Rick Coates

Music Rick Coates The Rhythm Devils carry on a Dead tradition
By Rick Coates
The Hoxeyville Music Festival continues to grow in stature within the music community. Stepping beyond the confines of a local band festival, they added some national headliners last year. The result was so successful that they have kicked it up a notch this year with The Rhythm Devils.
Any “Deadhead” knows that The Rhythm Devils are Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, the drumming duo of The Grateful Dead. The group evolved out of those improvisational drumming and percussion sets that took place at most Dead concerts. After the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995, The Dead disbanded and its members became involved in several musical projects and bands.
The Rhythm Devils will headline this weekend’s Hoxeyville Music Festival along with Keller Williams. While Williams is now on his own tour, he was a part of The Rhythm Devils earlier in the summer and will certainly join them on stage.

Dining Rick Coates Traverse City Wine & Art Festival
A couple of weeks ago I attended the Paella in the Park in Traverse City and a friend of mine from out of state joined me. He laughed when I told him it was all local wine from the Old Mission Peninsula. But I countered, listing the major awards wineries in the region have won at international tasting competitions. He came back with a response I hear a lot: “Okay, so you make great white wines up here, but I am a red wine drinker and your reds...” Before he could finish I escorted him to the Peninsula Cellars table so he could taste their 2005 Cabernet Franc.

Music Rick Coates Goose Lake : America’s Forgotten Festival
By Rick Coates
The abundance of music festivals now taking place in Northern Michigan probably are better known than one of the largest and most successful in American history.
Last weekend marked the 40th anniversary of Goose Lake International Festival that originally took place between Jackson and Ann Arbor August 7- 9, 1970 and attracted more than 200,000 attendees.
While Woodstock received full fanfare from the media last year in honor of its 40th, little is being made about Goose Lake, despite the fact that Billboard calls it one of the most successful music festivals of all time.
“I will take the blame for the lack of media coverage,” said Tom Wright, one of the organizers and production manager for the festival. “All this media from Rolling Stone Magazine to others showed up looking for backstage access and I wouldn’t give it to them. I gave them free passes to get in an’ sit with

Dining Rick Coates An Evening with Mario: A Reservation For 2,300, Please!
By Rick Coates
Sam Porter is fresh off his successful first-ever Paella In The Park event last Friday in Traverse City which attracted a sold-out crowd of 1,500. Porter has no time to celebrate as he conducts another first-time event, “An Evening With Mario Batali,” that is expected to attract 2,300 for dinner.
The event is being co-produced by Porterhouse Productions and the National Writers Series. It will take place on the historic front lawn of the Village at Grand Traverse Commons this Saturday, August 14, from 5 to 10 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $99 (the more expensive the ticket the closer to the stage one sits).
“This is a very fantastic event that starts with the generosity of Mario Batali,” said Porter. “Mario is donating his time and the net proceeds will go the scholarship fund that the National Writer Series has set up.”
Porter says there are “so many aspects of this event” that he is concerned some may not understand what they get for the ticket price.
“There are several components to this evening. First all, everyone is going to be well fed as all tickets include all 10 dishes being prepared from recipes inspired by Mario’s cookbooks,” said Porter.
“There will be a cash bar that will feature local wines and beers. When you purchase your first glass of wine you keep that glass and take it home, it is really nice stemware. For the beer we have canning jars but we are asking that you donate those back as they are going to a youth program to teach canning.”

Dining Rick Coates Mario Batali’s “Molto Gusto”
The world’s third best-selling book of all time after the bible and the dictionary is the “Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book” with more than 30 million copies sold since it was first released in 1930. Cookbooks represent a large market share in the book publishing industry with sales in 2010 about $1 billion in the United States alone. Industry studies show that about 40% of Americans “collect” cookbooks and the average household has at least 20 cookbooks.
One of the top cookbook authors out there today is Mario Batali. While Batali’s fame from his years on the Food Network coupled with him being one of the top restauranteurs in America has given him celebrity status, the popularity of his cookbooks goes beyond that. Batali will be the next writer/author in the popular National Writers Series this Saturday in Traverse City.
Batali’s success in authoring bestselling cookbooks might start with his celebrity but ultimately the practicality and functionality of the recipes within his books give him longevity in a crowded field. His latest effort, “Molto Gusto,” is a collection of recipes primarily from his popular NY eatery Otto Enoteca Pizzeria.

Dining Rick Coates Green Plate Challenge
This is a really cool concept, the Green Plate Challenge, where four Benzie County restaurants are not really competing, but challenging each other to better connect with local farmers and local products.
The Challenge creator is Jim Barnes of Crystal Lake Catering. Barnes was one of the pioneers in the Benzie culinary scene to incorporate local products into his menu during stints as chef/owner of both Northern Delights Cafe and The Roadhouse. “There are several components to this challenge from developing better relationships with area farmers and restaurateurs as well as to improve culinary skills, help to develop new customers and also encourage servers to be better informed on the local items they offer,” said Barnes.
Here is how the challenge works: Each eatery is featuring a menu item everyday with ingredients 90% sourced from within 100 miles of their restaurant. “Purchasing food products locally has not been the most common way of purveying food for our local restaurant industry,” said Barnes.

