Cover Story
How Dan Gilbert just scored up to $1 billion in taxpayer money — and few noticed
The story of greater downtown Detroit’s redevelopment is well-known. The New York Times calls us the “comeback city” and says our downtown “roars.” The Detroit Free Press characterized Midtown’s turnaround and spike in property values as “insane.” Crain’s Detroit Business recently highlighted the ongoing “development rush” in downtown in which investment figures “jump off the…
Here’s what it takes to put on Detroit’s annual Theatre Bizarre Halloween party
When Theatre Bizarre mastermind John Dunivant lists off what it takes to transform the grand Masonic Temple into the annual multi-floor, two-weekend Halloween extravaganza, it sounds like he’s listing the ingredients to a gargantuan witch’s potion: Thirty miles of electrical cables. More than a ton of candy corn. Another ton of other assorted candies. One…
MOCAD’s annual gala is this weekend and it’s going to be weird and wonderful
The Motor City’s house of avant garde art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit will host its 11th annual Gala + Auction and it’s going to be every bit as theatrical and abnormal as one would expect. The event raises money to help the gallery fund projects and exhibition throughout the year, and guests will…
Kesha’s Detroit appearance is this weekend and we can’t wait
Few comebacks are as deservingly celebrated as the return of pop priestess Kesha. After a four year-long legally enforced hiatus and a nightmarish lawsuit against alleged abuser and former producer Dr. Luke, Kesha reemerged this year, victorious, with her gut-wrenching third record Rainbow. A far cry from her Pitbull collaboration “Timber” days, Rainbow is a…
Ypsilanti City Council questions city officials over China trip funding at special hearing
The Ypsilanti City Council held a rare investigative hearing Tuesday night, during which it questioned under oath four city officials who traveled to China, along with city manager Darwin McClary. While the hearing didn’t provide conclusive evidence of the trip’s funding source as council members hoped, it revealed that multiple officials somehow missed multiple important messages…
Stacy London will appear in Detroit for FashionSpeak this week
Interested in learning about Detroit’s burgeoning fashion industry and how you can be part of it? FashionSpeak is an annual event hosted by the Detroit Garment Group, a nonprofit that works to create programs that will help make Detroit fertile ground for fashion. The event will feature a cast of speakers who will share their…
Eminem destroys Trump in fiery freestyle, tells fans who support president “fuck you”
Eminem has ripped President Donald Trump in a fiery freestyle that aired Tuesday night during the BET Awards. In the video recorded in a Detroit parking garage, the rapper calls Trump “a kamikaze that will probably cause a nuclear holocaust and … just gas his plane up and fly around ’til the bombing stops.” The…
A Whole Foods is opening in Birmingham
While residents of Troy might be a little upset that their beloved Whole Foods is closing, residents of Birmingham will be glad to hear their local Whole Foods finally has an opening date of Oct. 25. This new Whole Foods in Birmingham will be double the size of the Troy location, and will even feature…
Heidelberg Project begins revamp to include artist-in-residence program
Construction has begun to convert one of the Heidelberg Project’s two remaining original structures into the site of a coming artist-in-residence program that will include an art gallery. The renovation marks the start of Heidelberg 3.0 — “a new era for the Heidelberg Project,” Jenenne Whitfield, the project’s president and CEO, said in a news release. “……
Friends, fans eulogize Detroit rapper Doughboy Roc following killing
Doughboyz Cashout member Doughboy Roc is being remembered today as a well-liked rapper whose thoughtful lyrics helped listeners through difficult times. Roc, whose real name was Rodney Yeargin, is believed to have been shot and killed Monday afternoon while sitting in a car on a side street near Livernois Avenue and Joy Road, on Detroit’s…
Ride or cry: Emo music night comes to the Magic Stick
Long before the rise of the modern day hipster, a group of raven-haired outsiders were making counterculture mainstream. Lest you allow yourselves to forget, early 2000s suburban high schools were fraught with mopey teens wearing generously applied black eyeliner, uncomfortably tight jeans, and annoying swoopy haircuts. While emo has origins in hardcore and post-hardcore music,…
Roman-inspired Italian restaurant coming to Midtown
