On Friday, August 17, the Cadieux Café hosted a record release party for the album No Man’s Fran from Man Francisco, an oddity of an act that centers around the constant of Francis Jaramillo, who has performed original music since 2008 with various configurations of other musicians, including outside collaboration with Bayard Kurth, who writes all the band’s lyrics. The newest album features a wide array of musicians, including James DeCarlo (bass), Jesse Kramer (drums), Brian Sheehan (guitar), Steven Wereley, Stephen Garcia and Peter Avigne, and the evening’s performance also included primary contributors Natalie Frakes and Grace Rodgers on violins and vocals.

Frakes and Rodgers during the performance. Jaramillo’s hand is visible to the far right.

Though Man Francisco is very much in the ensemble performative spirit made popular of late by bands like Arcade Fire, the sound is highly eclectic and difficult to pin down. The performance at Cadieux heavily showcased the talents of Frakes and Rodgers, who did much of the singing and held down center stage, while Jaramillo preferred to play keyboards set up so far stage right that you could barely see him. The video above features a more stripped-down performance, and obviously Jaramillo is the main subject. Man Francisco as an entity seems to be a highly experimental and ever-changing music organization.

The new album raised funding through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

A packed house at the Cadieux, enjoying the band and the atmosphere.

The crowd at Cadieux was large and lively, enjoying the ambience of one of Detroit’s legacy establishments. Many native Detroiters might detect a glint of nostalgia in their parents’ eyes if they mention the Cadieux as their destination—the place was established as a Prohibition-era speakeasy and owned by the Devos family since the 1960s, tailored to cater to the then-thriving Belgian population in the area. Though times have changed, the Cadieux has done its best to stay the same, offering traditional Belgian fare, including giant pots of steamed mussels, a dizzying array of top-shelf beers, and a feather-bowling lane. Truly a must-do for any Detroiter looking for a unique experience.

Cadieux boasts the “nation’s only authentic feather-bowling lane.” Feather bowling can best be described as a kind of life-sized shuffleboard that involves slaloming balls that look like wheels of cheese down a dirt halfpipe. Seriously.

Cadieux Cafe: 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit; 313-882-8560; www.cadieuxcafe.com