Cover Stories
There’s still time to check out Mario Moore’s moving paintings in Detroit
When you approach Enshrined: Presence + Preservation, Detroit artist Mario Moore’s survey exhibition now on view at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the first thing you see is a 2010 painting depicting a group of men breaking up a fight; in the background is a shuttered Detroit school. “That was considering…
Detroit Youth Choir celebrates 25 years with gala, Aaliyah tribute
It’s been a whirlwind past few years for the Detroit Youth Choir, the nonprofit musical group made up of young people with a big sound. In 2019, they exploded into the mainstream, making it to second place on the NBC show America’s Got Talent. This year, the DYC earned a 2021 Stellar Award from the…
A selection of upcoming artistic happenings in metro Detroit and beyond
Michigan’s fall arts season is here, with a number of galleries, museums, theaters, and other venues returning with programming after being disrupted by the pandemic last year. (Of course, the situation is still changing every day. Obviously, be sure to check with the venues for the most up-to-date information!) Events and openings Detroit Month of…
Spot Lite teams up with Sheefy McFly for its first exhibition
Last year was supposed to be a big one for Sheefy McFly, the Detroit visual artist and musician who mixes pop art and hip-hop influences. It wound up being bigger than he could have imagined. Back then, Birmingham’s posh Robert Kidd fine art gallery approached him about doing a solo exhibition — not bad for…
How artist Jessica DeMuro Graves is healing from loss by returning to the womb with ‘Womxnhouse’
Each day, 385,000 babies are thrust from the warm, ambient, and nurturing homes of their mothers’ wombs into a cruel cacophony of sound, bright light, and all things unknown. Birth, our first experience, though impossible to remember, is something we leave behind. Despite our pleas to return to the womb where there are no jobs,…
Soul soother Leon Bridges will bring the sensual feels to Detroit’s Majestic Theatre
Hailed as the Chet Baker of soul, Texas-native and purveyor of smooth, emotive, and — if we’re being honest — downright sensual music, Leon Bridges is golden. On his latest record, Gold-Diggers Sound, Bridges let it all hang out … emotionally speaking. “I was just able to be myself and let go of any inhibitions…
Twelve-hour Icelandic take on Mozart, ‘Bliss’ will mark first live event at the Michigan Building in 50 years
When was the last time you did something for 12 hours straight without pause? And no, sleep doesn’t count. Well, if you can hang — and even if you can’t — there’s something blissful happening at the historic Michigan Building and the first performance to take place in the theater-turned-parking garage in 50 years. As…
The incomparable rebel prince of ‘popera’ Rufus Wainwright heads to the Masonic’s Cathedral Theatre
Throughout his glittering, scarf-heavy, brooch-wearing 23-year-long career, “Gay Messiah” Rufus Wainwright has rarely followed the rules. Whether rules of convention, fashion, or neat and tidy public perception, Wainwright explores not only breaking rules, but unfollowing them on 2020’s aptly titled Unfollow the Rules. The 48-year-old progeny of folk royalty Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate…
Fire up the twerkulator — City Girls will play Detroit’s the Aretha with Kodak Black, Peezy, and others
The city is on lock, y’all. Or at least it was in 2020, which is the same year Yung Miami and JT who perform in your face hip-hop as City Girls released their second full length City on Lock. For the uninitiated, City Girls courted controversy shortly after dropping their debut single “Fuck Dat Nigga”…
Revisit David Byrne’s ‘big suit’ with screening of ‘Stop Making Sense’ at Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater
Dancing with a lamp never looked so good. Arguably the greatest concert film ever made, and, by some analysis, what could serve as the blueprint for the anti-concert concert film, Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense is 88 minutes of near perfection. Demme filmed the David Byrne-fronted Talking Heads over a four-night run in Hollywood in…
Detroit now has a ‘Ben’s Friends’ chapter, a support group for restaurant workers seeking help with addiction
Working in the restaurant and hospitality industry isn’t easy for anybody, with long hours and high stress. And for those struggling with alcoholism, it isn’t any easier with the presence of booze often never far away. It isn’t just restaurant workers who can have it tough. “I mean, I’m driving around with a car full…
Michigan could be home to first wireless charging road for electric vehicles in the U.S.
