Cover Stories
Look out for 1010, Movement’s visual artist in residence
Integrating Hart Plaza’s pyramid-shaped amphitheater into the layout of Movement Electronic Music Festival has provided a bit of a logistical challenge in the past. While the top of the pyramid provides an awesome view of Movement’s riverfront stage, the structure’s original recessed bandshell design is underutilized — too small to host its own performance, it’s…
11 can’t-miss acts playing Movement this year
Now in its 11th year, Movement Electronic Music Festival (OK, 18th if you count its previous iterations) retains its position as the United States’ best. Sure, there may be some more big tent festivals scattered across California deserts and Northeastern forests, but those festivals lamentably often boast cookie-cutter programming at best, a chance to see…
Why Movement Electronic Music Festival 2017 has more live music than ever
Is it live? This weekend at Hart Plaza, the answer will be yes, about one-quarter of the time. This year, Detroit’s electronic music festival is dominated, as ever, by DJs. But of the more than 110 scheduled sets at this year’s festival (we won’t count Movement Yoga, which opens the Made in Detroit stage both…
Dance ‘round the clock during Movement with these festival afterparties
Saturday, May 27 Soul Clap’s House of EFunk: TV Lounge kicks off 14 hours of “dance music futurism” as festival revelers wrap up their first day at Hart Plaza. It’s the fourth iteration of the party curated by DJ duo Soul Clap. This year’s lineup includes Stacey Pullen, Kyle Hall, Josh Wink, Jay Daniel, and…
Show review: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic threw an A+ party at Sound Board
Who: George Clinton What: Thursday, May 25 Where: MotorCity Casino’s Sound Board George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic were consistent with their own lyrics and pretty much “tore the roof off the sucker” known as the Sound Board Theater during their headliner performance in the Motor City on Thursday, May 25. Following a year of major milestones…
The notion of limitlessness: Catching up with Lashaun ‘Phoenix’ Kotaran
Singer and poet LaShaun “Phoenix” Kotaran has been a mainstay on performance stages for over 10 years. Her Jill Scott/Thornetta Davis approach as made her a Detroit favorite while her imprint on the national music scene grows daily. Metro Times caught up with Kotaran to discuss her life and new music. Metro Times: It’s been…
A ‘California-style’ burger restaurant and macaron shop are in the works in Hamtramck
A new burger restaurant is nearing completion and a French macaron shop will fill space vacated by Bon Bon Bon in Hamtramck. Few details are available for the burger shop, though the space is quickly coming together next door to Bonoful Sweets near Conant and Commor streets. Workers confirmed that the restaurant will serve burgers, and permits…
Islamophobic protest planned for Lansing next weekend
About 10 days from now, a gaggle of right-wing Michigan nut-jobs will converge on Lansing in a political display that will no doubt sow division and intolerance. No, it’s not the state GOP convention; that was in February. It’s a protest organized by a group called ACT for America, and the protest will be one…
Can’t-miss show for this week: Boss Hog at El Club Saturday, June 3
Boss Hog, led by Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez, are playing a record release show at El Club this Saturday, June 3. They just released their first full length album in 17 years, Brood X, on In The Red, so you know it’s a doozy (seriously, In the Red does not release bad records). A…
Sen. Stabenow shut down Trump’s budget director over the Great Lakes
When Trump’s budget plan for 2018 came out last week there was one thing missing that has upset many Michiganders. The total budget that would normally go to keep the Great Lakes clean has been entirely wiped out. Normally, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative gets $300 million dollars annually from the government to do all…
Wait a minute: Griot Galaxy is playing Concert of Colors this year?!
