Cover Story
Meet the people helping preserve Detroit’s native dances, the Funk and the Jit
If you passed a group of teens dancing on the corner of the street today, they’d likely be copying the moves of their favorite social media star. And if we’re being honest, they’d be more likely to be inside, huddled around a tiny screen tuned in to TikTok or YouTube. Today’s dances come from the…
Artist John Sims looks at his childhood neighborhood in ‘Sorrento: Portrait of a Detroit Block’
Last year, Detroit’s Irwin House Global Art Center & Gallery opened its doors earlier than originally planned following the death of Aretha Franklin, who grew up nearby, in order to mount an exhibition dedicated to her life. Artist John Sims, a curator for that first show, is wrapping up a stint as the gallery’s first…
Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy Inc. in St. Clair Shores is the old-school toy store of our childhood dreams
Whistle Stop Hobby & Toy Inc. 21714 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-771-6770; whistle-stop.com One thing is true of the holidays unless you’re a total Scrooge or Grinch: ’Tis the most wonderful time of the year… and the most magical, too. Though big-box toy giant Toys R Us may have closed all of its doors…
Mutual Adoration + POST is a must-stop shop for the maker, crafter, and reclaimed wood lover
Mutual Adoration + POST 14500 Kercheval Ave., Detroit; 313-939-2172; mutualadoration.com Photographer boy meets visual artist girl. Boy takes girl on a date that turns out to be a funeral wake and funeral crasher boy and funeral crasher girl get married and create a super cool place where you can shop handmade wares and make some…
No judgment zone Lover’s Lane is a dil-do for the naughty lover on your list
Lover’s Lane27246 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 19190 Eureka Rd., Southgate, 33225 S. Gratiot Ave., Clinton Twp., 43735 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights, 620 W. Ann Arbor Rd., Ann Arbor; 1527 Washtenaw Rd., Ypsilanti; loverslane.com Dil-don’t overlook this Michigan-bred chain — Lover’s Lane still has teeth (enter safeword here) in the game. You can take gift-giving…
Give more than a gift — give no fucks with a massage or steam from Detroit’s Meta Physica Wellness Center
Meta Physica Wellness Center 1701 Trumbull St., Detroit, Unit 3; 313-303-7611;metaphysicamassage.com Nothing’s better than giving the gift of a truly zen moment. Plus, we guarantee you’ve got someone on your list that needs to chill the eff out (even if that person is you; then the best gift you can give the people in your…
For the avid sweet-tooth and art lover, there’s Detroit’s Bon Bon Bon
Bon Bon Bon 719 Griswold St., 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit, and 11360 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-316-1430; bonbonbon.com Warning: This is not your average box of chocolates. Detroit’s Bon Bon Bon is a treat so special they named it thrice — and, most recently, opened up its third location in Midtown. This women-owned chocolate…
MOCAD’s Robolights Detroit is the perfect backdrop for a twisted holiday photo
Santa Claus, Middle Eastern motifs, and dinosaurs mix shockingly well at Robolights Detroit, the massive found-object installation that Palm Springs-based artist Kenny Irwin Jr. built on the lawn of MOCAD’s Mike Kelley’s Mobile Homestead over the course of some 70 days earlier this year. Calling to mind Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project (Irwin visited Heidelberg while…
‘SNL’ wild card and apparent pussy magnet Pete Davidson heads to Royal Oak Music Theatre
How the hell did we get swept up in comedian and Saturday Night Live’s unpredictable fuccboi Pete Davidson’s emotional tabloid journey, filled with whirlwind romances (Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, and 18-year-old supermodel Kaia Gerber), heartbreak, mental health scares, tales of living with his mom, and his growing tattoo collection? Maybe because the recent Paper magazine cover…
‘Pulp Fiction’ turns 25 with midnight screenings at Royal Oak’s Main Art Theatre
Long before filmmaker and unabashed foot fetishist Quentin Tarantino gave us Uma Thurman as the vengeful, slaying samurai babe of Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2, he gave us Thurman’s Mia Wallace — cinema’s cocaine-snorting anti-manic pixie dream girl (and a solid modern-day, go-to Halloween costume). For Tarantino’s iconic neo-noir sophomore effort, 1994’s Academy Award-winning…
Rapper and ‘Hot Girl’ Megan Thee Stallion to make first Detroit appearance on Black Friday
