The Coatpuller

Title: The Coatpuller

Author: John Sinclair

Date: 1967

Source: https://www.fifthestate.org/archive/32-june-15-30-1967/the-coatpuller

Notes: Fifth Estate #32, June 15–30, 1967

Part of: Fifth Estate 32, June 15-30, 1967

The Jefferson Airplane concert will be in Ford Auditorium Friday, June 30, at 8:30 p.m. Tickets run from $3.00 to $4.50 and can be got at Grinnells, Discount Records, the Ford Auditorium box office, and other places, including probably the Grande Ballroom. Featured with the Airplane will be the MC-5, the Rationals, the Apostles, and Ourselves though I’m not sure why all of those bands are Necessary.

After the Ford Auditorium concert the MC-5 can be heard at THE SEE in a special midnight concert, for those who’ll want more after hearing their three or four songs at Ford Auditorium. THE SEE will open that night at midnight and, until 5 or 6 a.m. as usual, with the MC band alternating sets with the dangerous Charles Moore Ensemble. Admission there will be $2.00 for those who have it. Lights. by the Magic Veil, and if you haven’t seen their show you’ld better do it now!

The Unified Megalopolitan Piece PowWow, organized by Sid Brown and Larry Cruse of the new Spikedrivers, was the most overwhelming success Detroit has ever had. The Spikedrivers, the MC-5 the Passing Clouds, Tony Wright, Phil Marcus Esser, Jan & Lorraine, the Magic Veil and everyone else involved in the production played to a capacity audience at the Community Arts Auditorium, which means over 600 people, and the raga at the end of the concert gathered the audience and performers together on the stage, all screaming and chanting and dancing around, thereby destroying the stupid “star” system game by making the stage profane, a place where ALL can gather in common.

What a beautiful sight that was! We had had a preview of that kind of mass group grope on the stage of the Grande Ballroom in April, at the Trans-Love benefit, but to see and feel and be a part of it happening in the official old Community Arts Auditorium was another change altogether. Let’s say the tribe was formed formally on the roof of the Artists’ Workshop one Sunday morning, grew and solidifed at the Grande that night in April, and expanded to really human proportions last night at Community Arts. People got together and loved one another right now, and that’s what we’re all here for in the first place.

It can’t happen without the music, though, and when the music is together then the people will be together. The Spikedrivers, featuring Marshall Rubinoff on lead vocals and rhythm guitar and Ron Cobb on very strong bass and piano along with regulars Sid and Maly Carole Brown and Larry Cruse, turned in a beautiful performance, doing two of Marshall’s songs and one of their standards, “Portland Town,” featuring Mary-Carole’s lovely voice and delivery. They also backed Tony Wright on his piece “Blue Law Sunday.” The Passing Clouds have gotten themselves together and worked beautifully in the PowWow, forcing the show to an early peak with the help of Jerry Younkins and Ron Anarchy of the Magic Veil

Phil Esser and Jan & Lorraine contributed to the unity and beauty of the show, and the mighty MC-5 threatened to bring the walls down with one of the most exciting sets of music I’ve ever heard. Stone power. They opened with a new Wayne Kramer composition, “Borderline,” ‘ Tyner did his magnificent composition, at You,” and after another warmup piece the band moved straight into “Black to Comm,” their masterpiece, and proceeded to blow up the auditorium. Sound and energy and love blasted back at the lovers, for their personal edification and delight. Yes.

But the explosion which ended the concert topped EVERYTHING! The three bands plugged in behind Younkins and Anarchy, who started the Hare Krishna and got everyone there into it finally, and lovers leaped to -the stage itself, the sacred stage meant only for the elite, and involved themselves singly and collectively in the action. As I said, within minutes 99% of the audience had mounted the stage to chant and dance together as a tribe, and the whole place rocked with people grinning and hugging each other. And that’s how it ended last night, but the Pow Wow will continue itself through the summer and then, the rest of our lives. Yes.

The Sun Ra-MC-5-Magic Veil concert originally scheduled for June 10 had to be postponed when Sun Ra’s Toronto booking fell through and we were unable to come up with enough money to guarantee transportation costs for the 11-piece Myth-Science Arkestra. But the Magic Veil wanted to do the concert so bad that they arranged with their backer to front the money for transportation and advertising. Now the concert will be held Sunday, June 18, in the Community Arts Auditorium, starting at 8:00 p.m. Yes, the MC-5 will be there too, to turn us on to the electronic possibilities. If you want to get turned inside out, please make this concert. Tickets will be $2.00 at the door, and the money goes to the musicians. They need it.

Music, music music: the MC-5 can also be heard at the Grande Ballroom Saturday the 17^th and Friday the 23^rd. The mighty Seventh Seal, the monster band from Ann Arbor, has been heard at a really weird bar, Diamond Lil’s at Seven Mile and Mack, where four of us who went to hear them last week were attacked by a frustrated Vietnam army veteran. But the music is out of sight, and saved us. The Seal can be heard there for a while on weekends, and now, every Monday night at the Living End, door charge $1.00 for the band. Hear this band if you dig music. Also coming into THE SEE July 2^nd and 4^th.

THE SEE’s opening two weeks will have the Spike-drivers and the Charles Moore Ensemble June 23^rd and 24^th, along with the MC-5 after 1 on Friday and, all night on Saturday, from 9 p.m. till 5 a.m. Midnight concert with the MC-5 and Charles Moore the 30^th, Billy -C. and the Sunshine, the MC-5 and Charles Moore Saturday the 1^st of July, Billy C. and the Seventh Seal Sunday night the 2^nd and Tuesday night the 4^th of July, along with a massive Independence Day poetry reading and, of course, lights by the lovely, Magic Veil. ALL days.

Free open air concerts in West Park in Ann Arbor, arranged by Trans-Lovers there, Sunday afternoon the 18^th and 25^th, with the Seventh Seal and Billy C. the 18^th, and the Seal and the MC-5 the 25^th. West Park is the most beautiful place to hear music I’ve ever been, and the music is right where you want it, in all senses. Sun Ra may be there the 18^th too, just for you.

THE SUN is having great financial difficulties and needs your help so we can get more issues out. Right now its just impossible, since we haven’t even been able to pay the printing bill on the last issue. If you’ve seen it and dug it, or if you’d like to see it to dig it, please send donations of any amount or subscriptions at the rate of $3.50 per 26 issues to THE SUN, 4863 John Lodge, Detroit, Michigan 48201.

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