Cover Story
Welcome to the 2016 Dubious Achievement Awards
Every year is full of achievements — often proud ones illustrating how far we’ve come. That’s not what this issue is about. No, this year, we’re focusing on achievements that show how far we have to go. Whether it’s the antics of Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration, a brief invasion of creepy clowns, a strip-teasing fiftysomething…
‘We didn’t cut a deal with Trump’: Ford on canceled Mexican plant
Ford announced a shift in gears on Tuesday, scrapping plans to build a plant in Mexico to instead expand its operations in Michigan. The announcement came mere hours after Donald Trump (somewhat inaccurately) tweeted a threat about General Motors’ Mexican production, and follows months of the President-elect slamming U.S. companies for moving manufacturing out of the country. But while Trump supporters…
13 reasons to leave the house this week
Thursday, 1/5 Pancho Villa’s Skull @ The Loving Touch Pontiac native Tino Ybarra was used to playing Detroit’s ska and punk scenes, but he felt like something was missing. Enter: Pancho Villa’s Skull. Ybarra wanted to connect more with the music he was playing, and the answer became clear. He wanted to play mariachi punk.…
This day in history: Aretha Franklin inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
It’s hard to believe, but 30 years ago today Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Aretha was not inducted with the original class of inductees in 1986 — she would have to wait one more year to be inducted as…
Heavy music: Why we still need legit reissues of Bob Seger’s pre-fame records
Yesterday, for no reason that I can discern (because there is no way it could have had anything to do with his participation in a tribute to the Eagles), a Facebook friend posted a link to Tal Rosenberg’s excellent Chicago Reader piece (on Bob Seger’s pre-“Like a Rock” music) from six years ago. Titled “Better than…
Keegan-Michael Key’s new role in ‘The Simpsons’ is truly fantastic
Our very own Keegan-Michael Key is taking on his latest project with great stride — voicing the character of “Jazzy James” on the beloved show The Simpsons. Jazzy James is a washed-up rapper who now sells high-end candles, because of course. Key’s role in the January 15 episode of the Simpsons is a special one. The…
Nick Schillace from Lac LaBelle starts free noontime residency at Trinos this Thursday
This Thursday, Jan. 5, Nick Schillace, the local guitarist, banjoist, composer, guitar instructor, and one half of the always popular (and actually deservedly so) Lac LaBelle, begins a free lunchtime residency at Trinos. He’ll be there at noon every Thursday this month, so try to drop by. Dude is crazy talented. “I’ll be a kicking…
Detroit’s the worst place to keep your 2017 resolutions, which comes as a surprise to no one
Of 150 U.S. cities, Detroit came in dead last in a ranking of the best places to keep your 2017 resolutions. Salt Lake City, UT came in first, and that part does seem a little weird — until you know what the findings are based on. The study, done by WalletHub, factored in 48 key…
Victim of Royal Oak Middle School ‘Build the wall’ chant says classmates made her feel like an animal
On Nov. 10, 2016, a video of Royal Oak Middle School students chanting “Build the wall,” to the dismay of their Latino classmates made waves on social media. It was viewed around the world and inspired a peaceful demonstration during a school basketball game. But until now, the students on the receiving end of the…
Trump wrongly slams GM for ‘Mexican-made’ Chevy Cruze (they’re mostly built in Ohio)
President-elect Donald “tweet first, ask questions later” Trump continued his crusade against U.S. companies this morning, slamming General Motors in a tweet for sending its hecho en Mexico Chevy Cruze across the border to U.S. car dealers, tax-free. “Make in U.S.A. or pay big border tax!” he tweeted. As usual, Trump has a tendency to blur…
Michigan universities list words to use — and lose — in 2017
As the new year dawns, we’re often treated to lists of words. They’re usually those words that we’ve grown tired of: bits of slang that were hot a few years ago and have now grown tired, tech talk that now seems hopelessly dated, and twee expressions that have overstayed their welcome. Alternatively, we sometimes find…
