Cover Story
Keep your eyes and ears on these 10 Detroit acts in 2020
Tradition is important, folks. If we at Metro Times have learned anything in our 40 — that’s right, 40 — years of existence, it’s that we know a thing or two about what you should be listening to. In keeping a tradition, formally started in 2015, we’re returning with another stunning entry in our annual…
Every kiss begins with Handmade Detroit’s Annual Valentine’s Day market, which returns to the Majestic
Hot take alert: Valentine’s Day might be the worst holiday of the bunch. Don’t get us wrong, we love love — feeling it, giving it, making it — but we think everyone can agree that this holiday (which may or may not have originated during the Roman fertility festival, during which goats and dogs were…
Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan will score Man Ray films at Michigan Theater
When Metro Times caught up with self-described “enthusiastically marginal rock band” Sqürl, composed of filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and producer/composer Carter Logan in 2017, they agreed that they should jump on any opportunity to visit Detroit. Jarmusch, a native of Akron, Ohio, is an honorary member of Detroit’s vibrant rock ‘n’ roll tapestry. After all, Jarmusch…
Vintage Electronics Expo is a blast from the past with auctions, experts, and more
Like Jack White’s Third Man Records motto says, “Your turntable’s not dead,” and a new generation has been dusting off stereos, turntables, and record changers rescued from parents’ and grandparents’ basements so they can listen to what they now call “vinyls.” But to a cohort that grew up simply pressing play on an iPod, this…
Stormy Chromer and Act Casual team up for Umphrey’s McGee afterparty at City Club
If you weren’t able to snag a ticket for atmospheric jam band Umphrey’s McGee at the Fillmore, worry not, likely Electric Forest-goer. And even if you did catch the show, you can keep the party going with Ypsilanti improvisational outfit Stormy Chromer, who’s teaming up with Detroit-based funk band Act Casual for the official Umphrey’s…
Detroit rapper MotorKam heads to Ghost Light for genre-bending new record release
Rapper MotorKam has made a name for himself around town by blending funk, ghettotech, and boom-bap influences for a sound that’s all his own. The genre-bending continues on MotorKam’s latest release, YGMFU19 (“Y’all Got Me F*&#’d Up 19”), which is set for a release show that Kam promises will be “90% party, 10% concert.” Kam…
Omega Moos to reimagine new wave for Umphrey’s McGee afterparty at Detroit’s Magic Stick
For their side project, Omega Moos (a play on the name of the sorority from Revenge of the Nerds) guitarist Brendan Bayliss and bassist Ryan Stasik of jam band Umphrey’s McGee bring the technical precision and penchant for improvisation of their main group and apply it to quite possibly one of the greatest music eras…
Nemo’s Bar in Detroit to host 33rd Annual Babe Ruth Birthday Party
Once again, Tom Derry and his band of merry groundskeepers pay tribute to the Great Bambino with a birthday bash of Ruthian proportions at Nemo’s Bar & Grill in historic Corktown. Derry, founder of the Navin Field Grounds Crew (now the Hamtramck Stadium Grounds Crew), has been hosting this uniquely Detroit tradition since 1988 with…
Popular vegan pop-up Street Beet will operate out of Detroit’s 3rd Street Bar indefinitely
The owners of Street Beet, the sustainable vegan pop-up with hours-long wait times that earned a cult-like status for its playful takes on fast-food chains, have found a more permanent home in Detroit’s 3rd Street Bar. Following a successful six-week trial run of their popular Kentucky Fake Chicken menu last year, Street Beet’s Nina Paletta…
PJ’s Lager House hosts eclectic night of music in Detroit with the Long Stairs, Asklepius, and Sensai x JuJu
Billed as an eclectic and cathartic connection of high art, the evening kicks off with up-and-coming tastemakers Sensai x JuJu, both of whom will join forces for a hip-hop house set. Also on the bill is new to the scene, no-frills garage — er, bedroom rock via Elton DeFrance, Chris Crumley, and Nick Johnson, who…
Would setting Kilpatrick free help or hurt Trump in Michigan?
