DANNY FIELDS FILM PREMIERE ANN ARBOR JUNE 11 AT MICHIGAN THEATER!!!

This Thursday June 11 at 7:15pm as part of the 2015 Cinetopia Film Festival is the Ann Arbor premiere of DANNY SAYS. This bio documentary is about Danny Fields the scout from Elektra Records who came to Detroit and saw the Mighty MC5 and took Detroit Rock back to the Big Apple. Meeting the 5 was a life changing moment for the world of music....

Musician/Songwriter Ivan Kral will be there speaking about the film and his friendship with Danny Fields
 

We will be there along with pals Timmy Vulgar from Timmy's Organism who are headlining the MC5 50th Anniversary Celebration in Lincoln Park July 11-12. 

GET TICKETS FOR DANNY SAYS HERE

Danny Says is a documentary on the life and times of Danny Fields. Since 1966, Danny Fields has played a pivotal role in music and “culture” of the late 20th century: working for the Doors, Cream, Lou Reed, Nico, Judy Collins and managing groundbreaking artists like the Stooges, the MC5 and the Ramones.

Danny Says follows Fields from Phi Beta Kappa whiz-kid, to Harvard Law dropout, to the Warhol Silver Factory, to Director of Publicity at Elektra Records, to “punk pioneer” and beyond. Danny’s taste and opinion, once deemed defiant and radical, has turned out to have been prescient. Danny Says is a story of marginal turning mainstream, avant garde turning prophetic, as Fields looks to the next generation.

SEE ALL OF THE CINETOPIA FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS HERE

THE VISITORS REUNITE TO SUPPORT THE RON ASHETON FOUNDATION!

Just in from the I 94 Barman:

The untimely passing of Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton in January 2009 was felt around the world - but particularly in Australia.

A stellar line-up of Australian bands - including the Hoodoo Gurus - will recognise that fact by playing a tribute show benefitting the Ron Asheton Foundation at the Manning Bar at Sydney University on Friday, December 6.

The influence of Asheton and his bandmates held sway over the underground music scene in Australia like few others. From Sydney’s Radio Birdman to Brisbane’s Saints and Melbourne’s Birthday Party, innumerable bands owed a debt.

Legendary post Radio Birdman band The Visitors, led by Ron’s close friend Deniz Tek and fea lead vocalist Mark Sisto, will headline the night, making one of only a handful of appearances since disbanding in 1979.

ARIA Rock and Roll Hall of Famers the Hoodoo Gurus will appear as special guests with a short and sharp set put together just for this occasion.

The New Christs, the band fronted by Deniz’s ex-Birdman bandmate Rob Younger, will join them on the heavyweight bill.

The SC5 – a sporadic Sydney tribute to Stooges contemporaries the MC5 – and The Four Stooges, reprising songs of the Stooges, will round out the list. Both bands feature a range of Sydney rock scene luminaries.

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COLONEL GALAXY AND NIAGARA'S 1969 DODGE DART "HOT BOX"

Colonel Galaxy and Niagara Detroit's 1969 "Hot Box" Dodge Dart

Colonel Galaxy had owned this Dodge Dart for a really long time when he decided to do a huge makeover on it.  The dart was in really bad shape, the car below is for illustration only. Our mutual friend Mark Sisto sold it to the Col back in the early 1990s.

1969 Tan Dodge Dart...this is basically what it looked like before

Singer Mark Sisto of the Visitors owned this car prior to Colonel Galaxy.  Col. bought it and drove it for 2 days before the engine completely blew.  The massive restoration began just 3 years ago. Mark fills us in on his time with the Dart...

Niagara and Shaggy Leblanc photo: Tromba Fiemeinska

Incredible. I bought this very automobile in 1994, Somewhere in Marin County. My son and I drove it to Montana, then on to Detroit. By the time we got to Chicago (about 3 AM) it was hissing , lights were coming on, it was making funny noises, I kept talking to him (the Dart)," Hang in there buddy, were are going back to the motherland, come on, just hang in there 4 more hours."...

Niagara's signature painting "Hot Box"

We made it to Detroit, and it wouldn't start again... several things were not working. It shouldn't have been moving .. The Colonel paid me $500 , I'm so glad He gave it a new life. I believe cars can be sentient beings..Thank you Colonel. Such great work ! ( was a slant 6 in its previous life) Mark Sisto

69' Dodge Dart....

Niagara painted "Hot Box" the lips with a cigarette logo on the Dart...made it look very cool.

69' Dodge Dart....Chuck Miller Racing 340 600 hp, full framed, tubbed (to facilitate bigger tires) Strange axle 4:11...727 Torque Flight trans, 4 wheel Wildwood discs, ''tubular a arms''(lowers car) Vintage A/C, 2000 watt Bose Stereo, Custom fiberglass hood w Camaro hood scoop, Custom blue pearl, purple pearl iridescent over silver and black paint.

