Cover Story
Nipped in the bud
Bob Diefenderfer has been operating a high-end retail garden supply store since 1998. His wife, Kristen, is vice president. They built a single shop in St. Clair Shores into the largest high-end retail garden supply chain in the state of Michigan, with seven locations throughout the lower peninsula. They have 30 employees, and provide them…
Not all menz
Q: I’m a fairly boring person by your column’s standards in that I’ve always identified as a straight male into typical relationships. I’ve realized, after multiple long-term relationships that were unsatisfying, that monogamy isn’t for me. I would like to have a main, fulfilling, and committed relationship without limiting myself sexually or emotionally. I’ve struggled to…
Watch this one minute video from a GoPro camera on Detroit’s People Mover
Business Insider shows us what it looks like when you strap a Go Pro camera onto Detroit’s People Mover. Watch this most excellent video here:
City Slang: Sunny fun at the Berkley Art Bash
It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon and the sun is beating down in Berkley. The weather couldn’t be more perfect for the annual Berkley Art Bash, a sort of family-friendly street festival taking place along 12 Mile Rd. in the very wholesome but increasingly arty Detroit suburb. There’s fun for all, with bounce-houses and giant inflatable…
College for Creative Studies sculpture garden hosts Detroit Artist Market sale
Art aficionados can stop by the College for Creative Studies’ Jospephine Ford Sculpture Garden Thursday, June 19 after work for the Detroit Artists Market’s Garden Party and Art Sale. The annual party dates back to the 1930s, when the Detroit Artists Market was founded. This year, more than 125 artists will be selling paintings, photographs, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics,…
Michigan Central Station gets a row of windows
Frequent viewers of the painful symbol of downtrodden Detroit might have recently noted that there is now a single, vertical row of half-windows that have been installed in Michigan Central Station. Here you can make them out (click the image to enlarge), four windows from the left, on the South West side of the building.…
Tour a mansion, catch a concert in Detroit’s historic Palmer Woods neighborhood
On Friday, June 20, the Palmer Woods Music in Homes series will kick off its finale weekend. The historic neighborhood will host two nights of music in a tent set up between two mansions, with a tour of one of the mansions — a 1928 Dutch Revival home designed by renowned architect Robert O’Derrick — available…
Film Review: 22 Jump Street
22 Jump Street | B When faced with producing a pointless sequel to the needless re-imagining of a late ’80s cop show that was itself highly derivative of the late ’60s cool kids artifact The Mod Squad, it’s probably best to just come out and admit that the product is creatively bankrupt. 22 Jump Street…
Film Review: Ida
Ida | A Is it possible for a film to be too visually exquisite? Take any frame in writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski’s luminous Ida and you could proudly hang it on a wall as fine art. His black-and-white images have an opalescent glow that recalls the work of classic Dutch painters, and cinematographer Lukasz Zal’s uncluttered…
City Slang: The Singles to tour this summer
Detroit’s Los Angeles-based pop-rock band The Singles will be touring this summer. The tour kicks off in Brooklyn on June 27, and ends in Laguna Beach on August 28. Michigan dates are July 10 at Bells Brewery in Kalamazoo, July 25 at the Loving Touch in Ferndale, and July 26 at Zal Gaz Grotto in…
RIP, Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem, beloved radio broadcaster and a Detroit native, died at 3:32 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, June 15. He was 82. No cause of death has so far been made public, but he was surrounded by his family at St. Anthony’s Hospital at Gig Harbor, Wash. Tragically, Kasem’s last few weeks with us…
Mich. spends more on prisons than education
#73979720 / gettyimages.com It’s true: Michigan is one of 8 states that spent more money on incarceration than on its public universities in fiscal year 2011. A statistic cited in the above referenced article states that prisoners in Michigan spend 17 months longer incarcerated than those imprisoned in 34 other states. According to Pew, “many non-violent…
Weird week? Today is your lucky day!
