Cover Story
It’s Lizzo’s party and she’ll twerk if she wants to
Lizzo spent her birthday eating ass. Not just any ass, but her own ass — just one glowing example of how the Detroit-born twerking rapper, flutist, and pop star is taking self-love and empowerment to new heights. “I had three cakes shaped like my ass,” the 31-year-old says of her birthday, which she celebrated on…
Up-and-coming Chicago rapper Lucki heads to El Club
Chief Keef, Chance the Rapper, and Kanye West: It could be argued that Chicago is a breeding ground for gifted emcees. Moving up in the ranks is 22-year-old Lucki — who first stunned with his 2013 debut, Alternative Trap. Having openly struggled with addiction, which put much of his life on pause, Lucki reemerged this…
Spring into Corktown returns for third year with tours, free fitness classes, and pop-up market
Spring has sprung. OK, so maybe the weather hasn’t gotten the memo, but Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood is right on track with its third annual Spring into Corktown. The annual event welcomes folks to partake in a neighborhood cleanup complete with bagels from Detroit Institute of Bagels and coffee from the Farmer’s Hand, as well…
WDET’s Ann Delisi will chat with Prince’s audio engineer Susan Rogers at Willis Show Bar
What we wouldn’t give to have been in the studio when Prince recorded Purple Rain, or to know what it was like to tour with him as part of his first solo tour sans the Revolution. As a benefit for WDET, Ann Delisi will embark on a conversation with Susan Rogers — Berklee College of…
Austin singer-songwriter Molly Burch will explore transparency at PJ’s Lager House
Molly Burch often warns that she is a nervous person — no, like, actual anxiety, which is something the Austin-based singer is forced to daringly shed when she’s delivering her smoky vocals over sweetly sad, in-and-out of love songs. One could compare her 2017 debut, Please Be Mine to Zooey Deschanel in its twangy, nostalgic,…
Redford Theatre will screen ’80s film ‘The Breakfast Club’
Fact: Your fave is probably problematic, especially if that thing was a product of the ’80s. And coming-of-age auteur John Hughes’ iconic tale of high school detention turned friendship-forging session, The Breakfast Club, is no exception. However, the 34-year-old film still holds a spot in many a misfit’s heart, and can serve as a lesson…
My Morning Jacket’s Jim James will resist evil urges at Royal Oak Music Theatre
For two decades, Jim James led My Morning Jacket — a once-obscure band from Kentucky-turned-polarizing Grammy Award nominees and Beach Boys incarnates. Since leaving My Morning Jacket (a band that is inarguably a divisive pick in the halls of great alternative rock bands of the aughts) with 2015’s The Waterfall, James has gone on to…
Detroit’s Protomartyr teams up with …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead for MOCAD show
Members of Detroit’s Protomartyr rebel against the genre trap that every post-punk band seems to fall into, and they’re constantly shaking comparisons to Joy Division or the Fall. The stoic and aquatically challenged Joe Casey, Greg Ahee, Scott Davidson, and Alex Leonard first stepped into the studio in 2011 with only four hours of studio…
Metal Nite returns to Trumbullplex with Ossuary, Theories, and Michigan’s WitchFist and Dakhma
In a sea of retro garage rock revivalists and back-to-the-basics singer-songwriters, Michigan’s metal scene thrives, though quietly — which makes Detroit’s longstanding anarchist collective the Trumbullplex the perfect stage to display the angst of Metal Nite Vol. II. Topping the bill is Ossuary — old-school death metal out of Wisconsin — and Seattle’s death grind…
Psych post-punk lineup includes Vazum, George Morris, and VSTRS at Old Miami
OK — if you fall into the camp of folks who frequently defend R.E.M.’s 1994 record Monster as one of the most underrated alt-rock records of the ’90s, you might want to get your fix with Detroit’s Vazum. Heavily influenced by a confluence of post-punk and new wave a la Depeche Mode, Sisters of Mercy,…
Detroit, the House of Techno XVII will bring Omar-S, Loren, and Ataxia to Marble Bar
Techno Christmas is upon us, y’all. What better way to prepare for the incredible three-day electronic music festival than a techno bill led by Detroit’s own Omar-S. A product of the ’70s — an influence that is alive in his mixes through his analog-sounding approach — the low-key Omar-S first made waves in 2003 before…