Niagara christened the car "HotBox'' and her logos appear fore, aft and inside. Work done over 3 years by Paul Jesko, Keith Coleman, Shaggy LaBlanc, and Colonel Galaxy who was a professional race driver for American Motors and Jeep Racing Team along with his father and Erhard Dam on the SCCA Pro Rally Circuit for most of the 80's.

This car was built by the Detroit Dream Team:

Shaggy's Radicals/Auto Body and Paint

Keith Coleman/Metal Frame Work

Paul Jesko/Motor converted from slant 6 to a 340/411 rear end/600 hpwr

The Dart has after market Vintage Air installed at the cost of losing the glove compartment and the windshield wiper motor...so no driving in the rain....

Tromba Fiemeinska Niagara Lenny from Speedcult Jim Edwards

This is a 340 Chuck Miller Racing engine with 600 hp, 727 Torqueflight transmission and 4:56 Strange Axle ....runs low 12's without the Nitrous.

The Colonel is an amazing guy....

Colonel Galaxy was sponsored by AMC/JEEP he ran in the BAHA SPCCA Pro Rally Series. Col. was the youngest guy to win 2 Rallys.

DENIZ TEK: STEEL BEACH/ MISS YOU TOO MUCH...

Deniz Tek Citadel Years 2 CD Set

From Deniz...

"I wrote Steel Beach while in the middle of the Indian Ocean in the mid 80's. On the aircraft carrier, they shut down flight ops and gave everyone a day off about once a month, usually on a Sunday. They cleared off an area of the deck, and set up BBQ's, made sliders, and sailors and airmen put their towels down and lie in the sun... they called it Steel Beach. I used that image, but of course took it in my own strange direction for the song lyrics. It's an electric blues in the classic sense." Deniz Tek

Download Steel Beach for free!

Deniz Tek and my favorite twin brothers the Godoy Twins (Art and Steve) are gearing up to play this weekend on the east coast. So wish I could be there but hopefully they will be here in Ann Arbor soon.. I have a ton of Deniz' music that he gave me or fans have sent in to me. Yesterday I clicked on "Steel Beach". It just haunted me for almost 48 hours.

I have played it over and over and each time I hear something new in Deniz' lyric and his gorgeous guitar. Steel beach, Deniz's song . I never sang it.I like that song too . Its refers to the ship an LST? Marine helicopter carrier.. equatorial hot, surrounded by water, but no swim. just steel.Sun on Steel must have been rather uncomfortable "Like a hammer from the sun's mind" Mark Sisto Here is a recent video Deniz Tek with Andy Newman , Steve and Art Godoy live @ the Patch , 3 April 2011 Wollongong , Australia ..OZ Tour 2011

Deniz Tek began his solo career in 1992 with the recording of the album Take It To The Vertical. The assembled studio band included Chris Masuak from Radio Birdman, Scott Asheton from the Stooges and Dust Peterson from Dust and the Rotorheads. The album was produced and financed by Deniz with Andy Mort Bradley engineering at the Sugar Hill studios in Houston, Texas.

The album was sold to Red Eye Records, a subsidiary arm of Polydor Australia. It marked the beginning of an ill starred relationship with the major label.

The band, with Bob Brown replacing Dust on bass, later toured Australia and then self destructed after experiencing artistic success on the one hand but a hideously mismanaged, near career destroying financial disaster on the other.

Madhatter Deniz and Mark Sisto

From the ashes of the conflagration emerged a stable line-up that featured Celibate Rifles' Kent Steedman on guitar and Nik Rieth on drums along with ex New Christs and Barracudas' bass player Jim Dickson. The new band rehearsed, recorded and began playing shows around Australia in mid 1993. This line-up was to become known as The Deniz Tek Group.

Early 1994 saw them release the hard rock album Outside on Red Eye. This release was followed by a national Australian tour, and then in 1995 a gruelling world tour encompassing Australia, Europe and the west coast of America. In early 1995, while in Australia, they recorded the EP 444 The Number Of The Beat, mislabeled by the Red Eye art department as 4-4. Perhaps ominous for looming trouble, the label didn't find it worth the effort to correct the error.

One of Deniz' most beautiful songs for me is "Miss You Too Much" with my friend Mark Sisto on vocals with The Visitors. The Visitors was a self-titled album from the band The Visitors released in 1983. The album was originally recorded under the Radio Birdman label Trafalgar Music, and the tapes were left to sit for four years with no interest bar the Phantom EP release.

Mark Sisto Deniz Tek

The insistence of Citadel to make the material available convinced Trafalgar into agreeing to allow Citadel to finance the remixes. Deniz was available for the remixes that were done at EMI 301's eight-track studio. However, he was not available to assist with the artwork, and the process ultimately took longer than expected.

