Cover Story
How an alleged snitch scheme led Detroit police to wrongly land dozens behind bars
The night 18-year-old Bernard Howard was hauled into Detroit police headquarters he was unequivocal: He knew nothing. Police had heard a man nicknamed “Snoop” — something Howard’s friend on the east side called him — might’ve been involved in a triple homicide, but Howard was clear: He didn’t know a thing. So he was released.…
Can’t-miss show: ‘Mary Timony plays Helium’ at Marble Bar on Wednesday, June 14
Mary Timony will play the music of her 1990s band Helium, backed by members of the able band Hospitality, at Marble Bar this Wednesday, June 14. The show is really actually totally a show absolutely worth going to. What else could you possibly have going on in the middle of the week, anyway? Heck, shimmering solo…
‘When they birthed me, they made a monster’: Sheefy walks us through ten tracks on his new album ‘Murals’
When Tashif Turner a.k.a. Sheefy McFly first popped on the scene several years ago, everyone said, “What is he going to do?” Now, everyone says, “What can’t he do?” The muralist and emcee was voted “Best Artist” of 2017 by the people who read this publication, and is on the card for the first time…
Join the two-wheeled movement on this year’s Bike to Work Day
Do you have an old bicycle in the garage that you’d like to get oiled up and ready for riding? Looking for an impetus to get out on the road again this spring? Want to see what it feels like to leave the car at home and pedal for a day? If you answered “yes”…
The Pistons spent six months and an undisclosed sum on this familiar-looking new logo
After a six-month design collaboration with the NBA and Nike, the Pistons have released a new logo that they’ll take with them downtown to the Little Caesars Arena, and we can’t really tell what’s new about it. The revamped logo looks almost identical to the logo the team rocked in the ’80s and ’90s during…
Belle Isle Grand Prix fans are trying to intimidate race opponents
Each year, the opposition to and controversy around billionaire Roger Penske converting Belle Isle into an international speedway grows. While the protests and discussions have generally been peaceful, race fans and Grand Prix supporters are taking the debate in a new direction by attempting to intimidate those who oppose holding the race on Belle Isle.…
‘Bring Your Own Cup’ day returns to 7-Eleven this weekend
What is arguably one of the best days of the year for fans of 7-Eleven’s Slurpees is upon us and we couldn’t be more excited. The special “BYOC” or “Bring Your Own Cup” returns to participating 7-Eleven locations this coming Friday and Saturday. There are a couple of rules before you decide to show up…
Detroit considers creating first Green Light camera corridor to curb crime in Corktown
When developers last week broke ground on a project that will bring additional housing and retail to the area of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull, they were standing behind a bar that, just two days prior, had fallen victim to its third break-in of the year. Police say thieves cracked open a safe and removed an…
Roasting Plant to partner with Dilla’s Delights under Hill Harper ownership
Actor, writer, and entrepreneur Hill Harper recently announced he’d be taking over the Detroit Roasting Plant, a unique coffee shop that offers custom blend technology unavailable at any other cafe in the world. The takeover is part of Harper’s goal to grow a sustainable, successful business that will offer jobs to communities in need. The…
Packard Plant rehab project breaks ground today
Developers celebrated the official groundbreaking today for the ambitious, multi million-dollar rehabilitation of Detroit’s former Packard Plant. The sprawling, decaying 106-year-old Albert Kahn-designed former auto plant will undergo the first phase of redevelopment, starting with the site’s 121,000-square-foot former office building. The construction is headed up by Peruvian developer Fernando Palazuelo, who bought the 3,500,000-square-foot site for…
This handsome boy is Michigan’s first UKC American bully breed champion
Tommy Thunder Rocks is one handsome pup. And while he has a blocky head, broad shoulders, and coloring that makes him appear to the average person as a pit bull terrier, he actually belongs to a different breed. Tommy is an American bully breed, a descendent of the pit bull terrier that’s only been recognized…
Ann Arbor’s Argiero’s closed for good on Mother’s Day
Argiero’s, a longtime, old school Ann Arbor Italian eatery, has abruptly closed. MLive reports that the restaurant, which opened up 40 years ago at 300 Detroit St., shuttered on Mother’s Day. Not much information is available as the family-run business only left a note on the door thanking its customers for their patronage, and no…
Detroit is an awful city to start a career
According to a new report from WalletHub, Detroit comes in as one of the worst cities to start a career. Detroit came in at 144 out of the 150 cities with the largest markets. The website factored in two different criteria: professional opportunities and quality of life. While Detroit did better with professional opportunities (coming…
