Kid Rock ordered to produce dildo in ICP sexual harassment lawsuit
File this one under “WTF” (and “NSFW”) — attorneys representing former Psychopathic Records employee Andrea Pellegrini have announced that they have subpoenaed Kid Rock to produce a glass dildo in her lawsuit against against the Insane Clown Posse. According to a press release by Rasor Law Firm, Pellegrini testifies that Psychopathic employee Dan Diamond gave…
Henry Cavill and Amy Adams spotted at Pig & Whiskey
Fans of the latest Superman franchise got a treat at Pig & Whiskey this weekend. Actors Henry Cavill and Amy Adams were spotted amid the crowds of the festival that took place in downtown Ferndale as well as a local restaurant. Cavill, who plays the man of steel in the upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn…
Shop Talk: Harvard and Duke students moderate panel discussion in Detroit
The Social Club Grooming Company, a metro Detroit-based environmentally conscious company that focuses on health and beauty as well as education, will host Shop Talk this Thursday, a special in their on-going event series that will bring students from both Harvard and Duke for a panel discussion about the social-entreprenurial climate and business innovation happening…
Just to clarify, Olympia hasn’t ‘finalized’ financing details on promised Detroit ancillary development — yet
Rendering of proposed arena district and new neighborhoods. (Olympia Development of Michigan) Yesterday, the Detroit Free Press and Crain’s Detroit Business reported on the remarkable concept Olympia Development of Michigan, the real estate arm of Detroit Red Wings owner Ilitch Holdings Inc., has developed for the proposed “catalyst development project.” (The basics of the project can be found…
Sidewalk Festival of Performing Arts comes to Artist Village Detroit
On August 2, the annual Sidewalk Festival of Performing Arts makes its way to Detroit’s Redford and Brightmoor Neighborhoods. The event,, which runs from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., features an array of performers, from music (Passalacqua, Tunde Olaniran, Duane the Brand New Dog) to dance (Wild Spirit, Studio Detroit, Dawn Xiana Moon and Kamrah), theater…
Watch Now: Al Jazeera’s ‘Informants’
Live on Al Jazeera English’s YouTube Channel, Informants explores the shifty world of undercover agents, FBI-concocted terror plots, and more–in, among other places, Toledo. Read our review here, or watch now:
Spider-Man at Oakland Mall
The Amazing Spider-Man was at Oakland Mall on Friday, and so I took my son along to meet the guy. After all, who doesn’t want to meet our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? Particularly, I might add, when he’s hanging out just outside of Cinnabon. If you want to meet Spider-Man, you have to have a ticket.…
More than 1,000 people demonstrate in downtown against Detroit water shutoffs
More than 1,000 people demonstrated in the streets of downtown Detroit against the city’s ongoing water shutoffs on July 18, 2014. The protest was organized by the National Nurses United. (Ryan Felton/Metro Times) More than 1,000 people took to the streets of downtown Detroit to protest against the city’s ongoing water shutoff initiative, while a…
Film review: Wish I Was Here
Wish I Was Here | C+ WELL, I GUESS 47,000 PEOPLE now know what Harvey Weinstein must feel like when he produces a mediocre indie dramedy that’s destined to yield disappointing box office returns. Of course, those who donated to writer-actor-director Zach Braff’s Kickstarter campaign weren’t looking for financial gain. They funded the sitcom star,…
The trailer to Passalacqua+Flint Eastwood’s new project gives us goosebumps
Passalacqua and Flint Eastwood joined forces on a new project, the trailer for which was created by the Right Brothers. It’s pretty rad. Watch it here. Passalacqua ‘THE BAPTISM’ featuring Flint Eastwood [Trailer] from The Right Brothers on Vimeo. http://www.therightbrothersfilm.com/blog//passalacqua-flint-eastwood-the-baptism
Bumbo’s announces Polish pop-up at Nancy Whiskey
How often have you been sitting at your favorite watering hole craving some borscht or pierogi? If your answer is “every fucking day” then we have just the thing for you. Bumbo’s, a new Polish pop-up, will set up shop at Nancy Whiskey in Detroit this Sunday, July 20 serving up a modern take on ethnic…
Navin Field (Old Tiger Stadium) gets a Little League Field
The folks of the Navin Field Grounds Crew work hard to keep the home of Old Tiger Stadium clean, manicured, and ready for baseball, visitors, and even a final resting place. Now, the all-volunteer crew is now installing a Little League field for the smaller baseball enthusiasts to play.
