Cover Stories
Where to party in Detroit for Opening Day
Anchor bar This classic Detroit dive bar offers a shuttle to and from the game and cheap drinks. Doors open at 9 a.m.; 450 Fort St W, Ste 100, Detroit; 313-964-9127; no cover. Bookies Bar N’ Grille Located a stone’s throw from Comerica Park, this sports bar will feature an indoor and outdoor party (don’t…
Tigers still very much a contender in a wide-open AL Central Division
With the 2017 Detroit Tigers season upon us it is time to take in all the majesty that is Detroit Tigers baseball. Detroit Sports Nation editors Alex Muller and Don Drysdale give their thoughts on what the new season will hold for Tigers fans. (Read more analysis at detroitsportsnation.com.) Fans of the Detroit Tigers were…
Three reasons why the Detroit Tigers will make the playoffs
With the 2017 Detroit Tigers season upon us it is time to take in all the majesty that is Detroit Tigers baseball. Detroit Sports Nation editors Alex Muller and Don Drysdale give their thoughts on what the new season will hold for Tigers fans. (Read more analysis at detroitsportsnation.com.) 2016 was an interesting year for…
Why Daniel Norris is about to become a household name
With the 2017 Detroit Tigers season upon us it is time to take in all the majesty that is Detroit Tigers baseball. Detroit Sports Nation editors Alex Muller and Don Drysdale give their thoughts on what the new season will hold for Tigers fans. (Read more analysis at detroitsportsnation.com.) Tigers fans are well aware of…
Will the Ilitches stay on the ball?
Once upon a time, in a decaying Midwestern city, there was a smattering of neighborhood taverns that all bore the same name and instantly recognizable logo. They served real glass pitchers of beer poured into frosted mugs. On weekends, families gathered at these taverns in such numbers that sometimes there was a line to get…
Meijer Gardens announces concert series with Beach Boys, Shins, Tegan and Sara, and more
Grand Rapids’ Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has announced a 30-date 2017 summer concert series that will feature acts like the Beach Boys, Tegan and Sara, the Shins, Sheryl Crow, and more. Tickets go on sale for members starting at 9 a.m. on April 29. Public sale begins at 9 a.m. on May 13. Here’s…
Detroit Breakdown: Goodbye to guitarist J. Geils, who really knew how to party
It was with a heavy heart that we learned last night that guitarist John Warren Geils Jr. — aka J. Geils, founding member of the J. Geils Band — died in his physical home of Groton, Mass. at the age of 71, apparently of natural causes. For many Detroiters, the J. Geils Band was a Detroit act.…
‘Pulp Fiction’-inspired Royale With Cheese opens in the Cass Corridor next week
Do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France? The newest addition to Midtown’s ever-expanding dining scene arrives next weekend when Royale with Cheese — a Pulp Fiction-inspired, “retro style” burger shop infused with American barbecue and Mediterranean flavors — starts serving at Willis and Cass. Chef/co-owner Hass Bazzy tells MT…
‘Creem’ magazine founder’s ’70s-style rock ’n’ roll party house is on the market
A one-of-a-kind house built by Creem magazine founder Barry Kramer is now on the market. Located on nearly nine acres of property in Dryden, Mich. in Lapeer County, the three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 2,300 sq. ft square-foot house was built by Kramer in 1970 shortly after founded his rock ’n’ roll magazine. According to its Zillow listing, the property “has hosted all the Detroit music legends…
Maxine Waters to be honored by Detroit chapter of NAACP
Maxine Waters, who’s black feminist clap back to “dishonorable person” Bill O’Reilly is the stuff of legends, will be honored by the Detroit Branch of the NAACP. Waters is a democratic congresswoman from California where she is the senior African American woman serving. She is also the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. The…
Economist: Snyder offers ‘perfect’ comparison to Trump
Every once in a while, something will crop up on the CounterPunch site related to Michigan, but we were especially interested when a partial recent transcript of an interview with unorthodox economist Michael Hudson showed the author agreeing that presented Lansing’s Snyder administration was a sort of precursor to Washington’s Trump administration. The transcript, “Running…
Berserker IV hits the Crofoot this weekend
How one two-day festival can encompass so much ear-splitting goodness is hard to fathom. From Eyehategod, Blurring, Child Bite, and Weedeater to Off!, Negative Approach, Fuck You Pay Me, and Gwar, there are more variations on heaviness at this festival than can possibly be mapped, or adequately covered by bad comparisons to, oh, a battleship-building…
Reborn to raise hell: Former Blondies owner brings back Harpos
Two legends, one roof: Expect changes at Harpos Concert Theatre, as the former owner of Blondies takes over, and breathes new life into the historic Harper Avenue spot. Everyone knows Harpos, whether they caught a show by Iron Maiden, Megadeth, or other big metal acts there in the ’80s, or just drive by the place…
