Abandoned Detroit - The City of Neglect

Still hungry for more Detroit ruin porn? Follow along as Bob, aka Detroit Unseen, takes you on a journey documenting the spectacular ruins of Detroit and his personal recovery from drug addiction.
There's no shortage of web sites and short films documenting the rise and fall and current revival of Detroit, but the city's legacy is vast and star-crossed enough to support yet another take on the subject. It could benefit from some tighter edits, but there's a pandemic on and it's not exactly like most of us are pressed for time.

From the filmmaker: 

With Detroit you take the good with the bad, recognize the good as it comes and preserve the good that has come before. Many that enter the City of Detroit can sense the urgency of change and the spirit of reinvention. We certainly understand this, and the photos represent what we have seen along the way. The Flag of Detroit contains the two Latin slogans “Speramus Meliora” and “Resurget Cineribus” meaning “We hope for better things” and “It will rise from the ashes.” The prophetic phrases originally created in reference to the great fire of 1805, ring true more now than ever. We take these slogans to heart everyday as we go out and explore our great city.

John Brannon Crowd Surfing at Circle Jerks Gig in Detroit 06-06-82

With the Circle Jerks officially back in the saddle and the news that Detroit's favorite Fun Boy Three tribute band, the mighty Negative Approach, will be firing up the van and strapping on the jackboots in order to accompany Morris, Hetson, Schloss, and Associates on the majority of the dates, I figured this photo would make a timely addition to the long-dormant PDGB blogroll.

Long story long, the day started in Ann Arbor, where we stole a Rick Springfield promotional standup from the dearly missed Schoolkids Records, with every intention of giving to the Circle Jerks. We did, they played, and Keith utilized the cardboard Rick as stage prop while the crowd partook in the usual sweaty shenanigans that culminated in JB getting in some epic crowd surfing runs. NA, of course, opened the show, and now the Circle Jerks are reuniting for a tour to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Group Sex, their influential first release. Concerned the punkness needed a little extra shove to send it over the edge, they invited Negative Approach and Adolescents along for the ride. Now shaping up to be the Old Punker event of the summer, the tour dates are below. Sadly, at this point it doesn't look like the fellas will be venturing East of the Mississippi, but we're confident there are more dates to come.

Necrophilia Not Funny, Alice.

Say what you will Ms. Landers, but Alice's sense of humor was not lost on a few kids from Maumee, Ohio.

Punk Rock in Detroit (1976-1986) Presented by Third Man Records and Cranbrook Art Museum

C'mon down and hang for a bit and bat the fat–it could be wacky. It's free.

Where:  Third Man Records
              441 W Canfield St, Detroit, MI 48201
       
When:   Saturday, August 4, 2 p.m.

Five Photos: House Industries Exhibit at Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

 House Industries: A Type of Learning

As you might expect, the exhibit leans heavily on the work of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

House Industries first collaborated with Roth over twenty years ago, turning some of his iconic hand lettering into font and clip-art sets for graphic designers and collectors of Roth paraphernalia.

Roth's Mysterion disappeared decades ago after a confluence of owners picked its chassis dry. The remnants were reportedly acquired by a body shop owner in Missouri. This replica was built by Dave Shuten.

Also on hand is Evel Knievel's jumpsuit from his failed Snake River Canyon Jump. It shares a display case with a generic Misfits poster, some back issues of Thrasher, a fuel tank and some other sundries pulled from the psyche of 70's era teens.

A Danelelctro doubleneck guitar--six on top, four on the bottom--accompanies a display of the "Flyer" font set. Culled from a selection 80s hardcore flyers and records and often named accordingly, the typefaces will be instantly recognizable to even casual hardcore aficionados. If it feels a little as if your youth has been co-opted for others benefit, well, you are not alone. That said, HI cuts no corners, and everyone one of its products and projects is completed with the utmost integrity. The exhibit runs through September 4, 2017 at the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan.

DETROIT | Official Trailer 2

The second trailer for Kathryn Bigelow's long awaited film DETROIT. Based on the Detroit riots of 1967, the film employs the notorious police raid at Algiers Motel as storytelling device.  Formerly located on Woodward avenue and Virginia Park, the hotel was demolished in the late 1970s and the land turned into a small common area. Let's hope what few truths exist don't get lost in the name of art.
Kathryn Biglow, Detroit, Detroit Riots, 1967, 12th street, Mark Boal, Hannah Murray

Have a Funk-Filled 4th!

"They Would Pick Him Up When He Fell." Rolling Stones Visit Gibson Guitar Factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1975

Photo Courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collections

Keith Richards and Ron Wood tour the Gibson guitar factory July of 1975.
Like most of the small to medium sized rust belt burgs located within the inescapable gravitational pull of Detroit, auto manufacturing was a driving force in the economy of Kalamazoo, Michigan. (Until the mid-1990s, K-Zoo was home to both the Checker Motors Corporation and GM's two-million sq. foot Fisher Body stamping plant.) But, in a textbook example of the odd dichotomy and attitude that defined the rust belt, Kalamazoo was also home to Gibson Guitar Factory--i.e., "yeah, wood or metal, strings or wheels, it don't matter much to us, we MAKE shit here." Founded as the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg Co. Ltd in the early 20th century, Gibson called 225 Parsons St. home until the move of its operations to Nashville was complete in 1984. A decade earlier, the Stones came to visit.

Photo Courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collections

Gibson was owned by Norlin in '75, and in retrospect quality was at an all-time low. Ron Wood was still a relatively new Stone, and the band was slated to play COBO Hall on July 27 and 28. Keef was still living in 24/7 party mode.

Photo Courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collections

Jump on over to MLive for the rest of the photos and the complete story.
As for the old factory on Parsons St.? It's still humming, turning out some of the finest quality instruments available today as the Heritage Guitar company.
(Photos Courtesy of WMU Archives and Regional History Collections)

THEY'RE GR-R-REAT!

Courtesy of http://twitter.com/LakeSuperior