Cover Story
With ‘The Allegory,’ longtime Detroit rapper Royce da 5’9” sees the light
In The Allegory of the Cave, Plato posited that men, kept in a cave with only shadows to keep them company, would soon embrace the darkness as their true reality. When one of them was shown the light — the sun — he was, at first, blinded. He then came to appreciate it. But when…
Ready for your closeup? Detroit’s Redford Theatre to host screening of ‘Sunset Boulevard’
You’re in a safe space, folks. With Oscar season behind us, it’s finally OK to admit that we might have a pretty extensive list of classic, must-see films that we just haven’t made time for, because, well, sometimes it’s just easier to re-watch Frasier for the 1,000th time. Anyway, we finally have an opportunity to…
Find your missing ink at the 25th annual Motor City Tattoo Expo
According to a 2018 survey, more than 46% of Americans have at least one tattoo — be it a regretful past lover’s name, a tribal armband, or a mishmash of Chinese characters that absolutely do not translate to “serenity.” Or, maybe you’ve spent the equivalent of a down payment on a house to festoon your…
The cars of ‘Ford v Ferrari’ will take center stage at the 68th annual Autorama in Detroit
Last year, Autorama organizers pulled the plug on a scheduled vehicular stunt involving Michigander Burt Reynolds’ black-and-gold 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am from his Smokey and the Bandit days. It had nothing to do with danger, but everything to do with the car’s affiliation with Confederate flag imagery. For this year’s event, the 68th annual…
Sturgill Simpson brings sound and fury to Detroit’s Masonic Temple after spilling the tea about his record label
Here at Metro Times we admittedly gloss over most country acts unless it’s, say, Willie, Shania, or literally any combination of the Dixie Chicks. However, thanks to last year’s rock ’n’ roll-steepedSound & Fury, Sturgill Simpson is officially an exception to our rock ’n’ rule. (Fun fact: Metro Detroit’s own Bobby Emmett and Chuck Bartels…
Jazz angel Kamasi Washington will perform at Detroit’s St. Andrew’s Hall and we are not worthy
The last time Kamasi Washington passed through Detroit was last summer when he teamed up with 79-year-old, 14-time Grammy-winning jazz virtuoso Herbie Hancock, who has more than 40 studio records under his belt and just as many years on Washington. But the 38-year-old Los Angeles native and celebrated saxophonist, who has often been referred to…
Destroyer and Eleanor Friedberger will make you question existence at Detroit’s Deluxx Fluxx
In a review for Have We Met, Destroyer’s 12th studio record released in January, Pitchfork claimed that if you “spend enough time listening to Destroyer … the world will start to resemble a Dan Bejar song.” If this is true, the world is then an observational diary scrawled on bar napkins with an old lover’s…
Detroit’s Marble Bar is throwing a dance party fundraiser for Bernie Sanders
After four emotionally taxing years under human sack of shit-turned-Commander in Chief Donald Trump, it’s time to take a leap — no, not off of a bridge or anything (though we’ve been tempted regularly since the morning of Nov. 9, 2016), but at the polls. On March 10, Michigan voters will get the chance to…
John ‘Tbone’ Paxton and RJ Spangler release album of pre-WWII standards at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit
For local jazzheads, the name John “Tbone” Paxton is a familiar one. Not only as a celebrated trombone soloist and rotating bandleader for Planet D Nonet, the Sun Messengers, and others, but also as a jazz and rhythm vocalist. For his latest endeavor, he’s teamed up with longtime collaborator RJ Spangler for Back in Your…
Detroit’s Craig Garwood and sister-led trio Jackamo head to PJ’s Lager House to support Deau Eyes
How do we love 21-year-old Detroit singer-songwriter Craig Garwood? Let us count the ways. No, but seriously, Garwood is cut from the same rare and intimate and vulnerable songwriting cloth as the late, great angel Elliott Smith. Not only has he been making tunes since before he was of legal drinking age — like, lots…
Metro Detroit bands come together for Super Tuesday Bernie Bash at Ferndale’s Loving Touch
OK, OK, we’re clearly a little slutty for Bernie Sanders. But we’re not alone. Like, hello: Health care is a human right. Though Michigan isn’t heading to the polls on Super Tuesday (remember, we vote on March 10!) the Loving Touch has recruited some fellow Bernie bros and babes to perform to raise some funds…
‘American Auto,’ an NBC pilot starring Ana Gasteyer, will be set in Detroit
