Cover Stories
2019 metro Detroit Pride Guide
Summer in metro Detroit means one thing: festival season. More specifically, though, pride festival season, and to that we say, “Oh, hell yaaaaasssss!” This year’s pride festivities, however, happen to fall upon a very important anniversary. On June 28, 1969, police violently raided the Stonewall Inn — a gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich…
Under new ownership, Ferndale’s iconic Como’s embraces its identity (after a fabulous makeover)
The corner of Woodward Avenue and Nine Mile is looking quite different lately. After being closed for all of last year, the iconic Como’s restaurant opened to the public at the beginning of May, sporting a fresh coat of pastel-colored paint. A mural on the patio seems to illustrate the dramatic transformation, depicting a dapper…
Student criticizes charter school during her salutatorian speech at graduation
Updated 4:30 p.m. Monday, June 10: This post has been updated to include a statement from Universal Academy. Originally posted 12:16 p.m. Wednesday, June 5: A student of Universal Academy, a charter school in Detroit managed by Hamadeh Educational Services, used her graduation speech to call for change in her “unlawful” school before administrators censored…
Bob Seger begins his hometown farewell run this week
The time has come for Michigan-bred rock legend Bob Seger to “Turn the Page” on half a century of “Night Moves” and blue-collar rock ’n’ roll. Seger, 74, is saying farewell to the road with his mostly sold-out Roll Me Away tour, which kicked off in November. Though the rocker had to take time out…
Detroit’s premier vegan Taco Bell-inspired pop-up celebrates one year with a blowout at PJ’s Lager House
Let’s give them something to taco-bout: Celebrating one year of monthly Taco Bell-inspired vegan pop-ups is none other than Street Beet’s Taco Hell. What originated as a culinary curiosity between Street Beet’s Nina Paletta and Meghan Shaw has become one of the city’s most desirable and delectable dining experiences, with a menu featuring the ever…
Detroit’s Senate Theater celebrates 50th anniversary of ‘Easy Rider’ with screening and community ride
Made on a mere $400,000 budget, Dennis Hopper’s directorial debut earned more than $60 million worldwide and, in a meta sort of way, put a national spotlight on an American counterculture that the characters of Easy Rider encountered during the film’s cross-country motorcycle journey. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the film, which stars…
Johnny Ill teams up with Shells and Book Lovers for Ann Arbor performance
If you’re a devout Jonathan Richman fan and a lover of droning, confessional garage rock with an energy drink kick, Detroit’s Johnny Ill might do the trick for you. Led by John William Francisco Garcia with Daniel Kanka and Kevin McGorey, Johnny Ill will headline the raucous affair, which will also see the debut live…
Detroit’s Pewabic Pottery unveils latest collection with annual house and garden show
Detroit’s Pewabic pottery has glaze for days. The National Historic Landmark will kick off its 29th annual house and garden show with a ticketed preview fundraiser where guests can view Pewabic’s latest collection while partaking in a strolling dinner, cocktails, and tunes by the Brett Lucas Trio. Following the preview, the event will open to…
Laith Al-Saadi will kick off Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch concert series
If you’re not hip to Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch, you’re missing one hell of a lunch break. The free midday summer concert series is kicking off its 11th season with Ann Arbor musician Laith Al-Saadi, who scored his 15 minutes of reality TV fame as a finalist on NBC’s The Voice in 2016. Since hitting…
BravoBRAVO! gala celebrates 20th anniversary and Detroit culture with annual fundraiser
This year, Michigan Opera Theatre’s annual black-tie fundraising soirée celebrates Detroit’s culture with a night of interactive exhibits and genre-defying performances that mix the old and new. Case in point: the night’s highlight is a techno rendition of Eduardo di Capua’s “O Sole Mio” sung by renowned Metropolitan Opera House tenor Richard Leech with local…
Get moody and broody with singer-songwriter Anika at Deluxx Fluxx
When European singer Anika surfaced with her 2010 debut of mostly covers, much of her press was super hung up on two things: she’s an ex-political journalist and she’s backed by Portishead producer Geoff Barrow and members of his band, Bleak. Both important items to note, but it’s her purposeful use of her droning, Nico-esque…
Heaven Honey invites Detroit’s Primer, Zilched, and Cashforgold for Hamtramck performance
We totally slept on the release of Novelty — the soaring debut record from Alyssa Midcalf. Also serving as one-half of the Grand Rapids electronic act PARTS, Midcalf dropped Novelty back in March under the alias Primer, and it’s the dystopian disco we didn’t know we needed. Primer will help support Heaven Honey out of…
Detroit-born director Josh Becker discusses ‘Morning, Noon & Night’
Deep in the sleepy suburbs of Detroit, around the mid-1970s, something strange started bubbling. It was a weird cinema mania, a mania which so gripped a circle of neighborhood kids coming up in the Birmingham school district that they devoted their weekends to making their own movies. Eventually, this rag-tag crew, led by director Sam…