Detroit’s Deadbeat Beat heads lineup with don’t, Radiator Hospital, and Big Nothing
If you find that you enjoy melancholic day drinking and suffer from crowd-induced anxiety, or serve as a magnet for weird dates, the sun-bleached stylings of Detroit’s Deadbeat Beat will likely satiate your need for relatable content. Maria Nuccilli, Alex Glendening, and Zak Frieling have been on top of Detroit’s caffeinated garage pop scene since…
Olga’s Kitchen is coming to MGM Grand Detroit
Olga’s Kitchen is set to open a concept location at MGM Grand Detroit in June, where it will offer a limited selection of signature menu items. “Olga’s Kitchen is a stable concept here in Michigan where many have fond memories, and we are excited to carry on that tradition of a memorable dining experience to…
Smoke a blunt, save the roads? Why the new marijuana tax isn’t enough
Sorry, stoners. You can’t save Michigan’s crumbling roads. Now that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposal to fix the roads has hit a dead-end, some residents are asking whether the solution is the state’s new marijuana tax. The short answer: Not a chance. We crunched some numbers and found that each resident over the age of 21…
Whitmer set to veto Senate’s ban on abortion procedure
On Tuesday, Michigan’s Senate voted to ban dilation and evacuation abortions. Anti-abortion advocates call the procedure a “dismemberment abortion,” because the fetus is removed with a surgical instrument such as forceps. This type of abortion accounts for half of all second-trimester abortions in the state. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she will veto the legislation.…
Oh, the humanity! Comedian Patton Oswalt will be your one true god at the Fillmore
A great man once aptly renamed Kentucky Fried Chicken’s “Famous Bowl” as “a failure pile in a sadness bowl” — and that man is Patton Oswalt, comedy’s favorite nerdy atheist. Yes, the same man who voiced that adorable Pixar rodent in Ratatouille and once claimed he wanted to be “a robot that helps wolves have sex.”…
Yoopers have one of the sexiest accents in the US, according to study
Say yah to da U.P., eh! The Yooper accent was rated one of the sexiest in the U.S. At least that’s according to a reader poll by the travel website Big 7. The poll placed the Yooper accent at No. 14, ahead of accents like Tennessee’s and San Francisco’s. Here’s what they had to say…
State police raid Macomb County prosecutor’s home over forfeiture funds
Michigan State Police raided the home of Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith on Monday morning as part of an investigation into his use of forfeiture funds. Troopers were seen removing items, including security cameras, from Smith’s home. The 8:10 a.m. raid comes a month after state police executed a search warrant at Smith’s office in…
‘Brain drain’ in Middle America could affect Electoral College
Back in the mid-19th century — perhaps as a hat tip to the warped and self-centered idea of Manifest Destiny — the federal government offered free land to those who had an inclination to move westward and forge a new frontier. The land beyond the Mississippi was hardly explored at that time, and the possibilities…
Guns Down America is hosting a Lansing town hall to address gun violence
The public is invited to a town hall meeting about reducing gun violence scheduled tonight in Lansing. It’s part of a 20-city nationwide tour hosted by a group called Guns Down America, which stopped in Flint Monday night. State Rep. Kara Hope, D-Holt, will be there to discuss two gun bills. The first, HB 4283,…
Trump’s Chinese tariffs are screwing Michigan’s farmers
Michigan farmers are among those hit the hardest by Trump’s trade war with China, the state’s industry leaders say. They’re voicing concerns about the state’s inability to sell pork, soybeans, and other products to China, which is jeopardizing farmers’ operations, The Detroit Free Press reports. “The noose is getting tighter,” said Jim Byrum, president of…
Michael Moore says Michelle Obama could defeat Trump in 2020
Michael Moore was the keynote speaker at a dinner held by the Michigan Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild on May 11. During his speech, he began hinting at who he thought would win in the 2020 presidential race against President Donald Trump. “Are you figuring out who this is?” he asked the crowd. “You already…
State trooper sentenced for death of Detroit teen
