Cover Story
The Fashion Issue: How to dress well for a Detroit winter
Winter has come. The temperatures will be chilly until mid-April, but that doesn’t mean we have to look drab and dreary until then. Using pieces from the likes of Joe Faris, FO2LA, Incognito, Shinola, and more, we shot our winter fashion issue at bright locations that make winter days a little less gloomy. View the…
10 songs to put on your hip-hop Christmas playlist
Crack open a 40 oz, go buckwild on Santa’s lap and have yourself a merry little Christmas with your peeps and fam. 1. Kanye West,“Christmas in Harlem” Besides giving his “D-ricious” hot chocolate as a gift, Kanye West’s instant Christmas classic is a pretty wholesome affair about living the good life in New York and…
Daily Beast: Rust Belt ‘could well be on the verge of a major resurgence’
In a lengthy article over at The Daily Beast this weekend, writers Joel Kotkin and Richey Piiparinen argued the Rust Belt — and by extension, Detroit — is poised for a revival. Two factors drive this change. One is the steady revival of America as a productive manufacturing country, driven in large part by new…
Michigan ranked ninth best place for Santa to relocate
When, inevitably, the ice in the North Pole melts, Santa will have no place to live. The toy shop will be slowly floating downstream and the reindeer will be swiftly treading water. So, where will Santa go? According to a report done by Estately, Old Saint Nick would find plenty of creature comforts right here…
New York artists are raising money for MOCAD. Sort of.
A bunch of New York artists and designers are making funky Christmas ornaments and decorations for a show and auction that will take place at TriBeCa’s Shinola location. The “re-imagined traditional” baubles will be sold in an auction that ends on Dec. 14. So what does that have to do with Detroit? Well, other than…
It Really Does All Sound the Same
Would you like to hear a mashup of the entire Billboard Top 25 for 2014, all in one four minute song? If this hasn’t already been shared to your Facebook a dozen times, we urge you to check the thing out — “United State of Pop 2014 (Do What You Wanna Do).” The aptly-named DJ Earworm’s…
A Holley, Jolly Christmas
Lonnie Holley is a visual artist and musician from Atlanta, GA who’s received considerable attention for his mesmerizing releases on the Dust to Digital label in the last few years. Maybe you saw him last year at Trinosophes, opening for Bill Callahan? His largely-improvised live shows are a mesmerizing mix of synth washes and a vocal…
Meet the new Metro Times Music Editor, Mike McGonigal
Mike McGonigal is a Detroit newcomer by way of Portland. He’s contributed to Spin, Pitchfork, the New York Press, the Village VOICE, and Artforum, among other publications. He is the author of Temperature’s Rising: An Oral And Visual History Of Galaxie 500 and My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless (33-1/3). He also founded the fanzine Chemical Imbalance, and edited the arts…
Here’s the ‘Preachers of Detroit’ trailer
A new television series focused on preachers in Detroit — ahem, Preachers of Detroit — is set to premiere at 10 p.m. on Feb. 18. The series “focuses on powerful themes of faith, family, and friendship as these seven men and women of the cloth share their lives, transformations and triumphs in and out of the pulpit in…
Anti-Community Benefits Agreement bill heads to Michigan House
A state House panel hurried a bill along this morning that would ban municipalities in Michigan from requiring developers to provide community benefits for projects funded by public money. The bill has been widely considered as an effort to prevent Detroit City Council from passing an ordinance that would require developers to negotiate Community Benefits…
Today in Detroit History: December 9
On December 9, these things left their mark on Detroit’s history
Detroit City Council passes resolution that opposes anti-Community Benefits Agreement bill
Detroit City Council today passed a resolution that opposes a bill introduced in the state Legislature to spike a long sought Community Benefits Agreement ordinance in the city. CBAs are legally binding agreements that ensure specific benefits to a community — these often include jobs, housing, and other economic opportunity. The only city currently proposing…
Detroit to get even more abandoned warehouses turned into art centers, courtesy of NYC’s Galapagos Art Space
By now you’ve probably seen the news that the Galapagos Art Space plans on moving from Brooklyn to Detroit. The space is credited with helping establish Brooklyn’s rep as a vibrant arts scene after opening in Williamsburg in 1995, but has now become yet another casualty of New York’s high rents that are putting the squeeze…
Reggie Bush sports ‘I can’t breathe’ T-shirt before yesterday’s Detroit Lions game
Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush joined a handful of other American professional athletes yesterday in protest of the decision not to indict the NYPD officer who killed the unarmed Eric Garner earlier this year. Bush, as well as Johnson Bademosi of the Cleveland Browns, and fellow NFLers from the St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, and other teams,…
A peek inside the Detroit Urban Craft Fair
Our view (with photos) of the 2014 Detroit Urban Craft Fair.
