This annual item is for recommendations and general discussion of Top of the Park. TOP (he adds for those who do not live near Ann Arbor) is a 24-day festival of outdoor concerts and movies held on top of a University of Michigan parking structure. It's a very popular event with many Ann Arbor area Grexers.103 responses total.
On Wednesday night I was at TOP for the whole evening, in the company of STeve, Damon and Staci Andre'. I was quite pleased with the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic; I may have heard them once before, but I didn't realize that they were an organized activity of Saline High School. And I was quite happy to make the acquaintance of the Raisin Pickers, a trio straddling old-timey and bluegrass. I was too busy socializing with Grexers (danr & Sylvia, aruba & Carol, remmers and mary, other, probably more I have left out) to get over to the CD sales booth. I must announce that Western Civilization is coming to an end, because apparently almost no Grexers under the age of 30 were interested in tonight's movie, "A Night At The Opera" with The Marx Brothers. I can't believe the Marx Brothers are falling out of fashion.
I've never like them. Ever.
I was working.
I come from a family of Marx Brothers lovers and have always been one myself. We only stayed for the beginning of the movie though -- I've seen "Night at the Opera" a zillion times and feel no great need to see it again. Last night's TOP struck me as being rather sparsely attended, in comparison with TOP's of previous years. This despite beautiful weather. (In addition to the Grexers Ken listed, steve and dewshine were also present.)
I wanted to go, krj but I wasnt feeling up to it. I am going tonight though!
(Ken and I had a brief discussion about the choices of movies for TOP this year, and how they cater almost exclusively to the under-18 set, with the exception of the apparently-sparsely-attended Marx Brothers' set. being well over the age of 18 myself, I still hope to make it there for at least one movie, although my choices seem pretty slim. I'm out of town for the entire 7/4 week, and will be in another country by the time the Grex-sponsored night rolls around.) (knowing me, I'll pribly show up when I least expect it.)
I love the Marx Brothers, but I was too tired to go. When are the Red Elvises performing at the TOP? Is it a free outdoor performance?
Re #6: Well, I'm not sure what constitutes a movie catering to the under 18 set. However, in a way it makes sense, as I've noticed that most working stiffs can't really watch a one and half to two hour movie that starts at or after 10 pm,, and still expect to stay on a normal schedule (if its a worknight movie).
The Red Elvises are playing outdoors/free on July 4. I'm bummed because I'll be out of town that day.
YES! I'll be there. I wish you could be there scott. I know how much you like them. I wouldn't have heard of the Red Elvises if it wasn't for you.
Did I miss the Dr. Suess film fest this year, or are they not having one?
(there isn't one.) :(
The TOP movie choices are pretty lame, which is why I won't be going much.
I got to meet otaking today. That was nice :) I am sorry that I didnt have more time to be social.
I was at TOP on Wednesday, and Thursday. On Wednesday, I spoke with other. I saw (from a distance) a conglomeration of people that looked like they were admiring what looked like a card with a Grex Logo on it. Not getting a good enough look, and not knowing any of the presumed grexers, I kept my distance. Thursday, I saw other, but didn't speak with him. (Yes, I'm under 30, yes I watched the Marx Brothers movie)
Wow! You met me on Friday! Cool. You must;ve been from the future.
Spotted senna and hematite in the lobby of my dorm yesterday about 7pm ish on my way out as I headed back to A2 for tests and stuff related to chemotherapy.. (I'm almost done.. two months to go hopefully!! Whoopie!))
(I was probably in the conglomeration of people that hhsrat saw. Hey, don't be bashful -- just come up and introduce yourself.)
hhsrat in resp:15 :: aw, shucks! Yes, I was showing off a copy of the Grex magnet design. I think you should assume that the sighting of a Grex logo is an invitation to come up and introduce yourself.
Yeah, I probably should have come up, but I was far enough away that I didn't know for sure that it was a Grex logo, and I was in the middle of a conversation with a friend that I hadn't seen in a few years.
