Cover Story
The Detroit Psychedelic Conference brings the international science of consciousness home
Kilindi Iyi presents a striking figure walking into a suburban Tim Hortons. Standing at more than 6 feet tall, the broad-shouldered African martial arts master and psychedelics expert towers above everybody else, topped with a West African cap. The native-born, lifelong Detroiter is now well-rested, a week or so after an itinerary of globe-trotting trips…
Jeff Lynne’s ELO will bring strange magic to Little Caesars Arena
One could easily ascribe Electric Light Orchestra’s nearly 50 years of on-again, off- again greatness to some sort of “Strange Magic” — but it is likely the faithful leadership of co-founder and “Mr. Blue Sky” himself, Jeff Lynne, that has kept ELO ablaze. Since its formation in 1970, the band has experienced its share of…
Long after Television, Richard Lloyd carries the torch at PJ’s Lager House
A gaggle of teenage friends-turned-runaway poets in 1970s New York resulted in the formation of Television — an art-punk band that developed a cult following spanning nearly 45 years. Guitarist Richard Lloyd joined the group ahead of their seminal debut release Marquee Moon in 1977 and he, along with Tom Verlaine, had a hand in…
Embrace catharsis with Beach House at Royal Oak Music Theatre
The dynamic intensity of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, better known as dream pop duo Beach House, is perfectly encapsulated in the imagery their name suggests — turbulence and tranquility with a view. The band has a vast catalogue of dizzying and layered emotional soundscapes that sound as though they have a full band backing…
Schedule for Detroit’s Kindred Music and Culture Festival announced
Kindred Music and Culture Festival is ready to reshape the festival landscape. Rescheduled from last month after getting rained out, the inaugural festival highlights Detroit’s black creative community, drawing from our hometown pool of talent and influencers. When the event’s founder Leah Hill spoke with Metro Times last month, she said it was all about…
Mark Wahlberg sets eyes on Detroit for new car dealership venture
Mark Wahlberg has a soft spot for the Midwest. The Departed actor first got his taste for Detroit while filming scenes for 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. Since then, he’s been loud and proud regarding his love for the city and opened a Greektown franchise location of his burger-joint, Wahlburgers, in 2016 and a second spot…
Democrat Rashida Tlaib stumps for Muslim progressive, gets heckled by alt-right witch
Progressive Democrat Rashida Tlaib — who is widely expected to become the first Muslim woman in Congress after winning last Tuesday’s 13th District primary — lent her brand to another progressive Muslim female candidate facing a tough primary battle in Minnesota over the weekend. Ilhan Omar, currently a Minnesota House rep, is running to replace…
James Beard winning chef’s Japanese-inspired restaurant opens this week in Birmingham
James Beard award-winning chef, Michael Schlow, is opening his new “Japanese-inspired” restaurant in Birmingham this week. In 1999, Schlow won a James Beard Award for “Best Chef in the Northeast” with his Boston restaurant, Radius, while also collecting many more accolades through the years. He’s partnering with local restaurateurs Ken Koza and Clint Mansour to…
Beyoncé and Jay-Z command respect at Detroit’s Ford Field
It’s safe to expect nothing less than unmatchable greatness from a performance by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. What is perhaps most unexpected is the difficulty that comes with fathoming and internalizing that very greatness if you are lucky enough to witness it in the flesh. Being in the presence of Bey and Jay evokes an overwhelming sensation…
TEDxDetroit reveals speaker lineup for 10-year anniversary
TEDxDetroit is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this September with a select panel of Detroit speakers. TEDx — an off-shoot of the original Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conferences — brings speakers to the stage to engage in deep discussions on a variety of topics. And this year, TEDxDetroit will be inviting some of Detroit’s most exceptional…
Bill Schuette wants us all to know he picked a female running mate in race against Gretchen Whitmer
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette is making a big to-do about the fact that his running mate is a woman. Following his primary victory last week, Schuette responded with a coy “I can’t tell you what her name is right now” when asked by reporters who his running mate would be, revealing for the first time…
Rock band Death returns to Detroit for performance, film screening, Q&A this weekend
Pioneering punk band Death is returning to Detroit to perform at this weekend’s inaugural Motor City Muscle festival — joining an already-stacked lineup that proves when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll, Detroit is way ahead of the curve. But the free rock music festival isn’t the only time fans can catch the band this…
