The second annual Fireside Culture Week starts Feb. 22. It’s a weeklong celebration of art, fashion, food, music and theatre that features the best of best of this artistic nook of Toronto.

Artists bring their unique styles to Fireside Culture Week.

This series of live performance will take place at a number of venues along Queen Street West between Dufferin Street and Roncesvalles Avenue.

The BIA has partnered with Heart and Stroke Foundation as part of their Heart Month events. During Fireside 2010, the PVBIA will be fundraising for Heart and Stroke Foundation by asking attendees at the shows to make a donation as they enter.

There are any number of events planned for each day and evening of Fireside culture week. Visit www.firesidecultureweek.com for an updated schedule.

Here are some highlights:

Nymphetamine – The Sideshow Performer

A falling ovation, as it is called when someone passes out during a performance, is the highest form of praise for a sideshow performer, according to Jennifer Booth.

Booth, who goes by the stage name Nymphetamine, is a circus sideshow performer, a dominatrix by day and self-described freak.

“I always joke that I was always called a freak in high school and now I get paid for it,” said the 31-year-old performer.

A sideshow performer for six years, Nymphetamine performs an intense combination of classic stunts such as cinder block breaks, laying on a bed of nails and walking on broken glass as well as modern stunts such as flesh-hook suspensions and lifting objects with her piercing.

Nymphetamine, who also has a degree in philosophy and training as a paramedic, said she has always had some unusual tastes.

Born and raised in Toronto, Nymphetamine was introduced to the art of sideshow performing by a friend from New York City.

“When I saw him do it I immediately went from ‘You’re absolutely crazy,’ to ‘Hey, that looks like a lot of fun’,” she said.

So she started to explore the art form, which she said was relatively easy to learn.

Now a resident of the Dundas Street and Dufferin Street area, Nymphetamine performs all over the city, usually at night clubs.

“You always get the young guys right up at the front of the stage screaming and wanting to see blood and wanting to see something go wrong,” she said. “And then there are the people who are absolutely fascinated, but happy to stand a ways back from the stage.”

The details around Nymphetamine’s Fireside Culture week performance are yet to be announced.

Visit www.myspace.com/nymphetaminesideshow for more on Nymphetamine.

Jef Kearn – The Urban Flautist

Jef Kearn, 33, takes band geek and turns it urban chic with the soulful sounds of his solo flute songs.

“I started playing about 20 years ago,” he said. “I started taking lessons and I just stuck with it. I kind of felt drawn to it.”

He went to school at Humber College and then York University to study music, but his brand of music isn’t what one would traditionally expect from the flute.

Kearns, who now lives in Mimico, grew up in Chatham listening to broadcasts of urban music radio stations out of Detroit. Before he was a teenager, he was transposing hip-hop lines and verse into the rhythms of his flute.

Now he has crafted a unique style of flute-focused R’n'B that cross genres from modern soul to hip-hop to classic Motown.

His CD of original tracks, On The Level, features nine tracks including I Wanna Be the One (Savage Groove Mix), which spent five weeks in the Top 10 of the Canada National House Music Charts.

Kearns is slated to perform on Friday, Feb. 25 at the Local Kitchen from 8 to 9 p.m.

Visit www.myspace.com/jefkearns for more on Kearns.

Brian Byrne and The Flamming Hoops

You may recognize Brian Byrne’s name as the lead singer of I Mother Earth, but since the band took a hiatus, Byrne has released two solo albums, opened a tattoo shop in Parkdale and performs regularly with his hobby band, The Flaming Hoops.

“The thing we do with the Flaming Hoops is just totally silly fun,” he said. “It is all covers and we cover a bunch of old country classics and on the flip side we cover classic rock, but done country.”

“I just wanted to be part of it,” he said of the Fireside Culture Week. “Anything that is going to help bring people around, because I do love this area… it is so eclectic and crazy.”

Byrne, 35, was chosen as the new lead singer of the Canadian alternative rock band I Mother Earth after singer Edwin left the band in 1997.

The Flaming Hoops is comprised Christian Tanna from I Mother Earth, Gerry Finn from David Usher and Chuck Dailey from The Salads.

“I have always been a massive country fan because that is kind of what I grew up on,” said the Newfoundland native. “All the people in the band have been road dogs forever so this was an opportunity to go play for the weekend without any pressure and not be out on the road promoting your next great project that ultimately leaves you broke and wondering why you do it anyway.”