Red Dunn, a ‘Detroit-style American cuisine’ restaurant, will open in Corktown in June
The Red Dunn restaurant in the Porter & Trumbull Hotel is accepting reservations for June 1 on its website. Chef Jay Gundy – who formerly ran the kitchen at Cork Wine Pub and worked in several other popular kitchens – will offer a range of contemporary American plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He describes himself as…
Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers sang the U-M fight song in Ohio and it did not go well
Chad Smith, aka Will Ferrell’s doppelgänger and drummer for Red Hot Chili Peppers, pissed off a lot of fans at a concert Sunday evening at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center in Columbus. Smith, who is a metro Detroit native and a huge fan of the Wolverines, took the opportunity at the concert to show is undying love…
Bud Light is the official beer of the Detroit Red Wings and other Little Caesars Arena news
In a press release sent out this afternoon, Olympia Entertainment announced they’ve inked a deal with Anheuser-Busch who now have naming rights to three venues within Little Caesars Arena. Budweiser Biergarten, Goose Island Pub, and Bud Light Upper Concourse Bar will all be located inside the new arena, shilling the pale pilsner the company is…
This is Michigan’s most popular sex toy
Thanks to the lovely people at Adam & Eve we now know what sex toys are the most popular in each state. The online adult product retailer measured the sales date from $1.4 million unique buyers who ordered 6.2 million items on their site in 2016. The sex toys range from dildos, vibrators, butt plugs,…
Show review: Mac DeMarco at Royal Oak Music Theater Sunday, May 14
Mac DeMarco delivered laid-back jams to a sold-out crowd at the the Royal Oak Music Theater on Sunday, May 14. The night felt like a dream, thanks to both the theater’s soft rainbow-colored lighting and DeMarco’s newly chilled-out style, which shines throughout his brand new LP, This Old Dog. I’ve followed DeMarco for a few…
‘Jeremiah Tower’ chronicles the rise, fall, and return of a trailblazing chef
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent Rated R, 102 Minutes Grade: B In a media universe saturated with 24-hour food networks, event dining, and reservation apps on our smartphones, it’s hard to recall a time when the idea of a “celebrity chef” was obscure, when cooks were not seen as tattooed, hard-partying, renegade artists, but unglamorous drones…
Just announced: Paramore at the Fox Theatre
Hayley Williams and her band Paramore have announced a new tour this fall in support of the band’s newest album After Laughter, which is basically an ode to ’80s rock-pop, that came out earlier this month. Paramore will make a stop at the Fox Theatre in Detroit on Friday, September 15. Paramore’s newest album comes after…
Katy Perry will stop at Little Caesars Arena on new tour
Katy Perry and her “purposeful pop” are going on a massive world tour this fall and she is making a stop at the new Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday, December 6. The tour comes after the announcement of her new album called Witness due out June 9. Perry has already released “Chained From The Rhythm”…
Griffin Claw brewery planned for new downtown Detroit park
A Griffin Claw brewery will be a part of the DTE Energy Park that’s under renovation at Grand River and Cass. The Free Press reports that the 85-seat brasserie-style restaurant focus on Belgian-style beers. Its retractable walls will open during the warmer months to provide another 125 seats, and will feature a rooftop green space and…
‘I cannot sell my soul because my soul is my God’: A conversation with Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
Music legend and dub innovator Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry will be here in Detroit so soon we can almost feel it! If you want to know more of what he shared with us in the interview (or as he calls it, outerview) for our recent feature on him and his performance with Subatomic Sound System at…
Brightmoor rap game takes a hit as five people are indicted on racketeering, narcotics, firearms offenses
A grand jury has indicted five members of Brightmoor’s Young and Skantless street gang on a range of charges following a decade of purportedly wild-ass behavior by the crew. The racketeering indictment unsealed in federal court Friday describes the group as dominating Brightmoor by developing a reputation for ruthless violence. Over the years, feds say members…
Report: Michigan employers steal $429 million in pay from low-wage workers each year
A new report finds that Michigan employers steal as much as $429 million from the state’s low-wage workers. The report, released Wednesday by the Economic Policy Institute, a nonpartisan research organization in Washington, D.C., is one of the first attempts to quantify just how much money employers in the 10 largest states steal from their employees. But is…
Hamtramck City Council erupts in screaming, swearing, and little else
