Cover Stories
Detroit’s hottest outdoor summer concerts
Zac Brown Band Thursday, 6/8 Get ready to put your toes in the sand, er, the grass of the DTE Energy Music Theatre hill. Zac Brown Band will be returning to play their Welcome Home tour. Listen to hits from the band and songs from their recently released album at this country show. Doors open…
10 places to swim for (almost free) in metro Detroit
Family Aquatic Center at Chandler Park 12600 Chandler Park Dr., Detroit; 313-822-7665; waynecountyaquatic.com The park features a grand open-area pool and play area, two waterslides, and a wave pool. The pool is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily June 17 through Labor Day. Admission is $7 for Wayne County adults, $5 for children ages 3…
20 Instagram-worthy Michigan campsites
Michigan is home to stunning, picturesque campsites, each of which offers something unique and appealing in its own right. Whether you’re looking for a spot near home or willing to travel hours away, this list is the perfect place to start planning your outdoor summer getaway. Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground M-72 & McIntyres Landing…
15 low-key beaches within driving distance of Detroit
On the hottest days in the Great Lakes State, it seems everybody heads to the nearest body of water — making some beach spots packed with people long before the sun is high in the sky. If you’re an early riser and can snag a prime spot, good for you, but sometimes you just want…
In search of metro Detroit’s best frozen custard
See 14 photos of Detroit’s best frozen custard here. Custard is to frozen desserts what Wagyu or Kobe beef are to steak. It’s not that there’s no going back once you’ve tried it — good ice cream is good ice cream, and it’s everywhere — but custard is clearly a superior form of cold and…
Beat the heat in these Michigan beach town bars
Jack’s Waterfront Bistro + Bar 940 W. Savidge St., Spring Lake; 616-846-1370 In addition to delicious entrees, this waterfront restaurant has an outdoor tiki bar where you can enjoy their signature Rum Bomber or indulge in their happy hours at various times during the week. Jack’s hosts a comedy night every Thursday and live entertainment…
Your guide to Michigan’s summer festivals
No summer weekend in Michigan is complete without attending an outdoor festival, especially if there’s a beer tent. On the schedule this summer, you’ll find festivals celebrating everything from bologna to polka music, from books to art. National Cereal Festival Friday, 6/9 – Saturday, 6/10 Downtown Battle CreekKnown as the birthplace of cereal, Battle Creek…
The Metro Times 2017 summer guide
15 low-key beaches within driving distance of Detroit Beat the heat in these 20 Michigan beach town bars 10 places to swim for (almost free) in metro Detroit 20 Instagram-worthy Michigan campsites Your guide to Michigan’s summer festivals Detroit’s hottest outdoor summer concerts In search of Detroit’s best frozen custard Cover photo: Marc Nader Cover…
Update: Enbridge says Great Lakes pipelines passed fed-ordered pressure tests
Update: According to a statement released Sunday, Enbridge says the federally required pressure tests were completed over the weekend with both pipelines passing. For the tests, the pipes were emptied of oil and pumped with water up to 1,200 psi, far higher than its normal pressure of 150 psi. “The hydrotest is an industry and…
Ferndale’s Urbanrest Brewing Co. to debut this month
For years, Urbanrest Brewing Company co-owner and head brewer Zach Typinski honed his skills, developed his palate, and built a recipe repertoire in Michigan’s homebrewing circles, which essentially functions as the brewing industry’s minor leagues. But over the last three years, it became evident that Typinksi is ready to make the leap and open his…
Sister vegetarian restaurants Cacao Tree and The Clean Plate are planning an expansion
The tiny downtown Royal Oak space from which Cacao Tree Cafe operates doesn’t hold a standard kitchen, therefore the options on its menu are limited to raw dishes. Of course, that fits in the vegetarian/vegan restaurant’s mission, so lunchtime bustles and it’s a favorite spot for those looking for a meatless midday meal. But people…
Corktown’s Astro Coffee is opening a Detroit roasting plant
Corktown’s Astro Coffee partly built its reputation over the last six years on an impressive coffee program comprised of beans sourced from some of the nation’s best roasters, and now the company is taking steps to join their ranks. Co-owner Jessica Hicks tells MT that an Astro roasting plant is in the works and will…
Full Pig & Whiskey lineup announced featuring Laith Al-Saadi, Electric Six, and Will Sessions
