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Vol. 43 | No. 52 | OCTOBER 18-24 , 2023
EDITORIAL
News & Views Feedback ............................. 14 News .................................... 20 Lapointe............................... 26
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Cover Story
Art Director - Evan Sult
The Best of Detroit ............... 48
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Food Review ............................... 126 Chowhound ....................... 128
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NEWS & VIEWS Feedback
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Mr. Matchett ends with, “We need a public art that fights for public power.” Watch for a couple of things: Observe how mainstream media ignores or mediates
We received comments in response to freelancer
this polemic. To the degree that power holders in the
Ian Matchett’s longform cover story essay, “The
city become uncomfortable with truth spoken, they
contradictions of corporate-sponsored mural art in
may use legacy media to manage the narrative and spin
Detroit.” After this article was published, 1XRUN
our understanding of civil rights to maintain private
contacted us to clarify that it was they who reached
control of public services like DTE. Their talking points
out to DTE and convinced it to pay artists to paint its
may attempt to confound solidarity for change. Look,
substation walls to beautify the neighborhood; DTE also
also, for a sustained creative effort to promote critical
gave additional funds to benefit the nearby Downtown
thinking coming from marginalized and excluded
Boxing Gym. 1XRUN also says the only rules for subject
stakeholders here. The struggle is real. It never ends.
matter for its muralists are no violence, no guns, and no
Fail better. Water is Life. Everything you own is gone;
nudity, and says that murals they have produced over
there is only Detroitus. Thanks for publishing the
the years do in fact have important public messages
essay. I hope we read nuanced critical assessments
behind them, including work for the ACLU and to
about art in the city more often in your rag. In love and
promote voting, among others.
struggle. —Eno Laget, email
Ian Matchett certainly cleared his throat in his MT
Comments may be edited for length and clarity:
essay about corporate-sponsored murals in Detroit.
letters@metrotimes.com
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NEWS & VIEWS
The Michigan Freedom of Information Act says records should be turned over in 15 days. Metro Times routinely waits for months.
City of Detroit repeatedly violates state law on public records The city of Detroit has a trans-
parency problem. In a little more than a year, the city has either ignored Metro Times’ Freedom of Information Act requests or taken months to respond, despite a state law that requires records to be produced within three weeks. In September 2022, reporter Eddie B. Allen Jr. requested records about a 2008 arson from the Detroit Fire Department and Police Department. For nearly two months, the city said it was working on the FOIA request. But by the end of October, the city stopped responding to questions about the request. On April 5 of this year, Metro Times editor Lee DeVito wrote an appeal to the city, noting that the request was made nearly seven months earlier. “The City of Detroit, the Detroit Fire Department, and the Detroit Police Department have all utterly failed to fulfill their obligations under FOIA,” DeVito wrote in the appeal to assistant corporation counsel Ivars Steins, who handles FOIA requests. “In doing so, each has also thwarted the purpose of FOIA, which is to provide the people with ‘full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those who represent
them.’” The city never responded. Under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, municipalities are required to respond to a request within five business days. If more time is needed, municipalities can send a written notice extending the time to disclose the records by 10 more business days. Any public body that “willfully or intentionally failed to comply with this act” is subject to a civil fine of between $2,500 to $7,500. On Feb. 2, Metro Times requested records to determine whether Stellantis kept its promise to hire Detroiters after receiving tax incentives to build a Jeep plant on the east side. The city failed to turn over the records until April 11, even though it was just a one-page document. Then on July 14, Metro Times sent another FOIA request for records of the salaries of top city officials. The city didn’t produce the documents until Oct. 6, well past the three-week statutory requirement. In a written statement to Metro Times, Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett admits the city failed to produce records about the arson. “While it did take us time to track down who had access to those records
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(some investigative records were with DPD, not DFD), the law department did receive them earlier this year, but admittedly failed to follow through after that,” Mallett said. “I have asked our attorneys to expedite this request.” In response to the delinquent documents, Mallett said the city takes its responsibilities to produce records “very seriously,” but is often overwhelmed, handling more than 7,000 FOIA requests a year, “many of which can be complex and time consuming.” “As hard as they try, it’s not always possible to meet the 15 business day timeline, although we have made significant progress,” Mallett said. “In some cases there are delays outside of our lawyer’s control, such as when departments provide them the responsive records. Despite our best efforts, we do make honest mistakes and try to address them honestly.” Mallett pointed out that the city reduces the costs to produce documents by 5% for every day the records are late, up to 50%. Metro Times is not alone in its struggle to get records from Detroit. In July 2023, Circuit Court Judge Charles Hegarty slammed the city after it failed to disclose records to Grosse Pointe Moving & Storage, despite a
STEVE NEAVLING
court order requiring the city do so. The moving company had filed a lawsuit against the city earlier this year over a FOIA request for information about traffic near Stellantis’ Jeep plant. “I don’t know how to more clearly express the thought that this is a court order, not a court suggestion,” Hegarty admonished city officials. “These documents need to be produced and I can’t understand what is going on,” the judge added. Hegarty expressed bewilderment, saying, “It’s possible the city of Detroit needs to sit down, evaluate how it addresses FOIA matters and fix that process.” In March, Axios reported that the city “ignored” a March 9 deadline to produce documents identifying the potential locations for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Axios eventually received the records in April. In August 2022, WXYZ-TV reported that the city began redacting police misconduct records that it once fully disclosed. In 2020, the Detroit Free Press sued the city after it demanded $222,667 to cough up public records related to a city watchdog’s investigation that found Mayor Mike Duggan gave preferential treatment to a prenatal health program. The newspaper’s lawyer Herschel Fink said the city violated the state’s public records laws and suggested the fees and wait times were “clearly intended to chill the public’s right of access to public records.” —Steve Neavling
Growing neofascist group spreads hate in metro Detroit, trains to become ‘white warriors’ A Michigan-based neofascist group whose members are
committed to becoming “white warriors” is increasing its presence in metro Detroit by holding mixed-martial arts training, burning anti-fascist flags, and spreading hateful propaganda in the form of banners, stickers, and graffiti. The Great Lakes Active Club is part of a growing network of white men spreading hateful propaganda worldwide and recruiting new members by promoting physical fitness, self-improvement, and “white unity.” Active clubs are a strand of the white nationalist movement that is aimed at creating “a stand-by militia of trained and capable” right-wing extremists “who can be activated when the need for coordinated violent action on a larger scale arises,” according to a 52page report from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP). With more than 100 active clubs worldwide and 46 in the U.S., the decentralized active clubs are “the largest and fastest growing transnational rightwing extremist combat sports network,” the report states. The Great Lakes Active Club launched a Telegram account in April and has steadily grown each month, with 623 current subscribers. The hate group is noticeably active and has been meeting in Warren and other southeast Michigan locations to train in hand-tohand combat. On its Telegram account, the group describes itself as a “fraternal organization for young, like minded white men in the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan that is dedicated to physical fitness, self-improvement and brotherhood.” Its members are also affixing dozens of white supremacy stickers on light poles and other public property in the southeast Michigan communities of Detroit, Milford, Mount Clemens, Eastpointe, Brighton, and Commerce Township. Some of the stickers promote active clubs, and others read, “White Lives Matter,” “White Youth in Revolt,” “White Boys Trouble Makers Club,” and “Will 2 Rise, In Brotherhood We Trust.” On May 11, the group posted a photo of sheets of pictures containing their logo and wrote on Telegram, “Coming soon to a neighborhood near you.” Some of the stickers were displayed in Hart Plaza and light poles along the Detroit riverfront. In front of the Spirit of Detroit statue, four of the members posed for a photo, with each holding a fist over their hearts. “We shall return to the glory days
of what once was the motor city,” the group boasted on Telegram on May 15. In each photo, the group blurs the faces of its members. On Sept. 1, the group posted a video of its members working out before burning a “Three Arrows” flag that became popular in the 1930s to protest Nazis. In Grand Rapids, the group spraypainted “One Nation Against Invasion,” a common phrase used by white supremacists to describe immigration. On Oct. 10, the group posted photos showing its members placing a banner above a freeway in Commerce Township
ism, pedophilia and every other form of degeneracy is not welcome in the Great Lake state,” the Telegram post reads. The group also falsely suggested that “fags did not EARN their flag but rather stole the rainbow to give their sinister intentions a ‘friendly’ look in the face of children.’” In fact, the rainbow was intended to show the spectrum of sexuality and gender. The group shared a news article on Telegram about Pride flags being stolen in California and wrote, “Get active.” In other states, members of active clubs have donned tactical gear and
The group is coordinating with other white supremacists. In May, the Great Lakes Active Club held a “joint training session” with Patriot Front, a racist hate group that advocates the formation of a white ethnostate. The Patriot Front has also increased its presence in metro Detroit, posting racist propaganda on light poles in metro Detroit.
that read, “America First.” The Telegram page is also riddled with racist and anti-immigration propaganda. The group is coordinating with other white supremacists. In May, the Great Lakes Active Club held a “joint training session” with Patriot Front, a racist hate group that advocates the formation of a white ethnostate. The Patriot Front has also increased its presence in metro Detroit, posting racist propaganda on light poles in metro Detroit. In August, the group traveled to Burns, Tenn., to attend the annual American Renaissance conference, where white supremacists gathered to promote “pseudo-scientific studies and research that purport to show the inferiority of blacks to whites,” according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. During the trip, the local group met up with active clubs in Ohio and Kentucky, according to its Telegram page. Their hate isn’t just racial. The local active club encouraged the theft of rainbow flags during Pride Month in June. On June 3, the group called Pride Month “happy capture the flag month.” “Reminder that homosexuality, Marx-
masks and bullied drag queen shows and LGBTQ+ events. In late May, an active club protested drag queen events in two Montana cities. In June, members of the Evergreen Active Club in Washington harassed people at the Lewis County Pride Festival in Centralia, Wash. A week later, active club members intimidated revelers at the Wind River Pride event in Lander, Wyo., and the next weekend, they targeted Oregon City Pride. Active clubs were inspired by Robert Rundo, a self-professed fascist and white supremacist who was on the run from the law until he was arrested in Romania in the spring. In August, he was extradited to the U.S. on charges of planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California. Rundo created the “Rise Above Movement,” or RAM, a white supremacist gang that called itself the “premier MMA (mixed martial arts) club of the Alt-Right.” He and his compatriots were responsible for violent street brawls, and he was charged in 2019 with federal conspiracy to riot for violent confrontations in California. He and his fighters donned “goggles, mouth guards,
athletic tape around their wrists, and black face masks with white skeleton designs,” according to the federal indictment. While in Eastern Europe, Rundo sought to create what he called “White Supremacy 3.0,” which became the impetus for the active clubs. The idea was to create a more presentable aesthetic that combined activism and fitness with belonging and white-power solidarity. The objective is twofold. “Firstly, to avoid, delay, mitigate, or withstand law enforcement interventions, the network is supposed to present a friendly face to the public,” CEP wrote in its report. “Consequently, network members are asked to avoid engaging in threatening behavior or displaying obvious Nazi symbols. Secondly, this less aggressive and more mainstream strategy is supposed to help grow the AC network, in particular by widening the social strata of society the network is able to reach.” Active clubs have no top-down hierarchy and operate as an “open network” of local groups that share bigoted beliefs. “Active Clubs are supposed to connect and cooperate but stay operationally independent,” CEP states in its report. The idea behind a decentralized structure is that “infiltrations and arrests of leadership figures, or even the shutdown of an Active Club, should have little if any effect on the Active Club network itself.” Alexander Ritzmann, author of the CEP report, tells Metro Times that the Great Lakes Active Club “fits the profile of a stereotypical Active Club as it was designed by Robert Rundo.” To fool law enforcement, the strategy of the ACs is to hide in plain sight by pretending to be about sports, but to actually build a shadow militia,” Ritzmann says. “To what degree this applies to the Great Lakes Active Club can only be revealed through an in depth investigation into their actual activities, not just on what they self-report via Telegram.” Ritzmann says the active clubs have the potential to become violent. “Some active clubs have shown that they do actual militia training with semiautomatic rifles as well as tactical casualty care drills,” Ritzmann says. “You don’t need that for boxing matches.” Multiple militia members have been convicted of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Prosecutors said the white men were anti-government extremists who were hoping to trigger a civil war. The would-be kidnappers were infiltrated by undercover FBI agents and arrested in October 2020. —Steve Neavling
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Black-owned grocery store hopes to drain the ‘food swamp’ in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers Raphael Wright has long
dreamed of bringing something to Jefferson Chalmers that the eastside Detroit neighborhood has been lacking — a grocery store. After six years of crowdfunding, and passing out grocery boxes to fight food insecurity, Wright has finally opened Neighborhood Grocery at 500 Manistique St. It’s reportedly the first Black-owned grocery store in Detroit since 2014. The store is mostly crowdfunded but Wright received a Motor City Match grant for $85,000 in February that helped push him toward the finish line. The grocery store, which had a soft opening on Sunday, Oct. 8, is providing an option for people to get fresh produce and pantry staples in a neighborhood where there’s mostly fast food and corner stores. Wright often refers to Detroit as a “food swamp” because it’s easier to get a fast food burger than a healthy plate or ingredients for a home-cooked meal. Many Detroiters have to drive outside of their neighborhood to shop for groceries, and the building Neighborhood Grocery occupies was a former liquor
store, many of which dot the city. “There’s no grocery store over there within a mile, there’s just fast food, and a lot of that stuff is even closed now,” Wright tells Metro Times. “So we’re filling the need for people to be able to come and get their basics — sugar, bread, milk, stuff like that. One customer came and said they hadn’t been able to get grits in a month because they don’t have a car, so being able to come and get that fulfilled her soul.” Wright’s original vision was to stock the shelves with produce grown at Detroit-based urban farms, but he says he still hasn’t figured out the logistics of those partnerships and the growing seasons is starting to slow down for the year. For now, he sources produce and meat from the Eastern Market. Neighborhood Grocery also offers dairy products, seasonings, frozen foods, dry goods, and snacks like any other supermarket would. It also stocks local products like Baobab Fare’s Burundi coffee and Pili hot sauce. “I wanted to provide people with everything they need,” Wright says. “The mission is still there to have local
Neighborhood Grocery opened in a former corner store.
produce, but we still gotta work that out… Right now I’m just focusing on having Neighborhood Grocery be a regular grocery store. I want to serve the neighborhood and be a point of access for fresh food and take care of your needs if you live in the neighborhood.” So far, Wright says, the response from residents has been overwhelmingly positive. “The neighbors have been waiting for
COURTESY OF RAPHAEL WRIGHT
this project for a long time,” he says. “I knew friends and family would support [me] but it’s great to see people in the neighborhood come and check us out.” Though Neighborhood Grocery has a planned grand opening slated for Nov. 18, Wright is adamant that the store is fully ready to serve the neighborhood. Current hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. —Randiah Camille Green
Old State Fairgrounds bandshell will finally find home in Palmer Park in 2024 The old Michigan State
Fairgrounds bandshell was starting to feel like forgotten history. Not much has been said about the historic gem after it was saved from demolition following the City of Detroit’s decision to sell the site to Amazon to build a distribution center in 2020. Years after a plea to save the bandshell published in Metro Times, which sparked a successful petition in 2020 to save this piece of Michigan music history and plans to move it to Palmer Park, we finally have a glimpse of the bandshell’s future. People for Palmer Park released new renderings showing the band-
A rendering of the Palmer Park Bandshell.
shell’s restoration in the park, funded by President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). It will be located in the Northwest portion of Palmer Park off Seven Mile Road. A sign for the rehomed bandshell in Palmer Park reads, “coming summer 2024 Palmer Park Bandshell.”
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PEOPLE FOR PALMER PARK
Many acts from all genres graced the bandshell’s stage in its heyday, including the Jackson 5, Duke Ellington, MC5, and Nina Simone. In 2022, WXYZ reported the rehoming of the bandshell had been delayed and it was sitting, disassembled, in storage.
