Cover Stories
A guide to Detroit’s 2018 fall festival season
Dally in the Alley Sept. 8; Cass Corridor, dallyinthealley.com; Free. Entering its 41st year as Detroit’s largest community festival, Dally in the Ally returns with more Dally in the same ol’ ally. The 12-hour festival is made possible by a team of community volunteers who work tirelessly to deliver a platform for artists, vendors, and…
15 must-see acts at the 2018 Detroit Jazz Festival
Correction: Due to illness, the 7:15 p.m. performance on Saturday, Sept. 1, of the Dr. Lonnie Smith Organ Trio at the Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Quicken Loans has been canceled. In its place, the Louis Hayes Quintet — Serenade to Horace will perform at that time on the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage. The 39th iteration…
Detroit Month of Design shapes up
Detroit’s design community has expanded its annual September festivities from one week into an entire month — proving that the 2015 “City of Design” award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization was more than well-deserved. Detroit was the first U.S. city to earn such a title, joining other cities across the globe…
Martha Reeves reflects on Motown
When Martha Reeves bypassed an audition line in front of Berry Gordy’s Motown Records in 1960, it was by mistake. Wielding a business card given to her the night before by Motown’s A&R director Mickey Stevenson, Reeves — then just 20 years old — suddenly found herself on the frontlines of a musical movement. She…
Get moody with indie up-and-comer Yuno at the Underground at DIME
Yuno Moodie is going through some shit. Or at least the on-the-rise 27-year-old Floridian was when he wrote his debut EP Moodie released on Sub Pop earlier this summer. On Moodie, Yuno explores the dissolution of a relationship through his love of early 2000s influences like Animal Collective with a dash of emo and Tame…
Detroit Artists Market’s ‘Symbiosis’ explores the power of two
It takes two to tango — or in the case of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera or Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, it takes two to create. “Symbiosis” at Detroit Artists Market is described as the exploration of the balance between symbiotic interdependence and autonomy. Curated by Melissa Jones, Symbiosis features works by several pairs…
Life in the lo-fi lane: Car Seat Headrest will play the Majestic Theatre
The aesthetic of Seattle-based indie outfit Car Seat Headrest can be condensed to “Nervous Young Inhumans” — the lead single from 2018’s Twin Fantasy. “You swore you’d never use the face that your ex invented/ So let’s meet up in uncanny valley,” sings Car Seat’s anxious and tight-lipped founder Will Toledo, blending both personal reference…
Afrofuturism takes the spotlight at artist’s talk at the Wright Museum
Though afrofuturism most recently saw a mainstream resurgence via Marvel’s blockbuster Black Panther, the cultural artistic movement has roots going as far back as the 1950s. One of the students and now acclaimed and seminal artists of the philosophy is Kenyan award-winning photographer and digital creator Osborne Macharia. As part of the Penny Stamp Speaker…
Burn the patriarchy — Pussy Riot grabs back and heads to Detroit
To call the Russian balaclava-wearing female collective Pussy Riot a band would be missing the point — it’s a movement. Over the years, Pussy Riot has taken on BFF’s Putin and Trump, reproductive rights, the patriarchy, and prison — and they do it all with unwavering fearlessness and sharp humor. Aside from making headlines and…
All systems go for the 41st Dally in the Alley festival
If you love people, art, music, and a steady flow of beer, Dally in the Ally returns for its 41st year as Detroit’s largest annual community festival. Tradition is the mission with the 12-hour festival, which is made possible by a team of community volunteers and a slew of local talent and artisans. To help…
My middle school German teacher just got arrested for masturbating to a guy at the gym
My middle school German teacher Mr. J, or Timothy Jankowiac, as he’s now known by police and the broader public, has been arrested for allegedly masturbating to a guy at an LA Fitness in Troy. Mr. J, now 48 and living in Berkley, is facing charges of aggravated indecent exposure for the Aug. 21 incident.…
Anti-Semitic flyers found on door of Ferndale church
