August to September news

And here’s some wonderful press received lately, too:

– John Sinkevics, Local Spins (Jun 13, 2025)

– Jeff Milo, A Little Too Quiet/Ferndale Michigan (Jun 12, 2025)

New Music August with I Will Rise!

Great July show and New Music Release!

2019 highlights welcome 2020

Short of doing a decade overview – and this decade was quite a changing up decade with three albums released, tours of Italy and the U.K. and many awards and videos with great Detroit shows, too (and a wedding and teaching and Wayne State University degrees, health challenges, very challenging and sad loss of my father, but also much grateful love 🙂 – here’s a little recap of 2019

The first book is here! “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” is available now with “street princess poems & lyrics” with some prose, finally done. The next book features much more prose but first things first! Thank you to Aquarius Press/Aux Media and Heather Buchanan, to the great writers who sent me blurbs for the book and fantastic reviews and family, friends and Scott Dailey and the band for the support! And to WDET-FM NPR Detroit’s Ann Delisi for the great interview which ran for 2 weeks on WDET-FM.

One of the bigger highlights was returning to Detroit’s Concert of Colors with Don Was in July at The Michigan Theatre in Jackson, Michigan and the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Film Theatre for shows filled to capacity.

I was featured in a PBS special “Those on the Front Lines of Cancer” and my song “I Will Rise” was also in the film.  Scott Dailey and I performed the song at “Dancing with The Survivors” for The Pink Fund in Southfield, Michigan, a beautiful night!

We performed up at Earthwork Harvest Gathering up in Lake City, Michigan, with Erin Zindle joining on violin and started doing new recording for a 2020 release

The Downtown Detroit Tree Lighting was amazing in November with approximately 50,000 people attending in the freezing just before Thanksgiving with WXYZ-TV Detroit (ABC) and Downtown Detroit Partnership. Thank you!

November also included the first Book Events at the stellar bookstore Book Beat in Oak Park, Michigan, world-renowned for its particular attention to writers, artists and literary fulfillment. We were also at the River’s Edge Gallery for a Book Event reading in Wyandotte.

The packed house with The Orbitsuns at The Cadieux Café in November on my birthday, a May date at Trinity House Theatre with Mary McGuire and Chris McCall and other shows including Focus Hope in Detroit – culminating in a big 4 night stand with EBird and Friends in Ann Arbor in December! Thank you Erin w/ four tremendous sold-out shows at The Ark.

I’m also honored to have one of my poems in RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music and reading at the Book Event at Third Man Records Detroit. I just another great Book/Music Event In Traverse City, Michigan with Horizon Books and a fun interview with DJ Racin’ Jason on WKLT’s Morning Show – thanks to fabulous DJ and friend Terri Ray as well. 

Also, there’s a great new album titled “Recreation” produced by Freddie Brooks and Orchide Records – it’s a great, rare 10 inch red vinyl, and it features our celebrated band Detroit Energy Asylum and Patti Smith. Here’s a link https://orchiderecords.bigcartel.com/products

Scott and I also have a song “East of Eden” is featured on a new benefit CD which will be be streaming at all Starbucks and sold in conjunction with Pure Michigan – great artists and showing love for Ralston Bowles! –https://localspins.com/the-unprecedented-michigan-music-compilation-showing-love-for-ralston-bowles-local-spins/

With some nice radio airplay this year – thanks to WDET-NPR Detroit, WKLT-FM Traverse City, WHFR-FM Dearborn, 107.1 WQKL-FM Ann Arbor, Michigan, WAKT-LP 106.1 FM Toledo, Rock-Radio-UK Spins in Porstmouth England U.K., WYCE-FM 88.1 Grand Rapids, Ferndale Radio 100.7 FM, WLNZ 89.7FM in Lansing, thanks!

Love,
Carolyn

Summer/Fall Festivals and New Book 2019

What a month July was! From 2 nights performing for a third time with Don Was and Don’s All Star Revue at the Michigan Theatre in Jackson, Michigan, and at the DIA Film Theatre in the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) for The Concert of Colors, thank you! All the artists celebrating Motown’s 60th Anniversary together were excellent. We also had a Poets & Pies show with poets from Detroit and San Francisco in St. Clair Shores – nice crowd, pie, words and music. 

Next! On Saturday evening, August 24th, we’ll be at The Focus Hope Photography Festival at Focus Hope Detroit. We’ll be performing at 6:00 pm, and the Festival runs from 2 pm to 9 pm with Detroit Photographers and photography, music and food trucks. Free admission! If you’re in Detroit, hope to see you at Cool Cities Park on Woodrow Wilson Street in Detroit – directions and details athttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/focus-on-detroit-photography-festival-tickets-63495252008 

Photo: Dori Sumter 2019; Poster Khary Frazier/Focus Hope

Labor Day weekend, we’re at The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival Sunday afternoon, September 1, 2019  at 4 pm in the heart of great food, awesome bands and music, carnival rides and more!  https://hamtownfest.com/   Hope to see you in Hamtramck, Michigan this holiday weekend – free admission.

Also, we’re returning to Earthwork Harvest Gathering from Friday to Sunday, September 20th to September 22nd in northern Michigan’s Lake City Earthwork Farm with so many great bands. Erin Zindle (The Ragbirds) will be sitting in with us on violin! Erin and I have written a new song together, too this summer, being recorded this Fall. http://earthworkharvestgathering.com/ 

My book is coming out this Fall. Detroit (Street Princess) features poems & lyrics of the 1st of 2 volumes. I’ll be appearing on WDET-FM 101.9 NPR Detroit and having several book openings, too.

We’re hoping to release new music in 2020 with the summer U.K. Tour

Love, and thank you for listening,

Carolyn

July 2019 with Don Was All-Star Revue, Concert of Colors; photo Nancy Schoenheide-Phares
July 2019 with Don Was All-Star Revue, Concert of Colors; photo unknown

Carolyn Striho, with husband and guitarist Scott Dailey, brought a more muscular rock edge to the Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” blending nicely with Bowen and Mitchell and adding a bit of dramatic improvisation to the ending. Gary Graff, Oakland Press, July 14, 2019 – Don Was Concert of Colors All Star Revue