Cover Stories
Meet Detroit songwriting duo Jenny & Jackie ahead of the Hamtramck Music Fest
Jen David and Jeffrey Thomas had each been writing and performing with local bands for several years before they finally met (and eventually married). But it would be a couple more years before they formed their groovy minimalist-pop project known as Jenny & Jackie. They’ve had a busy first few years together, including the opening…
6 can’t-miss acts at Hamtramck Music Fest
The sixth annual Hamtramck Music Fest kicks off this weekend — a volunteer-run, multi-day, all-local marathon of musical performances from more than 200 bands spread across 24 of the city’s venues. Proceeds from wristband sales benefit music programming at Hamtramck Public Schools, and there are some all-ages and daytime and early evening events to catch…
Why Detroit rapper Leaf Erikson just can’t quit
It’s a cold February evening and downtown Detroit’s Anchor Bar is quiet. A handful of patrons converse a half a decibel above a murmur as top 40 hits from yesteryear play from the speakers mounted high on the wall. Detroit-born rapper and producer Leaf Erikson knows this area well; he spent 22 years not too…
Grab your broomstick for screening of ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ at Michigan Theater
There are perhaps few filmmakers as capable of creating whimsical worlds where people of all ages, races, and backgrounds can escape into as Hayao Miyazaki. As part of its ‘Icons of Anime Film Series,’ the Michigan Theater will screen Miyazaki’s 1989 fan favorite Kiki’s Delivery Service, which follows 13-year-old witch-in-training and broomstick-riding courier Kiki and…
‘Black Women Rock’ celebrates 15 years with concert and film screening at the Wright
“Black girl magic” is not easily defined — it’s something that is meant to be felt. Though the term was coined by CaShawn Thompson in 2013, then-19-year-old Detroit poet and activist jessica Care moore came up with “black girl juice” to mean the same thing in 1996 — that “unadulterated dopeness” exhibited by black girls…
James Bay brings his ‘Electric Light’ to the Royal Oak Music Theatre
It’s been five years since British crooner cutie James Bay dropped the earworm “Hold Back the River,” and a lot has changed. For one, Bay, released last year’s Electric Light, which finds the 28-year-old flexing everything from Allen Ginsberg poems, R&B, and soars to OneDirection-level of infectious pop. Secondly, he has since supported everyone from…
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater bring signature performance to the Detroit Opera House
As America found itself in the throes of the civil rights movement, a small group of black dancers assembled under choreographer and activist Alvin Ailey for a one-night-only performance in New York in 1958. Sixty years later, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates its status as being a “cultural Ambassador to the world” with…
Singer-songwriter José James celebrates Bill Withers with Detroit tribute
Though Bill Withers, now 80, has been retired from music for nearly 35 years, his contributions are still felt widely through the music community. Among those touched, is R&B singer-songwriter José James who has curated a contemporary program of Withers’ hits such as “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” and “Just the Two of Us” as…
Artist Robert Mapplethorpe celebrated with visual concert world premiere in Ann Arbor
Punk poet Patti Smith once wrote, “We went our separate ways, but within walking distance of one another,” in reference to her relationship with the late artist Robert Mapplethorpe, the photographer known for his intimate and compelling portraits. Celebrating Mapplethorpe’s work 30 years after his untimely death from HIV/AIDS is the world premiere of Triptych…
Hometown techno innovator Kevin Saunderson will play TV Lounge for free
The Detroit-area native built his name as part of the legendary “Belleville Three” for his contributions to the blueprint and innovation behind techno music. Although those days are long gone, Saunderson’s impact has been felt far and wide. Skip the plane to Europe and catch Kevin Saunderson in front of an intimate hometown crowd at…
Detroit Polaroids get super sized for ‘Larger Than Life’ at Tangent Gallery
Sponsored by Woodward Camera, ‘Larger Than Life’ will showcase more than 75 Polaroid and Instax photographs from artists who have captured the essence of Detroit using an instant format. Each image featured has been scanned and re-printed to be larger than the original print, and each print will be available to purchase for $20. Donations will…
Lyft to offer discounted rides on St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is quickly approaching, which means brisket and green beer will soon be flowing freely. In an attempt to curb the number of inebriated drivers getting behind the wheel on Sunday, Lyft is teaming up with Budweiser to offer discounted rides on St. Patrick’s Day. The collaboration, as part of a marketing campaign…
Detroit’s storied Lindell AC sports bar returns as pop-up
