Cover Story
In the face of race bans, dwindling membership, and a low, low profile, metro Detroit’s pigeon racers struggle to keep the sport flying
Like many metro Detroiters from Mexico, Efraín Zamudio is from Jalisco, a mountainous state in western Mexico where the sport of pigeon racing is as popular and common as, say, basketball or hockey here. Some of his earliest memories are of his neighbors in San Ignacio whistling to their pigeons. The 39-year-old hits a few…
Independent water tests show lead problems far worse than Flint claims
Claims by state and local officials that Flint’s municipal water is safe to drink are being put to the test in a precedent-setting independent study. So far, those claims are emphatically failing to pass muster. Researchers from Virginia Tech — working with a group of Flint residents and the ACLU of Michigan — are conducting…
Check out this video profile of Cleon Peterson, whose solo show is currently on view in Detroit
Peterson opens up about the inspiration for his violent paintings, his past addiction, and more.
Chef Garrett Lipar from shuttered Torino joins Marais in Grosse Pointe
Torino’s Garrett Lipar makes a comeback at Marais in Grosse Pointe.
The challenge of poverty in Detroit’s suburbs
Poverty isn’t just an inner-city problem anymore.
Chef Kate Williams venturing on her own, planning a nationwide culinary tour
Chef Kate Williams is off to bigger and better things this fall.
A review of Anna Clark’s Michigan’s Literary Luminaries
Reviewer Lindy Lindell takes a look at Anna Clark’s new book about Michigan poets and writers.
Clark Park featured on PBS News Hour
Southwest Detroit’s Clark Park made the PBS NewsHour last night.
Show preview: Oliver Lake Organ Quartet at Jazz Fest’s pyramid stage on Sun., Sept. 6
There is so much exceptional music at the Detroit Jazz Festival, which kicks off this Friday, Sept. 4, but we suggest you not miss this performance.
Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk tells ‘Rolling Stone’ of ‘spiritual connection’ with Detroit
The last remaining original member of the group even says “Maybe we can arrange with our friends some after-hours locations or parties. We’ll see what we can do.”
Check out ‘Tactile Taste of Banglatown’ culinary event this weekend
Have a taste for Bangladeshi cuisine? Then check out this event.
The Racial Dot Map shows the world just how segregated metro Detroit is
The Racial Dot Map shows the world just how segregated metro Detroit is.
Jessica Hernandez and The Deltas to open for rescheduled Robert Plant date
It’s another high-profile gig for Hernandez, who also shared a stage with Modest Mouse at Detroit’s Mo Pop festival last month.
Cooley Reuse Project one step closer to getting the keys
The effort to transform Cooley High School into a multi-use commercial property serving its community might get the keys in September.
Panic in Hamtramck will indeed be held at the Painted Lady this weekend, Sept. 4-6
As recently as one week ago, we were afraid that one of Detroit’s most loved showcases of underground sound, the Panic in Hamtramck, wasn’t happening this year at the Painted Lady. But now a flyer emerges with details of the three day fest, so all is saved for punks and noise fiends!
Show review: One Direction at Ford Field Sat., August 29
The iconic and overly-adored British pop sensations One Direction played Ford Field Saturday night at a stop on their On The Road Again 2015 tour.
Black man pulled over in Ohio for making ‘direct eye contact’ with cops is from Detroit
The man pulled over for making ‘direct eye contact’ is from Detroit.
Riding the Bus with Gary Winslow: Old School
Gary gets in on a cipher at a bus stop, and shows some kids how he can flow.
‘Tour de Fork’ fundraiser headed to Garden Theater next month
‘Tour de Fork’ heads to Midtown next month.
Niagara designed this year’s Dally in the Alley poster
For this year’s poster, the Dally in the Alley organizers enlisted the punk rocker-turned-fine-artiste Niagara.
Remembering Stevie Ray Vaughn
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan. Recently inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his band, Double Trouble, Vaughan gained notoriety in the ‘80s for ushering in a blues resurrection with original classics like “Pride and Joy” and “The Sky is Crying.”
Anchor Bar to host fundraiser to support local newsman Darren Nichols
Dine and drink at the Anchor Bar and support this local newsman.
