It’s Hip To Be…Oh, Forget It
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival website is pushing the “squared” theme hard with its slogan “Senses^2 in A^2.” That’s right; attending Summer Fest will temporarily put you in a heightened state of awareness in which you have 25 senses.
Ugh. Maybe Top of the Park will fare better this year, at least. I didn’t bother to go once last year. A few years ago there were actually some good bands, if I recall… I actually discovered TOBASOL there.
posted by Brandon on April 26th, 2005 at 1:14 amThis is the first year I’m killing a summer here, so it best TOTP fare well. Not getting hopes up though.
From the Summer Festival Site:
“To purchase vintage posters, t-shirts, sweatshirts and polar fleece vests, contact the Festival for prices and availability at 734.647.2278.”
I’m trying to picture a vintage polar fleece vest, and somehow, it isn’t working. (Yes, I know what they mean. But still, polar fleece for a summer festival? Michigan has fickle weather, but not that fickle.)
I hate the term A-squared. Don’t know why, exactly, just always kind of hated it. Maybe because it technically should just be A-times-2? If I’m going to abbreviate, I prefer AA, although Ypsi is such a cooler abbreviation. It sounds like a sound you’d make to a baby as you pick him/her up in a playful manner. Ypsi-daisy!.
posted by Jen on April 26th, 2005 at 7:43 amA squared is for squares. Some of those heighened 25 senses should be a keen awareness that I should be somewhere other than A squared. Funny title, AAiO. You’re the best.
posted by DrMandrake on April 26th, 2005 at 8:26 amDid anyone watch the video? I would describe it, but… just watch it.
posted by Anna on April 26th, 2005 at 8:28 amYpsi, to me, always sounded like something that Europeans would name their tiny dog, like Schotzie or howeverinthehell you spell it. Not that that’s bad or anything.
RE the festival:
*I notice that the events are rated, like a V-Chip, so don’t worry: The Children Are Safe.
*They’ve got guys from that Whose Line is it Anyway? show. Improv is one of the worst things going on this planet, art-wise. Right up there with mime. Ugh.
*The website is sort of this weird blend of edgy graphic styles (when you go to the site, “senses^2 in A^2″ comes in all slammin’ & schizo, like the credits in a David Fincher movie) with a color scheme right out of a Marketing handbook, ‘05 edition. I think you can get Pier 1 dishware in these same colors.
*Apparently the director of this thing likes the Circus. Takes guts to cop to a thing like that, I think. However, he also has “… a tendency to be drawn to things that experiment with technology and fuse a wide variety of disciplines—music, dance, theater, video, cinema.” So he likes … things. And … other stuff.
posted by mulligatawny on April 26th, 2005 at 8:28 amI watched the video. It’s pretty amazing.
I love how all the mainstage events seem carefully calculated not to appeal to the college crowd. People here have pointed out that this is a townie event, but the organizers have complained in the past that there’s too many high school kids and not enough college kids, and then they go schedule acts like Kathy Mattea.
posted by ann arbor is overrated on April 26th, 2005 at 11:18 amImprov’s not all bad. But there is a lot of bad improv. And I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of it here.
posted by js on April 26th, 2005 at 11:22 amWhat struck me was MacHomer, Macbeth done in Simpsons voices. By some Quebecois, not even a member of the Simpsons voice artists. I could understand if it were Hank Azaria making weekend loot, but jesus. People are willing to pay to see this? The sample dialogue? “Is that a dagger I see before me… or a pizza?”
This is where I think the ugly character of monied Ann Arbor shows through: Paying good money to see a one-man play of Shakespear, but done in the most puerile pop-culture way. It’s snooty and stupid at the same time, and yet it’s expensive? Money and no taste, Ann Arbor. Money and no taste.
js, I had the same reaction to that dopey MacHomer mess. I was aghast that anyone would pay good money to see such dreck. Unbelievable.
posted by tadpole on April 26th, 2005 at 11:32 amI think this town’s got a 36th sense of humor.
posted by Anonymous on April 26th, 2005 at 12:01 pmThat schedule looks awful. I can’t help but think that it’s some kind of karmic payback for when you guys made fun of David Byrne, who I’d take over any of these acts in a millisecond.
posted by Anonymous on April 26th, 2005 at 12:08 pmWe used to go to TOTP in HS and circle the place about a hundred times then I worked at there for years serving beer, it was fun to do but I would never go to just go anymore. Alwyas had some good jazz to listen to though
posted by jt on April 26th, 2005 at 12:41 pmOjos de Brujo is really good. Honest. Kinda funky flamenco stuff, maybe with a little electronica mixed in. Very hot. It’s pissed off the traditional flamenco musicians, too, which has to be a good thing.
But “Tango Flamenco”? Aiyiyi. What do you bet it’s the out of work RiverDance crew looking for a new gig? (Or, heaven forbid, are they still at it?)
posted by Laura F on April 26th, 2005 at 1:01 pmLaura said:
>But “Tango Flamenco”? Aiyiyi. What do you bet
>it’s the out of work RiverDance crew looking for
>a new gig? (Or, heaven forbid, are they still at
>it?)