Drake was spotted at the Beyonce and Jay-Z show in Detroit
We had a sneaking suspicion that this might happen. The curious timing of a long-awaited Detroit appearance from America’s royal family, Bey and Jay, just so happened to coincide with back-to-back shows of our beloved Champagne Papi, Drake. The result? For a couple days, we can pretend that Detroit is the new Coachella. In a…
AG’s office acts after stink raised over Detroit incinerator’s alleged odors
Residents in Detroit’s redeveloping Midtown have been complaining for years about the smell of the trash incinerator at the intersection of I-75 and I-94. See, garbage trucks don’t just bring garbage to the facility and throw it into the burner. The trucks drop the rubbish off at the facility’s tipping floor, where it accumulates as…
Echo & the Bunnymen add Detroit to tour roster
Announced Monday, new wave trailblazers Echo the Bunnymen will make a Detroit appearance as part of the band’s ongoing “The Stars, The Ocean, The Moon” tour. The string of dates is in support of their forthcoming record of the same name. Due in Oct., the record will reinterpret 13-songs from the band’s 12 album discography…
Now leasing: $5,000 units in downtown Detroit’s historic David Stott building
The lights came back on Saturday at downtown Detroit’s historic David Stott building — a precursor to its reopening as a luxury building with apartments that lease for as much as $5,000 per month. The 90-year old building was restored by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock, which purchased it in 2015. In accordance with all things Bedrock,…
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke returns to Detroit for solo performance
Whether you were lucky enough to catch Radiohead’s rare and mesmerizing Detroit appearance last month;or not, Thom Yorke is making up for lost time by circling back in Nov. as part of a month-long solo trek. Described as “live electronic performances” Yorke has enlisted Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and audiovisual artist Tarik Barri for the…
Metro Detroit man’s rescue puppies comfort strangers in Seattle plane hijacking
Puppies can’t fix everything, but they can fix almost everything. Last Friday, when 29-year-old Horizon Air employee Richard Russell stole a Bombardier Q400 airplane from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and later crashed it in a fiery blaze 25 miles away, it wasn’t just the media that was in a frenzy. On the ground at Sea-Tac,…
Detroit Black Restaurant Week announces its lineup
The second annual Detroit Black Restaurant Week kicks off later this month and highlights metro Detroit’s many wonderful black-owned restaurants. BlackMetroEats.com’s Kwaku Osei-Bonsu and Lauren Bates organized the event, which runs from Aug. 20 through Aug. 26, and is designed “to begin a tradition in and around the city of Detroit by celebrating the many…
Detroit Sunoco stores may be selling Viagra disguised as ‘natural’ enhancement pills
More than 60 Detroit Sunoco gas stations have been hit with a lawsuit over allegations that they are selling Viagra as “natural male enhancement” pills. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Outlaw Laboratory, a Houston-based supplement company. Outlaw’s representatives argue that it is an unfair and dangerous business practice. The lawsuit accuses Sunoco of buying…
Detroit’s first Trinidadian-Caribbean restaurant opens this week
Some of the menu items on Norma G’s menu aren’t totally unfamiliar to Detroit. Callalloo, chicken pelau, jerk chicken, curry goat — these are plates you’ll find in some of the city’s other Caribbean eateries. Still, what Norma G’s owner and chef Lester Gouvia is doing and preparing is something new in Detroit. Though he’s…
Detroit’s wacky world of water policy
As a story published today by Michigan Radio tells it, last month, Detroit’s water and sewerage department completed an overhaul of the city’s drainage rates, which will now be calculated on how much “impervious surface” your property has. When rain falls on your property, it runs off of impervious surfaces and flows right into the…
Aretha Franklin reported to be ‘gravely ill,’ asking for prayers
One of Detroit’s most prolific soul songstresses, Aretha Franklin, is reported to be “gravely ill.” As reported by WDIV-TV news anchor Evrod Cassimy, the 76-year-old singer is said to be in failing health and “is asking for your prayers at this time.” At the request of Franklin’s family, the specifics regarding the status of her health…
Michael Moore is back with ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ trailer
Filmmaker Michael Moore’s latest documentary Fahrenheit 11/9 takes aim at the elephant in the room, President Donald Trump — or perhaps better said, the bull in the china shop. A play on the title of his 2004 George W. Bush doc, Fahrenheit 9/11, the film — which refers to the date Trump was elected president…
Meet the mystery candidate who upended a Michigan senator with little effort
