Update: Deadline extended for MT’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ contest
[UPDATE Monday, Dec. 22, 2014] The deadline has now been extended until January 12, 2015. So let’s see those auditions! We already know Detroit’s got plenty of talent — we cover talented Detroiters each and every week here in Metro Times (we’re convinced there’s something in our water). But does the rest of the country…
‘Detroit Discusses Ferguson’ offers forum for artists and activists
We received word that Mosaic Youth Theatre will present “Detroit Discusses Ferguson,” a safe forum open to all to “discuss fears, frustrations, and other feelings regarding the recent verdict in Ferguson.” The night will begin with a reading by a variety of local Detroit actors of excerpts from Anna Deavere Smith’s “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992″…
Kevyn Orr: Ready for steak
Bloomberg reports today that Kevyn Orr is eagerly anticipating his triumphant return to the private sector: “It’s time for Kevyn Orr to put more steaks in the fridge and line his pockets in the private sector for a while,” he said today in a speech to the Oakland County Business Roundtable. Yet another difference between…
Still Standing: The Cole
How a dwelling in Detroit became a somewhat pretentious apartment building — from one angle only.
That IS a Blaire Alise song in the new Greektown Casino commerical
Did you hear something that sounds ever-so-faintly like a Detroit-based throwback-to-the’60s rock ‘n’ roll girl group in a new TV ad? You did? You did! It’s Blaire Alise and the Bombshells and their tune, “I Got Something,” is being featured in a new Greektown Casino commercial. Click here to watch here the song and watch its…
The Guardian on ‘Demolishing Detroit’
For those who missed it last week, another great piece in the Guardian by Rose Hackman, who is apparently one of the few reporters working in Detroit who is skeptical about demolition as a solution to the city’s problems.
Metro Times is looking for winter/spring photography interns
Looking to gain a ton of experience, increase your clips, and make new contacts? Metro Times is recruiting for the winter/spring photography internship program where candidates stand to gain those three things, plus plenty more. In fact, last semester our photo interns shot concerts, presidential speeches, and protests. The ideal candidate is outgoing, enthusiastic, and willing…
Bishop Wendell Gibbs to discuss marriage equality on Dec. 9
Reverend Wendell Gibbs, bishop of the Episcopalian Diocese of Michigan, will speak about the impact marriage equality would have next week in Royal Oak. “I stand in support of marriage equality and pray that our justice system will work to break down the walls of segregation, promote the humanity of all, and calm our irrational fears,”…
Here are a handful of Detroit businesses celebrating Cyber Monday today
Instead of shopping at big box retailers today, we’re nodding at you Amazon, brush off your social responsibility cap (and scarf, and mittens) and spread some cyber cheer where it really counts: in your own community. Shop local today at these, or any number of other Detroit-centric shops, and give a gift that keeps on…
Mario Savio’s ‘bodies upon the gears’ speech — 50 years later
Savio’s 1964 speech represents a sort of turning point for what used to be called the counterculture. It’s a short but bold and defiant oration that says free human beings aren’t going to be pushed around by anybody, from lawmakers and police to liberals and labor leaders.
