Cover Story
For Minihorse’s Ben Collins, logic and science are one with creativity
What is Ben Collins so afraid of? The 32-year-old Ypsilanti-based engineer, producer, and musician set an intention to find an answer to this very question during an ayahuasca ceremony led by shamans in the jungle of Tulum, Mexico. Collins had never dabbled in psychedelics before this experience. (He jokes that his first experience with marijuana…
Stormy Chromer performs at Detroit’s Utopia Gardens as part of free summer concert series
Get higher with Ypsilanti improvisational outfit Stormy Chromer, who will perform as part of Utopia Gardens’ new summer concert series. Part prog rock, part rolling jam-band energy, Stormy Chromer comes packing with serious shredding and unexpected eccentricity reminiscent of the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. Though the event is on the grounds of one of…
Detroit artists band together for Planned Parenthood and ACLU fundraiser at Marble Bar
It’s not a coincidence that we’re giving a lot of love to the recent surge of events aimed at protecting human rights, especially those pertaining to women’s reproductive rights and those defined by Roe v. Wade. As proposed abortion bans sweep the Midwest, the hardworking warriors of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU need all hands…
Detroit’s Rogue Satellites bring intergalactic synth-rock to Hamtramck
Jaye Thomas and Lisa Poszywak are Rogue Satellites — Detroit’s truly independent intergalactic synth-rock duo. For eight years, Rogue Satellites have evolved their post-punk sound into a dynamic, synergistic blend of sludge — crisp ’60s pop that calls to mind the Fab Four’s Magical Mystery Tour days with hints of the occult. Following last year’s…
Detroit’s AfroFuture Fest aims to support and inspire Black youth with day-long event
Detroit’s first annual AfroFuture Fest found itself in the spotlight earlier this summer when it ignited a debate about equality vs. equity due to its race-based ticket pricing. (It eventually switched to a flat rate and an additional suggested donation for white people.) But all the media attention was a distraction from what’s truly important:…
Detroit’s Britney Stoney and Vespre to perform free concert at Beacon Park
Two of Detroit’s most empowering songstresses team up for a night of music that may or may not encourage you to text an ex, or, reversely, book a solo trip to Europe to find your damn self by your damn self because girl power, baby. As part of Beacon Park’s Night Market series, singer, songwriter,…
America’s son, Gary Clark Jr., will bring his blues rock-fueled resistance to Meadow Brook
Gary Clark Jr. has fucking had it with Trump country. “Fuck you, I’m America’s son/ This is where I come from,” Clark declares on the politically charged title track from his most recent record, This Land. Released earlier this year, This Land does not stray from the 35-year-old’s wheelhouse of blues-infused rock that toggles between…
John Mayer is coming to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena
John Mayer is a man of many… talents. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Hailed as a guitar god and a self-proclaimed “recovered ego addict,” the newly sober Grammy Award-winning artist is most known for giving dude-bros anthemic permission to fumble with their dad’s acoustic à la “Your Body is a Wonderland,” a disturbing career-ruining 2010 interview with Playboy, and membership…
Wendy Williams and friends head to Detroit’s Music Hall
More than your favorite reaction GIF, Wendy Williams is vulnerable, vivacious, and the reigning queen of spilled tea. The 55-year-old radio personality, New York Times bestselling author, and host of The Wendy Williams Show for 11 years running is — even amid a public and emotional divorce and a televised admission of her recent decision…
The 7th annual Sidewalk Festival shines a spotlight on peace, power, and utopia
Dancing in the streets? Yes, please. Hosted by Artist Village Detroit, the Sidewalk Festival delivers more than just dancing — and for its seventh iteration, it is returning with three days’ worth of discovery. This year, the free festival will once again transform the streets of historic Old Redford into a sprawling, inclusive, and interactive…
The FiveThirtyEight podcast will discuss the debate shitshow live at the Majestic
The sad fact of the matter is, Michigan is partially responsible for Trump. No, seriously. In 2016, President Donald “Grab ’em by the pussy” Trump won Michigan thanks to fewer than 11,000 votes. (We’re looking at you, Macomb County!) Anyway, now that our Mitten State has become a battleground for the 2020 election, even serving as…
Electropop trio Shaed to perform at Sonic Lunch in Ann Arbor
Chelsea Lee is having some dark and twisty dreams. “When I dream of dying/ I never feel so loved,” the Shaed frontwoman sings on “Trampoline,” calling to mind the danceable despair of Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” Sounding like a cross between Tom Krell’s How to Dress Well and Bishop Briggs, the ambient Washington, D.C.,…
