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Metro Detroit Muslim women shatter hijab stereotypes
Being Muslim in America isn’t easy. Should extremists act, the right wing media is quick to question the loyalty of the entire religious group. And now, after being thrust into the spotlight during what seemed to be a never-ending presidential election, Muslims are fully immersed in Trump’s America. According to the Institute for Social Policy…
Depeche Mode to play DTE Energy Music Theatre in August
We just learned that Depeche Mode will perform at DTE Energy Music Theatre on Sunday, August 27. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 10 at 10 a.m. Fans can register now for early access to tickets over at presale.depechemode.com. By registering ahead of time, fans will reserve a spot in line for a special…
18 ways to feel joy in metro Detroit this week
events, things to do, live music, comedy, stage show, play, art, festival, dance, performance
Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas tease new single in English and Spanish
Last time we caught up with Jessica Hernandez and her faithful Deltas she was getting close to finishing the follow up t0 her 2014 debut album Secret Evil and touring North America. Now, she and the band are gearing up to release a new single from her sophomore album — but this time it comes…
Activists deliver 345,000-signature petition against Nestlé to Capitol
This morning at 11:30 a.m., environmental activists delivered more than a quarter of a million signatures to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on the Capitol steps in Lansing. The signatures were for a petition urging rejection of Nestlé’s pending $200 permit to pump 210 million gallons a year from its White Pines well in…
Curt Guyette will show ACLU Flint doc in March, followed by a Q and A
Since leaving Metro Times, investigative reporter Curt Guyette has been with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, where he helped to break the news of the Flint water crisis. Along with filmmaker and activist Kate Levy, he made a documentary titled Here’s to Flint. You can watch the doc on YouTube, but it will also get a screening at 6:30…
Ween kicks off rare summer tour at ROMT in June
While it’s easy to get fatigued by the parade of every alt-rock act who ever dared to record obscure noise preciously to the four-track cassette recorders in their moms’ basements reuniting for small stadium tours, this is of course very different; this is Ween. On Friday, June 2, Ween will play at the Royal Oak…
Zingerman’s is rolling out its own line of potato chips
Given that Zingerman’s sets Ann Arbor’s sandwich standard and its family of companies creates so many original flavors and products, it’s a little surprising that it has yet to dabble in the art of artisan potato chips. But that changed as of this week when Zingerman’s Delicatessen announced it’s launching its own line of thin…
Happenings 50 years ago: the Beau Biens’ moody psych-garage 45
Yesterday, Ugly Things impressario Mike Stax posted on Facebook about the reissue of a rare Grosse Pointe/Ann Arbor garage-rock 45 from the 1960s. Order copies of this authorized pressing of the Beau Biens’ “Times Passed”/ “A Man Who’s Lost” right here. One song’s a psychedelic anti-war rocker, while the flip is introspective and heavy. Plus,…
Third Man Pressing Plant’s opening day: what you missed
Third Man Pressing does it big for its opening New businesses often have “grand openings” in which nothing “grand” really even happens—maybe they slap a garish banner on the front and forget to take it down for months. Third Man’s record plant opening earned it though, with one-day-only exclusives, free cookies, 5 hours of free…
Here’s where you can find delicious paczki on Fat Tuesday in metro Detroit
While this Tuesday may just be any other ordinary Tuesday, to some it is the beloved Fat Tuesday where we devour boxes of paczki, the delicious Polish treat filled with jam, custard, or in some cases, a coney dog. Sure, you could stop at your local Meijer or Kroger to get a box of the…
Russell Industrial Center tenants petition city to avoid costly closure
With an eviction deadline fast approaching, artisans and business owners at the Russell Industrial Center are urging Detroit officials to help them stave off a shut down they say will in some cases cost tenants an upward of $100,000. A #SaveTheRussell petition that has so far collected more than a thousand signatures aims to show Mayor…
Lil Wayne brings ‘Kloser 2 U’ tour to the Fox in May
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 3 at 10 a.m. to see the Grammy® Award-winning hip-hop artist Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., aka Lil Wayne, live and up close and in person at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, May 11. Tickets ($39.50, $59.50 and $79.50) will be available for purchase at OlympiaEntertainment.com, LiveNation.com, the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena…
Just announced: Soundgarden plays the Fox in May
Get ready to lift your lighter to the heavens and scream again, “In my eyes/ Indisposed/ In disguises nooo ooooone knows,” as one of your favorite stadium acts of the grunge years, Seattle’s very own Soundgarden, brings their big riffs and long flowing locks to the Fox Theatre on Wednesday, May 17. The Grammy® Award-winning multi-platinum…
