Michigan could be making $122,065,853 a year in marijuana tax
Michigan could be making $122,065,853 a year in marijuana tax, according to a new report by Nerd Wallet. But, as you already know, it’s not. The U.S. stands to gain, according to our calculations, $3,098,866,907 in state and local taxes per year — that’s more than twice the entire budget of the Small Business Administration…
And the signature food of Michigan is…
A Michigan pasty! A much larger and more readable map is available here. This map comes to us via the Cooking Channel (by route of Mental Floss) which recently polled viewers to determine each state’s signature dish. Think this is an accurate culinary representation of our state? Drops your thoughts in the comment section below.
Happy birthday, John Coltrane
Today, would have been the jazz legend’s 88th birthday. Unfortunately, John Coltrane lost his battle with liver cancer in 1967, at the age of 40. His death came as a shock to the music community, even some of those who were close to him —collaborators and friends — did not know he had been sick. …
Detroit Design Festival kicks off tonight
Last week we talked to Matt Clayson of the Detroit Creative Corridor about the Detroit Design Festival. Tonight the festival kicks off with a party at 485 W. Milwaukee, Detroit, a building that houses many things, including a CCS campus, and Shinola headquarters. The party will include special exhibits, student shows, interactive design experiences, music,…
Bob Seger releases video for new single, “Detroit Made”
The world hasn’t heard new material from Bob Seger since 2006’s Face the Promise, but now the Michigander is getting ready to release his newest effort, Ride Out. “Detroit Made” is a wise choice for a first single. The rollicking tune lets listeners know that Seger still has some gas in the tank. In classic…
How EM-controlled DPS ruined a school for teen moms with a 90 percent graduation rate
By all standards, Detroit’s Catherine Ferguson Academy was a success story. And then the emergency manager-controlled DPS said it had to be closed, touching off a battle that resulted in the school remaining open, but under the operation of a for-profit charter school organization. And that’s when things fell apart. That story is the focus…
Detroit consultant: A moratorium on water shut-offs would be ‘problematic’
On Tuesday, officials representing the City of Detroit and the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department testified they don’t know how many residents in the city are living without access to water in their homes. But, they said, a temporary moratorium on water shut-offs to assess how many of those residents haven’t made arrangements to restore…
Redford Theatre will screen West Side Story with a special appearance by Rita Moreno
Adapted from William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, West Side Story is a seminal musical that’s be performed on the stage by countless high schools, theater troupes, and broadway actors. In 1961 the movie version was released and audiences across the globe were enraptured with the film’s music, choreography, gang violence, and love story. It was…
Queen finally releases collaboration with Michael Jackson
Somewhere between 1981 and 1984, two of the world’s biggest music acts, Queen and Michael Jackson, collaborated. The result sat in the can for roughly thirty years until it was dusted off and touched up to be featured on a career-spanning retrospective called Queen Forever. “There Must Be More to Life Than This” was originally…
Detroit Homecoming as condo time share pitch
Given the spirit of self-interest wrapped in the language of a great deal for the select few, plus the idea of a captive audience that can’t get away from the kindness of Detroit’s billionaire benefactors, the image resolved into clarity for one of our co-workers who declared of Detroit Homecoming, “Oh my god! It’s exactly…
Torii Hunter and wife to roll out new DPS program tomorrow
Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter and his wife, Katrina, are set to roll out a new program through Detroit Public Schools tomorrow. The Heart of a Champion program is set to “elevate the lives of 7,500 students in 39 Detroit schools.” The program will kick off tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 12:30 p.m. at the Fisher…
Lawsuit seeks to remove Detroit Public Schools emergency manager
Under Michigan’s novel emergency manager law, PA 436 of 2012, a governing body (e.g., Detroit City Council with Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr) can vote to remove the state-appointed manager who has served at least 18 months through a two-thirds vote. But a lawsuit filed this week in Ingham County Circuit Court challenges when that period…
Yemans Street pop-up now able to take reservations
Over the weekend, we dropped by and visited with Matt and Corrie Tinker, the couple behind Hamtramck’s newest pop-up restaurant space, Yemans Street. They’ve announced that their website is now able to process reservations for this week’s seatings, which feature a five-course menu from Cork’s chef, Jay Gundy.
