‘Batman v Superman’ stars hang out with Michigan’s Organization for Bat Conservation
Zack Snyder, Ben Affleck, and Amy Adams apparently took a break from filming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in Detroit to hang out with Rob Mies of the Bloomfield Hills-based Organization for Bat Conservation, filming a PSA for National Save the Bats Week. In the video, the stars learn about the importance of bats…
MT readers: Let’s see those Halloween costumes!
Halloween is almost here, so you’d better have your costume ready. What are you being this year? Send your photos to halloween@metrotimes.com, with your name and city of residence, for a chance to be featured on MT. Below, check out MT readers Ryan and Kelly of Dearborn, who went as artistic genius Vincent van Gogh…
Side Dish: What’s poppin’ this week in dining and drinking
What’s on in food and drink this week.
New metro Detroit-based company gives men a monthly gift
Gentleman’s Box is a new metro Detroit based company. Co-founders John Haji and Chris George’s brainchild is a monthly subscription service that will cater to today’s “modern gentleman.” Boxes will contain four to five items along with an issue of GQ magazine. Subscribers can expect anything from a bow tie to socks to aftershave to…
News Hits: Individuals from Big 3, auto dealers contribute $275,000 to Snyder campaign
We’re not exactly auto buffs at News Hits HQ — but the backlash against the so-called Anti-Tesla bill in Michigan last week caught our attention. The brouhaha started when Republican Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill that effectively banned Tesla Motors from selling its electric cars in Michigan through its direct-sales model. Tesla, you see,…
News Hits: There are other candidates running for office besides Democrats and Republicans
Only a fraction of those who can vote actually turn out to the polls on Election Day; those who do likely don’t even realize there are more candidates on the ballot besides the Republican and Democratic candidates until they arrive at their voting precinct. Whatever the reason may be — the media, perhaps? — the…
American Authors are playing a free set inside TAP at MGM today
Might want to rearrange your lunch plans today: American Authors are playing a free set inside TAP at MGM at 1 p.m. They’ll play around five songs (their biggest hits, of course, including “Best Day of My Life”) and there will be a special meet and greet after their set. The show is free and…
Here’s a handy map on the USA’s Guinness World Records
Check out this handy map by Estately, a national real estate search site, on our country’s Guinness World Records. Michigan holds a number of records including biggest rubber chicken toss, largest sandwich, longest fingernails (as noted on the map, this is super yuck), tallest dog AND tallest man ever. Man, Michigan is a weird place.…
Panel to discuss upcoming election over beer
Next week, a slim margin of those who can actually vote will choose Michigan’s next governor, a U.S. congressman, and whether they want the state to allow a wolf hunt. Besides that, there’s a number of important local races up for grabs. There’s a lot to digest, but don’t fret: If you’re free tomorrow evening,…
Motown the Musical, opening night
Jim McFarlin takes us behind the scenes at the Fisher Theatre on opening night of Berry Gordy’s “Motown the Musical.”
Report: Taxi rates in Detroit could increase
The Detroit Free Press today dove into the world of Detroit cab options, focusing on the different regulations guiding cab services and new smartphone-driven options like Uber and Lyft. The effort stems from a decision to prevent Uber and Lyft from charging higher rates, reports the Freep’s JC Reindl The result could be pricier meter rates,…
The Nain Rouge gets a graphic novel and a movie
The Nain Rouge, Detroit’s mythical red dwarf, known for being a harbinger for unfortunate events, is finally getting the real attention he deserves. The 300-year-old legend will be further immortalized by a graphic novel and a short film. The Nain Rouge Graphic Novel was created by Josef Bastian and Carl Winans and is based on…
Embarrassing typo in Snyder mailer
“Copy editors? We don’t need any stinking copy editors! We’re the Michigan Republican Party!”