Well, I made it to A Night At the Opera, but I didn't find any grexers. Perhaps my grexradar has gotten rusty after a few months of disuse.
resp:16 - Yeah otaking, I am crazy like that -thinking I am in the future and stuff. It does help me one up my co-workers on occasion though. ;) I went to TOP on Thursday and I didnt see a single grexer. Maybe it was because I was in the beer swilling section?
(maybe because the movie sucked?)
I plan to be at TOP Saturday night for Madcat & Kane.
Lynne, if you were there Thursday for the bands, then you would have to have tried in order to not see me. (I'm the stagehand/assistant sound engineer)
I was there for the bands but I was sitting on the very edge at a table talking to some friends. I wasnt really paying attention to people so I missed seeing you! I am so lame. I totally walked right by a co-worker without even seeing him and it wasnt until he shouted my name like 10 times that I noticed him. I have a real talent for being in my own little world sometimes.
I work till 11 four nights a week. I won't be there much at all.
Re #22:
You *are* in the "future" - check a current calendar lately? Though I must
say that except for the Internet and various electronic consumer goodies, I'm
not all that impressed.
TOP was rained out tonight after the first set by blues guitarist Rollie Tussing III. But I was glad to make Rollie's acquaintance and I liked his playing style enough to get his CD. After the drizzle ended the night's entertainment, but before the evening had been officially called off, I chatted with other and ivynymph up by the stage. other's boss spoke enthusiastically of Sunday night's opening band, a local band called The Trinkets featuring Whitley Setrakian and playing in an alt.country style. About the second band, North, I know nothing. They are described as "folk-rock," which is a pigeonhole which includes some of my favorite music along with lots of really boring stuff... So I'll be there for the early music at least. The movie for Sunday is "Superman." Bleah.
(what do you mean, "bleah"? granted, "Superman II" was the better movie, but "Superman" still holds up as an entertaining piece of work even now.)
I saw "Superman" in first run. My girlfriend excused herself about midway through the movie and went to read her book in the lobby. I gritted my teeth and stuck it out, just because I hate to walk out of movies.
Even when TOP had bad movies, there was something really nice about lying on the stage on a warm summer night, watching the stars and the movies. I'm sorry to be missing it.
Scg has a point... of course, it's raining so much this summer that it's kinda hard to do that... ;-) <birdy, however, LOVES all this rain>
The rain is great for my lawn, which is all I care about.
I don't have my own lawn, so TOP is more important to me hehe.. STOP RAINING
since the forces of nature find a way to make grass grow (rain, etc) you would think that they would find a way to controlit (ie cutting it)
Perhaps they will develop a genetically engineered grass that will stop growing as soon as it is at ideal lawn height.
remmers, you have been dreaming of that for a long time, havent you?
re:29 yeah ken, i saw him a cupple weeks ago for the umpteenth time at the tap room open mic. finally had a chance to chat with him about tunings, mountain music, banjo frailing, geetars and stuff. i haven't bought his cd yet but he DID inspire me to start playing guitar again, so i wen't up to elderly and picked up a used *resophonic* (THANKS MOM). the thangs a wrassle to play but it's coming back, u dig?
<DRIFT> Re 36: The forces of nature *have* provided a means to limit the growth of grass. We just don't allow them on our lawns any more. </DRIFT>
Remmers, there are genetically short varieties of grass available. They only require mowing once or twice per season. The varieties I'm thinking about come in mixtures with either herbs or low-growing flowers, so you might not like these non-traditional lawns. I hope to plan the Fleur-de-lawn one of these years. Sorry for the drift.
<DRIFT> Re #40: You're right. Sheep would be against the zoning regulations in my neighborhood. Re #41: In the right context, it sounds like a lawn like that could be quite attractive. </DRIFT> Note: In case anybody's lost track, this is the Top of the Park item, so you should feel free to discuss TOP without feeling that you're rudely changing the subject.