According to a social media post by People for Palmer Park, the reconstruction project will also include a new parking lot and restrooms to accommodate the bandshell. The Palmer Park Bandshell… we can get used to the sound of that. —Randiah Camille Green
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EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC seeks SW Function Development Eng (Mult Pos) (Plymouth, MI). REQS: Bach Deg or frgn equiv in Mechatronics Eng, Comp Eng, Electronic Eng, Electrical Eng, CompSci, Auto Eng or rel +5 yrs prof exp in embedded SW dev for mechatronics sys. Remote Work May Be Permitted. Apply: https://www.bosch.us/ careers/, search [Software Function Development Engineer / REF209689G]
Robert Bosch LLC seeks Functional Safety Engineer (Mult Pos) (Farmington Hills, MI). REQS: Bach deg, or frgn equiv in Electrical Eng, Mech Eng, Comp Sci, Comp Eng, Electronic Eng or rel + 3 yrs of prof exp in Func Safety Eng & Powertrain Sys. 10% domestic and international travel required. Remote Work May Be Permitted. Apply via https://www. bosch.us/careers/, search [Functional Safety Engineer / REF210790M]
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT
Robert Bosch LLC seeks a SW Engineer (Mult Pos) (Plymouth, MI). REQS: Bach Deg or frgn equiv in Electrical Eng, Electronic Eng, Comp Eng or a rel +3 yrs exp w/Sys & SW dev in auto/SW indus. Remote work may be permitted. Apply online at https://www.bosch.us/ careers/, search [Software Engineer/ REF211006Y]
Robert Bosch LLC seeks Sr. Technical Project Mgr (MULT POS) (Plymouth, MI). REQS: Bach degree or frgn equiv in Mech Eng, Elec Eng, Comp Sci or rel +5 yrs prof exp in tech prj mgmt or prj leading in the auto, motorsport or heavy equip indus. 10% dom & intl trvl req. Remote Work May Be Permitted. Apply via https://www.bosch.us/ careers/ , search [Sr. Technical Project Manager / REF211003X]
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NEWS & VIEWS
The only Palestinian in Congress is accused of hating Israel and supporting Hamas terrorists. That’s “rooted in bigoted assumptions,” she says. JIM WEST / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Lapointe
Rashida Tlaib under right-wing attack for defending Palestine By Joe Lapointe
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the Democrat representing Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, fired back last week at critics who have accused her of supporting the Hamas terrorists of Palestine for their murderous pogrom last weekend against Jews in Israel. Michigan Advance quoted Tlaib, who did not return a request for comment from Metro Times. “I do not support targeting and killing of civilians, whether in Israel or Palestine,” Tlaib said. “The fact that some have suggested otherwise is offensive and rooted in bigoted assumptions about my faith and ethnicity.” Tlaib is Muslim and the only Palestinian-American in Congress. She is also the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in the House. This is her third term. When first sworn in, Tlaib took her oath on a Koran. Since then, she has expressed support for Palestinians who feel oppressed by their Israeli neighbors. The Gaza Strip, one of two Palestinian territories, is about the size of Detroit with more than two million people. It has been described as an “open-air prison” where an overwhelming majority of the population is young.
For years, it has faced heavy restrictions imposed by Israel, including surveillance, strict security checkpoints, and a complete blockade. Tlaib’s grandmother still lives in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory. In a meeting with President Joe Biden more than two years ago, Tlaib told the President that Palestinians must be protected from Israel, and she shared her harsh assessment of Israel’s role in escalating violence against Palestinians, according to a statement issued from her office then and reported by NPR. But there is little time or space for context or nuance in the aftermath of a planned massacre that has taken at least 1,200 lives in Israel and led to 1,000 deaths in Gaza. Condemnation for Tlaib is coming from many Republicans, a few Democrats, and — of course — the right-wing media both locally and nationally. In Detroit, on WJR (760-AM) radio, right-wing propagandist Tom Jordan of the morning “All Talk” show demonstrated the way professionals put together two half-truths and turn them into one whole lie. Here’s how. It is true that Tlaib for many months has displayed a Palestin-
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ian flag at her office in the Capitol. It is also true that Palestinian Hamas terrorists — with this vicious attack — might ignite a larger war in the Middle East. Therefore, according to Jordan logic, Tlaib is complicit in mass murder. “She supports, it seems, Hamas, a terrorist regime,” Jordan declared this week. “ . . . She’s denouncing Israel. That is absolutely un-American.” The theme poured forth from what was once known as the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building, now a 24-hour shower of insinuation and exaggeration. On WJR Wednesday, Jordan said without proof of Tlaib: “She is a terrorist sympathizer at this point. She sympathizes with Hamas. She probably sympathizes with Hezbollah. She probably sympathizes with the Houthis in Yemen. She is a staunch opponent of Israel . . . They [the “Squad”] hate Israel . . . She should be gone.” Jordan gloated about video in heavy rotation on Fox television channels showing a reporter named Hillary Vaughn chasing Tlaib down a corridor to an elevator at the Capitol, chanting her harangue of repeated questions about unconfirmed reports of terrorists beheading children. This from a 69-second
sound bite. “Congresswoman, Hamas terrorists have cut off babies’ heads and burned children alive,” the Fox reporter said. “Do you support Israel’s right to defend themselves against this brutality? “You can’t comment about Hamas terrorists chopping off babies’ heads? “You have nothing to say about Hamas terrorists chopping off babies’ heads? “Do you condone what Hamas has done, chopping off babies’ heads, burning children alive, raping women in the streets? “You have no comment about children’s heads being chopped off? “Congresswoman, why do you have the Palestinian flag outside your office if you do not condone what Hamas terrorists have done to Israel? “Do Israeli lives matter to you?” Note how both sources of journalism frame the issue. They assume Tlaib supports terrorism, so they debate within their own frame whether she will continue to support the terrorists or not. It is another form of the loaded rhetorical question of “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Tlaib’s 12th District includes parts of the West Side along with Dearborn, Southfield, and Livonia. There are many Jewish synagogues and Muslim mosques there, and many more houses of worship for many more religions. The savagery of the attacks in Israel prompted visceral reactions. That’s why Tlaib’s first reaction on Sunday — moderate and boilerplate — struck many as insufficiently emotional and horrified. “The path to the future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” she said Sunday. “The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence.” In the past, those of us who have dealt with her in the media have found Tlaib to be far more interested in local issues — fair wages, pollution — than she is in the politics of the Middle East. But events and her identity have forced her to take a stand. Whether or not she likes it, she will be front and center on this issue. In a state where right-wing terrorists recently plotted to kidnap and kill the governor, it is reckless and irresponsible for news media to promote religious and ethnic antagonism toward another elected official. From now on, no matter what she says, Tlaib will draw criticism. Making it hysterical only ramps up the danger.
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WHAT’S GOING ON Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue website before events for latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/ AddEvent.
MUSIC Wednesday, Oct. 18 Atlas Tango Project 7 p.m.; Berkley Coffee & Oak Park Dry, 14661 W. 11 Mile Rd., Oak Park; $15. Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $18. Eric Nam 6:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $42.50-$99.50. The Zombies 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $59.50-$79.50.
Thursday, Oct. 19 Celtic Thunder: Odyssey 7:30 p.m.; Fox Theatre, 2211 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $15-$45. Larry Fleet 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $27.50-$75. Madison McFerrin 8 p.m.; Marble Bar, 1501 Holden St., Detroit; $18. Men I Trust 8 p.m.; Cathedral Theatre at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple St., Detroit; $54-$98. Parmalee 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $30-$50. Scotty Austin (formely of Saving Abel), The Lion Within 6:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $20. Squirrel Flower, Truth Club, Shortly 7 p.m.; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $16. The Reunion Tour with Kirk Franklin, Tye Tribbett, The Clark Sisters, David and Tamela Mann and Israel Houghton 7 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $59.50-$195. YES: Classic Tales Of YES 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $40-$139.
Friday, Oct. 20 Andy Grammer 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $40. Blastys Backroad, The Bores, Cheapshow 9 pm-midnight; The Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; $5.
Engelbert Humperdinck 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$125.
Premier CCR Tribute Band 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $20-$250.
FSPA Faculty Concert Series 7-8:30 p.m.; FIM McArthur Recital Hall, 1025 E Kearsley Street, Flint; free with registration.
Chris Plum, Djangophonique, Cabery Boreale 7 pm; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $18.
Jibs Brown & The Jambros, Barelyon ; Berkley Coffee & Oak Park Dry, 14661 W. 11 Mile Rd., Oak Park; $10.
Electric Six with The Surfrajettes 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $30.
KISS: End of the Road World Tour 7:30 p.m.; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $39.50$1,000.
Fall Music Fundraiser 6-11 p.m.; Walter F Bruce VFW Post #1146, 28404 Jefferson Avenue, St. Clair Shores; $10.
Morgan Evans, Erin Kinsey 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $20-$35.
Ginuwine, Sunshine Anderson 8-10 p.m.; The Capitol Theatre, 140 E. Second St., Flint; $45-$100.
On the Outside: Nashville Hits the Roof! 8 p.m.; Tin Roof, 47 E. Adams Ave., Detroit; no cover.
Halloween with special guests Wreking Crue, Casting Shadowz, Animal 6 p.m.; Harpo’s, 14238 Harper Avenue, Detroit; $20-$100.
Polyphia w/ DOMi & JD BECK 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $35-$74.50.
Jessie Murph 7 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $25-$49.50.
Soft Machine 8 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $30$250.
Koo Koo Kanga Roo (matinee show) noon; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $22.
Subsonic Eye, Cusp, Jules Bonnot 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15. The Ocean Blue with Tallies 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $27. Will Butler & Sister Square, Rachel Bobbit, Andrea Doria 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $18. Winds of Neptune, Dusty Rose Band, DJ Stashu 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover. Fleetmac Wood presents Silver Storms Ball 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$25. The Monster Hash 6 p.m.-midnight; Riverside Roll-Up, 2 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; $5 advance, $10 at doors.
Mean Mary, Jan Seides at MAMA’s Coffeehouse 7:30-10 p.m.; Mama’s Coffeehouse, 38651 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; $17 ($15 student/senior). New Dodge Lounge Presents NBDY: Emotionally Unavailable 2023 Fall Tour with Byron Juane, Brandon Banks, and Lily Massie 7-11 p.m.; New Dodge Lounge, 8850 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; $20.
Jason Hogans at Donovan’s Pub 9 p.m.; Donovan’s, 3003 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; $5. The Official Detroit Dancehall Queen Competition ; The Complex, 3800 Puritan Ave., Detroit; $15-$30. SORTED! 60’s / MOD DANCE PARTY w/ DJs Alr!ght & Mike Trombley 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover. Toribio 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Red Door Gallery, 7500 Oakland Ave., Detroit; $15. Westend, Dantiez 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; Leland City Club, 400 Bagley Street, Detroit; $23.69.
Sunday, Oct. 22 Boys Like Girls - The Speaking Our Language Tour presented by Emo Nite 5:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $39.50$59.50. Don Broco, The Home Team, Skyler Accord, The Color 8 6 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $26. Harm’s Way Album Release Tour with Fleshwater, Ingrown, Jivebomb 6 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $22.50. Lance Lopez 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $12.50$60. Mudhoney with Hooveriii 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $40. Pelican, Upper WIlds 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; $18.
Raging Nathans 8 p.m.; SGarden Bowl Lounge, 4120 Woodward Avenue, Detroit; no cover.
San Holo, Dreoloe, OddKidOut 7 p.m.; Garden Bowl, 4120 Woodward, Detroit; $35.
Red Clay Strays, Ben Chapman 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $15.
Sky Covington’s Sunday Night Jam Sessions every Sunday with band Club Crescendo 8 p.m.-midnight; Woodbridge Pub, 5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; suggested fonation.
Bell Witch, Spirit Posession 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; $22. Can’t Swim, Belmont, House Parties, Lake Mosaic 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $22.
Sarah & John’s Boo’s and Booze Bash 7 p.m.; downstairs at Joy Manor, 28997 Joy Road, Westland; $35.
Coco Montoya, Jim McCarty’s Mystery Train 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $25$140.
Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$59.
Creedence Revived - The World’s
Tennis: Pollen 2023 Tour 7 p.m.;
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DJ/Dance
Niko Moon 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$49.50.
Rocktober Fest with Bird and Byron, The thing with feathers, Cinema Stereo, Annie Dukes, Loud Thoughts, Pageant, The Dirty Janes, Lost Hearts Band 6 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $49.95.
Saturday, Oct. 21
Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $25.
Temple of the Fuzz Witch, Ancient Days, Bog Wizard, Solar Monolith 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $12.
Monday, Oct. 23 The Lena Horne Tribute starring Denise Edwards 8 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35. Sammy Hagar & The Circle 6:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $49.50-$149.50. Sorcha Richardson, PAPA, Tay-
lor DeRousse 8 pm; Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; $18.
DJ/Dance Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 Gilla Band, Bambara 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $19. Motionless In White: The Touring The End Of The World Tour 5:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $44.50-$74.50. Sexyy Red - Hood Hottest Princess Tour 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $34.50.
DJ/Dance B.Y.O.R Bring Your Own Records Night 9 p.m.-midnight; The Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; no cover.
THEATER Performance Fox Theatre Disney Junior Live On Tour: Costume Palooza. $20-$50. Friday, 6 p.m. Meadow Brook Theatre Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty. $37. Wednesday, 2 & 8 p.m., Thursday, 8 p.m., Friday, 8 p.m., Saturday, 6 p.m., and Sunday, 2 & 6:30 p.m. Planet Ant Theatre REEFER. $20. Friday, 7-8:30 p.m., Saturday, 7-8:30 p.m., and Sunday, 2-3:30 p.m. Play House Will You Miss Me? An original theatrical piece by Detroit-based experimental performance company The Hinterlands. $10-$40. Wednesday, 7:30-9 p.m., Thursday, 7:30-9 p.m., Friday, 7:309 p.m., and Saturday, 7:30-9 p.m.
Musical Black Cat: A New Nightmare Featuring the NTG Haunted House Band. Friday, 8 p.m. and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti; $15 online, $12 students, and $20 at the door. Company (Touring) Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, 7:30 p.m., Friday, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, 2 & 7:30 p.m., Sunday, 1 & 6:30 p.m., and Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; $39-$135. Jesus Christ Superstar Wednesday, 8-10 p.m.; The Whiting, 1241 E. Kearsley St., Flint; $30 -$85. Nicely Theatre Group Presents “A Chorus Line” Saturday, 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.; The Berman Center for the Performing Arts, 6600 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield; $35.
Critics’ picks Jettblast Fest
MUSIC: What were you doing when you were 14? Back in 2012, local music fan Jarrett Koral founded his own record label. In the decade since, Jett Plastic Recordings has made a splash by putting out more than 75 vinyl discs by local acts like Bootsey X and Kenny Tudrick and even actor Macaulay Culkin’s band the Pizza Underground. Koral is celebrating 10 years of making records (they grow up so fast!) with this weekend’s Jettblast Fest, featuring 20 bands across two nights of rock ’n’ roll at the Lager House. Highlights include Patrick Pentland of legendary Canadian power-pop band Sloan on Friday, with the first ever U.S. show by his new group Fuzzed Out; other acts include Detroit’s ILL Itches (playing their first show in six years), the Ricky Rat Pack, DUDE, and Bitchkraft, among others. Saturday features Detroit acts the Beggars, the Amino Acids, the Idiot Kids, Checker, John Sinclair and Jeff Grand, After Dark Amusement Park, and TROUT (playing their first show in five years). —Lee DeVito From 7 p.m.-1 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 20 and Saturday, Oct. 21 at the Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; thelagerhouse.com. Tickets are $20 per night.
