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Arts & News
Tuesday, November 8, 2016 — 5
HARVEST RECORDS.
If this were a profile picture, it would get a billion likes.
It was the afternoon of the
second day of the Mo Pop Fes-
tival, and I had succeeded in
aggressively pushing my way
to the front row. Friends in
tow and the hot sun beating
down on the unforgiving July
day, I wrapped sweaty hands
around the fence barrier that
separated the crowd from the
stage and waited for the band I
had been ready for ever since I
heard they were performing at
Mo Pop: Matt and Kim.
We
all
were
physically
drained, with strange bruises
in even stranger places. All I
wanted to do was find a semi-
quiet corner and close my eyes
for 20 minutes (or 20 years).
What we all needed then was
the music festival equivalent
of an espresso shot — a set
that would inject excitement
straight into our bones like
fizzy champagne. What we all
needed then was a reminder of
why we suffered all day under
the scorching sun, of how all-
encompassing and life-chang-
ing music festivals could be.
Matt and Kim did not disap-
point.
From the moment they leapt
onto the stage, Matt and Kim
made every note burst into
a kinetic energy. Flawlessly,
fearlessly
and
effortlessly,
they grabbed our attention
with their explosiveness. With
wild smiles and wilder dance
moves, Matt and Kim made a
promise to us: no matter what
happened, they wouldn’t fail
to deliver us a chaotic, crazy,
impossibly
amazing
perfor-
mance.
And they committed to put-
ting on the best show no matter
what problems occurred, like
the sound cutting out a quar-
ter of the way through their
set. Instead of leaving early or
postponing, Matt and Kim did
what they did best: put on some
delightfully artificial, booty-
poppin’ jams, climbed out from
the stage into the crowd and
twerked on some hands. Even
though we didn’t hear a major-
ity of their songs because of the
technical difficulties (thanks,
Mo Pop!), I still feel like I got to
experience the best part of see-
ing Matt and Kim live.
It’s a quality that transcends
the actual songs they perform
and manifests itself in the
way they naturally pass ener-
gy between themselves and
the audience. Infusing every
moment with boundless enthu-
siasm, Matt and Kim have an
infectious personability that
made me, standing on the dirty
grass littered with empty bot-
tles and forgotten cigarettes,
feel connected to them and to
the raving crowd around me
and to the music that trembled
in the air around us like a live
wire.
Plus I got to touch Kim’s calf
as she crowd-surfed above me
so it was pretty much the best
moment of my life.
Performances
like
Matt
and Kim’s at Mo Pop are the
reason I love music festivals
so much. Surrounded by hun-
dreds of random strangers, I
have become part of a mass of
disjointed waving arms and
whirling bodies, but instead
of feeling claustrophobic, I’m
united and in-tune with the
boundless vitality that emits
from the crowd like a wave.
It’s a beautiful moment:
looking around at a concert and
seeing the absolute joy on the
faces of other people as they
scream the lyrics they finally
get to see live. Music has a
particular skill in creating
art out of a series of notes and
rhythms, and a good concert
is one which takes that mas-
terpiece and brings it to life.
Songs become tangible in the
sense that you can feel the beat
in your bones and the notes as
they brush over your skin.
And on that July afternoon,
watching Matt and Kim pour
everything they had out on
stage, I felt like I could reach
over and hold melodies in
the palm of my hand as they
bounced from the stage to the
crowd, lighting up the sunrise
with a vigor that made me for-
get my sore feet, badly burnt
shoulders and aching legs. In
that moment, with the swell
of the music overpowering all
senses, I felt part of something
larger, like there was a pull to
lose myself in both the crowd
and the music. It was com-
munity in its most basic form:
a group of people gathering
together for the simple reason
of experiencing the music that
we all loved.
SHIMA SADAGHIYANI
Daily Arts Writer
Remembering when Matt & Kim
lit up Detroit at Mo Pop Festival
BEST CONCERT EVER
Before knocking on doors and
encouraging people to vote on
Election Day, the University of
Michigan’s chapter of College
Democrats rallied Monday night
with students and Democrats
from around the state at the Ford
School of Public Policy.
