Cover Story
How Seraphine Collective is fighting the patriarchy
While DJing a kid’s open mic night recently, Nandi Comer noticed something she felt immediately compelled to address. While the boys seemed to have no reservations about coming up and expressing curiosity about DJing — “just in my face, almost grabbing at the equipment, no questions asked,” she recalls — the girls tended to stay…
UPDATED: SZA moves Detroit show to the Fillmore due to popular demand
Updated July 19: OK, we take that back — it turns out SZA is a superstar at this point! Since the R & B singer’s Wednesday, Aug. 30 show at Saint Andrew’s Hall quickly sold out, it has now been moved to the much larger Fillmore Detroit. According to a press release, all previously purchased…
Gilbert’s Bedrock says it will create ‘affordable’ housing in downtown Detroit. Here’s what that actually means
This week, Bedrock — Detroit’s largest developer — announced that it would create or maintain 700 “affordable” units in greater downtown Detroit as part of a commitment with the city to redevelop the area as an “inclusive, mixed-income community.” The “affordable” units will make up 20 percent of the 3,500 residential units Bedrock plans to develop…
Detroit ranks third to last for driver friendly roads and honestly, we’re not surprised
The Motor City. The Auto Capital of the United States. The home of the Big Three. And, apparently, one of the worst cities for drivers in the country. Two weeks ago, the MT reported that Detroit drivers were ranked as the best in the country according to a study in which incident data from DUIs,…
La Dulce opens in its new riverfront digs
La Dulce is up and running in its new downtown Detroit location. Owner Luis Negrete announced in late June that his restaurant will close its South Main Street Royal Oak space. It reopened on July 6 in a 7,000-square-foot, 115-seat location in the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Detroit’s riverfront. That includes a 25-seat “meadow-inspired” outdoor patio…
Juggalo with an axe arrested after demanding radio station play more Insane Clown Posse
Just when you think that the “Juggalo March On Washington” was the most bananas thing that the ICP family could do, we read a headline that a Juggalo in Boston was arrested after trying to get his local radio station to play more ICP songs. The 38-year-old man and fan of the Insane Clown Possee…
Beacon Park opens with light-up see-saws, live music, and ‘Back to the Future’
What do see-saws, live music, and Back to the Future have in common? They’re all part of the festivities to herald the opening of a new community space in Detroit. Located on Cass Avenue and Grand River and operated by DTE Energy and the Downtown Detroit Partnership, Beacon Park opens to the public on Thursday,…
Can kites help Detroit heal? This nonprofit thinks so
Margo Dalal made it clear during an early interview about the Detroit Kite Festival that the nonprofit she leads is not her crusade. She doesn’t want to see her name in the headline. She doesn’t want people to think it’s about her. To be fair, her title is director, but she works with a team…
A ‘gastro-mart’ and food-driven event space is planned for Detroit’s North End
Austin native Paul Philpott moved to Detroit in the mid-1990s and watched from afar as his former hometown led what he describes as the “food revolution.” Among the trends that impressed him were those that are essentially hybrid food formats. Alamo Draft House — a movie theater that serves a rotating menu of casual cuisine,…
Cult faves American Football come to Detroit after a 17-year hiatus
After 17 years devoid of the sound of the ’90s Chicago-based emo-rock band American Football, the band released a sophomore self-titled LP in 2016. This summer they’re going on a small tour, stopping in Detroit on Saturday, July 15. The three original members of American Football — Mike Kinsella (guitarist and singer), Steve Holmes (guitar), and Steve Lamos…
‘Detroit News’ investigates Chris Cornell Pizzagate conspiracy theory
The music world suffered a tragic loss when Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell was found dead in Detroit in May, having apparently committed suicide by hanging in his hotel following a Fox Theatre gig after taking too many anti-anxiety pills. Fans were left reeling, and friends and family expressed shock and disbelief that the successful rocker would choose…
Missing chef found dead on Detroit’s west side
The search for a missing Detroit chef is over now that the body of Douglas “Chef Doug” Calhoun has been identified by family members and the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to a source familiar with the case. However, a Medical Examiner’s office spokesperson says that it has not officially identified Calhoun. Calhoun’s body…
Tomorrow is July 11 and that means free Slurpees
Metro Detroit is the Slurpee capital of the world — we even have our own Slurpee Queen. And 7-Eleven rewards us by occasionally doling out free slushy drinks as a means of celebration. Tomorrow in honor of their 90th birthday — a day known as 7-Eleven day ’round these parts — the convenience store will…
Jay-Z will bring ‘4:44’ tour to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena
Rapper Jay-Z dropped his latest album, 4:44 last month. Today, he announced a 31-date tour in support of the record, with a stop at Detroit’s new Little Caesars Arena on Nov. 18. Tickets start at $29.50 and go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. A pre-sale for subscribers to his Tidal streaming service started at noon today.…
Meijer will offer home delivery for alcohol starting tomorrow
Soon, Meijer will offer home delivery of beer, wine, and liquor. Starting Tuesday, July 11, the grocery store chain is making the items available on its online ordering app Shipt, according to a press release. To use it, you’ll need to subscribe to the service, which costs $99 per year or $14 per month. And…
