The Burton Theater, which opened two years ago in the Cass Corridor was by far the greatest theater theatre ever, re-purposing a school to show only the finest in art house, cult, and experimental films in a friendly atmosphere of tasty popcorn and Faygo bevs. After almost a year in exile, they are back with the help of New York developers Scott Griffin and Angel Gambino to reincarnate the Burton Theatre as the Corktown Cinema.

They’re still going to need a bit of help though. They need to raise $10,000  to keep the project going and are crowd sourcing though Detroitbigfdeal with a ton of incentives to help you give! As little as $5 gets you acknowledgement on their website and mural. Normally I would say “GIVE GIVE GIVE! It’s a great cause!” but you already know that and you want to get in on the ground floor so you’ll definitely drop some $ for some cinema karma (now comes in 3 flavors).

I was able to do a quick interview with the Corktown Cinema dudes

1. Is there any programing lined up?

Nate: At the moment we are still winding down our final few events “In Exile” with the “Found vs Found festival” at the Magic Bag this Thursday (TONIGHT! -Ed.). This event will be the return of the AV Club’s Found Footage guys and Davy Rathbart from Ann Arbor’s Found Magazine doing a live presentation together. Further we are co-presenting, with Magenta Giraffe Theater Company, Sam Sheperd’s True West with Jim Parrack (of True Blood) this Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 6 downtown at 1515 Broadway.

In terms of upcoming programming for the new Corktown Cinema, we are obviously looking into plenty of new releases and upcoming films but it would be premature to list them at this time. Outside of that we have have some very cool events in the works including the Detroit return of EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE. Certainly there are films that we have been discussing and/or our fans have suggested that are sure to make an appearance, but truthfully the most important thing is that we will be programming a similar mixture of the Cult/Classic/Arthouse fare that helped make the Burton what it was.

2. Can you tell us the types of movies, subgenres, that we can expect to see? will it be more independent films or under appreciated cult films?

Nathan: Adding to the first question, we of course loved showing the cult material, especially as a lot of those films get relegated to cult status, even though they have a lot to say. We hope to continue to be the destination for the unique midnight movie experience. Beyond that we will really be putting an added emphasis on Classic repertory and continuing to mine through the ever expanding Janus catalog. We also will be expanding our experimental and multimedia reach as the new space offers us a lot more flexibility. Finally though, one of the things we are very excited about is finally launching our monthly LGBT night that was originally planned to kick off in conjunction with the pride festival last may, shortly after we closed.

3. What is your favorite Burton Theatre experience?

DAVID: Everything is Terrible! live was incredible. They’re monsters that eat VHS tape and regurgitate it in the form of a ritualistic multimedia found-footage extravaganza/group healing session. When they performed at The Burton I think everyone who was there would agree that it was simply magical. Plus they stayed on my couch.

Nathan: Probably the Cinema Barbeques as those seemed to be the culmination of the experience we tried to create. It was amazing to get a group of 200 people together to hang out, eat some local food from Porktown sausage and Supino’s pizza, and more than anything watch the movies. I remember the first one, I was wondering if we even needed to put out chairs. I was figuring people would just hang out and chat like most events in Detroit, but I was surprised to find that people actually sat there and enjoyed the films.

4. What’s up with the Cass City Cinema? Is that a complete split of former members? Totally different group?

Nathan: We started the Burton with the four of us, Matt Kelson, David Allen, Jeff Else, and Nathan Faustyn (myself), and as we evolve into the Corktown cinema, all four of us have maintained involvement. While our roles have changed we are all still committed to the idea, including Matt who has since moved to Los Angeles and now works for one of the Burton’s Distribution partners Strand Releasing. Further we have added Brandon Walley, who has been involved in nearly every arts organization in Detroit, to help with programming.

5. Is Corktown going to be the new coolest place in Detroit? (was it already?)

BRANDON: It’s hip to be square

DAVID: Yes, it will be the unqualified coolest place in Detroit, and this is not my subjective opinion, I have empirical evidence in a brief case. Anyone can call me if they want to see it.

