Cover Stories
Notable books with Michigan hooks to stimulate your mind or help you unwind
For this year’s Summer Guide, we thought we’d round up a few of the books we’ve read, seen, or can’t wait to get a look at — because being out in the boonies might mean you’ll need more than your phone to look at. Not exactly book reviews, these are more like notices of recently…
11 alcoholic frozen drinks to cool down and turn up in Detroit
The hotter the day, the cooler the drinks. As the temperatures start to rise, why not take a booze cruise through some of Detroit’s frozen offerings? Cool down and turn up with these milkshakes, tropical slushies, and frozen beer drinks. Batch Brewing 1400 Porter St., Detroit; 313-338-8008 Name a more iconic duo: beer slushies. Batch…
Offbeat Michigan summer festivals and destinations
Michigan Elvisfest Friday-Saturday, July 6-7, Riverside Park, Depot Town, Ypsilanti; mielvisfest.com Yes, it’s exactly what you might think it would be: the largest Elvis Presley tribute event in the state and, according to some sources, the country. Founded in 2000, the fun includes a classic car show, food, beer, raffles, and, of course, plenty of…
9 old-school metro Detroit drive-in restaurants
Summertime for the hungry in the world’s car capital can mean one thing — a trip to the drive-in diner. While many of the restaurants have gone the way of the Chevy Nova, some still thrive. Here are a few of our favorites. Daly Drive-In 31500 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 734-427-4474 Don’t be fooled by the…
30 must-see metro Detroit summer concerts
Sorry, Lana Del Rey — 2018 is not about that “Summertime Sadness.” In fact, metro Detroit’s concert lineup is so stacked that it’s shaping up to be the summer of badass-ness. From legendary rockers and folkies to rap royalty and pop priestesses — not to mention the off-the-charts influx of indie acts — metro Detroit…
Detroit trio AM People bless us with ‘Songs for Mourning’
Local garage rock outfit AM People — Niobe Marasigan (bass), Kyle Akey (drums), Ryan Grumbleton (guitar) — are at once deadpan, vibrant, and subtly hilarious. The self-described “goth punk outfit” released their debut LP Songs For The Mourning today and are celebrating with a release show at Outer Limits Lounge tonight. The folks in AM People are like…
Update: Wizard U event at the Crofoot has been canceled
The Wizard U event scheduled for this Saturday has been canceled due to logistical issues and has not been rescheduled. Let’s face it — you’re never going to get that acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry you’ve been waiting for. Thankfully, there’s a new school in town. Wizard U is a one-day…
New documentary tracing Basquiat’s early years to screen at Cinema Detroit
Thanks to director Sara Driver’s (When Pigs Fly, 1993) Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat we have a better understanding of the galvanizing graffiti artist’s most impactful years. Before he was “Samo,” 1970’s New York City was Basquiat’s unsuspecting canvas. Comprised of archival footage, rare interviews, and an accompanying soundtrack pulled…
El Club mixes pets and pinups for a good cause
The dog days of summer are upon us so why not pet them all? The first in a three-part event, El Club and Pretties for Pitties presents a fundraiser with food and furry fun. All profits raised at the BBQ, Pets, and Pinups event will help fund a microchip clinic later this year — every…
Interpol adds Royal Oak Music Theatre to their intinerary in support of new record
Nothing calls to mind the sweet age of indie rock quite like the musical stylings of Interpol, who first shimmied into our hearts with 2004’s “Slow Hands.” Though they’ve been slow to release new music, they’re back and with new antics. The band extended their North American itinerary Tuesday in support of their forthcoming record Marauder,…
Meet the Detroit filmmakers helping promote progressive candidates around the country
Nick Hayes says it was the reek of plastic chemicals that first made him question what he was doing with his life. It was three years ago, and the stench had permeated a Lansing area plant where he was shooting a commercial. “I remember thinking that I only had to be there for a few…
Proposed Michigan social studies standards erase references to gay rights, Roe v. Wade, and KKK
Critics say proposed changes to Michigan’s social studies standards go too far, and have far-right fingerprints all over them. Among the changes in a draft for K-12 standards now under review call for removing all references to gay rights, Roe v. Wade, and climate change, as well as scaling down references to the KKK and the…
Lawrence Tech chemists published an academic paper on vibranium, the fictitious metal from ‘Black Panther’