Laylit
MUSIC: Laylit, a collective that celebrates music from the Arab region and its diaspora, will return to Detroit’s Spot Lite as part of its fiveyear anniversary tour through the U.S. and Canada. The night’s lineup of DJs will include Detroiters aa3ع and Tammy Lakkis, as well as MNSA from Montreal and Laylit founder Saphe from New York City. Over the last four years, Laylit’s dance parties, which have been mainly held in NYC and Montreal, have become highly anticipated events offering a unique experience to North American nightlife. Laylit was last at Spot Lite in April. Each Laylit party showcases the musical diversity in the Arab region, blending traditional sounds of shaabi, dabke, mahraganat, Arabic pop, and hip-hop with contemporary dance music. The collective values inclusivity across cultures, languages, and identities, hoping to create unity through these events. —Layla McMurtrie From 9 p.m.-2 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21; Spot Lite Detroit , 2905 Beaufait
The Monster’s Ball returns to Detroit’s Russell Industrial Center.
St., Detroit; spotlitedetroit.com. Tickets are $21.95.
Monster’s Ball
FUN: Monster’s Ball, one of Detroit’s largest annual Halloween parties, returns Saturday to the Russell Industrial Center. The celebration will feature DJs, stilt walkers, acrobats, illusionists, and stage performers on multiple levels and stages. The monster bash, which begins at 9 p.m., is expected to attract more than 2,000 costumed revelers. Cash bars and food trucks will be on hand. The event’s producers spend tens of thousands of dollars on production and performance costs, so prepare to be blown away. General admission tickets start at $30 and include entrance to the main floor at 9 p.m., a cash bar, and food trucks. VIP tickets begin at $60 and include early entrance at 8 p.m., cash bars, food trucks, premium views, a lounge, and extra entertainment like freak shows and fortune tellers. Ultra VIP tickets are available for $125 and include couch seating and mezzanine balcony seating above the stage. —Steve Neavling From 8 p.m.-2 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Russell Industrial Center, 1600 Clay St., Detroit; monstersballdetroit.com. General admission is $30, VIP all-access is $60, and Ultra VIP all-access is $125.
MIKE PFEIFFER
Harvest Dinner
FOOD: Eastside Detroit’s Coriander Kitchen and Farm will host its fourth annual Harvest Dinner on Sunday. The farm-to-table dinner will usher diners into the autumn season with plates infused with veggies and herbs grown by the restaurant. It will include charcuterie from Jake’s Country Meats; Coriander’s fermented green tomatoes with goat cheese and tomato jam; Spanish garlic soup; Puntarelle Alla Romana; handmade tagliatelle pasta; grilled Treviso and Rosso di Verano Radicchio with Taleggio; and a Rieslingpoached pear with honey thyme ice cream and toasted almonds. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are also available. The dinner is presented by Coriander co-owners Gwen Meyer and Alison Heeres. “The harvest dinner is a celebration of the food and relationships we’ve grown this year,” Meyer said. “We’re so proud of the work we’ve accomplished — well over 6,250 pounds of produce for our restaurant! The collaborative process between Ali and me drives the whole effort to bring the field into the kitchen.” —Randiah Camille Green Seating options at 5-7 p.m. and 8-10 p.m. on Sunday, October 22; $125; Coriander Kitchen and Farm, 14601 Riverside Blvd, Detroit; eventbrite. com. Tickets are $125 per person.
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MUSIC
album since 2016’s Origin of What, and also the first LP consisting solely of this lineup, which has been playing live together for a while now. It’s called Overland, and there are two songs streaming now via Tyvek’s Bandcamp page, where you can also pre-order the record via Gingko Records ahead of the Nov. 10 release date. While you’re preordering that, click over to Kyle Hall’s latest Postcard To Another Planet EP on his label’s website ForgetTheClock. com to hear two snippets of his latest deep house chuggers. Once the new kid, now the wizened globetrotting DJ, Hall’s output has never slowed nor lost its vitality. Also, as I always say, the best place to listen is at your local record store. — Joe
LIONS GAMES SHOWING ON OUR BIG SCREENS ALL SEASON! PATIO BAR OPEN FRI-SUN THROUGH OCTOBER! Wed 10/18
Happy Birthday, Patience! Thurs 10/19
Happy Birthday, Arkiema! Fri 10/20
Blatsy’s Backroad/Bores/ Cheapshow (rock/punk) Doors@9p/$5cover
Happy Birthday, Robbie Gibbons! Sat 10/21
Big B & The Actual Proof / Miller & The Other Sinners / Matt Bastardson (blues/soul/folk) Doors@9p/$5cover
Mon 10/23
FREE POOL ALL DAY Friendship Commander/AT WATER (heavy melodic/metal) Doors@9p/$5cover
Tues 10/24
B. Y. O. R. Bring Your Own Records (weekly) Open Decks@9PM NO COVER IG: @byor_tuesdays_old_miami
Coming Up:
10/27 Circus Boy/Stomp Rockets/ Cinecyde/Spitvalve 10/28 Pink 50’s Halloween Bash wsg. Sick Like You/Permanently Pissed 10/29 ANNUAL PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST 11/03 Elspeth Tremblay/ Antibuddies/Electric Huldra 11/04 PARKHOUSE NIGHT (funk/soul/hip hop) 11/11 VETERANS DAY! JELLO SHOTS SPECIAL $1 WE ARE SEARCHING FOR A PERMANENT GENERAL MANAGER Contact us: theoldmiamibarjobs@gmail.com
Eris Drew & Octa Octa.
Local Buzz By Broccoli and Joe Zimmer Got a Detroit music tip? Send it to music@metrotimes.com. Taking spookiness to a cosmic level: The Interdimensional Transmissions crew have been the preeminent techno party-throwers for the better part of two decades, and their annual Samhain party is a particular local favorite. The event is named for the Celtic holiday that Halloween spawns from, when, supposedly, the planes of the living and the dead are touching. Now in its twenty-third iteration, this year’s Samhain is happening at the sprawling Tangent Gallery and welcomes breakbeat masters Eris Drew and Octo Octa of the T4T LUV NRG crew. They are bringing their own mobile, custom sound rig, and will play
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DESMOND PICOTTE
alongside local crew members Sold from Chicago and Detroit’s own Beige. Meanwhile, inside “The Dark Room” will be IT residents Erika and BMG, as well as Patrick Russel and Rrose. I’d expect psychedelic, sometimes beatless techno. Tickets for Saturday, Oct. 28, are available on Resident Advisor and highly encouraged if you don’t want to miss this must-attend night. —Joe New local releases for punks and house-heads alike: From somewhat opposite ends of the musical spectrum come a couple new releases for the fall season from longtime Detroit stalwarts Kyle Hall and Tyvek. The current lineup of jittery punks that make up Kevin Boyer’s rotating cast in Tyvek is quite stacked – Shelley Salant (Shells, XV) on guitar, Alex Glendening (Deadbeat Beat) on bass, Emily Roll (XV, Haunted) on saxophone, and Fred Thomas (too many to name) on drums. This will be the first new Tyvek
Mutual Slay is back at P.L.A.V. Post 10: In collaboration with the Hamtramck Queer Alliance, the Mutual Slay series is back this Saturday, Oct. 21 with a stacked lineup taking over the somewhat unconventional venue that is P.L.A.V. Post 10. The night will feature a performance from series resident Mara Wanna, who will be performing some new music, as well as a set from Nancy Friday (fka Co-Stars), a dance set from DJ Ladylike, and a very special drag performance from the one and only Jezebel. These shows are always a really cute moment, where you get a chance to see that one group of people that you never get to see all in one place (at least that’s how it feels to me), kind of like a friend’s basement show but in a bigger space with more people and better interior design (plus a legit bar). Show starts at 8 p.m. and is $10 at the door, or you can grab tickets online via Resident Advisor. —Broccoli 5th Dimension and Marble Bar present Luke Slater and Special Request: Every once in a while a show comes up that is so lowkey and yet so good. Such is the case this weekend, as 5th Dimension and Marble Bar are hosting UK powerhouses Luke Slater and Special Request on Friday, Oct. 20, with support from local legend Shawescape and the ever-impressive AK. Luke Slater was integral to techno’s progression in the UK when it first crossed the Atlantic, and Special Request is one of the aliases of Paul Woolford, inspired by music forms he experienced via pirate radio stations in the UK. Resident Advisor’s Dru Allen writes in his RA pick: “Expect everything from tripped-out techno to blistering jungle.” I couldn’t have said it better myself, so I didn’t try! More information about the show and tickets are available on Resident Advisor. —Broccoli
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MUSIC Detroit’s jazz historian
Radio legend Ed Love: ‘I plan to do this until I die and as long as I’m respected.’ By Ken Coleman
As Ed Love reflects on three
decades at WDET-FM 101.9, he declared during a marathon set of recorded interviews in September that: “I plan to do this until I die and as long as I’m respected,” Love, the venerable jazz on-air personality, said about his tenure at WDET. And the 91-year-old seemed to be enjoying broadcasting at National Public Radio’s Motor City member station as much as ever. “Mary [Zatina] is the finest manager that I’ve ever had,” Love said about the station’s general manager. “This is ideal.” Love suffered a stroke in 1994, which altered his voice somewhat, but his mind seems sharp and most important — he is a walking repository of jazz history. He agreed to more than eight hours of interview time last month. He’s been honored by Capitol Hill lawmakers most notably in 2008, former Detroit mayors Coleman Young and Dennis Archer, and the Southeast Michigan Jazz Association. He has also earned a Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Lifetime Achievement Award. After a six-year stint at WQRSFM 98.3, he has hosted Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program on WDET since 1983 and hosted The Evolution of Jazz, a syndicated radio broadcast that was heard on 150 radio stations beginning in the late 1980s. “It was the best that I ever did,” Love said about The Evolution of Jazz series. Love was first heard in Detroit during his stints at African-American owned Bell Broadcasting’s WCHB-AM 1400 and WCHD-FM 105.9 that began in 1960. He also worked as a staff announcer at WXYZ-TV between 1970 and 1977. Over the years his popular radio onair lines include: “Hi there. Love here.”
“There’s just two kinds of music. Good Jazz and bad jazz” “There are two kinds of jazz… real jazz and the rest is bull.” In a wide-ranging set of topics, Love discussed being a great grandson of a slave; his favorite broadcast personalities; what “real” jazz is and isn’t; some of his all-time favorite recording artists and new performers; and drinking with Coleman A. Young during the 1960s when he was a Michigan state senator.
‘My mother was a jazz fan’ Edward James Love was born May 6, 1932 in Parsons, Kansas, which is about 100 miles south of Kansas City. Detroit has been his hometown since the late 1950s. Love, the father of five, developed a love for jazz music at an early age, in large part through his mother Bessie Love, a granddaughter of a slave. His maternal great grandmother was Phyllis Petite, a Black and Indigenous woman whose hue was the color of “coal,” Love said. He attended Petite’s funeral in about 1937 as a young child. “I remember that,” he recalled. He also has fond memories of his mother. “She had all the records,” Love said about his late mother Bessie, who was a singer. “And I listened to them. One day she brought me a Roy Eldridge [a jazz trumpeter] book of solos and that stuff looked like Greek. I couldn’t read it. And I still can’t. So, I realized that playing jazz was not for me although I loved it. So, I just listened.” Love was encouraged by a childhood friend, Harry Coker, to become a broadcaster. He attended Pathfinder Broadcast School in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated at the top of his class. His first job in broadcasting came in 1951 when Love joined radio station KIND-AM 1010 in Independence, Kansas. In 1952 Love
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WDET-FM’s Ed Love has long been a favorite of local jazzheads.
joined the United States Air Force and became an Armed Forces Radio staffer in the Philippines, during the Korean War. After returning home from the armed service, Love returned to KIND to continue his career in radio. During the 1950s he also worked in West Virginia, Philadelphia, and New York. Love also sought employment in Jackson, Kalamazoo, and Lansing. “But I couldn’t get a job because I was Black,” Love recalled as he traveled through the state by bus. By decades’ end, he was a Motor City resident. “When I came to Detroit in the late ’50s, I saw all of these Black people and said, ‘Wow!’” Love added. The city’s Black population had doubled between 1940 and 1950, from 149,000 to 300,000 residents. In 1954, Detroit voters elected Charles Diggs Jr. to the U.S. House of Representatives – making him the first African American from Michigan to serve on Capitol Hill. Three years later William Patrick became the first Black person to serve on the local government legislative branch, the Detroit Common Council, since the 1880s. During that decade clubs like the Blue Bird Inn on Tireman Street, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge on Livernois Avenue, and the Flame Show Bar on John R. Street were featuring local and national jazz talent. WCHD radio broadcasted from
COURTESY PHOTO
Detroit’s Medical Center area on East Forest Street. Coleman A. Young, a Michigan state senator from 1965 until he became Detroit’s first Black mayor in 1973, lived in the apartment building that was owned by Haley Bell where WCHD was located on the first floor. Love and Young, who had an apartment on the sixth floor, struck a friendship that at times involved having a drink or two. During those days, Love worked as a U.S. postal carrier by day and spun jazz recordings at night. “He would say ‘Come on up!’” said Love of Young during those days. “My show would come on at 7 o’clock. That would be about 6:30 or a quarter to seven. He’d say ‘have a drink’ and we’d be drinking. Shit, about a quarter to seven I’d say, ‘Man, I got to go’ and he’d ‘Man, you can have another. And I’d run do those steps and get on-air out of breath.’”
‘At WDET, nobody tells me what to say or play’ It’s been hard playing jazz, Love said about the radio marketplace over the years that mainly offers Top 40, R&B, and to some extent country music. Before moving to Detroit, Love spun vinyl discs in the mid-1950s by white pop singers like Pat Boone and Elvis Presley. That was then; this is now. “I’ve been in the business since
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’51,” Love said. “At WDET, nobody tells me what to say or play.” In contrast, most commercial stations have playlists drawn up by station management. When he enters the studio, “I’m in a zone,” he added. “Radio is in my blood.” “The WDET of today is largely due to the current team’s ability to stand on Ed Love’s shoulders and build on the reputation for excellence, knowledge, and attention to detail he brought to the station over 40 years ago,” Zatina said. “He set the bar for WDET and he will be on our air as long as we are blessed to have him in our midst.”
Love’s lists Love came of age toward the end of the swing and big band eras and he witnessed the bebop era from the genre’s inception. It was during the World War II years. He has little affection for the fusion and so-called “Smooth Jazz” styles that became popular in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. On the WJZZ radio of that era that featured those styles, Love’s opinion is resolute. “They were playing shit! They weren’t playing jazz,” said Love, who worked there until 1974. “Jazz has been abused in so many ways.” When it comes to ranking his favorites female vocals, Love likes Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Detroit’s own Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Bessie Smith, in that order. On the subject of pianists, Love counts Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, Pontiac’s Hank Jones, and Willie Anderson among his favorites. As for a vibraphonist, Loves has as favorites Detroit’s Milt Jackson and Lionel Hampton as his top two. “[Hampton] was a great of the swing era,” Love said. “So I often say that if there was no Lionel Hampton, there would be no Milt, but I became a real jazz fan in the bebop era. Bebop is my favorite phase of jazz. He’s my favorite – I don’t say that he was better.” When it comes to bassists, Love’s favorites are Jimmy Blanton, Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown, Charles Mingus, and then Detroiters Paul Chambers and Ron Carter. And Love still keeps a keen set of eyes and ears on the contemporary jazz scene. He researches and reviews new recordings as he produces his Sunday evening broadcast. On 2023 Grammy award-winner Samara Joy, Love has only words of praise for the 23-year-old vocalist. “I love her,” he said about Joy, who performed at the Detroit Jazz Festi-
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val in September. “She’s incredible and has an old woman’s voice like Sarah Vaughan.” Most of the voices that Love either worked with as colleagues or competitors during the early part of his Detroit career are long gone. When asked to lift up some of the people whom he liked in the business, he spoke glowingly and fondly about “Frantic” Ernie Durham, “Joltin’” Joe Howard, Ken Bradley, LaBaron Taylor, Jerry Blocker, Martha Jean Steinberg, Judy Adams, and Nkenge Zola. With the exception of Adams and Zola, with whom he worked with WDET in the 1980s and ’90s, the others were his 1960s contemporaries during a time when Black radio personalities were innovators and were influential. Zola died in 2019. “Howard and I were good friends,” Love said about the on-air personality who was part of the 1956 inaugural WCHB-AM 1400 team that worked at Michigan’s first Black-owned radio. It was founded by Haley Bell and Wendell Cox, both African American dentists who lived in Detroit. Taylor encouraged Love to create the Ed Love Jazz Workshop in the late 1960s, which was an institution that provided opportunities for young jazz musicians to learn their craft and perform. The effort was usually held at Mr. Kelly’s Lounge, a music venue located on Chene Street near East Forest on the city’s lower east side and later at the 20 Grand on Warren Avenue and 14th Street. “He was a kind and endearing person,” Love said about Taylor, who later became a successful record company executive and died in 2000. Love also had a great friendship with Steinberg and asked her to officiate his funeral service but she died first in 2000. Over the years, he delivered mail on the North End to “Electrifying Mojo,” WGPR The Scene host Nat Morris, poet and former WDET broadcaster John Sinclair, and former state Rep. Ed Vaughn (DDetroit). Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer proclaimed Sept. 1, 2000 “Ed Love Day” in honor of all he has done to promote jazz music. Love called it one of the “highlights” of his career. Archer has helped WDET to raise operating funds over the years and has enjoyed listening to Love’s broadcast. “Ed is a person that loves music and introduced it over the years to our community. He’s an institution,” Archer said recently.
