Cover Stories
Wayne Kramer on 50 years of the MC5
In conversation, Wayne Kramer is a gentleman. Not overly warm, but certainly not unfriendly — which might be somewhat surprising considered his band the MC5 famously announced, “It’s time to kick out the jams, motherfuckers!” on one of the most influential rock ‘n’ roll albums of all time. He pauses before answering questions, taking a…
Iggy Pop loves Death Valley Girls and Death Valley Girls will play at Deluxx Fluxx
When you can get Godfather of Punk Iggy Pop to eat a hamburger in your music video for “Disaster (Is What We’re After)” as an obvious homage to Andy Warhol, you’ve probably fucking made it. But Pop, who refers to Los Angeles hell-raisers Death Valley Girls as “a gift to the world,” is by no…
Conan O’Brien goes from desk to stage with stand-up tour at the Fillmore
The most luscious head of hair in comedy is hitting the road for the first time in eight years, and he’s bringing some friends. Conan O’Brien will step away from his TBS late-night desk to bring the roving “Conan & Friends: An Evening of Stand-Up and Investment Tips” to 18 North American cities. The…
Jake Shears from Scissor Sisters goes solo at El Club
Jake Shears cut his teeth as the male lead in the glam rock outfit Scissor Sisters from 2001-2012. But now, Shears is riding the wave of his entrancing memoir Boys Keep Swinging, as well as his New Orleans-inspired self-titled solo debut record that toggles between the disco sounds of the Bee Gees, Roxy Music, and…
The World’s Largest Food Truck Rally rolls through Belle Isle this Sunday
Start your engines — and bring your appetite, as the World’s Largest Food Truck Rally is making a mammoth pit stop at Belle Isle. The free single-day event boasts the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of gourmet food trucks on Earth. Featuring everything from light bites to entrees and desserts hailing from south…
Artist Liz Cohen celebrates cover models of ‘Lowrider’ magazine
Launched in 1977, the San Jose-based Lowrider car enthusiast magazine struggled until it made an editorial decision that clicked: placing beautiful women on its cover alongside the beautiful cars. The magazine continued the tradition until 2015, announcing female models would cease to appear in its photography just one week after Playboy announced its (short-lived) decision…
Champions of Magic will make Detroit debut with lots of tricks up their sleeves
“How the fuck did they do that?” says pretty much everyone who has ever seen British sensation the Champions of Magic, which is making its Detroit debut. But don’t expect rabbit hat-pulling, cheap sleight-of-hand card tricks, or flimsy trapdoor bullshit here. Made up of five world-class illusionists, the magicians of Champions of Magic are true…
Republican money funds Gilbert, Duggan-linked Detroit charter commission candidates
Why are a Republican-leaning organization and corporate interests funding campaigns for Detroit charter commission candidates affiliated with Mayor Mike Duggan and Dan Gilbert? That’s the question some involved with the charter commission race are asking in recent days. The right-leaning Detroit Regional Chamber is funding a disinformation campaign about the race, and supporting slates of…
Madison Heights’ ‘Fourth Reich’ motorcycle club has community members concerned about ties to white nationalism
Some Madison Heights community members are concerned that a local motorcycle club called “Fourth Reich Motorcycle Group” is planning to host an annual kid’s Bike-R-Treat event Tuesday night. A flyer says that the “kid and toddler friendly” event is scheduled as a walk through Madison Heights from 6 to 8 p.m. The “Fourth Reich” was…
Critics argue Proposal 3 would increase likelihood of voter fraud – studies suggest otherwise
A proposal on the ballot next week that would implement sweeping changes to Michigan’s election law has inspired debate over the effectiveness of some of its provisions. The “Promote the Vote” initiative — known on the ballot as Proposal 3 — would amend the state constitution to authorize automatic and Election Day voter registration, no-reason…
Michigan Judge halts shutdown deadline for unlicensed marijuana provisioning centers
The Oct. 31 deadline for unlicensed marijuana provisioning centers to shut down has been extended. Court of Claims Judge Stephen L. Borello issued a temporary restraining order and an order to show cause on Tuesday against the state of Michigan and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The deadline was set by the Michigan Medical…
John Oliver drags Bill Schuette on ‘Last Week Tonight’ for sleazy video from 1989
Bill Schuette’s past came to haunt him earlier this month when an outtake from a video recorded in 1989 showed the Republican candidate for governor making sexually suggestive comments. Although many Michigan voters already caught wind of the video, now Schuette is getting dragged in front of a national audience. Related Schuette’s lip-licking, tie-tightening behavior…
Michigan Central Station embraces Halloween with super cute light show
