Cover Story
Detroit’s murals offer perspectives on America
America is a lot of things to a lot of different people. To some, it represents life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness — all of that groovy stuff. To others, it’s a dream deferred. Artists have always had a lot to say about our country because our right to free speech welcomes the expression of…
Jessica Hernandez’s Secret Evil to release at the Magic Stick on August 20
Detroit-based music group Jessica Hernandez and the Delta’s have officially announced the release of their first full length record, Secret Evil, which will hit the streets (and be available for digital download) on Friday, August 19. And a special record release show is planned to celebrate the album at the Magic Stick on August 20. …
Read “To all of my sisters,” a poem submitted to Metro Times by former Mich. prisoner Sylvester Long
Sylvester Long was born and raised in Detroit. In 1985, at age 26, he went to prison, and served 15 years in 16 different Michigan facilities. “To all of my sisters” is a poem he wrote in 1986, while incarcerated. He sent it to MT last week. It moved us, so we thought we’d share…
Wyandotte Street Art Fair Starts Today
Celebrating its 53rd year, the Wyandotte Street Art Fair will commenced this morning at 10 a.m. Located on Biddle Avenue between Oak Street and Eureka Avenue, the fair brings artists like Carl Lundgren, Lily Arnett, Dean and Glory Barkely, and many more to the streets of the Downriver town. The fair will run Thursday, Friday,…
Alice Cooper Enters the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame
Yes, the White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame is a thing. And yesterday Alice Cooper became its latest inductee. The Detroit-born rocker has long been a fan of the fast food sliders, even serving them at the after party for the Tribeca Film Festival premier of his documentary Super Duper Alice Cooper. Also a member of…
Sporting Goods Stalwart Hangs Up its Skates
Athletes, especially on the east side, may be saddened to learn that a treasured local establishment will be closing its doors at the end of the month. After almost 67 years, Harper Sport Shop will be locking its doors for the last time on July 31. The local athletic community will suffer a huge loss with the…
Freep snubs Navin Field Grounds Crew
The cover of Metro Times’ Opening Day issue, which featured a long story about the Navin Field Grounds Crew. The Detroit Free Press published an interesting article today about a DEGC plan to have the Detroit Police Athletic League use the field at the site of Old Tiger Stadium for youth sports, building a…
North American Science Fiction Convention coming to Detroit next week
(Wikimedia Common) Are you an avid science fiction reader? You’ll probably be into this: The North American Science Fiction Convention will take place at the Renaissance Center later this month, MLive reports. This event, billed as “Detcon1,” is expected to have nearly 400 unique panels, workshops, demos, talks and readings over four days. Tickets for the event are $75;…
Insane Clown Posse lawsuit tossed out of court
A federal lawsuit brought by the Insane Clown Posse and the ACLU to remove Juggalos, the rap duo’s fans, from an FBI list describing them as a gang was dismissed today. As Metro Times reported in a cover story this January, the lawsuit’s origins dated back to 2011, when, “as part of the DOJ’s National Gang Threat…
Eight out of 25 of the fastest-shrinking U.S. cities are in Michigan
#468477889 / gettyimages.com </cen Bloomberg posted this list of the fastest-shrinking U.S. cities back in May, but we just noticed a sobering fact about the list — 8 out of the 25 of its cities are in Michigan. Bloomberg ranked U.S. cities based on the percentage change in population from 2012 to 2013. Only cities with at least…
Thornetta Davis, Seun Kuti, and more play Concert of Colors
The Detroit area has no shortage of festivals, covering music of all genres. From Dally in the Alley and Arts Beats & Eats to the Detroit Jazz Festival and Stars & Stripes, from Movement and Hoedown to the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival and Metro Times’ own Blowout, we have a festival here to suit music…
Redford Theatre
Commissioned by a group of citizens who wanted a place to perform the occasional stage show, the Redford Theatre stands at 17360 Lahser in a Detroit neighborhood that can be considered part of Brightmoor, but is known as Old Redford, as it once belonged to Redford Township. Originally designed as a playhouse, the theater has…