Our prayers have been answered now that Megan Thee Stallion is set to deliver her first-ever Detroit performance. We’ve been waiting a hot minute since her “Hot Girl Summer” anthem-fueled debut album, Fever, dropped earlier this year. Known for her interactive, high-energy, twerk-heavy performances, we anticipate a warm welcome for the hottest rapper we’ve seen…
Hip-hop collective and boy band Brockhampton returns to Detroit with new record
The idiom “too many cooks in the kitchen” does not apply to self-proclaimed “all-American boy band” and 15-piece autonomous hip-hop collective Brockhampton. In fact, the more the better, especially in the case of the Texas-bred group’s latest record, 2019’s Shia LaBeouf-influenced Ginger. Formed in 2015 through a Kanye West fan forum, Brockhampton’s aimless, reflective, and,…
Freak-folk prophet Devendra Banhart brings childless wonder to MOCAD
Cue the damn waterworks. Devendra Banhart, the Texas-to-Venezuela-to-California poster boy of freak-folk, reckoned with the possibility that he may never have children, which resulted in his 10th output in a decade, 2019’s Ma. “I thought, maybe I should make a record where I can put in everything I would want to say to them,” Banhart…
Prolific lo-fi rock band Guided by Voices heads to Detroit with three 2019 records in tow
It’s been a wild ride for the on-again/off-again unofficial godfathers of lo-fi, collectively known as Guided by Voices, the indie rock band which formed in Ohio in 1983. Known for having an, uh, impressive revolving door of membership, which is eclipsed only by the band’s prolific output — as illustrated by three full-length records released…
The King of rock ‘n’ roll lives on through Detroit’s Eastside Elvis with performance at Cadieux Cafe
It’s been 42 years since Elvis Presley, the “King” of rock ‘n’ roll, died. And yet, some people still find themselves all shook up — so much so that since his funeral in 1977, people have had very active, suspicious minds and have cooked up wild conspiracy theories alleging Elvis is still alive. One such…
Funk it up with Detroit’s purveyors of justice and jams, Mollywop, at Northern Lights Lounge
Detroit’s Mollywop has been funkin’ up the stage since 2014. Led by guitarist and vocalist Malik Yakini, the 10-piece ensemble, known for its energetic peace- and love-infused live shows, released its debut record, Stand Up, this past summer. The record serves as a celebration (“Rock That Funky Beat”) and a call to action (“No Justice…
America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will shine bright in Detroit for 93 years running
The holidays can be stressful, maybe even emotional. Perhaps, for some, downright depressing. Don’t focus on the Trump-voting family you’ll be bumping elbows — and ideals — with over turkey, stuffing, and pie. Thankfully, there are still many pure things in this world, one of them being the 93rd America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit.…
Wayne State chemical odor leads to temporary closure of Science Hall
Wayne State University students were notified on Tuesday afternoon that there was a chemical spill on campus. Students received an alert via text at 12:26 p.m. on Tuesday, which read “WSU Alert: Due to a chemical spill causing a localized environmental hazard, Science Hall is closed. Remediation crew is on site.” However, the message was…
Ford v. Tesla is the macho-man pissing match we deserve
Forget Ford v Ferrari. It’s Ford v. Tesla that makes us want to grab some popcorn and gawk in amusement. The two automakers have been engaged in a pissing contest ever since Tesla head honcho Elon Musk unveiled the company’s new “Cybertruck” — a polygonal, retro-futuristic vehicle that looks like it rolled right out of…
Updated: U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence abruptly reverses position on impeaching Trump
Updated 12:19 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 26: U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence is walking back statements she made about impeaching President Trump in an interview with Charlie LeDuff. In a written statement to Metro Times, Lawrence said she still supports impeaching Trump but censure may be a more viable option because of Republicans’ opposition to impeachment. “I…
Detroit police sergeant suspended for not responding to fatal cop shooting
A Detroit police sergeant was suspended Monday on allegations that he sat in his car and failed to respond to a shootout that killed one police officer and injured another. Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters that the sergeant “sat in his scout car a block away while you could hear people screaming ‘officer…
Will lawsuit spur reversal of Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements?
