Cover Stories
The Ron Allen Project memorializes a poet and playwright from Detroit’s Cass Corridor
Many in Detroit’s Cass Corridor scene of the 1980s and ’90s knew Ron Allen not only as a groundbreaking poet and playwright, but also as a pillar of the community. To them, he was a generous cook, a sobriety mentor, a Buddhist spiritual leader, a Vietnam War vet, and most importantly, a good friend. After…
2023 metro Detroit fall arts guide
Take note of these selected artistic happenings in the months ahead. 313 030 PROJEKT (Sept. 8-9) The Container Globe, 1151 Taylor St., Detroit An audio-visual installation immersing visitors in the Detroit-Berlin underground at the Container Globe — an outdoor theater built from shipping containers based on William Shakespeare’s original Globe theater. Mending the Net: Fiber…
Inside Detroit sculptor Austen Brantley’s studio
A hulking clay arm, fist clenched in a Black Power salute, stands in the middle of the room. The smaller sculptures around it — a bust of a woman with a crown of cornrows and another with a hole broken clean through her face — look tiny and fragile in comparison. The starkly brown sculpture,…
Syrian refugee puppet ‘Little Amal’ to stop in metro Detroit during ‘Amal Walks Across America’
A 12-foot puppet of a young Syrian refugee is heading to the Detroit area to spread the message of human connection. Her name is Amal and at only 10 years old, she’s walked across 13 countries, to unite communities while drawing attention to the needs of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The Little Amal puppet…
Dearborn’s 18th annual Mutt Strut raises funds for a good cause
Local nonprofit Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit is hosting the 18th annual Mutt Strut on Saturday. The dog festival and street fair will celebrate the five-year anniversary of the organization’s new facility and will feature food trucks, local exhibitors, and other family-friendly activities. The event allows local pet lovers to support Friends for Animals…
The Black Footwear Forum returns to Detroit’s Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design
Hosted at Detroit’s HBCU Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, the Black Footwear Forum will feature a host of panel talks and wellness events. This year’s guest speakers include costume designer Ruth Carter — who won two Academy Awards for her work on Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — and hip-hop pioneer…
Rashida Tlaib reintroduces ‘Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights’ legislation
Over 10% of the United States workforce is restaurant workers, and in 16 states, employers are permitted to pay just $2.13 before tips — a number that hasn’t been changed since 1991. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib hopes to fix that. She first championed the “Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights” in December of 2022, stating that “restaurant…
Rochester Hills Breadless set to open in October
Detroit’s Breadless sandwich shop has announced an opening date for its anticipated second location in Rochester Hills. The new location at 181 S. Livernois Rd., across from Rochester High School, is slated to open on Thursday, Oct. 5. The first 150 customers on opening day will be offered a slew of freebies and discounts as…
Opinion: Sixth Circuit slams police ‘money-making venture’ in Detroit
Police patrol their communities to keep them safe. But law enforcement agencies in Detroit enlist officers for a different purpose: making money for Wayne County. Fundraising was the objective in November 2018 during a traffic stop in a heavy-enforcement area. The police pulled over a nearly new Ford Fusion and seized it without issuing a…
Detroit faces backlash over demolition order for partially collapsed landmark in Eastern Market
Preservationists are calling on the city of Detroit to ease up on its order to demolish the historic building in Eastern Market that partially collapsed over the weekend. Soon after a brick wall collapsed late Saturday morning, the city ordered an emergency demolition, saying the four-story Del Bene Building at 2501 Russell St. was “unsafe.”…
The Funky Ferndale Art Fair and DIY Street Fair celebrate all forms of creativity this weekend
Ferndale is so funky that it gets two art fairs. This weekend the long-standing Funky Ferndale Art Fair and DIY Street Fair will crop up in downtown Ferndale with art vendors, live music, food, and more. DIY Street Fair is celebrating 15 years with more than 150 local vendors ranging from painters, jewelers, fashion designers,…
Noir City Detroit celebrates gritty, black-and-white films at Redford Theatre
Noir City Detroit returns for its sixth year to Detroit’s iconic Redford Theatre with a focus on films from 1948 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the gritty, black-and-white movies. All eight screenings will be hosted by Eddie Muller, a noted author, president of the Film Noir Foundation, and a leading figure in film restoration…