It seems lots of folks around town had strange, stressful weeks. Even our favorite radio host was expressing disbelief that the week wasn’t over yet–on Thursday morning! It happens every now and then to all of us, though some might attribute this particular week’s weirdness to the current Full Moon. Though others will say that’s just silly…
Movement Electronic Music Festival art installations find homes in Detroit this summer
If you went to Movement Electronic Music Festival a few weeks ago, you most likely noticed six interactive art installations set up in Hart Plaza. Facilitated by Community Arts Moving Projects Detroit (CAMP Detroit), the sculptures are now set up around downtown for people to enjoy all summer. Projects include “Ernst, King of Cats,” a giant puppet that…
One of baseball’s great highs
This story of a completely stoned pitcher in a baseball game is completely unrelated to Detroit. Well, maybe not, considering that Mark Fidrych’s antics on the mound often appeared drug-addled and weird. But this No Mas production about Dock Ellis’ no-hitter, pitched under the influence of various drugs, including LSD, is a winner. If you haven’t…
Batman V Superman news – LexCorp in Michigan
We’re not sure exactly where it is, but Metropolis and Gotham City are spread over Michigan (notably Plymouth, Birmingham and Detroit), and Lex Luthor’s LexCorp building has popped up. Thanks to ComicBookMovies.com for the pic, which shows a very contemporary, techy-style building. Seems like the perfect place for a modern day version of Luthor (Jessie…
Detroit Deputy Emergency Manager Stacy Fox hired as DuPont general counsel, will leave position Oct. 1
Stacy Fox, deputy emergency manager of Detroit, will step down from her position Oct 1. to take a job with chemical giant DuPont. Fox, who was appointed Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr’s deputy last October, was announced as the company’s new senior vice president and general counsel Tuesday. “Stacy comes to use as a proven leader with exceptional…
Treat Dreams moves second seating of “Murder Dinner”
Treat Dreams and NYA Catering are set to host their “Murder Dinner”, which will feature courses inspired by famous horror movies, tomorrow night, June 13, at the ice cream shop’s Ferndale location in accordance with the superstitious anti-holiday, Friday the 13th. With two seatings available, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., the second…
Detroit dining tidbits
Cool interiors at Plymouth’s Aqua. Fresh water — On Saturday, Plymouth will see the opening of Aqua, which is described in such unusual terms that it’s hard to get a handle on just what it is. It’s a “world fusion, modern fine dining establishment offering a unique dining experience highlighted by a diverse menu of…
Funding Michigan’s roads goes nowhere: Part infinity
(source: Wikimedia Commons) Yesterday — nay, this morning — Michigan lawmakers didn’t pass a single bill to fund our god-awful roads. Again. If you follow Michigan politics and spent portions of your evening checking Twitter, you likely found a stream of groans coming from our state Capitol — reporters, lawmakers, legislative aides, everyone — about how nothing…
Car designers compete on new TV show ‘Motor City Masters’
Car geeks, rejoice — a new automotive design-centric reality TV show called Motor City Masters will debut Tuesday, June 24 on truTV. The Chevy-sponsored show pits teams of auto designers against each other to build fully functional concept cars. It’s worth noting that most of the show doesn’t actually take place in the Motor City (most…
Happy birthday, Marcus Belgrave
Unofficially known as “Detroit’s Mr. Jazz” and “the Jazz Mayor of Detroit,” Marcus Belgrave may be the most respected person on the Detroit jazz scene. He’s worked with everybody from Ray Charles to John Sinclair, and has garnered a clutch of sought-after awards. Now he spends much of his time working with young musicians, passing on the tradition…
The mystery of Robocop’s hand
Fans of the original Robocop movies have been wondering why the titanic law enforcer’s right hand was saved in the remake. A deleted scene available on the new Blu-Ray and DVD of the movie explains all. “Can you save his right hand?” says Michael Keaton. “My father always said you can tell a lot about…
“… it’s not that gun owners are more suicidal”
“It’s that they’re more likely to die in the event that they become suicidal, because they are using a gun.” So is the discovery of the Harvard School of Public Health in their recent report: “Guns & Suicide: The Hidden Toll” The report starts with some statistics: “In 2010 in the U.S., 19,392 people committed suicide with guns,…
Dumb and Dumber To trailer
