Cover Stories
Fall fashion from emerging Detroit designers
See all the photos from our fall fashion shoot here. Location aside, an attempt to determine the common aesthetic denominator among Detroit’s local fashion creatives could leave one confused. During an exploration of an eclectic selection of pieces by over a dozen emerging Detroit-based artists and designers, we found this town is bubbling with a…
A selection of upcoming artistic happenings in metro Detroit
Art Cranbrook Art Museum 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; 248-645-3320; cranbrookartmuseum.org Nov. 17-March 18 Ryan McGinness: Studio Views and Collection Views A corresponding exhibit to the McGinness and Tony Hawk’s Wayfinding skatepark in downtown Detroit, this installation will be based on his studio practice and will include a presentation of drawings and iconography created from…
Detroit Design Festival, Dlectricity, Murals in the Market, and more unite for Month of Art and Design
In 2015, Detroit earned a coveted designation as a “City of Design” from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — making it the first such city in the United States to get the distinction, and joining 22 other cities around the world. It’s a well-deserved title. Detroit has a long history of design…
Paul McCartney’s two-night stint at Little Caesars Arena is upon us
Sir Paul McCartney just played a jam-packed show at Joe Louis Arena in 2015, but a two-date stop at the newly opened Little Caesars Arena is more than welcome. The former Beatle has been touring his One on One show over the last year and we’re excited to hear his classic tracks performed at the…
Supergroup Broken Social Scene to descend upon the Fillmore this weekend
Part of the excitement of any Broken Social Scene announcement — be it a tour or a new album — is the joy of finding out who is going to show up for this particular go-around. Originally founded by Canadian indie rockers Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, the duo has added dozens of musicians over…
Punk rockers Against Me! will perform at the Majestic on Sunday
What started as a solo project for musician Laura Jane Grace 20 years ago has evolved to one of punk rock’s most important bands ever. Against Me! has seen a cast of band members come and go, yet Grace has been the backbone. She came out as transgender in 2012, and the band hit commercial…
Rob Zombie to melt faces at Riff Fest this weekend
Is there a better way to celebrate the end of summer than some face-melting metal? Radio station 101 WRIF proudly presents the RIFF FEST, a one-night-only explosion of the world’s best metal. You’ll get to hear from lesser-known acts like Greta Van Fleet and Fozzy, but the real fun comes later in the evening when…
Genre-bender Tei Shi to perform in Southwest tomorrow
Tei Shi is one of those singers who crisscrosses so many musical styles it’s hard to pigeonhole her into any one genre. The Argentina-born, New York-based songstress has been on the scene since 2013, performing at festivals like Coachella and Electric Forest and opening for acts like Grimes, but she released her debut album just…
English indie rockers Glass Animals to perform in Royal Oak this Friday
Oxford-based indie rockers Glass Animals haven’t made a stop in Detroit since they appeared at Mo Pop Music Festival in 2016. Now, having released a new album, they’ll be giving their fans an earful of new material. The four-piece group, veterans of iconic music festivals like Glastonbury, Coachella, and Bonnaroo, are sure to give a…
A Michigan state rep dared to bring her daughter to a public meeting and some dude is pissed
A group of locals working to move the Belle Isle Grand Prix off the island finally have a politician listening to their pleas. State representative Stephanie Chang, the first Asian American woman to serve in the role, attended a recent meeting at the Belle Isle Nature Center where the Michigan Department of Natural Resources asked park users’ to voice…
Contradicting stories raise suspicions of $300M Chinese development proposed for Ypsilanti
(The story was updated at 1:48 p.m. on 9/27 with more information from Council Member Pete Murdock.) As of this writing, four city of Ypsilanti officials — Mayor Amanda Edmonds, mayor pro-tem Nicole Brown, police chief Tony DeGiusti, and economic development director Beth Ernat — are in China. The officials took the trip to view architecture…
Meet the chef who left Aleppo, now proudly serves its cuisine in Dearborn
Think of Aleppo in the year 2017 and the first thing that pops to mind isn’t rich, unique soil, or recipe books full of cuisine that bears the prints of centuries worth of shifting civilizations. That’s because over the last four years, the northern Syrian city was the focal point of the country’s ongoing and…