American Auto, a single-camera sitcom about a Detroit car company, got the green light from NBC to make a pilot starring Ana Gasteyer. American Auto takes place in the corporate offices of a Detroit automotive company, according to the Detroit Free Press. Gasteyer, a former cast member of Saturday Night Live, is set to play the CEO…
Detroit electronic duo Adult. announces new album and tour, including City Club date
Detroit electronic music duo Adult. reportedly created its latest record inside of a black hole. That’s according to label Dais Records, which announced the group’s new record, Perception is/as/of Deception, set for release on April 10. According to the label, the two painted their windowless basement entirely black, “with the sole intention to deprive their senses, question…
Detroit closer to allowing pot dispensaries to open with new ordinance
The city of Detroit is drafting a long-awaited ordinance that would ensure that half of the city’s recreational marijuana dispensaries are owned by Detroiters. Detroit City Council temporarily banned recreational pot businesses at the last minute in 2019. The idea was to create an ordinance that would guarantee that Detroiters have an opportunity to get…
‘Sacred Jazz’ inspired by Duke Ellington
Funded through a generous grant from the Erb Family Foundation, the Cranbrook Project provides programming that closes the distance between our cities and suburbs, along with the many religious, artistic, and educational communities in metropolitan Detroit. At the forefront is our annual Sacred Jazz Concert, inspired by the legendary Duke Ellington. Ellington’s Sacred Concerts combined…
Blogger The Kitchenista is searching for her missing 16-year-old son, last seen in Detroit on Feb. 22
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 26: Angela Davis says her son contacted the family and is no longer in danger. Originally posted Tuesday, Feb. 25: Angela Davis, an influential food blogger who recently moved to Detroit, is looking for her 16-year-old son. Davis, also known as the Kitchenista, tweeted that her son Jaden Davis has been missing…
Letter to the editor: Leave Grosse Pointe alone!
We received an earful in response to Lee DeVito’s story “Gov. Whitmer disputes Trump’s claims of booming economy: ‘Strong for whom?’” in the Feb. 12 issue from a reader who identified herself as Marilyn from Oak Park: I usually find your articles to be quite worthwhile. However, this time, I’m really upset because of your last…
America deserves better than Mike Bloomberg
Once again, billionaire Mike Bloomberg has revealed himself to be astoundingly out of touch when it comes to his bid to become the next president of the United States. The latest highly questionable decision from his campaign came Monday, when whoever runs the @Mike2020 Twitter account decided to document vandalism done to its campaign offices…
John Cusack to visit Detroit for ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ screening at Freep Film Festival
Sometimes a hitman just wants to go back to his hometown and ask a girl out. John Cusack will visit the Masonic Cathedral Theatre on Friday, April 24, at 7 p.m. for a screening of Grosse Pointe Blank. In the film, Cusack plays a hitman who returns home to go to his 10-year high school…
Candidates on cannabis: Here’s where the 2020 Democratic contenders stand
As we approach the March 10 Michigan primary, here’s a little reminder of where the major candidates stand when it comes to marijuana. On Sunday, Feb. 23, Sen. Elizabeth Warren rolled out her plan during a speech in Denver, saying that she would reduce federal funding for law enforcement to states that won’t legalize marijuana.…
Billed as the first ‘post-capitalist streaming service,’ Means TV launches this week in Detroit
In 2018, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez burst onto the scene as an underdog candidate for U.S. Representative of New York’s 14th Congressional District, she did so with the help of a scrappy but smart campaign video shot by a pair of Democratic Socialists from Detroit: Naomi Burton and Nick Hayes, of Means of Production. The video…
A new all-vegan cheese and dessert bar is now open in Birmingham
Vegans with a sweet tooth, rejoice: we now have a neighborhood all-vegan cheese and dessert bar. Planthropie opened its doors at 135 Pierce St. on Saturday to provide its decadent offerings to those with specific dietary restrictions. Vegans and those with gluten and soy allergies can now find scrumptious treats geared to their needs. Cafe…
The Black Keys head to metro Detroit this summer with Gary Clark Jr.