Michigan lawmakers are being asked to put the brakes on the implementation of work requirements for Healthy Michigan enrollees. A coalition of health-care and anti-poverty organizations filed a lawsuit last week challenging the Trump administration’s approval of the state’s Medicaid waiver project, which allows Michigan to begin work requirements for able-bodied Healthy Michigan enrollees on…
Michigan state parks are free to enter on Black Friday
State parks are the ultimate anti-Black Friday destination. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced that this Friday, Nov. 29, all state parks will be free for all. No Recreation Passport for vehicles will be necessary to enter, but any hunting or camping permits and licenses will still apply. The announcement is part of…
Detroit City Councilman James Tate explains why the city banned marijuana sales (for now)
Detroit City Councilman James Tate is feeling the heat regarding the council’s choice to temporarily opt out of adult-use marijuana sales in the city. Tate is the councilmember who has taken the lead on drafting an ordinance to govern marijuana stores in the city. He says that he has no doubt that it will get…
Black students from Detroit ‘spit on,’ taunted with racial slurs during football game, school officials say
Black Denby High School football players were spit on, pelted with garbage, and taunted with racial slurs before, during, and after a game Saturday, according to several school officials and other witnesses. Officials halted the game against Almont High School with three minutes left because of excessive personal foul penalties. The ugliness began when parents…
Legal sale of marijuana vaping cartridges in Michigan on hold until new testing begins
Michigan regulators took a big step toward protecting cannabis consumers from the vaping-related lung illness that has caused the deaths of at least 49 people and sickened more than 2,290 others nationwide. Beginning Friday, the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) began prohibiting dispensaries from selling THC cartridges until they are tested for vitamin E acetate,…
Highlands Detroit opens in top floors of RenCen with bar, restaurants, and event space
The GM Renaissance Center, the tallest building in Michigan, became home to four new dining destinations on Monday. The two restaurants, private event space, and bar are all collectively known as Highlands Detroit, and they’re located on the 71st and 72nd floors of the towering building. The Highland Steakhouse — the main restaurant — provides…
Out gay Detroit-area priest elected bishop in Missouri
Rev. Deon Johnson, an out gay Detroit-area priest, has been elected to serve as the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. Johnson, who was born and raised in Barbados, immigrated to New York at the age of 14. For the past 13 years, Johnson has been the rector at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church…
Tom Hanks effortlessly slips into Mister Rogers’ cardigan in ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’
Fred Rogers, the beloved children’s TV host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood who departed our neighborhood for a celestial address in 2003, remains a shockingly relevant figure today. With his calm, unhurried demeanor, he delivered comfort to legions of Gen X and millennial kids as we struggled to understand the world and our own feelings about our…
Jolly Pumpkin to open new surf-inspired restaurant in Dearborn
The founders of Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales will open the Longboard, a new restaurant in downtown Dearborn, on Monday, Nov. 25. Located in an 8,000-square-foot suite in Wagner Place, the Longboard will join six other restaurants and retailers in the new space. The Longboard has a menu and interior inspired by founder Ron Jeffries’ travels…
Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces bill to repeal ‘Opportunity Zones’: ‘The American people have been scammed’
Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced legislation to repeal the controversial “Opportunity Zones” from the United States tax code on Friday, following a series of bombshell ProPublica reports that found billionaires like Detroit’s Dan Gilbert were benefiting from the laws. The Repeal Opportunity Zones Act of 2019 (H.R. 5252) would explicitly repeal the Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOF) by…
Michigan finally bans vitamin E acetate from cannabis vaping products
Michigan is finally banning marijuana dispensaries from selling cannabis vaping products that contain vitamin E acetate, the chemical additive linked to the deadly lung illness that is believed to have caused the deaths of more than 49 people and sickened more than 2,290 others nationwide. The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) announced Friday that all…
Santo Santo, a ‘counterculture’ yoga studio with color therapy and DJs, to open on Detroit’s east side
Santo Santo doesn’t look like a typical yoga studio. A former abandoned car wash on Detroit’s east side, the little yellow building still has hand-painted bubbles on its exterior, causing some recent passersby to ask if they could get their ride cleaned. That’s just as well for Samantha Jameson. “I like things that are so…
Michigan will become 5th state to enforce cage-free egg production thanks to new bill
