What do Zippo lighters and U.S.-American labor and civil rights conflicts have in common?   They are both inspiration for Friday Night Live musical performances at the Detroit Institute of Arts for the second half of May.  

Composer and guitarist Phil Kline will perform his Zippo Songs: Poems from The Front on Friday, May 22, 2009. His musical series is rooted in poems documented on lighters by soldiers from the Vietnam to Iraq wars.   Brimming with emotions of hope, happiness, heartache and downright fear, Kline transports the audience directly into the mindset of the source of his inspiration, and ties everything together with a portrayal of numbness that one must obtain to get through such horrific times.  

Sara Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, daughter and son-in-law of Arlo Guthrie, will collaborate with Detroit singer and guitarist Robert Jones on Friday, May 29, 2009. Although the 20th century U.S.-American labor and civil rights conflicts may be a thing of the past, the musical moods that artists such as Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Josh White created as a result are ever-present. Guthrie, Irion and Jones will convey this musical passion and energy through their performance.  

Ambition and perseverance tie these two May Friday Night Live performances together.   Although each has an extremely unique sound, the underlying messages are strikingly parallel.   Both performances begin at 7 p.m., and will repeat at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are free with museum admission.

For a complete schedule of Friday Night Live activities, visit www.dia.org.

Hours and Admission
10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays–Thursdays, 10 a.m. –10 p.m. Fridays, and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays –Sundays. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, and $4 for youth ages 6-17. DIA members are admitted free. For more information, call (313) 833-7900 or visit www.dia.org.