A Newspaper for the rest of us • www.lansingcitypulse.com FREE May 29 - June 4, 2019 Summer Events Guide Project1_LayoutBe a 1Tourist 4/1/19 10:44 in AM Your Page 1 Own Town, Margarita Fest, Jazz Fest, fireworks and more ... See page 14 2 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • May 29, 2019 City Pulse • May 29, 2019 www.lansingcitypulse.com 3 Favorite Things THE EDGE OF THINGS: Lansing artist ERI VK and her DISSIDENT ART UNDER mannequin coffee table REPRESSIVE REGIMES Join us for the opening reception of The Edge of Things: Dissident Art Under Repressive Regimes, an exhibtion of experimental artworks made by artists from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile in resistence to Regina Vater, Mulher Mutante (Mutant Woman), 1968. oppresive social and Courtesy Galeria Jaqueline Martins. political conditions. MAY 31, 6–8pm I was a manager at American lot because I am an artist and am Apparel, which is now gone. When always having fun with the space. the store was closing, we got all Sometimes it is a coffee table. these cool mannequins. These were Sometimes I stack it on top of up along the walls on the shelves. another thing to have fun with it. 1 They used to model men’s under- I also use this shelf at art shows to JUNE wear like briefs. I guess I could exhibit my stuff. , . dress briefs on them now. I haven’t I would eventually like to get into Y P.M A O 5 thought about that before. set design or prop styling like this. D . T We could basically take anything The thing I like most about movies R M A. we wanted. I kept thinking about like “A Clockwork Orange” is they U 0 what to do with these torsos and all have created a world. I like the col- T 1 these extra acrylic shelves. ors and the mood of these films. A Something clicked. I took them I definitely use surrealism and S and arranged a coffee table out of abstractions in my work to com- the scraps. I really like ‘70s dys- ment on the way we communicate. topian movies like “A Clockwork Dystopian films, the social aspect of Orange” with the mannequin milk how the communities are built, are bar scene. This reminds me of that. some of the most interesting parts If you came into my apartment, of the film. this is the first thing you will see Decor is an ultimate way to exper- along with a lot of zany stuff. iment, and I wish people would Mostly people come in and they experiment more with it. say “Wow! That’s a butt.” I thought I don’t think I’m going to stop it was at least a fun conversation being a child anytime soon. I will piece and people love it when they always want to keep making fur- come over to see it. niture out of mannequins and the Most days there are a lot of books unused things I find around. on this usually with coffee. (This interview was edited and It is hard to find cool or fun fur- condensed by Dennis Burck. If niture that is not boring. Of all the you have a recommendation for stuff I have, this is something that “Favorite Things,” please email den- isn’t a reproduction. It is its own [email protected].) thing. 100 I move my apartment around a 4 www.lansingcitypulse.com City Pulse • May 29, 2019 VOL. 18 ISSUE 43 (517) 371-5600 • Fax: (517) 999-6061 • 1905 E. Michigan Ave. • Lansing, MI 48912 • www.lansingcitypulse.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: (517) 999-5061 or email [email protected] PAGE CLASSIFIEDS: (517) 999-6704 EDITOR AND PUBLISHER • Berl Schwartz 14 [email protected] • (517) 999-5061 ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR • Audrey Matusz Be a Tourist in Your Own Town reaches its 25th anniversary [email protected] • (517) 999-5068 EVENTS EDITOR/OFFICE MANAGER • Suzi Smith [email protected] • (517) 999-6704 DIGITAL CONTENT/PRODUCTION MANAGER • Skyler Ashley PAGE [email protected] (517) 999-5066 26 STAFF WRITERS • Lawrence Cosentino [email protected] • (517) 999-5065 Hot Mulligan and Missy Raines' upcoming gigs in Lansing Kyle Kaminski • [email protected] (517) 999-6715 Dennis Burck • [email protected] (517) 999-6705 PAGE SALES EXECUTIVE Lee Purdy • [email protected] • (517) 999-5064 28 Contributors: Andy Balaskovitz, Justin Bilicki, Daniel A Newspaper for the rest of us • www.lansingcitypulse.com FREE E. Bollman, Jeffrey Billman, Capital News Service, Check out the slices from Lansing's newest pizzeria Bill Castanier, Ryan Claytor, Mary C. Cusack, Tom May 29 - June 4, 2019 Helma, Gabrielle Lawrence Johnson, Eve Kucharski, Terry Link, Andy McGlashen, Kyle Melinn, Mark Nixon, Shawn Parker, Stefanie Pohl, Dennis Preston, Allan Cover I. Ross, Nevin Speerbrecker, Dylan Tarr, Rich Tupica, Ute Von Der Heyden, David Winkelstern, Paul Wozniak Art Distribution manager: Paul Shore • (517) 999-6704 Delivery drivers: Dave Fisher, Dale