Any restaurant that can be described as “pasta-focused” automatically triggers this kind of response: Turns out that the former executive chef of Bacco Ristorante in Southfield Anthony Lombardo is opening a Roman inspired Italian restaurant in Midtown, where he will focus heavily on pasta, reports Eater. Lombardo quit working at Bacco weeks ago to finalize…
Survey: Women of color feel left out of Detroit’s redevelopment
A recent survey found that of 500 women of color in Detroit, 71 percent of them felt left out of the city’s ongoing redevelopment. The survey, conducted by a progressive think tank based in Washington, D.C., was released this morning and also notes that 73 percent of survey responders felt that big businesses were shaping…
Gather relaunches in the Eastern Market on Friday
Gather Detroit – an Eastern Market restaurant specializing in local foods that are cooked above a wood-burning grill – will reopen to the public on Friday, its owners tell Metro Times. The restaurant abruptly closed last month, and though diners will find a new menu when it reopens, the concept will remain the same. Co-owners Kyle…
Watch Jhené Aiko and Big Sean share the stage on ‘Tonight Show’
If Jhené Aiko hasn’t been on your radar then she most definitely needs to be now. The R&B singer released her follow up to her 2014 debut album last month. The new album, called Trip, features a couple collaborations with Detroit’s Big Sean, who also happens to be her boyfriend. The couple teased the performance…
Japanese cultural celebrations mark opening of Detroit Institute of Arts’ new gallery
The Detroit Institute of Arts is hosting a major Japanese cultural celebration on the weekend of Nov. 4 and 5 to mark the museum’s newest art gallery. Visitors can expect to experience a variety of activities found specifically in Japan.(Without the expense of a plane ticket!) Activities range from artist workshops to food demonstrations, and…
Will Detroit be the next city to rebrand Columbus Day?
Amid the recent trend to remove racist and otherwise problematic historical monuments from public places, Detroit city councilwoman Raquel Castañeda-López says she will ask city leaders to replace a bust of Christopher Columbus in downtown Detroit, as well as rename Columbus Day as “Indigenous Peoples Day,” during a Tuesday morning meeting. The Detroit Free Press reports that Castañeda-López…
A reboot of beloved ’90s TV show ‘Sister, Sister’ is happening
Excuse me while my inner ’90s child screams at the top of their lungs in excitement: the beloved sitcom Sister, Sister starring Tia and Tamera Mowry is returning and we’re so excited. Tia Mowry revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight that the rumors of the reboot are true and the show is “closer than ever”…
Second young woman abducted while cycling near Detroit’s Russell Industrial Center
Updated Wednesday, Oct. 11: Detroit police say they have two suspects in custody who they believe are behind these abductions. Originally posted Monday, Oct. 9: For the second time in just over a week, a woman riding her bike near the Russell Industrial Center in daylight hours is alleged to have been abducted by two men in…
Review: The National keeps it casual at Detroit’s Masonic Temple
In wake of one of their most well-received records in their 17-year-long career, weary indie rockers (and unique coupling of brothers) the National brought their bruised, baritone heavy-brand of despair to the Masonic Temple on Sunday night. And truthfully, it wasn’t nearly as murky as one might think. It isn’t a blow to label the…
Third Man Records announces Devil’s Night party in Cass Corridor
While some prefer to keep the partying to strictly Halloween night, the folks at Third Man Records in the Cass Corridor are getting the party started early with a bash on Devil’s Night — the night before Halloween. The party is also a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Italy Records, the Detroit record label…
Help wanted: We’re looking for freelance photographers
Do you love to capture the sights, sounds, and people of metro Detroit? Are you a social, outgoing photographer who is plugged into the area’s thriving nightlife scene? Do you enjoy live music, parties, and one-of-a-kind events? More importantly, do you love Metro Times? We’re looking for freelance event photographers who are willing to cover…
Empty the Shelters returns this Saturday with free pet adoptions
How much for that doggy in the window? If you decide to adopt this Saturday, October 14 then that little doggy or cat will be completely free. The Empty the Shelters pet adoption event is returning for an entire day of free pet adoptions so shelters can make room for more rescue animals. There are…
Autonomous shuttle for Bedrock employees is testing in Detroit this week
