Cover Story
Media outlets chased Facebook clicks — now the social media giant threatens to destroy them
As with any toxic relationship, the possibility of a breakup sparks feelings of terror — and maybe a little bit of a relief. That’s the spot that Facebook has put the news business in. Last month, the social media behemoth announced it would once again alter its News Feed algorithm to show users even more…
Traffic and Blind Faith founder Steve Winwood goes solo at Fox Theatre
Few artists embody just what the late ’80s sounded like quite as accurately as English songwriter Steve Winwood. Key up the synths and shoulder shimmying ballads — “Higher Love” is just within reach. Labeled his Greatest Hits tour, Winwood is sure to draw from his vast catalog — he’s sold over 50 million records over…
Journey to South Africa with the legendary Ladysmith Black Mambazo in Ann Arbor
In 1986, Paul Simon’s Graceland introduced the world to the remarkably prolific and the culturally significant choral gift of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, originally formed by Joseph Shabalala in 1964 after he had a series of dreams in which he heard specific harmonies. Since its first incarnation, the band has endured tragedy, triumph, drastic shifts in…
NSFW rap goddess CupcakKe will make you uncomfortable at the Crofoot
Her Twitter handle is @MarilynMonhoe and her videos have accrued over 46 million views — needless to say, there is nothing subtle about Chicago-based rapper CupcakKe — her hypersexual message may not be for the faint of heart. Though a slight departure from her Cum Cake and S.T.D. EPs, the raunchy rap queen’s latest LP…
Game of Thrones gets savage parody treatment with Musical Thrones at City Theatre
We all know that person. You know, the Game of Thrones super-freak who refuses to make plans on Sunday nights because, yeah, spoiler alerts are a thing. Whether you are that person or if they just reside in your friend group, like winter, Musical Thrones: A Parody of Fire and Ice is coming. Take a…
Why you can’t get a QLine monthly or annual pass right now
Frequent riders of Detroit’s QLine streetcar may have found it might be worth it to spring for a monthly or annual pass instead of just a three-hour or daily pass. But some riders have taken to social media recently to express frustration in trying to obtaining one. A spokesman for the QLine acknowledged the problem…
Protest planned for R. Kelly show at Little Caesars Arena
R. Kelly has stood trial on child pornography charges, been the subject of multiple sexual assault allegations, and is widely believed to have married a 15-year-old when he was 27. Yet he remains a successful performing artist who, as of last summer, could still sell out crowds in Detroit. Tomorrow, that star power is set…
Beat it, Queen — Bianca Del Rio will not hold back at Royal Oak performance
Life is such a drag — and we’re totally here for it. The RuPaul’s Drag Race season six winner Bianca Del Rio made her mark with her sharp wit (and an even sharper eyeliner wing). Now, she’s taking her one-queen show on the road as part of the Blame It on Bianca tour. And yes…
Fire and Fury author and ‘total loser’ Michael Wolff is coming to Royal Oak
Journalist and New York Times best-selling author Michael Wolff has likely been the bane of Donald Trump’s existence since his tell-all tome, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, was published on Jan. 5. A media storm followed the book’s release, which was chock-full of unflattering anecdotes that cast Trump’s White House as a…
It’s #NationalLoveYourPetDay and Detroiters are showing off their furry friends on Twitter
Love ’em or hate ’em, hashtag holidays sure have a way of getting us to post adorable photos on social media. Today is (who decides this stuff?) National Love Your Pet Day, and Detroiters have been showing their pets some l-o-v-e all over the Twitterverse. Here are some of our faves: My boys. #NationalLoveYourPetDay #puppylove…
Did Michael Moore unwittingly attend an anti-Trump rally allegedly organized by Russians?
