Feedback NEWS & VIEWS
Steve Neavling’s ranking of Detroit-style pizzas sure generated a lot of responses!
Loui’s in Hazel park ��� —@pat.bateman_, Instagram
We went to Loui’s yesterday based on this article. It was good, but certainly not amazing. Was pretty let down honestly —@andrewkdrums, Instagram
Pizza Papalis should be much higher up this list.
—@saleem999.bsky.social, BlueSky
Good stuff. Had some trouble making one myself but that was more a ‘when I need brick cheese, suddenly nobody
sells it’ thing.
—@kerthulu75.bsky.social, Bluesky
This list is just wow and so off base. You have jets way too high. Buddy’s should be #2 or #3 and you just doing this survey for mom and pops okay. Fine. Say that. And Sicily’s should be closer to the top.
—@dpe6971177, Instagram
@corattispizzeria better than all of them —@stone.steve7 Instagram
Proud to be the originator and in the company of these fine folks who continue to put Detroit-style pizza on the map.
—Buddy’s Pizza, Facebook
Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com
NEWS & VIEWS
Nessel booed at Democratic Convention
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel was met with boos and chants of “Drop the charges” at the Michigan Democratic Party Convention in Detroit on Saturday as pro-Palestinian party members protested her prosecution of activists at the University of Michigan.
The tense moment occurred during the Sixth Congressional District meeting at the Renaissance Center, where U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell introduced Nessel to the room. While many in the crowd cheered, other Democratic Party members erupted in jeers, chanting for about a minute as Dingell struggled to regain control.
The demonstration was in response to Nessel’s decision in September to file misdemeanor and felony charges against 12 activists following proPalestinian protests on the University of Michigan campus. The protesters, including students and alumni, had set up an encampment and demanded the university divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit had declined to pursue most charges against the activists, but Nessel stepped in at the request of university officials. Members of the U-M Board of Regents, who pushed for harsher penalties, had also contributed to Nessel’s campaigns, according to a Guardian investigation.
The ACLU of Michigan criticized Nessel for what it called an “excessive” response to the protests and also sued the University of Michigan for banning protesters from campus.
Kristine Abouzahr, a Democratic Party member from Ann Arbor who jeered Nessel, called the clash “a powerful moment for those of us who have been supporting the young people and advocating for the charges to be dropped.”
“We were happy to be there and join in when the opportunity to call her out presented itself,” Abouzahr said. “And our message got across loud and clear, very loud and clear.”
Sammie Lewis, one of the eight activists slapped with felonies, called Nessel’s charges “baseless, racist, and politically motivated.”
“I am heartened that those who protested at the MDP recognize this as well, and that the fight for divestment and for Palestinian liberation continues onward,” Lewis said. “It is within our first amendment right to protest, but it is our responsibility to oppose genocide. As defendants we maintain our innocence, as we are truly on the right side of history and we will not stop fighting until we are victorious and Palestine is free.”
In September, Nessel defended the charges, arguing that while free speech
and assembly are protected, protesters must be held accountable when they violate the law.
“Conviction in your ideals is not an excuse for violations of the law,” Nessel said. “A campus should not be lawless; what is a crime anywhere else in the city remains a crime on university property.”
Following the confrontation, Nessel “stormed out of the room, her face flushed,” according to witness Mo Torres.
As Nessel left, a Palestinian American woman approached the attorney general.
“Do you know how many people have been killed, Dana Nessel?” the woman asked Nessel. “Why do you choose to prosecute people who are trying to stop a genocide? Do you have a heart? Do you have a soul?”
Nessel did not respond and left the venue surrounded by aides and what appeared to be security personnel.
Asked for a comment on the clash, Nessel’s office referred Metro Times to the attorney general’s campaign. We are still awaiting a response.
The protest at the convention reflects growing tensions within the Michigan Democratic Party over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war. Michigan is home to the largest Arab American populations
in the country and has seen a surge in pro-Palestinian activism in the past year, with demonstrators calling for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Israel’s attacks in Gaza have killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians since October. 7, 2023.
The TAHRIR Coalition, which has been advocating for charges to be dropped, applauded the actions of Democratic Party members at the convention and renewed its call for Nessel to end what it described as a “politically motivated crusade” against pro-Palestinian activists.
“If the Michigan Democratic Party and Representative Dingell truly want to save democracy, they must demand Nessel and the U-M Board of Regents stop using Trump-like tactics of persecuting political enemies, criminalizing protest, and dismantling due process,” the coalition said in a statement.
Nessel, the first Jewish person elected as Michigan’s attorney general, has faced criticism from progressives and civil rights advocates who argue that her actions could set a dangerous precedent for prosecuting peaceful protests.
During the convention, former state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. was named chair of the party.
—Steve Neavling
Attorney General Dana Nessel in 2019.
CONNER FLECKS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
Ferndale teen’s murder unsolved because witnesses won’t talk
Four teenagers know who killed 15-year-old Tyler Johnson in a Southfield hotel room in February 2024.
Two of them tried to flee the Westin Southfield Detroit hotel when police arrived, and one was detained for possessing two handguns, including one that was used in the shooting.
But a little more than a year later, no charges have been filed, and the death remains a mystery.
After Metro Times published a story about Johnson’s mother Tomika Alexander criticizing detectives for failing to gather enough evidence for charges, Southfield police held a news conference to tell their side of the story last Wednesday.
“We have four witnesses to this senseless crime, and at this time, none of them have come forward to give us an understanding of what transpired,” Southfield Police Chief Elvin V. Barren said. “We have physical evidence; we have circumstantial evidence. What we need is an eyewitness so we can bring these things together.”
At this time, the investigation is “in a stalled state,” Barren said.
Police initially detained the teen who tried to flee and was in possession of two handguns, but he was let go because detectives don’t know who pulled the trigger and what prompted the shooting.
“We have an idea who did it. Absolutely,” Barren said. “To move this case forward there are four people who witnessed this. I need at least one of the four to have the courage to come forward and give us the information that we need.”
During the early part of the investigation, police received a search warrant to comb through the teens’ cell phones but found no hard evidence.
“What we did discover is multiple photos of the teens at the hotel, some of which were handling weapons,” Barren said.
Barren expressed sympathy for Johnson’s mother and said he reached out to her before the press conference, but he hadn’t heard back.
“This is very difficult for the mother,” Barren said. “She wants
answers. Anything short of answers, she’s going to get angry about, and understandably.”
Barren emphasized that police are not giving up on the case.
“We’re going to continue to do things ethically,” Barren said. “We’re going to plead to these kids and their parents” to talk.
—Steve Neavling
Tyler Johnson.
COURTESY PHOTO
Burglars ransack Pingree Detroit, steal $5,000 worth of product
Thieves broke into Pingree Detroit’s workshop earlier this month, stealing about $5,000 worth of fine leather goods, petty cash, laptops, space heaters, gift and gas cards, and even a signed Pistons jersey gifted to the business for its work with U.S. military veterans.
Surveillance video captured the two crooks as they rifled through a room in the workshop at 15707 Livernois on the city’s west side for about 20 minutes. The video also picked up their voices.
Jarret Schlaff, CEO, the co-founder and co-owner of Pingree Detroit, says he hopes the video leads to the men’s capture.
“They took a lot of stuff,” Schlaff tells Metro Times. “It hurts because of the inventory we lost and the laptops that we use for work that were stolen. This is a slow season for us. We work really hard to ramp up.”
The theft hit Pingree Detroit especially hard because it’s a workerowned cooperative that reinvests in its team, sharing 77% of its profits with employees, who include veterans. Pingree Detroit also teaches skilled trades to Detroiters and veterans.
“It’s a big loss,” Schlaff says. “We’re in a bit of shock.”
Pingree Detroit has been turning discarded leather from the auto industry into handcrafted shoes, bags, and accessories since 2015. Its name was inspired by former Detroit mayor and Michigan governor Hazen Pingree, who also ran a successful shoe company.
Pingree Detroit is a popular vendor
at the Rust Belt in Ferndale and the Eastern Market in Detroit.
Among the items stolen was a signed Pistons jersey given to Pingree Detroit during a “Veterans on Hoops for Troops Evening,” an event designed to honor and celebrate military veterans. Video shows one of the thieves holding up the jersey to see if it fits.
Numerous purses were also taken, including a one-of-a-kind handbag.
“They cleaned us out of a lot of the bags we made,” Schlaff says.
The thieves also smashed in the workshop’s thermostats.
One suspect wore a dark coat over a lighter sweatshirt, and his face was covered by a dark mask. The other was a bearded man with a checkered jacket and a backpack.
The video shows the two men casually going through drawers and cabinets as they talk with each other.
Schlaff says the company planned to beef up security and reinforce the door.
Apple to launch manufacturing academy in Detroit
Apple plans to open a manufacturing academy in Detroit later this year, bringing new job training opportunities to a city that has long struggled with poverty and high unemployment.
The move is part of Apple’s $500 billion initiative aimed at expanding high-tech manufacturing and workforce development over the next four years.
The Apple Manufacturing Academy in Detroit will provide free in-person and online classes designed to help small and medium-sized businesses integrate artificial intelligence and smart manufacturing techniques, according to the company’s announcement Monday. Apple engineers, along with experts from Michigan State University and other top institutions, will
offer training in project management, manufacturing process optimization, and supply chain efficiency.
“We are bullish on the future of American innovation, and we’re proud to build on our long-standing U.S. investments with this $500 billion commitment to our country’s future,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement. “From doubling our Advanced Manufacturing Fund, to building advanced technology in Texas, we’re thrilled to expand our support for American manufacturing. And we’ll keep working with people and companies across this country to help write an extraordinary new chapter in the history of American innovation.”
The exact location of the academy has not been announced yet.
Apple’s plans build on the com-
pany’s existing presence in Detroit. In 2021, the tech giant launched its first U.S.-based Apple Developer Academy in the city, helping more than 1,000 students gain skills for careers in the iOS app economy.
By establishing the academy in Detroit, the company aims to provide local workers and businesses with tools to modernize operations and compete in a rapidly changing industry.
The program comes at a critical time for the city, where manufacturing job loss and automation have displaced countless workers in recent decades.
More details on enrollment and course offerings at the academy are expected in the coming months.
Earlier this month Apple announced that one of its popular retail stores is “coming soon” to downtown Detroit.
In the meantime, Schalff is urging people to continue supporting Pingree Detroit. The staff could also use laptops that are in good condition, Schalff says.
“We’ll be saving up for those,” Schalff says. “We’re going to keep moving forward.”
Anyone who knows the identities of the thieves is asked to call Detroit police at 313-267-4600 and reference the case number #250217-0119.
—Steve Neavling
The broader $500 billion commitment will also fund initiatives such as a new advanced manufacturing facility in Houston to support Apple’s AI-driven products and the expansion of Apple’s Advanced Manufacturing Fund, which provides resources for U.S.-based production and innovation.
The company said the investment will contribute to direct employment, supplier partnerships in all 50 states, and research in fields like silicon engineering.
Apple estimates that it already supports 2.9 million jobs nationwide, including through its supply chain and developer economy. The company has also paid more than $75 billion in U.S. taxes over the past five years, including $19 billion in 2024.
—Steve Neavling
Two thieves were caught on video breaking into Pingree Detroit.
COURTESY OF PINGREE DETROIT
THE BARFLY AWARDS ARE THIS WEEKEND! CAST YOUR BALLOT BY THIS FRIDAY 2/28!
DRINK SPECIALS BEFORE & AFTER WINGS GAMES!
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Thurs 2/27
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Fri 2/28
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3/01 4th ANNUAL BARFLY AWARDS
3/07 Cinecyde/Zotz/The Subsets
3/08 DIVAS vs DIVAS (monthly dance party)
3/13
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NEWS & VIEWS
Lapointe
This tournament was about more than just hockey
By Joe Lapointe
If you enjoyed the unexpected intrigue of the 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament this month, get ready for a double dose of more international sports drama next year.
With the Winter Olympics in Italy and the World Cup soccer tournament ending in the United States, the overlap of global sports and politics in 2026 could be exciting — and maybe dangerous.
We got a glimpse of what could come when Canada won the hockey tournament on Thursday with a 3-2, suddendeath overtime victory over the United States. Despite the belligerence of the Americans, the winning goal was scored by Connor McDavid of Richmond Hill, Ontario, and the Edmonton Oilers.
The games — held first in Montreal, then in Boston — turned into that rare occasion in modern sports: An event that proved far greater than its hype, a combination of high-level athleticism and gut-level patriotism that stirred the tribal passions of the two North American nations.
You knew it in the preliminary-round game between Canada and the U.S. in Montreal when the “Star-Spangled Banner” was bilingually booed. Moments later, the American Tkachuk brothers — Matthew and Brady — picked unprovoked fist fights in the first few seconds with Canadian foes.
The brawling looked like a scene with the Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot, a hockey film from the 1970s about minor-league hockey during the Stanley Cup era of the Philadelphia Flyers, then known as the Broad Street Bullies.
Joining the Tkachuks in both the pre-planning and the punching was teammate J.T. Miller. Perhaps inspired by fisticuffs, the Americans won a 3-1 victory that drew the attention of President Donald Trump, who sparked animosity by taunting Canada about tariffs and maybe even a hostile takeover.
On the day of the final in Boston, Trump tried to pump up the Yank troops with a pep talk on a speaker phone in their dressing room. His press spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, said “We look forward to the United States beating our soon-to-be 51st State.”
That night, right before faceoff in the TD Garden, there came another anthem incident. First, Boston fans booed “O Canada.” Next, singer Chantel Kreviazuk of Winnipeg changed a line in the Canadian national anthem from “in all of us command” to “that only us command.”
In an interview with The Canadian Press, she said she changed the lyrics in response to Trump’s bullying of Canada.
“I was singing for our pride, for our honour, our sovereignty, our history — the good and the bad — and the future,” Kreviazuk said. She is a Canadian of Ukrainian, Scottish, and First Nation Cree descent. Her nationalism and patriotism reveal subtle cultural differences between the two nations.
While the U.S. established itself with a war of revolution against England, Canada remained part of the British Empire and only gradually drew away, peacefully. Some of its original citizens were former Americans who remained loyal to the crown.
Now that Trump has portrayed himself as a kind of king, he projects imperial aims that threaten our two centuries of harmony with our closest neighbor by threatening to absorb it. Those of us who grew up in border towns like Detroit cringe at this destructive impulse, despite the edge it gives to hockey.
How might Trump’s jingoism or other international events play out in the Winter Games and World Cup soccer on a bigger stage with multiple nations involved? History gives hints. In 1936, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany hosted the Olympics and put a shiny, positive spin for global visitors on a totalitarian regime.
In 1968 in Mexico City, Tommie Smith and John Carlos of the United States raised the clenched fists of Black Power on the medal stand. This came less than two weeks after hundreds of protesting students were massacred in the streets by government troops.
In 1972, at the Summer Games in Munich, Palestinian terrorists attacked Israelis in the Olympic Village and murdered 11 of them. In the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, a bomb in a nearby park killed one person and injured 100.
But international sports strife is not always violent. In 1980, the United States boycotted the Summer Games in Moscow after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. That led to a reciprocal Soviet boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics by the Soviets and 14 of their allies in 1984.