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ILLUSTRATION BY JUSTINE ALLEN ROSS
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Bestof Detroit BY RAND IAH CAMILLE GREEN
You’ve heard what we have to say. Now it’s YOUR turn to tell us what you think about metro Detroit. It’s that time of the year again: time for our annual Best of Detroit
issue, where we turn things over to our readers to find out what’s hot in metro Detroit. The results of our poll are in, and our readers let us know about their local favorites in more than 400 categories, including arts and entertainment, bars and clubs, casinos, drinks, food, retail and services, and cannabis. Let’s dig in. —Lee DeVito
Arts & Entertainment Best Annual Beer Festival
Michigan Summer Beer Festival mibeer.com
Best Annual Festival
Michigan Renaissance Festival michrenfest.com
Best Art Fair
Best Drag Show
Best Multi-Sport Complex
Best Place to See an Indie Film
Lexus Velodrome
Michigan Theater
600 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net
601 Mack Ave., Detroit; 313-265-6725; detroitsports.org
603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-668-8397; michtheater.org
Best Family Entertainment Complex
Best Music Festival
Best Street Fair
Movement Music Festival
Dally in the Alley
movementfestival.com
dallyinthealley.com
Best Musical Artist
Best Venue for Electronic Music
Twiztid
Elektricity
twiztid.com
15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-599-2212; elektricitymusic.com
Best New Music Venue
Best Venue for Folk Music
District 142
The Ark
142 Maple St., Wyandotte; district142live.com
316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1818; theark.org
Best Night Out
Best Venue for Hip-Hop
Five15
El Club
600 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net
4114 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-757-7942; elclubdetroit.com
Best People Watching
Best Venue for Jazz Music
Movement Music Festival
Aretha's Jazz Cafe
movementfestival.com
350 Madison St., Detroit; 313-887-8501; jazzcafedetroit.com
Best Photographer
Best Venue for Metal
Josh Justice Photography
Sanctuary
joshjusticephotography.com
2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; sanctuarydetroit.com
Best Place to be a Geek
Best Venue for Rock 'n' Roll
Five15
Dave & Buster's 19375 Victor Parkway, Livonia; 734-452-4600 | 45511 Park Ave., Utica; 734-452-4600 | daveandbusters.com
Best Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Art Fair
aafilmfest.org
theannarborartfair.com
Best Local Comedian
Best Art Gallery
Dan Turco
Habatat
facebook.com/dansplainingcomedy
4400 Fernlee Ave., Royal Oak; 248-554-0590; habatat.com
Best Local Podcast
Best Comic Convention
The Drew and Mike Show
Astronomicon
drewandmikepodcast.com
astronomicon.com
Best Live Local Theatre
Best Cover Band
Detroit Public Theatre
The Mega 80's
3960 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7918; detroitpublictheatre.org
mega80s.com
Best Movie Theater
Best DJ
DJ Godfather facebook.com/djgodfatherdetroit
2023
Emagine Royal Oak 200 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-414-1000; emagine-entertainment.com
Youmacon
Lager House
youmacon.com
1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-500-1475; thelagerhouse.com
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Best Happy Hour for Drinks (Macomb)
Detroit Grille House 55161 Shelby Rd., Shelby Township; 248-453-5376; detroitgrillehouse.com
Best Happy Hour for Drinks (Oakland)
Jim Brady's Detroit 1214 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-306-1954; jimbradysdetroit.com
Best Happy Hour for Drinks (Washtenaw)
The Circ Bar 210 S. First St., Ann Arbor; 734-277-3656; thecircbar.com
Best Happy Hour for Drinks (Wayne)
Lucy & the Wolf 102 E. Main St., Northville; 248-308-3057; lucyandthewolf.com
Best Irish Pub (Detroit) Wyandotte's District 142 is a new music venue in Wyandotte that has already earned many fans.
JOE MAROON
Old Shillelagh 349 Monroe St., Detroit; oldshillelagh.com
Best Venue to See a Cover Band
Best Bar (Wayne)
Best Distillery Tasting Room
The Magic Bag
Batch Brewing Company
Motor City Gas
22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-1991; themagicbag.com
1400 Porter St., Detroit; 313-338-8008; batchbrewingcompany.com
325 E. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-599-1427; motorcitygas.com
22824 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-8331
Best Dive Bar (Macomb)
Best Jaw-Dropping Interior Design at a Bar
Best Visual Artist
Sydney G. James
Best Bar at Midnight
Orchid
instagram.com/sydneygjames
Locker Room Saloon 7790 Auburn Rd., Utica; 586-731-3362; thelockerroomsaloon.com
141 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-506-6586; orchidferndale.com
Business with Best Wall Mural
Chroma 2937 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-816-1280; chromadetroit.city
Bars & Clubs Best Arcade Bar
Best Beer Bottle Selection at a Bar or Restaurant
Ye Olde Taproom
Best Dive Bar (Oakland)
Danny's Irish Pub
Le Suprême 1265 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-597-7734; lesupremedetroit.com
Gusoline Alley
Best Karaoke Night
309 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-545-2235; instagram.com/ gusoline_alley
1460 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-1960; mcshanespub.com
Best Dive Bar (Washtenaw)
Best Margarita
14915 Charlevoix St., Detroit
Best Bourbon/Whiskey Bottle Selection at a Bar or Restaurant
Best Irish Pub (Suburbs)
Lo-Fi
McShane's
Mr. Miguel's
220 S. Main, Ann Arbor; lofiannarbor.com
26837 Ryan Rd., Warren; 586-754-1500; mrmiguels.com
Best Martini
Pop + Offworld
Ale Mary's Beer Hall
124 Cadillac Square, Detroit; 313-961-9249; checkerbar.com
316 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-268-1939; alemarysbeer.com
Best Dive Bar (Wayne)
Best Comedy Club
3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830
744 Wing St., Plymouth; 734-207-7880; nicoandvali.com
Best Draft Selection (Detroit)
Best Bar (Macomb)
Gator Jake's Bar & Grill 36863 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-983-3700; gatorjakes.com
Detroit House of Comedy 2301 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-312-4965; detroit.houseofcomedy.net
Best Bar (Oakland)
Best Dance Club
The Morrie
Bleu
511 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-216-1112 | 260 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-940-3260 | themorrie.com
1540 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7799; bleudetroit.com
Best Bar (Washtenaw)
Best Day Drinking (Wayne)
Old Miami
HopCat
Best Neighborhood Bar (Macomb)
4265 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-769-8828; hopcat.com
Ale & Eddies Taphouse
Best Draft Selection (Suburbs)
15015 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., Warren; 586-541-8396; aleneddies.com
CK Diggs 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600; ckdiggs.com
Mash
Grand Trunk Pub
211 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-4095; mashbar.net
124 Cadillac Square, Detroit; 313-961-9249; grandtrunk.pub
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Nico & Vali Italian Eatery
Best Neighborhood Bar (Oakland)
Best Gay Bar
Renshaw
Pronto!
Renshaw Lounge; 210 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-616-3016; renshawlounge.com
608 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; prontolounge.com
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Best Neighborhood Bar (Washtenaw)
Wurst Bar
Best Tiki Bar
Eastern Palace Club 21509 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-850-8165; epchp.com
705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com
Best Neighborhood Bar (Wayne)
Woodbridge Pub
Best Trivia Night
Common Pub 5440 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8849; commonpub.com
5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-462-4754; woodbridgepubdetroit.com
Best New Bar (Detroit)
The Upright 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-270-9600; oakandreel.com
Best New Bar (Suburbs)
Aurora Italiana 6199 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township; 248-782-3000; auroraitaliana.com
Best Nightcap
The Last Word
Best Wine Bar (Detroit)
MotorCity Wine 1949 Michigan Ave., Detroit; motorcitywine.com
Best Wine Bar (Suburbs)
Vinology 110 S Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-9841; vinologya2.com
Best Bet Best Casino Buffet
MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; motorcitycasino.com
301 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734-585-5691; thelastword.com
Best Patio for Drinking
Alpino
Best Casino Hotel
MGM Grand Detroit 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com
1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-524-0888; alpinodetroit.com
Best Rooftop Bar
Exodos Lounge 529 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-1300; exodosrooftop.com
Best Salsa Night
Love & Tequila 20 W. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-687-4350; loveandtequiladetroit.com
Best Sports Bar (Macomb)
Ciccarelli’s Sports Club & Eatery
Best Casino Restaurant
D.PRIME Steakhouse MGM Grand Detroit 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com
Best Casino Table Games
MGM 1777 3rd Ave., Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com
Best Players Club
Hollywood Casino at Greektown 1211 Chrysler Dr., Detroit; hollywoodgreektown.com
46793 Hayes Rd., Shelby Township; ciccarellis-22-sportsbar.com
Best Casino To See a Show
Best Sports Bar (Oakland)
Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel
J's Penalty Box 22726 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-4070; jspenaltyboxferndale.com
2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; soundboarddetroit.com
Best Poker
Best Sports Bar (Washtenaw)
MotorCity Casino Hotel
Fowling Warehouse Ypsi-Ann Arbor
2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; motorcitycasino.com
3050 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-499-3695; fowlingwarehouse.com
Hollywood Casino at Greektown
Best Slots 1211 Chrysler Dr., Detroit; hollywoodgreektown.com
Best Sports Bar (Wayne)
Starter's Bar & Grill 18426 Plymouth Rd., Detroit; 313-837-3630 | 4501 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3100 | startersdetroit.com
Best Sports Book
FanDuel at MotorCity Casino Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; motorcitycasino.com
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Best Up North Casino
Best Michigan Rum
Soaring Eagle Casino And Resort
Journeyman Distillery
6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Mount Pleasant; soaringeaglecasino.com
Drinks Best Beer
Pabst Blue Ribbon pabstblueribbon.com
journeyman.com
Best Michigan Tequila
Anteel Tequila anteeltequila.com
Best Michigan Vodka
Grand Traverse Distillery grandtraversedistillery.com
Best Beer Selection in a Store
Red Wagon of Troy 1613 Livernois Rd., Troy; 248-404-9999; redwagontroy.com
Best Michigan Whiskey
Coppercraft Distillery coppercraftdistillery.com
Best Bloody Mary
Vivio's 2460 Market St., Detroit; 313-393-1711; viviosdetroit.net | 3601 Twelve Mile Rd., Warren; 586-576-0495; vivioswarrenmi.com
Best Champagne
Korbel korbel.com
Best Gin
Hendrick's Gin hendricksgin.com
Best Hard Cider
Blake's Hard Cider Co. 17985 Armada Center Rd, Armada; 586-784-5343; blakeshardcider.com
Best Irish Coffee Whiskey
Best Michigan Winery
Black Star Farms blackstarfarms.com
Best Microbrewery or Brewpub (Macomb)
Brown Iron Brewhouse 57695 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-697-3300 | 30955 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-951-2659 |browniron.com
Best Microbrewery or Brewpub (Oakland)
The Royal Oak Brewery 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-544-1141; royaloakbrewery.com
Best Microbrewery or Brewpub (Washtenaw)
HOMES Brewery
Bufflalo Trace Bourbon Cream
2321 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-954-6637; homesbrewery.com
buffalotracedistillery.com
Best Microbrewery or Brewpub (Wayne)
Best Irish Whiskey
Proper Twelve
Atwater Brewery
properwhiskey.com
237 Jos Campau, Detroit; 313-877-9205 | 1175 Lakepointe St., Grosse Pointe Park; 313-344-5104 | atwaterbeer.com
Best Meadery
Best Mocktail List
B. Nektar Meadery
Wright & Company
1511 Jarvis St., Ferndale; 313-744-6323; bnektar.com
1500 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-962-7711; wrightdetroit.com
Best Michigan Beer
Best "Ready To Drink" Canned Cocktaill
Founders Brewing Co. foundersbrewing.com
Jack Daniel's & Coca-Cola jackdaniels.com/en-us/whiskey/jack-and-cokee
Best Michigan Bourbon
Motor City Gas 325 E. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-599-1427; motorcitygas.com
Best Shot
Jameson jamesonwhiskey.com
Best Michigan Brewer
Rustic Leaf Brewing Co. 7200 Highland Rd., Waterford Twp.; 248-599-9933; rusticleafbrewingcompany.com
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Best Tequila
Maestro Dobel Tequila maestrodobel.com
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Best Vodka
Best Carryout (Suburbs)
Tito's Handmade Vodka
Redwood Grill
titosvodka.com
7726 Cooley Lake Rd., Waterford Twp.; 248-467-1103; redwoodgrill.net
Best Whiskey
Best Chinese (Suburbs)
Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey bulleit.com
Hong Hua
Best Wine
27925 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-489-2280; honghuafinedining.com
Meiomi Wines
Best Chinese (Detroit)
meiomi.com
Shangri La 4710 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7669; midtownshangri-la.com
Best Wine Selection in a Store
ML Spirits
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain) (Macomb)
33644 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-723-4455; mlspirits.com
Eos Café & Coffee House
Food Best Bagel
New York Bagel
30625 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-217-5211; eoscoffeehouse.com Chef-owner Jordan Smith of Ferndale’s Coeur.
