Totally Awesome Fest is this weekend in Ypsi

Remember how, last year, I told you about a totally great event called Totally Awesome Fest? Well, it’s about to happen again…. And, it’s not nearly as informative as the interview we did last year, but here’s a little conversation I just had with festival spokesman Patrick Elkins.

MARK: Ready to do an interview?

PATRICK: Yes.

MARK: Will there pancakes again this year?

PATRICK: Yes, this year we will be having a “pancake walk” at the Turkey Point at noon on Saturday, April 30. Participants will have multiple opportunities to win delicious vegan pancakes and other somewhat exciting / potentially underwhelming prizes.*

MARK: What, if anything is different than in years past?

PATRICK: This year people will walk for pancakes instead of wrestling for them.

MARK: Will anyone play on top of a strip club?

PATRICK: Aimee Adams will make all final decisions regarding when events will be moved due to inclement weather.

MARK: How about in the strip club?

PATRICK: According to the Deja Vu marquee, there is a “Big & Beautiful” contest on April 27 with a grand prize of $500. While this is not an official Totally Awesome Fest event, one would assume that the strip club chose this date because of its proximity to the Totally Awesome pre-festival cleaning / decorating party the next day.

MARK: What’s up with the liquor license?

PATRICK: The Dreamland Theater has secured a temporary liquor license for all three days of the festival. This means that folks who are 21 or older with valid identification can purchase beer or wine at the theater until 2:00 a.m. Due to the nature of the license, people can not bring their own alcohol to the theater. All of the proceeds from the bar will go to the Dreamland Theater. All donations at the door will go to gas money for bands from out of town.

MARK: What are you most looking forward to?

PATRICK: I’m looking forward to the pancakes and the live painting and the fashion show and the video installation and the burlesque performance and the book safe workshop and the “Awesome Amazing Ypsi Race” and the puppet show and the music. I’m also looking forward to everything else.

MARK: Is there anyone that really sucks that you let in anyway?

PATRICK: The band “Video Games” is generally pretty terrible. It’s a group that consists of one or more people drinking beer, hula hooping, and playing brass instruments simultaneously while wearing customized tee shirts.

MARK: How did you trick Jason and Maria (the residents of Turkey Point) into letting you use their estate?

PATRICK: I bet Jason that he couldn’t eat five saltine crackers in one minute without drinking any water.

MARK: What happens if it rains?

PATRICK: In the case of rain, events will be moved to the Dreamland Theater. See my answer to your question “Will anyone play on top of the strip club?” for more details.

MARK: What happens if there’s a stampede?

PATRICK: According to wikipedia, a group of herd animals or a crowd of people will collectively begin running “with no clear direction or purpose”.

MARK: Are the security forces? Can I carry a taser?

PATRICK: We have a fantastic group of volunteers who will be helping to make sure everyone has a safe and (totally) awesome time. We are encouraging people who aren’t local celebrity bloggers to leave all weapons at home.

MARK: Are there people who shouldn’t attend?

PATRICK: No; however, there are people who should attend.

MARK: If you could invite a celebrity, who would it be?

PATRICK: Hob the Troll.

MARK: If you could travel through time and bring one person back against his or her will to witness TAF, who would it be, and why?

PATRICK: I’ve always wanted to walk for pancakes with Kathy Acker.

MARK: Will every band be selling shirts with my picture?

PATRICK: Only bands that generally write songs exclusively about birds and/or the state of Florida.

MARK: Will anyone be protesting this year?

PATRICK: I imagine that some small and ugly people may be upset with the event on the 27th, but, as I stated earlier, this activity is not associated with the Totally Awesome Fest in any way.

Events begin Friday at 5:00 PM sharp at VG Kids with a performance from Long Whisker!

[note: This year’s poster was designed by Jimbo Easter. The Lord of the Yum-Yum and Tommy Spaghetti & Friends photos featured above were taken by Brad Koski.]

[*Speaking of underwhelming prizes, I’ve been asked if I’d consent to eat breakfast with a stranger on Saturday. And that, I believe, is one of the better prizes. So, that should tell you something.]

