This, Our beloved polis

This sunday finds me sitting at the Woodbridge pub listening to Rodriguez. He grew up in detroit, and according to off the record his music is inspiring revolutionaries around the globe. so detroit. get inspired.

here is a letter he wrote for Off the Record.
This is a walk through Detroit. But be protected. Our history reads: Not so peaceful. As you take this tour, be sure you stay with the Living. And should you find yourself, a snowflake in an ocean of Darkness, be secure. The Force is with you.
Taking a ride on the bus, might be one quick approach. Especially a crosstown, like the Dexter. These buses don’t run on a regular schedule but once you take this ride, the cultural diversity will become clear and obvious.
At the waterfront stands the Renaissance Center, now owned by General Motors. This is the company that is crying poverty. This is the biggest building in Detroit. Before this it was owned by Ford (Motor Company).
Go to the City County Building and you will be confronted with the security measures that are being taken there. This is a city under siege.
Visit the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, flanked by the Wayne County Jail. It is in the vicinity of one of three magnificent casino skyscrapers newly built to continue to drain this impoverished, undereducated, politically-abused population.
This is a city of victims. Everyone I know and everyone I have met have told me their stories of rip offs, of theft, of violence and of urban mayhem. And I am a musician. They confide in me like others might confide in a priest.
Stop in at 36th District Court. Be witness to the sociology there. The Courthouse sits next to Ford Field (NFL) and Comerica Park (MLB), reflected in the strobe lights of the Fox Theatre and Hockeytown Cafe (NHL). Once there, betwen Woodward and Griswold, pass by what is known as, Urine Street. The stench of it will almost knock a person down.
As a person is en route to a place called Capitol Park, you will find an area adorned by ten dead trees, with a statue of the first governor of Michigan. Governor Mason. His head swarmed with pigeon shit. This is not far from historic Campus Martius where a monument stands to commemorate so many who sacrificed so much in the Civil War.
This, Our beloved polis. - Rodriguez


these are the lyrics to his song sugar man which is on repeat right now...
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear
Sugarman
Coz I'm weary
Of these double games I hear
Sugarman
Sugarman
Won't ya hurry
Coz I'm tired of these scenes
For a blue coin
Won't ya bring back
All those colours to my dreams
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
Met a false friend
On a lonely, dusty road
Lost my heart
When I found it
It had turned to dead, black coal
Silver majik ships, you carry
Jumpers, coke, sweet MaryJane
Sugarman
You're the answer
That makes my questions disappear


Dj Mehdi off of Ed Banger Records played a show a the magic stick on friday, he was off to nyc to record a new album.


people tried to tear the stage down, they were so pumped. the rest of the mehdi pics are going to be on metromix detroits site.



we ended the night in Camillo Pardo's Studio



we all painted, here is Camillo



ernie guerra AKA erno the inferno, part of tour detroit, the cycle, 323 east and so on



house party pointing at the white house



saturday everyone came out to the new dance party at cpop, this is ara



these are people making out



this is hodge



this is the reason you have a filter.. in case your drunk best friend drops your camera. this is me also having a serious heart attack in the basement of cpop... oh dear.



and this is what i did with my sunday, wandered around the secret garden... i used to come here every sunday, with a group of graffiti artists, they would paint and i would shoot. Every room is a memory. we came here untill the drama that is graffiti caught up with us, and the building became a battle ground. revisiting it today was nice.... on a pilar on the roof it still says "what up vanezzy." the rest of these will be on www.flickr.com/photos/vanessamiller





good night.