It’s no secret that filmmaker and Michigan native Michael Moore is not a fan of our current Commander-in-Chief. Throughout Trump’s campaign, Moore was a vocal opponent, appearing at a number of anti-Trump rallies, including one near Trump Tower in New York City on Nov. 12. At today's Trump Tower protest. He wouldn't come down. Here's…
Post Malone and 21 Savage will perform at Freedom Hill this spring
The wait for “Rockstar” rapper Post Malone’s follow-up to his multi-platinum debut Stoney has been a long one. But while we wait for Beerbongs & Bentleys to drop, the Texan maverick has some good news to tide us over. Post Malone announced his North American tour with rapper 21 Savage and special guest SOB X RBE…
Yoganic Flow to offer affordable yoga classes inside Grandmont Rosedale co-working space
Detroiter Kerrie Trahan began practicing yoga over 12 years ago, when she first participated in a class at the Boll Family YMCA, but it wasn’t until she moved to South Korea that yoga began to wind its way into her life in a much deeper way. After discovering the practice helped her overcome depression and…
Rapper Tee Grizzley is hosting a screening of Black Panther in Detroit this weekend
Marvel’s new Black Panther movie opened last week, garnering critical acclaim and breaking box office records. One reason for the film’s big splash is the #BlackPantherChallenge, which calls on black activists and leaders to buy out entire theater screenings so kids who might not otherwise be able to can see the film for free. Here in Detroit, rapper Tee Grizzley…
Stroh’s is developing a new IPA called Perseverance
Former Detroit brewer Stroh’s appears to be developing a new IPA. Crain’s reports the company — which is now owned by Los Angeles-based Pabst Brewing Co., but is brewed at Corktown’s Brew Detroit — received label approval Feb. 2 from the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a beer called Stroh’s Perseverance. There…
Torch With a Twist spins a wintry burlesque fairy tale in Detroit this Sunday
Can it be that Detroit’s Torch With a Twist is still going strong 12 years later? Turns out the long-lived vaudeville revue is back, this month at the Hastings Street Ballroom, with a bevy of beauties and more. You can expect magic from Joshua Wilde, feats of dexterity from Flec, and maybe a little sideshow…
Detroit’s top chefs are teaming up for a one-night only charity dinner
Grey Ghost chefs John Vermiglio and Joe Giacomino are partnering with six of the city’s top chefs to host Chef’s Schoolyard, a seven-course dinner benefitting the east side Detroit Prep charter school. The cast includes Mabel Gray’s James Rigato, Selden Standard’s Andy Hollyday, the soon-to-open SheWolf’s Anthony Lombardo, Lady Of The House’s Kate Williams, Takoi’s Brad Greenhill…
Burlesque star Dita Von Teese will return to Detroit in May
Before she was Dita Von Teese, Los Angeles-based burlesque star extraordinaire, she was Heather Sweet from West Branch, Michigan. Von Teese’s Michigan roots likely explain why her Detroit stop on last year’s The Art of the Teese tour was said to have been its fastest-selling show at that point. The good news for Von Teese’s…
Michigan Hell’s Kitchen alum to open new ‘Southern chic’ restaurant
Michigan Hell’s Kitchen alum Jared Bobkin will open a new restaurant in downtown Brighton next week. He tells Livingston Daily the venture will be called Bourbons and the restaurant’s owners describe it as “focused on smoked and Southern food with crafty cocktails and beer and a cool vibe.” Bobkin, who appeared in last year’s season 15 of the…
Radiohead to make a rare Detroit appearance this summer
Radiohead is either the greatest band of all time or the most overrated band ever to exist. If you believe the latter, however, you are wrong — and it’s OK (computer). If you believe the former: Radiohead have scheduled a rare appearance in Detroit on July 22 at Little Caesars Arena and we could not be…
The Troy Police Department’s Twitter account is straight fire
The city of Troy is known for a lot of things — McMansions, good schools, an upscale mall — but having a chill police force hasn’t historically been one of them. Now, that’s starting to change, thanks to the Troy PD’s deft use of social media. If you’re not one of the more than 3,500…
Black Panther-inspired costume contest planned for Jerk X Jollof’s El Club pop-up
The release of Marvel Studio’s Black Panther was heralded by rave reviews and met with record-breaking box office sales. The film, rich in Afrofuturistic design and visuals, has inspired hashtags like #WakandaForever — which moviegoers have used to show off garb that pays homage to not only the film, but Afrofuturism, as well as the…
