Every year, at about this time, Patrick Elkins, the director of Ypsilanti’s Totally Awesome Fest (TAF), calls a big press conference to formally announce the coming festivities. And, every year, invariably, I’m the only member of the professional press to show up. This year’s press conference, which took place yesterday evening during a hijacked karaoke […]
Tag Archives: karaoke
Hijacking a local karaoke night, the reclusive Patrick Elkins announces his intention to take Totally Awesome Fest international this year
The episode where Totally Awesome Fest totally takes over… The Saturday Six Pack #14
Every year, in late April, a free, all-ages, multi-venue festival of weirdness called Totally Awesome Fest descends upon the sleepy little midwestern hamlet of Ypsilanti. There’s no escape from it. No one is immune. Like it or not, you will experience beauty and magic. It permeates every element of village life. Walking through town, one […]
Totally Awesome Fest 11… on this weekend’s edition of the Saturday Six Pack
Every time I think about retiring from radio, a new poster comes out featuring my head crudely sewn on to yet another body more interesting than my own, and it occurs to me that I need to keep going, if only to see where my severed head will wind up next. This week, it looks […]
Ypsi/Arbor Exit Interview: Christine Laughren
After nearly 25 years in Ypsi, the empowered little girl you see below will soon be breaking free. Please join me in wishing Christine Laughren safe travels as she embarks on the next chapter of her life, far away from the American midwest… Here’s her official exit interview. MARK: What first brought you to Ypsi? […]
Greg Baise on WCBN tomorrow, and on shiny, white, super-skinny American Apparel mannequins everywhere
I have a friend named Greg Baise. If you’ve ever been to see a band in the metro Detroit area, chances are you’ve probably seen him. He’s probably the best connected guy I know when it comes to music, having promoted shows for over a decade, and done tons of other stuff in the industry. […]