I'm still sorting through my photos and impressions of this year's Concert of Colors in Detroit's Midtown area, but as always, the organizers of this great diversity and world music festival seem to outdo themselves each and every year.
We managed to attend many of the performances over three days of the multi-day event this year, one day at the Detroit Institute of the Arts and two days at home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Hall (or more simply called The Max).
Just as there was too much great music to compress into a one-day event, there is far too much to write about and too many photos to share, in just one post!
So, I'll give you a little taste of each of the three days we attended in three different posts.
Today, I'll focus on Friday's events (July 5) at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
We loved the opportunity to check out the DIA's new "Cultural Living Room" in the museum's Kresge Court and the newly re-imagined concert and event space on the museum's South Lawn.
I've always loved the DIA's Kresge Court as a place to stop for an ice tea, coffee or light snack during a museum visit, but the newly redesigned space is even more inviting and functional for relaxing, small informal meetings or working.
Comfortable living room-type furniture and select museum publications scattered around the coffeehouse-style space encourage visitors to linger in the space, and a menu of tapas, sandwiches, desserts and shareable snacks makes it a nice choice for a quick meal,
There are also a couple of tall library tables installed with iPads and furniture outlets to allow visitors to use their own electronic devices as they access the museum's Wi-Fi network.
The Concert of Colors also marked the debut of the DIA's South Lawn space as a seasonal event and activity space.
Concert of Colors performances by the October Babies and Feufollet proved to be a great way to launch the space as an occasional concert venue with lawn seating for visitors.
We've attended musical performances at the DIA in the past and think the South Lawn space is a definite improvement over hosting concerts in the museum's Rivera Court, which can be cramped with a large crowd and where the acoustics can make it difficult to hear clearly (I still remember attending a Friday night concert at the DIA by the White Stripes just as they hit it big where the acoustics rendered the performance a aurally muddy mess). It's also nice to be outside for a concert, and the museum's movie theater is still an option if it's rainy.
October Babies offered an energetic set of multi-cultural influenced rock and jazz. The band started as a collaboration between Toko Shiiki-Santos and Erik Santos after they met in Japan in 2002 where Erik worked as a composer. Toko moved to the United States in 2005 to study photography in Ann Arbor, and the couple now has a band that includes drummer Ben Lorenz and guitarist/vocalist Dale King.
The high-energy music continued with a set from the Cajun band Feufollet. The six-member band's name is French for will-o'-the-wisp, a term describing a illusive or ghostly light that often lures night-time travelers from safe paths.
The group's music ranged from traditional Acadian tunes, to original compositions informed by traditional Cajun music and indie rock sensibilities, to fun numbers like an unexpected cover of the Beach Boys' "Heroes and Villains".
We were disappointed that we, yet again, missed a showing of "Louder than Love", a documentary about Detroit's Grande Ballroom at the Detroit Film Theater because it was, yet again, sold out. Here's hoping we'll eventually see it on the big screen (and with big speakers) before we're reduced to having to wait until it gets released as a DVD to see it.
Interested in music from these bands? Check out Keep Vibrating by October Babies and En Couleurs by Feufollet.
Here's Tim's take, with photos, on the Concert of Colors sessions at the DIA.
© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved
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