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Flintstock, FIA offer weekend rock event

Thursday, September 24, 2009

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Marc Jacobson
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FLINT (WJRT) -- (09/24/09) -- The Flint Institute of Arts is getting ready to open a new exhibit that is guaranteed to give us all a bit of a flashback.

As ABC12's Marc Jacobson shows us, it's part of a big rock 'n' roll weekend in the Cultural Center.

It might sound a bit unconventional, but the Flint Institute of Arts is ready to rock.

"Being from the city of Flint, it's an honor to be included in something like this," said bluesman Larry McCray.

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In honor of Woodstock's 40th anniversary, the FIA is holding it's own all day, outdoor music festival this Saturday, Sept. 26.

Flintstock will feature performances by Mid-Michigan natives Larry McCray and Question Mark and the Mysterians.

"It's going to be wham, bam and one song after another. You better have energy, because we're going to wear you out," Question Mark warned as he smiled.

Flintstock coincides with the opening of the FIA's new exhibit, Flashback -- a collection of contemporary and vintage rock 'n' roll concert posters.

"All of these are original posters from the era, the mid 1960's. The Doors, Janis Joplin with Big Brother, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Hendrix," FIA Curator Mike Martin said.

While many of the posters promote legendary West Coast concerts, others come from Detroit, the rock 'n' roll haven of the Midwest.

"We have some of the most rare posters from the Grande Ballroom. It was the Midwest mecca for rock 'n' roll, really," Martin said.

Besides plenty of Detroit concert rock 'n' roll posters, there's also this gem in the collection; an Ike and Tina Turner poster from a concert at the old IMA Auditorium in Flint.

"This was a little toward the later end. It's from 1973. Very few of these posters survived," Martin said.

You won't find the Flashback exhibit anywhere else. It's a one-time collection pulled together exclusively for the FIA.

"Many of these posters are so rare, that the archives don't lend them," Martin said.

"Flashback" opens on Saturday at the FIA and runs through November 8.

Flintstock starts at 10 am Saturday.

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