Fix the damn roads? Look’s like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to electrify our roads, er, well, a damn road. On Tuesday, Whitmer helped kick off the opening ceremony for Motor Bella at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, and during her remarks, she revealed an initiative to develop the nation’s first wireless charging infrastructure on a…
Grant Hill and Fila unveil two new basketball courts in Detroit
Former Detroit Piston and NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill has teamed up with sportswear brand Fila to help kids on Detroit’s Eastside live out their best hoop dreams. Fila and The Tamia & Grant Hill Foundation in partnership with the City of Detroit Parks, Recreation Division, and the Chandler Park Conservancy have unveiled the…
FBI arrests Michigan bomb suspect who was angry with cell phone companies over porn and cussing
The FBI on Monday arrested a retired miner who is accused of placing homemade bombs outside two cell phone stores in northern Michigan because he was angry about “telecommunications containing immoral content.” John Douglas Allen, 75, of Whittemore, is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Bay City on Tuesday afternoon on…
Union Assembly will open Wednesday at Little Caesars HQ
There’s a new food option for visitors who are heading into downtown Detroit for a show at the Fox or a game at Comerica Park. Nestled between the Fox Theatre and The Fillmore on the ground floor of the Little Caesars headquarters, Union Assembly is slated to open for dinner beginning this Wednesday. The two-story…
Michigan-based Skymint acquires 3Fifteen Cannabis, closes $75M in funding
Ann Arbor-based cannabis company Skymint has acquired 3Fifteen Cannabis and closed $78 million in funding, the companies announced Tuesday. According to a press release, following the acquisition the company now has 730 employees across 27 retail locations, with more than 18 others on the way — giving the company the largest retail footprint in the…
James Craig says he supports abortion ban in secret recording
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Craig said if elected he would block any attempt by Democrats to repeal Michigan’s 90-year-old ban on abortion, according to a secret audio recording obtained by Metro Times. Craig made the remark Thursday while talking with supporters after his speech at a campaign kickoff event in Marquette. The 1931 law, which…
NYT reporter and creator of the ‘1619 Project’ Nikole Hannah-Jones to visit U-M to discuss its impact
Since releasing the “1619 Project” into the world — a sprawling package of stories that posits that the true beginning of United States history starts when the first African slaves arrived in Virginia 400 years ago — Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones has sparked a profound dialogue on race and how we…
Kent Co. health director tells commissioners after almost being run off the road: ‘I need help’
After a woman attempted to run Kent County Health Department director Adam London off the road just hours after he issued a mask mandate for some schools last month, the health officer issued a plea to the Kent County Board of Commissioners. “I need help,” London wrote in an Aug. 22 email to the county…
Michigan’s possibly haunted Eloise Asylum enlists Alice Cooper to unveil new high-tech haunted attractions
Did you hear something? Since closing in 1981, Westland’s Eloise Psychiatric Hospital has become an abandoned destination for urban explorers and haunt hunters, whether by trespassing or taking advantage of owner-sanctioned paranormal-expert-led tours. And now, thanks to a new, very costly and high-tech facelift, it looks like ghosts won’t be the only thing — allegedly…
Ferndale’s DIY Street Fair returns with art, booze, and tunes by the High Strung, Mac Saturn, the Verve Pipe, and more
Last year we had no choice but to do everything ourselves from the discomfort of our home. Well, thanks to the return of Ferndale’s DIY Street Fair, the time has come to DIY until we DIE, er, tie DYE. Since its founding in 2008, the community-centered, volunteer-run, free DIY Street Fair is returning for three…
Detroit’s Hantz Farms is beginning to look like a land grab after all
Nearly a decade ago, when Hantz Farms was asking the Detroit City Council for approval to buy more than 1,500 parcels of blighted land for an urban tree farm on the city’s lower east side, critics blasted the project as a land grab. At $350 per parcel, the deal was a virtual giveaway with no…
Dutch Girl Donuts owner dies at 75, leaving the future of the Woodward Avenue shop uncertain
Less than three weeks after beloved doughnut spot Dutch Girl Donuts took to its Facebook to inform its customers that it would close the doors to its Woodward store temporarily due to insufficient staffing, the shop’s longtime owner Gene Timmer died Friday, Sep. 17. He was 75 years old. According to The Detroit News, Timmer…
Detroit’s Mudgie’s Deli launches crowdsourced campaign to help pay workers
The sudden passing of Greg Mudge, founder of Corktown staple Mudgie’s Deli, hit Detroit’s culinary community very hard. Since the news broke, an outpouring of support and condolences flooded social media as many paid their respect to Mudge. The deli announced it would be closing temporarily for bereavement while Mudgie’s staff, family, and community mourned…
