Cover Story
How Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson made ‘Detroiters,’ a TV comedy about Detroit, for Detroit
Sister, Sister. Home Improvement. Martin. Freaks and Geeks. All of these sitcoms were set in metro Detroit, but you might not even know it had it not been for an aerial shot of downtown after the opening credits rolled, or small plot points like Tia and Tamera Mowry’s characters on Sister, Sister attending college at…
Emo veterans Paramore will bring their pop riot through DTE Energy Theatre
From “Misery Business” to “Fake Happy,” pop-punk priestess Hayley Williams and her Paramore crew have proved themselves to be the ultimate musical mood ring. Having traded in the mosh pit for a dance floor on 2017’s After Laughter, Paramore has proved their staying power with their ability to change direction and, of course, Williams’ vocal…
The woman behind the jewelry of ‘Black Panther’ to lead talk at Charles H. Wright museum
What the blockbuster film Black Panther did was more than entertain — it transported, informed, and dazzled audiences. The casting was on point, the special effects were amazing, but one element stood out — the jewelry. The woman responsible for adorning the people of Wakanda with one-of-a-kind pieces? That would be L.A.-based artist Douriean Fletcher, whose…
Public Enemy’s Professor Griff to host tribute in honor of the band’s seminal album
Def Jam Records changed the world 30 years ago when it released Public Enemy’s seminal album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Who better to pay tribute to the lasting impact of one of the most influential albums of all time than Public Enemy’s own Professor Griff? Paying tribute to the…
Detroit-area Muslim leaders blast Supreme Court ruling on travel ban
Several Muslim leaders from the metro Detroit area have blasted Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling to uphold President Trump’s travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries. Dawud Wali, director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), denounced the decision. “We believe it was based upon anti-Muslim animus, and it violates our constitution,” he said. A lawsuit filed…
How Michigan tried to discredit Flint pediatrician’s lead warnings
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha first became aware of the possibility that lead was poisoning Flint’s children while she had a glass of wine with old friends in her kitchen. One of her friends, a former Environmental Protection Agency water expert, asked her if she was aware that lead appeared to be poisoning children in Flint. Flint…
Bevlove, Payroll among performers for inaugural Kindred Fest at Detroit’s Roosevelt Park
The word “kindred” comes from a combination of “kin” and the Old English word “ræden,” which comes from the verb meaning “to advise.” That being said, we advise you to check out the newly announced inaugural Kindred Music and Culture Festival, because the lineup is straight fire. The festival strives to celebrate blackness by highlighting some of the…
MOCAD preps two Tyree Guyton exhibitions
While artist Tyree Guyton has been quietly dismantling and consolidating his Heidelberg Project into a permanent museum, MOCAD is getting ready to host a pair of exhibitions of the artist’s work later this year. 2+2=8: Thirty Years of Heidelberg will open to the public on Friday, Sept. 7, followed by Process on Saturday, Oct. 13. 2+2=8 will be a…
Two state cops allegedly stole a pink-seated bicycle to bar hop on Mackinac
The Michigan State Police department is back in the spotlight for bad behavior on the part of some of its officers. This time, the cops aren’t accused of racial profiling or killing teens — they’re said to have stolen a bicycle and double-ridden it between bars on Mackinac. Lieutenant Andrew Logunski and Detective Sergeant Derrick…
You can now keep your dog inside an air-conditioned chamber in Ferndale
Picture this: It’s hot, you’re walking the dog through a commercial area, and suddenly you’re gripped by the enticing scent and cool air of a nearby restaurant. You must go inside. But, what ever will you do with your dog?! You certainly can’t leave it tied up in the heat. Now, thanks to two Ferndale…
Nothing major went down at last night’s fireworks show
Breaking News: nothing major went down during Detroit’s 60th annual Ford fireworks show last night, MLive reports. Only in Detroit would this be considered a newsworthy headline. A few arrests and ejections were made near Hart Plaza during the festivities, but there were no other major reports of violence. There had been a string of…
Father John Misty heads Audiotree Music Festival lineup in Kalamazoo
He may be music journalists’ most divisive subject and modern-day existentialism’s poster boy but one thing is true of God’s Favorite Customer — Father John Misty is headlining the Audiotree Music Festival and we couldn’t be more excited. Audiotree, the Chicago-based, Michigan-born studio session company, returns with its 6th iteration of the Audiotree Music Festival…
Didn’t make it into Detroit’s train station this weekend? Here’s what you missed
If you weren’t one of the tens of thousands of people to catch a glimpse of the dilapidated Michigan Central Station during several days of tours, not to worry, a YouTube user has you covered. User MyOldHouseFix presumably braved the at times hours-long line to take video of the inside of the structure. They captured…
Pricey but powerful writers’ conference convenes in Windsor next week
On its coasts, North America has no shortage of conferences about the business of writing — that is to say the struggle writers face to turn editors’ heads, second-guess their own manuscripts, promote their reputations, or even negotiate the world of self-publishing. Some of them cost several hundred dollars, and that’s not counting air fare,…