The new Maccabees will serve food that’s ‘Asian inspired with a Detroit twist’
The four-year old Maccabees at Midtown just never seemed to catch on. With food and a concept that felt flat and tired, its dining room rarely filled up, and it’s one of those places that didn’t come up in conversation. Those issues could be a thing of the past when the restaurant relaunches on March…
Afrotopia founder to announce bid in Detroit mayoral race
Arts advocate, community organizer, curator, creative professional, and Detroit native Ingrid LaFleur will announce her candidacy in Detroit’s 2017 mayoral race during an event called Detroit is the Future tomorrow evening, according to a press release. LaFleur, who founded Afrotopia and was featured in an MT cover story about Detroit’s Afrofuturist enclave, says she will…
Uber will once again deliver paczki on Fat Tuesday
O brave new world. Once again, the ride-hailing app Uber is offering delivery of paczki in metro Detroit for Fat Tuesday. The promotion starts at 7 a.m. and lasts until the paczki run out. Simply open the app and select the “Paczki” option. The paczki come from Detroit’s Dutch Girl Donuts: $20 for a dozen.…
R.I.P. Leon Ware, hit songwriter for many, from Marvin Gaye to Maxwell
Leon Ware, a celebrated and hit-making songwriter for Marvin Gaye, Minnie Riperton, Maxwell, the Isley Brothers, Quincy Jones, Bobby Womack, Lulu, Michael MacDonald, the Average White Band, Michael Jackson, and many more, has died at the age of 77. According to NPR, the soul and R&B songwriter passed away yesterday. Ware was born in Detroit in 1940, and began writing…
UPDATE: Head of Detroit police union suspended over felony charge
The head of Detroit’s police officers union has been suspended without pay from the Detroit Police Department after being charged with malicious destruction of property in Oakland County. Local media say Detroit Police Officers Association President Mark Diaz was arraigned on the felony charge Friday. He was also charged with reckless driving. Diaz is alleged…
Just announced: John Mayer plays DTE in September
Today we learn that the handsome and talented bro-rocker John Mayer will play DTE Energy Music Theatre on Friday, Sept. 1. Sounds like a great way to kick off the start to a new school year (or bring all your buddies from the Phi Alpha Kappa and relive those old times together). Tickets will go on…
We visited the home of the hot dog doughnut and other adorable Japanese pastries
(Find photos of the hot dog doughnut and Hippos’ other adorable desserts here.) A hot dog doughnut is one of those items that can easily be classified as food critic bait, and most of the menu at Pastry House Hippo falls into that category. While such items are sometimes wild just for the sake of…
Russel Industrial Center owner has burned other tenants across town
Russell Industrial Center tenants left scrambling following this week’s evictions are not the first occupants of a Dennis Kefallinos-owned building to have their lives upended because the real estate mogul’s development company failed to comply with city regulations. The more than 140 artists and small business owners who occupy the sprawling complex along I-75 were…
Bobcat Bonnie’s Wyandotte location will open soon … but when?
Last Friday we popped our head into the new Bobcat Bonnie’s location in Wyandotte to get an idea of how things were going on and when the place would open. The restaurant’s gregarious co-owner Matthew Buskard was busy prepping the former location of Bourbon’s for a wine-tasting event, but stopped to talk to MT about…
Ann Arbor venue Blind Pig listed for sale
After months of rumors, Ann Arbor music venue the Blind Pig is officially up for sale. Swisher Commercial listed the building on Thursday, which includes the venue and its attached 8 Ball Saloon bar. Founded in 1971, the club is famous for hosting an early gig by Nirvana, who sang the praises of the venue. It has also featured performances…
Gov. Snyder calls for more time before decision to close schools
Gov. Rick Snyder released a statement today calling for more time to make a decision to potentially close 38 low-performing schools. The news follows a letter from five Congressional Democratic urging the Governor to consider other options. The Governor said his School Reform Office was working with the Michigan Department of Education to pursue other solutions,…
Lena Dunham says she’ll match donations to Detroit’s Ruth Ellis Center
Actress and producer Lena Dunham says she will donate big to Detroit’s Ruth Ellis Center. The Girls star tweeted on Thursday that she will match all donations up to $50,000 for the center, which provides social services for Detroit’s LGBT youth and adults. She instructed her followers to tweet her their donation receipts. I'm matching all donations…
This parrot singing ‘Monster’ by Rihanna and Eminem is the best thing you’ll see all day
Or it may be the most terrifying thing you see, depending on your views towards parrots. YouTube user Edilson Barros posted the video of a parrot singing along to the tune of Rihanna and Eminem’s 2014 summer hit “Monster” and it is glorious. Sadly, the parrot doesn’t rap Eminem’s part of the song, but it…
Did Betsy DeVos really just defend transgender students’ rights?
