Saturday was sort of a bummer for the MCR crew, as the realization had set in that the Blowout was already almost over.  Still, everyone pressed on with the knowledge that there were still many bands left to play, and even more $2 Molsons left to drink.  If memory serves right, the largest contingency of MCR staffers at any one Blowout gig gathered at the New Dodge to check out The Vamps gritty set.  This band was just flat ON, dropping dirty little blues-laced nuggets with vocals that were impressively Joplin-esque.

Matt wandered over to check out part of power-pop act Lisboa’s set at the Painted Lady, but split when the band’s rhythm guitarist managed to break two strings within the first few songs.  From there, Matt wound up meeting up with me at Carbon to check out The Questions, who put on yet another standout performance at this year’s Blowout.  The first half of the band’s set gave the impression of a spooky, dark, Bizarro-world relative of the Stray Cats.  The Questions diversified quite a bit with the second half of the set, launching off a few catchy rock numbers and a straight up slide-guitar blues ditty, as well.  In what will definitely serve as a defining moment of this year’s Blowout, guitarist/frontman Drew Bardo closed the set by dropping his guitar and performing a twisted poetic monologue that would’ve made Jim Morrison blush.  The band’s rhythm section pounded away as Bardo wailed about bohemians and mythological gods, winding up the experience by heading out into the crowd and hollering in a few folks’ faces.  


While Ryan was checking out the Hard Lessons at the Knights of Columbus hall, Matt meandered over to a packed-in-like-sardines Smalls to see Nathaniel Mayer and the Shanks.  Take it away, Matt:

Nathaniel Mayer played to what was the biggest crowd I have ever seen at Smalls. Everyone was shoulder to shoulder without any room to move. The temperature outside may have been pretty low but inside things were quite hot, literally and figuratively. Backed by a five-piece band, Mr. Mayer prowled around stage singing his tales of love and lust. His voice sounds as if he has been eating cigarettes and glass over the past 40 years, but yet at the same time he still sounded good. Many of Nathaniel Mayer’s songs featured call and response parts that the enthusiastic crowd happily shouted out. One of the high points was during the song “You Gotta Work,” (off the album 'Just Wanna Be Held') when Mayer became somewhat of a preacher talking about the ills of work, collecting welfare and how no one really wants to work - and his fans agreed with overwhelming support. For a man in his 60’s, Mayer is still quite the showman. At one point in the set, he pulled a woman on stage and held her hand and sang to her - then danced with her a bit before sending her on her way. If you ever get the chance, this Detroit legend is a must see.

I passed on the sweaty confides of Smalls for the more intimate Whiskey in the Jar, where I saw The Silent Years defy its band name by playing what was easily the loudest set I took in at the Blowout.  The thing was, the band was just straight up tight.  The rhythm section popped through the whole set, and the singer’s vocals frequently rose up into intense wails while the second guitarist flailed at his guitar like Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead.  Most of this material came from the band’s forthcoming CD, Stand Still Like the Hummingbird – and while the disc itself is laid back, the band’s live performance was anything but.   

Ryan closed out the Blowout at the Knights of Columbus hall with the usual craziness that ensues when one sees The Sights.  Matt and I, on the other hand, chose to pay our respects at the last gig of our favorite Detroit party band, the Detroit City Council (check out our touching memorial by clicking here). 

I’ve blabbered enough already – here’s Matt to close out this year’s Blowout Coverage:

Another Blowout is now in the books and it seems more people than ever hit the streets of Hamtramck to witness all the great musicians in the area. We saw some old favorites, discovered some new great bands, ran into countless great people, braved the freezing cold and drank a few too many Molsons. No the rumor isn’t true, Hamtramck hasn’t been renamed Jaeger-ville, even though the Jaegermeister folks hung their flags in every imaginable place in town. The Blowout brings a different excitement to seeing a show rather than going out on an average Friday night. Seeing people running down the street from one place to another just to catch a few songs from a certain band and everyone pulling out their schedules to see where to go next was quite amusing. We couldn’t believe people were still buying wristbands at 11 p.m. on Saturday night just to see any band they could. We were asked multiple times by people out in the street who is playing at what bar; being at Smalls and having people ask where the bands play just goes to show how big this event has gotten. Thanks to everyone who put in all the time to pull this great event together: The Metro Times, the city of Hamtramck, all the fans of area bands and especially to all the great musicians who played the Blowout and for making this event what it is. We've already begun the countdown to next year’s event! -- Matt Caruana