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AADL Talks to Bob Dascola
Dascola Barber Shop has been a fixture of downtown Ann Arbor since 1938 when Dominic Dascola first struck out on his own as a business owner. Bob Dascola, his son, has been a part of this tradition for the past 45 years, keeping shop first in his father's original location on E Liberty St and now in his own space on S State St. In that time, he's grown from being one member of the family business to being a small business owner, then a community leader, and now a candidate for City Council in the 3rd Ward. When Bob sat down with us, we talked about going into the family business, how a community member can make a difference, and the things he's learned just by talking with people who come in and sit down in his chair.
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AADL Talks to Jennifer Pharr Davis
In this episode, we talk with Jennifer Pharr Davis, author of Called Again: A Story of Love And Triumph and 2012 National Geographic Adventurer Of The Year, about her lifelong love of the outdoors and her record-setting thru hike on the Appalachian Trail.
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AADL Talks to Bill Minutaglio About His Book "Dallas 1963"
In Dallas 1963, author Bill Minutaglio paints a picture of the environment in Dallas in the early 1960s and how a vivid cast of personalities fit together leading up to the tragic event.
You can also view or download Bill's October 20, 2013 lecture at the Library.
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AADL Talks to Bruce Kraig, author of Man Bites Dog: Hot Dog Culture in America
Whether you call them franks, wieners, or red hots, hot dogs are as American as apple pie, but how did these little links become icons of American culture? World-renowned hot dog scholar Bruce Kraig investigates the history, people, décor, and venues that make up hot dog culture and what it says about our country. Did you know that Flint, MI has a distinctly different "dry" coney dog compared to Detroit's style? Erin sits down with Bruce to talk the history of hot dogs in all their glory!
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AADL Talks to Jamie Mistry
A long-time supporter of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Jamie Mistry is proud to help celebrate its 30th season in 2013. He started as a volunteer and through the years, has taken on many roles, including as Chair of the Board of Directors. He remembers the challenges of funding an arts organization during hard times, and the sensitivity necessary in programming to remain sustainable.
These days he remains a community member of the Festival and looks forward to bringing his family to yet another A2SF season.
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AADL Talks to Kathy Kelley
Kathy Kelly moved into the Hill Street houses when she was very young, but she recalls her life there as a member of the White Panther Party as a positive, life-changing personal experience and social experiment. Kathy talks about daily life in the commune with her friends and colleagues, some of the events she participated in, including the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, as well as her apprenticeship as a graphic artist under legendary rock poster artist, Gary Grimshaw. Kathy's experience with the White Panther Party and Rainbow People's Party led to a successful career in art direction for publishing with magazines such as Chicago, Outside, CREEM, and most especially in educational publishing with Weekly Reader Corporation and Scholastic.
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AADL Talks To Commander Cody
George Frayne, aka Commander Cody, formed Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1967 while attending the University of Michigan. We had the opportunity to chat with George backstage at the Ark before the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally (Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen performed at the original Rally in 1971). George spoke about the formation of the band, his memories of some of Ann Arbor's musical hot spots, as well as his introduction to boogie-woogie piano, to pot, and to John Sinclair and the White Panther Party.
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AADL Talks To David Fenton
While he was in town during the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, we had the chance to sit down and chat with David Fenton about his time in Ann Arbor during the late 1960s and early 1970s. During these years David lived at the Hill Street Commune, worked on the Ann Arbor Sun, and helped with the campaign to free John Sinclair. David discusses Sinclair's influence on his personal and professional life; reflects on the excesses - both good and bad - of the countercultural movement as he experienced it, and its legacy 40 years later in its modern counterparts, including moveon.org and the Occupy Wall Street movement.
David also participated in our panel discussion, Culture Jamming: A Long View Back.
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AADL Talks To Wayne Kramer
While he was in town for the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, Wayne Kramer, lead guitarist and co-founder of the seminal Detroit/Ann Arbor band, MC5, sat down to talk with us. Wayne discusses the early years of the band and the influence of jazz, Sinclair, and Detroit culture on their music. He also talks about his troubles in the years following the band's dissolution; his current work with Jail Guitar Doors and fondly recalls the concerts in West Park.
Read more about Wayne Kramer and the MC5 at aadl.org and freeingjohnsinclair.org.