The first boycott came mere months after the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, when the U.S. defeated the Soviets and later won the Olympic gold medal at Lake Placid. That victory blended hockey and patriotism as never before in the U.S. It came only eight years after Canada defeated the Soviet Union in the Summit Series of 1972.
Although Canada prevailed in that two-team showdown back in ’72, the level of Russian talent stunned a North American hockey world that had assumed Canadian superiority. Now, less than half of the NHL players are from Canada, but its citizens still revere hockey in a way no team sport grips the U.S.
For years, the Soviets played the big, bad bear in international sports. This time around, Russia is banned from Olympic hockey, although that could change. For World Cup soccer, Russia is out because it invaded Ukraine.
In that they no longer can wear the black hat in global sports, who might now? Perhaps it’s Uncle Sam, especially in light of how Trump is scrambling international alliances by abandoning allies and making nice with rivals.
Although the U.S. is hosting the
prime matches of World Cup’s conclusion, some games will be in Canada and Mexico. In that Trump also has been bullying Mexico, you can add Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara to Vancouver and Toronto as cities where anti-American sentiment might be expressed.
Or maybe changes in the global political winds will gust into demonstrations or protests at the U.S. sites of New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, and Seattle.
The 4 Nations hockey tournament replaced the All-Star game this season, promoted next year’s Olympics, and far exceeded expectations. It included Finland and Sweden. All teams were stocked with top National Hockey League talent, although hockey nations like Russia, Czechia, Germany, and Austria weren’t included.
Canada wore red and the U.S. wore blue, prominent colors in their flags. Neither wore the white of truce or surrender. As symbolic national combat, team sports provoke passions that sometimes tip over the top.
Justin Trudeau — Canada’s prime minister called “governor” by Trump — posted “You can’t take our country and you can’t take our game.” In the coming months, let’s cross our fingers and hope that any international animosity starts with the waving of flags and stops with the booing of national anthems.
Will Uncle Sam now wear the black hat in international sports? AP PHOTO/CHARLES KRUPA
More than 250 local artists to add to your
playlists
By the Detroit music scene
Wow! When we put out a call for local artists to send us their music, we had no idea what kind of response it would get. Nearly 300 of you sent us your tracks, ranging from rap, rock, techno, country, and more genres than we could even imagine. Rather than sort through it all, we figured we’d just give the artists the spotlight and let them describe themselves in their own words. Without further ado…
—Lee DeVito
#CoOwnaz
Portrait of a Prince (hip-hop)
Key track: “Breeze of Darkness”
“A sculpture garden of earthly delights. A flaky conglomerate of wuthering heights.”
3 the Hardway
Hwuah (proto punk)
Key track: “cost of living”
“Back to the basics proto punk with influence from ’90s female grunge bands.”
42itous
Unknown Forevers (alternative rap/ rock)
Key track: “1989”
“I write/perform/produce everything, and my songs are inspired by the genrebreaking music of the 1990s.”
800cc
eight hundred cubic centimeters (art, indie, psych)
Key track: “color of water”
“Kevin Kline’s latest project 800cc is an exploration of texture, art, and emotion that looks ahead, behind and all around.”
904Matcha
Planet Matcha (industrial rap)
Key track: “Demure”
“Straight vibes and ragers. Get in touch with your feelings and really feel the music!”
92euce
“32” (hip-hop, rap)
Key track: “32” “All in my head.”
A Modern Armada
Retaliation is Newtonian (rock, punk)
Key track: “Annihilation”
“Throwback to ’90s rock. Guitar-driven rock with catchy verses and soaring choruses.”
Abuse Repression
Abuse Repression (screamo, hardcore, anti-fascist black metal)
Key track: “This Actually Is My First Rodeo”
“Emotionally rich and soul-baring screamo with black metal and noise influences.”
ACID WHIPLASH
2 Tired 2 Sleep (psychedelic rock)
Key track: “WONDERLAND FALLS” (feat. Covier)
“Solo project from b1gh4nk of Don’t Wait
Until Tomorrow. Genre-bending raw production clouding personal lyrics make 2
Tired 2 Sleep a three- part trip in and out rock, folk, trip hop, soul, and jazz.”
ADMN and Oliver Dollar
“Before You” feat. Apropos (house)
Key track: “Before You” feat. Apropos
“If you tried to put ADMN’s body of work into a box, you’d be hard pressed. If you’d like a peek behind the proverbial veil, just close your eyes and imagine this fantastical concoction: a nearly all-original production peppered with creations from his own label, that results in what can only be described as minimal ghetto sludge.”
Adrian George
“Favorite” (R&B, hip-hop)
Key track: “Favorite” feat. Finessa B and “Purple Flowers & Rain”
“Adrian George is an artist who creates music in the alternative space of R&B and pop. While his music could be ‘radio friendly,’ his songs are hidden gems.”
Airjob and BG_______
A Priori (jazz, hip-hop, loops)
Key track: “the seeds glow”
“Dream like memories.”
Aisha Ellis
Luck or Favor (hip-hop, jazz, instrumental)
Key track: “In Order”
“Aisha Ellis is a dynamic and versatile drummer/percussionist whose music blends influences from jazz, soul, and hip-hop. With a foundation built from studying with Motown’s Ernie Rodgers, she brings a unique perspective to Detroit’s vibrant music scene. She is
Big Life.
deeply rooted in Detroit’s music scene and dedicated to empowering women in music.”
All Over The Shop
Every Ounce Of Energy (hard rock)
Key track: “Anutha Night”
“Stripped-down rock trio carries on the spirit of 1987, mixing the brevity and warmth of the Replacements with the anthemic guitar swagger of the Cult.”
Already Legends
Smooth Water River (hip-hop, jazz)
Key track: “Talm Bout”
“Over the course of several full-length solo and group projects, ALE has established themselves as an underground supergroup with a distinct sound and vision — synthesizing Detroit’s modern street flows and rhythms with the jazzy, soulful instrumentation and imagery.”
Andrés Soto
“Above Thinking” feat. Eric Bressler (indie folk)
Key track: “Above Thinking”
“Andrés Soto is an Ann Arbor-based solo musician who creates experimental music that draws inspiration from genres such as electronic, indie, jazz, salsa, R&B, folk, and many others. His music includes both lyrical and instrumental tracks, and it explores some of the many possibilities of sound while venturing beyond typical genre boundaries.”
Angel Of Mars
“Devlin” (sludge, doom, goth)
Key track: “Devlin”
“Strong, Rich, female fronted vocals paired with sonorous riffs driven by titanic rhythms.”
Angela Davis
Alexander Goss Presents Angela Davis
Vol. 1” (R&B)
Key track: “Night Breeze”
“My music blends rich, soulful vocals with heartfelt storytelling, creating an R&B sound that’s both timeless and deeply personal. Each song is a journey through love, growth, and life’s emotions, delivered with passion and authenticity.”
Anna Toma
“I Break Everything I Touch” (electronic, drum and bass)
Key track: “Siren Song”
“I aim to make highly melodic and tightly rhythmic synthesized ear candy.”
ANNEX VOID
Will I Dream (progressive metal)
Key track: “Past Future Illusion”
“ANNEX VOID, hailing from Detroit, is a boundary-pushing progressive metal band, blending harmonic sophistication, intricate grooves, and raw intensity. ANNEX VOID weaves an audacious tapestry of sound that defies musical constructs.”
Anthony Lucido
“Sober Weekends” (R&B, pop)
Key track: “Sober Weekends”
“Nostalgia, dreamy, and refreshing, it’s music coming from a flow state.”
Arct1c
Metamorphosis (electronic, techno)
Key track: “Grow Your Wings (Take My Time)”
“Arct1c is an ambient, electronic instrumental music artist who can be put simply as, ‘No vocals, just synths.’”
Ari B
“Long Way” (R&B)
Key track: “Long Way” “Solo artist.”
Ari Quesada
The Bee Room Sessions: Ari Quesada & Jordan Blanchard (folk)
Key track: “Whole Lotta”
“Feel good folk artist with a background in Detroit rock. OSHA-certified with a great smile.”
Arrogant Assassin
The First (rap beats)
Key track: “Yakuza Turf War” “Ninja rap.”
ARTIFICIAL AGENT
Pop Culture Disruptor (rock, metal)
Key track: “Pop Culture Disruptor” “Intense, colorful and dramatic, disciples of rock ’n’ roll.”
Asaka The Renegade
“NO BBL” (hip-hop)
Key track: “NO BBL” “Solo artist.”
ATACAMA
Tenebrous Lux (lo-fi indie rock)
Key track: “Diseases in the headhole” “Fuzzed out and confidently its own thing.”
AZARIAH
“She Got That Thang” (R&B)
Key track: “She Got That Thang” “Sensual.”
Babies R Stupid
“Steal From Self-Scan” (synth punk)
Key track: “Steal From Self-Scan” “Anti capitalist synth punk.”
Bccording
Possessions for Dolby Atmos (electronic)
Key track: “ToastTab”
“Working primarily in the medium of sound, Bccording’s practice focuses on intersections of technological microculture and (in)tangible experience. Through a realm that melds folk sensibilities with a performance art-minded approach, the artist aims to unearth a method which can reject the popular music landscape while continuing to engage with its hallmark traits — doing so in hopes of achieving peak emotional intensity.”
Bee Tyler
“the single.” (pop)
Key track: “the single.”
“Dance club music you can hook up to. Fantasies, freedom are my vision.”
Bèga
“It’s Gonna Be Okay” (roots soul)
Key track: “It’s Gonna Be Okay”
“Bèga was grown on Motown, classic rock, and soul which comes to life through the love and dedication of some of Detroit’s fantastic local players. The
Danny VanZandt: “We’re trying to split the difference between David Berman and Jimmy Buffet.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Big Mess.
Coffin Jockeys.
hope is to spread love and connection through a fresh look at nostalgic sounds.”
Beletrie
Fictionation (progressive rock, eclectic rock)
Key track: “Attempting”
“Beletrie is a blending of ’60s psychedelic surf, ’70s progressive, and ’80s new wave sound.”
“The music is primarily instrumental soundscape with occasional vocal passages inspired by dystopian literature, and has been featured on several WDET 101.9 FM music shows since releasing our debut EP, Fictionation.”
Ben Gallardo
Rough Drafts (indie rock)
Key track: “January”
“Mostly unfinished music made in the bedroom of some guy without enough time on his hands while he was completing his undergrad and starting full-time work.”
Better Unsaid
Better Unsaid (pop)
Key track: “Waist Down”
“High energy pop/rock band that can move a crowd on their feet or weep in their seat.”
Big Life
If You Like Bad Ideas, It’s a Very Exciting Time (hardcore)
Key track: ”Bad Ideas”
“Melodic hardcore punk from the suburbs... If Hüsker Dü was from D.C.”
Big Mess
...from Sheldon Hall to Wonderland Mall (dirty pop)
Key track: “‘I am loved’ by The Losers”
“One father/son duo and three brothers from Livonia. First release in over a decade, still havin’ fun.”
Big WestXide
“Realism” (rap)
Key track: “Realism” “Different and energetic.”
Biig Juan
“Got One” (rap)
Key track: “Got One”
“Biig Juan is a Detroit-based independent rap artist blending raw lyricism with high-energy beats, creating music that captures both the grind and the glory of his journey. With a DIY approach to recording, filming, and performing, he’s building his brand from the ground up, delivering authentic storytelling and club-ready anthems.”
billy winters
billy winters (smooth water jazz)
Key track: “soul samples on stanton” “smooth soulful music with a little bop in it.”
Blaktony
QLine EP (deep house, jazzy house, Detroit house)
Key track: “Eastern Market (shed3)”
“Emotional body music for your mind as well as your feet. Romantic, deep dancefloor groove.”
Bogue
How’d You Feel About Talkin’ to Me (rock ’n’ roll)
Key track: “Congolene”
“With all the raw power of Detroit’s gritty rock legacy and a deep, intricate sound that drew from punk, soul, and heavy blues, Bogue had the guts, the swing, and the punch. It was the proverbial favorite band of your favorite band.” —Chris Handyside, Metro Times
BPMTronic
Techno Funk, Vol.2: (techno funk)
Key track: “What’s up Is Down” “BPMTronic is a techno-electronicdance music project from BPMusicDetroit. The project specializes in funky, driving beats written and produced by PapaSean.”
bRADFORd
“Don’t Take Me” (indie rock, dream pop)
Key track: “Don’t Take Me”
“bRADFORd brings music to life with vivid storytelling and feel-good vibes, crafting every song from the ground up in a little basement studio. From writing and recording to producing, it’s all about creating music that resonates and stays with you.”
Brittney B Hayden “Grand River” feat. King Kvll (soul, R&B)
Key track: “Grand River” feat. King Kvll
“A fresh, soulful vocalist with a unique ability to captivate through freestyle singing. Her voice effortlessly blends emotion and technique, leaving a lasting impression with every note.”
Bryce The Third
For Colder Weather (hip-hop, alternative)
Key tracks: “Icarus (Skyfall Serenade)” or “RE: Open Letter” “Inkster alum Bryce The Third is the kind of artist who makes you feel. What started as a kid trying to rap like his idols grew into a lifelong love for the emotions music can pull out of you. With a pen full of raw, thoughtprovoking lyrics and a sound that dances between hip-hop, soul, house, and pop, Bryce brings a depth that’s as real as it gets.”
Butch Baxter
“Detroit” (techno)
Key track: “Detroit” “Detroit Techno.”
Butterbeets
Nevastatic (instrumental hip-hop)
Key track: “Nevastatic” “butterbeets is a producer and beatmaker who specializes in the art of sampling and is inspired by the era of golden age hip-hop. If you like artists like J Dilla, Madlib, and A Tribe Called Quest, you’ll love butterbeets!”
Camo K “Message In A Bottle” 1/6/2025 (hip-hop)
Key track: “Message In A Bottle” “Different. Lyrical without swear words. Always ready for radio.”
Carbon Decoy
Superstition Plagues the Purity of All (stoner rock)
Key track: “Convince the Blind” “Heavy, Psychedelic, Rock and Roll.”
Carley Lusk
LUSK (R&B, pop, soul)
Key track: “PRAY”
“Carley Lusk is a singer-songwriter from Detroit. She touches on topics such as women empowerment, relationships, and spirituality.”
Carmel Liburdi
“The Truman Show” (indie rock)
Key track: “Hell’s Bathroom Floor”
“Carmel Liburdi’s music is conversational, fun, moving, and catchy.”
Carolyn Striho & Scott Dailey
14 Miles of Bad Road (indie pop, rock)
Key track: “Piano Moon”
“Singer/guitarist/pianist/songwriter Carolyn Striho’s poetic lyrics and haunting rock and roll folk baroque amassed over decades of captivating audiences here and overseas, join up fiery melody and exciting energy with guitarist Scott Dailey and their band.”
Cascade Riot
New Disguise (alt rock)
Key track: “Maybe Tomorrow”
“Never know what your gonna get ��” chandra
“Apricty” (alternative)
Key track: “Apricity” “Dreamy chaos.”
Chase Alan
The Art Of Letting Go (R&B, soul)
Key track: “ARCADE”
“I would best describe my music and artistry as refreshing, compelling, fun, and beautifully colored like a painting. I think there’s a lot of inspirations not just from R&B, but from pop music, folk, hip-hop, gospel — they all oddly enough blend together in a beautiful way when listening to my music.”
