Motor City Music Conference explodes onto the Detroit scene

400+ acts. 40 venues. 5 days.

The Motor City Music Conference - expected to draw thousands into downtown Detroit this week - kicks off tomorrow with a bang: the Motor City Music Awards.

Legendary Detroit musicians Eminem and Aretha Franklin are both up for accolades, as well as Slim Shady's prodigy group, D12. The show will be held at the State Theater and is sold out.

If seeing your favorite local and national musicians is your thing, not to worry; there are plenty of other opportunities to do just that when MC2 - the nickname given to the fledgling music festival - swings into full-throttle Thursday night with plenty of acts to go around. Click here for a complete listing of artists, show times, and venues.

Along with hundreds of musicians of every musical genre imaginable, MC2 will also feature three full days of music and industry panels, as well as a music/lifestyle trade show at Cobo Hall. In addition, national music personalities Snoop Dogg and Moby are set to play full concerts. Snoop will be at Cobo on Saturday night, while Moby will play the State Theater on Friday. Proof from D12 will be in the spotlight at Envy on Thursday.

Tickets for the event come in various types and prices, depending on whether you want to see one day of music or all four, and whether you want all-access or first-come, first-serve seating. This article from Sunday's Free Press breaks the ticket complexity down to plain English. They range in price from $15-$100 and are available at Ticketmaster and one-day passes can be purchased at the venue, but get ready to stand in line if you choose this option.

MC2's website has information on anything else you need to know including detailed maps, artists times and venues, and more.

Global Nonviolence Conference Begins Today in Detroit

It's taken place in Durban, Atlanta, Miami, and Medillin, and now it's taking place in Detroit.

It's the 7th Annual Global Nonviolence Conference, a four-day event that aims to educate community and organizational leaders about particular strategies and approaches to deter aggressive behavior and to promote peaceful living and working environments wthn ther constituencies. The use of music, entertainment, and particular communication techniques are a few of the alternative methods to violence and aggression that will be addressed at conference break-out sessions.

This year's conference - entitled "Creating a Culture of Peace, Nonviolence, and Prosperity" - features daily lunch-and learn sessions, lectures by nonviolence experts, a Peace Jam concert, the 2005 Global Peace awards, and more.

Sponsored by the city of Detroit, GM, Comerica Bank, Coca-Cola, Providence Hospital, and New Detroit, the global nonviolence conference is being hosted by MINE, the Michigan Institute of Nonviolence Education and is located at Cobo Hall.

For more information, please visit MINE's website: www.nonviolenceeducation.org or call 877.403.2827. For a complete schedule of events, click here.

Save the Date: Tigers Game and Downtown Pub Crawl: April 23

Comerica Park on Opening Day '05

What better way to celebrate the beginning of baseball and Spring than by watching a Tigers game and then capping off the evening with a night on the town? For just $25, you can do just that on April 23 when Detroit Synergy has its first-ever Tigers Takeover and Pub Crawl.


Whoa! A Tiger's ticket, parking pass, t-shirt,
and bar crawl wrist band for only $25 - I'm there!

The day starts off with a tailgate from 9:00-11:45 am where you can meet fellow metro Detroiters and register for your game tickets, pub crawl wrist bands, game parking pass(included in the $25) and grab your free t-shirt (also included in the $25). Then, at noon, you'll head over to the game to watch the Tigers stomp the Minnesota Twins.

Once the game has ended, you and your new buddies will begin the evening at the first bar on the pub crawl route: Hockey Town. You'll finish the night off by visiting The State Bar, Detroit Beer Company, Coaches Corner, Cock and Bull, and The Hub.

If you've got a few friends that are interested in attending the TT with you, make sure to get the Superpass - it includes everything that comes with a regular pass except its valid for four people and is only $70.

Or, if you're like me and can't possibly last an entire day in the sun and then have the ability to party all night, tickets for just the pub-crawl are $15. They include the crawl wristband and a free t-shirt.

Visit http://detroitsynergy.org/projects/pubcrawl for more information and to purchase tickets. Procrastinators, please note - if you want to go to the game and the pub crawl, the last day to purchase your tickets is April 19.

The Detroit Public Library

The main branch of the Detroit Public Library

Since April 7 - 16 is National Library Week, what better time than now to write about the rich history of the Detroit Public Library?

Built in 1921, Detroit's magnificent main library was constructed at the request of then-mayor Edward H. Bennett, who felt the city's growing population deserved a new and grand place in which it could learn about things beyond its borders, as well as those taught in schools.

Designed by Gilbert Cass, an architect that had already proved his worthiness with such designs as the Woolworth building in New York and the Central Public Library in St. Louis, the exterior of the structure was purposely set back abnormally far from the edge of Woodward Avenue to create the illusion of two different worlds - the busyiness of daily life and the tranquility and beauty of the library.

Leading up to the building's entrance from Woodward Avenue, it is difficult not to be mystified by the beautiful landscaping, bronze sculptures, and bold recognition of famous theologians and scholars like Socrates and Plato, whose names were etched at the top of the building's exterior.

Inside, the ceilings are coffered in sixteenth-century style and on the walls Edwin H. Blashfield painted murals representing great authors, musicians and artists. On the second floor, readers can observe walls painted with murals by Gari Melchers, whose work there depicts early Detroit events.

Out with the old...

The site of the newest edition to Bob Maxey Ford

The Detroit car dealership that gained attention for selling the notorious red Navigator to the Kilpatrick administration last December is in the news again.

This time, though, Bob Maxey Ford is not making headlines based on the Mayor's antics.

The Detroit-based dealership, located on East Jefferson, has created a host of cheers amongst city residents for its rapid demolition of two abandoned buildings located directly across from it.

When the concrete and rubble has all been hauled away, the site will become the newest edition of the fledgling Bob Maxey Ford, which is shaping up to be a nice addition to the neighborhood.