The shows, he said, are simply fun. The Flamming Hoops cover songs like The Trouper by Iron Maiden, Crazy Train by Ozzy Osborne in a country fashion. They also cover songs by the usual country suspects like Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

“We even do Footloose by Kenny Loggins,” he said with a laugh.

Byrne, who lives in Kingsway Village in the city’s west end, is scheduled to perform on Saturday, Feb. 26. The location is yet to be announced.

Visit www.myspace.com/brianbyrne for more on Byrne.

Winston Spear – The Funny Man

Winston Spear loves to dance and apparently people love to watch him do it. The comedian has a video of a Bollywood-inspired dance, which has gotten more than a million hits.

He’ll be bringing his trademark dance moves as well as a few jokes to Parkdale for the Fireside Culture Week.

Spear, 45, is a Canadian standup comedian and actor from the Bloor West and Dundas area.

A working comedian for more than 20 years, Spear was a member of the cast of the popular CTV sketch comedy show Comedy Inc.

“I’m a pretty clean act,” Spear said. “I only have a few dirty jokes.”

Spear is scheduled to perform on Thursday, Feb. 24 during a comedy night, also featuring Jamie Rallison and Parker Seville, at the Snowball Gallery, 1690 Queen St. W., from 7 to 11 p.m.

You can view videos of Spear’s comedy at www.youtube.com.

ByErin Hatfield
Source: InsideToronto.com

It’s time to go over the falls again.

The Ohiopyle Over the Falls Festival, the one time in the year it is legal for kayakers to go over the 18-foot-high falls in that Fayette County town, will be on Saturday, from 9 a.m. through a town party that begins at 7:30 p.m.

Whitewater paddlers will be able to race over the falls, and compete in a river slalom course upstream and a surfing and acrobatics event.

The town party in the evening will feature live music, vendors and pictures from the event. The falls will be illuminated after dark.

The event is sponsored by American Whitewaters, the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds & Rivers and the state Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

Fees to participate in events range from $20 to $30. Observation is free.

Details: FallsRace.com.

— Bob Karlovits

The Pittsburgh New Works Festival kicks off its 19th season Sunday with the first of two evenings of staged readings.

The annual festival is dedicated to fostering the development of original one-act plays. Each year, it debuts 18 original one-acts, each produced by a different theater company. Six receive staged readings during the first two weekends in groups of three. Over each of the remaining four weekends, a different trio of plays receive fully staged performances.

The free staged readings begin at 7 p.m. Sunday for:

• “No Flash Bright Enough” by James Sievert of Switzerland, produced by Actors Civic Theatre.

• “The Desperate Man” by Michele Scaramucci of Belle Vernon, produced by Veronica’s Veil Players.

• “The Mantua-Maker” by Elizabeth Orndorff of Danville, Ky., produced by Comtra Theater.

This year, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival has moved to the Father Ryan Arts Center, 420 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks.

Details: 412-394-3353 or www.pittsburghnewworks.org.

— Alice T. Carter

When the local band Meeting of Important People released its self-titled album in March, expectations were low, especially given the ongoing plight of the record industry. Then things started happening: airplay on WYEP-FM, some good reviews and, just recently, a deal with Authentik, a label based in Los Angeles that’s run by Scott Austin, formerly a creative executive with Maverick/Warner Bros. and Capitol Records.

Authentik repackaged the album as a digital release. Recently, “Meeting of Important People” reached No. 11 on iTunes’ independent album charts; the group also was listed as a featured band on the iTunes site. A video of the song “Brittney Lane Don’t Care,” directed by Thom Glunt (Anti-Flag, Iggy Pop) and shot at a Bloomfield warehouse featuring the group towering over a city constructed from cardboard, will be released soon.

Josh Verbanets (guitar, vocals), Aaron Bubenheim (bass) and Matt Miller (drums, vocals) will perform at 9:30 p.m. Friday at Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville. Ben Hardt and His Symphony and Jupiter One also are on the bill.

Admission: $5.

Details: 412-682-0177 or www.thunderbirdcafe.net.

— Rege Behe

They’ll be dancing only the hits tonight when Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre presents its annual outdoor performance at Hartwood Acres, part of the Allegheny County Summer Concert Series.

Given the success of choreographer Dwight Rhoden’s “Step Touch” at its premiere performances in March, it’s not surprising the ballet is presenting it again today. Performed to music by Charlie Thomas’ Drifters and Pure Gold, Rhoden’s ballet employs nine couples in an intricate sequence of contemporary dance styles that is breathtaking.