New Hense-designed mural debuts in Detroit today
Hey, Detroit art aficionados — you’re invited to a shindig celebrating Detroit’s latest mural, painted by Atlanta-based artist Alex Brewer (aka Hense). It all goes down at Detroit’s Madison Building tonight, Sept. 22, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (Sorry, guys, we refuse to render it “M@dison.” That’s a little too 1999 for us.) The…
Big Ten Network promotes MSU Community Music School
While watching football games this season on the Big Ten Network, you might notice featurettes highlighting the good deeds done by schools in the conference. The BTN’s LiveBIG campaign focuses on one institution at a time, specifically reporting on one way said institution is serving the community. Sections that were cut from full LiveBIG episodes…
MAP: The most famous book set in Michigan
Our pals over at Business Insider recently published a map detailing the most popular books in each state. Michigan, it seems, is best known for the 1993 novel The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (the book was turned into a movie four years later). Via BI: “The Virgin Suicides” is a gripping tale of five…
Vox answers basic questions on Detroit’s bankruptcy
Over the weekend, Vox.com, a news site founded by former Washington Post wunkerkind Ezra Klein, pieced together a story on Detroit’s bankruptcy that answers some questions “you were too embarrassed to ask.” For instance, “Where did all the money go?” Sure, since launching this year, Klein’s outlet has been on the receiving end of harsh…
Eat a Coney dog in a rap video
Have you ever wanted to be in a rap video? Ok, here’s a second question: have you ever wanted to eat a Coney dog in a rap video? Of course you have! Chavis Chandler thought that you might, which is why he is filming the video for his song, “Lou’s Coney Island,” at –you guessed…
Blowfly at the New Dodge Lounge Sunday
We got word of this too late to get it into the paper, but we’re so excited we just have to announce it online: Blowfly is coming to town.
Detroit councilwoman highlights some missed opportunities in Red Wings arena plans; cycling, parking potentially an issue
Last night, we dropped by a longwinded public hearing on a proposed rezoning of the future site where a $450 million Detroit Red Wings arena will be located. The hearing, held by the Detroit City Planning Commission, featured a number of passionate comments from members of the public, both positive and negative of the massive…
Banned Books Week begins at Birmingham library
The Baldwin Public Library supports the intellectual freedom of its patrons. That’s why it’s hosting Banned Books Week, which it will be celebrating starting Sunday, Sept. 21 through Saturday, Sept. 27 in accordance with the American Library Association. Adults can participate in “A Blind Date with a Banned Book” where they can check out wrapped…
Boblo boat pulls out of Detroit for last time
Tuesday morning, the SS Columbia was dragged away from its dock in Ecorse to be deposited in Toledo where the Columbia Project will take the boat out of the water in order to make repairs. The non-profit project has been trying to attain the rights to rehab the boat for years. Now that they have…
UPDATE: I-75 closure in Detroit has been delayed
UPDATE (Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, 4:15 p.m.): M-1 Rail sent along a statement around 4 p.m. saying the full closure of I-75 has been postponed until a later date. The reason, the statement from COO Paul Childs says, is that construction crews doing preparatory work found a “utility conflict.” Childs says: “As a safety measure,…
The 50th best place to live in America is Westland? Seriously?
Westland is, um, a rather sleepy place. It’s not Royal Oak, that’s for sure. It’s certainly not Detroit. In fact, out of all the suburbs, Westland may be among the most unremarkable in every way. Perhaps that’s why it wound up on a list of America’s 50 best places to live, squeaking in at the…
Watch Pussy Riot speak in Ann Arbor
Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina, better known as the public faces of the Russian protest group Pussy Riot, made an appearance at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor on Thursday as part of U-Mich’s Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series. Tolokonnikova and Alekhina spoke about their current work in creating MediaZona, a new outlet that will cover…
The Two Man Gentlemen Band: An exercise in self-deception
Andy Bean on frog legs, cheesecake, and the problem with David Hilbert.
