Cover Story
In search of Detroit’s best oysters
The Aunt Dotty is sort of an oyster geek’s oyster. Massachusetts’ Island Creek Oysters grows them off a narrow barrier beach that protects the Duxbury Bay — a small body just north of Plymouth that some characterize as the oyster industry’s “Napa Valley” — from the much larger Cape Cod Bay and Atlantic Ocean beyond it.…
Cheers! Detroit Beer Fest to bring more than 800 brewskies to Eastern Market
Good news, Michigan: Y’all can hold your beer. A recent study, issued by none other than alcohol.org, found that Michiganders have the second-highest tolerance for beer in the nation. Apparently, on average, it takes us 4.02 beers to feel drunk. Oh, and Michigan also ranks in the top 10 nationwide for most breweries per capita.…
Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda will do BFF things at Detroit’s Fox Theatre and we’re not worthy
The term “iconic duo” does little justice to the most beautiful, perfect, and pure feminist friendship in Hollywood and beyond. As eccentric divorcees and vibrator entrepreneurs on-screen, and prolific feminists and legendary besties off-screen, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s friendship is a goddamn fairy-tale. The stars of the beloved Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie have…
Jack White and Alice Cooper join Kirk Gibson to raise money for Parkinson’s at Detroit’s Shinola Hotel
OK — if we were to tell you that hometown heathen Alice Cooper and Detroit’s very own patron saint of guitar music Jack White were in a room together on Devil’s Night in the Motor City, it would be safe to assume it was for a satanic music collab, likely involving bats and a phonograph. While…
Michigan’s Grateful Dead cover band Dead Again returns to the Magic Bag in Ferndale for annual Halloween bash
Few bands have as dedicated a following as the Grateful Dead (perhaps rivaled only by Taylor Swift’s “Swifties”). The band has become synonymous with improvisational jams, those tripped-out little dancing bears, and all the good drugs. Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead’s legacy lives on, thanks to the band’s loyal “dead heads” and thanks to…
Detroit’s UFO Factory to host devilish Devil’s Night lineup with Milfie, Curtis Roach, AK640s, and Problematic Black Hottie
Detroit’s Jasmine Campbell is a multifaceted poet and mother of two who performs raunchy rap as Milfie — and she does not give a fuck. Well, that’s not entirely true. She gives a fuck about money, sex, and being a badass mom and the reigning princess of ghettotech. For this Devil’s Night performance, UFO Factory…
Author and founder of anti-gun violence movement Moms Demand Action to visit Detroit’s Pages Bookshop
Of all the issues being tackled on the crowded presidential Democratic debate stage, it’s the topic of gun control that seems to be one of the only things the candidates agree is of the utmost importance. Shannon Watts, a mother of five and founder of Moms Demand Action, is doing what needs to be done.…
Detroit’s Third Man Records gets in on Devil’s Night with performances by Wiccans, BbyMutha, Starcrawler, and more
The witching hour is upon us, y’all. What does that mean for your workweek? Well, it means Third Man Records’ Season of the Witch Devil’s Night will showcase unapologetic music from all across this great, spooky-ass nation. Conjuring the Detroit essence is Wiccans. Less of a band and more of a lifestyle, Wics features Aran Ruth,…
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day to take place in SE Michigan
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, a program that provides a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of expired or unused drugs, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 26. The program was started partly because teens say medications are easily obtained in their homes — and one in seven teens have reported that they abuse prescription…
YpsiGlow turns Downtown Ypsilanti into an illuminated wonderland
All that glitters is not always gold, but it certainly glows. Returning for its fourth year is YpsiGlow — the free event that turns downtown Ypsilanti into a radiant fantasyland celebrating creativity and community. Produced by the organizers of popular Ann Arbor-based festivals FestiFools and FoolMoon, YpsiGlow invites festival-goers and Ypsilanti businesses to glow up…
Happy Halloweed! Here are some upcoming marijuana-infused Halloween events in Detroit
Rolling joints is still a central experience for cannabis consumers, even though the products available have moved well beyond crumbling dried flowers and wrapping them in paper. Motor City NORML will celebrate this traditional skill during at the Pumpkin Cup Halloween Party on Thursday, Oct. 31 at the Cannabis Counsel offices on East Jefferson Avenue…
The Doggfather, Snoop Dogg, to ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ in Detroit when it’s cold AF
Rapper, wizard of weed, and the original GOAT, Snoop Dogg, is a man of many aliases: Snoop Doggy Dogg, Uncle Snoop, the Doggfather, Snoopy, Snoopzilla, DJ Snoopadelic, Snoop Lion, or even Coach Snoop. Call him what you like, just don’t call him late for 4:20. It was announced Tuesday that the 48-year-old unlikely bestie to…
Pro-Trump websites that look like local Michigan news orgs have appeared — and the rest of the country could be next
Despite President Donald Trump’s routine taunting of the “fake news media,” it seems someone working on behalf of the right wing has created that very thing in Michigan. A network of nearly 40 websites made to look like local Michigan news sites have cropped up in recent weeks, with names like Lansing Sun, Ann Arbor…
Detroit’s Motown A-Go-Go celebrates 60 years of Motown with star-studded 5-night event
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Motown — the musical institution that changed the world. While Detroit has been celebrating this milestone anniversary all year long, it is the five-day Motown A-Go-Go event that is the most jam-packed, star-studded of them all. The event kicks-off on Wednesday with a welcome party at the Hotel…
Audio: Warren Mayor Fouts said he wants to ‘shoot’ former chief of staff ‘through the fucking head’
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said in a disturbing new audio recording that he wanted to shoot his former chief of staff “through the fucking head.” “I’d like to take a 2×4, and I’d like to beat the fucking shit out of him,” Fouts said of longtime friend and supporter Henry Krzystowczyk. “I’d like to take…
When can we finally buy recreational marijuana in Michigan?
