Cover Stories
Pig & Whiskey returns to Ferndale with new offerings
Nothing says summer quite as clearly as barbecue and booze. Add music to the mix and you’ve got Pig & Whiskey — the annual Ferndale blowout co-produced by Metro Times and Woodward Avenue Brewers. All are invited to fill up on the sweet and tangy offerings of more than 20 barbecue vendors, and wash it…
Your guide to the music of Pig & Whiskey
It’s that time of year again: the time to walk around Ferndale in the heat, gnawing on pork and drinking brown liquor at the Pig & Whiskey festival. Arguably even more exciting is the heavily curated musical lineup, including the best of Detroit’s rock and Americana bands, along with some out-of-towners. We included the lineup…
Eight excellent metro Detroit barbecue restaurants and food trucks
Detroit hasn’t always had a reputation as a national leader in grilled meats, but our barbecue game is strong. Here are some of the region’s best spots for smokey, succulent, and saucy meats. Some will even be featured at this year’s Pig & Whiskey event in Ferndale. Parks Old Style Bar-B-Q 7444 Beaubien St., Detroit;…
One-man-band Mobley will do it all at Underground at DIME
“The future isn’t home,” Mobley presses on the layered track “Young Adult Fiction” from Fresh Lies, Vol. I — an album he defines as “post-genre pop.” This is but one example of the incomparable Austin, Texas-based artist’s innate ability to pair varied uncertainties with lush soundscapes and hopeful resolve. Mobley can best be described as…
You can catch Saint Motel for free at Beacon Park this Saturday
It’s no easy task to embed the popular children’s diddy “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” into a pop song and make it sound cool. Yet L.A. indie-pop foursome Saint Motel did that with “Move.” After the band’s 2014 earworm “My Type” blew up, the band was handed the keys to the indie-pop kingdom, landing spots…
‘Queen of Rockabilly’ Wanda Jackson brings her badassery to El Club
At 80 years old, Wanda Jackson is still the reigning Queen of Rockabilly. Known for her distinctive searing voice and steadfast spirit, Jackson held her own during a time when rock ’n’ roll was an especially male-dominated genre. A true trailblazer, Jackson shared the bill with Elvis Presley in her early years, and in 1960…
Raphael Saadiq shares a stage with Ali Shaheed Muhammad for MOCAD Homestead series
If the name Raphael Saadiq doesn’t strike an immediate chord it’s probably because he has become synonymous with his multi-platinum R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné! Saadiq is regarded as one of the preeminent R&B artists of the ‘90s, having worked with D’Angelo, TLC, and John Legend (to name a few). Just last year, Saadiq teamed…
Saturday’s Kindred Music & Culture Festival postponed due to rain
You can plan a killer music festival, but you can’t predict the weather. Saturday was supposed to mark the arrival of Detroit’s inaugural Kindred Music & Culture Festival — a day of outdoor music and fun featuring performances by emerging Motor City artists like Payroll Giovanni, Bevlove, Willie Mac Jr., and more. However, on Tuesday night…
James Beard-winning chef is opening a Japanese-inspired restaurant in Birmingham
The list of James Beard Foundation Award-winning chefs and restaurateurs in metro Detroit is short. The last to win was Alex Young, who took “Best Chef In The Midwest” honors in 2011 while at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, though a few who have won elsewhere moved to the region in recent years. We can add one more to…
Michigan Glass Project gears up for main event at Russell Industrial Center
The Michigan Glass Project — a glass, music, and arts festival benefiting art programs in Detroit Public Schools — returns to the Russell Industrial Center with a kick-glass lineup. More than 60 renowned glass artists will be on display creating works of art on site to be auctioned off to benefit Art Road, a nonprofit.…
Detroit actors to perform Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ for free at New Center Park
Before Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda gave the world the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights — a cultural story centered around New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood and its Hispanic community. The story follows the lives of bodega owner Usnavi and his beautician girlfriend Vanessa. Then there’s Nina and Benny — a second love story defined…
Does Detroit’s revival mean job losses for Oakland County?