Betty Jean Alexander was so convinced she had no chance of winning the primary election against Democratic Sen. David Knezek that she went to bed Tuesday night before the race was called. In the morning, she had to rush out the door before the local TV news could announce the results for Senate District 5.…
David Byrne gave a lesson in emotional anatomy at the Fox Theatre
The curtain lifts to reveal a naked stage, save for a simple table, chair, and an anatomical model of the human brain. This is but par for the course when it comes to a David Byrne concert — the legendary Talking Heads frontman and visionary whose Friday night performance at the Fox Theatre was a…
Vote in Michigan Senate upset broke along racial lines
A little-known Detroit woman who beat out the chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus in a stunning primary upset Tuesday has black Detroiters to thank for her win. Betty Jean Alexander baffled state Democrats when she won the party primary for Michigan’s 5th Senate District over incumbent Sen. David Knezek by a 54-45 margin. Alexander,…
20 of metro Detroit’s most iconic music venues
The Fillmore Detroit Built in 1925 by architect C. Howard Crane, The State was one of the most prominent theaters along Woodward Avenue during the golden age of movie palaces. The State Theatre underwent quite a few transformations over the years, first known as the Palms-State Theatre, The Palms and even had a stint as…
Grey Ghost team opens neighborhood bar and restaurant Second Best in Midtown
A new bar and restaurant by Four Man Ladder Management — the team behind Grey Ghost and Livernois Tap — called Second Best is up and running in Midtown. The restaurant and bar sits across the street from Grey Ghost, but is a much more casual spot than the former. In a press release, Four Man…
Metro Detroit musicians vying for ‘NPR Tiny Desk Concert’ spot at Otus Supply
Performing in the cramped quarters of the NPR offices has become an unlikely rite of passage for indie musicians and mainstream greats alike. Everyone from Randy Newman, St. Vincent, Chance the Rapper, and Steve Martin have taken to the NPR Tiny Desk stage — er, desk — and now a handful of metro Detroit hopefuls…
State pimps out Belle Isle to Grand Prix for at least three more years
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will allow the controversial Detroit Grand Prix to remain on Belle Isle through at least 2021. The state did so even though billionaire race organizer Roger Penske’s team failed to address the concerns of a growing number of park users and residents who want the race off the island,…
Republican Twitter account calls Abdul El-Sayed an ‘ISIS commie’
The Twitter account belonging to Virginia senate candidate Corey Stewart called Michigan gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed an “ISIS commie” in a tweet on Thursday. The Republican candidate claims he did not personally tweet the comment and that the person who did has had their Twitter privileges revoked. Though El-Sayed lost to Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday,…
Shut the fuck up, L. Brooks Patterson
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson just can’t stop saying stupid shit. The latest: saying “he would rather join the Klan” than join a group of CEOs who are bringing business to Detroit. Previously, Patterson called for a chamber of commerce meeting on Thursday to deal with what he called an “egotistical” group of Detroit…
Someone started a petition to replace Betsy DeVos with Lebron James and honestly it’s not a bad idea
A petition to replace Betsy DeVos with basketball superstar and philanthropist LeBron James as Secretary of Education is gaining steam. The petition has a goal of 30,000 signatures, and at the time of this writing has well over 25,000. The petition was started by a woman named Rebecca G. and is intended for the eyes…
Get in formation — Beyoncé and Jay-Z will be in Detroit
Who runs the world? Well, Beyoncé mostly, but in one of the most anticipated joint tours, like, ever, Queen Bey will be joined by her hubby Jay-Z for the On the Run II Tour. A follow-up to the celebrity couple’s 2014 tour — which excluded a Motor City stop — this tour follows a publicly…
Tuesday was a good night for some of Michigan’s most progressive Democrats
The Aug. 7 Michigan Democratic primaries featured a strong list of progressive candidates, some of whom supported policies like ending water shutoffs, eliminating for-profit charter schools, ending excessive tax breaks for the wealthy, state-level “Medicare for All,” a $15-per-hour minimum wage, free college tuition, universal pre-kindergarten, publicly-funded campaigns, mandated paid sick leave, and more. Some of…
John David Washington on Spike Lee and the strange, true history behind ‘BlacKkKlansman’
John David Washington got a late start in acting, entering the field in his early 30s. But he was certainly no stranger to show business, making his big screen debut back in 1992 with a bit part as child in Spike Lee’s epic biography of Malcolm X. Of course, it helped that his father happened…