Anti-semitic flyers depicting Infowars founder Alex Jones and offensive caricatures of Jewish men were found on the doors of the First United Methodist Church in Ferndale on Monday. The church posted the flyers to its Facebook account with the caption “#LoveIsBigger” and said that it would be filing a police report. The Detroit News reports…
Wayne County treasurer still won’t halt broken tax foreclosure auction
Wayne County’s tax foreclosure crisis has led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Detroiters and worsened vacancy and blight in the city’s neighborhoods. (Numerous analyses have shown this — look here, here, and here.) It is also, partly, the fault of government. Impoverished homeowners who, under state law, should have been able to…
Detroit’s Chene Park is now Aretha Louise Franklin Amphitheater
Detroit’s City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Tuesday that will rename Chene Park in honor of the late Aretha Franklin. According to the resolution, which was first announced by Mayor Mike Duggan last week and approved Tuesday morning 8-0, the venue will be renamed Aretha Louise Franklin Amphitheater. Council President Brenda Jones will now submit…
Detroit MoGo riders now get Lyft discounts
A new pilot program is offering Detroiters even more reason to forget the Motor City, or at least personal automobiles. Starting today, ridesharing companies MoGo and Lyft have partnered up for a six-month pilot program that will offer discounts to MoGo riders who get picked up or dropped off by a Lyft driver at any…
Cirque du Soleil brings levity to a clown’s mortality with ‘Corteo’ at Little Caesars Arena
Corteo, which means cortege, or funeral, in Italian, might make for a morbid plot for a family-friendly theatrical acrobatic performance. But in keeping with the delightfully strange tradition of Cirque du Soleil, Corteo challenges the ridiculous and the tragic with a little bit of magic. The Corteo cast includes over 50 acrobats, musicians, singers, and actors…
Detroit’s 36th District Court is waiving late fees this month
Detroit’s 36th District Court wants to get you back on the road this fall. This month, the court is running a September Special that waives late fees and warrant fees for individuals with outstanding driver’s responsibility balances. That means if you’ve put off paying your parking tickets because of accruing late fees and it has…
Aretha Franklin’s family calls eulogist’s comments ‘distasteful,’ ‘offensive’
Several days after the internet lit up in response to a controversial eulogy delivered at Aretha Franklin’s funeral in which the words “black lives don’t matter” were actually uttered, Franklin’s relatives have issued their verdict on the controversial comments — and they’re appalled. In a statement issued to various media outlets on behalf of the…
Due to Trump tariffs, Ford cancels 2019 Focus
To the Ford Focus, “You’re fired!” On Friday, Ford Motor Co. announced it was canceling plans to import its China-made Focus in response to President Donald Trump’s recently announced tariffs. It’s been a bumpy ride for the car. The company projects it sells less than 50,000 Focuses annually — a “marginal” volume that wouldn’t warrant…
What scooter-hogging wizardry is this? Man seen riding two Bird scooters at once
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that electric scooters are a thing now and Detroit has taken it too damn far. Earlier this week tech company Lime deployed dozens of scooters on the streets of Detroit in direct competition with billion dollar Santa Monica start-up, Bird, which rolled out their Detroit pilot…
Detroit will rename Chene Park as Aretha Franklin Park
Detroit will rename outdoor riverfront amphitheater Chene Park as Aretha Franklin Park, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced at Franklin’s funeral Friday. The renaming, to be passed by a Detroit City Council resolution on Tuesday, will wed Franklin’s legacy with what Duggan called “one of her favorite places in the world.” “For generations to come, when…
Eminem drops new album ‘Kamikaze’ overnight and it’s brutal
What do president Trump, vice president Mike Pence, Harvey Weinstein, Lil Pump, Drake, and the Grammy-Awards have in common? All are targets on Kamikaze, Eminem’s tenth album which dropped without warning at midnight. Though curious timing, considering the album release falls on the eve of the funeral for Detroit’s Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, the…
Ferndale’s Garden Fresh salsa put up for sale
