Read all About it! Some select press on Rock 'N' Rummage: - Review of 2nd Annual Treats and Treasures show with photos from Moneypenny from Motorcityblog. Oct 2009:
http://motorcityblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-week-in-moneypenny-mcb-sponsors.html#links- Real Detroit Weekly Sept. 2009 article:
http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/content/article_5659.shtml- Metromix Detroit May 2009 Photo Gallery and Spring Cleaning Followup write up:
http://detroit.metromix.com/events/photogallery/party-pics-rock-n/1171559/content- Metrotimes May 2009 Night and Day "Critics Pick" writeup:
- Metromix Detroit May 2009 article:
-The Mid Wasteland Feb 2009 article:
http://www.themidwasteland.com/style-pile/detroit-rock-n-rummage - Camel Smokes article on Rock and Rummage and our Spring Cleaning Spectacular May 2008 :
MOTOR CITY STYLE
BY: ELAINE LOK
Every city radiates its own style and Detroit has proudly sewn a distinctive fold into the fabric of America. In the wild world of style, the Motor City cultivates a cool edge that is uniquely its own. Detroit is not flashy like Los Angeles. Detroit is not slick like New York City. Detroit is tough. Detroit is Rock City. Detroit style is street style. Known for exporting a varied mix of smooth R&B, muscle cars, electronic music and intense distortion fueled rock and roll, the city..s cultural stripes are well documented. Over the years, Detroit..s hardy residents have creatively poured more iconic elements into the American melting pot than just about any other metropolis and this includes style. Detroit, like many cities across the nation, hosts a popular annual fashion week that celebrates the work of its local designers. The city hosts a wealth of boutiques and salons that cater to a diverse cross-section of the big D..s style conscious and each proudly shouts out the elements that give Detroit its matchless vibe. Though off the beaten path, there is another world of fashion forward events that showcases the underground and fringe elements in Detroit. The street is where the best designers go to find next year..s look and Detroit is awash in street infused style. One place they can look is the Rock and Rummage events. Rock and Rummage is a traveling flea market that brings shopping for vintage clothing, handmade goods and other pop culture objets d'art into bars across the Detroit area. Rock and Rummage is growing in popularity as more people look to dig deeper and come up with those hard to find threads and accessories that just can..t be found in a traditional retail setting.Tonight, these same trend spotters are flocking to the Painted Lady Lounge in Hamtramck, the Polish district located inside Detroit..s city limits, for another cool Rock and Rummage event. "It..s a chaotic garage sale," says vintage enthusiast Beth Amber, who formed Rock and Rummage and AmberVillain Films with Casey Schwochow. Together, they have produced films with both locally and internationally known musicians and have taken it upon themselves to create a series of events that is distinctive for Detroit..s music and fashion fans. Schwochow, capturing the vibe of Rock and Rummage, is sporting a T-shirt that reads "I..m so bad I vacation in Detroit."Since 2005, these two self-proclaimed pack rats have brought Rock and Rummage sales to various bars around the metro Detroit area. This time, the pair and a number of like minded cohorts have cleared off their shelves for the First Annual Spring Cleaning Sale, which for a fashion forward type can be a gold mine of cool clothes and accessories not found anywhere else. The sale attracts avid collectors of obscure pop cultural items—things that have been previously worn, lived in, loved and are a little rough around the edges. Buyers hop onto the lounge..s narrow stage to scrutinize the 30 years of pop culture memorabilia, clothing and accessories on sale. Besides organizing the entire affair and running their film company, the duo still finds the time to sell their collectibles at every Rock and Rummage event. On the market tonight are vintage records baked into organically shaped bowls, perfect for placing keys or jewelry. Vintage concert T-shirts, CDs from punk to heavy metal and band-autographed discs are all on display next to racks of clothes and rock and roll T-shirts. "Imagine what I still have at home," quips Beth Amber as she puts a vintage green velvet ladies jacket back on the rack. "Eight dollars," she says of the