Driverless technology has arrived in the Motor City. This week, Ann Arbor-based May Mobility is testing a pair of autonomous vehicles that will shuttle employees from Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock between Cadillac Square and the Bricktown Parking Garage. The testing will occur between 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday this week. The six-seat electric shuttles are manufactured by Medina,…
Shop Motown memorabilia during an estate sale at the Berry Gordy Jr. mansion this week
Berry Gordy Jr.,’s immaculate Boston Edison mansion has been on the market for a while now — not many folks are in the market for a $1 million-plus estate, it seems. Well, regardless of whether you’re thinking of snatching this regal-as-fuck home up, you can still take a tour of the house during an estate…
Here’s the schedule for the Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival, set for Oct. 14
The Hamtramck Neighborhood Arts Festival will return Saturday, Oct. 14. The walkable, family friendly arts and culture festival, now in its eighth year, will feature artists open studios, exhibitions, backyard musical performances, and more. According to a press release, “In short, it’s what festivals used to be, before all the corporate sponsorships and beer tickets: just a…
Scathing sign lampoons DIA’s Barat House demolition
Last week, it was announced that the Detroit Institute of Arts would soon demolish the Barat House, a mid-century modern former psych ward for troubled girls designed by noted architect Robert H. Snyder. A DIA spokeswoman said the demo would take two weeks. Turns out, the demolition is moving fast — by Sunday afternoon, half the building…
Newly released emails show Ypsilanti mayor misled public about China trip’s funding
More evidence has surfaced that suggests Ypsilanti Mayor Amanda Edmonds knew more about the funding source of her and three other city officials’ recent trip to China than she initially admitted. Emails released on Friday by Ypsilanti City Attorney John Barr include messages that show Edmonds was informed on Sept. 12 that a developer doing business…
Dueling demonstrations scheduled for Lions game Sunday – one includes a chill tailgate
Two weeks ago, after Donald Trump took aim at NFL players who kneel during the national anthem and the team owners who allow it, Detroit Lions players and leadership locked arms in a show of solidarity as the national anthem was sung at Ford Field. The formation along the sideline that Sunday was un-level, with…
DIA set to demolish Detroit’s historic Barat House
A unique midcentury modern building purchased by the Detroit Institute of Arts last year will be razed in the coming weeks to make way for a parking lot. A DIA spokeswoman confirmed on Friday that demolition of Barat House on 5250 John R. Street is currently underway. Originally constructed by the League of Catholic Women as an psychiatric facility for teenage…
Ypsilanti mayor admits to knowledge of her China trip’s funding source
Ypsilanti Mayor Amanda Edmonds released a statement on her controversial trip to China, admitting that the funding source for her and three other city officials’ 11-day China trip was not a Wayne State University student group — as other members of city council, some city officials, and the public had been led to believe. “My…
Royal Oak’s Bastone Brewery’s patio is now dog-friendly featuring new doggy menu
While there are many patios around metro Detroit that are dog-friendly (check out our handy guide to more dig-friendly bars) none of them (to our knowledge) offer an exclusive menu that is designed just for your pooch. Bastone Brewery in Royal Oak unveiled their new “Pups on the Patio” menu that features “gourmet canine cuisine”…
Sanders Candy re-opens Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe with new remodel
The Willy Wonka Factory of Macomb County has been remodeling their iconic Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe and are ready to show it off to the public. Sanders Chocolate and Ice Cream Shoppe says in a press release that the store’s footprint itself has increased by 30 percent after the remodel, plus extra seats in…
Sam Smith announces new album, tour stop in Detroit
Grammy award winner and British crooner Sam Smith is gearing up to release his highly anticipated sophomore album following his debut hit In The Lonely Hour. After releasing a new single “Too Good At Goodbyes” Smith announced the title of new album, The Thrill Of It All, and a North American tour to follow. Smith…
Sign petitions to end gerrymandering at these locations over the next week
