Cover Story
I went a year without shaving. Here’s what I learned about myself, my body, and my relationship.
I was standing on my front porch in a pair of shorts. My mother had shown up unannounced, which is not unusual, and was telling me some story. But then she looked at my legs, and my face went hot. “I haven’t shaved in a while,” I said, trying to beat her to the punch.…
Detroit Election Day winners: Pot prevails and Duggan gets a second term
Ballots in and around Detroit were generally devoid of close competitions in yesterday’s off-year election, but there were some key races worth following. Mayors were up for re-election in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Pontiac; Detroit hosted a tight race for city clerk after voting irregularities were found in last year’s election; and east siders cast ballots…
More maggots and mold found in Michigan’s prison food
Prison officials and inmates found maggots in inmates’ food on three occasions in recent months, and moldy food and “crunchy dirt” in separate incidents. That’s leading to more protests and security problems in Michigan prisons, the Freep reports, but these issues are nothing new. We first reported on the problems with Trinity – the Florida-based private…
Planet Ant hosts 25-hour marathon of mirth fundraiser this weekend
Hamtramck’s Planet Ant Theatre has come a long way in its almost 25 years of history. The most recent development for the Caniff Street mainstay has been the acquisition of the old social hall and bar across the street. It offers a more commodious space for larger shows, larger audiences, and cabaret seating, and the…
Could Betsy DeVos be on her way out of the Trump administration?
Officials are already preparing for the possibility of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos abandoning her post in the U.S. Department of Education, according to a recent lengthy Politico profile. The story paints a picture of DeVos’ tumultuous first year on the job — which began with her humiliating confirmation hearing in which she demonstrated an apparent lack of…
A new meadery is in the works in downtown Ann Arbor
A new meadery is planned for 2018 in the first floor of 100 S. Fourth Ave. On its website, Bløm Meadworks describes its meads as “light, dry, carbonated, and remarkably sessionable … unlike most meads, though, we ferment it like a dry, craft-cider, so the result isn’t nearly as thick or sweet as traditional mead.” Its expected to start…
Beacon Park will give away 250 coney dogs during family friendly Detroit Lions tailgate
Despite an incessantly dismal record, many Detroiters still turn out in droves to cheer on the city’s football team. And, ok, to be fair, the Lions clinched a rare win against the Green Bay Packers last night, so if there was ever a time to celebrate the team, it’s now. We digress. This Sunday, Beacon…
Steve Bannon’s Warren appearance will be met with protests
A local political action group has announced they will protest Steve Bannon’s headlining appearance at a Macomb County GOP “Unity dinner” planned for tomorrow night. The dinner is scheduled to take place at the Andiamo Celebrity Showroom in Warren, and the Metro-Detroit Political Action Network (MDPAN) will be there to make clear they will “not tolerate…
Indian fusion, vegan/vegetarian eatery opens Friday in Ypsilanti
Veg-O-Rama owner Prafulla Kharkar says that above all else, the Indian-American dishes that he prepares can best described as “love food.” It’s fresh, it’s made with high quality ingredients, and it’s made with passion, he tells us. But it’s also all vegetarian and vegan, so it’s made from nature, and in that way it’s moral…
1xRun and Inner State Gallery to relocate to Heidelberg Project area, host art sale
After five years in Eastern Market, art print house 1xRun and its Inner State Gallery are relocating to a larger building located near the Heidelberg Project. “Over the last seven years 1xRun has and have grown into the world’s leading publisher of fine art editions with nearly 2,000 limited edition releases since 2011, and a…
City Council passes rule prohibiting piles of coal dust on Detroit riverfront
MT readers may recall our coverage several years ago when piles of petcoke began rising on the waterfront, causing residents to complain about the gritty, greasy stuff blowing into their open windows, even when workers were spraying it down to keep it from being carried by the wind. The city was also upset that the company…
It’s election day — here’s what’s on ballots in and around Detroit
Detroit Mayoral Election: Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan faces challenger State Sen. Coleman Young II, son of Detroit’s first black mayor. Throughout his campaign, Young has aimed to draw attention to the massive problems that continue to plague the city as certain areas enjoy a revival, pointing to the city’s sky-high poverty rate, continued water shutoffs, and…
Ikea might open a second Michigan store, but it probably won’t be in Detroit
According to a report by Crain’s Detroit, Ikea is scouting locations for a new store that would serve as a sister to the Swedish furniture manufacturer’s Canton Township megastore. Crain’s sources asked to remain anonymous, but they told the business mag the company is leaning toward a suburban location, probably in Macomb or Oakland County.…
Michigan couple among those killed in Texas church shooting