Slows, Noodle King latest victims in spate of Corktown break-ins
This morning’s reported break-ins at Johnny Noodle King and Slows Bar BQ are the latest in a string of incidents this year at Corktown restaurants and shops that culminated with a break-in and suspected arson at Katoi in February. Police say the back door of Johnny Noodle King was pried open with a crow bar…
Massive Mountain Dew spill causes ‘huge foaming event’ in Howell
A tank rupture at a Pepsi bottling plant in Howell last month resulted in the spillage of 7,200 gallons of Mountain Dew syrup into the plant’s internal sewer system. The spill occurred on March 10. According to The Livingston Daily, the plant attempted to manage the spill for two days before the syrup overwhelmed the system,…
La Lanterna, a new northern Italian restaurant, opens Wednesday in Capitol Park
La Lanterna will open on Wednesday in downtown Detroit’s Capitol Park. As we reported last month, the restaurant is an undertaking of the Barbieri family’s second, third, and fourth generations, and an homage to their father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Edoardo Barbieri, who launched the venerable Da Edoardo restaurant group. He also ran the original La…
OMG Fleetwood Mac fans — Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie headed to Fox in July
In late-breaking classic rock news sure to excite classic rock fans of several generations, today we learned that Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie have not only joined together to record their first-ever album as a duo, but they’re doing a brief tour behind the album (simply titled Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie) with a performance at the Fox Theatre on…
Belle Isle Grand Prix construction just started eight weeks ahead of the race
The southwest part of Belle Isle is a construction zone as set up for the June 2-4 Detroit Grand Prix is underway. The race will be followed by an approximately two-week breakdown period, which means race organizer Roger Penske has a roughly 10-week construction project planned for a two-day race. As has been noted here and…
Dog bite reports spiked among Michigan mail carriers in 2016, according to USPS
The United States Postal Service is hoping to create awareness about an important issue disguised as a stereotype: Dogs biting mail carriers. According to reports released by the organization, dog bites are on the rise and Michigan dogs are doing a lot of the biting. In 2016, mail carriers reported 6,755. That number is 200 north…
Standing in the shadow of industry, Detroiters feel ‘choked out’
One of the surprising things about Detroit’s diminishing population is how many people claim to know exactly what to blame for the dwindling number of residents. And yet the driving forces are so numerous as to defy definition: high taxes, poor schools, out-of-control crime, unresponsive city government, corruption, pollution, hostility from Lansing, and many more.…
Betsy DeVos said she’s not a ‘numbers person’ and we’re honestly not shocked
This may be the first thing that Secretary Betsy DeVos has ever said that we don’t question and completely agree with! Cheers, Betsy! In a recent public forum, Betsy DeVos was seriously quoted saying, “I’m not a numbers person” when asked if she should be judged based on academic outcomes for school of choice and…
WITH PHOTOS: Longtime Pistons photog closes curtain on 37 years
The Pistons organization has bid farewell to its longtime photographer in a series of goodbyes leading up to the team’s final game Monday at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Allen Einstein documented the Pistons players and ownership for 37 seasons that included the organization’s entire run at the arena, which opened in 1988. Though he…
News report: Nestlé’s own report shows pumping could harm wetlands
An article posted yesterday on MLive should interest those who’ve been following Nestlé’s efforts to gain permission to pump more water out of Michigan’s aquifers. MT readers may recall we did a story on the global food giant’s presence in Michigan and its controversial ambition to suck more water out of the state for its Ice…
New interactive map shows just how politically divided Michigan really is
Take a look at this map created by Bridge magazine and the results look pretty cut and dry. Michigan’s electoral votes definitely went to Trump. But if you take a closer look, a deeper story comes into a focus. The interactive map shows just how divided the state really was when it came to the…
Can’t miss show of the week: Arrington de Dionyso at Trinosophes tonight
You might know Arrington de Dionyso from his soulful-verging-on-psychotic work as front-person for the genre-fleecing acts Old Time Relijun, Malaikat dan Singa, and Ten Thousand Tigers. Or you might be aware of his searing solo work. Odds are you’ve heard a little bit about the musician and visual artist’s run-in with neo-nazi (formerly) fringe hate groups as…
