Cover Story
From Betty Boop to Wonder Woman
Sarah Rose Sharp was living in New York City when she stumbled upon a seemingly innocuous crate of Betty Boop keychains in an alley behind a Koreatown tchotchke shop. But the figurines, which were to be sold at the shop, weren’t the iconic cartoon character as most of us know her — the flirty, raven-haired…
Eat, drink during happy hour, support black owned businesses with Soulcial Scene shuttle
You can feel good about humanity when you book a ride on this bus.
‘Away We a Go-Go’ turns 50
The hit single off this album took five years to become a top 20 hit in the UK.
Metro Detroit area makes Forbes’ ‘Most Affordable Cities’ list
Factoring in Detroit, Livonia, and Dearborn, the Metro Detroit area made Forbes’ top-20, most-affordable cities list in the U.S. The combined area tied with Columbus for the 10th spot on the list boasting 79.1 percent of housing available to median-income ($51,894) families with average sales prices hovering around $90,000. The living costs associated with living…
Just announced: Moon Duo plays El Club in April
Moon Duo is touring after the release of ‘Occult Architecture,’ a big, dark, and awesome conceptual record that unfortunately is the perfect soundtrack to our times.
VIDEO: Valentine Vodka releases first-ever TV commercial and it stars a dead guy
Ferndale-based distillery Valentine Vodka just released their first-ever TV commercial and it stars a dead guy. I mean, not an actual dead guy. C’mon, people! It’s an actor pretending to be dead, a dead Vladimir Lenin to be precise. According to a press release, the 37-second commercial was made exclusively by Detroiters including writer and…
17 things you have to do in metro Detroit this week
Wed, 11/16 – Sun, 12/11 Dot @ Detroit Public Theatre Colman Domingo’s latest hit play Dot, is a holiday comedy that touches on some sensitive subjects, like dealing with watching your parents’ age. The plot is this: Dotty’s three kids have grown up, and they’re all home for Christmas. Her adult children watch as she…
State Superintendent says schools must be ‘safe havens’
The statement urged school officials and parents to ‘help their students understand that bullying and intimidation … is unacceptable and will have consequences.’
Attention local audiophiles: Shinola expands to music
Shinola is going audio.
Chains: 2941 Street Food to offer ‘fresh approach and modern twist to Middle Eastern’
Metro Detroit, already home to countless Middle Eastern restaurants, will soon see this spot blow up all over.
Third Man Records Turkey Drive expanding to aid Detroit families
Those looking to help the less fortunate, through food or monetary donations, have two weeks to make donations to the Third Man Records Turkey Drive. The record company held turkey drives for the Nashville Rescue Mission so less-fortunate families could have food for the holidays and they are expanding on that success in Detroit. The…
Remember, Gov. Snyder cares about you so much
Gov. Snyder cares about a shitload of stuff. Whether it’s weatherizing your house, male breast cancer, dwarfism, or the need for diapers.
Rejoice — the Campus Martius ice rink opens up on Friday
If you’re feeling lost like a sad puppy without a home because our country is a hot mess, I have some good news for you that just might brighten your day. The fantastic ice rink at Campus Martius is coming back Friday, November 18 in celebration of all things winter, and the lighting of the…
This Southgate resident knows what’s up
The election is over, Trump won. Most lawn signs have been discarded, they’ll be burned in bonfires or take up residence in a local landfill. But, not this one: We spotted it on our drive into work this morning and quickly made an illegal u-turn to snap a pick of the prophetic announcement. The hand-painted…
We love Detroit Vegan Soul in spite of their recent PETA endorsement
Stop in to Detroit Vegan Soul on Detroit’s east side and you’ll have the chance to order satisfying comfort food without any meat, dairy, or animal byproducts. Sure, the place is popular among locals, but it’s also been frequented by names like former president Bill Clinton and Wu-Tang Clan rapper RZA. Well, another big name…
Just announced: NKOTB, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men play the Palace in June
“Our fans know we love to bring them a party, and this tour is no exception.” says NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg.
Bruno Mars is coming to funk you up at the Palace
Bruno Mars is here to save us all.
Macomb County will become the new subject of ‘Humans of New York’ series
They’re gonna get to the bottom of Macomb County one person at a time.
Side Dish: Rock ‘n roll chef Blair Wills makes a better brunch at Kelly’s Bar in Hamtramck
And you thought Boboville was all about pierogi, paczi, and Kowalski.
