Cover Story
Why Detroit’s Bevlove was born to be a star
Everything about Bevlove screams “star” — from her captivating voice to her ability to catch the right angles anytime, anywhere. The R&B singer is no stranger to the spotlight, with a degree in theatre and five years of performing as “Bevlove.” In fact, she refuses to let us refer to her as anything other than…
Eastside Elvis prepared to be sighted at Cellarman’s in Hazel Park
There’s an Elvis-themed band that for 12 years now has been appearing on the stage at the Cadieux Café and at festivals around metro Detroit. It’s called Eastside Elvis & the Motor City Mafia, and part of the band’s staying power is its sheer musical firepower: The band features guitarist Bruce Bryson (formerly of Trains…
Matisyahu and Stephen Marley head to Sound Board
One is a contemporary Hebrew reggae rapper and the other is reggae royalty — together, Matisyahu and Stephen Marley make for one hell of a synergistic rasta duo. Though the Hasidic rapper may have traded in his traditional beard and curls years ago, Matisyahu’s message of wokeness is as clear as ever. And though Stephen…
Werk your woke ass at Motor City Pride 2018 this weekend
Chase the rainbow at Motor City Pride, which returns as Michigan’s largest pride festival with two days of awareness, fun, and fabulosity. While all of June may be dedicated to celebrating the love, diversity, and many adversities overcome by the LGBTQ and allied communities, this year’s Motor City pride is louder and prouder than ever.…
Take a trip with poet and performer Jhené Aiko at Chene Park
Do not reduce Jhené Aiko to her on-again, off-again relationship with Detroit’s own Big Sean (despite her prominent portrait tattoo of the “Blessings” rapper) — the girl can hold her own. The L.A. native has come a long way since her Sailing Soul(s) mixtape days. Last year, Aiko dropped her sophomore record Trip, a rolling…
The 28th annual Pewabic house and garden show kicks off this week
The 28th annual celebration kicks off with a ticketed preview fundraiser where guests can view and purchase Pewabic’s latest collection along with some swanky entertainment and cocktails. If free fun is more to your liking, over the course of the weekend guests can expect to view ceramics by more than 80 artists; there will also…
Man finds unopened bottle of Vernors that could date back 100 years
When it comes to wine, it has been said that it tastes better with age. But what about a century-old bottle of Vernors? Detroiter Anthony Tanksley has a rare opportunity to answer that very question, as he happened upon an antique bottle of the beloved ginger ale drink while remodeling his mother’s 1920s home. “I…
#MeToo founder set to deliver keynote at Allied Media Conference in Detroit
Next weekend, the Allied Media Conference will feature a keynote address from #MeToo founder Tarana Burke, who was also just named to Time’s 100 most influential people list. In an April cover story for Variety, Burke told the magazine that there needs to be shift in focus onto the survivors of sexual violence rather than…
Report names Detroit worst city in country — Detroiters disagree
A financial website called 24/7 Wall St. says Detroit is the worst city in the country to live in, and Flint is the second worst. Apparently this is the second year in a row Detroit won the dubious title. The reasons Detroit apparently sucks are things you’ve heard before: High crime (there were over 2,000…
An MSU employee has been charged with bestiality
Amid the continued fallout of Michigan State University’s Larry Nassar scandal, another university employee has been accused of a sex-related crime. On Monday, MSU physicist Joseph Hattey was charged with two counts of bestiality after allegedly sodomizing a basset hound named Flash with his hand and penis, according to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office. According to…
Betsy DeVos’ orgs donate $122K to Bill Schuette, and there’s a children’s book about them
File this one under “not shocking” and “rats in cahoots” — it seems Betsy DeVos and her family is banking heavily on Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette in his bid to be Michigan’s next governor. Progress Michigan recently noted the financial link between the billionaire U.S. Education Secretary, her family’s organizations, and Schuette. That information was…
