Cover Story
Detroit pit bull attacks shine light on owner negligence, enforcement
Emma Hernandez, a 9-year-old girl who loved to play outside, was riding her pink bike near her home on Detroit’s west side when three undernourished pit bulls leaped over a neighbor’s flimsy fence and attacked her in August. Neighbors heard Emma scream and rushed to help, hurling bricks and other objects at the dogs. As…
Kiss rolls out more farewell tour dates, including yet another in metro Detroit Rock City
Just when we thought that we had seen the last of the tongue wagging, blood spitting, and glam rock gimmickry of space clown rockers Kiss — as suggested by the band’s massive End of the Road farewell tour — they circle back to metro Detroit Rock City for one more go. (Cue gratuitous use of…
Tool — the band that brought you ‘Schism’ — returns to Detroit
If you were to suggest that 2019 was the year of Tool — the beloved nü-metal band of millennial boyfriends everywhere — you would not be wrong. The Maynard James Keenan-led outfit released its first album in 13 years, the critically acclaimed Fear Inoculum in August, just a month after the band released its entire…
Ambient electronic duo Blue Hawaii heads to Detroit’s UFO Factory
For those of us who never had the pleasure of experiencing the ecstasy of gyrating against sweaty strangers and future lovers in a ’90s nightclub, fret not, fellow weirdos — there’s an electronic duo to help satisfy our impossible FOMO. Former couple Alex “Agor” Cowan and Raphaelle “Ra” Standell-Preston have been making ambient techno as…
Detroit’s Senate Theater to host ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’ screening and Q&A with actor Ray Wise
When we first meet Laura Palmer, the slightly troubled and totally beautiful homecoming queen, she’s already dead, wrapped in plastic. Palmer, of course, is the axis on which the David Lynch-created psychological cult series Twin Peaks spins, and the inspiration behind the prequel, Fire Walk With Me. The 1992 film, which was released following Twin…
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra to perform the music of ‘Star Wars’ — just in time for ‘The Rise of Skywalker’
It’s hard to believe that we’re less than two months away from the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — the final installment of the latest trilogy in the greatest space opera in the history of cinema. In the 42 years since filmmaker George Lucas invited us to a galaxy far, far away,…
Martin Scorsese’s mob epic ‘The Irishman’ lands metro Detroit screenings before Netflix release
Though the 1975 disappearance of notorious Detroit Teamster Jimmy Hoffa remains an unsolved mystery, as to when Detroit will get a sneak peek at Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-contending, star-laden, decade-spanning, 3.5-hour mob epic is not. In fact, it’s getting special treatment. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel star in The Irishman, which…
Keep calm and Unagi — ‘Friends’ Thanksgiving episodes are coming to metro Detroit theaters
It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner — and it will likely be here long before Twitter is able to crack the case on Friends star Jennifer Aniston’s cocaine-or-sticker phone photo. What is even harder to believe is the fact that it’s been 25 years since Ross, Rachel, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and…
What to expect at the 11th TEDxDetroit on Wednesday
Charlie Wollborg says more than a decade ago, when he was working as a Detroit-based creative director, he was a fan of watching TED Talks. “I had been watching TED videos online, like all the other geeks,” he says. “But to go to the conference it was like $10,000, and you could never get in.”…
Voters to decide whether to allow marijuana businesses in 10 Michigan municipalities on Tuesday
Pot is back on the ballot on Tuesday as 10 municipalities across Michigan consider allowing marijuana businesses within their borders. In metro Detroit, that includes Keego Harbor, Walled Lake, Allen Park, and Lincoln Park. Other cities in Michigan taking up the matter are Mount Pleasant, Marenisco Township, Hudson, South Haven, Northfield Township, and Crystal Township. Though Michigan voters…
Joe Biden leads Democratic primary in latest Emerson poll, while Bernie Sanders gains support
Joe Biden is leading in the Democratic presidential primary with 34 percent, according to the latest Emerson poll. The former vice president is trailed by Sen. Bernie Sanders at 28 percent and Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 19 percent. All three candidates are leading President Donald Trump outside the margin of error. Sanders’ support has grown…
Legislators call for investigation after Dan Gilbert got a tax break meant for impoverished communities
Following ProPublica’s bombshell Oct. 24 report that found several swaths of downtown Detroit received “opportunity zone” tax breaks after Dan Gilbert made a donation to the Trump administration, three legislators called for the treasury inspector general to investigate the matter. Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, and Rep. Ron Kind penned a letter on Oct.…
Opinion: Detroit is a great city. It deserves a great flag.
