Cover Story
130 years on, Detroit’s Henry the Hatter stands tall
Joe Renkiewicz wears many hats. His first hat, a gift from his father, remains sacred. It appeared on a bright Easter Sunday in Hamtramck, 1966. He was 4 years old, forever changed. “The hat was navy blue, what was called a ‘hanky panky’ at the time,” Renkiewicz recalls, eyes crinkling at the memory. “I’ve pretty…
Where to take your mom for Mother’s Day brunch in metro Detroit
As the Intruders song says, we’ll always love our mama, even when she drives us crazy. Maybe that’s not exactly what the song says, but you know how it goes. Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 14 this year and it’s the perfect occasion for brunch. If you’ve procrastinated on getting your reservations in, check…
Detroit’s former Ima space to host Summertown Fresh Bar smoothie and juice concept
A fresh new concept is coming to Ima’s old Corktown location in Detroit. Owner of the Japanese-inspired local chain Mike Ransom is planning on turning the space at 2015 Michigan Ave. into “Summertown Fresh Bar” come May. An Instagram post announcing the new bar says the reimagined space will feature “energizing smoothies, fresh fruit and…
Carhartt inks deal with The Weather Channel
Reporting the weather is now officially considered real “Carhartt shit.” The Weather Channel announced Tuesday that it has made a deal with the 134-year-old Dearborn-based workwear company to outfit its on-air meteorologists when they report live in the field during extreme weather events. Starting the spring, the TV network’s 30 or so reporters will sport…
The Jonas Brothers announce Detroit date for new tour
Grab your high heels and red dresses, the Jonas Brothers are burnin’ up to come to Detroit. The three brothers are embarking on “THE TOUR,” where they will perform “five albums every night,” a press release states. Joe, Nick, and Kevin will all be at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m.…
Explanation of canceled Bangladeshi festival in Warren causes more confusion
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts insists the city did not cancel a Bangladeshi festival because it was too “ethnic,” but organizers of the event say his explanation doesn’t add up. Fouts says the city notified members of the Bangladesh Association of Michigan (BAM) earlier this month that they could not hold the festival from July 22-24…
Detroit’s Tec-Troit fest announces 2023 lineup, and more local music news
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it to music@metrotimes.com. Detroit still has a free electronic music festival: The Tec-Troit festival was established in 2011, as a way to amplify local and oft-overlooked electronic musicians in Detroit. As the annual Detroit Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) evolved into Movement over the last two decades, and as its…
Founders Brewing abruptly closes Detroit taproom following new racial discrimination complaint
Founders Brewing Co. has permanently closed its Detroit taproom — making the announcement just hours after a former worker filed a new racial discrimination complaint against the company, Metro Times has learned. In a Facebook post published Monday evening, Founders blamed the closure on sluggish sales. It is with great sadness that we announce that…
‘Locked Out’ documentary is triggering for Detroiters who’ve experienced eviction
My heart sank when a woman onscreen said “Black men are locked up and Black women are locked out.” This moment in the Detroit-made documentary Locked Out was met by vocal responses like “mmm, mmm, mmm” from the audience and head shakes that say “that’s a damn shame” on the surface while masking the pain…
Detroit’s ‘Chief Storyteller’ leaves role
Back in 2017, the City of Detroit made headlines for creating a new government position it called “Chief Storyteller,” with other cities like Atlanta and Denver following its lead. But in a LinkedIn post published on Monday, Detroit’s Chief Storyteller Eric Thomas announced he has resigned, and the future of the position is now unclear.…
Court order saves 3,400 owner-occupied homes from foreclosure in Wayne County
Wayne County Treasurer Eric Sabree has halted property tax foreclosures for owner-occupied homes this year. About 3,400 owner-occupied homes were facing foreclosure. The Third Circuit Court granted Sabree’s request for a moratorium on foreclosures last week. “Our number one priority remains keeping people in their homes, and we want to give Wayne County property taxpayers…
‘The Price is Right Live’ heading to Detroit
Michigan residents are invited to “come on down” to Detroit’s Fox Theatre for their chance to win at The Price is Right Live. The stage version of the daytime TV sensation is coming to the Motor City at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 18. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 5…
Lapointe: In Michigan, some counties splash back against the blue wave
In recent elections, Michigan’s balance of power has shifted from reactionary, conservative, and right wing to progressive, liberal, and left wing. Gun-safety legislation in Lansing shows how the clout in the Great Lakes State has moved in a positive direction from Republican red to Democratic blue. But sometimes, a few steps forward are followed by…
‘Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.’ is a faithful, and moving, adaptation of Judy Blume’s coming-of-age classic
Growing up ravenous for any “young adult” content that offered the slightest glimpse of sexuality, I — along with generations of girls — gravitated to Judy Blume novels like a shark drawn to (menstrual) blood. But I was never a Margaret fan. Give me Deenie any day. Why look up to a sixth grader desperate…
City of Warren cancels Bangladeshi festival for being too ‘ethnic,’ organizer says