Slow Roll season ends with a special Halloween edition
As the weather gets increasingly colder (excluding yesterday’s delicious 70-degree day), Slow Roll is winding down for the season, but not before it celebrates All Hallow’s Eve with a costumed ride, a contest, and the chance to win a brand new New Belgium cruiser by Felt. Meet at 6 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Hall on…
Expo will explain job opportunities at new Red Wings arena
The owner of the Detroit Red Wings will host a career expo this week to explain job opportunities for Detroit residents at the team’s new arena, which broke ground last month. Olympia Development of Michigan (ODM), the real estate arm of Red Wings owner Ilitch Holdings Inc. will hold the expo on Tuesday Oct. 28,…
The Great Pumpkin Bake-Off at Detroit Farm and Garden this Sunday
On October 26 (that’s tomorrow!) Detroit Farm and Garden is hosting a pumpkin bake-off from 1-4pm. Bakers will compete for the Golden Pumpkin Award and a Detroit Farm and Garden gift certificate. You still have time to register! Call 313-655-2344 or just show up before the tasting begins at 2pm. Prepare enough pumpkin baked good…
Metro Times blows it, apologies to ICP
We goofed on this week’s story about ICP.
Ben Miller’s Interstellar Overdrive
If you haven’t heard yet, Ben Miller – a very talented and creative Ann Arbor-born musician who, over the course of the last 45 years (!), has played in several legendary “local” bands, including Sproton Layer, Destroy All Monsters, and Nonfiction – has moved back in Michigan.
Neighborhood group eyes $3 million bundle sale warily
Wayne County auctioned a bundle of 6,350 properties and found a buyer willing to pay $3,183,500 for all of them. No word on who the party is, or what their plans for all these properties are. Sources say that roughly 1,000 of them are considered valuable.
Detroit budget department invites public to offer comment at meeting
The City of Detroit’s budget department will host a public meeting next week to let residents comment on aspects of the city’s budget. Representatives from a number of departments will be present at the meeting, including public works, fire, health, police, public lighting, recreation, and the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department. The department has also…
Miguel Cabrera undergoes offseason ankle surgery
Detroit first baseman and two-time American League MVP Miguel Cabrera is on the mend after offseason ankle surgery.
Slow’s BBQ to open Grand Rapids location next year
Detroit’s own Slows BBQ announced this week its plans to expand into Grand Rapids next year. This is the restaurant’s first expansion outside of Detroit. The Grand Rapids joint will make its home in the Downtown Market district, and will feature a menu similar to the Detroit location, including fan favorite menu items such as brisket, ribs, pulled…
USA Today names Detroit one of America’s best riverfronts
#155085298 / gettyimages.com Readers of USA Today recently voted Detroit as one of the top 10 riverfronts in the nation, and we must say, we do agree with the results. Via USA Today: The riverfront redevelopment in Detroit, a city with 14 miles of of shoreline along the Detroit river, is one of the city’s…
Curt Guyette on MyTV20 this Sunday
Curt Guyette will be on MyTV20’s “Detroit Wants 2 Know” this Sunday, Oct. 26, at 10:30 a.m. to talk about how the Education Achievement Authority (EAA) takes advantage of Detroit’s most vulnerable kids. You can also watch him online at http://www.stevehoodusa.com/.
The problem with Detroit: Too many poor homeowners
Seems there was a time, not so long ago, when help was on the way for Detroit’s underwater homeowners.
Obama to campaign Nov. 1 for Schauer, Peters
President Barack Obama will campaign in Michigan for U.S. Senate candidate Gary Peters and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Schauer on Nov. 1, the Michigan Democratic Party confirmed today. Immediate details of the campaign stop were not available. Lon Johnson, Michigan Democratic Party chairman, said Peters and Schauer have “proven track records of fighting for good…
Livonia native Judy Greer on films, TV, and her new book
Livonia native Judy Greer has been nigh-ubiquitous in 2014. She did voiceover work for animated spy spoof “Archer,” played an ape in this summer’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” and even penned her autobiography “I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star.”
Detroit to witness solar eclipse tonight
Much of North America will be treated to a partial solar eclipse at sunset tonight.