Local artist wants your discarded plastic bags to make groovy art
Mary Adkisson is a Bloomfield Township-based artist who uses plastic bags to make beautiful, circular works of art. Cutting up the plastic into colorful strips, Adkisson winds them around each other, creating visually striking pieces that also draw attention to waste and the need for recycling. Now, the artist is requesting the public donate discarded bags to Birmingham’s…
35 octopi were thrown out on the ice last night at Joe Louis Arena
The long-standing tradition of throwing an octopus out on the ice at Joe Louis Arena came to a head last night when the Wings played their final game at the famed arena. A total of 35 octopi were thrown out onto the ice last night to bid farewell to the Red Wings’ home for the…
An entrepreneur is raising money to open Detroit’s only black-owned grocery store
As we recently highlighted, there are no black-owned grocery stores/supermarkets in Detroit, and that’s a troubling situation given that the city is 80 percent African American. But that could soon change. Raphael Wright is a black man in Detroit who’s putting together the funding to open a store, and as part of that effort he…
Show review: Chicano Batman at El Club on Wednesday, April 5
Chicano Batman makes music of American blood born in LA. They ride a thin line betwen soul, funk, and a conglomerate of border sounds tinged with tuxedo-psychedelia. They toss magnets out to all Americas, all corners of the room. They bring old definitions to the stage and smash them like Gallagher and some watermelons. Style…
Black Merda rocks O’Mara’s on Saturday, April 8
Black Merda — Detroit’s first all-black rock and roll group, whose early records are both highly collectible and totally worth hearing — is playing O’Mara’s on 12 Mile tomorrow evening, Saturday, April 8. It starts at 9 p.m., Duende is opening up, and it will only set you back ten bucks. Related Stories
Killer show alert: Six Organs at Third Man tomorrow, Saturday, April 8
Psychedelic guitar genius Ben Chasny brings his long-running project Six Organs of Admittance to Third Man Cass Corridor tomorrow evening. It starts at 8 p.m., will be awesome, is open to all ages, and is only $10. Original inspiration for the band — which started as a solo project by the enlightened beardo — came…
It’s not even 2 o’clock and people are passed out drunk in Detroit
It’s Opening Day here in Detroit, and we suppose that spring is officially here. Since Opening Day is practically a holiday in Detroit, many metro Detroiters are day drinking away to celebrate the Tigers. We have received exclusive photos of Tigers fans already passed out drunk outside of Nemo’s on 8th St. in Corktown and…
Want a piece of Eminem nostalgia? You have a shot at an Eight Mile street sign
Eminem fans have one shot to seize a piece of 8 Mile movie nostalgia on the 15th anniversary of the rapper’s iconic film. Eastpointe is replacing all its street signs and selling the old ones, and that includes about a dozen and a half marking the iconic dividing line between Detroit and its northern neighbor.…
Party like a Saarinen at Cranbrook’s new Saarinen House exhibition
This year, the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research has announced a new exhibition at the campus’ Saarinen House, which served as a home and studio of the famous Finnish American designers. The installation will feature drawings, letters, and family photographs as well as expanded tours that offer an insight into the lives of the wildly…
Friday singles roundup: Great new tracks from Supa Emcee, Valid, and more
“Jah U R the Greatest,” Negus Arubis “Jah U R the Greatest” is a spiritual uptempo reggae cut which gives all thanks to Jah (as you might expect from its title). DJkage played double duty producing the track and directing the video. “The world needs to know Jah is the greatest today and forever more,” says…
Dan Gilbert agrees that DPSCD Interim Superintendent Alycia Meriweather should keep the job
After being appointed Interim Superintendent of Detroit Public Schools Community District in March, Alycia Meriweather has hit the ground running with assuring parents and negotiating a partnership with the state education department that is intended to keep 16 schools open. Despite being a highly qualified candidate for the position, the Detroit school board excluded Meriweather…
Michigan woman arrested for choking teenager at Disney World
OK, so maybe Walt Disney World wasn’t the most magical place on Earth on Wednesday night. During the theme park’s nightly fireworks display a New Baltimore, Michigan resident named Tabbatha Kaye Mature reportedly choked a teenage girl. The reason why? The high schooler and her friends wouldn’t sit down and Mature had just paid a small…
A wealthy Birmingham businessman is fighting to keep Hamtramck trashy
The next chapter of Hamtramck’s Henry Velleman saga will play out in court now that it appears he is fighting around a dozen tickets issued by the city over his properties’ litter, blight, and ordinance violations. To recap, Velleman is a wealthy Birmingham businessman who is also downtown Hamtramck’s largest property owner. But many in…