See, that’s sorta my problem with guys like Pilobolus and other such performers … Blue Man Group, Stomp, Riverdance, etc etc etc. Whatever they had that made them whatever they were (you may or may not like any of these) … the live-ness of any of these shows just gets killed with ubiquitous touring companies that just loop and cris-cross the country for years and years and years. Big deal.
posted by mulligatawny on April 26th, 2005 at 1:06 pmOh… my God… the video…
Speechless. That thing sums up so much of the Ann Arbor attitudes I despise so succinctly, it almost brought a tear to my eye.
posted by Jen on April 26th, 2005 at 2:36 pmI don’t even hate AA that much, but that video is kind of skin-crawly.
posted by Heidi on April 26th, 2005 at 3:19 pmDidn’t you at least like the end bit, where the phrase “Senses^2 in A^2″ gives a spirited little shiver in time to the closing flourish of the synthesized music?
posted by tiramisu on April 26th, 2005 at 3:33 pmFrom a technical standpoint, I don’t see the video being that bad…what exactly are folks objecting to? Content-wise, however, I’m not going to trip over anyone to get Bobby McFerrin tickets.
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 3:51 pmWho are the comedy guys? They look rather morose.
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 3:53 pmthe director is new this year. they are trying
posted by Anonymous on April 26th, 2005 at 4:03 pmfor a `younger’ crowd. but, checking those ticket prices, most can’t afford it, especially students!
i think the schedule is terrible. worst in years.
last year, though, They Might be Giants did have
a younger crowd.
The schedule is impressively crappy this year. What’s with that?
I also hate the A-squared term. I want to smack everyone I talk to who uses it. There are other names that upset me more, however, and they are:
1. MYLAN (Milan)
posted by Jenny on April 26th, 2005 at 6:27 pm2. SUHLINE (Saline)
3. DELHIGH (Delhi)
You should go to Detroit where they pronounce Goethe as GO-Thee and Freud as FROOD.
Jeez let’s get a bit more nitpicky here…
I agree however that the lineup kinda sucks. (MacHomer? pathetic!)
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 7:14 pmby the way, Goethe and Freud are street names, I don’t think anyone is referencing the books.
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 7:15 pmFemi Kuti. July 8th. I saw him and his band at The Middle East in Cambridge a couple years ago. Best show pound-for-pound (read: $ for $) I have ever seen. Granted, to those who know, that is a great place to see music and I don’t know how the Power Center measures up but do yourself a favor and go.
I am not looking forward at all to the Sandra Bernhard “show”.
posted by Peter on April 26th, 2005 at 7:33 pmHoly fucking shit. $36?!?!? I might still spend it but, yes, I hate this town. I paid $20 before and it was very much worth it but that was general admission.
posted by peter on April 26th, 2005 at 7:36 pmI paid $8 to see the Clash in the early 80s. Blame Clearchannel and Ticketmaster, bastards.
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 7:38 pmNo, I’d rather blame Ann Arbor. The same show in Chicago is $25 the next night. Yes, I am spending too much time on this.
posted by peter on April 26th, 2005 at 7:41 pmActually, the bastards I was referring to wasn’t folks who criticize ticket prices, but ClearChannel & TicketMaster (the above statement read a bit wrong).
I wonder why it’s more expensive here than Chicago?
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 7:56 pmNo, I knew to whom you were referring. I am sure those two run the entire tour so you can’t blame the prices of two different shows on them (or can you?).
It’s probably at least two things. 1) Power Center is possibly expensive to (wo)man and set up as opposed to some music club in Chicago. 2) There are other things to do in Chicago so they can’t price it too high. You can go to Firefly Club or something like that. I suspect it is more the latter than the earlier. More fun to bitch about.
posted by peter on April 26th, 2005 at 8:06 pmThere should be a “here” in front of “you can go.”
posted by peter on April 26th, 2005 at 8:12 pmOk, the video’s kind of lame, but you’re complaining that you saw the Clash for $8 TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO? Which isn’t a complaint at all — how awesome was it that you got to see the Clash? Now everyone here knows it too, huh? That’s win-win.
PS. You can see Denyce Graves for $12, and Femi Kuti and Ojos du Brujo for $18.
posted by Mike on April 26th, 2005 at 11:07 pmI wasn’t complaining at all.
My comment referred to the fact that ticket prices are insanely high these days, despite the quality of the act.
I’m going to see Supersystem in Ham town tomorrow for free, so it all works out.
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 11:32 pm..and it was 22 years ago (yes I’m a fossil, chronologically speaking).
posted by OFWinsurgent on April 26th, 2005 at 11:34 pmFROOD, that’s hilarious.
posted by Jenny on April 27th, 2005 at 12:46 amHow far up are those $18 tickets? I guess on average the tickets are the same price then. Whatever.
posted by peter on April 27th, 2005 at 10:46 am