Black Panther is that rare blockbuster that launched what it feels like a thousand think pieces. And vibranium, the fictitious alloy of alien origins that powers the Black Panther’s suit, has carved a particular niche in the pop culture imagination. It got a professor and a chemist from Southfield’s Lawrence Technological University curious: How would…
Former Lions player injured while playing football on ‘The Bachelorette’
You know what they say — there’s no crying in football. But good god there’s a shit ton of tears in reality television. This was evidenced by last night’s episode of The Bachelorette, when a former Detroit Lion’s player was faced with a broken wrist and a broken heart. If you’re not hip to ABC’s quest…
Avalon is opening a Wayne State University location
Avalon International Breads is opening a new 700-square-foot location inside Wayne State University’s Mike Ilitch School of Business. Though the new store is geared toward students, the public will be able to access the space — which will have a cafe counter, around 30 seats, and retail — from Woodward Avenue, Crain’s reports. It will…
Domino’s Pizza is paving the nation’s potholes, but not Michigan’s
Ann Arbor-based Domino’s Pizza launched a rather bizarre marketing campaign in which it’s working with municipalities around the country to pave potholes. Why? To reduce pizza “pizza jostling” and “irreversible damage to your pizza on the ride home,” the company says. It even put up a pizza box cam that allegedly shows how your slices…
This history tour shows Detroit’s pivotal role as a battleground for racial justice
We at Metro Times were recently introduced to the work of Jamon Jordan, who runs his own business called Black Scroll Network History & Tours. Born and raised in Highland Park and Detroit, Jordan attended public schools in both cities, graduating from Highland Park High School and completing his triple major of sociology, American history,…
Wild Belle will open for JR JR at Beacon Park this weekend
The name of the game is double the fun when it comes to this weekend’s Beacon Park concert series kick-off. It was announced Monday that Wild Belle, fronted by Chicago-based sibling duo Natalie and Elliot Bergman, will open for indie-pop favorites JR JR this Saturday, June 16. The concert marks the first of three in a…
Eminem’s manager fires back after rapper blasted for using gunshot sound effects
Though Eminem is no stranger to controversy, it is his most recent and alleged use of sound effects that have landed the rapper in hot water. After closing out his headlining performance at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival on Saturday night with the 2002’s “Kill You,” fans reported that Eminem had used a realistic gunshot…
Nicki Minaj and Future announce co-headlining tour and yes, they’re coming to Detroit
Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Atlanta rapper Future for their co-headlining NIXKIHNDRXX tour in support of Queen (Aug. 10), her highly anticipated follow-up to 2014’s The Pinkprint. The 28-city jaunt which will kick-off in Baltimore and will hit Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Sept. 26. Ahead of the announcement, Minaj released “Rich Sex” featuring Lil…
J. Cole’s new album cover is designed by a Detroit-based artist
On April 20, the world got its first glimpse of the cover art for hip-hop recording artists J. Cole’s newest album, KOD. We missed this the first time around, but it turns out KOD is designed by a Detroit-based artist. KOD 4/20 Cover and back pic.twitter.com/2iUaKrI42F — J. Cole (@JColeNC) April 18, 2018 A piece…
This guy wants to put a half-pipe on the Detroit Princess
Related One of the folks who helped bring a half-pipe inside Detroit’s Fisher Building last year has an even wackier plan — one so wacky we had to call to make sure it was not a joke. “Yeah, that’s a valid question,” says Jordan Garland of AsDetroitsOwn, a production company. “I know it’s like a trippy…
As Ford buys Michigan Central Station, a look back at its former owner’s track record
When you’re an 104-year-old building, getting a new owner can mean many things, ranging from a new lease on life to a total teardown. But the news this morning that Ford Motor Company will become the new owner of Michigan Central Station was delivered with such fanfare, you almost begin to believe the hype, that…
Detroit launches new bus loop to boost enrollment at charters, city public schools
Detroit city and school officials have formally launched a controversial bus loop pilot program intended to help boost enrollment at both charter schools and schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. The one-year pilot program will circulate students between 10 schools and after-school programming in northwest Detroit. The idea is that the free aftercare…