Last year, after the vote to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana in Michigan was certified, people lined up outside provisioning centers with the expectation that they would be allowed to buy some in those locations — only to find that a state medical certification was still required. Nearly a year later, folks are still wondering when…
3 top Duggan officials schemed to erase emails to hide city’s ties to a nonprofit, IG finds
Mayor Mike Duggan’s chief of staff Alexis Wiley and two other top city officials ordered public employees to delete emails related to the nonprofit Make Your Date, according to a scathing report by the Detroit Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Intentionally destroying public records is a crime punishable by up to two years in…
Detroiters get the worst sleep in the US, report finds
A new report identified Detroit as the city where people get the worst sleep — and the poverty rate might be partly why. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep a day — but the study, commissioned by Amerisleep, found that 50.1 percent of Detroiters sleep less…
Founders Brewing manager claims he didn’t know Black employee is Black
Tracy Evans is Black. That’s a simple, indisputable fact. He confirms he is. As we previously reported, the former Founders employee’s race is at the center of a contentious racial discrimination lawsuit that he filed in federal court last year against the Grand Rapids-based brewer. Evans, a former manager who worked at Founders’ Detroit and…
‘Zombieland 2: Double Tap’ sticks to its guns
The last time we visited Zombieland was in 2009. At the time, the movie captured pop culture attention with a fresh take on a genre we’d seen a thousand times before. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) represented the millions of us who have all thought about how we would survive the zombie apocalypse. After all the movies,…
‘Gemini Man’ is double trouble
If I met my younger self, I’d want to slap him — a sentiment I assume to be relatable, but one that doesn’t play out in Gemini Man. Here, the dynamic’s inverted: Will Smith plays Henry Brogan, whose 23-year-old clone (usually called “Junior”) is dispatched to off Senior within days of the older’s retirement as…
Expunging marijuana convictions would be easy under new Michigan bill
Nearly a year after Michigan voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana, residents with pot-related convictions still have no recourse to clear their criminal records. That would change under a bipartisan bill, introduced this week by state Reps. Isaac Robinson and Jewell Jones, that is aimed at providing a fresh start for up to 235,000…
Michigan AG and WMU Cooley Law School receive $1M in federal grants to review 600 claims of innocence from convicts
The Michigan Department of Attorney General and Western Michigan University Cooley Law School are partnering to receive over $1 million in federal grants that will be used to help them review 600 claims of innocence from people after they are convicted. The Postconviction Testing of DNA Evidence grant provided the Michigan Department of Attorney General…
Michigan’s creepy Eloise asylum is now open for tours, could become a paranormal-themed hotel
Once the nation’s largest psychiatric asylum and long an abandoned playground for urban explorers since it closed in 1981, Westland’s hulking Eloise Psychiatric Hospital is open to the public this Halloween season. Owner John Hambrick, whose development company acquired the building last year, says it was the path of least resistance. “I’ve a heck of…
A new fried chicken restaurant is coming to Detroit’s Fort Street Galley
Things are switching up again at Detroit’s Fort Street Galley, when a new fried-chicken concept called Which Came First (as in the chicken or the egg) opens on Friday, Oct. 25. It’s the latest from chef Phill Milton, who also helms Fort Street Galley’s American comfort food concept Table. Which Came First is a sort of…
Art on Tap: Beer, Bourbon, BBQ returns to Flint Institute of Arts
How about art, booze, and barbecue? The 12th Annual Art on Tap: Beer, Bourbon, BBQ event offers a selection of craft beers and bourbons under two large enclosed tents with blues performed by the Reichlin Small Group. There will also be a vintage camper photo booth from Gypsy Girls Caravan, art demonstrations, games, a barbecue…
A Detroit Symphony Orchestra ensemble will perform music inspired by Scott Hocking’s ‘Barnboat’
Curated by Steve Panton, who helms Essay’d, a publication of essays about contemporary Detroit artists, Art @ the Max VI brings those works to life with an art exhibition and a musical performance. Thursday’s opening reception features work by Ash Arder, Rose DeSloover, Megan Heeres, Scott Hocking, Mel Rosas, David Rubello, Robert Sestok, and Graem…
