the local bike loop, the Avalanche Preserve. It's only a little over four miles of trail but there is a beautiful view of Lake Charlevoix at the top which then has about a two mile flow descent back to the parking lot. Attached is a short clip from the ride, a fall at the beginning followed by a deer sighting at the 15 second mark, then the lake descent. 

Trail Head

Music List

As I enter year 58 in this funky world we live in, a look back on the music acts I've been fortunate to see over the years. I was initially going to rank them but there would be too many in first place so we'll just list them alphabetically with comments. My pea brain is probably missing a few but here goes:

B.B. King

He passed away not too long after this show but was fortunate to see him.

Black Sabbath

My first concert ever and unfortunately it was Black Sabbath with no Ozzy (or Ronnie James Dio). They overdosed with the satanic light show to make up for the bad music. Great people watching in the arena, however. Lots of leather.

Blues Traveler

I've seen them multiple times and while they never disappointed in putting on a great show, they did seem to jump the shark once the bass player passed.

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Also seen multiple times and never disappointed. The pride of Michigan music.

Damn Yankees

A supergroup plucked from Styx, Night Ranger and the Amboy Dukes, their songs were pretty cliche but the concert was entertaining.

Dave Matthews Band

I saw the band during their peak. Violins, trumpets and saxophones within the band are always entertaining. Good show except for the girl next to me had loud girl scream going too much.

Dickey Betts Band

While a great guitarist and had some outstanding songs with the Allman Brothers, Betts lost points with me during the show when he checked his watch during a song.

Doobie Brothers

The band that is seemingly always on tour but never disappoints with their catalog.

Eddie Money

The opener at Pine Knob for many years regardless if he had an album out of not, Money did not disappoint. You find out he has a few more songs than "two tickets to paradise."

ELO

I saw them in recent years when they came back on the road after a long hiatus. With the orchestra in tow, they nailed all the songs. The only gripe I had were the morons around me with their damn cell phones out taping it rather than watching. I hoped they enjoyed tape of me yelling behind them.

Eric Clapton

Not sure if this were his drug relapse years (show was in the late 80's) or not but he put on a great show.

Fleetwood Mac

A reunion tour that sounded great but the band seemed to be going through the motions, getting the songs over.

Genesis

I saw them on their most recent tour. Phil Collins' son played drums as Phil can no longer but he still has an outstanding voice. Great show, even with the 20 minute 'prog' songs.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Slide guitar with a splash of saxophone; great show and great entertainer.

Greta Van Fleet

The youngsters from Frankenmuth rocked the Fillmore in Detroit.

J. Geils Band

The original rapper, Peter Wolf, and the best harmonica player out there, Magic Dick, is all you need for an entertaining evening.

James Wailin'

I saw Wailin' at a small venue in Pontiac back in the 90's. Look him up on the music import sites.

Joe Cocker

Cocker opened up for The Police and he was exactly as you would expect. The incredible voice, the background singers rocking it and Cocker gyrating just like John Belushi impersonated him back in the 70's.

Joe Walsh/The James Gang

A James Gang reunion tour, Walsh did not disappoint playing the old James Gang catalog with a few of his solo songs splashed in.

Judas Priest

Seen multiple times, Rob Halford is quite the entertainer and can scream with the best of them. 

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

An underrated band, worth checking out if they come through town.

Kid Rock

Not a big fan but had to see it once. He's making a living; we'll leave it at that. Maybe he and Corey Feldman can tour together...

Lake Street Dive

Rachael Price has the most beautiful voice out there, bar none. 

Lenny Kravitz

Always a good story, friends and I were watching the show right behind the sound board at Pine Knob. I had to take a whiz. After finishing my business, I came back to my seat, asked my friends if I missed anything. It turns out Kravitz walked down the aisle, onto the soundboard and was right in front of our seats. The story of my life.

Norah Jones

A close second to Rachael Price in terms of beautiful voices.

Paul Rodgers

He played as part of the Art festival in Pontiac one year and played like he was playing in front of 20,000 versus 2,000. Great show.

Pearl Jam

Very fortunate to see the "Vet Man." He was drinking some wine, telling some great stories and rocking the place.  

