Cover Story
1xRUN’s inaugural mural festival brings color to Eastern Market
Street art is arguably the most democratic form of art making. From graffiti to large-scale murals, it allows individuals in the community to engage without traditional high art barriers of access like admission costs or stuffy, intimidating museum settings. And unlike many works in traditional museums, street art has been for the people in the…
Update: UIA lawsuit shows how the state criminalizes the unemployed
Updated 12:06 p.m.. Oct. 5: Neil A. Young, a former Michigan Compensation Appellate Commissioner, is joining the Pitt McGehee Palmer & Rivers legal team in its civil suit against the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency. The suit, which charges the agency with mislabeling numerous unemployment claims as fraudulent, deals with a subject matter right in Young’s wheelhouse. Serving on the commission…
Techno-infused J Dilla ‘Dillatronic’ comp on the way, featuring over 40 rare instrumentals
“The Detroit influence is part of what gave him an edge in production.”
Birmingham to welcome new French bistro Au Cochon on Friday
Oui, oui for new French bistro Au Cochon in Birmingham.
Local hip-hop producer Chuck Cross just dropped a brand new boom-bap gem
Over this past weekend, hip-hop producer Chuck Cross released a video for his newest single, “Stay Calm.” The boom-bap track features rising stars Valid and Nametag, while Detroit vet Guilty Simpson comes ends the joint will a killer last verse. The single is a precursor so the album Out of Nowhere which debuts soon.
Fatou-Seydi Sarr traveled halfway around the world to find African dance in Detroit
On an August evening on the second floor of the Fitness Works gymnasium in Detroit’s New Center, a dance class is in full swing as six women step up a storm. They make sweeping movements with their arms, wheeling them backward. Each dancer’s upper body falls and rises, then they swivel their hands palm-up and…
Season Two of ‘Empire’ returns with Lincoln Motor Company as automotive exclusive sponsor
Even though the production is based in Chicago and New York City, Detroit will star in the show in its own way.
Chef James Rigato’s newest venture Mabel Gray preps for opening next week
It’s about that time to pay Hazel Park a visit.
Grow out your beard for Detroit’s Circus of Whiskers
Don’t shave, guys: The Circus of Whiskers beard championship is coming up
Photo: Detroit from 249 miles above Earth
Every so often, we check in on Twitter with astronaut Scott Kelly who is currently spending a year aboard the International Space Station. In the past, he’s tweeted out some stunning photos of the Great Lakes and Michigan for the viewing pleasure of those of us down here on planet Earth. Last weekend, on NFL Game Day,…
Show preview: Gang of Four at The Loving Touch this Mon., September 28
This coming Monday, September 28, the latest touring version of British post-punk pioneers the Gang of Four invade the Loving Touch in lovely Ferndale.
Misanthropic pharmaceutical CEO quotes Eminem during Twitter freakout
No word yet on what Em thinks about his lyrics being appropriated by a person who is clearly an actual misanthrope.
Kilpatrick frat bro sentenced to 11-years
The latest in the salacious, and seemingly on-going Kwame Kilpatrick saga. Former Detroit Treasurer — and Kilpatrick frat bro — Jeffrey Beasley, 46, was sentenced to 11-years in prison Monday for his role directing a bribery and kickback scheme that cost the city’s pension fund $97 million in losses. While US District Judge Nancy Edmunds…
Crowdfunding effort aims to help Detroiters facing foreclosure
Here’s a simple way to help a selected few of the people facing foreclosure in Detroit, thanks to crowdfunding.
Comment period extended for planned toxic waste plant expansion
The state is still accepting public comment on a planned tenfold expansion of a toxic waste treatment and storage plant on Detroit’s east side.
Survey says 73% U of M female undergrads sexually harassed
Nearly 75 percent of female undergrads at University of Michigan who took part in a recent climate survey reported that they have been victims of sexual harassment. This stat is one of many telling data-points that came to light after the Association of American Universities released its 2015 Climate Survey on Sexual Assault and Sexual…
Computer glitch wrongly accuses hundreds of ditching court-mandated drug tests
Another bureaucratic computer error could have dire consequences for Michigan residents. Last week Dana O’Neal, a supervisor at Oakland County pre-trial services, sent out a memo to judges across the county warning them that between August 26 and September 11 Jail Alternatives for Michigan Services (JAMS), metro-Detroit’s largest provider of court ordered drug tests, experienced…
Detroit to get its only authentic Vietnamese Pho spot in Midtown
If you’re a Westsider/Dearborn resident, you already know and love Pho Lucky. The affordable, authentic purveyor of the Vietnamese staple Pho that sits right in the border township of Redford is a mainstay. And it’s growing. First reported by Eater Detroit last month, it recently opened an outpost in Southfield and has another location in Novi.…
A re-reunited Negative Approach to tour the U.S. in November
Tell your friends across the land to plug up their ears with proper protection before stepping foot inside the club to witness one of the gnarliest original hardcore bands around.