Detroit Greenways Coalition responds to Keith Crain’s anti-bike-lane editorial
More than a week has passed since Keith Crain, scion of the Crain media family, issued his editorial railing against the appearance of bike lanes in Detroit. If the editorial doesn’t come to mind, perhaps the field day many commenters had with the opinion piece does. The mockery came from local blogs, lit up local…
Downtown Detroit is gaining Latin street food and falafel spots
Downtown Detroit has two new casual restaurants to add to the bucket list. Clementina, a Latin street food concept by Townhouse and Prime and Proper owner Jeremy Sasson, opens sometime before the Fourth of July. ChickP, a new spot from the owners of La Pecora Nera and Chick Pea In The D, is now hosting…
Hundreds of musicians invited to perform the White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army’ simultaneously on Belle Isle
It could be argued that you don’t need 1,000 musicians to perform The White Stripes pulsing-rock anthem “Seven Nation Army” — you just need two. But the folks over at Rockin’ 1000 beg to differ. Over the years, Rockin’ 1000 has successfully organized massive music events where thousands of musicians unite to perform one song simultaneously.…
As Motor City Blight Busters turns 30, a new chapter begins
As far as anniversaries go, Motor City Blight Busters is enjoying a trifecta: The nonprofit’s founder, John George, was born and raised in the Brightmoor neighborhood not far from his organization’s Old Redford headquarters on June, 24, 1958. He founded Blight Busters 30 years ago in June, and bought the building that houses Artist Village…
‘Occupy ICE’ protesters attempt to shut down Detroit office
More than a dozen protesters have camped outside of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Detroit with the hope of shutting it down. The organizers have been gathered outside the federal building at Jefferson Avenue and Mount Elliot Street since Saturday. They said they planned to stay for a week. “We want to physically,…
Live review: Erykah Badu at Chene Park
Saturday night, Erykah Badu transformed Chene Park into a musical forest, complete with 420-friendly visuals and kaleidoscopes of sound. Set to the backdrop of the Detroit River, blanketed with a cloud of smoke, and separated from Atwater Street by a man-made moat, the amphitheater felt more like an island oasis than a music venue — the…
Detroit media team up with Gilbert, Duggan to promote city ahead of big conference
Members of the Detroit media have joined forces with the people they cover to promote the city ahead of a major journalism conference. The National Association of Black Journalists is expected to bring 3,000 members to Detroit when it holds its annual convention here in early August. A promotional video featuring local black media professionals and…
Here’s why Michigan sucks
Now here’s something Michigan ought to consider adding to kids’ social studies curriculum. Gov. Rick Snyder not only poisoned kids during his time running the state like a business — he also quietly stole from Michigan residents while letting his corporate brethren ride for cheap. A new Free Press report published to coincide with the signing…
Ferndale’s Como’s sold for $3.07 million
Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue is one of metro Detroit’s best intersections for a restaurant thanks to high traffic volume and the high number of people with disposable income living within walking distance. And Peas & Carrots, the hospitality group that bought Como’s last month, paid a steep price to be on that corner…
Flint Eastwood returns with LGBTQ anthem ‘Real Love’
The queen is back — and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. The last time we heard from Flint Eastwood was about five months ago when frontwoman Jax Anderson released the video for “Monster” from 2017’s Broke Royalty. Straight out of Assemble Sound, the Corktown-based music collective Anderson played a hand in founding, Flint Eastwood returns…
Detroit restaurants will donate sales to help families separated at the border
In case you somehow haven’t heard, the ghouls in the Trump administration recently manufactured an immigration crisis by instating a new policy of separating families caught illegally crossing the border. That led to children being pulled from their parents and placed in cages in temporary detention centers. In some cases, border agents told parents that…
The many things that could wind up in Detroit’s rehabbed Michigan Central Station
Ford Motor Co. has big plans for its recently acquired Michigan Central Station in Detroit. If we’re following this correctly, the complex is in talks to possibly include: • Ford’s autonomous vehicle laboratory, the anchor of a campus where 2,500 people will work. • Retail open to the public. • …including a fruit stand, if we…
Charleen, queen of Detroit’s Bronx Bar, featured giving the finger on new shirt
There’s a piece of old Midtown lore about what may well have been Miley Cyrus’ first visit to the area. It was 2010, and the then-only Hannah Montana-famous actress and singer wandered into a bar and, in her signature southern twang, ordered a “fresh-squeezed O.J.” The bartender responded in her own drawl, and asked —…
Detroit City Council approves resolution supporting $15 minimum wage
The Detroit City Council has unanimously approved a symbolic resolution in support of a campaign to boost wages for downtown service workers to $15 an hour. The One Detroit campaign, launched recently by the SEIU, calls for downtown building owners to increase pay for janitors and security guards, and will eventually expand to include workers…
Tim Meadows makes ‘Detroiters’ cameo in season two premiere