Detroit, not Macomb County, is the 2020 ‘political promised land’
Ahead of the Democratic debates, The Detroit Free Press urged candidates and the party to focus on Macomb County, which the paper labeled the “political promised land.” It followed over two years of similar stories at the national level that correctly note that the county is home to independent swing voters who cast ballots for…
MotorKam and DJ Kage celebrate Detroit’s legendary ‘The New Dance Show’ with ‘Dat Booty’
Jit culture and Ghettotech-inspired music is loudly reaching its apex in relevancy once again. Enter, “Dat Booty”: a fast-paced, high-powered track produced by DJ Kage (he of the Trump-inspired “New Massive Titties in Detroit” viral hit) with lyrics by the phenomenal MotorKam (aka Black Daddy). The video blends in 1990s footage from The New Dance…
Roseville park says it was vandalized after telling a group to take their bounce house down
A group of people put up a bounce house in a Roseville park and were forced to take it down because they did not have a permit to rent the pavilion space, according to MLive. The people who put up the bounce house at Veterans Memorial Park in Roseville on Sunday have not been identified by…
Company at Detroit Metro Airport settles pregnancy discrimination lawsuit
An airline ramp and cargo handling company that operates at the Detroit Metro Airport agreed to pay $120,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination lawsuit on Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), was launched on behalf of several employees who alleged that Simplicity Ground Services refused to accommodate their pregnancy-related…
Lawsuit alleges woman sexually assaulted at court-ordered work program in Redford Township
A Michigan woman alleges in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by her supervisor at a court-ordered work program in Redford Township. Linda Sexton filed the 183-count lawsuit against Redford Township on Monday, alleging two township employees worked together to isolate and sexually assault her while she was attending a probationary work program for…
Bernie Sanders and Cardi B met at a Detroit nail salon, we don’t know what’s happening
“Bad bitches are a gift from God,” according to Cardi B in her song “I Do,” so hopefully Bernie Sanders is taking notes. The performer and Vermont Senator-turned-presidential hopeful met at TEN Nail Bar downtown to discuss youth engagement in politics. “Today (Cardi B) and I finally met. We had a great conversation about the…
Preview: Detroit takes center stage in 2-day Democratic debates
The nation’s eyes are on Detroit this week as 20 Democrats prepare to square off in the first of two presidential debates Tuesday evening. The national media already set the stage with narratives about the city’s so-called “rebound” and the importance of attracting Black votes. Detroit’s suburban neighbor, Macomb County, also has been spotlighted for…
Opinion: Detroit Metro Airport food workers have questions for Democrats coming to debate in Detroit
Last month, hundreds of airline catering workers at Detroit Metro Airport voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike when released by the government. In taking this vote, Detroit airport food workers joined thousands of their sisters and brothers at 30 hub cities in sending a message to the airline industry that they’re ready to strike as…
How BDT Smoke Shops weathered the War on Drugs
Through all the openings and shutdowns of marijuana-related businesses in recent years, there has been a constant — BDT Smoke Shops. There is no marijuana sold at these locations, which were once known as head shops, but the legal hazards of selling seemingly innocuous pipes, papers, and bongs have been real. The Federal Drug Paraphernalia…
Detroiters march for a Green New Deal ahead of Dem debates
A group of Detroiters and activists with Frontline Detroit will march in the streets today to demand that the Green New Deal be at the center of the Democratic debate. The Green New Deal is a progressive proposal that seeks to address the climate crisis and economic inequality by transforming the economy from one reliant…
Chance the Rapper announces North American tour
Grammy-award winning artist Chance the Rapper released his highly anticipated album, The Big Day, last week. Today, he gave more good news to his fans by announcing the dates of his North American tour, which will make a stop at the Little Caesars Arena on Friday, Nov. 1. The Big Day, a debut album heavily…
Dethroned MAGA Miss Michigan joins Women for Trump Coalition Advisory Board
A Michigan beauty pageant winner who was dethroned after posting racially insensitive and Islamophobic comments on her social media has decided to work for President Trump. Well, sort of. Kathy Zhu, a 20-year-old University of Michigan student, will be working on the Women for Trump Coalition Advisory Board. “I am so excited to now be…
