Cover Story
Audra Kubat is bringing an all-women Nashville-style writer’s round to Detroit’s DIA
On Friday, six Detroit singer-songwriters will gather inside Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts for what’s known in Nashville as a “Writer’s Round.” The Friday Night Live! event that evening will feature musicians Isis Damil, Michelle Held, Audra Kubat, Marbrisa, Mayaeni, and Emily Rose. The term “Writer’s Round” is shortened from writers-in-the-round. The…
Supergood brings high-end cannabis and ‘Danksgiving’ celebration to Detroit
A new dispensary focused on high-end cannabis flower in Detroit is celebrating with live music, comedy, and a private consumption event dubbed “Danksgiving” on Friday, Dec. 6 in Corktown. Supergood is a full-scale recreational cannabis dispensary at 10 Eight Mile Rd. near the border of Ferndale, and it just opened this week. The dispensary sells…
3 Best Platforms to Buy Instagram Followers for Quick Growth
It’s not uncommon to put out amazing content on Instagram and still struggle with follower growth. Pretty frustrating, especially when you know you’re doing everything right. But here’s the reality: looking legit and popular is crucial. People want to follow what others are following – it’s just human nature. That’s where the option to buy…
‘Gladiator II’ is just more bread and circuses
“Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.” —Juvenal (100-200 A.D.) There’s a metatextual…
Atwater Brewery founder acquires Velvet Peanut Butter, plans to bring production back to Detroit
Velvet Peanut Butter has been acquired by Atwater Brewery founder Mark Rieth — who plans to bring the brand’s production back to Detroit, where it was established nearly 100 years ago. In a statement, Rieth, a native Detroiter, says he loved Velvet Peanut Butter as a child. “When I learned of the opportunity to acquire…
Detroit’s giant Kwanzaa kinara is returning downtown
Once again Detroit will celebrate Black culture with the lighting of a giant Kwanzaa kinara downtown, believed to be the largest in the world. For the third year in a row, the 30-foot-tall monument will join the massive Christmas tree and giant Hanukkah menorah in Campus Martius Park. The city will celebrate the beginning of…
New evidence, police misconduct cast doubt on conviction in 2000 Detroit murder
Wayne County Circuit Court is considering a motion for a new trial filed on behalf of Dennis Littleton, who has served over two decades in prison for a 2000 murder he insists he did not commit. The motion, filed by attorney Joseph Daly, argues that new evidence undermines the credibility of the case against Littleton,…
Anchor Bay Entertainment Premieres Sci-Fi Film Daddy at the Iconic Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor
DETROIT, MI [November 20, 2024] – Co-written and co-directed by Neal Kelley and Jono Sherman, in their feature film debut, DADDY is a sci-fi dark comedy set in a dystopian society where the state has the power to determine who can and cannot father children. Four men attend a government-mandated retreat in the remote mountains of…
David Klein Gallery is relocating to Ferndale
Another new business is opening on Ferndale’s Livernois Avenue, a formerly industrial stretch that has seen a flurry of activity in recent years. David Klein Gallery says it’s consolidating its Birmingham and Detroit exhibition spaces and relocating to 678 Livernois Ave., a space that it has been using as a warehouse. The gallery says it…
Lapointe: This column will spoil the ending of ‘Conclave’
Now that the film Conclave has enjoyed a month of healthy box-office and mostly positive buzz, it’s probably safe to spring the spoiler right away: The new Pope elected in the movie looks like a man, but also has a uterus and ovaries and is, therefore, also a woman. Surprise! But you already knew that,…
Detroit rapper Snap Dogg is now a boxing promoter
Rapper Snap Dogg is bringing his larger than life energy back into the world of boxing, but this time as a promoter instead of a fighter. “Yeah, I’m basically on my Floyd shit,” Snap Dogg says. Snap Dogg, a featherweight, made his professional boxing debut in 2021 defeating Yasser Abouleila by knockout in four rounds…
The Schvitz is planning an epic Thanksgiving celebration Saturday night, featuring Martin Scorsese’s classic rock doc ‘The Last Waltz’
Jarred Gild is cookin’ up somethin’ special at the Schvitz. The creative director at the city’s historic 1930 bathhouse recently had an idea to host an event in the Schvitz’s rarely used second-floor ballroom. And while the ballroom is in the midst of a major renovation under the direction of owner Paddy Lynch, Gild and…
‘Wicked’ casts poignant emotional spell
Green-painted girls and tutu-wearing teens granted Wicked (2024) a wish that had nothing to do with its rumored massive marketing budget: an organic TikTok trend in which fans recorded themselves saying, “This is me before seeing Wicked,” followed by, “This is me after seeing Wicked.” Almost every time, in the second half of their videos,…