We love the trailer for the new Dumb and Dumber sequel, beautifully titled Dumb and Dumber To. Hell, we even love that deliberate grammatical faux pas in the title for the movie that sees Michigan man Jeff Daniels starring alongside Jim Carrey once again. We don’t want to give too much away, just watch the…
Detroit Lives! shot a short film in the DFT’s bathroom
Creative agency Detroit Lives! has produced a short film for a Nokia-sponsored competition to demonstrate the video-capturing prowess of the company’s new Lumia Icon smartphone. The Wes Anderson-inspired clip, which tells the story of fifth-generation bathroom attendant Harlan Ruddecksplainer VII, was filmed in the Detroit Film Theatre’s bathroom entirely on a Lumia Icon. You can watch the film below, and head to…
New York Times profiles 90-year-old local drug mule Leo Sharp
You may have heard the name Leo Sharp in local news reports lately. Last month, the 90-year-old received a three-year sentence for his involvement in the Sinaloa drug cartel’s Detroit operations; in fact, he was their top mule. In this week’s New York Times Sunday magazine, writer Sam Dolnick takes a deep-dive into Sharp’s life and how he…
Detroit girl turns 104
No, not a real girl: This one is made of metal. She’s the girl depicted by the Children’s Temperance Fountain inside the Anne Whitcomb Scripps Conservatory on Belle Isle. She was unveiled and dedicated with great ceremony on June 11, 1910, 104 years ago today. Temperance fountain in Tompkins Square Park, New York, N.Y. What exactly…
Landscaping goats kicked out of Detroit
#187858236 / gettyimages.com Last Friday, officials from Detroit’s Animal Control gave the boot to eighteen goats, which were brought in to aid in clearing vacant lots in the Brightmoor neighborhood. The goats arrived Thursday from Idyll Farms in Northport, which is owned by Mark Spitznagel, president of Universa Investments. A project on which…
Chelsea Sounds & Sights Festival Art Market announces 2014 artists
Summer art festival season is approaching, and Chelsea’s Sound & Sights Festival Art Market has announced it’s juried selection of 37 participating artists, who will exhibit and sell arts and crafts on July 25 and 26 in downtown Chelsea. Artists range from jewelers to painters, photographers to woodworkers. Click here to get a preview. The art market coincides…
New Deathlok comic book coming this fall
Thanks to Dennis Barger at Wonderworld Comics for forwarding us the news that there will be a new Deathlok comic book released by Marvel, starting in October. Deathlok is, of course, the cyborg, originally from Detroit, created by Detroiter Rich Buckler. He appeared on the TV show Agents of Shield earlier this year, his live…
Record Review: Various Artists — C86 Deluxe Edition
Various Artists C86 — The Deluxe Edition Cherry Red Records Released by NME in 1986, this comp inspired a whole strain of lo-fi, ’60s-inflected pop with punk production and mopey attitude. What critics lazily called “indie” in the 2000s can more or less be traced back to this record. The original tape consisted of 22…
Record Review: Jack White — Lazaretto
Jack White Lazaretto Third Man At this point, it’s clear that Jack White is not a man who likes to stand still. Throughout his time with the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather (among a few others), the one constant has been his desire to look to the past and pull new noises…
Record Review: First Aid Kit — Stay Gold
First Aid Kit Stay Gold Columbia The first major label release from this Swedish folk duo composed of sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg, Stay Gold, is an apt name for this country-and-western-inspired record that features rolling tunes like the album’s opening track “Silver Lining.” You’d never know from the twang in these sisters’ vocals that…
Super Duper Alice Cooper
There comes a point in the career of a storied musician like Alice Cooper where you have to ask, just how much more do we really need to know about this guy? The man born Vincent Furnier has been the subject of countless magazine features, and tales of his exploits continue to be passed down…
Josh Wheeler
I currently play guitar for the Paper Sound, the Bruised Reed, and the Tourist. I played in several others in the past. I do the songwriting and play all the instruments on recordings for the latter two projects (with talented friends graciously lending a hand for live dates), and get to concentrate more on production,…
Recycled Tire Coasters
A staple in the Detroit boutique scene, City Bird has been hawking Michigan-themed wares since 2005, adding to their line of home goods and wearable wares ever since. A relatively new addition to their product line, these recycled tire coasters are a steal at just $15 for a four-pack. The silk-screened cup holders are made…