The Michigan state trooper who caused the death of a Detroit teenager by Tasering him while he fled cops on an ATV was sentenced Monday to five to 15 years in prison. Wayne County Circuit Judge Margaret Van Houten exceeded the sentencing guidelines of 19 to 38 months, telling former Trooper Mark Bessner that he…
Hundreds of Michigan communities have banned recreational pot businesses — but voters can challenge it
Six months after Michigan voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana, hundreds of Michigan communities have created ordinances prohibiting cannabis businesses from opening within their borders. Under the ballot initiative, which 55.9 percent of voters approved, communities have the option of banning or limiting the number of dispensaries, commercial grow operations, and testing labs. Supporters…
Dumpster fire ‘Loqueesha’ trailer sets Twitter ablaze
In the uncanny valley that is 2019, it’s becoming harder and harder to discern fact from fiction, fiction from farce, and farce from racist trash. So, when a trailer for a movie set in Detroit called Loqueesha started making the rounds, it was hard to know exactly what we were looking at. On one hand,…
GOP Islamophobes are lying about Rashida Tlaib’s Israel comments
Louisiana Congressman and House Minority Whip Steve Scalise is a guy who once spoke to a white supremacist group that’s known for anti-Semitic positions and denying the Holocaust’s existence. Still, Scalise was one of several GOP members of Congress this weekend who were lying about statements Rep. Rashida Tlaib made about Israel in an effort…
Detroit City FC announces title partnership with Stroh’s in 2019
The Detroit City Football Club will boast the Stroh’s logo on their jerseys starting in 2019, after the team announced a recent partnership with the beer company. DCFC named Stroh’s its official beer back in 2016. “It means a lot to our organization to have an iconic Detroit brand like Stroh’s on the front of…
Fuck yeah — the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck is returning to metro Detroit
A shopping mall? Check. A badass truck? Double check. Hello Kitty themed macaron box sets? Oh, fuck yeah. The revolution has mobilized. Making a stop Twelve Oaks Mall food court in Novi is the fast and furr-ious Hello Kitty Cafe Truck. The super-cute, very pink truck offers select sweet treats inspired by the beloved bow-wearing…
Tlaib is leading the first congressional delegation to Palestinian Territories in August
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib is making good on a promise to lead a congressional delegation to the West Bank. The freshman lawmaker sent out invitations for the event, which is planned from Aug. 17 to Aug. 22. It’s designed to give those in Congress a glimpse of the Palestinian side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tlaib…
Tyree Guyton is now working with Detroit’s city planner for the next phase of the Heidelberg Project
Tyree Guyton — the mind behind Detroit’s love-it-or-hate-it Heidelberg Project — was given the profile treatment in a lengthy New York Times Magazine profile. The story was posted online on Thursday and will appear in print in this Sunday’s weekend edition. The story centers on Guyton’s MOCAD show from last September, and covers much of…
Police detective becomes at least the 66th Detroit cop charged since 2016
The arrest of a Detroit police detective accused of drunken driving while possessing two pistols is just the latest Motor City cop to be charged with a crime. Noe Garcia, of the 3rd precinct, is among at least 66 Detroit cops who have been arrested and charged since 2016. Charges against officers range from assault…
New bar and ‘microcinema’ planned for P.L.A.V. building in Hamtramck
A new two-screen “dine-in cinema” and bar are in the works in Hamtramck’s underused Post 1 P.L.A.V. building. The Film Lab is planning the project, which will roll out in two phases. A full bar and weekly screening series is planned for summer 2019, while the dine-in cinema will be ready sometime in 2020. The first…
Politics get in the way of auto insurance reform in Michigan
Hopes of reducing the costs of Michigan’s sky-high auto insurance have come to a political standstill. At 2:10 a.m. Thursday, the Republican-led state House approved a broad bill that would cut insurance rates by eliminating the requirement that drivers have unlimited medical coverage in the event of a catastrophic injury. Earlier in the week, the…
