Cover Story
Made in Michigan
MICHIGAN HAS OFTEN been called a “canary in the coal mine.” The state’s once-dominant manufacturing base — its automotive sector — has always been susceptible to the slightest hint of recession. As a result, economic contractions are typically felt here well in advance of other indicators that register on a national scale. Of course, the gutting of the U.S.…
City Slang: Child’s view of Concert of Colors
When I recently spoke to the Howling Diablos’ Tino Gross for my Concert of Colors feature, Color Me Good, he stated that one of the appealing things about the festival is the fact that it is so family-friendly. “I really like that it’s supposed to be the most kid-friendly event,” Gross said. “I talk to…
City Slang: Weekly music review roundup
Send CDs, vinyl, cassettes, demos and 8-tracks to Brett Callwood, Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 46226. Email MP3s and streaming links to bcallwood@metrotimes.com. Voyag3r’s Victory in the Battle Chamber (Bellyache) is a sweet piece of vinyl. Have you ever listened to Tangerine Dream’s soundtrack to the movie version of Stephen King’s Firestarter, starring…
Speedy Ortiz (7.11.13 @ Magic Stick)
I thought indie-rock was dead. Turns out, just the idea of it… as this thing from the late-ish 90’s, as something marketable to the college-aged nai-eve-emo kid with disposable income from mom & dad, trolling the townie’s old vinyl shop…was rightfully exterminated out of ubiquitous ennui, formulas were being re-shredded and we moved onto all…
City Slang: Summer Rocks at the Detroit School of Rock and Pop
Session Two of the Summer Rocks series starts at the Detroit School of Rock and Pop next week. According to a statement, “Summer Rocks! is in full swing. There’s music in the halls, videos being shot on the sidewalks, and fun being had by all! If you’d like to be part of the fun, let…
City Slang: New Sights book and DVD
The Sights, and front man Eddie Baranek, have announced the release of a new book called Taken Alive, made up of tour diaries and blogs written during the recent tour with Tenacious D. Former MT featured ed Brian Smith contributes the foreward and two articles. According to the press release, “To celebrate the release of…
Timmy’s Tacos Turn Two
Last night at the Painted Lady Lounge, Timmy Vulgar announced that it’s the second anniversary of Wednsday’s Taco Night, for which Timmy makes all sorts of authentic Mexican tacos. He’s really upped his game during that time, and now regularly serves one meat taco and one vegan taco, on corn or flour tortillas, with onion…
City Slang: Danny and the Darleans rock the New Dodge
There are rock stars, and then there’s Danny Kroha, the man behind Danny & the Darleans. I had a chat with DJ Topkat tonight, and we both agreed that one of the great things about Kroha is his apparent lack of any obvious ego, his humility. That’s why he’s the real deal – a genuine…
Dirty Wars & Independence Day
Having just seen the documentary Dirty Wars at the Main Theatre in Royal Oak, I’m feeling even less inclined than usual to do much flag waving as America’s big July Fourth celebration approaches. From the time we are kids, we’re told that the United States is a “peace loving” nation that goes to war only…
Michigan & the Brain Drain
This is not the way to attract educated young people … Deadline Detroit’s Jeff Wattrick posted an interesting article quoting many Michigan leaders who say we need more college-educated young professionals in the state. Or, more to the point, we need to do what we can to stop educated young people from running away from…
Scott Masson’s Music Metamorphosis – (New Oscillating Fan Club in September)
So when you record your album, what’s going through your head? Some thoughts from a local song-maker… … Don’t worry about anything else but being an artist. Just be creative in however way that feels right for you. You’re in the studio. Be in the moment. Don’t worry about anything else but the song.…
Deemable Tech: Should I Stick With BlackBerry?
Q: Has BlackBerry version 10 been released yet, and can I download it for my BlackBerry Curve? Is it a smart move for us to stick with Blackberry as our phone, or should we be considering an Android phone or an iPhone? A: Yes, BlackBerry 10 has been released. It came out January 30, 2013.…
Baker’s Half-Dozen
What is it with the explosion of area bakeries over the last several years? There are several things driving it: An increasing interest in food culture, suspicions of “Big Food,” dietary restrictions, the eat-local movement and an appreciation for the flavor of something “made with love.” For our Made in Michigan issue, we decided to…
Locally Produced Goods
Tooth & Nail See someone with a necklace made out of a raccoon jaw and you may question everything you thought you knew about fashion. But this hasn’t stopped local jewelry designer Stacy Dumoss from taking a leap in an eerie direction. After attending the College for Creative Studies and living in metro Detroit for…
Ponyride’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
An adventure and a great cup of java are brewing at Anthology Coffee. Tucked away at 1401 Vermont St. in a former abandoned warehouse in Corktown, Anthology Coffee is part of Ponyride — a community of shops and businesses found in a unique Detroit setting. The brainchild of Slows Bar-B-Q owner Phillip Cooley, Ponyride opened…
Kanye West
You don’t want to read another article about Kanye West about as much as we don’t want to write it. “About” is actually a pretty appropriate word here. Because, West is an extraordinarily ostentatious rap god who consistently makes his presence known wherever he goes; because for him, it’s always all about Kanye. His latest…
Color Me Good
The Concert of Colors is not like other concerts, or festivals for that matter. The city of Detroit hosts and has hosted many festivals, from the Detroit Jazz Festival to the Dally in the Alley, from the Downtown Hoedown to Movement. The Concert of Colors is none of those things — it’s much more important.…
Where in the World is Charles Pugh?
