Professor Rashid Khalidi to visit Dearborn to discuss ‘One Hundred Years’ War on Palestine’
Last month, Rashid Khalidi, a professor of modern Arab studies at Columbia University and the world’s foremost academic authority on Palestinian history, identity, and nationalism, released his seventh book, The One Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance, 1917-2017. The book’s release coincided with the announcement of a Middle East…
D12’s Kuniva and Swifty McVay release joint album at Ferndale’s Grasshopper
Please take us back to 2001, when D12’s “Purple Pills” was on the airwaves. Ah, simpler times. The hip-hop collective/band of misfits led by Eminem dropped its funk-filled debut, 2001’s Devil’s Night, and though it’s not a formal outfit anymore, its legacy has lived on alongside Em’s superstardom, as well as withstood the deaths of…
Norwegian electro-pop artist Anna of the North to perform at the Shelter in Detroit with Dizzy Fae
Anna Lotterud just wants to be your dream girl, OK? The Norwegian singer, who performs hazy and saccharine personal electropop as Anna of the North, released her sophomore record, Dream Girl, last year after gaining traction with features on Tyler, the Creator and G-Eazy tracks. Along the same veins as the Aces and Fickle Friends,…
Bad boy for life, Martin Lawrence hosts Lit AF tour at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena
Freeze, mother bitches! It’s been 25 years since Will Smith and Martin Lawrence first teamed up for the Michael Bay-directed buddy cop classic Bad Boys, a film which was released before Smith was an Oscar-nominated leading man and one that launched Lawrence into big-screen comedy stardom. At the time, both actors were in the thick…
Celebrate Fat Tuesday early at Detroit City Distillery’s paczki-infused vodka release party
Na zdrowie, Detroit! There’s a new vodka in town, and it might just be the answer to our paczki-loving, liver-damaged prayers. Earlier this month, Detroit City Distillery announced the return of its popular and exclusive Paczki Vodka, something that, up until this year, was only offered by the shot at the spirit maker’s Eastern Market…
Third Man Records reissued 3 records by French pop star France Gall — and it’s throwing a party at Detroit’s UFO Factory
Detroit — or should we say, Détroit — is about to get a lot more French (again). Jack White’s Third Man Records has reissued three classic LPs by ’60s French pop star France Gall — Baby Pop, 1968, and Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son — that represent some of the best of the genre,…
Deaf artist and D-PAN co-founder Sean Forbes heads to Detroit’s Third Man Records for latest record release
The last time Metro Times caught up with deaf artist Sean Forbes, he was gearing up to do something that had never been done before — the Deaf and Loud Symphonic Experience. The 2018 event found Forbes and longtime friend, collaborator, and composer Jake Bass teaming up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a performance…
Detroit duo Cousin Mouth gears up to support Tyler, the Creator fave Slow Hollows at Deluxx Fluxx
To say a band is truly doing something unique is basically a hyperbole these days. But when it comes to Cousin Mouth, producer and beatmaker Lexi and singer-songwriter Alex Burns actually are making something special. Formed in 2014, Cousin Mouth synced up with the artists embedded in the creative breeding hub of Assemble Sound, working…
The Detroit Cobras strike again — this time, with new tunes at El Club
The name “the Detroit Cobras” should sound familiar to anyone who was part of the rock ‘n’ roll scene in the pre-Quicken Loans/luxury condo-covered era of the Motor City. Since 1994, “the world’s most original cover band” formed by Steve Shaw and led by garage-rock goddess Rachel Nagy has done everything from dredge up obscure R&B…
Gleefully goalless deadpan comic Todd Barry heads to the Magic Bag in Ferndale
Nearly a decade ago, deadpan comedian Todd Barry reflected on some of the happiest moments of his life, one of the most memorable being, well, anytime someone canceled plans with him. Who would’ve thought that such commentary would ring even truer 10 years later, at a time when receiving that magical text freeing you of…
Condado Tacos to open in Cass Corridor next month
Condado Tacos, an Ohio-based taco chain, is opening its second Michigan location on March 12. Related The company will be located in the Cass Corridor area at 634 Selden St. next to Smith & Co., and it will be Condado’s 16th restaurant. The company opened Michigan’s first Condado Tacos last year in Royal Oak. Related According…
Mike Bloomberg is terrible at this
On Wednesday, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg will make his debate stage debut in Las Vegas, having garnered the 10% or more in four major polls necessary to qualify. The billionaire and former Republican’s absence from the debate stage so far hasn’t seemed to hurt him, however. A recent poll finds him trailing frontrunner…
Godfather of goth Nick Cave taps Weyes Blood for North American tour, including Detroit stop