Pig & Whiskey — Metro Times’ annual celebration of live music, barbecue, and booze — is set to return to Ferndale for July 14-16, and today we can officially announce the full musical lineup. Headlining acts include the industrious Electric Six on Friday, bluesman Laith Al-Saadi on Saturday, and funk experts Will Sessions on Sunday. Other featured…
Forum to ‘end unconstitutional home tax foreclosures’ this Saturday
An event this weekend will include a press conference and a discussion forum on tax foreclosures, and to demand that Wayne County and Mayor Mike Duggan help keep families in homes. The group sponsoring the event is called the Coalition to End Unconstitutional Tax Foreclosures, and they want to draw attention to what they call…
Detroit Mayor Duggan’s demolition program now the subject of federal grand jury probe
A federal grand jury is investigating Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s ambitious demolition program that has been allotted more than $250 million in federal funds to teardown thousands of blighted houses. Metro Times confirmed the probe Tuesday after seeing a subpoena received by a contractor the city did business with. The Detroit News broke the story earlier that day…
22 percent of Michigan kids lived in poverty in 2015 — more than during Great Recession
More than one in five Michigan kids were living in poverty in 2015, according to the latest data from the Kids Count Profile. The yearly report found 22 percent — or 486,000 children — living in poverty in the state that year. The national average was 21 percent. The number of Michigan kids living in poverty is…
Nine days after the race, the Grand Prix’s construction is still causing long traffic jams
There’s nothing like summer on Belle Isle — music from park goers using the beaches and pavilions, the smell of charcoal smoke and barbecue, the sun starting to dip behind the horizon, and the panic of an ambulance driving the wrong way down a one way road. On Sunday evening at around 7:30 p.m., firefighters…
Review: Sigur Ros at the Masonic on June 2
A Sigur Rós performance is not easy to describe. First of all, the songs do not matter as much as the occurrence of them. A bootleg wouldn’t serve its purpose. Being there, hearing it, is all. It is more akin to ‘something happening in the room’ as opposed to a set of music. This is…
Flint residents deliver letters in empty water bottles to Snyder and Schuette
It’s been 1,145 days since has had clean water, and that’s why 1,145 letters addressed to Governor Rick Snyder and AG Bill Schuette telling them that they owe the residents of Flint. Letters were collected over the past year by canvassers in Flint and then were stuffed into empty water bottles — meant to send…
Corktown Strut festival returns to Detroit in July
The Corktown Strut arts and music festival has released its full lineup and schedule, returning for its second year June 26 through July 3. In all, the event will feature nearly 70 musical acts, visual artists, and chefs (Metro Times is a sponsor) across 15 venues in Detroit’s oldest neighborhood. The musical programming, to be held from…
Comerica Park to host yoga class this summer
The yoga scene in metro Detroit has been heating up over the last few years, with studios opening in suburbs as far south as Riverview (trust me honey, this is a big deal) and special yogic exercises taking place at Movement Electronic Music Festival and inside the Max M. Fisher Music Center, among other unique…
The Weeknd headed to Little Caesars Arena in November
The Weeknd may have just played at the Palace last month, but that is not stopping the Starboy from heading back to Detroit for one more show. The Weeknd just announced phase two of his Legend of the Fall 2017 tour and he will be visiting Detroit once again. The show won’t happen until Wednesday,…
UPDATED: Brothers and sisters! Wayne Kramer uploads rare/remastered MC5 footage to YouTube
UPDATED on Friday, June 16 — Brother Wayne Kramer replies to our Facebook message, and our little fanboy hearts explode: Hi Mike, We weren’t ignoring you. The days are too full and the truth is that there is no master plan. None whatsoever. We are posting what we find interesting in hopes that others do…
Tracing fault lines in the latest map from the Department of Neigborhoods
In urban areas, there’s a popular wisdom to the process of acquiring a neighborhood name. As cities grow, neighborhood identity comes from a kind of natural fermentation. Well-to-do people create fortresses of wealth, bristling with pretentious homes, often with their own municipal boundaries too. Working-class ethnics collect in enclaves where their attempts to re-create their…
Diana Ross and Madonna tunes named essential Pride songs by Rolling Stone
