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Vol. 36 | Issue 12 | December 30, 2015
Group Publisher - Chris Keating Publisher - John Badanjek Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen Editor - Vince Grzegorek
Upfront
Metro times
Editorial
Framed.......................................... 10
News Hits..................................... 16
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What’s Going On........................ 26
Eat................................................ 28
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Business/Operations Business Office Supervisor - Holly Rhodes
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The best records of 2015 ............ 44 The best hip-hop tracks of 2015 .... 50
Chief Executive Officer – Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers – Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Chief Financial Officer – Brian Painley Human Resources Director – Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator – Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com
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Review: Detroit’s Dank Gourmet...... 28
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Politics & Prejudices ................... 20
Big Story
News & Views............................. 16
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Retail Detail: City Market............. 12
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Up Front........................................ 8
Managing Editor - Michael Jackman Associate Editor - Alysa Offman Music Editor - Mike McGonigal Dining Editor - Serena Maria Daniels Investigative Reporter - Allie Gross Web Editor - Alaina Nutile Contributing Editors - Larry Gabriel, Jack Lessenberry Staff Writer - Lee DeVito Copy Editor - Esther Gim Editorial Interns - Taylor Bembery, Laci Bills, Adam Woodhead Photography Interns - Sarah Rahal Contributors- Judy Adams, Brett Callwood, Kahn Santori Davison, Aaron Egan, Cornelius Fortune, Cal Garrison, Curt Guyette, Charles L. Latimer, Noelle Lothamer, Jim McFarlin, Jeff Milo, Marc Nader, Dan Savage, Miss Shela, Jane Slaughter, Doug Coombe, Tanya Moutzalias, Dontae Rockymore, Brian Rozman, Steve Sergent, Sean Bieri, Rob Widdis
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Livewire........................................ 52
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U p Front Water warriors We received a number of comments on a recent news story by Curt Guyette regarding a group of activists who resorted to civil disobedience in an attempt to draw attention to Detroit’s water shut-off crisis (“Judge calls Detroit’s prosecution of water shut-off protesters a ‘disaster,’” Dec. 23). Reader “dmarde0441” said: Just pay the fucking bill! Reader “Rotten1” replied: I’m sure when you make such a simplistic statement about a more complex issue, you are imagining every person who is experiencing a water shut-off is an able-bodied lazy person who just doesn’t want to pay. But realize hundreds of senior citizens, many of whom worked all their lives and live in a minimal fixed income. And many of those people were robbed of their pensions by the city bankruptcy. If a person living off $700 a month and their water bill is 10 percent of their income, that doesn’t seem right to me. Shouldn’t they be allowed to pay based on their income? It’s Detroit, Flint, and Highland Park today. But will this issue still be so simple to you when it’s your city, neighborhood, and family? Reader Dennis Green said: Based on 41 years with DWSD, I know that a major cause of the high rates is the politicizing of water. It led to rape of the system and squandering of resources that dug it into a hole so deep that there is no way out. Many of those stupid practices go on today, and you can’t blame the emergency managers for doing what was already a tradition and precedent and continues after they left. It’s bad business practices have gone on so long that few remember that it was not always that way. If you don’t enforce the rules, those who can pay won’t. You have a right to dig a well or take a bucket to the river, but not to have it piped to you for free. Someone has to pay, and you are out of patsies. There are not enough philanthropists to bail out all the victims. There are no legal grounds for any judge to order DTE to provide free electricity to pump the water. The employees of DWSD are neither volunteers who don’t need a paycheck nor slave labor. There’s no painless way out of this mess. Stealing water only transfers the burden to another victim, just one
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feedback
you conveniently don’t know or see. Stop parading around with stupid signs and clean up the city making it inhabitable, and you may regain a tax base. Don’t complain about a lack of opportunity if you don’t show up for school or do the work, and instead of making protest signs, use those literary skills to tutor the kids struggling to do the work. Even in the EAA, one student passed proving it’s not impossible if you try. Detroit went into decline under mayors who acted more like its pimp. Who elected and re-elected those leaders who stole or squandered your tax dollars? Who elected those judges who make their court a circus? Do you show up to vote? Do you know who you are voting for besides a familiar name and pretty face? I testified for two days to the Detroit City Council regarding DWSD costs, and the public gallery was empty — not one sole citizen showed, not even one of these protesters was interested in learning how the budget was to be spent. Bill Wylie-Kellermann said: Thanks to Curt Guyette, pre-eminent Detroit journalist. Detailed and accurate from where I sit. Reader Julia Williams said: Guyette is on his way to getting a Pulitzer and more. His investigative journalism puts the “big media” to shame.
Adios, 2015 We also received a number of comments for our New Year’s Eve Party Guide. Reader Lisa Spagnolo said: For starters, you can watch the MSU game. Reader Steven Kemp said: Why go to Times Square? Detroit has it all. Or … one could just sip champagne in a hot tub, in the middle of nowhere. Reader Jane Bellezza said: I’ll have a sip of brandy and go to bed!
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framed
Keegan-Michael Key and the 313 @ Detroit Institute of Arts (M. Ferdinande)
JoJo @ the Magic Bag (T. Lowe)
Bonaventure Roller Rink Christmas party (J. Tavernier)
Exodos Rooftop (D. Rockymore)
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Keegan-Michael Key and the 313 @ Detroit Institute of Arts (M. Ferdinande)
Pike Room (M. Pfeiffer)
Classifieds
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JoJo @ the Magic Bag (T. Lowe)
Pike Room (M. Pfeiffer)
Showcase D’Holidays @ Campus Martius Park (D. Rockymore)
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Strikes for Tykes (D. Rockymore)
Strikes for Tykes (D. Rockymore)
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U p Front
retaildetail
In the market
Downtown deli offers more than just meat by Alysa Offman These days new businesses are popping up weekly in Detroit. Expensive watch shops, leather goods stores, custom suit tailors, dentists, you name it. And while that’s all fine and good, it’s important to remember that some shops have been thriving in downtown for years. City Market has been operating in downtown Detroit, near Saint Andrew’s Hall, for nearly 30 years. It serves locals and those who work in the city, selling everything from craft beer to laundry soap and just about everything in between. In the summer months, the market, located next door to the Renais-
fresh produce, a wall of dried goods, and an Ashe Supply Co. coffee display. This aisle is wide, but the rest of the market is a tight squeeze, and every last inch is filled with groceries, necessities, and other goods. To the right of the main aisle is a full-service deli with ready-to-eat pasta salads, macaroni and cheese, spinach pies, cheesecakes, and coleslaw. A small selection of lunch meats and cheeses are also available for purchase. There’s also a frozen foods section with ice cream, frozen pizzas, and other late night munchies. Tucked in the back (you might even miss it if you don’t know it’s there) is a refrigerator filled with cheeses, eggs, milk (including 575 Brush St., Detroit; 313-222-0000 almond milk! and Open: 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday, egg nog!), yogurt, and juice. There’s 7 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Monday also pet food, paper goods, soap, cleaning products — you get the picsance City Apartments, offers outdoor ture. It’s like they smushed an entire seating, welcoming patrons to sip supermarket into 2,000 square feet. their glass bottles of Faygo and nosh Turn the other direction and you’ll on freshly made sushi right there on find a fridge with some sandwiches, a Brush Street. Now that the weather selection of fresh sushi, salads, fruit, has turned colder, those tables and and other smaller lunch items. Beyond chairs are put up for the season, but this point the market has a bounty of the market is just as welcoming. beverages. Find Barritt’s Ginger Beer, a Step inside and you’re met with
City Market
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rainbow of Faygo flavors, and an array of other colorful sodas that give way to an enormous selection of wines, champagnes, and craft beers. Inside a wall of refrigerators you’ll find Bud Light tall boys as well as six packs of craft beers. They’ve got a great selection of local brands, plus popular stuff like Not Your Father’s Root Beer. And while this selection is impressive enough for a neighborhood market, there’s also a beer cave in which you’ll find even more of your favorite brews. Behind the counter, liquor bottles line shelves from one end of the store to the other. You’ll find Two James, Valentine, Our/Detroit, and other locally made bottles along with well-known national brands. If it’s not yet obvious, the market is a clear supporter of other local businesses, stocking Michigan-made beer, liquor, and soda, coffee produced by a Michigan-based company, McClure’s pickles and Bloody Mary mix, Vivio’s products, and other state-made goods. In turn, they make it easy for you to shop local, and that’s something we can get behind.
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news hits
Detroit on pace to end the year with 300 homicides by Allie Gross More than 200 mourners gathered Sunday to commemorate the life of Anthony Tolson, a 33-year-old Detroit musician who was killed Thursday night in a Christmas Eve carjacking at a liquor store parking lot on Gratiot and Fairmount on the city’s east side. Tolson had been the 291st murder in Detroit this year — a fact highlighted in Monday’s article in The Detroit News on the gathering. “The city is on pace to end the year with 300 homicides, the same as last year, and the lowest since 1967. But police officials and residents agree: It’s still too many,” The Detroit News wrote. While there are only a few days left of 2015, the News’ prediction of hitting the 300-mark may be more than a guess. A few hours after Tolson’s memorial, it was reported that a 7-year-old was shot and killed on Detroit’s northwest side in a holiday gathering that went awry. According to The Detroit News, a family had gathered for a Christmas celebration when a current and ex-girlfriend started fighting. One woman left and came back shortly after; she allegedly fired shots into the house. Two of the kids, who were playing with Christmas presents at the time, were struck. A 7-year-old died and her 8-year-old sister is in critical condition.