Time to get weepy, folks. Australian macabre crooner Nick Cave and his longtime backing band, the Bad Seeds, announced a North American tour on Tuesday with Sub Pop darling and “nostalgic futurist” Natalie Mering, who performs as Weyes Blood. The 18-date outing, which starts in September, will carry Cave and Mering through October and includes…
Detroit activists unveil ordinance to protect Detroit River from another collapse
Detroit residents and environmental activists are urging the city to adopt a new ordinance aimed at protecting the Detroit River from unscrupulous polluters. Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez on Tuesday introduced the Detroit River Protection Ordinance, which would require the city to conduct regular inspections of companies operating along the river. The ordinance is a response to…
The freaks are off the leash — Korn announces metro Detroit tour stop with Faith No More
“Boom-na-da-noom-na-na-ne-ma/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/ Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/ Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/ Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/ Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/ Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na/Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na,” said Korn fans everywhere on Tuesday when it was announced that the nu-metal statesmen would embark on a North American outing with fellow hardrock heavyweights Faith No More later this year. The 26-city co-headlining trek kicks off in August out of Denver and will carry the tour through metro…
Cafe and bar to open within former Boston-Edison church in March
A former Boston-Edison church is being transformed into a new cafe and bar concept called the Congregation, and its set to open on March 5. The Congregation will operate as a cafe in the mornings, serving Great Lakes coffee from the espresso bar and selling pastries sourced from Good Cakes and Bakes, Terri’s Cakes, and…
Detroit City Council adds teeth to dangerous animal ordinance after deadly pit bull attack
Detroit City Council on Tuesday strengthened its dangerous animals ordinance after three malnourished pit bulls leaped over a fence and fatally attacked 9-year-old Emma Hernandez last year. With a unanimous vote, the council amended the ordinance by adding a provision called “Emma’s Clause,” which requires the Detroit Animal Care and Control Division to investigate and…
WDET to host screening of ‘Miss Sharon Jones!’ at the Detroit Film Theatre
While she was often revered as “the female James Brown,” the late Sharon Jones was something even better: She was Miss Sharon Jones. Known for her high-energy live performances, Jones had emerged from decades of studio singer obscurity — at one point, she was a corrections officer at Rikers Island while she struggled to break…
He sold pot, and now he’s serving up 60 years in prison. Gov. Whitmer may be his only hope.
Michael Thompson worries he’s going to die behind bars. In 1996, he was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison. He’s not a murderer, rapist or terrorist. He sold 3 pounds of marijuana to an undercover informant in a state where recreational marijuana is now legal. The 68-year-old is not eligible for parole until…
When it comes to marijuana, Bloomberg needs to get his story straight
As bad as that tape of Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg defending the racist stop-and-frisk policies of his NYC mayoral administration, it also has an anti-marijuana side that hasn’t been as widely publicized. A short clip of the 2015 Aspen Institute speech went viral on social media last week. A longer version of the speech…
Dan Gilbert slowly gets back to work and plans to deliver his first public speech since his stroke
Billionaire developer Dan Gilbert is slowly rebuilding his life after suffering a stroke in May with the help of a wheelchair and a black Lab service dog named Cowboy. On Friday, the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans plans to deliver his first public speech since the stroke as he’s honored by Crain’s Detroit Business…
Abandoned industrial buildings in Detroit are riddled with potential contamination
Several abandoned industrial buildings on Detroit’s east side are riddled with potential contamination, Metro Times has learned. Old industrial equipment is scattered across several vacant buildings on Miller and Selkirk Streets near Mt. Elliott Street, just blocks from a densely populated neighborhood, school and mosque. At 11 a.m. today, state Rep. Isaac Robinson and local…
Detroit restaurant Craft Work to close in March
Craft Work has announced it will be closing its doors after Saturday, March 7. After six years of business, the restaurant announced on Instagram it is closing next month. It will continue regular hours of operation until then, and is still taking reservations. Owners Hugh Yaro and Christian Stachel said the closure is due to…
Judge strikes down key parts of Michigan’s sex offender law as unconstitutional
