4A To Ypsilanti

Sequence Of Events

The Dog Show

Stan and his pit bull friend Penny Lane met at the Swift Run Dog Park in Ann Arbor in early February and they've been BFFs ever since. They really play well together and know each other's limits. They could tangle for hours on end, and that's just what they did Friday after I got off work and drove to Ypsilanti for a doggy play date at Riverside Park. Stan is totally an alpha male, by the way. He courageously picks on bigger dogs at the park and I overhear this comment a lot: "Man, that's one tough puppy!"

Pumped Up Kicks

These feet belong to the lead singer and guitarist for Pistolbrides, a Grand Rapids-based rock band that played during the final night of Mittenfest in Ypsilanti on Sunday. Check them out.

When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong

This was the scene inside the men's room at Woodruff's bar in Ypsilanti late Sunday night during the final night of the tomfoolery that is Mittenfest. The unsuspecting victim shown here is removing specks of glitter from his eye after an apparent glitter bomb attack by a friend. They're right — it's all fun and games until glitter is thrown into the mix. Or into your eyes. Luckily I was given forewarning to cover my eyes before a glitter bomb came my way. I was not able to cover my drink, though.

Frontier Ruckus

What else can you say about Frontier Ruckus that hasn't already been said? They rock. And they closed out Mittenfest during the final night on Sunday. It was a late night and by this point I was just enjoying myself, but I still snapped a few quick photos for good measure. This year's sixth-annual Mittenfest event raised more than $21,000 for 826michigan. Read about that here.

Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful

Another abstract shot from Mittenfest, this time Misty Lyn & the Big Beautiful. Check her out.

Great Lakes Myth Society

After being away from the stage for longer than many of us would like, Great Lakes Myth Society, arguably one of the better bands Michigan has ever produced, rocked the house Sunday during the final night of Mittenfest. The venue was packed wall to wall with fans singing along to every word. According to their Facebook page, the band includes Timothy Monger on guitar and accordion, James Christopher Monger on guitar and mandolin, J. Scott McClintock on bass, Fido Kennington on drums and Gregory Dean McIntosh on guitar. And that's Tania Monger on violin. Unfortunately, I didn't really get to photograph them due to the impenetrable wall of fans surrounding the stage, but I blindly raised my camera in the air at one point and came away with this somewhat abstract shot.

Legendary Creatures

Detroit-based Legendary Creatures took the stage Sunday during the final night of Mittenfest at Woodruff's in Ypsilanti. The band includes Sarah Vaughn on vocals, along with Matt Luke, Jesse Ramsey, Andrew Davis and Nathan Burgundy. Check them out on Facebook or download their tunes.

Passalacqua

They just wanna get high and drink their Pineapple Faygo. They are Passalacqua, a Detroit-based hip hop duo, and they graced the stage Saturday during the fourth night of Mittenfest 6. I'm instantly a fan. Check them out.

Red Tail Ring

Red Tail Ring is a Kalamazoo-based duo made up of Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo. They were one of the more folksy groups to perform during Mittenfest 6. I really enjoyed their sound. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot I was all that happy with. Anyway, learn more about them and definitely consider checking them out if they're playing in your area.

Nightlife

This Ann Arbor-based duo goes by the name Nightlife and they rocked the house Saturday at Mittenfest 6. From their Facebook page: "Darin Rajabian and Caroline Myrick met at a Michigan house show in early 2010. They soon discovered a mutual infatuation with dream-life, dancing, and pop music, and began work on a new project to incorporate Caroline’s soft vocals with Darin’s classic euro-disco inspired tracks. The music evolved, and after months of work, they formed the sound of Nightlife." Download their tunes.