As we all know it is a Pride Month, and what would a celebration of the LGBTQ community be without the anthems that define such a diverse and unique community. The lovely folks at Rolling Stone gathered up a list of the most essential Gay Pride songs of all time — and two queens who hail…
Charivari Festival unveils its full lineup, moves to Riverfront Park this August
Charivari Detroit 2017 will go down over on West Riverfront Park this year, the weekend of August 4-6. This will be its first year at this location, as opposed to Belle Isle (which one assumes it has outgrown at this point). For weeks, the festival’s Instagram account has been teasing that they were about to…
Detroit’s new bike share MoGo reports over 4,000 rides during first week
If you’ve seen a group of people riding similar-looking red bikes through Detroit recently then you just saw them using Detroit’s new bike sharing called MoGo. According to WXYZ, the new bikes racked in over 4,000 rides in its first week. The new bikes opened at the end of May with 42 stations in 10…
This Michigan town was named an underrated food city in America by Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed has spoken, and this is the list for most underrated food cities in America, and a town in Michigan made the final cut. We know what you’re thinking — we for sure thought that Detroit was going to make this list, but it turns out that Traverse City is slightly more underrated when it…
‘Bar Rescue’ failure to relaunch as craft slider and carnival food-inspired sports bar
In November 2015, SPIKE TV’s “Bar Rescue” made a visit to the then-struggling downtown Ann Arbor bar, The Arena. Unfortunately, they didn’t send any tax attorneys. Within months of the show airing, The Arena would be closed and its colorful owner, Brian “Mike” Flore – who was painted as something of a jerk during the episode…
Here’s a nifty way to try out today’s modern ‘board games’
Mention “board games” to most people these days, and most of them will say, “Oh, like, Monopoly? Clue?” It the kind of thing that drives Kyle Sweeney nuts. See, Kyle Sweeney and his business partner Madison Reitzel are trying to introduce people to the joys of today’s “tabletop games” — and they’ve come a long way…
The latest on tomorrow’s Islamophobic protests
The nation’s premier Islamophobic group, ACT for America, has organized more than two-dozen rallies at cities around the United States to take place tomorrow. Officially called the “March against Sharia,” it’s less about “Sharia law” — a non-issue in the United States, where it is illegal — than it is about getting Islamophobes whipped up into a…
Tonight: Warren Defever’s first-ever solo visual art show opens at UFO Factory
Because he is a fine multi-disciplinary type artist, and as he is a friend whose first-ever solo art show is called In the Shadow of Your Meow — all very large paintings on wood which feature cats — and it opens tonight at UFO Factory, the other day without warning I threw a barrage of…
Young Detroit man charged with murder in latest killing over stuff
It has happened again in Detroit: a young man has killed another young person for a desirable and expensive item. We’ve seen it happen over the years with Cartier glasses. This week, it was a pair of Air Jordans. Donte Ford, 20, was charged with murder Friday for killing Corey Harris Thomas, 17, from Grosse…
Aretha Franklin to give final Detroit performance this weekend
The first annual Detroit Music Weekend will take place this Saturday in downtown Detroit, with free events spanning four outdoor venues. And queen of soul Aretha Franklin is slated to give what organizers are calling her last-ever Detroit performance. Preceding her Saturday night performance on the Madison Central Stage, a dedication ceremony and tribute to…
Penalties worsen as more female genital mutilation victims are suspected
In April, two local doctors were accused of performing female genital mutilation on patients as young as 7. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar were both arrested in April after an alleged victim told FBI agents her parents brought her and another girl to Detroit for a “special girls trip,” but she said she was taken…
Dearborn man charged with helping Hezbollah’s Islamic Jihad Organization
Federal officials have charged a Dearborn man with providing support to the Islamic Jihad Organization of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based militant group and political party the United States has designated a terrorist organization. Samer El Debek, 37, allegedly conspired with others to provide the group with personnel and other resources throughout the past ten years, and…
The search for a missing Detroit chef continues