Navin Field art installation found & to be returned to artist
We reported last week that an art installation at Navin Field was stolen. The art, created by Terry Londy, remembered the 43 people who lost their lives in the ’67 riots along with the ’68 Detroit Tigers team that brought the city back together. We’re told the art somehow came off the fence and was…
Some suburbanites outraged by Noel Night protests
White suburban commenters on articles in Detroit’s daily papers were outraged by the Noel Night protests. But it’s nothing new. In fact, it dovetails perfectly with a reason many white Detroiters left the city in the first place.
New poll says Detroit has the least attractive population in the country – we disagree
A new poll published by Travel and Leisure rates Detroiters among the least attractive people in the entire U.S. via T&L: Motor City clearly did not wow voters with its looks, but it made an impression for its cool edge, ranking in the top 20 cities for hipsters. You can find them in the Midtown…
Voices from Detroit on Pearl Harbor, 73 years ago
We’ve found a number of recordings of statements from Detroit residents in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack. On a lazy Saturday morning almost three-quarters of a century later, it’s a good way to pass a few minutes.
Stadium deal’s sweeteners turn sour
Lansing’s lame duck session may pass a bill leaving Ilitch off the hook when it comes to hiring Detroiters at his new publicly subsidized stadium.
Kalamazoo novelist Bonnie Jo Campbell reads in Hamtramck tonight
Bonnie Jo Campbell reads at tonight’s Good-Tyme Writers Buffet.
Detroit can break your heart
That post on Next City from an artist who put in a bid on a Detroit home and purchased it deserved further examination.
Gold Cash Gold completes a busy year for Corktown
It has been a banner year for Corktown diners and drinkers. This week, the last piece falls into place, with Gold Cash Gold opening inside the old Sam’s Loan pawnshop.
‘The Daily Show’ comments on Detroit in their segment “Spot the Africa”
Thursday night’s episode of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart featured a segment with South African comedian Trevor Noah. “Spot the Africa” finds Noah and Stewart going back and forth in a game identifying photos that were taken in the U.S., and those taken in Africa. Here’s an example: Stewart suggests the students on the left…
Celebrate 100 more episodes of popular electronic music show Progressive Underground with Chris Campbell on Sunday
WDET’s Chris Campbell, host of the popular electronic music show the Progressive Underground, will celebrate his recent milestone of 100 episodes from 7 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, Dec. 7 at Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit. The night will feature performances from Amp Fiddler and Brandon Williams, sets by DJ Bruce Bailey, and a fashion…
Nearly 25% of Michigan’s 18-34 year olds live in poverty
Yes, it’s true: nearly a quarter of Michigan’s young people ages 18-34 live in poverty. Nationwide, it’s nearly a fifth. All this according to new information from the U.S. Census Bureau. Over 90% of Michigan’s cherished 18-34 year old demographic also need to use a car to get to work. Just 63% are employed. There…
Michigan Senate approves of bars staying open until 4 a.m. in downtown areas
The Michigan Legislature tackled more this week besides legislation that would restrict communities from enacting local laws they deem worthwhile: Under a bill approved by the Senate this week, municipalities would have the ability to allow bars in downtowns across the state to remain open until 4 a.m. The bill, which passed on a 22-14…
Crane Wives with The Accidentals at the Magic Stick
The Crane Wives don’t ever seem to put on a bad show. On Thursday night at the Magic Stick, they jammed out in front of an eager audience, cementing the notion that they are one of Michigan’s most proficient bands. However, even though the Crane Wives put on a solid show in their Detroit debut…
Noel Night protest planned following Eric Garner and Michael Brown decisions
Activists in Detroit will continue to stage demonstrations following the decision by a Staten Island grand jury to not indict a white police officer who placed 43-year-old Eric Garner in a chokehold, which resulted in Garner’s death — and a Ferguson, Missouri grand jury’s similar decision for a white police officer who fatally shot unarmed…
Jingle Bell Run this Saturday
Love to run? Like dressing up in ugly sweaters and jingle bells? Then this is the event for you! Join 1200 other runners (and walkers) rocking their finest Christmas gear at the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis this Saturday in Campus Martius. With 5K and 10K options, the event “supports the Arthritis Foundation’s mission to…
Michigan bill would ban city-specific minimum wage hikes
A bill introduced this week by the Michigan Legislature that would ban municipalities from enacting a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ordinance would also outlaw minimum wage increases at the local level. Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill earlier this year that will increase the state minimum wage to $9.25 per hour by 2018. But House Bill…
Art installation at Navin Field stolen
A new art installation at Navin Field remembering the 43 people who lost their lives in the ’67 riots along with the ’68 Detroit Tigers team that brought the city back together, has been stolen. Updated 12-05-14 9:27am: We encourage the person who took this tribute down to return it to The Corner.