Bro: Electric Forest adds Flume and Dillon Francis to lineup
When Electric Forest, the 4-day music festival that takes place every summer in Rothbury, MI, announced its lineup a few weeks ago, there was some missing spots for some big-name headliners. Luckily for us, two more acts have been added to the stacked lineups. Electronic artists Flume and Dillon Francis will be joining the lineups…
Watch: Drummer B drops ‘Time Travel’ video
Detroit producer and Danny Brown collaborator Leonard Ware, aka Drummer B, has released a new video and details on an upcoming release. Titled Space Bounce, the project — the follow-up to last year’s The People Mover — includes seven tracks recorded at United Sounds studios in Detroit. It features jazz great Allen Barnes (who is also Ware’s uncle).…
John Oliver makes this Corktown restaurant owner’s night when he shows up unexpectedly
OK, indulge our inner paparazzo for a moment here. We kinda flipped when we heard that comedian John Oliver made a stop at a somewhat low-key Corktown eatery after wrapping up his NYE performance at the Fox Theatre. We might have expected him to hit up Café D’Mongo’s Speakeasy, always a popular hot spot for visiting celebrities. Or maybe the much…
Detroit Restaurants Openings & Closures: December 2016
2016 was pretty rotten by most accounts, but it was a big year for the ever-growing Detroit restaurant scene, with dozens of new eateries popping up all over the metro area. Are we reaching a restaurant industry bubble? Maybe not quite, but the momentum stayed strong throughout the year. December was no exception. We were…
Updated: Docs from Duggan inner circle requested in Detroit demo corruption probe
Updated 2:27 p.m. Monday, Jan. 2: This post has been updated to clarify that at this time, none of the employees from the Detroit Land Bank and the Detroit Building Authority referenced in the subpoenas have been named subjects of the investigation. Originally posted at 7:32 a.m. Monday, Jan. 2: The Friday before New Year’s Eve, the…
Amar’s famous ghost pepper pizzas expanding to the suburbs
The Detroit-Bangladeshi hybrid creations that come from Amar Pizza will soon be available in the suburbs. The takeout pizzeria known for its variety of South Asian-inspired pies, including its scorching “Ghost Pizza” has announced that it will add a second location in Fraser. Meanwhile, the original Conant Street location is gearing up to move to new digs at 12195 Joseph Campau, at…
Why Detroit needs outspoken restaurant critics more than ever
Among the many end-of-the-year pieces capping 2016, we noticed Eater Detroit’s annual roundup of “food writers” sounding off on “The Year’s Most Disappointing Detroit Restaurant Meals.” With that sort of set-up, it seemed destined to be a rip-roaring read. What we found, however, was a list of meager, often anonymous complaints that left us unsatisfied.…
Record attendance reported for Meridian Motor City NYE ‘the Drop’ presented by Quicken Loans
Metro Detroiters came out in full force for downtown’s big New Year’s Eve festival — better known as Meridian Motor City NYE “the Drop” presented by Quicken Loans. More than 35,000 revelers attended this year’s Meridian Motor City NYE “the Drop” presented by Quicken Loans, according to a publicist for Meridian Motor City NYE “the Drop”…
Nine killers by the Dirtbombs to get you stoked for their NYE show
Tonight, the Dirtbombs play a very special New Year’s Eve show with the Prude Boys and Soledad Brothers at the Magic Stick. This is going to be among one of the bests ways to get the hell out of the worst year in recent memory. The Dirtbombs are definitely one of the best live bands from…
First Taste: Ima now serving bibimbap, udon, other meals in a bowl in Corktown
Just in time to ring in the new year, the new noodle and rice bowl shop, Ima, opened its doors this week in the former Rubbed space in Corktown. Serving up a seasonal menu of udon noodles, bibimbap and curry rice bowls, and sharable plates like “Ima” tacos (made with a shaved jicama, wakame slaw, green chili hot…
Gilmore Girls fans can score some Luke’s Diner swag from Urban Bean Co.