Peter Gabriel

Speaking of story telling, Gabriel's pre-song talk was longer than the actual songs themselves. Long intros aside, the music was outstanding.

Ratdog

The closest I've came to seeing the Grateful Dead as the band had a few former members. As with the Grateful Dead songs, you can go to the bathroom, get a soda, come back to your seat and the same song when you left is still playing,

Robert Cray

I saw him open up for Eric Clapton and also by himself at a small venue in Indianapolis. Very underrated bluesman.

Roger Waters

The closest I've came to seeing Pink Floyd. Waters likes his political talk but talk aside, a very entertaining show. My first "in the round" experience.

Rush

The beginning of Tom Sawyer gives me goose bumps listening to it on the radio, imagine starting a concert off with that drum beat. Great show.

Samantha Fish

Friend Keith M. got me hooked on Fish (a play on words there) and have seen her a few times. This petite blond from Kansas City can pluck the guitar with vengeance.

Sammy Hagar

The ageless wonder, Hagar never fails in entertaining (while swigging some tequila).

Santana

It rained the entire show but he played for 3+ hours regardless, and rocked. Some fun mud slide watching on the hill that night at Pine Knob.

Steely Dan

Seen multiple times, the consummate studio band with so many hits that never seemed to tour finally did so in the 90's; and did not disappoint.

Steve Miller Band

As with the Doobie Brothers, Miller is seemingly always on tour but never disappoints with his catalog.

Steve Winwood

I saw him on a tour about eight years ago. He played a good portion of his catalog from Traffic, Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith and solo work. The white Ray Charles was entertaining.

Stevie Wonder

A tour to play "Songs in the Key of Life" in it's entirety, besides the hour delay to wait for the crowd to arrive due to a snow storm that came out of nowhere in the area, the show was outstanding with about 20 people in the band.  

Ted Nugent

Political talk aside, Ted is never going to take a night off in entertaining the masses.

Tedeschi Truck Band

Probably a third behind Rachael Price and Norah Jones, Susan Tedeschi has a beautiful voice.

The Allman Brothers Band

As with the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers like their long songs. I enjoyed the red Solo cups on Gregg Allman's keyboard as he wailed away at Midnight Rider.

The Black Crowes

A band that seemingly has disappeared, they put on a great show.

The Police

They did not disappoint as they hit pretty much all of their catalog.

The Romantics

My first Pine Knob experience, the band from Detroit had the energy and a good portion of my high school on the hill.

Three Dog Night

While I love their songs, the band in later years may not have aged the best. I saw them at a BBQ fest in Illinois and it was a train wreck with band members forgetting the words.

Three Legged Dog/Herazz/Leechbombs

I'm lumping my garage bands in one. 

Three Legged Dog put on some strong performances but were forced to disband when a founding member moved away.

I saw Herazz, Milford's metal band, at a few garages. They weren't too bad; cliche 80's metal. Below is a link to some songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxJRATzK9GQ

As far as the Leechbombs, they finally learned how to finish songs (kind of). They have since disbanded, whereabouts unknown.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

I saw them three times, the third a blur but the two that were not were outstanding. Petty would be top five if I were to rank.

Van Halen

I saw them for the '1984' album tour. Seeing Eddie Van Halen play was definitely worth the price of admission (which was probably $20 at the time). David Lee Roth can be a cheeseball but he plays the lead man role well.

Yes

I saw them as part of the '90125' album tour. They would probably be number one if I needed to pick one from this list. They were entertaining and hit every song incredibly well.

ZZ Top

Spinning guitars in unison and some great southern rock. Sorry we lost Dusty Hill a few years back.

Bad Bambi

In celebration of the November deer hunting season, $100 to any hunter that can find and take down the buck that had an antler scratch on my newly planted maple tree.

Trail Head

City of Gold

Northwest Michigan had a good dose of lake effect rain showers this past week. The sun would be shining and in would come a 2 minute burst of rain, then sunny again. While driving home the other day, I came upon the attached view so I pulled over (or maybe I didn't pull over...) and got the shot. If you look close, there is a leprechaun sitting on the entrance gates to the town.

Trail Head