Cover Stories
Detroit rockers Stone Clover celebrate a decade of ‘Paddy Slag’
Detroit’s Old Shillelagh bar holds a special place for Stone Clover frontman Pauly Brady. His grandfather, a former Detroit police officer, founded Greektown’s Irish bar in 1975, and Brady says he spent many Saint Patrick’s Days working at the Old Shillelagh alongside his big Irish Catholic family. “You got to be careful who you say…
A selection of metro Detroit 2019 Saint Patrick’s Day parties
Beacon Park: Features heated tent, food trucks, DJ, lawn games, crafts, and more. Starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 16; 1903 Grand River Ave., Detroit; no cover. Big League Brews: 101.1 The WRIF live broadcast, live DJs, morning Tullamore Dew toast, 25-cent green beer specials starting at 7 a.m., and an Irish-themed food menu.…
Corktown’s Ottava Via is rolling out a vegetarian menu
Corktown’s Ottava Via is a restaurant that made its name off dishes like its Tuscan braised short rib and selection of salamis and prosciutto. Thus, it isn’t the first place that vegetarians or vegans consider. But chef Ariel Millan says he’s changing that with a new vegetarian menu the restaurant is rolling out. It’s centered…
Dismantle the patriarchy with singer-songwriter Stella Donnelly at Deluxx Fluxx
To answer an age-old question, Stella Donnelly most definitely let the dogs out. On her recent full-length debut, Beware of the Dogs, the Australian singer-songwriter tackles everything from abortion, Australian nationalism, and bro-culture, all while maintaining a balance of levity and empathy. Donnelly was first introduced to U.S. ears in 2017 when she released the…
Detroit welcomes Justin Timberlake who won’t give up on ‘Man of the Woods’
Everyone’s favorite former Ramen noodle-haired boy-band babe turned solo sex symbol and “Filthy” family man (wait, that’s weird) really wants you to pay attention to his new-ish rugged, plaid-wearing, scruffy-faced honky-tonk funk. Justin Timberlake is kind of having a very un-sexy year due in part to 2018’s dimly received Man of the Woods and his…
Loss takes center stage at overnight ‘Science of Grief’ event at DIA
There are said to be five stages of the grieving process — denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Even within this formula, everyone experiences loss deeply and personally, often out of sync with what we are conditioned to feel. Returning for its second year at the DIA is Natasha T. Miller’s “Science of Grief” —…
Detroit welcomes the return of LGBTQ+ outpost with soft open
Detroit’s LGBTQ+ scene will celebrate the return of one of its cultural outposts with the soft opening of Backstreet’s new location at 14925 Livernois Ave. The nightclub, which first opened in 1979 and was foundational to the creation of Detroit’s LGBTQ+ community, will christen its new safe space with techno music from Berghain regular Silent…
Artist Cristin Richard unveils performative installation at the Detroit Club
The word “value” can mean many different things to many different people. Detroit artist Cristin Richard explores the variants of its meaning in what is being described as a “performative installation” within the Detroit Club’s historic Presidential Ballroom. Richard, who gained recognition for her bold conversation on consumerism with 2012’s Leftovers, which found the artist…
Red Wings documentary ‘The Russian Five’ gets the red carpet treatment in Royal Oak
It took Michigan-based director and documentarian Joshua Riehl nearly six years to tell the harrowing behind-the-scenes journey of how Sergei Fedorov, Slava Fetisov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov, and Igor Larionov escaped the clutches of the Iron Curtain to lead the Detroit Red Wings to back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 1997-98. The Russian Five tells that…
Peter Sellars will bring the drama to his Penny Stamps talk at Michigan Theater
In the opening monologue of Act II of As You Like It, William Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world’s a stage.” No one embraces that sentiment quite as strongly as MacArthur Genius fellow and theater director Peter Sellars. Known for his socially and culturally eye-opening stagings of classic operas and plays, Sellars has a reputation…
Graphic novel features Detroit firefighters’ heroism and dark struggles
Detroit firefighters and medics respond to a stomach-churning cycle of fires, car crashes and medical emergencies every day. What they see is horrific: Children mangled in car crashes. Teenagers gunned down in the street. Distraught family members. The constant exposure to trauma takes its toll. Nationwide, firefighters have disproportionately high rates of depression, suicide and…
‘The Interference’ confronts complexities of sexual assault at Matrix Theatre
Kaitlyn Valor Bourque threw her computer after reading Lynda Radley’s jarring 35-page script for The Interference. “I had such a visceral reaction,” she says. “I flung myself into a closet and broke down crying. I only slept on it for one day before I knew I could tell this story. I didn’t trust anyone else…
Fear and loathing at a Detroit rally to ‘build the wall’