Monday Opening Report: Downtown sushi, coffee shop comeback, and suburban expansions
November’s only halfway through and we’ve already got a handful of new spots to check out.
Can’t-miss show for Friday: Loscil, Windy and Carl at UFO Factory
Loscil, Benoît Pioulard and Windy and Carl all on the same bill? This is ambient/dronescape heaven, friends.
The truth about Detroit and Flint — at Cranbrook?
A booth traveled all over Detroit this summer recording people’s “truths.” The resulting video says a lot about who we are and what we really think.
This University of Michigan professor created some election maps that actually make sense
University of Michigan professor Mark Newman has stretched, smushed, and splattered a map of the United States of America in order to better represent the way residents voted in last week’s presidential election. The result is a dysmorphic representation of our country that tells a clearer story about how we voted and it makes a…
Lots of Detroit artists made Consequence of Sounds’ 100 Greatest Singers list
There was no shortage of Detroit artists on Consequence of Sounds’ “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list. The music blog published a list (much like other music blogs do) of the 100 greatest singers of all time. Granted, this is just one editorial staff’s opinions on who has the best pipes, but it was…
This vintage doc about the Rec Cen is the coolest thing you’ll see all day
The 70’s were cool, man!
Lansing cashier goes viral after customer tapes him singing
Lucas Holiday is a cashier at a Lansing Dollar General, but that role doesn’t define him completely. He’s also a singer who loves to serenade his customers — to the occasional chagrin of his manager — with R&B tunes like Maxwell’s “Ascension.” On Nov. 8, Nakia Robinson posted this video of Holiday and since then…
Celebrate the one-year anniversary of the re-imagined Jim Brady’s Detroit with retro 1950s menu
Back when a night out didn’t cost a fortune.
A man threatened a U-M student to take off her hijab or else he would light her on fire
Police are reporting that a man allegedly threatened a University of Michigan student with lighting her on fire with a lighter unless she removed her hijab, sources are reporting. They said it happened yesterday between the hours of 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the 600 block of East William near S. State St, off campus.…
StarChefs names 2016 Rust Belt Rising Star Award winners
This week, a handful of Detroit area chefs were named Rising Stars of the Rust Belt by influential restaurant industry publication, StarChefs. Among the winners in the chef are several heavyweights in the local dining scene, including Brad Greenhill (Katoi), Nick Janutol (Forest), James Rigato (Mabel Gray), and John Vermiglio (Grey Ghost). Accolades also went…
Federal court orders bottled water delivered to Flint residents
All eyes will be on Lansing, after an investigation showed it overpaid politically connected contractors before FEMA stepped in.
The Detroit Zoo needs your help
They need you to vote!
Today’s peaceful anti-Trump rally starts at 5 p.m. at WSU
It’s called the WSU Rally & March To Shut Down Trump’s Racist Vision For America.
Michael Moore’s already talking about impeaching Trump
There’s no doubt about it — unsportsmanlike behavior has been happening on both sides of the fence since it was made clear that Donald Trump would be the 45th President of the United States of America. But, did Michael Moore just take the booing and hissing and stomping of feet to a new level? He…
I’m a Muslim who condemns ISIS. White America, do you condemn Trump?
I wonder if white America is experiencing massive, collective guilt. You see, I’m a Muslim American and every time a person who claims to practice Islam carries out an act of violence, it’s also an attack on who I am and I feel pressure to disavow their actions on behalf of my faith and my…
Sugar House to be transformed into Cleveland’s Porco tiki lounge for one night
Bring on the painkillers.
Protesters converge for anti-Trump rally in Campus Martius
With the election decided and our next president announced, protesters began to demonstrate around Downtown Detroit. Metro Times caught up with a protesters who came in waves, snaking through Downtown, Midtown, and Greektown. Their chants were simple. Their message was clear: “Fuck Donald Trump. “Fuck white supremacy. “No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA. “Not…
VIDEO: Royal Oak school kids chant “Build the wall” while Latino classmates cry
And so it begins. Yesterday during lunch at Royal Oak Middle School in Royal Oak Michigan, white students loudly chanted BUILD THE WALL, BUILD THE WALL. pic.twitter.com/dfqU2xnMvZ — Shaun King (@ShaunKing) November 10, 2016 One day after Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America a video is circulating on…
Today: Wolf Eyes to donate all online music sales to progressive causes
The long-running Michigan noise band Wolf Eyes is donating all sales from its bandcamp site — where they have dozens of recordings on offer — to three human rights-based institutions until the early afternoon today in response to the news of Donald Trump’s election (this 24 hour sale was posted online yesterday afternoon, but we…
Pissed about the election results? Now is the time to do something about it
The time to rally together is now.