Fantastic, now Vice President Pence will be in West Bloomfield tomorrow
We had Ivanka Trump visiting Detroit to make a speech with Dan Gilbert today and tomorrow Mike Pence will be in West Bloomfield with a shit ton of Republicans. What’s next, the man himself traveling back to his sacred land of Trump voters paradise Macomb County for a pep rally? According to a press release,…
Today is the hottest day of 2017
Fuck everything because today is September 26 and it is the hottest day 2017 so far in southeast Michigan. Hottest day of 2017… ON SEPT. 26! 😎 https://t.co/Ij5xaxLsTJ — Local 4 WDIV Detroit (@Local4News) September 26, 2017 Not only did we shatter today's record high, but this is now the hottest day of 2017. pic.twitter.com/sJ56SA8nez…
GRiZMAS returns to Masonic Temple for the fourth year in a row
It’s beginning to look (and sound) a lot like GRiZMAS. The DJ/musician/producer GRiZ (or Grant Kwiecinski if you knew him back in the day) loves to give back to the city of Detroit, and he has been doing so with his annual GRiZMAS concerts that go down at the Masonic Temple a couple weeks before the…
Meijer offering ‘misfit’ produce to help combat food waste
Don’t worry you ugly little radish and strange-looking carrot, your destiny of finally being added into a hearty chicken noodle soup or a decadent risotto will finally come true thanks to Meijer. Apparently, produce that is sold to customers at grocery stores are the creme de la creme or produce. Any fruit or veggie that…
Survey: Detroit residents want to keep freeway that flanks downtown
Detroiters would like to see the eastern edge of downtown be made more walkable, but residents living in the neighborhoods sectioned off by I-375 — the freeway standing in the way of that — say they don’t want the sub-level artery turned into a surface street. Those are the results of a survey that asked…
You can preview the new Protomartyr record in Detroit-area jukeboxes
On Friday, Protomartyr — pretty much Detroit’s biggest indie rock band in years — will release their fourth album, Relatives In Descent, on Domino Records. The band debuted the record last week with a sold-out hometown record release show on the Detroit Princess riverboat. But fans who didn’t make it to the show will have…
Lansing’s ‘singing cashier’ auditioned for ‘The Voice’ last night and made it through
It seems Lucas Holliday is in for a second round of his 15 minutes of fame. Last year, the Dollar General cashier was the star of a viral video after a customer posted a clip of him singing Maxwell’s “Ascension” while ringing up her items. Holliday was able to clinch a couple gigs singing at weddings,…
Detroit Institute of Arts will unveil new Japanese art gallery in November
The Detroit Institute of Arts’s reinstalled Japanese art gallery is set to open to the public Saturday, Nov. 4. According to a press release, the gallery will feature both traditional and contemporary works of art, such as a 17th-century samurai helmet and a ceramic sculpture by Tomoko Konno. It will also feature digital components, including an interactive touchscreen “tea…
Oh great, Ivanka Trump will be in Detroit tomorrow
After a weekend of Detroit Lions’ owners and players battling it out with the president, Ivanka Trump picked the perfect time to randomly show up in Detroit. Trump, who was recently outed for using a person email account to do government business (sound familiar, Republicans?), will be in Detroit to speak at an event with…
‘Celebrating David Bowie’ tour headed to Detroit in February
It’s still hard to believe that David Bowie has left us in the physical world, and that’s why his music is still being celebrated almost two years after his death. After the initial “Celebrating David Bowie” tour was a success, a 2018 tour is planned for North America and Europe. Luckily for us, the tour…
MoGo Detroit bike share offering free rides on Oct. 1
Detroit’s new(ish) bike share program MoGo Detroit is offering a very special deal in honor of Open Streets Detroit. All rides that are less than 30 minutes will be free on one of the classic MoGo red bikes. Since the program started over the summer, more and more bike stations have been added throughout the…
La Dulce is now serving Mexican food to support earthquake relief
La Dulce recently relocated from Royal Oak to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Detroit, making some notable changes to its menu in the process. But as part of an effort to raise awareness of and funds for those impacted by a recent 7.1-magnitude earthquake that hit Mexico City, it’s shifting its concept from a tapas…