Before it was razed, Detroit’s Lindell Athletic Club was a favorite watering hole for athletes, celebrities, and fans. And for one night only, Detroiters will have an opportunity to relive it. “The Lindell,” as it was affectionately known, will be resurrected as a pop-up on Saturday, March 16 at the Detroit Historical Museum to mark the opening…
Corktown’s Anthology Coffee is moving to Eastern Market
Corktown’s Anthology Coffee is relocating to Eastern Market, a year after it originally announced its plans to move. The shop is closing today but could be open in its new location as soon as next month. A preview might be in store for this Saturday, Eater reports. Anthology has operated out of Ponyride since 2012,…
Pillsbury recalls unbleached flour for possible salmonella contamination
Pillsbury is voluntary recalling 12,185 cases of Unbleached All Purpose Flour that may have been exposed to salmonella. The cases of flour were sold in limited retailers including Publix and Winn-Dixie chain supermarkets. Currently, Publix and Winn-Dixie do not have any Michigan locations. The USDA warns consumers to return or throw out Pillsbury Unbleached All…
Detroit’s Marche du Nain Rouge turns 10 this year
Details are set for Detroit’s annual Marche du Nain Rouge, which returns Sunday, March 24 for its tenth year of chasing away the legendary “Red Dwarf” of Detroit folklore. The party starts at noon on the corner of Second and Canfield Street (across from Traffic Jam & Snug). As in past years, partiers are encouraged…
Steve Bannon, other zealous Trump supporters coming to Cobo Center in Detroit
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and a handful of zealous President Trump supporters are hosting a rally at Cobo Center in Detroit on Thursday evening to raise money for a wall along the border of Mexico. The rally, dubbed “We Build the Wall Town Hall,” also will feature former Milwaukee County Sheriff David…
Second Detroit Police officer fired following investigation into racist Snapchat
Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced Tuesday that a second Detroit Police officer has been terminated following a racially insensitive Snapchat post. Both an internal investigation and environmental audit were launched immediately following the post which resulted in the firing of Corporal Gary Steele just last month. Officer Michael Garrison, who had served 18.5 years with…
Nancy Pelosi won’t let Rashida Tlaib impeach the motherfucker
A few days after Detroit Rep. Rashida Tlaib announced she planned to move forward with a resolution to impeach Donald Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a Washington Post reporter that impeachment isn’t yet an option. Tlaib caused a controversy in December after telling supporters that Democrats who were about to take control of the…
Paul Stanley explains why Kiss never set out to be cool and struggles to name a single influential woman in his life
Paul Stanley truthers are a thing now. A quick YouTube search of Kiss’ starry-eyed frontman turns up several people claiming that Stanley has been lip-syncing through the band’s most recent farewell tour performances. One user, In My Head, points out that Stanley is about “three feet away” from the microphone when his intro scream to…
We need your help to find the ‘Best of Detroit’ — voting ends March 22
Now listen, see: We’re looking for the Best of Detroit, and we need your help. Share the city’s best food, drinks, entertainment, and more in Metro Times’ 2019 Best of Detroit poll by midnight on March 22. We’ll share the answers in our Best of Detroit issue, due on newsstands April 24. You can vote…
Trump proposed more cuts to Great Lakes cleanup funding
President Donald Trump has proposed massive spending cuts, some of which could impact the Great Lakes. Trump announced Monday his proposal for a $4.7 trillion spending budget. If passed, the proposed budget would slash $270 million of the $300 million allocated to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. This is the third consecutive year that Trump…
Vinsetta Garage owners may convert Ann Arbor’s Fingerle Lumber into a brewpub
The family-owned Fingerle Lumber of Ann Arbor, with its sheet-metal walls and reclaimed wood paneling, may be surprisingly well-suited for the brewpub seeking to replace it. Fingerle, which has operated continually since 1931, is owned by brothers John and Mark Fingerle, who told MLive in November 2018, that they planned to retire and sell the…
City creates online database of Detroit restaurants’ health inspections
The city of Detroit has created an interactive database listing health code violations found in the city’s restaurants. The archive of data, which features inspections from August 2016 through January 2019, filters restaurants by inspection date, the number of violations, and the restaurants’ compliance status. The city breaks down violations into three main categories —…
‘Say Yes To The Prom Dress’ returns to Detroit
Prom can be one of the most memorable nights of a young woman’s life — a chance to wear gorgeous formal attire and head-turning hair and makeup. But while the memories of prom are priceless, the costs of the going to prom can be pretty steep. According to a study by Visa, parents on average…
Gov. Whitmer to speak at UM spring commencement in Ann Arbor