Metro Times appears on Fox2 to promote Pig and Whiskey
Metro Times appeared on Fox2 earlier today with Detroit BBQ to offer a sneak peek of what’s to come at our upcoming Pig and Whiskey event. If you missed the segment, catch it below and head to pigandwhiskeyferndale.com for more event info. Fox 2 News Headlines
#HailYes: Nissan offers free cab rides in Royal Oak and Ferndale this weekend
Nissan has a new vehicle that they’re calling “the most passenger-friendly cab on the market”. The NV200 Taxi is coming to a northern suburb near you. This weekend and next, Friday-Saturday, July 18-19 and July 25-26, one of these taxis will be roaming the streets of Royal Oak and Ferndale, looking to give free shuttle…
State denies company permit to store petcoke along Detroit River
Last year, a company plainly called Detroit Bulk Storage caused a stir for storing petroleum coke along the Detroit River. Commonly known as “petcoke,” no one seemed to have a clue what sort of environmental impact the byproduct had on the community. Perhaps rightly so, that made plenty of residents and officials nervous. Nevertheless, after former Mayor Dave…
Anna Clark comments on RDW-MT merger for CJR
Detroit journo Anna Clark takes a look at the challenge of merging the cultures of the old Real Detroit with Metro Times in CJR today. Enjoy.
ICYMI: How the Stroh family blew $9 billion
The July 21st issue of Forbes features this interesting read on the Detroit-rooted Stroh family, and how the heirs to the beer empire blew everything, including their trust funds and collectibles. An excerpt: The Stroh family owned it all, a fortune that FORBES then calculated was worth at least $700 million. Just by matching the…
Beau’s to host job fair July 21-22
Beau’s, Peas & Carrots Hospitality, a new restaurant slated to open next month, will host a job fair Monday and Tuesday, July 21 and 22 at MEX in Bloomfield Township. The restaurant will be a sister company to MEX and Social Kitchen. Interviews will be with be conducted with the restaurant’s owner Zack Sklar and executive chef…
‘Michael Jackson’ to perform at Comerica
Tyuawn Brown poses with Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. Tomorrow night at Comerica Park, before the evening’s game between the Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays, tribute artist Tyuawn Brown will dazzle the crowd with his impersonation of Michael Jackson. Brown has done it before, and says he’ll usually perform near the Tiger dugouts around…
MT seeking parents enrolled in college
The Metro Times is looking for students or graduates of Michigan colleges who raised kids while going to school. Stories can range from issues with class scheduling, resources found that made life easier during that time, pregnancy while in school, personal difficulties and more. If you were a parent, single parent or guardian while in school, or…
TIME profiles Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy
Kym Worthy, Wayne County prosecutor Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is featured in the upcoming issue of TIME Magazine about her push to clear the backlog of untested rape kits, something that has remained an issue for years now. Written by TIME reporter Charlotte Alter, Worthy says int he piece: “I call sexual assault the…
Here is (mostly) everything you need to know about M-1 Rail and its construction in Detroit
M1 Rail rendering in downtown Detroit (Courtesy M1 Rail) In the coming weeks, construction of the long-awaited M-1 Rail streetcar in Detroit will commence. We know what you’re thinking: What does that mean? Where will I park? Will I still be able to make it to the Motley Crue show at Joe Louis Arena? (Frankly, why’d you…
National Nurses United to host march Friday against Detroit water shutoffs
(Wikimedia Commons) U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes admonished the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department’s handling of its ongoing water shutoff initiative,saying this week it’s causing “bad publicity” for the city at a bad time. But the media attention of DWSD’s treatment of residential shutoffs will only be amplified during this week’s Netroots Nation conference at…
Ponyride hosts Makers Market
Ponyride, a building found at 1401 Vermont, Detroit that houses local companies like Detroit Denim and The Empowerment Plan, on the outskirts of Corktown, is hosting an open house and market, featuring local vendors who craft handmade goods and edibles this Saturday from 12 to 6 p.m. Partners in the event are Detroit Love, an…
