Schwanky Detroit building transforms into pop-up performance space

Travelling down storied Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, just south of Grand Circus Park, you might stumble across the historic Schwankovsky Temple of Music. Or, you might just walk right on by, not even noticing its existence.

From now until June 18^th would be a good time to take notice. The space has been transformed under a new endeavor called vitaminwater uncapped LIVE: Detroit. Similar projects in other cities were a success for the vitaminwater brand and it seemed a natural fit to combine its opening with the Movement Festival here in Detroit.

The historic Schwankovsky

The Schwankovsky Temple of Music is a six-story, Queen Anne style building that was completed in 1891. Designed by Gordon W. Lloyd, the building was one of the first high-rise buildings in Detroit and it also was one of the first buildings to have an electric elevator.

The F.J Schwankovsky Company, the buildings original occupants, sold musical instruments and merchandise and later delved into manufacturing pianos. The building was later home to the Wright-Kay Jewelry Company, a fabric store, and at times it has been a nightclub.

The hip and schwanky Schwankovsky

Enter vitaminwater. They brought together local artists Antonio “Shades” Agee, Tony Roko, Cedric Tai, and Mike Han to convert the space into a custom and contemporary gathering space to showcase music, art, fashion, action sports and street culture.

Painting on the walls

Artist Mike Han.Think street art brought inside and amped up. The juxtaposition between the old architecture and the new graffiti and street art is compelling. The art will keep on evolving throughout the limited time the space is open. It’s a living, growing piece of artwork.

Along with their partners, vitaminwater uncapped LIVE has created a nerve center to develop new ideas to promote community involvement and social awareness. They have also put together a fantastic few weeks of programming including Jessica Hernandez & The Delta’s, who perform tonight.

The space is open until June 18^th and I’m telling you, you don’t want to miss it! The historic Scwankovsky Temple of Music is located at 1500 Woodward Avenue on the corner of John R. Check out the full event schedule here.

Scroll down for photos from from the Tweetea event at the space.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

Hooray! Summer weather has finally graced Detroit with her fabulous presence. There are so many things to do in Detroit at this time of year that there isn’t any room for boredom.

Fair and festival season are just amping up, the parks are beautiful and the patios are open and ready for business. Get out there and enjoy Detroit!

Street art by SNTEX decorating the walls inside at vitaminwater uncapped LIVE.

Weekend Roundup

1. Motor City Pride - The 2011 version moves down to Hart Plaza and is expanding into a two-day festival to celebrate the LGBT community. Pride parade, live music, family activities, drag show and more. June 4—5.

2. Ferndale Pride - The former home of Motor City Pride is hosting a series of events to complement the festival at Hart Plaza. Parades, rallies and theme parties. June 3—5.

3. Birmingham Village Fair - The 48th annual fair held in downtown Birmingham features carnival rides, family fun, and good old fair food. Elephant ears, anyone? June 2—5.

4. Historic Indian Village Home & Garden Tour - Explore the beautiful neighborhood and its eclectic style at the second oldest tour of its kind in Michigan. June 4th.

5. For the House & Garden Show at Pewabic Pottery - The annual free show is open to the public and offers guided tours, pottery demonstrations, exhibitions and new items. June 3—5.

6. vitaminwater uncapped LIVE - The historic Schwankovsky Temple of Music has been transformed into a dynamic temporary space decorated with street art. Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas with special guest DJ Benny Benn take the stage on Friday night. Now through June 18th. (Stop back tomorrow for more about the space, collaboration and events.)

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Beer, brats and adventure in northern Michigan

View of Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa from the chair lift.I don’t often leave Detroit on holiday weekends. Yes, I know it’s the thing to do in Michigan, jump on I-75 north and head to a cottage, lake, or resort. It’s just not something that I grew up with, we don’t have a cabin of our own up north. And there's always so many things to do in Detroit.

However, my husband and I haven’t been away together since we went to Traverse City last summer. It was time for a break! A few months back, while at the Michigan Winter Beer Festival, my friends from Drink Michigan and I tossed around the idea of heading up to Crystal Mountain for the Michigan Beer and Brat Festival. So, that’s exactly what we did.

I went to college in Milwaukee so beer and brats are always on my radar. Crystal Mountain paired the two perfectly together for an awesome day slopeside with over 50 craft brews, gourmet brats and live music. The weather started out gloomy but later in the day, when the sun peaked out, the crowd roared in approval.

I fell in love with the bacon cheddar brat from Honor Family Market. I’m seriously bummed that we didn’t stop by the shop and pick some up to take home with us. The morel mushroom brat was also a standout.

The new-to-me brewery that made both my husband and I happy was The Livery out of Benton Harbor. I sipped on Poor Freddy’s Pilsner and the Maillot Jaune while my husband loved the Synapse Extra Special Bitter. The hubby reports that it’s very close to an actual English bitter.

