Dennis Proctor sings with his eyes closed and plays an acoustic guitar. The One Track Mind logo is in the upper right corner.
One Track Mind:
Dennis Proctor, “Blue Streak Blues”
The Haviland frontman discusses the roller coaster-themed song from his latest album, “Deuce,” which recalls an awkward encounter at Cedar Point and pays tribute to the ride that bears the song’s name. pulp.aadl.org/node/669353
"Many of the music-industry connections Fink has made were forged in Detroit and during his time at U-M, dating back to ninth grade as a pupil of Detroit jazz legend Marcus Belgrave in the Detroit Civic Jazz Orchestra and then with much heralded pianist Geri Allen at the University of Michigan."
Portrait of Ian Fink.
Motown Mentality:
Whether playing hip-hop, house or jazz, keyboardist Ian Fink captures the sound of Detroit. We spoke with Fink, who leads a quintet with Robert Hurst, Ingrid Racine, Kasan Belgrave & Joe Fielder in a UMS concert at the Ypsil Freighthouse on Fri., April 24.
pulp.aadl.org/node/669248
Artist Rick Wedel and Dzanc House Creative Director Amanda Mae Moore pose for a photo in front of his works in the gallery. Photo courtesy of Dzanc House.
Ypsi artist Rick Wedel's exhibit, "Go Figure," is at Dzanc House until April 24. But if you don't get a chance to check out the Dzanc exhibit, the gallery has a new curatorial partnership with MAIZ Mexican Cantina in Depot Town, where Wedel's work will soon appear.
pulp.aadl.org/node/669156
Two radar dishes in a field with the A2Pulp.org logo in the lower right corner.
The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.
This week:
Mei Semones, Hey Look Listen, Jamie "Pops" VanEffen, Moonmill, Deniz Tek, and Confusion Reactor.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668609
A Record Store Day graphic of a black record sticking out of a red, white, and black album cover.
The album cover of Nina Simone's "I Put a Spell on You." Nina Simone is wearing a blue dress and has a serious expression on her face.
A photo of an outdoor birthday party.
A photo of Timothy Monger standing on a trail and facing right.
@aadl.org put the needle on the record 10 years ago. In April 2016, the library reintroduced vinyl to its collection to coincide with Record Store Day. With AADL gearing up for RSD on 4/18, we took a closer look at some of the most popular records in AADL’s collection. pulp.aadl.org/node/669111
The four members of Sleep Tight Tiger sit on a couch together. The photo looks like it’s scribbled with a light blue crayon. The “One Track Mind” logo appears in the upper left corner.
One Track Mind:
Sleep Tight Tiger, “Skate”
The Ypsilanti band discusses the carefree opening track from its indie-pop EP, “Plum Something.”
pulp.aadl.org/node/669045
A headshot of Anna Burke wearing a black turtleneck shirt.
A sculpture of a yellow great horned owl is spliced with a pink translucent square.
Eight gray tiles molded and cast through different production methods.
The porcelain sculpture has burgundy, brown, and tan clovers connected by bold brown lines.
A new exhibition at EMU highlights 9 artists who work in the auto industry. Running through 5/2, “Detroit Dialogues: Automotive Design and Studio Ceramics” showcases 27 pieces, demonstrating how professional skills & perspectives from one field can be applied to another.
pulp.aadl.org/node/669009
Bill Simmons as Hercule Poirot. He's finishing a golf swing and has a smile on his face. Photo by Sean Carter Photography.
The Purple Rose Theatre Company takes a comic swing with the Agatha Christie revamp "Murder on the Links." We reviewed the Steven Dietz-penned, David Bendena-directed play, which runs through May 31.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668923
A green radar screen with the A2Pulp.org logo in the center.
The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.
This week:
Rod Wallace, Jim Eddy, The Vicissitones, Reena Pang, Lonesome Skeleton Band, Scoops Lively, Luke Jackson, and Ikiryō.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668464
Rose Carter wearing a baseball cap and a shirt that says SMILE. She is also smiling.
A close portrait of Toko Shiiki holding a Canon camera.
Empowering Humor:
A doc on Ypsi's Fool School Clown Class debuts at IFFY film fest, which runs April 16-18. We spoke to Toko Shiiki (director) & Donald Harrison (producer) about their new short doc, "Send More Clowns," which chronicles the emotional story of Rose Carver.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668857
Post-Ford's Ben Stein playing guitar while performing on stage. The One Track Mind logo is in the upper-right corner of the photo.
One Track Mind:
Post-Ford, “Bonfire”
We spoke to Ypsilanti's Ben Stein, the mastermind of Post-Ford, about the epic, genre-hopping centerpiece of his excellent debut album, "Cannibal Delicacy."
