The Beat Goes On...but not for long ~ 1007 E Fulton St, August 27, 2010

In an earlier life, the store was part of a local chain of music stores called "Believe In Music," 1970s to the late 1990s. Mario worked for the chain and when they sold this location, he bought it and gave it its Sonny & Cher inspired name. After 31 years in the music business, Mario started liquidating his inventory last December.

Walk into the store and, except for some modern day music on display, you are stepping back into the 1960s. I expected to catch a whiff of pot but was just greeted by the scent of old cigarette smoke.

Autographed pictures and record albums cover the walls. The back shelf is filled with collectible dolls, most in unopened packages; among the oldest were a Grace Kelly and a Barbie loves Sinatra. Rows of CDs fill the room along with some DVDs and a few VHS tapes and 8-tracks. Of the two large incense displays, one was empty - sold-out.

I bought a few CDs and a Grateful Dead t-shirt, took a last look at a 5' round metal peace sign wrapped with lights that was leaning on a board painted with a portrait of Elvis, and wished Mario all the best.

Update 2013: The Beat is long gone as of this year and the building completely remodeled.

Kangaroo Kitchen and Catering is operating in the building currently.

Festival of the Arts 2010

This weekend extravaganza had something for everyone - art, music, entertainment, and yes - food! Food vendors lined the street and hawked their wares. Many had a person out front of the booth offering enticing free samples. Just the names of some booths were entertaining enough: Great Wisdom Meditation Center - Krishna Consciousness - Free Spirit Worship Center. Such promises!
Performers were everywhere; if not on the stage, they were waiting in the wings. I found tiny dancers that I have to say sort of creeped me out; they were so made up and so young, six year olds that brought to mind Jon Benet Ramsey. More interesting was a 30-something-year old dancer adjusting her leg brace under her long dress. We both laughed but no picture was allowed.
Unofficial vendors and performers popped up here and there. When I sat down to eat my souvlaki, the bench down from me on Monroe Center had a hawker and associate trying to sell candy bars and pop from plastic bags. I did not witness any success and when the associate moved to my adjacent bench, I moved on to Rosa Parks Circle. There I found a little group gathered around a woman seated on the grass, selling paper flowers. Besides her flowers, she was over-exposing her expansive cleavage and I wasn’t sure what was really bringing in the sizable crowd. The audience for the concert was sparse here at lunchtime and heavier at Calder Plaza, where unofficial street dancers also populated the area.
Two large tents on the Calder Plaza protected a myriad of variable art/craft booths, some more interesting than others. Juried art was found in the Old Federal Building, some amazing and some not so much. Lovely live music drifted down from the second floor, and all in all, it was a wonderful sensory experience. Interestingly, taking pictures was allowed in the building, but not in the artist tents. Even so, I felt a little uncomfortable taking them. So I compromised with my conscience and didn’t use the flash, and took just a few. Pictures of the artists and their works would have been more interesting but they were more protected than the juried work.

On my way out, I passed a boy holding a "Free Hugs" sign. He and his friends were standing on the corner, watching girls go by, and waiting for reactions. You can see by the looks on their faces, they were receiving some.
One of my favorite parts of festival is people watching, and those working the booths provided some of the most interesting photos. I hope you enjoy them.

Chihuly Exhibit, Meijer Gardens - 5/12/10

The Dale Chihuly blown glass exhibit at Meijer Gardens is spectacular. We viewed it last week on a cloudy, cool day, well after the heavily-attended opening. Our plan was to take the tram to view the scattered works of art but we were informed at the Conservatory that we would not then be able to see every sculpture. So we took the brochure listing the site locations, and went back to the main desk for the standard Garden guide that showed those locations.

Volunteers posted at each exhibit were very helpful and we asked each time for the optimum route to the remaining sculptures. When we consulted our guide at Hekman Pond for the next best direction, she pulled out a map that showed the Chihuly exhibits with their locations. Just a minute now - why isn’t that available for visitors? It’s only in the hands of the volunteers, which is nice for them. But regardless, we did manage to get to each work, on foot, and without the ultimate location brochure.

The name of the exhibit, “A New Eden,” is maybe a little over the top but the works are magnificent and are wonderfully placed in beautiful settings. Various shapes rise up from the ground, towers ascend to the sky, colors float on water, plants spring up in the conservatory, and light explodes. The only site that was underwhelming was “White Belugas”; we missed it the first time as it looked like white garbage bags on the far side of a pond.