Film Review: Hellion
Hellion | B- Chekhov be damned, some directors should forget about the gun in the final act and focus on the characters. Or better yet, not introduce the gun at all. Which is exactly why writer-director Kat Candler’s otherwise tense and somber indie feature Hellion stumbles when it should soar. Focusing on a working-class Texas…
Horoscopes (July 9 — 15)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): More than the usual amount of interference has you wondering how to get around it. The same old thing seems to be tripping you up. It could be that you’re too far ahead of your time, or just too honest, to feel right in a world that is still mesmerized by…
Film Review: A Teacher
A Teacher Netflix; 75 minutes The subject of female teachers having affairs with their male students seems to have been in the news a lot of late, and there are always two distinct responses in the online comments — “Wow, I wish I’d had that teacher when I was at school,” or “This is…
Here comes Mary Ann’s Soda
Move over, Faygo, there’s a new soft drink in town. Mary Ann’s Soda is the brainchild of Derek John of the Storefront Gallery, and it’s making its way to bars, restaurants, and stores near you. Using all-natural ingredients that include organic fruit, raw sugar, and alkaline water, Mary Ann’s Soda is handcrafted in Eastern Market…
Why Wayne county matters
No, you really can’t make this stuff up. Bob Ficano’s administration wasted $125 million on a new jail that will never be finished. The county piled up debt, made insanely huge “severance payments” to executives leaving for better jobs, and endured scandal after scandal. You might think that Ficano ought to be hiding out with…
More advice on dominatrixes, snooping, and oral
Q: I am a straight female who was a dominatrix for a while — and out of all the jobs I’ve had, I loved it the most. Working as a secretary — one with a master’s in writing — wasn’t that hard to beat, I guess. But professional dommes aren’t immune to workplace romances, and I…
New York Times looking for North End residents
The New York Times kicked off a series this week on Detroit’s North End neighborhood. It’s the first of what will likely be many stories on the city’s efforts to rebuild itself as it prepares to exit bankruptcy. As writer John Eligon says in today’s story, tracking “what happens in this neighborhood this year and next will tell a lot…
DIA to provide free busing for Wayne County residents on Wayne County Day
The DIA is making an offer that might be hard for Wayne County residents to refuse: it will provide free bus transportation for Wayne County residents to and from the museum on Saturday, July 26 as part of its second “Wayne County Day.” Admission to the DIA has already been free for residents of Wayne,…
Detroit-based literacy program to debut July 10
Reading & Rhythm on the Riverfront, an annual summer literacy program hosted by the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy and the GM Foundation, is set to kick off this Thursday, July 10 at 11 a.m. at Rivard Plaza. The program, which is geared toward children between the ages of 3 and 10, will take place every Thursday…
Disclosure’s Wild Life show series comes to Freedom Hill
Earlier this year British electronic duo Disclosure announced a short series of concerts that would take place around the United States. This traveling music festival, known as Wild Life, has included artists like Claude VonStroke, Justin Martin, Kaytranada, Green Velvet, and more. Announced for a stint at Sterling Height’s Freedom Hill on August 2, the…
Michigan family wins pit-spitting contest — again
(Wikimedia Commons) When it comes to spitting cherry pits, the Krause family destroys the competition. Last weekend, Brian Krause won the 41st International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship, with a distance of more than 80 feet, The Associated Press reports. Krause’s father actually finished in second. The Krause family has won 26 of 41 of the contests since farm owner…
Detroit meteorologist loses eye in Fourth of July fireworks accident
Photo via Twitter WXYZ-TV’s Chief Meteorologist, Dave Rexroth, was seriously injured this weekend during fireworks accident while vacationing with his family in Iowa. Details of the accident are scarce, though WXYZ reports the Fourth of July accident “caused Dave to lose sight in his left eye.” Rexroth is currently receiving care at a hospital in…
U! S! A!