Willy’s welcomes Craine&Love tonight
Willy’s, sister store to Shinola, will welcome Craine&Love designer Carol Craine this evening with a special truck show. The local company produces classic, essential wardrobe staples for both men and women. Craine will be on-hand, with her pattern maker and sample sewers (who are based out of Michigan as well) in tow, to discuss the…
D-MAN Foundation to host benefit this weekend
Just because your body is shattered doesn’t mean your dreams have to be. There still can be music in your soul. That’s the driving principle behind the D-MAN Music Therapy Studio in Berkley, a barrier-free, fully accessible recording studio believed to be the only one of its kind in America. Using adaptive audio technology, wheelchair-bound…
I-75 bridge demolition in Detroit to begin Friday
Plan a few extra minutes for your commute this weekend: A section I-75 between I-375 and the Lodge will be closed this weekend so M-1 Rail construction crews can demolish a portion of the Woodward Avenue freeway overpass in Detroit. The closure will begin at 9 p.m. Friday, when crews will demolish the southbound lanes…
Atlantic: Disquieting Undertones to Detroit’s Foreclosure Problems
A very intelligent piece in the Atlantic this week breaks down the problems in the Detroit area in a way few local news outlets could.
Another promoted post about Michigan on Buzzfeed
This one is about things that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Michigan. Although it would probably be better titled, “Things That Wouldn’t Exist If It Weren’t For These People and Companies who happened to be in Michigan At The Time.” Nonetheless, it’s interesting. Check it out here.
Fortune Magazine: Detroit is a great place for female entrepreneurs
Fortune released a story today about what an awesome place Detroit is for female entrepreneurs. In it they mentioned El Dorado General Store, a new Corktown boutique that’s owned and operated by Erin Gavle. We like Gavle and her store (a lot), but we were sad the article didn’t mention other, longer-standing businesses like Tulani…
Show Review: Tune-yards get childishly primal at the Crofoot
If there is one way Merrill Garbus makes her existence known to the world, it’s through the pounding of her drums. At least, that’s where it starts. There’s also loop machines, layers of voices (sometimes out and out screams) all declaring with childlike stubbornness her right to be on this earth. On Tuesday night, she…
What’s the most famous movie set in Michigan?
Well, this is kind of a let down. Apparently, the movie Michigan is best known for is American Pie, the raunchy 1990s “comedy” about two high schoolers who make it their mission to get laid on prom night. Granted, the movie’s writer Adam Hertz grew up in Grand Rapids and did base parts of the…
Grant available for photographers documenting human rights and social justice issues
The Open Society Institute is offering a grant to photographers, professional and emerging, to document human rights and social justice issues for their 2015 Moving Walls exhibit in NYC. From their website: We are particularly interested in work that provides a fresh perspective and expands the visual language of documentary photography. Therefore, we invite photographers…
John Varvatos comes “changing the complexion” of Detroit
John Varvatos, the luxury designer perhaps best known for turning legendary NYC-punk club CBGB into a high-end men’s shop where a scarf can run you $498, has decided to open a 4,000 square foot retail space in Detroit. According to the Freep: He says it’s “much more than a business opportunity. It is also about…
Northern Lights Lounge turns 10!
