Cover Stories
Treat yourself to these metro Detroit self-care getaways
Float on Motor City Float 1203 W. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-951-2634; motorcityfloat.com; Float sessions start at $40, packages are $35-$1,560. One of the latest trends for both pain and stress relief is flotation therapy, where you can dust off your bathing suit and float away from your daily bullshit. How does a float session…
Mark your calendars with these wintertime events in metro Detroit
Winter, objectively, sucks, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Part of getting through the coldest, grayest months of the year is knowing how to make the most of them. Mark your calendars with these events, which will help you plot your course to spring. Michigan Central Station Winter Festival Jan. 18-27 Ford Motor Co.…
Missing the winter weather in Michigan this year? That could soon change
Uhhh, is this thing on? We’re already well into January and we’ve hardly had any snow in Southeast Michigan this winter. Both the Farmer’s Almanac and the National Weather Service correctly predicted a warmer, rainier winter this season, thanks to El Niño winds pushing warmer Pacific Ocean winds eastward. Depending on your outlook, this could…
These outdoor activities will help you make the most out of Michigan winters
This season, don’t let the brutal Michigan cold prevent you from enjoying everything that Michigan has to offer. Whether you’re a novice or you’ve got advanced skills, Michigan has myriad winter activities that will keep you in shape all year long. Want to get away from the hustle and bustle and enjoy a quiet weekend?…
How to upgrade your winter wardrobe this season
Michigan winters have a penchant for drama. You’ve likely experienced one day (or several) where the weather went from a blissful 50 degrees Fahrenheit to a cataclysmic blizzard all in a matter of hours. With that sort of tumultuous behavior, it can be difficult to dress appropriately — let alone dress cute. Beyond just outward…
Nao will bring her ‘wonky-funk’ to Detroit’s Majestic Theatre
The future is Nao. The 31-year-old soul singer spent her early years idolizing the likes of Missy Elliott and Brandy, as well as Detroit’s own Aretha Franklin for her transition from gospel choir singer to Queen of Soul. This diverse range of influences bleeds through into the East London singer’s sophomore release, 2018’s Saturn. Nao’s…
Let’s dance — Bowie Night returns to the Loving Touch with band and vinyl tribute
While David Bowie may have spent the better part of his earthbound years invading the airwaves with his original music, he had a penchant for cover songs like “Across the Universe” by the Beatles and “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by Detroit’s own the Stooges. To return the favor, the Loving Touch will host its…
‘Black Bottom Street View’ exhibit rebuilds the historic neighborhood at the Detroit Public Library
Black Bottom, the epicenter of Detroit’s black community before the neighborhood was demolished in the early 1960s, will be remembered on Saturday with an exhibition at the Detroit Public Library’s Main Branch. “Black Bottom Street View” will showcase some of the thousands of photos from the Burton Historical Collection that together portray a vivid picture…
Former ‘Metro Times’ editor shares new collection of stories from Tucson at Bookbeat
Brian Jabas Smith was an editor here at Metro Times from 2002 to 2013. Since then, he’s relocated to his hometown of Tucson, where he found a new career as a journalist, interviewing under-the-radar locals for a column for Tucson Weekly. Those stories — “of the lonely, lost, and forgotten, lives lived in the margins”…
Ferndale’s Otus Supply launches monthly musical brunch
Did you know? Otus Supply now serves brunch. Additionally, Ferndale’s most psychedelically designed restaurant and music venue has also launched a monthly brunch-time music event. Starting on Sunday, Otus Supply will host Sunday Sessions, “a spirited brunch with live music and a communal vibe aimed at bringing folks together with great food, creative cocktails, and…
Sonic Blizzard at Tangent Gallery hosts a flurry of DJ’s and bands for two-nights
Leave it to Tangent Gallery to keep it weird. The gallery has partnered with Detroit art collective Mesmerism Ink for a two-night mini-fest celebrating Detroit’s rock, experimental, and electronic scenes. The loaded lineup includes sounds by Zilched, Space Junkie, and Saint Hewitt, as well as DJs Phil Minnick, Jessica Peacock, and Ryan McCray. Artist vendors…
Seriously funny gents Paul F. Tompkins and Marc Evan Jackson will do improv for a good cause