Ferguson walkout planned at Wayne State campus
A walkout strike in protest of last week’s grand jury decision in Ferguson, called #HandsUpWalkOut, will begin at 1:01 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1 (the time unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was killed), with events planned in more than 30 U.S. cities. In Detroit, the walkout on Wayne State’s campus will be held at the…
Watch Jack White discuss his ‘ludicrous’ Paramount Records anthology on CBS
Our boy Jack White made an appearance on CBS This Morning on Saturday to talk with Anthony Mason about his ambitious The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records anthologies. A joint effort between White’s Third Man Records and Revenant Records, the lavish, two-volume box set collects songs from Paramount, the pre-WWII label subsidized by a…
Here’s the trailer for #adetroitfilm
Detroit skateboarder turned filmmaker Jordan Garland says he’s on a mission to paint a picture of Detroit that’s different from what the national media tends to portray. Specifically, he’s seeking to connect local artists, musicians, and athletes to present a version of Detroit to the world from the inside out. At least that’s the gist of Garland’s…
That one time when Juan Atkins namechecked ‘Metro Times’
While taking shelter from the snow at Temple Bar on Friday, I was amused when DJ Peter Croce pointed out that Model 500’s 1985 record “Night Drive (Thru-Babylon)” namechecks none other than Metro Times. Via Rap Genius: Well … I’m driving in a black on black in black Porsche 924 I’m tempting fate a little…
Redford Theatre showing “Christmas Vacation” next weekend
Now that Thanksgiving has passed, everyone can turn their attention to pressing matters, like, what’s the better classic Christmas-centric movie: “Christmas Vacation” or “A Christmas Story.” If you dig Chevy Chase’s inability to light a house with a billion Christmas lights for the better part of an hour-and-a-half, the Redford Theatre plans to show the…
Appeals panel agrees to re-hear Kwame Kilpatrick case
Kwame will get his day in court. A panel of judges at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear arguments for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his pal, contractor Bobby Ferguson, on Jan. 13 at 1:30 p.m. Lawyers for each defendant will get 20 minutes to make their case; the United…
Here are two things you should read this Sunday
It’s Sunday, and you’re probably still recovering from a food coma brought forth by turkey and pumpkin pie, so why not kick back and read a little? Here are a couple stories to get you going. “A eulogy for RadioShack, the panicked and half-dead retail empire” by Jon Bois — SBNation RadioShack, the store full…
ICYMI: Go on a literary tour of Detroit
Do you love reading? Do you love Detroit? Then this is the holiday tour for you! Local journo Anna Clark wrote up this handy dandy literary tour of Detroit guide for Model D media. It’s well worth checking out, and cruising around town by car or bike to complete. Stops include locations you might recognize…
By most accounts, Black Friday sales have been lost to Thanksgiving
Whether or not you appreciate the insanity of the consumer’s holiday of the year, Black Friday, it appears that the best sales — sales! — have been lost to Thanksgiving. In a depressing passage from the Detroit News today, the region’s big-box stores and malls experienced less traffic thanks to a nationwide decision to jump-start…
Michigan residents love cheesy potatoes for Thanksgiving, according to the New York Times
Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving food, but the New York Times wanted to find out what was the most “distinct” dish searched for on the Internet by each state. With the help of Google researchers, the Times analyzed Internet searches to find “how much more popular searches for [a dish] were in a given a…
Report: State lawmakers set to act on looming metro Detroit foreclosure crisis
In the coming months, Wayne County has plans to foreclose on tens of thousands of metro Detroit properties, a plan so potentially catastrophic, it could usher in a downturn on the scale of the 2008 housing crisis, according to a report in the Detroit Free Press today. But state legislators are hoping to address the…
Shop the 2nd annual HLDYMRKT tomorrow
Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday. And what better way to support local business owners, makers, crafters, movers and shakers than to shop at a local market? (The answer to that is, “There is no better way.”) HLDYMRKT takes place at Eight & Sands in Hamtramck tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from…
Antietam to fight on today
It’s a second chance of sorts for Antietam, the eatery that opened to rave reviews in early July. After a few weeks this summer, the place suddenly closed, allegedly to work out some kinks.
Mayor Mike Duggan’s letter to Santa
With Christmas fast approaching, this letter from Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan to Santa Claus landed in our mailbox this week.* Mike Duggan Letter Hires *This letter is not real.
End of an era
Led by quarterback Greg Landry and cornerback Levi Johnson, the Detroit Lions battled the Denver Broncos in the final NFL game in Corktown.