Detroit’s Northern Lights Lounge is a decade old and to celebrate those 10 years in business, they’re throwing a weekend-long shindig with good food, craft beer, campfires, and more. Events will have a decidedly “harvestfest feel.” The weekend beings with an indoor/outdoor party on Friday night with DJ sets by Kevin Reynolds, Sherif, Super Dre, John…
Hamtramck, Highland Park turn to “blexting” technology to address blight
Last winter hundreds of surveyors used blight texting or “blexting” to better understand what government leaders in the city could not, that is, to assess the conditions of the nearly 375,000 parcels spread across Detroit’s 140-square-miles. The mobile technology received national attention for its unconventional method of addressing one of the city’s biggest challenges, with…
Johnny Noodle King serves up its own twist on the ramen craze
After many moons of preparation and anticipation, the noodle shop under the Ambassador Bridge is finally open, and Detroiters can at last slurp to their heart’s delight. Brought to you by Jacques Driscoll and chef Les Molnar of Green Dot Stables, Johnny Noodle King’s name pays homage to the restaurant’s former incarnation, Johnny Ham King.…
Face Time: John E.L. Tenney talks being a skeptic in matters of all things occult
John E. L. Tenney is a fascinating human being. He’s spent the past 27 years researching everything from Bigfoot to haunted houses to aliens. The Royal Oak native hosts a local series called Weird Lectures and is something of an expert on the folklore of regional hauntings. He’s deeply interested in all things occult, but…
The Insane Clown Posse celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hallowicked
We tentatively pull up to an unassuming building in Farmington Hills, unsure if we’ve arrived at the right place. The address is right, but we were kind of imagining it to be a bit more … Juggalo. Nothing about the exterior of this sleepy, suburban office building leads us to believe that this is the…
Deroit rapper Will See is set to edutain
Will See is in full boxing mode. He’s fighting the perception of being an older cat in the rap game, and he’s battling to show he’s more than just a conscious rapper. “My first album was my entrance into activism culture,” he says. “This album will be my entrance into hip-hop culture.” Born William Copeland,…
A short and spooky list of metro Detroit’s most haunted places
Majestic | Legend has it that Harry Houdini gave his last performance here (or was it the Garrick Theatre?) before dying at Grace Hospital in Detroit, which is one reason folks think this place is haunted. Rumor has it that strange things started happening in the basement below the theater shortly following his death. Workers…
Black Milk talks new record, ‘If There’s a Hell Below’
Black Milk’s roots are firmly planted in the Detroit underground hip-hop scene. Cutting his teeth with artists like Slum Village and the late, great J Dilla helped develop Milk’s musical palette. He approaches hip-hop with soul, both metaphorically, as evidenced in his lyrical content, and literally, as it’s an obvious influence on his sound. In…
Film Review: Birdman
Birdman / B- Director Alejandro González Iñárritu made a big splash in 2001 with his energetic debut, Amores Perros, a slickly schematic thriller that owed more than a little to the films of Quentin Tarantino. Since then, the Mexican filmmaker’s globe-trotting, multi-plotted films — Babel, 21 Grams, Biutiful — have become a lot less lively…
Five of Detroit’s most interesting cemeteries
There’s a point in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye where Holden Caulfield says this about cemeteries: “I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddamn cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on…
Politics and Prejudices: The campaign we should have had
How Michigan gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Metro Detroit’s spookiest haunted houses and other attractions
MACOMB The Fear Factory | “The fear only stops when your heart does,” reads the tagline on the Fear Factory’s website, and while that would sound like empty rhetoric coming from any other haunted house, the video on their website suggests otherwise. As a five-star rated haunted house — er, factory — with an added…
Raise the Bar: Hit the sauce and get spooked at The Whitney’s Ghost Bar
The historic aesthetic isn’t feigned at the Whitney. The space wasn’t designed to recall the architectural trends of past eras. It was built in 1894. It is the past. Thomas Edison installed some of the light fixtures himself. The windows are Tiffany glass. The staircase is grand. The rooms are many. It is refined and…
Bassnectar Brings his uniquely ‘Immersive’ show to the Masonic Temple
Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton) clearly remembers his first rave. It took place in what he describes as a “random warehouse” in San Francisco in 1995. He went with the guys in his band and they all wore death metal shirts because that was they were into at the time. Makes sense. Bay Area natives Metallica would’ve…
Ask a Juggalo: How is it possible to not be a “hound dog”?
