Retro: Kimmer

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• WYANDOTTE’S 50TH ANNUAL ART FAIR!!
• BUDDY HOLLY REMEMBERED: JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK
• JD MALONE & THE EXPERTS: UTTERLY CAPTIVATING!

WYANDOTTE’S 50TH ANNUAL ART FAIR!! Posted: 08 Jul 2011 07:01 PM PDT Johnny "Bee" Badanjek Einstein and His Avengers WHAT: SPECIAL DISPLAY AND MEET THE ARTISTS NIGHTS TO COORDINATE WITH DOWNTOWN WYANDOTTE'S 50TH ANNUAL ART FAIR. WHEN: JULY 13TH-16TH 10AM TO 9 PM WHERE: RIVER'S EDGE GALLERY 3024 BIDDLE ST. DOWNTOWN WYANDOTTE CONTACT: JEREMY HANSEN 734-246-9880 riversedgegallery@wyan.org The Wyandotte 50th annual art fair is coming to downtown Wyandotte on July 13th-16th. At the same time River's Edge Gallery in the downtown will be celebrating its 30th anniversary. The gallery has been an institution as part of the Michigan art scene and recently showcased as such on the PBS series Under the Radar. Check out the main website here... Wyandotte Art Fair For this occasion, the three floors of River's Edge Gallery will be filled with works by artists living and dead that have been showcased for the last thirty years with a special presentation on the second floor. Many of these artists will be making appearances to meet their collectors and fans. Six to nine PM each evening of the fair has been set aside for just that. Wine will be served while Ken Browne, one of the artists, will be entertaining with guitar selections on guitars that he hand painted. Tony Miello of Detroit Fan Fare will be demonstrating live comic book drawing on Saturday. A partial list of artists that will be making appearances is available and includes Jeremy E Hansen, Steve Glazier, Ed Lepere, Amy Chenier, Audrey Pongracz, Patricia Izzo, Johnny "Bee" Badanjek (of Detroit Wheels, the Rockets and Howling Diablo fame) , Nancy Pitel, Dennis Jacobs, SLAW, Rudy Salazar III, Brigit Hutterman-Holtz, David Bandlow and ME Croci. The list and days of appearances will be updated at www.artattheedge.com. Special items can be viewed at the gallery that will only be available during the fair such as hand painted, signed sports jerseys by Ed Lepere. Mr. Lapere has been commissioned to do portraits by over 80 athletes including Steve Yzerman, Reggie Jackson, and Pete Rose. He worked as a licensed artists for 5 professional teams as well as for the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. The jerseys are signed by the likes of Barry Sanders, Alan Trammell, Chris Spielman, Calvin Johnson, Adamukong Suh and Steve Yzerman and then their portrait is hand painted by LaPere. There will also be never before offered originals from the Memories of Detroit series by William Moss and special sports signed and sold out prints from this series. Hard to come by new originals by Niagara are also featured. 　 Wyandotte Art Fair July 12-16

BUDDY HOLLY REMEMBERED: JOHNNY BEE BADANJEK Posted: 08 Jul 2011 07:42 AM PDT The new Buddy Holly C.D. is out and getting rave review's! Johnny Bee... This cd features my friends The Detroit Cobras and Johnny Bee Badanjek.... enjoy!!! I love my copy... XXOOK RAVE ON BUDDY HOLLY' DEBUTS IN BILLBOARD TOP 20 FOLLOWING MASSIVE CRITICAL ACCLAIM!!! LISTEN TO ALBUM PRODUCER RANDALL POSTER DISCUSS HOLLY'S "MUSICAL ALCHEMY" ON NPR'S WEEKEND EDITION: The star-studded 'Rave On Buddy Holly' debuted in the Billboard Top 20 this week at #15, an exceedingly rare feat for a tribute compilation. The high-profile debut follows features from Rolling Stone, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the LA Times, and NPR's Weekend Edition, and favorable reviews from SPIN, Entertainment Weekly, MOJO, the Associated Press, and Fresh Air. Listen to NPR's Weekend Edition to hear 'Rave On' executive producer Randall Poster and contributing artist Jenny O. discuss Holly's legacy and influence on generations of musicians: AOL recently debuted the video for Justin Townes Earle's take on Holly's classic "Maybe Baby." Hi-res album art, press releases, links, etc: For more information, please contact Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com) or Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media: (718) 522-7171. For Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group: Joel Amsterdam - 310-385-4206