In February, Detroit officials confirmed that Cobo Center — named after Republican Mayor Albert Cobo, who left behind a legacy as a staunch racial segregationist — would be renamed. Though ultimately a business decision (Chemical Bank purchased the naming rights for $1.5 million annually for the next 22 years), the move was heralded by Mayor…
Mobile guitar project Tilted Axes returns to Detroit with trio of events
What’s better than one guitar? Try 18 guitar-wielding, roving musicians parading through metro Detroit. Founded by Detroit native and New York-based guitarist and composer Patrick Grant, Tilted Axes is a culmination of Grant’s music manifesto. Having worked with composers John Cage and Philip Glass, along with Robert Fripp as part of the King Crimson leader’s…
Detroit man shoots himself in the foot attempting to kill cockroach
A Detroit man wounded himself after attempting to kill a cockroach with a shoe that contained a gun. The incident occurred at the 18700 block of Albion Street Tuesday morning, WDIV reports. The unnamed 50-year-old man, who uses a wheelchair, told police that he attempted to kill the cockroach by throwing a shoe that contained…
Sterling Heights holds naming contest for its shiny new ‘Golden Butthole’
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a $300,000 Golden Butthole on a median across from a shopping mall in Michigan’s fourth largest city — and it needs a name. Sterling Heights made news in January after constructing a 35-foot-tall steel and aluminum circle along a bustling shopping thoroughfare in an attempt to re-brand the…
‘Detroit Dogventures’ wants you to go on a field trip with dogs in need
It is a truth universally acknowledged that we don’t deserve dogs. For millennia, man’s best friend have been our companions, comforters, and in some cases, lifesavers. In an effort to give back to dogs in need, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control (DACC) will be hosting ‘Detroit Dogventures’ this April. Residents and visitors will…
Detroit firefighters’ lawsuit: Someone else clean up the damn blood
A new written policy ordering firefighters and medics to clean up blood at crime and accident scenes is the subject of a new lawsuit that warns of “imminent health and safety risks” to the public and emergency workers. The Detroit Fire Fighters Association is asking a Wayne County court to halt the order because medics…
Detroit’s only winery opens in May in former Stroh’s Ice Cream building
Detroit Vineyards will open its winery on May 3 in the former Stroh’s Ice Cream factory on Gratiot Avenue near the Eastern Market. Though it’s been producing wine in the building since last year, it will next open its winery and tasting room to the public. Crain’s reports that the 12,000-square-foot space, which is connected…
Domino’s to offer half-off pizza during March Madness
March Madness is ramping up and Domino’s Pizza is celebrating by offering basketball fans and all others 50 percent off of its pizzas. The NCAA basketball tournament kicks of Tuesday with Michigan and Michigan State as number two seeds in their respective regions. The tournament will host 68 games with the champion being crowned on…
Tlaib introduces bill to make auto insurance use of credit data illegal
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduced legislation that would make it illegal for auto insurance companies to use consumers’ credit scores in calculating insurance rates. Critics consider the controversial practice a form of economic redlining, and the Detroit Democrat said it punishes people for being poor. Regardless, it’s part of the reason Detroit sees some of…
Not cool: Beto O’Rourke voted with Trump and GOP on immigration, health care
Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke campaigned on Monday morning at several cafes and a union training center in metro Detroit. The Michigan stops come after last week’s campaign rollout that included a Vanity Fair interview and an Annie Leibovitz cover photo of a rugged-looking O’Rourke that seemed to play to his “cool” candidate image. In…
Snoop Dogg will celebrate 25 years of ‘Doggystyle’ at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre
Spark it up, because notable stoner, blunt roller, and hip-hop hero Snoop Dogg is coming to Detroit this summer. Announced Monday, the ‘Puff Puff Pass’ tour will bring Snoop Dogg, fellow West Coast legend Warren G, and Cleveland-based hip-hop group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony to the newly christened Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, formerly known as Chene Park, on July…
King of the asshats, Ted Nugent will perform in metro Detroit as part of latest tour
Parkland massacre truther, NRA mouthpiece, and right-wing nut job Ted Nugent is taking his latest rally, er, tour on the road. The camouflaged asshole who once told “piece of shit” Barack Obama and “worthless bitch” Hillary Clinton to “suck” his “machine gun” during a concert is bringing his “The Music Made Me Do It Again!…
The Conserva chef Matt Baldrige will helm Republic, Parks & Rec kitchens
Just a few months after The Conserva closed down, its chef is taking over the kitchen at downtown Detroit’s Republic and Parks & Rec, The Detroit News reports. Bladridge ran The Conserva for two years before shuttering in December over “extenuating circumstances in our families,” the restaurant wrote on social media. It’ll be interesting to…
