Good day to you.
Friday, March 20 (the Spring Equinox), I spent what might be the Perfect Detroit Jacki Day. It all started when I discovered that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra holds “Coffee Concerts”. These are Friday morning concerts with free coffee.
I bought a ticket very fastly for this program:
Mendelssohn’s beloved Violin Concerto, played here by DSO Concertmaster Robyn Bollinger, is awash in lyricism and virtuosic displays. Conducted by Mendelssohn at its premiere, Schumann’s buoyant “Spring” Symphony delights in celebrating the season of renewal. Composer and conductor Jörg Widmann opens with a piece of his own, which he describes as echoing Beethoven’s “fury and rhythmic insistence.”
Then I began counting the days. It was only, like, a week, so I didn’t have to count very high. My plan was:
- Go to the concert.
- Wander around Detroit.
- Treat myself to lunch.
I ended up doing so much more than that.
When I woke up on Friday, it was rainy. I was expecting rain only during the concert, so I didn’t plan a rain-friendly outfit. The high was gonna be in the low 60s; however, it would be chilly in the morning, so I had to dress accordingly.
This is what I wore. Yes, the mirror is dirty, but the smudges are inside (?!) so I have no hope of cleaning it. It’s just a mood, I guess. I also had on Third Man Records socks, because (aside from Stance) they are universally my favorite socks.
The jacket was not rain-friendly, and we only own a huge golf umbrella for some reason, so there was a bit of a scramble in the morning to figure out how to keep me dry. In a scene that reminded me very much of my first (and probably still favorite) Maeve Binchy book Circle of Friends, where her parents sent Bennie off to her first day of College with a “folding mac that makes me look like a haystack in the rain”, Mickey folded and rolled up a (very stylish) rain jacket for me to bring.
Spoiler alert: I didn’t need it, but did appreciate the bad because I had to roll and fold up my sunset jacket because it was an unexpectedly lovely day.
Also, spoiler alert: I ended up purchasing a new, small umbrella during my adventures!!
But First, the Symphony!!
Okay, so my Lyft dropped me off, and I was immediately ushered into a very stylish lobby. Seriously, some of the Detroit theaters I’ve been to rival the ones I visited on Broadway last year. I love my (adopted) city so much, y’all. The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher was no exception to this rule.
But before I even entered the theater, I was greeted with a huge coffee bar (two, I would later learn)(also, I would learn… there used to be donuts!).
I fixed myself a cup of coffee and settled into a table. Before too long, two (very stylish) ladies joined me, and we struck up a conversation. It turned out we all live Downriver, within a mile of each other. In fact, they pass my house every day! We had a lovely conversation that was just glowing with love for this city from all around. They were lifetimers, and I had been here only four years. Detroit is so easy to love. You just gotta come visit me, y’all.
Eventually, another couple joined us and regaled us with tales of their days ushering at another (now for-events-only) theater in town: The Gem. Then the doors opened, and I found my seat.
What an intricate and glorious theater!
And the performance was as wonderful as the space. I will note that I moved my seat (one to the left) after the first song because there was a head right in my way, and I didn’t want to be an annoying head-bobbing person who frustrated the people behind me. The theater was about 75% filled (impressive for a 10:45 am show, I say!), so this wasn’t a problem. My original seat was an aisle, and after I moved, the nearest person was three seats away.
The first piece was an original by our conductor, Jorg Widmann, for the morning, Con Brio. I was enamored with the energy of both the piece and the conductor, uh, conducting. I was also kind of in love with the way breath was used throughout the piece.
I love people-watching and found myself drawn to the (very stylish) woman to my left, who had her eyes closed and a huge smile on her face throughout the performance.
Incredible Soloist
The second piece was Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64 and featured violin soloist Robyn Bollinger. Talk about huge smiles, y’all. I could have watched this talented performer play for hours and never get tired. But she would, so I don’t want to put her through that. I’m happy to experience what I did. Also, her dress was stunning.
I loved looking at all the nuance in “black formal wear” throughout the instrumentalists. I also loved peeping at the variety in shoes.
The final piece was Symphony No. 1 in B-Flat major, Op. 39, “Spring,” and I kept finding myself getting emotional watching the orchestra respond to the conductor and the conductor responding to the orchestra. It was magical. Then my mind would wander, and I’d remember that I get to see Max Richter do that live in just a few months. I will need hankies to bring with me (or at least some heavy-duty napkins).