I do not have the honor of being a native Detroiter, but I’m a Detroiter now. When I first moved to the city eight years ago, I immediately fell in love. In the years that I had moved away, all I wanted was to move back. Now, I own a house with my wife in…
Cheerfully combative comedy ‘Jojo Rabbit’ dares to laugh in the mustachioed face of evil
Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a pretty regular 10-year-old kid circa 1944 Berlin. He loves drawing, bike rides, camping, and most of all, he loves Adolf Hitler. His adoration for the great despot is so complete that the lad has an elaborate fantasy life in which Der Fuhrer (Taika Waititi) is his imaginary…
Michigan raises the age of legal adulthood for most criminal cases
Michigan is one of only four states that prosecutes 17-year-olds as adults, regardless of the type of criminal offense. That will soon change, thanks to a new bipartisan bill signed Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The multi-part bill, dubbed the “Raise the Age” plan, will allow 17-year-olds to qualify as juveniles, meaning that cases involving…
Michigan mirrors nation in kids losing health coverage
Over the past two years, the percentage of children without health care insurance has risen, in Michigan and nationwide. Researchers from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families found that 3.4 percent of Michigan’s children, or about 79,000 children, have no health insurance. That’s a nearly 10-percent increase that the president of the American…
Detroit Day of the Dead ofrenda honors those who died in ICE custody
For the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead, or Día de Muertos, it’s customary to create an ofrenda — an altar in honor of those who have died. A group of Detroit-based activists has created an eye-catching one near the U.S.-Canadian border. The ofrenda is set up blocks from the Ambassador Bridge, so ICE agents…
Heart-wrenching video shows Bernie Sanders touring Detroit with Rep. Rashida Tlaib
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib was overcome with emotion. For years, the progressive Democrat had talked about underserved neighborhoods struggling with poverty, environmental contamination, failing schools and water shutoffs. Finally someone was listening. It was Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is running for president. Sanders toured Detroit over the weekend and talked to teenagers and service providers…
Founders Brewing Co. settles racial discrimination lawsuit for undisclosed amount
Founders Brewing Co. is looking to put a racial discrimination lawsuit that made national headlines behind it. Last week, Metro Times published a transcript of the case’s deposition, in which management claimed it did not know the employee, Tracy Evans, was Black (as well as former President Barack Obama, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, or basketball…
Clawson brewpub Black Lotus Brewing Co. serves its last drinks
After 13 years and thousands of beers, Black Lotus Brewing Co. shut its doors for good Wednesday evening. Located in downtown Clawson, Black Lotus, whose motto is “Think Global, Drink Local,” was known for its craft beers, including the Ninja Pirate, a 13.2 percent ABV beer that earned a gold medal in the competitive 2016…
Laika Dog to start serving Sunday brunch at Detroit’s UFO Factory
The UFO Factory’s in-house hot dog purveyor Laika Dog is launching a Sunday brunch. While the new menu includes a short selection of brunch dogs, it’s not centered around cased meats like the restaurant’s lunch and dinner service. Instead, brunch chef Erin Ruprecht branches out with an impressive and diverse menu that includes options like…
Balkan House’s beloved döner kebabs are heading to Ferndale
Earlier this year, Hamtramck’s Balkan House made waves locally thanks to its döner kebabs — the gyro pocket sandwiches that are Turkish in origin, but popular in Europe. Now, they’re coming to Ferndale. The restaurant, which opened earlier this year, recently announced plans to open a second location. Owner Juma Ekic tells The Detroit Free Press that she originally planned…
