ROCK STAR WEDDING

The Basements on stage at Genitti's Hole-In-The-Wall, Northville, Mich.

Duet with my new hubbs, "Never Enough."

Throwing the bouquet.

Photos by Christopher A. Jablonski

It was my 4th wedding anniversary yesterday. My wonderful husband gave me an emerald necklace and wrote me the most beautiful love letter.

I gave him a book of photographs from our wedding that I created on shutterfly. It took me four years to get that wedding album done!

As it pertains to rock 'n' roll, since this is my Mydols blog, The Basements played our last gig at my wedding. Another sign of how great my husband is. He indulged my band, and even joined us onstage for a duet!

Snapshots of Winter

Bundled up to shovel snow.

Getting ready for a hike.

A giant icicle sword.

Mydols at Metro Times Blowout

I'm so excited for our show at the Metro Times Blowout. The Blowout has a long and storied tradition that implicates just about every homegrown band ever listed in the calendar pages of the Metro Times.

It was launched 12 years ago by April Mydol's husband, Brian Boyle (with rock journalist Chris Handyside), and this year April herself is organizing the first ever Blowout Family Hootenanny.

The Mydols are proud to be on the bill (along with CelloBella! and Danny Kroha), helping to make more Blowout history.

Parents who buy wristbands for Blowout weekend (200 bands at 15 venues throughout Hamtramck) can bring their kids for free to the Family Hootenanny 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at Cafe 1923.

I played the Blowout with my old band The Basements many moons ago. Like most local acts we got our start in Hamtramck, adding our sticker to the decor at Paycheck's, then working our way up to Small's and the Belmont. The Basements shared a bill with Haflife at the Hamtramck Blowout, and this year former Basements guitarist Liz opens for Haflife at Trowbridge House Saturday night with her current band The Ruiners.

If I could indulge in the rest of the Blowout, I would check out the Ruiners, Detroit Cobras, Wildcatting and the Friendly Foes.

But I'm in a mom band now, which means I'll have to get home to the kids!

Beardy the Bearded Dragon

Meet Beardy the Bearded Dragon. He belongs to our drummer Laura's very large and multi-specied family. Laura will introduce us to a new pet each month on our show, Mommie Coolest, set to debut on CMN next month.

Beardy braved the cold to do the taping at Leon & Lulu's in Clawson last week. I fell in love with the little guy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a Valentine's Day Mydols practice this morning, and Johnny Miller gave us all prints of this woodcut he made last night.

Laura gave everyone candy.

At home, I got the most beautiful cards from my husband, son and daughter, along with a heart-shaped box of truffles.

What a great holiday ... one big excuse to eat chocolate and cuddle!

Gwen Joy Art Show

Judy Davids: Ultimate Soccer Mom

On Sunday, I entered Judy Mydol in the Detroit Ignition's 2009 Soccer Mom of the Year contest.

The same day, Judy twisted her ankle playing on the Mydols team at Total Soccer.

She hurt herself bad enough to miss our gig at the Colin Hubbell Fundraiser - and Judy never misses anything!

Here's my nomination:

Rocker mom is ultimate soccer mom
Judy Davids, 48, is guitarist for the Mydols. She’s not only a rocker mom – she’s the ultimate soccer mom! Between her band and writing “Rock Star Mommy: My Life as a Rocker Mom” (Citadel Press, 2008), the Royal Oaker finds time for her favorite sport.

With her Level D Coaching License, she coached son Dylan’s Royal Oak Youth Soccer Association team Honey Bees for 4 years, U6- U10. She also coached her son Willie’s indoor team, The Spitfires.
Judy can often be found in her minivan, taking the boys to ROYSA premier soccer practice (Willie, 13, plays on the Renegades, U14; Dylan, 16, plays on the Rampage). Dylan also is #7 on ROHS’s JV team the Ravens.
Every Sunday you’ll find Judy at Total Soccer Royal Oak, where she’s team captain and defender on The Mydols, a team she founded in the Women’s Over 30 Division. Like her son, Judy is #7.

Colin Hubbell Fund Raiser

I didn't know Colin Hubbell, but playing at his fund raiser last night made me wish I had.

The Mydols were among several bands that took the stage during the event at The Magic Stick, designed to raise money for the Colin Hubbell Memorial Fund.



The place was packed from top to bottom, bar to bowling alley, with people who came out to pay tribute to the late Detroiter. Even Mayor Ken Cockrel, Jr. showed up to honor Colin's memory.

According to an article in the Detroit News, Hubbell "accepted the revitalization of the city of Detroit as a personal mission and developed thousands of housing units to improve the city he loved."

He passed away last August at age 49, but friends and family are determined to carry on his mission.

Colin is survived by four children, including Miles Hubbell, the drummer and singer of the Detroit Vibe (above), who also played at last night's Bowl-A-Thon.

The next fund raiser is a 15-mile bike tour of Belle Isle, Downtown and Midtown with a 5-mile family ride option and post-ride barbecue on June 20.

Go Red with the Mydols

Even though I've been writing about it in the newspaper, I completely forgot that today is national 'Wear Red Day.' Weird, I just happen to be wearing red!

Wear Red Day is part of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign, and the Mydols are involved in our own little way.

Judy created this fun purse to raise money for women's heart health research. It is going to be included in the silent auction during the AHA's Go Red luncheon, Feb. 25.

Our purse is among 30 handbags in the auction, collected by the Observer & Eccentric from generous (and of course, super stylish) donors. There are some true gems in the collection. I'm not telling you which one I have my eye on, because I don't want to drive up the bids!

Violet's Birth Announcement

Better late than never. Hey, moms are busy. I just mailed these announcements out to family, so here is a copy for friends. I can hear her squawking for me upstairs. Gotta run!

Thank God for the Superbowl

Well, I'm not much of a sports fan, but I am enjoying the Superbowl commercials and halftime show this evening. Good job, Bruce and Little Steven!

When Superbowl XL came to Detroit three years ago, I scored a press pass to the exclusive Playboy Party. I thought it was my golden ticket to glamour, so I wore my gold party shoes and drove through the driving snow to the event.

Needless to say, I soon found out I was destined to spend the whole night in the press corrall, on the wrong side of the velvet rope.

Me and the other reporters got a list of celebrities who had RSVPd, and we waited, and waited, and waited for them to show. Most of them didn't, and those who did were very, very late.

Covering the 'red carpet' was a lot less swanky than I ever imagined. I felt like a weird pariah snapping photos of the B-listers who trickled in. The girl from My Name Is Earl, a few guys from Gray's Anatomy. Tom Arnold. Kanye West, who snubbed the lowly newspaperpeople and went straight for the television cameras.

But then she walked in. Joan Jett.

In the presence of such rock 'n' roll royalty, I forgot how much my feet hurt, and how lame I was for not being able to crash the party. Joan Jett looks better than ever, and she made the whole Superbowl experience something I will never forget!