Detroit Red Wings owner talks site plans with Detroit City Planning Commission
Richard Heapes, a contractor involved in the proposed new Detroit Red Wings arena in downtown, says there’s no silver bullet to resolving Detroit’s longstanding problems. His comment came in response to a remark from Daniel Klinkert, a member of Detroit’s City Planning Commission, who wondered aloud Thursday night how a new $450 million arena was…
U2 invades smartphones with lackluster new album
There are few things more awkward than opening a gift that you really don’t want. Such was the case when many iPhone users discovered U2’s Songs of Innocence in their music libraries. What is most disappointing about the new U2 record is not the coup to invade your smartphone. It’s simpler than that; the album is…
Historic Fort Wayne hosts War of 1812 weekend this Saturday and Sunday
Local history buffs can start celebrating now, Historic Fort Wayne will host a War of 1812 weekend this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21, with plenty of live artillery demonstrations and re-enactments involving tradespeople, armed forces, and homemakers. The fort will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4…
The problem with Detroit Homecoming
Detroit Homecoming, the effort to get former and native Detroiters to consider moving back to the city and investing in its future, is in full swing this week. The event is an attempt to generate excitement among the people who’ve left Detroit for better-functioning cities, such as New York and San Francisco, by bringing those…
CJR: Media cheers on stadium developments before asking questions
We missed this when it was published a few weeks back, but Michigan Radio brought it to our attention today: Writing at the Columbia Journalism Review, David Uberti says local news organizations tend to cheer on the announcement of new sports stadiums, before they begin to ask tough questions. In Detroit’s case, Uberti writes, that…
Detroit MoTour connects tourists with music history
John Milroy believes that pride in the city of Detroit is coming back, and to help remind Detroiters what they ought to be proud of, he and his wife C.J. have established the Detroit MoTour, which is happening this Saturday, September 20th. The Milroys began showing their musician friends, who were passing through town on…
Detroit Urban Craft Fair is still accepting applications, but only for another week
Founded by Handmade Detroit, The Detroit Urban Craft Fair (DUCF) is celebrating its ninth year in business. Each year the alternative craft fair sets up shop in a huge Detroit venue and brings together quality products by local makers and crafters and the metro Detroiters who want to purchase those wares. A juried craft show,…
Write A House offers Brooklyn poet Casey Rocheteau residency
Write A House — a non-profit established to refurbish and fill three houses in a neighborhood north of Hamtramck with writers — has announced the Brooklyn-based poet Casey Rocheteau as its first winner. According to a press release, Rocheteau plans to move to Detroit this November. In addition to being a poet, Rocheteau is a writer,…
Celebrate Michigan Trails Week
#170125611 / gettyimages.com Gov. Rick Snyder has declared the next seven days Michigan Trails Week to encourage folks to get out and explore the 12,000-some miles of trails our fine state has to offer. “Michigan’s trail system is one of our state’s real jewels,” Snyder said in a press release. “It provides unlimited recreational opportunities…
U.S. PIRG report says $1.5 billion I-94 widening could make Detroit’s recovery ‘more difficult’
The other day, we were notified of a soon-to-be-released report from the United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) that labeled the proposed widening of I-94 in Detroit a “boondoggle.” The report, released today, calls into question the decision-making of 11 massive highway projects across the nation, with costs expected to exceed $13 billion…
Open-door gospel
Spirit Family Reunion washboard player Stephen Weinheimer on his band’s first gig in Detroit.
