3B - Thursday, September 17, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 3B - Thursday, September17, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Bimbos and douches and assholes. Oh my! r SAADI AND UP HILL PRODUCTIONS Laith al-Saadi and Jill Jack were two of the many artists showcased at this summer's Sonic Lunch series A satisfying Lunch Local concert series just capped off a successful summer of music By MIKE KUNTZ Daily Arts Writer Everyone loves food, music and free stuff. It's a rare happening when a local event combines all three, even more so in an inviting, engaging and communal way. Sonic Lunch, a free concert series in downtown Ann Arbor, did just this over the past summer - and with tre- mendous results. Held every Thursday afternoon from the first week in June to the second week of September in Liberty Plaza (the park at the corner of Liberty and Division), the event brought together an assorted mix of local music and cuisine. Perform- ers played on a stage in the middle of the park while local restaurants set up shop in the square. Musicians ranged from veteran per- formers to up-and-coming locals. The Sonic Lunch lineup this year included The Macpodz, The Ragbirds, Jill Jack, Tumbao Bravo, Laith al-Saadi, Shout Sister Shout and several others. The concert series's genesis began three years ago as the brainchild of local entrepreneurs and music aficio- nados Hal Davis and Michael Cole, who sought to make an informal music series with an emphasis on local culture. After gaining corporate sponsorship and rec- ognition from Bank of Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce and local radio station 107one, the event known as Sonic Lunch was born. "It's like a Concert in the Park series - something you might see anywhere," said Erin Zindle, lead singer, songwrit- er and multi-instrumentalist of The Ragbirds. "But in a town as culturally vibrant as Ann Arbor, it makes for some- thing completely different." The Ragbirds, originally from Ann Arbor, play a blend of traditional and contemporary folk with a Celtic lean. They have strong ties to the local com- munity - the record release for their- newest album, Finally Almost Ready, is scheduled at the Blind Pig on Sept. 25. "There's a very wide spectrum of bands here, and you can really see it at an event like Sonic Lunch," Zindle explained. The event paired The Rag- I. '. birds with acts like experimental rock- ers The Macpodz, which made for an eclectic mix of local music from all tastes and persuasions over the course of the summer. The Ragbirds have been playing at the event since it began, and have seen the stylistic breadth of the performers, as well as their own audience, grow steadily each time. "Sometimes as much as a couple hun- dred people will show up," she contin- ued. "People bring lawn chairs, and kids are always dancing around the park. Of course, I'm sure having free food helps, too." Local restaurants and food chains were involved with Sonic Lunch in a major way, offering giveaways, T-shirts and gift certificates each week. Pass- ers-by were often just as enticed by the music, which was audible from blocks away, as they were by the food. Magnet- ic emcee and local DJ Martin Bandyke, was also part of the mix. Bandyke is most commonly recog- nized as the morningDJ on Ann Arbor's 107one and for his weekly eclectic music program Fine Tunings. It's his wealth of music knowledge and genuine inter- est in the local scene, however, that make him endearing to so many. Sonic Lunch employed his charisma and deep roots in the local scene to introduce this year's performances, adding further color to an event already ringing with local flair. Bandyke also had a central role in choosing this summer's lineup, a task few in the area are more qualified to do. His fostering of bands like The Ragbirds and The Macpodz from early on in their careers made them easy picks for the event, showing just how close-knit and supportive the Ann Arbor musical com- munity can be. Kari Fedewa, the marketing offi- cer for the Bank of Ann Arbor and the event's title sponsor explained just how crucial Bandyke's role was in creating a comfortable atmosphere for both the audience and performers. "He's kind of a local legend around here, between the radio and his involve- ment with local music," she said. "We were lucky to have him this year." Fedewa and other event organizers made a big push with social network- ing for this summer's series, offering updates through Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. She was glad to see audi- ences increase as a result. "I was surprised that people some- times drove an hour or two to come this year," she said. "The social network- ing sites made a huge difference. We're always learning how to best get the word out to everybody." Plagued by rain over the course of the summer, several events had to be rescheduled, pushing the series into September. Michigan folk troubadour Jill Jack was the last artist to play, clos- ing out the series on Sept. 10. Despite the rain, this summer's series was markedly more attended than in previ- ous years. "The attendance was up, particularly in the beginning," Fedewa explained. "A rain-out in the second week maybe hurt momentum a little bit, but audiences were still pretty strong throughout the summer." While social networking and radio plugs certainly spearheaded the mar- keting campaigns for the event, getting the word out on the street was just as much of a focus for Sonic Lunch's orga- nizers. With ad posters taped to tele- phone poles and coffee shop bulletin boards throughout the city as well as local sidewalk chalk artists stenciling "Sonic Lunch" logos up and down Lib- erty, Sonic Lunch is certainly aiming to make its presence known. Fedewa foresees the event grow- ing even more in the future, and next summer she aims to attract even big- ger names and audiences. This time around, the social networking sites are still being used to gather feedback from Lunch-goers this past summer, and the sites are open to taking suggestions for next summer's performers. When asked if Sonic Lunch is at a disadvantage because its smaller venue can't cater to more high-profile artists and an increasing audience, Fedewa didn't seem too concerned. After a summer of great music, great food and enthusiastic audiences, she shouldn't be. "Its central spot between State and Main is really an ideal location," she said. "I think we're going to be staying here for a while." And hopefully they will be. The Sonic Lunch series