Update: Red Bull Creation ‘hackerthon’ starts in Detroit this week
New this year, the contest is now open to local teams. Think you have what it takes?
Drop everything and watch this concert film of the Butthole Surfers in Detroit in 1985, shot at Traxx
Take a break from your hump day to watch the Butthole Surfers destroy Detroit club Traxx 30 years ago.
No, Detroit probably shouldn’t put in another Olympics bid
It seems like Detroit would be destined to lose.
Booze review: Bartenders guild throws one helluva garden party
Bartenders. They’re the coolest people.
UPDATED: At least Facebook seems to prefer ‘Springwells Village’
Today, we noticed “Springwells Village” was one of the “trending” topics on Facebook’s sidebar.
Downtown Boxing Gym Youth Program’s ribbon-cutting tomorrow
The youth program that uses boxing as a tool to build strong minds and strong bodies gets its official ribbon-cutting tomorrow.
A Canadian visitor mugged in Detroit gets a nice surprise
A Canadian visitor was mugged outside Michigan Central Station, but a New York-based photographer found her purse for her. Now we just need somebody to pick it up.
Report lays blame for Aramark problems with Snyder administration
A new report declares that the problems with prison vender Aramark were rooted in the pro-privatization culture of the Snyder administration.
Poverty and crime aren’t just big-city problems anymore
A Detroit man killed in a small Ohio city brings a larger issue to mind.
Idina Menzel comes to Detroit this weekend
Broadway superstar Idina Menzel will bring her hallowed pipes to Detroit’s FOX Theatre on Saturday evening as part of her current tour. Known for her roles as Maureen in in 1996 stage version and 2005 film adaption of Rent, Elphaba in the stage show Wicked, and, most recently, the voice of Elsa in the hit Disney…
There’s still time to vote for the 2015 Comerica Hatch Detroit finalists
The winner will receive $50,000 to help them open a storefront in Detroit, Highland Park, or Hamtramck.
ICYMI: ‘Nation’s largest pot hole’ crops up on I-75 near Detroit
In case you were pre-occupied with other news yesterday — the Packard Plant tiger, for instance — a pretty big pot hole popped up along I-75, destroying some 25 tires and the dreams of many a metro Detroit commuter just hoping to arrive to work on time. Social media users were quick to posts photos of the…
Stevie Wonder to bring his ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ tour to Joe Louis Arena on Nov. 21
Missed the show at the Palace last November? Now you can catch it this year!
The 7 top social media jokes about the Packard Plant’s tiger shoot
We collected some of the funniest social networking posts about the tiger at the Packard Plant, so you don’t have to spent the 15 seconds it takes to find them yourself.
Final last call for The Zenith tiki bar in New Center
Closing time for The Zenith 🙁
Is there a tiger in the Packard Plant?
Is there a tiger at the Packard Plant? Or have we been had again?
Show review: Eykah Badu and Nas at Chene Park on Sat., August 15
Nas and Badu are two artists whose music was so ahead of their time when it came out. So their old hits still feel perfectly at home in 2015.
Show preview: I Prevail at ROMT this Fri., August 21
Local post hardcore rockers I Prevail are making a stop in their hometown for their “Crossroads Tour” on August 21 at the Royal Oak Music Theater. Lead guitarist Steve Manoian talked to us on the phone while the band was readying to play Portland, OR.
The real story behind N.W.A.’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’ Detroit riot
In the new biopic, N.W.A. starts a riot after playing “Fuck the Police” at a Detroit gig — here’s how it really happened.
Happy birthday, University of Michigan alum Madonna Louise Ciccone!
Madonna Louise Ciccone was born on this day in Bay City, Mich. in 1958.
Here’s the fake Shinola ad from our ‘Orbit’ takeover issue
We can probably rest assured that Shinola probably would not have advertised in ‘Orbit.’
RIP Detroit art maven Susanne Hilberry
The doyenne of the Detroit art scene passed away last night.
Riding the bus with Gary Winslow: Heroin
Gary sees the signs of heroin use on a suburban bus, and realizes there is no way he can help.
Latest Detroit act signed to Third Man? Art-punkers Timmy’s Organism!
You probably know by now that Metro Times absolutely totally adores Timmy Lampinen, AKA Timmy Vulgar. So, we are stoked to learn this week that his space-glam-punk trio Timmy’s Organism has signed to Jack White’s label Third Man.