JD MALONE & THE EXPERTS: UTTERLY CAPTIVATING! Posted: 08 Jul 2011 07:05 AM PDT Just got the press release for JD Malone and I LOVE this guy and his band... So unique and the music makes me wanna jump up and dance... Retro for sure but current as well. Cehck these guys out.... xxooK The world who is most oozing with charisma. Great singer, great songs, great players. That's a trifecta to draw to." - Michael Tearson, Sirius XM PHILADELPHIA – Avalon, the debut release by JD MALONE & THE EXPERTS (ItsAboutMusic.com), is a CD/DVD package that delivers extraordinary roots rock which brings to mind the snarl and grit of a young Steve Earle, Tom Petty and John Mellencamp through a sterling band and its honey-voiced leader. Tapped by Goldmine as a 'Download of the Week' and declared "utterly captivating" in a five-star review by Sea of Tranquility, Avalon also features a 37-minute DVD documentary of the band in studio rehearsals for the recording of the album and is accompanied by a 12-page, full-color booklet with all lyrics and personal bios of each member in the band. The CD version includes five bonus tracks not available for download, making the CD a full 79 minutes long. The album was recorded at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA with Grammy winning engineer Phil Nicolo (Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Lauryn Hill) and executive producer Dean Sciarra of ItsAboutMusic.com. JD MALONE &THE EXPERTS are not out to invent something with Avalon, but they sure go a long way towards perfecting it, as only experts do. Stylistically, the band's music is the sort that you might hear at a backwoods VFW Hall on a Saturday night, drawing on the radio-friendly catalogues of classic American roots-rockers like Credence Clearwater Revival. Direct Current calls the music on Avalon "a hearty, meat-and-potatoes musical stew [featuring] sturdy rock riffs [which] mingle with a dusty twang while the rhythm section rumbles like a well-tuned hemi on a flat, open stretch." But JD MALONE &THE EXPERTS is no lame cover band butchering "Proud Mary." They are a rock-solid unit with a dynamic leader "oozing with charisma" (Sirius XM) in singer-songwriter in JD Malone (imagine, say, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band if they played modified country music). And their songs, as instantly recognizable as they may seem, are all Malone originals (with the exception of excellent covers of Fogerty's "Fortunate Son" on the CD and Tom Petty's "I Should Have Known It" on the bonus live in-studio DVD). While Malone is clearly in charge, much of Avalon's appeal comes from the remarkable chemistry of the band, including Malone (vocals, acoustic guitar), Avery Coffee (electric guitars, bg vocals), Tom Hampton (pedal and lap steel, 12-string, acoustic, resonator & electric guitars, bg vocals), Jim Miades (bass), Tommy Geddes (drums), and the extraordinary guest vocals of Jayda Hampton (especially on the beautifully wrenching "Black Yodel"). They sound like they've been preparing for this moment all their lives, listening to the Everly Brothers, CCR, BoDeans, Allman Brothers, Petty, et al, and crafting songs and a sound that do their heroes proud. The band is both tight (well-rehearsed but not rigid) and loose (spontaneous-sounding, not sloppy), placing equal emphasis on vocal and instrumental prowess with a good dose of twang. You'll want to cruise down the road with the windows open singing at the top of your lungs as if you were discovering "Proud Mary" for the first time on your car radio. Listen to Avalon here: http://www.jdmalone.com/audio/ Watch JD Malone & the Experts here... Visit -JD's Website for more info and video DPK - www.AirplayDirect.com/JDMAlone