Two refugees are opening a restaurant on one of Detroit’s best blocks
In new Detroit terms, there are few better blocks in the city to be getting ready to open a restaurant than that on Woodward Avenue between and East Grand Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue. Much of it is now owned by Midtown Inc., the non-profit that helped redevelop Midtown. It’s where Selden Standard’s owners are building…
Drake and Migos add a second Detroit date to satiate our Drizzy thirst
It’s been a busy few weeks since Drake announced his North American tour with Migos. He dropped the latest track, “I’m Upset” from his forthcoming record Scorpion, and he put to rest the ongoing beef with rapper Pusha T which had spurred a swapping of diss tracks. But now, Drake’s schedule is even more loaded.…
Dan Gilbert’s response to his Cavs losing is very Dan Gilbert
It’s no secret that Dan Gilbert, the richest man in Michigan and the owner of the NBA team on which LeBron James plays, has trouble dealing when he doesn’t get his way. He released an infamous open letter, in Comic Sans type, when James left the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2010, in which he called the star…
Artist says Royal Oak should take aim at railroad, not him
Royal Oak artist Carl Oxley was arrested two weeks ago for painting a mural without permission in that city. This week, he tells Metro Times that, whatever the outcome of his case, the situation should throw a spotlight on the quality of the railroad right-of-way. We’re familiar with the artist due to a story we…
On claim he extorted $15k — Detroit councilman Gabe Leland ain’t sayin’ shit
Detroit City Councilmember Gabe Leland stands accused of extorting a constituent for $15,000, has been identified as a “target subject” in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has ensnared numerous local public officials, and has helped steer millions of dollars in business to companies owned by his former girlfriend’s family. And though he may be under…
DeJ Loaf has a new song with Leon Bridges and the video will make you feel some type of way
The world has been waiting nearly three years for a proper full-length release from Detroit’s most reluctant hip-hop star, DeJ Loaf. Back in 2014, she made one hell of an introduction with the in your face YouTube hit “Try Me”. Last summer she teased with “No Fear” with limited details on the progress of her…
MDEQ approves waste injection well permits for proposed potash mine
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has approved permits for wells for a proposed potash mining venture in mid-Michigan. Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation have blasted the project, concerned about damage to wetlands in the area, and doubtful that the project will, in the end, even prove profitable. Related After the permits were granted, MCWC…
Mabel Gray to feature all-vegan menu in August
Consider that there are a limited number of animals with which to cook and thousands and thousands of vegetables, and it’s pretty easy to understand why chefs find an appealing challenge in vegan cooking. “Chefs are drawn to vegetables. We love vegetables more than most animals,” says Mabel Gray owner and chef James Rigato of the…
Detroit Zoo brings back wildebeests after 79 years
The wildebeest, a member of the antelope species also known as a gnu (pronounced “new”), has in recent years seen its name co-opted to denote a broad range of things — from an unattractive woman to a bad bitch. To be honest, some among our staff had actually forgotten a wildebeest was an actual animal…
ESPN’s Jemele Hill will get an auditorium named after her in Detroit
ESPN journalist and Detroit native Jemele Hill will return to the Motor City for a number of honors in the coming months — including getting an auditorium at her alma mater, Mumford High School, dedicated to her. On Monday, Hill is set to give the commencement speech for Mumford’s class of 2018 at Detroit Music…
Magazine for men who want to make the world a better place needs your help
Years before the #metoo hashtag appeared, publisher Dwayne Hayes saw the need for a magazine to prod men to be more caring and — dare we say it? — more ethical. It’s a publication dedicated to celebrating men who desire, struggle, and commit to making the world a better place. In eight issues, that magazine, STAND,…
Court rules Michigan anti-gerrymandering initiative can go on November’s ballot
(Ed. Note: An earlier version of this story stated that the Michigan Supreme Court ruled on the case. It did not. The Michigan Court Of Appeals ruled on the case.) The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled on Thursday that a proposal to create a non-partisan commission to draw legislative lines in Michigan can go on…
