Cover Story
Going deep and getting high with Jena Irene Asciutto
Twenty-year-old rising pop star Jena Irene Asciutto puts her blinker on and adjusts her sunglasses, her tight curls spiraling in the wind. “We should get away from the Wayne County sheriff van if we’re going to get stoned,” she says. Her British, Emma Thompson-esque manager laughs from the backseat while I watch the mural-covered landscape…
Sava’s owner to open a ‘Napa-inspired’ restaurant near Ann Arbor
Sava’s, Aventura, and Tavolina Catering & Events owner Sava Farah is planing a new restaurant for Superior Township, just east of Ann Arbor. MLive reports that it will open in the building that formerly held The Lord Fox and Roger Monk’s at 5400 Plymouth Road. When ready, the full-service restaurant will offer breakfast and an outdoor space…
As Henry the Hatter’s downtown shop closes, a eulogy for stylish men
With the announcement that Henry the Hatter’s downtown location is closing, prepare yourself for commentators once again to mutter a eulogy or two over the grave of the fancy hat. While it’s true that the heyday of headgear — evidenced by those shots of uniformly hat-wearing crowds from a century ago — is over, there’s something about the rush to judgment…
Stef Chura releases liquid and glitter vinyl version of ‘Messes’
Detroit-based indie rocker Stef Chura released her debut album, Messes, earlier this year. Today, label Fonoflo has released psychedelic limited edition liquid-filled and glitter versions of the record on vinyl. These versions are available on her tour with the Drums (tour dates here), but Fonoflo has some copies available for sale. The liquid-filled version is…
Coalition meets to protect Detroiters from ‘illegal foreclosure’ next week
An event next weekend will offer a discussion forum on tax foreclosures, and to draw attention to what they call “massive, unconstitutional property tax foreclosure.” The group sponsoring the event is called the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures, a joint effort of many different community groups. Organizers will present the personal stories of three Detroiters…
A local rhetoric expert helps us examine the new, ‘really disturbing’ NRA ad
If you haven’t seen it yet, the National Rifle Association recruitment video that came out this week is chilling. It uses dark imagery and rhetoric to paint liberals as the violent enemy of prospective members, one that can only be dealt with through a “clenched fist of truth.” “They use their media to assassinate real…
Mo Pop music festival gets a signature beer
Mo Pop, a Detroit indie music festival that takes place at West Riverfront Park on July 29 and 30, announced today that the brand is now incorporating an official beer into its offerings. The beer is made by Birmingham-based craft brewery Griffin Claw, and Mo Pop marketing director Nick Trentacost says the limited release is…
Lansing area cougar sighting confirmed by state
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a cougar was spotted near Rose Lake State Wildlife Area in Bath Township on June 21, MLive reports. A local man spotted the cougar slinking around a residential area in the early hours of the morning. He snapped a photo before the cougar retreated into nearby vegetation.…
Ohio police ID body found 28 years ago, seek Metro Detroit relatives
On April 3, 1989, a body washed up on the shore of Lake Erie in Lorain, a city in northeast Ohio. For almost 30 years, the identity of the body remained a mystery. But, thanks to technological strides in forensics, the FBI was able to determine recently that the body was that of 36-year-old Terrence Patrick…
Ferndale’s Urbanrest Brewing Co. opens today
The anticipated opening of Urbanrest Brewing Co. – a new brewery on Woodward Heights just east of Hilton Road in Ferndale – happens today when it unlocks its doors at 4 p.m. As we previously wrote, head brewer/co-owner Zach Typinski has been winning awards in homebrewing competitions for several years, and appears to know his…
Friends/family of unarmed black man shot by police in Ypsi police crowdfund for a headstone
In 2007, an Ypsilanti Police Department officer shot down unarmed black man David Ware in an undercover drug sting gone wrong. We reported on the murder last year, and an article written by Radical Washtenaw that recounted the case, how the shooting played out, and the aftermath in which a family still grieves. As Radical…
Michigan will not have an anti-abortion license plate, thanks to Gov. Snyder
Governor Rick Snyder has vetoed a bill that would have created a state-issued “Choose Life” fundraising license plate, with proceeds going to the Choose Life Fund. Snyder said in a statement that he was concerned that “The ‘Choose Life’ license plate is a political message that has the potential to bitterly divide millions of Michiganders.” In his…
Couple sues Detroit Police Department after officers killed three dogs during marijuana raid
Detroiters Kenneth Savage and Ashley Franklin are suing the Detroit Police Department after a marijuana raid left their three dogs dead, Reason.com reports. The couple alleges Detroit police unlawfully shot their dogs after observing several potted marijuana plants in their backyard. They say the police also threatened to call child protective services to take away their…