Detroit R&B legend and ‘Black Godfather’ Andre Williams has died
“Mr. Rhythm” and Detroit R&B legend Andre Williams died Sunday, March 17 at the age of 82. Known for solo radio hits like “Jail Bait,” “Greasy Chicken,” “Bacon Fat,” and “Cadillac Jack,” as well as being the co-author of “Shake a Tail Feather,” Williams would also go on to pen songs for Stevie Wonder, and…
Magpie is now slinging creative cocktails at Detroit’s Fort Street Galley
The bar at Detroit’s recently opened Fort Street Galley food hall is now serving colorful craft cocktails and other libations as “Magpie,” which officially opens to the public on Friday. The name comes from the folkloric “thief birds” known for an alleged (though scientifically disputed) preference for lining their nests with shiny objects. “The name…
Detroit Metropolitan Airport recognized as one of North America’s best
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport has been distinguished as one of the best in North America. The airport was recognized as part of the Airports Council International’s annual Airport Service Quality awards. Among the award categories are best airport by size and region, most improved, best ambiance and environment, best customer service, and best infrastructure and…
Kwame Kilpatrick got 28 years for financial crimes, Paul Manafort got only 7.5 — why?
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick — a black man — is serving 28 years in prison for financial crimes he committed while in office. Paul Manafort — a politically connected white man and former Trump campaign manager — is serving 7.5 years for financial crimes similar to those of Kilpatrick. Manafort’s sentence stems from two…
Massive Attack reschedules show at Detroit’s Masonic Temple for September
The elusive U.K. trip-hop group Massive Attack will make good on a Detroit performance after canceling its entire spring tour. Originally scheduled for Friday, March 22, the show at Detroit’s Masonic Temple was canceled late last week due to an unspecified illness. The rare tour, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of the group’s seminal album…
Murals in the Market announces dates for 5th annual festival
Murals in the Market will mark its fifth return to Eastern Market this September. The annual mural festival, which has received acclaim from Smithsonian magazine as being one of the “best mural festivals in the world,” will return Sept. 14 through Sept. 21, 2019. Launched in 2015 by Detroit-based 1xRun, Murals in the Market has…
You can learn more about Michigan’s anti-gerrymandering redistricting process at these town hall discussions
Michigan residents will soon have the opportunity to learn about the state’s redistricting process at statewide town hall events organized by Voters Not Politicians. Related In November, Michigan voters overwhelmingly passed Proposal 2, the citizen-initiated ballot proposal designed to put an end to gerrymandering. The proposal put forth by Voters Not Politicians called for an…
Did Mayor Duggan conspire to charge political foe? Judge weighs in
Detroit businessman Robert Carmack has claimed he was charged with four felonies in retaliation for airing surveillance footage of Mayor Mike Duggan having an alleged extramarital affair with a woman in Oakland County. The charges in December came one month after Duggan held a press conference to call on a state police investigation of Carmack…
A new taqueria is headed to the West Village
Taco pop up Esto’s Garage is planning a brick and mortar location near Sister Pie in the West Village. Owner Esteban Castro tells Metro Times the 750-square-foot restaurant will offer a simple menu with the basics like tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and rice bowls, though “the complexities and different flavors will be found in the sauces,”…
Breakthrough Towing’s owner started a new tow company
The owner of Detroit’s Breakthrough Towing appears to have started a new company after multiple media reports highlighted Breakthrough’s predatory and controversial tactics that critics say are designed to scam motorists out of money. State records show Breakthrough owner Michael Dickerson established Magic Towing in late November and was listed as its registered agent until…
The Black Keys plot first Detroit show in five years
Garage rock’s favorite pair of lonely boys are making some noise this week with a new song and a massive tour after a nearly five-year hiatus. The Black Keys released “Lo/Hi” last week, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney’s first single since the 2014’s Turn Blue and is full of fuzz, handclaps, foot stomping, and gives…
Michigan-made Bars of Gold release new music from forthcoming record ‘Shelters’
Ferndale-based experimental indie rockers Bars of Gold debuted another new single from their upcoming album Shelters Tuesday. The record, due out April 12 on Equal Vision Records, is the band’s first in six years. The song, called “$20,” can be heard below. Vocalist Mark Paffi channels James Brown on “$20,” while the mash of percussion…
Black Flag announces rare performance at Harpo’s in Detroit
