Cover Stories
Where to party, eat, and celebrate in Detroit for Saint Patrick’s Day 2020
Updated 6:23 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11: Due to concerns about the spreading of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Corktown’s 62nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been canceled. “In final preparation for the planning of the 62nd Annual Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade, the parade leadership team, in conjunction with Governor Whitmer’s and Mayor Duggan’s teams,…
Corktown’s 62nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade canceled due to coronavirus concerns
Due to concerns about the spreading of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Corktown’s 62nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been canceled. Updated 6:23 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11: “In final preparation for the planning of the 62nd Annual Detroit St. Patrick’s Parade, the parade leadership team, in conjunction with Governor Whitmer’s and Mayor Duggan’s teams,…
PJ’s Lager House has two nights of Irish-themed music for Saint Patrick’s Day week
Related If rock ’n’ roll is your preferred whiskey chaser, look no further than PJ’s Lager House, which is putting the rock in shamrock for this year’s Saint Patrick’s Day hoopla. Getting the Gaelic party started on Sunday is “Paddy Slag” rockers Stone Clover. The foot-stomping five-piece is led by Pauly Brady, grandson of a…
You can prepare for Saint Patrick’s Day with Royal Oak’s ‘Saint Practice Day’ bar crawl
Related Not everyone has a stomach for day-drinking, which of course is at the center of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Why not give it a test run with Royal Oak’s St. Practice Day Bar Crawl, so come the big day — be it parade day or Tuesday’s shenanigans — you’re not actually crawling around? The…
One Detroit animal welfare organization is making adoption safe during the coronavirus with its Cuddle Shuttle — and others need help, too
Thanks to a new mobile program launched by the Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control, 34 dogs have new homes during the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, shortly after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered all metro Detroit restaurants and bars to temporarily close in response to the growing threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the DACC rolled…
AG Dana Nessel sends cease and desist letter to Menards after complaints of price-gouging
The Michigan Department of Attorney General dispatched a cease and desist letter after it received 18 consumer complaints that indicated Menards was selling products like bleach and face masks at noticeably high prices. The complaints started rolling in early last week. According to a press release, AG investigators found that the store might be capitalizing…
DDOT buses to resume service Wednesday after drivers reach deal to ease coronavirus fears
Detroit’s public buses will return to the roads Wednesday morning after Mayor Mike Duggan’s administration reached a deal with drivers over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus. A vast majority of Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) bus drivers called off Tuesday, saying the city wasn’t doing enough to combat the coronavirus on buses. As…
Michigan announces 12 new coronavirus cases, bringing total to 65
Michigan health officials announced 12 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, bringing the total number in the state to 65. The new cases are in Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Ingham, Jackson, Leelanau and Ostego counties. With a testing shortage, the total number of cases is likely much higher than 65, the state acknowledges, because most sick people are…
At last, the first coronavirus rap has emerged from Detroit — and it’s infectious AF
Great adversity often inspires some of the most significant works of art. The Great Depression gave us Grant Wood’s “American Gothic”; the Spanish Civil War and Stalinism inspired George Orwell’s 1945 allegorical fable, Animal Farm; and Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s 2002 split spawned JT’s infidelity anthem, “Cry Me a River.” And now, the current global…
The 58th annual Ann Arbor Film Fest will stream all of its films for free due to coronavirus
Who needs film when you have real life? We’re living in the dire days of cinematically apocalyptic scenes of emptied store shelves, ordinary people wearing medical masks, abandoned public spaces. Well, OK. Maybe we need independent cinema more than ever, which is why the 58th annual Ann Arbor Film Fest is making this whole self-quarantine thing…
One Fair Wage campaign launches emergency fund to support tipped service workers