Moosejaw shows off Detroit’s ‘notable humans’ — too bad only three of them are black
We picked up Moosejaw’s latest catalog, a 34-page booklet titled “Notable Humans of Detroit,” from a recent stop by their downtown store. Flipping through it, we’re glad they chose, um, humans to model the jackets. Certainly, they’re the next best thing to mannequins. However, we’re pretty bummed that in all of Detroit, Moosejaw seemed to…
News Hits: Supreme Court case has ties to Quicken Loans’ ex-employee lawsuits
When the U.S. Supreme Court convenes a hearing next week on a lawsuit related to the mortgage industry, it centers on an issue so mind-numbingly dry, it makes News Hits sleepy just saying it aloud: Whether or not a federal agency must gather public comment before it issues an interpretation of a law. It’s a…
Peaceful rallies across Detroit follow Ferguson decision; at least five detained
Last night, hundreds took to the streets across Detroit following the decision of a grand jury to not indict the white police officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown. From Wayne State University, to I-75 and I-94, to eastside police districts, the rallying cry centered on a call for justice, after the St. Louis County, Missorui…
WXYZ: Major GOP fund donor gets help with favorable bill
For months, McLaren Health Care has been itching to get state approval to construct a new hospital in north Oakland County’s Independence Township. Initially, the hospital network sought typical approval through Michigan’s Certificate of Need (CON) Commission, which examines proposed hospitals and determines whether they’re appropriate or even needed. The CON Commission denied McLaren’s request…
Stir It Up: The Social Club Grooming Company integrates Detroit and develops community one head at a time
When I was a kid, my father would sometimes take me with him when he got a haircut. There was a place in the neighborhood where a guy cut hair on his wide, enclosed back porch, and surreptitiously sold shots of moonshine to his customers. The men would while away the afternoon solving the world’s…
Frontier Ruckus goes prog-rock on ‘Sitcom Afterlife’
It’s hard to tell if Frontier Ruckus is moving forward, or if the band has taken a step back. Last week, the Detroit area band released their fourth LP, Sitcom Afterlife, and it’s nothing like anything they’ve put out to date. That’s not a bad thing … it’s just … different. Frontier Ruckus came to…
Feedback: Thoughts on Rick Snyder, Nolan Finley, and football ticket scalpers
SNYDER SHOULD PUSH BACK We received a number of strident remarks to Jack Lessenberry’s Nov. 19 Politics and Prejudices column on Gov. Rick Snyder and what he lost by running for a second term. User “Hary Palmer” posted: If Snyder wants to salvage any sort of dignity from a second term (and truly be the…
Holiday shopping playlist
Get out your peppermint-flavored protein powder, put on your sweatband — it’s time to do some power Christmas shopping. And this is the playlist to get you through it. Mannheim Steamroller “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” This is a great tune to get you amped up while you’re getting ready to head out the door…
DDays: Detroit gets lit up, we almost get kicked out of the Detroit Athletic Club, and a gay bar closes for good
Jeans at the DAC MT editor Valerie Vande Panne attended the Jewish Community Relations Council’s annual luncheon for Detroit media at the Detroit Athletic Club last week, wearing jeans. We note they were nice, stylish jeans, but according to the DAC’s dress code, totally against the rules. Despite numerous attempts to get Vande Panne to…
Ask a Juggalo: Why do some Juggalos call each other ninja?