Billy Davis and Harmonica Shah to discuss Detroit black history Wednesday
Once upon a time, about 75 years ago, Detroit’s east side sported a hugely influential black section, stretching from the flashy black entertainment district downtown known as “Paradise Valley” up along Hastings and Oakland into the North End and to the east south of Canfield. Fashion and style were highly developed, and local stages booked…
Alleged Trump mistress Stormy Daniels is coming to a Detroit strip club
Related Stormy Daniels, the adult film star who allegedly had an affair with President Donald Trump, will perform at a Detroit strip club next month… allegedly. According to a tweet posted today, Daniels added a slew of new dates to her tour, including a stop at Detroit club Truth on March 14. Daniels will perform onstage at…
Bernie Sanders is coming to Michigan to rally against the GOP tax plan
Bernie Sanders, that lovable socialist who famously lost to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary, is coming to Lansing this week to lead a rally against the newly-signed Republican tax plan. This rally is part of the 100-day Repeal the TrumpTax tour organized by Not One Penny, a progressive campaign that opposes Republican…
Meet the fishmongers who are elevating Detroit’s restaurant scene
(See photos of Motor City’s poissonier scaling and filleting a fish here.) Somewhere in the deep blue waters off the coast of New Zealand, a roughly 15-inch, lollipop-red alfonsino fish with big, round eyes swims and feeds on crustaceans and cephalopods. It will be caught in a couple days, shipped to Detroit, and filleted before…
We’ve got the excitations — the Beach Boys are performing at Freedom Hill this summer
We might have a gray, gloomy week ahead of us, but it seems like summer is just around the corner. Evidence of that appealing notion is the announcement of a Beach Boys tour with a summer stop at Freedom Hill. Sure, the boys will be here sans Brian Wilson, but you know what, a performance…
Wayne State to offer active shooter exercises in wake of Florida high school massacre
Wayne State University is holding active shooter training exercises for students and faculty following a shooting last week at a south Florida high school that left 17 people dead. In an email sent to the campus community, Wayne State’s public safety office says the massacre closely followed “an incident on our campus, which was dealt with…
Legendary Motown acts will perform together at Freedom Hill this summer
Detroit legends The Temptations and Four Tops will be joined by Philadelphia’s The Stylistics to deliver one of the most influential catalogs in musical history. The Legends of Motown concert will light up the stage at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill on Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb.…
It’s Smokey Robinson’s 78th birthday — here are 5 tracks to help you celebrate
One of Motown’s most recognizable voices celebrates a birthday today. Smokey Robinson, the legendary singer, songwriter, producer, and leader of The Miracles, was born on Feb. 19, 1940 in Detroit. Turning 78 today, he is still releasing music and wooing audiences with his soothing voice during energetic live performances. Here are five essential Smokey songs…
Flint-based Vietnamese restaurant MaMang pops up in Detroit this week
The Flint-based Vietnamese masters at MaMang return to PJ’s Lager House on Tuesday with a one-night pop up that will offer some of the restaurant’s hits. Chef Tony Vu and his crew make the trip down to Detroit a couple times a year to offer traditional and fusion plates like a 20 hour smoked Texas…
Michigan was targeted by Russians indicted in Mueller investigation
Two Russian nationals are accused of targeting Michigan and other swing states in the latest indictment as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into foreign meddling of the 2016 presidential election. According to the indictment released Friday, Russians Anna Vladislavovna Bogacheva and Aleksandra Yuryevna Krylova traveled throughout the U.S. in June 2014 “to gather intelligence,”…
As the HQ2 announcement deadline nears, consider it a bullet Detroit dodged
As the deadline for Amazon’s HQ2 announcement draws near, it’s worth taking a look at the minority view: avoiding Amazon’s nod may have been a good thing for Detroit. Related It’s spelled out in an editorial by Dean Baker, a macroeconomist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. In…
A series of new bills seeks to make Michigan’s waste-management system more environmentally responsible