Relations between Oakland and Wayne County have not always been tense, but the hot debate surrounding a regional transit plan sure hasn’t benefitted city-suburban ties. Now that the proposal for a $5 billion transit program (which would include rapid transit buses from Oakland County suburbs to Detroit) is nearly dead in the water, the lack…
Supreme Court justices to hear anti-gerrymandering case may have conflict of interest
Gerrymandering is a hot-button issue in Michigan this election season, with the group Voters Not Politicians fighting to put a measure on the ballot that would end the practice of drawing districts around people based on their political affiliation. The proposal calls for a transparent and non-partisan redistricting process, but it’s facing fierce opposition. Citizens…
Model from Monroe breastfeeds on runway – and we are here for it
A woman nursing her hungry child in public should not warrant national headlines. Even Mara Martin, a Monroe, Mich. native and finalist in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model search admits that her overnight fame for tending to her 5-month-old doesn’t make much sense. When Martin took to the Sports Illustrated runway Sunday as part of the…
Metro Detroit author wins prestigious crime fiction prize
Detroit-area writer Stephen Mack Jones has plenty to be happy about this year. But the summer’s crowning achievement was likely his acceptance of the prestigious Hammett Award at the Algonquin Hotel in New York on Friday. The book, August Snow, concerns a former Detroit cop who wins a lucrative lawsuit against the city. It’s only…
Kacey Musgraves plots solo tour with a Royal Oak show in 2019
She’s shot whiskey with Willie Nelson, sang with Loretta Lynn, and just wrapped a massive tour with the ever so swoon-worthy Harry Styles. Kacey Musgraves is clearly plotting some kind of world takeover, y’all. The 29-year-old country-pop sweetheart announced her “Oh, What a World” tour in continued support of 2018’s Golden Hour, which has been…
A new Latin restaurant, tequila bar is coming to Corktown
A new restaurant focused on “tequila, mezcal, and Latin food” is in the works for the former Red Corridor and Casey’s Pub space in Corktown. From the appearance of its social media accounts, Toma Detroit is still in the early stages of redeveloping the location as its owners just received the keys to the space last…
Socialist firebrand Ocasio-Cortez to stump for El-Sayed in Michigan
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — the New York socialist who recently pulled off a stunning primary upset against a long-serving, Wall Street-backed congressman — is coming to Michigan in hopes of giving gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed a boost. Ocasio-Cortez will join El-Sayed on campaign stops in Detroit, Flint, Ypsilanti, and Grand Rapids on July 28 and July…
Here’s a sneak peek of Detroit’s ‘Weird Homes Tour’
Next month, Detroit will host the national “Weird Homes Tour,” which has been on the hunt for “the most eccentric, funky, extraordinary, offbeat, magical, and ‘weird’ homes Detroit has to offer.” The self-guided tour is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25, and will showcase 10 homes, with homeowners on hand to…
Greta Van Fleet drop new single ‘When The Curtain Falls’ and it’s really good
Frankenmuth’s retro-rockers and recent Metro Times cover dudes Greta Van Fleet took a break from their usual curated social media antics — trippy performance shots and cutesy “day off” tour snaps — for something a bit more conceptual. Frequent users of the term “flower power,” GVF mysteriously posted an image of four white roses against a black…
Ferndale vegan and vegetarian restaurant Om Cafe is closing after more than 33 years
Longtime Ferndale vegan and vegeterian restaurant Om Cafe announced on Facebook on Monday evening that it will close in two weeks. Owners Madu Helsel and Jessica Norwood wrote that financial challenges facing the restaurant at 23136 Woodward Ave. led to the decision. After many years of tireless dedication, it’s with a heavy heart that I…
NCAA snubs Detroit’s bid to host Final Four tournament
Despite Detroit’s recent renaissance, which has seen an influx of both people and capital to the downtown region, the city won’t have the honor of playing host to the NCAA Final Four tournament anytime soon. Detroit was one of seven finalists vying for a slot to host the Final Four series – other finalists included…
Buddy’s Pizza is selling its original location
The inventor of the Detroit style-pizza is selling its original location as it prepares to take the brand national. Buddy’s Pizza recently put its McNichols Road and Conant Street location on the market for $1.5 million but is offering a leaseback in which it would sell the building but continue to lease the property. A…
See the city on two wheels with these Detroit-based bike rides
Cycling is an all-season sport, but there’s something special about pedaling your way through the city on a warm summer night. And just like every bike has two wheels, every cyclist should have a buddy (or a few). From morning to midnight, there is a group ready to ride with you if you look in…
Tagger hits Detroit Minions billboard with ‘ABORTIONS ARE TIGHT!!!’
The #ShoutYourAbortion movement appears to have an ally in a Detroit tagger, who recently hit a west side billboard with “ABORTIONS ARE TIGHT!!!” The statement is scrawled beside an open-mouthed minion on an Xfinity advertisement on Grand River Avenue near West Grand Boulevard, almost as if to suggest the gleeful one-eyed creature is saying the…
Detroit’s Britney Stoney releases stunning video for ‘O.D.’