Another thing I will say, before I power walk you through the rest of my wonderful Detroit day:
This was, hands down, the most respectful audience I have ever been a part of. There were a few kids; they were very well behaved. In fact, one family brought along sketchbooks to do a little arting while letting the music wash all over them.
The rapt stillness in the room was shared. No one dared move a muscle, not from fear, but from attention. We were all, collectively, into this experience. And, y’all, did it feel good to share that with other humans!!! I think it is important to get out into the world and do analog things.
At the end of the final piece, there was a silence, and then a gentleman in a ball cap (the DSO has a “come as you dress code”) leapt up from his seat, yelled, “Hell, yeah,” and started clapping. He may have even pumped his fist. He did in my brain, at least. Then the audience joined his applause, and he yelled again, “You NAILED that!” and I was definitely crying. What an amazing moment. What an amazing day. That wasn’t even over yet!
And Now Some Motor City Adventure!
Cause then I got to explore my city on foot. I had no real plan… just to get something to eat and then wander. Maybe find some art. I also didn’t do a lot of research beforehand, so I took a moment and looked up some of my favorite places on maps to see how far they were:
- Detroit Institute of Arts
- Over a mile away, nah
- Third Man Records
- Just over half a mile away, hell yeah
So that’s what I did… with adventuring rules in place. This means, if you see something interesting, you follow that lead.
To keep this from getting too wordy, I will provide you with a short list of the other stops I made.
- The gift shop of the DSO, where I talked about “Oh, Mary!” with the clerk and bought a pair of socks.
- A very fancy bathroom store with the most stunning hardware I’ve ever laid eyes on and really nice bathtubs. Just not nicer than mine.
- ArtLoft in Midtown
- I had a lovely conversation with the owner, who told me about the origins of her (stunning) clothes. I told her I just got out of the symphony, and she said, “I have an umbrella with music on it”. It was sunny outside by now, but I bought it anyway.
- Flo Boutique
- I have shopped here many times. I bought one of my favorite dresses (I call it my Hadestown dress) and one of my favorite purses from there. But I didn’t buy anything today, because nothing tickled my brain.
- Robyn
- Bro, if I were a rich man, there were about 10 things I would have come home with. Most of all, this incredibly textured, HUGE, polka-dotted sweat suit. Ugh, I loved it so much and will think about it often.
- Third Man Records
- I knew a tour was starting at 1 pm, and it was almost 1 pm, so my secret hope was that I could slip into an open spot. Alas, all tours for the day were sold out. So I just poked around to see if there were any new socks. There were not, so I left.
- Bon Bon Bon
- I bought 5 Bons, but it wasn’t enough. They are the most perfect chocolatey desserts known to my mouth.
I hadn’t found anything to eat yet, although I almost slid into Mario’s, which appeared to be a dinner theater of sorts. I did not eat there, because I decided I’d wait to go at dinner time for the spectacle. Then I put the DIA into my map app again and saw it was only about half a mile away. So I headed over there.
Oh, here are some pics of my journey thus far. I stopped at Detroit Artists Market, which is where the art is from, and the rest are just wandering pics. My city is so lovely, y’all.
After considering a couple of options, I found myself at the bar of Chartreuse, which was a most excellent decision. My bartender, Terra, reminded me of Dr. McKay from The Pitt and was not too involved but very attentive.
Bread and Wine
I got a glass of wine and bread service and just took stock of my day. I was getting blisters, so wandering around the DIA was probably out. I’d just pop across the street and power through the Detroit Public Library and then head home.
I’m still on that quest for Chablis, so I described what I was looking for to the bartender, who said, “Hold on, let me get the right person”. And ended up with a gorgeous golden chardonnay that had an exquisitely lemony finish. The bread was sourdough, warm, and came with everything-bagel-seasoned butter with crispy garlic on top. I will attempt to recreate that crispy garlic in the future.
I feel bad for the other restaurants I considered, because I’ll probably never get to them. I’ll be back to Chartreuse time and time again. I can’t wait to explore more of their menu.
And more of the Chartreuses, which I’d never had before. The bartender let me have a lil taste, which I appreciate. I would describe the flavor as clear, sweet, syrupy Fernet. Botanically sweet. Also, I guess I accidentally ate at my first James Beard-nominated restaurant? (that I can remember!)
The Detroit Public Library (like most buildings in the Motor City) is stunning and gorgeous and all those other superlatives. There was even a little gallery inside. Here are a few shots:
I love my city. I love sharing it with people. If you’re reading, thank you for letting me share it this way. If you’ve visited, thank you for letting me share it that way. If you’re thinking about visiting, let me know. I love showing this place off.