Michigan has the highest bottle recycling rate in the country. Since 1976, the state’s bottle deposit program has contributed to a 90 percent return rate on pop and beer cans and bottles That’s about as good as it gets for Michigan recycling though. “Aside from bottles and cans, our recycling rate is abysmal” Katie Parrish writes…
A local photographer offers a rarely seen view of Detroit in new series on display in Ferndale
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a … drone? The latest collection from photographer (and chief technology officer for Henry Ford Health System), Brian Day explores an angle of Detroit that is often overlooked — the upside down. “Perceptions of Detroit have evolved dramatically over the years, both with respect to the people in and…
Vernor’s releases limited-edition collectible bottles with vintage design
Some Vernor’s Ginger Ale lovers may have noticed a change to their favorite soda bottles in the past week or so. The Detroit-born soda brand recently rolled out a collection of vintage-inspired pop bottles, and it caused quite a stir on social media. Wtf they redesigned the Vernors bottle! A post shared by Jennica (@jennica.w)…
John Conyers III announces his candidacy for his father’s old job
The announcement, which had been expected more than a month before the candidate filed his official papers several weeks ago, still had a whiplash headline: “John Conyers Formally Announces Bid for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District” it read. Huh? The longest-serving congressman, who stepped down in December amid allegations of sexual harassment and assault, would seem to…
The downriver Wahlburgers will open in March, or so they say
Former Funky Bunch leader Mark Wahlberg was in town last December to announce a partnership with a Michigan-based grocery store chain, which would see his burger joints opening inside Meijer locations in Michigan and Ohio. He swung by the company’s location in Taylor, the same city where a stand-alone Wahlburgers has been set to open…
Founders KBS is coming — here’s where to find it in metro Detroit
KBS Week — the beer lovers’ equivalent to Christmas — is upon us. The annual celebration and release of Founders Brewing Co.’s imperial coffee chocolate stout aged in bourbon barrels is happening March 5-10. This year will be the first time Detroit area tappings will be included in the festivities. The tickets to get your own…
Twiggy the waterskiing squirrel is coming to Detroit
In days such as these, what everyone really needs is something to lift the spirits and calm the heart. Something to bring a little joy and whimsy into this so-called life. What everyone needs is a little bit of Twiggy, the waterskiing squirrel. And lucky for us, the chance to see Twiggy is coming, courtesy…
Nino Salvaggio, Seoul Garden ordered to pay $248K in back wages
A federal court ordered metro Detroit-based grocer Nino Salvaggio and Ann Arbor restaurant Seoul Garden to pay its employees nearly $248,000 in back wages. Crain’s reports the U.S. Department of Labor found Seoul Garden paid cooks, sushi chefs, cooks’ helpers, servers, dishwashers, and busboys a flat daily rate, and didn’t pay overtime wages. A judge…
‘V313,’ a one-day vegan festival, is planned for Detroit’s Eastern Market
A celebration of all things plant-based is planned for Eastern Market. Dubbed V313: Detroit’s Premier Vegan Celebration, the event will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 in Eastern Market’s Shed 5. Tickets are available at the door or online for $15. According to a press release, the event — the first of its…
Hamtramck museum will celebrate the city’s unsung black history
Normally, when you think of Hamtramck history, it’s not unusual to focus on the high concentration of Polish people that used to set it apart as an ethnic enclave. “A Touch of Europe in America” was the old city slogan, and as late as the 1990s the city was still as much as 80 percent…
Smashing Pumpkins announce reunion tour with stop at Little Caesars Arena
Today is the greatest — not because Smashing Pumpkins are back with a mostly original lineup but because it gives us a reason to Google image search for that time Billy Corgan was super pissed while riding Disneyland’s Thunder Mountain Railroad. Oh, and the time he stopped by Infowars to chat with fellow nutjob Alex…
Bonny Doon’s new single ‘A Lotta Things’ is despondent and we love it
Last year, Detroit indie rockers Bonny Doon delivered an achingly self-aware self-titled debut that bummed us out in the best possible way. They return with the second single from their upcoming record Longwave due out March 23 (Woodsist Records). “A Lotta Things” debuted on Noisey today and let’s just say we’ve totally been there. “I should…
Quicken Loans slips out of top ten places to work
