Cover Story
A how-to guide for surviving the Trump administration
This should not have happened. Either way, the 2016 presidential election was going to be an unprecedented, history-making event. From the Democrats, the first-ever woman candidate for a major party in Hillary Clinton. From the Republicans, an outsider businessman with no political or military experience in Donald Trump. But that’s oversimplifying things, isn’t it? To…
Canceled: African Children’s Choir area show on Sunday
We just received word that, after a last-minute venue change, this show has now unfortunately been canceled entirely. “Sorry for the inconvenience. We had to cancel our performance this Sunday evening,” the email reads. “Thank you to all the media who supported our performance, and we appreciate your efforts. Thanks for understanding. This Sunday, Jan. 15,…
UPDATED: Detroit Police slow to disclose fatal Midtown shooting
Updated 10:34 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12: This post has been updated to include additional comments from the Detroit Police Department. Originally posted 04:26 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10: At about 3:15 a.m. Sunday morning, residents in the heart of Midtown were awakened as a series of shots rang out from the middle of Second Avenue at West Canfield Street…
Just announced: Mastodon plays ROMT with Eagles of Death Metal in May
Yesterday, it was announced that Mastodon will play the Royal Oak Music Theatre with special guests Eagles of Death Metal and Russian Circles on Tuesday, May 16. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.; general admission is $32 in advance, $42.50 day of show; reserved seating is $67.50. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m.; here is…
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn ranked 17th on list of metropolitan danger zones for pedestrians
There were 104 metropolitan areas studied by the Smart Growth America and the organization ranked areas based on their PDI. SGA found the numbers for the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area makes it the seventeenth in the most dangerous areas for pedestrians. The full list can be found on the SGA website along with the description and…
18 things to do in Detroit this week
Wednesday, 1/11 Musical: The Improv @ Go! Comedy These days every popular TV show, movie, and podcast gets turned into a touring musical, fraut with cumbersome numbers that don’t seem totally authentic to the original product. Well, the ever-clever comedians at Go! Comedy have found a way to latch on to the concept and make…
Chef Adam Verville, who brought Hawaiian menu to downtown, OUT at Park Bar
We met chef Adam Verville last spring, when he launched the Hawaiian-themed GoGo inside the space that Bucharest used to occupy inside Park Bar. He was hoping to introduce diners nearby the Comerica-adjacent spot to fare inspired by the popular street food from the islands, such as the handheld musubi, loco moco, and Holo Dogs (complete with optional Spam chili). After just…
El Club launches monthly pop-ups, menu takeovers at Katoi, and more dining events
You’ve made a resolution to take in more of the city’s dining scene, anyway. Here, a number of pop-up dinner events taking place this month that will help you keep to that. El Club is expanding its food repertoire with the launch of a monthly pop-up series. The venue’s pizza czar Matt “Pepe Z” Ziolkowski has partnered with chef…
Help wanted: MT is seeking freelance event photographers
Are you a Detroit-based photographer who loves capturing the sights, sounds, and people of the city? Metro Times is in search of a freelance photographer to capture both day and nighttime events in the city and suburbs. The ideal candidate is outgoing, confident in their the skills, and can commit to capturing at least two…
This Rochester estate has a helipad and can be yours or a cool $5.7 million
You know, it’s really hard to find the perfect house of your dreams. We all have different criteria for what makes the perfect home: a certain square footage, an updated kitchen with appliances, or maybe a guest room or two — and in case you just happen to have a random helicopter laying around, you…
Is this Detroit McDonald’s holdup the chillest robbery ever?