jacket..s price. "That..s why I love Rock and Rummage. It..s so affordable."Tonight, there is a plethora of vendors setting up throughout the Painted Lady. At the entrance, vendor Jeremy Sheehan greets people as they pour in and begin to hover over the displays. More popularly known by the moniker "The Button Guy," Sheehan has been designing and selling one-inch buttons for the last five years. The buttons are plastered with snarky little phrases such as "I had to sell my car for gas money" and "I may look like an artist but I..m not." As '80s pop culture has made a raucous and colorful comeback in fashion, a few strategically placed buttons on a jacket or shirt make for the perfect accessory. As an authority in the art of creative accessorizing, indie crafter Amber Halley creates a fun line of jewelry that is vibrantly eye-catching. The effervescent colors of turquoise and coral beads mix harmoniously with her line of handmade purses and candles, and her display draws in buyers eager to take home her original work. "I try to be reasonable," says Halley of her prices even though a lot of her necklaces and bracelets are made with silver. "I like to express myself and promote the do-it-yourself movement," Screen printer Renata Kowalewski of Tekkat Detroit uses 1950s inspired designs to create a collection of graphic tees. A white and pink striped T-shirt is inked with "Detroit sure rings the bell for me." Kowalewski, along with collaborator James "Spinny" Moore, believes in creating clothes with positive images of the city. Tekkat also sells custom made wristbands of tooled leather and found objects. Studded chokers in textured animal prints are also a crowd favorite and are moving fast. Cool clothing is why many people turn out for Rock and Rummage and indie retailers Kristi Burgett and Zach Zalac of Cats in Bags have what they are looking for. Burgett has been hording vintage clothing for years and her collection is extensive. In the never-ending hunt for the rare and the cool, they have even ventured into abandoned houses to find treasure troves of discarded fashions. "This is one of my favorite pieces," Burgett says of a short white jacket she screen-printed with auburn and rust colored owls. She points to other interesting finds like an emerald green and pale pink polyester skirt and an Asian-style robe with printed with a white bamboo stick motif that easily conjures up warm thoughts of the Pacific rim, tall cocktails, tilting palm trees and perfect sunsets. A look at the various merchandise on display proves that many diverse looks are represented at Rock and Rummage. It is, like Detroit, a boisterous medley of artistic ideas positioning for creative elbow room and seeking an audience. Each vendor adds to the greater whole by presenting a mix of rock and roll attitude with a cool urban twist. Thrift store vintage chic is easily mashed up with original contemporary garments and accessories handcrafted by some of Detroit..s best DIY designers. What makes Rock and Rummage so distinctive is that it..s a traveling show, moving about week after week, though always with the same mantra: Shop, Sell, Drink, Rock. It..s underground and lives on the innovative perimeter, which is where so many of Detroit..s pioneering music and fashion scenes exist. Detroit..s rough and tumble image is well earned and its inhabitants have heard it all when it comes to descriptions of their fair city. Detroiters do not flinch or back down from its dubious reputation but instead embrace it and ingeniously incorporate the city..s raw materials to create their own Motor City style.
We can't catch all the articles, interviews, and stories Rock and Rummage has been featured in, but here are some we have caught...
On Fox2 News 9/12/08, Show Review from Real Detroit Weekly 12/07, Detroit News Article 12/13/07, Article in the South End (Wayne State newspaper) 12/12/07, on Fox 2 News 3/7/07, Feature article in The South End (Wayne State newspaper) from 11/29/06, 4 Track Section in Real Detroit Weekly from July 2006, Cover story in Observer & Eccentric "Filter" section from 4/13/06, Echo (EMU newspaper) article from 4/6/06, Detroit Free Press Article from 3/31/06, Feature article in Go and Do Michigan Newpaper (December 15-21 issue), Feature article in the Royal Oak Tribunes 24/7 Entertainment Magazine (12/18/05 issue), Angela's Pick Of The Week in Real Detroit Weekly (12/12-20/05 issue), article in the Shopping News section in The Detroit News (12/6/05 issue)