The One Fair Wage campaign announced the launch of a massive online fundraising effort to support an emergency fund for tipped workers and service workers across the country who are facing unprecedented economic hardship in the face of the global coronavirus pandemic. Michigan tipped workers earn a subminimum wage of $3.67 per hour. Massive restaurant…
Trump unleashes unfounded criticism of Gov. Whitmer’s handling of coronavirus outbreak
A day after calling for unity, President Donald Trump leveled unfounded criticism at Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her handling of the quickly spreading coronavirus outbreak. “Failing Michigan Governor must work harder and be much more proactive,” Trump tweeted at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. “We are pushing her to get the job done. I stand with…
DDOT shuts down bus services after drivers refuse to work amid coronavirus fears
Detroit has shut down the city’s public bus system because a vast majority of the drivers refused to work over concerns about the coronavirus. The city is negotiating with Detroit Department of Transportation drivers to alleviate their concerns in hopes of restoring bus service Wednesday. “Due to the driver shortage, there will be no DDoT…
Not surprisingly, Kid Rock’s Nashville bar refuses to close despite coronavirus concerns
We did it, Detroit. We ran #MAGA-loving rebel rap-rocker Kid Rock out of his home state — and it wasn’t easy. First, he began selling off his properties, including his sprawling 5,600-square-foot estate in Macomb County and his home along the Detroit River, where he was neighbors with the Manoogian Mansion. Then came the closure…
Michigan Democrats to propose safety net for employees affected by coronavirus closures
As thousands of businesses in Michigan close or reduce hours to combat the spread of the coronavirus, countless employees who live paycheck to paycheck are thrust into an untenable position: getting by with little to no pay. Among the most vulnerable are hourly workers at hotels, arenas, airports, bars, restaurants, and casinos. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered many businesses to close…
Another candle in the wind — Elton John postpones his upcoming Detroit and Grand Rapids dates
Goodbye, yellow brick road… for now. “Rocketman” and legendary hitmaker Elton John announced that he would be halting his farewell tour for six weeks, which will impact 19 performances — three of which were slated for Michigan venues. John was expected to perform back-to-back, sold-out shows at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on May 1-2, and also…
Here’s a database of Detroit-area restaurants with carryout and delivery options amid coronavirus crisis
As the coronavirus crisis continues on, local businesses have partnered to create a list of restaurants that offer delivery, contact-free delivery, and carryout. “These local restaurants are all running promotions to have one common purpose: to help our neighbors find a business that meets their needs,” the website reads. “We hope that in this time…
Comedians Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson donate to Hamtramck’s community theatre Planet Ant due to coronavirus closure
The heart of just about every sketch on I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson — the Netflix series created by the native Detroit comedian and former SNL cast member — is a bad decision. One sketch finds Robinson at a dinner with some friends and a fictitious celebrity. When Robinson starts choking on his…
From ‘Outbreak’ to ‘Contagion,’ virus-themed movies trend on streaming channels
Call us masochists, but movies about widespread medical epidemics are starting to trend on social media and streaming channels. While many Americans are self-isolating to avoid catching or spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus, many of us are also watching movies, either for self-flagellation or for reassurance that everything usually works out in the end. Outbreak (1995)…
Some words of wisdom from Detroit’s Celebrity Car Wash to help you weather the coronavirus
For more than a decade, Detroit’s Celebrity Car Wash has been known for the uplifting messages on its sign at 8651 Woodward Ave., so it’s no surprise that it’s stepped up during the coronavirus pandemic, the viral outbreak which has caused mass disruptions around the world. This week, the sign has a simple reminder: “This…
US Rep. Slotkin encourages small businesses economically hit by coronavirus to apply for SBA loans
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is urging Michigan’s small businesses to apply for Small Business Administration loans if they’ve taken a hit from the coronavirus crisis. Recent legislation has set aside $1 billion to the SBA that has been allotted to subsidize disaster relief loans for small businesses, nonprofits, and agricultural cooperatives experiencing economic hardship after…
Revelers pack bars in defiance of coronavirus warnings. Gov. Whitmer gets serious.
