Cover Stories
Stay in or go out? Two opposing strategies for coping with Michigan winter
Though the weather may be chilly and the ground wet with snow, the season is still full of possibilities. If what you enjoy is cold temperatures, winter sports, or romps in the snow, it’s obviously for you. But if the weather outside is too frightful, there’s plenty to do indoors as well. It’s prime time…
These 12 metro Detroit comfort-food dishes will get you through the winter months
Face it, this time of year merely looking out the window at all that snowy misery is enough to give us uncontrollable shivers. When temperatures dip well below freezing, our first inclination is to reach for something comforting to eat. It’s not always the most healthy or easiest to prepare, but if it warms our…
15 Detroit bands to watch in 2017
Welcome to the Metro Times’ roundup of the 15 best new bands in the metropolitan area. We’re calling it “15 Bands to watch in 2017” — even though like half of the musicians involved are not bands. Last year, we went with “15 Best new bands,” and then had them arranged numerically, even though it…
Four winter warmer ‘Brocktails’ you can craft at home
Brock Massaro has made a career out of working the service industry. Whether he’s waiting tables at Mabel Gray in Hazel Park or he’s working his side hustle as a craft cocktail bartender for hire (a company he calls Brocktails), Massaro has a passion for good food, drinks, and service. We tapped him for some…
Mark your calendars with these wintry events in metro Detroit
Michigan winters are hard — seriously, if you can survive winter in Michigan you can probably survive anything — but they don’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. Maybe you made a New Year’s resolution to get…
Rebel Kind debuts new video for ‘Everyone’
We asked Rebel Kind singer/songwriter/guitarist Autumn Welti about the video she just made for a track off their new album Just for Fools, and to fill us in on plans for upcoming shows, and stuff. The Rebel Kind remains one of the Detroit area’s best bands. So we are extra excited to debut this clip…
Motown trumpeter Johnny Trudell plays Dirty Dog the next four nights
Johnny Trudell, Motown’s most dependable trumpeter, plays four nights at the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe You may not know his name, but you probably love a song or two he performs on. Trumpeter Johnny Trudell is a rare type of musician these days: he joined the American Federation of Musicians in 1958 and is still…
Trump meets with Big Three execs to slam EPA
Previously, noted cyberbully and President of the United States Donald Trump has bossed the Detroit’s Big Three automakers around on Twitter, demanding they bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and taking credit for recent news of U.S. investments, even though the deals had been in the works long before he took office. But on Tuesday, Trump met face-to-face with executives…
New singles roundup with Ty Farris, Cleveland Thrasher, and Nametag Alexander
New singles roundup: Three local emcees drop bars for the start of the year Ty Farris, “Product of My…….” Ty Farris has always infused his hood savvy into aggressive political rhymes. “Product”is no different. “How the fuck I survive this long/all the shit I did wrong/ living in my memories 6-mile and the hood gave…
Taco Hell: Suit accuses area fast food franchisor of wage theft
Sundance Inc., a Taco Bell franchisor based in Brighton, has been hit with a employee lawsuit in U.S. District Court accusing it of multiple violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) at several retail locations in metro Detroit. The complaint charges that Sundance doesn’t pay employees for all the hours per week they work,…
Your band could open for Bon Jovi at the Joe
Have you and your bandmates always dreamed about opening up for an ’80s rock band that has stayed somewhat relevant since their heyday? If so, it seems the stars have aligned for you. Instead of taking the next big rock band on tour to open up their shows, Bon Jovi is asking local bands at…
Newt Gingrich wants Madonna arrested for her comments at the Women’s March
Besides telling President Trump to “suck a dick” at the Women’s March this past Saturday, Madonna also expressed how she was felt with some words that could possibly get someone a visit from Homeland Security if they weren’t a famous pop star. During her speech at the march, Madonna declared that “I thought an awful lot…
Bobcat Bonnie’s announces new Wyandotte location
Bobcat Bonnie’s owner Matthew Buskard announced to his family and friends on Facebook last night that he’d be opening a second location in Wyandotte. Buskard told MT he worked with the owners of Bourbons Brews & Bayou, who approached him in hope he’d bring his Corktown concept downriver. Buskard says the Bourbons space, located at…