Robert and Shani Corrigan of Clare County, Michigan have been identified as two of the victims killed in a church shooting that took place in Sutherland Springs, Texas Sunday morning, according to WWTV/WWUP-TV. The couple were reportedly from Harrison, a city 30 miles north of Mount Pleasant. The shooter, Devin Kelley, opened fire at the First Baptist Church…
Detroit’s Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony promised to be bigger, better than ever
Detroit’s beloved Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled to take place on Friday, Nov. 17. The 14-year-old tradition surrounds the 60-foot Norwegian spruce that’s trucked in from Cadillac mere days after Halloween. This year, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, which helps plan the ceremony along with the DTE Energy Foundation, has planned an over-the-top event unlike anything…
A DIA employee has quit in protest of the Barat House demolition
In early October, the Detroit Institute of Arts announced it would raze the Barat House, a structure erected in the early 1960s that was used by The League of Catholic Women as a psychiatric facility for teen girls. The decision to demolish the building in order to add 65 parking spots for the museum’s use…
Sun Ra tribute celebrates jazz and Afrofuturism at the Wright this weekend
Fans of the eccentric jazz combo known as Sun Ra & His Arkestra have a special treat this weekend: A tribute featuring a host of Afrofuturist musicians, dancers, and spoken-word and sound artists. It’s called “Astro Black: A Tribute to Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra.” It sounds like it could be exactly the kind of spectacle…
The founder of Detroit’s Downtown Boxing Gym is up for CNN Hero of the Year
The founder and CEO of Detroit’s Downtown Boxing Gym is up for CNN Hero of the Year, an award that could help the gym accommodate more students. Khali Sweeney founded the facility’s free, academic and athletic program in 2007 as a way to help kids in Detroit’s toughest neighborhoods. The Downtown Boxing Gym’s youth program…
Detroit is worst city for veterans, according to study
Ahead of Veterans Day this Saturday, personal finance website WalletHub analyzed the best and worst U.S. cities for veterans to live. Out of the country’s 100 most-populated cities, Detroit ranked dead last. The analysts compared the cities across four dimensions — employment, economy, quality of life, and health. It then evaluated those dimensions across 17…
Flint-based Vietnamese eatery MaMang pops up in Detroit on Tuesday
MaMang owner Tony Vu is one of those chefs who — at this point — is developing a strong and loyal following mostly through word of mouth. And though he’s based out of Flint, his recipes and dishes are generating excitement all the way down in Detroit. Some of those dishes are obviously fusion and…
Furniture and decor shop to open in Fisher Building
New Center’s Fisher Building has been abuzz in recent months. Since the Albert Kahn-designed building was purchased by The Platform, it has seen cosmetic improvements and has attracted some new businesses to its Art Deco halls. Over the summer, Rachel Lutz announced she’d open a flagship Peacock Room location as well as a new concept…
Review: LCD Soundsystem dance themselves clean in Detroit
When David Bowie tells you to get the band back together, you fucking get the band back together. In the case of dance demigods LCD Soundsystem, they did. The Talking Heads of the touchscreen generation and master purveyors of America’s most self-aware dance party, LCD Soundsystem made up for lost time last night. And then some.…
Here’s where you can sign a petition to end gerrymandering (Nov. 3-9)
Voters Not Politicians, a nonpartisan, nonprofit group, is still working to gather the signatures needed to get a proposal on the November 2018 ballot that would end gerrymandering of electoral districts. They’ve collected more than 300,000, but need at least 100,000 more in order to safeguard against invalid or duplicate signatures. If the proposal makes it…
Review: Guns N’ Roses’ show restraint in Detroit
Leave it to an alt-weekly to show up late to a Guns N’ Roses show. In that way we are more GNR than GNR. But we weren’t alone. A band known for tardiness and unpredictability showed up on time last night to Little Caesars Arena and, as suggested by the scores of empty seats as…
Could the Motor City become Retail City?
An enormous gathering of national retail executives and store designers is set to take place next September, and it’s happening in an unlikely place: Detroit. The Detroit News reports that as many as 200 retail professionals will meet during a forum produced by design: retail magazine. They’ll canvas the city, looking for inspiration and innovation…
On paper, Detroit not likely to host Amazon HQ2 — but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen
Detroit is not primed to host Amazon’s much-ballyhooed second headquarters — despite our slick, dramatic pitch video and an Inc. magazine analysis placing us in the top five likely contenders. At least that’s according to a new study by marketing research company Reis, which lists the top 25 likely contenders. Detroit didn’t even make the…
Outer Limits Lounge to celebrate its grand opening with Wiccans’ record release show
The new incarnation of the Outer Limits Lounge officially starts on Saturday with the dive bar’s grand opening and a record release show for local psych act the Wiccans. As we previously wrote, Outer Limits — which sits at the Hamtramck-Detroit border on Buffalo Street — closed in 2010 and sat vacant until John Szymanski —…
Is Major League Soccer lukewarm on Detroit’s Ford Field plan?
