Cover Story
Detroit indie rocker Stef Chura sees the light on ‘Midnight’
Stef Chura is in love. “Like, really in love,” she says, her eyes fluttering into the back of her head like a cartoon. This may or may not be the direct result of her newfound Transcendental Meditation practice or the casual consumption of juiced celery and onions (“That shit makes me feel like a legend”),…
There’s ‘Nothing Better’ than Jenny Lewis and Death Cab for Cutie at the Masonic
Don’t @ us but the Postal Service’s 2003 record Give Up still fucking slaps. Though the collaborative side project between Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis produced only one record, both Gibbard and Lewis continue to push themselves to evolve — and preserve — what we’ve come to recognize as…
Father John Misty teams up with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit for Detroit performance
One is a sexy, sardonic troubled troubadour whose most popular pull-quotes are ones that reference LSD, the blurred lines between artist and identity, and Taylor Swift — the other, a decorated singer-songwriter who straddles the line between Americana and abrasive folk with his textural take on country music. The former, Father John Misty and the latter,…
Fulfill your bloodlust with midnight screenings of ‘What We Do in the Shadows‘ in Royal Oak
Shortly after Edward Cullen and Bella Swan fucking shimmered their vampire asses through a disturbingly bad film trilogy that grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, we met Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, and Petyr — just four totally average vampire dudes trying to kick it in the 21st Century as roommates sharing a flat in New Zealand.…
Less is more at Detroit Artist Market’s ‘Thank You, Mies’ exhibition
Many creatives live by the mantra made popular by German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: “Less is more.” Heeding the call for minimalism while also challenging big ideas with refined executions are the 20 Detroit-area artists whose work is included in Thank You, Mies. The group exhibit, hosted by Detroit Artists Market in cooperation…
Former Tigers’ pitcher Mickey Lolich joins writer Tom Gage for book signing at DIA
There are few moments in major league history as celebrated as the 1968 World Series during which the Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals in a dramatic seven games. Even more than the victory itself, it’s the team’s journey to the championship that might be the most thrilling, which is why former Tigers pitcher…
Detroit’s Brother Son prepares to drop some ‘Goodies’ at El Club
On Young & Pretty — the 2017 debut record from Brother Son — the Detroit foursome channeled the foot-stomping retro-rock of bands like the Sam Roberts Band and the vocal affectation of Alabama Shakes. Where Young & Pretty tackled everything from rock ’n’ roll, daddy issues, and the friend zone, sophomore record Goodies grapples with…
Detroit’s Prude Boys return with sweet and somber 7-inch single release at UFO Factory
Formerly known as the Lost Boys, Caroline Myrick, Quennton Thornbury, and Connor Dodson return for another go as Prude Boys with their latest 7-inch single. The Reunion/Daddy marks the trio’s follow-up to 2017’s double releases — both of which spotlight the rock outfit’s penchant for cinematic duality, as well as Myrick’s singular songbird rock warble.…
To ‘8 Mile’ and beyond — emcee Miz Korona steps up with band at PJ’s Lager House
You may remember scene-stealer Miz Korona from Eminem’s 2002 quasi-autobiographical film 8 Mile, when she dominated a lunch-break rap battle. But there’s more to this word-slayer than just her silver-screen appearance. As a longstanding underground Detroit emcee, Korona delivers rap with hints of R&B as evidenced by 2017’s “Set Fire,” which features Korona spitting some…
Get dancey and sappy with James Linck, Jaws that Bite, Duane, and Goldzilla at Old Miami
It might be a bold statement, but Detroit-based artist and producer James Linck is an island unto himself with his soul-pop stronghold. Last year, the alt-R&B crooner with a taste for textural synths released the single “Heart Shapes,” which finds Linck leaning into acceptance: “You can switch like blades/ Or you can dig like spades/…
Detroit’s 3ft goes deep into psychedelia with vinyl release show in Hamtramck
Do you remember when the bohemian kitsch served up by Portland shit-starters the Dandy Warhols clashed with the manic psychedelia of the Brian Jonestown Massacre? Well, the Detroit five-piece running around as 3ft are doing their damndest to unify the ethos of the warring psych rockers with their sophomore record, 21st Century Drone, which is…
‘Play Ball!’ returns to the DIA to celebrate the history of the Detroit Tigers