City of Dearborn fires worker who compared Muslim model to a camel
The city of Dearborn wasted no time firing an employee for posting a demeaning remark on Facebook about a Muslim swimsuit model who appeared in Sports Illustrated. “Bill Larion no longer works for the City of Dearborn,” the city said in a statement Wednesday. Larion, a surveyor in the city’s Engineering Department, initially told the…
UAW doesn’t want GM to sell Lordstown plant — Trump does
President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday to cheer news that GM could sell its Lordstown, Ohio, plant to electric truck company Workhorse. Trump also said GM has plans to invest $700 million in Ohio, creating 450 jobs. “GREAT NEWS FOR OHIO!” Trump tweeted, adding, “THE USA IS BOOMING!” Hold your horses, Donnie. Some perspective: The…
No, Jhené Aiko’s new song isn’t a Big Sean diss track, but it is probably about him
As of late, Detroit rapper and entrepreneur Big Sean has become a lyrical muse for some of his famous ex-girlfriends. First, superstar Ariana Grande namedrops Sean among her exes Ricky Alvarez, Pete Davidson, and the late Mac Miller in last year’s “Thank U, Next” (Thought‘ I’d end up with Sean/ But he wasn’t a match.)…
Jose’s Tacos lands in Eastern Market with its second location
Jose’s Tacos will replace Cultivation Station in the Eastern Market. The downtown Detroit Mexican restaurant has operated for the last five years out of a small space at 218 E. Grand River Ave. where it served tacos, burritos, enchiladas, omelettes, and more. It mostly catered to a lunchtime crowd, and will settle into a much…
Expanded Noble Fish opens in Clawson
Noble Fish’s once-cramped counter and dining room in the back of its Clawson grocery store is much larger now that a dining room expansion is complete. The shop, which is considered one of metro Detroit’s best for sushi, announced on its Facebook page that it completed the project, which it started last year. It took…
AG questions nonprofit loosely tied to Duggan after Freep investigation
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office is looking deeper into a nonprofit with loose ties to Mayor Mike Duggan. The AG’s office is trying to determine whether a nonprofit organization, Make Your Date, received donations, and if so, what happened to them. Make Your Date is a nonprofit organization and a Wayne State University program, led…
Michigan lawmakers consider banning sale of vaping products to minors
Supporters are speaking out this week in favor of a pair of controversial anti-vaping bills — with opponents saying they don’t go far enough. Senate Bills 106 and 155 would ban the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping products to minors and impose fines of up to $2,500 on retailers who violate the law. Rep. Isaac…
Gov. Whitmer pledges to veto bill aimed at lowering auto insurance
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is pledging to veto a Senate bill aimed at lowering Michigan’s sky-high auto insurance rates. Whitmer said the bill, which passed 24-14, “creates more problems than it solves,” partly because it does not prevent insurance companies from using non-driving factors such as credit scores, age, and education as a factor in determining…
Smile — Brian Wilson and the Zombies will perform at Detroit’s Masonic Temple
Summer wouldn’t be complete without an appearance by the transcendent Brian Wilson. It was announced Wednesday that the iconic composer and songwriter would join psychedelic pop greats the Zombies for a time-warping joint tour, including a performance at Detroit’s Masonic Temple on Sept. 24. The 15-date tour, which kicks off at the end of August,…
Detroit jazz club Blue Bird Inn gets a new lease on life
The Historic Blue Bird Inn was easily one of Detroit’s most storied west-side clubs, and for good reason: Jazz legends like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Elvin Jones would regularly perform there, honing a craft that would eventually be felt the world over. “It meant a lot, especially to people on the west side,” says…
Détroit Is the New Black plants downtown roots with permanent space
When we last interviewed her in 2015, Roslyn Karamoko, owner of fashion brand Détroit Is the New Black, described her then-new retail space in the G.R. N’Namdi Gallery as a “pop-around” — that is to say, she planned to stay, even if it wasn’t necessarily at that particular location. That much wound up being true.…
What will the marijuana economy look like in Michigan?