About 30 people were in atten-
dance at the event. Speakers such
as U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–
Mich.) and state Rep. Gretchen
Driskell
(D–Saline)
stressed
that University students will be
responsible for being influential
in not just the presidential elec-
tion, but also state and local offic-
es. Earlier in the day, President
Barack Obama came to campus to
campaign for Democratic presi-
dential Nominee Hillary Clinton.
“The millennials matter —
that’s why Obama came this
morning,” Dingell said. “You
guys do matter. Your vote mat-
ters and you can’t take anything
for granted.”
LSA junior Collin Kelly, chair
of College Democrats and event
KEVIN ZHENG/DAILY
State Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline), Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, rallies College
Democrats at Weill Hall Monday.
Democratic candidates Dingell,
Driskell rally at event Monday night
Representatives stress need for students to vote down the ticket
coordinator, said the rally was a
celebration for the group to rec-
ognize of all the work they have
done campaigning for every
major local, state and national
election. After the event, stu-
dents split up into groups and left
to “dorm storm” — where they
visit several dorms to give out
information about the Democrat-
ic candidates — as well as to chalk
campus and hang flyers.
“It’s to get people excited and
ready to not only go out and vote
but volunteer to get students out
to vote,” Kelly said in an inter-
view. “We know with student
who vote for Democrats in such
high numbers, all we need to do
is turn them out and it’s great for
Democrats.”
Kelly said on Election Day,
College Democrats plan to work
with groups such as Students for
Hillary to get students to vote
because many who vote Demo-
cratic at the top of the ballot also
vote Democratic at the bottom,
meaning their vote for president
is likely to reflect their choice for
an office such as the University
Board of Regents as well.
“We’ve really been working
with all the Democrats we can
and helping in any capacity we
can,” Kelly said.
Kelly said having politicians
from across the state at the event
was a strong incentive for the
students present. He noted the
College Democrats have worked
in a number of campaigns this
election season, including mak-
ing calls and going door to door
for Democratic candidates such
as Lon Johnson, a candidate for
Michigan’s 1st federal Congres-
sional District, and Gretchen
Driskell a candidate for Michi-
gan’s 7th Congressional District,
who are from Traverse City and
Ann Arbor, respectively.
“We are committed to Demo-
crats up and down the ballot,”
Kelly said. “We can’t just focus
on one, because we have a lot of
energy and a lot of enthusiasm
and a lot of our members have
experience.”
Dingell, who is running for
reelection, said at the rally that
she has unwavering support for
Democratic presidential nomi-
nee Hillary Clinton, and cited
their personal history as reason-
ing for her conviction.
“The woman that I know, the
Hillary Clinton that’s been my
friend, never gives up, never
stops fighting and is one of the
smartest and savviest people
that I know,” Dingell said. “She
looks at a problem and says, ‘how
do we bring people together?’ ”
Dingell also said she believes
after Clinton is elected, she
will resume efforts to unite the
nation.
“How do we remember that
we are Americans first?” Dingell
asked. “I saw her when she went
to the Senate, she worked with
people on both sides of the aisle
to solve problems, to address and
attack issues — and that’s who
she’s going to be when we do
elect her president.”
Music,
Theatre
&
Dance
freshman Sierra Stephens said
the presence of lesser known
candidates — such as state rep.
candidates Yousef Rabhi and
Donna Lasinski — at the event
was helpful for her as a voter.
“Overall, I think it’s really
awesome to see all of the dif-
ferent local candidates speak,
because I think people overlook
that,” Stephens said.
Driskell, who, like Dingell, is
also up for reelection, praised
the group for their work cam-
paigning, and urged them not to
stop campaigning until the polls
close.
“You’re ready to get to work,”
Driskell said. “We have less than
24 hours left. I’m here because I
want to say thank you. It’s been
a fantastic day. Your organiza-
tion was the one that carried us
across the finish line.”
LSA freshman Evan Swine-
hart said his motivation for his
organization doubled after both
seeing Obama speak Monday on
campus and attending the Col-
lege Democrats event.
KEVIN BIGLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
The masterminds Jim Jar-
musch
(“Only
Lovers
Left
Alive”) and Iggy Pop combine
to retell the messy
story of one of the
most
influential
American
bands
of all time. After
over 40 years, The
Stooges’
antics
and
genius
are
finally
captured
in one fine-tuned
documentary
that shies away from nothing.