Ford CEO says he re-read Trump’s ‘The Art of the Deal’ over the holidays
While President Donald Trump has taken credit for recent news of Big Three U.S. investments, those events were in the making long before he was elected. But now that Trump is finally in the White House, industry executives are trying to figure out what they can do to stay on the President’s good side. An…
Bonobos “guideshop” coming to downtown Detroit
Nike, Warby Parker, Moosejaw, John Varvatos, and Kit and Ace — they’re all on a list of national retailers who’ve opened up in downtown Detroit. And now a Bonobos “guideshop” is poised to join them. Bonobos, an e-commerce men’s clothing company, has laid claim to 1417 Woodward Avenue, according to a Detroit News article, and…
Metro Detroit Thai restaurateur opens new downtown eatery
Midtown Thai favorite Go! Sy Thai is now rolling a new location out of a 29-seat eatery in downtown Detroit’s Capitol Park. Owner Gowhnou Lee, who operates several Sy Thai restaurants, opened the space on Friday in The Albert, a 127-unit, 12-story luxury apartment complex. Among its retail neighbors are Detroit Bikes and Dessert Oasis…
Just announced: Rod Stewart and Cyndi Lauper revive the past at DTE this August
Rod Stewart and very special guest Cyndi Lauper will perform at DTE Energy Music Theatre on Aug. 1. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Jan. 27 at noon via these nice people here. Sitting here on this cold and drizzly day, the idea of a show like this in the summer sure sounds like…
Michigan: It’s National Pie Day
It seems like, in recent years, the food industry dreamed up and pushed a national holiday for just about every dish and morsel under the sun. Check your favorite social media account for updates on the March 5 National Cheese Doodle Day, March 22 Coq au Vin Day, and Nov. 18 National Vichyssoise Day, for…
Sierra Nevada is recalling beer in Michigan
If you’ve bought beer from the Sierra Nevada beer company in the last weeks you may want to take it back to the store. The brewery said in a statement that they “detected a very limited number of bottles with a flaw that may cause a small piece of glass to break off and possibly fall…
Pussy Power: Notes From the Women’s March on Washington
It began with bacon and uterus-shaped pancakes. Actually, that’s not true. It began the night of the election, when I watched, along with a horrified voting majority, as the country was promised a harrowing assault on civil rights, women’s rights, the environment, and freedom of speech. The “Million Women March” event appeared on Facebook even…
VIDEO: Big Sean debuted new music on ‘SNL’ this past weekend
With his upcoming album dropping in a few short weeks, Big Sean’s star looks like it’s rising higher and higher. With a debut performance on a huge episode of Saturday Night Live this past weekend, we’re predicting that 2017 will be a huge year for the Cass Tech alum. As always, Big Sean performed two songs…
Henry Ford museum announces name change
Today, The Henry Ford announced it will change the name of its Dearborn museum from Henry Ford Museum to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. While the museum’s name will change, the overall destination (which includes Greenfield Village) will remain The Henry Ford. According to a press release, the additional titular words will better define…
Detroit Mayor Duggan unofficially announces bid for second term
At an invitation-only meeting held Saturday Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan told a group of more than 100 community leaders that he plans on running for a second term, according to attendees. “There was little question that he is going to run again. They even showed campaign signs,” activist Thomas Page told The Detroit News of the…
Check out this trippy new video from Captwolf’s swoozydolphin
We spoke with Kid Scuddy aka swoozydolphin from our friends in the Detroit-based hip-hop collective Captwolf. He sent along the video premiere for a brand-new clip to the track “Backwood.” The song is blunted, fun, and references one of your favorite R&B singers of the 1980s. Scuddy explains the video as follows: This is the…
Kings of Leon cancels Detroit show tonight; make-up show in March
We just found out that the Kings of Leon show scheduled for tonight at the Fox has been canceled. so if you were about to head out into the fog for the show — don’t! The group’s drummer, Nathan Followill, has been diagnosed with pneumonia. He is being advised by doctors to take three days…
Metro Detroit turns out for the Women’s March on Washington, D.C.