Huzzah! Michigan Renaissance Festival returneth for 40th year
Hark! The Earthly realm is so passe. Kicking it back to 1600 AD for its 40th year is the Michigan Renaissance Festival where all are invited to let their freak flags fly’th. The thematic Holly-based festival known for its elaborate pageantry, rivalry, revelry, and royalty announced the details of the upcoming event which is expected to draw…
Michigan GOP divided as Snyder avoids endorsing Schuette
Governor Rick Snyder’s apparent disdain for Attorney General Bill Schuette seems to have reached a tipping point. In the days following Schuette’s gubernatorial primary win, Snyder has so far failed to endorse the Republican nominee and on Wednesday skipped a rally in which Republicans aimed to present a united front going into the general election.…
Detroit is one of the best hidden gem cities according to Expedia
In the midst of a Motor City comeback, Expedia recognized that Detroit is one of the nation’s hidden gem destinations to vacation. Yes, you read that correctly. People want to vacation here. But things get even better from there. In Expedia’s 2018 round-up, “Most Under-the-Radar Cities in America, Part 2,” Detroit joins the list for…
Review: Ty Farris reminds why he’s one of the best Detroit emcees on ‘Tyrant Talk’
Emcees like Ty Farris have always represented the best and rawest form of Detroit hip-hop, and being a veteran in the game hasn’t slowed him down one bit. The Detroit native has released a new single, “Tyrant Talk,” a boom-bap flavored cut highlighted by a plethora of Farris’s punchline bars on battling haters and reminding…
Retailer Madewell plots downtown Detroit location
It looks as though J.Crew’s popular women’s offshoot Madewell is preparing to open its first Detroit location. According to a job listing on the company’s website, Madewell is seeking to fill a store director position as well as two assistant manager spots. The new location is slated for somewhere along Woodward Ave. More specifically, Crain’s Detroit Business…
Detroit vs. L. Brooks Patterson
Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson is scared. That’s a decidedly off-brand emotion for the infamously haughty Patterson, who has governed affluent Oakland County with an open disdain for Detroit. Now, however, it appears the tables have turned, as Detroit redevelopment is showing no end in sight. In a July letter to directors of the…
What was behind the ballot shortages in Michigan’s Tuesday primary?
Some Oakland County voters reported waiting more than an hour to cast ballots Tuesday night, as the state saw its highest primary turnout in 40 years, with nearly 2.2 million voters. Days before the election, absentee ballot returns were up as much as 50 percent over the same time in the primary election cycle four…
Batch Brewing Co. targeting fall opening for its North End brewery, ‘Funk Room’
Batch Brewing Company’s new North End location that focuses on sour beers and mixed culture fermentation could be open as soon as this fall. The new space is being built out in the 5,000-square-foot former Chap Automotive building at 2841 E. Grand Blvd., between Interstate 75 and Woodward Avenue. Owner Stephen Roginson tells Metro Times…
‘Realistic marketing’ video roasts Bird scooters, and where is the lie?
Just last week, Metro Times tested out the Detroit pilot program launched by the Los Angeles-based multi-billion dollar electric scooter sharing company, Bird. We discovered that, while cruising at an unnerving 15 mph down Midtown streets is actually pretty fun, the logistics of Bird’s convenience;and sustainability is questionable at best. For those reasons, the company…
Bee Fest returns to Belle Isle Nature Center for National Honey Bee Day
It’s hard to bee-lieve but our winged, pollinating friends are in danger. Stings, doesn’t it? Thankfully, there are plenty of well bee-haved individuals who strive to protect the hive with a little education and honey. Lots of honey. To celebrate National Honey Bee Day, Belle Isle Nature Center will host its third annual Bee Fest on…
Michigan primary results: Duggan succeeds in stacking state legislature
At least seven candidates backed by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan appear poised to advance in state House and Senate races following yesterday’s primary election, making it all but certain that they’ll be elected to the state legislature this fall. Some of the candidates campaigned heavily on executing Duggan’s auto insurance agenda, and received the mayor’s…
So much for America first — DeVos’ unmoored yacht sails under foreign flag
We all cheered when someone in Huron, Ohio untied a yacht belonging to the family of billionaire U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The $40 million yacht was set adrift in a marina, eventually leading to $10,000 in damage. But as Newsweek notes, there’s more to the story. The 164-foot yacht was flying the Cayman…
Bobcat Bonnie’s is planning a Ferndale location