Riding the bus with Gary Winslow: Communication
Gary tries complementing a fellow passenger who doesn’t hear him, but understands perfectly.
Check out this brand new track from Detroit MC Nametag Alexander
You have to hear his great new track produced by Nameless!
Here’s more proof that Detroit’s Navin Field should be preserved as a green space
If you’ve spent any time on the MT News Hits blog, you’ll know we’re big fans of Detroit’s Navin Field, past and present. You’ll also know we have some pretty strong feelings about preserving the sacred Corktown grounds and its green space, especially in light of others — ahem, Detroit Police Athletic League — and their push…
VIDEO: Take a trip down the Detroit River at 200 miles per hour
We stumbled across this video on reddit today from aboard the U-1 Oberto with Jimmy Shane during the final heat of the 2015 GM Spirit of Detroit Hydrofest which took place on the Detroit River last month. Shane, if you recall, took home the win after a neck in neck battle with J. Michael Kelly (see 4:30) where both…
Show preview: Godsmack, Sevendust this Wed., Sep. 23 at the Fillmore
Tickets are still available now for this show.
Insane Clown Posse and fans win appeal in ‘gang designation’ suit
Thanks to the a legal team that includes the ACLU, the ICP and the Juggalo family will get their day in court.
McClary Bros. to appear on episode of ABC’s Shark Tank
Can McClary Bros survive a round in the Shark Tank?
Celebrate 50 years of the Fifth Estate this weekend
Detroit’s scrappy underground magazine marks an astonishing 50 years in existence with a weekend of celebrations and protest.
Show preview: Father John Misty, Mikal Cronin play Royal Oak Music Theatre next Thurs., Sept. 24
We’re super stoked about this show Thurs., September 24 at Royal Oak Music Theatre bringing Father John Misty together with Mikal Cronin. We’ve got a feature on Misty to appear on Wednesday, but just wanted to make sure this is on your radar.
Here’s your last chance to catch Nick Cave in Detroit
As the project draws to a close, there are only three more chances to take in one of Cave’s performance pieces.
Update: Kid Rock dismissed from jury duty in Oakland County
Update: Kid Rock was dismissed from jury duty around 2:30 p.m. yesterday, the Freep reports. No explanation was given regarding his dismissal but we can think of a reason or two why he might not have been an ideal fit. Originally posted: Sept. 17 2015 at 10:28 a.m. Robert James Ritchie — AKA Kid Rock…
‘Black Mass’ is just another gangster drama
Black Mass / C+ Rated R Run Time: 124 minutes In case you’ve forgotten, Johnny Depp can play more than cartoonish eccentrics. And while Black Mass doesn’t do much for the post-Scorsese gangster flick, Depp’s performance as Boston crime-lord James “Whitey” Bulger re-establishes him as an actor who can bring gravity and nuance to the…
‘Everest’ successfully pulls out all the stops
Everest / B+ Rated PG-13 121 Minutes Let’s face it: This is what 3-D IMAX theaters are for. Embracing the mantra of “go big, or go home,” director Baltasar Kormákur and his cinematographer Salvatore Totino pull out all the stops to re-create the majesty and dizzying danger of climbing the world’s highest peak. Part survival…
Website names 10 drunkest cities in Michigan
RoadSnacks — a website that uses “data to create bite-sized snacks of shareable information about places and cities across the country” — recently compiled a list of the 10 drunkest cities in Michigan just in time for another booze-filled weekend. To come up with the ranking, RoadSnacks said they analyzed the numbers of bars, pubs,…
Check out this brand new video from local hip-hop collective Awkward Theory
Last week,the Southwest Detroit hip-hop group Awkward Theory released their second video,”Falling,” from their self-tilted debut album. It’s good; have a look!
The Who has postponed all remaining US dates, including Detroit
The Who will no longer be playing Joe Louis Arena on October 17. Here is to hoping that Mr. Daltrey fully recovers soon from his mystery virus!
Beloved daughter of Detroit Alice Coltrane’s giant L.A. area estate for sale for $5 mil
Curbed reports that “the still-active Sai Anantam Ashram has been a center for the study of the Vedic scriptures, one of a series of buildings and residences on the property, as well as a musical retreat and recording space.”