Bipartisan panel: Why Detroit’s facial recognition technology should be banned
Detroit’s facial recognition system is invasive, error-prone, and racially biased, a bipartisan panel warned residents at a town hall meeting Monday. About 30 people turned out to the meeting, which was hosted by state Rep. Isaac Robinson, D-Detroit, who introduced a bill earlier this month to impose a five-year moratorium on the technology. “This technology…
Review: ‘The Farewell’ is a bittersweet family comedy ‘based on an actual lie’
An opening title card insists that it’s “Based on an actual lie,” but everything that unfolds in The Farewell feels painfully honest, deeply aware, and sweetly true in ways that only the best fiction can achieve. The story, about an intimate conspiracy to hide a loved one’s terminal diagnosis from themselves, could easily have seemed…
Pietrzyk Pierogi pop-up finds a permanent home in Eastern Market
Pop-up pierogi-maker Pietrzyk Pierogi is preparing to open a brick-and-mortar space in the Eastern Market’s Gratiot Central Market. The new carryout restaurant, retail space, and production facility will offer fresh and frozen pierogi. Among the flavors are those packed with traditional cheeses, potatoes, and meats, as well as inventive varieties like the Sports Bar with…
Detroit City FC’s dream to join a new professional soccer league has fallen apart — for now
It was just four months ago, March 8, that Detroit City FC, the Motor City’s scrappy grassroots soccer team, hosted nearly 200 of its “City Faithful” fans to inaugurate the Founders Cup. The tournament was meant to precede the creation of a new league, which would mark DCFC’s exodus from the amateur National Premier Soccer…
Mo Pop Festival plots new Detroit location for 2020
Detroit’s Mo Pop Festival is saying goodbye to West Riverfront Park in 2020. This weekend, an estimated 33,000 festival-goers descended upon what has been Mo Pop’s stomping grounds since 2015, to take in performances by Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, and Detroit’s own Lizzo. The boutique indie festival, which spent two years at Sterling Heights’ Michigan…
Michigan cities flunk on energy-efficiency report card
A new report shows that Michigan’s two biggest cities are making progress on clean energy policies — but still have significant room for improvement. The nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked 75 cities on energy-efficiency and renewable energy, and Detroit and Grand Rapids ranked 63rd and 38th, respectively. David Ribeiro, senior research manager…
Bill introduced to name Detroit post office after Queen of Soul
Michigan congresswoman Brenda Lawrence presented a bill on Friday to rename a Detroit post office after the late Aretha Franklin. The post office is located at 12711 E. Jefferson Ave., and it’s official name would become the “Aretha Franklin Post Office Building.” “It’s my pleasure to honor this mega talent and my good friend Aretha…
Vernors showcasing Michigan lighthouses on limited edition cans
Vernors is partnering with Pure Michigan to launch a line of limited edition cans featuring famous Michigan lighthouses. This is the third year that Vernors will be launching the collectible series as a way of promoting Michigan tourism and travel. “This is an opportunity to celebrate these iconic landmarks — along with events like the…
Detroit Hustles Harder to host grand opening party in new digs
Detroit-based retail company Detroit Hustles Harder is going back to its roots on the first floor of the century-old building in Eastern Market. The T-shirt logo has become a staple in any proud Detroiter’s closet, and the company’s screen-printing services have made it possible for other local companies to get their start as well. What…
Call the fire department — Lizzo releases video for ‘Tempo’ with Missy Elliott
Lizzo in a fur stole and a cowboy hat? Check. A fleet of souped-up, gravity-defying lowriders? Check. Fire? OK! Acrobatics? Wait, what? Missy fucking Elliott popping out of the hood of a car? Break the internet, why don’t you! The highly anticipated visual for Lizzo’s collaboration with her personal hero, Missy Elliott — a trailblazer…
A pack of raccoons is terrorizing Detroit’s west side
A pack of raccoons has reportedly taken over an abandoned home near Detroit’s Rouge Park, terrifying its neighbors. WXYZ reports that at least five of the critters have been spotted entering a boarded-up home at Sawyer and Parkland through its chimney. Neighbors say the adorable-yet-dangerous trash pandas are now trying to come into their homes.…
Whitmer vows to veto anti-pride flag legislation
Republican Rep. Lynn Afendoulis introduced a bill Thursday that would make it so only U.S. and state flags could fly over Michigan’s Capitol and other state buildings. The legislation comes just a month after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s historic decision to fly pride flags on the Romney building — where Whitmer’s main office is located —…