Bobcat Bonnie’s is planning to open its third location later this year. The new restaurant is in the works in the former Eden Nightclub and Doug’s Body Shop space at 22061 Woodward Ave., just south of downtown Ferndale. The Free Press reports that the menu will be the same as that at the restaurant’s Corktown…
Michigan August primary sets record for highest voter turnout
Yesterday, Michigan voters went to the polls in strong numbers to cast their ballot in the August primary. An estimated 2 million people voted, setting a new turnout record and breaking the previous record that had been in place since 2002. The major draw this year was the open seat for governor, with both parties…
Headstone brings closure for family of unarmed black man shot by Ypsi police
In 2007, the Ypsilanti police shot and killed David Ware, an unarmed black man who was fleeing from them during a drug sting gone wrong. Now, over ten years later, the family is getting some closure. The grave in which Ware was buried sat unmarked, but a local group, Radical Washtenaw, crowdfunded to purchase one.…
Carrie Underwood is coming to Detroit in 2019
Though her American Idol-winning days are far behind her, Carrie Underwood is still America’s reigning vengeful, country croonin’ sweetheart. Details of Underwood’s “Cry Pretty Tour 360” were released Wednesday morning. The 35-year-old seven-time Grammy Award winner took to social media to bundle tour news and the announcement of her pregnancy, her second child with husband…
Here are the big U.S. House, Senate primary winners in Michigan
Yesterday was Michigan’s primary election. For more on the gubernatorial candidates that will go on to the November general, click here. Below are the winners of close contests for U.S. Senate and House. U.S. Senate Republican businessman and Iraq war veteran John James beat out businessman Sandy Pensler 55 to 45 after receiving President Donald…
Bree McKenna of Tacocat talks Seattle, sequins, and ‘Twilight’
For Seattle punk-rock palindromic foursome Tacocat, balance is key. A band built on a lark and a foundation of friendship in 2007 has since evolved into the hyper-relevant band you wish you were in. Emily Nokes, Bree McKenna, Lelah Maupin, and Eric Randall set out to disrupt the status-bro with their riotous pop sensibilities and…
Dan Savage: Après Pill, Le Déluge
I’m a 27-year-old woman living on the East Coast. I’ve been sexually active and on birth control since I was 16 — almost always on the pill. I recently switched to the NuvaRing, which I had a bad reaction to: I had no libido at all and extreme mood swings/bouts of depression I could not…
Horoscopes (Aug. 8-14)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You have it all. In so many ways, no matter how it looks, and even if you’re a “legend in your own mind,” you’ve got more power than the rest of us. The part of you that knows this is less aware of how to wield it. And what…
Sara Marie Barron swaps her pen for a microphone on ‘Sad, But True’
Avid Metro Times readers will likely recognize the name Sara Marie Barron, whose shortened byline has frequently appeared in these pages for the past year or so as a music writer. But when she wasn’t busy interviewing artists for us, Barron spent the past year working on Sad, but True, her debut full-length record. The…
Paul F. Tompkins’ distinguished comedy is part of the 2018 Detroit Improv Festival
Comedy’s last true gentleman, and perhaps the first, Paul F. Tompkins has intellectualized the subtlety of storytelling over the course of his career which spans more than three decades. He’s the type of person that would delight in the opportunity to correct your use of the word “bequeath” and he’ll joke that his nickname for…
Review: Ann Arbor’s Exotic Syrian Deli has flavors of a faraway village
When I inquired with the guy behind the counter at Exotic Syrian Deli and Bakery about the difference between Syrian and Lebanese shawarma, he explained that “back in the day, they were the same country” and shawarma recipes varied more by family than region. Indeed, it’s all Levantine, but I suspected that maybe in the…
MC5’s Wayne Kramer on the first time he got high
The MC5’s is a story that has entered into rock ‘n’ roll folklore, not only in Detroit but internationally. Yet so much about the band is either forgotten or shrouded in secrecy. We know about promoter Russ Gibb making them the house band at his famed Grande Ballroom. We know about the connection with John…
It’s time to fix what happened in 2016
Now that the primaries are over, it’s time for the big fight for the soul of Michigan and ultimately the soul of America. That’s what these elections are about to me. Taking care of business here in Michigan is a step toward taking care of business nationally. In Michigan, we’ve suffered 24 years of bad…
‘Speak Up, Speak Out’ brings the #MeToo movement to the stage
In October 2017, The New York Times and The New Yorker published bombshell reports detailing more than a dozen allegations of rape and sexual harassment against producer Harvey Weinstein, bringing a Hollywood “open secret” into the light. Soon after, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a…