HEATHER SAUNDERS FOR COEUR
23316 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-2580; newyorkbagel-detroit.com
Best Barbecue (Macomb)
Best Breakfast/Brunch (Wayne)
K-Blocks Fire Pit BBQ
French Toast Bistro
Best Bakery (Macomb)
66880 Van Dyke Ave., Washington; 586-281-6798; kblocksbbq.com
40370 Five Mile Rd., Plymouth; 734-335-6533 | 43225 Ford Rd., Canton; 734-667-3029 | frenchtoastbistro.com
Christine's Cakes & Pastries
Best Barbecue (Oakland)
45883 Hayes Rd., Shelby Township; 586-566-5545; christinescakesandpastries.com
Woodpile BBQ Shack
Best Bakery (Oakland)
Bread by Crispelli's
303 S. Main St., Clawson; 248-565-8149 | 630 E. Eleven Mile Rd., Madison Heights; 248-565-8149 | woodpilebbqshack.com
Best Barbecue (Washtenaw)
Best Breakfast Sandwich
Detroit Institute of Bagels 4884 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-512-8292; detroitinstituteofbagels.com
Best Burger (Macomb)
931 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-591-3800; crispellis.com
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery
Best Bakery (Washtenaw)
207 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-4095; bluetractor.net
Bentley’s Roadhouse
Zingerman's Deli
Best Barbecue (Wayne)
28410 S. River Rd., Harrison Twp.; 586-465-3663; bentleysroadhouse.net
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermansdeli.com
Slows Bar BQ
Best Bakery (Wayne)
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com
Avalon International Breads
Best Bistro
Multiple locations; avalonbreads.net
Diamond Jim Brady's Bistro
Best Bar Food (Macomb)
43271 Crescent Blvd., Novi; 248-380-8460; djbistro.com
Ale & Eddies Taphouse
Best Breakfast/Brunch (Macomb)
15015 13 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-541-8396; aleneddies.com
Terry's Terrace
Best Bar Food (Oakland)
36470 Jefferson Ave., Harrison Twp.; 586-463-2671; terrystime.com
Brown Iron Brewhouse 57695 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-697-3300 | 30955 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-951-2659 |browniron.com
Best Bar Food (Washtenaw)
Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery 207 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-4095; bluetractor.net
Best Bar Food (Wayne)
Checker Bar 124 Cadillac Square, Detroit; 313-961-9249; checkerbar.com
Best Breakfast/Brunch (Oakland)
Toast 23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-0444 | 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278 | eatattoast.com
Best Breakfast/Brunch (Washtenaw)
Zingerman’s Roadhouse 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3663; zingermansroadhouse.com
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Best Burger (Oakland)
CK Diggs 2010 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-853-6600; ckdiggs.com
Best Burger (Washtenaw)
Blimpy Burger 304 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-4590; blimpyburger.com
Best Burger (Wayne)
Joe's Hamburgers 3041 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-285-0420; joeshamburgers.net
Best Cajun Food
Fishbones 400 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-965-4600 | 29244 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-351-2925 | 23722 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-498-3000 | fishbonesusa.com
Best Carryout (Detroit)
Slow's To-Go 4107 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-309-7560; slowsbarbq.com
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain) (Oakland)
The Red Hook 220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-398-8018; theredhookcoffee.com
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain) (Washtenaw)
RoosRoast Coffee 1155 Rosewood St., Ann Arbor; 734-222-9202 | 117 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-369-2494 | roosroast.com
Best Coffeehouse (non-chain) (Wayne)
The Red Dot Coffee Co. 505 N. Center St. #1261, Northville; 248-308-3989; reddotcoffeeco.com
Best Coney (Macomb)
Detroit's Finest Coney Island 25801 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-777-4002
Best Coney (Oakland)
National Coney Island Multiple locations; nationalconeyisland.com
Best Coney (Wayne)
American Coney Island 114 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-7758; americanconeyisland.com
Best Corned Beef
Bread Basket Deli Multiple locations; breadbasketdelis.com
Best Cuban Restaurant
Frita Batitos 66 W. Columbia St., Detroit; 313-725-4100 | 117 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734- 761-2882 | fritabatidos.com
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Best Deep Dish/Detroit Pizza
Best Diner (Wayne)
Buddy's Pizza
Dime Store
Multiple locations; buddyspizza.com
719 Griswold St. #180, Detroit; 313-962-9106; eatdimestore.com
Best Deli (Macomb)
Best Doughnut Shop
Uncle Harry's Deli Restaurant
Apple Fritter Doughnut Shop
21809 Greater Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-775-3120; uncleharrysdeli.com
741 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-545-7295; facebook.com/fritterman
Best Deli (Oakland)
Best Fish & Chips
Stage Deli
Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips
6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township; 248-855-6622; stagedeli.com
22200 Fenkell Ave., Detroit; 313-533-0950; scottysfishandchips.com
Best Deli (Washtenaw)
Best Food Hall
Zingerman’s
Detroit Shipping Co.
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermansdeli.com
474 Peterboro St., Detroit; 313-462-4973; detroitshippingcompany.com
Best Deli (Wayne)
Mudgie's 1413 Brooklyn St., Detroit; 313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com
Best Food Truck
House of Mac 26501 Coolidge, Oak Park; 248-385-3208; detroithouseofmac.com
Best Desserts at a Restaurant (Macomb)
Best Food Truck for Foodies
Luciano's
Cousins Maine Lobster
39091 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-263-6540; lucianositaliancuisine.com
cousinsmainelobster.com
Best Desserts at a Restaurant (Oakland)
Cafe Cortina
Coeur 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-466-3010; coeurferndale.com
30715 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-474-3033; cafecortina.com
Best French Fries
Best Desserts at a Restaurant (Washtenaw)
Multiple locations; hopcat.com
Mediteranno 2900 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-332-9700; mediteranno.com
Best Desserts at a Restaurant (Wayne)
The Whitney 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700; thewhitney.com
Best Diner (Macomb)
Theo's Family Restaurant 11747 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., Warren; 586-939-6580; theoswarren.com
Best Diner (Oakland)
Whistle Stop Diners 24060 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-632-1311 | 501 S. Eton St., Birmingham; 248-566-3566; whistlestopdiners.com
Best Diner (Washtenaw)
Fleetwood Diner 300 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-5502; thefleetwooddiner.com
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Best French Cuisine
HopCat Best Greek Restaurant
Pegasus Tavernas 558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800 | 24935 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-772-3200 | pegasustavernas.com
Best Grilled Cheese
Cafe Muse 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-544-4749; cafemuseroyaloak.com
Best Gyro (Suburbs)
KouZina Greek Street Food 121 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-629-6500 | 332 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-997-5155 | gokouzina.com
Best Gyro (Detroit)
Golden Fleece 525 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-7093; goldenfleecedetroit.com
Best Happy Hour Menu
McVee's Pub and Grub 1129 E. Long Lake Rd., Troy; 248-817-2980; mcveespubandgrub.com
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Best Hot Dog
Best Mac and Cheese
Crave Hot Dog & BBQ
Vinsetta Garage
5800 Sheldon Rd., Canton; 734-359-5102; iwantcrave.com
27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley; 248-548-7711; vinsettagarage.com
Best Ice Cream Shop
Best Mediterranean
Treat Dreams
Mare Mediterranean
Multiple locations; treat-dreams.com
115 Willits St., Birmingham; 248-940-5525; maremediterranean.com
Best Indian Restaurant
Best Mexican Restaurant (Macomb)
Star of India 180 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-5996; starofindiami.com
Mr. Miguel's 26837 Ryan Rd., Warren; 586-754-1500; mrmiguels.com
Best Irish Food
O'Connor's Public House 324 S. Main St., Rochester; 248-608-2537; oconnorsrochester.com
Best Italian Restaurant (Macomb)
Da Francesco's 49521 Van Dyke Ave., Shelby Township; 586-731-7544; dafrancescos.com
Mesa Tacos and Tequila 312 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-545-1940; likemesa.com
Best Mexican Restaurant (Washtenaw)
Maiz Mexican
Best Italian Restaurant (Oakland)
36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-340-6010; maizmexican.com
Trattoria Da Luigi
Best Mexican Restaurant (Wayne)
415 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-542-4444; daluigis.com
Mezcal Mexican
Best Italian Restaurant (Washtenaw)
51 W. Forest Ave., Detroit; mezcaldetroit.com
Paesano Restaurant and Wine Bar
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant (Suburbs)
3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-971-0484; paesanoannarbor.com
Best Italian Restaurant (Wayne)
La Lanterna 1224 Griswold St., Detroit; 313-962-8821; daedoardo.com
Best Japanese Restaurant
Phoenicia 588 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-644-3122; phoeniciabirmingham.com
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant (Detroit)
Yemen Cafe 8740 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-871-4349; yemencaferestaurant.com
Edo Ramen House & Sushi Lounge
Best New Restaurant (Macomb)
4313 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-556-5775; edoramenhouse.com
24214 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-445-8080; hookscs.com
Best Juice Bar
Beyond Juice Multiple locations; beyondjuiceryeatery.com
Best Korean Restaurant
Soora Korean Restaurant 6580 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township; 248-973-8110; sooramichigan.com
Best Late Night/ 24-Hour Restaurant
O.W.L. 27302 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-808-6244; owlwoodward.com
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Best Mexican Restaurant (Oakland)
Hook Best New Restaurant (Oakland)
Coeur 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-466-3010; coeurferndale.com
Best New Restaurant (Wayne)
Ladder 4 3396 Vinewood St., Detroit; 313-638-1601; ladder4winebar.com
Best New Restaurant (Washtenaw)
Union Rec 545 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-636-9999; unionrec.com
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Best Noodle Restaurant
Ima 2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit | 4870 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-883-9788 | 32203 John R. Rd., Madison Heights; 248-781-0131 | imanoodles.com
Best Old-School Restaurant
Amore de Roma 3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-5940; amoredaroma.com
Best Oysters
Voyager 600 Vester St., Ferndale; 248-658-4999; voyagerferndale.com
Best Patio
Detroit Fleat 1820 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-607-7611; detroitfleat.com
Best Pet-Friendly Restaurant
Mootz Pizzeria + Bar 1230 Library St., Detroit; 313-243-1230; mootzpizzeria.com
Best Pizza (Macomb)
Green Lantern
Detroit’s Le Suprême is turning heads thanks to its jaw-dropping design.
OLSOVSKY WILLIAMS
Multiple locations; greenlanternpizza.com
Best Pizza (Oakland)
Crispelli's Multiple locations; crispellis.com
Best Pizza (Washtenaw)
Jolly Pumpkin 311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730; jollypumpkin.com
Best Pizza (Wayne)
Buddy's Pizza Multiple locations; buddyspizza.com
Best Polish
Polish Village Cafe Hamtramck 2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-874-5726; polishvillagecafe.us
Best Restaurant (Macomb)
Luciano's 39091 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-263-6540; lucianositaliancuisine.com
Best Restaurant (Wayne)
Best Seafood
Oak & Reel
Tom's Oyster Bar
The Chop House
2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-270-9600; oakandreel.com
318 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-1186; tomsoysterbar.com
322 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-669-8826; thechophouseannarbor.com
Best Romantic Restaurant (Macomb)
Best Shawarma
Mr. Paul's Steakhouse
Multiple locations; bucharestgrill.com
29850 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-777-7770; mrpaulschophouse.com
Best Sliders (Suburbs)
Best Romantic Restaurant (Oakland)
Cafe Cortina
Best Romantic Restaurant (Washtenaw)
18 W. Adams Ave., Detroit; 313-964-0782; brassraildetroit.com
Blue LLama Jazz Club 314 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-372-3200; bluellamaclub.com
Best Romantic Restaurant (Wayne)
The Whitney 4421 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-832-5700; thewhitney.com
Best Saganaki
Brass Rail Best Soul Food
Cornbread Restaurant and Bar 29852 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-208-1680; cornbreadsoulfood.com
Best Steakhouse (Macomb)
Mr. Paul's Steakhouse 29850 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-777-7770; mrpaulschophouse.com
Pegasus Tavernas
Best Steakhouse (Oakland)
558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800; pegasustavernas.com
Prime 29
Best Restaurant (Washtenaw) 209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti; bellflowerypsi.com
35075 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-646-7121; hunterhousehamburgers.com
Best Sliders (Detroit)
215 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-675-8875; alchemiroyaloak.com
Bellflower
Hunter House
30715 W. 10 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-474-3033; cafecortina.com
Best Restaurant (Oakland)
Alchemi
Bucharest Grill
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6545 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township; 248-737-7463; prime29steakhouse.com
Best Steakhouse (Washtenaw)
Best Steakhouse (Wayne)
London Chop House 155 W. Congress St., Detroit; 313-962-0277; thelondonchop.com
Best Stoner Food
Hippies Pizza 121 E. Thirteen Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-733-1111; hippiespizza.com
Best Sub Shop
Ricky's Sub Shop 6460 Greenfield Rd., Dearborn; 313-582-9410; rickyssubshop.com
Best Sushi
NARA Sushi & Hibachi Steakhouse 5656 W. Maple Rd., West Bloomfield Township; 248-847-0000; naragrille.com
Best Tacos (Detroit)
Taqueria Mi Pueblo 7278 Dix St., Detroit; 313-841-3315; mipueblorestaurant.com
Best Tacos (Suburbs)
Mr. Miguel's 26837 Ryan Rd., Warren; 586-754-1500 | 39305 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 734-744-4002 | 21980 Telegraph Rd., Brownstown Charter Twp.; 734-672-7373 | mrmiguels.com
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Best Thai (Detroit)
Go! Sy Thai 4240 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-638-1467; gosythai.com/copy-of-haggerty-rd
Best Thai (Suburbs)
Bangkok 96 2450 S. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn; 313-730-8161; bangkok96.com
Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant (Detroit)
Detroit Vegan Soul 19614 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-766-5728; detroitvegansoul.com
Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant (Suburbs)
Veg-O-Rama 44930 Ford Rd., Canton; 734-335-3952; veg-o-rama.com
Best Vegetarian / Vegan Carry-Out
Oak House Deli
Detroit’s Eastern Market is an oldie but a goodie.