Adorable dogs don couture in hopes of being adopted
It’s genius really. Detroit Dog Rescue (DDR) hopes to find fur-ever homes for some of their most lovable canines by dressing them in couture spring and summer fashions and letting them strut down a runway inside Birmingham’s swanky Townsend Hotel. The event, Canines and Couture, came together with the help of the Peppler Agency and…
Dave Chappelle adds two more shows due to popular demand
Dave Chappelle might as well declare a residency in Detroit at this point. The comedian has added two more shows to his already three that will go down at the end of May. Chappelle is already performing the might of May 23, 24, and 25 at the Fillmore and they are already sold out. The…
Adopt a pet for free with ‘Empty the Shelters’ April 29
How much for the doggy at the shelter? On Saturday, April 29, that price will be a big fat zero. The very popular “Empty the Shlters” event is coming back for a full day of wavered adoption fees so these pets can find a furever home. The Bissell Pet Foundation is paying for all the…
Here’s the full schedule for 2017’s Movement Electronic Music Festival
Today, Paxahau announced the full schedule for this year’s Movement Electronic Music Festival, down to not only the individual artists, but the showcases and which stages each artist will perform on (some of the stages have different names this year). Also of course they have revealed which day each artist will perform, so you can start mapping…
Best social networking responses to the pulled Pepsi ad
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last two days, you are aware that Pepsi’s latest advertising campaign is “a gold in the Fail Olympics.” Therefore you don’t need us to explain to you why it’s so tone-deaf as to induce cringes, if not red-hot outrage. So, in the interest of improving your water…
‘Waking Windows’ fest heads to El Club in July: Car Seat Headrest, Whitney, Mount Eerie, tons more
El Club just announced a rad-looking indie music festival which heads to the Southwest venue on July 20-23. It’s called Waking Windows. It’s the first year in Detroit for the fest, which is the brainchild of their general manager, Nick Mavodones. W.W. is already in its seventh year as a successful entity up in Burlington…
Darude plays at the Grasshopper Underground tonight
That’s right. This is the guy behind that 1999 EDM track that haunts you in your nightmares, “Darude Sandstorm.” Darude has won three Finnish Grammy Awards, and has remained cutting edge for decades thanks to his progressive sounds and techniques. He’s kept a strong fan base because of just how uplifting his music is, and…
Your favorite place to buy inexpensive shoes is closing 10 Michigan stores
With the rise of online shopping and websites like JustFab.com, Payless ShoeSource is closing 10 Michigan stores after filing bankruptcy protection yesterday. “This is a difficult, but necessary, decision, driven by the continued challenges of the retail environment, which will only intensify,” the company’s CEP, Paul Jones, said. Three metro Detroit stores are unfortunately closing. 5616…
Detroit Institute of Arts campaign will feature a new ad every day for a year
While everyone on your timeline is rightfully mocking that new tone deaf Pepsi ad, the Detroit Institute of Arts launched a new campaign. Entitled “DIA Every Day,” the new campaign developed by Leo Burnett aims to show how the institution is more than just an art museum. It will feature a different ad every day of the year, “each one…
The Sarap pop up is hosting two Filipino feasts this month
One of metro Detroiter’s few options for Filipino fare is chefs Dorothy Hernandez and Jake Williams’s Sarap pop up, and April brings us two of their events. The first is billed as an a la carte street/bar night on Sunday, April 9 at Nancy Whiskey’s in North Corktown. Among the menu items are longanisa sliders made…
Detroit Tigers partner with ride-sharing app, announce new perks
The Detroit Tigers will play Comerica Park for the first time this year on Friday, and you if you’re lucky enough to have tickets to the game (and the day off work), you can now pound back those $9 tallboys with one less worry. Yesterday afternoon the Detroit Tigers announced a partnership with ride-sharing app…
Carhartt launches Detroit Tigers collection
Just in time for Opening Day, Dearborn-based Carhartt has teamed up with Boston-based ’47 for a new line of branded Tigers gear. The eight-piece collection — which includes baseball hats, beanies, hoodies, and T-shirts — officially launches during the Tigers’ home opener on Friday. The items will be available at both Comerica Park in Detroit as well as the…
Ollie Food + Spirits, Cream and Crumb open in Ypsilanti’s Depot Town
Two new restaurants from the owners of the former Cafe Ollie in Depot Town will start serving today and hold a grand opening on Friday during the citywide First Friday art walk. Mark and Danielle Teachout shut down the Michgan-centric cafe in February and renovated the space into a unique concept for Ypsi – a full…