The concert will be completed by George Balanchine’s exquisitely conceived “Theme and Variations” to music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. at Hartwood Acres, Hampton. Admission is free.

Details: 412-281-0360.

— Mark Kanny

Versatile song stylist Kenia returns to the Cultural District on Tuesday, bringing her distinctive mix of jazz, pop and Brazilian accents.

A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Kenia has “a wonderfully expressive vocal instrument that throbs with sultry intensity. It’s low key, yet ultra bright,” JazzTimes magazine says. Her repertoire ranges from Antonio Carlos Jobim and Gilberto Gil to Stevie Wonder and Harold Arlen.

The free performance starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Katz Plaza, Cultural District, Downtown.

Details: 412-456-6666.

— Mark Kanny

This Saturday, art and fashion collide in “Synergy,” a fashion show and multimedia art event that will focus on the creative aspects of fashion design, melding them with other art forms to create an evening of “synergy” and collaboration.

The evening will showcase work from several talented Pittsburgh artists, taking the form of music, dance, fashion and sculpture. The work of eight fashion designers will be trotted out among works by a half-dozen local artists to the music of Ishtar, Nadina and Kellee Maize, and dance performances by The Pillow Project and Sadiqa Bellydance.

Event organizer Jesse Riesmeyer says the inspiration came from the drive and desire to bridge the gap between fashion and art.

Admission is $12. Synergy runs from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Meter Room, 2637 Chartiers Ave, West End.

Details: 412-728-0724.

— Kurt Shaw

Get a fresh, in-depth look at a neighborhood you thought you knew.

From noon to 1 p.m. Friday and Aug. 28, Pittsburgh History & Landmarks is offering a free tour of the area around Fourth Avenue and PPG Place, Downtown.

The neighborhood, one of 18 National Register Districts in the city, contains buildings constructed between 1836 and 1984 from designs by more than a dozen distinguished architects.

Styles range from Greek revival to post modern and include buildings tall and small. Some have been repurposed from their original intention, and others serve multiple new uses or are awaiting renovation.

The tour begins from the parklet at Fourth Avenue and Smithfield Street and lasts one hour.

The tour is free, but Pittsburgh History & Landmarks asks that those who plan to attend let organizers know at least one day before the event.

To RSVP or for details, contact Mary Lu Denny at 412-471-5808, ext. 527, or marylu@phlf.org.

— Alice T. Carter

Bassist Jeff Grubbs sometimes is known as Jeffrey, but he is not playing jazz on those occasions.

Grubbs is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and bears the full name in the more formal settings. But he loves playing jazz as well as the classics and will show off his skills in that direction at the “Reservoir of Jazz” concert Sunday in Highland Park.

Grubbs and his wife, Tania, a singer, will offer a set of standards, which Grubbs hopes to give something of a twist, and some post-bop material.

Tania, who does some music teaching, is not a performance professional but enjoys being on the stage. Jeff says they have had enough musical spots in the past year or so that “her confidence is really getting up there.”

Music begins at 5 p.m. at the concert site near the end of Highland Avenue. It is free.

Details: 412-255-8975.

Moving into the final two days of BikeFest, the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and BikePGH will co-sponsor a historic bike tour of industrial Pittsburgh on Saturday.

The casual, 6-mile ride will tour and discuss remnants of the steel industry still visible in the South Side and along the Eliza Furnace Trail on the other side the Monongahela River.

It is part BikeFest, the 10-day celebration of bicycling put together by BikePGH, the bicycle-pedestrian advocacy group.

The 90-minute ride will begin at 9 a.m. at Bessemer Court in Station Square. Reservations are required, and participation is $20; $10 for members.

Details: 412-464-4020.

— Bob Karlovits

There are gaggles of geese, prides of lions, congregations of alligators and coalitions of cheetahs. There’s no term for a group of writers — swarm or colony might fit — perhaps because they so rarely congregate in numbers.

That will happen Friday when Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley will present “Jazzed About Local Authors,” an opportunity to meet some of the many writers who live in Western Pennsylvania.

Writers scheduled to appear include Rebecca Drake, Anne Faigen, Kathleen George, Laurie Graham, Kathryn Miller Haines, Carrie Kennedy, Many Ly, Debbie Mancini-Wilson, Shanthee Manjoo, Nancy Martin, Lewis “Buddy” Nordan, Leanne Paranik, Lila Shaara and Heather Terrell.

The event, which starts at 4 p.m., is free.

Details: 412-741-3838 or www.penguinbookshop.com.