603 S. Washington, Royal Oak; 248-677-3456; oakhousedeli.com
ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Best Arcade
Best Bookstore (Detroit)
Best Cigar Shop
Sweetwater Tavern
Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Museum
John K. King Used & Rare Books
Red Wagon of Troy 1613 Livernois Rd., Troy; 248-404-9999; redwagontroy.com
400 E. Congress St., Detroit; 313-962-2210 | 15640 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-962 2210; sweetwatertavern.net
31005 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-626-5020; marvin3m.com
901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-0622; johnkingbooksdetroit.com
Best Wings (Suburbs)
Best Law Firm
Detroit Wing Company
The Book Beat
Fieger Law
13936 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-9444; greenbraincomics.com
Multiple locations; detroitwingco.com
19390 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield; 248-355-5555; fiegerlaw.com
26010 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-968-1190; thebookbeat.com
Best Consignment Shop
Best Wings (Detroit)
Retail & Services Best Adult Store
Best Auto Repair
Wetmore Tire & Auto 23459 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-544-2100; wetmorestireandautorepair.com
The Pleasure Zone
Best Bank
35806 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-722-7913; thepleasurezonestore.com
InTouch Credit Union
Best Adult Video Store
Uptown Video 16401 Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-836-0647
Best Alternative Fashion Store
Multiple locations; itcu.org
Best Barbershop (Detroit)
Detroit Barber Shop 2000 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-285-8092; detroitbarbers.com
Best Bookstore (Suburbs)
Best Boutique Hotel
Daxton Hotel
Best Downtown Shopping District
Best Bowling Alley (Detroit)
Garden Bowl 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700; majesticdetroit.com
Best Engagement or Wedding Ring
Best Bowling Alley (Suburbs)
Bowlero Lanes & Lounge 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-549-7500; bowlerodetroit.com
Best Cider Mill
308 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-565-3983; facebook.com/saffrongirl
Gentlemen First Barbershop
7450 Franklin Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 248-626-8261; franklincidermill.comm
Humane Society of Huron Valley 3100 Cherry Hill Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-662-5585; hshv.org
Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop 163 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-1892; downtown-bikeshop.com
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Ferndale downtownferndale.com
Franklin Cider Mill
Best Bicycle Shop
Label Legends
298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com
Best Barbershop (Suburbs)
Best Animal Shelter
Green Brain Comics
28801 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-940-3712; labellegends.com
Saffron
949 S. Military St., Dearborn; 313-565-8300; gentlemenfirst.com
Best Comic/Collectibles Shop
Best Cigar Bar
Loft Cigar Lounge 33419 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 248-482-7242; loftcigarlounge.com
MB Jewelry Design & Manufacturing LTD 6600 Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Township; 248-671-0087; mbjewelrydesign.com
Best Escape Room
Erebus Escape 34 Oakland Ave., Pontiac; 248-791-7160; erebusescape.com
Best Eyebrow Salon
Detroit Brows 43227 Crescent Blvd., Novi; 313-349-8034; detroitbrows.com
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Best Eyewear
Best Local Nonprofit
SEE Eyewear
Ronald McDonald House
Multiple locations; seeeyewear.com
4707 St. Antoine St., Detroit; 313-745-5909; rmhc-detroit.org
Best Eyewear (Boutique)
Best Local T-Shirt Company
Optik Birmingham
SMPLFD
247 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; 248-646-6699; optikbirmingham.com
2905 Beaufait St., Detroit; 313-285-9564; buy.smplfd.com
Best Farmers Market (Detroit)
Best Metaphysical Store
Eastern Market
Boston Tea Room
easternmarket.org
1220 Woodward Heights, Ferndale; 248-548-1415; bostontearoom.com
Best Farmers Market (Suburbs)
Best Massage
Royal Oak Farmers Market
Essential Message
316 E. Eleven Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276; romi.gov/1533/Farmers-Market
22941 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-547-5428; essentialmassagespa.com
Best Flea Market
Best Men's Clothing
Dixieland
UnTied On Woodward
2045 Dixie Hwy., Waterford; 248-338-3220; dixielandfleamkt.com
223 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6828; untiedonwoodward.com
Best Flotation Therapy
True Rest 13291 Hall Rd., Utica; 586-799-7118 | 30911 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-702-6805 | truerest.com
Best Gift Shop
Made in the Mitten 706 S Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-850-3268; madeinthemittenstore.com
UnTied On Woodward 223 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-792-6828; untiedonwoodward.com
Best Michigan-Made Product
Faygo faygo.com
Best Grocery Store
Best Mobile Device Repair
Joe's Produce
COMPUTER VIRUS ("GOD")
33152 W. Seven Mile Rd., Livonia; 248-477-4333; joesproduce.com
21513 Kelly Rd., Eastpointe; 586-441-3520; mobilecomputerrepairdoctor.com
Best Group Night Out
Fowling Warehouse 3901 Christopher St., Hamtramck; 313-264-1288 | 3050 Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-499-3695 | fowlingwarehouse.com
Best Gym
Planet Fitness
Best Museum Shop
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History 315 E. Warren Ave, Detroit
Best Nails
Multiple locations; planetfitness.com
Sugarcoat Nail Loft
Best Haunted House
1290 W. Auburn Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-509-4547; sugarcoatnailloft.com
Erebus Haunted Attraction 18 S. Perry St., Pontiac; 248-332-7884; hauntedpontiac.com
Best Neighborhood Retail District (Macomb)
Best Jewelry Repair
Mount Clemens
Miner's Den Jewelers
mountclemens.gov
3417 S. Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-585-6950; minersden.com
Best Jewelry Store
Steven Bernard Jewelers 22266 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-562-8484; stevenbernardjewelers.com
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Best Men's Grooming Supplies
Best Neighborhood Retail District (Oakland)
Royal Oak romi.gov
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Best Neighborhood Retail District (Washtenaw)
Ann Arbor annarbor.org
Best Neighborhood Retail District (Wayne)
Downtown Detroit
Best Record Store (Macomb)
Melodies & Memories 23013 Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480; facebook.com/ melodiesandmemoriesrecordshop
Best Record Store (Oakland)
Found Sound
visitdetroit.com
234 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-565-8775; facebook.com/foundsoundvinyl
Best Pawn Shop
Best Record Store (Washtenaw)
American Jewelry & Loan
Encore Records
Multiple locations; pawndetroit.com
208 N. 4th Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-662-6776; encorerecordsa2.com
Best Pet Supply Store
Best Record Store (Wayne)
Premier Pet Supply
Dearborn Music
Multiple locations; premierpetsupply.com
22501 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000; dearbornmusic.net
Best Piercing Studio
Best Resale Shop
DV8
Council re|sale
1531 Union Lake Rd., Commerce Charter Township; 248-3638882; dv8bodyart.com
3297 Twelve Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-548-6664; councilresale.net
Best Salon (Macomb) Best Place to Buy Art
The Art of Custom Framing 3863 Rochester Rd., Troy; 248-435-3726; framingart.net
47085 Hayes Rd., Shelby Township; 586-251-2510; thehivesalonandspa.com
Best Place to Buy BDSM Gear
Best Salon (Oakland)
Noir Leather
Twisted Style Salon
124 W. 4th St., Royal Oak; 248-541-3979; noirleather.com
7924 Cooley Lake Rd., Waterford Township; 248-779-7498; twistedstylesalon.com
Best Place to Buy Lingerie
Cirilla's Multiple locations; cirillas.com
Best Place to Buy a Musical Instrument (Independent Shop)
Berkley Music 3039 Twelve Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-543-3900; facebook.com/theberkleymusiccompany
Best Place to Buy Musical Instrument (National)
Guitar Center Multiple locations; guitarcenter.com
Best Place to Buy Rock Star Clothing
Showtime Clothing 9704 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; 313-875-9280; showtimedetroit.com
Best Salon (Washtenaw)
Douglas J Salon 230 Adams Rd., Rochester Hills; 248-841-2188 | 407 N. 5th Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-222-5416 | douglasj.com
Best Salon (Wayne)
BlacktheSalon 2127 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-800-5184; blackthesalon.com
Best Shop for a Bra Fitting
Bra~vo intimates 29732 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-582-7286; bravointimates.com
Best Skatepark
Modern Skate & Surf 1500 N. Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-546-7275; modernskate.com
Best Smoke Shop
Best Place to Buy Sneakers
BDT Smoke Shops
SHOP. The Drip Don x ConnorTV
21640 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-542-6110 | 27419 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 586-776-5233 | 3420 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-951-8908 | bdtmi.com
34781 Grand River Ave., Farmington; 947-944-8587; thedripdon.com
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The Hive Salon and Spa
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Best Western Wear
Best Grow Shop (Macomb)
Scott Colburn Boots & Western Wear
HydroPros 44800 Van Dyke Ave., Utica; 586-803-0966; hydropros.com
20411 Farmington Rd., Livonia; 248-476-1262; scottcolburnwestern.com
Best Grow Shop (Oakland)
Best Women's Clothing
Coup D'état 3044 W. Grand Blvd., Ste. L-460, Detroit; 313-782-4480; shopcoupdetat.com
Best Yoga
Full Lotus Yoga Detroit 6505 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-334-6110 | 20369 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; 313-885-9642 | fulllotusyoga.net
HGS Hydro Multiple locations; hgshydro.com
Best Grow Shop (Washtenaw)
A2+Bloom 4402, 2030 Commerce Blvd., Ann Arbor; 734-332-4894; a2bloom.com
Best Grow Shop (Wayne)
Hydrogiant Multiple locations; hydrogiant.com
Weed Best Beverage Enhancer
Tha Head Shop
MyHi by MKX Oil Co.
737 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-677-0178; thaheadshop.com
mkxoilco.com A budtender at Cloud Cannabis.
JIM WEST / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Best Budtenders (Macomb) Best Spa
Best Tattoo Shop (Oakland)
Rivage Day Spa
Signature Tattoo
210 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-839-2021; rivagedayspa.com
230 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-0021; signaturetattoo.com
Best Specialty Market (Detroit)
City Market
Best Tattoo Shop (Wayne)
Mean Ink Tattoo
575 Brush St., Detroit; 313-222-0000; citymarketdetroit.com
3030 S. Wayne Rd., Wayne; 734-895-9696; facebook.com/MeanInkTattoo
Best Specialty Market (Suburbs)
Best Tattoo Shop (Washtenaw)
Plum Market
Liquid Swordz
Multiple locations; plummarket.com
27 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-7983
Best Store For an In-Store Performance
Best Thrift Store
Third Man Records Cass Corridor 441 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-209-5205; thirdmanrecords.com
Best Streetwear Store
Inspiration Clothing inspirationclothing.com
Best Strip Club
Flight Club 29709 Michigan Ave., Inkster; 734-641-2400; theflightclub.com
Value World Multiple locations; valueworld.com
Best Tire Store
Sucher Tire 3641 E. Davison St., Detroit; 313-891-5640; suchertire.com
Best Vintage Clothing Store
Regeneration New and Used Clothing 23700 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-414-7440; regenerationclothing.org
Best Head Shop
Levels Cannabis 23968 Sherwood Ave., Center Line; 586-501-3483; enjoylevels.com
Best Cannabis-Infused Drink Brand
Highly Casual Seltzer drinkhighlycasual.com
Best Infused Flower
Best Budtenders (Oakland)
The Hive at BDT
Quality Roots
21630 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-691-1484; thehivemichigan.com
3916 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Berkley | 1700 Tull Ct., Waterford Twp. | getqualityroots.com
Best Infused Preroll
Best Budtenders (Washtenaw)
Nuggets Canna Co. 705 1/2 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; nuggetscanna.co
Glorious Cannabis 2055 Crooks Rd., Suite B, Rochester Hills; 248-920-8770; gloriouscanna.com
Best Local Flower
Best Budtenders (Wayne)
Utopia Gardens
The Flower Bowl
6541 E. Lafayette St., Detroit; 313-332-0544; utopiagardens.com
Multiple locations; flowerbowl.com
Best Marijuana Cartridge
Best Concentrate
MKX Oil Co.
Concentrate Kings
mkxoilco.com
concentratekings.com
Best Disposable
Mitten Extracts
Best Marijuana Dispensary Deals (Detroit)
Herbology
mittenextracts.com
471 Schaefer Hwy., Detroit; 313-678-8898; shophcc.com
Best Gummy
Best Marijuana Dispensary Deals (Macomb)
Kushy Punch kushypunch.com
Dispo Romeo
Best Tattoo Shop (Macomb)
Best Visitor Experience
Elite Ink
Detroit Institute of Arts
Best Edible (Non-Gummy)
25543 Van Dyke Ave., Center Line; 586-576-6543 | 32750 Mound Rd., Warren; 586-838-2633 | 8602 N. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313-466-5657 | 247tattoos.com
5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org
Ryva's Roots
Best Marijuana Dispensary Deals (Oakland)
rybasroots.com
Puff Cannabis Company
100 Shafer Dr., Romeo; 586-500-1111; disposhops.com
2 Ajax Rd., Madison Heights; 248-632-9999; shoppuff.com
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Best Marijuana Dispensary Deals (Washtenaw)
Best Medical Marijuana Provisioning Center (Oakland )
The Patient Station
Quality Roots
539 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti; 734-544-9999; thepatientstation.com
3916 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Berkley | 1700 Tull Ct., Waterford Twp. | getqualityroots.com
Best Marijuana Dispensary for a Beginner (Detroit)
Best Medical Marijuana Provisioning Center (Washtenaw)
Pure Options 2710 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-427-8710; pureoptions.com
The Patient Station 539 S. Huron St., Ypsilanti; 734-544-9999; thepatientstation.com
Best Marijuana Dispensary for a Beginner (Macomb)
Best Packaging
The Grove
Church Cannabis Company
26352 Lawrence Ave., Center Line; thegrovemi.com
churchcannabis.co
Best Marijuana Dispensary for a Beginner (Oakland)
Best Preroll Selection (Macomb)
Green Buddha 1921 Hilton Rd., Ferndale; 248-965-3911; shopgreenbuddha.com
Best Marijuana Dispensary for a Beginner (Washtenaw)
Lume Cannabis Co. 2247 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-322-6380; lume.com
Puff Cannabis Company 44825 Van Dyke Ave., Utica; 586-788-7833; shoppuff.com
Best Preroll Selection (Oakland)
New Standard 24906 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 248-873-0420; anewstandard.com
Best Preroll (Washtenaw)
Exclusive Cannabis Brands
Best Marijuana Dispensary Interior Design (Macomb)
3820 Varsity Dr., Ann Arbor; 734-494-0772; exclusivebrands.com
Dispo Romeo
Best Preroll Selection (Wayne)
100 Shafer Dr., Romeo; 586-500-1111; disposhops.com
Herbology
Best Marijuana Dispensary Interior Design (Oakland)
471 Schaefer Hwy., Detroit | 11392 W. Jefferson Ave., River Rouge | 261 Burke St., River Rouge | shophcc.com
LIV Cannabis
Best Recreational Marijuana Dispensary (Macomb)
2625 Hilton Rd., Ferndale; 248-420-4200 | 453 S. Broadway St., Lake Orion; 248-287-8300 |livcannabis.comm
Best Marijuana Dispensary Interior Design (Washtenaw)
Lume Cannabis Co. 2247 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-322-6380; lume.com
Best Marijuana Dispensary Interior Design (Wayne)
Pure Options 2710 Livernois Ave., Detroit; 313-427-8710; pureoptions.com
Best Medical Marijuana Provisioning Center (Detroit)
Green Genie
Nirvana Center 24280 Sherwood Ave., Center Line; 586-782-4936; nirvanacenter.com
Best Recreational Marijuana Dispensary (Oakland)
Liberty 29600 Stephenson Hwy., Madison Heights; 248-268-2767; libertycannabis.com
Best Recreational Marijuana Dispensary (Washtenaw)
Pure Roots 3430 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 844-325-3900; pureroots.com
24600 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-333-9333; geniecannabis.com
Best Recreational Marijuana Dispensary (Wayne)
Best Medical Marijuana Provisioning Center (Macomb )
3340 E. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 833-746-7463 | 3394 S. Fort St., Detroit; 833-746-7463 | shophod.com
JARS Cannabis 101 N. Groesbeck Hwy., Mount Clemens | 26700 Liberal St., Center Line | jarscannabis.com
House of Dank
Dopest Agency
Qonkur 850 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 866-766-5871; qonkur.com
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Dopest Marijuana Dispensary for a Stoner (Macomb)
Best Weed Loyalty Rewards Program (Wayne County)
Happy Day Canna Co.
Wayne Releaf
100 McLean, Bruce Township; happydaycanna.com
36900 Michigan Ave., Wayne; 734-600-0420; waynereleaf.com
Dopest Marijuana Dispensary for a Stoner (Oakland)
Best Weed Loyalty Rewards Program (Macomb County)
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake
JARS Cannabis
103 E. Walled Lake Dr., Walled Lake; 833-644-7336; greenhousemi.com
101 N. Groesbeck Hwy., Mount Clemens | 26700 Liberal St., Center Line | jarscannabis.com
Dopest Marijuana Dispensary for a Stoner (Washtenaw)
Best Weed Loyalty Rewards Program (Washtenaw County)
High Profile Cannabis
Curaleaf
617 Packard St., Ann Arbor; 734-821-9333; highprofilecannabis.com
2730 Jackson Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-234-1923; curaleaf.com
Dopest Marijuana Dispensary for a Stoner (Wayne)
Pleasantrees 2238 Holbrook Ave., Hamtramck; 313-774-0700 | 1504 John A Papalas Dr., Lincoln Park; 313-572-0100 | enjoypleasantrees.com
Most Knowledgeable Marijuana Provisioning Center Staff (Macomb)
Pleasantrees 237 N. River Rd., Mount Clemens; 586-221-0020 | enjoypleasantrees.com
LIV Cannabis Multiple locations; livcannabis.com
Best Drive Through Service at a Dispensary
Bazonzoes 1760 E. West Maple Rd., Walled Lake; bazonzoesmi.com
Best Delivery Service at a Dispensary
Breeze
Most Knowledgeable Marijuana Provisioning Center Staff (Oakland)
24517 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 833-927-3393; breeze.us
Quality Roots
Detroit Edibles
3916 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Berkley | 1700 Tull Ct., Waterford Twp. | getqualityroots.com
detroitedibles.com
Most Knowledgeable Marijuana Provisioning Center Staff (Washtenaw)
Exclusive Cannabis Brands
Best Baked Goods Brand
Best THC Pill Brand
Neno's Naturals nenosnaturals.com
Best Cannabis Event
3820 Varsity Dr., Ann Arbor; 734-494-0772; exclusivebrands.com
House of Dank at Arts, Beats & Eats
Most Knowledgeable Marijuana Provisioning Center Staff (Wayne)
artsbeatseats.com
Best Celebrity Weed
House of Dank
Icewear Vezzo Pressure Pack
3340 E. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 833-746-7463 | 3394 S. Fort St., Detroit; 833-746-7463 | shophod.com
instagram.com/icewear_vezzo
Best Eclair
Best Bundle Deals at a Dispensary
HYMAN
Breeze
hymanlife.com
24517 John R Rd., Hazel Park; 833-927-3393; breeze.us
Best Weed Loyalty Rewards Program (Oakland County)
Best Dispensary Website for Deals
Puff Cannabis Company
LivWell
2 Ajax Rd., Madison Heights; 248-632-9999; shoppuff.com
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Best Drive Up service at Dispensary
livwell.com
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FOOD
Rusted Crow on the Lake 569 Main St., Belleville 734-325-2969 facebook.com/ RCOTLBelleville Entreées $13-$30
At Rusted Crow on the Lake, waitstaff dress like Rosie the Riveter.