Marijuana has always been about a social scene, getting together with your friends and getting high. There are a ton of marijuana-related enterprises digging into that social aspect without all the political wrangling and about legislating a space for marijuana clubs. It can be as simple as designating a marijuana-friendly room at any kind of…
Illinois could soon join Michigan in legalizing recreational marijuana in the Midwest
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced over the weekend an agreement with lawmakers to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. If passed, Illinois would join Michigan as the only Midwest states with adult-use laws. It doesn’t sound like a very liberal law. Illinois residents could buy or possess up to 30 grams (just over one ounce),…
Savage Love: I’m not a crazy stalker (I swear!)
I’m a 43-year-old straight woman, and I spent the majority of my 30s celibate. At 40, I realized that while I wasn’t interested in dating, I was tired of my vibrator. I also realized that it was time to go forth and fuck with the body I had instead of waiting for the idealized body…
Michigan Attorney General joins push for marijuana banking reform
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a bipartisan coalition in support of banking reform that would keep marijuana-related businesses from continuing to be shut out of the federal banking system. Under current laws, canna-businesses are prohibited from using banks — even in states where marijuana has been decriminalized. This forces the businesses to operate as…
Horoscopes (May 8-14)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 At this point it comes down to: how much can you handle? With enough fire to get anything moving, you don’t know for sure if you care enough to make it worth your while to rise above all of this and be redeemed by it. If that sounds dramatic,…
Trump is a symptom, not the disease, and defeating him is only the first step
The dirty little secret about American politics is that the average voter knows next to nothing about their government or the policies it enacts, which means half of voters know less than that. That doesn’t mean they’re idiots. They’re just normal folks with normal jobs and normal families who have neither the time nor the…
Review: You can DIY at Southfield’s Daebak Korean BBQ
A big part of the fun at Daebak is that it’s a cook-your-own, cook-as-you-go, share-all-the-dishes way to eat. I suppose a couple could order their meats separately and draw an imaginary line down the center of the in-table grill, each using half, but they would be silly. Better to let everyone taste some of everything,…
Altes, a beloved made-in-Detroit dad beer, is back in town
You might have seen the recent video: A grizzled and exuberant Easter Bunny (played by Detroit actor and friend of Metro Times Jimmy Doom), decked out in a beer-spattered pink onesie and faux fur, races pell-mell down an undisclosed brick-lined Detroit alley. In his hands, he clutches cases of beer that almost spill from his…
Detroit rapper Monalyse on being mentored by Pusha T and spitting the Black girl gospel
When Monalyse got a call from Pusha T’s manager looking for collaborators for “1800 Seconds,” a project with 1800 Tequila, she was a little pessimistic. They weren’t the first to reach out scouting the Detroit MC for an opportunity of this magnitude. An audition opportunity had recently come from Rhythm + Flow, Cardi B and…
How Pedro the Lion’s David Bazan went from rock bottom to just OK
“‘Oh fuck’ can be such a powerful prompt, you know,” says David Bazan, aka Pedro the Lion, when recounting the experiences that have led up to his latest record, Phoenix. Back with his first record since 2004, Bazan says it took hitting rock bottom to bring him full circle and begin the process of writing…
Title Track pairs artists with activists to focus on Michigan issues
Singer-songwriter Seth Bernard has been balancing his creative side with his activist side since he first started releasing recorded music 18 years ago. Throughout the last two decades, this bearded bard from Lake City has been cultivating connections with like-minded artists, as well as with socially and ecologically conscious nonprofits and community organizations. If you…