She may be a Spartan, but Governor Whitmer is set to address thousands of Wolverines in the Big House at the University of Michigan’s commencement this spring. The university announced Monday that Gov. Whitmer, who received two degrees from MSU and has a private residence in East Lansing, will take the stage in Ann Arbor…
Hitmakers Nelly, TLC and Flo Rida head to metro Detroit this summer
Hip-hop hitmakers Nelly and Flo Rida are heading to metro Detroit this summer, and they’re bringing along surviving members of ’90s girl group, TLC. The trio of acts are headed to DTE Energy Music Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 17 as part of the third birthday celebration of throwback hip-hop and R&B station, 105.1 The Bounce.…
How state police can easily identify you from surveillance cameras
It’s not hard for police to track you down from images captured on surveillance cameras. Without notifying you, the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office has been sharing all of its digital photos with state police since 1998, the Free Press reports. The database of photos, which also includes pictures scraped from social media during investigations,…
Kiss will give ‘Detroit Rock City’ one last taste with bombastic farewell show
After 45-years of makeup, madness, and parading around like rock ’n’ roll clowns, Kiss will finally hang up their space armor. A band that once compared itself to herpes is calling it quits with the “End of the Road” tour, which will see Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer, and Eric Singer doing what they…
Royal Oak’s Pasquale’s to close after 65 years
Woodward Avenue pizza and pasta restaurant Pasquale’s plans to close after 65 years in business in Royal Oak. WDIV first reported that the Italian restaurant plans to call it a day. “It is with much sadness that we are announcing our closure. Our last day of business will be Sunday, April 7, 2019,” the company…
Bob Seger gives the people what they want — two more metro Detroit dates
Metro Detroit is not taking Bob Seger’s retirement lightly. First, the hometown rocker announced a pair of dates as part as his highly anticipated “Roll Me Away” tour. Great news. Then, a week later, two more dates at DTE Energy Music Theatre. Damn, OK! And today, he’s drawing the line, you guys, with two more…
Controversial queen of ‘woke’ Amanda Seales will take the Sound Board stage
The 37-year-old comedian, actress, activist, and queen of the clap back is passion personified and perhaps one of the busiest women in the business. Having cut her teeth early on as a Nickelodeon child star later becoming an MTV VJ, and was a touring member R&B group Floetry, Seales now juggles “Small Doses” a weekly…
Poll: Trump is in big trouble in Michigan
President Trump is rapidly losing support in Michigan, a key swing state in presidential elections. Nearly half of Michigan residents “definitely” will not vote for Trump, compared to 31% who said they definitely will, according to an EPIC-MRA poll of 600 active and likely voters. Another 16% said they will probably vote for someone else.…
Here’s how much Michigan’s Congressional delegation takes from the pro-Israel lobby
Muslim Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s recent criticism of the role that the pro-Israel lobby plays in the American politics touched off a controversy that’s divided Democrats for weeks. In February, she tweeted that the lobby’s money influences US politicians’ positions, which some took as an anti-Semitic remark. She apologized, but reaffirmed “the problematic role of…
Bernie Sanders criticizes Blue Cross CEO over $19M pay
Blue Cross Blue Shield CEO Daniel Loepp is under fire after it was revealed that the leader of Michigan’s largest health insurance company earned $19.2 million last year — more than most for-profit executives in the state. The figure drew attention from Vermont Senator and U.S. 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who has campaigned on single-payer…
Dollar Tree to close up to nearly 400 stores on top of 120 it closed in 2018
Dollar Tree will close hundreds of its Family Dollar stores as part of a massive restructuring plan announced Wednesday. The company says it plans to close as many as 390 stores nationwide, which is expected to include Michigan locations, although a spokeswoman for the company told Patch the company isn’t releasing the full list of stores…
Michigan AG delivers blow to anti-fracking measure
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel delivered another blow Thursday to a nonprofit group’s efforts to ban the use of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, within the state. The AG asked the Michigan Court of Claims to dismiss a lawsuit by the Committee to Ban Fracking in Michigan, a nonprofit group that submitted nearly 271,000…
Movement announces stage lineups for 2019 festival
Detroit’s Movement music festival is gearing up for another big Memorial Day weekend. The festival, taking place May 25 through 27 at Detroit’s Hart Plaza, announced on Thursday the lineups for its individual stages, which will feature the return of five stages of thumping techno, house, and hip-hop. The Movement stage will see Belgian techno-elites…
Greta Van Fleet, the Raconteurs among rumored Woodstock 2019 performers