Family, friends, and police are continuing to search for a 39-year-old Detroit chef and Marine who disappeared last week. Douglas Calhoun, who goes by “Chef Doug”, was last heard from around 3 a.m. on Thursday, June 1. Family members told Fox 2 that he missed an important catering event last Friday evening and didn’t board…
Spanish-language wine tasting planned for tonight in Southwest Detroit
Brut Detroit – a pop up wine tasting group – will host a Spanish language tasting tonight at Mariscos El Salpicon restaurant in southwest Detroit. The Detroit News reports that the event will include five 1.5 ounce samples of wines from Spain, Argentina, and Chile. It’s designed to encourage Spanish speakers to come out, so -…
Sweet Lorraine’s original Southfield location to close after 33 years
Sweet Lorraine’s owner Lorraine Platman is closing the Sweet Lorraine’s Southfield location due to health issues. The restaurant opened on Greenfield Road in 1984 and has won numerous awards through the decades, but Platman said via press release that she can no longer keep up. “Dealing with the challenges of my health issues has made…
Exclusive Idiot Kids track, in celebration of their show at PJs tomorrow
NOTE: Jarrett Koral runs Jett Plastic Recordings, and is one of our favorite local writers. He had a column here at Metro Times at an incredibly young age, and continues to write for us today (notably penning a heartfelt review of the final Soundgarden show the other week) although he is an old man now…
Honoring jazz presenter Wesley “Skip” Norris with a night of music
If you have had anything at all to do with jazz in the city of Detroit, you’ve appreciated the work of Wesley “Skip” Norris, even if you didn’t know it at the time. That’s what it means to be a booker/promoter/manager — all the logistical, behind-the-scenes work without the glory of stardom. By all accounts,…
Bucharest Grill opens on Detroit’s ‘Avenue of Fashion’
The newest Bucharest location is up and running today. Eater reports that owner Bogdan Tarasov said the restaurant will open for business this this afternoon at 19492 Livernois Ave. Like its other three locations on East Jefferson, in Milwaukee Junction, and in Corktown, the newest Bucharest will trade in shawarmas, specialty hot dogs, salads, and other…
There’s a ‘Phantom of the Opera’ sequel and it’s coming to Detroit
Those of us on Team Opera Ghost will be pleased to hear the Phantom will have a shot at redemption this October when Love Never Dies, a Phantom of the Opera sequel, comes to the Fisher Theatre. Now, now, we know what you’re thinking. A sequel? Most are bad. I mean, with the exception of…
Can’t-miss show of the week: Durand Jones at Third Man tonight
Modern soul that pulls with as much power as Lee Fields and Charles Bradley, Durand Jones and the Indications bring their hard-hitting sounds to Third Man Cass Corridor tonight, Thursday, June 8; doors at 7:30 p.m. “Back in July when Durand Jones & The Indications debut album was released, we had no idea what the…
Brudders pizzeria and a new ‘neighborhood bar’ are planned for the West Village
A new pizzeria owned by a member of a “well-known rock band” is planned for one o f three duplexes that developers are connecting in Detroit’s West Village. Crain’s reports that Brudders will serve homemade pasta and minestrone soup, while a neighborhood called Destination 1905 is in the works for another of the duplexes. An…
UPDATED: Flowing water at an abandoned building in Detroit could point to larger problems for DWSD
Updated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 8: A DWSD spokesman says there is no active account at the property and service was turned off in 2015. He says a separate line to the building was not shut and that someone may have tampered with pipes or stolen a meter, causing a break that led…
Snyder signs law to take away retirement benefits from corrupt public workers
Public employees who’ve been convicted of felonies that breach the public’s trust will lose some retirement benefits under a new Michigan law. The law enacted Wednesday requires a public employee or retiree to relinquish accumulated employer contributions toward a retirement benefit if convicted of crimes like misusing funds or taking bribes. Michigan law had previously allowed…
A Caribbean-inspired vegan restaurant is popping up ahead of its summer opening on Livernois
A few months ago, we wrote about Detroit’s small-but-mighty Jamaican food community that’s kicking in Northwest Detroit. But for those not keen on meat, the pickings are generally slim. However, that’ll change when the Paradise Cafe and Juice Bar opens at Livernois near Seven Mile later this summer. It’s the work of Nezaa Bandele, who…
Ferndale food truck park, restaurant to open this month
