by orionontv | Jun 19, 2024 | Community Event, Feature Writers, Music
ORION TWP, Mich. — On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, the Wildwood Amphitheater hosted its first outdoor concert of the 2024 season. The North Oakland Concert Band came to 2700 Joslyn Ct. to perform “music that will get you in the summer mood,” according to the NOCB’s website.
Buchanan and Kline – Photo by ONTV
The original date of the concert was June 13, however, due to potential bad weather the concert was moved to the following Tuesday.
The theme of the night was “Swinging with NOCB” and featured guest jazz vocalist Olivia Van Goor on several songs such as “Blue Moon” by Rogers/Hart (arranged by Warren Baker) and “Star Dust” by Hoagy Carmichael, (also arranged by Baker.) Mark Buchanan, former President of the NOCB and member of the trumpet section, welcomed gusts to the performance at the beginning of the show.
Buchanan detailed what was going to be performed that night, introducing the conductor Annette Kline as well as the guest vocalist, Olivia Van Goor. He then introduced the first piece that was played that night, a medley from the animated movie, “The Incredibles.”
The free concert attracted a sizeable crowd as dozens of concert goers eager to start off the season gathered at Wildwood to view the band. The setlist included classics such as “Havana Nights” by Randall D. Standridge, as well as “Hangin’ Ten” by Roger Cichy.
Guest vocalist Olivia Van Goor – Photo by ONTV
Other songs on the setlist that were played that night included “Pinball Wizard” by Peter Townsend, “Shrek Soundtrack Highlights” by John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams and “But Not For Me” by George and Ira Gershwin with Van Goor on vocals.
To conclude the night, the NOCB played “Satchmo! A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” a heartfelt piece dedicated to the timeless talent of one of music’s’ greats.
Up next for Wildwood is a free showing of the 2022 Pixar animated film, Lightyear, that will take place on Thursday, June 20. The next concert in the free concert series is the Lake Orion High School Band, that concert will take place on Thursday, June 27 at 7 p.m.
For more information on when free events like these are happening, visit orionparks.com and for more information about the NOCB visit nocb.org.
by orionontv | Jun 18, 2024 | Community Event, Feature Writers
LAKE ORION/OXFORD, Mich. — On Friday, June 14, 2024, Oxford and Lake Orion residents took to their downtowns, dressed in retro leg warmers, fanny packs and bright neon to have a tubular time during the ‘Ladies of the 80s’ ladies’ night celebration.
With the beginning of summer coming up in just a few days, the Oxford and Lake Orion Downtown Development Authorities (DDA) came together to put on a fun event that celebrated not only the decade of the 1980s,
Photo by Joe Johnson
but the women who grew up during that era.
Lake Orion’s neighbor to the north, Oxford, welcomed Orion Area residents to their downtown and vice versa. Local stores celebrated the night with special offers and treats, as well as restaurants serving 80s-themed drinks — there was even a replica of K.I.T.T. from the classic 80s TV show “Knight Rider.”
ONTV’s Joe Johnson spoke to Kelly Westbrook of the Oxford DDA on the evening of the event about the activities people were participating in.
“Our two DDAs collaborated to do another Stronger Together event, we’ve got the trolley running until 10, and all of us ladies are dressed up in 80s,” Westbrook said.
The festivities began at 5 p.m. and spanned for most of the evening. Participants checked in where they were offered fanny packs filled with coupons, as well as a trolley to shuttle the funky-fresh partygoers to and from Oxford.
“It’s nice for our businesses, it brings a lot of business into our retail, and then also into our bars and our restaurants, so just a wonderful way to support the community and have a fun time doing it,” Westbrook said.
Photo by Joe Johnson
ONTV’s Lexi McKinney talked to Debbie Burgess, chair of the Lake Orion DDA, who gave some insight on why the 80s are so beloved.
“I think what I love most about the 80s is the freedom to express yourself, the freedom just to be who you are, you didn’t have to fit into a mold… the pressure wasn’t there,” Burgess said.
The “Stronger Together” campaign has brought the two neighboring municipalities closer together since 2022, supporting each other with events like these.
“So, the fact we can now collaborate together and really offer something to both communities but use our same marketing on just one event is huge… We have so many people who live in Oxford and work in Lake Orion or vice versa so its really important to see us all together, its 2.3 miles downtown to downtown on the trolley, so it just makes sense and I am so glad we formed a partnership and gotten to do this,” Westbrook said.
Photo by Lexi McKinney
For more information and to find dates for upcoming events like this one, visit downtownlakeorion.org.
by orionontv | Jun 17, 2024 | Feature Writers, High School Sports
Written Friday June 14th at 6:30 PM
The theme has been around the OAA when it comes to Girls Soccer is not to win the Red but to win the State Crown.