The complete lineup, and the address of each venue, can be found by stepping over this line.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 @ VG KIDS
884 Railroad Street
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5:00 p.m. LONG WHISKER
5:30 p.m. JUNIPER BABY
6:00 p.m. NATHAN K.
6:30 p.m. DAYTIME TV
7:00 p.m. KELLY JEAN CALDWELL
8:00 p.m. OUR BROTHER THE NATIVE
8:30 p.m. SWIMSUIT
9:00 p.m. STEPDAD

+ live painting by MONIKA SYDLOWSKI – organized by COMMUNITY REBIRTH

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 @ DREAMLAND
26 N. Washington Street
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10:30 p.m. DIVORCE PARTY
11:00 p.m. EVERYBODY’S IN
11:30 p.m. STARE CASE
12:00 a.m. WICCANS
12:30 a.m. GHOSTLADY
1:00 a.m. CAINS & ABELS
1:30 a.m. CONCENTRIC TURTLES

+ DJ WORTHLESS WASTE
+ SMILEY THIMS and SARAH INGERSOLL present the video installation: “The Formula”

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 @ TURKEY POINT
908 E. Cross Street
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12:01 p.m. Pancake Walk
12:30 p.m. VIDEO GAMES
1:00 p.m. HURRICANES OF LOVE
1:30 p.m. Book Safe Workshop with BEN MILLER
2:00 p.m. CHRIS GOOD
2:30 p.m. STRANGE BREW
3:00 p.m. HOB THE TROLL
3:30 p.m. ANIMAL MAGIC
4:00 p.m. CHARLIE SLICK
4:30 p.m. UNDERSEA KARAOKE
5:00 p.m. MATT JONES
5:30 p.m. subsub
6:00 p.m. HERMAN
6:30 p.m. LITTLE ISLAND LAKE
7:00 p.m. MANHOLE
7:30 p.m. GREEN INFERNO
8:00 P.M. LORD OF THE YUM-YUM

+ free coffee courtesy of THE UGLY MUG
+ live painting by STACEY PALAZZOLO – organized by COMMUNITY REBIRTH
+ children’s activities coordinated by KEELAN FERR-A-MEOW-MEOW
+ BEN MILLER”s Take-It-Home Fashion Show
+ 2011 Ypsilanti Sack Race championship

SATURDAY, APRIL 30 @ THE DREAMLAND THEATER
26 N. Washington Street
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9:30 P.M. SCISSOR NOW!
10:00 p.m. SECRET TWINS
10:30 P.M. LIGHTNING LOVE
11:00 P.M. DEADBEAT BEAT
11:30 P.M. DAMNED DOGS
12:00 a.m. GHOULS
12:30 a.m. LOOP GOAT
1:00 a.m. DEATH WISH
1:30 a.m. SMUT

+ SMILEY THIMS and SARAH INGERSOLL present the video installation: “The Formula”

SUNDAY, MAY 1 @ THE BUNGALOW
711 N. River Street
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12:00 p.m. FOUND OBJECT ORCHESTRA INTERNATIONALE
12:30 p.m. ADAPT COLLECTIVE
1:00 p.m. DAN FLORIDA
2:00 p.m. CAIDEN J
2:30 p.m. APPLESEED COLLECTIVE
3:00 p.m. CRAIG JOHNSON
3:30 p.m. MALL MUTANTS
4:00 p.m. ST. BRAMBLES CINCH
4:30 p.m. CORNEA
5:00 p.m. SAIL
5:30 p.m. EMOGENE ADAMS’ THEATRE OF THE TOTALLY AWESOME
6:00 p.m. STEF CHURA ROCK ‘N’ ROLL BAND

+ free coffee courtesy of MIGHTY GOOD COFFEE
+ BEN MILLER’s Take-Home Fashion Show
+ PENELOPE & LINDSAY’s Amazing Awesome Ypsi Race

SUNDAY, MAY 1 @ THE DREAMLAND THEATER
26 N. Washington Street
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7:00 p.m. DREAMLAND PUPPET TROUPE
7:30 p.m. MARAY FUEGO
8:00 p.m. TEAM ETHIC
8:30 p.m. EMILIA JAVANICA
9:00 p.m. ANNIE PALMER
9:30 P.M. JIM CHERWICK
10:00 P.M. SKATE LAWS
10:30 P.M. SUICIDE BY COP
11:00 P.M. RAINBOW VOMIT FAMILY BAND
11:30 p.m. TEVATRON
12:00 a.m. JEHOVAH’S WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM
12:30 a.m. PUBLIC PUBES
1:00 a.m. HUNGRY GHOSTS
1:30 a.m. (FROM) THE SKY

+ DJ DANNY GLOVER’S KID
+ DJ DRIPS