May:
- Laura Wong
Magnetic Fields Album/Tour
There’s a lot of pressure on the music world’s
premiere groups to follow up groundbreaking works with top albums.
The Stephen Merritt-fronted jangle-electric ensemble Magnetic
Fields are releasing their first album since magnum opus 69 Love
Songs made Merritt’s songwriting famous in 1999. Set for
release on May 4, i is another theme album — in this case,
each track begins with the letter “I.” As if this
weren’t specific enough, the album is also sequenced
alphabetically by song title. Magnetic Fields embark on a mini-tour
to support i on Monday, playing dates in Boston, New York and
Philadelphia before hitting Minneapolis,Minn., Chicago and
Columbus, Ohio.
“Rewriting History” by Dick Morris
This former Clinton advisor and political analyst publishes a
rebuttal to Hillary Clinton’s “Living History.”
Morris says that the senator hides behind a chatty, charming and
warm persona. This book promises to fill in the gaps that
Clinton’s memoir left blank.
“Ugly Americans: The Story of the Ivy League Cowboys
Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions” by Ben
Mezrich
The true story of a Princeton graduate who traveled around the
world to make the largest financial deal in history, helped develop
a new economic theory and fell in love with the daughter of a
Yakuza gangster.
Pixies Tour
The most rabidly anticipated tour of the summer has to be the
Pixies reunion. After 10 years of speculation and rumors, the band
that made indie rock what it is today is going back on the road.
Frank Black and the gang kicked off the summer of 2004 with a bunch
of shows in western Canada (we don’t understand it either)
before playing a measly six U.S. dates on the West Coast. Once
again, those of you going abroad this summer have all the luck: If
you’re anywhere in the European Union, the Pixies are coming
to a rock festival or monastery near you.
“Van Helsing”
Hugh Jackman plays the titular monster hunter in Stephen
Sommers’ follow-up to “The Mummy” films. Trading
in Wolverine’s claws for wooden stakes, Jackman takes on the
Wolfman, Frankenstein and Dracula.
“Shrek 2”
The big green ogre returns to theaters with the obligatory
sequel. DreamWorks better hope that Mike Myers and company can
recapture the magic, having already greenlit a second sequel.
“Friends”
After 10 seasons of friendship, “Friends” will come
to an end in a one-hour finale. The night-long farewell begins at 8
p.m. with an hour-long retrospective and ends with a special cast
reunion on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” from the
Central Perk set at Warner Bros. Studios. Sadly, this cast of six
will no longer be there for you.
“Troy”
The sword-and-sandal epic returns with this violent retelling of
Homer’s “Iliad.” Brad Pitt’s Achilles
versus Eric Bana’s Hector should be a fight to remember.
Unfortunately Orlando Bloom (Paris) won’t be one of the
countless corpses at the end of “Troy.”
“Frasier”
With 13 years and 31 Emmys under its belt, the comedy that
started back in a bar where everybody knows your name will get its
last laughs in an hour-long finale. Promised to be funny and
sentimental, the episode will feature several guest stars including
Anthony LaPaglia and Jennifer Beals. Kelsey, it’s time to
move on.
Movement Festival
The largest free electronic music festival returns to Hart Plaza
in Detroit this Memorial Day weekend. Last year’s incarnation
featured more than 70 artists from various types of electronic
music, and more than 700,000 techno enthusiasts attended. This
year’s lineup has not been announced but should feature some
of the most notable DJs from around the world.
June:
Velvet Revolver
After nearly a decade on the collective back burner, former
members of Guns ‘N’ Roses team up with Stone Temple
Pilots’ Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner to create
Velvet Revolver. Two generations of music are effectively
reshuffled and repackaged, creating a sonic fusion reminiscent of
early ’90s rock records. Look forward to hearing
Weiland’s guttural vocals melodically paralleled by
Slash’s unforgettable, gut-wrenching guitar solos on the
highly anticipated Contraband.
“The Dark Tower VI: The Song of Susannah” by
Stephen King
Roland, Eddie and Susannah return in part six of this mythic
seven-part series. To save the tower, the trio they must save
Susannah and secure a vacant lot. Darrel Anderson illustrates the
story with 10 color images.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival
The annual festival from June 11 to July 4 features a lineup
that includes some of the biggest names in comedy, dance and music.