Peace, love, and Imagine Dragons? Lineup details have leaked for Woodstock 50 which is scheduled to take place Aug. 16-18 in Watkins, Glen, New York — about an hour-and-a-half away from the original Woodstock site. Michigan-natives and polarizing Grammy Award-winners Greta Van Fleet are among the leaked artists along with Jack White’s project, the Raconteurs which…
Duggan proposes balanced $1.1B budget designed to keep state off Detroit’s back
Detroit Mayor Duggan proposed a balanced, $1.1 billion budget on Tuesday that he says will keep the state off the city’s back. Duggan told the Detroit City Council that revenue is expected to increase by $34 million in the fiscal year that ends in June 2019. That’s good news for a city that emerged from…
Marco Carola brings Music On event to Detroit
When it comes to techno parties, Italian-phenom Marco Carola has cemented himself as one of the world’s most highly sought after DJ acts. The longtime Ibiza resident has built a reputation with his marathon DJ sets, some of which have expanded in excess of 30 consecutive hours. Using an unorthodox three-deck system and coming with…
R. Kelly under investigation in Detroit for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl
Singer R. Kelly is now under investigation for sexual misconduct in three cities, now including Detroit, where Kelly is alleged to have sex with a 13-year-old girl in 2001. CBS 2 Chicago reports that a woman has come forward with claims that Kelly had given her herpes at 17 and that he had sex with…
Detroit’s Masonic Temple to get $2 million upgrade under new deal with AEG Presents
Things are looking up for the world’s largest Masonic Temple. The historic Detroit venue will get a $2 million renovation as part of a new operating agreement with AEG Presents. Under the deal, announced Thursday, Los Angeles-based AEG Presents will also exclusively operate and book talent for the venue’s 4,400-capacity Masonic Temple Theatre and the…
Another Eastern Market business closes after wealthy developer purchases building
(This story was updated at 12:50 p.m. with comments from the developer.) Bloomfield Hills-raised developer Sanford Nelson appears to be behind another Eastern Market business closing. Crain’s reported on Wednesday that Farmers Restaurant abruptly closed the day after Nelson closed on a purchase of the building in which the small diner operated for years. He…
Detroit medics, firefighters told to clean up bloody scenes without training, equipment
Mike Nevin figured it was a prank. There’s no way the city is now requiring firefighters and medics to clean up blood from crime and accident scenes without the proper training or equipment, the president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association told himself. “I thought it was a joke when I first saw it,” Neven…
Duggan promises more surveillance cameras in State of City speech
Mayor Mike Duggan took to the stage Tuesday night for his sixth-ever State of the City address. The speech, held at East English Village Preparatory Academy, addressed issues plaguing Detroit, as well as the progress the city has made since filing for bankruptcy in 2013. A hot topic of the address was more support for…
Comedian Fred Armisen will play fake songs in real life at the Crofoot in Pontiac
Writer, comedian, and musician Fred Armisen is a man of many really cool hats. He’s performed as one half of vest-wearing improvisational holiday duo Garth and Kat on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. He’s also slipped into a black turtleneck to introduce tiny Apple products as the late tech genius, Steve Jobs, and he has…
Opinion: Whitmer’s gas tax hits Michigan’s poorest residents, those with debt
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is proposing a regressive .45-cent-per gallon gas tax that would hit the state’s poorest residents the hardest. The plan would raise close to $2.1 billion for road repairs, but the decision to ding residents comes after the state cut business taxes by about $2 billion over the last decade. To be…
Michigan’s KKK reached its apex in the 1920s — here’s why
With neo-Nazis in the news a lot lately, it can seem like white supremacist groups are on the rise. Here in Michigan, for example, the Detroit-based National Socialist Movement made headlines for its involvement in the 2017 Charlottesville riot, and a violent clash broke out last year when Richard Spencer visited Michigan State University. But…
H&M will open in downtown Detroit later this year
International fast fashion retail giant H&M plans to open the doors to its first Detroit location as early as this fall. The announcement came Wednesday morning via H&M’s new Detroit landlord, Bedrock, and outlined the plans for the 25,000-square-foot store which will span three stories and three buildings along the west side of Woodward Avenue…
Brix Wine Bar plans a move to Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion
Brix Wine Bar’s search for a new home appears to be over now that it’s planning to resettle in the B. Siegel Department Store development at Seven Mile Road and Livernois Avenue, Eater reports. The shop first opened in the West Village in 2017 but abruptly closed following a dispute between owner Mikiah Westbrooks and…
Savage Love: Should I tell my girlfriend about my ‘edging’ kink?
