HART OF THE CITY TOUR

Detroit comedian Howie Bell and THE REEL HUSTLER at the Music Hall where he hosted Kevin Hart's Hart Of The City show taping.

BONEY JAMES WSG ALTHEA RENE AT CHENE PARK

GETTING DOWN ON THE BONE!

The rain came pouring down, the lightning flashed and the thunder boomed. It was not looking good early on in the day for the Wednesday Night Jazz Concert Series set for the Chene Park Amphitheater located at the Detroit river front. I just knew for sure that this would break the streak of the previous beautiful concert nights at the venue. So what I do next to see if the show might get cancelled was go to the Facebook page of Sulaiman Mausi, the general manager for Chene Park Detroit. He sternly posted that the show would go on, that the rain storm would pass by 7 pm and that would pose a brief delay causing the show to start at 8 pm instead of 7:30 pm. So sure enough the rain stopped and so I hitched up my equipment and off I went to the show. With the sky clear and the heat subdued, it did turn out to be another beautiful night off the water front. To top it off was a great night of jazz, first starting out was Althea Rene, a former Detroit native who is a flutist known for playing soulful smooth jazz. This was my first time seeing the woman flutist perform, but let me just say that I was definitely not disappointed. She is a bad lady on that flute. She loosened up the almost sold out capacity filled theater that I thought would have shied away because of the earlier rain conditions, with songs from her various albums. After a very brief intermission the main attraction came to the stage to bring it home and yes Boney James did just that. The jazz saxophonist along with his band took the audience out of their seats and on a musical journey as he blew tune after tune of his hits. To hear him play, and it doesn't hurt for it to be outside with some awesome weather, you will know why he is considered a legend. I am so glad that I did not pass up on this show, it was worth the late start.

The summer is winding down and the shows are getting fewer, so now is the time to check the schedule listing and take advantage of the remaining shows. Go to www.CheneParkDetroit.com for the concert list and I look forward to seeing you at a show or two...but better act now or miss out!

This is my life, the life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

BELL BIV DEVOE / ENVOGUE / SWV AT CHENE PARK

POISON BEAT TREATS!

All of the newer artists today need to really beware because with the resurgence of old school artists coming back on the scene, performing at concerts, showing how artists use to and should perform today, puts the heat on them. The past couple of years I have seen a ton of old school acts coming out of obscurity and taking the stage as if they have never stopped performing. Well last night at the Chene Park amphitheater that was the case with some of the acts on the bill. Up first was the chocolate trio soul sisters SWV who got the sold out theater going with all their chart topping hits. Then came the sexy trio EnVogue who didn't let up on the crowd. They kept them on their feet with the tunes that chart busted for them. Then of course the main attraction Bell Biv Devoe (three members of the group New Edition) closed out the show, with the trio bringing that real old school hip hop flava to the stage. They had on the hip hop gear along with some female hip hop dancers. That is how it use to be back in the day, performers who brought that hip hop energy and trust me they have not lost a step. The packed audience stayed on their feet the duration of the concert. It was another beautiful fun night on the riverfront, with some beat treats from three back in the day powerhouse groups. It was a great show! There is still time to enjoy some of the upcoming shows that are on the schedule for the Chene Park amphitheater. Go towww.CheneParkDetroit.com to see what's next on the menu and hope to see you at one or more shows.

This is my life, the life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

DETROIT

Plot:

During the summer of 1967, Detroit, Michigan had experienced one of the worst racial riots this country had ever seen. In the midst of the devastating riot, on the night of July 25, 1967 another horrific event took place at the Algiers Motel. When one of the patrons fooling around with a starter pistols fires off some shots, the National Guard and Michigan State police assumed that they were under attack by a sniper. They set their sights on the Algiers Motel and surrounded the premise, but it is when the local Detroit police comes on the seen that things would take an extreme turn for the worst. The police led by a racist, trigger happy officer named Krauss (Poulter), would round up the guest only after he has shot and killed one young man. The group of young black men, consisting of Larry (Smith) who was a member of the Dramatics, and his friend Fred (Latimore), along with Greene (Mackie), who was caught in the room with two white women Julie (Murray) and Karen (Dever) were some of the victims to experience the graphic and brutal beatings at the hand of Krauss and his men, leading up to the murder of two more black men. This all took place while the National Guard and the Michigan State police, along with one black security officer Dismukes (Boyega) who came upon the scene stood by and did nothing. It was a night of horror for the group, inflicted upon them as the city burned with racial hatred.


