24 HOURS before the TRIBUTE TO RON ASHETON in ANN ARBOR starring IGGY AND THE STOOGES

Well, firstly it was snowing on April 18th in Ann Arbor. I may have pissed off the locals when they queried how this SoCal native liked the snow with a reply noting its utter exotica to me. No matter, gracious hostess and bloggist extraordinaire Kim Retrokimmer Maki scooped yours truly up for a whirlwind working vacation tour around assorted music-related sights of A2.
Above, Ms. Retrokimmer is pictured with Rick Ruiner of The Ruiners, then below with the formidable Deniz Tek (see info two graphs from this) added to this crew after her own interview segment for Ron Perry's filmed documentary on the entire span of the Detroit and Ann Arbor music world, "Detroit Rock Project." Besides being an interviewee, Deniz, a good friend of the late Ron Asheton, was slated to play Ron's guitar both literally and figuratively at the tribute to the latter.

The driving tour not only included the 14 foot bridge that the Stooges' 16 foot equipment truck once plowed into to the extreme detriment of truck, Stooges and instruments alike, plus the former domicile of Ron Asheton but also a rather poignant four mile stretch of highway between Arbor Hills, a swank community, and the Coachville Trailer Park, a place of decidedly smallish mobile homes even for its genre. This was the trek the young Iggy Pop walked daily from where he told his ritzy school's bus driver to let him off, back to where he actually lived and wished to keep secret from his classmates. Retrokimmer herself has blogged on how this peculiar combination of shame despite a loving family and the tiny, caged parameters of his home environment despite the parents' middle class dual incomes may have contributed to Iggy's extraordinary career drive and lifelong revolts for freedoms LINK* .

Nightlife included a sojourn at The Blind Pig/8 Ball. Above, left to right: ?, Chris Box Taylor (guitarist for Mazinga, Powertrane and new father of a baby boy named Asheton in honor of Ron,) filmmaker Amy Verdon (one of several contributors to Iggy and The Stooges' forthcoming dvd of their live show for All Tomorrow's Parties, NY, 2010,) Kim Maki, Amy's husband, Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman punk star guitarist, singer and perennial over-achiever as a former "Top Gun" Navy jet pilot and current E.R. surgeon) and photographer Anne Laurent.

Below, Kim Maki chats with Hiawatha Bailey (singer of The Cult Heroes, A2 mainstay music legend) and Amy Verdon.

Below, Amy Verdon quaffs a brew while Scott Morgan (well-loved soul singer of The Rationals, Sonic's Rendezvous Band and many more) and Deniz Tek catch up, Anne Laurent listening intently.

The next night, Iggy and The Stooges with Deniz Tek and Henry Rollins played the Michigan Theatre (marquee below,) an intimate venue holding 1,700 rabid fans in A Tribute to Ron Asheton.
Below, I check my camera equipment as the mirror reflects my hotel room's much appreciated jacuzzi. Go to LINK** for Tribute Event photo essay...

*http://www.retrokimmer.com/2010/04/coachville-trailer-park-2010.html
** https://fastfilm1.blogspot.com/2015/12/iggy-and-stooges-live-tribute-to-ron.html