Far be it from us to speak in defense of crime. We condemn all who victimize others, from the low-down chiseler to the white-collar grafter. It’s important to put that right up front, lest this blog post be misunderstood. Because, reviewing footage of a robbery that took place on the evening of Jan. 7, at…
Big Sean will be ‘SNL’ musical guest on January 21 with host Aziz Ansari
Holy shit, you guys. Saturday Night Live just announced its host and musical guest for the January 21 episode, and Detroit’s Big Sean will take the legendary stage at Studio 8H. Big Sean will be joined by first time host Aziz Ansari. You may remember Ansari from the beloved NBC show Parks & Recreation and…
ICYMI: ADULT. shares new music off their collaborative, grant-funded LP
We first wrote about the ambitious project over two years ago: Husband and wife electronic music team ADULT. invited a handful of prestigious musicians from around the world to visit them in their Detroit home to work on an album together. The effort was funded in part due to a matching arts grant provided bu…
Fiat-Chrysler says Trump had nothing to do with job announcement
On Sunday, Fiat-Chrysler announced a $1 billion expansion of its plants in Michigan and Ohio that will create 2,000 jobs. Can you guess what happened next? President-elect Donald Trump took credit for it. But a spokeswoman from parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says Trump had nothing to do with the decision: “This plan was in the works back…
Tracee Ellis Ross won a Golden Globe on Sunday and we will never be worthy
We should have wrote about this yesterday, but we were still in awe of Queen Meryl Streep’s fantastic speech about empathy, compassion, and supporting journalists and artists at the Golden Globe awards on Sunday night. One winner from the ceremony has some deep Detroit connections, so we were so pleased to see this fantastic woman…
Senate postpones Betsy DeVos confirmation hearing amid concerns of conflicts of interest
Last night two senators announced that Betsy DeVos, Trump’s pick for Education Secretary, would have to wait another week for a senate hearing that could confirm her spot in the new administration. In a joint statement released by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee chairman, Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and ranking member, Patty Murray (D-Wash)…
Activist groups ask Betsy DeVos to support Title IX in ‘Dear Betsy’ campaign
Betsy DeVos is Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education and while some aren’t convinced she’s got the chops to take on the gig, others are spending their time petitioning the potential cabinet member in hopes she’ll support Title IX protections for rape victims and LGBT students. End Rape on Campus and Know Your IX…
Pylon added to already ridiculous Barely Human Fest lineup
Well, it’s not exactly the Athens, Geo.-based post-punk 1980s greats Pylon, but rather the Pylon Reenactment Society (original Pylon vocalist Vanessa Briscoe Hay plus some new folks). And while it’s not been added to the poster yet, Pylon will headline the Sunday, Feb. 12 lineup for the Barely Human Fest, which we have written about here and…
Big Sean to play the Fox in April
This is not an April Fool’s joke; Big Sean will play the Fox Theatre on April 1. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Jan. 13 at 10 a.m. and they are in the $35-$69.50 range (before fees). The date is part of the Detroit-based rapper’s “I Decided” tour. That of course is the name of…
Huron Room departs from all-Michigan, fish ‘n chips focus, revamps menu
We stopped in at Green Dot Stables over the weekend and couldn’t help but be impressed by the crowds. Five years in business, fans are still willing to wait in long lines for the spot’s famous gourmet sliders. Similar things can be said of one of its sister restaurants, Johnny Noodle King, that’s equally embraced for its unique takes on ramen and…
Conservation group calls for statewide hearings on Nestlé’s water takings
As we pointed out last month, Nestlé has withdrawn billions of gallons of Michigan water from well fields it owns in Osceola and Mecosta counties. For granting the international food giant this privilege, the state of Michigan has received perhaps a few thousand dollars in application fees. Now the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is…
Sen. Elizabeth Warren calls out Betsy DeVos’ lack of experience in epic open letter
With the confirmation hearings of seven of Trump’s Cabinet-level nominees in the Senate this week, many lawmakers are making it known that some of these nominees are not qualified for the job. Senator Debbie Stabenow already told the press that she cannot support Betsy DeVos, Trump’s nominee to run the Department of Education, and now…
Marvin Yagoda of Marvelous Marvin’s Mechanical Museum has died
Marvin Yagoda, founder of Marvelous Marvin’s Mechanical Museum, died Sunday evening, according to WDIV. He was 78. The eccentric businessman created the Farmington Hills marvel, having started collecting items upon his graduation from the University of Michigan. According to a 2003 Metro Times interview with his son Jeremy, Yagoda’s “insanity” was to blame for the collection…