Tulani Rose
Tulani Rose | 4201 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2477; facebook.com/tulanirose Open 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. If you’re looking for this little Midtown lifestyle boutique, you just might pass it by. We have, a few times, and it wasn’t until we made an appointment to meet shop owner Sharon Dell Pryor that we…
All Dolled Up
Ashley Goe was enjoying some live music and soaking up the afternoon sun with her friend when we met her at Campus Martius. Her vibrant, high-waisted, pink American Apparel pants immediately intrigued us, but her bright smile, chic sunglasses, and sleek, pulled-up hair really set her apart from the crowd. Goe’s sophisticated-casual look would transition…
Performance Network Theatre closes
Carla Milarch was at a doctor’s appointment on Thursday, May 22, when she got a strange call from one of her colleagues at the Performance Network Theatre, where she was then working as associate artistic director. The theater’s board said they were suspending operations indefinitely, and told all employees to gather their personal effects, as…
Chewing the fat with Michael Ian Black
Before MTV was a parade of pregnant teens, it used to have some quality programming. The State, a sketch comedy show that would launch careers and spawn other hilarious television shows and movies is one example of that. The group was formed by drama and film students from NYU, including Michael Ian Black, who would…
The Best of Lily Tomlin
To celebrate the imminent arrival of Lily Tomlin, we revisited five of her finest cinematic moments. (Forgive us for skipping The Beverly Hillbillies.) Nashville (1975) Back in 1975, Tomlin played the role of country singer Linnea Reese in this story of intermingled relationships in the often sleazy country music scene in Nashville, and she scored…
Lily Tomlin
Most of you will already know that veteran comic Lily Tomlin is a Detroit native, born here in 1939. The comedian and actress was just a child when she started putting on porch performances in her apartment building, and few of the neighbors watching could have predicted the incredible career that Tomlin would go on…
We speak with ‘Undateable’ creator Adam Sztykiel
On Thursday, May 29, NBC aired the first two episodes of a new sitcom called Undateable. This is of interest to us because creator Adam Sztykiel is from here, and also because the show is set here (in Ferndale, to be precise). Detroit’s presence is pushed in the series. The setting of much of the…
The Lee Burt House
Looking for a home away from all the hustle and bustle of Detroit, but still want to be in the city? The Lee Burt House at 420 Concord St. just might be the house for you. The house was built in the early 1870s by geographical surveyor William Burt. After the nearby Uniroyal Tire plant…
Meet Nigel & the Dropout
Trying to find Nigel & the Dropout’s rehearsal space, the venue for this interview, turned out to be a hell of a mission. The guys, Nigel Hemmye and Andrew Ficker, provided us with an address, and Google Maps gave us directions, but when we arrive all we can see is the Recycle Here! building on…
McClure’s Bloody Mary Mix
Brothers Joe and Bob McClure have successfully run McClure’s Pickles for years now. But there was one problem: After pickling cucumbers for their popular pickle varieties, not all the brine made its way into the jars. Rather than throw out the tasty, vinegary goodness, the brothers had a better idea: McClure’s Bloody Mary Mix. Made…
Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas announce debut album via Instant Records
Detroit-based singer/songwriter Jessica Hernandez and her backing band, The Deltas, recently announced their debut full-length album will drop August 19 via Instant Records. While the album was originally slated to be named Tarantula Mansion and to be released in March, this album’s name has been announced as Secret Evil, in keeping with the band’s 2013 EP Demons,…
Five questions with Jello Biafra
Former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra has never been short of a word or two and, when we grabbed him as he was about to embark on a tour with his band the Guantanamo School of Medicine alongside Detroit hardcore vets Negative Approach, he was in fine form. If you’ve seen his What Would Jello…
Meet Detroit publicist Matt Lee
Matt Lee is a publicist with a client roster that includes such musicians as Alberta Adams, the Four Tops, the Detroit Jazz Festival, and Mack Avenue Records, among many others. He’s been in the biz for 15 years, proud to promote Detroit art and culture in any way he can. He’s a relentless and energetic…
Wyandotte’s Ford-Bacon House