6. Will I be able to see URGH! A Detroit Music War at this theatre?

BRANDON: You may find it a trifle self serving to be the new Director of Programming for Corktown Cinema and the Director of URGH! A Detroit Music War. If you do, you’re right. What can I say, this will be the perfect venue to host the Detroit premier in early 2012. It’s going to be a great party.

7. Midnight Movies?
Nate: Oh for sure. We are looking into the possibility of bringing back the IFC midnight series which brought you the under-appreciated SEX MAGIC. Beyond that you can expect some of the Father’s of Midnight movies, from Lynch’s EraserHead to Jodorowsky’s El Topo. We’ll also of course be interested in bringing back THE ROOM, and Troll 2 and some of the standards, but the real exciting one for us is a deep discovery of GET EVEN. This is THE ROOM with guns, satanic drug cults and Wings Hauser. We have spoken to lawyer and writer/director/star of the film John DeHart who had locked the film up since 1992 and he has agreed to do the “Shimmy Slide” live at the theatre if the film catches on, and we are certain it will, TRUST ME!

Monday Sept. 26, the Majestic Theatre will host Chromeo, and Mayer Hawthorne and the County, featuring Sammy Bananas. Chromeo’s electro/funk appeal, accompanied Hawthorne’s soulful styling, are two genres that Detroit will be thrilled to hear at once.

Chromeo is a two-piece electric/disco/funk/dance/80s-rewind/pop giant, which surfaced at the turn of the millennium. P-Thugg (keyboards, synthesizers and talk box) and Dave 1 (guitar and lead vocals) have created a unique sound that appeals to a diverse set of listeners – with analog technology.

The highly anticipated Detroit show is a part of Chromeo’s “Night Falls Tour” – which began in September (Dallas) and will end in November (L.A.). The show will also welcome home Hawthorne and the County – a Michigan-born staple of neo-soul/pop.

Doors open for this event at 8 p.m. – tickets are $25.

Motor City Rocks had the chance to chat with Dave 1 about music stigmas, Mayer Hawthorne, J Dilla and the Chromeo’s return to Detroit. Here is what he had to say.

MCR: So you’re traveling from your hometown – to Mayer Hawthorne’s hometown, or home crowd rather, what is the energy like at these homecoming shows?

DAVE 1: It’s weird because when you go back to your hometown you want to make sure like – everyone’s known you for longer, so you want to make sure people don’t take you for granted – you’ve got to come up with something fresh.

MCR: How does Chromeo’s sound compare to Mayer Hawthorne’s?

DAVE 1: His (Hawthorne’s) stuff is more soul. Our stuff is more funk, you know. His stuff is more live instrumentation – our stuff is more programmed. At the end of the day it all comes down to the beat – that funky beat. Mayer doesn’t have an electronic component, but he has tons of soul – and his vocals are amazing.

MCR: Do the Canadian and Detroit music scenes share any qualities?

DAVE 1: Toronto and Detroit, there is a commonality there. They’re also very close geographically, but Toronto and Detroit are close – there’s a similarity there. I remember like over ten years ago, Slum Village was blowing up out of Detroit, and Toronto really embraced that sound. You know, I was a hip-hop producer before Chromeo, and I started producing hip-hop when I heard “Running” by The Pharcyde – which was produced by J Dilla. I remember as a teenager, maybe like 16-years-old, discovering J Dilla – my brother was 12, and we were just huge fans.

MCR: Do you ever get to play shows with your brother A-Trak?

DAVE 1: In L.A. last month we played the Hard Festival, and both Chromeo and Duck Sauce headlined, but it’s tough. He’s usually on tour doing his thing, and I’m on tour doing my thing – so when it overlaps it’s more of a special event.

MCR: Do you and your brother continue to share hip-hop interests? Share new music?

DAVE 1: You know, I like all kinds – from J Dilla, to Soulja Boy. I think what’s great about hip-hop, is that there’s a spectrum. You’ve got your stuff that’s really ignorant on purpose – it’s fun to listen to, it’s funny, it’s entertaining – and then you’ve got your really soulful/musical stuff. You know, people hold Dilla in this underground niche, but J Dilla would walk around with alligator boots and fur coats. You know?

[Laughing]

MCR: Absolutely.