Stevie Wonder took a knee during concert over the weekend
NFL players weren’t the only ones taking a knee over the weekend. Stevie Wonder took time out of his show at the Global Citizen Festival in New York City to address the recent controversy of NFL players protesting the national anthem due to police brutality and other civil rights issues. Stevie Wonder just took a…
Challenging the white chauvinist underpinnings of professional sports
All this talk of pro-sports athletes engaged in silent, nonviolent protest got a few still-surviving brain cells trying to reach us this morning. They clamored about a book review we ran six years ago, which brought up some of the white chauvinism associated with the rise of pro sports more than 100 years ago. That…
Detroit singer Rico Lavelle takes a knee during national anthem during Lions game
It looks like the singers of the national anthem are standing (or in this case, kneeling) with NFL players who are protesting during the national anthem at football games. Local singer Rico Lavelle sang the national anthem on Sunday’s Lions game against the Atlanta Falcons. At the end of the last song, Lavelle took a…
Detroit Lions owner and player condemn Trump’s divisive NFL remarks
President Donald Trump made headlines yet again on Friday when he said NFL owners should fire “any son of a bitch” who doesn’t stand and protest the national anthem. Trump was clearly referring to NFL player and free agent Colin Kaepernick, who originally took a knee during the anthem a year ago to protest police…
Fifty years ago today, Detroit’s Rodriguez got a promising review
Is there any Detroit story like that of Sixto Rodriguez? For years, he was considered just another unassuming neighborhood guy in the Cass Corridor, and only a few people knew he had cut some records back in the 1960s. Turns out that most of the people who knew were in South Africa, where his lyrics…
Electropop siren Sky Ferreira to perform on New Year’s Eve at El Club
We’re not sure about you, but our New Year’s Eve plans have officially been set with this exciting news. Southwest Detroit’s El Club announced today that electropop singer Sky Ferreira will headline their annual New Year’s Eve bash alongside Danish punk rockers Iceage and more special guests. General Admission tickets start at $20 and includes…
There is an emu on the loose in metro Detroit
Stop whatever the fuck you are doing because there is an emu on the loose somewhere in Oakland County and we need to find it. According to WXYZ, there has been a number of emu sightings recently in northern Oakland County. The station got in contact with a couple who owns the emus and they…
Cass Park residents hit by parking squeeze after Little Caesars Arena opening
When Kristen Huston and her husband moved into Cass Park Apartments about eight years ago, it was the culmination of a romance with Detroit. Along with her husband, a student at Wayne State University at the time, the couple spent so much time exploring the city that they finally became hooked and decided to make…
Big Sean and Tracee Ellis Ross are hilarious together on ‘Carpool Karoke’
The popular “Carpool Karoke” segment from James Corden’s The Late Late Show has traveled to Apple Music’s online streaming service where more celebrities hangout, and of course, karaoke in the car. One of the latest installments on Apple Music features Detroit’s very own Big Sean and an actress who has some deep Detroit roots —…
Detroit gets watered-down ‘affordable’ housing law after intervention by Duggan administration
The Detroit City Council has passed a watered-down “affordable” housing ordinance that will require residential developers receiving certain benefits from the city to offer 20 percent of their rental units at just under market rate. The proposal — which was already seen by affordability advocates as insufficient because it’s based on the median income for…
Confirmed: Morrissey headed to Detroit in November
It turns out our in-depth investigative journalism paid off: Morrissey is coming to Detroit for a new tour and he’ll be here sooner than you think — Tuesday, November 28 at the Fillmore. Earlier this week we published a blog speculating that Morriseey may be planning a North American tour when he tweeted out a…
Southwest Detroit’s El Taco Veloz opens a Midtown location
El Taco Veloz taco truck is running a new location in the former Alley Taco space in Midtown’s Marcus Market. Eater reports that the Veloz location opened around three weeks ago, but the truck at Toledo and Livernois is still rolling. Alley Taco opened a new location on Willis near Avalon in June. Marcus Market…
Are the Tigers giving LGBTQ fans a kiss-off?