A federal judge struck down key portions of the Michigan Sex Offenders Registration ACT (SORA) on Friday, saying they are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland gave the state 60 days to rewrite the law. The ruling was over a lawsuit filed by a group of sex offenders in 2015. In his ruling, the…
Attorney General Dana Nessel calls for fentanyl to be permanently classified as a Schedule I drug
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is continuing to call for fentanyl-related substances to be permanently classified as Schedule I drugs following a temporary emergency classification renewed by President Donald Trump last week. On Feb. 6, the day it was set to expire, Trump signed S. 3201, the Temporary Reauthorization and Study of the Emergency Scheduling…
On this day, Aretha Franklin recorded ‘Respect’ — and the world was never the same
Valentine’s Day roses, chocolates, and stuffed bears are so cliche. How about some damn R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Oh, to be a fly on the wall on Valentine’s Day in 1967 when the late Queen of Soul stepped into a New York City studio to record her anthemic version of “Respect,” a song first written and recorded by…
Michigan’s first recreational marijuana delivery service launches
Michigan’s first recreational marijuana home delivery service launched this week. Lume Cannabis Company in northern Michigan will serve 11 ZIP codes across Osceola, Wexford, and Mecosta counties. The big menu includes 20 varieties of flower, numerous cartridges and pods, extracts, topicals, and pre-rolls. “We are excited to announce Lume Delivery, our adult-use delivery service, is…
Rage Against the Machine adds second Detroit date due to capitalism
So many people want to rage against the machine with Rage Against the Machine that the iconic rock band added a second Detroit date. Tickets are now on sale for the added date, which will be held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, at Little Caesars Arena. Demand is so great for tickets for…
Groups say Trump budget threatens Michigan’s water infrastructure
After past attempts to gut funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the Trump administration’s new budget plan funds the program at current levels. But some advocacy groups note that support is undermined by drastic cuts to other core clean water programs. President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budget slashes Michigan’s funding for sewer…
Entertaining nightmare ‘The Masked Singer’ to launch national tour out of Detroit’s Fox Theatre
Hello, darkness, my old friend. The Masked Singer is hitting the road and there are not enough drugs in the world to sedate our perversely curious minds. It was announced that the hit Fox series, The Masked Singer, which is a cross between NBC’s The Voice and what happens when you mix medications, will visit…
Detroit Symphony Orchestra to team with Wu-Tang Clan for a special concert
Wu-Tang Clan, famously, ain’t nuthin ta fuck wit… unless you are the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, that is. The beloved rap group will partner with the DSO at Orchestra Hall for a unique collaboration that combines hip-hop, the orchestra, and film. On Saturday, March 21, Wu-Tang and the DSO will score a screening of the 1978…
ICE arrests 75 people during weeklong operation in Michigan, Ohio
A weeklong operation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) led to the arrests of 75 people in Michigan and Ohio. Of those foreign nationals, about 70% had prior arrests or convictions, and one was an alleged MS-13 gang member wanted in El Salvador for homicide, ICE said this week. “ICE officers are first…
David Klein Gallery show pushes the limits of photography
David Klein Gallery presents a new photography exhibition that looks nothing like a photography exhibition. Alternative Testimony includes work by four photographers pushing the medium into new limits, with results that at first blush look more like abstract art. Cyrus Karimipour sources his images of human trespassers from trail cameras installed on a remote swath…
‘Hairarchy’ celebrates natural hair at Detroit’s Norwest Gallery of Art
The natural hair movement is really having a moment. On Sunday, the short film “Hair Love” took home an Oscar for best animated short. The adorable story of a Black father learning how to tame his little girl’s curls was written, directed, and produced by former pro football player Matthew A. Cherry, who said he…
Skymint’s White Cloud location begins recreational marijuana sales
Recreational marijuana users have a new option for shopping as Michigan’s slow rollout of legal, adult-use weed continues. Green Peak Innovations will begin recreational marijuana sales at its Skymint store in White Cloud on Thursday, Feb. 13. It’s the second Skymint to open following the Ann Arbor location opening in January. As with the Ann…
Detroit City Council to urge Gov. Whitmer to declare public health crisis over water shutoffs
The city of Detroit has shut off water to nearly 150,000 homes for delinquent payments in the past seven years. Now city council members are trying to stop the shutoffs until a water affordability plan is adopted. At the behest of city council President Pro Tem Mary Sheffield, the city council’s legal staff is drafting…
