Kick out the jams, librarians and readers! Wayne Kramer, the guitarist of pioneering Detroit rock band the MC5, is set to embark on a short tour of Michigan libraries this week.
The unexpected jaunt for the music legend comes as a result of his latest book, The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5 and My Life of Impossibilities, which was honored with a Michigan Notable Book nod earlier this year.
“I tried to avoid revisionism. It happens a lot in rock ‘n’ roll books, and it’s a really foul practice. For a book to be any good, it’s got to have good stories, and the stories can’t be good if they’re lies,” Kramer shared with the Oakland Press about the tome inspired by a recent cancer diagnosis. “I think it was worth my while to make sure that I was kind and tried to take the high road whenever I could—and to be accurate and get the facts right.” Kramer will hit four libraries across his home state this week. See the itinerary below.
The book was inspired in large part by the guitarist’s recent cancer diagnosis, a situation that Kramer updated on Twitter yesterday. “I’ve been busy the last 3 mos w/cancer + radiation. My prognosis is truly excellent but I wanted to stop a moment to explain,” the guitarist shared. “That is, I was indeed very sick but improving daily & happy to be in Mich’s libraries talking with you all in person this week! w.”
RELATED: A Visit to Wayne Kramer’s America
The MC5 is also talking about making new music: “I discussed it with all the cats before we finished the tour last year, and everyone said count them in,” the guitarist revealed. “They all want to try and get into the studio and see if we can take the sound we have on stage and turn it into a record. So I’ve got a plan. Now I’m trying to get all the ducks that need to be in a row to get a record started and recorded and released and promoted. I’d like to give it a try, anyway. I mean, what the hell—you put all this work into getting a band going, so you’d at least like to come out of it with some new music. We’d all love that.”
• 3 p.m. Wednesday, June 19, at the Bay Theatre, 214 N. Saint Joseph St., Sutton’s Bay. 231-271-3772/ thebaytheatre.com.
• 7 p.m. Thursday, June 20, Salem-South Lyon District Library, 9800 Pontiac Trail, South Lyon. 248-437-6431/ ssldl.info.
• 6 p.m. Friday, June 21, Hamtramck Public Library, 2360 Caniff St./hamtramck.lib.mi.us. An afterglow takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Planet Ant, 2320 Caniff Ave. 313-365-4948/ planetant.com.
• 1 p.m. Saturday, June 22, Berkley Public Library, 3155 Coolidge Hwy. 248-658-3440/ berkley.lib.mi.us.