Features Rick Coates Wings of Mercy : Pilots host Careaffaire to benefit medical patients in need
By Rick Coates
If you want to feel your heart lift for a good cause and have some family fun to boot, consider the Wings of Mercy “Cairaffaire” this Saturday to benefit a program which flies people in financial need to distant medical centers.
The Traverse City CareAffaire will take place at Cherry Capital Aviation (located on Airport Access on the north side of the airport which was the former entrance to the airport off of Parsons Road) from 11am to 3pm. There is no charge for the event that will feature several planes, the Coast Guard, North Flight and several fire departments who are lending their culinary skills to make the day happen. Donations will be accepted to help the Wings of Mercy, West Michigan Chapter. There will be an opportunity for plane rides as well.

Features Rick Coates Clearing the Air: Medical Marijuana Academy aims to cut the fog on pot issues
By Rick Coates
The Michigan Medical Act passed by voters in 2008 seems to have created more questions than answers. Recent raids on compassionate care centers, medical marijuana operations and caregiver homes by law enforcement agencies have added to the confusion.
Now there is a Michigan House bill in committee proposing the ban of medical marijuana clubs and bars where those who are legal to medicate gather. Plus, medical marijuana patients remain confused as to where they may legally medicate away from their homes. Some patients have been fired by employers who view any use of marijuana as drug use, even if a doctor gives the employee a medical marijuana referral.
And some Northern Michigan residents who have asked their physicians for medical marijuana referrals have been denied by doctors who have responded that they have been advised not to make such referrals.

Features Rick Coates Celebrate the Great Lakes with the Michigan Schooner Festival
By Rick Coates
On September 10-12, you can enjoy the heritage of the Great Lakes with
“A Great Lakes Celebration” and the 2010 Michigan Schooner Festival on
West Grand Traverse Bay.

Music Rick Coates Blues Traveler dishes up Paella in the Park
By Rick Coates
The Paella In The Park event on Friday night in Traverse City will
focus on the Spanish peasant dish, Paella (see Tastemakers). The
evening will be highlighted by wine pairings from the Wineries of Old
Mission Peninsula. The question is, what will be for dessert?
How about a full serving of Blues Traveler?

Music Rick Coates Got Soul? Collectively, soulful rockers keep it together
By Rick Coates
Even in the world of rock and roll, a lot of times it is about who you know versus what you know. Just ask Collective Soul lead guitarist Joel Kosche who joined the band in 2001. Kolsche and his bandmates, Ed and Dean Roland and Will Turpin (all founding members) will take the stage at the Odawa Casino in Petoskey this Saturday.
“Yeah I was a part of that same music scene in the Atlanta area that Collective Soul was a part of. I had my day job painting in a body shop and fronted a band at night,” said Kosche. “Well, I was getting tired of the day job and so I asked a buddy connected with Collective Soul if they needed anybody and eventually he passed my name along and I got hired.”
But not to be a member; Kosche was hired to be the guitar tech for the band in 1996.

Dining Rick Coates Paella In The Park
When organizers of the Epicurean Classic decided to move the popular
food and drink celebration from Traverse City to southwest Michigan,
the food festival pantry in the region seemed pretty empty. That was
two years ago, and now a host of gourmand events have sprouted up
throughout the year fully stocking the Northern Michigan culinary
cupboard.

Music Rick Coates The Nuge Goes Ballistic: Ted Nugent brings politics as well as rock to Leelanau show
By Rick Coates
The political season is in full swing and the Motor City Madman Ted
Nugent is definitely campaigning. While not running for political
office as of yet, Uncle Ted believes for now his best platform is the
rock and roll stage and living by example. But he says the “threat is
there, it will always be there, (to run for office).”

Dining Rick Coates Amical’s Duck Breast w/Cherry Stout
One of the really cool things about the Traverse City Film Festival are the impromptu post film discussions that take place around town. Either with friends or total strangers, lively discussions take place over cocktails or dinner, and one of many great gathering places is Amical right next to the State Theatre.
I stopped in last week to catch the buzz on the Film Festival. since I was dining alone, I sat at the bar. Seated next to me was a producer in town working with Carter Oosterhouse (the sexy handyman from the HGTV show Carter Can and a model for numerous commercials). Also next to me was a recent transplant to the region from Texas as a result of growth in the oil and gas industry in Northern Michigan. While both were interested in the Film Festival, conversation quickly turned to their frustrations on how early stores closed in downtown TC (that is an article for another issue).
As has been the case since Dave Dennison opened Amical 16 years ago, my dining experience was exceptional. It started with my server/bartender Erica; new to town and only in her second week on the job, she handled herself as if she had been at Amical since the place opened. Amical was packed and Erica never missed a beat, making drinks and waiting on those in the bar area by herself. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and was able to guide myself and those around me in making our selections.

Features Rick Coates Michael Moore’s Sneak Preview
By Rick Coates
Academy Award-winning film producer Michael Moore is never at a loss
of words. The co-founder of the Traverse City Film Festival took time
out in the wee hours of the morning to sit down for a two-hour
interview, sharing his insights on not only the Film Festival but also
President Obama, the future of Michigan, the state of Downtown
Traverse City and the new Comedy Festival. Moore also discussed his
own future and how he almost threw in the towel on living here in
Northern Michigan to move to Ann Arbor.