Boozin’ and shmoozin’ at the eighth annual D Show
On Wednesday night we checked out the Adcraft Club’s eighth annual D Show at the Masonic Temple, the award ceremony honoring Detroit’s top admen and adwomen. Whether there is “good” or “bad” advertising is a debate for another time, but for one night, creative directors, art directors, copywriters, video editors, and the rest took a…
House bill would ban Detroit from enacting Community Benefits Agreement ordinance
Well, no one had this on their lame-duck forecast for Lansing. On Tuesday, a bill was quietly introduced that would ban municipalities in Michigan from enacting an ordinance that would require developers to negotiate a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) with local residents and businesses. The bill would also prevent municipalities in Michigan from enacting their…
Cass Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church first dedicated 131 years ago today
A birthday, of sorts, today: It turns out that the chapel portion of the Cass Avenue United Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated 131 years ago today.
Campus Martius die-in to be held at 12:03 p.m. today after grand jury doesn’t indict officer in Eric Garner chokehold case
Activists in Detroit will hold a die-in at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit today after a grand jury in Staten Island decided not to indict a white police officer who placed 43-year-old Eric Garner in a chokehold, which resulted in his death. The peaceful protest, where participants drop to the ground in unison and…
Drug testing welfare recipients: There’s no idea too failed for Lansing to consider
The practice of testing people for drugs before they can receive public benefits is fundamentally flawed.
Heidelberg Project arsonist apparently burns self in released security camera footage
The Heidelberg Project today released a statement along with security camera footage of the “Taxi House” arson from Nov. 23. In the video, the arsonist is virtually unidentifiable, disguised in a black hoodie and shown carrying a liquid to the back of the house before setting it ablaze. However, it appears likely that he burned himself…
ICYMI: Protomartyr were guests on this week’s Sound Opinions
Music critic Greg Kot of WBEZ Chicago’s Sound Opinions loves Protomartyr. Apparently he caught their set to a room of about 20 people on a rainy day at SXSW in Austin and has been enamored ever since — Sound Opinions even regularly uses a Protomartyr song as interstitial music on their popular music criticism show.…
News Hits: Groups say there’s plenty to be concerned about in revamped Detroit water system
For months, the City of Detroit’s efforts to shut-off water service to delinquent customers with $150 in past-due fees has drawn international attention. Alongside that, a facet of the city’s proposed restructuring plan to exit bankruptcy includes a deal to regionalize the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department (DWSD). To many, this has been cast in…
News Hits: Low turnout means lower threshold for ballot initiatives
Political observers were disheartened by Michigan’s voter turnout for last month’s general election. Michigan’s Secretary of State’s office reported reported that 3.2 million voters cast a ballot in the election, about 83,000 fewer than the 2010 election. As Michigan Radio noted, it was the lowest total number of voters for an election in the state…
‘Detroit Unleaded’ is streaming for free right now on Hulu
Just a heads up, Detroit Unleaded — the award-winning, Michigan-made film written and directed by first-timer Rola Nashef that was released last year — is available to stream for free right now on Hulu. Reviewing the film, our resident critic said it “provides a fresh portrait of second-generation Arab-American culture, capturing the ebb and flow of…
La Cina is Detroit’s east side neighborhood secret
There’s a small marquee on the Mack Avenue face of La Cina (all 10 feet or so of it) that reads, “Eastside’s Best Mexican Food.” It’s almost inconspicuous—in fact, the whole place is, with black awning and beige brick. Sure, the sign on Mack is lit up pretty well, but blink and you’ll miss it.…
Mexican Knives split the difference between Ozzy and Fugazi
