Cover Story
A deep dive into the source of Flint’s water crisis
On Wednesday, as this story was going to press, Flint Mayor Karen Weaver unexpectedly announced support for a plan to permanently stay with the Great Lakes Water Authority, which has been the city’s temporary water source since abandoning use of the Flint River 18 months ago. This new plan allows Flint to escape a controversial…
Detroit’s community-benefits law battle on replay in this Midwestern city
Remember last year’s election? Detroit voters were asked whether they’d like a law mandating that when big developers get public subsidies, the people should have a say in that development. While community benefits agreements have been increasingly common since the 1990s, a community benefits law, one that presented thresholds at which negotiations would have to take…
Skating Polly’s stepsister bandmates talk inspiration and creative energy
Since starting after a jam session at a Halloween party at the ages of 9 and 14, stepsisters Kelli Mayo and Peyton Bighorse have released three albums as Oklahoma City-based Skating Polly. They releasing their EP New Tricks on April 28. To celebrate the new jams, they’ll be touring with a stop in Detroit at the…
Fifty years ago this weekend: The Belle Isle Love-In
As seemingly everybody gears up to mark 50 years since Detroit erupted in what is described as a “riot,” and “uprising,” and a “rebellion,” we risk forgetting one of the signature events in the run-up to that hot week in July: The Belle Isle Love-In. What’s a “Love-In”? For those who don’t know, it’s a…
Zingermman’s new specialty cheese shop and geleteria opens Saturday
Zingerman’s Cream Top Shop, an addition to the newly renovated Zingerman’s Creamery at its Airport Road location in Pittsfield Township, opens Saturday. The project is part of a larger renovation and redesign of Zingerman’s 32,000-square-foot production facility that houses its Bakehouse, Creamery, Candy production, and Coffee Company. More retail space for the latter is included in…
Stream the new Will Sessions album in its entirety
Need a jumpstart to your midweek? Well, we suggest playing the new Will Sessions album Deluxe in its entirety. You can stream the whole thing via this link right here. Have at it! The album, released last Friday on their own Session Sounds imprint, features guest appearances from Allan Barnes (the Blackbyrds), Rickey Calloway, Amp…
Karl Marx at the center of the Detroit Rep’s latest comedy
The Detroit Repertory Theatre, or “the Rep” as it’s often known, is tucked away on a depopulated stretch of Woodrow Wilson Street on the city’s west side. For more than a half-century, “the Rep” has staged several plays a year, including plenty of national premieres of topically important work. The theater was a pioneer of…
Just announced: Future Islands headed to ROMT in October
With our ears still ringing from last night’s stellar PJ Harvey show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, we learned today that Future Islands will play the same storied venue on Thursday, October 5. The band will bring their powerfully Dad-rockin’ flavor of post-punk to town in support of their critically-acclaimed fifth full-length, The Far Field. It…
A month past deadline, Gov. Snyder has still not seated marijuana board to issue new licenses
Gov. Rick Snyder is well past a March deadline to seat a five-member board that will oversee the licensing of Michigan’s soon-to-be commercialized medical marijuana industry. The hold up, according to Snyder spokeswoman Anna Heaton, is a “thorough vetting” of the candidates, three of whom will be appointed by the governor himself, and two of…
Paul McCartney adds October date at Little Caesars Arena to ‘One on One’ tour
Macca has added a massive new run of U.S. dates to his ‘One on One, tour, with the final one being an October 1 date at the Little Caesars Arena. The Detroit date, the last in the tour, will obviously be Paul’s first show at the brand new venue, and first visit to the Motor City…
MAP: In Southeast Michigan, Hamtramck has largest percentage of uninsured residents
According to the most recent census data available, Hamtramck is home to the largest percentage of uninsured residents in Southeast Michigan. Drawing Detroit, a community blog fueled by the staff of Wayne State University’s Center for Urban Studies, created this map to illustrate the data the shows less than 80 percent of people in Hamtramck…
Detroit’s Café con Leche to shutter permanently
Last year, after little more than a year in business, indie coffee shop Cafe con Leche closed its auxiliary Southwest Detroit location. Now, the shop’s only remaining location, across from the Fisher Building, will also shutter. The shop opened in 2007, when the whole of Detroit only had three indie coffee shops. Ten years later,…
Ann Arbor’s first ‘poutinerie’ is about to open
Over the last decade, Canada’s greatest culinary export, poutine, began appearing with regularity on some of the region’s hipper establishment’s menus. For the uninitiated, poutine is essentially a jumbled mound of fries, gravy and cheese curds that’s heavy and unhealthy – but well-loved – Canadian grub. In fact, it’s so well-loved that an entire restaurant dedicated…