Detroit Film Theater to screen sci-fi classics in celebration of Star Wars exhibit
Given the rate at which the Star Wars brand is pumping out new films filled with cutting-edge visuals, it is easy to forget that many of the franchise’s elements came from classic Hollywood films, and not only science fiction vehicles. In fact, in various blogs and videos online, c inephiles have been able to pick apart…
One of Anthony Bourdain’s final projects was a Detroit doc
News comes this morning that celebrity chef and CNN Parts Unknown host Anthony Bourdain was found dead of apparent suicide in his hotel room while filming in France. He was 61. In recent years, the world traveler had become an outspoken fan of Detroit. He visited the city in 2013 for the final episode of the…
Some of the world’s finest brewers will be in town to celebrate B. Nektar’s 10th B-day
It’s Ferndale’s B. Nektar Meadery’s 10th birthday and the company tells us they’re inviting all their good friends from around the world to help celebrate. Fortunately for all of us, their good friends are some of the world’s best and most sought after brewers. That includes quite a few whose beers and bottles you can’t…
Ben Carson backpedals on controversial HUD proposal
A federal proposal to hike up rent prices for low-income families who receive financial assistance from U.S. Housing and Urban Development is officially off the table, for now. During a press conference this morning for the opening of one of 17 EnVision Centers, HUD secretary Ben Carson backpedalled on portions of the proposal that would…
Michigan’s Medicaid work rules bill heads to Gov. Snyder
Michigan lawmakers have sent Gov. Rick Snyder a bill that would require an estimated 540,000 of the state’s able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work at least 80 hours per month in order to retain their health benefits. The measure received final approval from the state Senate today, after the House yesterday passed an amended version of…
Former MT columnist Jack Lessenberry is heading to 910 AM Superstation
Former Metro Times columnist Jack Lessenberry is set to host a show on 910 AM Superstation starting on July 9, the station announced on Thursday. The move comes after a report published by Deadline Detroit last month detailing allegations of sexual harassment against Lessenberry from former students and colleagues between 1990 and 2009. Following the report, The…
Big Sean and Detroit public schools team up for enrollment push
With Detroit Public Schools Community District enrollment numbers in dire straits, the district is tapping into some major star power. Big Sean, a graduate of Cass Technical High School, will provide the voiceover for a marketing video to promote student enrollment, spokeswoman Chrystal Wilson said Tuesday. Although the specifics of this collaboration have not been released, the…
White people killed in Detroit more likely to have cases solved than black people, analysis finds
When Dawn Marie Ferguson was found stabbed to death in Eastern Market in May of 2014, a suspect was arrested by Detroit police and charged with first-degree murder within six days. Ferguson was a 49-year-old white woman. A couple of days before her slaying, another person was killed about a mile away, near Gratiot and…
Here’s how you can celebrate Prince’s 60th birthday in Detroit
Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today, to honor this thing called Prince’s birthday. In the two years since we lost Prince, the world has inarguably turned a few shades darker. Born in 1958 in Minneapolis, Minn., the legendary performer would have been 60 years old today. The Prince estate announced Thursday that they’ve teamed…
Disgusting waves of tent caterpillars are munching their way across Michigan
Heading up to mid-Michigan last month, we noticed that some of the state’s most unwelcome residents were out in force: forest tent caterpillars. The little creepy crawly critters, when gathered in a mass on one of their silky constructions, can send shivers down the spine on even the warmest summer day. It’s enough to make…
Michigan Democrat, Trump team up to kill organic animal welfare rules
Ask most organic egg and poultry consumers what they imagine organic chickens’ lives are like and they’ll probably describe a bird scratching in the soil, digging for bugs, and kicking up a dust bath on a quaint farm pasture. However, in reality, many organic chickens are subjected to the same factory farm horrors as conventional…
Troy’s new marijuana rules limit access to medicine. Now, an Iraq War vet is suing
When Justin Nichols, an Iraq War veteran, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2015, the VA put him on a cocktail of prescription drugs, including Trazodone, antidepressants, and other pills whose names he can’t call up because he “could never even pronounce” them. The side effects eclipsed the benefits. “They put me on a…