Show preview: Derrick May with Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Chene Park tonight, August 14
Will it be worth it to go, even if all you want to do is hear them bust out an epic version of “Strings of Life”? The answer is heck, yes.
American Coney Island opens registration for annual food fight
How many coneys can you scarf down in 10 minutes?
Why was a bomber flying over Detroit yesterday?
No, we weren’t transported back to 1944, it was an unusual excursion from the Yankee Air Museum.
Boozy party this month to mark The Oakland Art Novelty Company’s fourth year
I can cheers to that.
10 things you didn’t know about this weekend’s Windsor ComiCon
The Windsor ComiCon takes place across the river this weekend.
How Orby wound up in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’
Catch Orby on the big screen: ‘Pulp Fiction’ at the Redford Theatre this Saturday.
Event preview: Healthy Detroit benefit, ‘Fowling for Fun(ds),’ tonight, August 13
The local non-profit Healthy Detroit hosts its annual fundraiser this evening at the Fowling Warehouse. The event runs from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. and looks like a blast.
7 times metro Detroiters were caught naked in public (so far) this year
After last month’s Kroger incident, in which a 61-year-old man stripped down to his birthday best at the grocery store deli counter, we began to wonder: how many other times have metro Detroiters flaunted their God-given attributes this year? Quite a few times, it seems, and we’re just talking about the instances that have made…
Show review: Charli XCX, Bleachers at the Fillmore, Tues. August 11
The Fillmore got a double dose of rockstar reverence and teenage attitude Tuesday night, when Bleachers and Charli XCX performed sets as part of their co-headliner “Charli and Jack Do America” tour. Though ultimately a somewhat cookie cutter experience, Bleachers, also known as Fun guitarist Jack Antonoff and Charlotte Aitchison, a.k.a Charli XCX, brought loads…
Check out this 1964 footage of Bobby Bare doing “Detroit City”
Check out this footage of Mel Tillis and Danny Dill’s song “Detroit City,” here performed by Bobby Bare live in a theatre in Oslo, Norway, in 1964.
2015 – 2016 Detroit Pistons schedule released
It’s here: the 2015 – 2016 Pistons schedule has been released. The season kicks off in Atlanta on Oct. 27, and the first home game is slated for Oct. 28 against Utah. Here’s a screenshot from ESPN. Tickets and additional info is available on the NBA website.
Bruiser Brigade’s ZelooperZ to exhibit paintings in Detroit this week
Check out paintings by Danny Brown protégé ZelooperZ.
ICYMI: Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive’s eclectic Folkways playlist
Yesterday, Smithsonian Folkways posted a playlist of 15 tracks from their vast catalog which was arranged, chosen, and annotated by our dear friend Warren Defever of the musical group His Name Is Alive. It’s a characteristically great list, and you have to read all of the comments as they mix his droll humor with the…
Show preview: Beat, Brews & Barbecue at the Old Miami this Sun., August 16
In the tradition of J-Dilla, Detroit’s Beat Scene is alive in kicking at Beats, Brews & BBQs The community of DJs, children of break-beats, and lovers of instrumentalists are making their presence known.
Why police are going after drag racers this weekend
The news says the new task force is about stopping noise, crowds, and litter. But the stated goal is to seize some sweet rides.
Bud Light created an entire limited edition series of cans for Mad Decent Block Party
No two cans are exactly alike.
Check it out: Main Art Theatre releases new Midnight Madness schedule
Whether you go to experience seeing your favorite movie in a theater for the first time or to watch a trainwreck of a film in action, midnight movies are a summertime staple.
Connect with yourself: An interview with Miguel
Miguel plays the Royal Oak Music Theatre tonight.