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“These kids were playing with their Christmas gifts and some (expletive) fires into their house?” the city’s assistant police chief, Steve Dolunt, told The Detroit News. “I’m furious. Who would shoot into a house knowing there were kids in there? If they’re a parent themselves, what does that tell you?” He later astutely added: “This wasn’t drug-related, or gang-related. This was senseless.” Sharonda Benson, 23, turned herself into police at 3 a.m. Monday morning. The 7-year-old became Detroit’s 292nd murder victim. So let’s return to the 300 number for a moment and consider what it all means. Yes, it may be the lowest the rate has been since 1967 — but, to quote The Detroit News, it’s still too many. Let’s look, for example, at a Washington Post analysis of Detroit’s gun violence from 2014: “In Detroit last year, there were 1,054 non-fatal shootings and 300 homicides, though it’s not clear how many of the homicides were gunrelated. If all of the murders were involving firearms, that’s 199 incidents for every 100,000 people in 2014. Even excluding the murders, the non-fatal shooting rate was 154.9 incidents for every 100,000 Detroit residents.” The Washington Post points out that the non-fatal shooting rate in Detroit is double that of Chicago, a
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The article details how the state was slow to acknowledge the problem by repeatedly downplaying its severity and attempting to discredit the investigations. Yet it was also the mainstream media that has been slow to acknowledge the crisis. city known for its gun violence. In fact, The Washington Post ends the piece stating, “Detroit appears to have had a worse year in 2014, but lacks the political significance — and attention — of Obama’s Chicago.” We are on track to see similar statistics to 2014 — in fact, had anyone questioned what the 2015 murder rate would have been at the beginning of the year, many would have predicted it would have surpassed 2014, considering Detroit homicides were up nearly 25 percent in first three months of 2015. Mainstream media slow to pick up on Flint water crisis
by Lee DeVito
The Flint water crisis gets an abovethe-fold, front-page article in Thursday’s edition of the Detroit Free Press — though the piece contains no new information on a story that broke more than three months ago. The article details how the state was slow to acknowledge the problem — that Flint’s emergency managermandated switch from Detroit’s water to the Flint River wound up contaminating the city’s supply with lead — by repeatedly downplaying its severity and attempting to discredit the investigations. Yet it was also the mainstream media that has been slow to acknowledge the crisis. The story was first reported by Curt Guyette with the American Civil Liberties Union on its blog and here in Metro Times, and first announced by the ACLU at a Sept. 15 press conference in Flint. Through a unique partnership, Guyette and the ACLU have both broken news on the scandal as well as create it (Michigan’s ACLU is the only branch in the country to have an investigative reporter on staff). After publishing a leaked EPA memo, Guyette and the
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ACLU conducted the independent water tests alongside Flint’s Coalition for Clean Water and Virginia Tech University researchers by going door to door and collecting water samples. “I was really walking a line in my own role as a journalist and activist,” Guyette told Columbia Journalism Review last month. “I’m not just observing the story; I’m participating in it. In my mind, I’m just trying to get to the truth.” Earlier this week, the story was the focus of a segment of Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show. Maddow argued the crisis can be traced to Michigan’s “radical” emergency manager legislation. $52 million in construction contracts awarded to local companies in new Detroit arena
by Lee DeVito
Last week, the Downtown Development Authority approved an additional nearly $52 million in new contracts for Olympia Development’s 20,000seat Red Wings arena and auxiliary “District Detroit” development. According to a press release, more than $27 million of the new contracts are going to Detroit-based businesses, such as Motor City Electric’s $16 million contract for electrical work in the arena and Ideal Contracting’s $11 million contract for foundation and steel work. In total, the sum of contracts comes to $257 million, with 65 percent of the contracts going to Detroit businesses and 95 percent of the contracts going to Michigan businesses. The arena, slated to open for the 2017-2018 hockey season, was financed through a $450 million in state-issued bonds in a “daisy chain of borrowing.”
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politics&prejudices
Farewell to a low, dishonest year by Jack Lessenberry Well, politically, this has been a fairly disastrous year in terms of democracy in Michigan. This may well be the worst and most undemocratic legislature we’ve ever had. And that’s saying something. In the final weeks of the session the Republican leadership rammed through bills designed to give their party even more of an unfair advantage in elections. It wasn’t enough that they had already rigged and gerrymandered the system to give Republicans majorities even when far more people vote for Democrats. Led by the two men who are the closest thing to fascists we have in elected office, they not only took away Michigan citizens’ right to vote a straight-party ticket, they used a cheap and dirty trick — sticking a token appropriation into the bill to prevent us from having the right to hold a statewide vote to reclaim that right, as voters have twice before. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and his not-as-bright acolyte, Dave Robertson, rammed that through and then maliciously killed a bill to allow more voters access to absentee ballots. They don’t want common people to vote, period. They want long lines and too-few voting machines in inner city precincts. They want poor people to find it hard to vote at all and to forget to cast votes in many of the races. That’s who they are. Not satisfied with that, they passed another truly evil bill, which would make it illegal for governments to educate the public about ballot issues in the two months before the elections. We aren’t talking about taking sides. We’re talking about just the helpful information f liers that say “If you pass local Proposal 2, it will cost the average family $28 a year and will fix our local streets.” The way they did this was a prime example of the antidemocratic tactics today’s GOP leadership use. They attached this to another bill at the last moment, and didn’t even tell Democrats till moments before the vote. That’s what they call democracy in Lansing today. Republicans have large majorities and can pass pretty much whatever they wish, but apparently did this either because
they didn’t want any debate, or just because they enjoy showing total and utter contempt for democracy and the Democrats. Democrats, meanwhile, whined a bit, but didn’t have the guts to take this loudly to the people. Hell, they don’t even have the guts to demand their own scumbag, state Sen. Virgil Smith, resign, even though he now always votes with the Republicans when they need him, while he awaits his trial for shooting up his ex-wife’s car and other multiple felonies. Well, the good news is the scorpions have now all gone home till next year, which of course is an election year. I am not an entomologist, and so can add little new about the fine specimens of Republican presidential candidates, who have gotten more than enough attention. But then there is the much smaller Democratic field. Last week I watched the debate between Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley. I tried to suspend all my preconceptions, and imagine how any intelligent, educated observer not committed to any candidate might see it. There was one thing very inspiring about the event, as Elizabeth, my personal brain trust, put it: This was a mostly civilized debate about issues among adults. That was quite a contrast between the Republicans, most of whom clearly should be either institutionalized or under a rigorous, court-monitored order to take their meds. Their televised slugfests routinely feature blatant lies, bigotry and xenophobia, and crazy magical thinking. The Democrats, on the other hand, were at least talking about things that are real. But here, in a nutshell, is each of their candidates’ problems: Hillary Clinton was by far the most slickly packaged. If Hollywood had been asked to send up someone to play the first woman president, they couldn’t have done better. She was exquisitely, if professionally coiffured. Somehow, her face was softer and rounder, as was her outfit. She projected an air of confidence, experience and knowing — and made it perfectly clear that if she were elected, nothing whatsoever would
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change. Especially not the massive shift in wealth from the poorest to the richest Americans, something under way since 1981. Challenged by her rivals, both of whom would break up the big banks, or try to, she refused to go along. Clinton even said she had no problems being Wall Street’s candidate. Yes, she did say she thought the rich should pay more, but she thinks that in the same way most of us think we should exercise and save more: Not. Really. Happening. Bernie Sanders is right on virtually every issue. He, more than all the other candidates put together, knows what’s wrong with our country and is willing to say and even do something about it. He even understands we can’t be the world’s policeman and successfully fight in every Muslim civil war, something which baff lingly seems to escape Clinton. Trouble is, he came across for the entire debate as everyone’s irritable and grumpy old Jewish granduncle. The problem is not that he is pissed off — we all should be. But we expect our presidents to be our dream father figures too, and he’d be much better advised to be a happy warrior. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, could tell the capitalist pigs that he was going to sock it to them with a smile. Three days before he had to face the voters for re-election, he told America: “We know now that government by organized money is just as dangerous as government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me — and I welcome their hatred.” Political commentators gasped — and three days later, FDR won the biggest landslide in history. Bernie Sanders is the only major candidate since FDR who one could imagine uttering those words and then doing his best to get it done — something that needs to happen, if this nation has any hope of not becoming a complete neo-fascist oligarchy, which is the direction we’re clearly headed. Unfortunately, throughout the en-
tire last debate, Bernie looked more likely to tell America “Get off my goddamn lawn.” Martin O’Malley, the former governor of Maryland, is not, despite rumors and his ears and hair style, one-fourth Vulcan. He’s far better on economic issues than Clinton. His most notable moment in this campaign came last spring when he said that the head of Goldman Sachs “let his employees know he’d just be fine with either Bush or Clinton.” O’Malley indicated he was running for all those who weren’t content with a candidate picked by one of the major giants of Wall Street. Interestingly, Lloyd Blankfein, the head of Goldman Sachs, may never have really said that, though there’s lots of evidence he is, in fact, a Clinton supporter. The former governor is smart, savvy, has perhaps the most charisma, and at not quite 53, is the only Democratic candidate not apt to need a walker by the end of a second term. Unfortunately, nobody knows who he is, the money is going to the other two, and O’Malley is stuck at around 3 percent in the polls. What is clear is that any of these candidates in a coma would be preferable to Ted Cruz or Donald Trump. But common sense is not a very common thing. Happy New Year, y’all. And I suggest you run a little scared.
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No one is to blame for Flint but Snyder by Larry Gabriel
I knocked on Mulenga Harangua’s door early one day between Christmas and New Year’s Day. I was doing a little post-holiday shopping and thought I’d get a couple of those “Detroit, comme ça” T-shirts he was selling. He was slow getting to the door and I banged on it a second time. “Hold on a minute,” Mulenga hollered from inside just before opening the door. “I was busy making some new T-shirts.” “That’s just what I wanted to see you about,” I said as I stepped inside. “I need some of that ‘Detroit, comme ça’ gear you were selling.” “Oh, I’m all out of those,” Mulenga said as he lifted a piece of newspaper covering a window and peeped outside. “Are you looking out for the cops or something?” I asked. “I’m always looking out for the cops,” he said. “I was just wondering who might have showed up at my house in your wake. It don’t hurt to keep your eyes open. That’s a 100 percent organic security system. Nothing beats being alert. Besides, I can’t pay for video cameras all around my house. I call my system ‘look and see.’” “So what’s up with the T-shirts?” I asked. “Are you making up a new batch? I can wait a little while to get my gear.” “I don’t make those anymore,” Mulenga said. “What? I thought you were doing pretty good selling them. You had money in your pocket.” “Yeah, I sold a bunch of them,” Mulenga waved his hand dismissively. “But everybody and their brother are putting Detroit on T-shirts, caps, and coffee mugs. It’s a massive PR job for the city. But I’ve moved on to something else.” “What’s that?” Mulenga waved his arm for me to follow him into the next room. Actually it was a little warmer in there. There were a few little ceramic heaters powered by candles in there. You know those big candles in a jar that you see in churches with holy pictures on them. He had corru-
gated cardboard taped up over the windows. All this worked just fine because it wasn’t that cold yet. There was a hammock hanging in the corner with a sleeping bag in it. I raised my sight to the left and saw a rectangle of white cloth. Crude hand-drawn lettering read: Lead-Free Flint. I scratched my chin and shook my head. Then I sat down on a couple of plastic milk crates that were stacked together. “You got that right,” I nodded at the banner. “I’m not sure about the wording just yet; it’s a work in progress,” Mulenga scratched his own chin. “At first it was going to say, ‘Lead Pencils Not Water,’ but that didn’t have a ring to it. It’s tough.” “Maybe it’s because you need to go to the source of it all,” I said. “This abomination lies squarely at the feet of Gov. Snyder. No, not at his feet, it’s in his heart and soul, his psyche. He was warned that the water from the Flint River would leach lead from the pipes without fixing them for that use. He poisoned the residents of Flint in order to save some money. It’s heartless, cruel, and I would hazard to say criminal. He was told that the Flint River water would leach the lead from the pipes. ” “Heartless, cruel, and criminal has kind of a ring to it,” Mulenga scrawled the words with a crayon on the wall. “Of course no one knows where that finger of accusation is pointed.” “Point it directly at Snyder, not that he didn’t have his cohorts,” I said. “When I think back to those very first political ads of his were entertaining with the comic ‘it’s time for a nerd’ approach and I look at the damage he has done to people it scares me.” Mulenga convulsed for a few seconds. “I just thought of him as a precursor to Donald Trump and a shiver ran down my spine,” Mulenga said. “One tough nerd came on coy, but look at what he’s done. Trump has an even bigger entertainment appeal and based on what he’s saying now, I wonder how much further he’s willing to go.”