The festivities begin with a three-performance stand by circus
troupe Cirque Éloize, which features jugglers,
contortionists, clowns and musicians. Highlights include rock
musician David Byrne with The Tosca Strings, the a capella stylings
of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Celtic musician Natalie MacMaster,
comedian Lily Tomlin, the art-rock of They Might Be Giants,
jazz’s Ellis Marsalis Quartet and nearly 20 other acts. More
information is available at
“http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org”>www.annarborsummerfestival.org.
Bonnaroo Music Festival
For it’s third year, the Bonnaroo Music Festival will
return to Manchester, Tenn., in June with bigger names and pricier
tickets — about $200 after all the service charges. Still,
it’s hard to resist the chance to see Bob Dylan, Trey
Anastasio and David Byrne all in one weekend.
Prince
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Purple Rain, Prince
unveiled his new album Musicology and subsequent tour
schedule that will land in Detroit on June 20 and June 21. For
these two very special nights, Prince will perform 25 years worth
of his music at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Expect to be seduced:
Prince is back at top form, demonstrating that it is still
acceptable for grown men to wear lycra and eye makeup. At the same
time, a lot has changed for the icon. After converting to
Jehovah’s Witness, Prince traded in his libidinous lyrics for
more wholesome material. Though he’s more toned down, Prince
purists nonetheless will be pleased by his two-and-a-half-hour
set.
“Spider-Man 2”
The wait is over and the web-slinger finally returns to the big
screen. This time the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will take on
Dr. Octopus. Though comic book sequels don’t always pan out,
“Spider-Man 2” looks to be more like the successful
“X2” than the critically panned “Batman and
Robin.”
Wilco Album/Tour
A Ghost Is Born, Wilco’s highly-anticipated
follow-up to 2002’s legendary opus Yankee Hotel
Foxtrot, hits stores June 22. As with YHF, the band is
streaming the album from their website,
“http://www.wilcoworld.net”>www.wilcoworld.net. To support A
Ghost Is Born (and show off keyboardist/guitarist Pat Sansone
and guitarist Nels Cline, two new additions to the group), Wilco
are touring the U.S. and Europe, with stops at the Indio, Calif.,
Coachella Festival and the Bonnaroo Music Festival before bidding
America adieu at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on June 12. And for
you lucky kids spending your summer on the other side of the
Atlantic, Wilco’s hitting nearly every European festival from
Stuttgart to Stockholm.
July:
“King Arthur”
Jerry Bruckheimer meets medieval times in “King
Arthur.” Supposedly based on the actual history of the
legendary king, “Arthur” features no sorcery or
dragons. But with Bruckheimer on board, there are sure to be plenty
of flying limbs, gore and very little in the way of substance.
“Anchorman”
Will Ferrell’s career is skyrocketing. After hilarious
turns in “Old School” and “Elf” — as
well as a cameo in “Starsky & Hutch” — he is
on a roll like Eddie Murphy in the ’80s. Playing Ron
Burgendy, a sleazy ’70s TV anchorman, Ferrell may take his
squirm-inducing idiocy to new heights.
“Art So Hot, It’s Cool”: Ann Arbor Summer
Art Fair
This summer, the best art show around is in Ann Arbor.
Celebrating its 34th year of excellence in the fine arts, this show
will host more than 450 highly talented national and international
artists. With masterful works of everything from sculpture to oil
paintings to metal works — with enjoyable entertainment for
the whole family — The Michigan Guild of Artists and Artisans
is proud to present “Art So Hot, It’s Cool.”
August:
The Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics
The greatest athletes in the world gather in Athens for the
XXVIII Summer Olympics. During the 16-day event, expect plenty of
drama in gymnastics, track and field and basketball, with rumors of
suspected steroid use running rampant. Oh, the joys of
international competition.
“Alien vs. Predator”
Well, “Freddy vs. Jason” kinda worked. If they are
going to copy the format, then the creators should forget
“Alien: Resurrection” and “Predator 2,” and
remember “Aliens” and “Predator.” This
could be the ultimate showdown between sci-fi’s greatest
creatures.
— Compiled by the Daily Arts staff
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