<DRIFT> i really like guernsey farms old fashioned strawberry icecream. <DRIFT>
Oh the rain. Let's speak about it for a second. I don't mind a little rain. I do mind torrential rain when I go shopping and I'm trying to get my groceries home reasonably dry. It was raining so hard that I swore I saw an old man building some kind of ark. I asked him if he was concerned about the wood warping. He said that what did he care? it only needed to last 40 days. ;) Oh and let's not forget the other by-product of torrential rain, which would be the interminable wait for a taxi. I waited so long for a cab, the dinosaur on my t-shirt is now a fossil. ;)
I quit the garden work hours too early so I could make it to TOP for The Trinkets, who turned out to be well worth the trip. Three women singers up front, including local country-folk singer K.C. Groves, Whitley Setrakian, and someone named Suzi. Five instrumentalists, including both electric and pedal steel guitar, behind them. The songs were a mix of Groves' originals, and covers of songs by writers like George Jones and Lucinda Williams. I asked Groves if this was a one-shot performance, and she said they'll play together more if they can land some gigs. I gave the second band, North, two songs. They didn't catch my fancy; I went back to my garden work and got four more annual pots filled before dark.
Pledge update: $325.90 pledged, $229.91 donated. This does not include the refridgerator magnet pledges that are in another item somewhere. Eric tells me that they're supposed to send/give us some kind of invoice, and we're supposed to give them money within 30 days of that. They haven't done the invoice yet, though.
<DRIFT> Y'know...Gurnsey Farms is in Novi </DRIFT>
Trinkets band consisted of Al Hill on keys, the drummer and lead guitar from the Starlight Drifters, a bassist I recognized but couldn't identify, and a pedal steel guy I'd never seen before. North had a distinctly Rusted Root inspired sound, and had several numbers I really thought were very good, including a beautiful percussion solo. They were a mix of percussions, acoustic lead guitar, electric bass, flute, and some sax, trumpet and trombone in some numbers at the end. Definitely eclectic, and very enjoyable.
((( Summer Agora #10 <---> Music #262 ))) Ten percent of the responses so far are about the musical entertainment. I hope the music-only readers won't object too much to the to the rest.
Oh...I love Rusted Root...too bad I missed North. =(
When I was walking downtown after the last bird hills grex walk, one of the guys from the band North commented on my hair, and said they were playing the next day outside the guitar shop by the library, I had to work so I couldn't see them, and this time I was very out of town so I missed them again. Damn that!
The guys in North are real good eggs...I've worked with the leader Joe for a while.
<DRIFT> guernsey farms is in novi? i didn't know that! </DRIFT>
i saw zephyr and carla today. i think i spied tsty at frog island. i saw katies picture on a tape at the bookstore.
Joe Mancuso of North is indeed a very good egg. i shared a good laugh with him when he commented upon recieving his check, "Oh, I forgot we were being paid for this." I said that was the mark of a true artist. ;)
re 53- The store is on Novi Rd just north of 8 mile. Go for the milk, stay for the ice cream. Yum.
YOu must try the Creme de Novi ice cream...
moosetracks
yum!
Spotted goose quite unexpectedly at Charlies Country Squire Restaurant on Washtenaw this morning after my cat scans as I ate brezakfast with my father.. Quite pleasant and unexpected.
(I guess it wasn't a spotting, seeing as I spoke with other while visiting TOP yesterday. if it had been anyone else...)
logically, it had to be him. because if it hadn't been him, it would have been an other (and hence still him).
I have not spotted any m-netters or grexers today. The day is not over yet.
carla, look out your window around 6:30. I am going to swing by that house I want to buy to gawk at it. I do that a lot since it is pretty much on my dog walking route. :)
dang I missed ya but if you spotted that HUGE ASS blue old conversion van parked out in front of *my* place, that was my bosses from florida. They kissed my ass today and told me how valuable I am. Heh. I *hope* I get that other job, <crosses fingers> is it the house *directly* accross from mine?
I had lunch with slynne again today. (Lunch with grexers is always fun.) On the way home from Discount Tire, I spotted kaplan and chanur waling their dog, so I stopped by and ended up having dinner with them. Yay!
(Jeff and Chris's dog is mutsie, who is also a Grexer.) I spotted drew and ken at the AACS meeting at the Campus Inn tonight.
Yeah carla, that is the house. I am going to the mortgage people on Friday to see if I can afford it. <cross fingers> Of course, I havent actually looked at it yet. I dont want to fall in love with it in case I find out I cant afford it. It is cute though.