Just three years after plunking down $231 million for Ferndale salsa maker Garden Fresh, Campbell’s Soup Company is putting it up for sale. The move is part of a sale of Campbell’s fresh food business, which also includes Bolthouse Farms and Campbell’s refrigerated soup line. Of the three, Garden Fresh is the only one worth…
Here is the full schedule for Aretha Franklin’s remarkable celebration of life
The Queen of Soul will be honored today with a star-studded celebration of life before being laid to rest. After a whirlwind week of emotional public viewings (and outfit changes, respectively) at the Charles H. Wright Museum, a luminous tribute concert at Chene Park last night, Aretha Franklin will be celebrated with a six and…
This report reveals how ‘free’ Michigan is – we’re calling bullshit
Just how free is Michigan compared to the rest of the U.S.? Well, according to the Freedom in the 50 States report by the right-leaning think tank, Cato Institute, Michigan clocks in at number 14. The report itself appears to use fairly moderate “freedom” values weighted under categories like fiscal, personal, marriage, occupational, economic, etc.…
Michigan school sign calls for ‘Fortnite’ detox
Anyone with any proximity to kids (and OK, grown-ass kids at heart, too) is likely aware of Fortnite, the latest video game sensation that’s sweeping the nation. The multiplayer online game is downright addictive, and many Michigan kids spent this summer in their parents’ basements shooting zombies and blowing each other up. So that’s why the…
Here’s what you missed from Thursday’s Aretha Franklin tribute at Chene Park
Dozens of artists honored the life and legacy of Aretha Franklin Thursday night with a genre-spanning “People’s Tribute” concert at Chene Park. It was the hottest ticket in town during a week marked by viewings and events for the late songstress. Seats at the free show were all spoken for within 10 minutes of becoming…
Review: Miguel comes back to Detroit more zen than he left it
In the six short months since Miguel last visited Detroit, he has seemingly transformed from apparent sex guru to a spiritual guru — and his current “Ascension“ tour is bearing the fruits of his enlightenment. Where the “War and Leisure“ tour served as an escapist wet dream, Wednesday night’s show at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill felt more…
Michiganders are pissed Gretchen Whitmer won’t stop saying ‘damn’
There are a lot of things to get angry about when it comes to politics. People dying because they don’t have health care? Blame politics. People living under bridges instead of in homes? Politics. Car tire swallowed by a pot hole? While less important, yes, that’s politics too. Then there are the political gripes so…
Court can’t prove Shepard Fairey vandalized Detroit, but like, c’mon
Despite the fact that noted graffiti artist Shepard Fairey pretty much obviously tagged Detroit in 2015, the Michigan appeals court has affirmed a decision to dismiss charges against him in a destruction of property case. The charges stem from when Fairey was in town to paint the massive commissioned mural on Dan Gilbert’s One Campus…
We played ‘Would you rather?’ with Desert Hearts’ Mikey Lion ahead of Detroit takeover
Born out of the dust of the Mojave Desert, the California-based Desert Hearts crew first started throwing renegade raves that sparked a movement of psychedelic-inspired parties. Because of the brand’s familial vibe, Desert Hearts has managed to cultivate a robust and loyal following with their entrancing brand of house and techno. Their popularity has lead…
DeVos’ proposed campus sex assault rules roil survivors, advocates
“What is she, Brock Turner’s godmother?” The internet backlash to yet another asinine plan involving Betsy DeVos’ Department of Education has been harsh and swift. If you haven’t yet heard — a draft proposal being circulated in the agency would give greater rights to students accused of sexual assault and require colleges to investigate only…
Fans disappointed with Rachelle Ferrell’s Detroit performance
On Wednesday night, jazz vocalist Rachelle Ferrell performed for a full house at Detroit’s Chene Park. But from scrolling through social media on Thursday morning, it seems many concertgoers felt her performance left much to be desired, with people reportedly booing and walking out halfway through her set and Ferrell ending the show abruptly. Fans…
Michael Symon’s B-Spot location in Royal Oak closes
Celebrity chef Michael Symon’s B-Spot location in downtown Royal Oak is closed. Representatives from the Cleveland-based company wouldn’t confirm or deny that the location closed, or provide a reason for the closure, but the space at 310 S. Main St. is cleared out. That comes after a Rochester B-Spot location closed in July, and stores…