DAVE 1: On the real Detroit shit. I think that he was way more open-minded then some people like to think. And, I think the best way to appreciate hip-hop is with an open mind that encompasses everything from, the Danny Browns, to the Lil Waynes, to the Kanyes, to the Soulja Boys. It’s just like any other music, you know? Like rock music – I can listen to Bon Inver and love it, and I can listen to Guns and Roses, and love it. There’s cool stuff everywhere.

MCR: Does the fact that the hip-hop spectrum is limitless help you when meshing new genres together?

DAVE 1: Hmm. When it come to making Chromeo music P and I are a little bit more – fascist? In a way…

[Laughing]

MCR: How so?

DAVE 1: Well, because we kind of lock ourselves in this time capsule, of analog technology, and obscure 80s records – but it’s a constraint we purposefully set upon ourselves to create this really weird, particular music… which is Chromeo. So, how can I explain this? … Who’s your favorite author?

MCR: My favorite author? Probably Roald Dahl, I like children’s literature.

[Laughing]

DAVE 1: Cool. So let’s say you wanted to write kind of a… fantastic children’s fiction a la Roald Dahl – you would maybe for an entire summer just read him. Even though you appreciate all kinds of stuff, and are probably a really well read dude, just for that project you would only read Roald Dahl and like – immerse yourself in it.

MCR: Okay, yeah I get that.

DAVE 1: That’s kind of how we do it with Chromeo. We just soak up all those 80s funk records, and listen to a whole bunch of Daft Punk, and Chromeo is what comes out. But obviously as individuals we are much more open.

MCR: How do you reach listeners that aren’t open, or rather – those that strictly categorize music?

DAVE 1: You know everything’s a category. You choose a word, and you categorize someone. You say electronic, boom – you’re categorized. You say funk – you’re categorized. How do you categorize Parliament? How do you categorize Hall and Oates? The greatest bands decide those categories, but you have to use them – it’s a fact of language. I’m not mad at that. If it helps people talk about us then yea, put us in that category – I don’t care. As long as you come to the show and have a good time, I don’t care. I like to be very, very open with all the different ways people can perceive us. If they enjoy the music, I really don’t care.

MCR: Well we are excited to have you back in Detroit on Monday– do you have any memories specific to Detroit?

DAVE 1: Yes, actually – we we’re pulling up to the Majestic, when we found out there wasn’t enough power in the venue to plug-in our lights. So they had to bring-in this outside generator. We thought we were going to have to do the show without lights!

[Laughing]

DAVE 1: Yeah, we were stressed out. Like, is this going to work? I also remember we hadn’t sold very many tickets, and there ended up being like 600 walk-ups or something. It was actually a great surprise – and a really fun show.

MCR: Well you’re going back to the Majestic so I hope they’ve made some changes.

MCR: Actually I don’t know. I’m going to ask my tour manager right when I get off the phone with you.

[Laughing]

MCR: Thank you for taking the time to talk.

DAVE 1: We’ll see you in Detroit

Hopefully the onslaught of $15 parking, 100-degree September heat, and the occasional hail storm hasn’t dampened anyone’s Arts Beats & Eats outlook yet. There’s still two days left and plenty of bands worth seeing, all of which are 100% Bret Michaels-free.

Amy Gore and Her Valentines play tonight at 8:00 on the Budweiser stage. You may remember Amy as the smoky-eyed powerhouse from Gore Gore Girls and Gorevette, but her latest project shows a different side. The songs are softer, but just as strong. It’s not just the length of her skirt that has grown.

Originally formed as a one-off project called The Squires that included drummer Joe Leone and guitarist Jackson Smith, the band made its debut at the 2010 annual Sounds & Spirits show at The Magic Stick. According to Amy, “The set was such a disaster.”

“We wanted to make it up,” said Amy, “so I asked Joe, ‘do we want to redeem ourselves?’”

Amy had lined up a slot for The Metro Times Blowout—now all she needed was new songs and a full band. As Sounds & Spirits was a Christmas gig, the band didn’t have any non-holiday songs. As it was, Amy began writing new songs the week of Valentine’s day, less than three weeks away from The Squires’ first full-length performance. And the band wasn’t even complete yet; they still needed a bass player.