Grosse Pointe and Detroit event seeks dialogue on city-suburb divide
Ah, the Grosse Pointes. A few months ago, we gave the crazy quilt of east side suburbs a bit of a good razzing, due to a confluence of events that evinced a rather small-minded attitude on the part of some Grosse Pointers. But in spite of those dismal events — or perhaps because of them…
Rolling Stone magazine on old Tiger Stadium and the Navin Field Grounds Crew
Rolling Stone has an article Keepers of the Corner, The Navin Field Grounds Crew: A group of Detroit diehards keep sacred ground alive for a new generation of baseball fans out today: …beneficial as it has been to the field and the Corktown neighborhood that surrounds it, the NFGC’s grass-roots urban renewal project was (and remains) technically illegal,…
Do you like cooking with bacon? The Detroit Bacon Takedown wants you
Matt Timms’ popular “takedown” competition comes to Detroit in the form of the Bacon Takedown, which goes down at the Magic Stick on Sept. 21. Billed as “America’s most important food competition,” the events pit amateur chefs against each other in a quest for glory (and cash and cookware prizes). Timms says he has plenty…
West Elm to open in Birmingham, featuring local companies
West Elm, sellers of trendy home goods, will open their first store in Michigan on Oct. 2 in downtown Birmingham. A company initiative to engage and collaborate with local entrepreneurs will result in several local companies being featured in the store. Products by Cellar Door, Jody Lynn Burton, Milled Co., Meant to Be Sent, War Paint Studio, Babylon Soap Company, Marcy…
Black open-carry advocate arrested in Detroit; rally Sunday
Detroit’s Hell’s Saints is one of many groups trying to raise consciousness about open-carry laws by carrying their legal firearms in public places and educating the public — and often the police — about the law. This week, they protest the arrest of Hell’s Saint Elijah Woody, who the group says was arrested while open-carrying…
Monday hearing set for Detroit water shutoffs in bankruptcy court
The judge overseeing Detroit’s historic bankruptcy case set a Monday hearing on a request to reinstate a moratorium on water shutoffs in the city, an initiative that has drawn international criticism. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes reportedly said during a hearing today that the record was “not adequately developed” to issue a ruling on the…
Photographer John Sobczak’s new show features Detroit’s fire performers
As chroniclers of Detroit’s burgeoning fringe performance scene go, John Sobczak is an unlikely candidate. Tall, soft-spoken, with a kempt coif of gray hair and a clean shave, the 54-year-old Bloomfield Township resident has been photographing Detroiters since 1980, and has four books under his belt. The conventional-looking shutterbug’s new show has an out-there subject…
Politics and Prejudices: Interns not protected from sexual harassment in Michigan
Let’s say that your office has a bunch of unpaid interns scurrying around. Many — perhaps most — offices do these days. So let’s say that you’re the boss, and you think one of the interns is hot. Let’s imagine you’re a powerful man, and the intern is a young woman — though it could…
Side dish: News on Moo Cluck Moo, Milford Craft Beer week, Johnny Noodle King, and more.
A better bun | Moo Cluck Moo, the restaurant founded on the principle that your burger, chicken, or milkshake shouldn’t be crummy and full of additives, has something new. It’s a gluten-free, low-lectin, high-protein, low-carb bun designed by none other than James Beard Award-winning chef Jimmy Schmidt. It all sounds quite high-tech; Schmidt has perfected…
Film Review: A Walk Among the Tombstones
A Walk Among the Tombstones / B Liam Neeson has spent so many years bringing class and gravitas to otherwise undeserving films (the Taken series, Battleship, Non-Stop) that it’s nice to see him in a movie more befitting his talents. Playing novelist Lawrence Block’s tough and brooding Matt Scutter, Neeson effortlessly conveys the world weary…
ArtPrize exhibits so much talent, so much patience, and so little taste — and that’s what makes it so great
OK, so some of us on the MT staff confess to harboring a certain bias against Grand Rapids, our conservative neighbors to the west. While the beers are good, we only have so much room in our hearts for Jesus. [Though Jesus just might be the reason for the delicious beer. —Ed.] That’s part of…
Alt-J’s new record is (much) less original than their first
ALT-J This is All Yours – Canvasback/Infectious Music Now Hear ThisEnglish rockers Alt-J released their first album in 2012. An Awesome Wave melded genres and blew our minds. From “Tessellate” to “Dissolve Me” to “Fitzpleasure,” the album served as a whole, which is a mark many new bands miss. Lead singer Joe Newman provided cartoonish…
Blood Brothers Trilogy features medleys of songs from classic 1980s films — and it is awesome
This is one of the most outrageous compilations of music we’ve heard this year. It’s called “The Blood Brothers Trilogy,” and it’s a series of three medleys of some music from classic 1980s films featuring competition, martial arts, and action, along with a few goofs (such as America Police’s “Montage”). It seemed like every motion…