Mourning in America: How to get over the post-election blues
Lick your wounds if you have to. But don’t get weepy. Organize.
How to live in a country where Donald Trump is president
I think I speak for the entire Metro Times editorial staff when I say we’re reeling from the results of the 2016 Presidential Election. We’re reeling from the blow that Donald Trump will be the 45th President of the United States of America. We’re in awe. We’ve shed tears. Some of us are scared, while…
Seriously, fuck this: An apocalypse mixtape
Anyone with a shred of common sense, decency, and love in their hearts got socked in the gut early this morning when it was revealed that the next president of the United States will actually be this guy. Before we pick ourselves up off the ground, recover our inner sense of peace and love for…
Breaking Bad: Freep called Michigan for Clinton at 9:18 p.m.
The Freep called it, stood by it, but is now is poised to finally say maybe they called it too soon.
Donald Trump wins U.S. presidential election, Canada’s immigration website crashes
Today, half the country is celebrating, while the other lives in real fear of what the next four years holds. It seems the latter half might be — or at least attempting to — carry out their promise to move to Canada if the Republican nominee were to win. Last night, Canada’s immigration site crashed…
Feedback (11/2-11/8)
Jack Lessenberry’s Nov. 2 column, “Becoming the martians,” earned a hand-delivered letter from G.M. Ross of Lowell. He writes: Although I now find gerund titles a cliché, you probably did not choose it. Nonetheless, the imagery is great and, yes, I read The Martian Chronicles. Your appeal is downright Tolstoian, with all due respect, but…
Higher Ground: Building bridges to medical marijuana
When Fox 2 news anchor Anqunette Jamison had a setback with her multiple sclerosis last winter, she took a medical leave that eventually morphed into a retirement announced two weeks ago. Her retirement made waves because she also announced that she would be working with MI Legalize on a petition initiative intended to place the…
Politics & Prejudices: It’s finally over … now what?
A week before we voted, I spent a couple hours with a group of some of the most truly American of all of us. None of them voted, because none of them could. Yet they are very much like the people this nation was founded by, people our much-worshipped founding fathers swore to protect. Yes,…
Sleeper DIY crooner JMSN returns home next week
JMSN’s thoroughly addictive, highly modern sound rests somewhere in between Jay Kay and the Weeknd. The multi-talented singer and songwriter (born Christian Berishaj) has been thriving for several years, creating his own personal brand of self-described “hippy R&B.” Metro Times caught up with the Eastpointe native to talk new music, Detroit, and the rigors of…
Nik Turner’s Hawkwind crash lands at Echo Fest
When you think of the British pioneers of space rock, you don’t imagine getting to see one of them in a relatively small setting in the United States, three decades after their cosmic enlargement of psychedelic, progressive music, and yet here we are. It’s the seventh Echo Fest at the newly reopened Magic Stick, and…
Echo Fest brings mind-altering moods to Magic Stick
Echo Fest, now in its seventh year, is ready to expand your sonic palette, challenge your perceptions of sound, uproot your mind from reality, and probably make you dance or something too. Hosted by local psychedelic group Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor, this year’s lineup is the most musically ambitious to date, and with its…
Cafe melds ethnic cuisines
Chef Elize Jekabson hates the word “fusion” but allows that yes, that’s what Bona Sera does. The menu has both a grits section, Southern-inspired, and a pasta section. The grits come with cheddar (normal) and pancetta (not so much). They can be topped with catfish — or with tom yum shrimp. Some of the pasta…
Detroit native plays TV’s first African-American female superhero
Arvell Jones is a lifelong Detroiter. He’s also the co-creator of a Marvel Comics character named Misty Knight. That character, part of the Luke Cage series, was brought to life in September when Netflix debuted Marvel’s Luke Cage. As fate would have it, a native Detroiter is playing the iconic character too. Renaissance High School…
Bridget Everett is crass, has sass, and is one of the best stand-ups touring today
Bridget Everett isn’t a household name — yet. If you’re a fan of any form of comedy (especially alt-comedy) then you have probably seen Everett’s work. She’s been featured on her close friend Amy Schumer’s Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer multiple times, had a guest spot in the blockbuster hit Trainwreck (starring Schumer), and…
