Andrew Dost brings Christmas mischief, fun to Leland’s Old Art Building
From staff reports
Andrew Dost, the Frankfort native and Grammy Award-winning member of the indie rock band Fun., whose hit single “We Are Young” topped the charts for six straight weeks in 2012, will headline a Christmas Variety Show at the Old Art Building in Leland on Friday, Dec. 23, at 6:30 pm.
The retro-inspired performance, which has already sold out, will include caroling, comedy, and holiday cheer. (Call 231-256-2131 to be added to the waitlist.) Imagine Lawrence Welk, Dolly Parton, and the Muppets collaborating to put on a festive show. Dost will be joined on stage by Jack M. Senff, A.S. Lutes, a jazz combo, a choir, and sketch comedy by Hot Metal Playground.
Dost, the valedictorian of his 2001 graduating class from Frankfort High School, studied journalism at Central Michigan University and joined the Mt. Pleasant band Anathallo before he got together with Nate Ruess and Jack Antonoff in 2008 to launch Fun. A songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Dost has performed at legendary venues including The White House, Saturday Night Live, Coachella and with bands including Queen and the Beach Boys. He composed the soundtrack together with Antonoff for the 2015 dark comedy movie The D Train and is currently an instructor of singer-songwriting at the Interlochen Arts Academy.
He left Los Angeles and returned to northern Michigan during the COVID-19 pandemic because of “this gravitation force that makes us want to be here. Anyone who lives in northern Michigan understands it has this magic that’s impossible to describe. Sometimes it’s as simple as a bite of squash that came out of your neighbor’s garden.”
Read our full interview with Dost, who talked about why he returned to northern Michigan, therapy dogs and his beloved Pitbull named Carly, his love for cooking and foraging, his support for LGBTQ activism, and what he envisions for future Christmas variety shows at the Old Art Building. Spoiler: Dost wants fun, silly pet tricks including rats dressed in basketball jerseys all going after a meatball.
Glen Arbor Sun: Any other movies for which you’ve written soundtracks, or other projects of note?
Andrew Dost: I just finished the score for By My Side, a film about therapy dogs for veterans. It highlights a program that pairs vets suffering from PTSD with dogs that help them. It’s about the healing power of therapy dog companions, and how transformative they are for the whole family. The family dynamics shift when a dog enters the picture, veterans open up, and reconnect with their friends and families. One of my students at Interlochen has a therapy dog.
I’m a dog owner, too. My relationship with my dog has been transformative, healing for me. My dog’s name is Carly, she’s a real sweetheart. She’s a pitbull. We’ve had each other about eight years. She’s more than just a companion to go on hikes with. We love the trails out at Old Mission Peninsula. We try to find new ones all the time. The longer we’ve spent time together, the deeper and richer the connection between us. You learn what her different cries and whines mean.
Sun: Beyond your own fame, you’ve performed with some world-famous artists. Can you share some of your top performance experiences.
Dost: I was lucky enough to play with Queen. I got to sing with the Beach Boys. I have been pretty lucky to play with artists I admire, and also friends doing cool things. I just love to collaborate and share music with people. That’s what it’s all about for me. Making new friends, making music with old friends. It’s the season to celebrate, but lets throw in another day to celebrate.
Sun: What brought you back home to Michigan?
Dost: Michigan just is home. When I think about living other places, I’ve lived in New York, in LA. When the pandemic hit, I was living in LA. When I’m not in Michigan, I think about it—my family, my friends, the land, the water. I feel the pull. I loved living in LA, but for some reason there was this gravitation force that makes us want to be here. Anyone who lives in northern Michigan understands it has this magic that makes it impossible to describe. Sometimes it’s just a bite of squash that came out of your neighbor’s garden.
Sun: Other than music, what are your passions?
Dost: I love to make food, to make recipes. I love to eat. I love to experiment with stuff, combine flavors that appeal to me. I didn’t realize how much I loved to cook until about a year ago. I’m thinking constantly about the next meal. We’re also so lucky in Michigan. The ground here wants us to survive. We have leeks in the springtime, harvesting ramps, using ferns, mushrooms. I love foraging. The Earth is wanting to nurture us here. I love to make ice cream. Tonight I’m gonna make an acorn squash with compound miso butter.
Sun: Tell us about your support for LGBTQ activism. What other causes are you committed to?
Dost: That started during the heyday of Fun. Can’t we just let everyone love who they love, and marry who they want. It’s about trans rights, too. Humans are humans, love is love. It’s baffling that the party of small government, the Republicans, want to take those rights away. Human rights are human rights. I’m also a big advocate for animal shelters, animal welfare. My dog Carly was a rescue dog. Carly was the one who I hoped no one else adopted her before I did. She barked a lot, but I could see the sweeter side of her. The Cherryland Humane Society is incredible.
Sun: What inspired you to make this variety show at the Old Art Building? I know you’ve been thinking about doing it for at least a couple of years. For which charity is the show raising money?
Dost: I don’t remember how Mike Rizik and I begin putting this all together. We love the Muppets, Dolly Parton. Having a big Christmas variety show with friends sounded fun. The pandemic squashed the previous couple attempts. We wanted to loop in other performers who had similar ideas. If we told someone and they wanted in, they were in. We’ll include Hot Metal playground and sketch comedy. We want to do this year in year out. We want to include a talent portion, and make it the weirder the better. This is year one, but we’re just getting our legs under us. Lots more Christmas mischief. I’d like it to happen every year. Let’s see if it works. Let’s refine it, hone it, shift it.
Part of what I really love about this area, is if you have an idea, you find a community for it. If people get excited by it, all are welcome. I sure hope they’ll have us back at the Old Art Building. I admire what they do there, like the ice sculpture event. It’s a magical place.
The money raised is for Detroit Disability Power, which advocates for accessibility. We chose them because they do important work. During winter months they’re exponentially more important.
Sun: For those who can’t attend, how would you describe the show?
Dost: We’re trying to make it a full variety show. This year it won’t have everything. No plate spinning or stupid pet tricks. Mostly music. A lot of different people playing Christmas and wintry songs. Next year we might incorporate a lot of weird ideas. Think rats in basketball jerseys going after a meatball. We’ll have to train them, of course.
Sun: What other current creative projects are you working on?
Dost: I’m finishing an album and started a new band, called Metal Bubble Trio. The album will be called “Cucumber.” The final mixes are coming together, it will be out in 2023. We’re putting together live shows around the Midwest. We hope to expand the scope once the album is done. Most of the record is made in the home studio or with remote collaborators. We hadn’t shared live music in about five years. Our first show was this fall at Earthwork Harvest Gathering.
Sun: Did you celebrate Christmas growing up, or has it played an important role in your life?
Dost: I grew up celebrating Christmas. I get sentimental around the holidays. Every emotion feels heightened. This is a time to put aside our differences and establish a template for the coming year. A time to be more patient, more gentle. We want to have our hearts open. This time of year reminds us to live that way. The best of human kind, how we come together, eat food, care for each other. We are capable of more, able to live to the best of ourselves. We should ask ourselves, “Can you be a little more forgiving? Be a little more creative, forgiving, and show a little more joy?”
This story was sponsored by Serbin Real Estate.