Look’s like metro Detroit will be getting a second dose of that old-time rock ‘n’ roll via Ohio lonely boys Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. Last year, the Black Keys unleashed the band’s first record following a five-year hiatus, Let’s Rock. OK — so, we may have rolled our eyes at the…
Kraftwerk will return to Detroit for 3D 50th anniversary tour
German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk are hitting the autobahn, again. The influential group announced a special 50th anniversary tour which includes a Detroit date on Monday, July 27, at the Masonic Temple. Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27. The date is part of Kraftwerk’s “3D Concert” tour, which…
Artists nationwide are invited to submit proposals for a sculpture to be placed outside TCF Center
The Detroit Office of Arts, Culture and Entrepreneurship and the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority Art Foundation are calling for artists nationwide to submit proposals for a large-scale public sculpture to be placed in front of the entrance at TCF Center. Artists are invited to submit concepts for a permanent sculpture that will become a part…
MELTED MUSIC FESTIVAL… two days of rock psychedelia descends on Ohio
The Nelsonville Music Festival and Archie Fox Live present Melted Music Festival, a two-day psychedelic rock festival, at The Bluestone in Columbus, Ohio on March 13-14, 2020 and tickets are on sale now! The second annual MELTED will feature headliners the Oh Sees and Twin Peaks, and many other performers on both days of the…
Marijuana vaping-linked lung injury claims life of fourth Michigan resident
The outbreak of a marijuana vaping-linked lung injury has claimed the life of a fourth Michigan resident. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) reported in a press release that it was notified Wednesday of the death of a woman, whose identity and age are not being disclosed. “Although reports of new cases…
Artist Angela Glajcar creates trippy, otherworldly works of art using just torn paper K.OSS Contemporary Art
German artist Angela Glajcar creates seemingly massive otherworldly environments in My Silence Is My Self Defense using just hand-torn paper, light, and space. It’s a technique Glajcar calls “terforation,” a portmanteau of “terra” (earth) and “perforation” (hole). The resulting work feels akin to peering deep into the depths of a cave. See website for schedule; K.OSS…
Michigan man charged for threatening Trump whistleblower lawyer
A Michigan man was charged for threatening to kill one of the attorneys of the whistleblower who prompted President Donald Trump’s impeachment for soliciting foreign interference in the U.S. election. “All traitors must die miserable deaths,” wrote Brittan Atkinson, a 52-year-old laborer foreman from Beaverton, according to federal court documents first reported by Politico. “Those…
Feds asked to put brakes on LNG-by-rail plan
The Trump administration is considering a rule that would allow trains carrying a highly volatile substance to travel through Michigan and other states. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is reviewing hundreds of public comments about the proposal, that would allow the bulk transport of liquefied natural gas in rail tank cars. Nathan Murphy,…
Shooting at marijuana dispensary in Detroit leaves 1 dead, 1 critically injured
An armed robbery at a marijuana dispensary on Detroit’s west side turned deadly Thursday night. Police said three suspects entered a dispensary on the 3300 block of Joy at about 8 p.m., announced a holdup, and then shot two people inside the pot shop. A 34-year-old man was killed, and a 31-year-old was in critical…
New brewpub Ferndale Project will finally start serving beer this week
Ferndale Project is about to become the neighborhood bar it always dreamed of being. While the new establishment has been serving coffee and lunch as it awaited its liquor license, the wait is now over: The taproom will throw an all-day grand opening party on Saturday, Feb. 22, to celebrate that it can finally serve…
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist signed 2 marijuana bills into law — and other pot news you can use
Once marijuana was legalized in Michigan, concern over weed laws took a back seat to more pertinent questions, like “When can I go to the store and buy some?” The legal wheels of marijuana continue to grind and will for quite some time, and those legal moves now define how and under what conditions we…
Trump trails top Democratic candidates in Michigan, with Bernie Sanders surging