Detroit’s Midtown readies for 50th annual Noel Night
This year’s Noel Night marks a special milestone. The annual festival is celebrating 50 years of spreading holiday joy in and around Detroit’s Midtown area. The family-friendly event, which is free to attend, is set for 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. More than 100 venues — including major cultural institutions, small businesses, churches,…
Michigrown is building a legacy of top-tier cannabis that goes beyond high THC content
Welcome to The Straight Dope, our new weekly series that explores the best cannabis products in Michigan. As Michigan’s cannabis industry matures, few brands manage to balance innovation, quality, and affordability quite like Michigrown. From its Muskegon grow facility, the company is proving that premium flower can still stand out in a saturated market. With…
How Detroiter Mia Ray built her Glam-Aholic Lifestyle fashion empire
“The world is yours and everything in it/ It’s out there, get on your grind and get it.” Jeezy’s raspy voice echoes through the 20,000-square-foot warehouse that is home to Detroit’s own Glam-Aholic Lifestyle and the headquarters of its founder and CEO, Mia Ray. As she poses for photos, her lips move imperceptibly along to…
Detroit’s Fixins Soul Kitchen serves up soul food classics
The design at Fixins is aimed to trigger every patriotic impulse of a Detroiter and more particularly of a Black Detroiter. The outsize posters throughout celebrate Motown, movies like The Wiz and Mahogany, and magazine covers from Ebony, Essence, Jet, and Black Enterprise lionizing Marvin, Aretha, Stevie, and Berry Gordy. The featured whiskey is Uncle…
Dearborn mayor vows to arrest Netanyahu for war crimes if he enters city limits
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah H. Hammoud pledged that his city would arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for both men for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. “Dearborn will arrest Netanyahu & Gallant if they step within…
Pulitzer-winning journalist Stephen Henderson leaves WDET, citing ‘disinvestment’ in his show
Longtime WDET host and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson announced Wednesday that he’s leaving the public radio station because of what he described as “disinvestment” in his daily show on 101.9 FM. Henderson, who hosts the morning show “Created Equal,” the station’s most popular local program, will end his 10-year run at WDET on Friday.…
HollyDazzle Returns for Another Season of Winter Magic!
Holly, MI – Get ready to experience the holiday season like never before, as HollyDazzle returns to the Michigan Renaissance Festival grounds, bringing a winter wonderland filled with sparkling lights, festive cheer, and beloved traditions. Starting November 29th, this enchanting event promises fun for the whole family, with new attractions and memorable experiences that will…
Protesters accuse Prosecutor Worthy of stalling on wrongful convictions
Protesters gathered outside the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office again Wednesday, renewing their calls for an investigation into cases tied to retired Detroit Detective Barbara Simon, who is accused of using unethical and illegal tactics that led to the wrongful convictions of innocent Black men. The demonstration comes nearly three months after a previous protest in…
‘The Wiz’ is heading to Detroit in first Broadway tour in 40 years
Watch out, Wicked: Another Wizard of Oz spin-off is headed to Detroit. The Wiz, a reimagining of the L. Frank Baum classic The Wizard of Oz with an all-Black cast, is headed to Detroit as part of its first Broadway tour in 40 years. The production is set for June 17-29 at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre.…
These three indie movies are generating major Oscars buzz
I went into this past weekend fully intending to see Red One, that new movie in which The Rock, Chris Evans, and a polar bear have to rescue a kidnapped (and completely jacked) Santa Claus. But then I realized that, ultimately, that movie is probably as critic-proof as it possibly gets. You don’t need me…
New film sees ex-chef turn the camera on Detroit’s dining scene
What’s Keith Famie been cooking up these days? Well, nothing in the kitchen. At least, nothing for our consumption. The Farmington Hills native once hailed as one of America’s “Best New Chefs,” who went on to operate such upscale metro eateries as Chez Raphael and Les Auteurs, traded in his cutlery for cameras nearly two…
Free Will Astrology (Nov. 20-26)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Award-winning Aries filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was born and raised in the U.S. But he has said, “I don’t make movies for America. I make movies for planet Earth.” I applaud his expansive perspective and recommend you cultivate your own version of it in the coming weeks. You will generate good fortune…