Founders is expected to announce plans for a new Cass Corridor taproom
Founders could be the next Michigan brewery in Midtown. Crain’s reports that the Grand Rapids-based brewer is expected to announce plans for a new taproom and brewery in a 12,000-square-foot building at 456 Charlotte St. That’s right at the edge of the District Detroit arena/entertainment district now under construction. It would be the company’s first location outside…
There are literally mushrooms growing in this Midtown apartment building the city has repeatedly cited but won’t shut down
Last month we exposed a slew of problems at the Sheridan Court Apartments in Midtown and the city’s failure to shut down the building despite citing it for a half-dozen blight violations, some of which tenants say have still gone unaddressed. The 91-unit apartment building had failed a fire inspection and was operating without a…
Juice Joint juice and cold brew coffee bar opens in Midtown
The newest addition to Marcus Market in Midtown is a new juice and coffee bar. The Juice Joint quietly opened last week and is offering a range of smoothies, juices, and cold brews. Its menu is straightforward and the juices are what one would expect from a new juice bar with options like The Slayer…
Shinola partners with Detroit Dirt to add compost to its in-store inventory
In general, when people think of Shinola, they think of handsome timepieces with well-crafted leather bands. Or maybe they think of a company with masterful marketing. But, they definitely do not think about dirt. Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt, is about to change that. Murray moved to Detroit in 2010, in hopes of starting…
Meaty restaurant concept to replace stalled Geiger Eat Shop in West Village
A new restaurant/butcher shop called Marrow will open in the spot that was to hold the Geiger Eat Shop. The Detroit Free Press reports that the new project will be a partnership between Geiger’s Greg Reyner and The Royce Detroit wine bar’s Ping Ho. They’re enlisting former Parks & Rec and Republic chef Sarah Welch…
Thurston Moore to play MOCAD in July
Today we learned that Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore is headed to Detroit, to play the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit on July 15. The show is presented by El Club. Rock n Roll Consciousness, Moore’s new album, is set for release the Friday, April 28. on Caroline International. According to this press release we just…
Canadian government delays approval of nuclear waste dump on Lake Huron
As a poet once said, “April is the cruelest month.” And when it comes to the environment in the Great Lakes region, good news has been few and far between this April. Michigan environmental activists have good reason to feel gloomy, as fracking operations spew flowback on roads in Kalkaska County, as radioactive waste heads…
Aretha Franklin sounded better than ever at concert last week
Remember when Aretha Franklin sang the National Anthem at the Lions game on Thanksgiving last year and your uncle complained about her voice and the length of her performance, quickly followed by the internet? Well, haters, the time has come for you to sit down, because I invite you to watch this video of Aretha…
Just announced: Kendrick Lamar at the Palace in July!
Hot on the heels of his excellent new album DAMN., the justly-celebrated rapper Kendrick Lamar has announced that he is bringing his DAMN. tour with Travis Scott and D.R.A.M. to the Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday, July 26. Tickets will be priced at $129.50, $79.50 and $49.50 and they will go on sale this Friday,…
Woodbridge Pub listed for sale
The popular Woodbridge Pub bar/restaurant in the Woodbridge neighborhood just west of Wayne State’s campus is on the market. Crain’s reports owner Jim Geary is asking $1.225 million and hoping to find someone who will continue running and growing the operation. The listing price also includes a vacant 1,300-square-foot building and small 0.2-acre parcel…
‘Dr. Mona’ warns Trump could cause ‘more Flints to come’ at Science March
The Flint pediatrician who broke the news of the Flint water crisis was one of the thousands who took to Washington, D.C. on Saturday as part of the March for Science to protest what she and others view as President Donald Trump’s dangerously anti-scientific agenda. Wearing a dress emblazoned with a neuron pattern, Hanna-Attisha spoke as one of…
Monday morning City Council hearing on toxic waste facility’s expansion
Activists opposed to the tenfold expansion of a hazardous waste facility in Detroit are urging people to join them in speaking out at a hearing on the plan Monday morning. The plan to expand the facility owned by U.S. Ecology, based in Boise, Idaho, has been the subject of our coverage before. A few weeks…
Muslim sect known for female genital mutilation responds to charges against local docs
Members of the Muslim sect authorities have linked to local cases of female genital mutilation say the Dawoodi Bohra do not support breaking the law. A statement released by an organization that describes itself as representing the Detroit Dawoodi Bohra community says “any violation of U.S. law is counter to instructions to our community members”…
