Rick Coates

Features Rick Coates Rush Behind The Lighted Stage
By Rick Coates
Filmmakers Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden will be in Traverse City this week with their latest project Rush: Behind The Lighted Stage, an intimate look at one of rock music’s most influential yet often misunderstood bands. The documentary gives an insider’s look and unprecedented access to the Canadian power trio’s musical journey through the decades.
The film will screen Friday night at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 11:59 p.m. with Dunn and McFayden appearing at both screenings as well as at the panel discussion on Saturday morning.
Rush ranks third for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums in the world behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Yet unlike the latter two bands, Rush has been primarily ignored by critics despite being revered by musicians and having legions of loyal fans. Even the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has failed to recognized the group’s accomplishments by not nominating them for the HOF.
Rush is a musical anomaly; as the band says themselves, “you either love us or hate us -- there is no middle ground with Rush.” The band’s music is hard to define by traditional categories.
“We are not the kind of music you put on to dance to or as background music at a party,” said Geddy Lee, lead singer and bassist. “Our music requires some thought and work to listen to, and that is not for everybody.”

Music Rick Coates Meat Loaf on the Menu: Singer brings Northern Michigan players to Kewadin
By Rick Coates
When Meat Loaf takes the stage Saturday at the Kewadin Casino for their 25yth Anniversary Summer Celebration, he will be joined by two former Traverse City residents, keyboardist Justin Avery and sax player David Luther.
Luther joined Meat Loaf’s band in 2006 and Avery earlier this year. The two knew each other back when, with Luther part of the last Traverse City High School graduating class in 1997 and Avery graduating from TC West in 1999.
“We knew each other in high school because we were both musicians,” said Avery, son of musician and former Dill’s Old Town Saloon owner Larry Avery. “I remember David being a very serious musician for someone that was just a teenager.”

Music Rick Coates Bret Michaels’ Wild Year: Poison frontman helms Kewadin’s 25th anniversary bash
By Rick Coates
If a cat has nine lives then how many lives does Bret Michaels have? This past year has proven he has at least three, and if you toss in the car accident back in the mid-’90s that nearly claimed his life, then Michaels is on life number four. But Michaels’ health issues are not over yet; after a year that has included an emergency appendectomy and a brain hemorrhage, he will have surgery next January as a result of a hole in his heart.
Michaels, the front man for the glam-rockers Poison from the hair band generation, is currently out touring in support of his new solo work Custom Built, released last week. He will make his way to Northern Michigan Thursday, performing at the Kewadin Casino in Sault Ste. Marie as part of the resort’s 25th Anniversary Summer Celebration. Motley Crue front man Vince Neil will open the show.

Music Rick Coates Bob Seger at Gaylord’s Alpenfest?: No, but his tribute band will be turning the page
By Rick Coates
The 46th Alpenfest in Gaylord kicks off on Tuesday. The five day festival is loaded with family friendly activities that are at no cost or are free of charge after purchasing an Alpenfest pin for $3, making it one of the best entertainment values in the Northern Michigan.
“The Alpenfest pin is a great value because it allows you to attend the many food events we have for no additional charge,” said Gayla Lamberies, festival special events coordinator. “Otherwise to participate in these events they are $5 each.”
Food is one of the focal points of the Alpenfest with Wurst Wagon on Tuesday being the first as troopers from the Michigan State Police post in Gaylord don aprons and serve guests at the opening night ceremonies. On Wednesday is the Die Groeste Kaffee Pause (The world’s largest coffee break) at 9:30 am under the pavilion with coffee, donuts and milk. For dinner, enjoy a chicken BBQ hosted by Dowker’s Meat Market, also under the pavilion. Other food events through the weekend include a sausage and sauerkraut dinner, pancakes and sausage breakfast along with the Pontresina Suppen Mahlzeit featuring the Festival’s secret Pontresina soup recipe.

Dining Rick Coates Green Cuisine
It was an impressive sight during the first Green Cuisine event in 2006. Event co-founder Timothy Young gathered the 200 guests in attendance around him and said, “Let me show you how much trash this event produced,” he opened up the palm of his hand to reveal a couple of small pieces of non-recyclable plastic. But creating a “zero-waste” event was only one aspect of Green Cuisine.
“A big goal is to have an event that creates networks between local people and our incredibly rich local food system,” said Young. “We didn’t want to start just another festival.
This is an event with a mission. This is a chance for local friends and neighbors to come meet the heroes behind the food that they love and appreciate.”

Music Rick Coates Blissfest Celebrates 30 Years: Roots music festival examines its own roots...
By Rick Coates
When Blissfest kicks off this Friday, the festival outside Cross Village will celebrate 30 years of promoting the diversity and heritage of traditional styles of music.
This year’s version features headliners Richie Havens and John Hiatt, plus bluegrass-rappers The Deadly Gentlemen, Detroit blues diva Thornetta Davis, Australian transplant Harper, Ann Arbor’s My Dear Disco, world music from Funkadesi, and local favorite Claudia Schmidt (who was there to open the first Blissfest in 1980).

