Jaclyn
Phillips,
percussionist
for the
Juliets,
performs at
the premier
Ml Fest.

Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer

M

I Fest, a new music and
camping festival, will seem
like a giant CD release party
for the Juliets, a quintet introducing its
second recording, Perfect Season.
The band, performing original
music, joins a long list of acts, includ-
ing headliners Jeff Daniels, Sheryl
Crow and the Raconteurs.
The event runs noon-11 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 17, on the grounds of
the Michigan International Speedway
in Brooklyn, where Michigan foods,
specialty items and art will be offered
in the ambience of an outdoor mar-
ketplace.
Jaclyn Phillips, drummer for the
Juliets, is rehearsing to join the musi-
cal lineup that includes the Ben
Daniels Band (with actor Jeff Daniels'
son at the helm), Jill Jack, Mitch Ryder
and the Howling Diablos among many
state-launched entertainers.
"We perform classically influenced
pop-rock:' says Phillips, 25 and single,
who lives in Milford and grew up in
Wixom. "We're all classically trained
musicians who appreciate Bach and
Beethoven, the Beatles and the Beach
Boys."
Jeremy Freer, the main songwriter
and singer, plays piano and guitar.
Also in the group are cellist Kaylan
Mitchell, violinist-vocalist Sarah
Myers and bassist Ashton Hopkins.
"We write our own parts:' says
Phillips, who worked with Freer before
they put the Juliets together three
years ago.
Among the new songs being per-
formed at the festival will be the new
CD's title song, which is about going

through different times. The audi-
ence also will hear "Fashion," about
attitudes toward trends, and "Heart to
Heart:' about the effects of distance.
Excerpts of the songs can be heard
at thejuliets.bandcamp.com, where a
three-song sampler is available for free.
An interest in drums has been with
Phillips since she was 5. The eager
musician connected with different
beats and liked that the instrument
required movement of hands and feet.
After trying her talents with a toy
set, Phillips moved on to private les-
sons when she was 10, opposing fam-
ily efforts to steer her toward flute or
violin.
"I was in different bands at Walled
Lake Western High School and went
on to study musical performance and
music theory at Schoolcraft College
says Phillips, who often rehearses in
the Birmingham home of dad Howard
Phillips, her source of Jewish heritage
and celebration.
The Juliets, who have played at the
Detroit Institute of Arts, can be heard
at local clubs and family festivals.
An important experience has been
appearing on Chrysler's Imported
From Detroit website.
Band members believe the group
name reflects the romantic and clas-
sical elements in their style while
still capturing the essence of Motown
group names. They also chose it for
the title of their first recording.
"I like performing outdoors because
I like playing in the fresh air and look-
ing up at the sky:' says Phillips, who
supplements her income by tending
bar and relaxes as a Tiger fan. "I want
to keep making music as long as pos-
sible. When I can't perform, I want to
give private lessons:'

MI Fest runs noon-11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, on the grounds of the
Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, MI. 579-$109/free for
children 12 and younger; additional fees for camping sites.
(800) 354-1010; mi-fest.com .

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