Cover Stories
Danny Brown is always onto the next thing
On Saturday, May 23, Detroit native Danny Brown will be one of the featured artists performing on the Waterfront stage at Hart Plaza’s Movement Music Festival in downtown Detroit. This marks the fourth time the rapper has been a part of Movement’s massive lineup (Brown performed in 2015, 2017, and 2019). It also marks production…
Metro Detroit’s biggest concerts of the summer
Let’s get loud. Between the festival circuit and the big-name touring acts coming to amphitheaters and stadiums, there’s great concerts happening every week from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Here are some to look out for. The Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre 2600 Atwater St., Detroit; thearetha.com 6/10: Boney James 6/17: Maysa 6/20: Juvenile 6/21: Father’s Day…
The return of the late Ted Lucas
More than five decades ago, in 1975, a prominent Detroit songwriter and session musician named Ted Lucas self-released an album of beautiful acoustic ballads and evocative guitar instrumentals. Though it is now regarded as a masterpiece, the self-titled LP (commonly referred to as OM after the imprint on the label) was a failure by all…
Utillian 850 takes portable cannabis vaping to another level
Portable cannabis vaporizers are built to be small and compact, but that often means weaker, less satisfying hits. That’s not the case for the Utillian 850, a new portable, dual-use vaporizer that produces dense clouds and strong flavor.
Michigan court says you don’t have a right to know who your cops are
A Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled that state policing regulators can keep secret the names and employment histories of current and former officers throughout the state, but Metro Times and Invisible Institute plan to appeal the decision. Judge Christopher P. Yates decided Friday that Michigan State Police can withhold the records under exemptions in…
‘Michael’ is not a movie about Michael Jackson
Everyone who goes to the movies is after something different. Relaxation, stimulation, escapism all are valid. That’s why it’s hard for me to reconcile exactly who Michael, the Michael Jackson musical biopic, is meant for and if its existence is healthy for culture and society at large. The film ends in 1988, at the height…
Sanders backs El-Sayed and McKinney for U.S. Congress at packed Detroit rally
The Democratic Party establishment’s attempt to cancel Abdul El-Sayed appears to have fallen flat. More than 1,360 people packed Detroit’s Mumford High School on Sunday to hear the Michigan U.S. Senate candidate speak alongside U.S. House candidate Donavan McKinney. The event was helmed by Vermont’s Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed both candidates, and billed as…
From Club Status to the Sloppy Crab, Mike B pushed Detroit entertainment culture forward
When well-known Detroit restaurant owner Mikey “Mike B” Brown was fatally shot early morning on Saturday, Feb. 28, the city mourned. Mike B was more than just an entrepreneur. For three decades he had been one of Detroit’s most essential hip-hop and entertainment curators. From open mics to afterparties, he used his hustle and ambition…
Detroit’s working class hero M.L. Liebler unleashes memoir ‘Hound Dog’
In his new memoir, Hound Dog: A Poet’s Memoir of Rock, Revolution, and Redemption, M.L. Liebler chronicles his metamorphosis from an orphaned working-class boy into a prolific, pioneering political poet. Known to many as Professor Liebler, this 40-year faculty member of Wayne State University has also been hailed as “Detroit’s Culture Czar” and a “Workers’…