Saturday Night Live alum Tim Meadows is set to appear in tonight’s season two premiere of Detroiters, as evidenced by a hilarious clip released by Comedy Central. In the promo clip, Meadows plays Walt Worsch, an attorney in the proud Motor City tradition of awkward personal injury lawyers, and a prospective client of the main characters…
In search of metro Detroit’s best milkshake
The 90-degree days are here and that means it’s milkshake guzzlin’ season in Michigan. But with so many options out there, it’s sometimes difficult to decide where to go for one’s frozen dessert-beverage fix. Fortunately, we got you covered. We tried dozens of milkshakes across southeast Michigan and put together a list of the 10…
Premiere: Handgrenades keeps it creepy with ‘Vampires and Freaks’ video
Remember when Kings of Leon were good? Sure you do. Before their “Sex on Fire” days, the greasy Nashville rockers had this unkempt, and rowdy allure. Thankfully, Detroit’s Handgrenades are here to pass the torch with their latest single, “Vampires and Freaks.” “Vampires and Freaks” marks the first release from Handgrenades since 2016’s Tunnels, which…
Michigan approves anti-gerrymandering proposal for November ballot
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers has approved an anti-gerrymandering ballot proposal for the Nov. 6 election. If the proposals withstands a final court challenge, then voters will likely get to decide on a measure to end gerrymandering of the state’s Legislative and Congressional districts. The non-partisan group Voters Not Politicians created the ballot proposal.…
The Morouns are trying to reach Trump with Fox TV ad
Now that the Morouns have successfully handed Detroit’s Michigan Central Station over to Ford, the billionaire family can get back to doing what it usually does: fighting the government over all things bridge-related. On Wednesday, they made as direct of an appeal as anyone could in trying to get President Donald Trump’s attention — by…
Pop a cold one — Detroit’s Loose Koozies have your sleepy summer jam on tap
“I’ll throw away my damn computer and stop texting pretty girls,” E.M. Allen self-instructs on “Slow Down Time” — the debut single from Detroit’s alt-country foursome, Loose Koozies. As the band gears up to release its first seven-inch on July 4 at Outer Limits Lounge, Allen, along with bandmates Erin Davis, Nick German, and Andrew Moran, have…
Koch brothers target southeast Michigan in nationwide bid to derail public transit proposals
The Koch brothers have been fighting transit initiatives across the country — and may have played a role in the narrow defeat of a regional transit millage right here in southeast Michigan in 2016. A New York Times article out today, titled “How the Koch Brothers Are Killing Public Transit Projects Around the Country,” chronicles…
Big Sean and Emagine Entertainment eye Michigan Central Station as multiplex location
Sean Anderson, aka Big Sean, is making major moves in his hometown. But could one of them involve Ford Motor Co.’s newly acquired Michigan Central Station? Some signs are pointing to yes. It was announced in February that Troy-based movie chain Emagine Entertainment would be teaming up with the Detroit rapper to open a luxury…
Forgotten history: Detroit’s 1943 race riot broke out 75 years ago today
Last year, Detroit abounded with memories of the city during the tumultuous summer of 1967. Call it “the riot” or “the rebellion” as you prefer, but you must agree that the event was scrutinized as never before, the subject of a surge of articles, books, panel discussions, guided tours, museum exhibitions – even a bona…
Spanish Language Film Festival heads to Detroit
For more than a year now, some of the best and richest movies playing here have been screening outside multiplexes. That’s thanks to Cinema Lamont, a small, lean nonprofit dedicated to world cinema, hosting international releases in venues ranging from Ann Arbor to Detroit’s Eastern Market. This Friday sees one of their biggest projects, its…
Chilling with Iceage frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt
Iceage’s Elias Bender Rønnenfelt has been labeled “rock’s most difficult frontman” by several outlets who have attempted to interview him, and by attempt we mean just that. He’s walked out, shit-talked, and shrugged his way through many press obligations spanning his 10-year career. When Fader followed the band in 2014 after the release of Plowing…
Why we need the Michigan Poor People’s Campaign
The rally sponsored by the Michigan Poor People’s Campaign outside Cobo Center last week aimed at taking the moral higher ground in the fight against the financial and political web of poverty. “Jesus was a poor man,” the Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the national Poor People’s Campaign, told the assembled crowd. Michigan Poor People’s…
Review: Asaysia bills itself a ‘dream within a fantasy,’ but what kind of dream is it?
Asaysia Wine and Dine gives you a lot to digest before you ever take a bite. From the vision statement on its website: “The Vision behind Asaysia is to bring the exquisite class, decor, and elegance of New York, Dubai, and Paris France to Downtown Detroit. In order to do this we created a make-believe…
Horoscopes (June 20-26)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 No one has a magic wand big enough to make this turn out the way you want it to. Even the psychics know, experiences don’t happen to people — people happen to experiences. And what you bring to your current situation will make it or break it. At the…
Review: ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’ is stuck in the past
Hollywood finds a way. Hollywood always finds a way — to keep telling the same stories over and over again, that is. If you’ve seen The Lost World: Jurassic Park — the 1997 sequel to 1993’s Jurassic Park — then you’ve pretty much seen Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the sequel to 2015’s reboot of the…