As the coronavirus continued to spread across Michigan, reaching 53 positive cases on Sunday, droves of St. Patrick’s Day revelers ignored health officials’ social-distancing warnings and packed bars in metro Detroit. On Sunday evening, unfazed partiers packed into 13 bars and restaurants for a four-day St. Patrick’s Day Corktown pub crawl that began Saturday. “I’m…
ICP’s Shaggy 2 Dope is in the hospital and without Faygo — but not for coronavirus
While Michiganders and meme-makers joke about the healing powers of Vernors as they have during this COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Insane Clown Posse co-founder Shaggy 2 Dope is longing for the sweet and bubbly nectar of the Juggalo gods while enduring a hospital stay. And no, he doesn’t have coronavirus. Whoop whoop! In an effort to…
Here’s what our astrologist says about the coronavirus
This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Void-of-Course Sagittarius Moon. The Moon will remain in that state until it enters Capricorn at 12:25 p.m. (EST) on March 16. Mercury entered Pisces in the wee hours of Monday morning, and we’re coming up on the Spring Equinox on March 19. The Equinox…
Detroit will likely extend ban of recreational marijuana sales beyond March 31 deadline, Tate says
It’s not official yet, but Detroit City Council member James Tate says that the city’s opt-out on recreational marijuana will not end on March 31, the most recent date that had been set as the deadline. In fact, it could last through 2020. “It’s going to be extended,” says Tate. It’s not clear how long…
Amid coronavirus concerns, Reps. Tlaib, Dingell, and Kildee ask Congress to protect residents from high water bills and shutoffs
Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Dingell, and Dan Kildee sent a letter to congressional leaders imploring them to shield U.S. residents from high water bills and water shutoffs. The request was made as Congress deliberates legislation pertaining to coronavirus concerns, according to a press release. Households all over the country, including in Detroit, are living without…
Ann Arbor’s Hash Bash has been canceled amid coronavirus concerns
Coronavirus concerns have done what police and politicians of the past couldn’t do — make the Ann Arbor Hash Bash go away. Organizers of the Hash Bash and the Monroe Street Fair made the decision on Wednesday to cancel the 2020 events. “We were prompted by the University of Michigan mandate to cancel all on…
Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles has finally reopened, offers carry-out due to coronavirus
Kuzzo’s is back. The chicken and waffles bastion located at 19345 Livernois Ave. on the Avenue of Fashion will reopen at 9 a.m. on Saturday March, 14. “Don’t call it a comeback, we’ve been here for years,” Ron Bartell, owner of Kuzzo’s Chicken and Waffles, said in a press release. “More like five years to…
Gov. Whitmer bans all gatherings of 250+ people to curb coronavirus spread
Just days after recommending events of more than 100 people be canceled to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered an official ban on all large gatherings. Executive order 2020-5 prohibits all gatherings of people of 250 people or more starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13, and ending at…
Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big 12, PAC 12 cancel conference basketball tournaments
All of the country’s major athletic conferences are canceling their conference basketball tournaments due to ongoing concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus. The ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac 12 and SEC and American Athletic Conference announced their decisions Thursday. Also canceling conference tournaments are the American Athletic Conference, Atlantic 10, MAC, WAC…
Michigan grapples with testing shortage, school closures, and other massive disruptions as coronavirus cases increase
What a difference a day makes. In a 24-hour span, Michigan officials and businesses have taken enormous steps to quell the spread of the coronavirus, from closing all public and private schools to canceling concerts, sporting events, and other large gatherings. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the first two positive cases of coronavirus late Tuesday night.…
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake postpones grand opening due to coronavirus, but is still open for recreational marijuana sales
The Greenhouse of Walled was set to open with a big grand opening party this weekend to celebrate its new recreational marijuana sales. That’s no longer happening. Following Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s recommendation of cancelling all events of 100 people or more in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the Greenhouse has…
Live Nation and AEG will suspend all tours through April due to coronavirus concerns