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[New post] Amazing Captain America Pinball Game

Amazing Captain America Pinball Game dailypop | July 8, 2011 at 2:58 pm | Tags: captain america avengers marvel comics | Categories: Captain America | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2Ov

This could be the coolest pinball table i have ever seen... images and info below via GamingAge:

When Zen Studios produces and delivers new pinball tables to the Pinball FX2 , Zen Pinball and Marvel Pinball line up it is like a national holiday in my home. I just can't wait to download and learn the new tables, put up some high scores, and have a great time of bite sized fun that only Pinball can provide for me. This became even more of a thrill when they unveiled the Marvel Pinball tables a while back as now you are putting comics in my pinball...that's like peanut butter and jelly (singing peanut butter jelly time)!
After the 4 initial launch tables came out I was eager to get my hands on some more comic heroes, and was eager to see who they would include. The previously released Fantastic Four table (our review here) was fun, but to be honest, that was never really a franchise I appreciated. Now Zen has brought everyone's favorite red, white, and blue boy to the fray as Captain America pinball has landed onto the scene.

There is everything to love in this table, from the visuals, the LCD animations, the ball physics, the speed and thrill of the table and of course the opportunity for high scores is accessible as well. As far as the rules of the table go, you have oodles of diverse options to not only score big, but rule the table. You have everything you would want to see in a pinball table from extra balls, multiball, kickbacks, ball saves, and of course the all important mission modes.

Of course the missions are the meat and potatoes of any good pinball machine, and the obvious way to score tons of points. Like well made missions, they aren't walks in the park and require many objectives to succeed, some even have certain requirements to set up the missions themselves. The Adhesive X mission is a very cool one in which Baron Zemo deploys barrels of Adhesive X onto the table that will slow down the ball and alter your routes as well. Your job is to destroy the six barrels to win this mission. Another mission will have you going toe to toe with the infamous Red Skull in a sparring match that takes place right on the table. Lastly, Zemo deploys his death ray handgun and it is up to you to hit the spinner and deflect his ray. Little mini modes help the fun go even further as the Howling Commandos make an appearance and in their modes you have to find them, protect them from an ambush, and utilize a supply drop, and of course catching and rescuing Bucky. Of course the game has a final clash in which you have to complete all your missions and unlock at least one of the members of the Commandoes. The Final Clash has 4 game modes that you have to complete to achieve total victory.

While I may not be super psyched about the film or the upcoming Sega game based off the film, Capt American pinball had me at hello as the game looks sharp, plays fast, and has a lot to offer to encourage lasting appeal. This game is far from a one trick table, and it will take multiple play through attempts to get the gist of it, let alone conquer the game by any means. If you love this series of games, then toss a couple bucks to add this to your collection. Now bring on Dr. Strange (wishful thinking), as that could be a kick ass table...hint hint.

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[New post] Doctor Who and The Leisure Hive

Doctor Who and The Leisure Hive dailypop | July 8, 2011 at 9:20 am | Tags: classic doctor who reviews, doctor who tom baker davison pertwee hartnell troughton target | Categories: Doctor Who- 4th Doctor | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-2Oj

The Leisure Hive

Story 109
Written by David Fisher
Transmitted 30 August - 20 September 1980
"Searching for a break from their adventurous lifestyle, the Doctor and Romana travel to the Leisure Hive on the planet Argolis. Promoted as a peaceful habitat of galactic co-existence, the Leisure Hive is an offering from the formerly war-mongering race of Argolins. A home to some of the most impressive technological feats directed at recreation, the hive is unfortunately the focus of a revival of the Argolins war-like past. When the Doctor interferes, he pays the price and is his body is aged into senility. With the Doctor incapacitated, who can stop the rise to power of the Argolins?"