I had never been to Crystal Mountain before but I had heard wonderful reviews. Talk about having everything all in one place! We only went offsite for dinner on Friday night, otherwise everything we could need or want was all at the resort. Golf, a pool, climbing wall, restaurants and bars, were all there. From high atop the ski hill it looked like an English hamlet, cute little cottages and all.

The view from our balcony and playing with sparklers.

The only minor letdown was breakfast at Wild Tomato. It wasn’t bad it just wasn’t great. The toast seemed like fried bread instead of, well, toast. And I love plain old toast! Since I only eat the yolks of my over-medium eggs (yes, I know I’m weird), I had nothing to sop up the lovely yolks.

I was super excited to take a ride on the Crystal Coaster Alpine Slide. Armed with my GoPro video camera strapped to my head, I raced down the 250-foot-high, 1,600-foot-long curved tracks.

Sadly, I have to report that my husband beat me. Twice! I blame the fact that he’s heavier than me. It’s just gravity doing its work, right? If you listen closely in the video you'll hear me make reference to this. 

The end of the weekend was spent playing cards and hanging out. Yes, sparklers are amusing to adults too. All and all, we had a great weekend up north and had a chance to take in another beautiful area of Michigan while drinking great beers with our friends. Totally worth it!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary two-night stay and free admission to the Michigan Beer and Brat Fest. The words and opinion are my own.

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

For many Memorial Day is a three-day weekend and the unofficial beginning of summer. Celebrations span from the Thursday or Friday before and include everything from fairs and festivals to backyard barbecues and everything in between.

Let’s not forget the real meaning and spirit of Memorial Day, to honor those in the military that have died while in service to their country. Please take a moment at 3pm on Monday to remember the fallen.

Weekend Roundup

1. Movement - Detroit Electronic Music Festival 2011 - Hart Plaza is the place to be for techno, house and electronic dance music. Movement brings people to Detroit from around the world. May 28–30.

2. Orchard Lake St. Mary's Polish Country Fair - The 40th annual festival kicks off summer with Polish food, entertainment from The Howling Diablos and the Polish Muslims, carnival rides, a Vegas tent and more. Read about the OLSM campus. May 27–30.

3. World Steam Expo - Explore Steampunk, science fiction of the steam age re-imagined through today's eyes. Panels, parties, costumes, art and more. More about the Steam Expo. May 27–30.

4. Critical Mass (Facebook link) - Meet at Trumbull and Warren and take part in a large bike ride through the streets of Detroit. The bike ride is approximately 2 hours long and all skill levels are encouraged. It's not a race! May 27th.

5. Drive-In Theatres at Compuware Arena - Check out a sneak peek before the season officially opens on June 10th. May 27–29.

6. vitaminwater® uncapped LIVE: detroit  - Live music, art and street culture at the historic Schwankovsky Temple of Music. May 27th through June 18th.

Bonus: Greater Rochester Heritage Days (Facebook link) - Rochester celebrates its history and community. Events include arts and crafts, Civil War reenactments, and a car show. May 28–29.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Detroit City Futbol League kicks off second season

Sven Gustafson warming up before taking the field for Brightmoor.The Detroit City Futbol League kicked off its second season yesterday with games at Belle Isle and Historic Fort Wayne. The league had a massive expansion in the off-season, doubling in size from 11 teams to 22 and there are now more than 500 players taking part.

The Futbol League isn’t just about exercise or the competitive spirit—it’s about building neighborhoods and strength in communities. Each team is named after a historic Detroit neighborhood and only 5 players on each team can live outside of the neighborhood.

The league plays 8-on-8 adult co-ed soccer. They play every Tuesday night through August 2^nd.

Only the first two weeks feature games at Historic Fort Wayne. I highly suggest you check out the games there next Tuesday, May 31, 2011. The Fort is situated on the Detroit River and it was Detroit’s first fort build by Americans. It’s quite amazing to walk around the grounds and then watch a soccer game with the Detroit River, freighters, and Canada as a backdrop.

If you can’t make it next Tuesday, stop by Belle Isle over the summer. I suggest bringing some chairs and a picnic. It makes for a lovely evening out in Detroit.

I watched the impressive Downtown team beat Lafayette Park. The second game on that field was Brightmoor versus Roosevelt. I left shortly after the half but Brightmoor was holding its own even though they were playing two men down. Brightmoor ended up winning 5-3.

Even if you don’t like or understand soccer this is a good evening out. And either at Belle Isle or Historic Fort Wayne, you will find yourself in beautiful surroundings.

Historic Fort Wayne

Women representing on the pitch!

Man down for Lafayette Park.

Downtown FC not happy with the call.

Downtown vs. Lafayette Park.

That's the Detroit River in the background!

Brightmoor vs Roosevelt.

Phil Cooley, owner of Slows Bar BQ, walking towards the Corktown team.

Check the Detroit City Futbol League schedule and catch some footy this summer!