JUST WHEN IT SEEMS that the political follies around here couldn’t get any crazier — they get crazier. Last week’s game of “Where in the World is Charles Pugh” — played out in City Council chambers, emergency manager Kevyn Orr’s office and in the media, including this rag — was so over-the-top I just had…
Quickies
Q: I’m a 24-year-old woman who just ended a five-year relationship. It sucked. I cried. It was my first breakup, so I’ve felt totally insane for the last three months. Now I’m in the dating world, and I go out with people only to find that we have no physical chemistry. My mother says, “You’re…
Peering into the Dark
The title of the latest report issued by the nonprofit Michigan Campaign Finance Network is appropriately ominous: “Descending into Dark Money.” For those of you who think the report might be a rant against the U.S. Supreme Court’s infamous Citizens United decision, we offer these cautionary notes: Rich Robinson, executive director of the Michigan Campaign…
‘Buy Local’ Campaign Has Roots in Michigan
Ten years ago, when a small group of Grand Rapids business owners began thinking about ways to promote a “local first” campaign, there weren’t many established models for them to follow. “We were one of the first three ‘buy local’-type campaigns in the United States,” says Elissa Hillary. What began as an informal effort has…
Battles Lost & Won
Well, the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is upon us again, and, as everyone not trapped in a mine shaft knows, we’ve just had a bunch of momentous court decisions. Basically, the progressive interpretation of the scorecard reads that it was one hell of a good week for gay Americans, and a not-so-good one…
Allies and Axis Collide
Imagine you’re in a darkened room. There’s the sound of mournful chamber music sweeping in just as the title sequence ignites; an old map with Detroit landmarks fills the screen — danger’s ahead. You feel it. The color palette breathes verisimilitude. It’s a gritty world that strangely enough, looks quite beautiful, thanks to the cinematography.…
Studio Visit: Reclamation Transformation
Paul Mungar is one of the artists behind the work of Reclaim Detroit, an ongoing urban sustainability and permaculture experiment located in the Jefferson Chalmers District on Detroit’s East Side. The project is made with limited means and almost entirely reclaimed materials. The project includes an aquaponic fishpond, a small food forest, chickens, and art.…
Capers Steakhouse
Capers Steakhouse 14726 Gratiot Ave., Detroit 313-527-2100 Entrées: $7.95-$16.95 Handicap accessible Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, Detroit’s Capers is one of those enduring, truly neighborhood joints that hangs on forever, attracting people from all over — old and young, black and white, from all walks of life — who come mostly to feast on…
Film Review: White House Down
White House Down | C For almost 20 years, director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012) has been making the cinematic equivalent of junk food. Given how unabashedly big, noisy and empty his movies are, Pop Rocks would probably be an apt metaphor. And, really, there’s nothing wrong with that. Movie theaters would crumble into dust…
Film Review: The Heat
Another testosterone-driven genre (this time the cop buddy action flick) gets a kick in the pants from director Paul Feig, who previously pulled off the raunchy bachelor party comedy gender flip with Bridesmaids. Now, instead of cat fights and party fouls, we’ve got a mismatched pair of funny ladies slugging it out with street thugs…
Film Review: Monsters University
Monsters University | B Candy-colored abominations frolic through realistic backdrops and crack wise while secretly learning valuable life lessons, all while a sprightly Randy Newman score blares on the soundtrack; this is pretty much the formula that has guided Pixar to the mountaintop of big screen animation. This amiable and totally disposable sequel is nowhere…
Film Review: Dirty Wars
Dirty Wars | B+ Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss; only this one’s got a Nobel Peace Prize. After watching director Richard Rowley’s enraging documentary, Dirty Wars, the fact that our current president is viewed as a bleeding heart peacemaker is just too twisted and darkly ironic to fathom. War is peace. Ignorance…
City Slang: New Black Dahlia Murder video
p>Detroit metal band the Black Dahlia Murder have unleashed a new performance demo video for “Into the Everblack” According to a press release, “THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER are currently touring as part of the Van’s Warped Tour 2013. At the Ventura, CA stop of the tour, Brian Eschbach, Ryan Knight, Max Lavelle, and Alan Cassidy,…
What is a Hipster?
I have been accused of being one. I have been asked what they are. And at the end of the day I have no fucking clue how to respond. A Hipster, as defined by Urban Dictionary is as follows: Referring to young people of around 18-30 years of age, who drink cheap beer, listen to…