It’s back. Just in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Detroit Tigers’ 1984 World Series championship, the DIA will once again look at baseball culture through the lens of an art history museum. This year’s exhibition explores the evolution of America’s pastime with a special focus on two championship teams, the 1887 Detroit…
Chief Craig defends decision not to warn public about neo-Nazis’ violent plans for Detroit
Detroit police were aware for at least a week that armed neo-Nazis planned to “disrupt” a Pride festival downtown over the weekend and “incite violence” worse than what went down in Charlottesville, Va. Despite the potential for bloodshed, the Detroit Police Department failed to warn the public or City Council that a hate group was…
‘Smoke.Netflix.Chill’ with Tank and the Bangas at the Majestic Theatre
Why can’t we have “Nice Things”? Well, thanks to funk-soul ensemble Tank and the Bangas, we totally can. The New Orleans-based ensemble caught a wave when they won NPR’s 2017 Tiny Desk contest, which enabled the band to record its sophomore release, 2019’s Green Balloon. The record’s lead single “Nice Things” finds Tarriona “Tank” Ball…
Piet Oudolf garden breaks ground on Belle Isle
Work is underway on a new garden on Belle Isle by world-renowned Dutch landscape designer and “plantsman” Piet Oudolf. Plans call for about 18,000 plants and two plantings — one that takes place in September and another in spring 2020. The 2.5-acre garden will be ready in fall 2020. It’s being accommodated locally by the…
Delivery service Imperfect Produce is coming to Detroit
Picking produce can be a process, with buyers considering how ripe the fruit or veggie is, and inspecting it for scuffs, spots, and scratches. Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables get judged for their looks, even if their insides might be great. As a result of this, 20 percent of fruits and vegetables will never have a…
Fox Theatre will host second Democratic primary election debate
Democrats running for the party’s presidential nomination will participate in the second Democratic primary debate on July 30 and July 31 at the Fox Theatre, according to The Detroit Free Press. CNN will host the debate, though information on moderators and timings has not yet been released. NBC will host the first debate on June…
The Detroit Kite Festival is returning to Belle Isle in July
The Detroit Kite Festival is coming back to Belle Isle for its third year on Sunday, July 14. Like years past, the free festival expects over 3,000 attendees to gather near the James Scott Memorial Fountain for kite flying. While attendees can purchase, borrow, or bring their own kite, this year attendees of any age…
Suspect linked to three deaths in potential serial killer case, Detroit police chief says
Detroit Police Chief James Craig reported on Monday that the person now in custody in the case of a suspected serial killer and rapist is believed to be connected to several recent deaths of women in Detroit. The suspect in question — 34-year-old Deangelo Martin — was arrested on Friday after being named a person…
Chief Craig: Neo-Nazis ‘wanted a Charlottesville No. 2’ in Detroit
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said armed neo-Nazis who marched with riot shields during Motor City Pride over the weekend “wanted a Charlottesville No. 2.” Craig was referring to a “Unite the Right rally” in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12, 2017, when white supremacists clashed with counterprotesters and a car plowed into a group of…
Bird up! Eric André will bring subversive ranch dressing-covered comedy to the Fillmore
If you think Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard was a Black man, have an affinity for ranch dressing, watched the movie Precious in 3D on magic mushrooms, or puked in front of esteemed guest and star of MTV’s The Hills, Lauren Conrad, you might just have an Eric André problem. Or an STD. The comedic madman…
Dan Gilbert’s private security force votes to strike for $15 per hour wages
Security guards working for a firm hired by Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock to guard his downtown Detroit buildings voted on Monday to strike for $15 per hour wages and a path to unionization. The employees have yet to walk off the job, though they may in the coming days if a deal isn’t reached with their…
Actress Celia Keenan-Bolger shares Detroit roots in Tony Award acceptance speech
Detroit native Celia Keenan-Bolger highlighted the diversity of the city during her acceptance speech after receiving the Tony Award for best performance in a featured role in a play category on Sunday night. “I have loved the theatre since I was 5 years old growing up in Detroit, Michigan,” Keenan-Bolger said in the speech. “I…