Q: How is it possible to not be a “hound dog”? Sure, you don’t want to be riding their nuts, but ICP are idols. How can you not be a hound dog just a little when you first meet them and want an autograph? A: First of all, what Juggalos consider to be a “hound…
MT’s 2014 Detroit Halloween party guide
Metro Detroiters love a good party. And when it comes to Halloween, we can’t be beat. So we rounded up a selection of some of the best Halloween-themed shindigs that are going down from now until November 1. From costume contests to zombie runs to masquerades to Nosferatu screenings, there’s surely something for everyone. friday…
Album Review: Scott Walker and Sunn O craft dark, cinematic ‘Soused’
When it was announced that Scott Walker and Sunn O would be collaborating on an album, music nerds around the world scratched their heads and said, “This should be interesting.” At first glance, the two names might look strange next to each other, but when you hear what they’ve done, it quickly becomes clear that…
Metro Detroit’s creepiest urban legends
Sleeping Bear’s Daughter on Belle Isle Park near the bridge at Tanglewood Drive, turn your engine off, and honk your horn three times. If you’re lucky, a lady wearing all white will appear, beckoning you to follow her. Tennis Player in Indian Village A man dressed in tennis attire holding a racket is said to be…
All Dolled Up: Stephanie O’Connor lives for Halloween
By day, sassy Stephanie O’Connor works as a Detroit-based marketing maven, but in her spare time she loves working on her Halloween costumes, which she practically spends all year preparing. This year she attended Theatre Bizarre as Lady Baphomet, a costume she says was inspired by 12 years of Catholic schooling. “I’m hardly a good…
The Halloween Issue
MT’s 2014 Detroit Halloween party guide The Insane Clown Posse celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hallowicked A short and spooky list of metro Detroit’s most haunted places Five of Detroit’s most interesting cemeteries Metro Detroit’s spookiest haunted houses and other attractions Metro Detroit’s creepiest urban legends
Detail: Be a jackass with this donkey mask from Lynch’s
Want to be a real ass for Halloween? Pick up this full face donkey mask at Lynch’s. At just 8 bucks, it’s a real steal, although you can probably make yourself look like a jackass for free. This mask comes replete with an elastic band in the back, just like on the ones you used…
Side Dish: Fall-themed events from the Bird & the Bread, Kuhnhenn Brewing Co., and more
Halloween on Old Woodward | One of the newest spots in metro Detroit, Birmingham’s the Bird & the Bread, will host its very first fall-themed event next week with Beer, Fire and Brimstone. Craft beer fans will find a selection of rare must-taste seasonal brews by such Michigan breweries as Kuhnhenn and Dark Horse Brewery,…
‘Dear White People’ proves cinema is starved for socially relevant comedy
Dear White People | B+ It’s sad to think that in the quarter century since Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing came out, Hollywood has done little to advance the conversation of race that his bold, angry, and startlingly funny film started back in 1989. For a brief moment, John Singleton (Boyz n the Hood)…
Retail: Lynch’s in Dearborn keeps the spirit of Halloween alive all year round
Lynch’s is a fun place; there’s no two ways about it. Mention this store and, undoubtedly, someone will have gone here for a childhood full of dance recital tights. Or maybe they lusted after a rentable costume head. Or perhaps they donned the store’s Raggedy Ann getup a time or two. Lynch’s bills itself as…
Food Focus: Friends Potato Chips are more than local — they’re hyper-local
When you think of locally made potato chips, the first thing that comes to mind is probably Better Made, right? And sure, they’re local. And sure, they’re great. But what about something more local? What about something hyper-local? Friends Potato Chips are hyper-local. Three people work to craft each small batch. Three people package and…
Drink Up
Motor City Brewing Works: Motor City Brewing Works turned 20 this year, making them the city’s oldest brewery. In their location across from Traffic Jam & Snug on West Canfield in Midtown they make unfiltered, unpasteurized, ultra-fresh beers. The brewery itself was built with scrap materials and equipment salvaged from Detroit’s industrial era. Basically, they were…
Savage Love: Rings and things
Q: I’m a twentysomething married trans guy in an openish marriage. In the online hunt for a guy to have some aboveboard, under-the-sheets fun with, I run into snags because I’m trans (I disclose on my profile) and because I’m married. I’m baby-stepping my way toward an offline search for guys, going to events hosted…
Burger Quest: American and Middle Eastern cuisines collide with M&M Cafe’s ‘Maurice Burger’