Major League Soccer officials getting set to expand the league to two cities appear to have signaled their preference for a now-scrapped plan that would have created a new stadium for a possible Detroit club. News broke yesterday that Pistons owner Tom Gores and billionaire Dan Gilbert had amended their application for an MLS franchise…
Grey Ghost owners to open new ‘everyman and woman’ bar in Midtown
Four Man Ladder Management – the team behind Grey Ghost – will open a new bar called Second Best across Watson Street from their flagship location. The group describes the upcoming project as “a bar for the everyman and woman” that will be an unassuming spot and a rare drinking option east of Woodward in…
Will the MC5 be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Who cares?
First a clarification about that “shock headline.” Lots and lots of people care about whether the MC5 are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Love it or hate it, the Cleveland museum’s pantheon has become a one-stop validation station for rock, pop, and even rap greats down the years. And if the…
Detroit’s MLS bid picks Ford Field as soccer site, putting end to plans for new stadium
SKKKKRRRRRRTTTTTT. Hold up. You’re telling us this whole jail swap thing may not even produce a new soccer stadium?! In the latest twist in the will-Detroit-wind-up-with-yet-another-downtown-stadium saga, the Ford family has apparently joined billionaire Dan Gilbert and Pistons owner Tom Gores in their bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Detroit and, if…
Weezer and Pixies to bring co-headlining tour to DTE in 2018
The alt-rock gods have spoken and given us a co-headlining summer tour of Weezer and Pixies — thankfully with a stop at DTE Energy Music Theatre on July 13. While both bands have some new-ish music to play on the road, we’re assuming that most fans will be going to hear the hits. Even Pixies…
Keegan-Michael Key will be in the new ‘Lion King’ movie alongside Beyoncé
In case you stayed off the internet last night you might have missed that the cast for the new Lion King remake was announced, and holy shit, the casting is truly amazing. Metro Detroit’s Keegan-Michael Key (who you may remember from Key & Peele or Netflix’s Friends From College) will have the honor of playing…
Ypsilanti official: No developer for controversial Chinese development
Ypsilanti officials say there’s no developer for the proposed $300 million mixed use International Village development. It’s the latest plot twist in the International Village saga. Since April, the city of Ypsilanti has been planning it with Troy-based, Chinese-American “developer” Amy Xue Foster. Foster, who has an unclear background in finance and real estate, started…
Justin Verlander finally won a World Series, and the Tigers could not be more proud
In September, the Detroit Tigers traded favored pitcher Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros. Verlander — and his fiancé Kate Upton — had been beloved public figures to locals, and the news that he’d be playing for Texas came as a shock to some. But, the trade has proven fruitful for Verlander. The Astros won…
Despite messaging, Coleman Young II sees no advantage among poor or black Detroit voters, analysis shows
The messaging has been clear in Detroit’s mayoral election: Incumbent Mayor Mike Duggan says there’s one Detroit, while Coleman Young Jr. alleges there’s two — the redeveloping areas versus the majority of the city, where titles like “most violent in America” and “poorest major city in America” are made manifest. But according to a Detroit…
You can watch the trailer for Danny Brown’s ‘Live at the Majestic’
Due out Nov. 7 on Apple Music, Danny Brown’s Live at the Majestic follows the Detroit rapper at a hometown show at the historic Majestic Theatre, as well as some candid interviews with Brown and fans. The trailer opens with Brown onstage at the Majestic, giving the crowd a little tease with, “I’m partying with my…
New bill settles it once and for all: We’re Michiganders, not Michiganians
Are we Michiganders or Michiganians? The question has long ignited plenty of fierce debate, and there has never been official consensus on our state’s official demonym. However, a bill headed to Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk could put an end to the discussion. Senate Bill No. 562 seeks to amend 1955 PA 10, also known as the “Governor John…
Dem bills to target Michigan’s multimillion-dollar heist: Wage theft
Here’s something that should be as simple as mud: When you do a job for somebody, you should be paid for it. Seems like something so crystal clear that everybody would line right up behind it — Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Marxists, and Martians. And yet Michigan’s Democrats appear to have a fight ahead of them…
Snyder lied under oath about his knowledge of Flint’s lead-tainted drinking water, according to new testimony
Michigan Health and Human Services Director Nick Lyons is currently on trial, facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office stemming from his role in the Flint water crisis. Today, during Lyons’ preliminary hearing, another official testified that Gov. Rick Snyder was informed about increasing lead levels in Flint’s drinking water several months before…
Michigan’s marijuana dispensaries can now stay open past Dec. 15
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has reversed course on a plan that medical marijuana activists feared would have left patients without medicine for months. In September, the regulatory body in charge of working out the details of the new marijuana laws to go into effect this year said it would require the…
WDIV asked travelers what they thought about a dude getting head on a plane
The phrase “get a room” could not apply more to this situation. In case you missed it, a Delta flight that landed in Detroit on Sunday carried a 48-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man who failed miserably at joining the mile high club. Reports say that the woman was caught performing oral sex on the…
If Detroit were a shoe, what would it look like?
