On Hand

The co-hosts of "Songs from the Trail" on WVBI, Jackson Smith and Steve Girbach, share their picks for favorite musical releases of 2021 (okay... and Steve sneaks a 2020 release in there, too.) 

GUESTS:

Jackson Smith, co-host, Songs from the Trail

Steve Girbach, co-host, Songs from the Trail

 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A strange sickness is sweeping through Detroit, leaving unbearable grief and overwhelmed city hospitals and morgues in its wake. That’s the eerily familiar world into which writer adrienne maree brown’s debut novella drops us. Grievers is the first story in a trilogy published by Black Dawn, a speculative fiction imprint from AK Press.

The seed of this story took root a long time before any of us had ever heard of COVID-19, and yet the book is a work of speculative fiction that feels anything but. It’s an auspicious and affecting story for everyone who’s lost something, but especially for Black Detroiters. 

GUEST: 

adrienne maree brown, writer-in-residence at the Emergent Strategy Ideation Institute and author of several non-fiction and fiction books, including Pleasure Activism, Emergent Strategy, and Grievers 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the big business stories out of Michigan this year was Larry Bell selling Bell's Brewery. The maker of craft brew favorites Oberon and Two Hearted Ale, Bell has said publicly that he would never sell. But 2021 is the year that changed his tune.

GUEST:

Larry Bell, founder of Bell's Brewery

Dustin Walsh, reporter, Crain's Detroit Business

 

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eggnog, hot toddies, mulled wine, coquito. For a lot of folks, a little tipple is what we do during the holidays. But for those who’d rather abstain, we thankfully have a lot more options than just hot chocolate or O’Doul’s these days. Today on the pod, holiday cheer and non-alcoholic beer. Plus, a cocktail recipe for those who want a little booze at their holiday table. 

GUESTS:

Michelle Zajac, beer and wine buyer at Arbor Farms Market in Ann Arbor

Lester Graham, environmental reporter at Michigan Radio 

Tammy Coxen, mixologist and owner of Tammy's Tastings

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has published December jobs report. And, like so many things in the COVID-19 pandemic, well, it’s complicated. Unemployment is down. 82% of jobs lost in the pandemic are back. But, growth in new job openings last month was much slower than expected. That’s despite all the “now hiring” signs you’re seeing around town. Economists have been trying to crack the current labor market puzzle. On today's episode, we see what one of them is making of these mixed signals.

GUEST: 

Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dozens of parents showed up to speak at the Oxford School Board meeting—the first since the deadly shooting at the town's high school two weeks ago. The question for the school district now: how to rebuild trust and community after unimaginable loss.

GUEST: 

David Jesse, reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Find his article about the board meeting and parent response here.

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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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If you’ve ever driven down Scio Church Road in Ann Arbor, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a barn with “M GO BLUE” shingled into the side of its roof. The barn has long been a local Ann Arbor landmark. It's even gotten national attention with shots of it showing up on television during college football games. Now, the family that owns the barn is hoping to give it a second life as a beer garden and restaurant. On today's episode, we'll talk to two members of the Parker family about finding ways to preserve history while creating a community spaces for the present day. 

GUESTS: 

Bill Parker, owner of M Go Blue barn and property

Matt Parker, son of Bill, who is spearheading the plan to turn the barn into the “Barn and Grill”

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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

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Many Michigan hospitals are in crisis mode right now. Between COVID-19 cases and normal seasonal spikes of illnesses like flu, they are struggling to find space for patients. Some hospitals are postponing surgeries and shifting staff to deal with the overflow. Michigan Radio's Dustin Dwyer tells us about the view from inside a Grand Rapids hospital. 

GUEST: 

Dustin Dwyer, Michigan Radio reporter 

You can find Dustin's story about the situation at Mercy Health St. Mary's here. 

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If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of University of Michigan’s College Football Playoff clash against University of Georgia, we look back on previous matchups between the two states — a history embroiled with racial conflict.

GUEST:

Buddy Moorehouse, journalist and filmmaker behind the documentary, Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game.

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Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Years before educator and historian Jamon Jordan founded Black Scroll Network, History & Tours, taking a tour of Detroit with him was a must-do. And apparently, the City of Detroit agreed; Jamon Jordan has recently been appointed as its first official City Historian. It's an honorary role that is both ceremonial and educational. He will promote, research, and preserve information about Detroit's history.

GUEST:

Jamon Jordan, educator and Detroit City Historian.

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Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way.

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work.

Stateside’s theme music is by 14KT.

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.