If you haven’t read the article, watched the video, or heard the story on NPR about Rodriguez, you should. It’s pretty mind blowing that a Detroit musician can record an album, think they struck out, hang out in relative anonymity within the Cass Corridor, and learn decades later that they are a huge hit in places like South Africa and Australia.
With all this recent media attention, the Park Bar booked Rodriguez for a one-night show upstairs.
Simply put, it was amazing.
Rodriguez sounded great but seemed perhaps a bit hesitant at first. But he warmed up as the hometown crowd continued to applaud his every song. He started filling the gaps between songs with smiles and assorted quips.
While I did take photos, I was certainly limited by my camera and perhaps more so, my skill level. Yes, they’re grainy and often blurred but the alternative was worse as my digital camera flash washed all the colors away.
So if you’re not a Rodriguez fan yet, you should pick up a copy of his Cold Fact album. There’s a pretty good chance you’ll become a fan just as I have.
I ran into Will and Shelley Botens while biking last weekend. We started talking about riding and I agreed to take Will on a tour of Detroit that weekend.
We started from Berkley and worked our way over to Oakman Boulevard. The Boulevard took us to our first stop, the incredible Shatila bakery in Dearborn. Biking to bakeries is always a great idea in my mind.
Next we went past the Ford Rouge Plant in search of a route onto Fordson Island, which we never found.
We headed east, making our way through Mexicantown and Corktown and finally Downtown. Turning south, we rode the Riverwalk and the Dequindre Cut.
Will had never been to the Heidelberg Project or Eastern Market, so of course we had to stop by and check them out.
Heading north on Russell, we dipped into Hamtramck for a quick refueling at the Cafe 1923 before visiting Hamtramck Disneyland.
At this point it was apparent that I had turned this Detroit tour into a very long ride. Never expect a short tour when I’m wearing my IMBA Long Live Long Ride jersey.
Last but not least, we had to stop at Theatre Bizarre before making our way up Woodward and back to Berkley. At the end, we’d ridden 61 miles and had a great time.
One resource that makes biking in Detroit so unique and spectacular is its historic churches.
Ste. Anne de Detroit
Did you know that the second oldest continuously open Catholic parish in North America is in Corktown? St. Anne was founded by Cadillac in 1701, the same year as the City of Detroit. The parish is now in their 8th church, which was opened in 1887.
Father Gabriel Richard is called the Second Founder of Detroit and is the church’s more famous pastor. He rallied Detroiters to rebuild the City after the Great Fire of 1805. In fact he gave the City its motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (“We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes”.)
Richard was a founder of the University of Michigan, MIchigan’s delegate to Congress when it was just a territory, and lobbied for the completion of Michigan Avenue from Detroit to Chicago.
Richard’s remains are kept in a chapel at the church.
Gabriel Richard’s remains at Ste. Anne
Sweetest Heart of Mary
This is beautiful church just north of Eastern Market and situated midway between the St. Albertus and St. Josaphat churches. All three Catholic churches served the Polish communties on Detroit’s east side.
Below is an excert from Olivier Zunz’ book, “The Changing Face of Inequality:”
The building of Sweetest Heart of Mary and the controversy that surrounded it provides a perfect example of the Poles’ difficulties with the hierarchy and of their dedication to their churches. It also sheds light on internal dissensions within the Polish community, between those willing to abide by the bishop’s authority, and those (priests and parishioners alike) preferring a uniquely Polish American church which would leave some decisions to the laity. In 1886, Bishop Borgess dismissed Father Kolasiñski from his pastorate at Saint Albertus when, amidst other charges of disobedience, he refused to submit his financial books to the bishop for audit. His popularity among his parishioners, however, was such that many of Saint Albertus’s congregants violently protested their pastor’s dismissal. A crowd of women initially forbade entrance to the church to the new pastor, Father D the founder of the Polish seminary, and this was only one in a series of violent incidents which divided the Polish community over the degree of autonomy of the Polish-American church. Kolasiñski’s supporters went as far as severing their ties from the diocese and waited for Kolasiñski’s return to Detroit in December 1888 to build a new church of their own, Sweetest Heart of Mary, without the bishop’s consent, just a few blocks away from Saint Albertus.
Sweetest Heart of Mary on Russell at Canfield
In retaliation, the bishop excommunicated all Kolasiñski’s parishioners, and the new church was not dedicated until December 1893, when the dispute was finally resolved and Kolasiñski publicly reconciled with the hierarchy.
In the meantime, a group of Poles managed to break away from the Catholic hierarchy to keep their priest on the job; they bought the land for a new church for $13,600, and built church, school, and presbytery for another $13,700. A few years later, the parishioners started a fund-raising drive for a new church building, and in 1897, Sweetest Heart of Mary was estimated to be the most expensive church building of the Polish community. That year, however, the community defaulted on its debt. American Savings Bank refused to extend the repayment period and took the case to court. The community tried to settle the dispute by paying the interest of the debt or $7,700; Potrzuski, a butcher on Riopelle, alone gave $2,800. This sum, however, did not settle the dispute; the case was tried and the church sold at a public auction for $30,000, to a lawyer, Mr. McGravie. The Polish community took the case to a higher court, charging that a property appraised at $214,000 could not be sold for $30,000. The court granted a new auction, but in the meantime community leaders managed to get a new loan for $65,000 from London Bank in Montreal, which many community members guaranteed by mortgaging their homes, and bought off the church from McGravie. This dramatic story of a church built by excommunicated parishioners against the orders of church hierarchy, so expensive that the community defaulted, and yet a church that the parishioners managed to buy a second time with money secured by new mortgages on their homes, clearly demonstrates the communal strength of Detroit’s Polonia.
Today was a special viewing of the Dom Polski DVD about Detroit’s Polish-American roots with an emphasis on the music. The movie was shown at the historic St. Albertus Church, just northeast of Eastern Market.
This church really is a must see. I’m so glad that it has a small but devoted group of supporters who are trying to keep this church open as a historic museum. I’d last visited the church in 2003 and it seems there have been many worthwhile improvements since then. It’s definitely worthy of any donations you can make.
The Dom Polski movie was really special too. It covered a lot of ground, but perhaps my favorite portions were the old polish wedding home movies. Of course any movie that serves paczkis and coffee at intermission can’t be bad.
Next Saturday, September 13th at 2 PM is the 4th annual St. Albertus Fest. It’s only $5. They’ll have pierogi, kielbasa and beer. It’s a big fundraiser for the church, which is extra critical right now. A scrapper stole a portion of the copper roof from the church and it’s cost $24,000 to repair it.
Yesterday I rode downtown to take in the Labor Day parade. Many folks had the same idea, motivated perhaps by the appearance of Barack Obama in Hart Plaza.
There were huge crowds waiting to get into Hart Plaza, so I didn’t try entering. Fortunately some videos of Obama’s speech have been posted. I did follow the parade and here are some of the highlights.
Wayne County Sheriff’s Mounted Division
Road Commission trucks parading on Woodward
Parade floats done the Detroit way
Wouldn’t this be a fun party vehicle?
The crowds around Hart Plaza were quite impressive