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“I see why you’re shaking; that makes me shaky too,” I was glad to be sitting down because my knees were a little weak. “But Snyder is the devil we got right now. Trump is next year’s beast.” Mulenga held his hands over the ceramic heater and rubbed them together. “He’s been going around the state declaring financial emergencies so that he can overthrow democratically elected representation, but when it comes time to stand up and be accountable, when it comes time to declare a health emergency he’s all out of declarations.” “Yeah, he left that one up to new Flint Mayor Karen Weaver,” I said. ‘I can’t remember her exact words … uh.” Mulenga reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. “I have her exact words right here,” he said. “I keep it here to feed my rage when I feel it slipping. She said, ‘The City of Flint faces a manmade disaster by switching to use of the Flint River.’ Then it goes on to say that ‘children have experienced increased blood lead levels.’ Now we’re getting to the part that enrages me. ‘This damage to children is irreversible.’” Mulenga was shaking and twitching as he read. He looked at the LeadFree Flint cloth on the wall, reached over, and ripped it off. “This doesn’t even come close to what I feel. This is the same shit that’s always been going on. They poison poor people. They poison black people. They make us live in the most polluted areas. This is as bad as passing out smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians.” “This is going to be with us for a long time,” I added. “It’s a lifetime for those kids,” Mulenga said. “Mayor Weaver says this is going to cause a greater need for special education, mental health services, and some accommodation from the juvenile justice system.” “I think that Snyder should be accommodated in the state prison,” I said. “All that he’s had to say about it is that it’s the state’s biggest challenge. It may be that Snyder is the state’s biggest challenge. He says that
now isn’t the time to blame anyone. Could it be because he is to blame?” Mulenga smiled. “Now that you bring it up there is action to hold Snyder responsible for his actions in Flint. There is a #ArrestGovSnyder string of tweets on Twitter with a lot of vitriol aimed at our nerdy guy.” “Maybe you should put that on a Tshirt,” I said. “#ArrestGovSnyder does have a nice ring to it. And it gets right to the point.” “You just might have something there,” Mulenga agreed. “You know, if you really want them I think I’ve got a couple of those ‘Detroit, comme ca’ T-shirts hanging around.” I declined, “You know, a T-shirt with a flippant Detroit phrase on it doesn’t seem like quite the thing anymore — how about Snyder’s head on a silver platter?” Mulenga pushed me toward the front door. “Get out of here man, I’ve got work to do.” My shoulders drooped. I was feeling a bit deflated thinking about the mess in Flint and the lifetime of crap that has been heaped upon its people. “Don’t let it get you down,” Mulenga said. “Get mad.” He closed the door behind me, but pulled it open quickly. He flashed a peace sign at me and said, “Go far, spread love.” Then he craned his head and swiveled it around to take a good look on the street. “Just checking,” he said. “You can’t be too careful.”
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what’sgoingon
Music | Art | Dance | Comedy | Eat | Theater
Saturday, 1/2 Motor City Choreography Collective Showcase @ the Crofoot
Michigan’s best dancers and choreographers are coming together for another edition of the Motor City Choreography Collective showcase. There will be cutting-edge dance moves, inspiring routines, and tons of good music. Over 25 performances will span the dance gamut, from jazz to hiphop to contemporary to tap. Don’t think you have to be a dance enthusiast to enjoy this night of killer moves, this showcase is for anyone who loves to see a good show.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; 1 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-8589333; thecrofoot.com; tickets are $13 in advance and $16 at the door; 16 and older only.
Thursday, 12/31
Friday, 1/1
Friday, 1/1
Fri.-Sat., 1/1-2
Boy and the World
NYE Rehab
Resolution Brunch
@ Detroit Film Theatre
@ Necto
@ Cafe 78
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Consider taking this New Year’s Eve afternoon to enjoy a film inside the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts. This quaint Brazilian cartoon follows Cuca as he enjoys the quiet wonder of living in the countryside until his father leaves for the city and his little life is shattered. As he travels to the city in hopes of reuniting his family, the film takes a turn. The story is told through stunning visuals paired with the rich sounds of samba and Brazilian hip-hop — there’s absolutely no dialogue. This flick is as much for adults as it is for children.
For some folks, New Year’s Eve is just another Thursday night, which means they’ll be hitting the club again come Friday. Necto will be holding their usual Pride Friday party with a little twist. This week they’ll be offering some rehabilitation in the form of half-off drinks, beers, and shots until 11 p.m. and $2 vodka cocktails all night. There will also be a special drink menu to help cure that hangover you’re nursing. As always, DJ Jason Michael will start the night spinning in the Main Room until resident DJ Jace takes over, playing high-energy dance music. DVJ Mark plays retro pop, U.K. dance, and top 40 music videos inside the Red Room.
New Year’s Eve is one of those holidays that we all go hard at, even if we spend every other night of the year curled up on the couch rewatching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. So, chances are you’re going to be feeling pretty rough come New Year’s Day. You’ll be needing food and refreshments and possibly a little culture to make up for the utter depravity of last night’s revelry. Well, MOCAD’s Cafe 78 will be serving up everything you need to return to your pre-NYE party state. There will be an imaginative menu available by chef Marc Djozlija plus brunch cocktails and tunes by Monty Luke and Rick Wilhite. MOCAD’s galleries will also be open, showing the final weekend of United States of Latin America.
@ Main Art Theatre
Starts at 3 p.m.; 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org; admission is free for Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb County residents.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 516 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-9945436; necto.com; cover is free until midnight.
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Runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 4454 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313.784.9636; mocadetroit.org/ cafe.
If ’80s Japanese animation is your jam, you’ll want to make it to the Main Art for this flick. Princess Nausicaa lives in a post-apocalyptic world that was nearly destroyed by the Seven Days of Fire. What civilization still exists lives in fear of the Toxic Jungle and the giant mutant insects that live there. Nausicaa’s mission is to find a way for the jungle and humans to coexist, and her epic journey includes battles, kidnapping, and even the death of her father.
Show starts at midnight; 118 N. Main St., Royal Oak; landmarktheatres.com/detroit/ main-art-theatre; tickets are $7.
Music | Art | Dance | Comedy | Eat | Theater
UpFront
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| News | Feature |
What’s Going On |
Wednesday, 1/6
Eat
Legends @ Meadow Brook Theatre
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Show starts at 8 p.m.; 207 Wilson Hall, Rochester; 248-377-3300; mbtheatre.com; tickets start at $27.
Drink
To what lengths will a young director go to get his play to Broadway? He’ll do his best to ensnare two rival actresses in hopes that another major star will sign on, thus creating a major hit. Legends is a comedic trip back to the 1980s, starring Ruth Crawford as Sylvia Glenn, Mary Grant as Leatrice Monsee, and Anthony Guest as the ambitious director, Martin Klemmer. This production, directed by Travis W. Walter, is part of Meadow Brook Theatre’s 50th anniversary season.
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@ Marble Bar
@ Detroit Institute of Arts
Bartenders don’t get to celebrate big holidays like the rest of us. They’re behind the bar making sure everyone’s drink is full. So it only makes sense that this group of dedicated service industry employees get their very own New Year’s Eve celebration. It just happens to be four days later. The Detroit chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild is throwing this shindig, rewarding all of its members with special gifts. The USBG council has been keeping track of member participation points and the most active members will have first dibs on a pile of very special gifts. Every member of the guild is invited and welcome to bring a guest.
Thank god the holidays are over, amiright? No more Christmas parties, no more pressure to have the best New Year’s Eve ever. And it’s already five days into 2016, so everyone’s forgotten about their resolutions too. Things are beginning to calm down. Take this special non-holiday time to enjoy the Detroit Institute of Arts and take a free tour of the collection. You’ll likely pick up some fun facts you can share with friends and family and your next trip to the museum. The tour departs from the Great Hall.
@ Detroit Opera House
This powerful, moving night of traditional Chinese dance may bring you to tears. Shen Yun Performing Arts explores a magical and ancient land where heroes and sages, immortals and dragons, phoenixes and emperors lived together, and this world-class dance and music company brings the lost civilization once known as the Middle Kingdom to life. Exquisite costumes and elaborate backgrounds combined with beautiful folk dances and stunning orchestral arrangements for a night like you’ve never experienced before.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-7611800; theark.org; tickets are $10.
Tour starts at 1 p.m.; 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313833-7900; dia.org; free.
Classifieds
Show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; 1526 Broadway St., Detroit; 844-6474697; shenyunperformingarts. org; tickets start at $80.
Kick off your new year with some major laughs at this annual comedy tradition that started in cities like Brooklyn, New York, and Los Angeles. Fifty of the area’s best comedians, both veterans and up-and-comers, get together to tell the first jokes they’ve written in 2016. The fast and fresh evening will have you in stitches, but you won’t be breaking the bank. It’s only $10 to enjoy some of Michigan’s funniest folks and be the first to hear their newest material.
Starts at 8 p.m.; 1501 Holden St., Detroit; by invitation only.