The people have spoken: Quicken Loans, Dan Gilbert’s Detroit-headquartered mortgage lending giant has once again been named to Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For List, though this year the company slid from No. 10 to No. 14. The 33-year-old company — now the nation’s largest online retail mortgage lender and its second largest retail mortgage…
Detroit area chefs and bakers make 2018 James Beard award semifinals
The first round of this year’s James Beard Foundation award announcements was made this morning and Detroit chefs, bakers, and restaurants were well represented on the long list of semifinalists. Corktown’s Lady of the House got a nod in the Best New Restaurant category. Sister Pie’s Lisa Ludwinski got another nod for Best Baker. Standby…
Livernois Tap to go Peruvian-Polynesian, The Exchange to pop up at Antietam
Ferndale’s Livernois tap will go Hawaiian and Peruvian for an evening with a menu inspired by their chefs’ heritages — Chef Elliot Patti hails from Hawaii and sous chef Moses Fishman was born in Peru. And, of course, the 1947 voyage of the Kon Tiki is the menu’s guide. “We will use the course of this…
Michigan State Police will crack down on distracted drivers, seat belt violations in Dearborn today
Michigan State Police tweeted once again a warning to Dearborn drivers that they will be pulling over anyone not wearing a seat belt. This Special Enforcement Section will be focusing in on Ford Road and Telegraph all day today. Related On Tuesday, Feb. 13, MSP stopped 99 vehicles and issued over 100 tickets to drivers…
Detroit pharmacist suspended after being convicted of $6.2 million health care and wire fraud
Back in October 2017, Detroit pharmacist Imad Hussein Soueid was convicted of stealing nearly $6.2 million from health care agencies, a felony for which he received 42 months in prison. Related From October 2009 to April 2014, he was found to have been fraudulently charging insurance companies for prescriptions that were never dispensed. According to court…
Huron Room closes, reboots as curry concept Fist of Curry
Southwest Detroit’s Huron Room closed on Friday and relaunched today at 3 p.m. as curry concept Fist Of Curry. In their new eatery, co-owners Jacques and Christine Driscoll and Les Molnar are offering tastes of the world’s finest curry styles all under one roof. Jacques Driscoll tells Metro Times the team discussed the new concept for…
Why are actors from The Wire in a Detroit park rendering?
In case you blinked and missed a tweet from Crain’s Detroit Business writer Kirk Pinho, take a gander right now. We’ll fill you in on the details. Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell from “The Wire” are in this West Riverfront Park rendering #EasterEgg pic.twitter.com/ZiCb0vWAgI — Kirk Pinho (@kirkpinhoCDB) February 12, 2018 OK, details: The rendering…
Amid downriver church controversy, Michigan lawmakers propose conversion therapy ban
A downriver church has been embroiled in controversy since it made a social media post advertising an “Unashamed Identity” workshop claiming to help girls ages 12 to 16 grappling with their sexual identify. Related While the post was removed, the church continues to deny the workshop is the equivalent of “conversion therapy,” a controversial practice…
Video: Trump shirt-wearing WSU student suspended after pulling knife on campus
Wayne State University officials say a student was suspended after brandishing a knife and making threatening comments about immigrants on Tuesday. According to a witness, the student approached a table where members of the activist group By Any Means Necessary, or BAMN, were passing out flyers about immigrant rights. A video provided to Metro Times shows…
Activists urge Wayne County officials to say no to more toxins, waste
The Coalition to Oppose the Expansion of US Ecology has a message for the commissioners of Wayne County: When it comes to more toxic waste, Wayne County should just say no. The coalition is reacting to plans by Idaho-based U.S. Ecology to ramp up waste dumping, storage, and processing at three different sites across the county,…
Michigan brewer crafts beer with candy hearts in honor of Valentine’s Day
Looking for a sudsy way to spend this Valentine’s Day? Short’s Brewing Company’s Be Mine is available today at the brewer’s Bellaire taproom. The beer is made with those little candy conversation hearts synonymous with this Hallmark holiday. The brew’s description reads, “Be Mine is a Belgian-style Tripel brewed with candy hearts and Belgian candi…
Em Sheeran is here to complicate your Valentine’s Day with the video for ‘River’
Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Em Sheeran! Just kidding. But not really. Eminem just debuted the video for “River” featuring the red-haired crooner, Ed Sheeran — and it’s pretty ridiculous. Clocking in at just under seven minutes long, the melodrama of “River” unfolds using a hidden-camera, reality-show confessional format. There is no shortage of night-vision, VHS…
You have one more chance to see West African folklore brought to life through puppetry
With the closing of PuppetART Theatre’s downtown location last year, and the moving of the troupe’s performance space and museum to a temporary spot in Southfield, it seemed as though the magic of puppetry would no longer have a place in downtown Detroit. Related Fortunately, some other local institutions have stepped in to lend the group stages…
We are finally free from Fifty Shades of Grey
This is my Fifty Shades of Grey fantasy: Anastasia Steele finally gets a restraining order against Christian Grey, writes a tell-all book about his bullying and intimidation, and becomes a #MeToo/#TimesUp heroine. Mmm, sexy. The only potentially genuine source of suspense and conflict in this, the — thank god — final chapter of the Fifty…
Black Panther’s black power
“Wakanda forever!” It’s a patriotic sentiment, a battle cry for warriors, and maybe it would be the slogan of Wakanda’s tourism board if it welcomed visitors. The small nation of Wakanda is a protected valley enclave in east Africa, hidden from outside eyes by some very advanced technology fueled by the alien metal vibranium, which…
Review: Hungarian Rhapsody is a downriver stalwart
(Find more photos of Hungarian Rhapsody dishes and charming interior here.) Phenomenally popular after 24 years downriver, Hungarian Rhapsody is for those seeking prodigious plates of comfort food. It’s the type of place where servers are still called waitresses, and where those knowledgeable and enthusiastic servers have been there forever and seem to know everything.…
Savage Love: Fighting words
I’m a 24-year-old nonbinary person living in Florida. I have two wonderful girlfriends. One I have been with for four years (we live together). The other I have been with for a year and a half. They’re both brilliant, interesting, and kind. Both relationships have their issues, but they are minor. They know each other…
Horoscopes (Feb. 14-20)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 Things are working out a lot better than you thought they would. At this point it might be good to review things and decide where to go from here. As much as you’re fine with all of this, it won’t hurt to fine-tune it, or turn it up a…
Michigan needs a new constitution
Michigan was once one of the better-run states in the union. No, it was never perfect. You had your share of petty crooks and poseurs in Lansing; drinkers, hound dogs, and cheerful idiots. Yet stuff got done. Roads got fixed, higher education was largely affordable for even blue-collar families, and there was a sense that…
Nicole West’s miniature sculptures are no child’s play
When we ask Dirty Show proprietor Jerry Vile for some of his favorite works of art from this year’s edition of his annual erotic art show, he is excited about a piece from Washington state-based artist Nicole West. But we’re confused when he sends us a few photos of a pink-haired gothic Lolita seductively licking…
Why Jack Schulz created a festival for the maligned actor Nicolas Cage
The name Nicolas Cage typically elicits one of two responses. One is laughter followed by some comment about how bad his movies are and questions about his curious hairline. However, if you’re anything like lawyer Jack Schulz, you’ll talk for an impassioned hour about the man, the myth, the legend, and why Nicolas Cage deserves…
Earl Slick on what he misses most about David Bowie
Guitarist Earl Slick spent the better part of his adult life as David Bowie’s go-to guitarist — a tall order, but one that Slick was more than ready to take on. And the 65-year-old is still Bowie’s earthbound sideman, two years after the icon’s death — we caught up with him between rehearsals for the…
The final installment in Dabrye’s trilogy was worth the wait
The release of Dabrye’s Three/Three on Ghostly International on Friday manages the feat of being both one of the most anticipated Detroit albums of the year and one of the great surprise albums of the year. Dabrye is musician Tadd Mullinix’s hip-hop producer alter ego. His first album One/Three came out in 2001, a unique…
To microdose or not to microdose
Kathy Bates stars on the Netflix show Disjointed, in which she plays a cannabis activist and new dispensary owner. Naturally, the subject of her own use came up when she was a guest on Conan O’Brien’s late night TV show. “I had cancer twice,” she told Conan. “I couldn’t really do the opioids, you know.…