“I just called Leann [Banks] at the last minute,” Amy said, “And we pulled it off. It was fun, the energy was instant, and the camaraderie was there.”

The camaraderie among the whole band is evident from YouTube videos—from the perfect harmonies to tight turn-arounds, you’d never guess the group had only been playing together for a few weeks.

At Blowout, the band performed under the name Amy Gore & the Squires, but after their Blowout gig, the Valentines name sunk in.

Sonically, the band is a little less aggressive than Amy’s previous outfits, but there’s no lack of energy. “It’s definitely a departure from what I’ve been doing before,” said Amy. “The songs are coming straight out of me. They’re not trying to fit a genre.”

Still, people are keen to assign genres anyway, and “Americana-powerpop” is a label that seems to encapsulate Amy Gore & Her Valentines. It’s an accurate description: the band’s songs are twangy yet driven, with just enough retro vibe to sound familiar, but not cliché.

“We are what we are,” says Amy of her Valentines. “With Gorevette, it was powerpop punk songs; we knew our genre.”

Having only played a handful of shows, Amy Gore & Her Valentines are headed to the studio soon, hoping to release a single later this year and a full-length album in 2012. Given the band’s catalyzed dynamic, it’s sure to be a good one.

Til then, check them out tonight at Arts, Beats & Eats. “We’re really excited to be playing,” said Amy. “Just the fact that it’s going to be outside right as it’s getting dark—it should be cool.”

Weather permitting, of course.

Full festival information can be found here.

For more Gore, check out thisisamygore.com 

Tonight, the Axis Mundi Collective will be hosting the first ever Axis Mundi Festat Sparklewood (a.k.a. Northend Studios) in Detroit. $5 not only gets you in to see 15 bands, but also gives you access to an art show that will be going on at the Northend Gallery tonight as part of the fest.

According to Axis Mundi, “the collective was formed on the simple mission statement of artist success through artist collaboration, and its labels specialize in music ranging from lo-fi tape fuzz, to ambient shoegaze, to country rock.”  The Collective’s labels – Communist Day Care Center, Algae Records and Tapes, Forget Records, and Sonic Lullaby – will each be represented by a couple of bands, making for a truly eclectic night.

I asked Jason Worden — a founder of Axis Mundi and member of several the Collective’s bands, such as Forget, Red China and Indian Guides — a couple of questions about the show:

Downstairs:
8:00 Grass Grass Grass
8:30 The Beekeepers
9:00 Sound and Fury
9:30 Dandylyon Whine
10:00 Dinosaur Monster
10:30 The Belle Isles
11:00 Lizzie Temple Black
11:30 Creepy Crawlers
12:00 Pupils
12:30 SuperFucked

Upstairs:
9:15 Ursus
10:00 St. Zita
10:30 Sea Turtle Restoration Project
11:15 Hedorah
1:00 Kindle

Artists:
Gabriel Banuelos
Alana Carlson
Steve Gamburd
Trevor Naud
Cristin Richard
Mike Ross
Marty Starman
Julia Stephenson
Loredana Zanchi

$5, doors at 7:30

The first ever Echo Fest will fill the atmosphere with reverb, distortion, and richly textured post-punk harmonies. The festival will feature 800Beloved, Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor, Solar Temple Cult, Electric Lion Sound Wave Experiment, and Fur. I talked with Eric Oppitz of Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor about the festival:

What is the idea behind Echo Fest?

The idea behind Echo Fest is to showcase some of the more experimental bands in Detroit; those that
are trying to do something a bit different.

Are there any plans to make this an annual festival?

Yes, providing we have more than 10 people show up this year, ha.

Please tell us one thing about each band to pique the readers interest.
800 Beloved – staring at shoes morbid blues
Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor – a pool party of reverb and delay
Solar Temple Cult – think Waco with music
Electric Lion Sound Wave Experiment – lots of words lots of sounds
Fur – industrial wetness

Are ear plugs advised?

Yes, condoms too!

What aspect of Echo Fest are you most excited about?

Just the sheer fact of bringing together the few bands, in this city, that get it.

What do you hope the visuals will add to the show?

Convulsions, momentary lapses of reality.

If your music could say one thing to people, what would it be?

“There are no wrong notes.”