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The Big Picture guided tour
Culture
USBG-Detroit’s Bartenders New Years
@ The Ark
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50 First Jokes
Arts
Shen Yun Performing Arts
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Tuesday, 1/5
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Monday, 1/4
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Monday, 1/4
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Fri.-Sun., 1/1-3
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Detroit’s dank gourmet
Photo by Stephanie Hume
Sampling some edibles and trying our hand at making weed-infused pulled pork sandwiches by Serena Maria Daniels With Michigan making medical marijuana legal in 2008, the dispensary industry is still in its early stages. The some 150 establishments in the city of Detroit can mostly be found on Eight Mile Road, as well as Gratiot Avenue on the city’s east side. Many of them are marked by no more than a green cross, the classic telltale sign that medicine, albeit alternative medicine, is being practiced there. Others are more elaborate in their décor. One outlet on Gratiot, for example, looks like it used to be a Coney Island or Taco Bell. Painted bright green, it’s pretty apparent now that procuring cheesy gordita crunches is not the aim there, though
once you’re finished with the gram of whatever you’ve purchased, you may want to be on the hunt for one later. Just before Christmas, we made a last-minute shopping run at one such establishment, called Dank Godz. It sits in a small strip mall, next to an LA Insurance on Gratiot. When you walk up to the poorly numbered place, its windows tinted black, you’ll be greeted by one of several burly security guards who will ask who you’re looking for. We tell the guard, “Shorty,” the name of the proprietor. We wait a few moments while he checks in with the boss (note: Don’t ask for Shorty unless you know him and he’s expecting you. Instead,
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be prepared to display your medical marijuana card for entry). Walking in could easily transport any stoner to their first days of smoking, when one was invited to that sketchy, older kid’s house, whose basement was transformed into his own personal stoner’s lair. Everything reeks of weed. If you’re not used to it, it may take you aback momentarily. But instead of coming from an old hand-me-down couch that’s regularly getting bong water spilled on it, or from your BFF who’s toking away in a corner from a handcrafted apple pipe, the aroma is coming straight from the merchandise. And unlike your old slacker friend’s
place, the ambiance (once you get past security) is welcoming and fun, with splashy murals of emojis adorning the walls and a staff eager to share their knowledge with customers. We could easily detail the numerous strains of kush or indica that can be acquired here, but we’re going straight to what stood out most: the edibles. As is common in most dispensaries, edibles are the veritable icing on the cake in the medical marijuana game. Designed, in part, to appeal to those whose ailments call for a dosage of THC but who cannot tolerate the overpowering smoke that fills the lungs, edibles come in a variety textures and
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E at flavors. Looking for something fruity? Go for a highly potent gummy or rock candy. How about a bit of dessert? The “cannabutter”-infused cereal bars may do the trick. If salty snacks are your thing, take home a bag of weed Doritos-style corn chips or Cheetos-inspired cheesy doodles, in both regular or flaming hot. Or perhaps you’d rather sip your weed instead, in which case take home a batch of handcrafted “koolaid” that comes in a large mason jar. We wanted to get a robust experience and tried a number of goodies. Let’s just say that these snacks really are meant for nibbling. Highly potent, the edibles found at Dank Godz range from 45 milligrams of THC per serving to 150. To put that into perspective, if you were to smoke a gram of cannabis, that’s the equivalent of about 300 milligrams of THC. If consumed too quickly, you may end up with a bad trip, and really, how therapeutic is that anyway? We started off by sampling the Trix-flavored cereal bar (they come in a variety of kid cereal flavors). Instead of using melted marshmallow as the cohesive, the treat was held together with cannabutter, a sticky, creamy substance that leaves that unmistakable aftertaste of cannabis in your mouth. We ate about a quarter of it and were already feeling iree. We took our time with the gummy, which at 150 milligrams per serving, seemed to have the THC sprinkled on top. Think of it like Gummy Cokes, with a little spice. We also sampled a Neapolitan-style chocolate bar. Divided like a Hershey’s, we only needed one small rectangle piece to get the desired effect. The weed chips… wow, we really can’t get over how much they taste like the real Frito Lays, right down to the orangish glow left on your fingers that commands you to lick ’em clean. But enough with the kiddie-style snackage. What really grabbed our attention was the marijuana-infused barbeque sauce. It came in small vials, amounting to 150 milligrams of THC per bottle. We took two and informed Shorty we would be making pulled pork with it. We asked if he had any recommendations for cooking with edibles. He had none, telling us he prefers smoking, the old-fashioned way. With 300 milligrams of the stuff in our hands, we headed to Eastern Market to purchase four pounds of pork butt. We opted for a sweeter rub of brown sugar, cinnamon, chili powder,
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feature cumin, and salt for the pork, since the sauce itself is on the sweeter side. We added thinly sliced onion and garlic, a cup of chicken stock, and tossed it all in a Crock-Pot for six hours. The result was a classic, tender pulled pork, perfect for sliders. We topped ours off with McClure’s relish, giving a vinegary balance and a bit of crunch. Trouble here is that only one slider is recommended at a time, at least in the outset. Makes for an interesting catch-22. Eat it because it’s delicious. Eat it because you’re getting stoned. Just eat it slowly, maybe one per hour. We estimate that the recipe was enough for about 20 to 30 sliders. That means each serving has got about 5 to 10 milligrams of THC in it. What Shorty’s was lacking was an expert who could guide us through the ins and outs of purchasing the right goodies for our desired effect. And that perhaps speaks to the young age of Michigan’s medical marijuana industry. Prior to our visit to Dank Godz, we visited Colorado, the first state in the country to fully legalize it. At a dispensary in Aspen, we came across several highly trained staff members, who, much like sommeliers in a wine bar, were quick to recommend different treats that would produce different effects. Looking for a body high? Try the bite-sized brownies. Want a more traditional buzz that one might get from taking a toke from a joint, the gummies will do the trick. The space was decidedly brighter, doors were unlocked, and product was neatly arranged in much the same way as one would find the layout of a jewelry store. Then again, we’re not in Colorado, which has a stringent infrastructure in place to regulate the quality of the products that are sold. Dispensaries in Michigan are still viewed as seedy, frequented by folks who will seek to obtain medical marijuana cards by any means necessary so they can justify their smoking habit. With the addition of Dank Godz (which, along with Shorty, is co-owned by rapper Icewear Vezzo), that stigma is being chipped away. The duo hires young men and women in the neighborhood. And they long for the day when marijuana culture in Michigan starts to be embraced. As for us, we recommend this spot for both its charm and its excellent munchie selection — in moderation and with card in hand, of course.
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A eulogy for Gracie See Pizzeria, which closes next month by Michael Jackman Next year, Gracie See Pizzeria will close. And that strikes close to home for plenty of folks from the west side. For me, Gracie See was that restaurant, that place inextricably tied to memories of childhood — well, the good ones, anyway. I have literally been going there for my birthday since I was a small child. The restaurant was founded the year I was born. I grew up not two blocks from it. It looks every bit like it’s from another era, back when pizza was a treat, not one
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of the five food groups. Walking in from the battered blacktop parking lot into the lowslung, wood-paneled, kitsch-clogged interior, I get a hundred memories hitting me smack in the face: My dad smelling of cologne, the Pez dispensers that used to be by the cash register, the old vinyl jukebox with the corny 45 rpm version of “Happy Birthday” on it. I remember one year in the 1970s, when the waitresses were decked out in red-and-white Christmas outfits; the fringe of white fur lining their
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short skirts even got my attention as a 7-year-old. People dressed better then; heck, even my dad sometimes still wore a tie in those days. It all ends next month, on Jan. 31, and the Puleo family is offering all comers a piece of it. Everything must go. They are allowing longtime regulars to take down any photos they appear in on the half-wall over the old cashier’s station, and the kitschy decorations and black velvet paintings the old man bought out in California all those years ago are up for sale, labeled with price tags, giving the restaurant a flea market feeling, as customers walk out with the bizarre totems under their arms. Like the wallpaper of childhood, Gracie’s has a strange brew of interior decoration I’ve seen a bazillion times but seldom considered: the variously decorated drop panels in the ceiling, the print of Leighton’s “Princess and Knight,” the sculptured bas-reliefs, the ceramic cowboys and Indians, including the cigar store-sized chief in a headdress by the front door. Only when you know it will all be wiped away do you scrutinize it. Now these tchotchkes will go into basement bars and dens all over metro Detroit. Some pizza places, such as Buddy’s, have spread far and wide. Not Gracie’s. Aside from a second location on Michigan Avenue out in Inkster, the joint relied on the single Detroit location, just across the road from Dearborn, and the regular customers and neighborhood bowling teams that gathered there night after night kept it a going concern. Times have changed, and the neigh-
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Bites
borhood is now more likely to enjoy pitas instead of pizzas. Starting in February, you’ll have to trek out to the Inkster location, which lacks the lacquered-on charm of the original location, to get those pies. They always seem to be the hottest in town. You have to use the slice server to get it off the pie in one piece, and yet a half-dozen strands of cheese will have to be cut. The pies on the menu aren’t just tasty, they’re creative. I used to doubt their BLT pizza until I had a slice of that cool, crispy, crunchy delicacy. They’d even put anchovies on your pizza if you asked for it. (Although I do question the wisdom of naming a pizza “Middle East Explosion.”) Also, as a mom-andpop operation, Gracie’s never quite knuckled under to modern food service practices. They still made their own meatballs, their own sausage. That gnocci with meat sauce remains my favorite. If Gracie See had lasted just another decade, surely some hip entrepreneur would have found a way to gussy it up for a younger clientele delighted by the quirky and kitschy. That would have been terrific. Still, almost 47 years is a darn good run. Cheers to Grace and the family for all the happy memories they helped create over the years. Thanks for all the pizza, the pasta, and the waiters who call you hon’ and remembered you year after year.
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D RINK
drinkup
Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale 5.9% ABV
If you’re any kind of connoisseur of craft beer, you’ve heard of Not Your Father’s Root Beer. The alcoholic sassparilla caused quite a sensation over the summer and folks clamored to grab highly coveted six packs when the botanical beer became available in liquor stores and supermarkets. Small Town Brewery, makers of that unusual craft beverage, are at it again. This time founder and brewmaster Tim Kovac has crafted an alcoholic ginger ale that we’re currently loving. Kovac used a gruit-inspired recipe along with his proprietary technique of infusing botanicals into the brewing process to create an adults-only ginger ale that’s tasty, refreshing, and smooth. Because Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale is actually brewed with natural ingredients from the plant world like roots, herbs, spices, berries, fruits, and flowers, the flavor is unique and different from flavored malt beverages that get their taste from flavoring added after the brewing process. Sure you can sip a can of this refreshing ginger ale on its own, but it’s also an amazing mixer. Fill a copper mug with a couple shots of your favorite vodka and top it off with Not Your Father’s Ginger Ale for an extra alcoholic Moscow Mule. Pour a can into a chilled glass and top it off with a large scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for an adults-only Boston Cooler.
