Cover Stories
Meet the people who reduce you to a quivering hump of sobbing fear
Every October, the scare business cranks up again in metro Detroit, with dozens of haunted attractions all over the region. It says something about our area that so many people will fork over money year after year to get the crap scared out of them in a horror-oriented environment, to be confronted with their worst…
Port Huron ‘hell house’ mixes fright and faith with questionable results
I found myself holding the hand of a 13-year-old girl in a pitch-black corridor awaiting entrance into the House of Judgment, an evangelical haunted attraction called a “hell house” that aims to “scare people for Jesus.” By all appearances this is your typical small-town haunted house, featuring the sounds of shrieking women, enough strobe lights…
FIRST LOOK: We ate at Detroit’s very first Applebee’s so you don’t have to
Detroit gets its first Applebee’s. Is that really a good thing?
Art critic coming to Detroit says she will review anyone’s work
Lori Waxman is an art critic for the Chicago Tribune. For the past decade, she’s helmed a project called the “60 wrd/min art critic,” a Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant Program-funded event in which Waxman travels to different cities, sets up an office, and doles out live reviews. In 20 minutes, Waxman will assess the work of…
Oh my God people, shut up about DeJ Loaf’s sexuality
Surely DeJ’s sexual orientation is by far the least interesting aspect about her — especially since she’s obviously uninterested in talking about it.
How far will a charter school go to stop a staff from unionizing?
Brooke Harris can still remember the excitement she felt back in the spring of 2013 when Detroit’s University YES Academy got in touch for a job interview. Coming from a notoriously dysfunctional EAA school — Mumford High — Harris was thrilled when she heard the northwest middle school was looking to start an elementary and high school. While…
ADVISORY: Officials ask consumers to dispose of possibly contaminated apple cider
Bad news for cider fans.
Photo of the day: Mustang lands on Michigan rooftop
The driver apparently emerged mostly unscathed.
Bevlove drops a new track; how is this awesome local singer still unsigned?
It’s described on Soundcloud as “float away with these easy riding melodies. the age old tale of wanting what you can’t have! ‘obsession’ is a playful seduction. produced by DonnieTAUT.”
ACLU calls out Birmingham movie theater for prohibiting minors
Michigan’s ACLU sent a letter today urging Emagine CEO Paul Glantz to revoke Birmingham’s Emagine Palladium policy regarding minors.
Cause of death of concertgoer found near Dequindre Cut ruled suicide, officials say
According to posts circulated by friends and family on Facebook, Kramarczyk had no phone, no money, and was not familiar with the city.
REI won’t be open on Black Friday, encourages metro Detroiters to #optoutside
Outdoor apparel retailer REI announced this week its closing its doors on Black Friday in an unprecedented act of big box rebellion against American consumerism. “Any retailer that hears this will be startled by the idea,” REI President and CEO Jerry Stritzke said in a statement to USA Today. “As a co-op … we define success…
Blighted neighborhood to be transformed into urban farm, providing jobs for ex-convicts, produce for high-end restaurants
The idea is to reclaim a Detroit neighborhood, produce for farm-to-table restaurants and jobs for the chronically unemployed.
Why Detroit’s medical marijuana ordinance gets it wrong
If you listened to the rhetoric of Detroit City Councilman James Tate over the last year or so, you’d think he was going to help create a legal framework for medical marijuana dispensaries. But after examining the language in the ordinance passed by Detroit City Council this month, many boosters of medical marijuana are wondering…
Third Man’s Instagram account handed to Wolf Eyes over weekend; they allegedly lose 1K followers
Check it out; this is hilarious.
WTF?: Study claims Detroit among worst cities for Halloween
According to a study, Detroit is 98th on a list of 100 of America’s “Best and Worst Cities for Halloween.” Like a lot of these “studies,” this one is total crap. It’s from WalletHub, based upon an arbitrary list of factors, ranging from crime rate to percentage of children 14 and under. Other considerations included…
No, Donald Trump didn’t convince Ford to move production from Mexico to Ohio
In true political fashion, Trump’s claims lack specifics. What the heck is he talking about here?
