City Slang

MUSIC WEEKEND PSA'S: ROCK & RUMMAGE AND THE 2ND BOOTSEY BENEFIT...

May 05, 2010 at 3:47 PM

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The Third Annual Rock and Rummage Spring Cleaning Spectacular is happening on a Friday this year -- this Friday, May 7th, to be exact, at the Belmont in Hamtramck (10215 Jos Campau, between Holbrook and Caniff). The event is a traveling rock 'n' roll-themed flea market with vintage clothing, handmade goods and other pop culture artifacts. This year, according to the press release, vendors will be selling "kitsch debris of American pop culture, jewelry, vinyl records, DVD's, cool clothing, vintage goods, art, and various one of a kind treasures." Also, our friend, Kyle McBee of Black Lodge will be acting as DJ, spinning tracks all night long. Bet we'll hear at least a couple of Stooges tracks. So check it out. Admission is free. Maybe you'll even find something cool to give to mom on Mother's Day this coming Sunday...

And after checking out the above event, you'll still have time to make it over to the second benefit show for the ailing Bootsey X (aka Bob Mulrooney), which takes place at Paycheck's (2932 Caniff), also in Hamtramck. This second benefit show was organized by the club's talent booker Toni Callwood and featured on the bill are the 3-D Invisibles, Margaret Doll Rod, Circus Boy, Cinecyde, Brother Crimewave and Foxy Fearless. You should definitely check it out. It's a great cause for one of the coolest rock 'n' roll dudes to ever come out of the Motor City. Admission is $5.

Speaking of Bootsey, MT scribe Chris Handyside sent a reminisce of the man, the legend...but he got it to us too late to run in the cover story sidebar. So we'll run it here...just to offer one more example of what makes Boot such a cool dude in a town full of cool dudes...

I had, of course, known of and conversed with Bootsey record-squirreling around town since high school. But the dude made an imprint on my young brain a couple years later. I was playing drums in the Hentchmen and at one of our many gigs at the Tap Room, we had shared the bill with Rocket 455. For the sake of the record, let’s just say I was 21. And certainly for the record, I was a rudimentary basher at best. Toward the end of the night, both bands gathered for a joint encore and Bootsey cajoled me into playing drums so he could commandeer frontman duties. I sat down reluctantly at the “real kit” (i.e., not my milk crates and cracked cymbal set-up) behind a bunch of dudes who were fucking heroes to me and he leaned over and said "Just play a cha-cha beat."

Shit. What? So he hunches over the kit and, with all the patience in the world despite the closing-time chaos all around, taps out the landscape of the beat. He waits while I catch it. The guitars start in on the jam. He smiles and hits the "stage." Bottles are raised. Sweat ensues. Panic lessens and pleasure sets in. So, I blame Bootsey for expanding my sense of rhythm, I guess. Couldn’t have happened from a nicer guy. I should also mention that the names of dive-y strip clubs that tripped off his tongue, as he recounted his previous whereabouts in conversation, were like different, more awesome language to this kid form Northville. Bob's true and grounded cool (which he breathes in and out like so much glitter-infused oxygen) is still inspiring.

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