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.

06.20.1975: JAWS Opens on 464 Screens in The U.S. and Canada

"Y'know the thing about a shark, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites ya. And those black eyes roll over white, and then... oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin', the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces."–Quint

I can't overestimate the imapct JAWS had on me as pre-teen. Both beautifully scripted and photographed, JAWS offered a master class in how to keep a budget from getting in the way of a good story. I had seen plenty of low-budget horror and sci-fi by then, but in those flicks, the victims were generally vilified well in advance. Jaws killed at will and without remorse.

In addition to taking home three Academy Awards and a nomination for Best Picture, JAWS was the first major motion picture title to be released for home viewing on the the then nascent LaserDisc format. That alone speaks volumes.

Fun Fact: Apparently, the original artwork for the one-sheet poster has been missing for decades. 
   

Steven Spielberg, Peter Benchley, Roy Scheider, Martin Brody, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Brucie, Universal

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

Pit Stop: A Real Man's Deodorant

Recommended for everyday use by non-race drivers too.

As my old lady always says, "Don't go around stinkin' up the joint."

Yes this was a real thing, and unopened cans have sold on eBay for over $1500.

Carrol, Shelby, Pitstop, pit-stop, deodorant, fragrance, LeMans,

Descent into The Maelstrom: Radio Birdman Documentary Nearing Completion

Born in Ann Arbor, Deniz Tek grew up in the wake of the region's prolific underground music scene  soaking up the inescapable sonic influence the Stooges, MC5, and the rest of the Rust Belt Guitar Army. So when he split town for Australia in 1972, it didn't take long for him to apply the sound and attitude of his formative years to a musical effort down under. Although Tek would ultimately be associated with numerous combos including TV Jones and New Race (with Ron Asheton from the Stooges and Dennis Thompson of the MC5), it's Radio Birdman where he made his bones. 

Considering glut of documentaries currently clogging up viewersphere, we're hoping this one finds a way to stand on its own legs and drops some genuine knowledge.
Deniz Tek's website
The Radio Birdman Story, #deniztek, #radiobirdman

The Crowd Cheered a Pagan Tumultuous Roar.

Harley, Harley-Davidson, chariot racing, Australia

Please Give.

BloodDrive, gore, Syfy, official, trailer, grindhouse, coming to TV, June 14,

Attention Music Lovers

#Toledo, #8-Track, Vanilla Fudge, Al Martino, Buck Owens, Wow and Flutter
More on Lasalle's Department Store Toledo, Ohio

Merry Christmas Bitches!

Have a Funk-Filled 4th!

Sussudio: 21 Jump Street, Toledo Style

In the 1983-84 school year, Toledo Police officer Phil Toney went undercover in the Toledo Public School system as part of an effort to crack down on  a drug ring that had been operating freely within the district. A pretty common crime-fighting tactic at the time, Toney's tenure is notable for one potentially disastrous slip: When it came time to build his cover, he, either by Freudian slip or sheer absent-mindedness, chose to go with the name "Phil Collins." (You can read the original story at 13ABC.) While the then 31-year old Toney's recent admission at least partially explains the difficulties toke! and his pals had scoring quality product during that time, the real story is how his "Phil Collins" alias escaped the scrutiny of both his TPD associates and the NARC-dar of the local High School drug gentry. "[It] Never really dawned on me until I first told somebody my name," remembers Toney, "and they said, 'Oh, yeah. Like the drummer in Genesis!"  Stoners-sometimes it seems the only thing they can do properly is screw themselves. 

My name? Robert. Robert Marley, nudge wink.

Actual names of dealers I've met and/or T-shirts I've seen: Dr. Feelgood, The Snowman, Queen of Green, Clown of Brown, Mr. Green, Boo Boo, Snitches are a dieing(sic) breed.

Also: Phill Collins as "Phil the Shill" on TV's hit drug drama, Miami Vice.

Maumee Rock City

Some say you gotta lose your mind there.
 #Necros, #Henry and June, #Soledad Brothers,  #Universe Crew, #McDonalds, #UpChuck, #Riot Squad, #Stain,

"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)