The top Democratic candidates are leading President Trump in hypothetical, head-to-head matchups in Michigan, with Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg leading the pack, according to a new poll. The Quinnipiac survey, which was released Thursday, is significant because Trump won Michigan in 2016, albeit by a razor-thin margin. The poll also shows the president trailing…
20 ways to celebrate Paczki Day in the Detroit area
It’s time to celebrate Fat Tuesday. Bring on the paczki! “14th Annual Countdown to Paczki Day” Tent at Joseph Campau and Holbrook in Hamtramck; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22 Saturday is the day to party, as the tent will offer free paczki donated by Bozek’s, New Martha Washington Bakery, New Palace Bakery, and…
Get Metro Times stories sent straight to your inbox with our newsletters
Since 1980, metro Detroiters have used Metro Times to find out what’s going on in the Motor City — from news and views to listings for concerts, art gallery openings, and other events. These days, you can get our articles, including our picks for the best happenings in Detroit each week, sent directly to your…
Performer Tunde Olaniran is one of four Flint-based artists selected for UM residency
Flint artist Tunde Olaniran is no stranger to creating bold and expressive performative work that bridges emotional, cultural, and musical divides — but he’s also very well-versed in making music you can, like, really dance to. In an announcement made Thursday, the University of Michigan’s University Musical Society has selected four Flint-based artists for its…
Notable sadboi The Weeknd is coming to Detroit this summer
Good news for sad, horny people who love to stay up until 4 a.m.: The Weeknd, aka crooner Abel Tesfaye, announced his new headlining world tour that includes a stop at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 27. Tickets start at $29.75 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28,…
The recession never ended in these Michigan communities
It’s 2020, a full 13 years after the Great Recession, and we’re still talking about it here in Michigan. Despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the economy is strong, many people are still struggling — raising the question, “strong for whom?” While the adjusted gross income nearly increased by 37% overall in the state,…
Human brain discovered inside Canadian mail truck at Michigan border
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made a surprising discovery on Valentine’s Day while inspecting a Canadian mail truck that had crossed the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron — a human brain. The specimen was stuffed inside a glass jar without any of the mandated paperwork or documentation to bring human remains into the…
You don’t need a golden ticket to see ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ in Detroit
The musical version of Roald Dahl’s story expands on the 1971 film, featuring new music from Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (in addition to “The Candy Man” and “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” from the film). The choreography on this traveling show has also been tightened up compared to the Broadway version. Sweet! See website…
Dorrance Dance’s ‘Myelinaton’ pushes tap dancing to the next level at UMS
Tap dancing — yes, tap dancing — is still very much alive, thanks to MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Michelle Dorrance, quite possibly the most prominent tap dancer this side of Vaudeville. Her company Dorrance Dance returns to UMS, pushing the boundaries of the art form by recontextualizing it. You can catch three Dorrance works: the…
Wild and crazy amigos Steve Martin and Martin Short will perform in metro Detroit this summer
Some relationships are built to withstand the test of time: Brad and Angelina. Johnny and Winona. Pete and Ariana. OK — so maybe not all relationships are as bulletproof as the one forged by comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short, who, for the better part of the past 35 years, have been tolerating each…
Detroit artists to be honored at the Scarab Club’s 2020 Gilda Snowden Memorial Exhibition Opening Reception
In 2014, when artist Gilda Snowden died of sudden heart failure at the age of 60, she left a hole in Detroit’s art scene that still hasn’t healed. Snowden was a booster of Detroit’s art scene, bringing her digital camera seemingly to every art opening in town. So it was fitting in 2015 when the…
Harrison Township woman accused of pouring urine on daughter, stabbing her and calling her a ‘crippled bitch’