We share with you today the Declaration of Independence. It is worth a read, for all Detroiters and Americans to remember, and to understand why this nation was created. It lists the grievances of the people: what Great Britain and the King did to inspire them to imagine, fight for, and create a new country. You can read…
Stallworth: End Detroit water shutoffs until service can be restored faster
Thomas Stallworth III (D-Detroit) The Detroit Water & Sewerage Department should halt water shutoffs on delinquent customers until the utility can restore service in a timely fashion, state Rep. Thomas Stallworth III (D-Detroit) said today. “Families are being told that after they have paid their water bill they will have to wait two to three…
Woman who wants MT banned works to legalize marijuana
A reader brought to our attention this afternoon that Andrea Lavigne, now famous in the metro Detroit area for trying to ban Metro Times from the Grosse Pointes, is the wife of attorney Tom Lavigne. And she works part-time with his law firm, Cannabis Counsel. MT readers might be familiar with Cannabis Counsel because we’ve covered…
Goober & the Peas, Heartless Bastards, and more to play Pig & Whiskey
Goober & the Peas will bring their special brand of “cowpunk” to Metro Times’ Pig & Whiskey event on Saturday, July 19. (Never heard of ’em? Before he was a White Stripe, Jack White was known to play drums for these guys in the ’90s.) Be prepared to get covered in hay. (Don’t ask.) The event —…
City Slang: Planet D Nonet
There was a time when jazz was the very definition of cool, back when the beat writers would fill their frail bodies with copious amount of anything and then fuck the first human with a pulse to cross their path. Jazz was once at least as rebellious, subversive and exciting as punk rock, filled with…
A look at the ongoing Metro Times and Grosse Pointe “beef”
It’s on, Grosse Pointe. Last week, that exclusive east side community all but declared war on Metro Times when disgruntled resident Andrea Lavigne demanded a ban on our little paper, citing concerns that MT’s advertisements were thinly-veiled covers for human trafficking. GP city council considered a ban and said no. Lavigne then took her quest to the GP Library Board,…
Target asks customers to stop bringing guns to its stores
Retail supergiant Target decided this week that firearms were getting in the way of the store’s family-friendly shopping experience, and kindly asked customers to refrain from bringing their guns to their fluorescent isles. The decision stemmed from a growing trend where open carry activists take their weapons along for the ride to Chili’s, Starbucks, Sonic, Chipotle…
New Yorker writer recalls living in Detroit’s North Rosedale Park
Rosedale Park Historic District (Wikimedia Commons) Rollo Romig spent his early years growing up in Detroit, a period he reflects upon in an essay on the New Yorker’s website this week, titled “When You’ve Had Detroit.” The piece is a slice of a new book set to be released soon. Romig describes his neighborhood, North Rosedale…
Film Review: Contracted
Here’s a whacky, horrible concept — what if the zombie virus were an STD? That’s the question posed by director Eric England in this indie horror flick that sounds like it’s going to be a gloriously distasteful, carnage-filled splatter-fest but instead builds slowly towards a predictable climax (no pun intended). The movie starts interestingly enough.…
Record Review: Leela James — Fall for You
Leela James Fall for You Shesangz Music Singer Leela James shares more than just a last name with the late R&B great Etta James — in 2012 she recorded an Etta James tribute album, cementing the fact that this impressively coiffed singer has the vocal chops as well. On her latest, James brings more of…
Record Review: Old Crow Medicine Show — Remedy
Old Crow Medicine Show Remedy ATO Records Known for a single megahit, “Wagon Wheel.” Old Crow Medicine Show is known for making real old-fashioned music in the modern age. Equipped with fiddles, harmonicas, stand-up bass, banjos, and seven sets of lungs for hootin’ and hollerin’, their sound is extreme in its authenticity, but delightful in…
Stream new releases from Castro, 8.bliss, Mod Orange, and more
Castro’s Advanced Placement album is filled with some hard lyrics and smooth beats. “I’ll be on that paper-chase, pussy N*****s can’t relate, fucking let those n*****s hate, everyday,” he raps on “Everyday” Says it all, really. 8.bliss’ Freedom (beats: ep) is interesting stuff. The “Freedom Earth Bounce” track contains vocal samples from the old…
Meet Susan Marsh-Hatty
“I perform with the Warren Commission, a jazz duo composed of [me] and Daniel Warren. We’ve had the opportunity to play all over the world for 26 years. We’ve recorded several albums of jazz-blues and original pieces created by Daniel Warren. Nemesis is another band in which I sing lead and background. Nemesis was my…
Saugatuck Oval Beach Blonde Ale
Although many Michiganders thought it would never come, summer is indeed upon us. The weather is hot and humid, and, though you won’t catch us complaining about the warmth, we will say an ice-cold beer tops our must-have list this season. Luckily, there are many Michigan-made brews that fit the bill, offering something light and…