Despite the fact that Mexican Knives’ frontwoman Ruth Synowiec hasn’t yet arrived at our meeting place at Great Lakes Coffee, we go ahead and start our interview anyway. After all, it’s not like Zach Weedon is just the band’s guitar player. Amid many personnel changes, Weedon remains the band’s only consistent member — “a very…
Indie(pen)dence benefit concert looking to raise awareness about global illiteracy
Although AC/DC once proclaimed that rock ‘n’ roll ain’t noise pollution, Brian Johnson probably wasn’t insinuating that music could actually be used for such lofty goals as changing the world. But the hope is that this is exactly what will happen this Friday when the Wayne State University chapter of the nonprofit BuildOn holds its…
Hot Shotz: The Corner’s Dean Burnett on his bartending philosophy
Dean Burnett has been around for quite a few years. He’s been at the Corner for more than a decade, and at the Townsend Hotel (which the bar is attached to) for nearly three. People know his face and his name, and he treats his customers like family. “I like that I meet people when…
Retail Detail: We dig these puppet noteholders at Leon and Lulu
Do you find yourself needing a place to place your notes? Somewhere you know they’ll never get lost? Somewhere the intended note finder is sure to look? Something that also doubles as a hilarious toy? How about grabbing up this notable noteholder by Zortz. They come in all different characters including Ziggy Marley, Humphrey Bogart,…
Instead of a scathing satire of today’s workplace, we get a phoned-in string of gags in Horrible Bosses 2
Horrible Bosses 2 / C- In case you need your memory refreshed, the first Horrible Bosses was a marginally clever film about three likable morons (Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day) who enter into a Strangers on a Train-style pact to kill off the trio of bosses (Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston) who are…
Clawson’s Leon and Lulu transforms an old roller skating rink into a one-stop shop
If ever there was a place to get something unique for everyone on your list, it’s Clawson’s Leon & Lulu. This enormous store is found inside an old roller skating rink, and much of its decor reflects the space’s original purpose. In fact, some of the store’s staff still cruise around on old-fashioned skates. Of…
Obama vs. Bush on immigration and the case against ‘executive overreach’
Every so often, when I need to be inspired, I go to an old red-brick building near the shadow of the Ambassador Bridge. A century ago, it was a convent associated with St. Anne’s Church. That’s the oldest parish in the city, by the way, and if you walk inside, you can catch a glimpse…
Ask a Juggalo: Do Juggalos make pilgrimages to Michigan?
Q: Do Juggalos from outside Michigan make pilgrimages to the area? Is this a destination spot for out-of-state Juggalos? A: To come to Detroit? Absolutely. For many, many years, if you will. And it was real prevalent in the late ’90s, early 2000s. I can remember cats moving here by the groupage. It’s so neat…
All Dolled Up: Talking fashion with stylist Caitlin Ruggles
This foxy little lady was recently spotted at the UFO Factory in New Detroit (aka Corktown). Caitlin Ruggles lives in Ann Arbor but is currently packing up and moving to Southwest Detroit. She is a freelance stylist and mostly works with wardrobing film or commercials, but she can also be hired as your own personal…
Joe Kirchner takes sneakerheads up a step
In the world of sneakerheads, a fly pair of shoes can run big money. Preserving them, cleaning them, restoring them, or customizing them takes an artistic skill unto itself. It’s so rare, in fact, there are only a handful of people in the entire country who can rock sneakers right. Metro Detroit happens to be…
Yours Truly offer up their pop-punk debut
We’re all just kids who can’t fill the shoes we never wanted to grow into.” Those are the words warbled by Yours Truly lead singer Jonathan Weber on “Kids,” the seventh track of the Detroit band’s latest offering, Brutally Honest. While the album is technically Yours Truly’s full-length debut and the members might refer to…
Higher Ground: Might marijuana edibles soon be legal in Michigan?
House Bills 4271 and 5104 are widely expected to pass during Congress’ lame duck session.