A limited run of paczki-flavored vodka is here, thanks to Detroit City Distillery
The artery-clogging, hedonistic, and fruity custard-filled holiday better known as Fat Tuesday, aka paczki day, aka the best friggin’ day of the year, is right around the corner — and some folks are getting in on the celebration early with a potent, 88-proof drinkable dessert. For this year’s festivities, the Eastern Market-based Detroit City Distillery…
Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí make things weird at DIA
Things are getting weird at the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum has brought on two “Guests of Honor” paintings from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, featuring two masters of surrealism: Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí. The mini-exhibition, which features Kahlo’s “Self Portrait with Monkey” and Dalí’s “The Transparent Simulacrum of the…
Detroit Love brings 12 hours of techno to Marble Bar
This is a lot of Detroit techno packed under one roof. In a 12-hour span, you can hear some of the biggest DJs in the game at Marble Bar’s Detroit Love, including Carl Craig, Derrick May, Stacey Pullen, Delano Smith, DJ Minx, DJ Holographic, Al Ester, Waajeed, and more, across two stages with a four-point VOID…
Michiganders find solidarity in fighting hazardous waste
Despite losing their battle against the expansion of a toxic waste facility in Detroit, opponents of the project say they will persist. Community members and elected leaders from Detroit and Hamtramck fought for several years to prevent US Ecology from increasing the amount of hazardous waste stored at its Detroit North facility by nearly nine…
U.S. Senate candidate John James has ducked media questions for months
Where in the hell is John James? That’s a question on the minds of many journalists who have been unable to reach the Republican U.S. Senate candidate since he announced last year that he’s running against incumbent Sen. Gary Peters. In fact, Tuesday marked the 250th day that James has not spoken with a local…
The chicken 65 sandwich is king at Detroit’s new Bangladeshi pizzeria
About a decade ago, Hamtramck’s Pizza Amar struck gold with a pretty simple-but-brilliant formula: Bangladeshi flavors on pizza. Amar got the attention and success that it deserved, so much so that a few years ago it moved from its tiny spot on Conant to a slightly larger building in a different part of town. The…
R&B prophet Raphael Saadiq isn’t scared to go deep
When Raphael Saadiq talks about the past, he does so without a tinge of regret or longing, nor does he speak as if things could have been avoided. For the Tony! Toni! Toné! vocalist-turned-producer and later award-winning solo artist, things just are. Saadiq, 53, attended his first funeral at the age of 7 after his…
Detroit paramedic up for promotion despite pattern of neglect
Vanessa Baker was bent over in pain and struggling to breathe. The day before, she had suffered head and spinal injuries in a car crash. The pain was getting worse, so she dialed 911. About 14 minutes later, an ambulance arrived at her home on Detroit’s west side. Her neighbor led the two paramedics to…
A whoop and holler: How Trump’s supporters came to want authoritarianism
A decade after World War II, journalist Milton Mayer — an American of Jewish and German lineage — set out to determine how an educated, Western people gave themselves over to fascism. The German people, Mayer reckoned, hadn’t woken up one day and decided to be evil, nor was there anything qualitatively different about their…
‘Birds of Prey’ is bird-brained
Margot Robbie’s voiceover dominates the first half of Birds of Prey. As Harley Quinn, she’s the film’s oddly reliable narrator (here, as in the comics, she’s both a former psychiatrist and a freewheeling, gleefully deranged criminal), providing both a narrative on-ramp and a syrupy, did-I-do-bad running commentary that’s likely to be funny only to herself.…
Bumpy rollout slows growth of Michigan marijuana jobs
According to the new Leafly Cannabis Jobs Report 2020, there are 8,235 people employed in the legal Michigan marijuana industry. That’s down from the previous year, according to Leafly, because “the bumpy implementation of a new regulatory system saw many formerly legal medical dispensaries drop into non-legal status. The first adult-use shops opened in late…
Savage Love: My boyfriend wants me to ‘be the guy’ in the relationship
My boyfriend and I were having relationship issues until we tried something new: pegging. He wanted to try it, but he was afraid and sometimes said the idea disgusted him. Then we tried it, and it was better than normal vanilla or even kinky bondage sex. It was the most emotionally connected sex we’ve ever…
Horoscopes (Feb. 12-18)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: I have a feeling many of you feel stranded, somewhere between “What the Hell happened?” and “When is this ever going to end?” Internal and external pressures weigh heavily. As you try to make the best of it, you have to call up every ounce of whatever it…
