People seem not to believe me when I say the Artists’ Workshop needs money to operate, or Trans-Love needs money, or the Sun needs money—but it’s true. I know it shouldn’t be that way, people, but this is America and you don’t even get a place to stay without paying some property-owner for it. Month after month we scuffle and hassle to get enough money to pay the rent ($200), the gas and electric (although not the gas any more, since it’s been shut off), the telephone bill ($75 or so), and hundreds of little bills which mount up every time we move to expand the operation in another direction.
We have no support from anyone except ourselves, and it gets harder and harder to get the money up each month. Benefits bring in money, but not nearly enough, and not frequently enough, to do much good on a steady basis. For example, the April 23rd benefit at the Grande Ballroom, which should have made $500, set us straight for a while , brought in $110 cash money because too many people stayed home. We don’t have anyone to appeal to except our own people, which certainly includes all who might read this column, and people, we need help!
After music by the Family Medicine Chest and Billy C. and the Sunshine, Jerry Younkins mounted the stage for a reading and started chanting the “Hare Krishna” mantra, inviting all the musicians in the place who wanted to accompany him to do so—and within one minute there were close to twenty people on the stage, people beating on drums, guitarists working out riffs, chanters and screamers, and more people climbing on from both sides of the stage, clapping and hollering and chanting the mantra until everyone in the ballroom joined in. Those that weren’t on the stage were dancing and skipping around the room, laughing and shouting, batting balloons, dancing and chanting and living love right there. It was beautiful indeed.
The tribal dancing and chanting continued for fifteen minutes or so, until the Back and Back Boo Funny Music Band could set up, and they then took over for an hour of some of the best music I’ve heard at the Grande yet. Tell Uncle Russ You want to hear this band, over and over again—you will be glad you did.
The light show at the benefit was more exciting than usual, with Jerry Younkins and Ron Anarchy’s MAGIC VEIL on one wall and the old High Society, with Grimshaw and Bacilla on the projectors, on the other. You’ve got to see the Magic Veil to believe it -and you will.
Billy C. and the Sunshine—the best blues band in town—will be at the Grande May 4th for you to hear. Hear them. The Scot Richard Case from Ann Arbor, a frequent visitor, played the 22nd of this month and will be back soon. Their first record will be out in a couple weeks and will be worth whatever you have to do to get it. The MC-5’s side is getting a lot of airplay in Flint, Toledo, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and around the state, but still hasn’t been picked up by WKNR or CKLW. Call them up and tell them you want to hear it—right now!
The Artists’ Workshop Press has just brought out its funniest book – – THE STRANGE ODYSSEY OF HOWARD POW! and other stories by the mad wizard, Bill Hutton. Scarf it up! It’ll make you laugh like Hutton. More books coming soon, and more still available. Check out the stand at Mixed Media. The Press is also trying to sell a Gestetner 360 Model mimeograph machine, in perfect condition, etc., so we can get ‘a smaller one. If you can use a big Gestetner please call Trans-Love at 831-6840.
The Detroit “underground” is starting to emerge into the sunlight and will spread throughout the city. The Love-In started it off, with front-page exposure in the Free Press, television and radio coverage, and lots of interest from both the Free Press and the News. George Walker’s story on the FIFTH ESTATE in the Free Press’ DETROIT magazine a couple weeks ago was the first mass-scale announcement of our existence, and after the Love-In the whole city will know what is happening.
The papers and the radio people have treated the hippies well, but the Channel 7 people pulled a fast one and won’t get away with it again. I gave Jim Harrington a good loving interview, which was then edited and mangled in an attempt to sensationalize the Love-In, Trans-Love, and the whole hippie scene. Well, they won’t get another one like that. These people have got to learn to report the real events and happenings as they ARE, not as they would have them. We’ve never needed the television or newspaper people before, and we don’t need them now—remember that!
If you are having a dance or other happening wherever you are and want to hire bands, lights, etc., call Trans-Love, 831-6840, to get in touch with the MC-5, Billy C. and the Sunshine, the Seventh Seal, the Back and Back Boo Band, the Family Medicine Chest, the Magic Veil Light Company, Warlock Studios (for posters and handbills), the Artists’ Workshop, LEMAR (for literature and speakers), the Sun, Trans-Love Airways, and other people and groups. We’ll be waiting to hear from you.