Normally, we think of the hamburger-fry combo as “American food.” And why not? Though the hamburger’s origins are shrouded in the mists of time, no other place has adopted the burger as a pillar of its national cuisine quite like we have in North America. But some very interesting things begin to happen when you…
Hot Shotz: The Magic Stick’s Amado Guadarrama serves up a ‘Guns of Brixton’
Amado Guadarrama has been serving the Majestic complex for more than a decade now, and he’s been playing in Detroit bands for twice that time. So, if this face is a little familiar to you, that’s the reason why. The Magic Stick bartender plays bass in the Bill Bondsmen and guitar in a brand-new band…
Feedback: MT readers sound off
Priceless art? We received a number of responses to Jack Lessenberry’s Oct. 15 column “Utterly Tone Deaf” about the Detroit Institute of Art’s top executive pay raises. Reader “Harry Palmer” wrote: Maybe Macomb would have shot down the millage, but do you really think Oakland would have passed it if the raises were in the…
Hard times for Showtime during M-1 Rail construction
The months leading up to Halloween are usually the busiest time of year for Showtime, the Midtown clothier that specializes in dressing rock stars (or people who just want to look like rock stars). The store’s wares — which include leather biker jackets, corsets, boots, feather boas, hats, and more — aren’t cheap, but Showtime…
Five O’clock Somewhere: Michigan’s mild summer this year could spell a local wine shortage in a few years
It’s harvest time, so we figured it was an excellent time to put in a call to Linda Jones of the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council to see how our state’s wineries were getting along. Although the harvest just began, Jones let us know that some of the factors playing into our wineries’ productivity…
DDays does the Inner State Gallery show, Willie Horton Day, and more
On the Dot We were tickled pink to get an invitation to a private preview for Tyree Guyton’s Inner State Gallery show on Thursday, the first solo show by the artist in Detroit in five years. The show featured Guyton’s paintings on car hoods, warped and corroded from the recent arsons that have plagued his…
Painter and photographer John Osler has an eye for ‘the real heroes of Detroit’
When you shop at DeVries Cheese in Eastern Market on a Saturday morning, you might have a bit of a wait, or attempt careful maneuvering, to get in. The shop is almost always packed with happy customers all jockeying for a place at the cheese counter, or for a delicious sample. If you’re brave, you…
A hip-hop playlist for the reluctant nerd
Rick Snyder may have made the “nerd” moniker a bit passé, but these songs prove it’s still possible to gleefully embrace the nerdier aspects of our experience. “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit” | Wu-Tang Clan Though now considered a pillar of mainstream hip-hop taste, Wu-Tang’s unabashed incorporation of kung-fu (and other typical basement-dwelling…
Higher Ground: Free the weed!
Marijuana’s stigma sticks to its patients and users like the tar and feathers of days gone by
Folk art on display with DIA’s ‘Day of the Dead’ ofrendas
Most Americans tend to only recognize death at funerals, and typically in a somber way. With its bright colors and sugar skulls, the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) offers an opportunity for people to remember their loved ones by creating altars, or ofrendas, in the memories of the deceased. “It…
Louisville’s Young Widows craft gothic shoegaze
Few bands can truly create a sound that is unique to them. Louisville’s Young Widows are an exception to the rule. Throughout their career, they’ve diverged from their roots as a Jesus Lizard replicant into a band that is actually hard to label. The sound that Young Widows has sculpted is a sort of gothic…
Horoscopes (Oct. 22 – 28)
ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 20): You are on a bit of a roll. It’s got you wondering what it might take to keep it going. For many of you, the issue of keeping it up has everything to do with where your attitude goes from moment to moment. This isn’t news to you, but keeping your…
McClary Bros. Handcrafted Drinking Vinegars add tang to the classic cocktail craze
Believe it or not, there was a time when people enjoyed drinking vinegar. And it wasn’t so long ago either. It’s a story that twists back through the last several centuries, but it’s simpler to say that, in Colonial-era America, vinegar was a component in that day’s refreshing drinks. Why? Because of its preservative qualities.…
A tour of Detroit’s enormous Masonic Temple
It goes without saying that Detroit’s Masonic Temple is a little creepy. It looms above Temple Street in a not-so-great part of town, and attached to it is a rumor or two that the place is haunted. It’s nearly 90 years old and a remarkable 550,000 square feet. It has 1,037 rooms, as its staff…
