Cover Story
WGPR’s Hot 107.5 FM keeps Detroit hip-hop fresh
The walls inside of WGPR’s William V. Banks Broadcast Museum in Detroit are filled with visual artifacts from Black media’s yesteryear. A litany of plaques and framed portraits of singers, DJs, and prominent radio and TV personalities hang throughout. Three huge murals of 1980s and ’90s dance shows The Scene, Contempo, and The New Dance…
Environmental activist returns to Detroit to rally against injustices
Justin Onwenu could go almost anywhere after he graduates from Columbia Law School next year. But the 26-year-old has his eyes set on Detroit, where he was born and spent several years after undergraduate school fighting for environmental justice. “There are so many young people who go to Washington, D.C. and New York and want…
Brine Oyster House to open in Grosse Pointe Park this summer
A seafood restaurant boasting “tide-to-table” fare has set its sights on Grosse Pointe Park. Brine Oyster House is planning to open up shop at 15033 Kercheval Ave. in August. The restaurant is the latest venture from Chamberlain Hospitality Group, which is also behind Red Crown, LeRouge Boulangerie, and Brick’s Pizzeria. Brine’s menu features a raw…
The ‘new’ New Pornographers play Detroit’s El Club this week
It doesn’t take but a question or two for Carl “AC” Newman to open up about his ideas on songwriting. He can wax enthusiastic about previous experiences or future plans, with strong, yet playful, opinions. As an example of a technique he’d like to try: Newman, in a late-March interview, wondered about a songwriting trick…
BrisaBar, downtown Detroit’s beach-themed getaway, is returning this summer
Once again, Campus Martius Park is set to become transformed into a tropical getaway right in the heart of downtown Detroit. BrisaBar, a beach-themed bar and dining spot, will return for the summer season on Thursday, May 18. The project comes from the Downtown Detroit Partnership and Birmingham-based Elia Group, whose Iconic Collection portfolio includes…
Previously unreleased music from Detroit rock band Tyvek, and other music news
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it it music@metrotimes.com. Tyvek releases unheard tracks: Since its inception, Kevin Boyer’s band Tyvek has been a revolving door of DIY punk and noise artists. On the band’s latest LP, Blunt Instrumentals, listeners take a trip back in time and hear a skeletal iteration of the band which includes…
Star Wars-themed party shut down in Detroit over alleged fire hazards
The Detroit Fire Department shut down a packed Star Wars-themed party on Saturday, saying the event was a “nightmare in progress.” More than 500 people were inside the Tangent Gallery for the seventh annual Space Dive event when fire marshals said they spotted open fire pits, propane tanks, blocked exits, trip hazards, and embers blowing…
‘Passing Strange’ at Detroit Public Theatre is an existential crisis disguised as a musical
Who are we really, and what did we come here for? What does it feel like to know true love? What if the “real” us is programmed into our subconscious, and what we think is real is actually fake? The musical Passing Strange at the Detroit Public Theatre presents these crushing existential questions in a…
Smokey Robinson announces Detroit concert
Smokey Robinson is set to return to Detroit’s Fox Theatre, nearly 35 years after he performed at the concert venue’s grand reopening on Nov. 19, 1988. On Monday, the Motown singer announced a homecoming show scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 5. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 12 at 10 a.m. at 313presents.com and ticketmaster.com. The…
Insomnia Cookies to open second metro Detroit location
If you’ve ever had a midnight craving for warm cookies or cold ice cream, Insomnia Cookies was made with you in mind. The fast-growing Philadelphia-based bakery chain plans to open a second Detroit-area location in Rochester Hills on Saturday, May 13. The bakeries serve up cookies, ice cream, and other sweet treats like brownies in-store,…
A GOP claim that Michigan purposely tried to encourage voter fraud doesn’t fit with facts
Republicans at a recent congressional hearing accused Michigan’s chief election official of deliberately leaving tens of thousands of dead voters on the rolls in order to encourage illegal voting. Even at a time of intense partisan conflict over election policies, it was a strikingly direct charge against a sitting official — and one made not…
Lapointe: Despite a recent shooting nearby, Detroit’s Riverwalk is a bustling success
At first, the bulletin delivered a jolt: Two persons shot and wounded on the Riverwalk in downtown Detroit. Not a good way to start the season on the Motor City’s premier pedestrian promenade. Turns out, the shooting was only near the river, on Atwater and Rivard, on April 16. A 16-year-old male fired a gun…
Nick Gilbert, son of Dan Gilbert, dies at the age of 26
Nick Gilbert, son of Rocket Mortgage and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, passed away Saturday at the age of 26. He was born with neurofibromatosis, a disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and which has no cure, and had survived multiple major brain surgeries since being diagnosed at 15 months…
Canceled Bangladeshi festival is back on after Warren Mayor Fouts changes mind
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts has had a change of heart about a Bangladeshi festival that organizers say was canceled because the city insisted it was too “ethnic.” Fouts tells Metro Times that the Bangladeshi American Festival is back on and will take place from July 22-23 at Warren City Square. The decision follows public outrage…
‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ is a fitting end to the series — chaotic, annoying, and somehow still kind of fun
It seems like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was made to be the final installment of this cosmic-superhero trilogy — even if Marvel Studios doesn’t want to wrap up this section of the Marvel Cinematic Universe just yet. Several of the key players have already moved the hell on. Dave Bautista announced months ago…