When it comes to Marc Evan Jackson and Paul F. Tompkins, comedy is serious business. The evening of improvisational comedy is billed as “Two American gentlemen” who will “enact false stories for a duration of one full hour and perhaps 10 additional minutes.” Thompson — who is known as the host of VH1’s Best Week…
Senate Theater to celebrate 40th-anniversary of ‘Superman’ with special screening
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s one of the greatest superhero films of all time. Long before superstud Henry Cavill slipped into his iconic blue spandex, the role of our beloved Man of Steel was solely synonymous with the late Christopher Reeve. The 1978 film stars Margot Kidder, Marlon Brando, and Gene Hackman as…
Frame and Willis Show Bar are hosting a dinner club with John Coltrane tribute
Hazel Park dining pop-up Frame has launched a new Sunday Dinner Club, and is partnering with Detroit’s Willis Show Bar for what is sure to be a snazzy evening. Its first installment features a “warm winter” four-course dinner designed by Chef Matt Tulpa which features Parmesan Buñuelo, Whole Roasted Cabbage, Sourdough Bread and Pecorino Dumplings,…
Reminder: If Michigan city councils ban marijuana shops, residents can bring the issue to the ballot
It looks like Proposal 1 is not the final initiative aimed at bringing adult-use marijuana to Michigan. We’ve seen plenty of headlines announcing various municipalities which have opted out of allowing marijuana facilities to locate there, such as Grosse Pointe, Milford, Northville, Allen Park, and Plymouth. They are using a provision of the state law…
Duggan’s dark money-backed candidates cleared of campaign finance violations
During her final days in office in December, GOP Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson cleared state House and state Senate candidates backed by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and the auto insurance lobby of alleged felony campaign finance violation. The three candidates — Adam Hollier, Marshall Bullock, and Terra DeFoe — all supported Duggan’s “driver’s…
House of Vans Detroit kicks off weekend-long party with live music, skateboarding, and artist workshop
Though it shuttered as a school in 2016, Detroit’s historic Jefferson School is getting a new lease on life, at least for now. For its biggest pop-up to date, Vans will host a four-day free event with an indoor skate park, live music (featuring Thundercat, Protomartyr, and Amber Mark on Thursday, and Danny Brown, Joyce…
Watch the trailer for Eminem’s 21-minute ‘virtual reality’ documentary
For those who have long wondered what it would be like to cruise around with the real Slim Shady — your time has finally come. The teaser trailer for Marshall From Detroit was released on Tuesday ahead of the documentary’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend. The 21-minute-long virtual reality film offers an interactive, 360-degree…
Rock City Eatery chef Nikita Sanches: Detroit’s restaurant boom a ‘double-edged sword’
When Rock City Eatery chef and co-owner Nikita Sanches began plying his trade in Hamtramck in 2013, he did so at a time when metro Detroit’s restaurant industry’s epicenter was only beginning to shift from the suburbs to the city. Rock City, which Sanches describes as “American with global influences,” quickly made its name in downtown Hamtramck,…
Buddy’s Pizza is opening a new location in Grand Rapids
The originators of Detroit-style pizza are planning a westward expansion. Buddy’s Pizza announced on Tuesday that the famous metro Detroit pizzeria is planning to open a new location in Grand Rapids. The restaurant, located at 4061 28th St., will be the company’s 14th store and its first location outside southeast Michigan. The 6,620-square-foot location will hold…
Paxahau reveals Saturday lineup for Movement Music Festival in Detroit
Movement revealed its first full day lineup on Tuesday to jumpstart the excitement for the 2019 festival at Detroit’s Hart Plaza. Among the highlights include Disclosure, who will make their return to Detroit after a long performance hiatus that began in 2017, as well as the Movement debut of Chicago-native Virgil Abloh, most noted for his…
Detroit’s ‘rainbow’ mural will survive as part of co-working space and food hall at Chroma
A polarizing rainbow mural in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction neighborhood will be part of the new plans for its building, developers confirmed Tuesday. Developer group the Platform released details about Chroma, a new co-working space that is underway at the building at 2937 E. Grand Blvd. According to the Platform’s PR firm Van Dyke Horn, construction began…