This year’s Cannabis Cup was a whiff of things to come for Michigan’s new marijuana industry
The first day of the first High Times Michigan Cannabis Cup since Michigan voted to legalize recreational marijuana may have given us a whiff of what the market will be like in Michigan. Previous High Times Cannabis Cups have been limited to medical marijuana patients and vendors. You had to have a state medical card…
Detroit police slammed for handling of neo-Nazis at Motor City Pride
The nation looked on with disbelief and anger as social media lit up with photos and videos of armed neo-Nazis marching in downtown Detroit with what appeared to be police protection during Motor City Pride this weekend. About a dozen members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) marched with swastikas and riot shields, tore up…
Detroit to open a Dapper Doughnut location this year
The Dapper Doughnut, a Las Vegas-based franchise dedicated to mini specialty doughnuts, is opening a new location in downtown Detroit, just near the corner of Woodward Avenue and East Congress Street. This will be the first Dapper Doughnut shop in the state of Michigan, an addition to the 20+ locations already existing across the United…
GM to begin testing puncture-proof, airless tires in Michigan this year
In the near future, airless tires could be the replacement to traditional tires by way of a new partnership between General Motors and Michelin. The purpose of the new tire, dubbed the Uptis Prototype, or “Unique Puncture-proof Tire System,” is to stop the risk of flat tires and blowouts. GM says that their tire innovation…
Ferndale’s Axle Brewing and Livernois Tap to close at the end of June
Ferndale’s Axle Brewing Co., which operates the Livernois Tap, will close at the end of the month. The two-year-old company made the announcement on Friday on Facebook, citing a “steep climb … to profitability.” However, it may not be the last you hear of its brews. Its ownership is looking for a buyer, and the…
Charivari Detroit Music Festival announces dates and first-time all-women DJ stage
The Charivari Music Festival is making its way back to Detroit this summer, and with a bang as it brings new elements to the popular electronic musical event. From Aug. 2 to Aug. 4 at the West Riverfront Park, music lovers are open to explore the festival free of charge and witness, for the first…
You can now go to High Times Cannabis Cup without a medical marijuana card
Whoa, wait a minute, we just realized something: You no longer need medical marijuana cards to get into the Cannabis Cup. In previous years, High Times magazine’s two-day marijuana festival required a medical card to enter. However, since this is the first Cannabis Cup season since Michiganders voted to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults in…
Reminder: Black Republican John James took white supremacist campaign cash
Black Republican and Trump supporter John James announced this week that he would be challenging incumbent Democrat Sen. Gary Peters in the 202o election. James is terrible for a number of reasons — he’s anti-choice. He supports the Trump tax cuts, which raised taxes on the middle class while cutting them for the wealthy and…
Search for serial killer: Detroit to board up vacant houses in areas of attacks
Detroit police and city workers plan to board up every vacant house in the areas where three women were murdered and raped by a suspected serial killer. Beginning Friday, police also will search the vacant houses before crews board them up. Police are considering using dogs to help locate any bodies. The goal is to…
Prehistoric Forest owner seeks to restore Irish Hills park
Sandra Crabb runs a small petroleum company and came to the Irish Hills area of Michigan in search of oil — but she ended up purchasing an abandoned tourist stop instead. Crabb, 77, now owns Prehistoric Forest, once a popular roadside tourist attraction. According to The Detroit Free Press, after learning that the land beneath…
Traffic Jam & Snug files trademark lawsuit over product name at Blake’s Hard Cider
Detroit-based restaurant-turned-brewery Traffic Jam & Snug has filed a federal lawsuit against the Michigan-based, family-owned business, Blake Farms Hard Apple Cider. In the complaint, Traffic Jam & Snug alleges that a version of Blake’s cider, named Traffic Jam, violates several laws, including the Trademark Act of 1946. According to the lawsuit, representatives for Traffic Jam…
Something smells wacky about former Sen. Arlan Meekhof’s marijuana dealings
