Bridge Land
A major piece of land needed to complete the southern side of the planned Detroit River International Crossing is now in the hands of the Canadian government. Announced today, the $34 million, 94-acre parcel purchased from the city of Windsor gives the DRIC some of the space needed for an inspection plaza and the proposed…
MAJESTIC’S NEW ROOM DEBUTS WITH THE DATSUNS
The Duchess and the Duke show tonight at the Majestic Theatre complex was supposed to be the “official” (or “unofficial,” depending on how you look at it) opening of the facitity’s newly remodeled lounge. In case you hadn’t heard, what was formerly known as the Majestic Cafe is currently being transformed into “a hip, edgy,…
MIDWEST MUSIC FEST 2009 KICKS OFF TOMORROW
If you feel like taking a trip north this week… The city of Mount Pleasant — home to Central Michigan University — kicks off its second annual Midwest Fest tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21st. Midwest Fest 2009 is a five-day music festival running through this Saturday, July 25th, coinciding with Mount Pleasant’s Street Fair and Art…
FIRE IN FERNDALE
Here’s what we know happened: A 27-year-old Clawson resident, Saied Haidarian-Shahri (licensed to drive for only two months), reportedly lost control of his 2004 Honda Civic in the curve on Interstate 75 beneath the Nine Mile Road bridge. That particular stretch has a posted “suggested” speed of 50 mph, but we now know that Haidarian-Shahri…
Last look at the Michael Jackson memorial
Sometime today (maybe it’s happened already), movers are to pack up and haul away the Michael Jackson memorial that’s spontaneously sprouted in front of the Motown Museum on Grand Boulevard. The contents are to be taken to Detroit’s Woodlawn Cemetery, where they’ll be permanently interred — sort of a memorial to a memorial. Which we’ve…
Night and Day
WEDNESDAY JULY 15 Comix 101 with Art Spiegelman CARTOON RENEGADE Part of the ’60s and ’70s underground comics scene, Art Spiegelman smashed the conventions of the genre by creating comics that explored personal, political and social issues. Spiegelman first gained mainstream notice in the ’80s when he published Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, a graphic novel…
Six signs you’re in a serious cocktail bar
Chilled glasses: You’ll notice some bartenders will fill your glass with ice water and drain it off before pouring the cocktail in. (An even better method is ten minutes in the freezer.) Cold, cracked ice: If you’ve ever been served a warm or diluted cocktail you can blame the ice (and an indifferent bartender). Cracked…
Diving for pearls
Meant, as always, in the most loving sense of the word, Tom’s is a true dive. Open mostly on weekends, the old "house bar" opened when founder Tom Lucas bought the building in 1928, back when Prohibition was the law of the land, and when Seven Mile was still a dirt road. An astonishing 81…
Motor City satisfaction
We originally planned to just do a sidebar on Don Was, who is once again presenting his Detroit Super Session at this year’s Concert of Colors. After all, we did a lengthy feature on the world-renowned producer and musician before last year’s show. But as you can see below, the guy has done so much…
Bubbling up
When it comes to craft brewing, Michigan is sort of a paradox. Across the country, the state has a growing reputation for brewing award-winning beer, and U.S. drinkers are raising their glasses to the state’s quality small brewers, including Kalamazoo’s prized Bell’s Beer. But Michigan drinkers have traditionally passed on these brands, preferring to drink…
Hot off the press
Amici’s Pizza and Living Room 3249 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley, 248-544-4100; Pizza crust made with bran, biodegradable dishes and soy candles, no smoking, no TV, even a couple of organic vodkas — Amici’s manages both to be virtuous and to pull it off without a hint of self-righteousness. It is a bar, after all,…
Back to black
I didn’t catch the Black in America series on CNN last year. Apparently I had my head in a hole, or maybe I was busy watching Kwame Kilpatrick go up in flames. However, I’ve already watched this season’s Black in America 2 twice — and it hasn’t even aired yet. I saw the not-quite-finished version…
‘Dotten’ the eyes
On Saturday, July 11, the Wonder Twins found themselves surrounded by ceramic monkey pots, purses made from old Roxy Music albums, BMX bikers jumping ramps, and such cool bands as Frontier Ruckus. Were they at a fair in some namby-pamby liberal place like Ann Arbor? Nope. They were in Wyandotte, bitch! Laura: When I first…
Opinions are like …
Everyone’s a critic. Everybody’s got a gavel. We’ve become a nation of self-promoting narcissists in love with the sound of our own fingers rattling the keyboard. Netflix, Amazon, eBay, YouTube and iTunes encourage us to review movies, books, videos and music — to break ’em down and give them a star rating … as we…
Comics
The Boiling Point – by Mikhaela Reid
Creepy cops
If I had the pocket change in Jerry Bruckheimer’s tailored slacks right now, I’d be livin’ way too large to write this column. It’s no exaggeration to suggest that few people in the history of TV have had more impact on its history than our impossibly successful Mumford High alum (an alma mater he immortalized…