The Squad investigates an east side Detroit church
Looking for a house of worship? The New Glacier Appersenior Missionary Baptist Church would be an option — if it hadn’t already succumbed to urban decay. ASS (that’s the Abandoned Structure Squad … amen!) was on its way back to headquarters when it ran across the church at 7203 Harper Ave. on Detroit’s east side.…
An interview with George Evelyn of Nightmares on Wax
English DJ and producer George Evelyn has been heavily into hip-hop ever since he saw break-dancing movies in the 1980s and started body-popping at school. A few short years later, and he was spinning and mixing tracks himself, soon using the name Nightmares on Wax. With influences ranging from reggae to techno, his sound remains…
Emma Hewitt heads to Elekricity
Despite the fact that we’re interviewing Australian trance songstress Emma Hewitt at 9 a.m. Detroit time, which is 11 p.m. down under, the smoking hot singer-songwriter jumps into the conversation with the enthusiasm of a puppy at the park. Her energy is refreshing and welcome; perhaps it’s her upbringing in a remote coastal town in…
Horoscopes (July 2 — 8)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): You guys are the predictive astrologer’s nightmare right now. On every possible level, it’s all up in the air and open to question. With that in mind, the best advice anyone could give you would be to listen to your gut and be prepared for anything. Those of you who are…
A look back at the Royce da 5’9 and Big Proof beef
Nine years ago in Metro Times: Hip-hop beef has been so trendy for the past 20 years. East Coast vs. West Coast, Eminem vs. the Insane Clown Posse, G-Unit vs. virtually anyone who talks to them — this is what’s made for superb diss-singles and hyped-up shows in rival cities. Nearly a decade ago, MT…
Don’t be a doofus with fireworks this Fourth of July
On Jan. 1, 2012, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation passed by that assembly of hillbilly solons known as the Michigan legislature. The legislation, later modified somewhat in June of last year, permits the sale of “consumer grade” fireworks and neutralized bans on shooting these fireworks the day before, the day of, and the day after…
Jack wrong on Detroit Public Schools
“You’d have to be a fool or a psychopath to place your child into the horror that is Detroit Public Schools” Jack Lessenberry wrote in his June 18 commentary about $4 million which was supposed to fund a Head Start program, that Detroit Public Schools threw away. Lessenberry’s statement is a statement of privilege. Surprisingly,…
Detroit’s 14th district will send a Democrat to Congress
Half of Detroit is certain to have a new congressman next year, one who will represent Hamtramck, West Bloomfield, Grosse Pointe Farms, Keego Harbor, and Pontiac. Not to mention a whole string of other communities. What do these places have in common? Ah, well — nothing. Nothing, except they collectively have a lot of Democrats,…
Meet Ben Pirmann, Detroit City F.C. head coach
Thanks to the U.S.A.’s national soccer team performing more than respectably in the World Cup, the profile of the sport has been growing all over the country. Here in Detroit, we may not have a Major League Soccer team, but over at Cass Tech, the Detroit City F.C. team, nicknamed Le Rouge, is flying the…
Wayne State’s Hilberry Theatre gets a makeover
Opened in 1963 as the nation’s first graduate repertory company, Wayne State’s Hilberry Theatre has a reputation for both great theatrical productions and gorgeous architecture. Currently occupying a repurposed church dating back to 1917, theater patrons have enjoyed the Hilberry’s classical Roman style for 50 years. The only problem is WSU’s theater program has far…
A short guide to metro Detroit’s decks and patios
Michiganders suffered a record-breaking and inordinately harsh winter this year, and though we usually enjoy getting a bite to eat and a beer to sip while sitting in the warm summer sun, it seems that in 2014 there’s nowhere we’d rather be than enjoying the lovely decks and patios of our local eating and drinking…
The sound of the Middle East in Michigan
The Islamic observance of Ramadan began on the evening of Saturday, June 28, and goes on for a month. During that time, Muslims all over the world, including those here in Michigan, will fast until sundown and then feast with family and friends. Non-Muslims generally know little about Ramadan, and many don’t care. But this…
Pointe by Point
A handful of Grosse Pointers this week are passionate about specific issues — whether for or against — regarding the sanctity of the town. Though Metro Times being made a behind-the-counter commodity at local libraries is a talking point of its own, residents are also discussing a barn being installed at the Grosse Pointe Park border…
Restaurant Review: The Jagged Fork
The Jagged Fork 18480 Mack Ave. Grosse Pointe Farms thejaggedfork.com 313-458-8440 Handicap accessible Brunch and lunch: $6-$13 Open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily In the Pointes, the Original House of Pancakes is an institution, and the yardstick by which all other brunch is measured. Although newcomer the Jagged Fork won’t pose any serious threat to its…