Classic rock band Journey skips ‘South Detroit’ on 2020 tour
In one of the rock band Journey’s most famous songs, 1981’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” former frontman Steve Perry famously belts “born and raised in South Detroit” — forever establishing the track as a Motor City sports stadium staple and bar closing-time go-to, despite the fact that there is no actual place known as “South Detroit.”…
Businesses hosting job fair for up to 400 cannabis-related jobs in Pontiac
The developers of a cannabis park in Pontiac are hosting a job fair in November to fill between 300 and 400 positions. Pharmaco Inc. is planning to house a cultivation center, processing facility, and possibly a dispensary in the rear of a new Rubicon Capital development inside the vacant Glenwood Plaza at 43 S. Glenwood.…
New book looks at haunted Michigan sites that you can visit
In recent years, the owners of places like Westland’s former Eloise psychiatric asylum and Ypsilanti’s Michigan Firehouse Museum have embraced their buildings’ alleged haunted histories, hosting spooky tours and ghost-hunting expeditions. That’s also the spirit behind Michigan Haunts: Public Places, Eerie Spaces, a new book by Michigan authors Jon Milan and Gail Offen released earlier…
Decades-long Devil’s Night is dead in Detroit, with fires disappearing on Halloween Eve
For decades in Detroit, Halloween Eve was synonymous with fire. Photographers from around the globe flocked to the city to witness what became known as Devil’s Night, the notorious tradition of setting fire to houses, buildings, carsm and dumpsters. Between 1979 and 2010, more than 100 fires broke out each year. The worst year was…
Detroit-based business to launch cell phone app for cannabis users, businesses
Weedi is a sleek, new cell phone app designed to help consumers locate dispensaries and browse menus and strains.
Apollo Brown’s ‘Sincerely Detroit’ showcases Detroit hip-hop
Before you even dive into the music on Sincerely Detroit, you have to admire what a colossal achievement it was for Apollo Brown to get 59 different Detroit artists on 21 tracks. The Detroit music landscape is filled with the most diverse collection of hip-hop artists in the country. Some like Royce da 5’9, Slum…
The Joffrey Ballet goes to outer space and beyond at the Detroit Opera House
The Michigan Opera Theatre presents Chicago’s renowned Joffrey Ballet company performing Beyond the Shore, which features works by Liam Scarlett, Nicolás Blanc, and Alexander Ekman, three of Europe’s most in-demand choreographers. While the musical may be classical, the themes are out of this world. For Blanc’s title piece, dancers move to the music of electronic…
Detroit native and beloved ‘Friday’ actor John Witherspoon dead at 77
John Witherspoon, the Detroit-born actor and comedian best known for his portrayal as the brash and opinionated father Willie “Pops” Jones in the Friday franchise, died in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was 77 years old. His death was confirmed in a pinned tweet posted to the actor’s official Twitter account by Witherspoon’s family early…
Pit bull fatally mauls Hazel Park boy in front of his mother
A pit bull mauled a 4-year-old boy to death inside his family’s Hazel Park home Tuesday evening, and his mother was hospitalized with non-life-threatening bite injuries, police said. The 60-pound dog attacked the boy at about 6:45 p.m. and did not stop until police arrived with Tasers. Initially, outlets incorrectly reported that the family got the…
Artist Sam Durant looks at moments of ‘Iconoclasm’ throughout history in Library Street Collective exhibition
There is perhaps no more of a visually dramatic marker of the clash of cultures and the end of eras than the destruction of monuments — from the toppling of the Column Vendôme in Paris in 1871 in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, to the U.S. troops toppling a statue of Saddam Hussein during…
Negative Approach drummer Chris Moore has an art gallery opening reception and live performance in Ferndale