Henry the Hatter to close Detroit location amid rising rent costs
Henry the Hatter has been a mainstay in Detroit shopping for over 100 years. The shop offers stylish toppers, mostly for men, and is known for providing quality merchandise and customer service. It’s beloved among Detroit residents and suburbanites alike, and it’s been patronized by celebrities like Jack Dempsey, Kate Moss, Steve Harvey, and Jeff Daniels.…
Piglet racing cut from Ferndale, Royal Oak BBQ festivals following pressure from animal rights activists
The cities of Ferndale and Royal Oak each requested barbecue festival organizers shut down piglet races scheduled to take place during their events this month. Several weeks ago, the organizers of the Brews, BBQ, and Bourbon festival cut the piglet races after it came to light that they hadn’t secured the proper permits. Now the…
Tribute to French street artist murdered in Detroit seeks donations
On July 29, 2013, 23-year-old French street artist Bilal Berreni (aka Zoo Project) was shot to death at Brewster Projects in Detroit. When the identity of the body was finally discovered, the killing grabbed international headlines, as Berreni was a globe-trotting Parisian artist who had been tramping around the United States. He had spent several…
RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says Trump’s sexist tweets show that he is human
RNC Chairwoman and former Michigan RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel went on Bloomberg today to discuss Trump’s tweet storm where he attacked MSNBC Morning Joe anchor Mika Brezinski. Have a look below if you haven’t seen the tweets. I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy…
Schuette calls for Line 5 shutdown following scrapped risk analysis report
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette released a statement today calling for a timeline for the closure of Line 5, the controversial gas and oil pipeline located at a critical juncture under the Straits of Mackinac, following the review of a draft of a scrapped risk analysis report. The state had originally commissioned a firm named Det Norske…
Quicken Loans named third best company to work for if you’re a millennial
Perhaps that meme of Congresswoman Maxine Waters expressing her love for millennials should be changed with Dan Gilbert’s face instead? That’s because Gilbert’s Quicken Loans was just named by Fortune as the third best workplace for millennials. This news comes off the heels of Fortune’s last listical, which featured Quicken Loans in their “100…
Two vegan pop ups in the works for early July
The Root and Around The World In Seven Days are each popping up with vegan meals in July. The Root’s “Summer Vegan Feast” takes place on July 13. Executive chef Nick Rodgers’ six-course, meat-free meal is anchored by fruits and vegetables from Ann Arbor’s Sunseed Farms. The menu includes: For the table Cedar planked summer vegetables First…
A poem for pianist Geri Allen, dead at 60
We have lost a tremendous human being in the recent passing of Geri Allen on Tuesday. She was a genius pianist who leapt across chasms that divided musical genres. Details of all that are familiar and available across all kinds of media right now and nothing I can say will add much to that. However, I…
Free app acts as a tour guide to downtown Detroit’s art and monuments
Last year, we noted the arrival of a new app for Belle Isle that acts as a digital tour guide, with crisply recorded narration that offers so much history even a buff might learn a thing or two. Well, now the company has just released its second free audio tour, “Exploring Detroit’s Sculptures and Monuments:…
Trump calls Dan Gilbert a ‘great friend’ and supporter during strange photo op
At a White House meet and greet with the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday, President Donald Trump made an unusual request — asking Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert to pose in a photo with the group. Typically, World Series winners schedule a visit to the White House for a formal celebration during the following season, and…
Frita Batidos is bringing a new Latin market and Cuban street food to Midtown
Ann Arbor’s Frita Batidos is planning a new Midtown location along with a separate Latin/international market that will trade in a variety of foods. Owner Eve Aronoff tells MT that the deal isn’t finalized so she can’t reveal the location, but it’s “in the home stretch” and she’s expecting to open in early 2018. Another…
Mo Pop reveals 2017 set times, adds singer Grace Mitchell to lineup
The best part about Mo Pop (besides all the food trucks and local beer) is that there are no conflicts in the schedule — meaning that you can actually see every single act on the lineup, a rarity in today’s modern music festivals. Ask any friend who has been to a giant music festival like…
Rapper Dej Loaf returns with ‘No Fear’ video
Remember Dej Loaf? The Detroit rapper made waves in 2014 with her instant-YouTube hit “Try Me,” and soon she was featured on Eminem’s massive “Detroit Vs. Everybody” and invited to join Nicki Minaj on tour, among plenty of other references that kept her in the pop culture lexicon. However, while Dej’s no-fucks-given tomboyish style earned her plenty of admirers,…
State senator packs heat on visit to Detroit, but who wouldn’t?