Local millionaire Peter Karmanos Jr. is using his power and influence to take up a personal cause — to try to get President Donald Trump to free former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from a 28-year prison sentence. The Compuware founder revealed on Charlie LeDuff’s No BS News Hour podcast on Sunday that he has taken…
Authors of supercute relationship book ‘Let’s Be Weird Together’ visit Ferndale’s Drifter Coffee
Love is weird, cute, annoying, and mostly the best feeling ever. Nothing beats the moment you realize your partner pronounces a word differently than you do or the first time you see an embarrassing school photo or when you master the art of sharing a bed with them, especially when you consider the fact that…
MSU student from Iran was removed from US after landing at Detroit Metro Airport
A 27-year-old Iranian student planning to attend Michigan State University was detained by Customs and Border Protection at Detroit Metro Airport over the weekend and sent back home. Alireza Yazdani flew into Detroit Metro Airport on Sunday with a student visa, as he planned to begin a doctoral program in agricultural sciences at MSU. After…
Guy Ritchie returns to stories about bad boys for life with ‘The Gentlemen’
Guy Ritchie, maker of manly movies about manly men behaving badly, is like the hipster bartender at your local dive bar, an aging rogue that should probably move on to something better, but gets away with telling the same old stories because he’s just so damn charming. Here Ritchie spins yet another yarn about cockney…
Senate Republicans face their clearest test of moral courage yet
Until Sunday night, everything was going to plan: The Senate would rush through opening arguments, then through a brief question period, then reject a motion for further evidence, and then acquit President Donald Trump on charges of abusing his office and obstructing Congress in time for his pre-Super Bowl interview with fanboy Sean Hannity and…
The war on drugs has failed Detroit
Last week we lost another battle in the war on drugs here in Detroit. City Council extended the city’s option to not allow recreational marijuana sales until at least March 31. About the same time, Detroit Police Chief James Craig announced a crackdown on illegal marijuana sales. Functionally, it looks like this: we’re not going…
3 of 4 suspected cases of coronavirus in Michigan turn up negative
Three suspected cases of novel coronavirus in Michigan have turned up negative, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services revealed Monday. A fourth possible case in Washtenaw County has been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for testing. The three Michigan cases were among 32 in the U.S. that tested…
Ping-Pong enthusiasts can now play in Detroit’s Eastern Market
Table tennis, anyone? Pong Detroit is now offering a table tennis social club at Bert’s Warehouse on Russell Street in Eastern Market. Table tennis enthusiasts can play on Pong Detroit’s ITTF-approved Olympic tables at Bert’s on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5-11 p.m. “Table Tennis is a great sport with level upon level of skill…
The Skillman Foundation seeks submissions for 60 Examples of Detroit Genius social media campaign
Do you know a young trumpeter who is bound to be the next Miles Davis? What about a math wiz who can multiply circles around you, or a runner who could win a race with the wind? If so, a local philanthropy group wants to know about them. The Skillman Foundation is celebrating 60 years…
Yaaas, queen Lizzo takes home 3 Grammy Awards and pays tribute to Kobe Bryant
Music’s biggest night proved to be 100% that bad bitch. The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards took place Sunday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles despite an embattled Recording Academy, which in the days leading up to the big night suspended its first female president and CEO, Deborah Dugan, after she raised concerns about…
Third woman alleges sexual harassment by state Sen. Lucido
A third woman has come forward to accuse state Sen. Peter Lucido of sexual harassment. Melissa Osborn, a regulatory affairs specialist for a trade group, says the Republican from Shelby Township began complimenting her appearance at a conference for credit card union executives in Lansing in May. “He was looking me up and down,” Osborn…
Trump to deliver speech in Warren as polls show him struggling in Michigan
President Donald Trump plans to deliver a speech at a Warren auto parts supply company on Thursday, a day after he’s expected to sign a trade deal with Mexico and Canada. Trump’s visit to Dana Incorporated is his first stop in the key battleground state in 2020. Trump held a campaign rally in Battle Creek…
MDHHS investigates possible cases of novel coronavirus 2019 outbreak in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is investigating potential cases of the novel coronavirus 2019 outbreak. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, but has spread to over 100 confirmed cases in China — with a growing number of international cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the virus’…