Music Rick Coates Blissful John Hiatt: Songwriting powerhouse headlines 30th BlissFest
By Rick Coates
John Hiatt’s musical career has woven its way through several musical genres over the past 36 years including rock and roll, blues, new wave, country and folk. As a songwriter his tunes have been covered by Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Paula Abdul, Iggy Pop, Jimmy Buffett, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson and Keith Urban, to name a few.
Despite being a hit-maker for others, Hiatt has never achieved the mainstream status of the many who have recorded his songs. He has been labeled “The American Elvis Costello,” and often draws comparison to Bruce Springsteen by musical critics. The unassuming singer/songwriter has found his own way to hang on to a musical career that includes 19 albums and legions of dedicated fans.
Hiatt will headline the 30th Annual Blissfest this weekend, performing on the main stage Saturday night. It will be his first visit to Bliss and he is looking forward to it.
“We have played Northern Michigan before but never Bliss; (I’ve) heard a lot of good things about this festival and we are honored that they have asked us to be a part of the 30th festival,” said Hiatt. “We can be pretty blissful so I am sure we will fit in.”

Dining Rick Coates Brownwood Farms Festival Cherry Butter
Brownwood Farms is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year. When they started in 1945 along the shores of Torch Lake, one of their first products was a cherry butter. Now, to celebrate the National Cherry Festival, Brownwood has launched Festival Cherry Butter.

Dining Rick Coates Have Kitchen, Will Travel: Food guy Mark Fowler‘s EMS comes the the festival rescue
By Rick Coates
Chef Mark Fowler took a vacation to Florida a few years ago with some buddies. While they were hanging out at the beach they noticed a food vendor with a portable kitchen keeping busy.
“My friend looked at me and said hey ‘Mark do you see how busy that guy has been every day we have been here?’ I nodded my head and smiled,” said Fowler. “My mind started racing thinking that I could start something like that for festivals in Northern Michigan.”
Fowler returned home to Cadillac and eventually opened the Bistro, but the concept of a traveling festival catering operation remained in the forefront of his mind. Last week he launched Epicurean Mobile Services (EMS), a portable catering operation based out of an old converted ambulance. He’ll be operating outside of Right Brain Brewery in TC’s Warehouse District for the month of July.

Dining Rick Coates The Global Wine Pavilion offers a taste from all over
By Rick Coates
About 10 years ago the National Cherry Festival saw a trend taking
place in the festival business: festivals were going under. Realizing
the economic and historical importance of the event for Traverse City
and Northern Michigan, they set out make sure they would not become
another statistic on the list of festivals of the past.

Music Rick Coates Oye Como Va! Gregg Rolie’s musical journey
By Rick Coates

Keyboardist and vocalist Gregg Rolie has accomplished something few in the music business have been able to do. It is tough to create one great rock and roll band, yet Rolie cofounded two legendary rock groups, Santana and Journey. He now fronts the Gregg Rolie Band that performs all of the hits from the early Santana days along with originals Rolie has written over the years. They will take the Bayside Entertainment Stage at the National Cherry Festival on July 4.
Carlos Santana and Gregg Rolie co-founded Santana in 1966 during a chance meeting in Palo Alto.

Dining Rick Coates National Cherry Festival Culinary Events
The National Cherry Festival kicks off this weekend with more than 150 events throughout the week. The week is loaded with food events with Cherries D’Vine and the Cherries Grand Buffet topping the list of favorites.

Dining Rick Coates Higher Grounds Olive Oil
Chris Treter of Higher Grounds Trading has built his Traverse City based coffee roasting business on using fair trade coffee beans. Treter is on a first name basis with the Mexican and Ethiopian farmers who grow the beans he roasts at his production facility located at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons. Treter amakes annual pilgrimages to the Central American growing regions to meet with farmers and also to fundraise and raise awareness for various needs in these villages. He has helped to spearhead the Chiapas Water Project since 2005 to assist those who live in Chiapas, Mexico in developing safe drinking water.
Since launching Higher Grounds eight years ago Treter had always planned to offer more than just coffee. He has found his next product line, Palestinian Fair Trade Organic Olive Oil. Released last month, the olive oil is available at specialty shops primarily in the Traverse City area and at Higher Grounds as well as by mail order. The olive oil comes from ancient olive trees from the rich red soil of Palestine. The Palestinian Fair Trade Organization adheres to strict organic farming practices and this cold pressed extra virgin olive oil meets U.S., European and Japanese organic standards. According to Treter, the fact that the olives are pressed immediately after harvest result in a full flavor olive oil that is “fragrant, buttery with hints of pepper and lemon.

Dining Rick Coates Good Harbor Vineyard’s Fishtown White
This year’s 25th Annual Leland Wine Festival will be one of celebration as the past 25 years will be remembered as well as some pondering of the future of the event (see related article) as a new chairperson takes over. Amidst it all will certainly be reflection on winemaker Bruce Simpson, who was one of the Festival co-founders. Simpson passed away a year ago this past March. While only Festival insiders were aware of Simpson’s role in the launch of the Festival (he also helped to organize it behind the scenes each year), he was known throughout the Michigan wine community for his Good Harbor Vineyards, located a few miles south of Leland on M-22.

Features Rick Coates Changing of the Guard: Leland Wine & Food Festival Celebrates 25 Years & new leadership
By Rick Coates
Kate Vitler, owner and innkeeper at the Riverside Inn and Restaurant in Leland, has big shoes to fill; two sets in fact, as she oversees the 25th anniversary of the Leland Wine & Food Festival. The Festival that takes place this Saturday at the harbor in Fishtown has been coordinated since its inception by Cris and Kathy Telgard. The couple decided last year to turn over the reins to Vitler.
“I don’t think the community of Leland, the wineries and restaurants, can thank the Telgards enough for their work over the past 25 years. They had a great crew of volunteers, many who are continuing to help with the festival, but they kept it all together and there is a lot of work to be done year round to get the Festival ready,” said Vitler. “We should put a couple of lifeguard chairs in the center of the activities and let the Telgards enjoy the event but they wouldn’t go for it. they will be volunteering their time.”