Film review: ‘Z for Zachariah’
Z for Zachariah / B Even after surviving the apocalypse, man will find a way to screw things up. And when I say man, I really do mean men. In Craig Zobel’s film adaptation of Robert C. O’Brien’s posthumous YA novel Z for Zachariah, Ann (Margot Robbie) is the innocent yet tough survivor of an…
Here’s the new video for Tunde Olaniran’s ‘KYBM’
“KYBM” stands for “Keep Your Body Moving” — which is what you’ll probably be doing when you hear Olanarian’s latest track.
Here is the soundtrack to your buying Paul McCartney tickets for his Detroit show on Oct. 21 at Joe Louis
Tickets go on sale Mon., August 31 at 10 a.m. for the just-announced Paul McCartney concert at Joe Louis Arena on Wed., October 21 for his ‘Out There’ tour, during which Macca is laying songs from the breadth of his career.
Catch a special Ann Arbor screening of ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’ with author Phoebe Gloeckner
Phoebe Gloeckner will make an appearance at a special opening night screening of ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’ on Friday.
Why dance music isn’t always ‘EDM’
A recording artists and label head tells us: “Techno and house are set apart from EDM because there is an inherent struggle linked to the music.”
The top five items for hipsters at Carhartt’s new Detroit flagship store
Is Carhartt targeting its wares toward workers, or to Midtown hipsters?
Tonight: A fundraiser for Ron Scott at Bert’s Marketplace
Have a drink for a good cause at tonight’s fundraiser for Ron Scott of the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality.
Take granny to this speed dating event for the elderly tonight in Rochester Hills
If your 75-year-old single granny’s been flying through boyfriends faster than a teenager on Tinder maybe it’s time for an old fashioned intervention. Tonight, from 5 to 7 p.m. Waltonwoods, a senior living center in Rochester Hills, is hosting a speed dating event for men and women 70 years of age and older. “We’re having…
Timmy’s Tacos head to Corktown for Dos Jaimes release
Tacos and mezcal, sounds like a match made in Heaven.
Mimi’s Munchies makes healthful, fast food a snap for Detroiters
Eating healthy these days can be tricky, what with the abundance of unhealthy food offerings in many Detroit neighborhoods. That’s why Tamika Lang of Southfield decided to launch her Mimi’s Munchies fresh meal delivery program. Taking cues from the old-fashioned milk man of years yonder, Lang delivers fresh batches of healthful, tasty salads, carb-free noodles and…
Duane gets fashionable in new ‘You Got Style’ video
It’s a new era for the Brand New Dog. Duane, the artist formerly known as the Teenage Weirdo, recently released a new video for the house-inspired “You Got Style.” The last time we checked in with Duane, he summarized the difference between his Teenage Weirdo and Brand New Dog personas: “Someone said it used to…
Detroit native Clifton Ross III is a finalist on BET’s ‘Sunday Best’
Ross competes against all of the show’s previous contestants as part of the show’s #SBAllStars season.
A company in Troy is selling flamethrowers for personal use and it’s totally legal — for now
“I’m a huge supporter of personal freedom and personal responsibility,” Chris Byars told ARS Technica recently. And, apparently, personal flamethrowers. The CEO of Ion Productions Team, a Troy-based company selling some of the nation’s first commercially available flamethrowers, said sales have shot up recently as lawmakers, including Warren, MI’s mayor Jim Fouts, criticize his products and…
Horoscopes (Aug. 25 – Sept. 1)
ARIES (March 21 – April 20): Everything is on the line right now. It is no longer a question of can you handle this; it is down to the wire, and you’re IT. When life gets like this, higher forces are always at work – and they are there to tap in to, if you…
Cleon Peterson returns to Michigan for solo show
Cleon Peterson is a Seattle-born artist based in Los Angeles. The 42-year-old once studied graphic design at Bloomfield Hills’ Cranbrook Academy of Art and has also worked with Shepard Fairey. We spoke to him in advance of his first solo show in Detroit. Metro Times: I imagine you had your eureka moment when you came…
Mark your calendar today for these upcoming shows
Tickets are now on sale for these events. Sept. 26, the Orb at the Magic Bag; themagicbag.com; Tickets are $20 in advance. Sept. 27, Fronzilla at the Shelter; saintandrewsdetroit.com; Tickets are $13 advance, $15 day of show. Oct. 24, Run the Jewels at the Royal Oak Music Theatre; royaloakmusictheatre.com; $25. Oct. 26, Jesse Cook at…