Chase Carter
“Feel The Vibe” (tech-house, techno)
Key track: “Feel The Vibe” “Bumping club music made for Detroit warehouses.”
Checker
WHAT’S IN THE ATTIC? (rock)
Key track: “HOT DAMN!”
“An electric duo infusing their love for stadium-level rock ballads with underground indie rock and ’90s hip-hop from their childhoods to create wall-shaking lullabies they believe will inspire the future.”
CHOFF
Tush Tunes (suburban techno)
Key track: “Left 2 Right”
“Known to many as the smile enthusiast, CHOFF is an internationally acknowledged producer, DJ, radio host, and overall musical genre assassin. His modern take on classic styles of music bring an unmatched energy at his performances and his studio productions work to package the fun into bite-size pieces for all to enjoy at their own pace.”
Chrissy Morgan
Simple Love Songs (vocal pop)
Key track: “Simple Love Song”
“The most talented all-star backing band in Detroit with a resume as long as the
Ethan Marc Band.
Ilajide.
Detroit Riverwalk fronted by a genrebending vocalist sharing her love of stage and the art of song.”
CLEEN
Excursion (heavy rock)
Key track: “A Means To an End” “Heavy/spiritual.”
Coashin
“Jibaro” (theatre music with grunge aspects)
Key track: “Jibaro”
“I would best describe my musical act as an intentional avoidance to commodification and a closeness to what is naturally reciprocal.”
Coffin Jockeys
Stay a Ghost (Halloween-themed rock ’n’ roll)
Key track: “Motor City Monster Hop”
“A rock ’n’ roll celebration of the Halloween spirit.”
Conor Lynch
Slow Country (folk rock)
Key track: “Tworailsmeet”
“Singer-songwriter raised in Northern Michigan now living in Detroit. I record most of the instruments/tracks by myself, but I also have a full band for live shows.”
Consuming Arts
anomaly (indie, jam band)
Key track: “in d minor”
“Consuming Arts is a femme-powered jam band fusing classically-trained technique with new age and experimental styles.”
Cracked & Hooked
Here For The Ride (rock ’n’ roll)
Key track: “Long Way”
“Straight up rock inspired by The Replacements, Faces, Neil Young.”
CRIM
In The Meantime (hip-hop)
Key Track: “The 11th Hour” feat. J. Santino
“One of the best acts out of Detroit right now. I’ve done more in my six months back home than some can say they’ve done in their entire music careers.”
D-Love Muzic
Detroit 2099 (techno, electronic)
Key track: “6 Mile”
“My music is a combination of Detroit’s futuristic techno-based sound, mixed with classic instrumentation and musicianship.”
Dahmer’s Breakfast
Fool Returning To His Folly (antifolk)
Key track: “Earth for Now”
“Dahmer’s performances often feature outrageous outfits and projections of homemade videos. Described by others
as ‘feel bad music,’ Dahmer’s Breakfast’s songs highlight dark and unfortunate themes, such as how the Rockefeller’s started Big Pharma, the discomfort of sharing a last name with a notorious serial killer, and other instances of selfdeprecating humor.”
Danny VanZandt
Proust in the Kitchen with the Wooden Spoon! (indie rock)
Key track: “Jessie”
“We’re trying to split the difference between David Berman and Jimmy Buffet. Fast food, surrealism, classic rock, cheap beer, knock knock jokes.”
Davis Caruso
“Mamma” (singer-songwriter)
Key track: “Smitten”
“Smooth sounds delivered by a familiar voice offering a blend of inspiration and quirkiness.”
Day Residue
i love what you’ve done with the place” (punk)
Key track: “Nod If You Know”
“Motivated by their own impatience and the unceasing global flood of bullshit.”
Deastro
“MELTING SNOW” (electronic)
Key track: “MELTING SNOW”
“Detroit DIY Electronic prog rock.”
Death Arcana
Garage Tapes: The Complete Collection (metal)
Key track: “Elysium (Instrumental Garage Demo)”
“Blending tastes together from grunge, doom, hardcore/punk, stoner, and alternative.”
Deep Bloom
“FAKE” (indie pop)
Key track: “FAKE”
“Deep Bloom is an introspective band that subtly blends a palette of indie, pop, rock, R&B, funk, jazz, and more to evoke emotions with grooves you can vibe along to.”
Demorne Warren
The Process (hip-hop, rap)
Key track: “Let Off Some Steam”
“Demorne Warren is an MC from Queens, New York, now a resident of the metro Detroit area. For his latest work, Demorne Warren collaborated with Detroit-based producers and artists to create his fourth album.”
Deo
“Cold, Cold Lake” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Cold, Cold Lake”
“Hip-hop born from the remote up north wilderness of Beaver Island, Michigan.”
Detroit Energy Asylum
Landslide Of Life: 82-22 (progressive alternative)
Key track: “Ceiling’s That Way”
“Is it rock ’n’ roll? Yes and it’s also bad-ass, sidewinding, erotic music that isn’t afraid to use a soft hand before it cracks the whip and demands attention.”
Devilbat
Creatures Of The Night (punk rock)
Key track: “Devil’s Night”
“DevilBat is a Detroit horror punk band.”
DFRNT
“In My Head” (alternative)
Key track: “Lemonade Freestyle”
“I would describe my artistic style as high energy, vibrant and bright. I combine genres to craft a different / unique sonic identity. Elements from rap that add rhythm and personality and Indie pop with catchy hooks and bright melodies.”
Dick Texas
All That Fall (rock)
Key track: “I Wanna Be Like Jesus”
“Under the Dick Texas moniker, Detroitbased vocalist, songwriter, and producer Valerie Salerno constructs a disarming aural environment that’s equal parts curious beauty and palpable danger. Themes of grief, growth, and clouded clarity come together as long-wandering experimental forays disguised at first as straightforward campfire songs, rolling uneasily along with all the dusky colors of a desert sunset. Her debut album All That Fall is beguiling, unexpected, and not quite like anything else happening right now.”
Ditch Bunnies
“Monster” (indie)
Key track: “Monster” “We like to rock the house. We like to rock the party.”
DJ COLD ROB
WORKOUT INSTRUMENTALS 2024 VOLUME 2 (hip-hop)
Key track: “Garage Cookin” “A self-taught musician who finally started in 2024 what I began to build back in 2003.”
DJ DEADPHONE
Portals. (dance, house, hip-hop, EDM, deep house, footwork)
Key track: “Alcoholics Anonymous” “Afro-futurism in my own taste.”
DJ Dremond
“Artifacts” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Rasclott” “Raw, analog, sample-based boom bap with bars and scratches.”
DJ RX-78
1979 (hip-hop)
Key track: “Star Stuff”
“A celebration of hip-hop and Nerd culture from the Detroit area.”
DJCAIT
Don’t Panic (dance, electronic, EDM)
Key track: “Happy New Year” feat. Tzayla “Influential.”
DMD
“Going With the Wind” (jazz)
Key track: “Just being me” “Modern jazz.”
DOC3131 “Golden Hour” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Golden”
“Keeping it old school but feeling brand new.”
Doce Quetzal
Fusil Contra Fusil: Vol. 2 (political hip-hop)
Key track: “Water Is (Life)”
“I’m a battle rapper, hip-hop artist, lyricist, and creator. My music tends to lean on the political side, but I still enjoy having fun with the pen.”
Double Winter
Hourglass (psychedelic rock)
Key track: “Take It From The Top”
“We are psychedelic, groovy and chill. It’s hard to choose a genre, because we’re constantly evolving and experimenting.”
DUDE
Autobiograffitti (power pop)
Key track: “Red Coat For Sale”
“Dude is steeped in the past where harmony and melody collide. Whether it be power pop, a ballad, psychedelic pop or country and western, Dude has a knack at sounding familiar but is uniquely their own music.”
Dylan Fox and the Wave
“GMF” (alternative rock)
Key track: “GMF”
“American Britpop born in San Francisco, raised on the interstate, and now living in Detroit.”
Eddie Logix
8th Street Edits - Vol. 1 (cosmic disco)
Key track: “Born With It”
“An ever-evolving collage of rhythm, texture, and melody locked in the groove and designed to make you move.”
Elspeth Tremblay & The Treatment
Iconoclastic (rock)
Key track: “Backseat”
“The new frontier of Detroit Queer rock.”
Ethan Marc / Ethan Marc Band
Lost People (alternative rock)
Key track: “Savior”
“The Ethan Marc Band blends alternative rock, indie rock, and pop elements, crafting infectious melodies with introspective lyrics and rich, atmospheric
instrumentation. Their sound is both powerful and deeply evocative, bridging modern and classic influences to create music that lingers long after the last note.”
Everything Evil
“Everything Evil/Moral Pollution” (split) (metal, hardcore, punk)
Key track: “Past Life Experience Intruding On Present Time” feat. Jeremy Goss of Moral Pollution
“Abrasive and energetic. Furious and noisy.”
Falooshh
“In my way” (alternative)
Key track: “Best Friend”
“falooshh is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in trombone and trumpet. she brings the bedroom pop vibe blended with R&B and alternative.”
Federal Dank
Fogman House of Horrors (punk)
Key track: “Emergency”
“Federal Dank is a raucous, strippeddown mix of screaming fuzzed-out bass and thundering drums with a touch of sweet soothing keyboard sounds. Songs of love and boredom grace thy listeners’ ears.”
Fetti Fuego
Impulsive Reaction (rock, hip-hop)
Key tracks: “Immortal”, “Real Men Don’t Cry”
“Raw, and emotional lyrics with aggressive screams. Something that gets the blood pumping.”
Flacko Suave
“When in Rome” (rap, pop)
Key track: “All Love”
“Exhilarating / Upbeat.”
fling ii
2 (kraturock)
Key track: “akin”
“fling ii is a shifting musical collective born out of a largely failed pursuit of maximal minimalism, and a largely successful pursuit to capture the tone, character, and ethical system of the BOSS Super Phaser PH-2. Doggedly tailing the wandering spirits of acts like Can, NEU!, and Harmonia, fling ii’s improvisational jams dabble in electronic, psychedelic, western, ambient, drone, and possibly other genres yet to be strictly typed.”
Forever Foy
“Blowing in a Lambo” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Blowing in a Lambo”
“Out the box, different, breath of fresh air to the real hip-hop heads.”
FrostIsRad
“Imaginary Friends” (rock, pop, punk)
4, 2025 |
Key track: “Imaginary Friends”
“Detroit Emo. If you take some of the early 2000s Emo bands (Fall Out Boy, PATD, Blink was a bit earlier but them too) and put them as Black kids from the Westside of Detroit you would get FrostIsRad and AV Club.”
Geranium Red
Close My Eyes (alternative rock)
Key track: “Killing Crickets”
“An alt rock, multi-instrumentalist trio from Ypsilanti, whose dynamic and emotive compositions evoke engaging performances. Eclecticism and intentional therapeutic expression drives their work and offers audiences vulnerable relatability.”
Gerber and the Babies
Gerber and the Babies (cassette) (egg punk, synth-punk)
Key tracks: “Have You Been Smoking Again?”, “My Dog is a Very Good Boy,” “Freak in the Sheets”
“Michigan’s greatest groove machine, period.”
Gino
The Pink Record (house)
Key track: “Nico’s Dream”
“This is the first record from a dance music label out of Detroit that’s been operating as a party brand for six years, originally founded at TV Lounge. It features one track from Satta Don Dada and three from Gino.”
Great Planes!
“Heavy Hollow” (post-hardcore)
Key track: “Heavy Hollow”
“Bear vs Shark meets At The Drive-In.”
Gusher
Another One In Me (rock, punk)
Key track: “Liquor Lotto Love”
“Chewy on the outside, gooey on the inside: disco doom died on the makeout ride. Pop sugar sludge leakin from the dance music chub.”
hiiiHarmony
“Carousel” (hip-hop, R&B)
Key track: “Big Love”
“The word made flesh. hiii frequency art + harmonious melodious.”
History History
“Never Ending Genocide” (doomgaze)
Key track: “No State Solution”
“Left-wing propaganda for the doom and gloom crowd. Using layered fuzzedout guitars, slowcore talk vocals, and clips from movies and television, Jason creates music to kill your landlord or boss to.”
HOMES
“Dave Sustain” (post-rock, instrumental)
“Instrumental post-rock with a midwest vibe.”
Horror Movies In The Morning
Identity Crisis (alternative metal)
Key track: “Closer To The Edge”
“An atmospheric alternative metal band who takes heavy influence from the ’90s. As a band, we work to push our genre’s limits and break through any barriers they’re put in.”
Hot Ugly
Three (indie, alternative)
Key track: “see/what/you/will”
“Metro Detroit acoustic duo in their allelectric phase.”
HuGo BiGGS
Revenge’s Suite (hip-hop, rap, alternative hip-hop)
Key track: “PALACE”
“HuGo BiGGS is the best blend of bravado, presence, lyricism, and charisma you’ll hear this year. Truly one of the Detroit music scene’s uncut gems.”
Ilajide
“BACKHAND” (funk)
Key track: “SLIDE”
“A Pocket Jams adventure set on a voyage to the past with pieces of the future.”
Indie Darling
Entertain (indie rock)
Key track: “Entertain”
“Indie Darling is the musical project of Michigan-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Luke LaBenne. His debut album Entertain is a celebration of the ‘wild, indescribable domain’ that we call life.”
Ironwood
Visions (acoustic songwriter)
Key track: “Rosa May”
“Acoustic songwriting, husband & wife duo. Celtic and American influences.”
Isis Damil
The Manifest Tour: Live (R&B, soul)
Key track: “Brick By Brick”
“Soul, jazz, R&B! Elements that touch
the spirit and inspire feelings of love!”
J Rowe / Jordan Schug
MISSANT (jazz, rock)
Key track: “The Deep Rolling: Magma”
“Connecting a bridge between jazz and progressive rock of the mid 1970s. Not standardized jazz which is more of a showcase for soloists. Our concentration is on composition whereas the listener can be involved with the piece as a whole rather than one player’s virtuosity.”
J-K
Raised By Critters and Things (spoken word, grunge)
Key track: “Walden”
“A combination of Henry Rollins spoken word, with Tom Waits-influenced backing band.”
Jakubowski
“MUSH” (alternative, electronic, rock, lala)
Key track: “Traveling to Uranus With My Earbuds on With a Side Trip to Neptune”
“Jakubowski luvs layin down tracks without thinkin too hard about genre.”
Jaye Rsvd
“Moment” (alternative, hip-hop)
Key track: “Moment”
“A familiar feeling in a modern sense.”
JayPitts
“Psych Ward” (hip-hop, rap)
Key track: “Psych Ward”
“JayPitts is a rapper and lyricist with a soulful sound. He pulls inspiration from artists like André 3000, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, Ye, and Lupe Fiasco, approaching songs with poetic positivity and lyrical poignance. In his latest record, ‘Psych Ward,’ Jay shares with his listeners his experience working in psych wards for nearly seven years, and how it greatly impacted his outlook on humanity and on himself as an artist.”
Jemmi Hazeman & The Honey Riders
“Dark Side” (indie, pop, rock, psych)
KaciTheModel.
Local Organic.
Key track: “Dark Side” “Lush sonic soundscapes pull listeners through black holes of audio: perplexing, puzzling, pretty, profound and profane.”