In a nebulous statement released by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos we’re led to believe that the philanthropic billionaire turned public school dismantler eduction reformer might actually have a decent bone in her body. And maybe those activists groups actually made a difference. In response to President Trump’s decision to revoke provisions made by the Obama administration…
Kate Upton discussed her sex life with Justin Verlander on TV last night and she didn’t hold back
Actress and model Kate Upton has never been shy of voicing her opinion or over-sharing, and she most definetley didn’t hold back when she was on Andy Cohen’s late night show Watch What Happens Live! Wednesday night. A caller asked Upton about her sex life with fiancé and Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and Andy Cohen…
Mark Wahlberg: More Wahlburgers coming to Royal Oak, Taylor
Last year, actor Mark “Marky Mark” Wahlberg brought his Wahlburgers restaurant chain to Greektown. A Detroit location was perhaps strategic for the brand, which features a vague working-class theme (e.g., its burgers are served with “government cheese”). Now, Wahlberg has revealed that the Boston-based franchise will expand in Michigan. Making a surprise appearance at the Greektown location on Wednesday,…
Boggs Center’s new magazine on Detroit to focus on activism and culture
Detroit has a long history of little magazines and small press publishing, from the heyday of the underground press, with Broadside Press and Detroit Artists Workshop, into the 1980s with some spunky rag called Metro Times, and even to contemporary times, with zines, and little magazines. They come and go, but they punch above their…
Blufin Sushi protestors voice their anger over alleged racial discrimination
As promised, protesters showed up outside Gross Pointe Farms’ Blufin Sushi to show their disapproval for and anger over the treatment of three black women during their Saturday night visit to the restaurant. BLAC first reported that the women were still drinking when they were asked to leave the busy restaurant to make room for…
Ferndale’s Voyager announces kitchen shake up just ahead of its planned opening
Ferndale’s Voyager, a seafood and raw bar expected to open sometime in March, announced via press release that it has brought aboard new chefs. Chef Marc Bogoff appears to be out, while owner Eli Boyer hired Chicago-based chefs Justin Tootla and Jennifer Jackson to replace him. The pair recently relocated to Michigan after consulting, traveling,…
Cinema Detroit will show ‘1984’ in protest of President Trump
If you haven’t heard the latest news coming from Donald Trump’s White House, you may want to shield your eyes. Rumors have been swirling recently that the Trump administration was going to cut funding from art programs. According to the New York Times, the cuts will come from nine different programs. Among them: the National Endowment for…
Dick Gregory fights for justice — with comedy
Dick Gregory can wear you out. Still sprightly at 84 years old, the groundbreaking comedian, activist, author, vegan, and all-purpose firebrand has enough energy to outwork, outlast, and outthink those half his age. Gregory’s comedy career stretches back to the 1950s, when he spent years in near obscurity, struggling to make a living in small,…
Horoscopes (Feb 22-28)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): The way things show up in the nick of time, you’d think the angels had something to do with this. Just when you were getting ready to bail, in the midst of the craziest scenario you’ve seen so far, you’re looking at the other side of the worst of it.…
Mike Doughty talks new band, Wayne Kramer, and Detroit vs. Memphis
Singer-songwriter Mike Doughty makes music that combines very good words with really good sounds at the same time. He opens his mouth wide when he sings, as if impersonating a 1950s cab driver, or trying to swallow the largest gummy bear on the planet. Doughty has done this for 25 years — first with the…
MotorKam navigates an entirely new persona
The only words on MotorKam’s SoundCloud page (soundcloud.com/motorkam) are “I make what I want,” followed by his contact information. If you’ve been paying attention to local hip-hop, those words by the up-and-comer will likely come as no surprise. On his latest project, Kam has adopted an entirely new identity, so we had to catch up…
Detroit’s Muslim community promises it ‘will not be bullied’
Even before he took office, President Donald Trump dropped some of the promises that fired up his far right base during his campaign. Among other quick reversals, he decided Hillary Clinton wouldn’t be locked up, and the swamp won’t be drained. Thus, many hoped that proposals regarding civil rights and immigration — like establishing a…
Politics & Prejudices: Hold your noses — and help Snyder
Here’s how dreadful things are in the world of Lansing today: We have no choice but to do everything we can to support Gov. Rick Snyder’s spending priorities for next year. Otherwise, our state may be damaged beyond any reasonable hope of recovery, ever. We need to get the minority Democrats in the legislature to…
Savage Love: Fantasy scenarios
Q: I am a straight married man. My wife and I have a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old. We’ve just started having intercourse again. For Valentine’s Day, we spent the night in a B&B while Grandma watched the kids. We had edibles, drank sparkling wine, and then fucked. It was amazing. After we came and while…
Stir It Up: The Government Apprentice
Donald Trump gazes into the mirror being held by someone or other, adoring himself for a few moments. Ah, my hair is perfect, he thinks. Turning to his golden daughter-wife Ivanka, he asks, “Am I beautiful, darling?” “Of course, Daddy,” she says, “You are the most beautifulest daddy in the whole world. The biggest and…
How Trump’s policies could screw Michigan’s food system
President Donald Trump’s approach to governing thus far is, if nothing else, original: Firehose the country with enough lunacy, extreme policy shifts, and conspiracy theories that our collective head spins. See what sticks, and continue spraying. By design, the strategy makes it difficult to assess all the consequences, and though it gets drowned out in…
Review: Fine food lands at Black Eagle at The Bosco
“Black Eagle at The Bosco” is hard to speak, as Hamlet instructed his players, trippingly on the tongue. The compound name seems intended to stick itself in your brain as that weird place that always comes to mind. It’s not that it’s a difficult concept to understand: There are plenty of places in other cities…