Well, the College for Creative Studies has some theories. And they put them all together in a new exhibit they’re calling Shoetopia! The exhibit is the first of its kind in the country, and Detroit’s an interesting place for Shoetopia! to take place. The city has many independent designers, and a bevy of extremely talented…
Detroit officials eliminate Angel’s Night effort despite 54 fires reported this year
After more than three decades in which Halloween in Detroit was marked by a fire department and volunteer effort aimed to crack down on arsonists, city officials say they’re pulling the plug on “Angel’s Night.” The effort began in the 80s, at a time when it was common for more than 800 fires to burn…
Wayne County treasurer rejects two last-minute plans to help Detroit families avoid foreclosure
This summer, when we asked the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office about the business of selling occupied tax-foreclosed homes at auction, we were told by a spokesperson that “this is the law, [the treasurer is] following the law, it’s not his role to go in and change the law on this.” While Treasurer Eric Sabree has…
The truth about ‘fake news’
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country! —Donald J. Trump, tweeting mindlessly, Oct. 11, 2017 The answer to the spoiled infant-in-chief’s question, naturally, is never, since A) networks aren’t licensed, only stations are B) the First…
Duggan vs. Young isn’t as simple as black and white
The one and only mayoral debate for the 2017 electoral season took place last week, and there were so many wild swings made the candidates should have worn their boxing shorts for the pugilistic event. Young decided to make it mostly about race and tried to land a haymaker earlier in the day by releasing…
Latest ‘Thor’ installment is the most fun Marvel movie yet
Thor can go to hell. No, I mean, literally: Thor is capable of going to hell, just for a visit, which is where he is at the opening of Ragnarok. Actually, it’s Muspelheim, the extradimensional realm of fire. But it’s pretty hellish, and the fire demon Surtur is fairly satanic: extremely large and scary, aflame,…
Horoscopes (Nov.1-7)
ARIES (March 21- April 20): You don’t know what to make of some of the changes that have taken place of late. Some of the people who have shown up are just as much of a conundrum. As hard as it is to maintain a sense of certainty about anything, you can help yourself by…
Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth talks Detroit and his latest solo album
Lee Ranaldo is best known as one of the founders and half of the dynamic guitar duo that shaped the sound of Sonic Youth and, in the process, reinvented the possibilities of rock guitar. Through unconventional tunings and using drumsticks and screwdrivers to mess with their tones, Sonic Youth pioneered a swirling palette of noise…
Jim Jarmusch and his band Sqürl are nuts about Man Ray
If a squirrel comes to you in a dream, it has been said that it is a call to you to take things less seriously and to invite more fun into your life. In some cases, a squirrel can symbolize pragmatism and practicality, too, but the fluffy-tailed unofficial mascot of the Midwest mostly represents the…
Why Death From Above got the band back together, again
Update: Since this story was written, allegations of ties between Death From Above bassist Jesse Keeler and an alt-right group have surfaced, which Keeler vehemently denies. Read his statement here. Canadian rock duo Death From Above has quite a storied history on the books in their 16-year, on-again, off-again existence. Vocalist and drummer Sebastien Grainger…
Savage Love: Degrading games
Q: I am a pretty handsome gay (I have been told) and I am dating a gorgeous man. I am 34, and he is 31. I am bottom only, and he is top only — so it’s a good match. He seems sincerely interested in me and we are talking about being together. But here…
Review: Find mole, molotes, and more Oaxacan cuisine at Troy’s Oaxaca
Not many people in metro Detroit’s Mexican immigrant population arrived here from the central Mexican state of Oaxaca. That’s a slight bummer because while we’re not short on good Mexican food here, that region’s cookbooks hold what many argue are some of Mexico’s best recipes. That’s where you’ll find tlayudas, enfrijoladas, tamales Oaxaqueños, empanadas (Oaxacan-style),…