Brew it yourself
The desire usually starts with some kind of revelation. Mine was in the early ’90s at a tattoo parlor on Spain’s Costa del Sol, where an old, salty machinist with a bottlebrush moustache brought me a glass of roasty Guinness Extra Stout to sip on while I was being inked. He had hoped to make…
Etiquette of the dive bar
First, let’s be clear: When we say "dive," we mean a place that keeps it simple. Beers. Shots. Highballs. Blue collars. A long room with boxy televisions and history on the walls. A dark, cool space where the simple pleasure of drinking can be boisterous or serene. In short, the sort of place we’d all…
How to argue about wine
When it comes to getting to know wine, it helps to have friends who know the subject. And, since most people into wine can have strong opinions, all you have to do is bring up a hot-button topic and stand back: Once wine aficionados get going, the wisdom can come pouring out! Here are a…
Mixing it up
The classicist: If there’s a school of classic cocktail enthusiasts, Eric Welsh could be its dean. The 28-year-old Detroiter designed the classically grounded cocktail menu at the lushly restored 1940s haunt Cliff Bell’s (2030 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-961-2543), and now works the bar at Small Plates (1521 Broadway St., Detroit; 313-963-0497), where he blends his…
Neville Neville land
Aaron Neville first burst into the national consciousness when his fluttering falsetto and flawless phrasing propelled the shimmering slice of mid-’60s zeitgeist, "Tell It Like It Is," to the No. 2 spot on the 1966 Billboard Pop charts. A decade later, Aaron — the third eldest of the Neville brothers — would join forces with…
The Sloshed issue
Call it what you will — a correction, a recession or a depression — but one solid truth about Americans has been that when times are tough, we drink more. Instead of jet vacations or powerboats, the simple pleasures of beer, wine and spirits enjoyed (responsibly) among friends helps lighten the load without breaking the…
Motor City Cribs
Three things are immediately clear in author Michael Zadoorian’s basement lounge: He loves pop-culture schmaltz and ephemera, his sense of humor rattles, and his thrift-store skills kill. His basement’s filled with skillfully placed tiki mugs, Michigan artifacts, taxidermy (a jackalope even!), wooden things and, of course, a well-stocked bar. It’s totally pimpin’ ’63 style, when…
Get off the cross
Q: You were recommendED to me by an acquaintance familiar with your column and Podcast. Lacking other resources at this particular moment, I have decided to write to you. I am a 20-year-old male, and as such have certain desires that almost all 20-year-old males have (desires of a sexual nature). However, I am deeply…
World beaters
Ali Farka Touré was part of a guerrilla army of artists waiting to invade the States and Europe in the 1980s. All they needed was an opening. And when the ethnomusicologists’ term "world music" was appropriated by the music marketers and promoters, the Malian guitarist and his cohort got their opening. Sure, foreign music genres…
Cheat Code
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Atari XBox 360, PS3, Wii, PC Ever sit around with your pals talking about classic movies, and there’s a culturally illiterate dude who’s never seen something? And you know those looks of incredulousness in the room when that dude says it’s Star Wars? Well, this writer has never seen Ghostbusters. Sure,…
Pour Some Sugar on Me
Despite the unassuming exterior of its squat building in Livonia, inside is the most out-of-control liquor party in the metro area. Under the bar’s drop ceiling, you’re likely to experience serious, eardrum-shaking bass, and a rowdy crowd whacking away at every surface in sight with drum sticks, chanting "Do It, Motherfucker!" along with the music…
Couch Trip
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! Umbrella An obvious labor of love, Not Quite Hollywood highlights Aussie exploitation films from the ’70s and ’80s. Short on social context but long on Adobe AfterEffects, this doc assaults senses with its barrage of clips and breakneck editing (few shots last longer than three seconds).…
GM revived
So they celebrated the birth of the "new" General Motors last week, which emerged from bankruptcy in a mere 40 days, precisely as long as Jesus is said to have spent stomping around in the wilderness. According to the Bible, that experience purified the young man from Nazareth, who showed he was able to resist…
Life on Mars
"96 Tears" is one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll songs in the history of the genre. In fact, it may be the greatest. John Lennon reportedly once said exactly that, and Question Mark — the Michigan native who wrote and recorded it — claims Brian Wilson told him the same thing in 1987. Those…
Letters to the Editor
Longing for the days of Ma Bell Dear Jack Lessenberry: That roar that shook your house Wednesday morning was the collective laughter that burst forth from all Comcast customers who read your article this week ("Stuck in phone hell," July 8). Inefficiency, confusion, putting people on infinite hold and never following up or calling back…
Innocence regained?