Berry Gordy Jr.’s immaculate Detroit mansion can be yours for a cool $1.6 mil
If you’ve been looking for an immaculately kept Italianate-style mansion within Detroit city limits, you’re in luck. The home at 918 Boston Street in Detroit is the former residence of Berry Gordy Jr., you know, the guy who founded Motown Records. It’s been on the market since last June, so maybe the sellers will be…
Kraftwerk announces elaborate series of live ‘3-D’ sets
Today, honorary Detroiters Kraftwerk announced the imminent release of a multi-disc live set in several formats (see below) which captures the 3-D sets that enchanted Detroiters when they performed it here, first at the Masonic in 2015 and then at Movement last year. We were stunned by how gorgeous the show was. Get this now for…
‘Blue Series’ book is for the Third Man records diehard
When Jack White launched his Third Man Records in 2009, among the label’s first releases were experimental, one-off collaborative singles known as the “Blue Series.” Nearly a decade later and 40 singles later, Third Man is taking a look back at the series with a hardcover book in time for Record Store Day. The Blue…
Jazz great Christian McBride to give two shows at Cliff Bell’s next week
Downtown’s atmospheric jazz club Cliff Bell’s has plenty of big names appear on its stage, but this month a heavy hitter makes his debut in front of the club’s trademark sunburst: Christian McBride. If you know jazz, you’re aware that McBride was a teen prodigy born into a family of skilled bassists, who then gained…
Another Detroit area doctor charged in female genital mutilation case
A second metro Detroit doctor and his wife have been charged in a female genital mutilation case out of Livonia. Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and his wife Farida Attar, 50, allegedly participated in a conspiracy that involved cutting the genitals of two young girls from Minnesota. A criminal complaint unsealed last week said Dr. Jumana…
Roseville man ticketed for warming up car in driveway loses case
Remember that guy from Roseville who posted a photo on Facebook of a ticket he received for warming up his car in his own driveway? Mind you, this happened back in January in the dead of winter. The Facebook post went viral and the city of Roseville received criticism on why leaving your car running in…
See photos from Royale With Cheese, Midtown’s new ‘Pulp Fiction’-inspired burger joint
As we reported last week, Royale with Cheese — a Pulp Fiction-inspired, “retro style” burger shop infused with American barbecue and Mediterranean flavors — will be the newest addition to Midtown’s ever-expanding dining scene when it starts serving at Willis and Cass. Chef and co-owner Hass Bazzy tells MT the restaurant was supposed to open this…
After decades in business, Lynch’s costume shop to shutter
Many metro Detroiters have memories of heading into Lynch’s for some ballet shoes and special dance tights. Others remember renting elaborate costumes, be it for Halloween, Easter, or Christmas. But, according to shop owner Patrick Lynch, the beloved Dearborn store will close after liquidating inventory. The building’s been bought and the new owners have asked…
Can’t miss show of the week: Timmy’s Organism at Ant Hall tonight
Get slimy with Timmy’s Organism at Hamtramck’s Ant Hall tonight Detroit’s favorite disgusting weirdos have not one but TWO brand new 45s — one of them is so new that it’s out today — and you can come pick them both up when you see the band perform at their record release show at the…
Awww Freak Out! Earth, Wind & Fire Are Coming to Detroit With Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers
Can you imagine anything better than a sunny evening and listening to the sweet, sweet music of Earth, Wind & Fire while sipping on a cold beer? You can’t? We didn’t think so. Luckily for you, that fantasy will come true as the legendary 10-piece band Earth, Wind & Fire will stop at DTE Energy…
Nestlé pumping plan hits another snag in Osceola Township
Nestlé’s plan to pump 400 gallons per minute from its well in Osceola Township has encountered another obstacle: a The planned increase in pumping was at the heart of an MT story in December chronicling Nestlé’s operations in Michigan, and the resistance they have met from environmentalists. Toward the end of that story, we noted…
The debate over the young, white, hip El Club owner’s plans to expand in Southwest
The 20-something “Baby Gatsby” behind El Club is hoping to transform the blighted building next to his Southwest Detroit music venue into a cafe and community center that will offer affordable practice space for musicians and free art classes to students enrolled in nearby schools. Graeme Flegenheimer on Monday launched a Kickstarter seeking $50,000 to…
ICP to host first ever Dark Carnival Games Convention
Insane Clown Posse members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope are hosting the first ever Dark Carnival Games Con this weekend and you’re probably not the only one asking yourself what, exactly, that is. The convention — similar to a comic con — is geared toward “Juggalo gamers” and invites them to compete in tournaments…