Detroit has a new vinyl-only listening club in an urban garden
Got a Detroit music tip? Send it to music@metrotimes.com. A vinyl-only listening club in an urban garden: DJing with old-school vinyl and turntables comes with certain barriers to entry when compared to all of the easier-to-use digital software and gear available these days. However, if you hang around Detroit’s dance scene long enough, you’ll notice…
910AM Superstation owner accused of fraud, racketeering in federal lawsuit
Metro Detroit media mogul Kevin Adell is accused of fraud and racketeering in a federal lawsuit that claims he cheated his family members out of “many millions of dollars.” Adell, who owns The Word Network and 910AM Superstation, counters that the lawsuit is a frivolous “shakedown” that will be dismissed and lead to sanctions against…
‘However long it takes,’ longtime Ford worker says of the UAW strike
As the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against the Detroit Three enters its fourth day, workers say that they are in it “for the long haul.” Samantha Litton of Taylor has worked at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant for three years. “It shouldn’t take eight years to get top pay,” Litton told the Advance on…
Detroit’s Room Project to be replaced by Little Liberia restaurant
We were crushed by the news that Detroit’s women and nonbinary-centered co-working space Room Project is closing in November. It turns out that the beloved community space is being replaced by a restaurant. African-fusion pop-up Little Liberia has announced its first brick-and-mortar will open in Room’s current space at 6513 Woodward Ave. in Detroit’s New…
Rock musician Sammy Hagar launching Detroit-based brewing company
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar, known as the “Red Rocker,” is stepping into the craft beer scene with the grand opening of Red Rocker Brewing Co. in Detroit. The brewery’s inaugural beer, a Mexican-style lager named Red Rocker Lager, is set to debut with a bang during a live concert featuring Sammy…
Dems come out in support for UAW strikes, as Republicans criticize push for EVs
Following the expiration of contracts at midnight on Friday, state leaders and lawmakers on the state and national stage are weighing in as the United Auto Workers (UAW) union begins its historic strike on Michigan’s Detroit Three automakers. With support from other labor groups, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the American Federation…
Bernie Sanders condemns ‘corporate greed’ at UAW rally in Detroit
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) railed against “corporate greed” and “record profits” secured by the Detroit Three during a spirited rally on Friday in the Motor City with striking United Auto Workers (UAW) members. The rally featuring the two-time presidential candidate attracted hundreds of participants and was held at the Ford-UAW Joint Trust Center took…
Detroit Month of Design events for people who are overwhelmed by it all
Can I tell you a secret? Even though I’m an arts and culture writer, I don’t particularly enjoy attending art openings. There are way too many people and energy to manage for an introvert like myself, and awkward moments fretting over what to say to that person I’ve seen on social media but don’t actually…
Activist files lawsuit to force Trump off the ballot in Michigan
Prominent civic crusader Robert Davis filed a lawsuit Friday afternoon to force Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot in Michigan on the grounds that the former president violated the U.S. Constitution by engaging in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. The lawsuit in the Michigan Court of Claims comes three days after Michigan Secretary of…
Strike! United Auto Workers declares historic strike against Detroit Three automakers.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) declared a strike at midnight Thursday after negotiations for a new contract failed with “Detroit Three” auto manufacturers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. This is the first time in the union’s history it has gone on strike against all three automakers. UAW President Shawn Fain told members at the picket…
Whatcha Wanna Eat is Detroit’s first inner-city food hall full of minority-owned businesses
Detroit’s new Whatcha Wanna Eat Food Hall is packed on a Thursday afternoon. Lines of people crowd the walkways and indecisive diners inch their way through, squinting at menus on the wall, spoiled with, perhaps, too much choice. Rows of people stand against mural-covered walls and get cake slices from the sweets shop while they…
Updated COVID-19 vaccines available in Michigan
An updated vaccine formulated to protect against new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 will be available starting next week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) said Thursday. The news comes as COVID cases have ticked upwards in the U.S. in recent weeks, and days after the Food and Drug Administration…