Controversial comedian Roseanne Barr to headline Fox Theatre in Detroit
Last year was a trying time for comedian Roseanne Barr. In spring of 2018, Roseanne was celebrating the triumphant return of her self-titled sitcom series after two decades of being off the air. Featuring the original cast, Roseanne was back on top – and had the TV ratings to prove it. That all came crashing…
Dave Matthews Band will crash into metro Detroit this summer
It wouldn’t be summer without a visit from an improvisational session from jazz-infused rockers, Dave Matthews Band. Supporting a catalog of music that encompasses nine studio albums (including 2018’s Come to Me), and dozens of live cuts, Dave Matthews Band — or DMB for those true stans — announced its summer plans and will make…
A legacy, deliciously seasoned: An ode to Olga’s Snackers
On Monday afternoon, it was announced that restaurateur and pita bread pioneer Olga Loizon had died. She was 92 years old. Many may know Loizon as the founder of Olga’s Kitchen — home of the Original Olga sandwich, Peasant Soup, Orange Cream Cooler, and perhaps most notably, the Snacker. Drawing inspiration from Greek souvlaki sandwiches…
‘Messy and painful’ exhibit on Thomas Jefferson’s slave plantation elicits community backlash in Detroit
The Black Legacy Coalition to preserve the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History spent this morning honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by way of protest. The coalition met this morning at the St. Matthew and St. James church before the King Day rally to express opposition to the museum exhibition,…
Windsor border patrol workers deliver pizzas to Detroit counterparts working without pay
Border patrol workers from our neighbor to the north (or technically south) in Windsor, Canada reached out a helping hand and a warm slice of pizza as a gesture of solidarity with Detroit border employees on Friday. United States customs and border patrol workers are still operating without pay thanks to the longest government shutdown…
Detroit Pistons are bringing together Nas and Detroit Symphony Orchestra to perform ‘Illmatic’
When rap and classical music collide, it can go one of two ways. Detroit will get a front-row seat as Nas teams up with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for a classical rendition of the rapper’s legendary album, Illmatic. To cap off their Black History Month celebrations, the Detroit Pistons announced today they will bring the…
Audio recording reveals Warren mayor Fouts calling disabled child a ‘mongoloid’
Another day, another audio recording of Warren Mayor Jim Fouts spouting disparaging comments. This time — and once again — regarding a disabled child. On the latest recording, a 2015 snippet published by Motor City Muckraker, Fouts can be heard referring to the daughter of 2016 Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum as a “mongoloid baby” going on to describe her…
Michigan Dems may force redraw of legislative districts ahead of 2020 election
Michigan Democrats are moving to force a redraw of some state legislative and congressional districts ahead of the 2020 election. If they’re successful, Dems’ chances of taking control of the state Senate and state House could increase. The latter scenario would send Michigan in a much more progressive direction. Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn…
Native American drummer from viral video is from Michigan
Updated 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20: This post has been edited to incorporate details from an extended video that shows what happened before the shorter viral clip. On Saturday, a video showing a Native American man stoically drumming and singing while a mob of President Donald Trump-supporting teens mocked him went viral. That man…
Detroit’s Joy neighborhood welcomes first full-service restaurant in nearly 20 years
A new American and soul food restaurant called Fusion Flare Kitchen & Cocktails is the first full-service restaurant to open in Detroit’s west side Joy community in nearly 20 years. The Free Press reports that the restaurant is the product of owner-chef Mashelle Sykes, who recently graduated from the Oakland Community College culinary program. It’s…
Wayne State University parodies Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ and it’s stuck in our damn heads