In a ruling granting a new trial to two Ecorse men convicted of a 2000 shooting that left a man paralyzed, Wayne County Circuit Judge Patricia Fresard went beyond simply agreeing with their claims that "newly discovered evidence" should make them eligible for new trial. "There is a significant possibility that the defendants are innocent…
Less fussy, more fun
Though it never really was completely true, for years Americans thought of wine enthusiasts as people who haunted restaurants with tons of mahogany and a vast, dim cellar filled with rare wines that often breached $100. That’s never been less true than today, when wine-oriented bars and restaurants shoot for a selection that’s more accessible,…
Food Stuff
Raw deal — To mark its second anniversary, Dylan’s Raw Bar & Grille will offer a host of specials on everything from crabs to lobster to sushi, starting July 16. Perhaps the best value is on Tuesday, July 21 and 28, when they’ll serve two lobster dinners for $22. But act quickly, as the specials…
Jeffrey Morgan’s Media Blackout
Cheer up, Billie Jean! Oh, what can it mean to Jeffrey Morgan’s Media Blackout #224 and a dead homecoming queen! Michael Jackson — 23 Million Skidoo (Settlement) :: Over to you, Casey. Casey Kasem — American Top 40 (RIP) :: I want a goddamn concerted effort to come out of a record review that isn’t…
Backlot
Flipped Who stars: Aidan Quinn (Michael Collins, Practical Magic), Penelope Ann Miller (Carlito’s Way), John Mahoney (Frasier), ER’s Anthony Edwards, Rebecca De Mornay (Risky Business), Kevin Weisman (Alias). The kids are played by Madeline Carroll (Swing Vote) and Callan McAuliffe. Directed by Rob Reiner. What it is: An adaptation of Wendelin Van Draanen’s youth novel…
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Charisma-free, thirtyish actor Paul Rust plays nerd Denis Cooverman, a career nebbish whose valedictory address calls out the popular clique and the bullies, and then declares his undying love for the golden-headed cheerleader Beth Cooper, played flatly by chipmunk-cheeked Hayden Panettiere. This of course puts a huge target on his back, but at least he…
Crowd-pleasers
Loccino, which seats 275, is far more attractive than its pricey but staid predecessor, and it’s also far more accessible as most entrées come in at under $20. Despite its relative elegance, the owners call it “family casual.” Chef Jun, who worked at Lelli’s and La Dolce Vita, presides over the kitchen, which covers most…
Gay old time
The movie is a loose conglomeration of skits, interviews, street theater and stunts held together on the premise that gay fashion reporter and diva Bruno — host of Austrian TV’s “uber influential” Funkyzeit — has come to America seeking fame, fortune and even more fabulousness. Where Borat sometimes took swings at unwitting bystanders, Bruno’s first…
Middle Cyclone
Neko Case wasn’t made for these times, but if it’s any consolation to her, she probably wouldn’t have fit in well in any era. Not quite Patsy Cline’s idea of country, not even remotely indie-rock, she’s a soul singer without the R&B, a classic chanteuse too contemporary in her attitudes to run with the supper-club…
Anti-depressant
Wilco is one of the most interesting rock bands of an era that hasn’t produced a lot of truly interesting bands. And one of the most interesting aspects has been leader Jeff Tweedy’s steadfastness to his artistic vision and muse, all expectations be damned, while still maintaining a dedicated and almost rabid fan base at…
The Sugar People
The Sugar People are the latest group of Ann Arbor musicians determined to infuse styles, cross cultures and change directions on a whim. At their best they sound like Gnarls Barkley or, perhaps, Massive Attack. Trouble is, at their worst, they invoke the vile spirit of Justin Timberlake and best-forgotten memories of toilet-wallowing George Michael.…
Séraphine
Dramatizing the agonies and ecstasies of artistic invention is never easy. Thankfully, Martin Provost proves far too humble and studious a filmmaker to rely on crass sentimentality or hysterically cinematic moments in Séraphine. Instead, he’s quietly empathetic in his depiction of avant-garde “primitive” painter Séraphine Louis (Yolande Moreau), the religiously devout housekeeper who, discovered by…
Trouble with Harry
Of all the Potter films so far, David Yates’ second stab at the series is clearly the most human, focusing on the flirtings and yearnings of Harry’s pals Ron and Hermione, while deepening the bond between Professor Dumbledore (the always terrific Michael Gambon) and the boy wizard (Daniel Radcliffe). The comic interludes are light and…
Election follies
Bernice Smith: Since her initials are B.S., is she saying she must be stopped? Pawing through a stack of fliers for Detroit candidates in this round of elections, we found some doozies. With Sam Riddle tied up during this election cycle, the current crop of candidates seems to sorely lack the finessing of a skilled…
ANDRE WILLIAMS RETURNS TO HIS DETROIT ROOTS….
In the very cool news department, Detroit R&B/”punk blues” pioneer Andre Williams was recently in town to record a new project with some of D-Town’s finest musicians, past and present. For those few of you who don’t know, Williams first made a name for himself in the late ’50s on Detroit’s legendary Fortune Records label.…