This exhibit is well-worth seeing and continues until September 30. If nothing else, it provides impetus to appreciate the beauty of Meijer Gardens, where art becomes one with nature.

Grand Rapids Symphony - 5/8/10

The closing concert of the season presented us with one title: Verdi’s Requiem. When I hear “Verdi,” I think opera (e.g., Aida, Rigoletto) (and the soprano soloist in particular was quite dramatic). But this was an impressive non-opera production. Orchestra, two choirs, and four soloists performed this glorious version of the Latin mass. The chorus was a combination of the Grand Rapid Symphony Chorus and the Calvin Capella Choir, and the soloists and choirs were in fine voice.

The program notes described each part of this Requiem beautifully. Roman Catholics would be familiar with the text; all others should have been impressed by the powerful music. The soloists frequently sang with each other in duets or trios, and their harmonies, along with the backing orchestra and chorus, put one in awe of the composition.

The program stated there would be no intermission; the 8 ½ x 11 libretto handout indicated there would be a 15-minute intermission, and there was, after the dramatic “Dies Irae.” Before resuming, David Lockington did his end-of-year acknowledgments for symphony members celebrating anniversaries: 10 years, 20 years, and 30 years.
Following along with the libretto was helpful at times but at other times detracted from being fully immersed in the music (it was also a bit noisy as people fiddled with the paper). The conclusion was compelling, with the soprano and the chorus begging God for deliverance on Judgment Day.
The four seats behind us were vacant so no Ritz cracker eaters tonight, and the sleepers to our left were also absent - nice. Looking forward to next season...

Chaos and Stillness, Meijer Gardens - 3/30/10

The annual butterfly exhibit is in full bloom at the Garden and on a sunny day with temperatures in the 50s, I wondered what the crowd volume would be like. The parking lot was quite full and a herd of humans was wandering all over the lobby when I walked in. Yes, the butterflies were back. As I made my way to the conservatory, people were slowly winding their way through various rooms that ultimately lead you to the butterflies. This circuitous route is always set up, perhaps to avoid having a long butterfly line leading back to the lobby or maybe just for the additional exhibit space.

Upon entry, I was told no tripods were allowed. I didn’t have one along but asked why they were prohibited. Apparently in the past, shutterbugs have set them up hindering crowd movement. Fair enough. So I walked into the very steamy greenhouse and was promptly blocked by a family spread out over the path, and not moving. After a couple of “excuse-me’s,” I could begin to look around for photo opportunities. Butterflies and people were everywhere, slowly fluttering or shuffling along. Additional people-barricades occurred, most revolving around inconsiderate groups. A large baby wagon (two babies) completely obstructed both directions at one point. Having taken a few pictures, I had to get out. Moving toward the exit, I ended up following the baby wagon out. The puller stepped out and stopped, leaving the wagon in the exit door so no one else could leave. This was the last straw - I had to leave the building.

But first I decided to check out the exhibit off the main hall, entitled “Spirit and Form: Michele Oka Doner and the Natural World.” The temperature was cool and the room was empty (except for a security guard), making it the perfect antidote to the heated butterfly chaos. The entire room exuded stillness, the exhibit was sparse, and the works fascinating. Although I will briefly describe a few of them, these bronze and silver creations need to be seen to be fully appreciated.

“Root System” looks like its name and is an approximately 6' by 9' sculpture constructed of bronze. Many of the branches held white candles, only one of which was lit today. It’s a striking piece of work, sort of a tree candelabra.

In the middle of the room is a circular building with a sign saying “Soul Catchers” and a warning about entering (if you dare). Enter this room and you are struck by the small porcelain “heads” hanging on the back wall. There was no further explanation but a reference book quoted the artist as follows: “Soul Catchers have been created from raw materials since primitive times to catch the souls of the sick, hasten their return to health, or imprison the souls of wrongdoers until they repent. Positive and powerful missions.” These “heads” all featured large eye socket openings with the rest of the “face” twisted and disfigured in some way. Powerful indeed. (Unfortunately, no photography was permitted.) *

“Beneath the Leafy Crown” is the name given to the floor of the main building, and it was also created by Doner. It probably does not get the attention it deserves (people generally look up and around them, not down where they’re walking) but it is a thing of beauty. Artist-designed elements have been placed into the floor (terrazzo aggregate, mother of pearl and bronze), and the entire walkway sweeps through the building. Look for it on your next visit.