Sorry to play the “Bad Guy” but it appears COVID-19 coronavirus has forced another batch of scheduled events expected to draw large crowds to be postponed. In an effort to curb exposure to the rapidly spreading coronavirus, concert promoting giants Live Nation and AEG will ground all of their scheduled tours until April, Rolling Stone reports.…
The Killers are heading to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena
They’re coming out of their cage, and they’ve been doing just fine. Rock darlings the Killers are back — though they never really left, did they? Earworm “Mr. Brightside” instantly bored its way into our skulls when it was released in 2004 and never went away, becoming a closing time anthem and a bizarre meme…
The highly-rated Flower Bowl to become Wayne County’s third dispensary Friday
Wayne County’s third recreational marijuana dispensary will open Friday. The Flower Bowl in Inkster will be selling up to 26 strains of flower, dozens of edibles, tinctures, topicals, concentrates, and vape pens beginning at 9 a.m. at its spacious location at 28661 Michigan Ave. The dispensary, which has earned a strong reputation among medical cannabis…
Dance Theatre of Harlem to perform the music of Stevie Wonder at Detroit Opera House
Update: This event has been canceled/postponed due to coronavirus concerns. The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s premiere at the Detroit Opera House will be performed to the music of Motown’s own Stevie Wonder. The piece, entitled “Higher Ground,” features new work from DTH’s resident choreographer Robert Garland. The work “explores political parallels between the 1970s and today,” according to a press release.…
Lawsuit targets billion-dollar company making life-and-death medical decisions in Michigan jails
Struggling with a slew of invisible wounds, Brad Lafuze returned home to Michigan a decade ago after serving two tours of duty as a combat infantryman in Iraq. The blast from an improvised explosive device had inflicted a traumatic brain injury and left him battling epilepsy. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), severe anxiety, depression, drug addiction,…
Detroit’s Marche du Nain Rouge Parade canceled due to coronavirus concerns
Detroit’s Marche du Nain Rouge parade has been canceled. The annual parade, which was set for Sunday, March 22, was called off due to concerns of spreading the COVID-19 coronavirus. “We are very sad to report that this year’s Marche du Nain Rouge has been canceled due to concerns over the spread of coronavirus following…
As coronavirus spreads, Gov. Whitmer calls for events of more than 100 people to be canceled
Updated at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 13: On Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered an official ban on all large gatherings. Executive order 2020-5 prohibits all gatherings of people of 250 people or more starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 13, and ending at 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 5. School is also canceled…
Voters split on marijuana businesses in 2 metro Detroit communities
Voters had mixed feelings about recreational marijuana in two metro Detroit communities on Tuesday. In Ecorse, residents voted in favor of recreational cannabis businesses by a 818-659 to margin. In Clinton township, voters narrowly rejected a similar plan. The proposal in Ecorse forces the city council to write an ordinance to allow dispensaries, grow operations,…
Tin Roof, a new restaurant and live music venue, is set to open in Detroit this week at the former Cheli’s Chili
Tin Roof, a live music, bar, and restaurant concept, is set to open in District Detroit on Friday. The new eatery and bar located at 47 East Adams Ave. will replace the former Cheli’s Chili and will feature an array of spaces within the venue, including a bar on the ground level, a stage for live…
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants announces grand opening in Troy next week
Cooper’s Hawk is an award-winning winery, restaurant, artisan market, and Napa-style tasting room concept, based out of the suburbs of Chicago. A lifestyle brand centered around food and wine, Troy is the third Cooper’s Hawk location in Michigan, and the 43rd overall for the stand-out restaurant group. The design of the sprawling 12,341-square-foot restaurant was…
Midtown Italian spot Sauce teases posh feel, ‘approachable’ prices ahead of spring opening
Not long ago, the building at 4120 Second St. in Detroit’s Cass Corridor was a no-frills neighborhood grocery store. In 2015, it became the high-end leather retailer Will Leather Goods. Now, it looks like its next iteration will fall somewhere between those two points on the spectrum. Sauce, the forthcoming Italian restaurant slated for a…
3 white Wayne State University Press employees accuse WSU of racial discrimination