Saturday offers a special set from Sixto Rodriguez at the Old Miami
By now, almost everybody knows the astonishing story of Sixto Rodriguez. For years, he was considered just another unassuming neighborhood guy in the Cass Corridor. Sure, he had cut some records back in the 1960s, but now he was just a regular guy in the city. Of course, little did he know he had become…
Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and Sarah Palin visited Trump in the White House
The holy trinity of Trump’s America visited the White House last night for a photo-op and we honestly have a million follow-up questions. Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and Sarah Palin have been very vocal Trump supporters — all way from the campaign trail to the White House. The trio posed for photos with Trump in…
Gold Cash Gold’s new beverage director develops a ‘whimsical’ summer cocktail list
As we reported in March, new-ish Gold Cash Gold chef Brendan Edwards is doing some wonderful work with his new GCG menu. But not to be overlooked are the libations of new beverage director Troy Fox, a former auto machinist-turned-craft cocktail maker who’s developing a menu that matches Edwards’ fare in creativity and execution. Among…
Quicken Loans put up $750k for Trump inauguration
On Wednesday, the Financial Election Commission released a 510-page report detailing the donations for President Donald Trump’s January inauguration event. The effort brought in $107 million — a record. The Detroit Free Press highlights some of the biggest Michigan-based donors for the event. Of note: Detroit-based Quicken Loans put up a whopping $750,000. The Free Press also notes that Gilbert…
Metro Times kicked ass at the SPJ awards
Your favorite alt weekly (us) was well-represented at the annual Society of Professional Journalists awards Detroit chapter ceremony on Wednesday night, competing against the dailies, radio, and other outlets. The highest honors went to our longtime Politics & Prejudices columnist Jack Lessenberry, who earned a lifetime achievement award alongside WDIV-TV’s Carmen Harlan. As Lessenberry noted…
Motor city madness: Your complete Record Store Day primer!
Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 22. As many attendees of Record Store Days in the past might tell you, waiting outside in line for hours for your favorite local shop to open up is the worst part — but it can totally be worth it. All stores know this is a day with…
2017 Detroit Jazz Fest lineup: Wayne Shorter, Regina Carter, Kamasi Washington, Herbie Hancock, and dozens more
Today the Detroit Jazz Festival (which as we all know is the world’s largest free jazz festival) announced its artist lineup for the 38th annual Labor Day weekend event. The diverse lineup is anchored by 2017 Artist-in-Residence Wayne Shorter, a revolutionary saxophonist and composer globally recognized for his immense contributions to the music. Live sets…
Jack White’s documentary on pioneering days of recorded sound gets May release
Back in 2015, Jack White announced that he was going to executive produce a documentary about the history of recording music alongside T Bone Burnett and Robert Redford. The three-part documentary airs Tuesday, May 16. There is also a film to tag along that will air June 6 and a series of recordings. A ton…
Prosecutor: Detroit EMT purposely did not help struggling baby who later died
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged a former Detroit emergency medical technician with willful neglect of duty for failing to respond to an eight-month-old infant who was struggling to breathe. The prosecutor’s office says 45-year-old Ann Marie Thomas was dispatched to Glastonbury Street near the Southfield Freeway and 8 Mile in May of 2015. Thomas allegedly…
Heads up: Tornado sirens will go off at 1 p.m. Wednesday for a test
Don’t be alarmed metro Detroiters — all the tornado sirens going off today, April 19, are just a test so you know what to do if a real twister touches down on the ground. The Normally, sirens are tested on the first Saturday of the month, but Governor Rick Snyder declared this week Michigan Severe…
Harvey Weinstein options crime novel by Detroit author
Sort of a sideways manner to get the news, but we’ll take it: In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter this week, film producer and Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein disclosed that he’d optioned TV rights to the new book by Detroit author and Kresge literary fellow Stephen Mack Jones. How did that happen? Turns out…
Comerica Hatch Detroit is looking for contestants
Sister Pie, Detroit Vegan Soul, The Royce, Batch Brewing Company, Hugh, La Feria, Busted Bra Shop, and Live Cycle Delight — they all have something in common and it’s not just location. Each of the businesses has gotten some help from a contest called Hatch Detroit, which helps local entrepreneurs with dreams of setting up…
New brewery with Asian street food menu opens today in Ann Arbor