Earlier this year, Gilmore Girls fans everywhere lost their shit when a series of Luke’s Diner pop-ups emerged all over the country, including at several coffee shops across metro Detroit. If you (gasp!) somehow missed out from standing in line for hours to be a part of the October takeovers, or you had your eye…
Study: Nearly 10,000 metric tons of plastic flow into Great Lakes each year
About 21.8 million pounds — or nearly 10,000 metric tons — of plastic flow into the Great Lakes each year from the United States and Canada, according to a new study from the Rochester Institute of Technology. The study, “Inventory and Transport of Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes,” was published this month in the Marine Pollution Bulletin…
Michigan mom wants Meijer to create family-friendly checkout lines
Waiting in a checkout line at Meijer comes part and parcel with getting an eye full of tabloids extolling the latest celebrity sex and drugs gossip coupled with a cornucopia of sugary snacks, a combination that can be considered nothing less than toxic. Jane Kramer of Bath Township had just adopted her five-year-old son when…
Nightcall’s Peter Werbe: The exit interview
On Halloween, Nightcall radio host Peter Werbe announced that his program, commercial radio’s longest-running live call-in talk show, had came to an abrupt end. The show, which had run for 46 years, went off the air without fanfare, and Werbe, perhaps commercial radio’s only self-identified anarchist, atheist, vegetarian host, had to use the program’s Facebook…
Just announced: Suzanne Ciani at MOCAD in April
Electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani is not only performing at MOCAD on Thursday, April 13 — she is bringing a Buchla synthesizer with her, and giving a talk as well! Fingers crossed that she might play some music that approximates what she played in the mid 1970s. But whatever she plays, this is a rare…
Tunde Olaniran adds pizza chef to his repertoire this NYE
We love the electro-pop R&B artist Tunde Olaniran for so many reasons. His soulful voice, outrageous costume design, theatrical presence on-stage. Now, we can add pizza-maker to his growing list of talents. The Flint-native Olaniran is the inaugural performance artist in El Club’s “Michigan Artist Pizza Series.” The southwest Detroit venue says that each month,…
Trey Songz’s mugshot is as cute as you’d expect
As many media outlets have previously reported, singer Trey Songz (real name Tremaine Neverson) was arrested last night after going absolutely bonkers on stage during his show at Joe Louis Arena. Songz reportedly was upset that his time was up on stage (the Big Show at the Joe had multiple performers) and he threw a…
Our top 10 stories from 2016
As this hellish year is winding down, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the stories that shaped 2016 into the cluster-fuck of a year that it is. 1. Detroit teachers are using Twitter to document poor school conditions DPS teachers started using the Twitter handle @teachDetroit to show…
Michigan has banned banning plastic bags
Under a new Michigan law, local governments are banned from banning plastic bags. Public Act 389 preempts local governments that ban, restrict, or place fees on plastic bags. The bill was signed by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley Wednesday while Gov. Rick Snyder is on holiday vacation. The law makes it easier for chain restaurants and retailers,…
PR firm’s locker room humor falls flat
Media people in metro Detroit can tell that the year is finally winding to a close when a certain mailpiece arrives. It’s the annual cartoon calendar released by Michigan PR firm Truscott Rossman. They usually lampoon the Michigan political scene with a light touch, and the cartoons generally get a giggle out of us before…
Even more best Detroit music: Digging deeper into 2016
For reasons of space, the following submissions were cut from our overview of the best music that happened in or came from Detroit, Mich. during the year 2016. 2016 ARTISTS Bevlove Seeing Bevlove for the first time earlier this year gave me chills. I remember thinking what a star she was. Subsequently, she has played…
You have to watch Duane the Jet Black Eel’s new video
Detroit’s foremost provocateur, Duane Gholston aka the former Teenage Weirdo/Brand New Dog is now known as the Jet Black Eel, just in time for the Trumpocalypse. His newest track, available for download and streaming here, is the vampy and NSFW (it includes words some people might find offensive) “When The Eel Accepts Your Invitation.” To…
Review: the ‘Carole King Musical’ hits home in all the right places
While most millennials may only recognize Carole King’s music from the “Gilmore Girls” theme song or from an oldies station on the radio, the Broadway stage production “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” puts the epic songstresses’ music into a whole new wonderful light that people of any age can really get down with. The musical…
Hamtramck’s Polish Market replaced by new international grocer
The closure of Polish Market in Hamtramck earlier this year was yet another sign that demographics have shifted. Now known simply as Fresh Market, the Yemeni-owned grocery store quietly opened just before the holidays, offering a limited inventory of produce, an olive bar, a huge variety of juices, and an all-halal meat counter. Manager Hizam Husain tells us…
In Flint criminal charges, is Schuette indicting … himself?