JOE MAROON
A finely-feathered nest By Robert Stempkowski
Consider movie trailers.
Through a minute or two of loud and splashy, quick-cut editing, potential consumers are served up a tantalizing taste of something soon-to-be-released for public consumption. “Can’t wait to see it!” we tell ourselves, dazzled and drooling over what little we’ve glimpsed of the entire picture. My Rusted Crow preview (in the Feb. 15 Chowhound column) treated readers to, essentially, the same thing. Impressed by a tour of its build-out, I needed more of the spot’s intriguing Greenfield Village-meets-Kensington Beach party vibe. Arriving early on a Saturday evening parched and famished after an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon Tiger game (during Miggy’s swan song weekend), my dining partner and I were raring to order drinks and appetizers right away from our slightly sassy (loved it) server, Ashley. Part of a female front-of-house review dressed in Rosie the Riveter get-up, she kept pace in fine fashion through multiple course orders and Lord knows how many drink refill requests and menu questions. Ultimately, she won me over
with humor she found in our back-andforth exchanges; making us laugh while keeping us fed and watered. With a vegetarian dinner guest in tow, Cheddar cheese curds ($11) and some garden greens seemed the way to go, getting things started. Featherlightly battered and slightly toothsome, Crow’s curds were a nice-enough if otherwise fairly-nondescript nibble. Props to whoever didn’t hold back on the Sambal Oelek (aka chili paste) in the spicy aioli alongside, and compliments as well to the menu architect behind the Brussels Sprouts salad ($13); an abundantly shareable mountain of flash-fried main ingredient leaves and segments tossed with toasted almond slivers, shredded carrots, cruditechunked (on purpose?) red onion, and gobs of gummy-good, dried Michigan cherries. When Ashley asked which dressing we wanted with it, I went wishy-washy, so she just hushed me and brought both. Between the white balsamic vinaigrette and an Asian-style Peanut “Butter” sauce, both complimented. I gravitated toward the latter, saving some to savor with my main course Ahi Tuna ($23).
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During a short wait for entrées, I took another visual spin around Rusted Crow’s two main spaces. The bar bustled. No one performed on the Edison sound stage, but the night was young (live acts play on Fridays and Saturdays from 7-11 p.m.). An airplane already hung inverted in the air there at my first visit floated beside brassy jazz horns strung since. On the dining room side where we sat in a big, custom-upholstered booth, once again, a roomlength tsunami mural (in homage to Japanese woodblock artist Hokusai’s “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”) carried my eye to another artsy signature here: an equally impressive painting of a vintage pin-up beauty carried to the clouds on the larger-than-life wings of the restaurant’s namesake. Who did Italian ownership here hire to do all this, descendants of Michaelangelo? It’s a pity almost that three big screen TVs are mounted between those beautifully-depicted, rolling waves. On the other hand, watching Crow’s crowd kicking it to a crystal-clear sound system and boomer playlist started my toes tapping while tamping down the din of crowd noise until the music goes live.
Dinner served, my dining partner dug into an Eastern Market pizza ($16); a veggie model built with shrooms, colorful bell peppers, black olives, and onions. Over several slices, he lauds a lush cheesiness that he and his healthyeating wife try to avoid, before boxing some to take home to her. “She won’t be able to resist,” he grins, assuaging his own guilt. Trying a square, I agree. The pie’s pretty tight. Crow’s doing deep dish right; from the blistered then pillowy top and interior, to browned and crisped, garlic butter bottom crust. From classics to more contemporary, there are seven options (14-inch Detroit deep dish, GF available). Sadly, there’s no one waiting at home for me who could have tried the seared tuna I didn’t finish. Not that I would have bagged it up to satisfy another Ahi lover in the family mind you, but rather to bring back a sample for a second opinion. Though perfectly rare inside, my piece was strung through with connective tissue that turned taking bites into a chewy chore. And I’d be willing to polygraph that the accompanying mango slaw was mango-less. Looking for consolation in some side dishes (entrées come with a choice of two), onion rings were greaseless and crispy, while bacon-studded Mac and Cheese was more pasta in cream. A sucker for seafood, when — not if — I go back to Crow, I’ll give the sea scallops a whirl ($30), per Chef Joseph Queen’s recommendation. I was torn between those and the tuna before ordering. Damn. One creamy hunk of cheesecake with caramel sauce ($5.50) made a sweet last impression. Now, I’m left deciding on last words most fitting for Rusted Crow at five months old. At the risk of mixing metaphors, this place is pretty as a peacock. Something about its Michigan steampunk factory and freshwater feel should really fly with folks looking for a break bread-make merry wow factor that’s already singular here in a design sense. At this point, perhaps, unlike the vibe, the vittles need to work a little harder to grab an adoring public’s attention. If Rusted Crow commits to that effort, this shiny new object should attract eating and drinking crowds constantly on the lookout for those rare birds in the restaurant business who feather their conceptual nests with the best of both.
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FOOD
Tokens of departed family members’ favorites are staged at ofrendas, intimate altars set for Día de los Muertos celebrations. SHUTTERSTOCK
Chowhound
More than just Mexican Halloween By Robert Stempkowski
Chowhound is a weekly column about what’s trending in Detroit food culture. Tips: eat@metrotimes.com.
At risk of ruffling some religious feathers, this Christian does find cause for commemorating the otherworldly at this time of year. No, I don’t go dark masquerading as anything monstrously opposed to my faith, and, yes, I can bristle over costumes that grate against my sensibilities. The fun many find innocent enough in turning themselves into naughty little angels and devils for a night is something others may stand dead-set against. Could some conscientious objectors be overreacting to this Halloween thing, at least a little? Let me confess that I certainly have. An actual son-of-a-nun myself (long story), I once drunkenly judged a coed costumed as a pregnant, Catholic sister at a Ferris State frat party. After leading in sarcastically by telling her how much she reminded me of my mother, I segued to a totally inebriated screed that ended with me suggesting she name the pillow stuffed under her robes after me. Two Sig Eps ushered me out of their house right afterward. These days, I’m far less affected by
the get-ups people choose to go out in and way more sober while making judgment calls. As for Halloween itself, I’ve come to appreciate it in the same spirit Mexican culture celebrates Día de los Muertos on the heels of the gringo holiday (traditionally, Nov. 1 and 2). With ritual generally agreed to be rooted in Medieval European observances, the Spanish likely imported in part (All Saints’/Souls’ Day and the “Danse macabre”), themes of happily remembered loved ones, and a humoring acceptance of life’s ephemeral nature are reflected across the Mexican diaspora via the Día de los Muertos tradition. Food’s part of the affair. Tokens of departed family members’ favorites are staged at ofrendas; intimate altars set for the occasion in family homes or at actual gravesites. Pan de muerto (Challah and Brioche-like sweet breads with skeletal shapes and scorings baked-in) are laid alongside Mexicoindigenous Marigold florals, whose petals purportedly have the power to pave paths between this world and the next. Scented of orange and anise classically, those breads are out of this world for sure. Metro Detroit bakeries like Mexican Town (4300 Vernor Hwy.),
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Sheila’s (2142 Springwells St.), and La Gloria (3345 Bagley St.), among others, can treat you to some this season. Here’s a suggestion: grab at least one good loaf to make French Toast from at home. Whisk a few drops of vanilla and/or almond extract into your eggs and cinnamon to further layer flavor into the bread slices. It’s death by dulce and delicious. Want to turn things adult-brunchy-festive? Make almendrado Mimosas to go with. A tequilabased almond liqueur, almendrado is great mixed with O.J. (think a punchier Amaretto Sour, with or without a spritz of sparkling wine or water). My best blend is almendrado, pineapple juice, and fresh lime. Que rico! Aside from trappings to sate a sweet tooth, Día de los Muertos ceremonials offer a breath of fright-free air in contemplating an afterlife no mortal has ever verifiably visited, returned from, and reported back on with authority. Instead of haunting, what-if suspicions and fearful uncertainties, the “muertos” mythos is more about embracing a belief that life goes on from both sides of what separates the living from their dear departed, and the notion that it’s a veil thin enough
to look through with a certain sense of serenity, back and forth. It’s far from those hellish, say, The Conjuring plotlines, yet pretty much exactly like Pixar/Disney’s Coco. The Los Angeles Times’ Robert Abele — one film critic among a consensus many who lauded its storytelling — went so far as to say: “If an animated movie is going to offer children a way to process death, it’s hard to imagine a more spirited, touching and breezily entertaining example than Coco.” Consider that quote when picking a kid-friendly Halloween flick to watch. Abele’s compliments spoke to the script’s close adherence to its Mexican lore subject matter much as any other production values. Perchance you’ve yet to see Coco or simply haven’t in a while, maybe you should sometime in the next two weeks or so, if only for contrast and comparison’s sake before binge-watching all 13 installments (ooh, how creepy is that number?) of the Michael Myers’ Halloween saga. Blech. Gag me with a goalie mask. Make no mistake. The devil’s for real. That’s my belief. Even so, I don’t believe being out and about one late-October night a year playing monster or villain makes someone more vulnerable to the diabolical or invites in its deceptions and temptations. I’ve lived 61 Halloween nights as of this year, and some 22,000-plus days besides. Doing the math, all my October 31st’s combined amount to mere .0003% of the time I’ve had on this Earth thus far to earn myself a hotseat in the hereafter. Truth be told, between the Halloweens I’ve spent as an innocent, trick-or-treating kid or a dad taking my own children out to revel in that same, sweet tradition, this last calendar day in October has done me as much good as any Christmastime cheer ever could. There is no day of the year that can make us better or worse simply through its coming or going. As always, with everything, it’s what we choose to make of ourselves at any given moment. What we hold dear or let slide. Those most important things we sometimes fail to remember and others impossible to forget, which reminds me: For my first 45 years, I gave birthday cards to someone who celebrated coming into this world on Halloween night; filling them with half-a-lifetime of X’s and O’s. During my boyhood, I simply snuck envelopes onto her bed on mornings after “Devil’s Night” here in Detroit. After leaving home at 20, I mailed most of the rest of them long-distance to reach her. In the fall of 2007, her death separated us further. These days, Halloween reminds me most tenderly of my mother. Miss you, Mom. Hugs and kisses. I’ll be home soon.
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CULTURE Artist of the week
Nora Chapa Mendoza is the first Latina to sign Scarab Club beams By Randiah Camille Green
The Scarab Club beams are
like a passport to the art world signed by highly respected artists. The likes of Isamu Noguchi, Diego Rivera, Charles McGee, Marcel Duchamp, Leroy Foster, and Margaret Bourke-White have signed the ceiling and side beams of the art club’s second-floor lounge, which serve as a permanent guest book. But in the nearly 100 years since the club found a home on Farnsworth Street, no Latina artist signed the beams — until now. Multi-media artist Nora Chapa Mendoza will become the first Latina to sign a Scarab Club beam on Friday, Oct. 13 when her Stages of a Life: A Retrospective exhibit opens at the gallery. It seems remarkable that in all those years, no Latina artist has been given the honor of signing the famed Scarab Club Beams. But we’re honestly not surprised, as it was a men-only club until 1962, and women artists of color are often excluded from so-called prestigious art spaces. Mendoza’s exhibit was curated by Dalia Reyes, who came on board as the Scarab Club’s Gallery Director earlier this year. Since taking on her new role, Reyes has been intentional about having more Latina artists like Dayana Juarez show work at the Scarab Club. It’s another case study of why representation is important in all spaces because it often takes another person of color to see and appreciate our contributions. At 91 years old, Mendoza is still contributing to the art world as a strong voice for the Latino community. Stages of a Life: A Retrospective includes work across a wide range of mediums including paintings, paper mache reliefs, assemblages, and mixed media. Her work is sometimes compared to Frida Kahlo’s “introspective style,” often serving as a diary of her life experiences. Mendoza was born to Mexican par-
Nora Chapa Mendoza.
ents in Weslaco, Texas, and relocated to Michigan in 1953 to pursue her art career. She studied at Madonna University in Livonia and was mentored by Michigan painters Richard Koslow and Ljubo Biro. Throughout her long career, her work has taken on both abstract and realism styles. It is often rooted in activism with works tackling civil rights, indigenous identity, fair labor practices, and advocating for migrant workers. She also delved into mural and restoration work and was one of eight artists to participate in the renovation
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COURTESY PHOTO
of Detroit’s Music Hall. She received the Michigan Artist of the Year and Governor’s Award in 1999. Mendoza is also a certified elder in Kanto de la Tierra, an intertribal council devoted to praying for the healing of the Earth. True to the exhibition’s name, one painting depicts a young woman through several stages of life, worn with knowing eyes as she ages, and encapsulated by a skull with death as the ultimate chance for transformation restarting the cycle of life. She shows that life is our greatest teacher and we have something worthy to offer in ev-
ery state of being. Mendoza is shining and celebrated in this stage of her life. Hopefully, she’s only the first, and not the last Latina to gift the Scarab Club beams with her wisdom. The beam signing will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Friday during the exhibit’s opening reception. Where to see her work: Stages of a Life: A Retrospective will be on display at the Scarab Club until Nov.11. A gallery talk is scheduled for Oct. 26 at 6 p.m.; 217 Farnsworth St., Detroit; scarabclub.org.
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CULTURE
Instead of one possessed child, The Exorcist: Believer gives us two.
UNIVERSAL PICTURES
You won’t believe it By Craig D. Lindsey
The Exorcist: Believer Rated: R Run-time: 111 minutes
Every time someone de-
cides to drop a sequel to The Exorcist franchise, it’s always a direct sequel to recently departed director William Friedkin’s shocking original, the one that fucked up so many moviegoers’ days when it was released 50 years ago. When William Peter Blatty, who wrote the book and the Oscar-winning screenplay adaptation, made the bold move to write and direct The Exorcist III (the first and last supernatural film to feature wordless cameos from Fabio and Patrick Ewing as angels) in 1990, he ignored everything that happened in John Boorman’s reviled 1977 followup The Exorcist II: The Heretic. In that film, Linda Blair returned as formerly possessed child Regan, who’s now a teenager with psychic powers. (This happened a year before Brian De Palma had Amy Irving playing the same damn character in The Fury.) A short-lived TV spinoff popped up on Fox a few years back and ignored the sequels altogether. Even the two versions of the Exorcist prequel (originally directed by Paul Schrader and heavily retooled by Renny Harlin) that crashed and burned
in the aughts only wanted to be associated with the genuine article. After saying they weren’t going to do another remake/reboot/re-whateverthe-fuck, Morgan Creek Entertainment (which has had sequel and remake rights to The Exorcist for decades) has now got The Exorcist: Believer rolling into theaters. And, of course, it’s a direct sequel to the original. Not only did they bring in horror mogul Jason Blum to produce, but they also got professional horror-franchise revivers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride. The former indie-film director and his cringe comedy-loving pal churned out the recent Halloween trilogy, which also disregarded the oodles of sequels and reboots that came before and linked straight to John Carpenter’s 1978 slasher groundbreaker. For this brand-new part two, Green and McBride (along with Peter Sattler and Halloween Kills co-writer Scott Teems) basically do a super-sized revamp. They give us not one, but two possessed lasses — Angela (Lidya Jewett) and Katherine (Olivia Marcum) — who head off to the woods to communicate with ghosts and somehow get their bodies taken over by dickhead demons. I assume Green and McBride saw the first season of The White Lotus and were inspired to do the literal equivalent of Sydney Sweeney and Brittany O’Grady’s bile-spewing mean girls.