Q: Why do Juggalos call each other ninja? What does that mean? A: Aww, that’s fresh. This goes all the way back to the beginning, to the beginning to the philosophy of Psychopathic Records. It’s a compliment. To use the word ninja is a lot of honor, and you gotta be real skillful and real…
Xochi’s has been a Mexicantown destination for 30 years
Tucked in the streets of Mexicantown, next door to Xochimilco’s, across from El Zocalo, is Xochi’s Gift Shop. This little store has been there for the past 30 years, selling a little Mexican flavor to local residents and to those who travel to the shop for special knickknacks they can’t find anywhere else. For example,…
Higher Ground: A family affair
I remember a Thanksgiving, nearly 20 years ago. At the time I lived in a very low-income neighborhood. Most white people would call it a “bad” neighborhood. Back then, it was almost entirely black and Hispanic people living there. I loved that neighborhood. It was filled with families, good music, and delicious food. The neighbors…
Retail Detail: Grab a Nativity scene straight from Mexico
Xochi’s specializes in handmade nativity scenes that come straight from Mexico. The shop’s owner travels there to pick out these cute and colorful knickknacks, hand-selecting which ones will appear on the store’s shelves. The smaller versions are the most popular, but they come in multiple sizes and color schemes. The Christmas season is the best…
Horoscopes (Nov. 26 — Dec. 2)
ARIES (March 21-April 20): You Ydon’t need to know anything but what it will take to keep multiple options from spinning out of control. When life gets this crazy it comes down to remaining centered in the eye of the storm. I am pretty sure that metaphor will be helpful to those of you who…
Face Time: Meldon Lewis proves it’s never too late to turn around
We were introduced to Meldon Lewis — a lifelong Detroiter who once tried out for the San Antonio Spurs and now lives at the recovery center the Mariners Inn — by artist Rashaun Rucker, who interviewed him for a project earlier this year. With the holiday season approaching, we met Lewis at his apartment at…
Savage Love: Cruel intentions
Q: I am a bi male in my early 20s who until recently was in the closet. I have been exploring my sexuality for the past year, and I didn’t want to label myself and open a Pandora’s box of oppression in the American South before I knew who I was for sure. I learned…
Giving thanks for the worst government money can buy
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving this week, a holiday to honor that long-ago feast back in 1621, when a bunch of local Native Americans sat down to eat with a few dozen English religious nuts, otherwise known as Pilgrims. Old Squanto, a native who had spent some time in England and learned the lingo, interpreted. Folks swapped…
2014 Holiday Gift Guide
Thank you for being faithful, loyal MT supporters all year long! We know that every coming day this week is a special shopping day: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Tithing Sunday (right?), Cyber Monday, Tech (or is it Giving?) Tuesday — does the planned money-spending ever end? No. Not till that special Buy-Nothing Day that…
Mind your table manners: Advice from Amy Alkon
Amy Alkon (aka The Advice Goddess) writes a nationally syndicated advice column and is the author of the new book Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes say F*ck (St. Martin’s Griffin). The book has a chapter titled “Eating, Drinking, Socializing,” with some interesting advice on food-related manners. We spoke with Alkon by phone about…
Mail Order Christmas: Michigan in a box
American Coney Island Coney Kits americanconeyisland.com $60 and up Can’t think of what to send Uncle Bob and Aunt Barb in South Carolina? How about the flavor of Detroit? These coney kits come with 12 American Coney Island natural casing franks, a dozen Dearborn buns, the restaurant’s signature chili, a sweet onion, instructions, and a…
Food (and drink) to get you through the holidays
Chinese food If you want to skip whatever meal your folks plan to serve up Christmas Day, it bears emphasizing that your local Chinese shop will likely be open. General Tso’s chicken, spring rolls, fried rice, whatever the hell you need, find comfort in whatever lands in the box you take home. Pizza Look, chances…
Stocking stuffers for the discerning Detroiter
Chrissy’s Knee High Socks $7 kneehighsocks.org Everybody gets socks for Christmas, right? Why not make giving the basics a little more fun this year? Chrissy’s Knee High Socks is a company that’s found right here in the Motor City. The five-year-old brand supplies socks to the Detroit Derby Girls, in fact. Find funky, colorful, sporty,…
All Dolled Up: Bethany Shorb’s look may be monochromatic, but certainly not boring
Bethany Shorb is the lady behind Cyperoptix Tie Lab and Well Done Goods. This steampunk boss doesn’t just make other people look great with her dual lines of amazing accessories, though; she also has quite the fashion sense herself. A lover of black and white, stripes, and straight lines, Shorb has a style that might…
7 Greens Detroit Salad Co. draws a mixed downtown crowd