Rebirth Brass Band to play Otus Supply on MLK Day
Justifiably revered New Orleans institution the Rebirth Brass Band will perform at Ferndale’s newest venue Otus Supply next Monday, Jan. 16 — a day which should be an absolute holiday for everyone (I’d personally trade in “President’s Day” for MLK Day in a heartbeat, but wait — even that holiday is another where usually only…
Despite Trump, General Motors stands by Mexican plans
While speaking to reporters at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday, General Motors CEO Mary Barra defended the automaker’s decision to produce a small volume of its Chevrolet Cruzes in Mexico. “This is a long-lead business with high capital-intensive investments, decisions that were made two, three and four years ago,” Barra said, according…
‘Detroit Punks’ zooms in on Jerry Vile
Jerry Vile is a fascinating guy. He’s been an artist, magazine publisher, punk vocalist, promoter, and visionary. And if you were to tie all the sensational stories told about his antics over the years, you could make quite an entertaining short film. Well, guess what? Somebody did. Namely, those guys at Detroit Punks have come…
It’s that time of year again, Hopslam season is back
With the start of new year, Michigan beer snobs are rejoicing the return of Hopslam, that cult classic brewed by Bell’s. Starting Monday, the Comstock-based brewery began shipping cans of the 10 percent ABV double IPA all over lower Michigan, including in metro Detroit. Northern Michigan, the UP, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin will follow,…
Sen. Debbie Stabenow says ‘Nope!’ to Betsy DeVos cabinet appointment
Today, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) is all of us. After a Jan. 5 interview with Betsy Devos regarding her possible appointment of Secretary of Education under Trump, Stabenow said, “Nope.” A Freep article reported that Stabenow said, “Our conversation reaffirmed my strong concerns about her nomination. Betsy DeVos and her family have a long record…
Detroit Restaurant Week to return next month
It wasn’t entirely clear whether there would be another Detroit Restaurant Week. But return it has. Organizers announced this week that come Feb. 3-12, the dining series will reemerge after both the spring and fall editions had been postponed for 2016. We reported back in September that the future of the 10-day-long culinary celebration was in question, forcing event backers to take…
Updated: Macomb County in state of emergency following Fraser sinkhole
Updated: Gov. Rick Snyder has officially declared a state of emergency in Macomb County, the Detroit News reports. This authorizes the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security Division to assist Macomb County. Originally posted 9:06 a.m., Friday, Jan. 6: Following a massive sinkhole in Fraser, Macomb County officials have declared a state of emergency…
Sierra Club flunks Mich. lawmakers in annual report card
The Sierra Club thinks Michigan has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to its annual environmental report card. The grassroots group released its scorecard of the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, and the results are pretty dismal. The Senate received a failing score of 55 percent. The House got 61 percent. The scorecard calculated the results based on 17…
Another Snyder disaster unraveling: The Unemployment Insurance Agency
Yesterday, a reshuffling of state employees marked the beginning of a state review of Michigan’s Unemployment Insurance Agency. While the problems with that agency haven’t posed the same threats to health and well-being as the poisoning of city water in Flint, they’ve probably deserved more coverage than they’ve gotten. And, as with Flint’s “water crisis”…
Speed limits to increase on some Michigan highways
Drivers will be able to blaze through some rural Michigan highways at speeds up to 75 miles per hour now that Gov. Rick Synder has signed a bill to increase the speed limit. Yesterday MLive reported that the “main bill requires the Michigan Department of Transportation and Department of State Police to raise speed limits to…
Tonight: Redford Theatre honors Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher
Unfortunately for all of us, 2016 had to finish the year with a sucker punch right in the gut: the passing of the iconic mother-daughter duo Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. In honor of the actresses, the Redford Theatre is doing what they do best: having a double feature of two of the actresses’ greatest…
This video of animals from the Detroit Zoo tearing apart Christmas trees will warm your cold beating heart
If this doesn’t warm your cold beating heart than we don’t know what will. Our lovely friends at the Detroit Zoo took some recycled trees form the holidays and let some of the animals who can stand being outside in 20 degree weather play with them until the trees were no more. Buffalos, wolves, and…