Ever since Ford Motor Company purchased the long-vacant Michigan Central Station, they’ve been leaning hard on the building’s inherently ominous and spooky exterior. Last month, Ford announced that it would convert the first floor of the train depot into a free one-day-only haunted house event — only to reveal that just 800 tickets will be…
Whitmer holds onto lead over Schuette in two new polls
A recent poll suggested the gap between the two leading candidates for Michigan’s next governor could be narrowing, but two new polls now indicate that could have been an anomaly. Last week, a Detroit Free Press poll found Democrat Gretchen Whitmer would get 46 percent of the vote to Republican Bill Schuette’s 41 percent —…
Caribbean and West African food truck Yum Village plans New Center location
First generation Nigerian chef Godwin Ihentuge will build out a brick and mortar space in New Center for Yum Village, his West African and Caribbean food truck. Related The shop is planned for the former Atomic Chicken location at 6500 Woodward Ave., and will also be home to concepts by two other chefs with whom…
City of Detroit argues police officers have the right to kill unlicensed dogs
Police killings of dogs are so widespread that there’s a name for it: “puppycide.” Detroit police made headlines for killing 54 dogs in 2017, a figure that doubled those killed by Chicago police officers in the same year. According to “destruction of animal” reports, one unidentified Detroit police officer killed more than 80 dogs throughout…
Detroit’s latest abandoned property: Bill Schuette’s campaign office
The door is locked — gated, in fact. Chairs are empty. Cookies have been left uneaten. Poorly drawn poster boards festoon the otherwise barren walls. A message of hope is draped over a shuttered storefront. Next door is an overgrown, barricaded children’s playscape. A stroll past Republican candidate for governor Bill Schuette’s Detroit campaign office…
Obama took aim at Trump for ‘making stuff up’ at Detroit rally
Barack Obama didn’t mince words at a recent Detroit rally at Cass Technical High School. On Friday, the former president campaigned in Michigan on behalf of Democratic candidates ahead of the Nov. 6 election. While standing before a Detroit audience, Obama didn’t miss an opportunity to take cracks at Trump and the rest of the GOP…
Arby’s can’t give enough curly fries away because the Red Wings suck so bad
Detroit might be in danger of losing its “Hockeytown” claim to fame if this keeps up. The Red Wings, who’ve had a piss-poor performance thus far, are dead last in the Atlantic Division and are a strong contender for worst team in the league with their pitiful 2-7 record. The plight of the Red Wings…
Bikes & Coffee starts rolling in Woodbridge
A new full-service bike repair shop and coffee house is now open in Woodbridge. Bikes & Coffee — which is serving Hyperion Coffee and bagels from Detroit Institute of Bagels — announced its Friday grand opening on its Facebook page, and is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop, at 1521 Putnam…
Twiztid’s top five most slept on horror movies just in time for your own fright fest
We have taken some time out of our Halloween festivities to compile a tidy, yet memorable, list of some of the most slept on Horror movies throughout cinema history, for our pals over at Metro Times and every one of their dedicated readers. There will only be five entries in our list because we feel…
‘A Letter to My Nephew’ asks the audience to read Detroit between the lines
Think of a postcard. A snapshot of a city meant to capture a tourist’s experience. The few sentences on the back, banal at best; “Wish you were here.” Bill T. Jones’ recent Michigan Opera Theatre presentation at the Detroit Opera House describes A Letter to My Nephew as a series of postcards, but it is…
KISS will kiss the tour life goodbye with ‘Detroit Rock City’ stop next year
After 45-years of makeup and madness, KISS is hanging up their space armor. After announcing the band’s plans for a final tour on NBC’s America’s Got Talent last month, KISS finally dropped the details for the appropriately named “End of the Road” tour. The tour will kick-off in January and will carry Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons,…
Le Culture Cafe moves into former Antietam location
A new fine-dining restaurant has set up shop in the vacated Antietam location in Detroit’s Eastern Market, Crain’s reports. Le Culture Cafe, slated for a Nov. 9 opening, boasts a moderately priced burger and seafood menu which was posted in full on the restaurant’s Facebook page. Appetizers include $9 jerk chicken lettuce wraps, $22 fried…
Kickstarter launched for Detroit techno documentary ‘God Said Give ‘Em Drum Machines’
Since its inception almost 40 years ago, electronic dance music has ballooned into a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide. The sound derived from Detroit’s school of hard knocks has gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon that has conquered mammoth festival stages, elite Las Vegas residencies, and even Grammy wins. However, the money and the influence that…
This Mies van der Rohe designed townhouse is on the market in Detroit for $325k