* Meijer Gardens graciously sent me photos of Doner's work to add, and they are featured below:

Grand Rapids Camera Club - 3/27/10

The club sponsored an all-day photography seminar (9:00 - 4:00) featuring Steve Gettle, a successful nature photographer. About 50 people showed up, mostly club members but a few guests, like us, attended as well.

Steve began his presentation by taking a poll regarding digital vs. film camera users. After discovering that no one in the room still shot with film, he proceeded to discuss the pros and cons of digital. This was a weak beginning for a group that already all shot digitally, but he obviously did not want to divert from his program. He moved on into equipment, exposure, lighting, composition, and the different types of nature photography. Most of the information was very helpful and was interspersed with practical tips.

As we neared twelve o’clock, we were given a break for lunch - 1 hour & 15 minutes. With plenty of restaurants nearby, this was more than enough time. At 1:15 the group was reassembled - except for club board members and the presenter. Around 1:40, they strolled in. The Club President casually apologized but said it couldn’t be helped because the restaurant was jammed. A couple things here: besides being completely unprofessional, anyone running an organization and a seminar, who has any sense at all, would have picked a restaurant that was not jammed. Attendees, who paid money to attend this event, all managed to get back in time. And if this delay was somehow unavoidable, a more sincere apology should have been forthcoming, seeing as the club just stole 25 minutes of our time (Steve is not from Grand Rapids and was blameless).

From there, things went downhill. Steve continued to provide excellent instruction but as he went on, several club members decided they had to comment or pose a question whenever Steve paused for a breath. Questions were mostly irrelevant, e.g., “where can I find information about bird nesting boxes?” This is a photography seminar; perhaps you could research your question on your computer when you get home. Comments intended to be humorous were not, and the sounds of their own voices emboldened them to increase their frequency. We did not pay to hear what club members know and think. These interruptions bogged down the seminar so much that when combined with the tardy lunchers, found us at 4:00 with an entire module untouched on macro photography. At 4:10, I walked out. Not only because I had a six o’clock engagement but also because my anger at these people hijacking the seminar was giving me a headache.

It’s unlikely that I will attend any of this group’s activities again. Besides being rude and unprofessional, they also showed themselves inconsiderate and arrogant. One last example: during an afternoon break, people lined up to talk to or ask a question of Steve. A short line formed. Steve, always polite, answered any questions to the best of his ability and greeted the next person. Just in front of me were two club members who, although cognizant of the line behind them, monopolized Steve’s time until the break was over. Really, people?

P.S. I received a very thoughtful, considerate, and apologetic response from Steve Gettle to this post.

Grand Rapids Symphony - 3/27/10

The concert began with “Don Juan” by Richard Strauss, and the program notes (by John Varineau) were most helpful in interpreting and understanding this lively piece. The music describes Don Juan rushing from one love to another, and also how he experiences each of these loves. This was great musical story-telling.

Next up was Midori, playing “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra” by William Walton. There aren’t a lot of people who get away with being known by one name (Cher, Madonna, and no, not you Lindsey Lohan), and this “rock star” of the classical world obviously deserves her one-name fame. She was magnificent playing this difficult concerto. But we all appreciated the performance skill more than the music itself. Also, Midori’s dramatic and very active movements proved to be a distraction. In this instance we concluded we’d be better off listening to a recording to fully understand the music. There were magical moments, particularly the short “duets” with the harp and with the cello.

“Scheherazade” by Rimsky-Korsakov closed the program, and was our favorite of the night. It’s a wonderful story: Sultana Scheherazade saves her own life by telling the Sultan an interesting story each night. The Sultan is so fascinated that he postpones her execution for one more day, so he can hear another story (The Arabian Nights/A Thousand and One Nights). It’s a beautiful piece in four movements, and the violin solos represented the voice of Scheherazade (sweetly played by the concertmaster). The percussionists had a large role to play and spent less time sitting back in their corner. David Lockington then surprised all of us with a short, festive encore ("Wild Bears" from Elgar's "Wand of Youth" Suite, information courtesy of Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk).

Interestingly, the men of the orchestra always wear formal tuxedos while the women are required only to wear black. The result is wildly varying women’s attire: skirts, slacks, sleeves of differing lengths and styles, all in assorted shades of black and dark gray. It’s a superficial observation but more uniformity would make a more pleasing presentation.

And speaking of distractions, Ritz-cracker-eating people were with us again, which I will never understand. There were only three of us tonight so we had an empty “buffer” seat between us and our other favorite concert-goers, the sleepers. Only he dozed off this time and not for long periods of time. We thank the percussionists in “Scheherazade” for that.