Detroit sues owner of abandoned Mammoth Building to force demolition or renovations
The long-abandoned Mammoth Building on Detroit’s west side could soon meet its demise. The city of Detroit filed a lawsuit Friday against the owners of the three-story, 135,000-square-foot building at West Grand River Avenue and Greenfield Road to force them to correct numerous violations or demolish the structure. Built in 1949, the building was home…
Detroit artist Marcel Stewart spreads positivity through abstract geometry
After Marcel Stewart was arrested following a misunderstanding with police, he started to paint “from the belly.” He was detained for 10 hours after police mistook his gestures for aggression when he was trying to help a woman who didn’t speak English in downtown Detroit. But instead of going back to his canvas with rage…
Why some people believe ‘marijuana’ is a racist word, and why it doesn’t offend me
I was talking to a cannabis business owner I’ve known for a while and respect. The man, who is white, told me he refused to use the term “marijuana” because it’s racist. It was one of my first conversations on the cannabis beat, which I’ve been on for a month now. And my mind was…
‘American Pickers’ is returning to Michigan
What’s the difference between being a hoarder and an antique collector? Surely, it’s in the eye of the beholder, but it probably helps if your stuff is, you know, cool. If your collection is interesting enough, the team behind American Pickers would like to take a look. The popular History Channel show is coming to…
50 Cent is coming to Detroit on ‘The Final Lap’ tour this summer
Twenty years after dropping Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 Cent has clearly nailed the “get rich” part, seeing as he’s still alive. We don’t know what you’ve heard about Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, but we do know he’s coming to Detroit on his “The Final Lap” tour this summer. It’s also the 20th anniversary…
Detroit green lights demolition of building at heart of performing arts center controversy
The city of Detroit has given permission to a Grosse Pointe Park nonprofit to resume demolition of an abandoned building along a historic stretch of land. Detroit filed a lawsuit against the Urban Renewal Initiative Foundation last month after it began razing the former Grosse Pointe Park Department of Public Works building without a demolition…
Temujin Kensu’s exoneration quest wins support from Khaliah Ali
Decades have passed since Temujin Kensu last sat with his granddad, Carl, enjoying Wide World of Sports. The popular ABC broadcast that first aired in the 1960s often featured a young, brash boxer named Cassius Clay, later known to the world as Muhammad Ali, playfully sparring with commentator Howard Cosell. “‘Howard, if I was to…
Tlaib, reproductive rights advocates call for U.S. Supreme Court reform amid ethics scandals
During a Wednesday news conference in Detroit, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) joined reproductive rights advocates and called for major reforms to the judiciary amid growing concern about ethics issues involving the U.S. Supreme Court. Tlaib called for reforming the high court through law and expanding the body, which currently has nine members. “These justices…
Detroit Institute of Bagels expands Jewish deli offerings in Core City
The great thing about an everything bagel with lox, tomato, and a schmear is… everything. It’s a flavor binge — garlicky bagel, salty lox, the cool richness of the cream cheese — and if you add, as the Detroit Institute of Bagels does, lemon zest to the schmear — a smart touch — and some…
Detroit’s Black-led mural fest BLKOUT Walls expands to Midtown and Highland Park
Detroit’s Black-led mural festival is back for round two this summer, and organizers today announced a stacked lineup of artists. BLKOUT Walls will take place Sept. 7-17 and will include live mural paintings, music, panel discussions, mural walking tours, and artist talks. The lineup includes featured muralists who participated last year, including Bakpak Durden and…
Girl strip-searched at Detroit school over vape pen she didn’t have, suit says
A mother is suing a Detroit charter school after she says her eighth grade daughter was strip-searched without her consent over a vape pen that didn’t exist. The lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on Wednesday alleges the George Crockett Academy violated the 14-year-old girl’s constitutional rights when the principal authorized two female staff…
Terri Lyne Carrington is pushing for ‘gender justice’ in jazz
Terri Lyne Carrington doesn’t just want to see more women in jazz, she wants to create an entirely new standard. Those efforts will get a major push in Detroit this weekend. The four-time Grammy award-winning drummer is bringing Detroit another installment of her Shifting the Narrative: Jazz and Gender Justice project, which explores jazz without the…
Detroit’s unemployment rate drops below 6% for first time in 23 years
Detroit’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.8% in March, the lowest rate in 23 years, as the city’s long-struggling economy continues to show promise. It’s the first time the city’s unemployment rate has dropped below 6% since 2000. By comparison, the unemployment rate spiked at 39.3% during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. The rate has…
The Spinners inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the White Stripes snubbed
Congratulations to the Spinners, the Detroit-area R&B vocal group that was among more than a dozen acts inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining the likes of other artists like Willie Nelson, Kate Bush, Rage Against the Machine, and Link Wray. The Cleveland-based Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced the 2023…
Free Will Astrology (May 3-9)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Before forming the band called the Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney performed under various other names: the Quarrymen, Japage 3, and Johnny and the Moondogs. I suspect you are currently at your own equivalent of the Johnny and the Moondogs phase. You’re building momentum. You’re gathering the tools…