Adams did just that.
The Highlanders continued that trend giving the OAA their third straight State crown with a 2-0 win over Hartland on Friday afternoon at Michigan State earning their first State crown since 1999 and their third overall.
Bloomfield Hills won the State crown in 2022 and Stoney Creek last season. Both teams did not win the Red when they won the State crown.
Evelyn Kekhola scored the winning goal in 23 minute mark in the first half for Adams. The Highlanders added an insurance goal by Sadie Rogers to put the game out of reach with four minutes to go in the game in the second half.
The Eagles had 13 shots on goal with two corner kicks while the Highlanders had seven shots on goal with six corner kicks.
Adams went through a tough road beating Utica, Rochester, New Baltimore Anchor Bay, Troy, Plymouth Salem, and now Hartland in the postseason.
Congrats to the Highlanders, we’ll recap this game on the podcast Monday.
by orionontv | Jun 13, 2024 | Entertainment, Feature Writers, Music, Pop Culture
“Brat” by Charli XCX being this good does not make sense: the forward-thinking production, the cunning and introspective lyricism, the sincere tribute to old and new friends. There’s also other components as well: the album’s camp, its sporadic pacing and its need for self-indulgence. These clashing elements should not make for an album as cohesive and complete as it is.
However, it just works.
Charli XCX’s sixth studio album, “Brat” is confusing as it is liberating. It fuses pop and electronic music in such a stylistic way that makes it exciting to listen to. Instead of meandering electronic dance music over a catchy albeit basic pop chorus, it tackles interesting themes that Charli has never written about before such as motherhood, death, bodily insecurities, etc.
This mixing of lyrical and production prowess by both Charli and executive-producer A.G. Cook, makes for the perfect storm for Charli to top the charts critically and commercially. She has received rave reviews from huge music outlets such as theneedledrop (10), Pitchfork (8.6), The Line of Best Fit (9) and Paste (9).
Charli’s multi-conglomeration of her queer, women, young and old fans might be enough to get her positioned on a whole other level critically and culturally.
To talk about the music for a second again, “Brat” succeeds on multiple levels and throughout its runtime it proves to the listener that it will be in their memories for years to come.
The first track, “360,” which is looped into by its sister-remix track, “365,” at the end of the record, talks about Charli’s commercial success and what it took to get her there.
“That city sewer sl*t’s the vibe/Internationally recognized/I set the tone, it’s my design/And it’s stuck in your mind/Legacy is undebated/You gon’ jump if A. G. made it/If you love it, if you hate it/I don’t f***ing care what you think,” Charli sings on “360.”
The other singles on the record including the electric “Von Dutch,” the hypnotic “B2b” and the bass-thumping “Club Classics,” each have their own strengths but share the same weakness: they are not long enough. I simply cannot get enough of each song.
“Brat” does not peak at the singles however, “So I” “Everything is romantic,” “Apple” and “Talk Talk” are also exceedingly fantastic. Normally, singers drenched in auto-tune for an entire record does not work, but for Charli, the effect paints her in a synthetic and futuristic light; someone who is damaged by the fast-moving pace of the world.
This is especially true with the track, “Sympathy is a knife.”
“’Cause I couldn’t even be her if I tried/I’m opposite, I’m on the other side/I feel all these feelings I can’t control/Oh no, don’t know why/All this sympathy is just a knife/Why I can’t even grit my teeth and lie?/I feel all these feelings I can’t control (Oh no),” Charli sings.
Charli is torn between herself in reality and her twisted perception of herself in her mind. This is a very common idea that a lot of young people struggle with, especially in internet-focused circles like Charli’s – someone who is constantly being engaged with online para-socially.
The most impactful songs on the record for me have to do with lyrics and themes that the 31-year old has never put to song before, like on “So I,” a song dedicated to the late, great singer-songwriter and producer, SOPHIE.
“Wish I’d tried to pull you closer/You pushed me hard, made me focus/Your words, brutal, loving, truthful/I was petrified/You’re a hero and a human/Track was done, I’d make excuses/You’d say, “Come on, stay for dinner”/I’d say, “No, I’m fine” (Now I really wish I’d stayed),” Charli sings.
A regretful Charli also makes her voice on her own potential motherhood heard on “I think about it all the time.”
“I went to my friend’s place and I met their baby for the first time/How sublime/What a joy, oh my, oh my/Standing there/Same old clothes she wore before, holding her child, yeah/She’s a radiant mother and he’s a bеautiful father/And now they both know thesе things that I don’t,” Charli sings.
These conflicting feelings stay for most of the tracks on the record; these lyrics are personal and beautiful, along with gorgeous and jaw-dropping electronic production to go along with it. Charli XCX shines on this record, even when she does not want to.