Arthur the aardvark singing Eminem’s ‘Not Afraid’ is the best thing you’ll see all day
Just when you thought that the Internet has calmed down on the “Arthur” memes, someone with too much time on their hands created this masterpiece video of Arthur singing along to Eminem’s “Not Afraid” from his 2010 album Recovery. Video editor and possible ruler of the Internet Adam Schleichkorn is known for making mashup videos…
Cher is set to star in a Lifetime movie about Flint
We’re sure that if Cher could really turn back time she would have stopped the state of Michigan for ever voting for Rick Snyder (just look at some of her tweets about him), but starring in a Lifetime movie about the Flint water crisis will have to do instead. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the iconic…
Detroiters who cycle all winter have what it takes to ‘Bike the Blizzard’
There’s a reason the League of American Bicyclists holds its annual “Bike to Work Day” on May 19. With April’s showers over and those chilly May mornings warming up, it’s the perfect time to try to get people into the routine of biking to work — a routine that organizers hope will last at least…
Mich. calls for review of Unemployment Insurance Agency, replaces director
The state of Michigan has removed the director of its Unemployment Insurance Agency on Thursday as part of a “top-to-bottom review” following complaints that the agency has been falsely accusing unemployment insurance fraud. In one of those stranger than fiction moments that seems par for the course here, it turns out the state’s computerized fraud detection…
Lauded Southerner chef to take over Mabel Gray next month
As part of chef James Rigato’s non-stop effort to promote Michigan’s dining culture, he will be relinquishing his kitchen at Mabel Gray for one night next month to a fellow culinary star. Chef Matt Millar, a two-time James Beard Award nominee who runs the Southerner in Saugatuck, will prepare a six-course Southern-inspired feast at the Hazel Park eatery…
Watchdog group: Fire Detroit cop who allegedly called city residents ‘garbage’
Steve Neavling of Motor City Muckraker is known for traveling all over Detroit like a one-man reporting squad, hunting for news. But sometimes it just falls in his lap. Or, rather, his laptop: A few days ago, after posting a story to Facebook about how many Detroit police don’t live in the city, a self-identified…
In praise of Blind Willie Johnson’s ‘Dark Was the Night’
This Saturday, Trinity House in Livonia hosts an epic tribute to Blind Willie Johnson, the great sanctified musician who recorded in the 1920s and ’30s. Tribute to Blind Willie Johnson Benefiting Neighborhood Service Organization goes down this Saturday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m., and is $20 for general admission, $17 for subscribers. This news caused me…
Lawsuit: Couple accuses owners of vinyl-themed Griot Music Lounge of fraud, conspiracy
The reaction was overwhelmingly positive when we broke the news that a vinyl-centric jazz bar had opened in Midtown last month. The Griot Music Lounge – situated at 66 E. Forest in between Seva and the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art – features a collection of records curated by John Taylor. Early reviews of the spot say the space gives guests a living…
All around goddess Issa Rae to stop by U-M on MLK day
If you haven’t checked out writer/director/actress/badass Issa Rae’s new HBO show Insecure then what are you even doing with your life? Find a friend that has an HBO Go account and start streaming. Anyway, Rae was recently nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on the show, and…
NYT named Detroit a top destination in 2017 — but that’s not even the best part
Every year the New York Times releases a list of the best places to visit. It’s basically a Pinterest vision board for all the places you’d like to go but never will. This year Detroit made the cut, coming in at No. 9 on a list of 52. They cited the QLine and Little Caesars…
103 years ago, Ford doubled minimum wage — but it still wasn’t much
Henry Ford was a lot of things — yes, including an antisemite and a furious opponent of trade unions — but he was also something of a revolutionary when it came to paying his employees fair wages. 103 years ago today he instituted a $5 per day minimum wage for his employees, which was double…
Just announced: The xx are coming to town in May and holy shit we’re excited
The xx, the indie darling who have ben missing from our lives for the past four years, have finally announced a North American tour and they are making a stop in Detroit at the Masonic Temple on May 2. The band’s newest release, I See You, comes out January 13 after a four year long…
The Sunshine State is getting their own HopCat in late 2017
The people behind those glorious little crack fries are now expanding their brand way down south to the sandy beaches of Florida. The Grand Rapids based BarFly Ventures LLC (where the OG HopCat is) announced this morning that it will open a Florida HopCat in Port St. Lucie, which is located on the east side…
Only 253 days until the Juggalo March on Washington, D.C.