Aretha Franklin surprises Smokey Robinson with City of Detroit award before Chene Park show
Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin took time out of her recently announced retirement to honor Smokey Robinson with a special award on behalf of Detroit City Council. Before Robinson’s Saturday show at Detroit’s Chene Park Ampitheater, Franklin met with her “oldest and dearest friend” to deliver an award of “appreciation and recognition” from the Detroit city council and council…
Livernois Tap launches brunch service today
Axle Brewing’s Livernois Tap is quickly making its name in Ferndale since opening last month in part because its food service isn’t an afterthought. The Four Man Ladder hospitality group behind the restaurant are all principals at Grey Ghost, and they brought in chef Elliot Patti, so the crew knows more than beer. Find evidence of…
‘Detroit Free Press’ editor resigns after two years
Robert Huschka, the top editor at the Detroit Free Press, was forced to resign after less than two years on the job. The abrupt resignation, which was announced Friday, shocked and saddened a newsroom that has lost about two-thirds of its staff since media giant Gannett took over Michigan’s largest newspaper in August 2005. Gannett…
The mysterious horseman of Northwest Detroit
Usually, when people compare Detroit to the Wild West, it really rubs us the wrong way. But when you see a dude riding a horse at Greenfield and Seven Mile roads, maybe it’s apt. It does look like the West. And it’s kinda wild. The photo was forwarded to us by a west side reader…
Here is a horrifying map that shows every Detroit tax foreclosure since 2002
We all know tax foreclosures are a problem in Detroit, but this map from Loveland Technologies really puts the horror of the situation into perspective. Shown are all of the properties that have been foreclosed and sold at auction in the city over the past 15 years. Michigan law allows for the foreclosure and seizure…
Apparently, Halal meat is something Muslims had to ‘debunk,’ because Islamophobia
The folks over at online video website Newsy have responded to something they call ‘Halal Hysteria’ with a friendly video that aims to make the practice of cutting and blessing meat a little less scary for some. And they recruited the help of some Eastern Market butchers to do it. Here at the Metro Times,…
Emagine theater now offers full service dine-in movie options
The concept of a dinner-and-a-movie date might be a little cliche, but Michigan-based Emagine Entertainment recently breathed new life into the idea. After a trail run, they’re rolling out a dine-in movie option that allows guests to order from the comfort of their luxury recliner. Coined Dine ‘N View, the concept will launch officially at…
Detroit Fleat food truck park and ‘boozery’ opens today in Ferndale
Detroit Fleat, a new food truck park on Ferndale’s former Wing Hing property, opens today at 5 p.m. The park features a Mexican street food and sliders restaurant with a full bar that also serves Treat Dreams’ ice cream. It will be joined by three food trucks that include Delectabowl, Pita Post, and the Mac Shack.…
Ahead of Fourth of July, Schuette drops doody with Native American mascots opinion
Ahead of what many consider to be a likely 2018 gubernatorial bid, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has been seemingly at work trying to win over hearts and minds of Michiganians. In recent months he has charged top officials in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis and issued an opinion that the controversial Line…
Your money, your call: Activist who sued over public funding for Pistons move now wants issue on ballot
If it was up to you to determine whether the Pistons could get $34.5 million in taxpayer money to move to downtown Detroit, what would you decide? The activist who sued the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and others over the decision to give the team that money without a public vote is now reportedly trying…
Henry the Hatter might not leave Detroit after all
Last week, Henry the Hatter owner Paul Wasserman announced the Detroit location of his iconic store would shutter in August. Wasserman lost his lease and many are speculating that rising rents due to downtown’s redevelopment played a role in the closure. Now, Crain’s Detroit is reporting that due to an outpouring of support, the shop…
West Village wine/charcuterie ’boutique’ opens next month
Brix Wine & Charcuterie Boutique tells Eater that it’s planning an Aug. 10 grand opening for its new shop at Kercheval and Van Dyke. Wines by the glass or bottle will run between $9 and $40, while the mix of meats and cheeses will be accompanied by nuts and chocolate. The roughly 40-seat space includes…
It’s 1967 all over again — especially on stage
As we head into July and hit the half-century mark since the streets of Detroit filled up with police-defying crowds, the National Guard, and finally the U.S. Army, we can expect to see a number of different looks back on the summer of 1967. We’ve already seen the new exhibit at the Detroit Historical Museum.…
Kwame Kilpatrick is trying to get out of prison again
Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has filed a motion asking a federal judge to vacate his 28-year prison sentence for public corruption, including racketeering, bribery, and extortion. Kilpatrick claims “There was no ‘pay to play,’” during his time in office and that “the theater surrounding the trial, and the misinformation and wrong instructions given to…
MCC banned a student from speaking publicly while wearing a T-Rex costume, now he’s suing