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal, suicide.” If these random ass words mean anything to you, you might just be a Billy Jewel – a fan of uptown guy, Billy Joel. While there may be a rare breed of millennial that unironically enjoys the musical stylings of the balding “Piano Man” we can’t help but wonder if Wayne State University…
For now, muting R. Kelly means muting Aaliyah, too
Following the release of Surviving R. Kelly, the six-part TV documentary produced by Detroiter dream hampton that premiered on Lifetime earlier this month, fans have been forced to reckon with their relationship with the music of the so-called “Pied Piper of R&B.” I know I have. While the media has long reported on the many…
Highland Park police body cam footage reveals Moodymann had a CPL, registered handgun
Highland Park police held a press conference on Thursday afternoon to release additional information and police body cam footage from an incident involving Detroit DJ and producer Moodymann, who posted a now-deleted video showing a confrontation with law enforcement earlier this week. Highland Park police Chief Chester Logan says the incident took place at approximately…
Thief steals bottles of liquor in a smash and grab at Norma G’s
A thief used a tire jack to smash out a window at Jefferson Chalmer’s Norma G’s Caribbean restaurant before grabbing several bottles of liquor and fleeing. The theft took place early on Jan. 15 and was caught on video cameras installed as part of the Detroit Police Department’s Project Green Light program, WXYZ reports. Norma…
Highland Park police release statement on aggressive confrontation with Moodymann
On Wednesday, globally recognized Detroit DJ and producer Moodymann (real name Kenny Dixon Jr.) made headlines after uploading a video to his Instagram account appearing to show an aggressive encounter with Highland Park police. The original video, which has since been deleted from the artist’s account, shows Moodymann in a parked vehicle looking down the barrel…
New report shows staggering difference in median sale price between downtown Detroit and rest of the city
Across the country, downtowns have transformed dramatically since the 2008 economic downturn, and Detroit could very well be a poster child for the phenomenon. After Dan Gilbert relocated the headquarters of Quicken Loans in 2010, the city’s downtown core has transformed in ways that render parts of the city unrecognizable to what they were a…
Garbage human John Engler resigns after saying Nassar victims enjoy the ‘spotlight’
Garbage human and former GOP governor John Engler has resigned from his post as interim president of Michigan State University. His announcement came several days after controversial comments about Larry Nassar’s sexual assault victims, some of who he said were “enjoying” the “recognition.” The announcement also came after MSU trustee Brian Mosallam said early Wednesday, “John…
Moodymann gets guns drawn on him in confrontation with Highland Park police
On Wednesday afternoon, Detroit house and techno DJ Moodymann (real name Kenny Dixon Jr.) uploaded a video to Instagram showing an aggressive confrontation with what appears to be Highland Park Police. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Dixon claimed that “HP Police” confronted him in his own backyard, demanding ID. An officer pointing a gun at Dixon…
Rashida Tlaib target of bigoted comments by Florida commissioner
Southern Florida commissioner Anabelle Lima-Taub has accused Muslim congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) of wanting to “blow up Capitol Hill.” Five days after Tlaib called President Donald Trump a “motherfucker,” the Hallandale Beach city commissioner signed a petition urging the White House to remove Tlaib from office. She shared the petition on her personal Facebook with comment:…
Comedian Jim Gaffigan to Headline 27th annual Comedy Night in Detroit
Forgotten Harvest has found an unlikely partner in their fight to feed all of metro Detroit. He wrote two New York Times best-sellers, was nominated for four Grammys, reached platinum sales and is the father of five. And this summer, the critically acclaimed comedian Jim Gaffigan will bring his brand of deadpan, matter-of-fact comedy to…
‘Hamilton’ is headed to Detroit and your first chance at tickets begins today
Get ready to kick it back to 1776 — the historical hip-hop sensation Hamilton is coming to Detroit, and ticket sales have been announced. Since its debut in 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical biography of founding father Alexander Hamilton has been one of the hottest (and priciest) tickets in town. Hell, even cancellation lines…
Rob Thomas collaborator Carlos Santana heads to metro Detroit with the Doobie Brothers