Anti-discrimination bills aim to protect LGBTQ+ people in Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled new anti-discrimination bills that would protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, and access to public accommodations. The new bill would amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act by adding gender identity and sexual orientation to Michigan’s protected classes. The announcement came one day after…
Detroit’s Werewolf Jones joins Nots, Olivia Neutron-John, and Fire Heads at UFO Factory
Adam Hunter, Aaron Cohen, and Heath McManus are Werewolf Jones — the Detroit-based band that is doing a damn fine job of keeping the punk-rock torch aflame. Earlier this year, the roommates turned bandmates scored a spot on Metro Times’ annual bands to watch roundup with their sweat-soaked self-titled debut, released on cassette through Rare…
A soft serve ice cream shop is in the works in Midtown
Craft ice cream-maker Cold Truth returned to the Eastern Market over the weekend and announced that it’s planning a second location that will offer vegan and dairy soft serve. Owner Tim Mahoney told Eater that his company is about to sign a lease for a Midtown shop, and more details are to come. The new…
‘The Russian Five’ is coming to VOD, celebrates with sweepstakes
The rewarding and harsh realities of following one’s dreams and stepping outside of identical comfort zones to make it big, as shown in The Russian Five documentary, is coming to VOD on Friday. Back in the 1980s, the Detroit Red Wings were between a rock and a hard place, being considered a laughing stock or…
Gov. Whitmer promised to expunge marijuana-related criminal records in Michigan. Those convicted are still waiting.
Gov. Whitmer promised to expunge pot-related criminal records after legalization. Those convicted are still waiting. More than six months after voters legalized recreational marijuana in Michigan, more than 10,000 residents who have been convicted of minor pot-related offenses in the past decade still have no recourse to clear their criminal records. An additional 3,500 Michigan…
Detroit’s MBAD African Bead Museum launches new exhibition spaces
New life is being breathed into a longstanding Detroit artistic landmark. The MBAD African Bead Museum will soon debut a new Gallery and Community Space, which will launch with a free event from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday, June 22. “For the first time in 17 years, we will have a space where we can engage the…
Former Mayor Bing blasts Duggan, billionaires on Leduff’s podcast
Former Mayor Dave Bing got real during an hour-long interview on Charlie LeDuff’s No BS News Hour, criticizing city leadership and the billionaires who have been relying on public money. Bing, who served as Detroit mayor from 2009 to 2013, began the interview with a no bullshit take on billionaires Chris Ilitch, Dan Gilbert, Roger…
Elizabeth Warren, Jay Inslee will visit Detroit on Tuesday as part of 2020 presidential runs
Two Democratic presidential candidates are set to make campaign stops in Detroit on Tuesday afternoon. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren will participate in a community conversation at the office of Focus: HOPE at 1:30 p.m. Later in the day, she will host a town hall at Lansing Community College at 6:45 p.m. Warren is seen as…
The Isley Brothers and the O’Jays announce performance at Detroit’s Fox Theatre
All aboard the “Love Train” — two Ohio-bred hit-makers are coming together for a special evening at Detroit’s Fox Theatre. Chart-topping R&B legends the O’Jays will join the Isley Brothers for a Detroit performance on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. The performance is an extension of the Isley Brothers’ 60th-anniversary tour to commemorate their iconic…
Proposal would cut parking tickets in half for Detroiters, but not for suburbanites
Detroiters may soon get a break on the city’s steep parking ticket fines — but the reduction won’t apply to suburban residents. Detroit City Council is holding a public hearing on June 24 to gather input on a proposal to reduce the $45 tickets by half for Detroit residents who pay for the violation within…
Stone Temple Pilots plot co-headlining tour with Rival Sons, including a metro Detroit stop
Nearly 30 years after “Plush” dominated airwaves and just two years after electing a Michigander as its new singer, Stone Temple Pilots continue to forge ahead — this time with a co-headlining tour. On Monday, Stone Temple Pilots announced the band will embark on a 12-date run of co-headlining performances with Long Beach rockers Rival…
‘Sushi burritos’ and doughnut-shaped poke are headed to Midtown
Poke Burri, an Atlanta-based food stall that specializes in burrito-style sushi rolls and colorful, whimsical poke concoctions, is preparing its new Detroit location. The restaurant will open in the former Le Petit Zinc space at 70 W. Alexandrine St. in Midtown some time this summer or fall. While the menu is built around the “sushi…
Review: ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ is a big, dumb dinosaur