Gartner, Art by Nevin Speerbrecker Thomas Scott Jr., Jack Dowd, Gavin Smith Summer Events Guide Be a Tourist in Your Own Town, Margarita Fest, Jazz Fest, fireworks and more ... See page 14 NOW AT 10:00 A.M. SUNDAYS on City Pulse • May 29, 2019 www.lansingcitypulse.com 5 PULSE NEWS & OPINION What’s up with that black building? C A windowless, all-black building tion formed by Doherty early last year. OF THE WEEK across from Art’s Pub on Kalamazoo Attempts to contact Doherty for this Street has piqued local curiosities over story — including a visit to the build- its foreboding appearance. And it could ing — were unsuccessful. Pictures soon become lined with up to 1,500 posted to Facebook last week showed medical marijuana plants. Doherty with a “Rehbel” branded hat State regulators earlier this month alongside former Lansing Mayor Virg issued prequalification (a preliminary Bernero and Robin Schneider, the exec- step to full-blown licensure) to Rehbel utive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industries LLC. for a growing facility Industry Association. at 738 E. Kalamazoo St. The business Messages left with Schneider and Cooley Law School Stadium already has approval from the city of Bernero were also left unreturned. With the passing of Memorial Day Lansing. It’ll just need another nod Doherty founded the clothing brand marking the unofficial start of sum- from state regulators before crops can “DEFYE” and operated it (primarily mer, thoughts turn to warmer weath- begin making their way to harvest. from the Meridian Mall) before it went er, extended daylight and America’s State records list Michael Doherty out of business in 2014. The branding pastime: baseball. Crowds of region- as both the applicant for Rehbel stood for DEFine Your own Existence al schools find their way to outings Kyle Kaminksi/City Pulse Industries and the registered agent of and offered a variety of “alternative, as final exams approach. The greater A soon-to-be marijuana growing facility 738 E. Kalamazoo LLC., the company rocker wear” for an “edgy 18-35 crowd,” Lansing area is fortunate to have its has caught attention due to its striking that bought the three-story building Doherty previously explained to City own team and a venue at which watch all black paint job. for $30,000 back in 2015. (City Pulse Pulse. it play. named it an eyesore in 2016.) The par- — KYLE KAMINSKI The Cooley Law School Stadium is cel is now registered to MD Industries [email protected] attractive on its own: clad in red brick, LLC, another limited liability corpora- with bands of stone string courses and arched roofs providing urban-scaled markers of the main entrances. Within, the field of play field is intimately sited Wanted: ‘Progressive’ 1st Ward leadership between the seats running along the baselines. Challengers makes their case against Washington; incumbent runs on her record However, it is the associated, sur- rounding elements that successfully Four challengers are hoping that seeking three 6 nonpartisan primary election will face off in a No- establish the district, from the hex-nut terms will not be the charm for Councilwoman Jody vember general election. capped chimney behind the Nuthouse Washington. “It’s time to stand up to the establishment,” said Grill to the colorfully whimsical resi- Washington’s primary election opponents are run- challenger and economic policy analyst Brandon dences to the north. The broad plaza ning against her record and to some extent her per- Betz, 28. in front of the stadium along Michigan sona as they seek to break her hold on the eastside Betz offered one of a few scathing reviews of Wash- Avenue, which provides a natural district. ington. The city — with her support — has repeat- meeting location before games, is Washington’s “proven track record of hard work” edly squandered opportunities for economic devel- contained by the strong line of the — as she described it this month — includes voting opment by giving “massive tax breaks” to corporate Stadium District residences south of in 2017 to rescind a resolution that declared Lan- developers, he contended. And a recent vote on the Michigan Avenue. sing a sanctuary city for immigrants and refugees. It Red Cedar project is an example, he said. Readers are encouraged to com- passed 5-3. She also tried (and failed) to vote down The redevelopment was approved earlier this year pare the character of the Stadium an ordinance that eventually allowed medical mari- with Washington’s support. It included a Brownfield District building to the repeated imi- juana dispensaries in the city. tax increment financing plan that will reimburse tations spreading east along Michigan Washington has been labeled as an obstructionist.