— Rege Behe

Like KISS, Los Straitjackets have a gimmick.

Unlike KISS, which shed its makeup for a while, Los Straitjackets never have stopped wearing their signature Mexican wrestling masks that make them look like, well, oversized Mexican wrestlers onstage.

Don’t let that fool you; Los Straitjackets are in no way a novelty band, but one of the more energetic, instrumental groups currently performing. A new album, “The Further Adventures of Los Straightjackets,” features the band’s stratospheric garage rock that recalls the Ventures by way of the Ramones.

Los Straitjackets perform Friday at the Rex Theatre, South Side. Admission for the 8:30 p.m. show is $17.50.

Details: 412-381-6811 or www.rextheatre.com.

— Rege Behe

Appearing tonight at the Pittsburgh Improv — Gov. Ed Rendell (via video) and various judicial and mayoral candidates.

They’ll tell jokes. We’re not joking when we tell you this.

The second annual Candidates Comedy Night is a fundraiser organized by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. With Sen. Arlen Specter on the bill, it promises to be funnier than a town hall meeting on health care reform. And please, when you pay for your two-drink minimum, don’t heckle Dan Onorato by yelling “Hey, thanks for the drink tax!”

The candidates and elected officials are joking for a good cause. Proceeds will benefit children and youth served by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services and the Juvenile Section of the Family Division of the Court of Common Pleas.

Doors will open at 5 p.m., and at that time, a full menu and drinks will be available for purchase. The comedy show will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. Sections of eight seats are available now at the following levels: Platinum section, $1,000 donation; Gold section, $750 donation; Silver section, $500 donation. A limited number of individual seats will be available for a $50 donation.

Details: 412-350-3428.

— William Loeffler

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is offering the Park ‘N’ Ride trolley service to the Washington County Fair, through Saturday. The trolley service is available from 5 p.m. to midnight daily, and roundtrip tickets cost $2.

Riders will board the trolley at the Cooper House-Hinds Parking Lot and will be dropped off at the fair’s main gate. Tours of the Chartiers, Washington County museum are available for $9; $8 for senior citizens; $5 for ages 3-15; and free for those younger than 3.

Details: 724-228-9256 or www.pa-trolley.org.

— Kellie B. Gormly

Source: pittsburghlive.com

The Square Pegz, a Clawson-based band that performs hits of the 1980s with a highly visual and energetic flair, returns to Sterlingfest Art & Music Fair in Sterling Heights on Thursday night. The fest runs July 30-Aug. 1.

The most notable aspect about the music lineup for this year’s Sterlingfest Art & Music Fair is the lack of nationally known performers — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

There’s no doubt the attraction of star power is a big plus for any free outdoor festival, but local and regional bands booked by the fair organizers have the desire and energy to provide an entertaining weekend.

A further plus — promoters don’t have to deal with the outlandish backstage demands of major rock stars.

“These bands are thrilled if we give them each a bottle of water,” said Mike Crimmins, broadcast services manager for the Sterling Heights Community Relations Department.

Sterlingfest runs July 30-Aug. 1 at the corner of Dodge Park and Utica roads in Sterling Heights with an extensive variety of food, kids’ activities, a juried art show and live entertainment.

Each night features a headline act on the Dodge Park Concert Series Stage with more than two dozen bands and performers taking various stages in the daytime.

On Thursday night, the Square Pegz, an Oakland County-based band performing hits of the 1980s with a highly visual stage show, appear at 7 p.m. following the release of 5,000 balloons in the park.

The July 31 showcase acts include the Prolifics, a five-man Detroit-based vocal group celebrating 50 years of Motown hits, along with FunkinBluzin, a horn-driven blues-based band.

Closing out the series on Aug. 1 are vocalist Alyssa Simmons followed by Fleetwood Dreams, a tribute band performing all of the classic rock hits of Fleetwood Mac.

Meanwhile, regional and local bands perform on the Jazz & Blues Court Stage and the Suds N’ Sounds Stage include a number of bands with ties to Sterling Heights such as Nightline, Chill FX and blues guitarist Jim McCarty with Mystery Train. McCarty has been the driving force behind Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, The Rockets and other bands.

Other outstanding musicians on the bill include Count Bracey & the Pleasure Tones, who recently won the Detroit Blues Society’s Best Band Award; Chicago-based jazz pianist Rob Ryndak; Big Foot Bob & the Toe Tappers and more.

For children, there are numerous magicians, jugglers, puppeteers and musical acts performing in the daytime through the evening.