Michael Alan Herman and Josie Eli Herman portrait
Visiting the Void:
Josie Eli Herman and Michael Alan Herman explain their world-building audio dramas
pulp.aadl.org/node/668802
The Great Comet promo poster
Our Town promo poster
Rhinoceros promo poster
➥ "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" at the University of Michigan
➥ "Our Town" at EMU Theatre
➥ "Rhinoceros" at Ann Arbor Civic Theatre
pulp.aadl.org/node/668777
Murder on the Links promo poster
Uncle Vanya promo poster
Rent promo poster
Precious Little promo poster
A preview of April 2026 theatrical productions in Washtenaw County:
➥ "Murder on the Links" at The Purple Rose Theatre Company
➥ "Uncle Vanya" at the University of Michigan
➥ "Rent" at the Encore Musical Theatre Company
➥ "Precious Little" at The Penny Seats
pulp.aadl.org/node/668777
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Time-lapse photo of a radar station, which is small in the left corner of the image, next to the A2Pulp.org logo. The majority of the image features blurry star movements against a blue sky.
The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.
This week:
How to See Know and Fall, Katie Greene, Theo Katzman, The Paul Keller Orchestra, Tumbao Bravo with Paul Vornhagen, and John Holk.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668463
Brandon Mitchell wears a shirt with a woman's face on it.
Ann Arbor rapper Brandon Mitchell is closing the MC Kadence chapter and looking ahead to new projects. We spoke to Mitchell about pivoting to the more personal, autobiographical alias of Edward Nash and partnering with Detroit artists on Patience With Creatures.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668724
Sheida Soleimani wears a white shirt and stands in front of five photos at a gallery.
Sheida Soleimani’s pigment print, Khoy, depicts a hand emerging from behind strands of shredded paper, holding an Eastern bluebird.
Sheida Soleimani’s pigment print, Safar, shows a hand holding a red suitcase in front of a colorful collage.
White drawings of a hospital surround six photos hanging on a light-blue wall.
Ornithology and Ideology: Sheida Soleimani’s “Flyways” exhibit at U-M features mixed media that explores wildlife and her Iranian heritage. To learn more about Soleimani’s exhibit, we attended her Penny Stamps Speaker Series talk and opening reception earlier this month.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668671
A headshot of Knut Hill with a beach, water, and a rainbow in the background.
“One Track Mind” features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song. Ann Arbor’s Knut Hill discusses the story and sound behind “Up North” from his latest folk EP, “Acoustic Roads, Vol. 1.”
pulp.aadl.org/node/668669
A portrait-style still of Randy Tessier from Geezers.
Many Happy Hours (and Some Sad Ones):
"Geezers: The Rocker Behind 'Geezer Happy Hour'" is a new documentary that profiles longtime Ann Arbor musician Randy Tessier.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668575
Satellite dish against a blue sky with the A2Pulp.org circle logo.
The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.
This week:
Maddy Ringo, Baits, Austen Nordhaus, Jeustan, deegeecee, Tongue, Diont'e Visible, and Jennifer Bloom with Mark Zhu.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668452
LP cover for How Sad, How Lonely featuring a photo-realistic painting of Converse set against green mountains and a yellow sky, along with her name and the album title written in a banner bookended by flowers.
This story was originally published on May 10, 2023. We're presenting it again because Third Man Records repressed Connie Converse's "How Sad, How Lonely" album on vinyl with a bonus single and fanzine.
pulp.aadl.org/node/618388
1950s photo of Connie Converse sitting in a kitchen, barefoot and wearing a dress, playing guitar. The black & white photo has a purple tint.
Connie Converse left Ann Arbor in 1974 & wanted to disappear. She was never heard from again, but her music was too unique to be forgotten.
The book "To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse" chronicles her difficult life & unique music.
pulp.aadl.org/node/618388
Lorian Janine wears a green dress, holds a violin, and sits next to an acoustic guitar.
“One Track Mind” features a Washtenaw County-associated artist or band discussing a single song. Detroit’s Lorian Janine shares the inspiration behind her latest single, “With Me.” pulp.aadl.org/node/668538
Clockwise from upper left: Actresses Amy Morrisey and Maggie Alger, director Carla Milarch, and actress Cassandra Wilson. Photos courtesy of Theatre Nova.
Teen Spirit:
Theatre Nova's “The JonBenét Game" captures the mercurial dynamics of teenage girls. We spoke with artistic director Carla Milarch about this play by Tori Keenan-Zelt, which debuts in Ann Arbor as part of the National New Play Network's Rolling World Premiere.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668514
Starts tonight!
Loved chatting with @pulp.aadl.org about my novel from @regalhouse.bsky.social, hitting bookstore shelves tomorrow!
@laurahulthenthomas.bsky.social will make two local appearances to discuss “The Meaning of Fear":
➥ @serendipitybooks.bsky.social in Chelsea on Tuesday, March 24, at 7 pm
➥ @literatibookstore.bsky.social in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, March 31, at 6:30 pm
pulp.aadl.org/node/668469
Meaning of Fear book cover on the left; Laura Hulthen Thomas portrait on the right.
The characters in Laura Hulthen Thomas’ debut novel, “The Meaning of Fear," encounter the relentless nature of pain and harm. We spoke to the longtime head of the undergraduate creative writing program in the University of Michigan's Residential College about her new book.
pulp.aadl.org/node/668469
A green satellite dish against a blue sky with a blue A2Pulp.org logo.
The Radar tracks new music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.
This week:
Supercontinent, Bunkerman, Sleep Tight Tiger, Fragile Death, Mike Green, and 14KT.
pulp.aadl.org/node/667859