Big Sean announces block party and community outreach with first ever ‘Detroit’s On Now’ weekend
Three months after canceling his “Unfriendly Reminder Tour” (which included a stop at Little Caesars Arena), Big Sean announced Monday that he is launching the first-ever “Detroit’s On Now” weekend from June 21 to 25 The event is described as “a celebration of neighborhood and a tribute to the Detroiters, local business owners, activists, teachers, and churches…
Detroit man says his porch was stolen, photo goes viral
Updated 9:21 a.m. on Tuesday, June 5: Silva came clean Monday afternoon, admitting to Metro Times that the photo was a joke, saying, “I did it all out of laughs to entertain social media.” Originally posted 10:56 a.m. on Monday, June 4: This is why we can’t have nice things, er, things. You know, basic…
Watch the first trailer for ‘White Boy Rick’
The tagline says it all: “In 1980s Detroit, Ricky Wershe Jr. was a street hustler, FBI informant, and drug kingpin — all before he turned 16.” What might seem like an unbelievable plot crafted by the wild and creative minds of screenwriters, the story of Richard Wershe Jr., aka “White Boy” Rick is very real and the…
Comedy at the Detroit Repertory Theatre looks for hope in the ‘hood
If you’ve never seen it, the Detroit Repertory Theatre, or “the Rep” as it’s often known, will certainly strike you as one of those hidden Detroit gems that present a stark contrast to their depopulated surroundings. And yet the theater along a fading stretch of Woodrow Wilson Street has thrived for more than a half-century,…
Lost River tiki bar opens on Detroit’s east side on Friday
Detroit’s second tiki bar opens up this Friday on Mack Avenue on Detroit’s east side. Owners Matt Mergener and Karen Green made the announcement on Facebook yesterday evening after spending the last several months renovating a roughly 1,000-square-foot bar formerly called Memories Jazz & Blues Lounge. Expect signature drinks appropriate for a tiki bar and…
Trump’s new National Security Council chief has denounced Michigan Muslims
Meet Fred Fleitz, Trump’s new deputy assistant and the chief of staff for John Bolton’s National Security Council. He’s old, he’s white, he used to lead an alleged hate group, and he wants Michigan Muslims to get with his program. “There are some communities in the United States that have not assimilated. I’m not concerned…
Detroit cop sues Trey Songz after sustaining brain injury in altercation with R&B artist
A Detroit police officer and a photographer who were injured when Trey Songz became irate during a show at the Joe Louis Arena in 2016 are suing the R&B artist for damages in federal court. Lawyers for Sergeant Robert Avery allege the 22-year veteran of the DPD sustained a career-ending brain injury when the artist…
Delta is investigating pet dog death during Detroit Metropolitan Airport layover
Delta says it is investigating the death of a pet dog that occurred during a layover at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Wednesday, which was discovered dead with blood on a blanket in its crate. The dog — an 8-year-old Pomeranian named Alejandro — died en route from Phoenix to New Jersey while in its crate at the…
Detroit’s Sister Pie named one of America’s best bakeries
The West Village’s Sister Pie is one of the nation’s top 21 bakeries, according to the national food website Thrillist. Thrillist checked out bakeries across the nation and and praised Sister Pie for it’s crust work: A pie is only as good as its crust. It’s an old adage that this West Village newcomer takes…
Detroit could be a techno hub year-round. Here’s what city government is doing about it
A decade before Michael Lapp came to Detroit and began running the successful DIY venue Tires, he was managing a popular underground after-hours in Brooklyn known as the BIB — or, more plainly, the Basement in Brooklyn. Located in the sub-level of a residential building in densely populated Bushwick, the BIB, as Lapp tells it,…
Cheer Captain shows his somber side in new video for ‘Retaliation’
It’s safe to say Detroit’s Assemble Sound — or “the church,” as it is endearingly referred to as by its residents — definitely has a sound. In the past few years, the recording studio-artist residency-licensing company has gained a reputation for cranking out polished pop artists. Its latest up-and-coming R&B and pop hopeful is Cheer…
So many ravers visited Detroit for Movement that it set a record for Airbnb