A complete entertainment schedule is available at www.sterlingfest.info.

Sterlingfest hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, with free parking and $1 shuttle bus service available at schools along Dodge Park Road and on city-owned property. Admission to the Suds ‘n’ Sounds Refreshment Tent is $2 per person ages 21 and older after 6 p.m. Utica Road between 18 Mile Road and Dodge Park will be closed from July 29 through Aug. 2.

Source: www.dailytribune.com
Written by: Mitch Hotts, Journal Register News Service

In addition, with limited space available at the River ArtWalk, a number of businesses, including Shady Kate’s Boutique, Books ‘N More, and others will welcome both visual and performing artists to set up in front of their businesses, along Highway 62.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. a “Kid’s ArtZone” will be held at Aunt Caroline’s Park, (Hwy 62 at Indian Creek Rd).  In addition to an interactive art environment, a featured Native American “stick game” is set for 1 p.m.  (Limited parking)

On Sunday, Aug. 9, kids of all ages can celebrate Smokey Bear’s 65th birthday at the Jackson  County  #4 Fire Station, in Shady Cove.  Help Smokey Bear blow out all his candles.  The celebration runs from noon to 3 p.m.
Call Erin at 878-2666 for further details.

This year’s artwalk features 100 fine artists from throughout Oregon.  Out of state artists include Liz Rosier, Lake in  the Hills (Chicago), Ill., with others representing Washington, Arizona, Nevada and a recently relocated artist from Hawaii.

The main entrance is at the Edgewater Inn Conference Room and includes several award winning artists, including, western artist Carl Seyboldt and Gail O’Dell, of Eagle Point; Karen Cain-Smith, Shady Cove; Kim Ragsdale, Trail; and, David Irwin “Images in Nature”, Butte Falls.  Alice Zelina Berger (EP) will display and welcome guests to the Breezeway and “on the Green” Shauna Engbrecht, Marybeth Hines (EP), and Janet Rawlings (EP) will be featured.

Gates #2 & #3 located at the Rogue River RV Park includes artistic local talent, including Judi Steadman (Manzanita Mania), Scott Lang, Jim Kanitz, Debby Elder, Dorothy L. Dierks, Leona Haiker, Laureen Bong, Material Girls, and Christy Allwardt, of Shady Cove.  Linda Steen, Linda’s Unique Creations; Cathy Spires, Braunda Gilchrist, Connie Drane & Idabelle Andrews, Lorie Easlick, and Dianna Clark “Sky Creations” from Eagle Point; Lori Paxton and Ruthanne Bray, will share a booth from Butte Falls.    Guests may enter at any of the three gates for a unique artwalk experience.  Stroll the 700′ scenic pathway paralleling the Rogue River; the art venue continues under the Shady Cove Bridge connecting the two River front properties.  Free admission (donations accepted).  Be sure to sign guest book for opportunity to win a special gift of art.

Music is featured throughout the River ArtWalk during the two-day event.  “The Relief” Band, Eagle Point,
will play vintage blues on Saturday ( 2:30 p.m. to closing at 5:00 p.m.), on deck at the RV Park.    While music continues throughout the art venue, Sunday morning will feature  “Accordionist Uncommon” by Richard Gyuro, of Eagle Point.    At 1pm, “The Diamonds & Denim” Band, is set to close out the weekend event. Julie Millard Griffith (Sam’s Valley), lead guitar and singer, describes her band:  “Whether you’re rollin with the flow, or just wanna be country down to your soul – come enjoy”  Umbrella tables are set up for guests enjoyment – and pavement is available to spring into 50’s or country dance . . .

Courtesy shuttles, including the nostalgic Molly Trolley and Upper Rogue Community Center van, will pick up guests throughout Shady Cove.  Look for FREE “Park & Shuttle” signs.

For general information and a list of participating artists visit: http://www.upperrogue.org “click” on River ArtWalk information, call: 541-821-4700, or email: chamber@upperrogue.org

The arT of Nude: Travel Picks: World's top 5 nude events

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) – If biking or swimming in the nude is your thing, apparently you are not alone with Nude Recreation Week this month celebrating its 32nd year — but participants advise not to forget the sunscreen.

To celebrate Nude Recreation week, travel website TripAdvisor has come up with a list of the top five nude events enjoyed by naturists internationally. Reuters has not endorsed this lists:

1. World Naked Bike Ride, Worldwide – June and July

Each year since 2004, bike riders have joined to celebrate cycling and protest a culture where cars are king. This year, in 20 countries around the world, participants advocated freedom from oil and fabric. Nude cyclists bared their bodies with messages painted on their backs, fronts and rears. One TripAdvisor traveler advises: “Remember the sunscreen … and those saddles will be hot, hot, hot, so cover them up before alighting, people!”