In ‘A Haunting in Venice,’ Kenneth Branagh takes a liberal hand with Britain’s best-loved author
Although now dead for nearly 50 years — she expired in 1976 at age 85 — Agatha Christie remains as mysteriously ubiquitous as ever. Rivaled in sales only by William Shakespeare — and let’s acknowledge that he received a 330-year head start — Christie has conservatively moved more than 2 billion books since The Mysterious…
Detroit man convicted after calling 911 and threatening to kill Whitmer, Benson, and others
A Detroit man was convicted Wednesday on a misdemeanor charge after calling 911 and threatening to kill Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and other elected officials, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Thursday. James Toepler, 60, pleaded no contest to one count of malicious use of telecommunications services for making the call to…
Upcoming Pontiac Festival of the Arts to honor Mexican Independence Day
A diverse array of art, color, sights, and sounds will be featured at the upcoming Pontiac Festival of the Arts, set to take place from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16 in historic downtown Pontiac. Along with celebrating local creativity, the free family-friendly event will honor Latin culture and Mexican Independence Day. While…
More is more at Alma Kitchen in Grosse Pointe Park
I’m usually wary about a restaurant that borrows from a slew of cuisines, and Alma Kitchen boasts dishes from Mexico, India, Korea, Italy, the Cajun South, and the soul food tradition. One dish was invented in San Francisco and served mainly in American-Chinese restaurants. But an East Side friend raved about their seafood crepes, so…
Pie Sci is opening a second location in Oak Park
Detroit pizza hangout Pie Sci plans to bring its culinary science lab to Oak Park by year’s end. On Wednesday, the pizza spot announced plans to open a second location at 8140 W. Nine Mile Rd. “So… you may have heard, come the end of this year we are expecting a new addition to the…
Michigan Secretary of State declines to remove Trump from presidential ballot, but the case isn’t over
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has declined to kick Donald Trump off the 2024 ballot in Michigan, saying she doesn’t have the authority to do so, even if the former president violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment. Benson’s decision was in response to a legal challenge last month by prominent citizen activist Robert Davis, who…
‘Virtual’ pop star Hatsune Miku is coming to Detroit
Here’s one for fans of anime, Japanese culture, or even anyone just curious about cutting-edge technology: Hatsune Miku, the “virtual” Japanese pop star depicted as a girl with turquoise pigtails, is embarking on a “world concert tour” that includes a Detroit date. The “Hatsune Miku Expo” is heading to Detroit’s Fisher Theatre on Sunday, May…
Equestrian center planned for northwest Detroit aims to serve local youth
Local nonprofit Detroit Horse Power is getting closer to its vision of establishing an equestrian center for youth within the city. Recent fundraising efforts have executive director David Silver optimistic that the necessary funds will be secured, with plans to break ground on the $8.1 million, 14-acre facility within the next year. The equestrian center…
Embracing Nostalgia: Quality Roots Fall Campaign Revives Beloved Michigan Brand
Get ready for fall as Quality Roots brings back a cherished Michigan Brand, filled with memories and nostalgia. Inspired by the well-loved Mr. Alan’s, a former local shoe store, this September is guaranteed to bring back memories and nostalgia. Remembering Mr. Alan’s Legacy Founded in 1974 by Alan Bishop, Mr. Alan’s Holds a special place…
Olivia Rodrigo is bringing her ‘GUTS’ world tour to Detroit
Pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo has announced her first-ever arena tour, including a stop in the Motor City. The 20-year-old Grammy-winning performer will come to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, March 23, in support of her recently released sophomore album GUTS. Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan will open the show. Since demand for the concert is expected…
Uncle Kracker announces Black Friday show at District 142
Wyandotte venue District 142 is celebrating six months of bringing rock and country music Downriver, and it’s marking the occasion by announcing a Black Friday concert with an artist who bridges both genres: Uncle Kracker. The Billboard-charting artist will perform at the venue on Friday, Nov. 24. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on…
Free Will Astrology (Sept. 13-19)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries photographer Wynn Bullock had a simple, effective way of dealing with his problems and suffering. He said, “Whenever I have found myself stuck in the ways I relate to things, I return to nature. It is my principal teacher, and I try to open my whole being to what it…