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M usic
Oh blue moon of West Michigan, keep on shining Greensky Bluegrass keeps a sound alive by Mike Larson It wasn’t that long ago that Paul Hoffman was gigging with a few tents in the back of the van. Tight budgets and small checks from booking agents forced his band, Greensky Bluegrass, to camp when they toured. “We’d get to a venue, maybe they would be good enough to give us dinner, then we’d play,” Hoffman, the mandolin player and vocalist, says from his home in Colorado. “Then we’d go back to whatever campsite we were staying at, grab some ground, and try to get some sleep before getting up and doing it again in another town.” The touring nights are now a little bit more comfortable for the band, which hails from Kalamazoo. They’ve traded the sleeping bags and tents for hotel rooms, which fall a little more in line with the rock-star-on-tour image. The gigs have gotten better too. When Hoffman was giving this interview, he was preparing to leave for Mexico to play at Strings & Sol, a festival at an n Derrick Thompson
all-inclusive oceanside resort. Over the past decade, Greensky Bluegrass has gone from playing halfempty bars to selling out two- and three-night stands at respectable venues. In fact, the band has a two-night run at the Royal Oak Music Theater on Dec. 30 and 31. “We dig coming to Detroit,” Hoffman says. “We just love coming back to Michigan. It’s exciting after being on the road. We love the (Royal Oak Music Theater). It’s a great venue; everything sounds amazing there.” Banjo player Mike Bont agrees. “There is something special about playing in Michigan,” he says. “We tour all over, but the bulk of our fans are in Michigan. And Detroit is a great place for them to get together. It’s always fun to play in Detroit.” The band was formed in 2000 in West Michigan, and Hoffman says the area and the state will always hold a special place in the hearts of all five members. But the New Year’s Eve show will be a little different for the
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band, as four of the members are now living in Colorado (Bont, who lives with his wife in Kalamazoo, is the only member who still resides in the Mitten). “It’s a strange feeling,” Hoffman says. “Michigan will always be home, even though I’m not living there right now, if that makes any sense.” Since planting roots in Kalamazoo and playing shows at Bell’s Brewery and the State Theater, Greensky Bluegrass has seen a rise in popularity that hasn’t happened rapidly, but has still garnered a number of faithful and loyal fans. The band’s biggest fan group on Facebook, called Greensky Bluegrass Friends and Family, boasts over 6,000 fans, many of whom follow the band around the country. “That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day,” Hoffman says about the fans. “We’d still be playing music, but we’d be playing for ourselves in a basement somewhere. “And that would be OK. But with-
out our fans who love and embrace the music, we’d just be jamming by ourselves. I like playing for (the fans) a lot more.” Bont agrees. “You could find a lot worse jobs to do,” he says. “Our fans are amazing. We love playing for them and they seem to enjoy seeing us play, so it’s a win-win.” Hoffman says the band’s rise to semi-popularity is kind of surreal, given that the music they play is rarely heard on any mainstream radio station. “You know, we haven’t really spent a lot of time dwelling on it,” he says. “We just kept playing, and playing. Traveling, meeting new people, and making friends. And then one day we wake up and we’re playing at Red Rocks (Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo.).” It’s somewhat of an enigma that in an era of one-and-done pop songs and a thriving urban and dance scene, the kind of music Greensky plays would be able to get a foothold and even get to the ears of a captive audience. De-
M spite the group’s name, they don’t play bluegrass music, rather, they play music that is a conglomeration of different genres. “It’s acoustic jams with bluegrass influence and rock influence,” Hoffman says. “There’s folk, there’s some jammin’. There’s a lot going on at any given time. It’s good music backed by real, relatable lyrics.” So how has a hodgepodge of musical styles played by an all acoustic lineup gotten so popular? “We rock the F out,” Hoffman says. “I really think that’s the big reason we have kind of become a draw. We have fun, and I think this kind of music is contagious. It’s kind of the opposite of what makes EDM popular. People love it because it’s highly produced. We are the complete opposite. “You look some of the bands over the last few years, like the Avett Brothers and the Lumineers — they got popular because they play a stripped down, acoustic, lyrically driven style of music. And they’ve had a lot of success with that. I think we are kind of following in that vein.” Bont says the band’s popularity might be even more simply explained. “People love the spontaneity,” he says. “The way we play, you could show up one night and hear a distinct sound then come back the next night and hear something completely different. With us, you are never going to hear the same song played the same way. Ever.” Despite being able to bend genres and play unscripted, high-energy shows, it hasn’t been easy to get noticed. Today’s musical landscape requires new acts to bring a solid catalog to the table. If they don’t, they are liable to get be drowned out by the next YouTube up-and-comer. “We never went in to this business to become huge stars,” Hoffman says. “We never knew we’d be popular in any sense. You know, pop music is pop music. We aren’t ever going to be Taylor Swift or Adele or Bieber. We’ll never be big like that. But we’ve carved a little place for ourselves, and it’s working out. We wanted to do string jams with meaningful lyrics, and I’m proud of the music we’re putting out. “The way (music) is heard now is different. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. If you’ve got an Internet connection, you can listen to any performance from just about any band. So, you can either let that pressure smash you, knowing that you have to be perfect every time you step onstage, or you can kind of laugh at it, go out and play, and know the people who want to hear you will take it for what it’s worth.” Bont prefers the band’s slow burn
feature to prominence, over an explosion into superstardom. “I just think things happened the way they were supposed to,” he says. Bont says the band’s big break came in 2006, when it won the band contest at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. “That was a turning point,” he says. “Winning an award really gave us some confidence, you know? It made us say, ‘Well, we won a contest, maybe we’re doing something right.’” From there, the band adopted a touring schedule that put them on the road 200-plus days a year. That was 10 years ago and they haven’t really slowed down. The band took a break in 2014 to record their fifth and best studio album, If Sorrows Swim. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard bluegrass chart and featured some of the best songwriting of Hoffman’s career. And then they continued touring. They played Michigan’s Hoxeyville Music Festival in August, along with other gigs on the summer festival circuit. Their next tour starts with these shows in Detroit and will see the band play 26 shows through the end of February. “It’s still fun,” Hoffman says of touring. “Traveling still feels good. It is what it is. When it stops being fun, that’s probably when we’ll stop doing it. Until then, we’ll probably have a full touring schedule.” Bont even says that at this point it doesn’t even seem like touring. “You know, we’ve been doing this for a long time, and we’ve made a lot of friends on the road,” he says. “So, for me, a couple of times a year I get to get on the road and go see all my friends in different places. Plus I get to play music when I’m doing it.” Greensky Bluegrass, which also includes Anders Beck, Dave Bruzza, and Mike Devol, will continue to tour and tour, picking up fans wherever they go. But new music is coming. Last month, Hoffman let slip in an interview that the band was preparing to record a new album. When asked about it now, though, he is tight-lipped. “We are in the early stages,” he says. “Early, early stages. That’s all I want to say right now.” Greensky Bluegrass will perform with Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 at Royal Oak Music Theater. Doors at 7 p.m.; 318 W. Fourth Street, Royal Oak; royaloakmusictheatre. com; Tickets are $30, 2-day passes available for $59.
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feature and how to get the attention of bored music writers by showing that they have a sense of humor. You wouldn’t believe how rare a sense of humor is in musicians. Anyway, Captwolf took part in our “15 Best New Bands” feature and we’re happy to report none other than Complex described the online mixtape as “808s & Space Invaders — a woozy and wonderful jam session, a mix of dorm room dirges and karaoke gusto. “
The best of the year
Our list of the top 15 albums by Detroit artists by Mike McGonigal
First off, there are a ton of great records not on this list, from the sleek and fantastic sounds on Alexander Manier’s American Manier to the thrillingly updated Americana noir of the Whiskey Charmers’ debut. Additionally, a slew of cool releases (among them Duane the Brand New Dog’s CD-R, Shigeto’s Intermission, and Jamaican Queens’ Bored and Lazy) were ineligible because they’re EPs, rather than albums. A great list of not-on-this-list records would be twice the length of this list. All this is a testament to how much exceptional music the Detroit area has produced, and continues to produce, in these strange times. There is no “Detroit sound.” Detroit music is in transition. And while there might not be much in the way of overarching sounds and musical movements, this place is filled with amazingly talented people. There are two lists this year, one of hip-hop tracks, and the following list of albums which skew toward pop, rock, folk, and experimental music. Our hip-hop expert, the poet and photographer Kahn Santori Davison, is in love with what’s happening in the city right now. I am too!
But more than anything, this is a heavy Detroit record that will sound at least as good as it does now in 20 years’ time.
1. Wolf Eyes, I Am a Problem: Mind in Pieces (Third Man) What a heartbreakingly excellent, heavily textured, total jam this record is. I expected they’d toss off at least some measure of a “fuck you” to garage rockers on their debut for Third Man. Instead, the trio went to serious emotional depths and brought out this fully realized longplayer that might have the legs of your favorite classic LPs by the likes of Marvin Gaye, the Stooges, or Otis Johnson. It gets brutal-sounding in points. How could it not — this is Wolf Eyes, the band Henry Rollins is scared of (and loves)? A few songs even approach the outsider squall of Royal Trux’s masterpiece Twin Infinitives.
2. Tunde Olaniran, Transgressor (Quite Scientific) Speaking of rich and emotionally complex experiments, here’s the debut album from a man who sings and raps and make various arty worlds collide in the best way. Flint-based Olaniran is an activist and very strong performer, and the album got rave reviews around the world. I was thinking, “Oh this is as close as we’ll ever get to the perfect gene-spliced pop bon vivant who’s got the talents of Prince and Bjork,” but Pitchfork compared him to the Dirty Projectors combined with Kanye West, and that’s both more correct and also more terrifying. It’s hard to believe this is anyone’s debut album — every song is an anthem, and each of them seem to demand Broadway plays be written about each number. Olaniran’s only fault seems to be that he is trying to say too many things at once, here. But that might not be too much of a problem.