It should have come as no surprise that former state Senate leader Arlan Meekhof stepped out of the legislature and right into the marijuana consulting business. The trend of former politicians becoming industry representatives is becoming well-known. While in office, Meekhof was part of creating the laws that govern how the medical marijuana industry is…
Huntington Woods bans widely discredited gay ‘conversion therapy’
Huntington Woods has banned a widely discredited practice that purports to change minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity. The Detroit suburb is the first city in Michigan to ban so-called gay conversion therapy. With a 5-0 vote, the Huntington Woods City Commission unanimously approved the ban and made it a civil infraction to engage in…
Video: Detroit rapper Nick Speed drops a boom-bap gem with ‘Throw Sum’
Lately the best place to catch producer and DJ Nick Speed has been on Red Bull Radio and Shade 45 radio shows spinning classic hip-hop mixes. This time the Detroit native has dropped a gem of his own. “Throw Sum” is a boom-bap track with a vintage Detroit edge to it. Speed reminds everyone he’s…
Controversial Republican John James is running for something again
John James is giving another shot at running for U.S. Senate. James, a conservative from Farmington Hills, was previously defeated by Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow for a U.S. Senate seat in November 2018, by a margin of 6.54 percent. Related For a number of reasons, James seemed to be a magnet for controversies during his…
National ‘Weird Homes Tour’ returns to Detroit
This one’s for the spooky, creative, and different. The Weird Homes Tour is making its way back to Detroit. The second annual Detroit Weird Homes Tour will be one of the last events to remember this summer, taking place on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Weird Homes Tour showcases a variety…
Most Michigan voters oppose a GOP plan to ban a common abortion procedure
A majority of Michigan voters are against a Republican proposal to restrict abortions in the state, according to a new Glengariff Group poll. The survey of 600 likely voters found that 58 percent are opposed to a ban on a second-trimester abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation. It’s a common procedure that was used…
Headliners announced for 2019 Pig & Whiskey including the Verve Pipe, Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers, Electric Six, Laith Al-Saadi, and more
Summer is almost here, so you know what that means: Pig & Whiskey, Metro Times’ annual celebration of live music, barbecue, and booze, is right around the corner. This year’s event will take place Friday, July 19 to Sunday, July 21 in downtown Ferndale. To whet your appetite, we’re pleased to announce this year’s headliners,…
Detroit officials raise rainbow flag over Spirit Plaza in honor of Pride Month
The City of Detroit held the annual flag-raising ceremony for LGBTQ Pride Month in Spirit Plaza on Wednesday, June 5. The ceremony was led by Police Chief James Craig. The flag will fly high above Spirit Plaza throughout the month of June, which is nationally recognized as LGBTQ Pride Month since 2009, and before that…
Poll: Trump trails top 5 Democratic presidential candidates in Michigan
President Donald Trump is trailing the top five Democratic presidential candidates in Michigan, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by the Glengariff Group from May 28-30, showed that, in a head-to-head matchup, 53 percent of the 600 people surveyed support Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 presidential election. It also showed that…
US Attorney: Michigan is the nation’s most corrupt state
The level of corruption in Michigan is staggering. It’s Democrats, it’s Republicans, its the entire political establishment, which is mostly a cesspool of morally bankrupt dirtbags working on behalf of corporations and the wealthy instead of the middle and lower class. That much is evident to anyone paying attention, and things are so bad that…
Patti Smith announces a pair of dates at the Royal Oak Music Theatre
The godmother of punk is returning to Royal Oak Music Theatre this fall. Last week, Patti Smith, 72, announced the release of her latest memoir, Year of the Monkey — a follow-up t0 2017’s novella Devotion. This will mark Smith’s third memoir following 2015’s M Train and the award-winning Just Kids, which details her relationship…
Police: Suspected serial killer, rapist on the loose in Detroit
Detroit police are on the hunt for a suspected serial killer and rapist on the city’s east side. Chief James Craig said the killer appears to be targeting sex workers in their 50s and luring them to vacant houses, where he raped and killed them between March 19 and Wednesday. Police believe at least three…