Jennifer Westwood and the Handsome Devils Mad Man’s World (soulful Americana)
Key tracks: “Viva Terlingua,” “How Am I Supposed to Live This Way,” “Mad Man’s World”
“Jennifer Westwood makes a loud, liberated version of American roots music. It’s a modern sound influenced by the singer’s old-school favorites, blending Stax-sized soul with gospel grit and dive-bar rock ’n’ roll; built for Rust Belt roadhouses, Texas honkytonks, and Memphis pool halls.”
Jerry Downey
Snack Tracks Vol. 2 (downtempo)
Key track: “Third Party Allowance” “Downtempo, sleazy, electronic disco with rock ’n’ roll attitude.”
Jill Opal
“You Turn Me On” (hip-hop, R&B)
Key track: “You Turn Me On” “Ambitious, creative, innovative, fun, loving, polite, patient, & loyal…”
Jo Rad Silver / Raduns
Floral Ancestors (ambient, dub, techno)
Key track: “Grass Boulevard” “Real Music from Imaginary Friends.”
Joe K
Kaminski 1/ The 4-Track Recordings (singer-songwriter, indie rock)
Key track: “Set Yourself on Fire” “A solo project with the intent to make songs in an analog recording format with the music stylings of Punk, New Wave, Indie, Singer-Songwriter, Lofi, and Power Pop.”
JonPaul Wallace, Bryan Hugo Iglesias
Footprints (pop, soul, alternative)
Key track: “Work With Me” feat. stoop lee
“This project was a collaboration between metro Detroit-based artists
JonPaul Wallace and Bryan Hugo Iglesias. This blend of styles created five tracks spanning from upbeat pop-funk to Motown R&B, to minimal dark pop, and showcases the seamless fusion of Wallace’s soulful melodies and Iglesias’s eclectic production skills.”
Judy Banker
Bona Fide (Americana, roots, altcountry)
Key track: “Bona Fide”
“The Judy Banker Band performs Judy’s
introspective songs cast in a layered, hook-driven blend of strong, innovative sonic arrangements that offer a contemporary integration of traditional blues, R&B, country, and folk featuring Judy’s signature vocals and close harmonies.”
Julian Joel
“Pull Up” (country, soul)
Key track: “Pull Up”
“Julian Joel is a Detroit-born artist who blends the soulful legacy of Motown with the heartfelt storytelling of country and soul, drawing influence from icons like Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, and Willie Jones. His music seamlessly combines country twang with soulful melodies, creating a raw, authentic sound that resonates with fans of both genres.”
KaceyTheSongbird
“I Believe in You and Me” (R&B, jazz)
Key track: “I Believe in You and Me”
“KaceyTheSongbird is a soulful singersongwriter whose music blends jazz and R&B influences. Her latest single, recorded in Detroit with two talented local jazz musicians, showcases her rich vocals and storytelling through melody.”
Kaci The Model
“Switch It Up” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Switch It Up”
“The Model is a 13-year-old multi-talented artist, rapper, model, and entrepreneur who has captivated audiences with her music, fashion, and activism. From hit singles like ‘Switch It Up’ with Sada Baby to her No Bullying Awareness assemblies and fashion lines, she is a rising star making a powerful impact in entertainment and her community.”
Kat Orlando
Mindset (R&B, pop)
Key track: “Not That Guy”
“Singer-Songwriter Sax Player, Kat channels Teena, Tina, and Candy D. in her music, backed by the best of Detroit players.”
Kind of Animal
feelin kinda real on a Saturday night (electronic, dream pop)
Key track: “look into my eyez”
“Like boards of Canada performing the songs of the Cure’s pornography.”
Kovax
Komplex (rap)
Key tracks: “Sights Set,” “Simpin’” “19 years experience Detroit Emcee with seven full-length albums. Each album offers many different styles of hip-hop on one project.”
KURAU
DETROIT PHONK 1999 (Detroit Phonk)
Key track: “TUCKED” “Dark phonky flows.”
Lauri G.
Cries of a Big Girl (R&B)
Key track: “Trophy (I’m a Woman)”
“A blend of Kem, Jill Scott, Coco Jones, and H.E.R. delivering great messages and catchy hooks, supported with funky beats that make your head bounce.”
Leaving Lifted
“Hold Me Down” (reggae)
Key track: “Take Me Back”
“A reggae/soul band bringing Jamaican music together with the soul and rock from the history of Detroit. They strive to provide positivity, and fresh art in a tumultuous time, and never lose sight of the sounds and culture that brought us here.”
Local Organic
“UR WORLD” (feel good hip-hop)
Key track: “UR WORLD”
“We’re a duo based in the heart of Detroit making sample based, feel good hip-hop inspired by J Dilla, The Roots, and A Tribe Called Quest. This is the first single we’ll be dropping as a group and it’s the title track from our EP UR WORLD which is set to release in April 2025.”
Lonely Hearts Convention
Vampire Coley (indie rock)
Key track: “I can’t get away”
“Just a dude writing songs.”
Loose Koozies
Passing Through You (country, rock, psychedelic)
Key track: “Highway’s Gone”
“Day job dreamers who sing about loving their dogs, long-forgotten townie nightlife spots, the eternal power of nature, and transcending space, time, and dimension all at once.”
Louie Lee
Future (urban cowboy, country pop rock, country rap)
Key track: “Future”
“Pushing genre bending boundaries with
country rock and hip-hop to make Country Hop and Roll.”
love labor
“Truckin’” (alternative, punk)
Key track: “Truckin’” “A release of pain.”
m. slaughter
songs of longing (singer-songwriter)
Key track: “call me”
“electroacoustic big guitar song and dance man.”
Mango Star
Totally Normal (rock, indie)
Key track: “Noisemakers”
“Five-piece fuzzy-rock synth group with an optimistic sound influenced by love, loss, trauma and influenced by ’70s pop, shoegaze, British pop, and more. Exmembers.of Silver Ghost, Von Bondies, Co-Stars, and currently recording LP 2.”
Maria Lord-Kniveton
OBOElectronics (electroacoustic contemporary classical)
Key track: “St. Margret and the Dragon” “Images inspire the majority of Maria Lord-Kniveton’s compositions as she seeks to share her experience of the places she has lived, the people she has known, and the spiritual world she inhabits. Her music weaves together a combination of concrete and abstract connections in order to leave both new and experienced listeners with an experience of their own to contemplate. [NOTE: As a classical composer, I do not perform all my own pieces. I wrote ‘St. Margaret and the Dragon,’ but Aleksandra Panasik recorded it and included it on her album featuring works by a variety of composers.]”
Masha Marjieh
Past Present Future (psych, folk)
Key track: “Medication”
“The band is a group of stoic veterans of local Detroit music who brings a Radiohead edge to the world of goth ’90s pop.”
Matthew Daher
The Wisdom to Know the Difference
CRIM.
Loose Koozies.
Volume I (experimental electronic)
Key track: “Stations Direct”
“An electroacoustic solo project exploring the limits and possibilities of control and agency on both sonic and spiritual levels. Lush, percussive, and genre-blurring compositions that draw on ambient, jazz, art-rock, freak folk, and hip-hop influences.”
MAZINGA
Chinese Democracy Manifest, Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (maximum cosmic punk)
Key track: “This Is Fine” “Loud, Fast, Cosmic, Punk, Rock ’N’ Roll, Midwest Rules!”
McKayla Prew
“#1 FAN” (country-pop)
Key track: “#1 FAN”
“Known for her pink feather cowgirl hat, McKayla started performing when she was just four years old and writing songs at ten years of age. ‘#1 FAN’ is a perfect hype song for rooting on your favorite sports team, or singer or anyone you think should be celebrated.”
Media Panic!
The Panic Begins… (punk rock)
Key tracks: “Poison Youth,” “Mad Society”
“Media Panic! Is a high-energy oldschool punk band comprised of veteran Detroit players. They play regularly in the Detroit area. Their next shows are March 14 at Corktown Tavern and March 21 at the Diesel.”
Megan Kashat
“About You” (electronic)
Key track: “Lonely” “Live electronic music.”
Mercury Harbor
Talk No Jutsu (pop, dance, alternative)
Key track: “ENERGY”
“With influences ranging from Daft Punk to Fall Out Boy to Kendrick Lamar, Mercury Harbor blends pop, EDM, dance, and rap with 2010s pop punk sensibilities to create a unique but familiar sound specifically crafted to be catchy and fresh, with just a
hint of nostalgia.”
Metawav.
“Power” (techno)
Key track: “Power”
“The meaning behind the track is that the people have the power. We just don’t always realize it. Metawav. is a techno DJ/producer duo. We call our style ‘Future Punk Music.’”
Mic Phelps and DJ Dremond
“Night Swim” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Hurry Up”
“Raw Detroit rap.”
Midnight Proof
11 Mile Sessions Live (Americana)
Key track: “This Time”
“A gritty and raw mix of country, blues, and rock — Rustbelt Americana! Straight from the D.”
Mike Ward: Psychosongs
Still Troubled (singer-songwriter, folk)
Key track: “American Insanity”
“Detroit singer-songwriter Mike Ward is known for his lyrically centric, vocally charged folk songs.”
Miz Korona
The Healer and The Heartbreaker (hip-hop)
Key track: “Lies”
“Miz Korona, born Paula Smiley, is a Detroit-based hip-hop artist celebrated for her lyrical prowess and dynamic stage presence.”
Moaning Dwarf
There’s a Prism In My Rectum, So I
Shit Rainbows (electronic, jazz, rock, funk, soul, blues, non-music, pop, folk, world, country)
Key track: “The Viper Rattles the Star Sabre Strike”
“A mockery of the human disease.”
Moravian Band
Call It What You Want (indie, alternative)
Key track: “Room For Two”
“With a distinct sound poised to redefine the music scene in Detroit, Moravian is known for its electrifying live performances. Their music — a fusion of catchy melodies, vibrant rhythms, powerful vocals, and dynamic guitars — draws inspiration from the raw energy of garage rock and pop, creating a unique sonic experience.”
MORTXGRIM
“This Is Not A Burial” (hip-hop)
Key track: “This Is Not A Burial”
“Embracing all that is negative. A selfsabotaging approach to music making. Locked inside of my own personal car crash. Digesting what I see and barfing on the beat.”
30 February 26-March 4, 2025 | metrotimes.com
Moshh Pitt Gang
2% EP (hip-hop)
Key track: “That’s On Me” “A group that places authenticity above all else.”
Mystery Fruit
Smooth Step (electro)
Key track: “Spinalcracker”
“Mystery Fruit is an electronic music producer focused on hardware synthesis. Danceable and eclectic, with a consistent playfulness that permeates through each track.”
Na Bonsai
“Planet Paralysis” (soul)
Key track: “Planet Paralysis”
“Na Bonsai is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and graphic-score composer based in Detroit. Her music re-imagines popular genres fusing neo-soul with afro-futuristic and electronic sounds.”
Nametag Alexander
For Namesake 2 (rap)
Key track: “Let Me Live” “Nametag Alexander is a testament to the powerful influence of Detroit’s rich musical heritage on contemporary hip-hop.”
Nauseous
No Room For Ridicule (hip-hop, emo rap)
Key track: “Fear Factor”
“Unorthodox hip-hop from Detroit.”
Naz Wrld
Heartbreak Silhouettes (alt rock, and pop-punk)
Key track: “Terrified”
“NAZ WRLD is an emerging artist known for blending atmospheric melodies with raw, introspective lyrics, creating a unique fusion of hip-hop and alternative influences. Their music often explores themes of love, pain, and self-discovery, resonating deeply with a new generation of listeners.”
Neu Blume
Let It Win (alternative folk, indie twang)
Key track: “Power”
“Neu Blume leans into nostalgia and pushes artful songwriting to the forefront. Their sweet yet dissonant, melody-driven songs are layered with warmth, classic harmonies, and thoughtful lyricism.”
Nick Pivot’s Cocktail Shake
“Lovemaster (The Ballad of Bootsey X)” (rock)
Key track: “Lovemaster (The Ballad of Bootsey X)”
“Straight up rock with soul chaser.”
Nopesetic
Super Power Mega Sour (pop-rock)
Key track: “Fluoride Freestyle”
“This album is very DIY since it was all produced and recorded in Mel’s (singer) bedroom, but currently we’ve developed into a four-piece that loves to incorporate different styles and genres into our music. We’re working on a new record right now (no release date yet) and there are a couple new singles that reflect our new collective sound!”
Novuh Kaine
Kickin Up Daisies (alternative hip-hop)
Key track: “We Coulda Just Watched Youtube” feat. Jonny Lovelle
“Novuh Kaine blends punk and hiphop together to tell his story. Heavily advocating for honesty about mental illness as well as bringing an unrivaled energy to each performance.”
Oblivion Heirs
II (punk, electronic)
Key track: “Modem”
“Oblivion Heirs is a hybrid of electronic and punk music that performs theatrical sets blended with original animations, costumes, props, and taxidermy.”
Of House
Sunday School (indie rock)
Key track: “Sunday School”
“Raucous indie rock that marries the intimate storytelling of Springsteen with slack ’90s rock instrumentation.”
Ohly
Laces (indie folk)
Key track: “Older (Come on, Christian)”
“Michigan-based indie folk artist with a focus on lyrical storytelling, unique production, and unforgettable hooks.”
ONLYBUILTFORSOUTHWEST
“CANT GIVE UP” (hip-hop, rap)
Key track: “CATCH A FADE”
“ONLYBUILTFORSOUTHWEST is a dynamic rap duo hailing from the
Rowan Niemisto.
Metawav.
vibrant streets of Southwest Detroit. Known for their gritty lyrics, infectious beats, and unique storytelling, they have quickly gained a reputation as one of the most promising acts in the local hip-hop scene.”
Only Okay
26 (hip-hop, rap)
Key tracks: “No Regrets,” “World’s Collide”
“Socially conscious and self-aware, I am unique in that I am not only making music for myself but to educate and inform others as well.”
Origami Phase
Ostara (shoegaze, dreampop, postpunk, art rock)
Key track: “Oceans”
“Origami Phase is a five-piece shoegaze/dreampop band that incorporates eclectic and surprising elements from post-punk, art rock, funk, thrash, and more. Their upcoming EP, Ostara, will be the first release from the group since 2021’s Quadrants.”
P.O.E Gb
Smoke Sumthin 3 The Session (hip-hop, stoner music)
Key track: “Smokin Vibes”
“Different from the rest.”
Palmer
I Saw God in Luzerne (indie rock, alternative rock)
Key track: “I Saw God in Luzerne” “Blend of angst and mature progressions. Cathartic lyrics and melody backed by jam band energy.”
Paul Einhaus
I Drunk From a Ditch (indie)
Key track: “Low Flying Bugs” “Artsy hooky pop created using hardware with faulty wiring.”
phthalo
“touch” (lofi rock)
Key track: “touch”
“Eclectic solo project of multidisciplinary artist T. Whitney.”
Poor Player
Gone With My Guitar (alt-country, Americana)
Key track: “Fare Thee Well”
“Saluting the guy flying a sign beside the highway exit, zigzagging through the post-industrial prairie, Poor Player is all about finding the roots beneath the rubble, the green beneath the ruin, the country blues in the pothole concrete, the folk in the f***d up, and the beauty in the city gone to seed.”
