Back in 2010, I remember hearing the news that the elusive British street artist Banksy had been in Detroit, using the city as his urban canvas. At that time, the artist’s name was buzzing after the popularity of his acclaimed documentary, Exit Through The Gift Shop — or was the graffiti-tour part of the marketing for the film, and was Bansky himself behind his own documentary? The artist, whose identity has been kept secret from the public, became a faceless face of the street art community — a post-modern prank that is as impressive as it is humorous. If you’re a patron of street art, you may have felt a bit honored that Banksy would consider coming here to leave his mark. You may have even ventured out to snap photos before they were washed away or covered up. However, one piece was taken from its original spot by the 555 Gallery in Southwest Detroit — an 8-foot painting of a young boy holding a paint can and brush next to the message, “I remember when all this was trees,” at the site of the dilapidated Packard Plant. The 555 Gallery’s co-founder Carl W. Goines claims that it was out of […]

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Marshall Crenshaw and late poster artist Gary Grimshaw will be honored at this year’s Detroit Music Awards, which take place on Friday, April 25 at the Fillmore in Detroit. Crenshaw will perform, alongside metal band Battlecross, X-Factor finalist Jeff Gutt, ICP-affiliate Legz Diamond & the Purple Gang, blues radio host Mark Pasman and his super-session musicians, rapper Boldy James, and indie singer-songwriter Olivia Millerschin. Tony Daldin, host of Under the Radar Michigan will emcee. Jimmy Johns will be the presenting sponsor, and founder and CEO Jimmy John Liautaud came out with a gloriously random quote. “We sell a lot of sandwiches in Metro Detroit, and I know that we count many of the area’s musicians among our loyalest customers,” he said. Here’s some more buzz: “The DMAs are similar to the Grammy Awards. Award winners are determined by local musicians and music industry professionals in southeast Michigan, and presented in ten music genres; Folk/Acoustic, Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Country, Classical, Rock/Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop, Electronic and World. The DMAs are the only local music awards in the nation to be presented by a not-for -profit organization. Voting is accomplished entirely via the Internet. For a list of 2014 nominees and past winners, please […]

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The Detroit jazz community will come together with a benefit for pianist Gary Schunk, to help defray costs incurred as a result of a car accident. The event will take place at Bert’s Marketplace from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and cover is $20. They say, “The list of musicians performing at this event is too numerous to mention. But, if you have a favorite jazz artist in Detroit, chances are he/she will be there on March 16th. Seating is limited so plan accordingly.” “When the name jazz stars come to town, Schunk is a man in demand: he has played with numerous jazz greats, including Joe Williams, Earl Klugh, Sonny Stitt, Kenny Burrell, Anita O’Day, Mark Murphy, Pepper Adams, Terumasa Hino, Dave Valentin, David “Fathead” Newman…and many others. In November of 1995, Schunk was chosen as one of ten winners in JAZZIZ magazine’s “Keyboards on Fire” contest, which celebrated original piano jazz compositions from unsigned pianists. Schunk’s electrifying compositions, Backward Glance, is featured on the JAZZIZ compilation CD, and is also one of four original pieces appearing on Schunk’s independently produced debut CD, The Key Player.” Follow @City_Slang

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The Mo Pop Festival returns to Freedom Hill on Saturday, July 12, and locals Flint Eastwood are on the bill. The bill also features City and Colour, Young the Giant, The Neighbourhood, Trampled by Turtles, Cold War Kids and J Roddy Walston. The Harmonie Stage will feature performances by Lord Huron, Tokyo Police Club, Bad Suns, Bear Hands, Wild Cub, Hundred Waters, and Misterwives. Here’s the deets: “In addition to 10+ hours of non-stop music on two stages, the MO POP Festival will feature an increased number of authentic local delights in the MO BIERGARTEN, showcasing over 30 local craft beers with exclusive tastings. Also returning, the hugely popular MO FOOD RALLY ALLEY where foodies can enjoy the diverse tastes of the area’s favorite food trucks, with new surprises in store for 2014. Also, back by popular demand, the MO POP Festival will once again highlight the MO VAUDEVILLE REVIVAL SIDESHOW to celebrate the area’s specialty performers, along with the MO ARTIST VILLAGE featuring nationally removed and local visual artists.” A video teaser can be seen here: More information can be found at MoPopFest.com or on the official Facebook page. “Tickets start at $49.50 for General Admission and $125 for […]

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In September, Open Table released its top 100 restaurants “Fit for Foodies,” based on reviews from some 5 million diners across the nation. Nestled among the various rants and raves of America’s self-proclaimed connoisseurs, is a list of 10 metro Detroit restaurants that earned a Diner’s Choice Award. Keep in mind this list is based solely off of user-submitted reviews. 1. The Lark – West Bloomfield 2. Pacific Rim – Ann Arbor 3. Brizola – Detroit 4. The Chop House – Ann Arbor 5. Ocean Prime – Troy 6. Torino – Ferndale 7. The Root Restaurant & Bar – White Lake 8. Logan: An American Restaurant – Ann Arbor 9. River Crab Blue Water Inn – St. Clair 10. Capital Grille – Troy

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In the latest bout of dumb criminal news, a New York man suspected of robbing three Michigan banks was arrested recently after posting a selfie to Facebook. Jules Bahler, a 21-year-old genius from Brooklyn, N.Y., was linked to two bank robberies in Pontiac, as well as a third armed robbery in Bay City, where he allegedly brandished what appeared to be a black submachine gun, The Detroit News reports — a weapon eerily similar to one featured in a selfie uploaded to Bahler’s Facebook page right after the robbery occurred. What’s more, in all the excitement of robbing a bank and rushing home to post about it for his 206 Facebook friends, it appears that Bahler, who goes by “King Romeo” on Facebook, overlooked a simple wardrobe change. Authorities noted that he seemed to be wearing the exact same clothes in his selfie that he was in the third bank’s security footage. #oops. But Bahler’s social media faux paus don’t end there. His Facebook page also boasted a picture of a house he claimed he had just bought in Pontiac. Oakland County police decided to pay Bahler a visit at his new digs. When the suspect left in his vehicle, […]

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