Detroit experienced a record number of Airbnb rentals over Memorial Day weekend — a figure the company is attributing to the ravers attending Movement Music Festival from out of town. According to a statement from the company, Detroit hosted a record 1,700 Airbnb guests over the weekend — the biggest influx of Motor City guests…
Lily Allen is totally shameless and is heading to Detroit for Devil’s Night
Lily Allen has no shame. Zero. Zilch. Nada. She even took to Instagram yesterday to “wash away her sins” in a cheeky bathtub shot because though the girl has no shame, she’s got a new album and a tour to promote. Announced Friday, Lily Allen will embark on a 40-date trek throughout North America and…
Detroit animals don’t give a shit about sports
In perhaps the ultimate exercise of protest for this weekend’s Detroit Grand Prix event taking over the natural beauty of Belle Isle, a daring squirrel took to the track during Friday’s IndyCar practice. In a nutty video posted on IndyCar Series’ Twitter, the squirrel can be seen darting from the innermost lane across the track, forcing cars…
Jolly Pumpkin is launching a new Korean restaurant in Royal Oak
A new Korean-inspired street food and traditional Asian beverage concept called Gogi Seoul Kitchen opens on Tuesday in Royal Oak. The new fast casual restaurant is from the Jolly Pumpkin team and will share a roof, bar, and bathrooms with the brewer, but it will have its own kitchen. According to a press release, the menu blends…
Chrysler was not killed today
It looks like Chrysler is here to stay — for now. A thinly sourced rumor circulated earlier this week alleging that Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne was planning on announcing the end of the brand at the company’s investor meeting today. But with the meeting now over, it appears that the iconic, nearly 100-year-old Detroit brand was left…
El Club and MOCAD announce summer concert series with Deerhunter, Flint Eastwood, Princess Nokia, Tunde Olaniran, and more
Home is where the heart is. Or in this case, Homestead is where the art is. El Club has teamed up with the Museum of Contemporary Art of Detroit to launch a sizzling new series — Summer on the MOCAD Homestead. The concert series will invite nationally renowned acts to share the stage — er, lawn — with…
IHOP and Applebee’s combo opens in downtown Detroit — yay?
The world’s first IHOP-Applebee’s combo restaurant is up and running in downtown Detroit’s Millender Center, across the street from the Renaissance Center. IHOP is currently running limited service from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Eater reports. It appears that the Applebee’s half…
How the Woodward Plan for greater Detroit died 200 years ago today
On June 11, 1805, a very interesting thing happened to Detroit: It burned almost completely to the ground, with a conflagration destroying the fort, barracks, and village, leaving 300 households homeless. Next week, we commemorate that calamity’s 213th anniversary. But today is the 200th anniversary of the death of a greater city that only ever…
What if people of color ran Detroit’s food system?
It’s pretty clear that those who have the most control over Detroit’s food system — its local growers, non-local growers, suppliers, producers, grocery store owners, distributors, restaurateurs, food writers, chefs, and so on — are mostly white. That’s despite that the city’s population is nearly 90 percent people of color. So it’s worth asking: How would…
Mark Hackel says someone stole a gun out of his car by hacking it
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel says someone stole a gun out of his car at his Macomb Township home — the first time the former sheriff says has ever been the victim of a crime. The theft happened in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Hackel told WWJ: “One of my neighbors, as I went to the…
VIDEO: Medicaid work rule protesters stage ‘die-in’ at gov candidate Schuette’s office
It’s been said that more people will die if Michigan imposes work-related requirements on hundreds of thousands of residents receiving health benefits under the state’s Medicaid expansion. So today, Detroit and Flint residents gave Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette, a supporter of such requirements, an idea of what that might look like. More than 100…
WTF is a Troye Sivan and why is he coming to the Fox Theatre?