Congratulations, Warren: Your city council looks a lot better, relatively speaking, this Friday afternoon. But it’s only by comparison, and courtesy of the Hamtramck City Council. That body met for an emergency meeting today, and, depending on who’s talking, the reasons may differ. (Luckily, a series of videos — 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5…
Bled Fest cancels set from controversial queer punk band PWR BTTM amid allegations of sexual assault
You might not have heard of PWR BTTM, the queer punk band from Brooklyn, but the duo made up of Ben Hopkins and Liv Bruce have been making waves in the DIY-punk scene and have been heavily praised by music critics. That’s why it was pretty shocking to hear allegations of sexual abuse, predatory behavior,…
Ellen Degeneres welcomed back Royal Oak prankster teacher Joe Dombrowski
We all remember when Royal Oak teacher Joe Dombrowski pranked his elementary school class with the best April Fools Joke ever by giving them the most absurd spelling test ever. The video went bananas viral and Dombrowski landed himself talking to angel of Earth Ellen Degeneres on her talk show where she gave the teacher…
U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg’s town hall meeting in Jackson was a hot mess
This isn’t the first time a Republican’s town hall meeting did not go smoothly, and it most certainly won’t be the last. U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg from District 7 in Michigan had a town hall meeting in Jackson on Thursday, May 12. MLive reports that about 100 people showed up to ask the congressman about…
This Tigers fan looks just like Justin Verlander
FSD found a Justin Verlander cosplayer in the crowd in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/6Vbwx3gJeQ — Mike Foss (@MikeFossWXYZ) May 11, 2017 It looks like Justin Verlander found his doppelgänger Wednesday night in Arizona when the Tigers took on the Diamondbacks. During Wednesday night’s broadcast in Phoenix, the Fox Sports Detroit crew spotted a guy who resembles a certain…
Frida boutique reopens today after rapid overnight expansion
Rachel Lutz and her team worked through the night to put together the new, expanded Frida boutique just in time for the QLine opening. The shop, which is now double its original size, opens this morning at 9 a.m. The expansion happened quickly after Lutz took over a space in the Park Shelton that formerly…
New singles roundup: Ty Farris and Awesome Dre
Awesome Dre, “Incinerate ‘Em” At its core, hip-hop music is about lyrical showmanship. An emcee who can uniquely bend grammar and drop knockout analogies will always make the heads nod. Enter Detroit hip-hop veteran Awesome Dre’s newest single “Incinerate ‘Em.” Dre shows the same verbal ferocity that made him a force when he first made his…
Farm + Ferment acquires Arbor Brewing Company, plans Ypsi brewery expansion
The Arbor Brewing Company officially announced the sale of the company to Farm + Ferment, a group of Michigan-based hospitality businesses that includes Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina. As we reported on Monday, Bigalora’s owners – now revealed to be Farm + Ferment – planned to buy ABC’s North American operations. Farm + Ferment Managing Partner…
Meridian and Grand Circus partner to provide a free coding bootcamp to Detroit residents
“There’s a tech boom happening locally,” says Jennifer Cline of Grand Circus, a Detroit-based company that provides tech education. “By 2020 there will be one million unfulfilled tech jobs.” Meridian is a health care company based in Detroit and they’re already feeling the pinch of those unsatisfied tech needs. So, the two companies partnered to…
Bob Seger will play Pine Knob, not DTE Energy Music Theatre this September
Bob Seger must have been feeling a little nostalgic recently because we got a press release saying the rock legend is playing at “Pine Knob” for “one night only” on Saturday, September 9. The show will be his first one at the Clarkston venue in over 20 years. Seger teased being nostalgic on his website…
La Noria, El Barzon’s new Mexican street food/pizza concept, plans a May opening
The concept at Southwest Detroit’s El Barzon is original — higher end Italian and Mexican cuisine rolls out of a kitchen in a modern, tasteful eatery near Junction and Michigan Avenue. That’s the hook, though owner and chef Norberto Garita’s mastery of both nation’s dishes is what quietly turned the humble spot into one of…
Celebrations (and protests) planned for Friday’s QLine launch
After months of testing, Detroit’s new QLine streetcars will finally open to the public on Friday, May 12. To celebrate, organizers are throwing “The QLine Detroit Festival” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Events are planned at all of the route’s stops, and shops located near the route will offer discounts and other promotions. Additionally,…
Betsy DeVos was booed today as she gave a commencement address
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos gave a commencement address at historically black college Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach that did not go the way she planned. DeVos was met with a chorus of boos from students and faculty when she took the stage to give the keynote address. Many students were already vocally against DeVos…
Drop everything and listen to this unreleased Monks track from 1967, thanks to Third Man