Craig’s campaign clusterfuck, fake COVID news, and a DJ dispute: the top Detroit Metro Times headlines this week
Detroit’s news cycle was off to a roaring start this week with former police chief James Craig’s “official” gubernatorial campaign launch, which didn’t go exactly as planned. On the other side of the state, an emergency room doctor got attention for blaming Fox News for the rise in COVID-19 hospitalizations in the area. Beyond Craig…
Lawmakers introduce bills to reform school disciplinary process
State Sens. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and Adam Hollier (D-Detroit) introduced a package of bills this week to transform Michigan’s disciplinary systems in schools and further mitigate the effects of the long-running zero-tolerance policy that was abolished in 2016. Zero-tolerance policies meant students were required to face penalties such as expulsion or…
Green Dot Stables purchases land at center of parking lot dispute with Moroun, resolving legal battle
Last month, a property dispute between Green Dot Stables and billionaire Matthew Moroun came to a head when Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Co. took the extraordinary step of erecting a metal fence through the popular Detroit burger restaurant’s parking lot, after it realized it owned part of the land. A judge ordered Moroun to take…
Detroit takes the runway at New York Fashion Week S/S 2022
Various Detroit-native designers, brands, editors, and creatives took the runway for New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2022. Detroit designers such as Kevan Hall, Anna Sui, and Indie Fashion displayed their collections in different locations throughout New York City from Sept. 7-12. Hall’s Spring 2022 collection, “Brushstrokes,” gave a modern twist to 1930s Parisian culture. Throughout…
Wayne County prosecutor slaps Roseville woman with hate crime following ‘racist rant’ on airplane
A Roseville woman accused of assaulting a Black Muslim passenger aboard a Spirit Airlines flight to Detroit over the weekend was charged with a hate crime Friday. Alexandra Lynn Farr, 39, was charged with ethnic intimidation and assault after prosecutors say she shouted racial slurs at a 29-year-old passenger on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of…
Satirical ad tears into GM for resuming donations to Republicans who tried to overturn election
Political action group MoveOn slammed General Motors in a new digital ad for donating to the campaigns of lawmakers who spread falsehoods about the presidential election. The satirical ad mocks GM for resuming its political action committee donations after pledging to temporarily halt campaign contributions after the Jan. 6 insurrection. At the time, GM said…
ER doctor in rural Michigan blasts Fox News for spreading COVID-19 misinformation
COVID-19 cases are rising in Michigan, especially in areas of the state where people are still unvaccinated. Though vaccinations have been available for months, many people have chosen not to get them yet. These are the vast majority of the people Dr. Rob Davidson, a doctor working in an emergency room in a rural part of the state,…
High-net-worth individuals urge tax increases for wealthy, corporations
More than 200 high-net-worth individuals who would personally pay more under the Biden administration’s proposed changes to the federal tax code signed a letter this week, urging Congress to move forward on the $3.5 trillion budget bill. To fund the budget, President Joe Biden wants to raise the income tax rate for folks making more…
The NYT still doesn’t understand the difference between vaping black-market weed and regular e-cigs
Apparently, the mainstream media has learned nothing from the big vaping scare from a couple of years ago, with even outlets like The New York Times still getting basic facts about it wrong. To recap: Back in 2019, hundreds of people began to get sick with a mysterious respiratory illness that was sending otherwise healthy…
Rolling Stone lists ‘Respect’ as the greatest song of all time
Rolling Stone magazine has released an update of its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and we’re not surprised to see that Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” topped the list as the absolute best. After all, the Queen of Soul’s voice was declared a natural resource in 1985 by the state of Michigan, and…
Hackel’s defiant stand against Biden’s vaccine mandate would make Trumpers proud
Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel is pledging to resist President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate and even said he opposes requirements for employees to get tested for COVID-19. Hackel, a Democrat in a county that twice voted for Donald Trump, is so opposed to vaccine mandates that he won’t attend the Detroit Regional Chamber’s annual policy…
QLine, buses get dedicated lane in front of Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena
A stretch of Woodward Avenue in front of Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena has been changed into a dedicated transit lane in order to keep things moving on game days and concerts. Dan Lijana, a spokesman for M-1 Rail, the QLine streetcar’s operating entity, says the dedicated lane is reserved for the QLine and DDOT and…
How a local Amazon employee is increasing LGBTQIA+ awareness and mentorship in Detroit
This weekend, Amazon will underscore its commitment to an inclusive work environment by supporting the Motor City Pride festival. At the helm of the company’s participation is associate Chris Norkiewicz, who serves as the Southeast Michigan president for Amazon’s LGBTQIA+ employee resource group, Glamazon. Glamazon is one of 13 affinity groups that bring Amazon employees…
Simone Biles breaks down in tears while testifying against the FBI’s mishandling of Larry Nassar abuse scandal
Simone Biles, the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, broke down in tears during an emotional Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday regarding the FBI’s bungled investigation and cover-up of hundreds of accounts of sexual abuse and molestation at the hands of Larry Nassar, the convicted criminal and former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor.…
Buddy’s Pizza celebrates 75th anniversary with a new IPA
Is there a more American food pairing than pizza and beer? Buddy’s Pizza doesn’t think so. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the home of the Detroit-style pizza has teamed up with Griffin Claw Brewing Company to release a limited edition ale. The Anniversary Ale is a New England IPA and its debut falls in line…
Macomb County GOP lawmaker removed from committee assignments in rare move
State Rep. Steve Marino was stripped of his legislative committee assignments on Tuesday, a rare move that is usually reserved as a form of discipline. The Harrison Township Republican was removed from his chairmanship of the coveted Commerce Committee and replaced by Pauline Wendzel, R-Waterliet. House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, wouldn’t say why he removed…
James Craig’s ‘official’ campaign launch was a complete clusterfuck
Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig officially kicked off his campaign to run as the Republican Party candidate for governor of Michigan on Tuesday, with a press conference that quickly went completely off the rails — and indicates that the 2022 race is shaping up to be anything but ordinary. Craig made his official campaign…
9/11 actually exposed our true mysterious enemy — ourselves
I’d worked late finishing an investigation into a cabal of developers who were effectively dictating a local government’s land-use decisions. As I groggily pulled into my newspaper’s parking lot that morning, only a few phone calls stood between me and one of the biggest scoops of my nascent career. Another reporter met me at the…
Start-up raises money to resurrect woolly mammoth, Trump wants to resurrect Confederate general, and more
There’s no need to roll up your sleeve for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccines just yet. According to a new review published in The Lancet journal, scientists say that booster shots aren’t needed for the general population. The Biden administration had proposed boosters eight months after initial shots, but the report found that…
Detroit fusion spot Bunny Bunny makes you jump through hoops
The pandemic has made us jump through hoops to get our food. We carry out, we order in, we dine on sidewalks and in hoop houses; if we do get to sit down we order awkwardly through a QR code so as not to interact with a server. So when a restaurant does offer attentive…
Motor City Pride, a Southern vegan pop-up, FrankenFest, and more things to do in metro Detroit this week
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Submit your events to metrotimes.com/calendar. Southern Vegan Weekend with Chef Chris Tucker of The Great American Baking Show Thursday, 9/16-Sunday, 9/19: In 2021, eating meat is so passé. Or is it pâté? Regardless, more Americans are turning to plant-based lifestyles, aka veganism, than ever before. A study…
Paul Schrader gambles with ‘The Card Counter’
Stories of private, inner turmoil need not be narrow; in some ways this has been the story of Paul Schrader’s career. The 75-year old writer of Taxi Driver and director of works ranging from the Detroit-set Blue Collar to American Gigolo and his last, First Reformed, has honed, like an artisan or a painter, a…
Free Will Astrology (Sept. 15-21)
ARIES: March 21 – April 19: “Books are mirrors: You only see in them what you already have inside you,” wrote author Carlos Zafòn Ruiz. Let’s take that a step further: “Other people are mirrors: You only see in them what you already have inside you.” And even further. “The whole world is a mirror:…
Lawmakers introduce package adding marijuana caregiver regulations, as activists protest
Lawmakers on Tuesday announced proposed bipartisan legislation that would create a new license and add more regulations for marijuana caregivers. On Wednesday, cannabis activists held an already-planned rally in Lansing to protest the bills that leaders told the Advance earlier this week they had heard were in the works. The Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, House…