n Derrick Thompson
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3. Arch Mystics, Colors in the Water (self-released) Stunningly beautiful music created by Samantha Linn and Matt Thibodeau, Colors in the Water was labored over for years and released to no acclaim from anyone at all on bandcamp in October. This needs to see a physical release, perhaps from a small label like Three Lobed or Feeding Tube. It’s some secret fairytale elves cavorting type mystical folk rock shit, with jazzy samba beats here and there. It has hidden musical barbs, impeccable arrangements, and strong lyrics — everything that makes an album from 40 years ago get reissued today in gorgeous gatefold sleeves and 150 gram vinyl. So why not pay it heed when it’s here and now and new? Perhaps the sound might be a bit “clean” for some psychedelic rangers, but those folks just need to open their ears to the bright, digital present. After all, that’s Detroit’s very own McKinley Jackson on arrangements. Man, this is good. 4. Protomartyr, The Agent Intellect (Hardly Art) Now that everyone loves Protomartyr and the band seems to have become so popular they might as well be talking to Terry Gross for an hour tomorrow, what is one to do with their most commercial-sounding third release? What else to do but turn that thing up and dance around the fire in a postpunk apocalyptic party, of course! It’s hard to resist the pogo urge when Joe Casey intones “I am the founder of myself/ And I’m never gonna lose it.” The going got weird, so the weird turned pro. 5. Captwolf, Liquor Store Pizza Party at My Crib (self-released) Genius slacker hip-hop made by six young men who clearly know what they’re doing when it comes to inventive wordplay, messed-up samples,
6. Viands, Temporal Relic (Midwich) Recorded all in one go, Temporal Relic is an improvised collaboration between David Shettler and Joel Peterson (both on keyboards), which at first sounds like a lost 1970s science fiction soundtrack. I expected this to be an entirely zoned-out dronescape, but it’s very rich — melodically, rhythmically, and in terms of its sonic palette. These oscillating and reverberating double keyboard jams are far more challenging than the average hipster synth record (which is great because hipster synth records are so 2013, anyway). Truly one of the biggest surprises of the year, one that bodes well for the new record label Midwich. 7. Beekeepers, Beekeepers II (self-released) I wasn’t sure if I’d liked this, the Beekeepers’ second LP, the first time I heard it. But I had to immediately go back to the turntable to flip it over and see what it sounded like. After listening a few times, I was sure I liked it, but could hardly tell you what it sounds like. Each song is different, and nearly all of it is awesome and intentionally skewed. There are a few duds, but whatever, I never said this is Corky’s Debt to His Father. This band is so good, they just might be the indiepunk-whtever reincarnation of (early) Soft Machine. 8. Daniel Kroha, Angels Watching
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31
NEW YEAR'S EVE BASH
THE MEGA 80'S THIS WEEK •
SPECIAL BREW & VIEW
A NEW SHOW FOR A NEW YEAR
FEATURES
FRIDAY, JANUARY 15 • 21+ FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 THE ULTIMATE RETRO PARTY THE OIL AND WATER TOUR
THE MEGA 80'S
DOORS OPEN AT 8PM • FILM STARTS AT 9PM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30 SATURDAY, JANUARY 2
SPIKE & MIKE'S SICK & TWISTED FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION
• UPCOMING
LEE DEWYZE & WAKEY WAKEY
ALSO PLAYING JAN 22 & 30 THURSDAY, MARCH 10
SATURDAY, JANUARY 16
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
PERFORMING WHO'S NEXT
LIVETALES THEOFWHO CREAM WITH
LADIES & GENTLEMEN TOUR
SATURDAY, MARCH 12 THE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE
BRUCE IN SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 THE USA
MARCH 13 ROCKABILLY LEGEND SUNDAY, THE DIGITAL VEIN TOUR
DAVID COOK ROBERT GORDON BONES MAKI & THE TREBLE-AIRES TONY LUCCA WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
WITH
COMING SOON FRIDAY, JANUARY 8 ANTI-FREEZE BLUES FESTIVAL BENEFIT FOR THE DETROIT BLUES SOCIETY
EDDYTHORNETTA CLEARWATER DAVIS WITH
RJ SPANGLER'S NOLA BAND & ERICH GOEBEL
SATURDAY, JANUARY 9
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
LAKE STREET DIVE AT THE ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATRE
RAYLAND BAXTER
THURSDAY, MARCH 17
BAG RAIDERS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 PLASTIC PLATES
WITH MARGARET GLASPY
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF TOUR
WITH
R.CITY THE RAGBIRDS
ANTI-FREEZE BLUES FESTIVAL BENEFIT FOR THE DETROIT BLUES SOCIETY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13 VAN HALENTINE'S DAY
BOB MARGOLIN PANAMA WITH KENNY PARKER FEAT. JIM MCCARTY VAN HALEN TRIBUTE
TOSHA OWENS & CHRIS CANAS BAND
THE MAGIC BAG & AEG LIVE PRESENT
WITH THE BEGGARS
FRIDAY, MARCH 25 ALBUM RELEASE PARTY WITH
APPLESEED COLLECTIVE
FRIDAY, APRIL 8 WORLD'S GREATEST STONES TRIBUTE
SATISFACTION FOLLOW US
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M Over Me (Hardly Art) Finally, the Gories/Doll Rod/OG garage kingpin delivered a truly solo album. And this is all stripped-down gutbucket early roots music, delivered in a manner that’s deeply personal and free of bullshit. It’s referential, sure, but not too reverential. You just don’t hear people sing folk music in these styles much anymore. He hasn’t quite achieved that massive tonal flatness that, say, Bascom Lamar Lunsford had, but I’m also not sure any of us want him to. 9. Will Sessions, Mix Takes 3 and 4 (Fat Beats) And here we come to the big confession/ apology part of this list. I should have written about this record when it was released. It’s not like Doug Coombe didn’t hep me to it! This record brings massive funk and several old-timers (including Dennis Coffey on an absolute tear) into the mix. It’s big, vibrant, brassy and you can instantly see why this hybrid jazz/soul/hip-hop crew has been one of Detroit’s most active bands for many years, now. 10. Fred Thomas, All Are Saved
feature (Polyvinyl) Confessional, lovely folk-pop music from the man best known as the leader of the great indie-pop act Saturday Looks Good to Me (and the secret weapon in the control room for dozens of area bands). Thomas’ lyrics are so strong you want to call them “literate,” but then you remember how awful all those schmndie bands who also get called that are, so you don’t even mention it. Since releasing this album, Thomas has gotten married and moved to Canada, where hopefully he’s busy crafting more personal and heartfelt gems along these lines. 11. Timmy’s Organism, Heartless Heathens (Third Man) We all know that Timmy’s Organism perform blistering, raw, impossibly fun, balls-to-the-wall space truckin’ glampunk just the way God intended it. We accept no substitutes. Timmy’s Third Man record is unimpeachably excellent, from start to finish. Is he playing the Super Bowl halftime show, yet? 12. Sick Llama, Head Transplant vol. 3 (Fag Tapes) Michigan’s noise scene remains surpris-
46 Dec. 30, 2015-Jan. 5, 2016 | metrotimes.com
ingly eclectic and alive, and part of that is definitely thanks to former Tyvek founder Heath Moerland’s Fag Tapes. His solo project Sick Llama is consistently gnarly and inventive, and the Head Transplant series are each frighteningly strong.
13. Moonwalks, Lunar Phases (Manimal) Just one year ago this good-looking bunch was a buzz band playing Hamtramck bars on Tuesday nights, and now they are close to headlining good-sized venues in Brooklyn, New York. This pro-sounding, Jim Diamond-produced, glammy effort shows why. They’re already
a far better moody psychedelic rockband than the Brian Jonestown Massacre ever were, so huzzah. 14. Warren Michael Defever, Sunship (Northern Ashram) The guy behind His Name Is Alive has dabbled in experimental jazz, drone, and synth-based sounds for decades. But you had to be a superfan (or live in Detroit) to know this. His contribution to the gorgeous Northern Ashram series of cassette tapes is a bit overbaked, but in the best way (especially the second half of the first side). 15. Casual Sweetheart, Always/ Never (Cold Slither) So great that they got such great sounding recordings, finally! Guitar lines and vocal melodies coil together before going out into the forest to hunt for prey. The Casual Sweetheart tape is so good, you’ll have to ration yourself a few listens per week, or else you might burn out. This might be one of the best recombinant garage-punk acts since Grass Widow or La Luz.
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n MAHD
Top 10 Detroit tracks The year in hip-hop by Kahn Santori Davison We asked our favorite Detroit hip-hop scribe for his top local tracks from the year. Each of these is easily heard via Soundcloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube. Happy listening!
1. MAHD
“Got Damn” The lyrical tale of how a love interest can turn into baby mamma drama is super relatable for many people.
2. Supa Emcee
“The Here After” A Jim Morrison sample plus a Purgethemed music video is dope a thousand times over.
3. Djkage
“Song of Victory” Valid, Ron D., Negus Arubis, and Mic Phelps spitting over some Earth, Wind, and Fire horns is a can’t-lose.
4. DJBooth
“Crushin, featuring Chavis Chandler and Sheefy McFly” Sheefy lyrically destroys an S.O.S. Band sample while Chavis sings the hook. A straight bounce Detroit track.
0 6 0 4 1 6 9 ) 3 1 3 ( CALL 50 Dec. Dec. 30, 30, 2015-Jan. 2015-Jan. 5, 5, 2016 2016 || metrotimes.com metrotimes.com 50
The original was already dope, but the murder mitten mix featuring Dusty McFly, Pierre Anthony, and Neisha Ne’Shae is just as good.
7. Nolan the Ninja
“elation” 2015 saw the emergence of break beats and well-crafted instrumentals. This was one of the best.
8. Boldy James
“Toast to the Kings” Very cocky, a little trap but super lyrical and only for those who are about that life.
9. Guilty Simpson
“The D” You never get enough big axle anthems and this was one this year’s best.
10. Phat Kat
5. Captwolf
“Rededication” Bars, bars, bars are on display for one of Detroit’s most notable vets. (Somebody needs to get him in the studio with Pharoahe Monch).
6. Valid
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“freshtyle” Crazy eclectic and extremely dope song from the most unique band of emcees to emerge this year.
“New Nasty (remix)”
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m a i M
PATIO ON OUR S E IR F N O B NIGHTLY
Thursday, deCember 31sT NeW years eve Open Til 4am The Old miami dance parTy dj’s, FOOd, champagne TOasT gOOd Ol’ FashiOned Fun 10Pm/ doors @ 9Pm Friday, January 1sT HaPPy NeW year Blue cOllar genTlemen 10Pm/ doors @ 9Pm see BluecOllar genTlemen FaceBOOk page FOr Full lineup saTurday, january 2nd Blackmail BrickTOwn sTaTiOn rOxOlydian 10Pm/ doors @ 9Pm sunday, january 3rd BlOOdy mary Bar nOOn TO 4pm sunday, january 3rd a HoPPy NeW year The Old adage mOm Barley Ben sTaleTs BarelyOn 9Pm/ doors @ 8Pm
THURSDAY, DEC. 31
THIRST WAVE NEW YEAR’S EVE
DJS PLEASURE KITTEN, ELEKTROSONIK AND AARON HINGST
9 P.M.-4 A.M. - CHEAP COVER - MIDNIGHT TOAST FREE APPETIZERS AND PARTY FAVORS
mOnday, january 5Th Free Pool - all day nO cOver
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SATURDAY, JAN. 2
INDUSTRIAL IS NOT DEAD
BY D FOOD E R E T A C s ERVING h n s O n NOW S ejO
INDUSTRIAL/EBM/COLD WAVE/HARSH ELEKTRO 9 P.M. DOORS, NO COVER BEFORE 10 P.M. -----------------------------------------------------------------------
THURSDAY, JAN. 7
enOrm
RAY & LAURA’S
COMEDY SHOWCASE WITH SETH ADDISON, ESTHER NEVAREZ ALEX BOZINOVIC AND SPECIAL GUEST DAVE LANDAU! 8 P.M. DOORS, 9 P.M. SHOW
DE TROIT LID OFF. with the
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FRIDAY, JAN. 8
BLACKMAIL
WITH ROXOLYDIAN, TENT AND JAWZ -----------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING:
Homemade Bloody marys! oPeN early oN sUNdays!