Deniz and I first met in December 2009. He came to Ann Arbor to play in Chris Taylor's Ann Arbor Rock and Roll Revival. It was such fun to see Deniz when Madhatter walked into the green room at The Blind Pig... LOL

Deniz Tek's Discography NYC/NJ/PHILLY SHOW INFO

RETRO KIMMER: MARK SISTO STOPS BY....

Kimmer with pal singer Mark Sisto

My friend Mark Sisto of the band The Visitors and The Manifestations happened to be in town tonight on a whirl wind visit. Haven't seen Mark since he was here in February 2010.

We had alot of fun when he was here last year. Worked with Al King, Chris Taylor and SRC guitarist Gary Quackenbush.

Mark Sisto

We filmed 2 songs with Mark singing and I love these videos. They were spontaneous and I just got the Handycam so I was a newbie. Here is Hand of Law:

Mark Sisto

Mark loves the band SRC (Scot Richard Case) so we picked up Gary Quackenbush and put together a quickie session and I filmed it.

Mark's father Salvador Sisto sadly passed way recently and his sister-in-law made this fabulous video...check it out it is just beautiful.

Read More on RK
48 Hours With Mark Sisto
Kimmer and Mark Visit Coachville Trailer Park
Ann Arbor Rock n Roll Revival 2009

COACHVILLE TRAILER PARK 2010

 
A lot of my readers are big Stooges and Iggy fans I decided to shoot a few photos to show them was it looks like around here (Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Michigan)

At the suggestion of my friend Heather Harris, I just finished reading Open Up and Bleed the biography of James Newell Osterberg Jr. (Iggy Pop) by Paul Trynka. This book was fantastic and so well done for an author from the UK (any author for that matter). It was the best book! Just loved it and Heather does too.

It brought up a lot of memories for me although I am a bit younger than Jim and the Stooges I did see them around Second Chance. It made me want to get my cameras out and go shoot landmarks as they appear now. I started with Coachville.

Scott Morgan and I plan to shoot more this summer around where the Rationals, Sonic's Rendezvous and all his other bands played and lived. The landmarks and the history of Ann Arbor rock n roll is best told by the Master himself and Scott remembers it all!

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Mark Sisto (The Visitors Radio Birdman) was in town and we took a little tour around the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area. I drove Mark through the Coachville Park as I had never been through it myself! After spending my entire life living here I must have driven by this tiny park thousands of times and never noticed it. My friend Doug Davis is one of the owners of Miles of Golf where Jim played golf with his dad.

In the old days of the 1960s the park had such small old time trailers like the Long Long Trailer Lucy and Ricky took to Hollywood and some of the larger ones were actual trailers. From what I have read, the trailer Jim lived in was so small it would be more of an RV than a trailer. Not sure maybe it was a full trailer but I heard something about it being like 30 feet long. With three people that was an awfully tiny place to live.

This area of Carpenter Rd is and (was) considered Ann Arbor or more specifically Pittsfield township, not Ypsilanti. The real cross road from Ypsilanti into Ann Arbor is Golfside just west of the Washtenaw Country Club. I grew up in Country Club Park a subdivision built between Packard Rd and Hewitt Rd. This was definitely the West Side of Ypsilanti.

Washtenaw County is a strange place to grow up for all of us natives. Lately I have had several conversations with people, (some famous rockers) some normal fans, about whether or not Jim (Iggy) grew up with his parents in Ypsilanti. Michigan. He did not.

Jim went to Carpenter Elementary School, Tappan Junior High and Pioneer High School all ann Arbor Schools. My point being.. Jim was never from Ypsilanti he was was Pittsfield Township Ann Arbor . I can see why he rather claim Ypsilanti though! We were much more rebellious, blue collar, and down to earth people. Ypsi had it's own code of behavior and I am proud to be born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

One thing that made no sense to me from Paul's book was why did Jim's parents the Osterbergs (both gainfully employed) choose to raise their one child in this tiny trailer park? The stigma from living in trailer parks continues to this day. Even though they call them a nicer term (Manufactured Home Communities). I live in one with one teen age daughter because I am a single mom and need the cheap rent to afford the money it takes to care of a teenage girl (!!!!$$$$)

But Jim's parents had a lot more money with the two incomes so WHY did they not move to a better home so their son would not have to grow up in snobby Ann Arbor with that trailer park Stigma?? Jim had to go to the richest kid Jr. High School, Tappan and that had to be really brutal on him.

This environment must have taught him his skills in performing along with his anger and rebellion. Just my opinion.

Nice cozy little park where Jim grew up across from the old Carpenter elementary school which was moved to Central Street in a newer subdivision.

I highly recommend you buy this book! Click on the link below and you can get a new or used copy. Just don't lend it to ANYONE! You'll never get it back!