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We also have an increase in parents freaking the hell out. Hamilton alum Leslie Odom Jr. slaps a Wesley Pipesish scowl on his face to play Angela’s old man Victor, a skeptic of all things religious ever since his pregnant wife was fatally injured in an earthquake in Haiti and he had to get his Sophie’s Choice on to decide whether to save his wife or his unborn daughter. Victor is the parent who springs into action once his very spiritual neighbors (including venerable character vet Ann Dowd as an ex-nun-turned-nurse) convince him that the devil is in these girls. He even gets backup from someone who wrote a book about her ordeal with a possessed child: Ellen Burstyn’s Chris MacNeil, in her first return to Exorcistland since the 1973 original. After years of turning down sequels (she agreed to do the film only if the producers set up a scholarship program for young actors), Burstyn basically has a glorified cameo in this one. She’s mostly there to explain where the hell she’s been and what the hell needs to be done. Interestingly enough, when Burstyn gets put on the sidelines for the rest of the movie (in a rather schlocky sequence that also has a few Easter eggs), that’s when Believer shifts from an Exorcist homage to just another souped-up Blumhouse production. In the first half, Green tries to recreate the mundane yet off-kilter rhythm that
Friedkin brought to The Exorcist’s first hour, the rhythm that made audiences paranoid and creeped out even before the actual scary shit went down. Of course, there are also some jump-scares to keep you nice and antsy. Unfortunately, all that gets dropped in the chaotic, CGI effects-enhanced second half. It’s also here where Believer shades organized religion, as Odom’s dedicated dad corrals his neighborhood crew (as well as a ritualistic healer and a Baptist pastor for good measure) for an evil spirit-purging kickback at his place, ready to cast out some dark souls in case a Catholic priest can’t be dispatched. For a sequel that seeks to be just as worthy as one of the most unsettling films ever made, Believer is ultimately more quaint and hopeful than bloodcurdling and scream-inducing. Green (who is scheduled to helm two more Exorcist sequels) is too much of a starry-eyed optimist, basically declaring good will always beat evil if we all come together, to get all dark-hearted and button-pushing as that inglorious bastard Friedkin, who went to his grave giving zero fucks. The first Exorcist had people falling out in theater lobbies from all the crazy shit they witnessed. This Exorcist, like so many Exorcists before it, may make people fall out. But, in all likelihood, it’ll be because they got bored and dozed off.
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CULTURE Savage Love Animal Urges By Dan Savage
Q:
I’ve been carrying a lot of guilt and shame for a long time. (I’m going to drop a quick content warning here for sexual abuse: some of your readers might want to skip my question.) I am a victim of childhood sexual abuse. My abuser forced me to watch horrible zoophilia porn while they abused me again and again. This left me with an addiction to this kind of porn. I really don’t want to watch it anymore. I hate it and I hate myself for watching it. I want to know how to stop watching it as it physically hurts me every time I do, but I was conditioned to enjoy it by an evil person. This porn goes against all of my values, and I am so scared of anyone ever finding out. I’m still very young — not even 25 — and I want to know if there is any hope for breaking this habit and healing from this. Any advice is appreciated. I’m sorry if this question is upsetting, but I had to ask someone. I’m sick of feeling like a horrible person. —Abuse Wounds Fucking Up Life
A: I shared your question with some-
one who works with survivors of childhood sexual abuse — a recognized expert in the field, someone who has done extensive research into sexual abuse and trauma — and they were happy to answer your question, AWFUL. This expert wished to remain anonymous here, in my column, to avoid having their #1 return on Google be their appearance in my sex column. Their request to remain anonymous was about me, AWFUL, it wasn’t about you. “It’s not uncommon for child sexual abuse survivors to have some sort of additional exposure related to abuse or harm,” our highly credentialed expert (HCE) said. “Whether nonconsensual pornographic content or environmental exposures (like substances) or zoophilia, people who harm children often use conditioning techniques such as the ones AWFUL describes, especially taboo or shameful things, as that makes it even more difficult for the victim to disclose the abuse.” It is not uncommon for someone who is being sexually abused or assaulted to become physically aroused. This kind of arousal is an involuntary bodily response; it is not a sign the victim has
consented or is experiencing pleasure. The body is acting in self-defense to prevent additional injuries. Even though this response is involuntary and not a sign of pleasure, repeated acts of abuse can create a powerful association. “Exposures to content AWFUL describes can get linked with not only the abuse, but also the experience of arousal,” said HCE. “Which means, for people like AWFUL, sexual arousal can come with compulsive sexual experiences linked to these contents and exposures — and quite a bit of shame. Those feelings of shame, anxiety, and depression keep people isolated and away from people that can support them and help them heal.” And with support, AWFUL, you can heal. “There are several evidence-based therapeutic approaches that use cognitive and trauma-based approaches that can not only reduce feelings of shame, but also help to process emotions and trauma experiences,” said HCE. “These approaches help the brain process information and make new pathways for healthier intimacy experiences.” A good therapist can help you unearth your own authentic desires. Your own erotic imagination — your own erotic personae — is in there somewhere, AWFUL, waiting to be freed. Bear in mind that many people who weren’t subjected to sexual abuse are sometimes aroused — or even primarily aroused — by things that can seem, well, pretty fucked up to people who don’t share their sexual interests. If you break the hold your abuser still has over you, AWFUL, there’s a chance you’ll find some mildly fucked up shit lurking underneath it. But it’ll be your shit, AWFUL, not the shit that was imposed on you. It might not be hearts and flowers, it might not be the stuff of romance novels, but it will be yours. (And it could be hearts and flowers and romance novels — it sometimes is — but if it isn’t, don’t dismiss it as somehow or definitely tied to your trauma.) “I want to assure AWFUL that both trauma and sex therapists are knowledgeable about the behaviors of people who commit harm against children, such as unwanted sexual content exposure — and trauma and sex therapists understand the impact conditioning and exposure might have on arousal responses and compulsive/addictive behaviors,” said HCE. “AWFUL should look for a therapist that has experience in both trauma and sex therapy modalities. Someone trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Traumafocused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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(CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) would be a good place to start.” You are not a terrible person — something terrible was done to you. You deserve help and sympathy and if you reach out to the right professionals, you’ll find it. AASECT is a good place to start your search: aasect.org/referraldirectory Good luck.
Q:
I’ve met a boy who seemed so sweet. We’re both gay and out, he’s in his mid20s, I’m in my late 20s. It’s been a year, we have a great and mostly vanilla sex life, and we successfully transitioned from FWBs to boyfriends. So far, so good. He told me early on that he sometimes hooks up with older men. (Guys in their 50s and up.) He says he doesn’t want to be with an older guy romantically and only wants a loving relationship with a guy close to his own age. I ultimately want an open relationship (and I think older guys are hot), so this wasn’t a dealbreaker for me. But at the time we talked, we weren’t hooking up with anyone else, and we agreed to checkin before either of us took that step. He checked in with me over the weekend. This older guy he’s hooked up with a few times before is coming to town. I asked if I could see the guy and he opened their chat and handed me his phone. The first shocker was how unattractive the guy was. He’s not some hot daddy. He’s a schlub. But the real shock was the way my boyfriend talks to this guy (actual quote): “u are OLD AF and UGLY AF but good dick u can breed me but u will have to BEG faggot.” My boyfriend said the “hotness gap” turns him on and it was a power trip for him. I looked through some other chats (with his OK) and the other older guys he’s hooked up with were just as unattractive and his “flirting” was consistently cruel and demeaning. There’s no other way to describe it. The videos are even worse. He’s very sweet to me, Dan, and he’s very hot (and he’s already met my mom!), so I don’t want to end things. But I find myself obsessing about whether the sweetness is just an act. Is this cruel side the real him? He says he’s never been sexually abused by an older man, so this isn’t some sort of fucked up revenge fantasy. Is he harming these men? And is he going to treat me like this when I get older? —Boyfriend’s Uncharacteristic Meanness Motivates Evaluating Relationship
A: You’re worried the boyfriend’s
sweetness is a performance — just an act — and the cruel person he is with these older men is the real him. But couldn’t it just as easily be the opposite? Your boyfriend is a sweet and loving guy who, like a lot of people, gets off on pretend-
ing to be someone he’s not every once in a while. In your boyfriend’s case, he gets off on pretending to be a pretty little asshole. Look, I’m a gay guy who made it to his 50s — to and nearly through his 50s — and I know a lot of gay guys around my age, BUMMER, and we’re a pretty resilient bunch. Most of us have faced a lot worse than some trash-talking little twink who wants to sit on our dicks. It’s sweet that you want to protect us from your boyfriend, BUMMER, but rest assured: we can take care of ourselves. And, as you’re a reader of my column, you have to know that there are guys out there who enjoy being degraded. Is there a chance some older man who wasn’t into being trash-talked by a hot twink put up with your boyfriend’s verbal abuse to get at his ass? Sure, that’s a possibility, BUMMER, but I’m guessing it was a learning experience for him — and maybe a sign he should hire next time — and not an emotionally devastating event he never recovered from. And this particular older guy — the fugly-ass dude who’s coming to town — is a repeat customer. So, I think it’s safe to assume he likes it. Or maybe he’s decided that enduring your boyfriend’s abuse, which turns your boyfriend on, is a price of admission he’s willing to pay to get at (and in) your boyfriend’s ass. If it makes you feel better, you could ask your boyfriend if this guy likes being treated this way. If the question stumps him — if it’s not a question your boyfriend ever thought to ask himself or any of the guys he treats like this — then your boyfriend might be a monster. (A lot of people thought Ted Bundy was a sweet guy.) But I’ll betcha dildos to doughnuts that your boyfriend will respond with something like, “OMG, they love it!” I’m also willing to betcha that if you scrolled all the way to the start of one of his chats with some old and ugly fuck, BUMMER, you’ll discover it opens with an exchange of “heys,” with the dialed-up-to-11 degrading dirty talk coming much later. Finally, BUMMER, I don’t think your boyfriend is gonna start verbally abusing you when you get older. It’s far likelier that — when he’s an old and ugly fuck himself — he’ll be looking for younger men to treat him the way he used to treat older men. It’s the circle jerk of life. P.S. I’m happy to get a group of my 50-something friends together to discuss this directly with you boyfriend, BUMMER, to make absolutely certain this is an act and that it’s all consensual. Give him my email address and tell him to put “hey u OLD AF and UGLY AF faggots” in the subject line. K, thanks, bye. Send your question to mailbox@savage. love. Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage.Love.
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CULTURE Free Will Astrology By Rob Brezsny ARIES: March 21 – April 19 JooHee Yoon is an illustrator and designer. She says, “So much of artmaking is getting to know yourself through the creative process, of making mistakes and going down rabbit holes of research and experimentation that sometimes work out — and sometimes don’t.” She adds, “The failures are just as important as the successes.” I would extend this wisdom, applying it to how we create our personalities and lives. I hope you will keep it in mind as you improvise, experiment with, and transform yourself in the coming weeks. TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 Sometimes, we droop and shrivel in the face of a challenge that dares us to grow stronger and smarter. Sometimes, we try our best to handle a pivotal riddle with aplomb but fall short. Neither of these two scenarios will be in play for you during the coming months. I believe you will tap
Thank you readers of the Metrotimes for voting us. Best Dive. We appreciate it greatly however, we’re not as ‘divey’ as we used to be. Cheers!!
HAPPY HOUR
3-6
MON-FRI
into reserves of hidden power you didn’t realize you had access to. You will summon bold, innovative responses to tantalizing mysteries. I predict you will accomplish creative triumphs that may have once seemed beyond your capacities. GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 Gemini novelist Meg Wolitzer suggests that “one of the goals of life is to be comfortable in your own skin and in your own bed and on your own land.” I suspect you won’t achieve that goal in the coming weeks, but you will lay the foundation for achieving that goal. You will figure out precisely what you need in order to feel at home in the world, and you will formulate plans to make that happen. Be patient with yourself, dear Gemini. Be extra tender, kind, and accommodating. Your golden hour will come. CANCER: June 21 – July 22 Some astrologers say you Crabs are averse to adventure, preferring to loll in your comfort zones and entertain dreamy fantasies. As evidence that this is not always true, I direct your attention to a great Cancerian adventurer, the traveling chef Anthony Bourdain. In the coming weeks, I hope you will be inspired by these Bourdain quotes: 1. “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Open your mind, get up off the couch, move.” 2. “What a great way to live, if you could always do things that interest you, and do them with people who interest you.” 3. “The more I become aware of, the more I realize how relatively little I know, how much more there is to learn. Maybe that’s enlightenment enough — to know there is no final resting place of the mind.” 4. “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” LEO: July 23 – August 22 Author Iain S. Thomas writes, “The universe is desperately trying to move you into the only spot that truly belongs to you — a space that only you can stand in. It is up to you to decide every day whether you are moving towards or away from that spot.” His ideas overlap with principles I expound in my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings. There I propose that life often works to help dissolve your ignorance and liberate you from your suffering. I hypoth-
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esize that you are continually being given opportunities to grow smarter and wilder and kinder. In the coming weeks, everything I’ve described here will be especially apropos to you. All of creation will be maneuvering you in the direction of feeling intensely at home with your best self. Cooperate, please! VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 “Never do anything that others can do for you,” said Virgo novelist Agatha Christie. That’s not a very Virgolike attitude, is it? Many astrologers would say that of all the zodiac’s signs, your tribe is the most eager to serve others but not aggressively seek the service of others on your behalf. But I suspect this dynamic could change in the coming weeks. Amazingly, cosmic rhythms will conspire to bring you more help and support than you›re accustomed to. My advice: Welcome it. Gather it in with gusto. LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 I’m not enamored of Shakespeare’s work. Though I enjoy his creative use of language, his worldview isn’t appealing or interesting. The people in his stories don’t resonate with me, and their problems don’t feel realistic. If I want to commune with multi-faceted characters dealing with fascinating dilemmas, I turn to French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850). I feel a kinship with his complex, nuanced understanding of human nature. Please note I am not asserting that Shakespeare is bad and Balzac is good. I’m merely stating the nature of my subjective personal tastes. Now I invite you to do what I have done here: In the coming weeks, stand up unflinchingly for your subjective personal tastes. SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21: As much as I love logic and champion rational thinking, I’m granting you an exemption from their irongrip supremacy in the coming weeks. To understand what’s transpiring and to respond with intelligence, you must partly transcend logic and reason. They will not be sufficient guides as you wrestle with the Great Riddles that will be visiting. In a few weeks, you will be justified in quoting ancient Roman author Tertullian, who said the following about his religion, Christianity: “It is true because it is impossible.” SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 As a Sun-conjunct-Uranus person, I am fond of hyperbole and outrageousness. “Outlandish” is one of my middle names. My Burning Man moniker is “Friendly Shocker,” and in my pagan community, I’m known as Irreverend Robbie. So take that into
consideration when I suggest you meditate on Oscar Wilde’s assertions that “all great ideas are dangerous” and “an idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea.” Oscar and I don’t mean that interesting possibilities must be a risk to one’s health or safety. Rather, we’re suggesting they are probably inconvenient for one›s dogmas, habits, and comfort zones. I hope you will favor such disruptors in the coming days. CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 Some people might feel they have achieved the peak of luxury if they find themselves sipping Moët & Chandon Imperial Vintage Champagne while lounging on a leather and diamond-encrusted PlumeBlanche sofa on a hand-knotted Agra wool rug aboard a 130-foot-long Sunseeker yacht. But I suspect you will be thoroughly pleased with the subtler forms of luxury that are possible for you these days. Like what? Like surges of appreciation and acknowledgment for your good work. Like growing connections with influences that will interest you and help you in the future. Like the emotional riches that come from acting with integrity and excellence. AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 There are over 20 solutions to the riddle your higher mind is now contemplating. Several of them are smart intellectually but not emotionally intelligent. Others make sense from a selfish perspective but would be less than a blessing for some people in your life. Then there are a few solutions that might technically be effective but wouldn’t be much fun. I estimate there may only be two or three answers that would be intellectually and emotionally intelligent, would be of service not only to you but also to others, and would generate productive fun. PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 Naturalist John Muir didn’t like the word “hiking.» He believed people ought to saunter through the wilderness, not hike. “Hiking” implies straight-ahead, no-nonsense, purposeful movement, whereas “sauntering” is about wandering around, being reverent toward one’s surroundings, and getting willingly distracted by where one’s curiosity leads. I suggest you favor the sauntering approach in the coming weeks — not just in nature but in every area of your life. You’re best suited for exploring, gallivanting, and meandering. Homework: My new book is available: Astrology Is Real: Revelations from My Life as an Oracle.
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