Event preview: Filming for Allee Willis’ ode to Detroit at DIA today, Mon. Oct. 26, at 1 p.m.
Feel like taking a long lunch break today? Why not head over to DIA to participate in noted singer-songwriter Allee Willis (writer of “September” and “Boogie Wonderland,”among others) as she films a whole huge crowd singing her ode to the city, “The D,” in front of the Diego Rivera murals? Their aim is to get as many…
This video will make you want to drop everything and go to Belle Isle
Sure, we love taking trips to Belle Isle — the paddle boarding! The aquarium! The parks! — but this video, recently uploaded to YouTube by user project18726, captures the beauty and opportunity of our fair island park in a whole new light. Give it a watch, and tell us you don’t want to play hooky today and…
Burn Rubber Detroit collaborates with Puma for a shoe dedicated to Michigan Central Station
Burn Rubber collaborates with Puma
Metro Detroit man had no idea the garage attached to his house wasn’t actually his until it was auctioned off
A metro Detroit man received surprising news last week: the garage attached to his house wasn’t his and it had just been auctioned off. Fox 2 Detroit reports that Westland, Michigan’s Aaron Dehetre bought a three bedroom, two bathroom home with an attached garage seven years ago and has quietly and consistently been paying off his…
Update: Meijer agrees to pull ‘Detroit vs. Everybody’ rip-offs
Following social media criticism, Meijer has has agreed to stop selling knockoff “Detroit vs. Everybody” shirts.
A Livonia woman needs your help identifying the man who keeps stealing her Halloween decorations
A Livonia woman has been given all tricks and no treats this Halloween season after holiday decorations were stolen right off her porch, twice. Now, she’s looking for the man she caught on camera taking over $400 worth of decorations between his two separate visits. Livonia’s Adriana Mraz provided My Fox Detroit with footage from the…
Detroit Dog Rescue plans to take on more DAC dogs
DDR will take on more DAC dogs.
Show preview: Shannon and the Clams tonight, Oct. 23, at UFO Factory
One of the smartest bands in the world these days has to be Shannon and the Clams, who perform tonight at UFO Factory in Corktown with three other great bands.
Community meeting called to address the future of Navin Field, site of historic Tiger Stadium
How much longer will you be able to walk your dog on real grass at Navin Field?
Charlie LeDuff and Mayor Duggan duke it out on Let It Rip
Last night journalist — and official thorn in Mayor Duggan’s side — Charlie LeDuff joined the mayor on Fox’s Let It Rip. The goal of the evening? Figure out what’s up with the rising price in demolitions in the city.
Meijer deal allows Detroit’s Hacienda Mexican Foods to expand
Michigan-based grocery store chain Meijer has expanded its distribution deal with Detroit’s Hacienda Mexican Foods, allowing the family-owned tortilleria to expand its operations in Detroit. Lydia Gutierrez, who started Hacienda Mexican Foods with her late husband in the early 1990s, says that the new deal has doubled her business, and she can hire 40 additional workers…
Detroit man allegedly rapped murder confession
Life imitating art imitating life?
Michigan native Ernie Hudson to host ‘Ghostbusters’ screenings around metro Detroit next weekend
Actor Ernie Hudson is returning to his home state to kick off Halloween weekend with three screenings of the 1984 classic Ghostbusters. According to a press release, the Benton, MI native will make stops at Emagine theaters in Rochester Hills (Oct. 30), Royal Oak (Oct. 31), and Canton (Nov. 1) for a meet and greet,…
Detroit Chef Diet: Kate Williams’ food motto, #spreadthatshitontoast
Inside the mind (and stomach) of Detroit Chef Kate Williams.