The hundreds of thousands of protesters who dominated the capitol during Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington, D.C. included 8,000 from Michigan and several busloads from metro Detroit. Many of them voiced the hope that this wasn’t just an epic day of protest, but the start of a new era of resistance. The day after President…
Madonna tells Trump to ‘suck a dick’ on live TV and we are here for it
Madonna has always been the one to tell it like it is, and to be honest, we kind of love her for that. During the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday afternoon, Madge got up on stage and gave a fired up speech that only Madonna could give. After being introduced by Amy Schumer, Madonna…
Detroit sci-fi writer seeks aid — burglars took everything but his desk
Detroit sci-fi writer Clarence Young, better known to some of his readers as Zig Zag Claybourne, seems like a really nice guy. He’s the author of several books, including The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan, a Buckaroo Banzai-inspired adventure featuring two brothers gunning for a villain named the False Prophet Buford. And we’re not kidding about that “nice…
Fired-up anti-Trump demonstrators hold lukewarm protest in the cold
As millions of people across the country gathered around television sets and computer screens to watch Donald Trump assume the nation’s highest office Friday, a little more than a dozen protesters stood listening to Trump’s remarks by cell phone under a gray, drizzling sky in Wayne State University’s Gullen Mall. They were killing time as they…
Play on alleged Kilpatrick connection to killed stripper ‘Strawberry’ opens
The life and times of Kwame Kilpatrick already have the makings of a compelling made-for-TV movie: A charismatic, outspoken young politician makes his bid to lead a beleaguered city and wins, only to have it all end in shame and imprisonment less than seven years later. And that’s just the stuff that’s the easily proven…
Can’t miss show of the week: Jordanian duo at Trinos tonight
The Juthoor Ensemble is performing tonight, Friday, Jan. 20, at Trinosophes; the show will start at 8 p.m. sharp. What better way to deal with the dangerous “America first” rhetoric of the 45th president of the United States during today’s inauguration than to enjoy the music of a group of musicians who seek to revive the roots…
Is Detroit getting a riverfront beach?
OK, it’s not a sure thing, but there is a possibility that maybe, perhaps, Detroit might get an “urban beach” on the riverfront that would connect Chene Park and Stroh River Place, according to an Eater Detroit article. The project was pitched by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to the 2017 Knight Cities Challenge, which was accepted…
The Farmers Hand will serve you now
The Farmer’s Hand will serve you now. The Corktown store and deli has made it its mission to stock solely locally made goods — a precedent unseen in any of Detroit’s other neighborhoods and even downtown — and now they’re adding beer and wine to that stock list. Yesterday evening they announced their new alcoholic…
This ‘SNL’ promo with Big Sean will give you all the giggles
In case you missed it, Detroit’s very own Big Sean will be the musical guest on a very highly anticipated episode of Saturday Night Live with host Aziz Ansari tomorrow. This is both Big Sean and Ansari’s first time on the legendary show. A promo for tomorrow night’s episode was released with an angle that…
Sample the flavors of Liberia and Lebanon at the Kitchen Ramarj pop-up
The Kitchen Ramarj pop-up is the brainchild of Ameneh Marhaba, a 22-year-old with a colorful, international history. Her mother is Liberian and her father is Lebanese. She lived in Lebanon as a child and then in Liberia until she was a teenager, which instilled in her a family knowledge of two very different cuisines. Perhaps…
Detroit police official on racial tensions: ‘Get over it’
Despite recent claims by Detroit Police Chief James Craig that the department does not suffer from a growing race problem, minutes from a Board of Police Commissioners meeting show his right-hand man acknowledged racial tensions in the department as early as the summer of 2015. And, according to several people who were at the meeting,…
Artist Ai Weiwei to exhibit at Grand Rapids’ Meijer Gardens
Later this month, the work of the internationally renowned artist and vocal Chinese political dissident Ai Weiwei will be featured in a career-spanning exhibition at Grand Rapids’ Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Ai Weiwei at Meijer Gardens: Natural State opens to the public on Friday, Jan. 27. The indoor and outdoor show will feature more than…