Portal 27
“Toxins” (alternative, pop rock)
Key track: “Toxins”
“Portal 27 is an alternative rock band that defies traditional boundaries, blending the raw energy of ’90s and 2000s alt-rock with a modern, genredefying sound. The band aims to evoke deep emotions through meaningful lyrics, immersive soundscapes, and high-level production. Step through the portal, we can take you anywhere.”
Powers of the Monk
“Puffy Head” (indie pop)
Key track: “Firefly”
“Using old style psychedelic indie folk and pop to launch into the 2020s.”
Presto Baker
“Same Way” (R&B, rap)
Key track: “Too Bad”
“From a young age, performing on stages, making videos for YouTube, to his first single ‘Slow It Down’ on SoundCloud, releasing tons of memorable projects, building up momentum, finally reaching ALL streaming platforms fully independent, Detroit’s own, 23-year-old Presto Baker has a wide range and skillset that should be highlighted.”
Pretty LXS
“You’re Welcome” (hip-hop)
Key track: “You’re Welcome” “Detroit-born and raised indie artist.”
PTK Lothbrook
“Sell the Land” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Sell the Land”
“Similar to XXXTentacion, DAX, MGK, Juice WRLD.”
Puzzleparty.
“battleship” (alternative, pop)
Key track: “battleship”
“puzzleparty. is a collaboration led by Detroit native Tommy Mcgraw, drawing from multiple influences to bring catchy hooks, positive vibes, and a unique blend of love to everyone’s ears.”
Quality Cinema Band
Quality Cinema Band (indie rock)
Key track: “Consumer”
“Quality Cinema Band offers a refreshing brand of indie rock while managing to avoid the genre’s tropes and aesthetic trappings. Ranging from simple and sweet to cathartically unhinged, the band’s live presence is a collective devotion to letting their music go where it needs to go and do what it needs to do.”
Racquel Soledad (Soledad)
Misguided (R&B, pop)
Key tracks: “Misguided,” “Walking Away”
“The metro Detroit singer, songwriter, and dancer has a gift for tapping into raw emotion that resonates deep within
the soul. Soledad’s sound defies genre, because the human experience that she captures in her music defies categorization. It’s a little R&B, a little pop, a little alternative, but mostly, it’s just true.”
RAREHEARTED
FULL CIRCLE (rap)
Key track: “Selfish” “Real / Rare.”
Reanna Morgan
“Burning Page” (singer-songwriter)
Key track: “Burning Page” “I’m an old soul who finds inspiration in going after my own dreams! I write whatever comes to mind and from my heart — pulling anything from soft rock, to pop, and even country.”
Rikavel
Pension (hip-hop)
Key track: “Talkin Spicy” “Classic heart of the Detroit Streets music.”
RIVIT
“Breaking Me” / “Away” (rock, grunge, alternative)
Key track: “Breaking Me”
“Based in Fraser, we are producing original guitar-based modern rock hits with killer vocals, driving rhythm section, and best in the industry level production.”
Rock’n’Roll Breakheart
2 Crystal Balls (garage rock)
Key track: “Wildman (Not A)”
“Andy Burghardt is the driving force behind Rock’n’Roll Breakheart and a one-man rock ’n’ roll machine. Armed with a Telecaster, a Vox amp, and a kick-and-snare setup under his feet, he rolls in and promptly melts your face.
His sound is a fiery fusion of Detroit proto-punk grit and ’50s rock ’n’ roll swagger, delivering raw, sweaty, highenergy performances.”
Rocksteady Disco, various artists
10 Years Of Rocksteady Disco Vol. 1 (disco, house)
Key track: “2nd Choice (It’s STILL Not Over)”
“A vacation to the now.”
Rose St. Germaine
“You’ll Always Love Me” / “Too Long” (gothic Americana)
Key track: “You’ll Always Love Me”
“Rose St. Germaine guarantees ethereal, powerful, electric romance.”
Rose Thornberry
“What If” (alternative/indie)
Key track: “What If”
“Rose is a fearless musician — with an atmospheric sound and keen under-
standing for music for the soul.”
Rowan Niemisto Lullaby (alt country)
Key track: “Wiser Man”
“An indie singer-songwriter guy who recently got a pedal steel, and leaned into it.”
Sam Watson
Just Listen (R&B)
Key track: “You Don’t Know” feat. Ari B “Solo artist.”
Sami Calamity
Arachnirithmitic (prog rock)
Key track: “mE mAnIa”
“Sami Calamity sets her imaginative, twisting vocal stylings and maniacal saxophone machinations against heavy, afrobeat-inspired grooves for an emotionally exhilarating experience like no other. Listeners can expect to dance with their demons while uncontrollably bobbing their heads.”
SB1
This House Record Sucks (house)
Key track: “Love”
“SB1 is a producer and DJ of drum and bass and house music! They have been putting out material in the Detroit area for over a decade!”
Semi Six & Kay.Y
Feature Films (rap, hip-hop)
Key track: “French Open”
“Semi Six is a rap artist from the west side of Detroit who began his music journey in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With his sharp lyricism and luxurious style, he continues to uphold the tradition of the world’s most influential music genre.”
Set to Spiral
“King Hypocrite” (hard rock)
Key track: “King Hypocrite”
“Set to Spiral is a melodic hard rock band with an energetic drive.”
Sevag H
Sleepwalking (electronica, drum and bass, vaporwave)
Key track: “Everyday”
“A nostalgia-fueled rush. Combining the iconic sounds of the ’80s and ’90s with modern trends in electronic music.”
Shaii David
EP1 (alternative, rap, indie, R&B)
Key track: “Wht is Luv”
“The music is innovative and vulnerable. I prefer to share stories that invite people into the world my experiences take place and allow people to find themselves there. Authenticity innovation and experimentation are priorities that remain key values for myself.”
Shane Bailey
Road To Freedom (hip-hop)
Key track: “I Won’t” “Music for your soul. Healing music.”
Shobijin
Self-titled (sludge)
Key track: “Almost Home” “Sludgy, swirling meditations on fantasy and feelings.”
SIAS
Haley’s Comet (electronic, pop)
Key track: “Freckles”
“The music duo SIAS spends their time painting sonic environments filled with fresh air and organic roots. Their music is made for gazing at the stars and getting lost in the woods.”
Skonie & The KLOUDs
“Ripping & Running” (R&B Soul)
Key track: “Better Days” “Exciting & funky.”
slizz
2nd EP (rock)
Key track: “Used to Have a Friend” “slizz is a power trio with vocal harmonies, catchy songs and a strong marijuana influence but without bluesrock tropes, jam-band vibes or music genre shticks, retro or otherwise.”
SolidBoy
“When The Blue Man Shoot” feat. Gutty DaVinci (hip-hop, rap)
Key track: “This Ain’t Love” “I am the byproduct of Hip-Hop and its everlasting culture. I address many viewpoints that are shared within my community while simultaneously learning more about how they shape me as an individual.”
SOMTHING
SOMTHING (improvisational explorations)
Key track: “Monday Day 6” “SOMTHING is an 4-7 piece improvisational music group taking notes from the left field, krautrock, funk, spacious ambient movement, all held together in spontaneous composition. Never the same song twice, always make the room more spacious.”
Sonic Smut
Sonic Smut (psychedelic, garage rock)
Key track: “Ssippi Sludge” “Three-piece from Detroit, playing freaky psychedelic, garage rock. Hot, loud, and strange.”
Speed Circuit
Survey the Damage (indie rock)
Key track: “Complicated” “Loud ’90s influenced indie rock with hooks.”
Starlings
Try Hard Town (alternative rock)
Key track: “Try To (Have A Good Time)” “Alt Rock/ Indie band from Detroit featuring Adam Padden (Tart) , Nick Chevillet (Handgrenades), Donny Blum (Mango Star, Mazinga), Adam Liles (Pia the Band), Ricky Ruggero (Citizen Smile, James Linck), and Darren Shelton (ModHouse).”
Steez Jobs
I Mac (rap)
Key track: “On Ice” “Lifestyle.”
Street Pattern
“Lights Down” (indie, alternative indie pop)
Key track: “Lights Down” or “hateitifyouwentaway”
“By juxtaposing the alternative sensibilities of acoustic guitar driven classics with the off-kilter intricacies of electronic-forward acts like Sylvan Esso, Street Pattern’s music creates a sonic dichotomy within which they aim to explore the feelings that go along with living, connecting in, and experiencing our existence in the universe.”
Sue Sandal
With Friends (indie, alternative)
Key track: “Drown The Rabbit” “Based in Detroit, Sue Sandal blends indie, folk, and electronic elements with introspective lyrics and ethereal vocals. Our sound lingers somewhere between bedroom confessionals and cinematic soundscapes.”
Sugar Sharp
“Sweet Nothings” (pop, punk)
Key track: “Sweet Nothings”
“We are an in your face, power pop five-piece from metro Detroit. Whether you’re singing along to anthems of heartbreak or dancing to upbeat melodies, Sugar Sharp will be sure to grab your attention. We hope you have a sweet tooth!”
Sunil Sawani
“A Plan,” “Reinventing Wheels,” “Noth-
ing Has Anything” (indie pop)
Key track: “Nothing Has Anything” “Been doing music with bands and solo for 30 years. Still making my odd brand of indie pop music.”
Svntvnv
“No Entry” (hip-hop)
Key track: “Take All” “Unapologetically universal to the ear of new listeners.”
Taraj
“SUPERPOWERS” (R&B)
Key track: “SUPERPOWERS” “What happens when you fuse ’60s rock music, ’80s metal, R&B from the ’90s, and hip-hop from the 2000-10s.”
Tasty Treat
“Prize” feat. Samuel Shabazz (R&B)
Key track: “Prize” “I’m a filmmaker from Clarkston and the hottest white rapper you never heard of. Outside fr in Detroit.”
Tezupnext
LOST LOVE and NO WAY BACK (hiphop/R&B)
Key tracks: “FACE 1st,” “WAY HOME,” “U NEED,” “CLOUDS”
“Trance-like melodies with impactful lyrics. I like to write from feeling and mood. Emotions are ever changing as well as life around us. I like to think my music is my own navigation through my experiences and I want to bring that to people who can also follow their passions.”
The 3148s
“Cabin Fever” / “The Enchantress” (alt rock)
Key track: “Cabin Fever” “Americana run though a ’90s alt rock and punk meat grinder! We are Detroit rock!”
The Dream Scream
YOURS IS NEXT! (synth pop)
Key track: “Left Brain”
“The Dream Scream are a synth pop duo exploring the common ground between harmonious balladry and dissonant noise.”
The Formal Nightmare
El Panteón (metal)
Key track: “Horror”
“We are a metal trio from Downriver that plays whatever we want to play.”
The Hourlies
Live With Yourself Or Die Trying (psych, blues, hard rock)
Key track: “Off My Balance “
“We are energy, sweat, and loud flashes of color and sound onstage. Pure rock fury with blues and psychedelic roots from Detroit, Michigan.”
the KAZ brothers
Detroit Big Beat (electronic)
Key track: “Climbing Without Rope” “Gritty big beat audio alchemists steeped in electronica tradition but fearlessly forward thinking.”
The Long Stairs
Waiting Outside, Softly (indie rock)
Key track: “Man of Clay”
“The highest compliment we’ve ever received: ‘this is the kind of band that makes you want to start a band.’ Art should be fun, it should be inclusive, and it belongs to everyone — you can start a band too.”
The MarzNik Project
Bangerz w/The Hammers (rock)
Key track: “Gravy”
“It’s not a band. It’s a concept of a band.”
Speed Circuit.
The Matthew Teardrop Orchestra
The Matthew Teardrop Orchestra (indie, punk, folk)
Key track: “Hard Feelings”
“Matthew Teardrop is a musician playing out of Detroit. As the frontman for Manhattan Murder Mystery, he led the band as singer, guitarist, and harmonica player for over a decade from their home base in Los Angeles, California. They toured their darkly comic and optimistically tragic songs through such legendary venues as CBGBs, Gilman, The Troubadour, and more, and their last album was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago by the late Steve Albini. Matthew Teardrop’s new ensemble of musical veterans includes Michigan mainstay Lumen Klein on drums and bassist Shaun Hunter of the Bay Area band
The Acharis. The Matthew Teardrop Orchestra’s new record was produced by Dirtbombs bassist Jim Diamond, whose previous work includes the first two White Stripes albums. In this new collaboration, Teardrop continues his writing and performing of anthemic and heartfelt rock ’n’ roll ballads with working class roots in both folk music and punk.”
Sami Calamity.
The Microplastics
“Undead” (alternative, dream pop, indie)
Key track: “Undead”
“REM mixed with Joy Division and a little bit of Pixies.”
The New Old Ain’t Dead Yet (rock ’n’ roll)
Key track: “Ain’t Dead Yet” “Grit, groove and hoodlum guitars that propel a Stonesy swagger.”
The Petals of Power
Oyler’s Alley (rock, punk)
Key track: “Stepchild”
“Power punk from Detroit featuring former members of The Junk Monkeys and The Happy Tom Show.”
The Real Dan Minard
“Flurry in the Streets” (Americana)
Key track: “Flurry in the Streets”
“The Real Dan Minard combines different genres of music, including blues, jazz, country, and folk, reprocesses them, and spits them all back out with a unique and unmistakable voice and vibe.”
The Science Fair
Overnight Hours (heavy indie dance rock)
Key track: “Mostly Talk” “Somewhere between The Stooges and Duran Duran.”
The Subsets
The Subsets (garage rock, punk)
Key track: “Dog Days”
“The Subsets are a grunge pop and garage band that blur the lines between classic punk and power pop.”
The Telephone Poles
Lunch! (alternative rock)
Key track: “Patio Punch”
“We are an Alternative/Indie Rock band from Ann Arbor, Michigan.”
The Versonics
Workin’ for the Man (rock)
Key track: “Gypsy Vacation”
“The mission is to describe the human condition through danceable rhythm and blues.”
The Whiskey Charmers
Streetlights (Americana)
Key track: “Whiskey, It Was Made for Drinking.”
“MT has called us ‘Dusty Americana’ without pretension :)”
TheTrueMando
Nature in the Hood (rap, Latin rap
Key track: “Nith”
“A mix of Detroit hip-hop with Latin roots to create a hybrid Spanglish rap. Laid back yet confident delivery that
captures the beauty and struggle in the city.”
This Life. We Lead.
Good Morning, I Made You Coffee (hiphop, alternative)
Key track: “Morning Coffee”
“Music for people who are living and experience life on the day to day. The love, the healing, the ups and downs.”
Tiffadelic
Retro Synthesis (darkwave, post punk, minimal wave)
Key track: “Abuso”
“Tiffadelic’s music blends dark, electrifying energy with hypnotic rhythms, brooding vocals, and a rebellious edge, fusing elements of gothic rock, synthwave, and explosive punk goth attitude.”
Tim Kish
Drawn to Light (alternative, indie rock)
Key track: “Maybe”
“Alternative, indie rock solo act consisting of melodic vocals and fuzz tone guitar over top of computer backing beats/ tracks creating an upbeat, electronic rock feel sewn together with uniquely quirky and inventive song writing.”