The only criticism I have with the record is its overall theming, which is also filled with conflict and vitriol, however, I think for now, “Brat” stands as a record that feels one way on paper, but is completely different in practice. It is a tonal shift, which is perfect for Charli XCX.
by orionontv | Jun 12, 2024 | Community Event, Feature Writers
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. – On Saturday, June 11, 2024, volunteer workers from Faith Works and Faith in Action of Oakland County (FIAOC) came together to build an aluminum wheelchair ramp for an Orion Township resident with mobility issues.
The volunteers arrived early Saturday morning to put together a donated aluminum ramp for a resident on Chalice Rd. ONTV’s Joe Johnson spoke to Chris Sturges of Faith Works on the day the ramp was installed.
“These are all aluminum ramps, they’re very lightweight and they don’t rust so it’s a lot easier to put in than the wooden ones…” Sturges said.
Photo by Joe Johnson
In just a few hours, the volunteers built and installed the ramp for the resident. This grateful act was made possible in part by Mission Possible.
‘Mission Possible’ is a subset of the non-profit group FIAOC, created in 2019, and is a dedicated team of volunteers that help residents across Oakland County with mobility-related needs.
“We bought some of the pieces, but most of the material is donated,” Sturges said.
According to the Faith In Action website: “In Oakland County we are still Faith in Action of Oakland County (FIAOC) but our name has added another more explicit definition regarding what we are doing as we are calling our program ‘Mission Possible’ that will focus on more specific help for our poverty level elderly and disabled homeowners.”
Aluminum ramps are traditionally expensive, however, if they are donated, they can be reused over and over again. This helps a lot with the volunteering aspect of these programs since the non-profits do not have to spend a lot of money in order to install the ramps – volunteers can bring their own tools as well.
If you or someone you know has an aluminum wheelchair ramp that is no longer in use, reach out to FIAOC or Faith Works and they will send volunteers to disassemble it and store it until a new residence needs it.
“You’re more than welcome to donate anything you want, we’re desperately in need of any resources all the time… and it goes to bless someone who can’t do it for themselves,” Sturges said.
For more information on how to get involved with these groups, or to put in a request, visit faithworksmichigan.org or faithinactionoakland.org.
by orionontv | Jun 11, 2024 | Community Event, Feature Writers
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. – On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Orion Township Public Library hosted their annual Summer Reading Kickoff. The event featured several different activities, community partnerships, and fun performers.
ONTV’s Joe Johnson spoke to Ashley Lehman, Head of Youth Services at OTPL about the event on Saturday and what the summer reading program entails this year.
Photo by Joe Johnson
“We turn the backyard of the library into a big huge party, we have circus performers, we have food trucks, we have bounce houses and a bunch of other community organizations hosting activities,” Lehman said. “Our summer reading program is online and we also have a bingo sheet for kids – it kicks off today and runs through August third – so kids can do reading challenges and library related activities to earn bingo squares and adults can do library challenges weekly to earn prizes and free books.”
The event, which ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. filled the parking lot with families of eager kids wanting to have fun on a gorgeous Saturday outside the library. The Summer Reading Kickoff was funded by several different means, Lehman expanded on this speaking to ONTV.
“This is possible mostly through our Friends of the Orion Library organization we also have a couple sponsorships from community organizations like Kids Tooth Team and Flip Spot and then we also got a grant through Michigan Humanities Council to fund this,” Lehman said.
Photo by Joe Johnson
The event fortunately coincided with the library’s reopening after a small electrical fire that occurred last month. The library started and stopped pickup services in-between the library’s reopening in order to fully dedicate time to clean out the smoke and to keep the staff inside safe.
“We were almost down to the wire but we opened back up on Thursday fully… everything got cleaned up after the fire, there was no damage so we are ready to go for the summer,” Lehman said.
According to the Lake Orion Review, around 500 kids participated in OTPL’s Summer Reading Challenge. But how much time do adults and kids have to dedicate towards reading new books in order to get in on some prizes? Lehman also answered that question to ONTV.
“So, they have to read 600 minutes or 1000 minutes, or read 50 books if you are a little kid and then adults have various library related challenges throughout the summer and then we end with a fun finale party where we raffle off prizes for kids and adults as well,” Lehman said.
Overall, the myriad of different fun activities and community partnership helped encourage kids and adults to participate in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Lehman summed up why these events are important for the library to host.
Photo by Joe Johnson
“You learn best by reading and the library is a great place to just… expand your knowledge and suck in that information and having these parties just entices people to come to the library and see what we are all about,” Lehman said.
The finale for the Summer Reading Challenge will be a Meet and Greet with Reptarium, an interactive reptile zoo. That event happens Saturday, August 3.
For more information on events like these visit oriontownship.librarycalendar.com.