Pussy Riot’s most notorious members make a stop in Ann Arbor
It’s 5 a.m. in Russia by the time Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina are finally settled for the night in Chicago, where they’ve just arrived by plane. Even after losing a bag at the airport and getting stuck in Chicago’s infamous traffic, they’re gracious enough to agree to keep our Skype date. Though they seem…
Flash in the Pan: Calabacitas
The word calabacitas means “little squashes” in Spanish. It’s also plural for summer squash in general, a broad category of edible-skinned squash that includes zucchinis, crooknecks, flying saucer-like patty pans, and various round varieties, and come in hues of green, yellow, and gray. Calabacitas is also the name of a Mexican dish that combines representatives…
Detroit area theaters announce fall 2014 seasons
Fall approaches, which means theaters in the area are announcing their new seasons. From heartrending dramas to hilarious comedies to classic Shakespeare, Detroit’s theaters should have something in store for everybody. Here’s a look at some picks for the season. Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre premiered the first installment of Angels in America by Tony Kushner back…
A selection of upcoming artistic happenings in and around Detroit
With an internationally acclaimed institution like the Detroit Institute of Arts housing its veritable trove of treasures — and new indie galleries for local artists seemingly popping up every day — Detroit really does have a vibrant, world-class art scene. Which is why we knew it would be a fool’s errand to attempt to neatly…
Raise the Bar: Wyandotte’s Dotte Pub is a joint worth visiting
The quiet city of Wyandotte is known for many things. Be it their monopoly on electrical power, their myriad churches of every denomination, or their local cross-dressing shop, the city is many things to many people. Of course, it’s probably best known for having a bar on every corner, each as character-filled as the last.…
Studio Visit: Detroit artist Ndubisi Okoye gives us a peek inside his sketchbooks
Ndubisi Okoye never thought he’d be an artist. When he graduated from Cass Technical High School, he thought he’d try to go to school for athletics. Now a senior at the College for Creative Studies, things seem to be coming together for Okoye. Okoye applied to CCS without a major in mind, with just some…
Fall Arts Guide 2014
ArtPrize exhibits so much talent, so much patience, and so little taste — and that’s what makes it so great Pussy Riot’s most notorious members make a stop in Ann Arbor A selection of upcoming artistic happenings in and around Detroit 2015 will be another big year for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit
Feedback: Reader responses to our cover story on the DEGC, Lessenberry’s ‘delusional’ stance on guns
Dissecting the dealmakers Even a yobo from the “West Country” must sit up and take notice of Ryan Felton’s study of Tolstoyian dimension (“Detroit’s dealers,” Sept. 10). Moreover, I once formally studied the arts of government, albeit with considerable progressive regret. The scope of research and subsequent analysis the author and his associates had to…
Horoscopes (September 17 – 23)
ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 20): You have more going for you than you realize. Without laying it on too thick, you could do anything if you could only get around all the stuff that makes you believe it can’t happen. Between the fears that keep you stuck on the idea that it’s too late, and the…
Drink Me: Imperial bartender Rex talks strawberry-basil infused bourbon
Rex has been with Imperial since “day one.” He’s as cool as a cucumber and chills with Henry Cavill when the Superman movie stars hits up the Ferndale drinking establishment, which is on a pretty regular basis. In fact, Imperial seems to host a number of celebrities, both local and international. Lions players and movie stars…
Film Review: The Drop
Crime writer Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone, Shutter Island) has taken his short story Animal Rescue and turned it into a modest, slow-burn screenplay that’s more about revealing its central characters than spinning a compelling yarn, which is certainly no sin. Hollywood rarely takes the time to surprise us anymore with complicated protagonists…
Quán Nem Ngon Vietnamese Bistro serves up great Vietnamese with graceful ambience
Since Annam closed in Dearborn, we haven’t had a Vietnamese restaurant whose looks were as lovely as its cuisine. Many spots in Madison Heights and beyond serve terrific food, but in a rather bare-bones atmosphere. Now Quán Nem Ngon, opened in April, takes a big step in the direction of a graceful ambience. Though it’s…
All Dolled Up
We bumped into Travis Brevard last Wednesday at the Eight Mile Meijer in Detroit. It was just past 5 p.m. and we were immediately intrigued by this dashing man’s daring legwear. You see, year-round Brevard, an interactive designer at Doner, wears white pants every Wednesday. It started six years ago as a joke when Brevard…
Why would Indiana’s Bank Street Brewhouse serve nuked hot dogs and powdered milk?