When series 18 is talked about, the central point is change. Incoming producer John Nathan-Turner introduced the most change that Doctor Who had seen in 12 year's time. So many changes were introduced that the long-standing star of the program decided that it was time for him to depart. Assisted by former producer Barry Letts and script editor Christopher H. Bidmead, the final year of the Fourth Doctor is a knock-out. Stylish, slick and modern, this is what it looks like when the right amount of attention and care is given to the program. A new signature tune and opening titles (complete with the revamped neon logo) make it plain that this is a new era for Doctor Who and it is finally coming back into its own. After a lackluster series featuring camp villains and the silliest monsters ever to haunt a sound stage, Doctor Who was about to regain some of its dignity. Tighter scripts, a restrained lead actor and more innovative special effects contributed to the success of series 18. It has its flaws, but all in all, it is one of my favorite eras.

In preparing for the departure of the most beloved of the actors to play the Doctor JNT planned a process of diluting the flair and humor that had been associated with Tom Baker. Accompanied by a muted redesigned costume and synthesized incidental music, there was a feeling of time having passed for the Doctor, who seemed far older and perhaps a bit senile. Visiting reader Zeno has commented on the drastic shifts in Tom Baker's performance from series 15 to 16 where the Doctor became far zanier and mad. That change is even more drastic here as the manic Doctor is replaced with a kind of tired old man. Intentional or not, it's a marvelous touch that has only been seen in the character once before with Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor in the 1996 TV Movie.

Along with a more retiring leading man was a shift in Lalla Ward's performance who had previously been shown to be just as silly as the Doctor. Her more sensible traits are played up in this series as she appears to be humoring a madman while also looking out for his well being. Traveling to Brighton Beach. the Doctor purposefully bypasses the randomizer (a device introduced two years back) that prevents the Black Guardian from tracking down the TARDIS to exact his revenge on the Doctor for thwarting his attempts to assemble the Key to Time. It's a very strange act on the Doctor's part and finally bears fruit two years later when the Black Guardian finally makes his move against his foe. But here it's a bit of a flaw in logic. Certainly, de-activating the device is a very very very bad idea and hints at a kind of mental instability on the Doctor's part. It's as if the zany madcap character that we had fallen in love with has grown crazier, but the appeal has worn off and what we are left with is a worrisome personality that is a danger to himself... and the universe.

No worries, though. This story proves that the Doctor is still the genius that we know him to be, even if he waits until the last moment to show it.

The Leisure Hive has a fantastic cast with Laurence Payne (familiar to Whovians for his earlier appearance in the Gunfighters and later as Dastari in the Two Doctors) as the aged Morix, Adrienne Corri as the fiery Mena and David Haig starring as the young and caustic Pangol. The Argolins are presented as a culture on the verge of collapse. Sterile and dying, their only concern is to be remembered for their scientific genius instead of their dreadful atomic war. For many Whovians they are remembered as the weird green-skinned aliens who drop seeds from their heads as they die.

Stylishly realized with very simple costuming by June Hudson (who also redesigned the look of the Fourth Doctor), the Argolins make for a believable, if slightly 'Star Trek' alien race - in which an entire people are defined by a specific trait.

It must have come as quite a shock in 1980 to see the new Doctor Who so modernized. For Americans, it was startling and roused interest from a younger audience, eager for science fiction to accompany Star Wars and the recently reborn Star Trek films. In the UK, there was a great fear of competition from the program Buck Rogers... which still makes me shudder to this day. Honestly, just try watching the series and ask yourself why anyone would be afraid of it stealing Doctor Who's audience. In any case, it was a drastically altered look that welcomed audiences in the Summer of 1980.

Vintage trailer
watch?v=DAt-fWdkE_Y

The Leisure Hive is author David Fisher's fourth offering to Doctor Who (preceded by the Stones of Blood, the Androids of Tara and the Creature and the Pit). Of the five total, I have to say that I prefer this one. It lacks a lot of the charm and humor seen in his other works, but it is so polished and well-structured that I am more impressed with each viewing. It is certainly helped by Bidmead's insistence on a reliance on 'real science,' specifically the tachyonics, but it is the story of Pangol and the Argolins that make this a real success for me.