Meet metro Detroit’s new wave of artisanal confectioners
Everyone’s wearing tuxedos and evening gowns, and most people are carrying instruments. We’re backstage at the DSO, and the air is filled with the electricity of a performance about to begin. But we’re not here for a show. We’re hunting for truffles. Chocolate truffles to be specific, and Pete’s Chocolate Company’s truffles to be exact.…
Feedback: MT readers on ‘political bullshit,’ raising the speed limit, and cheesy potatoes
WANT TO RETURN Some readers were pleased by the story of Social Club Grooming Company, told by Larry Gabriel in his Nov. 26 Stir it Up column. Reader “Up20” posted: Stories like this makes me strongly reconsider my decision to not return to Detroit after my military contract is finished. I love the direction Detroit…
Horoscopes (Dec. 3—Dec. 9)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): You’ve got a full on load of energy sweeping over the main frame of your life. God knows how it’s showing up in your everyday affairs, but the thrust of the lesson has to do with surrendering to forces that are beyond your control. There are times when you know that…
Self-Arrest: Tell-all bio “Wild” becomes a bit too pat in Hollywood’s hands
Wild / C+ With reality TV and literary memoirs firmly entrenched in popular culture, the “Cult of Me” has firmly staked its claim in our “50 Shades of Same” mass media. Cable channels and bestseller lists are filled with sordid, highly intimate memoirs of grief and shame (and the inevitable triumph that follows), offering a…
In Scotland, three drinks a day qualifies you for the anti-drinking pill
Those following alcohol news closely may have heard of a new drug prescribed (with counseling) for treating alcoholics in Scotland. It may be prescribed for people who drink a half bottle of wine or three pints of beer daily. Call us dipsomaniacs, but it seems to us that anybody who has the equivalent of half…
Playlist: Five essential dancehall tracks
Dancehall – reggae’s spazzed-out (yet still spliffed-out) little brother. The evolution of reggae has been as extensive as that of rock, with nearly as many distinct sub-genres. Dancehall was spawned in the late ’70s, and has enjoyed a heyday that has lasted to the present (seriously, go to Jamaica – you’ll be hard-pressed to find…
Food for the Soul feeds hundreds of families in metro Detroit
A few weeks ago, we here at MT received a call from one of our readers about a group of people doing good work on Detroit’s east side. On the Thursday before Thanksgiving, we decided to head over to the Conant Gardens neighborhood to see what this good work was all about. What we found…
Drink Up
Skyy 80 proof | $15 Skyy Skyy Vodka was birthed only 22 years ago in California. This liquor’s creators held that anything can be improved with a little fresh thinking – vodka included. So they set about making a super smooth vodka, the result of which is Skyy. In the years that have followed, Skyy…
Raise the Bar: Northern Lights Lounge celebrates more than 10 years of business
Situated in the heart of New Center District at Baltimore and Second is the Northern Lights Lounge. From the inviting atmosphere to the extensive drink list and tasty food, it’s easy to see how this cozy little spot has just celebrated 10 years of business. From the time you walk into Northern Lights, you feel…
DDays: Dimitri Hegemann talks Fisher Body 21 Plant, distillery Motor City Gas is in the pipes for Royal Oak, and more
Techno Talk Last week, Berlin club owner Dimitri Hegemann visited Detroit to discuss his plans for the Fisher Body 21 Plant, the abandoned factory the entrepreneur has hopes of transforming into a cultural institution that would feature, in part, a techno club (as he did with an old department store with his world-famous Tresor nightclub…
Labia of love
Q: I have been insecure about the way my vagina looks for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I would fantasize about the day I would grow pubic hair long enough to cover its unsightliness. That day never came, and I was left with an enormous insecurity about it. My labia…
EMU considers ending its association with the EAA
The pressure is mounting. As of earlier this week, more than 2,000 people had signed an online petition calling for Eastern Michigan University’s Board of Regents to end the school’s association with the Education Achievement Authority when the regents meet on Dec. 5. The brainchild of Gov. Rick Snyder, the EAA was created in 2011…
Mavis Smentkowski turns used-up bullet shells into fabulous jewelry
Mavis Smentkowski is a lover, not a fighter. “I know how to shoot if I had to. It’s not a hobby, though,” she says. “However, recycling things that seem impossible to recycle is a hobby.” Among the materials Smentkowski re-uses are bullet shells, which she repurposes into jewelry. Smentkowski says she’s long been interested in…
Face Time: A chat with Detroit Urban Craft Fair’s Amy Cronkite
Detroit’s crafting community is strong. It seems like every day a new maker is popping up, a new company is born. Some of those companies remain small, a person or two pumping out quality, handmade goods that offer something unique to the community, while others are booming – shipping products around the world. Handmade Detroit,…