A 5,000-square-foot, 170-seat brewery/tap room opens today on Jackson Road on Ann Arbor’s west side. The HOMES Brewery (an acronym for the five Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior) will offer 10 beers on tap at the outset, though that list will expand to 20 throughout the year, owner Tommy Kennedy told…
Savage Love: Dick monsters
Q: I’m a queer girl living with a male partner. This weekend, we found ourselves in an after-hours club, made some new friends, and ended up at a house with two other guys and a girl. Things were pretty playful with everyone except for one of the guys. We all wanted him gone, but he…
Your trash is Mary Adkisson’s treasure
Plastic is so ubiquitous in the modern era that it’s easy to ignore. According to Scientific American Magazine, Americans use 92 billion disposable plastic bags each year, and since the material was first invented, we’ve made some 6 billion tons of the stuff, with many of it winding up in landfills. Some scientists have even…
Chaz Bundick of Toro y Moi collaborates with improv duo on ‘Star Stuff’
What do you get when two improvisers have a musical meeting with 30-year-old Chaz Bundick in his home studio? Well, they call it Star Stuff, and on the press release state that it’s “100 percent collaborative.” His 33 percent of the record (give or take) is in the vocals, synths, autoharp, and six other credits…
Tee Grizzley debuts mixtape ‘My Moment’
Local rapper Tee Grizzley (born Terrey Wallace) was convicted on Feb. 3, 2015 for robbery, and paroled on Oct. 18, 2016; he then went straight to the studio and recorded his first single, “First Day Out,” in the same clothes he was incarcerated in. The single was an instant classic in Detroit’s hip-hop community (pardon…
Sex, lies, and Michigan State
Want to talk nutty, out-of-control, political correctness? Here’s the best example I know: Two Michigan State University college students made a date — initiated by the woman — and set about having enthusiastic sex one weekend in May, 2014. They are going at it when they get interrupted. Later, he reaches under her shirt to…
In search of the strongest strain
What is the most powerful marijuana? Well, that’s a very interesting question. A lot of people in the world of weed are always on the lookout for the most potent stuff in order to get the most euphoric high. Not all of them all the time — but everybody who enjoys a high wants to…
Corktown business community fears light penalty if break-in perp is caught
As Detroit police look for the perpetrator of break-ins at a pair of Corktown-area restaurants within a 24-hour stretch earlier this month, there’s concern over what kind of penalty a suspect may face should one be identified and caught. Police were looking into whether the April 11 or April 12 break-ins at Johnny Noodle King…
Horoscopes (April 19-25)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): Things change so fast every time you turn around, something else pops up to keep you spinning. The dizzying effects of too much random interference has many of you wondering why life doesn’t want to settle down. Others have been off the charts with their issues and demands. It’s gotten…
Why you should get extra stoked for Moon Duo
Everyone loves Moon Duo, a husband-and-wife synthesizer and guitar-shredding minimalist, psychedelic, motoric pop band, without reservation. Don’t they? OK, well, we sure are in love with the dark, weird majesty of their new release, Occult Architecture Vol. 1. It’s something of a breakthrough in terms of sensibility and sound. There are still extended, face-melting solos,…
Detroit’s ruling-est funk combo, Will Sessions, drops ‘Deluxe’ this week
Will Sessions might be the most stylistically diverse band in Detroit. They can just as easily play classic soul, funk, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock inspired ’70s jazz fusion, or Dilla hip-hop tracks at the crack of a snare drum. They’ve worked with and backed up a huge list of the finest soul musicians (Rickey…
John Waters on throwing his birthday party in Detroit
John Waters’ influence on modern culture is incalculable. The Baltimore, Md.-based filmmaker has written and directed 16 feature-length films, including cult classics Polyester, Desperate Living, Pink Flamingos, Pecker, Multiple Maniacs, and Hairspray. His humorous, postmodern photographic works have been shown in galleries across the globe. As an actor, he has appeared in My Name Is…
Review: Neehee’s has major street cred with their Indian flavors
(Find a a gallery of photos from Neehee’s here.) You might think of “street food” as something not just obtained on the street but easily eatable on the street: like a hot dog you can scarf without the benefit of utensils. But in India, street food doesn’t mean simple. According to Neehee’s manager Jac Hilgendorf,…
Meet the women taking the lead in farming in southeast Michigan
Do a Google image search for the word “farmer” and nearly all of the pictures that pop up are what people typically imagine as the stereotypical “Old MacDonald” — a man in a plaid shirt and big, denim overalls whose face is shaded from the sun by a large straw hat or green John Deere…