A Harrison Township woman is facing up to four years in prison after prosecutors say she poured a bottle of urine on her adult daughter, who uses a wheelchair, and called her a “crippled bitch.” Angela Lenora Gay, 56, also is accused of stabbing her daughter in the neck, causing a minor cut, and stabbing…
You can meet rapper Royce da 5’9” at Skymint Ann Arbor this week
On Friday, Detroit rapper (and this week’s Metro Times cover story subject) Royce da 5’9” will release The Allegory, his eighth solo studio album. That same day, you can congratulate the longtime Eminem collaborator from 3-4 p.m. at a meet and greet at Ann Arbor Skymint, one of the new recreational marijuana stores to open in…
The Foo Fighters head to Detroit as they revisit first-ever tour itinerary for 25th anniversary
We’ve got another confession to make… The Foo Fighters are celebrating 25 years of foo-ing and fighting with a U.S. tour. It was announced Tuesday that the Dave Grohl-led outfit would embark on a celebratory anniversary tour, commemorating the silver anniversary of when the Foo Fighters performed in a handful of cities during their first…
You can’t always get what you want when it comes to Detroit’s hottest concerts, due to ticket scalpers
Last week, tickets went on sale for big-name acts coming through Detroit — acts like the Rolling Stones, Rage Against the Machine, and Janet Jackson. But getting tickets to even stadium-sized shows these days isn’t always easy. Demand for Rage Against the Machine’s July 13 concert at Little Caesars Arena was so high that the…
A vindictive president, a pusillanimous party, a stooge at Justice, and a country at risk
It’s all out in the open now. That’s not to say it was well-hidden before. It wasn’t; if you wanted to look, it was blindingly obvious. But if you’d rather not see what was right in front of you, there was at least a thin veneer of deniability. They’re not even bothering with that anymore.…
Iranian restaurant Pars plates Persian classics in Farmington Hills
If it’s time to eat, there aren’t many more interesting and diverse stretches of road than Orchard Lake just north of I-696 in Farmington Hills and Bloomfield. Its miles of strip malls are dense with Indian, Jewish, Syrian, and other restaurants — the area just about rivals Warren Avenue in Dearborn as one of metro Detroit’s…
Claws out for a good cause: CatVideoFest returns to the Detroit Film Theatre
Look — if you had one shot or one opportunity to watch 10,000 cat videos a year, would you capture it? Or would you just let it slip, like a clumsy kitten miscalculating the distance between the bed and the dresser? When it came to Will Braden, it was meow or never. In 2012, Braden,…
‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ can’t outrun itself
Covering movies regularly means that with certain works you learn to brace yourself, expecting the worst — only to sigh with relief when they don’t go all that wrong. Sonic the Hedgehog is just that kind of thing. Recasting the chatty, high-speed rodent as a lonely alien refugee desperate for both amusement and camaraderie, Sonic…
An initial report about Poletown residents displaced for GM’s then-new plant painted an overly rosy picture
As we count down to our 40th anniversary in October, we’ve been revisiting our archives to highlight Metro Times stories that resonate in 2020. 30 years ago in Metro Times: According to a report by the General Accounting Office, residents of Detroit’s Poletown neighborhood that were displaced in 1981 by General Motors’ taxpayer-subsidized Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly…
Are you green when it comes to weed? The internet can help
Lots of people who haven’t had much to do with marijuana want to find out about it these days. It helps if you know somebody with some experience to help you. However, nobody knows everything about every aspect of marijuana and this new industry that has sprung up around it. Here are several sources online…
Horoscopes (Feb. 19-25)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: You could be missing the point. Your perspective on things is heavily colored by what you refuse to see, or by what you have yet to see about yourself. It could be your rose-colored glasses. It could also come down to hard-core beliefs about life that have nothing…
Guns or marijuana? Even in pot-friendly states like Michigan, residents can only choose one
Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Michigan, many people have a difficult choice to make: Smoke pot or own a gun. Federal law makes it a crime to do both. Since recreational marijuana sales became legal in Michigan in December, many gun owners are still unaware that they are risking jail time by smoking…