News of a bar menu in Indiana has been making the rounds online lately. It’s because the menu at the Bank Street Brewhouse offers such undesirable food items as nuked hot dogs, nuked Campbell’s soup, powdered milk, and coffee. You might think they didn’t put a lot of thought into this menu, but it turns…
Ask a Juggalo: How do Juggalettes keep their face paint from running?
Q: How do Juggalettes keep their face paint from running? A:Oddly enough, Juggalettes keep their face paint from running the same way Juggalos keep their face paint from running. The way I do it and the way most do it is you can use any kind of neutral powder — like a baby powder, but…
Meet Matt Clayson of the Detroit Creative Corridor Center and Detroit Design Festival
Southeast Michigan is home to the highest concentration of industrial designers in America — six times more than the next region, according to Matt Clayson, executive director of the Detroit Creative Corridor Center. That means we’re easily exceeding places like New York and San Francisco when it comes to industrial design — and the creative…
Drink Up
Two New Great Beers from New Belgium: Part of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith series, Le Terroir get its name from the French word for terrain. A dry-hopped sour ale, the nose is fruity with a distinct aroma of woody, funky beer. It’s bitter without being too overpowering, tart, juicy, dry, and downright sour. It’s made…
Corridor Sausage Co. churns out craft sausage in Detroit’s Eastern Market
As the old saying goes, those who love sausage and the law should never see either being made. But that’s not really the case when we arrive at the production facilities of Corridor Sausage Co. In the little space tucked away on a side street behind Eastern Market, the thirtysomething team of Will Branch and…
Stir it up: Death don’t have no mercy
Last time I saw Gilda Snowden I saw her see me I was second-lining Dancing to the strains Of a New Orleans brass band Umbrella held high Beads swinging on my chest She viewed me through Her camera lens At the Dally in the Alley Later at the Cass Café As I ate lentil soup…
Dearborn Heights’ Beyond Physics keeps raw hip-hop alive
Valid is tossing around beats, ideas, and memories in JMAC’s crib like a game of pong. The Dearborn Heights basement serves as JMAC’s beat production playground, as well as the duo’s private Cerebro, where they seek, connect, and build most of their musical concepts. After several years individually dripping their creative stains on Detroit’s hip-hop…
Burger Quest: Three Nicks Scoreboard
Downriver doesn’t get any respect. In metro Detroit, the mere mention of the fragmented patchwork of fading blue-collar communities south of Michigan Avenue often evokes jokes and giggles about obese hillbillies and that fabled woman who lives on Champaign and Dix. And when it comes to food, the area is almost completely overlooked, its venerable…
A chat with singer-songwriter Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond
With a catalog as dense as hers, it only makes sense for My Brightest Diamond singer-songwriter Shara Worden to reinvent herself with each album. As is certainly the case with her newest release, This Is My Hand. Even though she’s an accomplished musician and a classically trained vocalist with a degree from the University of…
Savage Love: Am I dateable?