Sal Rodriguez goes from the sidelines to the red carpet
Start following Detroit’s street art scene, and it isn’t long before you’re pointed to Salvador Rodriguez. Born and raised in Detroit (now a St. Clair Shores resident), Rodriguez’s thorough documentation of Detroit’s recent street art boom makes him something of a historian on the matter. And he’s making a name as a photographer in his…
Film Review: Transformers — The Age of Extinction
Clanking, screeching metallic behemoths collide and grind against each other, while flesh-and-blood actors scamper and jump and deliver page after page of wooden dialogue in a script that could only have been made by people with skulls full of stone. So it goes with the fourth entry in Michael Bay’s calamitous action franchise, which long…
Throw a Made-in-MI Independence Day party
The Fourth of July is upon us, and chances are you’re going to be grilling and drinking in the great outdoors. While you can run to any old market and pick up any old bag of franks and buns, we suggest going for a more local theme. With a host of great products — both…
Exclusive: Trick Trick discusses the “no fly zone”
A lot is being said these days about Detroit hip-hop artist Trick Trick, from the street on up to the big boy on the gossip block, TMZ. But why hear it from TMZ when you can hear it from the man himself? Trick Trick took a few moments to speak with Metro Times last week.…
Michigan Map Notecards
Rock Paper Scissors + Belles Union Michigan Map Notecards esty.com/shop/RockPaperMichigan The art of the handwritten note is all but dead, but you’ll want to resurrect the habit of sending thank-you notes via snail mail once you see these handcrafted note cards. The cards feature local landmarks like Sleeping Bear Dunes and Tahquamenon Falls along with…
Jessica Hernandez Hangs with Steve Madden
Detroit darling and soulful songstress Jessica Hernandez recently hung out with a Steve Madden staffer at Mary Meyer and Friends Vintage in Brooklyn where she talked about her background working at one of the brand’s shoe stores in Chicago while in college and how she met her bandmates. The entirety of the candid interview was taped…
Vogue Vintage
Vogue Vintage | 23622 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-546-1555; voguevintage.net Open 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Wednesday Walk into Vogue Vintage on Woodward Avenue in Pleasant Ridge and you’re likely to go into retro overload. Rather than your average resale shop, Vogue Vintage focuses heavily on mid-century pieces, from dinette sets to…
Meet Ayinde Zuri the Pirate
When we bumped into Ayinde Zuri the Pirate, he was dressed up for the Halfway to Halloween Party at Necto Nightclub’s Factory Monday Nights. Ayinde is not only a pirate, but also a musician and a magician. He collects vinyl records and Force FX Lightsabers. He enjoys walking his dogs, hanging out by the lake,…
Just Buzzo and his Guitar — an interview with the Melvins’ Buzz Osborne
It’s incredibly difficult to start a band and make a career out of it, let alone keep that band productive and relevant for thirty straight years, but somehow Buzz Osborne has been able to do that with Melvins. The ever productive King Buzzo recently released This Machine Kills Artists, his first solo acoustic album,…
Dunwell Dry Goods opens in Hamtramck, Beck rocks the Fox
Well done, Dunwell On Friday night, DDAYS swung by the grand opening of Dunwell Dry Goods, Hamtramck’s one-stop shop for all your screenprinting, skateboarding, and assorted retail needs. A reconfiguration of the existing shops Chiipss and the Barber Shoppe, Dunwell features a gallery space, full screenprinting services, a mini ramp to practice your skateboard tricks…
Colorado six months after legalizing marijuana
The eyes of America are on Colorado, so far the only state where legal marijuana for recreational use by adults is available (with Washington state not far behind). And the folks involved in marijuana issues in Colorado and elsewhere are well aware of that. So, last week, the national organization Drug Policy Alliance held a…
Tommy’s Detroit Bar and Grill
Tommy’s Detroit Bar and Grill 624 Third St., Detroit 313-965-2269 tommysdetroit.com Open 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Friday, 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday Found on Third Street, just a few blocks away from John King Books and directly across from Wayne County Community College, Tommy’s Detroit Bar and Grill is, one can tell, a relic of the old…
Vegan for Fun
You may not be familiar with Attila Hildmann, the self-made vegan chef from Germany. But his books have become quite popular in Europe, and are now available in English on our shores. And that’s a good thing. Why? Americans already know that a vegan diet can be healthy, low in fat, and cholesterol-free. But what’s…
Hunger Free Summer aims to provide 2 million meals to children in Detroit
The folks behind this year’s Hunger Free Summer crusade have set an ambitious goal: to provide 2 million meals to children in the Detroit area. Coordinated by Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan and the Charter One Foundation, the campaign aims to assist the hundreds of thousands of children in metro Detroit who have…