A piece of architectural history is currently on the market, and it can all be yours for $325,000. This Lafayette Park townhouse designed by German-born modernist pioneer Mies van der Rohe features floor to ceiling windows allowing for a bright interior even in Detroit’s darkest months. Known for using a “skin and bones” style, this…
Police break up party at Detroit’s Lincoln Street Art Park following Freep narc
A popular party at Detroit’s Lincoln Street Art Park was shut down by police early Thursday morning in an episode that attendees say involved “heavy-handed cops” and even a helicopter. Sources familiar with the situation say Detroit police descended on the Northwest Goldberg industrial center-turned-sculpture park at approximately 1:40 a.m. to break up the late…
Ariana Grande rises above the bullshit and announces tour with Detroit stop
It’s been a bittersweet 2018 for the ponytailed pop star Ariana Grande. So far, Grande has been groped on international television by a Bishop during Aretha Franklin’s funeral, she mourned the death of recent ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, and dealt with the trauma of the one year anniversary of the Manchester Bombing. Grande did all of…
Jeffrey Eugenides says Detroit epic ‘Middlesex’ being considered for TV series
Author Jeffrey Eugenides’ has become a household name for his best-known novel, The Virgin Suicides — his 1993 literary debut inspired by suburban Detroit malaise which was further catapulted to mainstream audiences after being made into a 1999 film by Sofia Coppola. Second to that novel, however, would have to be Middlesex – the 2002 set-in-Detroit coming of age story…
Another restaurant is opening in downtown Royal Oak, and Royal Oakers will not starve
Despite all the hand-wringing over restaurants in downtown Royal Oak closing, one seems to open for each that leaves. Earlier this week, the news that a Lebanese restaurant is replacing the recently-sold Beirut Palace Lebanese restaurant got a little lost in the discussion over the alleged eatery exodus. Also lost was the news that the…
Detroit ranked ninth for highest water shutoff rate in the nation in 2016
In Detroit, access to water may be something of a luxury item. A national survey published yesterday by Food & Water Watch found that Detroit had the ninth highest water shutoff rate in the country in 2016. The survey found that nearly one in eight Detroit residents had their water shut off for nonpayment and…
Poll: Michigan Democrats could be losing edge over Republicans
So far, numerous polls have given Michigan Democrats a comfortable advantage over Republicans in the Nov. 6 general election — a sign of a so-called coming “Blue Wave” in reaction to President Donald Trump. However, a new poll suggests that lead could be narrowing. A Detroit Free Press poll released Thursday shows Democratic leads in some…
Movement Music Festival announces ticket pre-sale for Memorial Day weekend
It’s all coming home to Techno City for another round of Movement Music Festival. The dance music festival recently announced the dates for its 13th edition, once again coinciding with Memorial Day weekend. The three-day event will be hosted in Hart Plaza from Saturday, May 25 through Monday, May 27. Movement Music Festival has established…
Here’s Iggy Pop and William Shatner singing ‘Silent Night’
We know it’s not even Halloween yet, but some people are already thinking about Christmas. At least that’s true of beloved Star Trek actor William Shatner, who will release his first holiday album, Shatner Claus – The Christmas Album, on Friday. The tracklist features 13 tracks pairing Shatner and guests from the rock ‘n’ roll world,…
Detroit gives green light to more scooters as long as they expand to neighborhoods
Scooters are here to stay, it seems. The city of Detroit announced it will increase the number of allotted electric scooters per ride-share company by 100 — bringing the total number for both Lime and Bird scooters to 400 each. The choice to increase the preexisting cap on scooters comes with a requirement that each…
Detroit City FC to unveil new Elmwood Park Fieldhouse with Saturday celebration
Detroit City FC, the celebrated semi-pro soccer team of Hamtramck, is expanding beyond the city within our city. The 75,000 square-foot Elmwood Park Fieldhouse at 3401 East Lafayette will mainly house the business operations of the team, but will also feature a DCFC-themed bar, two practice pitches, a club merchandise store and a body-positive cycling studio…
Pence returns to rally in Michigan next week, steering clear of Detroit
From Nazi swastika-infused campaign commercials to accusations of “black genocide” on the radio, this Michigan election season has gotten ugly. But it might calm down a bit next week when the big tub of boring-ass mayonnaise that is Mike Pence comes to town. Vice President Mike Pence is expected in Michigan again next week to…
Detroit Fall Beer Festival makes its way to Eastern Market this weekend
If you’ve been waiting all year to sport a necklace of pretzels (yes, it’s a thing) so you can have an excuse to sip on some of the good stuff, the time is nigh. This weekend, the Detroit Fall Beer Festival is heading to Eastern Market to celebrate the festival’s tenth edition. The event, hosted by…
Eastern Market’s Motown Bistro & Oyster Bar opens in former Bert’s space