To be a Godzilla fan is to embrace the sublime and the stupid simultaneously. To accept a giant, Tokyo-stomping, radioactive lizard as a metaphor for nature’s wrath, the horrors of war, or the danger of unconstrained nuclear power — and not just a goofy special effect — requires a vivid imagination and the faith to…
Canadian studies suggest THC levels may not measure marijuana impairment accurately
State of Michigan officials recently chose not to set a per se level of THC in blood or saliva to constitute impairment when driving. As more results on the subject come in, it looks like the state Impaired Driving Safety commission made the right recommendation. Our friends to the north who seem to have more…
Detroit students kick off Pride Month with Coming Out Wall at Affirmations
On Thursday, a student-created “Coming Out Wall” was presented during the Launch of Pride Month at the LGBTQ+ organization Affirmations in Ferndale. Being a teenager isn’t easy; those four years of high school are often filled with exploring sexuality, navigating new relationships, and transitioning from an adolescent to an adult. For the students of Renaissance High…
New study gives failing grades to virtual schools
Thousands of K-thru-12 students in Michigan never set foot on campus — they take all their classes online via two virtual charter schools. But some new policy briefs give virtual charter schools overall a failing grade. Researchers with the National Education Policy Center found that students at the virtual schools complete their courses less often,…
Fact-checking Gov. Whitmer’s fuzzy marijuana math to fix the roads
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer elicited laughter at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday when she reiterated that every adult and child in Michigan would have to spend $2,500 a year on legal marijuana to raise enough money in taxes to fix the damn roads. “And let’s be honest: At that level, no one’s going to care…
‘Roadhouse’-style restaurant The Morrie is opening a new Birmingham location
Downtown Royal Oak’s The Morrie will expand with a second location in downtown Birmingham. The AFB Hospitality Group restaurant, which says it offers “eclectic roadhouse-style cuisine” and hosts live music, is targeting a summer opening at 260 N. Old Woodward Ave. Executive chef Derik Watson’s menu at the second location will hold many of the same…
Duggan suggests he’s running for re-election to oversee ambitious blight plan
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan strongly suggested Wednesday that he plans to run for a third term in 2021 as he embarks on an ambitious plan to knock down or renovate every vacant home in the city. During his keynote address at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday, Duggan laid out his vision for a blight-free Detroit.…
Detroit native J.Jackson releases new track
Detroit native J.Jackson is back with a banger. “Chandelier” is a lyrical head-nodder over a trap beat. The first half of the hook goes, “We grind hard for a hundred years/ Till the crib has marble floors with the chandeliers/ 24/7 365 blood, sweat, and tears/ Valley of death, no evil I fear/ Its real…
The Palmer Park Art Fair is returning this weekend
After a brief disappearance, the Palmer Park Art Fair is celebrating its fifth year back. Alongside a new tent featuring an art exchange with the Louisiana Crafts Guild, there will be both juried and emerging artists’ work on display in dozens of tents. Additionally, there is a new authors tent featuring a diverse cross-section of…
WhateverFest returns for ninth year for an all-nighter along the Dequindre Cut
The grassroots DIY music and arts festival, better known as WhateverFest, has come a long way since it started in an apartment building in 2011 and rocked the Tangent Gallery last year. The ninth iteration will post up along the Dequindre Cut with more than 30 local bands and performers, including MotorKam, Saajtak, BAVE, Mezzanine,…
Mayor Fouts slammed for relying on foreign workers to mow grass
The grass is getting high in Warren because the people hired to mow it are having “border difficulties.” That’s according to Mayor Jim Fouts, who defended his use of foreign workers in a city with a high unemployment rate. “The company with the lowest bid for this job has a problem getting their workers into…
Women behind Marrow, Folk Detroit are teaming up for new Corktown projects
The women behind two of Detroit’s most loved restaurants are teaming up for a new concept at Trumbull and Bagley in Corktown that will be focused on high-quality, local ingredients. The eatery, called Mink, will be a product of Marrow’s Ping Ho and Sarah Welch, and Folk/Farmer’s Hand’s Kiki Louya and Rohani Foulkes, the Free…
Tlaib: ‘Mueller report is an impeachment referral’
Maybe Rashida Tlaib will get to “impeach the motherfucker,” after all. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Wednesday press conference reignited calls for impeachment after he broke his silence to say that he did not exonerate Trump, telling the nation in a short statement, “If we had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime,…
Animal-themed playground added to Detroit’s $50M west waterfront park