Original Negative Approach drummer Chris Moore started creating flyers for the pioneering punk rock band when he was just a teenager, marking the beginning of his career as an experimental visual artist as well as a songwriter. For his latest exhibition, Moore “re-writes” lyrics from the past 25 years of his songwriting over his paintings. The…
‘Hustlers’ is all about the Benjamins
Near Hustlers’ opening, we’re granted a kind of vision. After a fine, though obvious (and admirably athletic) onstage striptease sequence, Jennifer Lopez (as “Ramona”) retires to the clear night air of her workplace rooftop. Still in costume but also draped in a crass, luxuriant fur coat (the first of many), she invites the film’s starry-eyed…
Savage Love: My little dick has always held me back
My little dick has always held me back. I didn’t date in high school because I couldn’t stand the thought of girls discussing my tiny manhood. That said, I’ve adapted fairly well and become skilled with my tongue and hands. The biggest problem is that my dick is just small enough that the head pokes…
Horoscopes (Oct. 30-Nov. 5)
ARIES: March 21 – April 20: If you’re a little antsy it would surprise me. Things have been in a holding pattern, and the level of frustration is pretty strong. You’re either waiting for things to pan out or wondering if you missed the boat entirely. Patience was never your strong suit, and not knowing…
What does Trump’s final straw look like?
Last week, as I read the unequivocally damning 15-page opening statement William B. Taylor gave to House investigators, I wondered what the final straw would look like, and more specifically, whether one would ever exist. In other words, what would it take for Republicans to decide that enough is enough — that there is a…
Time has been good to Ferndale’s Ethiopian restaurant the Blue Nile
The Blue Nile first opened on Woodward Avenue near Wayne State University, way back in the mists of time, in 1983. It was something completely new for Detroiters, both the cuisine and the happy experience of eating with your hands indoors in a restaurant. Plenty of folks fell in love with Ethiopian food and have…
Youmacon has entered the wild world of competitive cosplaying
Emily Wallin-Kale was in love with costumes ever since she was young, thanks to all the dance classes she enrolled in as a child. So when she started getting into Japanese anime as a hobby, she asked her mom, who had a fashion degree, for help sewing costumes of her favorite characters. It soon became…
Extra Arms has a collaborative catharsis on angsty new record
On the opening track of Extra Arms’ new record, Up From Here, singer and guitarist Ryan Allen sings, “Fuck last year.” Not to indulge in the cliché of “songwriting as therapy,” but in the case of the eightsongs that make up the band’s new release, the result is exactly that. “As violent or outwardly effecting…
Detroit emcee Kash Doll on her debut album, ‘Stacked,’ and working with Big Sean
Earlier this month, friends and family of Detroit rapper Kash Doll gathered at Novi’s Taipei 101 for a private album listening party ahead of the release of her new record, Stacked, which dropped Oct. 18 on Republic Records. Local hip-hop and R&B artists like Neisha Neshae, Rocky Badd, Sino, Lana Ladonna, and others joined the…
The art and zen of being Jason Alexander — the man who has it all
At 60 years old, Jason Alexander is the perfect physical specimen. The same Alexander who spent more than a decade inhabiting the neurotic, selfish, overly confident, miserable disaster-artist skin of George Constanza on the enduring self-referential sitcom Seinfeld — the show about nothing that defined a generation by making the banalities of everyday life worth…
‘The Lighthouse’ illuminates with restraint
“What brung ye to this rock?” Willem Dafoe’s Thomas Wake calls out early in The Lighthouse to Robert Pattinson’s Ephraim Winslow — an odd question to ask of one’s hire. The answer, if you’re paying ’em right, should be easy enough. They came for a job. But as Wake’s piratic lighthouse-keeper rightly perceives and makes…