Downtowners have a new way to eat a healthy lunch, and you might as well pick up dinner at 7 Greens too; it travels well. First-time restaurant-owner Kelly Schaefer-Janssen opened 7 Greens in mid-August. The garage-door front on the informal spot is open to the street in good weather. Stools facing out allow patrons to…
Consider giving to these noble Detroit-based causes
‘Tis the season for giving — charity and volunteer work, too. These are just a handful of MT’s preferred local charities. We encourage you to give generously now, and all year! Capuchin Soup Kitchen With a meal program, substance abuse services, an urban farm, bakery, children’s program, and services center, Capuchin seeds a community need…
Hot Shotz: Andrea Bonaventura will punish you with a Hell City
Andrea Bonaventura is many things to many people. To some she’s now-defunct Real Detroit Weekly’s resident juggalette, to others she’s the spunky bartender who cut her teeth at the Painted Lady, and to still others she’s just a mill for the funny, insane comments that roll with ease off her tongue. While she’s worked at…
Checker Bar and Grill: New management, but still an excellent burger
Before the owner’s of Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub purchased the Checker Bar & Grill, it was a sort of musty establishment, a watering hole that made you feel cramped while you nursed your drink. It was a charming place, however, adored by the regulars who frequented it. The long, narrow bar, formerly owned by the…
Despite its epic feel from director Francis Lawrence, ‘Mockingjay Part 1’ is little more than an appetizer for ‘Part 2’
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 / C Teen PTSD, class warfare, and an entrenched 1% using young adults as propaganda media stars. Happy holidays from the makers of The Hunger Games movies! If ever there were a season to underline the differences between the have-everythings and the have-nots, it’s Thanksgiving. The Hunger Games is…
Thanksgiving: A proclamation
Contrary to popular belief, Thanksgiving wasn’t an official holiday until Abraham Lincoln made it so in 1863, in the midst of the Civil War. 151 years later, we take a moment to reflect on the nation at that time, in the midst of a war: The proclamation noted peace was being preserved with other nations,…
Markets and shows to get handmade goods this season
Saturdays Farmington Winter Market @ American Legion Hall #346 The market returns with a new location this year. Now held in the city’s historic American Legion Hall, the winter market will still offer plenty from local food vendors, artisans, and craftspeople. There will also be market classes and activities for kids. The market runs from…
13 questions with Danny Brown
Metro Times: We first interviewed you in 2008. Knowing what you know now, what would 2014 Danny Brown tell 2008 Danny Brown? Danny Brown: Just keep doing the same thing. I had doubts back then, but now I’m confident. I would just tell myself to just work hard and have patience. Patience is a virtue.…
How to shop for women
Guys, we’re not going to tell you that buying for girls is easy. Oftentimes, even our own mothers can’t figure out exactly what to get us (which explains that monogrammed pink-and-green lunch bag and the mountain of ugly sweaters that never leave the house). So we came up with a guide to giving to gals…
Mike Trombley talks the return of Macho City
Gay clubs were once the avant-garde for new dance music, with whole genres being born in places like the Paradise Garage in New York, The Warehouse in Chicago, and Todd’s here in Detroit. But nowadays, gay clubbing usually means you’re in for a nonstop soundtrack of, say, Top 40 remixes. It doesn’t have to be…
‘Tis the Season to shop local
Glow Fish Studios This Wyandotte boutique is quite large and holds a trove of gifts that would fit just about everybody on your list. They’ve got books, candles, quirky stuffed animals, a large selection of kendama games, pocket-sized Hindu deities, colorful umbrellas, costume jewelry, and cards. They even carry a few select brands of shoes…
Nogs for the poly-nog-ist
Oh, egg nog! How gross you do sound! Traditional egg nog contains whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, bourbon … and raw eggs. Kinda churns the tummy just reading it. Go to the grocery store though, and you’ll likely find a nog in the dairy cooler with milk. Any of those nogs can contain milk,…
Raise the Bar: Berkley Front is an American beer garden
Amid the compact charm of the Berkley’s downtown district is the Berkley Front. This two-story American beer garden and concert lounge is the place to sample the local flavor to satisfy both your palate and your ears, while relaxing with friends in the familiar and inviting atmosphere. The warmly lit main floor has an eclectic,…
Drink Up
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey 47% ABV | $60/750ml Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was born from disaster. The whiskey brand’s founding members met while attempting to put out a barn fire, but once the flames quelled, they discovered their mutual love for a fine, strong liquor. Shortly after, a distillery was opened and the rest,…