Detroit Tigers’ kiss cam appears to be broken. It doesn’t seem to ever show gay people. Otherwise it works pretty well. Whatever the source of the malfunction, the Tigers’ problem is not unique. Until a few years ago, not many professional sports teams put same sex couples on the kiss cam. (In a homophobic stab…
Dick O’ Dow’s announces expansion with Dow Beer Exchange concept
Downtown Birmingham bar Dick O’ Dow’s is expanding in October with the addition of The Dow Beer Exchange in a previously underutilized back room in its building. The beer exchange concept means prices of the 40 craft beers it will have on tap will fluctuate every 15 minutes based on demand – the more customers…
QLine ridership drops 40 percent after implementing fares
Just like how all good things must come to an end, the QLine ended its summer-long free ride program after Labor Day weekend and began charging the regular fares — resulting in a 40 percent drop in ridership compared to the free trial period. That free trial ran from opening day on May 12 to after…
Designers wanted for new Detroit holiday window display competition
The Detroit Center for Design and Technology (DCDT) is looking for local designers to participate in a new competition that will connect them with Detroit retail storefronts. Simply called the Holiday Window Walk, the competition will match businesses with local designers who will create a holiday-inspired window display. The winning designer will take home a…
Bloomberg publication covers Nestle’s push to pump more water out of Michigan
MT readers may recall our article late last year about the way Nestlé has pumped billions of gallons of Michigan’s water out of the ground. For this privilege, the company has paid at most a few thousand dollars in fees to the state, even as everybody from environmental groups to sitting judges have said letting…
High school teacher allegedly stole homecoming money so she could feed gambling addiction
It seems like Lady Luck has never been on this lady’s side. A former teacher at Dakota High School in Macomb Township is facing up to 10 years in prison for allegedly stealing money that was raised for the school’s homecoming dance and field trip. Reports say that Lydia Johnson was Dakota’s student activity coordinator…
Snyder signs bills allowing for unlimited political contributions
Gov. Rick Snyder signed a pair of bills Wednesday, effectively allowing for political candidates to solicit unlimited contributions for super PACs. Public Acts 119 and 120 align Michigan’s laws with the controversial 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, which held that independent political action committees, or super PACs, can take unlimited contributions from corporations, nonprofits, labor unions, and other groups.…
Gwyneth Paltow wants to start making ‘Vice-y’ type videos featuring the Flint water crisis
Gwynth Paltrow — mom, actor, blogger, and now… Flint water crisis documentarian? In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Paltrow discusses all types of things including her blog, Goop, and her plans for it. Turns out, those plans include switching to a video platform that will be more “Vice-y” over a talk show like…
Division of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway lured to Detroit by luxury real estate market
If you needed more evidence of Detroit’s unequal resurgence, look no further: A division of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway empire has taken an interest in Detroit’s luxury real estate market. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services has added Detroit-based luxury real estate agency The Loft Warehouse to its brokerage franchise network to help promote its listings to…
Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch will perform at MOCAD with his band Sqürl
Filmmaker Jim Jarmusch is returning to Detroit. Jarmusch will perform at MOCAD on Thursday, Nov. 2 as part of Sqürl, his musical side project with producer Carter Logan. The band will provide a live soundtrack to four films by noted surrealist artist Man Ray. Tickets are available here. As a filmmaker, Akron-born Jarmusch has a history with…
Eminem steps up in Hurricane Harvey and Irma relief
Many celebrities have lent a helping hand (or a helping checkbook) to the clean-up and relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey and Irma. Now you can add Eminem to that list. The rapper has teamed up with Detroit-based company StockX to raise some money for those still reeling from the devastating hurricanes. Starting today, you can…
County orders Como’s to remain closed amid ongoing food safety violations
The latest in a string of health code violations that began last year, the Oakland County Food Service Appeal has once again ordered Como’s to close. According to a report by Oakland County 115, the popular Ferndale pizzeria and bar was ordered to close by noon today and “will have to re-apply with a license…
March against hate at 5:30 p.m. today in Royal Oak
Royal Oak was in the headlines over the last week, due to racist graffiti that was found on Sunday morning. The messages were immediately condemned by everybody from neighbors on up to the city’s mayor. Since then, police have said they’ve traced the vandalism to a man who lives nearby with his parents, and alleged the…
Is Morrissey going on tour and stopping in Michigan?