Let’s say my kink is edging and I edge myself for a few days leading up to a date. Is it my responsibility to tell my potential partner? There are a few variables here that are important to note. This is a first/Tinder date, and it’s just a coffee date, BUT she and I have…
Horoscopes (March 6-12)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 In the middle of a “pregnant pause” the issue of where to go from here is one of those things that your will can’t be forced upon. If it’s driving you crazy, I understand. In your world, the need to take action can be overwhelming. So maybe there’s a…
What a postal route can teach us about Detroit
In her film Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route, Bronx-based director and producer Pam Sporn takes a street-level view of the Motor City. The film follows Wendell Watkins, a former Cass Tech classmate of Sporn’s who has spent the past 30 years working postal routes in Detroit’s New Center. We spoke with Sporn to…
Gov. Whitmer provides breath of fresh air by disbanding inept marijuana licensing board
This really seems to be a huge change in attitude toward marijuana from the state government. Last week’s executive order by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to create the Marijuana Regulatory Agency — and get rid of the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board — showed that her support for Prop. 1 and other issues related to marijuana legalization…
Palestinian-Jordanian group 47Soul makes global connections
In January, music group 47Soul played a homecoming show at the Portico Resto-Pub in the trendy Jabal Al Weibdeh neighborhood in Amman, Jordan. Fresh from their first U.S. tour, the politically tinged Palestinian-Jordanian group played three sold-out shows over two nights. The audiences included parents with toddlers and teens, sweaty pockets of dabke dancers, and…
Review: Young star of ‘Capernaum’ dazzles
A good child actor is hard to find, but in Capernaum director Nadine Labaki has improbably found a troupe of them. It’s a rare thing to walk out of a movie thinking a year-old baby’s a fantastic actor, but it’s true here. Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole) — one of the movie’s standout performers (though many…
More than 40 public and private officials charged in federal investigations in Michigan… so far
Fifteen cops. Five suburban trustees. A former state senator. Millionaire moguls. They’re among more than 40 public and private officials charged as part of a long-running and expanding federal investigation into public corruption in metro Detroit. The charges range from extortion and money laundering to bribery and conspiracy to distribute drugs. Some defendants have been…
Opinion: DTE’s rate increases punish the region’s poorest customers
During the record-breaking cold weather earlier this year, DTE Energy told Michiganders to cut back on our energy use to avert grid failure. I did it, along with many Michiganders, to prevent harm to my community. We all thought of the greater good. But the same cannot be said of DTE. DTE is about to…
Trump can’t win — he can only hope the other guy loses
Close your eyes and imagine a modern Republican uttering these words: “Because I am a businessman … the doctrinaires of the opposition have attacked me as an opponent of liberalism. But I was a liberal before many of these men had heard the word. … I believe that the forces of free enterprise must be…
Review: DCFC’s Detroit clubhouse seeks a family-friendly, English pub vibe
Anyone who’s attended a Detroit City Football Club game knows that fans of Le Rouge are, shall we say, fanatic. It made sense to give them a further place to experience their love, by opening a restaurant, the Clubhouse, in the team’s fieldhouse downtown. So the fan base of the Clubhouse includes those who live…