New ‘pizza centered’ Italian restaurant planned for former Como’s space
Chef Zach Sklar’s Peas & Carrots Hospitality Group announced Wednesday that it will take over Ferndale’s Como’s and build out a new “pizza-centered” Italian restaurant. The restaurant group, which owns 12 other businesses in metro Detroit and Chicago, says it plans to “pay homage to the original restaurant by keeping the name Como’s and offering nostalgic, mouthwatering pizza-centric cuisine.”…
Alamo Drafthouse plans to open a Midtown movie theater in 2020
Detroit is steps closer to bucking its movie theater desert status thanks to Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. The Austin, Texas-based theater just announced its first Detroit location, which is slated to open in 2020, Crain’s reports. The 44,000-square-foot building will house nine screens, is projected to seat 900 patrons, and is planning to open near Martin Luther…
Kwame Kilpatrick and Martin Shkreli are now prisonmates
Kwame Kilpatrick is now in good company — if by good company you mean bad people. The disgraced former Detroit mayor was moved to a low-security federal prison in New Jersey on Wednesday, where he has a new neighbor — Martin Shkreli, aka the notorious “Pharma Bro” who drew ire when he raised the price of a…
Mystery Science Theater 3000 turns 30 with live tour headed to Royal Oak Music Theatre
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been making fun of movies for 30 years alongside snarky, shiny, silhouetted robots/cult movie critics Tom Servo and Crow. Mystery Science Theater is celebrating the occasion with their second-ever tour, which includes a scheduled stop on Oct. 28 at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. Jonah Ray, host of the Netflix…
Slows Bar-B-Q names the ‘Plaid Pig’ sandwich after cook who died suddenly
The latest addition to Slows Bar-B-Q’s sandwich roster is called the Plaid Pig, and it sounds like another super tasty Slow’s creation — shaved ham and smoked jalapeño bar cheese is stacked with South Carolina-style mustard barbecue sauce and bacon garnish on a soft brioche bun. But the Plaid Pig is more than just a sandwich. The Slows…
Michigan pot legalization initiative dodges Republican meddling, heads to ballot
A 40-session day window in which the state legislature had the ability to amend and adopt a marijuana legalization initiative is over, with lawmakers having taken no action on the proposal. That means the initiative, which has been approved by the Board of State Canvassers, now heads to the Nov. 6 ballot, where it’s likely…
Review: Yo, Detroit! You’re lining up outside the wrong burger restaurant
Around a year ago, the lines that regularly ran out of downtown Detroit’s Shake Shack and wound down Woodward Avenue got me curious about the New York City-based burger restaurant. As a general rule, I don’t eat at fast food chains, but few restaurants arrive with so much hype, and some in its cult of…
‘First Reformed’ confronts an existential crisis
Writer-director Paul Schrader’s apocalyptic new vision (perhaps his strongest since scripting the one-two punch of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull) draws generously from our present, capturing this bleak moment in direct, literal, and unforgiving ways. Starring Ethan Hawke as the Rev. Ernst Toller, a disillusioned, despairing, and broadly ailing pastor, the movie centers on his…
Savage Love: Shameful
I’ve been married to my husband for two years. Five months into our relationship (before we got married), he confessed that he was an adult baby. I was so grossed out, I was literally ill. (Why would this great guy want to be like this?) I told him he would have to choose: diapers or…
Horoscopes (June 6-12)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 If it feels like everything is going over the top, it’s got something to do with the fact that every last bit of what till now has been shoved under the rug, or held at bay by things that make it impossible for you to handle the truth, is…
Robert Whitall and Shirley Owens were the perfect match — in more ways than one
Two weeks ago, Robert “Jr.” Whitall and his wife Shirley Owens — you can call her “Sugar” or “Sugar Mae,” everyone does — got to touch the holy grail of their 19-year marriage. During a visit to Willie Mitchell’s immortal Royal Studios in Memphis, the couple laid hands on “No. 9,” the RCA microphone Al…
Detroit’s vacant lot problem
There are a lot of vacant lots in Detroit: The count a couple of years back was more than 90,000 of them, and the numbers haven’t significantly changed at this point. That’s a lot of space in the city. Vacant lots demand resources for their maintenance, or they become even bigger problems. “We know what…