The dreaded Famosi

Surviving a deadly war with the Fomasi, the Argolins have attempted to embrace a lifestyle of peace and understanding, but there is the awkward truth of doing business with financial backers to support the Leisure Hive and its many endeavors. In the opening sequence, the aged leader of the Argolins meets with a pair of representatives Brock and Stimson who wish to buy out the Argolins completely, something that the young Pangol is directly opposed to. Ironically, the desolate atmosphere of Argolis is only useful to the former enemy of Argolis, the Fomasi. During the proceedings Chairman Morix dies, demanding that a replacement be found.

Involved in deep research concerning the tachyonics technology pioneered by the Argolins, incoming Chairwoman Mena arrives with new hope for her people. An Earth scientist promises that the tachyonic generator can be used to remove the impurities from the Argolins, giving them a new lease on life. However, the proposal is a sham. While investigating the device, the Doctor is aged several hundred years, reduced to a fragile old man. Mena is of course understanding to the Doctor's plight as she herself is near death (as are all Argolins). The Doctor and Romana are determined to discover if the tachyon generator could indeed work as mysterious murders begin to occur and unseen forces move through the corridors of the Leisure Hive. It appears that the Fomasi are enacting their revenge, but is that really what is going on?

When the Doctor is suspected of murder and Earth scientist Hardin is imprisoned, it seems that all is lost. Then Mena begins to die, giving the cue to Brock to more aggressively make his play for power. In the confusion, Pangol makes his move. Revealed to be a child created by the generator itself, he is the viceroy of a new violent era. Rejecting any move toward compromise or defeat, Pangol uses the generator to clone a massive army and once more raise Argolis to its place as a galactic super power.

The story of the Leisure Hive seems steeped in the politics of the time as well as being obsessed with the rising importance of leisure technology and imperialism. A people sedated by convenience and bright shiny entertainment are hardly likely to question the aiming of nuclear arms at other countries or the invasion of other nations in the name of world peace. It's also interesting that young Pangol wishes to reignite the flames of war and conquest rather than the elders of Argolis, something that would come to pass in popular society when the drum of patriotic pride was hammered to draw in new recruits for the armed forces. I may be delving too deep into this aspect of the story, but as Barry Letts was involved and his previous stories in the Pertwee era were so heavily influenced by political and social concerns, I wonder if any of this was intentional or if it's just something that I bring to it as a teen of the 80's.

The revamped and remodeled Doctor Who took time in gaining support from its audience. Already suffering a drop in viewing figures from previous years, the opening story only garnered just over 5 million viewers. However, there was a massive shift in the target demographic from this point onward. While the program had relied on fantasy, humor and monsters, the new program was more intelligent and stylish. It was a smarter, more refined program that took time to grow on the British public. It can be said that both the 18th and 19th series are among the more adult of Doctor Who's 26 year run before it mutated again into something very different. At the time, it was a call to arms for High School nerds all over the planet and they answered in kind.

The new opening sequence is still controversial as it jars so much with the previous model. It took me a while to appreciate it, but this documentary really sheds some light on the hard work that went into its creation.

The story behind the new opening credits by Peter Howell and Sid Sutton
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUmNgHMdlQM]

A brilliant and inspired story, The Leisure Hive isn't everyone's cup of tea. Slow moving in pace, it also attempts drastically new direction using hand-held camera angels by director Lovett Bickford, some of which are less successful than others. The incidental music, inspired by Holst's 'The Planets,' paired with very long shots of models may also put you to sleep. The plot is also quite convoluted with business deals involving masquerading large reptiles and several scenes set in a board room.

There are several stand-out moments in this story including the Doctor being torn apart and then aged as well. Off the rails in the previous series, Tom Baker is in fine form here, even though he was bristling with frustration at the time.

One of the more impressive adventures of the 1980's, The Leisure Hive is often forgotten as an actual story as it is remembered instead as the beginning of so many changes. That's a shame because for the beginning of something new, it was a very bold first step.

Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive

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