The son of Bert’s Warehouse has a new Motown-themed restaurant called The Motown Bistro & Oyster Bar that’s up and running in the Eastern Market. Jai-Lee Dearing’s 12o-seat, upscale concept — which sits in a former Bert’s banquet hall adjacent to the restaurant — focuses on seafood but also offers steaks and other dishes. That…
Michigan residents can safely dispose of old or expired prescriptions at Drug-Take Back Day
This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2.pm, over 50 Michigan townships will partner with the U.S Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to participate in the National Prescription Drug-Take Back Day. The public event, which will take place at various community health centers, churches, hospitals, sheriff’s offices, and malls throughout the state, provides a…
Detroit’s Hudson Building imploded 20 years ago today
On this day in 1998, the J.L. Hudson Building was erased from Detroit’s skyline by way of a very dramatic implosion. The department store, which boasted 2.2 million square feet, shuttered after 90 years in 1983, and remained vacant until its demolition 15 years later. Once selling more than 500,000 items across its 29 floors,…
Ford’s haunted train station event you were so excited for? You probably can’t get in
Ever since Ford announced one month ago that it would turn the derelict train depot it now owns into a haunted house for Halloween, metro Detroiters have been brimming with anticipation of having their spookiest of spooktacular dreams fulfilled. Entry was to be free to the public, with priority given to neighbors of the hulking…
Review: Umami’s the word at Birmingham’s Adachi
Michael Schlow is one of a small group of James Beard Award-winning chefs and restaurateurs now plying their trade in metro Detroit, and it’s partly that sort of talent that is going to lift Detroit from an interesting place to eat to something truly special. Sometimes, however, they flop — see Maccabees Trader. A James…
How comedy’s ultimate gossip girl Kathy Griffin survived public exile
Kathy Griffin needs a moment. Before the comedian will dish on what it was like living next to “Kim Kardashian West and Kanye Kardashian West” (something Griffin describes as a merciful act from the comedy gods) or the latest rumor her 98-year-old “a-box-of-Franzia-a-day” mother Maggie has been spreading, she has one very serious question: “When…
Why Michigan could be facing a marijuana shortage
Updated at 12:52 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25: David Harns of the state office of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had these clarifications to add to how the Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board is handling supplies at provisioning centers. As reported in this week’s Higher Ground [Oct. 24], Harns said, “If they give up their caregiver status,…
Horoscopes (Oct. 24-30)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20 Dealing with people who don’t have a clue is exasperating enough. On top of all of that you are going toe-to-toe with your own issues, wishing you could just pack it all in and blow this clambake with your dreams intact. If you had more clarity about what the…
Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz team up on ‘Mona Lisa’
With more than 20 projects to his name, Detroit producer Apollo Brown has been a staple in the hip-hop underground for close to a decade. As a mainstay of indie rap label Mello Music Group, Brown has worked with many notable and proven rappers from Detroit and elsewhere, including Guilty Simpson, Chris Orrick, Rass Kass,…
How Detroit’s Schvitz bathhouse is using electronic music to heal
In Detroit’s North End, the recently renovated Schvitz bathhouse is hosting a new music series called Sound Bath. The same building where one can enjoy an old-school sauna and Russian oak leaf platza massage now incorporates the healing aspects of ambient and downtempo electronic music to create a positive atmosphere suited for a time to…
‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ is dark, silly, scary, and wonderful
Born from the subversive reimagining of the Archie comics that is the hit CW series Riverdale (which just started its third season), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a hot new Netflix series just in time for Halloween. Is it a “reboot” of ABC sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Not so much, but fans may recognize…
After a wild ride, the UFO Factory relaunches in Corktown
When we interviewed UFO Factory co-owner Dion Fischer about the grand opening of his Corktown rock club, bar, and artisanal hot dog joint in 2014, we reported on “some strange changes” being made to the old Hoot Robinson’s building, which saw the old Tigers watering hole painted silver with a black UFO logo spray-painted on it.…
There’s no glory in revising the Detroit City Charter
There is little enthusiasm for a Detroit City Charter Commission right now, and there is little enthusiasm for changing the charter, as we just did that in 2012. That’s when the policy to elect city council by districts came along, giving slightly more power to council. Now we’re at it again, not due to any…