A five-acre, animal-themed playground is being added to a new, much-anticipated $50 million park on Detroit’s west riverfront. Delta Dental of Michigan is donating $5 million to build the play garden, which will feature a 20-foot brown bear structure in which children can play, slides, fountains, and other equipment resembling otters, beavers, and even a…
Michigan Republican Amash doubles down on calls for Trump impeachment
Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) reiterated calls for Trump’s impeachment on Twitter on Tuesday, and was greeted with a standing ovation at a town hall in his conservative district later that evening. Amash, a self-described lowercase “L” libertarian, further discussed his belief that Attorney General William Barr, the Republican Party, and the Trump White House were…
20,000 Detroiters signed up for more FCA job information
Just one week after the city of Detroit approved a massive land deal to make way for a new Jeep assembly plant, a whopping 20,000 Detroiters have signed up so far for information on landing a job. The new Fiat Chrysler Plant is expected to hire 4,218 production operators at $17 an hour, 345 skilled…
Michigan’s Sufjan Stevens releases a pair of songs to benefit LGBTQ+ youth
June marks national Pride month, and to commemorate it, Michigan-born indie singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens has released a pair of love songs to benefit homeless LGBTQ+ youth. A follow-up to his 2017 Grammy and Academy Award-nominated “Mystery of Love” from the Call Me by Your Name soundtrack, “Love Yourself” and “With My Whole Heart” are the latest…
Piano karaoke bar Sid Gold’s Request Room opens in June in the Siren Hotel
The next addition to downtown Detroit’s Siren Hotel will be Sid Gold’s Request Room, a New York City-based concept run by Beauty Bar owner Paul Devitt. Eater reports that the 1,700-square-foot space on the hotel’s ground floor will open in early June. When it does, a live band will play a range of tunes for…
Indie rockers JR JR go their own way after breaking up with Warner Bros.
Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott were making music that could stop time way before we all got too easily distracted to finish listening to a four-minute song on our phones. I was in the Cass Café on a weeknight 10 years ago when these two songwriters donned their own colorful Nascar jumpsuits and sang indelible…
Detroit City FC is going pro, whether American soccer wants it or not
On most summer evenings, the 1994 World Cup soccer field on Detroit’s Belle Isle glows with golden hour sunlight. The sun drops from the sky just between the glass greenhouses of the Whitcomb gardens and the now-derelict administrative complex. A gravel track surrounds the field, separating it from the adjacent baseball field. Supporters have to…
Detroit’s Baltimore Gallery is closing, but not before one last hurrah
The Baltimore Gallery, an art hotspot that brought a burst of color to an otherwise quiet block in Detroit, will soon close its doors. Formerly known as the Untitled Bottega, the gallery was renamed when artist Phillip Simpson took over as gallery director in 2015. Since then, the building has been covered in bold murals,…
Chef Gigi Diaz serves up ‘Mexicated’ cannabis-infused cuisine
Imagine yourself having a leisurely meal of cannabis-infused offerings. Each plate offers a low-dose delight that is a sensual treat, as well as a cannabinoid receptor stimulant. The strain of cannabis is celebrated with foods that match its flavors, as well as a bit of the bud or a few dabs of the same in…
Savage Love: Leftovers from Seattle and Denver
Savage Love Live swooped into Seattle’s Egyptian Theater and Denver’s Oriental Theater over the last two weekends. I couldn’t get to everyone’s questions at these sold-out shows — there were so many great questions and I’m just one lousy advice columnist — so I’m going to power through as many as I can in this…
Horoscopes (May 29-June 4)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You keep riding herd on yourself at a time when cracking the whip is the last thing you need. Even if it looks like you need to be concerned, there are times when laying low long enough to get centered and regroup is more important than forcing all your…
Why there’s no end in sight for Highland Park’s water affordability crisis
When demolition contractor Homrich Wrecking rolled into Highland Park in summer 2013, Eban Morales joined a cadre of water warriors who stood together to block the company’s trucks. Homrich approached homes to cut water off from people who’d defaulted on their utility payments. Getting an astronomically high water bill in Highland Park, a three-square-mile, post-industrial…
Trump has become normal
It’s difficult to be shocked when everything’s shocking. We’re now 28 months and one week into Donald Trump’s presidency — 28 months and one week of perpetual chaos and scandal and outrage, of incompetence and criminality and cruelty — and the thing that bothers me most and that I find most dangerous is how normal…
Review: Balkan House brings döner kebabs, Bosnian cuisine to Hamtramck
In recent years, it’s been difficult to find in metro Detroit plates full of kajmak, lepinja, and pljeskavica. Hamtramck’s Palma closed down years ago, and though there’s still some cevapi and burek to be found in town, there’s been a general dearth of Bosnian and Balkan cuisine — until a few months ago. That’s when…