The Dequindre Cut is about to get a lemonade stand
A new lemonade stand opens this weekend on a sliver of land abutting the Dequindre Cut. The stand, called Bea’s Squeeze, sits between Adelaide Street and Gratiot Avenue and will offer bottles of lemonade, bottled water, and orange cream. Since the land on either side of the Cut is on a steep grade, the beverages…
Detroit woman who said she was fired over noose photo returns to work
A Detroit woman is back at work after saying she was fired in February for taking a photo of what she believed was a noose designed to scare African-Americans at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant. Charlene Lust and her four children had been facing eviction from their apartment on Detroit’s west side because she lost her…
Gov. Snyder just ran out of ‘relentless positive action’ in Flint water crisis probe
As governor, Rick Snyder ran on what he called “relentless positive action,” but what others might just call putting a cheerful face on overseeing his administration’s biggest atrocity — the Flint water crisis. But now that his role as governor is over and the attorney general’s office is ramping up its probe into Flint, it…
Trump is a small man in a big world
A week after her husband’s assassination, on one of her last nights in the White House, Jackie Kennedy penned a remarkable letter to Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev. It was a fraught moment. The Russians were worried they’d be blamed for JFK’s murder, and some in the CIA thought to do just that. Only a year…
Review: Detroit’s Warda Pâtisserie is no average bakery
Who doesn’t feel a tremor of excitement, a bit of salivation, at the very idea of a bakery? Some may also feel a twinge of guilt, but who does that serve? Go with your gut greediness instead. At Warda Pâtisserie, another emotion elicited could be confusion or trepidation — or new-experience excitement, depending whether you…
Lake Street Dive gets by with a little help from their friends — themselves
Boston-based soul group Lake Street Dive has cracked the code on keeping the band together. For a touring band that spends 135 days of the year on the road, you’d think there’d be a science to make it through without getting on each other’s nerves. However, drummer Mike Calabrese says it just comes down to…
While serving as a caregiver for his family, Jeremy Ian Harvey had an artistic breakthrough
In another life, Jeremy Ian Harvey was a strong part of Detroit’s underground art community, serving as an editor for the former Orbit magazine, helping launch the Dirty Show, and working as a muralist around Detroit. In the ’90s, he served as a full-time muralist for the Leland City Club, living in the apartments upstairs…
Michigan is blowing its lead as the first state in the Midwest to legalize pot
Michigan is the first state in the Midwest to legalize adult-use marijuana. That’s a benchmark that belies the old Rust Belt image and provides potential to alter the common narrative. We’re not going to suddenly turn into the green belt, but we’re growing in that direction. And things are happening fast nearby. The Illinois legislature…
Horoscopes (June 5-11)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 You’re a little reluctant to jump into this with both feet. At the same time, something tells you it’s safe to go ahead and go for it because it feels right. For someone who’s good at trusting your intuition, you’re doing better with it than most — and this…
Motown’s 60th anniversary festivities continue with a visit from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The legend of Motown Records is one that is easily recitable to pretty much anyone even half-interested in music: Berry Gordy Jr. borrows $800 from his family, starts a record label, and transforms popular music forever. Motown’s music provided exactly what the world needed at exactly the right time: hope, love, and escapism. This music…
On new album, Big Tone and House Shoes look back to move forward
Building a legacy is difficult, especially if that’s all you’re interested in doing. For rapper Big Tone and DJ-producer House Shoes, two longstanding stewards of Detroit hip-hop, it’s never been about a legacy. “When we were doing this shit 25 years ago, man, we weren’t thinking about anything,” says House Shoes. “We weren’t thinking about…
Editor’s note: Why we’re capitalizing ‘Black’ from now on
We recently made the decision to update our style guide to capitalize “Black” when referring to African-Americans. This came after discussions with local writers who preferred to capitalize the word, as well as from reading the works of national writers who advocate for it. Though this usage is common among Black publications and activist circles,…