Check out Dretraxx’s old-school techno and house choice cuts
The third Friday of every month, DJ Andrew Schireson (aka Dretraxx) hosts Body Worx, an old-school techno, house, and UK garage night at Temple Bar. Schireson says the playlists of the groundbreaking Detroit radio DJ The Electrifying Mojo shapes his sets at Body Worx. “The music on Mojo’s show would have unapologetic dance tunes well blended…
Detroit Tours to host scavenger hunt for Detroit’s 313th birthday
This year marks Detroit’s 313th birthday, which is a coincidence that is pretty insignificant except for the fact that it’s kind of cute. Keeping with the cute vibes, the Detroit Bus Company will host a scavenger hunt on Saturday, July 26. Interested Detroit historians can sign up in teams of up to four, or go solo…
Wayne State expansion had local businesses crying foul
13 years ago in Metro Times: Mike Zelinski, owner of a popular tavern and eatery on the corner of Woodward and West Warren avenues, felt particularly screwed when he found out he’d be forced to close due to the $18.5 million Welcome Center being built by Wayne State University, which was set to corral various student services, such…
Michigan’s Iraqi refugee crisis
For the refugee, Iraq will always be home. But knowing he can never return to his native land, he must instead seek refuge in the country whose very military invasion set off the domino effect leading to his displacement. There are parallels between the veterans of the Iraq War and its refugees. The war shaped…
Saverine Creek Heirlooms
Saverine Creek Heirlooms Cherokee Trail of Tears Bean Earrings saverinecreek.com Who needs precious gems and expensive stones? Who says diamonds are a girl’s best friend? Saverine Creek Heirlooms makes beautiful unique jewelry using — rather than expensive jewels — heirloom beans and seeds. Instead of wearing a sparkly cubic zirconium pendant, why not sport something…
Inside Eastern Market’s Blue Velvet
1353 Division St., Detroit; 734-231-7272; bluevelvetdetroit.com Open: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday A brand-new vintage store next door to Signal Return in Eastern Market, Blue Velvet specializes in carrying gently used vintage items from as far back as the turn of the 20th century to the groovy ’70s. The store is owned and…
Cara Lundgren has an eye for color and composition
Whether you, like us, obsessively follow her Esty shop, or love her hand-dyed vintage slip dresses, chances are you know something of Cara Lundgren. The daughter of poster artist Carl Lundgren, she has quite an eye for color and composition. From bright, beautiful frocks to fun, flowery headbands, she’s constantly sporting something eye-catching and lust-worthy.…
Staff picks: Repo Man soundtrack, Step-Dad, Girl Talk
Repo Man Soundtrack — Various Artists — 1984 Yeah, yeah, you’ve heard all this punk before. But for clueless kids in the 1980s, this soundtrack album was a primer in punk. Best, though, are the California-cool cuts from the Plugz. See if you can listen to “Reel Ten” without goose bumps crawling up your arms.…
Niko Pittman has a ‘rhythm player’s mentality’
“My longest-running current project is on swing rhythm guitar for jazz master Wendell Harrison’s Detroit Swing Ensemble. So many virtuosic musicians have performed with us in that group; we’re currently recording our first album with some amazingly talented young players. I also play electric guitar in old-school rhythm-n-blues projects the Brunswick Brawlers and the Raw…
Building Birds — Swirling Among the Stars
Building Birds Swirling Among the Stars Self-released Remember when Radiohead actually sounded like a rock band that aspired to be played on the, you know, radio? At alternative rock’s peak, Thom Yorke and company were known to write a good pop song, the kind that romantic college dorm dudes could play on acoustic guitars to…
Record Review: Strange Desire — Bleachers
Strange Desire Bleachers RCA Fronted by Fun lead guitarist Jack Antonoff, Bleachers is the musician’s side project and it might even be better than the nationally known and widely acclaimed threesome we recognize him for. Bleachers’ aesthetic is different from Fun’s, but the music is just as infectiously catchy. Where Fun relies on Nate…
Melocoton from Imperial
Recipe: 2 oz. Basil Hayden’s Bourbon 1.5 oz. Peach Looza 1.5 Oz. unsweetened Iced tea .5 oz. Simple syrup 1 dash Peach bitters Shaken and served on ice in a mason jar. Garnish with a lemon wheel on the side of the glass. Jim Beam’s small-batch bourbons include Knob Creek, Booker’s, and Baker’s. But 80-proof…
