Foustland

One of the cool things about examining a scene that has a developed over the course of 20+ years is that enough time has passed that people from the scene back in the day have grown up and moved on to their adult lives.  For many in the Flint scene, that has meant going to college, and leaving Flint to pursue their careers, or simply leave Flint and find a job somewhere where there are jobs.  Flint, more than most places, has really lost a lot of good people, simply because of a lack of opportunity in the area.  For some, however, leaving Flint isn't an option, so you just deal and get on with your life...

I met a couple of guys, who were part of the Flint scene back in the 80's and 90's, who as a result of exposure to hall shows (and the shows at the Capitol and Flint Local 432) learned that downtown Flint isn't such a bad place, so they decided to operate their own businesses right downtown.

Mike Abraham, proprietor of Mike's Triple Grille, is one of the guys I met.  What started as a food cart at the Courtland Center in Burton, MI, Mike decided that he could fill a void in the downtown Flint area, and he opened up a sandwich shop, making snadwiches that are grilled three times.  A different taste for lunch that seems to be well received.  Mike is a self professed metal head who used to give a hard time to the local punks of the scene.  As I have mentioned before, the Flint scene is small enough to have a mixing of musical genres at many hall shows, so he wasn't a stranger to these events.  Mike mentioned to me that it was a direct result of going to shows in downtown Flint that gave him assurance that it isn't such a bad place to open a business.  Flint gets a bad rap for seeming crimey, but right downtown there is a nice area along Saginaw Street to have a business.  Mike is keeping it real though.  He understands that even though there are lofts and other new developments going up downtown, there are also businesses in the area that are closing or reducing staff.  The lunch market is widely supported by people who work in the area downtown, so if businesses are decreasing, there are less people to get lunch.  Mike is cooking up some tasty looking sandwiches, I wish him the best!

UPDATE: December 2010 - Mikes Triple Grille has closed its doors, I hear Mike is doin' alright though

A couple doors down from the Triple Grille is another business that is run by a Hall Show scenester.  Flint City T-Shirts is run by Mikey Clark, who got involved in going to Hall Shows to support his friend, and founder of Flint City T-Shirts, Ingus - who was a member of the band Burnt Toast.  Well the shop opened up, Ingus left and Mikey took over the place.  They are kicking out some great shirts with Flint themed graphics, as well as doing printing jobs for anyone needing screen printed shirts, graphics, cards, hats, whatever... As Mikey explained, there are a lot of businesses in the area that are doing this, so there is a good deal of competition.  The difference I see with Flint City T-Shirts is that there is a cool little storefront retail space where you can go in and get your Flint themed stuff, with screen printing operations going on in the back of the place.  Most screen printers usually only have a printing operation, and maybe a business office.  So it is pretty unique, and the Flint stuff makes it all cool too.

So while the rest of the world kicks Flint while it is down, here are two examples of business owners who have taken a chance and brought their operations into downtown Flint, are making it work, and in tying it to the Hall Show Documentary - were part of the scene back in the day.  Pretty cool!