Timothy Monger
Last Known Address (psych-folk)
Key track: “Arbor Oaks Park”
“Pastoral folk, chamber pop, and harmony-driven indie rock from the Ypsilanti-based co-founder of cult heroes Great Lakes Myth Society.”
Tino Gs Dumpster Machine
GTO (funky garage rock)
Key track: “Detroit Girl”
“Mix of sounds that are found in the streets and your imagination. It’s a mash-up of Detroit and beyond… Fun to listen to.”
Todd Stephen
Beaches and Bonfires (country, rock)
Key track: “Float”
“I sing a fun and uplifting mix of acoustic rock, country and trop rock for people to vibe to!”
February 26-March 4, 2025 | metrotimes.com
Tommy Spaghetti’s Gypsy Opera
“My Favorite Clown” (Motown)
Key track: “My Favorite Clown” “Motown.”
Touch the Clouds
Touch the Clouds (indie rock, alternative)
Key track: “Dissolve”
“Vintage rock and roll technology. Touch the Clouds harness the heavy yet melodic vibes of ’90s alternative rock, with a sound that’s as layered as space rock, but also as caustic and quick-cutting as post-hardcore.”
TY
WE R TY (punk)
Key track: “DEVIL TATTOO” “Simple, easy, rock ’n’ roll.”
Vigilante
Fear of Defeat (hardcore)
Key track: “NEVER FEAR THEM” “Heavy metallic hardcore.”
Virginia Violet (formerly Virginia Violet and the Rays)
“Boy Who Cried Man” and “Tower” (indie)
Key track: “Tower” “Indie rock with a touch of soul.”
Vision89
“Integration” (electronic)
Key track: “Integration” “A melting pot of electronic music that ranges from retro wave to Detroit techno.”
Voyag3r
Killer Kabbage (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (rock)
Key track: “March of the Kabbage Heads.” “Synth/progressive/rock band that makes albums and scores films.”
Werkout Plan
VA 031-037 (Never B Alone Records) (house)
Key track: “Booty Werk (Original Mix)” “Werkout Plan is an artist that brings energy, camp, and versatility behind the decks and in the studio. A Detroit Original, in his veins.”
Wounded Touch
“The Damning Variable” and “Choleradio” (metal, metalcore, hardcore)
Key track: “The Damning Variable” “Noisy and loud technical Detroit metalcore for damaged, broken ears. Reminiscent of the Midwest early 2000s music scene sound during the days of MySpace.”
XCVIII
“Funny” (indie pop)
Key track: “Funny”
“We are a bunch of hotdog boys with
a dream trying to change the world through music!”
Xūmat Plūto
Zoom Zoom (hip-hop, R&B)
Key track: “Snap”
“Xūmat aimed to create meditation music that wouldn’t put them to sleep, and ended up exploring themself in a new and spiritually forward way.”
Y.B.I.
1981 (hardcore punk)
Key track: “1981”
“Pissed off old school hardcore punk that is simultaneously fresh and nostalgic.”
Yeddie
“Don’t Stop” (alternative)
Key track: “Better Days At The Cantina On Tattooine”
“Yeddie strives to create an otherworldly environment, barely tethered to reality and they succeed in doing so.”
zora rooibos
June (alternative rock)
Key track: “June”
“Inspired by elements of folk, grunge, and r&b, Detroit alternative rock band zora rooibos explores the intricacies of sound woven through vulnerable instrumentals and melodies. Their debut EP June is complimented by thoughtful lyricism and dynamic rhythms reminiscent of folk rock. The musical project zora rooibos, lead by songwriter/composer zora, expresses the mutability of sound, oftentimes obscured within the layered haze of shoegazey distortion and currents of immersive texture.”
zu.wav
nothing sound the same (hip-hop, R&B)
Key track: “Human” (prod. by zu.wav)
“Extraordinary music bridging urban genres together to preserve rhythms, voices, and movement. zu.wav considers his sound ‘Electric Hip Hop’ that expresses a high frequency sonic presence with motivational context.”
Sunil Sawani.
Voyag3r.
WHAT’S GOING ON
THURSDAY, FEB. 27
Wild at Heart
Freak flags everywhere have been flying at half-mast following the death of filmmaker David Lynch, who died last month at age 78 and was known for his surreal and dreamlike style, perplexing and enchanting audiences and critics. The Birmingham 8 is celebrating with a film series called Absurda, a Lynch Retrospective, which continues Thursday with Wild at Heart (1990). For the Lynch-curious, it might be one of the his most accessible films given that it actually has a straightforward story and is also loads of fun. The movie stars Sailor (Nicolas Cage) and Lula (Laura Dern) as star-crossed lovers on the run from Lula’s overbearing mother (played by Dern’s real-life mom), who hires hitmen to kill Sailor. Their road trip takes them across the seedy underbelly of America, a common Lynch theme, with a healthy dose of references to The Wizard of Oz (another of Lynch’s obsessions). If you dig this one, keep digging. The series continues with Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) on March 6, Lost Highway (1997) on March 13, Mulholland Drive (1999) on March 20, and Inland Empire (2006) on March 27.
—Lee DeVito
Screenings at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 27; Birmingham 8, 211 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; emagine-entertainment.com. Tickets are $12.
FRIDAY, FEB. 28-
SUNDAY, MARCH 2
Autorama
Bad news, guys — Detroit’s once mighty North American International Auto Show is a shell of its former self.
experiment moving the show into the warmer months, the now-Detroit Auto Show returned to Huntington Place in January in a drastically diminished state. Attendance was way down from pre-pandemic levels and floor space previously reserved for splashy, high-tech corporate presentations was replaced with lots of indoor test tracks, resulting in a show that felt sleepy and sparse. But Autorama, now celebrating its 72nd anniversary, is where the real fun is. The traveling show features some of the most creative hot rods and customized vehicles you’ll ever see. This year includes 800 rides by auto enthusiasts all competing for the coveted Ridler Award, in addition to attractions like the pink Barbie 1970 Cadillac Convertible from Disney’s Epcot Center and the giant Megamorph Transformer, a full-size car that changes into a robot. Celebrity guests include Danny Koker and Kevin Mack of TV’s Counting Cars, AZN and Farmtruck of Street Outlaws, WWE Hall of Fame World Champions the Dudley Boyz, and Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone. Downstairs, the party continues with rockabilly bands and the Miss Autorama Retro Pin Up Girl Contest.
—Lee DeVito
From noon-10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday, March 1; and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. on Sunday, March 2; Huntington Place, 1 Washington Blvd., Detroit. Tickets are $28 for adults and $10 for children 6-12.
FRIDAY, FEB. 28
Nuggets vs. Pistons
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic brings his Denver Nuggets to town to take on Cade Cunningham and the Pistons in a Friday night tilt that sees both teams jockeying for playoff position in their respective conferences. With the Pistons amid their first playoff push
The Model T-iki pop-up at Evening Bar.
since the 2018-2019 season, this will be the first time the Pistons faithful will get to see Jokic in his prime play in a meaningful game. As Cunningham turns in a season worthy of some light MVP chatter himself, this is the sort of measuring stick game Detroit fans are waiting to see.
—Josh Cohen
Starts 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28; Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward Ave., Detroit, ticketmaster.com. Tickets start at $25.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
Paczki Run 2025
Need something tastier than a carrot at the end of the stick to motivate you to run? How about a paczek? Get a head start on Fat Tuesday — and on burning off those paczki calories — at the Paczki Run 2025, a 5-kilometer trek that snakes through and around Hamtramck. Runners get a paczek and water, and those 21 and older get a beer and a shot of Detroit Distillery’s Paczki Vodka after the race. There will also be prizes for the fastest age group finishers. You can run and dash, or stick around at the polka tent where there will be live music and further refreshments available.
—Josh Cohen
Starts 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 1; Corner of Holbrook and Jeph Campau, Hamtramck, runsignup.com. Registration is $65.
SATURDAY, MARCH 1
LepreCon Detroit
Bring your best-magnifying glass and thinking cap (along with some green garb) to this scavenger hunt-based Irish bar crawl of some of Corktown’s classic
Gable, LJ’s Lounge, McShane’s, Bobcat Bonnie’s, Nemo’s, Lager House, Brooklyn, Corktown Tap House and Two James Spirits. Prizes will be awarded to winners of the scavenger hunt, as well as a costume competition with a prize for Best Dressed. Proceeds go to support the production of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Saturday, March 16.
—Josh Cohen
Starts 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 1; Gaelic League of Detroit, 2068 Michigan Ave., Detroit, eventbrite.com. Tickets are $30.
THROUGH FEB. 28
Living Frequency
There’s something really annoying that happens when Black History Month rolls around. Magically, corporations and public institutions remember that Black people exist and run virtue signalling campaigns or heavy-handed displays of Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. They missed the memo that Blackness is neither confined to the Civil Rights movement or the past, as our culture fuels the present and future. But Detroit is the living embodiment of Black history in the making, especially when it comes to Black art. Curated by multidisciplinary artist James Charles Morris and Galerie Camille director Marta Carvajal, Living Frequency follows the mycelial threads of Detroit’s Black art scene from the past into the present. Each artist in the show created new work to pay tribute to the city’s influential Black artists like Gilda Snowden, Shirley Woodson, Charles McGee, LeRoy Foster, and Marian Stephens. And while you could see this as a Black History Month exhibit, it’s a song that doesn’t beat you over the head with the same old tune about resilience and adversity. Living
SELECTIONS
Black artists who are walking in the footsteps of their elders while creating new pathways for those who will come behind them.
—Randiah Camille Green
Through Friday, Feb. 28; Galerie Camille, 4130 Cass Ave., Suite C, Detroit; galeriecamille.com. No cover.
ONGOING
Model T-iki
In the 1960s through the ’80s, Detroit had a rich tiki bar culture. Local auto workers would post up at bars like Chin Tiki and Mauna Loa, and, sipping tropical cocktails, would pretend they were somewhere else — especially in the winter. Now, a new tiki-themed pop-up is entering the conversation. Evening Bar at the Shinola Hotel as transformed into “Model T-iki,” serving up cocktails
and bites under tropical decor. Darryl Chan, who comes with experience from New York City’s Portrait Bar, has created a menu of tiki classics given a Motor City makeover. Those include the “Model T-ai” Mai Tai, a “Colada ‘66” Piña Colada, and the River Rouge, a cocktail for two served in a fish-shaped bowl. Meanwhile, Chefs Cory Barberio and Andrew Carmellini have created a dining menu with items like crab rangoon, slow-cooked baby back ribs, and little lobster rolls. Even sweeter, Evening Bar says a portion of the proceeds from the River Rouge cocktail will be donated to Friends of the Rouge to help protect southeast Michigan’s watershed. We’ll drink to that!
—Lee DeVito
Through mid-April; Evening Bar, 1400 Woodward Ave., Detroit; eveningbar. com. No cover.
Autorama’s hot rods return to Huntington Place.
COURTESY PHOTO
WHAT’S GOING ON CONT’D
Select events happening in metro Detroit this week. Be sure to check venue websites before all events for the latest information. Add your event to our online calendar: metrotimes.com/ AddEvent.
MUSIC
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Live/Concert
Classic Lounge Sounds with Keshtkar & Co. 8-11 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Matt Larusso Trio and guests 8-11 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
Thursday, Feb. 27
Live/Concert
The Jerome Clark Trio 6-10 p.m.; Bert’s Music Cafe, 2458 Brush St., Detroit, MI; $15.
Bret Michaels Parti- Gras 2.0 Tour 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $47-$60. Karaoke
Drag Queen Karaoke 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.
Introduction with DJs John Ryan and Geo 9 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
Friday, Feb. 28
Live/Concert
96.3 WDVD presents Papa Roach acoustic performance (Shine a Light, Save a Life suicide prevention benefit) 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $59-$80.
Drew and Ellie Holcomb 8 p.m.; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; $31-$61.
Magic Bag Presents: Hallow Hearts: An Emo Night 8 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $10.
Nightnotes with Robyn Bollinger & Friends 7:30-9:30 pm; Hagopian World of Rugs, 850 S. Woodward Ave., Birmingham; $30.
Opera with Many Faces: Arias and songs by Verdi, Handel, Lehar, Wagner, R. Strauss and others 7 p.m.; St. Clare of Montefalco Church, 1401 Whittier Rd., Grosse
Pointe Park; no cover.
Recio Sax en Pontiac 9 p.m.; El Agave, 1650 Perry St., Pontiac; $40. Shadow of the Talisman, The Eighth Passenger, Repose, Seventh, Vulgara 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15.
The Glorious Sons, Billy and Peter Raffoul 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor; $28-$73.
THROWN, Varials, NO CURE, Heavensgate 6:30 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $20.
DJ/Dance
Sonic Smut, Lily Bones, DJ BForeman 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Saturday, March 1
Live/Concert
The Flipsters, The Going Gones, DJ Tangent 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Floyd Live (Pink Floyd tribute)
8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $20-$240.
Hinder, Saliva, Kingdom Collapse 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $29-$40.
LF System, ARCS, Discotek 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $10-$20.
Magic Bag Presents: FEAR, Negative Approach, H8 Mile 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $40.
MANIA (ABBA tribute) 7:30 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $27.50-$64.50.
Saddle Up Country Dance Party! 8 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $0-$15.
Somewhere South of Here 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $15.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Shonali 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $27.50.
Sunday, March 2
Live/Concert
Classic Seger: Bob Seger’s Greatest Hits Live! (Bob Seger tribute) 7:30 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $34-$47.
Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings 5-8 p.m.; Zal Gaz Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; no cover.
February 26-March 4, 2025 | metrotimes.com
Karaoke
Sunday Karaoke in the Lounge 5-9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
Monday, March 3
DJ/Dance
Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.
Tuesday, March 4
Live/Concert
Dark Below, Icarus Fell, Rosemont 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $12.
Kyle Mikolajczyk (Kyle313) (acoustic) 6-9 p.m.; Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti; no cover. MISSIO 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $22.
Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.
DJ/Dance
B.Y.O.R Bring Your Own Records
Night 9 p.m.-midnight; The Old Miami, 3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; no cover. Karaoke/Open Mic
Open Mic : Art in a Fly Space 7-10 p.m.; Detroit Shipping Company, 474 Peterboro St., Detroit; no cover.
Tuesday Karaoke in the Lounge 8 p.m.-midnight; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.
OPERA
Detroit Opera House Rinaldo. Handel’s Baroque blockbuster is viewed through the lens of a child’s fantasy in a contemporary pediatric ward. The young patients venture on a heroic journey, where knights, sorcerers, monsters, and magic are used as a salve for unimaginable challenges. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo leads the talented cast in Louisa Proske’s reimagined production, conducted by Detroit Opera Music Director Roberto Kalb. $30-175; Friday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 2, 2:30 p.m.
THEATER
Performance
Andiamo Celebrity Showroom
The Barricade Boys; $35-$65; Friday, 8 p.m.
Ann Arbor Marriott Ypsilanti
at Eagle Crest The Dinner Detective Comedy Mystery Dinner Show. America’s largest interactive comedy mystery dinner theatre show is now playing in Ann Arbor. $69.95; Saturday, March 1, 6:30-9 p.m.