“Gimme Danger” is one of the
most gripping music documen-
taries released in recent years,
one any music lover should add
to their must-see list.
The documentary tells the
band’s story from their nascent
high school years in Ann Arbor
to the post “Raw Power” slump.
Although popularly known for
his solo work and friendship
with David Bowie, “Gimme
Danger” doesn’t focus on Iggy
Pop’s (James Osterberg) star-
dom. In fact, “Lust for Life” and
other Iggy hits make no appear-
ance at all. Everything Stooges
related is central for the docu-
mentary, focusing on the band
and not just the front man.
“Gimme
Danger”
includes
eye-catching animations that
retell hysterical stories involv-
ing mobile homes and stagediv-
ing-related injuries. Stylistically,
the documentary is a clear result
of creative savants combining
their greatest strengths into
one work. Every edit perfectly
reflects the loose structure of
The Stooges, but with precision
and authenticity.
The documentary is pro-
pelled by interviews from each
surviving member of the band,
all providing perhaps-too-clear
recollections
of
such
foggy
events. Without the charisma
and wit of the members, this
documentary would be noth-
ing but semi-entertaining music
history with fun graphics and
animations.
In
Particular,
Iggy’s
insight-
ful
story
about
the drawbacks of
being a drummer
feels more like a
comedy
routine
than a part of a
music
documen-
tary.
Essentially,
staring at other peoples’ butts
gets old after awhile. If any-
thing, this is a metaphor for life;
never being the center of atten-
tion takes its toll.
“Gimme Danger” balances live
performances with interviews
just like any strong music docu-
mentary, but it feels especially
fluid here. The Stooges were not
a boring live band to watch. Iggy
Pop, rumored to be the inventor
of the stage dive, knew how to
win over an entire audience with
unique dances and self-induced
harm. Occasionally, it was a bit
excessive, but nonetheless pro-
vides great material for a music
documentary.
A beginner’s guide to The
Stooges should be included with
every student’s summer orien-
tation itinerary at the Univer-
sity of Michigan. As Ann Arbor’s
most successful and respected
band of all time, they are an inte-
gral part of the college town’s
rich history of counter-culture
movements.
Opposed to the vacuous hip-
pie themes dominating the zeit-
geist of the late ’60s, The Stooges
set out to make music not artifi-
cially created in record company
boardrooms. Particularly, the
story behind their performance
at the Michigan Union ballroom
will shock Michigan students
and Ann Arborites alike. Today,
it is nearly impossible to imag-
ine the walls and floors of the
ballroom rattling to the sounds
of “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”
Iggy’s spontaneous post-riot
move to Detroit sums up the
entire model that The Stooges
operated under: pure unorga-
nized madness that somehow
ended in musical genius. “I went
to Detroit with a tab of mesca-
line and a shovel,” he says in the
film.
And later in the documentary,
an array of punk albums flows
across the screen, ranging from
behemoths like The Ramones to
cult favorites like Gang of Four.
Such bands did not necessar-
ily rip off of The Stooges’ sound
directly, but it is unlikely that
the punk soundscape would be
the same without their immense
influence.
“Gimme Danger” is the rein-
troduction everyone needed, a
reminder that The Stooges are
still one of the greatest bands on
earth. For any Ann Arbor native
or frequente visitor photos of
the band members on State St.
and Liberty St. will send chills
to the spine. It is a true bragging
right to have Iggy Pop and The
Stooges under the “notable peo-
ple” section of the Ann Arbor
Wikipedia page. It just reinforc-
es that Ann Arbor is the greatest
college town in the country.
AMAZON STUDIOS
Metal Frat last Friday night.
WILL STEWART
Daily Arts Writer
Documentary honors an influential punk band and Ann Arbor original
‘Gimme Danger’ reminds
us of The Stooges’ power
FILM REVIEW
A-
“Gimme Danger”
Amazon Studios
Michigan Theater
A Daily Music Writer relives her all-time greatest concert experience
A good concert is
one that takes a
masterpiece and
brings it to life.
A Stooges guide
should be given
to every new
Michigan student.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com