Mid-Michigan state Sen. Rick Jones made a crack on his Facebook page yesterday morning that has provoked a great deal of comment. Saying he was headed to Detroit for a meeting, he added, “Before anyone asks: Yes, I have a CPL.” Joking about having a Concealed Pistol License when visiting Detroit is exactly the kind of…
Contestant from Flint wipes the floor clean with Whitney Houston cover on ‘America’s Got Talent’
It’s not everyday that a singer makes Simon Cowell’s eyes light up like a Christmas tree, but Flint native Johnny Manuel did just that when he auditioned for the current season of America’s Got Talent. The TV show aired Manuel’s audition on last night’s episode and he shit the damn theatre down with his cover…
In search of humanity amid the ruins of Detroit
I got tears in my eyes while watching the film The United States of Detroit last week. The movie covered the usual vista of ruins in the city. But that’s not what moved me to tears. If that stuff made me cry then tears would be an everyday occurrence for me. The moment that moved…
Al Ameer’s Ali Hachem on the joy of Lebanese cooking
The dish that Dearborn’s Al Ameer is known for in the Lebanese community is the boneless char-grilled chicken, a common plate at the nation’s weddings and celebrations. While it perhaps sounds like a slightly American menu item, the name is modest — it’s comprised of thin, char-grilled breasts with blackened edges that arrive in a…
Review: Detroit’s El Catracho serves up Central American flavors
Go figure: a restaurant in Southwest Detroit that’s looking for more Mexican customers. Obed Hernandez and Sandra Padilla, owners of 7-year-old El Catracho, say they get more traffic from Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and gringos (my word, not theirs) than from Mexican immigrants. They moved to their current location near Clark and Vernor last…
10 years later, Detroit Hustles Harder is still hustlin’
It’s 2007. The car companies are going bankrupt and Kwame’s still the mayor — ultimately, the city is in a state of turmoil. But even in the face of uncertainty about their city and livelihoods, Detroiters remained resilient and on their grind as their pride for their city pushed them forward. For then-19-year-old Brendan Blumentritt…
Horoscopes (June 28- July 4)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): The future is wide open. Up until now that has been just a concept. Now that you know more about how things go, you see that it’s time to be on your way. Just for now, your best bet will be to get your bearings and sit tight. It will…
What’s wrong with the Democrats
Last month I was at a private dinner group, where we heard from Gretchen Whitmer, now the front-running candidate for next year’s Democratic nomination for governor. Her presentation was captivating and compelling; she made a case for herself as the one candidate who could possibly work with the legislature, and talked about education. There was,…
Savage Love: The Music Box
I had a great time at the live taping of the Savage Lovecast at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre. Audience members submitted questions on cards, and I tackled as many questions as I could over two hours — with the welcome and hilarious assistance of comedian Kristen Toomey. Here are some of the questions we didn’t…
Opinion: As new development attracts new people, Detroit officials need to help keep the city affordable
What makes a renaissance? New buildings? New people? Increased quality of life? For whom? In Detroit, there appear to be competing metrics. On the one hand, the editorial pages of Detroit’s newspapers and business magazines jubilantly tout the flurry of new businesses, stadiums, and construction projects — almost all of which are subsidized by public,…
Christine McVie returns to find new (and old) magic with Lindsey Buckingham
As badly as our friends and family may hurt us, even sparking decade-long feuds, the same spirit that once passed between you often lies dormant, awaiting rediscovery. So it was for Christine McVie and her Fleetwood Mac mates, who helped pull McVie from her funk and record a self-titled duet album with Mac guitarist Lindsey…
Mark your calendars for these upcoming shows
July 1, Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre; palacenet.com; Tickets are $29.50, $45, and $79.50. July 23, Incubus at DTE Energy Music Theatre; palacenet.com; Tickets start at $29.50. July 23, J. Cole at the Palace of Auburn Hills; palacenet.com; Tickets start at $49.50. July 26, Kendrick Lamar at the Palace of…
Mayor Duggan considers proposals to make Detroit a destination for drag racing and techno
Last week, in a nondescript East Grand Boulevard building that houses the world’s lone techno museum, a group of renowned Detroit techno DJs and producers convened with big names from the street racing industry to promote turning the two vibrant scenes into economic drivers for the city. Theo Parrish was there. Omar-S was there. And,…