The sweet sonic angel known as Britney Stoney just dropped a frothy, cotton-candy track about catching feelings — and the video will have you floating above the bullshit. In her first video since 2017’s sad-girl prom anthem “Grip”, directed by artist KATAI, “O.D.” toggles between camera-phone quality and beautiful cinematic rooftop shots of Stoney flexing…
Wall Street Journal urges Trump to reject Moroun plea to revoke Gordie Howe permit
An opinion piece from the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal opens with a comparison so clever we wonder why we haven’t seen it made in Detroit: “Mexico isn’t paying for that border wall, but Canada has volunteered to single-handedly finance a bridge to facilitate trade with the United States.” See what they did…
Mysterious Craigslist post calls for crying and screaming kids for television series
If your kid has a strong set of pipes and can wail on cue, you might have a TV star on your hands. A mysterious Craigslist posting went up Sunday night calling for children actors ages 8-12 of “all colors and backgrounds” to star in a television pitch to a major streaming service. It’s paired…
Fine casual Indian restaurant opens in Dearborn on Thursday
A new fine casual Indian restaurant opens on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn on Thursday. Peacock Indian Cuisine will offer simple menu of vegetarian options like chana masala, saag paneer, and malai kofta. A section of the menu dedicated to chicken includes dishes like chicken vindaloo, chicken tikka masala, and butter chicken. Appetizers include samosas, paneer…
Drummer B returns with ‘The Diamond Project’
We last heard from tech and hip-hop producer Leonard Ware (aka Drummer B) back in 2016, when he released his heavily Detroit-inspired People Mover. Now, he’s back with The Diamond Project EP 1, the first of two releases on Derrick May’s Transmat label. “In Case Y’all Forgot” is powered by fast but melodic synthesized drums, with…
Baby chimp born at Detroit Zoo on first-ever World Chimpanzee Day
Perfect timing. This baby chimp entered the world just after midnight at the Detroit Zoo on Saturday, the first-ever World Chimpanzee day. According to the Detroit Zoo, the day marks the occasion of English primatologist and anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall’s first trip, in 1960, to a national park in Tanzania to study the social interactions…
It’s election season, meaning Kid Rock has yet another opportunity to be a jackass
We never subscribed to this. On Friday, just after lunch, we arrived back at our desk to discover an email from none other than Kid Rock. The subject line: 😭 John will make D.C. liberals cry 😭 The message was an endorsement for John James, a Republican running against U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who has…
Parasites in McDonald’s salads, Del Monte vegetable trays sicken Michigan residents
The U.S. Center for Disease Control is investigating the contamination of vegetables and salad mix in upper Midwestern states that so far is linked to McDonald’s and Del Monte products. Around 200 people have been sickened by the contamination of Del Monte vegetable trays, and another approximately 100 people have been sickened by McDonald’s salads.…
Empathy Grind serves as gallery opening, book launch, and discussion with activist and exoneree Amanda Knox
There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to this weekend’s grand opening celebration of a new gallery and social space in Woodbridge. Armageddon Beachparty Store and Lounge, the brainchild of married Detroit artists/collective Motu and Kozuma and self-proclaimed “makers of contemporary pop surrealism with satirical psychedelic whimsy” have a loaded lineup to welcome themselves…
1,500 Detroit households face tax foreclosure ahead of fall auction
It’s that time of year again, when the government prepares to seize and sell the homes of Detroiters who owe as much in back taxes as the value of the latest iPhone. But in 2018, the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office says it has some good news to share: There are just 1,517 households facing foreclosure…
Ferndale four-piece Siamese drop gory noir video for ‘Tarrare’
If you’re not familiar with the true story of Tarrare, the French showman and soldier whose insatiable appetite led him to eat excessive amounts of food and non-food, then don’t worry. Ferndale gloom-wave outfit Siamese is here to retell the tale via a gory new video. In the band’s first single from their forthcoming album…
Michigan Humane Society holds contest for 2019 calendar
When not doing their best to better the lives of pets across the state, the Michigan Humane Society is capturing cuteness in the best way possible – with a calendar. For next year’s Michigan Humane Society calendar, the animal welfare organization is holding a contest, ending tonight, to determine which pets will be featured in the…
Grand Prix offers few changes in proposal to stay on Belle Isle for 5 more years
In a speech at the Belle Isle Boat House on Friday morning that was filled with half-truths and misleading information, a Detroit Grand Prix official laid out a proposal to keep the race running on Belle Isle. In exchange for a three-year contract with an option to extend for two more years, the Grand Prix…
Detroit Lions players quake in fear as they play “What’s In The Box?”