‘Fantastic Four’ turns out to be not so super
If your superhero movie is 101 minutes long and it takes 75 minutes before the bad guys shows up, something is seriously wrong with your script. Just sayin’. The problem with Fantastic Four isn’t lack of visual inventiveness, or mostly bored actors, or pokey pace — though those things certainly don’t help. It’s that its…
Detropolis, 2065: The city of the day after the day after tomorrow
A mere 10 minutes by high-speed UniRale™ from wherever you live in the continental United States and accessible by the 50-lane SafeSpeed Commutobahn™, free men of 2065 — independent and interdependent, bound by a faith in humanity — bring you not the City of Tomorrow, not the City of the Day After Tomorrow, but ……
The Old Shillelagh goes local
Longtime patrons of Greektown’s Old Shillelagh fear not: Though the Irish pub’s menu may undergo a “local-first” transformation, it’s still going to be the same place you remember. That’s the message from owner Shellie Lewis, who took over the establishment officially on July 1. The idea to have Old Shillelagh emphasize a Michigan-made menu stems…
West Bloomfield gallery takes a look at four mysterious Detroit artists
According to his website, the artist known as Fel3000ft started writing graffiti in 1982 — placing him as one of Detroit’s longest-working street artists. As the art form went from the underground into the mainstream, so did Fel. Today, he’s built a career as a celebrated muralist, and was one of several artists tapped by…
Horoscopes (August 12 – 18)
This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Cancer Moon with aspects that make it easy for me to say, “We don’t need an astrologer to tell us things are messed up; it’s blasting over the loudspeaker. You’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to see, feel, and sense that…
Pack your closet full of clothes from Michigan companies
Want to dress from head to toe in clothes by Michigan companies? We rounded up a selection of a few threads made in the Mitten in order to help you compile an entirely Made in Michigan wardrobe. Object Apparel “Princess” T-shirt – $75 Made from 100 percent organic cotton and screenprinted with water-based dyes, this…
Ask a Juggalo: What initially attracted you to ICP and the Juggalo lifestyle?
Q: Dear Mr. Juggalo — What initially attracted you to ICP and the Juggalo lifestyle? A: Honestly, I grew up around music. My parents made sure to introduce me to all genres of music. Starting from the late ’80s, I had found rap music all on my own. Shortly after that, I just happened to…
Savage Love: Ballers
Q I’ve been reading your column for a while, and you always advise kinky people to go seek the same within the kink community. But in my experience, the kink community is very “sex right away, get to know you later”-oriented. So I have two questions. First, as someone who’s a bit of an old-fashioned…
A breakdown of the best spots to score top-notch equipment
Michigan has a rich music history, with landmark artists and records originating from within the state. And with that history, there are a slew of opportunities to score Michigan-made gear. If you play music, these names should certainly be on your radar. Wallace Detroit Guitars Detroit hello@wallacedetroitguitars.com; wallacedetroitguitars.com Sure, you’ve heard plenty about folks in…
Drink Up
Ghettoblaster 4.2% ABV | 15 IBUs Motor City Brewing Works is a labor of love for founder John Linardos, who credits his staunch “keep it local” business philosophy with his microbrewery’s great success. MCBW was constructed in 1994 by local fabricators and craftsmen, who salvaged and repurposed scraps from the decaying industrial sites of Detroit’s…
A tour of Michigan’s other museums
Our regular readers likely already know plenty about the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Motown Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the Michigan Science Center, and the other great museums in the Motor City. But since this is the Made in Michigan issue, we decided…
Michigan restaurants that put us on the foodie map
Michigan restaurants have experienced major inroads in getting the state recognition as a vital food destination. It has to do in part with the Mitten’s embrace of farm-to-table sourcing methods and the grit natives have in their blood to experiment with what they’ve got — a trait that dates back to Michigan’s place as a…
Recently added shows in metro Detroit
Tickets are now on sale for these events. Sept. 16, Desaparecidos, Joyce Manor at Saint Andrew’s Hall; saintandrewsdetroit.com; Tickets are $18 advance, $20 day of show. Sept. 24, Hour Detroit’s Best Dressed Fashion Show at the Fillmore Detroit; thefillmoredetroit.com; Tickets at $40; $80. Oct. 14, Mac Miller, Joey Bada$$ at the Fillmore Detroit; thefillmoredetroit.com; Tickets at $35; $45;…
Welcome to Made in Michigan 2015
Look at a map of the United States and you can tell right away what makes Michigan special. Its boundaries don’t bleed seamlessly into other states. It’s insulated by massive lakes and a peaceful international border, nestled snugly at the top of the Midwest. It’s the perfect place to develop an identity. And we certainly…