2. AANR World Record Skinny Dip, Across North America – July

Put more than 12,000 people shoulder deep in pools across North America without a stitch of clothing in sight, and what do you get? The “largest number of people skinny dipping at once,” now a category in the Guinness Book of World Records due to the American Association for Nude Recreation.

3. Nude Beach Olympics, Maslin Beach, Australia – January

Taking place on Australia’s sunny Maslin Beach in South Australia, the games are a celebration of Maslin’s status as first official nude beach in the country.

4. Running of the Nudes, Pamplona, Spain – July

PETA’s “Running of the Nudes” protests the cruelty of bullfighting with participants choosing to show a little skin in hopes that one day Pamplona’s bulls won’t have to. The runners don plastic bull horns, red scarves, and little else, to run the half-mile Pamplona course.

5. Black Rock Desert, Nevada, August – September

The annual Burning Man project is a self-proclaimed haven of self-expression, creativity and community. Drawing 50,000 people to the Black Rock Desert in 2008, huge works of art are generated at the event, namely the “Man,” which is burned on the final night as part of the process of restoring the area to its natural state, with no trace of the revelers. Participants often take advantage of the free-spirited attitude by getting nude.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney)
Source: www.reuters.com

An arTwork by GhostControl

On Thursday July 16th, Melbourne central was overtaken by urban stylers to celebrate the street fashion and artwork of the iconic Melbourne shopping centre. Urban style has always had a place in the Melbourne fashion scene, however like any city, urban and street brands are often not given the recognition they deserve. Two Blocks party was invented to combat this, creating heightened awareness of street brands and stores such as 5cm, General Pants, Diesel and new Jeanswear store THAT. Brands such as Cheap Monday, Nobody, Superfine and Bassike were browsed in the shops that kept their doors open for party goers to investigate while sipping Tiger Beer or Skyy Vodkas. The attendees of the party combined media, retailers and fashionistas all with their own street edge. Black was the staple colour of the event, while military jackets (reminiscent of Michael Jackson?) shorts teamed with stockings and skinny jeans were the common outfits of both the guys and girls at the event.

An arTwork by GhostControl

Street artist GhostPatrol was creating artwork throughout the party, using felt tip markers to create a street graffiti piece. The live creativity process highlighted the intricacy and detail involved in street art which should not be underestimated purely due to it being labelled as “street.” DJ Peril spun RnB beats which are not commonly featured in Melbourne’s mainstream music scene, creating a novel urban atmosphere.

Overall, Two Blocks is part of an initiative to create awareness of Melbourne’s urban fashion, music and art scene. Street style, music and artwork have always been regarded as alternative however in a fashionable and modern progressive city like Melbourne, urban styling is highly regarded and sought-after. Two Blocks and the people who attended are lovers of all that is modern and street chic, a scene and aesthetic that will hopefully become even more recognised in the next few years.

Kids at last year's Sterlingfest (sterlingfoundation.org)

Despite rumors that Sterlingfest was being forced to scale back this year due to the poor economy, the schedule of events for the annual celebration is looking pretty full!

As usual, the festival will be held at Dodge Park and Utica Roads in the city of Sterling Heights. What was once a small, local event for the citizens of the city, has grown into a fete that attracts people from all over the metro-Detroit area.

The hours of operation this year will be 10 am to 11 pm with music scheduled to play throughout the day, culminating in free concerts at night in Dodge Park. While onsite parking will be free, there will also be shuttles available for $1 at local schools along Dodge Park Road. Emphasis will be on jazz and blues with a long list of performers on tap to lure folks away from the art, food, and other attractions. 75 artists are scheduled to be there displaying their creations, as well as nearly a dozen local restaurants and musicians from all over the area.

Many children’s events are scheduled over the course of the three day party as well. You may access a list of items that will interest your kids by access an accompanying article “Sterlingfest Kids’ Attractions”

A major “heads up” to all those planning to attend or driving in the area: Utica Road will be closed between 18 Mile and Dodge Park from July 29 through August 2. For accurate directions on how to get to the festival and for a complete list of events, vendors, and attractions, please check out the Sterlingfest information and traffic pages contained in the “Sterlingfest Traffic Info” article elsewhere on this site.