JAN. 29: MIKE LESLIE BAND FEB. 6: WHITE LIGHT HEAT FEST FEB. 9: PACZKI DAY! FEB. 14: BLACK HEARTS BALL MARCH 4-5: HAMTRAMCK MUSIC FESTIVAL
Free WIFI
FaceBook: THeoldmIamI call Us For BookINg! 313-831-3830
The Old Miami
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3930 Cass • Cass Corridor • 313-831-3830
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Livewire
This week’s suggested musical events By MT Staff
Tues., 12/29-Sat., 1-2 Mittenfest X @ Bona Sera
Mittenfest, formerly S’mittenfest (which formerly was called Ypsituckyfest, or whatever) is now 10 years old, and going hella strong. We never use the word “hella,” but had to trot it out here, just for Mittenfest. So many of the best area bands are playing this massive, five-day fest, which is a benefit for 826michigan. It brings together a diverse selection of our finest in indie jams — folk, pop, rock, and punk are all here, often mixed with heady doses of experimentation. Best Exes, Human Skull, Dear Darkness, the Drinkard Sisters, Minihorse, Bonny Doon, Growwing Pains, and Stef Chura, wow. You will have a new favorite band if you hang out at this thing long enough. Our vote for festival sleeper is the super-grunge narcolepsy of Stef Chura. Check the full lineup at mittenfest.org/lineup.
Starts at 8:30 p.m.; 200 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; mittenfest.org; $10 per night, 21 and over.
Friday, 12/31
Friday, 12/31
Friday, 12/31
Friday, 12/31
Christian Martin
Haute to Death
DSO NYE Bash
Jazzy New Year’s Eve
@ Grasshopper Underground
@ Elizabeth Theater at Park Bar
@ Max M. Fisher Music Center
@ Trenton Village Theatre
Dirtybird resident and co-founder Christian Martin is something of a favorite around these parts, so a set to close out the year by the DJ is quite a treat. He’s set to headline this New Year’s Eve gig and he’ll be accompanied by Doug English and Ross Regs with an opening set by Jay Biggs. If you’re looking to dance your ass off as 2015 ends, this is the party for you. No champagne toast at midnight necessary.
Detroit’s self-styled “most glamorous and hedonistic dance party,” Haute to Death (aka DJs Jon Dones and Ash Nowak) returns. This time, they’re bringing Flint Eastwood, who will perform her new dance EP, Small Victories. The event will have a complimentary coat check, a photobooth, and late night hors d’oeuvres. We’re told there will also be balloons.
Ring in the new year with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy an evening of classics with music director Leonard Slatkin, timeless R&B Soul hits from principal pops conductor Jeff Tyzik and American Idol finalist Michael Lynche. The DSO requests black-tie apparel for this televised extravaganza on Detroit Public Television. When the clock strikes midnight, guests are invited to sing along with a full orchestral performance of “Auld Lang Syne,” complete with champagne toast.
The award-winning jazz flutist and Canadian radio host returns to the stage with his band Alexander Zonjic and Friends. Swiss pianist and composer Alex Bugnon joins the bill. The evening also features a midnight champagne toast, gourmet desserts and coffee, door prizes, and photo opportunities with the artists.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 22757 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-298-0330; thegrasshopperunderground.com; tickets start at $10; 21 and older only.
Starts at 9 p.m.; 2040 Park Ave, Detroit; 313-962-2933; tickets available at buy.smplfd.com; $17; 21 and over only.
52 Dec. 30, 2015-Jan. 5, 2016 | metrotimes.com
Concert begins at 10 p.m.; Detroit; 313-576-5111; DSO.org; Concert only tickets begin at $40. Multiple packages for dinner – VIP experience range from $150-$500.
Doors at 9:30 p.m.; 2447 W. Jefferson Ave., Trenton; 313-9645050; zonjic.com; $50.
Friday, 12/31 Stacey Pullen @ TV Lounge
Enjoy the last bit of 2015 with a four-hour extended set from Pullen, in his first show in Detroit at TV Lounge. Four hours of Pullen — you better be here if you are remotely anything of a house head. Also starring Al Ester, Bruce Bailey, Chuck Flask, Dan Bain & Adia, Delano Smith, Loren, Mister Joshooa, Norm Talley, Pontchartrain, and Phil Tha Mixx. Lineup lasts until 4 a.m. Dress to dance and bring cash for the bar.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; 2548 Grand River Ave., Detroit; paxahau.com; tickets are $20 in advance; 21 and up only.
Friday, 12/31
Friday, 12/31
Sunday, 1/3
Tuesday, 1/5
Thirst Wave NYE
Electric Six @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
Underground Hip-Hop Detroit Awards
Mega Bog, Shells
@ Small’s
@ Lo & Behold!
@ Saint Andrew’s Hall
New wave, retro alternative, and dark ’80s and ’90s alternative will be spinning all night at Small’s as their signature Thirst Wave party takes on the theme of New Year’s Eve. Snag free noisemakers, party hats, and beads at the door and hit the bar for cheap drinks. There will be a complimentary appetizer buffet all evening long, and come midnight you can toast with champagne, or PBR if you’re not into the bubbly.
Doors open at 9 p.m.; smallsbardetroit.com; cover is $5 for 21 and older before 10 p.m.; $8 after 10 p.m., $8 20 and younger.
In 2003, Detroit’s Electric Six took the world by storm with the smash success of Fire, bolstered by oddball instantclassics like “Danger! High Voltage” and “Gay Bar.” Since then, the band has released a constant output of new music, regardless of whether the mainstream press has been paying attention. The New Year’s Eve show promises the best of both worlds: Frontman Dick Valentine and Co. will play one set of Fire in its entirety, and another of their greatest hits. Local rockers MPV open.
Doors at 9 p.m.; 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; 313-961-8961; saintandrewsdetroit.com; $20; 18 and older only.
Another stellar lineup brought to you by the Seraphine Collective, this time at the cozy and excellent Lo & Behold. The super spaced-out act Mega Bog, a fourpiece from Seattle, is expertly named. Stef Chura lays it on thick and heavy in her second area appearance this week, while Shells rocks a supreme set of amplified solo meditation. The Bell Isles make a rare appearance and go on first, so be sure to arrive on time.
Big Dawg Blast from WJLB hosts the second annual Underground Hip-Hop Awards, an all-ages show with dozens of live appearances by the area’s best, plus over 20 awards in categories such as best male and female artist, best video, best producer, best album, and song. As a part of this award weekend, there will also be a music conference and “preparty showcase” held on Saturday, Jan 2. Don’t forget the afterparty, too (in Ferndale at the Grasshopper, where Seven the General, Black Lion Society, JP One, and Shahidah will perform live).
Doors at 9 p.m.; 10022 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck; $5.
Starts at 5 p.m.; 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; 313-961-8961; saintandrewsdetroit.com; tickets are $10 in advance, $20 at the door.
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feature
n Patrons check out the Wasserman Projects, a new gallery in Detroit’s Eastern Market.
Detroit art city? 2015 was a pivotal year in Detroit’s art scene by Lee DeVito The arts scene in Detroit has hit a turning point. For decades, the city seemed stuck with a reputation of being a post-industrial cultural wasteland. But in recent years, Detroit seems to have achieved a certain hip factor in the art world at large. Of course, the Motor City wasn’t actually a cultural wasteland. In fact, what could be considered the city’s worst years proved to be a fertile ground for developing entire artistic movements, from the “tribes
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of the Cass Corridor” to techno music. But despite its legacy of creativity, Detroit has struggled to get the coasts to take it seriously. Not anymore. Now, it seems the art world is coming to us. Witness the rise of endless trend pieces by the likes of The New York Times, repeatedly touting the story of Detroit as a haven for artists. Witness the stir caused by Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Galapagos Art Space, when it announced that it was moving to Detroit in search of cheaper rent.
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A rts Perhaps the turning point occurred in 2010, when rocker Patti Smith famously declared that New York City had “closed itself off” to the young and the struggling and suggested artists find a new city — like Detroit. It wasn’t long before “#MovetoDetroit” graffiti started appearing, and real estate developers put up billboards pointing to Detroit, “Just west of Bushwick.” Perhaps Detroit’s art scene is as it’s always been, and it’s just the art world’s attitudes about it that have shifted. This shift is perhaps no more palpable than in 2015. Most recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Detroit as a “city of design” as part of its Creative Cities Network, an initiative of 69 cities “to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development.” Detroit was the first U.S. city to obtain such a designation, joining the likes of locales like Singapore and Budapest. The designation was lobbied by the Detroit Creative Corridor, which has promoted Detroit’s art and design industries, in part, by coordinating the Detroit Design Festival each year. In 2015, the festival upped its offerings, adding an Industry Days conference that featured design professionals from cities like Toronto, Montreal, Geneva, and more. And beyond the festival, the DC3 launched the Creative Co., a network that aims to unite Michigan’s often overlooked creative industry workers. Another sign of Detroit’s international appeal came when two galleries previously based in Detroit’s posh Birmingham suburb decided the time was right to move their operations south of Eight Mile. The David Klein Gallery celebrated 25 years by opening a downtown branch, while the Wasserman Projects, first opened in 2013, relocated to the Eastern Market. “For years people would ask you where you’re from and you’d say, ‘Detroit’ and they would say, ‘Why?’” the Wasserman Projects owner Gary Wasserman told us in September.” Today, they ask where you’re from and you say, ‘Detroit,’ you become the center of attention.” Also in 2015, homegrown art aficionados 1xRUN staged the first-ever Murals in the Market festival, which brought dozens of street artists from around the world to bring new life to Detroit’s Eastern Market district by creating more than 45 murals. “The energy and the positive vibes
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feature and spirit of this thing from this has been one of the most beautiful experiences in my life,” 1xRUN’s Jesse Cory told us in September. “[The artists] have been so happy. They all want to be in Detroit, they all want to have a piece of Detroit. These guys are like, ‘How can we do more in Detroit? How can we now transfer this energy to our community?’ So now we’re creating cross-continent connections to Detroit through art.” It wasn’t the first time the group brought in street artists to Detroit. In May, the group teamed up with Mexico City’s Fifty24MX to bring Mexican and Mexican-American artists to paint murals throughout Southwest Detroit. Perhaps the biggest artist to be invited to paint in Detroit this year was Shepard Fairey, the notorious artist known for his signature “Obey Giant” tags as well as for his mainstream success, like in designing the 2008 “Hope” poster used as part of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Fairey was brought to paint a mural on Dan Gilbert’s One Woodward building — his largest mural to date. However, the story changed when a warrant was issued for Fairey’s arrest for allegedly tagging his “Obey Giant” tags around town. The artist turned himself in, and over the summer 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King ruled that Fairey will proceed to trial on counts of malicious destruction of property — charges that carry a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years. Fairey’s is an extreme, high-profile example, but one that begs the question: Is Detroit actually welcome to artists? The charges against Fairey follow Mayor Mike Duggan’s crackdown on street art late last year, which resulted in the issuing of thousands of dollars of fines — some even going to artists who had permission from building owners to paint murals on them. With Detroit in the middle of a flurry of investment and development — the likes of which haven’t been seen in years — the city is attempting to change its reputation. Yet for many artists, the appeal of Detroit has been a degree of lawlessness — the freedom to have a cheap studio, to repurpose a post-industrial space. Navigating this balance will be crucial for Detroit in further establishing its identity as an art city in 2016.