What’s grosser than Domino’s Pizza? Domino’s Pizza paving Hamtramck’s roads
Around three years ago, a motivated group of Hamtramck residents organized their neighbors and filled the city’s potholes, which the terminally insolvent local government couldn’t afford to repair. In 2018, a low-grade pizza purveyor will take care of the job. Domino’s Pizza announced on Wednesday that it will provide a grant for Hamtramck to fill…
Review: Lil Baby works harder than ever at Detroit show
Quality Control’s rising star Lil Baby made his way to St. Andrew’s Hall on Tuesday night as a part of his “Harder Than Ever” tour. The Atlanta-born emcee has made a name for himself pushing his own brand of southern trap hip-hop, and 2018 has been his breakout year: his album (also titled Harder Than…
How Aretha Franklin turned ‘Respect’ into a feminist and civil rights anthem
The day before Aretha Franklin died earlier this month, owners of Eastpointe record store Melodies and Memories, Dan and Denise Zieja, bought boxes of records from a collector — approximately 1,000 45’s in total. Denise says it isn’t that unusual in the record store business for a collector to bring in a haul that big, but what…
Soon you could have marijuana delivered right to your doorstep in Michigan
Soon you could have a weed dealer that makes house calls. A state-endorsed weed dealer, that is. The Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation is proposing a new rule that would allow licensed marijuana facilities to make home deliveries via an online ordering system. The proposed rule was suggested with Michigan’s most seriously ill medical marijuana…
Detroit public schools shut off water after discovering elevated lead and copper levels
Detroit Public Schools Community District is shutting off drinking water after tests revealed elevated lead and copper levels at 16 schools. “Although we have no evidence that there are elevated levels of copper or lead in our other schools where we are awaiting test results, out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety…
Reminder: Duggan’s auto insurance plans don’t guarantee savings, end redlining
Last week, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan filed a lawsuit in federal court asking a judge to nullify Michigan’s no fault insurance law that’s behind the state’s exorbitant auto insurance rates. If Duggan has his way and wins the case, the state legislature would have six months to develop a new plan, or Michigan would return…
Higher rents, ‘massive displacement’: The unknown cost of Detroit’s landlord crackdown
Lillie McGee swings closed an entry door to her apartment building on Detroit’s west side to show how it rests on its frame without shutting. Squatters, she explains, are able to access the building, and have at times taken up residence in the vacant units that surround her home. “And here I thought I had…
Mulenga and Trump the gangsta
Mulenga Harangua requested that I meet him at Riverside Park near the Ambassador Bridge. The place was deserted on a cloudy, weekday afternoon, except for Mulenga, who was throwing himself into the air and tumbling to the ground again and again. It looked like he had wads of newspaper taped to his knees and elbows…
Review: What’s old is new at Detroit’s Amore da Roma
“Built 1890, est. 2017,” winks the website of Amore da Roma in Eastern Market. With that slogan, chef-owner Guy Pelino indicates that he’s dedicated to continuing the traditions of Detroit’s oldest restaurant, the Roma Café, which closed last summer after 127 continuous years and reopened six months later as Amore, with the same chef (himself),…
Questions rise ahead of Michigan marijuana provisioning centers shutdown deadline
Applicants for state licenses to operate cannabis businesses in Michigan have more questions than answers as the deadline approaches for unlicensed operations to shut down. The Medical Marihuana Licensing Board deadline for unlicensed provisioning centers to shut down is Sept. 15. The original deadline was June 15, but the state licensing office moved it back…
Horoscopes (Aug. 29-Sept. 4)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You have been going through the mill on multiple fronts. The sense that you need to hold steady dances with the thought that you will snap in two if you keep up with this pace. Many of you are more than ready to jump ship. Those of you who…