Nothing brings back memories of the summer of 1999 quite like the stylings of Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas with special guest and up-and-comer, Carlos Santana. Not only was “Smooth” the last no. 1 song of the ’90s, it was also the first no. 1 song of the new millennium. In other words, it’s timeless.…
MSU trustee: Engler’s ‘reign of terror’ done as Dems take over board
Former GOP Michigan Governor John Engler’s stint as interim president of Michigan State University could come to an end this week. The MSU Board of Trustees is planning a Thursday special meeting at which it will likely consider his fate, the Free Press reports. Last year, Democrats and Republicans each held four seats on the…
Hurricane Aretha
When I think of a powerful expression of nature and its complex beauty, I think of a hurricane, with its enormous reach, peaceful center, and capacity to transform boundaries of where land meets water meets air. After surviving Hurricane Irma and living to write about it, I have come to understand and appreciate the power…
Fans and friends remember guitarist Phil Dürr, dead at 53
The local music community was shaken last week by the death of guitarist Phil Dürr, a brilliant and beloved mainstay of the Detroit rock scene for more than 35 years. Dürr died following a massive heart attack on Jan. 11 while visiting family in Germany, a few weeks short of his 54th birthday. That Dürr…
Officials deny North American International Auto Show headed for Belle Isle
Is the revamped North American International Auto Show going to extend the corporate occupation of Belle Isle far into the month of June? Officially, not yet. But the trial balloon is aloft. Harry Payne, automotive writer for The Detroit News, reported in early December that NAIAS organizers are considering test drives of new cars, including…
Don’t be a sucker — there is no crisis on the Southern border
Let’s get right to it: There is no crisis on the Southern border. President Donald Trump knows there’s no crisis on the Southern border. Senate Republicans know there’s no crisis on the Southern border. The network execs who gave the president their airwaves for 10 minutes last Tuesday night to dissemble about the crisis on the Southern border…
Horoscopes (Jan. 16-22)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You’ve taken on everyone else’s stuff for far too long. All of your energy has been co-opted by people who have been ill-equipped to handle life on their own. At this point you are convinced that it’s your job to keep it up — I beg to differ. Whatever…
Michigan’s slow rollout for legal marijuana prompts questions
The unanswered questions about legal marijuana in Michigan, medical or otherwise, never seem to end. When is the medical marijuana system really going to be up and running? Will there be a different attitude from state regulators now that there is a new gubernatorial administration and attorney general? Where can we get some adult use,…
Savage Love: My boyfriend wants me to humiliate him for his ‘small’ penis
I’m a middle-aged man dating a younger guy. He wanted to be a “boy” to a Dom top daddy, and I was happy to oblige. The sex is amazing, and we click as people, too. Then a couple days ago, he told me he wanted to explore small penis humiliation (SPH). I was taken aback…
Review: ‘The Punisher’ season two exemplifies all of the problems of Netflix’s Marvel shows
Netflix’s “Defenders” branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doomed. There’s no getting around that. Disney’s plan to launch its Disney+ streaming service later this year means that Netflix would be paying Disney money to create content that promotes the intellectual property of a direct competitor. Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Daredevil have already gotten…
Why Detroit’s radio stations may not choose to mute R. Kelly — at least not out loud
On the night of Wednesday, Jan. 9, singer R. Kelly took to a crowded club in Chicago’s South Side to celebrate his 52nd birthday. Several cellphone videos of varying quality began to circulate on the internet following the impromptu and quickly sold-out celebration — one of which revealed Kelly belting the lyrics from his 1994…
Review: Novi’s Fumi is an old-school izakaya
With Antihero opening in Ferndale and Katsu opening Woodbridge within a month of each other late last year, Detroit’s interest level in Japanese izakayas seems to be peaking. But izakayas are nothing new in metro Detroit. Out in the western burbs, where the bulk of southeast Michigan’s Japanese immigrant population lives, there are several izakayas…