Oh yeah, I forgot mutsie is a grexer. Sorry mutsie.
As reported in #60 I spotted grimaldy at Charlies. RE#68 - Is that the little brown one?
lynne that would TOTALLY KICK ASS if you lived accross the street from me. I walk a lot with my friends one of which has a snall dog. Maybe we can have a dog walkin' posse. Hey, let's invite poopyboy too while we're at it. Heh.
i think i spotted danr at TOP last night, but didn't get a chance to say hello.
71 sounds fun.
Well damn, Carla. WE could do that now. I mean I currently live 2 blocks from you :)
im gonna come on your walks with my cat, and im gonna run backwards in front of all of you.
lees likes cats.
(at TOP tonight I spotted what I consider the usual music crew: other, mziemba, and krj. I also had the fortune of running into someone I hadn't seen in about five years, who also happened to be playing with the band.)
Brooke likes cats too but not as much as Lees does.
(krj confirms that I also spotted dewshine on the upper level, towards the end of the concert.)
Spotted krj and mziemba at TOP. I went there with cme and his wife (no login id) I thought I saw danr too, and I did not see other or carson, damn.
I spotted grimaldi breiefly in the lobby of Mason.
spotted, krj, other, maus(I think) and that was the extent of the grexer sightings at TOP of the park tonight.. I did make a few non grexer sightings of old friends from HS though.. Turns out a couple I've known for a long time. are indeed engaged and the wedding is comming up. :) Maybe I'll have to dust off the tux.. :)
re WAY back there: Orinoco, if you were with Eric Bernstein during Night at the Opera, then you may have spotted me. I was a few rows in front of him, and I said hi to him at the end of the movie.
Tonight I hung out with Grimaldi for the Cave Cat Sammy set. Cave Cat Sammy was a nice rockabilly band; I don't love rockabilly enough to collect recordings, but it's great outdoor festival music. STeve and Staci Andre' showed up just before the movie started, and Eric/other stopped by to show us the black/white version of the Grex logo which TOP will use on our sponsored night. The movie, STUART LITTLE, was much better than I'd expected. The film finished with about five minutes to spare before the rain got serious. Tuesday is the Red Elvises...
Ah. Belated hello, hhsrat.
I saw a hippy at TOP
What? Just one? You werent looking very hard were you?
It was a blur of complacent sloths.
Again, tonight's band is The Red Elvises, listed for a 7:30 start according to the web site. Scott Helmke introduced me to their recordings; they are a surf-rock band from Russia and they are quite a bit of fun.
I'm sorry I couldn't make it, I just got home from family-gathering boredom.
They were fun.
Made it to see the Red Elvi and Antz. drew spotted me soon after I got there. He later spotted krj and senna and we wandered over his way. Also saw toasty out on the dance slab.
I spotted krj, jmsaul, drew, tsty, other, senna, tpryan and phenix at the TOP tonight. Glad to meet some of you for the first time. I'm also glad you saw a really fun concert tonight with the rest of us.
Damn. I was gonna go tonight.
I saw a similar load of people. I got at least three faces to names.
Conversed with other at TOP tonight. Also met llanarth/balynce and was introduced to someone named Dan (I didn't catch a last name, or login so I'm not sure if he's a grexer or not)
(I also managed to trip over a chain and joke with the people selling TOP t-shirts about the fact that I really don't need another one. However, this is irrelevant, so it's a parenthetical remark, designed to be ignored)
Conversed with other, llanarth, and met ivynymph (did I spell that right?) Did not trip over any chains, but I almost fell backward in my chair ;)
When is the next TOP? Is it every night or something?
Every night, but soon to run out of nights.
drew brought me a stack of the GREX fridge magnets to the stilyagi party. I had the oppurtunity to pass out many of those.
Gareth went to the Grex sponsorsed TOP, but *sniff* did not get me a magnet. I was seriously bummed.
couldn't make it to the top of hte magnet night, /sigh, did make it to the red elvises and antz (as recorded above0. they were fanTAStick! saw al lthe people who saw me, did some dance slab gyrations, had a ball. wish i had been able to get to more. there is always next year.
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