No matter the month or taste, Michigan has a food or drink festival for you
Festivals bring us together. We congregate for the camaraderie, to sample cultures or specialties served up by the experts, to sip and nosh in an endless buffet, to wile away an afternoon or evening celebration with our neighbors, friends, and more than a few tourists. Get out your calendar and make some plans, whether these…
How lower Woodward’s restaurants are coping with M-1 construction
If you manage to make your way through the maze of construction barriers that have made Da Edoardo Foxtown Grille in the Fox Theatre building virtually impossible to notice, chances are you’ll find yourself greeted by Rodney. He’ll show you to your seat. Take your drink order. Make menu recommendations. And then he’ll disappear into…
A multitude of coffee, tea, and juice makers have popped up in recent years across the state
Over 80 percent of U.S. residents drink some form of coffee every day, and if they’re not envigorated by a caffeine buzz, it’s likely they’re slamming a cup of juice, or something tasty. Here in Michigan, an abundance of coffee roasters and juice makers offer an incentive for residents to buy local to get some energy.…
Berkley Eyewear expands its sunglass offerings
Andy Gilbert opened Berkley Eyewear five years ago. Over the past several years the company’s stock of sunglasses outgrew the space of the store. That’s when Gilbert decided to spin the sunglasses into a separate business. Located a few doors down down the street from Berkley Eyewear, Local Sunglass Co. opened its doors a couple…
The ‘Orbit’ takeover: Blast Off
(Click here for larger view.) Related Stories
Feedback: Sorry, bro
Sorry, bro We got a number of comments on Lee DeVito’s review of DJ Jamie xx’s show at the Majestic Theatre last week, which featured a photo of attendees he characterized as “bros.” Reader Graham Kahuna Parks wrote: Alright, so let’s talk about this. My name is Graham, and I’m the kid on the left…
Major cities unloading undesirable hipsters in Detroit
(View as PDF here.) What kind of city would put up a billboard telling artists life is better in another city? One that doesn’t want artists. According to The New York Times. that’s exactly what Brooklyn, New York, is doing. Billboards are pushing Detroit as a mecca for “artists” (a politically correct term for hipsters).…
Mad Decent Block Party 2015
Having moved its scheduled location from the Palace of Auburn Hills to the Russell Industrial Center, the Mad Decent Block Party comes the city of Detroit on Saturday and brings with it a strong lineup of established and up-and-coming EDM artists. The Block Party was launched in 2008, a few years after Diplo started the…
Our picks for the best Michigan road trips
With Michigan’s sprawling two peninsulas, we use the term “day trip” somewhat liberally here — it would take roughly 10 hours to drive from the bottom of the Lower Peninsula all the way to the northernmost peak of the Upper Peninsula, and some 40 hours of nonstop driving to circle both. That said, Michigan vacationers…
Here’s a list of Michigan must-reads
New Anna Clark — “Michigan Literary Luminaries” (The History Press, 2015; $19.99) Michigan has a backlog of connections to classic writers, and it’s all captured masterfully in Luminaries, which features local Detroiter Clark waxing poetic about everything from Ernest Hemingway’s roots in the northern lower peninsula to the efforts of Joyce Carol Oates and so…
Stir It Up: Taking art into their own hands
There are plenty of good ideas out there. What makes one idea stand out is when somebody gets busy and makes one of them count for something — which brings us to the story of Amera Allison and Chanel Thomas and how they spent their summer. Allison’s younger sister was casting about for something to…
Bet you didn’t know these famous brands came from Michigan
Our state has long held deep pride in its Michigan-made products. Detroit was once the potato chip capital of the U.S., as well as a player in the pickle industry (we really love our snacks). Companies like Kellogg’s and Gerber revolutionized how Americans eat — going from consuming homemade and hand-preserved foods to modern, packaged…
Car shops for the local gearhead
With so much car culture here in Michigan, it’d be a fool’s errand to try and cover all of the talented car shops and social clubs in the region. That said, here’s a list of recommended spots for the discerning diehard. Brothers Custom Automotive Run by Bill Jagenow (his titular brother is no longer in…
Show previews: Ultrabunny and Mark Farina
Ultrabunny and Mark Farina Friday, Aug. 14 DJ Mark Farina @ Grasshopper Underground There was a moment in the late ’90s when I was spending a lot of time in my room. I was in eighth grade, so I was about probably 13, and it made a lot of sense. The Japanese have a real phenomenon…
Michigan artists get national attention
While artistic institutes like Brooklyn, New York’s Galapagos Art Space and Kraftwerk Berlin have been eying Detroit for new locations for their endeavors, Michigan’s homegrown artists have been blowing up nationally and even internationally. Last year, Detroit-based painter Tylonn J. Sawyer received a nice bump after he starred in a Red Bull commercial that aired…