If the name Troye Sivan doesn’t strike an immediate chord, you’re not alone. Honestly, after a thorough Google search, we’re still not 100 percent sure. The 22-year-old Aussie first made waves as a YouTube personality (because that’s a thing) and as baby Wolverine in the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It wasn’t until he gained some popularity…
Rumor mill: Chrysler could be killed on Friday
One of Detroit’s Big Three could be on the chopping block, or at least one of its flagship brands. That’s according to the latest in the automotive news rumor mill, which suggests that Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne could be planning to kill Chrysler. On Wednesday, Automotive News reporter Larry P. Vellequette wrote that “a source told…
Attorney: Grand Prix appears to be running on Belle Isle illegally under state law
Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix and state officials have repeatedly claimed that the Grand Prix has a contract in place allowing it to run the race on the public island park through 2018. But an attorney who specializes in maritime law questions whether that’s true. The attorney, Paul Andrew Kettunen, owns a downtown Detroit practice and…
WCSX launches campaign to name street after Bob Seger, will play his music for 24 hours
We hope you’ve been working on your “Night Moves” because 94.7 WCSX-FM is gearing up to play Bob Seger songs for 24 hours. The classic rock station launched a campaign earlier this month to name an Ann Arbor street after the Michigan rocker. The proposed location for Bob Seger Boulevard is on the grounds of Pioneer High…
Michigan pot shops can stay open several months beyond initial deadline
Locally approved marijuana dispensaries that have applied for licensing under new rules can now stay open three months past an initial June 15 deadline as they wait for their license requests to be processed. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs today granted the applicant businesses permission to operate until Sept. 15, in a…
Michigan Central Station has a new owner, but we don’t yet know who it is
Detroit’s long-decrepit Michigan Central Station is now one step closer to… whatever the next chapter in its next life will be, although exactly what that is remains to be revealed. Crain’s Detroit Business reported this morning that owners the Moroun family quietly transferred ownership of MCS to a mysterious company known as “New Investment Properties…
Vegan fast food restaurant Unburger Grill is coming to Dearborn
Unburger Grill, a vegan fast food restaurant focused on plant-based burgers and sides, is being planned for west Dearborn. Co-owners and brother and sister Christopher Oliver and Jane Beckwith tell Metro Times they hope to have their spot at 22018 W. Michigan Ave. open by the end of summer. While the menu is still a…
Detroit’s New Center Park summer movie lineup announced
Time to dust off the old picnic blanket — once again, Detroit’s New Center Park will host its free summer-long film series. In a city that has only one first-run theater and a handful of art house theatres, this is a big deal. Wednesday nights feature blockbusters and classics, while Fridays nights will offer more family-friendly…
Horoscopes (May 30-June 5)
ARIES: March 21-April 20 Too much has kept you tied to the idea that you need to follow the tried-and-true route. In truth, the exact opposite is true. If life has tricked you into believing that you won’t survive unless you stick to the plan, your experience is showing you that it doesn’t work to…
Review: Norberto Garita offers more next door at La Noria in Southwest Detroit
(Find more photos of La Noria’s dishes here.) Why would one city have two restaurants commingling Mexican and Italian cuisine? Perhaps because it’s been a winning formula, attracting to a humble Southwest Detroit neighborhood suburban diners willing to pay unhumble prices. And also because the owner of both restaurants is Norberto Garita, who in March…
When it comes to medical marijuana, what are Michigan’s lawmakers smoking?
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing system is evolving into a confusing, mind-blowing regulatory nightmare. Medical marijuana has been legal in this state for 10 years, and the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act was passed in September 2016. Now, consider that, after all that time, in a couple of weeks (on June 15), according to the…
Michael Trotter Jr. of the War and Treaty discusses love and trauma
Michael Trotter Jr. has no reservations when it comes to talking about playing Saddam Hussein’s piano in the basement of the dictator’s private palace. Nor is he shy about discussing the perils of his tour of duty in Iraq in 2004 and his struggle with managing his post-traumatic stress disorder during the years that followed.…
An interview with Chris Jarvis of Ancient Language
You probably won’t be able to pronounce Ancient Language’s new EP title, but that’s beside the point. When it comes to the six-piece avante indie rockers’ latest, Hygge is a resilient and transportive journey where Ancient Language manages to do two things: defy Detroit’s incessant garage-rock scene with swelling, meditative electronica and rebel against the…
‘Hereditary’ is a half-baked house of horrors
A bird flies into a window, leaving a splatter of blood. Inanimate objects move seemingly on their own during a seance. Ghostly shapes hover in the deep shadows of a dark and miserable house. Mysterious figures wave ominously from across a yawning distance. A child repeatedly makes an annoying clicking noise with her mouth. I…
Rapper Chris Orrick’s latest album explores depression, substance abuse
Portraits, the fourth full-length LP from metro Detroit rapper Chris Orrick, is exactly what the title suggests: intimate portraits of Orrick’s life and the demons he struggles with, which happen to be all too relatable. Orrick tackles substance abuse, depression, and the end of the world as we know it with a side of self-deprecation…
Savage Love: What works
I am a 38-year-old gay man with a serious problem. My boyfriend of five years has developed a strange fascination. We’ve always watched porn together, but now he has been looking at straight porn and even lesbian porn (!!!) more and more often. More than once he has expressed an interest in having a MMF…