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts’s administration has canceled a planned Bangladeshi festival because the city doesn’t want an “ethnic” gathering at the city’s popular event space, according to the head of the festival. The popular Bangladeshi American Festival has been held annually at the Warren City Square since 2009. The Bangladeshi Association of Michigan (BAM), which…
Neha Vedpathak’s ‘Creative Force’ exhibit is womb wisdom in abstract form
Nebular webs of fibers with a texture like corroded lace hang on the walls of David Klein Gallery. One seems to glow with a beaming yellow glob at the center. The bright energy pool feels as if it is emitting light as it draws you into life’s infinite possibilities. It takes Neha Vedpathak nearly a…
Slum Village collaborate with ’60s Detroit soul group the Dramatics on ‘Just Like You’
Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village is gearing up to release a new album, its first in seven years. The group, now a duo featuring rapper T3 and producer Young RJ, dropped a new single on Friday, ahead of a new album expected in August. “Just Like You” is a collaboration with California rapper Larry June…
M-1 Rail to replace upside-down braille signs on QLine following complaints
Braille signs that appeared to be installed upside-down at Detroit’s QLine stops have been causing confusion among riders since the streetcar’s inception. Now the nonprofit that runs the QLine, M-1 Rail, says it’s planning to replace the plaques with new ones that are “right-side up.” The signs have the name of each QLine stop written…
DiGiorno gets into the Detroit-style pizza game
The rest of the world finally seems to be catching on to something we’ve long known here in the Motor City: Detroit-style pizza is awesome. Even frozen pizza company DiGiorno has unveiled a new line of “Detroit-style” pies set to hit grocery stores across the U.S. in July. “Consumers are asking for bold flavors and…
Highland Park’s cannabis ordinance is ripe for corruption, council members say
Highland Park has a problematic recreational marijuana ordinance that fails to ensure the cash-strapped city receives benefits from prospective cannabis businesses and gives sole authority to the clerk to dole out licenses, some council members said. But Mayor Glenda McDonald is vetoing any attempts to amend the ordinance or even hold a public hearing on…
Detroit Symphony Orchestra to perform live score for ‘Black Panther’ screening
Wakanda is coming to Detroit. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will perform the live score to a limited run of screenings of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther in from Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25. The performances take place at Orchestra Hall and include a screening of the 2018 film accompanied by a live score led…
Gourmet waffles are coming to Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion
The Avenue of Fashion is getting more waffles. A new restaurant called Waffle Café Detroit plans to open for business at noon on Thursday, June 1 in the former Lana’s Bake Shop at 18685 Livernois Ave., Detroit. It teases more than 45 different “gourmet waffles” with straightforward flavors like Classic Belgian and French Toast along…
Detroit bakery For The Love of Sugar hits a sweet spot
In the pantheon of great Detroit bakeries, each has made its mark with a specialty — Ochre’s killer lamination (RIP), Avalon’s breads, Cannelle’s decadent pastries, or anything baker Eggy Ding makes at Rose’s. For The Love of Sugar, as the name implies, is where one goes purely for sweets, or more specifically, cakes. The small…
Detroit burlesque legend Toni Elling has died at 94 years old
Toni Elling, a Detroit legend who paved the way for African American burlesque performers, passed away on April 2. A source close to the family confirmed the passing to Metro Times. Elling, whose real name is Rosita Sims, was 94 years old at the time of her death. She would have turned 95 on May…
Bob Marley’s son touts his Michigan-grown weed ahead of visit
Rohan Marley, the son of reggae icon Bob Marley, is coming to a dispensary in Oakland County on Friday to promote his marijuana brand in Michigan. Marley will be mingling with cannabis consumers during a meet-and-greet at Bazonzoes at 1760 E. West Maple Road in Walled Lake at 1 p.m. Marley launched his cannabis brand,…
Long-vacant Book Depository now hums with EV-powered RVs and more
Once a hotspot for ruin porn, Ford’s Michigan Central Station campus is entering a new era as a hub for mobility innovation. The adjacent Book Depository, a former post office and book depository for Detroit Public Schools, opened to the media on Tuesday afternoon with the tech startups inside eager to show off their electric…
Free Will Astrology (April 26-May 2)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to a study by Newsweek magazine, 58% of us yearn to experience spiritual growth; 33% report having had a mystical or spiritual experience; 20% of us say we have had a revelation from God in the last year; and 13% have been in the presence of an angel. Given the…
Detroit rappers Stretch Money and Valid team up for ’80s-inspired ‘Bill & Isiah’
Valid and Stretch Money are known for creating some of the best modern hip-hop music this city has ever heard, but when we meet over bread and humus at Greektown’s Golden Fleece restaurant, the two emcees are dressed like they’ve just walked out of an 1980s time capsule. They both have on crew neck sweaters…
Chowhound: Don’t sleep on Southwest Detroit’s excellent La Jalisciense Mercado
Chowhound is a bi-weekly column about what’s trending in Detroit food culture. Tips: eat@metrotimes.com. Another coat of paint on the praiseworthy: Last spring, Metro Times heaped praise on Southwest Detroit’s La Jalisciense Mercado. Now, I’m piling on a little more. While having a Hornitos and soda at a South of the Border hang near home…