Detroit firefighters disciplined for posing in front of burning house
Some of the Detroit firefighters who stopped fighting a raging fire to pose in front of a burning house for a group photo have been disciplined. “Our investigation has been completed and appropriate discipline has been issued to some of the members of the department involved in this incident,” Fire Commissioner Eric Jones said in…
Happy Friday! The Doomsday clock is now 100 seconds to midnight
Good morning, Detroit! On Thursday, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of its “Doomsday Clock” to 100 seconds before midnight — the closest the hands have ever been to the symbolic hour of the apocalypse in its 73-year history. What does that mean for your weekend? Here are the opening lines of…
Bangkok 96 Street Food has entered the corned beef egg roll game
A veteran local chef is now offering her take on a Detroit classic. Chef Genevieve Vang of Bangkok 96 Street Food recently introduced a new corned beef egg roll to her menu at the Detroit Shipping Co. in Midtown. Originally invented by local chain Asian Corned Beef in the 1980s, corned beef egg rolls —…
Michigan opens door for Tesla service centers/showrooms in state; still prohibits dealerships
An agreement between government officials and Tesla will allow Michigan consumers to purchase the automaker’s products as well as permit manufacturer authorized service of those vehicles in the state. However, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel held firm in denying Tesla the right to legally own and operate dealerships in Michigan.…
Former Tiger Ron LeFlore nominated for ‘people’s Hall of Fame’
Former Detroit Tiger Ron LeFlore, who famously went from prison to the big leagues in the 1970s, has been nominated for induction into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals. Described by iconoclastic Ball Four author Jim Bouton as “the people’s hall of fame,” the Baseball Reliquary was founded by Detroit native Terry Cannon in…
James Taylor will perform with Jackson Browne at DTE Energy Theatre this summer
You’ve got a friend in singer-songwriter James Taylor, who revealed details of his new record and U.S. tour plans Thursday morning. The 71-year-old Songwriter Hall of Famer announced a 28-date North American tour with songwriter Jackson Browne to coincide with his upcoming record, American Standard. The record, his 19th studio album due out Feb. 28,…
Northwest Detroit’s Jamaican Pot delays New Center opening
Jamaican Pot’s second spot has delayed its New Center opening. The original eatery, which opened in 2014 and serves dishes like curry chicken, jerk chicken, curry goat, jerk oxtail, and pepper steak on Eight Mile Road at Hubble Avenue, will soon open its next outpost at the New Center One building at 3031 W. Grand…
Detroit dispensary was selling cannabis vape cartridges tainted with potentially deadly vitamin E acetate
A medical marijuana dispensary in Detroit was selling cannabis vape cartridges that were tainted with vitamin E acetate, the potentially deadly chemical additive linked to the vaping-related lung illness. The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA), which banned vitamin E acetate on Nov. 22, announced a recall Wednesday on four varieties of vaping cartridges sold at…
Detroit’s Atwater Brewery to be sold to Molson Coors
Molson Coors has agreed to purchase Detroit’s Atwater Brewery. Atwater, a Detroit-based brewery specializing in traditional German-style lagers, will join Tenth and Blake, the craft beer division of Molson Coors. The acquisition is expected to occur within the next couple months. “The agreement with Tenth and Blake is both the culmination of our past and…
Rep. Tlaib is running for a second term in Congress after strong first year
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib announced Wednesday she’s running for a second term in Congress. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to run for re-election to represent and serve the incredible residents of 13th Congressional District,” Tlaib said in a news release. “Together, we have worked tirelessly to deliver one of the best constituents service programs…
Detroit singer SuperCoolWicked shines on ‘High Gloss’
Morgan Hutson, a singer, songwriter and actress known as SuperCoolWicked, says her earliest memories are of her mother singing to her. Growing up on Detroit’s west side, Hutson says her mother sang to her and her four siblings classic hits like Annie’s “The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow,” Motown favorites, and old-school rap. Now, Hutson…
Rock ’n’ roll band the Stools keep it simple, stupid
Things have moved quickly for garage rock band the Stools — but that’s how the band likes to do things. “I think it was on the eve of my 20th birthday and I was kind of, like, having a manic episode,” frontman Will Lorenz says. He called his friend Charles Stahl. “I was like, we…
Michigan’s only Tunisian restaurant, El Harissa, thrives in Ann Arbor