Fox Theatre PAW Patrol Live! A Mighty Adventure; $30-$150; Saturday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Meadow Brook Theatre The Angel Next Door; $43; Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
They Say The Murder Mystery Co.’s Dinner Theater Show; $59; Friday, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Orchestra
Max M. Fisher Music Center Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
MUSICAL
Fisher Theatre - Detroit Parade (touring); Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
COMEDY
Improv
Ant Hall Variety show fundraiser for Southwest Detroit. Join us for a night of stand-up, music, improv, and poetry as we raise much needed funds for all those affected by the SW Detroit floods. All proceeds go to those affected by the floods in SW Detroit. We ask that, if you can, please bring non perishable food, diapers, winter gear (all ages), blankets, and pet food to the event. Hosted by Ofeliza La Chistosa. Doors at 8 p.m. and show begins promptly at 8:30 p.m. $25 advance, $30 at the door. Saturday, 8:30-10 p.m. Go Comedy! Improv Theater Go Comedy! All-Star Showdown. A highly interactive improvised game show. With suggestions from the audience, our two teams will battle for your laughs. The Showdown is like Whose Line is it Anyway, featuring a series of short improv games, challenges, and more. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $25.
Stand-up
Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle J Chris Newberg; $20-$25; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:15 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.; Saturday, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.. Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 p.m.
The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant The Sh*t Show Open Mic. A weekly open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9 p.m. The evening always ends with karaoke in the attached Ghost Light Bar. $5 suggested donation. Thursdays, 9-10:30 p.m.
DANCE
Dance lessons
Diamondback Music Hall Line Dancing Lessons with Ashley! You don’t need any prior experience — just bring your enthusiasm and get ready to have a blast! This class is perfect for everyone, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced dancer. $10 advance, $15 at the door; Wednesday, 6:30-10 p.m.
ARTS
Artist talk
Public Lecture: Porchia Moore Dr. Porchia Moore is the Associate Director of the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship (CAME) and an Associate Professor and Rotating Program Head of Critical Museum Studies at the University of Florida. She also serves as Co-Director of the Incluseum, an international cultural heritage collaboratory. Her writing and research are widely used for training and education in museums across the United States. Thursday, 6-7 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; no cover.
Art Exhibitions
Ferndale Public Library Anthony Brass: Breath. Through April 11. 801 W Fort Street Hip Hop Evolution: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop Photography by Andre Smith. Featuring rare and iconic images of the legends of the industry like DJ Kool Herc and Queen Latifah to the pioneers who shaped the industry, visitors will explore the energy, resilience, and artistry that turned hip hop into a global phenomenon. No cover.
Opening
Color & Ink Studio Echoes of the Earth: Steffanie Samuels. All of the pieces in this exhibition were either created during or inspired by Steffanie’s month-long Artist-inResidency on climate change in the Canary Islands on La Gomera this past September. No cover, donations appreciated.
Moondog Cafe The Straits: A photography exhibition by Andrew Petrov Through March 9.
Critic’s Pick
The Confederates
When there’s more than one Black woman in a work setting, it can sometimes feel like the Hunger Games. Our scarcity mindset is triggered and we feel like we must assert dominance to show who is better. There’s a reason for this, and it can all be traced back to slavery.
In her book, Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, Joy DeGruy asserts that the multigenerational oppression of African Americans — from slavery to Jim Crow to the systemic racism that persists today — has caused things like internalized racism, family dysfunction, and poor mental health.
After watching Dominique Morisseau’s The Confederates, at Detroit Public Theatre, I wonder if Morisseau is familiar with DeGruy, as the play shows us Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome in action. The play, which opened at DPT on Feb. 8, jumps between two timelines — one during the Civil War, and another in present-day where a Black political science professor is grappling with institutional racism.
The two happen interchangeably in The Confederates, on opposite sides of the stage. An enslaved woman named Sarah is preparing to escape and fight for the Union as Sandra, the professor, is trying to figure out who put a photo of a wet nurse holding a white baby photoshopped with her face on her office door. Eventually, the Civil War-era action switches over to the present-day side of the stage, symbolizing the parallels of both time periods.
Several actors play two characters.
Meredith Parker is both Missy Sue, the daughter of Sarah’s slave master who now wants to help her escape (while continuing to objectify her), and Candice — the well meaning but clueless student who is overcompensating for her white guilt.
Vanessa Mazhangara plays both Jade, the “other” Black professor in the modern-day story, and the house slave Luanne who is wary Sarah is going to take her place in the house. And Will Street is both the Union soldier Abner and Sandra’s opinionated student Malik.
It’s because they are the same archetype. As intergenerational trauma is passed down through our DNA, so are the behaviors developed from that trauma. The actors switch between these characters effortlessly, highlighting their similarities and nuances. And while Sarah and Sandra are played by
two different actors, it isn’t lost on me that their names are similar.
Historical trauma is transmitted through generations — especially in cases like the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Holocaust, and colonization — and influences the expression of our genes. This means the descendants of enslaved Africans continue to feel the effects of that trauma in their everyday lives.
Black women have the joy of juggling both intergenerational trauma from our enslaved ancestors and the “sister wound.” Sometimes also referred to as the “witch wound,” the sister wound is a deeply rooted patriarchal trauma that causes women to distrust each other. As divine feminine power, menstruation, and women’s innate intuition have been demonized and shunned throughout history, women have been pitted against one another to assert their value to men. For enslaved Black women, this looked like constantly proving their worth to their slave masters to avoid violence or death.
The sister wound appears as women viewing each other as competition. If a woman working in the same field as us is successful, we think it means there is no room for our own success. If we perceive another woman as prettier, smarter, or more talented, we resent her and surmise that she thinks she’s better than us.
The emotional turmoil of navigating our sister wound as Black women is made murky by another complicated question. Are we obligated to be friends with other Black women on the merit of our shared Blackness alone? What if we genuinely don’t like each other? Yes, we have a shared culture and relation to racism. We all have to grapple with the way we are perceived and received as Black women, based on preconceived notions of Blackness that have nothing to do with us as individuals.
We see examples of all of this in Sandra and Jade’s relationship in the play. Jade accuses Sandra of being uppity because she has prestigious degrees, published books, and more professional experience. She’s convinced that
Sandra will not vote for her tenure, because she’s “too Black,” and tries to convince her that they have to stick together.
While Morisseau’s writing is what makes the work special, the actors in Detroit Public Theatre’s production are more than up for the task of embodying such complex characters.
Rebecca Rose (Sarah) and Whitney Johnson (Sandra) both deliver powerful monologues at the end of the play, with imagery so potent that it is forever seared in my brain. That’s all I can say without giving too much away. The most important thing about the efficacy of live theatre is whether the audience believes the actors and Johnson convinced me that she was Sandra — a Black woman struggling to simply exist as a human beyond the weight of her race and sex.
Morisseau, who is from Detroit and is DPT’s Executive Artistic Producer, is behind other monumental plays like Detroit ’67, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, and Skeleton Crew. Unlike those three, The Confederates isn’t centered around Detroit history, but it asks us to look at a deeper thread of Black trauma that’s universal.
We all have implicit bias, as racism and white supremacy are the very fabrics from which the United States of America was woven. Many African Americans, myself included, have unknowingly internalized these biases toward ourselves and each other. White Americans have done the same, while many simultaneously fail to acknowledge how they benefit from the structures of racism.
That doesn’t mean any of us are at fault for having these biases. However, we must undergo deep introspection to uncover the root of these conscious and unconscious beliefs if we are ever to mend the wounds of the past and stop them from infecting our future.
—Randiah Camille Green
The Confederates runs through March 16 at Detroit Public Theatre; 3960 3rd Ave, Detroit; detroitpublictheatre.org.
Rebecca Rose plays Sarah in The Confederates GARLIA CORNELIA JONES
CULTURE
Film
The MCU’s best days are behind it
By Jared Rasic, Last Word Features
Captain America: Brave New World
Rated: PG-13
Run-time: 118 minutes
I know it’s not cool to still like Marvel movies because they’re apparently the nadir of cinematic excellence, but I do… even when they keep letting me down.
For two specific reasons will I keep turning up to watch this forever franchise: 1) After 35 movies and 26 shows, I’m invested in these character’s stories and, even at their worst, I find comfort in an old-fashioned superhero movie and 2) I’m still chasing that feeling of watching Avengers: Endgame in a sold-out auditorium with hundreds of fans absolutely losing their mind over a wonderful moment involving Captain America and a very heavy hammer.
I don’t begrudge anyone’s disdain for movies they don’t connect with or enjoy. A lot of critics and movie goers feel fairly cynical toward Hollywood blockbusters, Disney, and how comic book
movies have taken over the box office for the past 15 years, causing an erosion of the release of mid-budget “grownup” movies. And yes, a lot of them have been bad, but I can’t bring myself to be cynical about movies (especially ones I’ve never seen) because then what the hell am I doing with my life?
The advanced reviews for Captain America: Brave New World were dismal, so maybe it was my lowered expectations, but I didn’t think this installment was that bad. It’s nowhere near the quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, pre-Endgame, but it’s certainly better than several of the ones since then. The biggest mistake it makes is by using the story to wrap up loose ends from the past instead of moving Anthony Mackie’s Captain America into the future and giving him more personal stakes.
The Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was mostly focused on Sam Wilson (Mackie) reconciling his morality with taking the shield of Captain America for a country that has spent a vast majority of its history treating Black people like second-class
citizens (at best). America loves its heroes, but then when its incredibly short attention span changes, it’s back to racism, hatred, and ignorance. For an example: see how most of the country treated Jesse Owens when he returned from the 1936 Olympic Games.
With Captain America; Brave New World, Wilson is officially the new Cap and working directly under Harrison Ford (taking over for the deceased William Hurt) as Thaddeus Ross, the former obsessive Incredible Hulk hunter and now President of the United States. It’s a blast watching Mackie and Ford verbally (and otherwise) spar with each other, but the plot works as a direct continuation of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which was expected. Unfortunately, it also spends much of its runtime wrapping up loose ends from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and 2021’s The Eternals, two MCU films that are widely considered to be the low points of the entire franchise.
This does Mackie and his new starring role as Captain America a little dirty. It seems like a counterintuitive choice to basically relaunch a beloved
character in a movie that consistently reminds audiences of movies they didn’t like. What works beautifully is the tragic story of Isaiah Bradley (the wonderful Carl Lumbly), a Korean War hero who was given the super soldier serum in the 1950s and then imprisoned for 30 years. Seeing Bradley and Wilson ruminating on sacrificing everything for a country that despised them gives the film a powerful thematic center that is sadly underutilized.
Captain America: Brave New World is the definition of mediocre — a movie so afraid to take a political stance that, while still being momentarily entertaining, it’s ultimately just a disposable sliver of popcorn entertainment. Only a day or two removed from having seen it, I find that the details of the film are already hazy in my mind. Still, I’m no less excited to see May’s MCU release The Thunderbolts and July’s relaunch of The Fantastic Four. Every movie has a chance to be great, just as it has the chance to be terrible, regardless of what came before. The day that faith in the magic of movies leaves me is probably the day I cease to write about them.
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
ELI ADÉ/MARVEL STUDIOS
WEED
Could cryptocurrency be the solution to cash-only dispensaries?
By Steve Neavling
ATM fees at dispensaries are a buzzkill.
A vast majority of cannabis retailers won’t take debit or credit cards because marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, leaving customers with no choice but to pay in cash. Since many of us don’t carry cash anymore, we often resort to withdrawing money from the in-store ATM, which charges up to $5 for a transaction. So let’s say you’re spending $20 on some flower or a few pre-rolls, the total cost just rose to $25. And you’re already paying 16% in state excise and sales taxes, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to raise them to 38%.
At a time when cashless transactions are the norm, there has to be a better way, right?
Two innovative college buddies from metro Detroit are confident they have a better solution. Jonah, 22, and Benjamin, 20, founded Coinnect LLC, a start-up that wants to help dispensaries bypass the need for cash by using cryptocurrency. They asked that we withhold their last names because of highly publicized attacks, including kidnappings, on crypto innovators.
The idea behind Coinnect is to allow dispensaries to accept cryptocurrency payments seamlessly, while keeping the process simple for businesses and customers unfamiliar with the technical side
of blockchain.
“Our system makes it easy for businesses to accept crypto without even understanding crypto,” Jonah tells me. “We thought of everything and made it as user friendly as possible. We think this is going to be very common in dispensaries because of the regulations they face in the industry.”
Using Coinnect is as easy as scanning a QR code. When a customer checks out, the dispensary enters the total into Coinnect’s system, which generates an invoice for the retailer and the customer. If the customer already has a digital crypto wallet, they just scan a QR code, send the payment, and the transaction is approved within seconds at a tiny fraction of the cost of an ATM fee.
For those without a crypto wallet, Coinnect allows the customer to scan the QR code to purchase digital tokens using a credit card and then enter their payment details on a secure webpage to complete the transaction. The system saves the customers’ information, so future purchases are even faster.
Coinnect also enables direct bank transfers secured by Plaid, a financial technology company that connects bank accounts to apps and services.
“It’s very seamless, and it’s meant to be as easy as possible,” Jonah says of Coinnect. “We handle all of the logistics.”
The system runs on Polygon, a fast and low-cost blockchain network, and integrates with Uniswap to instantly convert customer payments into USDC, a stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar. That means dispensaries can receive digital dollars instead of volatile cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
“If you have a crypto wallet, our system runs on Polygon. It’s super fast,” Jonah explains. “The transaction is confirmed immediately.”
Coinnect is also working on a mobile app that will allow customers to tap-topay with crypto, similar to Apple Pay, but with lower transaction fees.
The system is also designed to safeguard users. Unlike some payment processors, Coinnect doesn’t hold or access crypto keys. Instead, transactions go directly between you and the dispensary, keeping your funds secure and in your control, Jonah says.
Jonah believes this could be the future of dispensary transactions, especially since younger generations are more reliant on digital wallets.
“We’re not trying to make money in the short term,” Jonah says. “We’re trying to scale this business and give customers the best experience possible. We think this can help a lot of dispensaries. This could be really big.”
The platform is currently in its beta
phase, and Jonah says multiple dispensaries are interested in testing it.
Since recreational cannabis sales began in Michigan in December 2019, most dispensaries have relied on cash transactions because federal law still classifies marijuana as an illegal drug. That means major banks and credit card companies won’t process payments for dispensaries because they’re afraid of penalties for handling money tied to what’s technically an illegal industry under federal banking regulations.
Without access to traditional financial services, dispensaries are left with few options. For most, cash remains the only viable way to do business, leaving customers with the inconvenience of instore ATMs and their steep fees.
And it’s no small issue. Michigan’s cannabis industry generated more than $3 billion in sales last year, and the vast majority of those transactions were made in cash. That’s a massive amount of dough.
Handling large piles of cash creates risks for businesses, from theft to accounting challenges, and it’s also a pain in the ass for those of us who are fleeced at the ATM because we don’t carry cash like it’s the 20th century.
If you want us to sample your cannabis products, send us an email at steve@ metrotimes.com.
The Straight Dope
$5 ATM transaction fees are a costly and inconvenient feature in an industry that doesn’t take credit cards.