This year’s Concert of Colors looks to be pretty phenomenal. The 1967 rebellion is a theme to this year’s free event, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. They’re showing that Tuareg Mali Blues film as well as the new Coltrane documentary which we have yet to check out (though it currently is showing at Cinema…
Ms. Lauryn Hill and Nas are coming to metro Detroit in September
Co-headlining tours are always the best, especially when it brings together two legends like Ms. Lauryn Hill and Nas. The artists are teaming up together for a tour this coming September and luckily for us they will be making a stop at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheater at Freedom Hill in Sterling Heights on Friday, September…
Detroit’s first vegan coney island, Chili Mustard Onions, to open in Brush Park
The coney dog is a messy and glorious flavor bomb that serves as Detroit’s unofficial dish, but it’s one that our vegan and vegetarian populations don’t get to enjoy. And that doesn’t seem fair, especially when you consider that Detroit is one of the nation’s more vegan friendly towns. But, as such, it was only a…
Peacock Room sister store planned for the Fisher Building
Yama, a sister store to Peacock Room and Frida, will open on the first floor of the Fisher building this fall, according to a press rel ease. Rachel Lutz, who owns the Peacock Room and Frida, will open the store in partnership with a real estate group called The Platform. “People ask me how the…
Recipe: Gold Cash Gold’s Gin Pill Chill is the perfect Memorial Day (and summertime) cocktail
It appears the wet and mild spring is mostly behind us which means it’s time to pack away the slow cookers and casserole dishes and trade in the stews for gazpacho. Likewise, the stouts, Spanish coffees or mulled wines that are the perfect antidote for wintertime chills just don’t hold the same appeal as you…
Movement steps up security following Manchester bombing
Security will be tighter than normal at Movement this year following this week’s suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. Festival coordinators have released a statement saying that “Due to heightened security at large events globally, Movement will be engaging in stronger than normal security checks. Please be patient and cooperative as our…
Anti-circumcision protestors demand genital mutilation protections for boys
In April a Detroit doctor was arrested for allegedly performing genital mutilation on several girls between the ages of six and eight. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala is currently awaiting trial for FGM, a practice that’s often done for religious or cultural reasons but is illegal in the U.S. Nagarwala worked at the Henry Ford Hospital on Grand Avenue in…
One of three immigrants detained in Ann Arbor restaurant raid released
One of three immigrants who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at Ann Arbor’s Sava’s restaurant has been released. The agents raided the kitchen on Wednesday after eating breakfast at the bar, owner Sava Lelcaj previously said. On Thursday, MLive reported Lelcaj’s account of what happened and the aftermath. The ICE agents were…
Millennials crave homeownership but lack financial knowledge and savings, according to study
According to a nationwide study conducted by apartmentlist.com, 80 percent of millennials (the generation born between 1982 and 2004) hope to purchase a home, but are eating too much expensive avocado toast in fancy cafes most lack financial literacy and the substantial amount of cash needed for a down payment. Homeownership is a primary driver of…
Forget Mackinac: A Detroit policy conference will take place right in the city
The Mackinac Policy Conference, which takes place next week, is that annual event where the state’s movers and shakers meet to get face time with one another, discuss policy, and meet the press — body slams optional. And while Mackinac will be crowded with key decision makers and power brokers, we doubt that very many decisions…
Detroit continues to lose people, despite mayor’s efforts
Detroit’s population is continuing its downward slide according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, marking a setback for Mayor Mike Duggan — who has hinged his success on whether the city’s population will have increased by the time he’s left office. According to the Census, Detroit’s population dropped by 3,541 people between July 1,…
Updated: Full Trip Metal Fest schedule with set times
We got you covered, friends, with the up-to-date lineup, including set times, for this weekend’s much-anticipated second annual Trip Metal festival. Trip Metal II kicks off Friday, May 26 at 6 p.m. sharp and will take up much of Saturday, May 27. The precise lineup and times are subject to change at the last minute,…
Duramax diesel trucks owners are suing GM for using defeat devices to cheat on emissions tests
Owners and lessees of General Motors’ Duramax diesel truck Sierra HD and Silverado models filed a class-action lawsuit today accusing the car maker of installing defeat devices in more than 705,000 vehicles in order to cheat emissions testing. A report by Bloomberg says the 190-page report filed with the lawsuit states that “the environmental damage caused by…
Guns N’ Roses to play Little Caesars Arena in November
We’ve just learned that rock music icons Guns N’ Roses added a series of fifteen additional North American stadium and arena stops on their ongoing worldwide “Not In This Lifetime Tour” produced by Live Nation, including a stop at the Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. Tickets will cost $64, $104,…
Cranbrook’s Bat Zone to relocate to Pontiac
The bats at the Cranbrook Institute for Science are moving on up. After 15 years in Bloomfield Hills, the Organization for Bat Conservation’s Bat Zone is relocating to a new 10,000-square-foot headquarters in Pontiac’s former First Federal building. The Bat Zone’s final day at the Cranbrook campus will be on May 28, with a planned “The Great Bat Migration Celebration”…
Ben Carson says poverty is ‘a state of mind’
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson says he believes poverty is a “mindset.” The former Detroiter and retired neurosurgeon made the remarks on a SiriusXM interview with Armstrong Williams that aired Wednesday. “I think poverty to a large extent is also a state of mind,” he said. “You take somebody that has the right mindset,…
Betsy DeVos’ education budget could ax student loan amnesty program
As Jack Lessenberry pointed out in yesterday’s column, next to mortgage debt, Americans are drowning in student higher education loan debt, which is now nearly $1.5 trillion. He had said, “Thanks to steadily declining government support for higher education, students — some of whom never graduate — run up obscenely bloated tabs, which many will never…
ICE agents eat breakfast at Ann Arbor’s Sava’s, then raid the kitchen
Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement ate breakfast at Ann Arbor’s Sava’s, then raided the kitchen looking for a suspected undocumented immigrant on Wednesday. MLive reports that the employee wasn’t working at the time, so the ICE agents instead started questioning other immigrants working at the restaurant. Three people who didn’t have proper identification with…
Proposed ordinance puts Detroit slumlords on notice
City officials would crack down on landlords who don’t have their rental properties up to code and reward those who do under a proposed ordinance announced Wednesday by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Councilmember Andre Spivey. “While the city has historically had an ordinance requiring registration of rental properties, it hasn’t been enforced in more than decade,”…
Dogs may soon be allowed to sit with you at restaurant patios if new bill passes
Finally, Michigan’s government is passing a bill that we can all get behind. A bill that was introduced back in February would allow people to bring their four-legged friend with them to a patio restaurant. WDIV reports that the bill passed Michigan’s Senate vote today with 36 yeas and 6 nays. The bill has to…
Will a $350 million ‘Chinatown’ funded by EB-5 visas save Ypsilanti from its economic woes?