We’ve all seen the YouTube clips: Someone dressed up in an enormous T-Rex costume gatecrashes a ballet studio or bum rushes students on their way to class or heads into a local alt-weekly’s office for the day. The videos are funny enough, but the administration at Macomb County Community college aren’t laughing. They recently banned…
We can’t believe this new commercial for the Gathering of the Juggalos
The new commercial heralding this year’s Gathering of the Juggalos was released two days ago — and it’s a wild ride. Done in the style of those TV ads announcing a monster truck rally, a funny car drag race, or an extreme motocross event, with those repetitions for words such as “SUNDAY!” — it has…
Proposed ordinance would help people in Detroit’s polluted pockets breathe easier
Southwest Detroit residents who have for years been clamoring for tougher regulations on the industrial companies operating in their backyard may soon be able to breathe a little easier. Detroit City Council member Raquel Castañeda-López — whose district includes what was once deemed Michigan’s most polluted zip code, 48217 — has introduced an ordinance to regulate the…
Reports: One injured in explosion at Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant
After an explosion was reported at the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, firefighters rushed to the scene. Reports say that the Hamtramck Fire Department received a call just after 10 a.m. this morning. A GM spokesperson confirmed that first responders were on the premises. A reporter for FOX2 was told by authorities that a filter…
‘Detroit’ movie will premiere at Fox Theatre
Look out, Hollywood: Detroit is set to roll out the red carpet for a highly anticipated film premiere. Detroit — the upcoming film by Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow about the 1967 riot/rebellion (“ri-bellion” in MT office parlance) — will make its world premiere right here in the Motor City. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, July 25 at the 5,000-seat Fox Theatre; the…
‘Wiches sandwich shop celebrates its Ferndale grand opening tomorrow
M.C. ‘Wiches, a sandwich shop that offers house smoked/cured meats and breads made from scratch, celebrates its grand opening in downtown Ferndale tomorrow. The restaurant recently held its soft opening in a 30-seat space at 172 W. Nine Mile Road just west of Woodward, and will offer half off its sandwiches during the grand opening…
How the Cannabis Cup is helping make marijuana the new normal
I had to walk about a half-mile from where I parked to the entry gate at the Auto City Speedway in Vienna Township for the Midwest Cannabis Cup last weekend. It’s normal to walk that distance across vast parking areas when attending big events like concerts, fairs, and — I guess — car races. It…
Review: Trump’s loss is Detroit’s gain at Apparatus Room
Well-heeled foodies have been abuzz about the installation of a Michelin two-star chef at a downtown hotel. The Michelin Guide’s “inspectors” don’t even visit Detroit! But Battle Creek native Thomas Lents told the Free Press he wanted to return to Michigan partly because of a “What is my life about?” cancer scare, and partly because,…
Midtown’s Elite Couture Boutique offers classy, conservative style
Detroit’s quickly growing Midtown district is known as a little shopping hub, with stores, bakeries, and restaurants lining Cass Avenue from Canfield to Willis. But hop across Woodward Avenue, and you’ll find a block of Forest Street, just before John R, teeming with life. The N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, a large, cinderblock building, takes…
Genre-defying avant-rockers Saajtak perform twice this weekend
Sometimes a band can be summed up in a word. Saajtak is not one of these bands, although if you had to pick just one word, experimental would probably be a good one. But even then it’s hard to leave it at that; the experimentation happens at so many levels. Formed in 2014, the Detroit-based…
Something’s happening out there — the rising tide of socialism
You could make a strong case that there isn’t anything drearier these days than politics in America — that is, unless you’re talking about politics in Michigan. Know-nothing, right-wing zombies control everything on both the state and federal level. Increasingly, they scarcely even bother to conceal their contempt for the people. Nationally, that has meant…
Savage Love: Sacrifice
Q: I’m a 29-year-old straight woman facing a dilemma. I dated this guy about a year ago, and in many ways he was exactly the guy I was looking for. The main hitch was sexual. Our sex was good, but he had a fetish where he wanted me to sleep with other guys. Basically, he…
Horoscopes (July 5-11)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): This is less about going back to the drawing board than it is with making something with what you have. It’s taken too much, and it’s been too long — starting over again? At this moment you have everything you need. The one thing that’s missing is the idea that…
Artist Torri Smith captures the stress of social media
“I call them ‘Moments of Self,’ but they’re really just selfies,” painter Torri Smith says, laughing. Her first-ever solo exhibit, a show she’s titled Constructs of Romantic Discord, is an amalgam of these moments, a peek into the inner psyche of a young millennial woman. Smith, a recent Lawrence Technological University graduate, works as an…
Why Detroit’s urban gardens and vacant land are good for at-risk bee populations
Amid the concrete and cityscape of downtown Detroit lies Lafayette Greens, an urban garden nestled in a plot where the Lafayette Building once stood. The urban garden positions itself as a focal point in a conversation about the burgeoning urban food movement and its potential to enhance city living, change a globalized food system, and…