was an unquestionable success this summer, and those in Ann Arbor in the summer of 2010 should have an even juicier series to look for- ward to. J fyParis Hilton's quest for her BFF isn't satisfying your craving for celebrity- centered "reality" tube trash, don't fret. There's a whole lot more where that came from. Jessica Simpson - recent Tony Romo dumpee, Razzie- S nominated actress and occasional country singer - is reportedly L going to rebound from SASHA her recent breakup with RESENDE yet another vapid real- ity vehicle. The show, tentatively titled "The Price of Beauty," will air on VH and will follow Simpson as she explores the world to gain a deeper understanding of what beauty means across different cultures. It's a cute idea, especially consideringthe fact that Simpson has recently been trashed by the tabloids for her supposed weight gain. Hopefully the renowned ditz will wow her audience with a new slew of catch phrases philosophizing on the origins of canned tuna. If JSimp is a little too clean-cut for your tastes, then you may be interested in the show that famed Hollywood trainwreck Lindsay Lohan is supposedly hawking. UK's Mirror recently reported that LiLo is approaching Britney Spears's manager with hopes to sell the concept for a real- ity TV show that will, in the words of the source who leaked the item, "encapsulate her trials and tribulations as she gets back on her feet and actually becomes a work- ing actress again." Good luck with that, LiLo. Hopefully L.A.'s rehab centers have lax camera crew restrictions after she comes down with another case of extreme "exhaustion." Speaking of actresses everyone loves to hate (or hates to love, depending on personal preference), Megan Fox - the famed Hollywood intellectual known for such gems as "If you eat Chinese food, your farts come out like Chinese food. If you eat Mexican food, your farts come out like Mexican food," - is back spewing vapid word-vomit across glossy maga- zines. Now that she's successfully proven her "talents" as a demonic high school sex vixen in Diablo Cody's upcoming "Jenni- fer's Body" - as opposed to her standard role as mere non-demonic high school sex vixen - Fox thinks it's time to shit all over director Michael Bay and his "Trans- formers" empire, which helped place the silicone siren on the nation's radar in the first place. In a recent interview, Fox referred to Bay as "Hitler," and went on to ridicule the director by saying that when "he's not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he's so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all." First of all, LOL. It makes far too much sense that the creator of such epic blockbusters as "Pearl Harbor" and "Armageddon" would have next to no social skills. In response to Fox's hilarious allega- tions, a group of three "Transformers" crew members - who, let's admit it, were probably comprised of Bay himself, along with a lowly production assistant or two - published a public hate letter to Fox on Bay's own website, thus igniting a classic flame war between a big-mouthed Hol- lywood bimbo and a nerd squad of film techies. Say what you will about Fox's propen- sity for feedingridiculous quotes to the press and her self-conscious attempts to mold herself into America's Next Big Sex Symbol, but she never ceases to bea delightful spectacle. It isn't hard tocome out on top when you're up against the nerdy director of big-budget, no-brain summer fanfare. Speaking of pointless-yet-entertaining online disputes, Twitter is slowlyturn- ing into celebritards' primary haunt for airing their personal grievances. Who cares whether or not Twitter is actually relevant? Celebrities are just happy there is finally a platform that accommodates their narcissism by allowing them to proj- ect well-crafted beads of wisdom into 140 characters or less. The latest high-profile bitch fight comes courtesy of the much-hated King of Celebrity Trash Talk Perez Hilton, who managed to royally piss off Demi Moore by linking to photos via Twitter of Moore's 15-year-old daughter Tallulah Willis wearing a revealing top while out party- ing. Hilton accused Moore of being an inept mother, while Moore tweeted back accusing Hilton of hawking child porn. Regardless of who came out looking better in the skirmish (because there truly are no winners in a Twitter tussle), one thing is clear: We have entered a brave new world of celebrity ego battles. Prepare for this to become a regular occurrence. Of course, anysynopsis of the world of celebrity pseudo-drama would be incomplete without a proper salute to the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. In the days and weeks following Jackson's early demise, an awful lot of ugliness has emerged about Jackson's personal demons and his family's non-existent integrity. Let me just say that if you need to pay a doctor $150,000 per month to illegally inject you with a powerful anesthetic to sleep at night, then I honestly feel for your Celebrities want to speak their minds. If oniy they had them. tortured soul and the terrible pain from which you were trying to escape. To keep from ending on a downer, let's turn our attention to something every- body has been buzzing about lately: VMAs drama! Even if you outgrew your taste for MTV-approved award ceremonies, you only needed to monitor your Facebook status or Twitter feed to come away with a few key points. One: Kanye's a douche. Two: Gaga's insane. Three: Beyonce is a hero. After Kanye West succeeded in stroking his overly engorged ego by steal- ing the mic from teenage country singer Taylor Swift as she accepted her award for Best Female Video, West proceeded to blog a booze-tinged half-assed apology. Unfortunately, he hasn't learned to turn off the caps key on his MacBook Air since his last drunken outburst fol- lowing his controversial 2008 Bonnaroo performance. Kanye clearly laments his poor decision: "I WILL APOLOGIZE TO TAYLOR 2MRW. WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD!!!! EVERYBODY WANNA BOOOOO ME BUT I'M A FAN OF REAL POP CULTURE!!! NO DISRESPECT BUT WE WATCHIN' THE SHOW AT THE CRIB RIGHT NOW CAUSE ...WELL YOU KNOW!!!!" Oh, celebrities. How you never cease to keep me entertained. Resende likes to write her columns in all caps. Tell her why she shouldn't at sresende@umich.edu. YARR, IF YE BE THE SPECIFIC KIND O' LAND- LUBBER THAT ALSO BE A THEATER-LUBBER, WRITE FOR.FINE ARTS, MATEY! For an application, E-mail battlebots@umich.edu A "PLEEZ FORGIVE MEll IT'SjIlARD BEING DA BEST ARTIST(OF ALLTYME!!!!!! MUST RI