Drink Up
MillerCoors/Blue Moon Belgian White 5.4% ABV | 9 IBUs Blue Moon Belgian White is the flagship beer of Blue Moon Brewing Co., an entity within the craft and import division of American behemoth MillerCoors. It is a domestic interpretation of a Belgian-style witbier and, thanks to MillerCoors’ wide distribution throughout the U.S., a great place…
Middle East side: Ali Baba Shish Kabob
Hamtramck has no shortage of ethnic cuisine, satisfying just about every taste imaginable. Want the starchy, pickled, gut-busting Polish food that entices the suburban set? It’s there. How about a New York street food gyro plate? Head over to Caniff and Lumpkin to that Desi spot. Aromatic and inexpensive Indian can be found at one…
Detroit tech repair shop aims to end ‘throwaway culture’
Cameron Barnes got into computer repairs when he was living in a frat house at Wayne State University. “I had a MacBook plugged directly into the wall,” the 28-year-old says. “We had a power outage and it got fried.” But when he took his computer into the Genius Bar at an Apple Store for repairs,…
James ‘Blood’ Ulmer returns for the Detroit Jazz Festival
James “Blood” Ulmer is a singularity. Beginning with his explosive first solo LP Tales of Captain Black in 1979, he has relentlessly pursued his own unique artistic vision. With that first single statement, he solidified his rank as a prince of the American avant-garde. But it took a while to get to that point. His…
Catching up with songwriting prodigy Emma Islands
She’s on her first Earl Grey tea of the night. And she knows she shouldn’t be drinking it before performing because it makes her hands shake. But as Emma Islands, a 13-year-old singer-songwriter from Mount Clemens, takes the stage at the Dovetail in Warren, you’d never know a caffeinated drop was consumed — she’s a…
How a boom bap, business-savvy Downriver emcee is making his mark
Cass Café is its usual, eclectic self. There’s alternative music bouncing off art-covered walls while patrons of various ethnicities tend to their preferred beverages. The emcee known as Dagda fits right in. With his long hair and pleasant disposition, he walks in giving away smiles like a granddad gives out candy. Dadga’s real name is…
Politics & Prejudices: To hell with immigrants!
Donald Trump hates “illegal immigrants,” especially Mexicans, or at least he pretends to. In any case, his crude, racist immigrant-bashing — along with virtually unlimited funds — has now made him the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best … they’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing…
Raise the Bar: Coaches Corner moves to the iconic Michigan Building
Popular Detroit sports bar Coaches Corner has made the move from its former home in Harmonie Park to the iconic Michigan Building on Bagley and Cass avenues. Bar owner Dennis Kefallinos, a real estate investor who happens to also own the Michigan Building, originally intended the location site for a new bar concept. But when…
Stir It Up: Animal tales
A red elephant and a blue donkey were ambling across the middle of America. The elephant was regaling the donkey with a tale about a bunch of blind men who had once felt him up and who had somehow believed that the part they touched represented the entire body. “I’m a pretty big guy,” the…
Royal Oak Brewery turns 20
It’s time to celebrate — but there’s no room for complacency at Royal Oak Brewery, which is gearing up for its 20th anniversary this month. That’s because of the cut-throat competition in the craft beer industry today. And the company seems to be well aware of this fact, investing in a $300,000 remodel two years…
Half-baked stoner comedy ‘American Ultra’ misses its target
American Ultra | B- Rated R | 90 mins. It doesn’t work, but I’m impressed with how hard it tries. On the surface, Nima Nourizadeh’s American Ultra is the kind of half-baked action flick that gets released in the dog days of August. Part stoner comedy, part spy thriller, part things-that-go-boom, it has the go-for-broke…
Weekly reader responses
Construction blues We received comments for Serena Maria Daniels’ Aug. 12 story about the effect of Detroit’s M-1 Rail on local businesses (“How lower Woodward’s restaurants are coping with M-1 construction”). Reader Mark Kennedy from Detroit writes: I sympathize greatly for the businesses disrupted by the M-1 Rail construction. But that’s only the tip of…