Reel Talk:

This is one of those films that after seeing it you are left with a heavy heart. Any humane person, but especially a black person will be left with a feeling of unease. One because of the way that blacks were treated during that period of the riot, and although that was some fifty years ago we are still dealing with some of the same situations present day. Going into the theater you already know the outcome with regards to the riot and the effects it had on the people then, but to see it played out on the screen, is harsh. The relatively young cast did a good job in the portrayal of their respected characters. Will Poulter as the racist cop Krauss really put in a performance as well as Algee Smith as Larry, John Boyega as Dismukes, Jacob Latimore as Fred, Ben O'Toole and the ladies Hannah Murray and Kaitlyn Dever, just naming a few along with the talented director Kathryn Bigelow. This movie is definitely intense, with graphic and brutal violent scenes. Certainly not for the person with weak and sensitive feelings, but it is a film worth checking out. This is an interestingly good film, with a good cast and I recommend checking it out. Worth cashing out to see first hand the injustices of racism.

Starring: John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacb Latimore, Jason Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben O'Toole and Anthony Mackie.
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow
Rated: R

I give it 4 corn dogs.

By: THE REEL HUSTLER

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO WSG ANTHONY DAVID AT CHENE PARK

BACK DOWN NOT MEMORY LANE!

We are about in the middle of summer and the Wednesday Night Concert Series at Chene Park had been going consistently strong. The riverfront theater has hosted some memorable summer concerts and this one will probably be just as memorable, but not for the same reasons as its previous shows. On this Wednesday evening show, there was the multi talented, singer, songwriter and guitarist Meshell Ndegeocello with special guest Singer Anthony David. With David opening up to a pretty much half sold out venue, he threw down performing the songs that his familiar fans are accustom too from him. Then the lady that pretty much everyone had come to see and hear, came out for her set. Now there is no denying that this lady can play the bass guitar and jam because she has the songs to prove it. She just did not perform them last night. That's right she did not do any of the songs that her fans can notify her to, but rather song covers of other singers. Not even one of her hits were performed to the point that some of the people even began to chant "Sing your own songs". Despite the decent weather and the half sold crowd, it would still end up being a somewhat unfulfilled show because of the lack of Meshell Ndegeocello's giving the people what they wanted. There are still some some hot summer shows remaining for the Chene Park amphitheater, please go to www.CheneParkDetroit.com to check out the listing.

This is my life, the life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

PRESS CONFERENCE DAY FOR THE MOVIE "DETROIT"

PASS THE MIC!

It was during the summer of 1967 that one of the worst riots to erupt in a major city sweep the west side streets of Detroit. With the riot being so bad that the National Guard and the Michigan State police had to come in to help settle things. While tanks and heavily armed military men patrolled the streets of Detroit, an incident involving the local police, a group of black men and a couple of white women at the Algiers Motel would be one of the points for some of the bloodiest fatalities of the riot. The white officers who were investigating shootings in the vicinity would storm the motel and round up the occupants, shooting one dead immediately and then trying to coerce a false testimony out of the remaining members, to the point that they brutally beat them and also try to intimate a confession from the group. This intense drama is sure to get reactions from people who lived thru that period and those who grew up only hearing stories about that period like myself. Well in the city to promote the film prior to the red carpet premier screening, was two time Academy Award Winners Writer Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow both who collaborated to win those awards for films The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark
Thirty. Along with them were actors from the film, Laz Alonso, Anthony Mackie, John Boyega, Algee Smith, Will Poulter, Tyler James Williams, Peyton Alex Smith, Hannah Murray, Joseph David Jones, Kaityln Dever, Nathan Davis Jr., Ben O’Toole, Leon Thomas III, Malcolm David Kelley and Ephraim Sykes. They came in full force to sit down with local and national journalist, each sharing what it was like to work on such a riveting and thought provoking movie. From the conception idea from the writer and
director, to the creative input that each actor produced within their performance. It was great sitting in on the round table discussion with such a talented group of people. Especially with them coming to Detroit with such a strong promotion for their film "DETROIT" which is opening in theaters August 4, 2017.

This is my life, the life of THE REEL HUSTLER!!!

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