In case you missed it, your favorite moody as fuck frontman Morrissey joined the Twitter-verse over the weekend, exciting longtime Smiths fans and music afficianados, making us wonder what gems Morrissey could produce in 140 characters or less. So far, we’ve only gotten three tweets from Moz, but each has been more revealing that the…
Everything you need to know about Detroit’s first-ever legal drag racing event
Professional racers know a thing or two about crossing finish lines, but not every race is about speed. The road to getting the necessary approvals to put on Detroit’s first-ever legal drag racing event was a matter of endurance for Detroiter Brian Olatunji. Since the Detroit Dragway, known as the “Dirty D,” closed in 1996,…
Review: Detroit Fleat keeps street food truckin’ all year long
The area’s first food truck park has a terrific summertime vibe. How will that translate to the months when you can’t sit outside under umbrellas or on the covered patio? The trucks (actually trailers) are right next to a full-service, full-bar restaurant that its owners say is “street food inspired.” The restaurant will still serve…
Moroun’s second bridge? Don’t hold your breath
Like pretty much everyone else, I was stunned, dismayed, and dejected when it was suddenly announced that the Canadian government had given Matty Moroun, 90-year-old slumlord billionaire, permission to build a second span right next to his old one. What really looked bad was that the news was not first announced by Canada, but the…
Horoscopes (Sept. 20-26)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): You have gone out of your way or, over the top in the name of love, or for the sake of whatever your heart’s desire has called you to do. Waiting to reap what you’ve sown, some of you understand that it does no good to let expectation ruin the…
Savage Love: Dicks deluxe
Q: I am a 35-year-old straight guy. I met a nice lady through the normal methods, and we hit it off and have grown closer. I think we are both considering “taking it to the next level.” We are on the same intellectual wavelength, enjoy the same social experiences, and have a lot of fun…
Tom Gibbs Studio celebrates Michigan’s appreciation for mid-century modernism in Ferndale
Tom Gibbs can’t quite explain why exactly he’s drawn to mid-century modern design. The art movement, known for its clean, geometric shapes and Space Age aspirations, is the focus of his antiques collection, Tom Gibbs Studio, which opens to the public this week in Ferndale. “Maybe it’s part of the car culture. It’s one of…
Darren Arnonofsky aims to counter the objectification of women, but only ends up sucking his own wind
I cannot recall the last time a film made me as angry as Darren Aronofsky’s mother! has. Maybe never. As mother! unfurled over its two-hour runtime, I found myself actually clenching my jaw with ever-increasing fury as Aronofsky’s head wended its way further and further up his own cinematic ass only to declare just how…
Kid Rock vs. everybody
Robert “Kid Rock” Ritchie is a master of being pissed off at somebody. So it comes as no surprise that he is now pissed off at Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Stephen Henderson and the Detroit Free Press. Henderson wrote about the string of six shows Rock was contracted to do as the grand opening of the…