Check out this Detroit gospel tribute to Jimmy Carter from 1984
This tribute to James Earl Carter was recorded in Inkster in 1984, but better late than never.
This may be the worst article about Millennials saving Detroit yet
Not to pick on other journalists too much here — let him that is without sin cast the first stone, etc. — but come on, media!
Show preview: Twenty One Pilots at Meadow Brook this Sat., Sept. 19
The breakout band from Columbus, OH is known for their raucous live shows, and tickets are still available.
Here’s a handy map for the Murals in the Market festival
The map outlines where to find the murals, and also includes a schedule of related events.
Bar food: Bumbo’s rolls out weekly popups
Hamtramck’s newest bar darling, Bumbo’s, opened this spring as a welcome alternative to the shenanigan-riddled, divey rocker joints that have dominated the drinking scene in the city for generations. What you find at the throw-back, yet stylish saloon is a rotating cocktail menu, with kitschy drinks like the Ranch Water, with tequila, Topo Chico and…
An ACLU of Michigan investigation has found a stream of irregularities in Flint’s water tests
Despite claims by city and state officials that the water supply in Flint is safe to drink, a recent analysis by independent researchers shows that city’s drinking water is contaminated with dangerously high levels of lead and others metals. Researchers at Virginia Tech studied water samples from more than 275 homes in Flint over the…
Ta-Nehisi Coates talks Detroit
Ta-Nehisi Coates: “Detroit is the place where — to be frank and blunt with you — where certain pundits go when they want to lie to themselves.”
TEDxDetroit announces speaker lineup
TEDxDetroit fills the Fox Theatre with talk and music Oct. 8. Here’s the lineup.
Check out Luc Sante’s playlist of 100 of his favorite songs, right now
Cultural historian Luc Sante has compiled a 100 song playlist that’s excellent and eclectic, to say the least. I bet that it’s going to be the soundtrack to my work week for the next month.
DIA announces Salvador Salort-Pons as new director
Salort-Pons says he will build on the DIA’s unique “visitor-centered” approach made famous by Beal, in which exhibitions are arranged in broad themes meant to appeal to a wide range of audiences instead of the art historian-centered approach of many other museums.
Weekly advice from sex columnist Dan Savage
Q: My son, who is almost 30 years old, was married four years ago. He just shared with us that for the last three years, he and his wife have been practicing polyamory. They are committed to their relationship but have each had relationships with both men and women. We are trying to get our…
Metro Detroit’s must-see theater for the 2015-16 season
With another polar vortex probably on the way, take comfort in the knowledge that metro Detroit’s theater lights are heating up. The 2015-16 theater season has a little of everything: sex-withholding feminists, a world premiere by Jeff Daniels, and that play about gentrification you’ve been waiting for. Lysistrata by Drue Robinson (adapted from the comedy…
Drink up
Goose Island: India Pale Ale 5.9% ABV When John Hall began Goose Island as a single brewpub in Lincoln Park, Chicago, in 1988, craft beer constituted a very niche segment of the U.S. beer industry, a specialty product with small-batch distribution limited to immediate localities. Today, craft brewing has rapidly evolved into its own distinct…
800beloved plays a rare hometown gig
Sean Lynch has called the sleepy suburban town of Milford home for his entire life. Now the 35-year-old finds himself acting as his town’s ambassador. “It has a dreary charm,” he says of Milford. According to Lynch, there are several top-notch restaurants within walking distance of the town’s Central Park, including the River’s Edge Brewery.…
Mark your calendar today for these upcoming shows
Tickets are now on sale for these events. Oct. 16, Darrell Hammond at Royal Oak Music Theatre; royaloakmusictheatre.com; Tickets are $40 to $75. Oct. 20, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard at the Fox Theatre; olympiaentertainment.com; Tickets are $49, $69, $79 and $129. Oct. 25, Motionless In White, The Devil Wears Prada at the Fillmore Detroit; thefillmoredetroit.com;…
Horoscopes (September 16 – 22)
This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Virgo sun, a waxing, Libra moon, and a bevy of aspects that have us teetering on the brink of something huge. Between the headlines and the crystal ball, rumor has it that the shit really IS about to hit the fan — but we’ve…
Patrick J’s Irish Pub, the new pub on the block
Patrick J’s Irish Pub has taken over former Hiller’s Market on 12 Mile in Berkley. The market, which occupied the space for more than 60 years, has gotten a spiffy remodel and is welcoming the community with its unique warm atmosphere and homestyle meals. For only being open for two months, owner Bob Bronstein says…
Detroit Threads thrives on street cred