You know the legend by now — how a group of ex-GI’s holed up in Germany, shaved their heads like Franciscan monks, and created an unholy racket with an over-amplified banjo, electric organ, and lyrics like “Well I hate you baby with a passion yeah you know I do (but call me).” Among the most…
The Henry Ford rolls out historically accurate and incredibly yummy new menu
If anyone can make historically accurate menu items sound exciting, it’s Lee Ward. The former Churchill Downs chef has been working as the director of the Henry Ford’s food service and catering since last July and most of his time has been spent improving the visitor experience via food. “We want visitors to taste and…
Local project trains underemployed women in skilled trade, but lacks funding to continue growth
Samantha Farr was studying city planning when she first began welding. Her school had a lab for architecture students to manipulate materials in order to better understand them. She was curious about welding so she asked if she could use the lab. They said yes and the rest changed the course of Farr’s post-college life.…
This Michigan Republican wants to investigate Trump’s ties to Russia
In case you somehow missed it, Trump fired James Comey, the director of the FBI, and the man who was leading the investigation into Trump’s ties to Russia. Many people are calling the move “Nixonian”, while Kellyanne Conway says it “had nothing to do with Russia.” Either way, many Democrat lawmakers are calling for an…
South American restaurant in the works for Midtown
Vincente’s Cuban Cuisine owner Vincente Vasquez is planning a restaurant that will trade in the dishes of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Colombia. Crain’s reports that the eatery, Bolero Latin Restaurant, is taking over the former Mid City Grill space at 51 W. Forest Ave. in Midtown. Vasquez is bringing in executive chef Roberto Caceres…
Review: Faustina’s offers a rare taste of creole in Northwest Detroit
The common sins that you encounter when it comes to cajun and creole cooking in the north are under-spiced dishes or one-dimensional, lazily prepared meals. There’s a misconception that “creole” is Louisianian for “salt and cayenne bomb,” and after the cuisine’s heyday in the ’80s and early ’90s modern America’s collective image of the cuisine…
The difficulty in defining 1967
Anyone who thinks the tumult of Detroit’s summer of 1967 — or the aftermath — is simple or easy to sort out is simply wrong. The one thing easily agreed upon is that there was violence. What that violence meant is where the divergence emerges. The last Stir It Up column asked the question, “Why…
Dub pioneer Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry brings true sonic wizardry to Detroit
With a human as magical as the 81-year-old Jamaican music producer, singer, and songwriter Lee “Scratch” Perry, it might not be so ridiculous to suggest a cosmic connection between the word “legend” and the name “Lee,” starting with the same two letters as they do. We’re not stoned, at the moment, so hang with us…
Savage Love: Traps and triggers
Q: My husband is nearly 20 years older than me, which was never an issue early in our relationship. However, for approximately the last eight years, we have not been able to have fulfilling sex because my husband can’t keep an erection for more than a few thrusts. I love my husband and I am…
Corktown crime wave continues with third Nemo’s break-in this year
Thieves have hit yet another business along Michigan Avenue in Corktown — the latest incident in a wave of break-ins in the area that began early this year. Detroit police say four men pulled up to Nemo’s in a pair of dark-colored SUVs just before dawn on Saturday, May 6, forcing open the bar’s back…
Does Virgil Smith Jr. deserve another shot?
If you are perverse enough to like a good story that makes Detroit look bad, Virgil Smith Jr. is the gift that keeps on giving. You may have thought you were done hearing about him last year, when he left the state Senate and went directly to jail. But he’s out of the can —…
Reflecting on the life of street artist Jordan ‘Tead’ Vaughn
Detroit’s art community is still healing following the death of popular street artist Jordan Vaughn, perhaps best known by his alias “Tead,” who died at the age of 34 last week. The artist was critically injured on Sunday, April 30, after falling through the roof at Detroit’s sprawling Make Art Work complex while working on…
Tou & Mai brings bubble tea and other drinkable desserts to Detroit
A drink that originated in Taiwan has made its way to Detroit. Before Tou & Mai opened in Midtown last week, the closest specialty bubble tea shop was in Ferndale (though nearby Shangri-La has the item on its menu). Now Detroiters have more ways to enjoy the Asian treat, which features large pearls of tapioca…
Horoscopes (May 10-16)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): The next round of business is about to test your patience. As far as you are concerned, you’ve been patient enough, but it looks like you have to continue to pump out concerted efforts for the next four months. Take a deep breath, knowing that all of this is worth…