One of several new laws signed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Gilchrist on Thursday will require all Michigan egg production facilities to adopt cage-free practices, and will ban the use of battery cages and the sale of non-cage-free eggs in the state by the end of 2024. The signing of Senate Bill 174, an amendment to…
These recreational marijuana dispensaries are pre-qualified to open in Detroit
At least eight proposed recreational marijuana dispensaries have cleared the first step to open in Detroit, but it’s not yet clear when they will open. With recreational marijuana sales set to begin on Dec. 1 or 2, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency has received 83 applications statewide for cannabis businesses that include dispensaries, growers, and processors.…
Detroit photographer Kenny Karpov captures the despair and hope of Europe’s refugee crisis
For his latest solo exhibition, Detroit photographer Kenny Karpov took to the Mediterranean Sea for a closer look at Europe’s refugee crisis. Many of the photos show Black bodies packed onto ship decks, calling to mind a modern-day slave ship. What gets lost in the mainstream media narrative of the refugees, Karpov believes, is that…
Yeehaw! Garth Brooks is back to fuck shit up in Detroit
A few years ago, the potent combination of a Garth Brooks concert at the former Joe Louis Arena and Monster Jam monster truck rally at Ford Ford created a perfect storm — an hours-long traffic jam in Detroit dubbed “Garthlock 2015” by this paper. For those who still have PTSD from the cosmic event, we…
Abdul El-Sayed returns the favor, endorses Bernie Sanders
Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive Democrat who ran for governor of Michigan last year, has endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders for president. El-Sayed’s endorsement comes just weeks after other popular progressives, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, threw their support behind Sanders. “I’m honored to receive the endorsement of Abdul El-Sayed,” Sanders said in a news release. “He knows…
Sen. Booker smokes Biden over old-fashioned position on marijuana
Sen. Cory Booker ripped Joe Biden during Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate for saying he doesn’t support marijuana legalization. “This week I hear him literally say that ‘I don’t think we should legalize marijuana.’ I thought you might have been high when you said it,” Booker said to applause and laughter. Booker was referring to Biden’s…
Detroit’s Who Boy celebrate debut EP release with the Doozers and Why Bother at Small’s
What started out as a three-piece synth-pop band quickly blossomed into Who Boy — a five-piece song factory that calls on Hall and Oates-inflected harmonies and lush Fleet Fox-tinged pop. Throughout 2019, Who Boy — made up of Max Stutz, Phoenix Eller, Sean Mackillop, Max Capasso, and Maria French — released a handful of singles,…
Detroit’s future of jazz, the Marcus Elliot Trio, heads to the DIA for record release
Things are coming full circle for saxophonist, composer, and educator Marcus Elliot, who began giving private saxophone lessons when he was just 14 years old. Newly 30, Elliot is starting a new chapter by releasing his debut album as leader of the Marcus Elliot Trio — along with Chicago native and drummer E. Reid, and…
PJ’s Lager House hosts Planned Parenthood Benefit with Detroit’s Primer, Quells, and others
In 2013, there were more than 40 abortion clinics in Texas. Now, only 22 remain open to service a state with a population of 29 million — and they, too, could face closure. As proposed abortion bans sweep the Midwest and beyond, the hardworking warriors of Planned Parenthood need all hands on deck to stop…
Detroit’s Eroders celebrate record release at Detroit’s Outer Limits Lounge with Career Club
Well, “kitchen punk” is apparently a genre now, which is how Detroit hard-rock trio the Eroders describe themselves — and we’re totally here for what they’ve cooked up. Not unlike agents of chaos the Violent Femmes or the sinister stylings of garbage men (and women) the Cramps, the Eroders tango with angst, anxiety, and apathy,…
With the MORE Act, we’re closer than ever to legalizing weed at the federal level
There is federal movement on potential marijuana legalization. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, for the first time ever, the House Judiciary Committee passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act on a 24-10 vote. The MORE Act would formally remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (descheduling cannabis), allow states to form their own policies, expunge…
Detroit funeral home where nearly 300 fetuses were found loses license
A ramshackle Detroit funeral home where the remains of nearly 300 fetuses, infants, and adults were discovered last year won’t be allowed to reopen for at least a decade. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) announced Tuesday that it had issued final orders revoking the licenses of Cantrell Funeral Home and its…
2 years later, Detroit’s Hudson’s site is a stinky hole in the ground
Nearly two years after ground broke on the project, Detroit’s Hudson’s site skyscraper is still just a 40-foot hole. It’s also been emitting a nasty, sulfuric smell for months, causing some to wonder if a gas line was broken. Detroit Fire Department Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell tells Metro Times he’s unaware of any concerns…