In 2017, Washington, D.C., is going to be full of hallucinatory spectacle thanks to the incoming Trump presidency. That’s a cinch. But at least some of the capital’s colorfulness this fall will come from underground hip-hop artists and pop culture icons Insane Clown Posse, who have announced a Juggalo March on Washington to be held…
Blake’s Hard Cider plans release of Grizzly Pear cider, reports huge growth in 2016
Blake’s Farms has been headquartered in Armada since 1946, gaining a cozy rapport with the surrounding community. With three locations (Cider Mill, Big Apple, and Almont Garden Center), the apple-growing company is known for providing pick-your-own-apple services, cut-your-own-Christmas-tree services, hosting a lavender festival, and being home to a spook-tacular Halloween attraction that does in fact…
Bonny Doon shares new track, prepares to conquer the indie/country-rock universe
We love Bonny Doon, and have for a couple years now. Sometimes, we even spell their name right. As they prepare to release their first LP on Salinas (out in two months, because the test pressing came back weird — and look you can pre-order it here for only $10) — the press machine is…
Michigan senator calls his 72k salary a ‘fixed income’
In what appears to be an attempt to commiserate with his constituents, Michigan Sen. Patrick Colbeck (R-Canton) says he’s been living on a fixed income for the last six years he’s served the people of Michigan. In a Facebook post, Colbeck says he and his wifehad to disconnect their cable, switch their cell phone service,…
Woolly Mammoths reappear for 2017 independent league season
Metro-Detroit’s only independent baseball league – the United Shore Professional Baseball League – announced the fourth team amongst their ranks. The Westside Woolly Mammoths will compete with the Utica Unicorns, Eastside Diamond Hoppers, and the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers in the newly minted Jimmy John’s Field, 7171 Auburn Rd., in Utica. Michigan isn’t known for it’s…
Savage Love: Just Drinks
Q: My brother is a virgin and turning 30 in a few weeks. He said he wants to hire an escort just for drinks and conversation for his birthday, but he doesn’t really know how to tell what’s a reliable service or what criteria he should be looking for to tell whether an agency is…
Politics & Prejudices: The Snyder Follies
Late last year, two things happened that I never would have dreamed possible: Rick Snyder, our off-kilter, emotionally deficient accountant of a governor, made me laugh out loud. Even more surprising, I found myself briefly sympathizing with Donald Trump, also known as the man who is about to do his best to destroy America. Here’s…
Sarey Ruden and the art of name calling
The world of online dating is a chasm of shenanigans — swiping, selfies, unsolicited images of genitalia, and occasionally messages like this one: “You’re a drunk single angry mean loser who will never have children.” Detroiter Sarey Ruden knows this ugly side of online dating all too well; she’s been collecting messages like the one…
Higher Ground: Six things to consider
While last year seemed a good year for cannabis activists and users on the national scene — four more states legalized recreational use and other states legalized medical — there is still plenty to fight about in Michigan and across the nation. Although there are now 28 legal medical marijuana states, we still don’t know…
Review: Downtown Detroit spot Parc dazzles
When he opened the menu at Parc and found no meat entrees south of $41, my companion huffed, “Welcome to Gilbertville.” Those surely weren’t Dan Gilbert’s fellow billionaires we were rubbing elbows with in Parc’s compact space, but the restaurant is indeed positioning itself for the well-heeled that Gilbert has vowed to bring back downtown.…
Benny Reeves, a Motown original, is still hustlin’ — in between Uber gigs
Benny Reeves is having car trouble. Several hours ago, his Lincoln nearly caught fire. Several decades earlier, his music career nearly did. In 1959, a 21-year-old Reeves moved back to Detroit after a four-year “kitty cruise” in the Navy. While home, a then-little-known vocal group called the Contours recruited him for a couple basement rehearsals…
Side Dish: Antonio Lopez is in Detroit’s royal tequila family
Antonio Lopez can sometimes be hard to get a hold of. That’s because when he’s not getting his hands dirty at his family’s Lopez Tire shop in Southwest Detroit, he’s rubbing elbows with the owners of bars, restaurants, and party stores — all to get his family’s Tequila Cabresto into the Detroit craft distilling lexicon.…
Patti Smith, Drive-By Truckers, and 14 other recently announced shows
Tickets are now on sale for these events. Jan. 27, Stacey Pullen at Grasshopper Underground; Tickets are $10. Feb. 3, Drive-By Truckers at the Majestic Theatre; majesticdetroit.com; Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 day of show. Feb. 10-12. Barely Human Festival with ESG, John Bender, ADULT. and more, elclubdetroit.com; Individual shows are $20 per night.…
Horoscopes (Jan. 4-10)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): You can’t be expected to go along with the program at a time like this. Before you start coloring outside the lines getting clear about a) what it will cost you, and b) what it means to be strong enough to go there. All of your tests have made it…
Moo Cluck Moo hoping to drive mobile kitchen trend
The idea was revolutionary in fast food. Start workers at $12 in job-hungry metro Detroit where unemployment ran rampant. Keep the menu brief — burgers, chicken, fries, shakes — and use only hormone-free, never frozen meat. It was this strategy that caught national headlines when Moo Cluck Moo opened its first location in Dearborn Heights…