A new spirited tour of southeast Michigan offers much to taste and see
Ask a handful of metro Detroiters about Michigan wine trails and you’ll likely hear about routes that skip up the coast of Lake Michigan, or skirt up the fingers of Grand Traverse Bay. You’ll hear about sweet Rieslings and Gewürztraminers that ripen late due to the cool spring breezes off the lake, and tasting rooms…
An economist says Detroit’s charitable water assistance plan is ‘bound to fail’
The fight against Detroit’s water shut-offs gained extra visibility last week, most noticeably with a fanciful protest at the Manoogian Mansion. That’s where protesters from the Detroit and Michigan Coalitions Against Tar Sands symbolically took water from the mayor’s residence to distribute to residents whose water has been shut off. Holding banners and clad in…
A chat with Al Sutton of Rustbelt Studios and Acme Audio Manufacturing
Al Sutton got into his chosen field close to 30 years ago almost by accident. A friend asked the young electrical engineering student to fix a broken P.A. system. As he started to fiddle with it, he realized that was what he wanted to do, to work with sound and electronics. Soon he was repairing…
Mail-order picks for Michigan expats
Though its reputation as an entrepreneurial haven has increased in recent years, these days Michigan’s most valuable export may very well be its young people. Economic realities have driven many to seek greener pastures outside the Great Lakes State, but Michigan natives have a tendency to fiercely and proudly rep their homeland. So until we…
Politics & Prejudices: Fixing democracy by mail
Want to give us a chance at real democracy again? Four weeks ago, I suggested that the best way to do that was to launch a battle to get redistricting reform on next year’s ballot. Part of the reason the Michigan legislature and our representatives in Congress don’t really represent us is that most of…
It’s all about the bees for this Grosse Ile beekeeper
As a child John Mizak was enamored by bees. “I remember collecting honey bees in my yard in a big mason jar. I’d catch them on clover blossoms — you know, those little clovers that grow in your lawn. I would catch them in a jar and I get a bunch of them in there.…
Michigan music scene report, summer 2015
Things are a little bit quiet around these parts just now. It does feel like some new thing is about to pop off, though — perhaps a new Detroit-based musical movement? More likely a bunch of little, inter-connected scenes will rise in prominence across the state. It very likely will not be as cataclysmic as…
Raise the Bar: Level Two takes it to the next level
By now, Plaka Cafe is an institution, a 24-7 diner in Detroit’s historic Greektown district, where nightclubbers can grab a couple of coneys after a heavy drinking session. But what a lot of people might not know is that the building’s rooftop got an ambitious remodel a few years ago that boasts its own top-notch…
Lyle Hayman works wonders with Lost Highway
Metro Times: When did you first get interested in leatherwork? Lyle Hayman: I’ve been doing leatherwork for about seven or eight years now. I’m 36 now; when I was a kid, about 12 years old, there used to be a leather shop about a mile from my house. I would be one of those always-ambitious…
Detroit designers we love
Three local designers are on the verge of breaking through on a national level. One’s aesthetic is young and urban, another designs for children, and a third focuses on high-end fabrics to craft staples that will last a lifetime. While each crafts a vastly different product, they’re all contributing to the burgeoning fashion scene that’s…
Fact and fiction: Why is His Name Is Alive?
Detroit’s music is known for many things, but it’s the cosmic element that is perhaps the most underplayed. It’s easy to rattle off any number of heart-pumping rock ‘n’ roll ballads and icons that reveal the blood, sweat, and tears to portray an obvious and dire sense of urgency, simply because they’re too loud and…
A look at some of Michigan’s funky jewelry makers
Not every lady loves to frost herself with Swarovski crystals, platinum chains, and other objects that sparkle. Some prefer to adorn their bodies with things a little more macabre. Three Michigan-based jewelry makers are taking that into account. Stacy Dumas of Tooth and Nail crafts necklaces from the jawbones and skeletons of small woodland creatures,…
Detroit Punks: The revolution revealed
Detroit, in spite of all its groundbreaking and trendsetting, is riddled with problems. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that the troubled city has more of than problems is punks. But really — what is a punk? Especially when it comes to the city that has proudly brought you, among other things, the motor…
Pamper yourself with these local products
Burton and Levy beard combs – $28 and up Jason Burton has a big beard. He couldn’t find a high-quality comb to tame the thick hairs that grow from his face, so he decided to make one himself. Thus was born Burton and Levy. These beard combs are both stylish and functional, making them a…
