Music: "The View From Nowhere"

By Alan Goldsmith

If you've ever been in a band, god knows it isn't easy. It's a constant struggle to write tunes, make everyone show up for practice, and come up with a couple sets of great songs. Then the nightmare begins- trying to find club dates.

What's better than dropping off your tape to some idiot club manager who cares more about pushing the window of drunk driving liability lawsuits in an attempt to max out beer sales, and music originality be damned? Buying your own music club. This is exactly what Brian Brickley of the Skyles Band did when he bought The Tap Room, the old dive bar/art deco spot in downtown Ypsilanti. "Yep- I bought the bar so I could get gigs for my band," says Brickley, whose band played the local blues circuit "There's been a shift away from booking blues bands on the local club scene, and it drove me crazy."

The Tap Room is a perfect spot for live blues. It's just the right size, has cheap drinks, and the feel of the place screams: Yuppies Go Home. According to Brickley, plans are to expand live music to weeknights and book bluegrass on Sundays.Ann Arbor legend Steve Nardella has played to one packed weekend already, and George Bedard is tentatively set for an upcoming gig, so don't let your Ypsilanti cultural bias keep you from checking out The Tap Room.

One of the coolest experiments in bringing live, original music to fans of local rock'n'roll has been the long running No Kickdrum series of acoustic shows at the semi-legendary PJ's Used Records on Packard near State. So, mark Wed., June 29th on your calendar, when PJ takes his gig to Top Of The Park at the A2 Summer Festival. That night, four local acts will share the stage in a night of unamplified, adventurous pop art. The great rockabilly trio from Community High School, Lucky Haskins, is one of the hippest up-and-coming bands to come along in years (and other than rare gigs at non-alcohol serving venues, like John Rastafari's all ages shows at the Unitarian Church on Washtenaw, are hard to check out). While Lucky Haskins will blow away the tourists and picnic-munching townies, the night will also feature sets by folk singer Gerry Butterwick, Lollipop Guild (more pop music with an Ann Arbor flavor), and Verve Pipe (bring your own dancing shoes and psychedelics). The show kicks off at 7 pm.

If Ann Arbor had a local Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, singer Dan Mulholland would be my nominee as a charter member. His gritty vocals have graced dozens of classic rock'n'roll outfits, from the Urbations and the Watusis, to his new group, The Navarones. Mulholland has taken the roots of AMERICAN music - classic soul, rockabilly, and soul - and made his own unique contribution to the genre. The Navarones will headline at the Heidelberg on Sat, June 4. According to Mulholland, the band sent a tape to New Jersey-based Telstar Records, the label that features records by The Lyres, Singing Neckbreakers, The Country Rockers, and other garage-ish stuff, and will have two tracks coming out in the fall as a Telstar seven-inch 45.

Disjointed funk. On their debut CD, Your Place and Mine, local trio Some People's Children prove it's possible to avoid the 'white funk' slumming trap and still be funky. On the 12-song collection of originals, they come across as a band that can really play their instruments, write funny tunes, and be tasteful and arty as well. It's funk music for another planet. The band is set for a Thur., June 2 gig at the Blind Pig, which according to bassist Dan Jones, will feature the addition of a two piece horn section as an experiment that will become permanent if it works out live.

Thanks to the Ann Arbor Police and the Fire Marshall for their fine work at the Matthew Sweet show at the Blind Pig last month. After checking for violations of the club capacity limit, many ticket holders were asked to leave before the show could continue. The cops are no doubt gearing up for the next big crime problem the city faces - unlicensed street performers/musicians who will threaten the city during next month's Art Fair.

We have good news/bad news. Ex-Ann Arbor natives, JAKS, one cool, rockin' band, have moved to Chicago. Good news: The band will be going into the studio with producer Steve Albini to record their debut full-length CD, which is set for release on the Choke label in October. Come back, come back!

That's all for now. If you have any scoops, hot crime tips, or other things involving the local music scene, be sure to get them to: The View From Nowhere, AGENDA, 220 S. Main, Ann Arbor, Ml 48104.