Thousands to march for ‘progressive federal agenda’ in downtown Detroit’s streets
Thousands of progressives will march in downtown Detroit on Friday afternoon to lay out a progressive federal agenda and demand action on issues like climate change, fair housing, safety in schools, health care, and immigration. The march and block party is part of a three-day People’s Convention in Detroit that’s bringing together 1,600 progressive leaders, activists,…
Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus are coming to Caesars Windsor
Depending on who you ask, Lil Nas X is either a one-hit wonder or a barrier-breaking genius. Either way, his “Old Town Road” is leading him to some big places. The Atlanta rapper will appear with collaborator Billy Ray Cyrus at a show on Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Coliseum at Caesars Windsor. Lil Nas…
Detroit passes ordinance seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in 5 years
An ordinance focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in the next five years in Detroit was unanimously passed by Detroit City Council on Tuesday. Related The ordinance outlines that the city’s emissions should be measured annually, according to Crain’s. The last time emission levels were measured was in 2012 — the city…
These 4 Michigan communities could vote to reverse marijuana bans — and more could be on the way
Though Michigan voters approved recreational adult-use marijuana in November, government officials in more than 500 communities across the state have decided to ban marijuana businesses, at least for now — a right afforded to them under Proposal 1. However, pro-pot activists in four municipalities — Allen Park, Romulus, Hudson, and Vanderbilt, according to The Detroit News…
Wayne State loses public records lawsuit over Flint water crisis documents
The Mackinac Center Legal Foundation was awarded $6,000 in attorney’s fees on Tuesday for its public records lawsuit filed against Wayne State University. The lawsuit, filed in June 2018, was launched on behalf of Virginia Tech professor Marc Edwards — one of the whistleblowers in the Flint water crisis — after the university allegedly ignored…
Rep. Tlaib introduces bill to ban facial recognition technology from public housing
Residents who live in federally funded housing units would not be subjected to facial recognition technology under a bill introduced Thursday. U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, teamed up with two other congresswomen to introduce the No Biometric Barriers Act of 2019, which wold ban the technology at housing units funded by the Department of Housing…
A new Latin American restaurant is headed to the Cass Corridor
A restaurant that will specialize in Brazilian, Peruvian, and other Latin American cuisines is in the works in the Cass Corridor. The 3,000-square-foot Vecino is planned for 4100 Third Ave. near the Cinema Detroit building, and its kitchen will be helmed by former Adachi sous chef Francesco Tola, Crain’s reports. Aside from Latin American fusion…
Controversial Border Patrol chief headed to Detroit amid blistering report
A controversial Border Patrol chief who oversaw deplorable and unsafe conditions at detention centers near the U.S.-Mexico border is headed to Detroit. Aaron Hull, head of the Border Patrol’s El Paso sector, will be reassigned Monday following a blistering report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General that revealed conditions so deplorable that agents were beginning…
Here’s what the presidential candidates said at the NAACP’s 110th National Convention
Ten candidates running to challenge Donald Trump for the presidency in 2020 came to Cobo Center Wednesday morning to make their case for why they should be president. The forum was part of the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People’s 110th National Convention. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, and…
Another Mich. GOP congressman has bailed because of Trump
Rep. Paul Mitchell is the latest Michigan Republican congressman in recent months to have bailed on the congressional GOP because of President Donald Trump. The second-term Republican, whose district includes much of Macomb County, announced on Wednesday that he will not run for re-election — surprising news considering it is only months after he won…
Report: Poop may make Michigan beaches unsafe for swimmers
Recent research indicates that Michigan lakes run the risk of being unsafe for swimmers due to remnants of fecal matter from humans and animals — in other words, there’s a chance that there could be poop in the water. A report released by the Environment America Research and Policy Center found that fecal matter can…
Detroit’s Big Sean rebuilds on ‘Overtime’ — first new music in 2 years
