Saturday December 10, 2011: 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm - The Michigan Union - Pendleton Room - 530 S. State Street on the UM Campus

UM Professor Bruce Conforth moderates this panel discussion with John Sinclair, Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon, David Fenton and Genie Parker--all members of Ann Arbor's White Panther Party and Rainbow People's Party. All were central to many of the actions and ideals surrounding Ann Arbor's counterculture. The panelists will reflect on their "total assault on culture" during the late '60s and early '70s- what worked, what didn't, and what it means today.

"Culture Jamming: A Long View Back" is the final event of the Library's 'Freeing John Sinclair: The Day Legends Came to Town' series celebrating the launch of AADL's Freeing John Sinclair website (available Friday, December 9), marking the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally that took place in Ann Arbor on December 10, 1971.

Friday, December 2, 2011: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. -- Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room

Join us this Friday evening for the opening of Rock and Revolution a Downtown Library exhibit featuring the works of celebrated poster artist Gary Grimshaw and photo journalists Leni Sinclair and David Fenton, plus documents on loan from the John and Leni Sinclair Papers at the Bentley Historical Library.

Michael Erlewine, founder of the All-Music Guide and ClassicPosters.com, will present a brief talk on Michigan Rock Concert Posters from the 1960s & 1970s. Light refreshments will be served. Leni Sinclair and Gary Grimshaw will be in attendance and some of their work will be available for purchase. We'll also have several drawings for free posters signed by Gary Grimshaw!

This exhibit and opening are part of the Library's Freeing John Sinclair series of events to mark the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally and our upcoming freeingjohnsinclair.org website (premiering December 9). The exhibit will be on display in the Library's Lower Level Multi-Purpose Room, the Lower Level Glass Cases and the Third Floor Display Area from December 2 - January 15.

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, which took place in Ann Arbor on December 10, 1971, the Library will launch a website documenting the history of the White Panther Party and Rainbow People's Party in Ann Arbor circa 1968-1975. The site will include the full run of both parties' underground newspaper, the Ann Arbor Sun; a series of original essays; audio files from the Bentley Historical Library's John and Leni Sinclair Papers; and dozens of hours of interviews with people central to this period in Ann Arbor history. For all of this and more, check out freeingjohnsinclair.org on December 9!

To launch the site, the Library is sponsoring a series of events and an exhibit titled "Rock and Revolution", on display at the Downtown Library from December 2 - January 15.

Related events in December are:

December 2, 7:00 pm: "Rock and Revolution" exhibit opening with appearances by Gary Grimshaw, Leni Sinclair and an illustrated talk on Michigan rock poster art by Michael Erlewine. (Downtown Library)

December 9, 8:00 pm: a free concert with the Commander Cody Band and special guest John Sinclair & Beatnik Youth (The Ark, 316, S. Main St, Ann Arbor) (map)

December 10, 1:00 pm: "Culture Jamming: A Long View Back", a panel discussion featuring John Sinclair, Leni Sinclair, Pun Plamondon, David Fenton and Genie Parker. With host and moderator, U-M professor Bruce Conforth (Pendleton Room, Michigan Union, 530 S. State St, Ann Arbor) (map)

Detroit author and music critic, Brett Callwood, was at AADL recently for a public talk about his book MC5: Sonically Speaking: A Tale of Revolution and Rock 'n' Roll. Prior to this event, I had the chance to chat with Brett about the MC5--their legacy, their significance to other musicians, and the influence of former manager, John Sinclair. Brett also discusses his journey to becoming a music critic and the inspiration behind his writing, most notably his love affair with Detroit and its music.