The world’s greatest music video is now 30 years old
This steamy Internet classic is taken from the Village People’s ninth and final studio album. We’re a bit curious as to why there haven’t been 20 essays about its anniversary this year.
UPDATED: Domino’s new delivery fleet design with your pizza’s safety in mind
Talk about special delivery.
The problem with the latest road-funding bill
We hear that our solons in Lansing have come up with a road funding bill that passed the House of Representatives. It’s a project that state legislators have been hashing out for what seems like forever now, while taxpayers have been fed up with the quality of roads. According to an EPIC/MRA poll taken in…
Need perking up? Try John Lee Hooker’s 1966 LP for Impulse, ‘It Serve You Right to Suffer’
Hooker made so many solid records, well into the 1970s, that it can be awful hard to keep track of them. Today we celebrate the longtime Detroiter’s 50 year-old recording for Impulse.
Source of last night’s ‘mystery fireworks’ discovered
We now know who shot a ton of fireworks out of a barge in the river.
Michigan State Police win at the Internet with this Back to the Future post
We got a little testy yesterday after we scrolled through the millionth “Back to the Future: What did producers get right and wrong about 2015?” post in our news feed. But then we stumbled upon this gem from the Michigan State Police department. We must say, it made our day: (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs…
EAA coach charged for having inappropriate sexual contact with a teen
A volunteer basketball coach at the Education Achievement Authority’s Henry Ford High School has been formally charged, by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office, for having inappropriate sexual contact with a 15-year old student. According to the Detroit Free Press, Kevin Orr-Matthews, 25, has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Orr-Mathews,…
ACLU calls on DPS to end mass suspensions of high school football teams involved in on-field brawl
“Students belong in classrooms, not on the streets.”
Seven trends in LA dining that need to happen in Detroit
These types of lists float around all over the Internet. And it’s usually topped with obvious fast food chains that the author loved in one place they lived but no longer get in their new home. This is not such a list. We will not tell you that California-based In-N-Out Burger needs to come to…
Signature Tattoo’s annual $20 tattoo anniversary party is this Saturday
Signature Tattoo will ink you up for 20 bucks.
Anti-Muslim political fliers distributed in Hamtramck
Could this flier be related to a similar one that was distributed in Southfield earlier this year?
Al-Qaeda prisoners share cell with Dearborn man, are shocked to learn about U.S. Muslims
A retired Marine who spent 177 days in a Yemen prison says he bonded with his al-Qaeda cellmates by telling them about Dearborn.
Detroit’s Shinola to plant retail flag in Cleveland
Detroit-based purveyor Shinola has inked a deal to bring its luxury goods to Cleveland as part of a new development project in Shaker Heights, Cleveland’s weathy east side suburb. Cleveland.com reports the accessory retailer will anchor a 20,000-square-foot food hall that will house approximately 15 pop-up vendors. “The food hall will function as the social…
FBI subpoenaed bank records and emails in EAA probe
While news of the FBI probe into the Education Achievement Authority, the state run K-12 reform district, may have just come to light, the investigation has been going on for months with bank records and emails subpoenaed last year.