These Detroit Lions players prove that the anticipation of the unknown is scarier than any team or player. The players participated in a harrowing game of “What’s In The Box?” on the Detroit Lions twitter account, and the results will make anyone who has ever panicked when the lights go out feel right at home.…
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan borrows from Trump playbook of undermining media
What do you do if you’re a government official and a journalist gives voice to ethical concerns over a process to award lucrative licenses? If you’re a standard-fare politician, you might say that’s just the way things are done around here. But if you work for an administration with a track record of undermining the…
‘Forbes’ features Claude VonStroke showing off his favorite spots in Detroit
Take it as another symptom of the high-earning power of Motor City cachet that Claude VonStroke is featured in Forbes of all places showing off his hometown of Detroit. Related It’s just a short piece, all one one page, with shots of the impresario at almost a half-dozen locations around town, including Belle Isle, Greektown,…
Planet Ant Theater launches comedy podcast network
Pod bless this mess! The longtime Hamtramck-based theater and entertainment complex Planet Ant Theater is venturing into the wide world of podcasts with the launch of their own comedy podcast network Saturday, July 14 at Ant Hall. So far, Planet Ant Podcasts has six original and established shows on the roster, all of which are…
Geraldo Rivera’s clownin’-ass is selfie-ing his way around Michigan
Mustachioed TV personality Geraldo Rivera has been taking a boat trip around Michigan for the past week or so and documenting his journey on Twitter. But he’s not sharing flicks of the Great Lakes or his boat mates. The images are just pure, off-duty Geraldo, the organ under his signature ‘stache curved upward, his head…
Red Bull Arts Detroit plots program expansion
Red Bull Arts is expanding its Detroit base and introducing a revamped contemporary arts program. The newly dubbed Red Bull Arts Detroit will offer opportunities for artists through expanded residency programs, visiting curator fellowships, visiting writer fellowships, and micro-grants. The Red Bull Arts Detroit has also designated a selection committee to oversee the artists and programs. The…
Here are the Michigan politicians taking money from the NRA
It’s been about two weeks since the nation’s last high profile mass shooting (though there are more that you don’t hear about) which means, statistically speaking, we’re about due for another. It’s a grim situation, but it seems people are finally getting sick of the carnage, and the calls for stricter gun laws are growing…
Detroit Princess half-pipe event rescheduled due to popular demand
Jordan Garland has a dream to put a half-pipe on the Detroit Princess riverboat. Apparently, a lot of other people want to see that dream become a reality because the event has now been rescheduled to accommodate more passengers. “Due to the crazy response for the event, the boat offered us to switch dates,” says…
Shipping Container food hall opens in Cass Corridor on Friday
After a long, long wait, the highly anticipated Detroit Shipping Company food hall launches on Friday. At least partially. Brujos Tacos and Tapas, Bangkok 96, and chef Max Hardy’s Coop are hosting their soft openings with a party that starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. When it’s fully completed, 22 repurposed shipping…
Now Elon Musk says he can fix Flint’s water crisis
After trying — and not succeeding — to help rescue a soccer team trapped in a Thai cave, Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk says he will now set his philanthropic sights closer to home by fixing Flint’s ongoing water crisis. During the recent rescue mission of 12 Thai soccer players and their coach that gripped…
Twenty One Pilots will crash-land at Little Caesars Arena this fall
Airwave “Heathens” Twenty One Pilots announced a massive world tour Wednesday, and they’re paying a visit to Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 24. In support of the duo’s upcoming album Trench (due out Oct. 5), “The Bandito Tour” will kick-off in Nashville before trekking across the U.S. followed by dates in the U.K., Europe, and Australia.…
Gretchen Whitmer reads mean tweets
Gretchen Whitmer is many things: the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate, a former member of the Michigan House and Senate, a wife, and a mother. But she’s also a woman on Twitter, which of course means she gets plenty of pure idiocy thrown her way because Twitter is truly hell. In a video posted to her…
Como’s will host pre-construction pop up parties on its patio
The new owners of Ferndale’s shuttered Como’s will host a patio pop up series called FOMO’S (Fear Of Missing Out) that commences on Aug. 3 and runs through the summer’s end. The longtime Woodward Avenue pizza restaurant is being revived chef Zack Sklar’s Peas & Carrots Hospitality. Sklar is planning a pizza-centered Italian concept for Como’s…
New report probes conflicts of interest in Line 5 evaluation