RETRO KIMMER: SRC GARY QUACKENBUSH MILESTONE IN ANN ARBOR

First SRC Album

One of my most favorite songs of all time is Checkmate (Milestones) by the legendary Retro fantastic band SRC. It never occurred to me as a 14 year old jumping around the living room that I would one day meet the leader of SRC, lead guitarist Gary Quackenbush. We met recently at the Ann Arbor Rock Revival Show at the Blind Pig.

Turns out that Mark Sisto is a big fan of SRC as well and while he was in town we came up with a plan to ask Gary to play with Mark on vocals for 4 SRC songs. The next thing we needed was a great bass player. I phoned my buddy Ron Cooke of (Mitch Ryder) Detroit fame but the poor guy had broken his foot cooking dinner! Damn cucumbers!

Well I didn't have to think very long to realize hey what about Jukebox (fantastic) as the bass player? I knew Box would be tired as he is constantly working or playing. Made the call and Box said sure Kimmer and we can use the Bang studio too. YES! Al King was the drummer of course we had him in mind from the git. Read Chris' Blog post HERE

Took the guys a bit of time to set up and then the session began. They started with Radio Birdman's Hand of Law as Mark, Chris and Al were all familiar with the song. I sat waiting patiently to hear Mark finally sing the SRC songs.

We were running out of time but they did get in 1 SRC song. They chose UP ALL NIGHT. SRC music is very difficult to play on the fly.

Grinned like a Cheshire Cat and blushed like a lady of scandal....

48 HOURS WITH MARK SISTO

Mark Sisto at the Fleetwood Diner

I received a call early Saturday morning from Mark Sisto lead singer, great mate of Deniz Tek's who was coming into town for various reasons. Deniz asked if I'd like to interview Mark. I did want to interview him and at least meet him. Mark came to the Blind Pig show and I missed meeting him there by inches. He was chatting with Gary Quackenbush of SRC and I was right next to Gary with pal Trudie.

Kimmer and Trudie at the Blind Pig

Though barely knowing anything about Mark, his life or musical background, there was something about that name Sisto that was so attractive. Hearing he at the A2 show and I missed meeting him! I began doing my home work watching Mark with The Visitors and trying to catch up with 20 years of Mark's life on video. Never thought I'd meet him so soon after the show. I thought Mark was from down under not Birmingham, MI.

Thinking I had plenty of time to clean house and get cleaned up I was stunned when my phones went off at 9am on Saturday! YIKES now what??? Well what the hell grabbed a quick shower and flew out to the Ann Arbor train station.

Funny! Mark and I left the train station and bee lined for the Starbucks as I was jonesing for caffeine in a huge way. Poor Mark didn't sleep the night before on the train and was hungry too. Mark wanted to go to the Fleetwood diner, a place I had managed to avoid my entire life of living around here. I offered to take him somewhere better but he had fond memories of the way the Fleet used to be. Sadly Mark gave the experience 1 star for smoke, yucky coffee and didn't like his french toast either. (I just drank coffee, I knew better)

Mark is doing his best Deniz Tek's "The Look"

We decided to make a trek to Coachville the trailer park where James Newell Osterberg Jr. used to live. This small trailer park is still there on Carpenter Rd and right next to my friend Doug Davis's Miles of Golf aka Pat's Par 3.

Here we are at Coachville the home where Iggy grew up and had to live down. Can't believe it is still there. After here we made our way to Ypsilanti's Depot Town and had a beer at Aubrees where we ran into Al King.

Ended up back at my house in Lodi and had a blast listening to Mark sing along with the soundtracks of some movies I own. We had a great time digging into astrology charts and talking about solving the world's problems.

Monday back to work and school. Dropped Lesley and Mark of at the transit center and beat the feet off to the day job. Loved meeting Mark and hope to see him again some day. I felt like I had known him all my life, what a charming man.

MORE ABOUT MARK:

ATOMS ACTION (MARKNCHASE)

MYSPACE VISITORS

REVOLUTION ROCK

Following Radio Birdman's split in 1978, Deniz Tek would form another band called The Visitors. This band was different musically from Radio Birdman, coming off with more of a New Wave influence. Deniz Tek was on guitar, Ron Keeley on drums, Pip Hoyle on keyboards, Steve Harris on bass, and Mark Sisto on vocals. In addition the New Wave vibe that was present on their material, The Visitors music also loomed with an ominous Doors influence.

The band was made up of three former Radio Birdman members (Hoyle, Tek, and Keeley), Sisto was a long time friend of Tek's. The line up also was sonically different than The Birdmen, there was only one guitar (as opposed to Radio Birdman who had two guitar players), there was also a darker element to the bands music. Prior to the band forming, Tek and Hoyle were working as interns at a hospital, during their spare time they jammed on songs through piano and guitar and the songs for The Visitors were written.