STEVE NEAVLING
CULTURE
Savage Love Acid Tongued
By Dan Savage
: Q
I’m a cis man in a monogamous relationship with a cis woman who is going through perimenopause. She was recently prescribed a boric acid suppository to help deal with some normal but persistent vaginal health issues. Her doctor and all the reliable online medical resources we’ve found said we should wait “24-48” hours after she uses a suppository before I give her oral sex, as the stuff can be toxic if ingested. That’s all well and good, but if she uses a suppository every time we have PIV — which is what her doctor recommended — that would leave very little opportunity for me to eat her out, which I love to do and she loves to receive. (We have PIV probably 3-4 times a week and I would go down on her all day every day if I could.) Her health and comfort obviously come first, and we enjoy lots of other ways of having sex, so this isn’t the end of the world. But I do feel like we would need to mourn the (hopefully temporary) loss of something we really enjoy. So, my question for you is this: exactly how toxic is this stuff really? Are we talking drop-dead-on-the-spot toxic or more like risking-a-bad-tummy-ache toxic? And to my mind there’s a big difference between 24 and 48 hours in this regard, but that is as specific as the information we’ve been able to find. I don’t want to put my health at risk, of course, but I would like a better sense of just how careful we should be with this. —I’m Not Gobbling Extremely Serious Toxins
A: “The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) published a safety brief last year due to reports of multiple people unintentionally orally ingesting boric acid vaginal suppositories,” said Dr. Stacy De-Lin, Associate Medical Director for Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, New York. “But the National Capitol Poison Center, aka Poison Control, found that the small amount of boric acid in a single capsule would not be expected to cause harm — a person would likely have to ingeste large amounts of boric acid to result in issues like vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. And severe potential issues — things like kidney problems or death — have never been known to occur, according to Poison Control.”
So, while Dr. De-Lin and I believe you should follow the recommendations of your wife’s doctor, INGEST, the risks are low — and we’re talking tummy aches here and not an early death — and we would both understand why you might, after doing your own risk/benefit analysis, con-
clude the risks are worth the rewards.
“INGEST could try it out” — you could try going down on your wife 24 hours after she’s used the suppository — “and see if any mild adverse effects occur,” said Dr. De-Lin. “Avoiding swallowing while performing oral sex may also help mitigate any potential GI issues.”
Dr. De-Lin had one other recommendation that she wanted you to pass along to the wife.
“If INGEST’s partner is taking boric acid suppositories to help with vaginal health issues due to perimenopause,” said Dr. De-Lin, “it’s worth speaking to her gynecologist about hormone replacement therapy (HRT). When hormone levels change around menopause, vaginal atrophy is common, and this thinning of the vaginal lining can lead to discomfort and infections. Multiple studies have shown that HRT, both when applied topically to the vagina or when used systemically, can improve vaginal tissue elasticity, moisturize the vagina, and can have a substantial impact on improving vaginal microflora to decrease infections.”
Follow Dr. Stacy De-Lin on Instagram and Threads @stacydelin_md.
: Q I’m in a poly partnership in which outside play was until recently confined to foursomes with other trusted couples. My partner recently broke a few rules with a couple of guys — via text — which would have been fine if I’d known they were happening. I was going through some work stress at the time, and I was much less open to communication than I should have been, so she didn’t talk to me about this. So, I share some small part of the blame. One of these sexting relationships, to my mind, is fine to continue because it was respectful, polite, and didn’t go too far emotionally. The other relationship, however, veered quickly into “I love you” territory, and included a whole bunch of short videos, some of which I think were risky and outside our normal rules — panty stuffing, for example and I asked for that one to be terminated, and it has been. I have two questions:
1. I’ve been under the impression that panty stuffing is a risky behavior, with a possibility of toxic shock, so I’ve absolutely never asked a partner to do it. Am I correct in thinking this? Is this a myth?
2. The respectful guy, with whom we’ve both exchanged pics now, requested a playdate with my partner. I was open to a threesome or a playdate at our place where they could have time alone together while I was nearby, but that’s evolved into the idea of a solo playdate at his place. I think I’m fine to drive her over to his place for a few hours — not an overnight, protected sex only, no restraints used — but there’s an obvious fracture in our trust right now and that’s a problem. So, I’ve ordered a new day collar for my partner and said they can set a date when the collar arrives. Have I fucked this up?
—Seeking To Understand Fraught Feelings
A: 1. Toxic shock syndrome isn’t a myth it is very real — but I don’t think briefly stuffing someone’s panties in her vagina (or asking someone to stuff her own panties in her own vagina) presents a serious risk of illness or death. But I ran that part of your question past Dr. De-Lin while I had her on the line, STUFF, just to be sure.
“Any foreign body left in the vagina for a long period of time could potentially lead to toxic shock syndrome,” said Dr. De-Lin. “The introduction of any foreign material into the vagina can lead to risks, primarily infection and irritation, risks which are dependent on factors like the material being absorbent or synthetic, which underwear is. But toxic shock syndrome is very rare and usually only develops due to extended insertion.”
So, if your partner isn’t leaving her panties in her vagina for hours or days at a time — which I can’t imagine she’s doing panty stuffing isn’t going to kill her.
“When it comes to putting foreign material into the vagina, in order to reduce the risk of infection, it is generally recommended that the item is non-porous and able to be well-sanitized, like silicone or stainless steel,” said Dr. De-Lin. “An alternate recommended approach would be using fabrics externally, on the vulva, while using safer materials for insertion.”
In other words: wear panties, insert insertables — doctor’s orders.
2. You’re asking me for a guarantee, STUFF, which I can’t offer you. If nothing goes wrong — if your partner and this other guy honor the boundaries you’ve set and include you in some small way (collar stays on, pics get sent) and you don’t wind up having a meltdown — then you won’t feel like you fucked this up. But if something goes wrong — if they do something wrong and you wind up having a meltdown or they do everything right and you still wind up having a meltdown (it happens) — then you’re going to feel like you fucked this up. You’re taking a risk, STUFF, and there’s no guarantee things will go perfectly and/or you won’t feel some big feelings, up to and including feelings of regret.
It’s not uncommon for someone in an open relationship — which is what yours is — to have a bit of a meltdown and/ or experience intense or overwhelming feelings. Sometimes an after-the-fact meltdown is a sign that it was a mistake, STUFF, and if you’re anticipating a meltdown, that might be a sign that it would be a mistake to take this step now. But sometimes a meltdown is a bid for attention — negative attention seeking — and if your partner knows she needs to lavish you with attention, affection, and gratitude after this meeting, you’re less likely to have the kind of meltdown you can’t come back from.
: Q I am poly and have been in ENM relationships for the past decade. I recently visited a friend in another state and had a lovely, intimate weekend with them. During our weekend together they told me they have a girlfriend who doesn’t know they’re cheating — and not only with me. My friend is a professional athlete, semi-famous, and they don’t have other friends or
examples of ethical non-monogamy in their life. For the nearly ten years that I’ve known them, it’s been clear to me that they’re more suited for ENM. I would say they’re MUD: monogamous under duress. Knowing what I know now, how do I ethically engage with this person? I don’t see them frequently it’s been more than a year since we last saw each other — but when we do hangout, I am glad to be their friend who can help them explore ENM, ask questions, and encourage them to move in a more ethical manner. I feel awful that their partner doesn’t know about the cheating, and I hate contributing to it. I also feel for my friend as I know this loverboy is not meant for monogamy.
—Side Piece Under Duress
A: You left something off that list of things you’re “glad to be” when you hang out with your old friend: in addition to being glad to be his friend, his sounding board, and his ethically non-monogamous role model, SPUD, you’re also glad to be his fuck toy, right? Professional athletes have great bodies (curlers and dart players excluded), they have tons of stamina, and they stay in nice hotels. So, as you reason your way through this moral conundrum, SPUD, you need to be on your guard against the kind of self-serving rationalizations — or the kind of clitful/dickful thinking — that can lead a person to do something (or keep doing something) that doesn’t align with their stated values. In your case, SPUD, you’ve very nearly convinced yourself that cheating with someone who’s “doing it right,” i.e. someone practicing ethical non-monogamy and therefore isn’t cheating on their partner, might inspire your hot, semi-famous friend to stop “doing it wrong,” i.e. stop practicing unethical non-monogamy.
Now, it’s entirely possible your example will inspire this pro athlete to straighten up and cheat right; there are definitely people out there who’ve had the sense fucked into them. But let’s not kid ourselves: people who’ve cheated on their partners with people who weren’t cheating on their own — cheaters who were inspired to ask their partners for forgiveness (for fucking around) and permission (to keep fucking around) — are few and far between. And while I don’t doubt your pussy is magic (all pussies are), your pussy ain’t chemo and it’s not going to cure him.
All that said, SPUD, it’s not your job to police this man’s behavior; both his relationship with his girlfriend and the salvation of his immortal soul are his business. But if you don’t wanna contribute to cheating, you have no choice but to stop fucking this guy. If you keep fucking this guy, SPUD, you shouldn’t pretend you’re doing it for him. You’re doing it for you.
P.S. I would do and have done the same thing you’re doing, SPUD: fucked someone I was free to fuck who wasn’t free to fuck me. I also assuaged my own guilt by urging the person to make things right with their partner. So, I’m not judging you.
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CULTURE Free Will Astrology
By Rob Brezsny
ARIES: March 21 – April 19
Aries author Anne Lamott articulated a thought that’s perfect for you to hear right now: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” I might amend her wisdom a bit to say “for a few hours” or “a couple of days.” Now is a rare time when a purposeful disconnection can lead you to deeper synchronization. A project or relationship will improve after a gentle reset. Your power mantra: “Renew yourself with quiet inaction.”
TAURUS: April 20 – May 20
Beavers are the engineers of the natural world. The dams they fabricate not only create shelters for them, but also benefit their entire ecosystem. The ponds and marshes they help shape provide rich habitats for many other species. Boosting biodiversity is their specialty. Their constructions also serve as natural filters, enhancing water quality downstream. Let’s make beavers your inspirational symbol for the coming
weeks, Taurus. In their spirit, build what’s good for you with the intention of making it good for everyone whose life you touch. Ensure that your efforts will generate ripples that nourish your tribe and community.
GEMINI: May 21 – June 20
I predict that you will soon have reason to celebrate a resounding success. You will claim a well-deserved reward. You may even shiver with amazement and gratification as you marvel at how many challenges you overcame to emerge triumphant. In my view, you will have every right to exude extra pride and radiance. I won’t complain if you flirt with a burst of egotism. In accordance with my spirituality, I will tell you, “Remember that this wonder you have spawned will live for a very long time.”
CANCER: June 21 – July 22
When you see the stars in the night sky, you’re looking at the ancient past. Light from those heavenly bodies may have taken as long as 4,000 years to reach us. So we are beholding them as they used to be, not as they are now. With that as your inspiration, I invite you to spend quality time gazing into your own personal past. Meditate on how your history is alive in you today, making its imprint on all you do and say. Say prayers and write messages to yourself in which you express your awe and appreciation for the epic myth that is your destiny.
LEO: July 23 – August 22
of air molecules colliding. The silence is so eerily profound that many people become flummoxed while visiting. Here’s the moral of the story: While you Virgos are naturally inclined to favor order and precision, a modicum of noise and commotion in your life is often beneficial. Like background sounds that keep you oriented, minor wriggles and perturbations ensure you remain grounded. This will be extra important for you to acknowledge in the coming weeks.
LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22
To make a Mobius strip, you give a half twist to a strip of paper and attach the ends. You have then created a surface with just one side and one edge. It’s a fun curiosity, but it also has practical applications. Using Mobius strips, engineers can design more efficient gears. Machinists make mechanical belts that are Mobius strips because they wear out less quickly. There are at least eight other concrete functions, as well. Let’s extrapolate from this to suggest that a similar theme might be arising in your life. What may seem like an interesting but impractical element could reveal its real-world value. You may find unexpected uses for playful features. One of your capacities has dimensions you have not yet explored, but are ready to.
so they provide a stunning visual feast. Scientists know that they have steadily grown for the last 4 million years, accumulating ever-new layers of minerals. I propose we make them your symbols of power until July 1. In my astrological estimation, you are in a phase of laying long-term groundwork. What may seem to be a tedious accumulation of small, gradual victories is part of a grander undertaking. Like the Moeraki Boulders, your efforts will crystallize into an enduring foundation.
CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19
A Japanese proverb says, “The bamboo that bends with the wind is stronger and more resilient than the oak tree that resists.” That’s true. When storms bluster, oak branches get broken and blown away. Bamboo may look delicate, but it is actually strong and capable of withstanding high winds. It flourishes by being flexible instead of rigid. That’s the approach I recommend to you, Capricorn. Challenges may emerge that inspire you to stay grounded by adapting. Your plans will become optimal as you adjust them. By trusting your natural resilience, you could find unexpected chances for interesting transformation. Your potency will lie in your ability to bend without breaking.
AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18
Happy Mardi Gras!! No we don’t have any King Cake or Pączki; However, you can BYO with enough to share. Also, giving up a little something for Lent can be constructive and self improving: deep-fried things, smoking or some kind of negative behavior that may be holding you back…. But not drinking, that hits too close to home.
I mourn the growing climate calamity that is heating up our beloved planet. Among many other distortions, it has triggered yellow forsythias and blue gentians to blossom during winters in the Austrian Alps — an unprecedented event. At the same time, I am also able to marvel at the strange beauty of gorgeous flowers growing on the winter hills of ski resorts. So my feelings are mixed — paradoxical and confusing — and that’s fine with me. I regard it as a sign of soulfulness. May you be so blessed, Leo: full of appreciation for your capacity to hold conflicting ideas, perspectives, and feelings.
VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22
The quietest place on earth is a room at Microsoft’s headquarters near Seattle. It’s made of six layers of steel and concrete, and its foundation includes vibration-dampening springs. Within it, you can hear your heartbeat, the swishing of your clothes, and the hum
SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21:
Sandra Cisneros is a visionary writer with Sun and Mercury in Sagittarius. She is always in quest of the next big lesson and the next exciting adventure. But she also has the Moon, Venus, and Saturn in Scorpio. Her sensitive attunement to the hidden and secret aspects of reality is substantial. She thrives on cultivating a profound understanding of her inner world. It took her years to master the art of fully expressing both these sides of her character. I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because you’re primed to go in quest for experiences that will open your heart to novel amazements — even as you connect with previously unknown aspects of your deep self that resonate with those experiences.
SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21
The Moeraki Boulders are spread along a beach in New Zealand. Many of the 50 big rocks are nearly perfect spheres and up to six feet in diameter,
Seattle’s Space Needle serves as an observation tower. It’s 605 feet high. For years, there was a restaurant with a rotating floor at the top. In its early days, the movement was so brisk that some visitors got dizzy and nauseous. Engineers had to recalibrate the equipment so it was sufficiently leisurely to keep everyone comfortable. Your current situation resembles this story. The right elements are in place, but you need to adjust the timing and rhythm. If there are frustrating glitches, they are clues to the fine-tuning that needs to be done.
PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20
Octopuses have three hearts, each with a different function. Every one of their eight limbs contains a mini-brain, giving them nine in total. Is there any doubt, then, that they are the patron creature for you Pisceans? No other zodiac sign is more multifaceted than you. No other can operate with grace on so many different levels. I celebrate your complexity, dear Pisces, which enables you to draw such rich experiences into your life and manage such diverse challenges. These qualities will be working at a peak in the coming weeks. For inspiration, consider putting an image of an octopus in your environment.
Homework: Make a promise to yourself that’s hard but not impossible to keep.
JAMES NOELLERT
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