It could be argued that labeling Ann Arbor’s Harissa Market Cafe a “Tunisian” restaurant isn’t entirely accurate. The identity of the North African nation’s cuisine is the identity of the civilizations through time that met in the region along trade routes and headed north to Europe and the Roman Empire; east to the Ottoman Empire…
Sci-fi flick ‘Underwater’ is only shallow
Often, during what’s meant to be some film’s key dramatic scene, my brain turns off — though this shutdown sequence requires specific cues. When speed-ramping starts up, the score rises to a holler, and editing refracts what’s on screen into a series of hectic, darting glimpses shot in close-up, I typically become lost. If other…
Marijuana businesses are ready to open in Detroit, but city council is keeping them waiting
We still haven’t heard a word from Detroit City Council regarding opting in to the state recreational adult-use marijuana program. Initially, Council set a Jan. 31 deadline as a possible opt-in date. On Tuesday, as this story was going to press, city council voted to extend the moratorium on recreational marijuana businesses opening until at…
Savage Love: The long game
I’m a 30-year-old bi male. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse. Her reaction was the opposite of…
Horoscopes (Jan. 22-28)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: Recent letdowns have thrown you for a loop. After pouring everything you’ve got into a situation that hasn’t panned out, you’re having a tough time reckoning with the way things are. Instead of tearing your hair out, it might work better to remind yourself that everything happens for…
Teddy Roberts and the Mouths are on a quest to play every dive bar in Detroit
After playing a few local gigs around Detroit and after releasing their excellent debut, Never Wanna Die, a record full of mellow country ballads tailor-made for long highway drives, Teddy Roberts and the Mouths made a name for themselves quickly this past year. A follow-up album, Ain’t No Outlaw, is slated for release in early…
You could see 2020 from the 1990 North American International Auto Show
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: Freelancer J.A. Hebler makes several observations amid the glitz and glamour of the 1990 North American International Auto Show that still resonate in 2020. At…
Monica Plaza makes music to happily cry to
Just 10 minutes into our conversation at the Hamtramck bar Bumbo’s, three-quarters of the band Monica Plaza is crying. After discussing whether or not members Tia Fletcher, Jen David, Holly Johnson, and Donnie Gretsch had interesting stories or meaning behind their birth names (David was named after Jeff Bridges’ love interest in the 1984 John…
Milk Bath keep things loud and heavy
Sometimes your band doesn’t have a drummer, but you book your first show anyway. Necessity breeds invention, or in this case, discovery. That’s what brought guitarist Kely Markley and bassist Nadine Chronopoulos to their drummer, Matt Densmore, the final and integral piece of the sonic puzzle that is Milk Bath. Markley and Chronopoulos started jamming…
Kesswa turns inward with contemplative neo-soul
Kesswa asks a lot of questions, many of which there are no answers to. A Detroit native, former Buddhist, natural hair braider, and sociology major, Kesswa, born Kesiena Wanogh, emerged last year as her latest and truest incarnation: a multifaceted electronic neo-soul singer whose debut EP, Soften, revealed a meditative and blooming desire to dismantle…
What Bernie (might have) said
Several months ago, a very progressive, proudly feminist friend asked me who I was supporting in the Democratic race for president. I said I wasn’t sure, but I was leaning toward Elizabeth Warren. “She won’t win,” she replied. “So who are you voting for?” “Biden,” she said quickly. That took me aback. Of the major…
As Bad Fashion, Austin Carpenter makes shimmering, guitar-centric pop songs
“I was told I had to sell my soul just to make it big someday, but I guess that’s how the world works, anyways.” Austin Carpenter isn’t looking to sell his soul anytime soon, but the quote is from a song he recently released for his solo project known as Bad Fashion. Carpenter, even at…
Building a mystery with Shadow Show — the girl group you wish you were in
The minute Kate Derringer, Kerrigan Pearce, and Ava East of Shadow Show realize they can go “off the record” during our interview, chaos ensues. “That’s off the record,” East says about the concert the band members met at during high school, what their forthcoming debut record sounds like, their ages, tour plans, details of weird…
Autumn Wetli and Book Lovers just want to make music and sleep comfortably in their own beds, OK?
Partially inspired by the 1999 Broadcast song in which singer Trish Keenan instructs, “Read the sign above the door/ it’s not for everyone,” early Stereolab tunes, and, well, the fact that three out of the sometimes six rotating members are librarians, Ann Arbor’s poppy-punk outfit Book Lovers is turning the page on the raucous days…