A restaurant and food truck park that’s in the works for the former Wing Hing site on 9 Mile Road is planning a June opening. Eater reports that Detroit Fleat will feature a Mexican street food and sliders restaurant with a full bar that also serves Treat Dreams’ ice cream. It will be joined by three food trucks…
The story behind the success of the Vintage Market
Angie Guzzardo was enjoying a glass of wine in her backyard with a longtime friend, Rina Belanger, when the two had an a-ha moment. “We were wondering how we could find a place for people like us to sell their stuff,” says Belanger. At the time, Belanger was refurbishing furniture under the moniker Reimagined Restorations…
Savage Love: Get out
Q: I hate how my boyfriend has sex with me. He is 40 years old. It used to be fine, but a year ago he started adding new moves he obviously got from porn: smacking my pussy with an open palm, vigorously rubbing my clit, wrapping his hands around my neck. I’m not anti-porn; what…
Horoscopes (June 7-13)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): If you are a “late Aries,” life has got to be looking a little crazy. Those of you who were born in the early part of the sign are probably working out a less electrified version of this. It’s hard to know what to say to any of you at…
Detroit Land Bank payroll nearly doubles despite slowdown in demolitions
When Mike Duggan was running for mayor of Detroit four years ago, he pledged to embark on an unprecedented and aggressive campaign to demolish thousands of blighted houses scattered across the city’s 139 square miles. But the vehicle for those demolitions, the Detroit Land Bank, has become mired in controversy as local, state, and federal…
Navigating Michigan’s changing marijuana laws
Trimming bud by hand has to be the most tedious, time-consuming task when it comes to processing marijuana. Snipping off the leaves one by one to give full exposure to the cannabinoid-rich flower’s crystal-covered center is slow, and causes eye strain, hand cramps, and back aches. It’s ultimately rewarding but not something a lot of…
Questioning humanity in Ethan Daniel Davidson’s ‘Crows’
Ethan Daniel Davidson has stories to tell, but they’re not exactly nice ones. Davidson simply isn’t that interested in “nice” stories, but he does want to examine how people can build better relationships with one another. Crows, his latest release, is an exploration of these themes and more, perfectly paired with the folky, avant-garde Americana…
The Great Lakes are being poisoned by poop
Pam Taylor, a woman I admire a great deal, lives in a rural community in Lenawee County, not far from the Ohio border, a place where her family has been farming since 1837. You wouldn’t call her lifestyle wild and crazy. A retired teacher in late middle age, she celebrated Memorial Day by taking her…
House Industries exhibit explores the firm behind the fonts of our lives
Step through the larger-than-life entrance to House Industries: A Type of Learning inside the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and you’re transported to a cartoonish world — one where a comically grotesque Rat Fink and NASA space shuttles exist side by side. This is the world of House Industries co-founders Andy Cruz and Rich…
What Brother Ali did on his music vacation
When did our nation become so self-assured and quick to judgment that we’d turn on our neighbors, our mouths spitting vitriol? Where did the United States go? “I think it’s been stolen from us, with the people in power really benefiting from us not being thoughtful,” suggests rapper Brother Ali, who addresses these themes of…
New show by Jimbo Easter and Theolonius Bone defies logic
Prolific art misfits Jimbo Easter and Thelonius Bone are melding their demented visions in a show titled Have You Seen Me? at Popps Packing arts venue in Hamtramck. The flyer for their show is a painted recreation of a milk carton’s missing persons panel with their photos and helpful descriptors such as “responds to shiny…
Review: Shake Shack’s burgers prove greasier than its marketing
It’s tough to think of many restaurants eliciting the level of fanfare and hype that we saw when Shake Shack started serving downtown Detroit in February. Dozens of articles preceded the event, and, when the day arrived, lines extended out the door and up Woodward. As the Free Press wrote of the grand opening: “Customers…
Tuxedo brings it to Detroit Music Weekend
In 2006, DJ Haircut (soon to be Mayer Hawthorne, but born Andrew Mayer Cohen in Ann Arbor) started exchanging mixtapes with his crate-digging compatriot, the Seattle-based hip-hop producer Jake One (who would later work with the Weeknd, Drake, and Royce da 5’9″). The two bonded over their mutual love of post-disco boogie, electro funk, and…