HopCat’s celebrating its birthday with Crack Fries, Crack Fries, and more Crack Fries
HopCat Detroit opened just over two years ago, but the company itself turns 9 this year and they’re celebrating with their signature Crack Fries. The party takes place this Saturday and from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. guests will be treated to free Crack Fries. The climax of the day’s festivities will be a Crack Fries…
Trump’s America Alert: Kid Rock will open Little Caesar’s Arena in September
With only one day to go until Donald Trump’s inauguration, it seems that our future President’s biggest fan will be opening Little Caesars Arena with not one, but four shows that will take place Sept. 12, 13, 15, and 16. Good old Kid Rock will be the first entertainer to take the stage at Little…
Faith: Listening to George Michael in Michigan
As a child, I would attend St. Paul’s Lutheran most Sundays and get lost in fantasies, sometimes in a way that would result in a fear undeserving of redemption when we would kneel in prayer. The sound of the bells, and the organ, were the currents that carried me through. Sometimes when I sang in…
Celebrate Soul Deep’s lucky anniversary with these seven soul scorchers!
In anticipation of its seven year anniversary this weekend at the Rockery in Wyandotte, Metro Times got in touch with the Soul Deep event’s resident DJ and originator. The mighty handsome archivist/man-about-town Mike Dutkewych gave us a run-through of some of the event’s top tracks. We’ll also be interviewing Dutkewych shortly. His reply and tracks (presented in…
This photo of Detroit from space will give you an existential crisis
Want to feel like a worthless pile of garbage on this lovely Wednesday morning? Just take a look at this photo of our greater Detroit area that was tweeted from space by NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and you will soon realize that you are just a tiny ant on this giant anthill that we call…
All the best moments from Betsy DeVos’ senate hearing
It’s no secret that liberals, democrats, and “crybaby snowflakes” everywhere are in staunch opposition to Betsy DeVos’ appointment to Secretary of Education. You can read about that here and here and here. Oh, and here and here. DeVos’ senate confirmation hearing was yesterday afternoon and just as we suspected, she was grilled by democrats who…
Bands to watch 2017: Jade Lathan
From a young age, Jade Lathan was certain that she was meant to be an entertainer. Known for her vocal and dance talents in high school, Lathan was later accepted into the music program at Wayne State University. She has spent her entire life surrounded by music, from singing in church at age 5 to…
Politics & Prejudices: Screwing the poor, and ourselves
We love scandals in this country, usually blow them out of proportion, and then hold on to them the way medieval Christians would have cherished a splinter of the True Cross. We can’t wait for the next documentary about JonBenet Ramsey or Natalee Holloway, and I bet thousands would buy tickets and stand in line…
Review: Royal Oak’s Ye Olde Saloon celebrates more than 40 years
We eat and drink at a lot of places, for a lot of different reasons. Every place fills a niche; answers a particular question of our lives. There are dive bars, and there are second homes. There are places you go to drink with your friends, and there are places you go to drink because…
Bands to watch 2017: PRC
A light flickers. On the wall is a stain; on the stain lands a fly; the fly buzzes, takes off, circles around the room again. A television set in the corner abruptly turns on. Static fills not only the screen but the entire room. If there were any human occupants, they’d be dead. But there’s…
Bands to watch 2017: 2Lanes
You might not know the name. But maybe you do, which is precisely why 2Lanes deserves his spot in this overview of top upcoming artists. And sure, he’s not a band. But as Nydge from Assemble Sound points out, “Change the ‘band’ to ‘brand’ and you’re good!” If that sounds super commercial, then you haven’t been…
Bands to watch 2017: Paint Thinner
Paint Thinner is a band that knows how it wants to sound and takes its time getting there. Relatively freshly birthed when we compiled 2016’s list, their demo cassette came out that March; since then, they’ve appeared on some pretty sick bills, including an opening slot for Blonde Redhead and performing in-between two very different…
