Category: Features

• Rochester Art & Apples Festival back in the park Friday

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press Artwork, treats and entertainment will fill Rochester Municipal Park, along Paint Creek Trail, for the 48th annual Art & Apples Festival this week. What started as one large tent and a few Rochester artists eventually was picked up by Paint Creek Center for the Arts and grew into a…

  stephaniesokol

  09/03/2013

  Features

  apples, art, Downtown Rochester, Michael and Karri Mohr, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Rocehster, Rochester Art and Apples Festival, rochester Municipal Park, The Oakland Press, The Painted Garden, Visual Arts

• Concert Review: Shinedown lets Carnival of Madness crowd be the boss

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press Shinedown lead vocalist Brent Smith was a commanding presence Tuesday night, Aug. 27, at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, uniting the crowd through both song and story during the fourth annual Carnival of Madness tour. The group headlined this year’s lineup, which also included Papa Roach, Skillet, We As…

  stephaniesokol

  08/28/2013

  Features, Reviews

  Adrenaline, Blood, Brent Smith, Carnival of Madness, DTE Energy Music Theatre, In this Moment, Jacoby Shaddix, Maria Brink, Music, Papa Roach, Rise With Me, rock, Shinedown, Skillet, Stephanie Sokol, The Oakland Press, We as Human, Zombie

• Auburn Hills playwright’s “Bronzeville Gold” takes audience back in time

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press With the economy in a slump, playwright and Auburn Hills resident Anetria Cole wanted to look back to the Great Depression, and study how people lived during that time. Her upcoming play, “Bronzeville Gold” shows how a community of African-Americans survived the 1930s by running illegal numbers in the…

  stephaniesokol

  08/23/2013

  Features, News Stories

  1930s depression, Alita Mayfield, Anetria Cole, Auburn Hills Community Center, Bronzeville Gold, Clifford Sykes, economy, Humblefolk Productions, James Nelson, Kitty Dubin, numbers, Oakland University, play, Varner Recital Hall

• TRANSITION INTO THE NEXT SEASON WITH A FEW FALL ESSENTIALS

  Stephanie Sokol for The Pit The weather is getting cooler, the wind is picking up and the days are getting shorter. Summer is on its way out—which means it is time for fall fashion. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Sweater weather is amazing – really, who doesn’t enjoy cuddling up…

  stephaniesokol

  08/18/2013

  Blog, Fashion, Features

  ankle pants, autumn, chilly, clearance shopping, cold weather, cozy sweater, denim jackets, Fall Fashion 2013, Jessica Simpson, leggings, Minnetonka moccasin, moccasins, Old Navy, Pac Sun, Plato’s closet, resale, sales, Salvation army, shoes, sneakers, Stephanie Sokol, summer, sweaters, The Pit Sports and Entertainment, thrift store, weather

• History of the Woodward Dream Cruise

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press What started as a small fundraiser for a soccer field has grown into the world’s largest automotive event, bringing more than one million people to Oakland County. This year marks the 19th annual Woodward Dream Cruise. In August of 1995, retired plumber Nelson House was setting up fundraising to…

  stephaniesokol

  08/15/2013

  Features, News Stories

  67 Chevy II, Big 3 Auto, cars, Chevrolet, classic cars, Dream Cruise, Ferndale, History of the Woodward Dream Cruise, Jean Chamberlain, Michigan, Oakland County, Royal, Royal Oak, Terry Bistue, Woodward Avenue, Woodward Dream Cruise

• Detroit native Porcelain Black teases album with live video series

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press Fans of Detroit native and musician Porcelain Black should know who is behind the music they listen to. Alaina Marie Beaton, known more commonly by her stage name, began releasing a series of five live performance videos with personal narrative intros on her Youtube channel “PorcelainBlackMusic” last week. “Coming…

  stephaniesokol

  08/13/2013

  Features, News Stories

  2101 Records, AC/DC, Alaina Marie Beaton, Detroit, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Porcelain Black, SIR Los Angeles, The Oakland Press

• Motor City Tap Fest hopes to have crowds moving their feet in Detroit this week

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press Dancers of all levels can shuffle over to Wayne State University’s campus for the sixth annual Motor City Tap Fest, hosted by Clarkston native Denise Caston, Aug. 15-17. “We have classes for just about anybody,” Caston said. “The saying is, ‘if you can walk, you can tap dance’ —…

  stephaniesokol

  08/12/2013

  Features, News Stories

  Denise Caston, Detroit, Jennifer Miller, Motor City Tap Fest, Orchestra Hall, Radio City Rockette, Tap Dancing, Tappy Hour, Wayne State University

• Concert Review: The Backstreet Boys still have a place “In a World Like This”

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Though the world is changing, there’s still a place for The Backstreet Boys. The quintet proved that on Thursday night, Aug. 8, at DTE Energy Music Theatre, with performances of their most popular songs as well as new tracks from the just-released “In a World Like…

  stephaniesokol

  08/09/2013

  Features, Reviews

  AJ McLean, Backstreet Boys, Backstreet’s Back, Beautiful Soul, Birmingham, BSB, DTE Energy Music Theater, Howie Dorough, Jesse McCartney, Kevin Richardson, Music, Nick Carter, Oakland County, Quit Playing Games with My Heart, The Oakland Press

• Clarkston musician travels with National Youth Orchestra to Europe

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press Clarkston French horn player Caelan Stewart made history this month as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, during its inaugural tour to Russia and England. “The highlight was getting to work with the amazing musicians,” said Caelan, 16. “I never played with…

  stephaniesokol

  08/08/2013

  Features, News Stories

  Caelan Stewart, Carnegie Hall, Clarkston Conservatory of Music, Clarkston High School, Clarkston Michigan, England, French Horn, French horn player Caelan Stewart, Interlochen Arts Academy, Joshua Bell, London, London Symphony, MFMC Brass Competition, Moscow, National Youth Orchestra of The United States of America, Russia, St. Petersburg, Valery Gergiev, Washington, Washington D.C., Weill Institute

• Black Sabbath blasts into the past and future at DTE

  Stephanie Sokol for The Oakland Press INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Ozzy Osbourne wanted to see our hands during Black Sabbath’s concert Thursday night, Aug. 6, at the DTE Energy Music Theatre. Our f—— hands, that is. As often as possible. And he certainly got what he asked for, from a legion of headbangers thrilled to join…

  stephaniesokol

  08/07/2013

  Features, Reviews

  Black Sabbath, Black Sabbath 13, cave, cobweb, Detroit, Fairies Wear Boots, Geezer Butler, God is Dead, Osbourne, Ozzy, Ozzy Osbourne, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Tommy Clufetos, War Pigs