Q: I’m a 31-year-old white gay man. I’ve never been in a relationship. I’ve had some extremely shady events in my sexual history, including but not limited to meth use, group sex, using my body to get drugs from disgusting older men, etc. Now I live with my parents, go to school part-time, and have…
In anticipation of the Beggars’ new album, MT sits down with frontman Steven Tuthill
At a time when playing rock ‘n’ roll and having a good time on stage were not exactly synonymous, the Beggars laid out the foundation for a band that was meant to marry the two concepts. What’s even more impressive is how the band persevered through trends that were less than welcoming to the party…
Highland Park native Michael Ford brings ‘Hip Hop Inspired Architecture’ exhibit to Detroit
The grandfather of hip-hop was white, bald, and often wore a bow tie. According to professional architect and Highland Park native Michael Ford, the earliest traces of hip-hop came long before the 1970s when DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaattaa were dropping beats on Sedgwick Avenue in the South Bronx. According to Ford, who now…
You’ll be in hat heaven at Detroit’s Henry the Hatter
Henry the Hatter stands on Broadway in Detroit, currently tucked behind some sidewalk construction. The storefront is small, but features an array of hats made of many different materials. Felt, straw, fur, leather, tweed, cashmere, and cotton toppers sit on hat stands inside these showcases, welcoming the public and illustrating the store’s specialty without an…
Long-rumored International Bridge finally appears to be gaining traction in Delray
Talk of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit has dragged on so long that it might as well be an urban legend to folks in Delray, the down-on-its-luck Southwest Detroit neighborhood where the project will touch down. After 10 years of speculation, though, the effort to build the long-rumored New International Trade Crossing (NITC)…
New River’s Edge Gallery show features the work of Audrey Pongracz, Ingrid Blixt, and Corey Scillian
<Though none of the three women exhibiting together in Breathe Fire. Drink Water. Repeat. at Wyandotte's River's Edge Gallery have ever met each other, all seem to share a kindred spirit. Hand-picked by River's Edge's Patt Slack, all of the women share a certain surreal quality to their work. All have longtime ties to the…
Protect your hats with this heavy-duty hat can from Henry the Hatter
A good hat comes at a steep price, so protect your investment by purchasing proper hat storage. Available for purchase at Henry the Hatter, these heavy-duty hat cans come in three sizes: A single hat can holds two hats and is $55. A double holds five hats and is $100, and a triple (for the…
Theater Review: Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2
Let’s just get this out of the way. In what follows, I’m going to try to convince you to go see the Ringwald Theatre’s production of parts one and two of Angels in America. The production is masterful, humane, and most of all, important. In a rare occasion, you have the opportunity to see both…
2015 will be another big year for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit
From April 1932 to March 1933, the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo called Detroit their home. At the time, Rivera was a hot name in the art world for his murals depicting Mexican history, and the Detroit Institute of Arts’ director William Valentiner had successfully arranged for the artist to paint his first…
DDAYS: Dispatches from Drinks X Design, DIY Street Fair, DTE, and Ypsilanti
Aerosmith and Slash performed a nearly sold-out show Tuesday night at DTE Energy (aka Pine Knob). Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators opened the show and played a set half-filled with everyone’s favorite Guns N’ Roses songs. Slash also performed a new song called “World on Fire,” which is the first single off his third…
Still standing: Take a tour through Detroit’s Fisher Building
Albert Kahn is responsible for a slew of Detroit’s most beautiful buildings. We’ve explored a few of them in this column, including the Garden Court Apartments and the Belle Isle Aquarium. The Fisher Building, however, might be Kahn’s finest work. Known as Detroit’s largest art object, the Fisher was built in 1928. The Fisher brothers,…
Film Review: Tusk
Tusk / C+ Kudos for staging a pool-side showdown to Fleetwood Mac’s trippy, cocaine-driven march “Tusk.” But how do you miss including a reference to The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus?” There’s not even a passing “coo-coo-ca-choo.” Kevin Smith’s Tusk started as a podcast joke and, frankly, it feels like just that, a half-assed, absurdist…