Voters Not Politicians is working to gather 316,000 signatures needed to put a proposal on the November 2018 ballot that the group says will end gerrymandering of electoral districts, if it’s approved The non-partisan, non-profit group is proposing amending Michigan’s state constitution to establish a 13-member citizens’ commission made up of five independent voters and four…
Chinese government denies providing funds for Ypsilanti officials’ China trip
The Chinese Consulate in Chicago is denying that it was the funding source for a controversial trip to China for four city of Ypsilanti officials. “We hereby clarify that the Chinese Consulate General in Chicago knows nothing about and has nothing to do with this trip, and there is no such thing as ‘funding the…
New decor boutique promised in Jefferson Chalmers
Post, a new decor and lifestyle store will open on Oct. 11 at 14500 Kercheval in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood, according to a press release. The shop, co-owned by Clare Fox and Wayne Maki, is a flagship for their home design firm Mutual Adoration. The brand specializes in furniture, frames, and housewares made of reclaimed wood.…
Gilbert, Gores inch closer to building Detroit soccer stadium you’ll probably help pay for
Wayne County officials have cleared another hurdle in a plan that will give billionaire Dan Gilbert the site of a partially built county jail where he wants to build a professional soccer stadium — bringing the public one step closer to likely subsidizing yet another major Detroit development. Gilbert’s Rock Ventures has offered to build…
MC5 receive third Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination
Is the third time going to be the charm for the legendary Detroit band MC5? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame released their list of nominations for the 2018 class and MC5 are on the shortlist for the third time. The punk rockers made the nomination last year, as well as back in 2003.…
UPDATE: Henry the Hatter owner says new Eastern Market digs are the perfect fit
When Henry the Hatter closed its longstanding shop on Broadway Street in Downtown Detroit, owner Paul Wasserman wasn’t sure if and when he’d be able to open another location within city limits. But, the hat shop owner says he was overwhelmed with offers to relocate his 111-year-old business — proposals from the Fisher Building, the…
P!NK headed to Detroit in March
Doesn’t matter if she’s just singing by herself with an acoustic guitar or she’s doing trapeze acts 30 feet above your head, P!NK puts on one hell of a show and we’re super excited that she’s going on tour and stopping in Detroit. P!NK will stop at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, March 25 with…
U-M president says it’s ‘ironic’ Trump-supporting students felt shunned on campus
E-mails released on Wednesday from University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel reveal he found it “ironic” that students who supported President Donald Trump felt shunned on campus. “Some complaints from our minority of Trump supporters who now feel marginalized and ostracized in our campus milieu and post election activity. Ironic,” Schlissel wrote in an email to…
White Stripes unveil three live Detroit concert LPs for Third Man Vault Package
The only thing that Jack White could do to make White Stripes fans any happier right now would to reunite with Meg for a reunion show. Third Man Records’ latest installment of its Vault series celebrates 20 years of the White Stripes with three LPs of live recordings from 2000-era White Stripes shows that took…
GreenSpace Cafe expands with new ‘fast-casual’ concept in Royal Oak
Ferndale’s vegan and vegetarian restaurant and bar GreenSpace Cafe is expanding it’s plant-based cuisine brand with a new, “fast-casual” concept restaurant that will take over the former Moe’s Southwest Grill in Royal Oak. The new space will be called GreenSpace Grill & Go and will feature the same plant-based food that customers already love, just…
Every Michigan House Republican voted to ban abortions after 20 weeks
The House of Representatives passed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Tuesday — a bill that, if approved by the Senate and White House, would criminalize abortions after 20 weeks. The bill was approved 237-189, in a vote that fell mostly along party lines. Every Michigan House Republican voted in favor of it. The Republican representatives…
Henry the Hatter gets new home in Eastern Market
Earlier this year a 100-plus-year-old retail business was forced to leave its downtown digs when a lease agreement could not be met. Henry the Hatter, beloved among locals as well as celebrities, closed up 1307 Broadway St. for the last time on Aug. 5. The shop still operates a location in Southfield, but as Detroit’s…
Rude Jude will do a book signing in Detroit on Saturday