A Chinese-American developer based out of Troy is planning to spend up to $350 million to build a mixed use “Chinatown” that could be the long sought after golden project that rescues Ypsilanti from its ongoing economic troubles. At its May 23 meeting, the Ypsilanti City Council approved a letter of intent to sell 36…
Downriver Council for the Arts is seeking artist to craft mural for new Kroger Marketplace
A former Kmart building located on Fort Street in the Downriver city of Southgate is currently undergoing extensive renovations to become a mammoth Kroger Marketplace. The city’s current Kroger location, located on Eureka, will shutter and employees will be moved to the newer, bigger spot. The store’s offerings will also expand to include clothing and…
Mayoral candidate Ingrid LaFleur to speak on marijuana legalization during Detroit Startup Week
Ingrid LaFleur, the Detroit mayoral candidate who is running a write-in campaign, will speak at a panel on pot during Detroit Startup Week. Entitled “Politics, Diversity and Advocacy in Cannabis,” the panel will be held from 3 p.m.-4 pm on Thursday , May 25 at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple St., Detroit. Additionally, LaFleur will host…
Norah Jones covered Soundgarden at Fox Theatre last night
Norah Jones played at the Fox Theatre in Detroit Tuesday night and paid tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell with a haunting version of “Black Hole Sun” on the piano solo. Related Soundgarden played their last show with Cornell at the Fox Theatre last Wednesday. After the show, Cornell committed suicide in his hotel room…
Grand Prix protest planned for this weekend on Belle Isle
A group of residents upset with the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix’s use of the island will protest outside the park on Saturday. Protestors say Belle Isle — a 982-acre island that is now Michigan’s 102nd state park — wasn’t meant to be used as a raceway. Construction for the race takes 11 weeks, during which…
Conor Oberst revisits and revises his ‘Ruminations’
As we age, the average number of fucks given declines precipitously. Frustrating as this can be for friends and family, it has tremendous benefits for musicians increasingly willing to say, “why the hell not?” In this case, it’s Conor Oberst throwing his hands in the air like he just don’t care with his new album,…
Detroit’s public schools built an award-winning lunch program that activists are fighting to save
The scene on school lunch trays across the country is usually pretty grim. Fluorescent gray gravy is slopped over processed meat that’s all plopped next to a glob of no-name brand instant mash potatoes holding the health and flavor profile of wet construction paper. Weird chicken nuggets are washed down with low-grade, sugar-packed chocolate milk,…
Boro boutique opens in Eastern Market
On an unseasonably warm and windy day last week, we hauled it over to Eastern Market where Miriam Pranschke and a crew of friends were working diligently to get 1440 Gratiot Avenue ready for a Saturday grand opening. The space was filled with construction equipment, but the shop owner assured us the work was almost…
Hopes are high for legal pot in Michigan
It’s on. Last week the Board of State Canvassers approved the language for a petition by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. That means if the CRMLA can gather 252,523 valid signatures in a six-month window by May 30, 2018, the question will be placed on next year’s November ballot for voters to decide.…
Horoscopes (May 24-30)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): Weeding out the dead wood makes you wonder if there are any loose ends left to cover. Plowing through the wreckage would make more sense if you weren’t so overwhelmed by what has come to pass in the last month or two. On top of everything else, random events are…
The street drummers who soundtrack downtown Detroit
Three drummers are set up in the middle of a closed-off road in front of Comerica Park, sitting on milk crates above plastic buckets, pots, pans, and old cracked cymbals of all sizes. Walking toward the park on any big event day, you can hear them from blocks away: the boom and crack of drumsticks…
The student loan scam, and other tales from the crypt
Writing anything about Donald Trump, the apparently unhinged and possibly treasonous occupant of the White House, is essentially impossible to do in a weekly column. Nobody, probably including the man himself, knows what he will do next — any more than you can predict the behavior of a barrel of nitroglycerin in a bumpy train…
Review: Novi’s Ajishin stays true to the East
No matter how multicultural our dining-out habits have become, the old marker of how to trust a non-American restaurant still stands: We want to know whether Indian people go to the Indian restaurant, whether those who choose to eat at Pablo’s are from Pablo’s home country. More than 13,000 Japanese nationals live in Michigan, a…
Savage Love: Breathless
Q: ‘I have two female sex partners who want to be breath-play dominated. I know the practice is dangerous, and I employ the rules of consent and communication a pro-Dom escort friend taught me. But is there a legal release document we could sign that protects consenting adults in the event of an accident or…