Leader of the pack — Detroit-born Lizzo is the most Grammy-nominated artist of the year
No amount of alleged plagiarism, Postmates snafus, emotional tweeting, or recent Soul Train Award drama can stop Lizzo from earning the title of “100 percent that bitch” of the year, and her potential 2020 Grammy Award haul is proof. Nominations for the 62nd Grammy Awards rolled in on Wednesday morning and it appears as though members of…
Detroit’s multimillion-dollar streetscape project a pain for small businesses
Mexicantown is set for a radical transformation when its $5.4 million construction project finally wraps up. A rendering printed on a sign near El Zocalo restaurant imagines a diverse array of Detroiters enjoying a pedestrian-friendly plaza with lush new landscaping and lights strung overhead — “like Greektown,” one of the waitresses explains on a recent…
Whiskey town: Two centuries of the brown stuff in Detroit
Making moonshine may seem romantic, but the reality is a much more harsh story, filled with crime and heartbreak. Detroit’s long love story with whiskey has both shaped and reflected the greater American relationship with whiskey. Before the Scots came, it was mostly brandy. In fact, Detroit’s European settlement is thanks in part to Antoine…
‘Ford v Ferrari’ is a wild ride
Built with the dependability and comfort of a luxury ride but stocked with enough muscle under the hood to carry it over the line, Ford v Ferrari is a classic bit of Hollywood engineering. James Mangold is a mainstream director but with an indie sensibility that makes him a fixture of the awards season circuit;…
Despite all the action on marijuana in Michigan this year, the bong remains the same
It’s been a year since Michigan voted to legalize adult-use marijuana, and while a lot has happened since then, the general landscape of marijuana use remains the same. Last November’s vote was ratified on Dec. 6. Since then, marijuana has been legal for adults to grow, possess, and use in the state. So what’s happening?…
The question is no longer whether Trump did it — it’s whether he’ll get away with it
He did the thing. There’s no question he did the thing. Everything that’s happening now — the theatrics and distractions, the media analyses and pundit fulminations, the nitpicking and obfuscations, now the open witness tampering — is noise, a spectacle that will elicit more heat than light and should only reinforce what any clear-eyed person…
Savage Love: The slutty professor
I’m a fortysomething gay male professor at a small college. I try hard not to get attracted to students, and usually succeed. But it’s tough to resist temptation when you’re surrounded by hot, smart, fun, horny young guys in a rural area with not many other options. Over the past several years, I’ve ended up…
Horoscopes (Nov. 20-26)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: This is a pivotal moment. As you go about your business, be aware that what you’re laying down is setting the stage for things to flower in the course of the next nine months. Any resistance you feel is just life testing the limits of what you’re able…
La Posada dishes out home-style Mexican food in Southwest Detroit
Many diners have been venturing beyond the Bagley Street strip of tourist-oriented Mexicantown restaurants, searching deeper into the neighborhood for food as it’s cooked in Mexico (most likely Jalisco). Comida casera — home-style food — as Manuel Romo, owner of La Posada, said the first time I called. Among the many options in Southwest Detroit,…
12 ways to spend Thanksgiving Eve 2019 in Detroit, the biggest bar night of the year
It’s almost T-Day. Your Trump-loving relatives are in town, all the cooking prepwork has been done, and now there’s nothing to do but play the waiting game. Well, there’s a reason the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the biggest bar night of the year. And there’s no better way to pass the time than knocking back…
Why Detroit’s Jax Anderson dropped her ‘Flint Eastwood’ moniker to evolve her sound and heal herself
Jax Anderson is hanging up her hats. This is not the first time the Detroit artist has shed some layers to free herself of creative and emotional constraints. In 2015, Anderson parted ways with her Flint Eastwood bandmates, but kept the name of the project. And, as of last year, she’s ditched her collection of…
‘Parks and Rec’ star Nick Offerman on his latest comedy tour, the joy of ill-conceived advertisements, and why he won’t dare speak on behalf of Ron Swanson
For the record, comedian, actor, woodworker, and five-time author Nick Offerman is not Ron Swanson, which is actually really very great news because if he were Ron Swanson, he would probably be dead and then who the hell would Megan Mullally enlist as her burly touring roadie? The 49-year-old performer and husband to Mullally recently…
Detroit’s Xenophora challenges the typical jewelry gift with wearable art pieces
Xenophora 4719 16th St. Unit #1, Detroit; 313-284-1844; xenophoraobjects.com The handmade, Detroit-produced jewelry objects of Xenophora are not for your faint-of-heart, Pandora bracelet-wearing aunt. The appointment-only showroom caters to those looking to make an otherworldly, showstopping statement that plays on esoteric mysticism, technology, and history. Created by alchemist and Brightmoor native Karissma Yve, Xenophora designs…