Jude Angelini is a metro Detroit native, Sirius XM Radio Shade 45 host, and (at least for daytime TV talk show viewers of a certain age) perhaps best known as “Rude Jude,” a memorable recurring guest on The Jenny Jones Show. He’s also a published author. Angelini’s memoir, Hyena, got picked up by Simon & Schuster in…
Downtown Detroit is getting a new French pastry shop
Are you ready to die and go to chocolate-filled croissant heaven? Good, because we have fantastic news for you. Birmingham’s delicious Cannelle Patisserie is opening up a second location in downtown Detroit’s Capitol Park which means there will be more of their incredible baked goods floating around metro Detroit. Chef Matt Knio has been at…
Michigan targeted by Russian-linked Facebook ads, sources say
Some of the roughly 3,000 ads Facebook turned over this week as part of the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election targeted swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, according to CNN. The Russian ad campaign has been described as “sophisticated” by sources familiar with the situation, and investigators say they are just beginning…
Dan Savage’s Royal Oak Music Theatre show has been rescheduled
Beloved sex advice columnist Dan Savage was scheduled for a live question and answer session at the Royal Oak Music Theatre this Sunday, but last week his show was canceled with promoters promising it would be rescheduled in 2018. Savage is known for taking on taboo subjects and meeting them with frank answers — he’s…
Savage Love: ’Bate and snitch
Q: I’m a 22-year-old straight male dating a 23-year-old woman. This is by far the most sexual relationship I’ve been in, which is great, except one part is freaking me out: I recently “caught” my girlfriend masturbating with her roommate’s panties. (She knew I was coming over and wanted me to catch her.) It turns…
Why is Gov. Rick Snyder such a weenie?
It’s hard to remember now, but there was a time, long ago, when people thought Rick Snyder was a principled moderate. That was seven years ago, before we learned that he’d usually sign a tattered maple leaf if the right-wing majority in the legislature blew it onto his desk. You might not be able to…
Sweat’s melancholic art metal kicks ass, takes heart
Early into the saturnine morning hours one weekend last August, a good crowd was still gathered inside Detroit’s Trumbullplex after three excellent, if exhausting, sets of grindcore and sludge metal. By the time New Jersey’s Sunrot left the stage, it was hard to imagine a band squeezing any more energy, or attention, out of the…
Ferndale lifestyle boutique can be anything it chooses
Tanda Kasprzycki has long had retail dreams, but the General Motors advertising research analyst has been a little busy. But after years of fantasizing, and in the midst of keeping up with her full-time gig, Kasprzycki managed to make her storefront aspirations a reality. Last month Kasprzycki and her girlfriend, Lauren Nocera, finally went into…
One Detroit, or two?
Things will be heating up on the mayoral election over the next few weeks. As much as I love to hate the guy in Washington, I need to spread a little D-Town love around. I don’t hate either of this year’s candidates. The last time I really hated on a mayoral candidate was Kwame Kilpatrick…
Whiskey watch: In search of Detroit’s best whiskey bar
Michigan Bourbon Club member Chris Perry calls it “Schrodinger’s Bourbon”: It’s that bottle of bourbon that you’re afraid to open because it’s rare or valuable. You’re worried it’ll either turn out to be not worth your money or, worse, so good that you’ll cry when you realize you can’t get any more. With bourbons becoming…
Horoscopes (Oct. 4-10)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): Getting on with your life seemed like the right thing to do. Only lately have you begun to realize that you can’t move forward with the weight of too many loose ends dragging you down. There comes a time when all our chickens come home to roost. That being the…
Colombian artist finds home in Detroit
Starting on a motorcycle in Colombia at age 17, Vannessa Circe has been traveling around the world for the past five years, selling her art. The 22-year-old Colombian artist’s latest stop was Detroit, where in only two short months she managed to finish a mural. Drawn to Detroit for an art residency, Circe says she…
Review: Tank and The Bangas are stars at El Club
Sitting in the frigid, over air-conditioned back booth of El Club, waiting for Tank and the Bangas to finish their sound check, I realized I had the pleasure of enjoying my own, private show. The energy and genuine enjoyment expressed by the band, even when experiencing technical difficulties and a leaky roof watering their instruments,…