A city known for holding a mythological world record for the most bars per capita, as well as for its annual street art fair, Wyandotte is one of the oldest communities Downriver, a place known for its thriving, yet quaint downtown, myriad Catholic churches, and beautiful views of the Detroit River. Founded in 1854, Wyandotte…
Our roads: Tragedy & farce
Long ago, I came to the conclusion that nobody who’s been a journalist for very long can ever be much of a novelist. Why? Well, because the real world is always so much more amazing and bizarre than anything you could make up. Let’s say, for example, that in 1995 you wanted to write a…
Despite ‘post-racial’ society, mentioning race is taboo
I was digging around in my garden the other day when Mulenga Harangua popped out from behind my garage. There’s no alley back there, and the easement has a fence down the middle of it, so I wondered how he got behind my garage without my dog alerting me. “Hey, man, how did you get…
Nicole Macdonald fights blight, gives history lesson with art
“They’re kind of on a road show right now, so to speak,” artist Nicole Macdonald says of her latest painting series. A group of portraits, Macdonald’s paintings depict Detroiters from all throughout history, from the well-known to the obscure. Figures like Rosa Parks are shown alongside the likes of Chief Pontiac, gang-member-turned-activist Yusef Shakur, and…
A brief chat with Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy may have first come to our attention as the frontman with Gothic heroes Bauhaus, but he’s been a legitimate solo artist for many years now, putting out one great album after another. His most recent effort is Lion, a dark and introspective piece of work. He’s also playing the Magic Stick on Tuesday,…
Abandoned Highland Park factory is an artists’ haven
It’s only Robert Onnes’ third time actually visiting Detroit, and he bought a factory. We’re speaking to Onnes by phone, and he’s just arrived in Michigan after more than 30 hours of traveling from his native New Zealand to check out 333 Midland — his “new, old factory,” as he calls it. It’s in preparation…
Father’s Day specials at Fleming’s, Mitchell’s
Fleming’s is offering a special Father’s Day brunch where guests can have a choice of prime rib with a trio of sauces, eggs Benedict, prime rib hash, or baked brioche French toast, only for $39.95 per person. Each dad will also receive a $25 dining card valid for a future visit. It all happens 10:30…
Tap takes on ‘TV dinners’
Terrific reception — Tap, the sports bar inside the MGM Grand Detroit casino, is without a doubt the city’s poshest sports bar. But the competition doesn’t end with the games on the bar’s many televisions; the action in the kitchen is focused on keeping the fare good enough to compete for diners on its own…
526 Main
Found on the corner of Main and Sixth Street, smack dab in the middle of downtown Royal Oak, 526 Main is much more than just an address. A classy piano bar nestled among a bevy of bro-tastic nightclubs, this dining and drinking establishment offers a respite from the pounding music of Top 40 DJs and…
Detroit vs. the Third World, Chrysler faces airbag lawsuit, and more
A look back at what was happening this week in Metro Times… 31 years ago in Metro Times: Jeanie Wylie reported on how Detroit businesses were hard-pressed for cash that could be used to create permanent jobs, due to the fact that hometown banks weren’t giving out loans anymore — pouring their money intro GM’s…
Reader responses on Mackinac Policy Conference, Graham Beal, and more
GIVING IT STRAIGHT We received some responses to Ryan Felton’s June 4 cover story on the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference and his first-time perspective of the event. Thanks for this great piece — telling it like it is! Especially the ‘horseshit’ part! —Jim Casha KUDOS TO THE DIA CHIEF We received some responses…
‘313’ celebrates Detroit photography, and more
CANVAS: 313: PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW To celebrate Detroit’s big 313th birthday this summer, the Detroit Artists Market has gathered nine photographers who turned their lenses on the Motor City. Exhibiting photographers include Kresge Eminent Artist Award-winner Bill Rauhauser as well as up-and-comers, and many of the photographers will be present for a gallery talk with show…
City Slang: Concert of Colors lineup announced
The lineup for this year’s Concert of Colors Festival, one of Detroit’s best artistic events, has been announced and there is plenty to be excited about. The 7th Don Was Detroit All-Star Revue will celebrate Bob Seger’s Live Bullet album and will feature performances by Scott Morgan & The Sights, Spyder Turner, and Blaire Alise…