Grab a cup ‘o nitro joe at Joe’s Hamburgers
Coming up on their 6-year anniversary, Joe’s Hamburgers continues to serve up homemade American food with a bubbly new twist. They’ve added nine new taps, six craft beers, and three nitrogen taps. It was on a trip to Traverse City that Jeremy Sladovnik, the owner of Joe’s, discovered nitrogen coffee and knew he had to…
Three excellent new releases from Detroit-based Wolf Eyes, Illa J, and Jr Jr
Wolf Eyes I Am a Problem: Mind in Pieces (Third Man) Wolf Eyes’ new album is the sound of devastation. The new record, their first for Third Man, sounds more carefully considered and focused than many of their 500 releases. Vocalist Nate Young, who founded the band in 1997, describes it as one of their “most…
Drink up
Patrón XO Café 35% ABV Anyone who’s experienced a hellacious Monday morning can appreciate the special treat that is a little tequila in your coffee cup. Maybe the folks at Patrón were thinking of us when they crafted Patrón XO. The low-proof coffee liqueur smells like a fresh cup of Joe with some chocolate and…
Lover’s Lane has metro Detroiters covered this Halloween season
It is often remarked upon that in these modern times Halloween is just an excuse for women to dress up like a sexy version of their favorite farm animal. Sexy cop, sexy pilot, sexy peacock, sexy Freddy Krueger, and sexy Snow White are also popular sexy fright night get-ups. But what’s a girl to do…
O’Samurai is hibachi fun
Way back in the ’80s and ’90s, whenever there was cause for celebration, Benihana was the default restaurant. Something about the artistry of a joke-telling chef wielding a knife and artfully grilling a steak at the teppanyaki table and maybe catching a jumbo shrimp in his hat appealed to the sensibilities of families who aspired…
Politics & Prejudices: Scary Bill Schuette
I’ve been watching Michigan politics for a very long time, and I can’t remember anyone more potentially dangerous than Bill Schuette, our demagogue of an attorney general. Not that we haven’t had a cast of crooks and characters. Yes, there was Kwame Kilpatrick the greedy man-boy mayor, who thought the city of Detroit was his…
Creepy Cheapy invites locals to become rock, rap, and R&B royalty
Halloween in Detroit means multiple shows where members of local bands perform as their favorite groups. Last weekend at PJ’s Lager House, a dozen acts play as the Breeders, Mudhoney, Ween, and more, for “Halloween Cover Show #7.” This coming weekend, Oct. 23 and 24, Pontiackers will be treated to the Crofoot Ballroom’s “Creepy Cheapy…
DIA offers a potent exhibit of African-American artists
The Detroit Institute of Arts has shown plenty of traveling exhibitions organized by other institutions. However, new DIA director Salvador Salort-Pons is explicit about the inimitable flair the institution adds to such exhibitions. “When exhibitions come to Detroit, when they come to the DIA, they change and they are transformed into a DIA vision,” he…
Higher Ground: Playing catch-up
It seems that some Michigan political bodies have finally been pushed to give up their wait-and-see approach to marijuana. The wait-and-see was really more of a stall-and-demure and even an ignore-it-and-maybe-it-will-go-away tactic. But citizen actions have finally forced lawmakers to step up. In Detroit and Lansing legislators are addressing the fact that medical marijuana patients…
Paul McCartney plays Joe Louis Arena on Wed. October 21
Usually when I write show previews, I imagine my audience as curious music fans who don’t know a ton about a great up-and-coming artist, or who are maybe just on the fence whether they want to go out and see a show that week. When I do these, I like to lay out an artist’s…
Run the Jewels plays ROMT on Saturday, Oct. 24
If anyone doubts hip-hop’s place in American history as a true social movement, one needs only to be introduced to the work of one Killer Mike, one half of hip-hop duo Run the Jewels. Killer Mike has been dissecting the question of armed struggle for years (notably on his solo work “Reagan,” and on Run…
A trumpet-themed Edgefest invades Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor Oct. 21-24
It’s that time of the year again — when Ann Arbor hosts the Edgefest music festival, this year celebrating its 19th year with the slogan “Wake-Up Calls from the Edge.” It’s one of the premier national events for avant-garde and improvisational music in the world, and this year sees a special emphasis on the trumpet…
Horoscopes (October 21 – 27)
ARIES (March 21 – April 20): After what seems like a never ending story, you’ve got your head above water and are looking at how to make the best of this. Those close to you are there for it too. The next chapter will be easy or hard, depending on the extent to which money…
Weekly reader responses
Flower power Hamtramck’s Flower House — an art installation by florist Lisa Waud that turned an abandoned house into a tourist attraction — has been making waves in the media lately, being featured in a photographic essay in The New York Times. But some critics have taken an issue with the fact that once the…