Bands to watch 2017: Wurl Sotto
One might say that Detroit rapper Wurl Sotto was put on this planet to bring people together. An actor, poet and activist in his own right, Sotto also belongs to the Detroit-based artist collective Weirdoz Gang, whose mission is to “spread the culture and creative energy across the world and bring people from different walks…
Bands to watch 2017: Caz Aglets
A fresh face with an even fresher sound, Caz Aglets very quietly released his debut album VOID back in November. Written and released before even turning 18, the album boasts a maturity and mood many artists spend entire careers striving for. His songs are soulful, his raps sharp, his flow seamless; “High Tide” is the…
Cannabis could help football players deal with pain
I was at middle linebacker, and as the play unfolded I saw the fullback coming up the middle with the ball. As I made the tackle, the fullback’s knee caught me on the forehead. Everything went black, then stars shot through the darkness. After standing on the sideline for a few minutes the dizziness went…
Bands to watch 2017: Anna Burch
Anna Burch was just finishing up her last couple weeks as a bartender at a hip Detroit restaurant when we chatted for the first time about her music — among other things. Burch, who was born and raised in St. Joe’s and later moved to Chicago to study cinema, has only lived in Detroit for…
Bands to watch 2017: Valley Hush
Two days before Detroit’s Mo Pop festival took place this summer, a band canceled last minute and Valley Hush were asked to fill in on a moment’s notice. The festival, which is comprised of mostly national touring bands, is a huge showcase for a band like Valley Hush — local, young, and hungry for more.…
Bands to watch 2017: Casual Sweetheart
Dissatisfaction with the options is one way to think about how and why a band like Casual Sweetheart exists. They may not necessarily be a political band, but not to acknowledge their reality as women in a male-dominated industry would be to miss the point a little bit. After all, their origin story kind of…
Horoscopes (Jan 18-24)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): Someone let you out to play and you’re not ready to go back in; too bad the bell is about to ring. For most of you, this will pose no problem. You’ve been putting out 300% and are not the least bit concerned with the who, what, when, where, or…
Bands to watch 2017: Stef Chura
Thanks to a sound that has drawn comparisons to the likes of Liz Phair and Car Seat Headrest, Stef Chura and her band are gaining national buzz. In fact, it was Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo who gave Chura a big break last year after reading a Pitchfork review and deciding to invite her band…
Bands to watch 2017: Oshea Davaun
The seeds of hip-hop were planted in Oshea Davaun from his very beginning. After all, he was named after O’Shea Jackson Sr. — better known as Ice Cube — and grew up watching his father and his friends rap. Last September saw the release of the Detroit rapper’s debut album, Motor City Rose. The title…
Bands to watch 2017: Drinkard Sisters
The Drinkard Sisters have been playing out as a duo since 2012, but they hadn’t officially released anything until earlier this month. A cassette, it’s the first release on new label Ylang Analog, and features just the two of them — Caitlin and Bonnie Drinkard, who are actually sisters — captured singing around a microphone…
Bands to watch 2017: Marcus Elliot
27-year-old saxophonist Marcus Elliot isn’t truly a new face on the scene. He’s been performing professionally in the Detroit jazz community since he was only 15 as bandleader of the Marcus Elliot Quartet (currently including Michael Malis on piano, Ben Rolston on bass, and Stephen Boegehold on drums) for 8 years, and has self-released two…
Bands to watch 2017: Kaleb the Intern
Kaleb Waterman says he’s the worst intern anyone will ever have. “I’ll never get anything done,” he says. “I’ll just be talking and picking up on what everyone else is doing.” Between time spent practicing piano, producing music, and attending school, Waterman got involved in a studio internship with Seth Anderson at his church in…
Bands to watch 2017: Julian Kendall
Julian Kendall is the type that would be much happier remaining obscure. He’s a man of few words, but listen through his Soundcloud and you’ll find his music tells a different story. Kendall has plenty to say, but he speaks through the machines, pulling the intangible from his well of tangled thoughts. Titles like “Ghosted,”…