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by Dan Savage
Other dicks, other doms Q
I am a 30-year-old straight man and I’ve been with a 28-year-old bisexual woman for a year. Early in our relationship, after much discussion, we established that it would be open. I would have the liberty to see other women and so would she. We just had to be safe and always keep each other informed. The key was that she agreed to see only other women. I was uncomfortable with the idea of her being with another man, and she went along with it. Fast-forward a few months, and she told me that she had drunkenly kissed a male co-worker. Hearing her say that hurt me. However, since then she has explained to me that the rule that she can be only with women is unfair because she’s bisexual and she’s attracted to both men and women. I can see whomever I might find attractive, but she has to limit herself. After much soul-searching, I came around to her point of view and she now has the option to see men too. My question: How do I deal with the jealousy and emotions that will come up when she does kiss another man? Or does even more with another man? We love each other, and I think it’s important to note that while we have both been on dates with other people, neither of us has had sex with someone else yet. —Having Emotional Reaction Means Asking Nervously
A
“Hard Truth No. 1: Renegotiating is crucial to the survival of all long-term relationships — even more so in unconventional, custom-designed relationships where there’s no established template,” said Christopher Ryan, author of Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships. “And while I don’t see any unfairness in HERMAN’s girlfriend wanting to have the same freedom he has (to see whomever she wants), if he agreed to the open relationship on the condition that she ‘see only other women,’ then renegotiating is going to be difficult.” Your description of that particular limitation — only other women — as “key” to opening up your relationship, HERMAN, left Ryan feeling less than optimistic. “Hard Truth No. 2: It’s a time-wasting mistake to negotiate non-negotiables,” said Ryan. “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be willing to learn and grow by trying new things. But our first task is to ‘know thyself’ and take it from there. For example, if you’re certain you want or don’t want kids, then that shouldn’t be open to negotiation just because you met someone you like (or love) whose dreams go the other way.” Assuming you’re willing to renegotiate, HERMAN, where do you start?
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savagelove
“Perhaps the question of why he’s more bothered by her being with men than women,” said Ryan. “Maybe he could ask her to set up a three-way with a man they both like so he can face the dragon, so to speak. See if the flip side of his fear isn’t that he’s actually turned on by the thought of her with other men. Lots to explore, once he’s certain he wants to explore it. But, again, if this is a non-negotiable — if this really isn’t something HERMAN wants, despite his desire to be fair — it might be better to end the relationship than to attempt to be someone he’s not or agree to something he’ll never be at peace with.” Follow Christopher Ryan on Twitter @ ChrisRyanPhD, and check out his podcast (Tangentially Speaking), videos, and swag at ChrisRyanPhD.com.
Q
What are your thoughts on two Doms sharing one sub? The scene I envision includes the domination of the other Dom. Do some Doms enjoy the submission to another Dom while also enjoying dominating the sub? It’s probably best to put it into the context of my fantasy. I tie my sub to a chair or tie her down and then send a Snapchat to her other Dom. I invite the other Dom to come over and have his way with her. I would then leave, but they must stop immediately when I return, no matter where they are. The other Dom must then leave, and I do what I want from that point. Is this something I should talk with the other Dom about beforehand or should I just do it and see what happens? I’ve talked to my sub, and she is really into that scene, but she doesn’t know how her other Dom would feel about it. —Dominate Other Man
A
Sharing a sub could strike me as a great/hot idea, DOM, but my feelings are irrelevant — the scene isn’t going to work if the other Dom thinks the idea is terrible/lame. That said, I don’t see any harm in waiting until your sub is tied down to propose this scene — lay out the details out in advance on Snapchat, not once he’s in the room, so he’ll be free to take a pass if the scene doesn’t appeal to him. But by waiting, you run the risk of discovering, after it’s all set up, after you’ve sent the Snapchat, that her other Dom loves the idea but is out of town/watching the GOP debate/sitting shivah/whatever. Read the full column on metrotimes.com.
C mail@savagelove.net L@fakedansavage
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C ulture ARIES (March 21-April 20): You can’t wait for things to move one way or another. As the force of fate waves its hand over your reality, you have everything invested in a situation that is about to meet its climax. At times like this there is not a whole lot one can do. It’s like you’ve turned in your exam and it’s too late to change any of the answers you’ve given. As the wheel of karma traces your actions and holds them up against what’s true, you can’t do much but show up and remain mindful of the ways in which the law of attraction can sometimes backfire and draw to us the very thing that we resist.
horoscopes by Cal Garrison LEO (July 21-Aug. 20): You never dreamed you would wind up doing this. Reflecting back on how one thing has led to another, you wish you had been taking notes. Nothing we do has anything to do with the way we think things are supposed to go. Sifting through the wreckage the deeper part of you is always aiming to understand it. Those closest to you can be relied upon to be there as they have in the past. You’ve given your all to a situation that is about to be blessed with possibilities that will give you more room to breathe than you’ve had in a long time. Be open to changes for the better. VIRGO (Aug. 21-Sept. 20): You’ve
TAURUS
(April 21-May 20): So
much rides on the way you handle this. Thank god you know what you’re doing. And even if you don’t, as long as you stay in the moment and don’t cave in to what other people and their agendas require, you will be fine. There is a huge amount of beneficial energy propping up your plans. With this wind in your sails, don’t let your ego blow you out of the water. At times like this the only danger is letting greed and the idea that more is better get in the way. Don’t ignore this stroke of luck that will bring rewards to those of you who have actually done your homework. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You didn’t come here to live a simple or trivial life. This idea has been swimming around in your head long enough for you to be ready for a change. And it looks like you’re right on top of a big one. I can’t tell you how it’s going to turn out, but I can tell you that it’s safe to let yourself go and allow something to transform what has gotten too small. You may not be as sure as you would like to be about going for it. If there are a million reasons for this, I totally understand but it’s time to trade your security trips in for a life that vibrates at a much higher frequency. CANCER
(June 21-July 20): You’ve
got all kinds of stuff going on. So much of it appears to be coming from other people, you spend a lot of time wishing you could change them. As you tiptoe around trying to smooth things over, doing your best to make it all OK, you’re beginning to realize a few things. Waking up to the idea that it’s not your job to be a vending machine for whatever people want or need has slammed you up against a brick wall. Now that you’re here, you see that you, and your own needs are a total mystery. Figuring out what’s up with that will make it easier to move on from here.
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gotten to the bottom of more stuff than you’ve had to process in ages. This level of introspection requires guts. Now that you’ve run that gauntlet the sense that something has changed is real, but it’s too new for you to actually see where things are. Don’t get too analytical. You know that certain things are true. Keep your heart to the wheel and remain as real as you can when it comes to people. Putting too much stock in anyone invites disappointment. Love everyone enough to let them show you who they are. Loan your trust to those who are true. LIBRA (Sept. 21-Oct. 20): To try to
put you in a nutshell feels like an exercise in futility this week. You could be scaling the heights of ecstasy or moving in a totally opposite direction. The lesson seems to be about extremes teaching you that the only way to stay sane is to try to find some sense of balance within the reconciliation of opposites. In plain English, all this means is you’re going up and down, moving between fear and faith, or confronting things you never thought you’d have to know about yourself. Welcome to the land of transformation. Do your best to stay grounded. SCORPIO (Oct. 21-Nov. 20): If it isn’t one thing it’s another. You are no stranger to chaos. What’s great about this stretch of craziness is — it isn’t anything you haven’t seen before. In and around a few weeks of interference the long-term picture is looking better than ever. For some reason whoever’s in charge is happy with the way you do things, and your spirits are higher than they’ve been in a while. Thankfully you’re never one to let false confidence get the best of you. If you stay true to yourself and the task at hand, the good faith you create will rain blessings down on you and the ones you love.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 21-Dec. 20):
Don’t overdramatize this and don’t apply your need for certainty to people who are totally up in the air about everything. Hello!? How can you possibly expect them to live up to your expectations when they can’t even live up to their own? Ask yourself what it is that causes you to lay down the law when you know inside that you don’t have that right? Tightening up on other people when it’s obvious that they need plenty of room won’t do anything for you, or them. Loosen up and trust them enough to draw their own boundaries. They will love you for it. CAPRICORN (Dec. 21-Jan. 20): You
wish you felt stronger about your next move. As much as the signs suggest that you’re heading down the right road, your gut isn’t half as enthusiastic about it. You have reasons to doubt your decision making skills that date back to the first time you ever misjudged yourself. Don’t get hung up on what used to be. What’s going on now is there to show you that you just might have learned something. If that is the case then what happens next could turn out to be a blind date with your wildest dreams, and enough freedom and support to start all over again. AQUARIUS (Jan. 21-Feb. 20): Now
that the big stuff appears to be under control, you’re looking at the reality of your situation with a clearer sense of what’s going on. Nothing is perfect, and you aren’t totally in touch with how to proceed, but you know what to avoid and you’re also in touch with the fact that others have their own row to hoe. Paying less attention to their stuff has shown you how much of yours is still open to question. For the next few weeks you have a chance to make a little hay and get ready for the next round of craziness; that’s right folks — there’s more insanity on the road ahead. (Feb. 21-March 20): Your mind has been blown about too many things; you don’t know what to make of it. With a lot of new ideas and possibilities on your plate, many of you are too busy to reflect upon what needs the most attention. Health issues lie at the center of things for many of you. News that relates to things that showed up on the screen two weeks ago will be positive enough to make you feel safe about moving forward. Outside of that there are questions that involve how far you are willing to go on behalf of others. The rule of thumb is, go as far as you can for those who meet you halfway.
PISCES
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