When it comes to Enbridge Energy’s relationship with Michigan’s government, it looks like things are muckier than the oil the company spilled in the Kalamazoo River in 2010. It’s the company’s spotty track record, in part, that has led to a call to reevaluate and possibly decommission its Line 5 pipeline, which is situated at…
Detroit’s board of education gives the green light to hire teachers without classroom experience
Being a teacher is a tough job. Between interfering parents, state-mandated benchmarks, and smelly pre-adolescents that haven’t learned to put down the Axe body spray yet, education can be a stressful career path. And in Detroit, it’s even harder. Pepper in a lack of funds, a shortage of counseling resources, and a body of students…
The world’s largest bounce house is coming to Michigan
The world is burning, folks. Children are in cages, there’s an ongoing debt crisis, and oceans are filled with Frappucino straws. But once in a rare while we are given a break from the gloom and doom. On Aug. 3 through Aug. 5, this reprieve comes in the form of a bounce house — the…
MoGo bike share to expand service from Detroit to Oakland County
You can soon ride that red rental bike all the way from downtown Detroit to the ‘burbs. MoGo bike share says it will expand service to Berkley, Ferndale, Huntington Woods, Oak Park, and Royal Oak in spring of 2019. The company says it will also add more stations in the city of Detroit. In total,…
MDEQ official who told Flint residents to ‘relax’ will lead media training for Michigan
A report by Bridge Magazine has revealed that the state official who resigned in disgrace after he dismissed and downplayed the concerns of Flint residents about the quality of their drinking water is back on the state payroll. That official is Brad Wurfel. You may recall that, in the summer of 2015, as water faucets…
Savage Love: Lopsiders
Longtime Savage Love fanboy with a bit of a conundrum — and it’s your fault! I’m a bi man in my 30s. To use Charles M. Blow’s word, my bisexuality is “lopsided.” This means that I fall in love with women exclusively, but I love to have sex with men occasionally. My current girlfriend not…
‘Sorry to Bother You’ and the virtues of phoning it in
We’re not likely to get a sharper comedy this summer than Sorry to Bother You, rapper-turned-writer and director Boots Riley’s new dystopian satire on American competition — set in an ugly present a whole lot like our own. The movie kicks off with an interview for a job at Regal View, a knowingly sleazy telemarketing…
Horoscopes (July 11-17)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 With good reason to be riled up about one thing or another, hopefully you have reached the point where there’s no need to put it on the loudspeaker. As much as you are on the verge of letting it rip, or walking off the set, haul back and remind…
A federal tipping point for marijuana?
In 2008, Michigan was the 12th state to legalize medical marijuana. After that, I used to eagerly count on my fingers and toes how many states had medical use. I figured that once a majority of states had medical marijuana laws, it would tip the scales for the federal government to do something. I was…
Stephanie Lauren turns heartbreak into electropop with Ladysse
If there’s anything that multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Stephanie Lauren has mastered along with music, it’s new beginnings. Originally from San Francisco, Lauren says she has bopped around the country a few times in the past decade, and eventually landed in Detroit simply because of the feeling the city gave her. “I just like change,” she…
Scarab Club exhibition features top illustrators
This week, Detroit’s Westin Book Cadillac Hotel will play host to the Icon illustration conference — the first time the biennial gathering has been held in the Motor City. And while the conference is geared toward professional illustrators (tickets run $620, and grant access to workshops, artist talks, demonstrations, and more), there’s an opportunity for…
Review: 168 Asian Mart isn’t just lucky — it’s tasty
You don’t go to the food court at 168 Asian Mart for a date night. Not unless your date likes plastic spoons, tiny napkins, Styrofoam dinnerware, and fluorescent lights. But maybe your date loves real Chinese food, cares about your pocketbook, and gets excited about leftovers. In that case, go for it. Billing itself “Michigan’s…
Detroit’s drinking culture goes eco-friendly
By now, most savvy diners in metro Detroit know their way around farm-to-table food. They’re aware of the environmental impact of overfishing, and the energy savings and the economic benefit of locally sourced meat and produce. They’ve come to expect a chef who crafts creative entrees while maintaining a minimal carbon footprint. Take away their…
How ‘The Daily Show’ co-founder Lizz Winstead is using comedy to flip the script on reproductive politics
When comedian and activist Lizz Winstead co-created The Daily Show in 1996, it was a different world — a world without Twitter, and a world without a president with Twitter. Unfortunately, though, many things remain the same. When it comes to women’s reproductive health, abortion rights, and the lives of those physicians, nurses, and volunteers…
