Hamtramck Music Festival

"They're super-organized....
 ...I'm surprised."

Frank Woodman is commenting on a few of the meetings he's attended, hosted at Cafe 1923 by the Hamtramck Music Festival Committee. I can't do emphasize enough how swiftly his reaction is blurted out.

We have a good laugh about it. But then, things got serious.

Because this time, forget the typical perception musicians and bar bands - that they're often disorganized, at best... this time, there's a fresh sincerity, a seriousness, to giving the city of Hamtramck it's very own Festival. With Eugene Strobe leading the way (and collaborators like Andrew Hecker, John Bissa, Steven Cherry, Jeff Fournier, Dan Carey, Matt Luke and many others, including Ben's Encore, 1610 Hamtramck and more), Strobe...and Woodman, are sharing an infectious enthusiasm for creating a music festival for musicians. Something pure and simple - with the "sponsors," this time, being the non-profit charitable organization Ben's Encore, in the name of the late Benjamin Borowiak, helping provide opportunities for aspiring musicians in the metro Detroit area.

Line up

"They've tightened the screws," Woodman said, of the Committee. "They're making sure shit's right and having fun doing it too."

That it came together "so fast" and "so smooth" and yet, also, so grassroots, is the most heartening aspect of The Hamtramck Music Festival.
You can read more about it, this week, in the Metro Times - a Q&A with Frank about the Fest and his project: Caveman Woodman & Bam Bam Moss.