Detroit’s Big Sean returned to social media yesterday after a two-month hiatus to announce the release of new music — his first solo drop since 2017’s I Decide. Overall, it’s been a relatively quiet year for Big Sean who, since his last release, has endured a very public split from Jhené Aiko, canceled his 2018…
Metro Times is hiring a staff writer
If you’re a talented journalist with an interest in food, we may have the job for you. Metro Times is looking to hire a staff writer. This job requires a diverse skill set. We’re looking for someone who’s capable of both breaking news on our blog and writing long-form stories for our print edition. Photography…
Detroit store clerk misidentifies potato chip thief, allegedly shoots wrong man in chest
A gas station clerk in Detroit allegedly pulled a gun on a suspected potato chip thief but shot the wrong man Tuesday night. Police said a 22-year-old man was shot in the chest as he was walking out of a Shell gas station on the 17000 block of West Warren, just east of the Southfield…
Horoscopes: July 24-30
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You can’t make a move until you know what it needs to be; at the moment, you have no clue. This isn’t your favorite place to be. At the same time, you’re wise enough to know there is nothing you can do about it, so you might as well…
10 must-see artists at this year’s Mo Pop Festival
Take a seat, Coachella. Step aside, Lollapalooza. Go to sleep, Woodstock 50. (Too soon?) Detroit’s laid-back Mo Pop Festival returns to kick major festival ass, thanks to a bootylicious Detroit-born superstar, some ambient space-rock from Down Under, vampiric hitmakers, and a Colombian-American neo-soul songstress. Once again, Mo Pop will take over Detroit’s West Riverfront Park…
Tommystock is the mini music fest on a 100-year-old Lake Orion Boy Scout camp we didn’t know we needed
When he was growing up near Tommys Lake in Lake Orion, John Carson used to play music by campfire with his friends. They joked that it was called “Tommystock.” Many years later, Tommystock became much more than some childhood friends hanging out. In 2014, the Boy Scouts of America sold its historic Camp Agawam —…
Shoot Dope Spot creates edgy pop art in the Motor City
Thomas “Nutty” Ingram III is creating a different type of art in Detroit. Inspired by the city he grew up in, the 28-year-old describes his style as “supervillain art” because it “goes against the grain” of some normal artistic conventions. His clothing brand Shoot Dope Spot is an example of his style, where he sells…
Review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ has heart
A Marvel movie doesn’t have to do a lot to succeed. The formula is built on lack of commitment, alternating between scenes of halfhearted workplace comedy and outsourced action scenes taking place in gray sub-basements, fields, and parking lots. A scan for signs of genuine life in these films would most always come up flat.…
Michigan’s medical marijuana industry made $68.6M in sales last quarter
You probably didn’t know, but there were 11,489 pounds of legal medical marijuana sold in the state provisioning system from April 1 through June 30 this year — bringing in $68,588,886 in sales. At least that’s the reckoning of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency in its quarterly report. That stat — and a rabbit hole of…
Trump’s racist rants thrust Michigan Republicans in awkward position
President Donald Trump’s racist tweets earlier this month crossed a new line and forced Republicans into an awkward position — defend the president and alienate independents or condemn bigotry and face the wrath of Trump and his supporters. Either one could have disastrous political consequences for Republicans in Michigan, which Trump narrowly won in 2016…
Watching democracy die, part 4: If we don’t change the system, the system is going to break
If the stars align just right next November, Donald Trump could lose the popular vote by as much as five points and still win the White House, according to an analysis The New York Times’s Upshot blog published Friday. If that happened, Republicans would likely control the Senate and might retake the House even if…
Review: With Zao Jun, Adachi sushi chef Lloyd Roberts scores another Asian hit
There’s a real dearth of truly good sushi in metro Detroit, but some of the best rolls in town are prepared at Adachi, the upscale restaurant that chef Lloyd Roberts opened last year in downtown Birmingham. Try to find something like Adachi’s hamachi crudo — a dish of delicate, paper-thin strips of fatty fish made…
Deadbeat Beat’s music defies easy labels — can’t it just be pop?
Ask the members of Detroit rock ‘n’ roll three-piece Deadbeat Beat to describe their music, and there’s no simple answer — partially because they each string along additions to each other’s answers. Drummer Maria Nuccilli says that she “would love to hear someone else’s analysis of our songs,” while singer and guitarist Alex Glendening follows…