State Senate finalizes plan to raise the age of legal adulthood in court system
A new bipartisan plan to raise the legal age of adulthood in the Michigan court system was finalized by the Senate on Wednesday. The “Raise the Age” plan would formally recognize 17-year-olds as minors in most cases — specifically in cases of adjudication and prosecution of criminal offenses. However, 17-year-olds could still be treated as…
The Morrie in Birmingham has a new brunch menu
Birmingham brunchers have something new to be excited about. The Morrie, which opened a downtown Birmingham location just this past summer, now has an extensive brunch menu that is up and running. The menu includes starters, sandwiches, flatbreads, soups, classic brunch items, and sides, as well as specialty brunch cocktails. Starters include loaded tater tots,…
Gov. Whitmer delivers Trumpian response after judge halts nicotine vaping ban
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s unilateral ban on flavored nicotine vaping products would still be in effect if not for that pesky judicial branch. A Michigan Court of Claims judge temporarily halted the ban on Tuesday after vape shops filed lawsuits arguing the governor overstepped her authority last month by bypassing public hearings and legislative approval. Angry…
Don Giovanni, the original fuccboi, kicks off Michigan Opera Theatre’s season
Think of Don Giovanni as the original fuccboi — a womanizer whose pursuit of sex eventually lands him in trouble. Though the tale of Giovanni exists in many forms (it was adapted to the modern day in the 2013 film Don Jon starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who also served as writer and director), arguably the most…
How Big Thief stole from soundscapes for two singular, stunning records in one year
Big Thief lead guitarist Buck Meek has always had an intimate relationship with place. Not so much in a “home is where the heart is” sense, but in terms of the power a place has to shape sound. Growing up in Wimberley, Texas, Meek fell under the wings of blues guitarists and jazz savants like…
Savage Love: My boyfriend is still attracted to other people — should I end the relationship?
I’m a Seattle local who basically grew up reading your column. I think you’ve always given really sound advice, so I’m reaching out. My boyfriend and I have been together for two years. We started out poly, but I was clear from the start that when I fall in love with someone, I lose all…
Michigan still focused on nicotine vaping despite deadly lung illness linked to tainted marijuana
As mounting evidence shows that a deadly lung illness outbreak appears to be primarily linked to vaping tainted marijuana, Michigan health officials remain narrowly focused on flavored nicotine products after becoming the first state to ban them. Although no product or substance has been identified as the main culprit of the outbreak, in most cases…
Should you grow marijuana indoors or outside?
Shortly after the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act was passed in 2008 — that seems like such a long time ago as we approach 2020 — I heard a grower boast that his indoor grow could produce better stuff than any outdoor garden. At the moment, my thought was that you can’t beat Mother Nature. However,…
Horoscopes (Oct. 16-22)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20: Having too many options, or being plagued by too many expectations, and even more on your plate, it would be wise to tone things down. Everything needs to take a back seat to something that matters more than anything. Whatever that means to you, it’s time to get real…
Detroit synth duo Torus Eyes look within for debut EP
In Greek mythology, it was the Greek priestess Pythia who served as the Oracle to Apollo and overseer to Delphi — a holy sanctuary. In order to channel the word of the god Apollo, a goat must be sacrificed and Pythia would bathe in the Castalian Spring before being lowered into a chamber far beneath…
Like Charles Aycock, Trump wants to rule by force, by fraud, or by law
“There are three ways in which we may rule,” Charles Aycock, the then-soon-to-be governor of North Carolina, told his supporters in 1900. “By force, by fraud, or by law. We have ruled by force, we can rule by fraud, but we want to rule by law.” Aycock was rallying his fellow white supremacists not only…
This could be your last chance to try Detroit-style pizza purveyor Michigan & Trumbull for a while
To eat Detroit-style pizza at Fort Street Galley, with its clever bar, get there by Nov. 24. After that, Michigan & Trumbull owners Kristen Calverley and Nate Peck will be moving out of the incubator to their own place in Corktown, 1441 W. Elizabeth St. It’s very, very close to the pizzeria’s namesake intersection. Michigan…
