Rock Guitarist & Producer Ivan Kral to Appear Along with Documentary Film on 70s Punk Mecca

June 17, 2010

The Michigan Theater is teaming up with the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County to present a very special event for rock music fan on Thursday, July 29.

The centerpiece of the evening is a screening of BLANK GENERATION, a film documenting the ascendency of punk rock in New York in the late 1970s. The film includes ultra-rare footage of the Ramones, Talking Heads, Blondie, Patti Smith, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, Television and others performing at legendary nightclub CBGB. Show time is 7:00 PM. 

Filmmaker Ivan Kral, who played guitar, bass and keyboards with the Patti Smith Group for its first four albums, and co-wrote many of the group’s early songs, will introduce the film and answer questions from the audience afterwards. Kral, a native of Prague, Czechoslovakia, went on to write, record and tour with Iggy Pop, John Cale, John Waite and many others, and continues to produce and perform in his home country.

Prior to the film screening, the Shelter Association will host a fundraising reception in the Michigan Theater’s Grand Foyer from 5:30-6:30 pm. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the filmmaker and enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and beverages. All attendees will receive a complimentary poster commemorating the 35th Anniversary of the Second Chance nightclub and featuring the name of all the major artists that appeared at the club during its history, several of whom appear in the BLANK GENERATION film. The reception requires separate tickets, which will be sold directly through the Shelter Association’s Development Office.

Tickets for the BLANK GENERATION screening only are $10 and $7 for Michigan Theater members, available in advance at ticketweb.com and at the door. The first 100 people through the door will receive a complimentary Second Chance 35th Anniversary commemorative poster.

Tickets for the pre-show reception are $50. A limited number of Host Committee tickets are $150 and include reserved seating and an autographed BLANK GENERATION poster. Both are available by contacting Diana Neering at 734-662-2829 ext. 224 or neeringd@ewashtenaw.org.

The screening and poster purchases help the SAWC continue their life-saving work. During these difficult economic times, the Shelter Association offers a wide array of services, in one central location all year long. The Temporary Residential Program offers intensive help in finding affordable housing and sustainable income, as well as, temporary housing during the process. The Shelter’s Non-residential Program offers a full free health clinic, housing and employment assistance, as well as access to showers and laundry facilities to anyone experiencing homelessness in Washtenaw County.

For more than 27 years the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County has provided temporary shelter and supportive services for nearly 1,500 community individuals a year. The Shelter Association of Washtenaw County is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that remains committed to ending homelessness one person at a time. To learn more visit www.annarborshelter.org.

About the Michigan Theater
Now celebrating its 83rd year, the Michigan Theater is Ann Arbor’s not-for-profit historic center for fine film and performing arts. Saved from the wrecking ball in 1979 by a group of concerned citizens, the Theater has gone on to win numerous awards for its restoration, its programming and its role in the community. It was named the nation’s Outstanding Historic Theater in 2006 and was designated an official venue of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The theater is located in downtown Ann Arbor at 603 East Liberty Street, across the street from Borders Books and Music. Please visit the theater’s website at http://michtheater.org. The 24-hour information line is (734) 668-TIME.