Show review: Dwight Twilley at the UFO Factory on Friday, March 24
The last time I heard Dwight Twilley on the radio it was the mid-80s and I was bouncing around the backseat of my mom’s Lincoln Town Car on the way to pick up a ham from the meat shop. This was before seat belts were in. I remember wondering what it meant to be on…
This weeklong Michigan forecast perfectly illustrates how batshit crazy our weather is
We’re pretty accustomed to the weather being unpredictable in Michigan. One day, you might be able to sit at a restaurant’s patio, while the next day you are scrapping frost off your windows before you go to work. And Michigan weather is at its peak wackiness when we transition from winter to spring, with snow…
New interactive map shows why your town is probably noisy as f*ck
The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently devised an interactive map that will show you how noisy your town is based on airport and highway noise data. Not surprisingly, based on this data most of the metro area is noisy, including a huge swath surrounding Taylor, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, and Westland. The map also lights…
Horoscopes (Apr 5-11)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): If you’re paying attention things are probably ready to pop. They will or they won’t, depending on whether you’ve been straight with yourself. So far so good. What happens next comes down to your ability to stay balanced in the midst of a maelstrom of change. Old habits are bound…
Transformational brownfield bills are a ‘rebate for the rich’
The only thing the “transformational brownfield plan” attempts to “transform” is the idea that our public funds should remain for public use. Instead, this plan creates a corporate welfare package for a few very wealthy individuals — most immediately, Dan Gilbert in Detroit and the Shaheen family in Saginaw. This is dangerous. Senate bills 111-115,…
Signal-Return throws its first Power of the Press Fest
Eastern Market print shop Signal-Return is kicking off its first-ever Power of the Press Fest, a five-day festival that celebrates the power of the printed word. There’s a variety of programming planned for each day, including a speaker series, exhibition openings, letterpress-printing demonstrations, workshops, and more. We caught up with Signal-Return’s Lynne Avadenka to learn…
Review: Maccabees Traders pivots to Asia
With its excellent location — across from the DIA and next door to Wayne State — 5057 Woodward is a restaurant space seemingly born to win. Yet that hasn’t been the case. Maccabees in Midtown, the previous occupant, focused on gargantuan sandwiches and salads, appearing to emulate the venerable Traffic Jam (without the housemade cheese,…
Adult. releases the long-awaited ‘Detroit House Guests’
2017 marks 20 years since Adult., the danceable, punkish, electronic husband-and-wife duo of Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller first played together. In the ensuing decades, the two founded the Ersatz record label, developed a following in Europe, and recorded six albums and 15 EPs on such labels as Ghostly International, Chicago’s Thrill Jockey, and…
When it comes to ethics, Michigan lawmakers are the worst of the worst
Here’s something you may not have known. We’ve all heard stories of crooked congressmen, some who have gone to jail for taking bribes or other corruption. My personal favorite is Billy Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat who eight years ago just happened to have $90,00o in very cold cash tucked around the frozen veggies in his…
Savage Love: Domme and dommer
Q: I’m a woman in my late 40s. In my early 20s, I married a much older man. We did all the requisite things: kids, house, intercourse once a week. When the sex fell off due to his declining health, he surprised me by suggesting we open our marriage. He said I was too young…
Rogue Estate BBQ serves up international flavors in Ferndale
It’s hard to miss Rogue Estate BBQ, a stationary food truck that takes up a quasi-permanent residence in a parking lot a stone’s throw away from Metro Times’ Ferndale offices — that is, if you pass it. Located in an industrial neighborhood away from the city’s hip downtown, Rogue Estate stands out — with a…
Higher Ground: Talking shop with Tommy Chong
It’s April, the month of Hash Bash, the month of 420, the month that outdoor growers begin getting ready for spring gardening. But anytime is a great time to talk with Tommy Chong, one of the all-time coolest stoners. Chong, who broke ground doing stoned comedy way back when, has been a lifetime activist and…
In Detroit’s Cass Corridor, even the counterculture loved the Tigers
Boisterous local poet Jim Gustafson saw his last Tigers game 20 years ago. It would have been at Tiger Stadium in 1996, the year he died. Had he lived longer he probably would have made it over to Comerica Park — even though he published rants criticizing it. In a February 1994 letter to the…