Comet Bar likely to be demolished for new Detroit Red Wings arena
Situated along a stretch of Henry Street that includes the so-called “murder mart” and the former 2500 Club, behind a door that sits askew the street, Comet Bar has always been a welcoming, simple dive bar in town. Owned by native Detroiter Wayne Alexander, Comet features hefty pours of whiskey, a typically calm environment to…
Shakespeare in Detroit in New Center Park
Under gray skies and the looming threat of rain, more than two-dozen people lined up an hour and a half before last Saturday’s fine performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in New Center Park. Two minutes after the doors opened, the park was packed, expectant people filling the space like breath in a balloon. The…
Frank Lloyd Wright Turkel House and Palmer Woods Garden Tour
As it wends its way around Seven Mile and Woodward, just north of Palmer Park, stately Strathcona Drive is a veritable showcase of beautiful, well-maintained houses and finely manicured lawns. There’s a host of handsome homes here in Palmer Woods, but the piece de resistance just might be the Frank Lloyd Wright Turkel House, commissioned…
Meet Tom Nardone of the Detroit Mower Gang
By day, Tom Nardone is an Internet entrepreneur, running a Troy-based online retailer of “things that are embarrassing to buy in person” called PriveCo. By evenings, though, Nardone leads a group of vigilantes. Since it began four years ago, Nardone’s Mower Gang has piqued the interest of national television shows like Bizarre Foods With Andrew…
Detroit residents continue protest to remain in homes
Standing on West Grand Boulevard last week, Detroit resident Sheree Bass held up a sign that said, “Stop the racket. Pay the taxes.” Underneath the phrase, she had taped a copy of the Wayne County tax statement for the home she’s lived in for years. Total amount due: $7,939.11 The problem, Bass says, is she…
Al Jazeera examines FBI undercovers in new doc
Elie Assaad might be a wife-beater and a criminal, but he is also an FBI informant known as “The Closer,” responsible for the setup of “Liberty City 7,” a group former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said wanted to stage a ground war in this country. It is just one of the true stories investigated by…
Detroit Public Schools EM shifts funds
Many of us are shocked to learn that DPS plans to cut costs in the coming year by further increasing class sizes. Already at an unmanageable target of 38 per classroom in grades 6 through 12, Emergency Manager Jack Martin’s fiscal year 2015 budget allows class sizes in those grades to expand to 43. I…
Reports from Willie Nelson at Freedom Hill, Red Bull Creation
Zoomance is in the air We can all remember going to the Detroit Zoo as children. We were bewildered by the size of the elephants and terrified by the fierce lions. Now the zoo has figured out a way to give us that feeling back as adults at its annual Summer Zoomance. Last Tuesday night,…
Final Motor Signal Reading of 2014 this Thursday
Support the final Motor Signal reading of the year and hear Sean Kilpatrick and Deonte Osayande this Thursday at Signal-Return. The group promises an abundance of wine, and requests donations of any amount that will go to support both Signal-Return and Literary Detroit. Check out Deonte Osayande:
Are straight guys allowed in gay clubs?
Q: Two questions, Dan. 1) Recently, I went to a bar with my brother and encountered a friend from high school. My brother told me that, toward the end of the night, my friend followed him into the bathroom and made a drunken pass at him (which apparently involved a clumsy grab at his penis).…
Reader responses to Detroit’s incinerator, DPS, breast feeding
Raising a stink We received a number of comments about Ryan Felton’s July 9 story about Midtown’s incinerator problem. Reader “JJ” posted: The fumes and odor have been problems since the incinerator was opened. Blocks-full of urban professionals (nurses, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, law enforcement officers, etc.) packed up and moved from New Center and…
Jim Beam rye whiskey
In the last decade, the rye whiskey trend has really taken off, judging by the popularity of such ryes as Bulleit and Redemption. For our money, though, we’ll take the Jim Beam version. It’s smooth, a little spicy, not as astringent as Beam’s bourbon. What’s more, there’s nothing extreme about it: It’s a drinkable 80-proof…
Is our democracy broken beyond repair?