At a time when London was duking it out with New York for the title of “originators of punk,” west coast rockers Black Flag were starting a quiet riot in California. With more speed than the Ramones, and more aggression than the Sex Pistols, Black Flag was foundational to the development of the west coast punk…
Humane Society alleges Michigan animal lab force-fed beagles fungicides
After an undercover investigation, the Humane Society of the United States has accused a Michigan research laboratory of keeping dozens of beagles in inhumane conditions and force-feeding them fungicides. The Humane Society released the results of a nearly 100-day undercover investigation on Tuesday that alleges mistreatment of dozens of beagles at the Charles River Laboratories,…
‘White Boy Rick’ may be released from prison even earlier
Richard Wershe Jr. — the man better known as “White Boy Rick,” whose story was dramatized as an eponymous film last year starring Matthew McConaughey — could be released from prison a year and a half early. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly considering granting clemency to Wershe, now 49, for his work helping the government as a…
Protesters to rally against pro-wall event in Detroit featuring Steve Bannon, others
Protesters are planning to converge Thursday on a pro-Trump rally at Cobo Center in Detroit featuring Steve Bannon and cowboy hat-wearing firebrand David Clarke. Cobo Center has hired 18 Detroit police officers to keep peace after organizers of the “We Build the Wall Town Hall” say they are expecting between 1,000 and 2,000 right-wing…
Meet this week’s distraction: Mitt Romney blowing out candles on his Twinkie cake
Senator Mitt “Binders full of women” Romney celebrated a birthday this week like a totally normal, not at all weird human. Romney turned the big 7-2 on Tuesday and was surprised when his staff delivered a birthday cake made up of two dozen erect Twinkie’s (his “favorite snack”) complete with a totally average rendition of…
This year’s Hash Bash is special
There is excitement around the 48th Ann Arbor Hash Bash, because it’s the first one since Michigan voters legalized marijuana for adult use. This one is special, a chance for folks to gather and savor a big win at the event that has been the most public face of marijuana and pushback against prohibition in…
Detroit sees largest spike in rent among big cities
Freddy Evans and his family hung on until they no longer could. The tipping point came in 2017, when the monthly rent on their modest, one-bedroom apartment in the Cass Corridor reached $1,000, nearly twice what they had been paying just five years ago. With a part-time janitorial job that pays $9.50 an hour, Evans…
The Lasso challenges the boundaries of instrumental hip-hop
When you’re from Michigan, it’s hard to stay away. This turned out to be true for music producer Andy Catlin, the Grand Rapids-born music producer known as the Lasso. Catlin, who spent weekends as a kid visiting family in Delray and going to concerts in Detroit, recently returned to Michigan after living in Tucson, Arizona,…
Latrice Royale doesn’t need a crown to know she’s a queen
Latrice Royale is large and in charge, chunky yet funky, and has won over even more hearts when she returned as a cast member of RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars for Season 4 earlier this year. Royale’s return to All Stars four years after competing in its poorly produced debut season was exciting news for…
Great, free poetry and the occasional crasher: U-M celebrates 50th anniversary of the Alternative Press
The University of Michigan is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Alternative Press with an exhibit of poetry and a talk by Ken Mikolowski, who ran the press as a husband-wife team with painter and printer Ann Mikolowski before she died from breast cancer in 1999. A piece or two on exhibit will feature the…
Review: Katsu introduces Detroit to Japanese omelettes and braised pork belly
Around 12,000 Japanese nationals call southeast Michigan home, and there are few nations’ cuisines that are better represented here than that of Japan. That means Michiganders who aren’t from Japan are finally getting a sense that its food doesn’t start and end with raw fish, but instead means dishes like Katsu Detroit’s kakuni. It holds…
Savage Love: Michael Jackson ‘Finding Neverland’ doc offers window into how victims can process abuse
My grandfather was a pillar of the community and beloved by his family. He was also sexually abusive. He died when I was a child. I remember only one incident happening to me — during a cuddle session, he encouraged me to put my mouth on his penis, and then told me to let it…
Horoscopes (March 13-19)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 Things are in a state of flux. As you look around, the need to “do something about it” has you hatching a plan or two. You keep trying to bring those things to fruition. What is frustrating for you is that the universe doesn’t seem to be responding the…
Why outrage over Ilhan Omar’s Israel comments is in bad faith
If ever a story was situated perfectly at the intersection of 2020 politics and the perpetual outrage machine of cable news, this was it. Naturally, it sucked up all of the media’s oxygen, fueling a fire stoked on allegations of anti-Semitism and doused with gasoline by a racist president desperate to show that the other…