Three white Wayne State University Press employees filed separate complaints alleging the university discriminated on the basis of race and retaliation against them, according to Publishers Weekly. The three complaints — filed on March 3 with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by editor-in-chief Annie Martin, editor Kristin Harpster,…
New sneaker boutique to open on Avenue of Fashion on 313 Day
The year was 2016 and Frederick Paul II was a broke college student. As he sat in his dorm room, he stared into his closet at the many pairs of Air Jordan sneakers he had collected over the years, and wondered if this was a way to make some quick cash. Paul first launched an…
Michelle Obama cancels upcoming Detroit voter participation rally amid coronavirus concerns
Hope? More like “nope.” Former first lady Michelle Obama has canceled her upcoming When We All Vote appearance due to the health and safety concerns following the news of two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the metro Detroit area. In an email sent to registered rally attendees, it is not clear that the event will…
Michigan at risk of running out of coronavirus test kits after 2 positive cases
Michigan, which confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus Tuesday night, is at risk of running out of test kits, a scenario that could undermine health officials’ ability to slow the spread of the illness. As of Tuesday, the state only had 385 coronavirus test kits. Many labs are running at least two tests…
Mo Pop Festival announces new location and 2020 lineup
This month, Austin’s SXSW festival was canceled amid coronavirus concerns, and Coachella, the massive annual two-weekend music festival in Indio, California, which was set to take place in April, has been postponed until October. Coronavirus has also grounded tours by artists like Pearl Jam and Madonna. Meanwhile, Detroit’s eighth annual Mo Pop Music Festival has…
R.I.P., Lottie the Body, the Detroit burlesque bombshell who danced across racial lines
Burlesque star Lottie Graves-Claiborne, better known as “Lottie the Body,” recently died in Detroit on Feb. 29 at the age of 90. Not only was she known for her mesmerizing burlesque, she was also known for fearlessly crossing racial lines at a time when Black people were denied access to the spaces around them, and…
The RenCen’s Hearth 71 is more than a restaurant with a view
By the time Coach Insignia at the top of Detroit’s Renaissance Center closed several years ago, it was best to visit the restaurant for a beer and incredible view instead of dinner. The food service had, in a word, declined. But there’s not a better view of the city, so it remained a favorite. Shawn…
Nearly 30 years ago, John Sinclair left Detroit amid a storm of controvery
As we count down to our 40th anniversary in October, we’ve been revisiting our archives to highlight Metro Times stories that resonate in 2020. 29 years ago in Metro Times: Arts advocate and marijuana activist John Sinclair was selling off his record collection, getting ready to leave Detroit for New Orleans amid a storm of…
Detroit poet jessica Care moore lands major book deal
Author jessica Care moore is reclining at home on her blue velvet, crystal-studded couch, and the ends of her locs are dyed the same navy blue and orange as the Detroit Tigers. She’s preparing to travel to AWP, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference in San Antonio, where she has arranged a reading…
Marisa Dabice of Mannequin Pussy won’t let punk rock die on her watch
Asking Marisa Dabice if there’s anything she’d like to get off her chest is like tossing a full gas can into a volcano — a slow and deliberate explosion bright beneath the surface. She’s admittedly upset about a lot of things a lot of the time, but right now the Mannequin Pussy frontwoman is particularly fatigued…
With childlike and childish ‘Wendy,’ Benh Zeitlin hits a sophomore slump
Benh Zeitlin is the type of kid I wish I had grown up with; the writer-director has a way of fashioning fantasy from ordinary childhoods. He did it in 2012 with Beasts of the Southern Wild, and he’s done it again with Wendy, an ambitious reinterpretation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. But while Beasts mixed…
Horoscopes (March 11-17)
ARIES | March 21 – April 20: Your personality is strong and clear. In many ways you are “too much” for this world, in the sense that you can’t be confined, or contained, or easily defined. At the moment, your entire being is being tested by circumstances in your relationships and in your environment. This…
It’s not a conspiracy: If Bernie loses, it’s because Bernie didn’t know how to win
In Nevada, the dog caught the car. For the last two decades, Bernie Sanders has been a crusader for the American left. As a congressman and senator, he’s been a cantankerous, uncompromising gadfly raising righteous hell about social justice and economic inequality and forcing his Democratic colleagues to take uncomfortable votes that didn’t always play…
