Signal-Return celebrates 6th birthday with gala

Signal-Return, the fun letter-press shop in Eastern Market, will celebrate its sixth birthday Friday evening with a gala fundraiser indoors and outdoors, complete with live music from Third Man Records.

Third Man will be bringing their combination rolling record shop and DJ booth, which will be staffed by musician Brent Smith, one-half of the Kresge-winning hip-hop performance troupe Passalacqua.

Third Man’s also bringing acoustic guitarists Todd Albright and Danny Kroha, who will each perform.

“Some of this is going to happen outside, hopefully,” said Signal-Return director Lynne Avadenka, “and there’s been concern about keeping their fingers warm. So we’ll blow heaters right at them.”

This being a letter press, there also will be printing.

You’ll be able to print five different holiday cards yourself, while in another part of the shop, they’ll be grinding out event posters designed by S-R veteran Joel Grothaus.

“We’ll ink up the block, and instead of a printing press, we’ll use a steam roller to transfer the image to paper,” Avadenka explained.

She laughed. “It’s sort of spectacle printing.”

Refreshments will be furnished by Cairo Coffee and Lake Brothers Beer. Admission starts at $20, though kids and teens get in free.

mhodges@detroitnews.com

(313) 222-6021

Twitter: @mhodgesartguy

‘Signal-Return Annual Fundraiser: Ink Up!’

6-10 p.m. Friday

Signal-Return

1345 Division, Detroit

Tickets: $20 per person

(313) 567-8970

signalreturnpress.org/ink-up