Mikel Smith, purportedly “Detroit’s oldest raver,” is the face of Detroit Threads — metro Detroit’s go-to record store for electronic music, particularly Detroit techno — as well as a vintage clothing store, a Detroit-themed apparel store, and an all around resale shop where you can find anything from vintage magazines to zines, tapes, CDs and…
The Triple Nickel is fish house fresh
For years and years, the seafood go-to in town has been Sindbad’s. The spot on the waterfront with its unabashed nautical theme and the stench of algae that permeates from the docks when you walk out to the adjacent marina is a Detroit staple. It’s a favorite for the brunch or celebratory dinner with the…
Weekly reader responses
Proto punk’d The band Death have been enjoying a career revival, and we previewed their Ann Arbor show last week. However, some reject the “proto punk” narrative behind the band’s comeback. Reader “Don Handy” writes: Thanks for the article. Especially for getting the story about Don Schwenk’s connection to the Death band legend straight. Had…
Politics and Prejudices: Talking heads, Bernie, and the Donald
Thirty years ago, I spent a lot of time traveling, in this country and out, and I thought CNN was the best thing ever invented. The headline news channel was actually a news channel — you got a full new half-hour newscast every half-hour; a mix of serious and feature news. The anchors were mostly…
Catching up with rapper June
June is in full chill mode as he lounges in the basement of his newly purchased Dearborn Heights home. He’s rocking a T-shirt, shorts, and a beer. He pulls his newest project, WhatUpDoe State Of Mind: Vol.1 from a small cardboard box, and pops the CD in the stereo. He hits the skip button skip…
Strange Beautiful Music festival #8 takes over the Fisher Music Center on Sept.19
Where can you see a saxophone quartet, a bowed vibraphone ensemble, a robot-building collective of sound installation artists, and even more artists playing some of today’s most cutting-edge classical music all performing together? Look no further than Strange Beautiful Music, a far-reaching, all-day festival now in its eighth year. It’s taking place at the Max…
Albert Hammond Jr. plays St. Andrew’s Hall Sept. 16
If you’ve ever wondered what Albert Hammond Jr.’s contribution to the Strokes is, just take a listen to his new album Momentary Masters (Vagrant). That highly rhythmic Strokes guitar style? Here it is front and center, only now in a different context. That band’s longtime second guitarist has come a long way since their 1998…
Higher Ground: Looking ahead
There’s good reason to pose this question. There are two petition initiatives aimed at legalizing marijuana for recreational use on the 2016 ballot — and a June poll showed state voters support legalization 56 percent to 36 percent. Faced with what looks like an inevitable course, politicians in Lansing are discussing doing the same thing…
Cinema Detroit gets a new lease on the movie-loving life
Once, there were palaces. The Capitol, the United Artists, the Riviera, the National, the Madison — glittery, awe inspiring shrines to the magic of movie-going that offered Hollywood’s cream and curd alike to massive urban audiences. Now, the thrill is gone, and like so many Detroit icons, so are the movie houses. In the midcentury…
Two Birmingham-based galleries make the Detroit move
In many ways, posh suburban Birmingham couldn’t be any more different from Detroit, even considering the much-ballyhooed rise of “the 7.2,” or the number of square miles most people tend to be referring to when they talk about Detroit’s recent redevelopments. But even then, Detroit must have hit some sort of turning point when Birmingham…
Detroit Design Festival gets bigger, better, and more international
Motown may be better known for its motors and music, but the city has a strong — if underappreciated — design economy as well. Just ask the Detroit Creative Corridor Center. For the past five years, the group has worked to highlight the region’s creative industry with its annual Detroit Design Festival, which is now…
Traveling exhibitions roll into the Detroit Institute of Arts
Following the Detroit Institute of Arts’ massively successful Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit (which drew nearly 180,000, a 15-year record), the museum is gearing up for a new season of programming that promises to be equally entertaining and educational — even if it doesn’t have Rivera and Kahlo’s art world star power. For…
Other suggested artistic happenings to put on your radar
Fri., Sept. 18 ArtWorks Detroit @ The Alchemy For 20 years, ArtWorks Detroit has been helping the AIDS community in Michigan. This benefit for the Michigan AIDS Coalition includes silent and live auctions of artwork donated by artists Mel Rosas, Sergio De Giusti, James Stephens, Albert Young, and more. The evening will also include hors…
A look at what’s in store at MOCAD
As the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit turns 9 years old, it remains true to its self-described mission “to present art at the forefront of contemporary culture.” This season’s lineup looks to be radical in nearly every sense of the term. The exhibition “You Can’t Print That: 50 Years of the Fifth Estate,” which celebrates…