Here’s a serious, sober question: Is our democracy broken beyond repair? When we look at what’s happening in both Lansing and Washington, does it indicate that representative government is hopelessly corrupt? I never thought so before. I’ve seen Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson rise and fall; seen corrupt legislators, drunken ones, stupid ones. Good governors; bad…
Restaurant Review: Atwater in the Park
Atwater in the Park 1175 Lakepointe St., Grosse Pointe Park 313-344-5104 Starters: $4-$10 Entrées: $10-$20 Open Monday through Thursday, 2 p.m.-midnight; Friday, 2 p.m.-2 a.m.; Saturday, noon-2 a.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m. The height of summer has arrived, and gardens everywhere are flourishing. It’s the sort of weather that makes you want to sit outside and…
Cops against the drug war
Neil Franklin, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), is a dedicated advocate against the War on Drugs. He’s participated in it on the police side as a 33-year veteran of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department. He’s served on drug squads and done undercover work. LEAP is a national organization…
Protests, arrests, and spin sessions mark shutoff battle
A group of anti-shutoff protesters pose for a shot after their release from Mound Correctional Facility. On Friday, July 11, protesters gathered in front of the Water Board headquarters on Randolph Street in downtown Detroit to protest water shutoffs — and a number of arrests made at their protest the day before. “Coleman Young warned…
Jeremy Deputat makes solo hometown debut at Inner State Gallery
By now, photographer Jeremy Deputat’s traveled the world, entering the inner circles of the likes of Kid Rock and Eminem and joining them on tour. His first solo show is titled Nothing Is Forever, and showcases his photos of Detroit music’s A-list and the locales he’s traveled to. It’s a far cry from the time…
There is a Michigan gubernatorial race. There are polls.
(Wikimedia Commons) Whether or not you buy stock in horserace political coverage, this was released today: a national poll conducted for NBC News has incumbent Republican Gob. Rick Snyder edging his Democratic Party challenger, former U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, by two points. The margin of error is 3.3 percent. The problem with stories on newly-released polls,…
Big Gov wants to take his Black Guvernment nationwide
Take a listen to rapper Big Gov on Reverbnation, and it’s hard not to think that you already know the man. The lyrics are hard and uncompromising, packed with expletives and calling out those he deems worthy of public, musical ridicule. The photos show a man ready for business, action, or both. Big Gov ain’t…
Pig & Whiskey performers talk booze, bbq & bands
For the fourth year, Metro Times brings a block party filled with whiskey sipping, barbecue tasting, and beer guzzling to downtown Ferndale with our annual Pig & Whiskey event. Some fabulous live entertainment serves as the soundtrack for the whole weekend — with bands ranging from outlaw to Americana to straight up rock ’n’ roll…
Detroit bankruptcy judge: DWSD water shutoffs causing ‘bad publicity’ for city
Steven Rhodes (credit: U-M) The U.S. bankruptcy judge overseeing Detroit’s Chapter 9 case today called upon the city’s water department to enact a better plan to inform residents who face imminent shutoffs. Addressing Darryl Latimer, deputy director of the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department, Judge Steven Rhodes said the water shutoffs, which began in March,…
Horoscopes (July 16 — 22)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): You need to understand that nothing is going to pan out if you keep obsessing over what’s wrong. Your situation is as tenuous as you make it. If what’s happening now seems a little unfair, any discomfort you feel is only the end result of putting your faith in the wrong…
How’s the women’s healthcare on your college campus? MT wants to know!
The Metro Times is looking to interview students or graduates of Michigan colleges who have had experiences with women’s healthcare on their campus, either adverse or excellent. Health care can pertain to access to STD testing, pregnancy resources, reproductive care, and more. If you have a personal story to share, or know someone who might be worth…