Following the news that Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is charging four more people in the Flint water crisis investigation — including two of Flint’s emergency managers — the Detroit Free Press brings up an interesting point: Schuette’s office was the the one that, in part, approved the administrative consent order issued by the Department of Environmental…
Royal Oak eatery O.W.L. serves up a perfect marriage of diner fare and Mexican cuisine
I’m impatient when I’m hungry, so it took three attempts before I made it into O.W.L., the hot-but-tiny new spot at Woodward Avenue and 11 Mile Road that marries American diner and Mexican cuisine. When cars are lined up to get into a restaurant’s parking lot, I’ll motor over to the nearest bagel shop. But…
The Detroit Institute of Arts pulls its punches with ‘Bitter|Sweet: Coffee, Tea & Chocolate’
On paper, the premise of the most recent special exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts is simple: Use the overarching theme of coffee, tea, and chocolate to showcase some exquisite examples from the Decorative Arts collection (as well as some strategic objects on loan). But as the title suggests, Bitter|Sweet: Coffee, Tea & Chocolate…
Horoscopes (Dec 28-Jan 3)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): You can’t figure out why others don’t want to go along with your plans. Part of the problem comes from them not knowing who’s in charge. On some level you think you own that position, but they are of a different mind. Because of this you need to rethink your…
The best music from in and around Detroit in 2016
This fucking year is quite nearly over, finally finally. As you’ve come to expect from the music section in an alt-weekly, we are here now to provide you with a look back at the year that was, in local music. Ready for a slew of Top Tens? Sorry; those are such an outmoded form of…
What it’s like to live as an undocumented American in Detroit
Ever since he was brought to Detroit by his father as a 5-year-old, Sergio Martinez has lived with the complications of being an undocumented immigrant. He has had to worry about the safety of his family on a daily basis, fearing that every phone call means his dad or another family member has been picked…
Ring in 2017 with a full stomach at these New Year’s Eve dining events
Bacco Ristorante Complimentary glasses of Ferrari Perlé sparkling wine on hand, and those staying to ring in the new year will also enjoy selections from a cordial cart with Italian pastries. A la carte menu includes tonno crudo, surf and turf, and persimmon torta. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield.; 248-356-6600; baccoristorante.com. Bavarian Inn Lodge Hotel guests…
New Year’s Eve Party Guide 2016
Resolution Ball @ The Fillmore Well, Detroit seems to have a New Year’s Eve shindig for just about every kind of person — like the kind of person who has done some pregaming and will also say things like, “Let’s do shots, bro.” There will be live entertainment, plus stilt walkers, confetti explosions, a Champagne…
Politics & Prejudices: Tearing apart the social fabric
“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” — John F. Kennedy, Jan. 20, 1961 “Benefits should have strings attached to them … I said to myself, if they can stay so poor for so many generations … How smart can they be? They’re…
Savage Love: Revolution Hall
Earlier this month, we recorded our Savage Lovecast Christmas Spectacular live at Revolution Hall in Portland, Ore. The audience submitted questions on tiny cards before the show, which allowed questioners to remain anonymous and forced them to be succinct. More questions were submitted than my guests and I could get to, so I promised the…
Side Dish: Chef Luciano DelSignore is a swell guy
He’s known as one of the foremost chefs in the region for his simple yet elegantly executed Italian cuisine at the upscale Bacco Ristorante in Southfield and a growing number of casual Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina pizzerias. His imprint on the local dining scene can be felt by the many rising stars he’s taken under…
Stir It Up: 30 years of the Heidelberg Project
Last week artist Tyree Guyton mentioned that he’d passed by his Heidelberg Project site on the way to a meeting with his wife and myself, and he’d seen a group of people that he thought were from China there. Now we’re talking about walking around outside on a cold morning in freezing temperatures to view…
