Metro Times 04/23/25

Photo by Kahn Santori Davison

Feedback NEWS & VIEWS

We got comments in response to Steve Neavling’s cover story for our 4/20 issue, “Cannabis businesses in metro Detroit are getting robbed, smashed, and left to fend for themselves.”

I’m sorry, are we supposed to feel bad for corporate cannabis when they literally gutted hundreds of thousands of caregivers. You reap what you sow.

—Scott Masters, Facebook

That’s what happens when you sue, and shut Detroit minorities out of something they helped usher into existence. Ever since that woman sued the whole cannabis Vibe in the city has been tainted.

—Darryl Crosby, Facebook

“The police have done absolutely nothing,” Rissi says. “It’s crazy out there. They’re hitting everything.”

That’s the story right there.

—@jeffisontheroad.bsky.social, Bluesky

Very few people understand the ROOT issue here. Many businesses in the industry are CASH ONLY due to federal regulations making them ripe for robbers. Congress has a solution with bi partisan support. The SAFER Banking Act!

—@theericbarber, Instagram

Correction: An earlier version of the article included a photo of damage to the Liberty Cannabis building that was not related to a robbery. It has since been removed.

Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com

Psychedelic Healing Shack up for sale amid clash with city

The owner of the Psychedelic Healing Shack, a spiritual and wellness center that was raided by Detroit police last year, has put his Woodward Avenue property up for sale.

Robert Pizzimenti, known to many as Dr. Bob, says the move is not because he wants to leave but in protest of what he describes as relentless harassment by the city.

He says he’s asking $600,000 for the property, even though it’s valued at closer to $350,000. He insists he’s not eager to sell but feels forced to after what he describes as years of fines, red tape, and aggressive enforcement tactics by the city.

“It’s kind of a protest,” Pizzimenti tells Metro Times. “I don’t want to sell, but the city is giving me a hard time.”

When a Metro Times reporter visited the building on Monday, a handmade sign was placed in the front yard reading “FOR SALE” with a frowning face scrawled on it.

The city forced Pizzimenti to close the building in September, when police raided the site with guns drawn and confiscated psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Pizzimenti says the mushrooms were used for religious and healing purposes under the protections of Sugarleaf Church, a spiritual group that considers entheogens sacred.

In 2021, Detroit voters decriminalized so-called “magic mushrooms” and other plants. The city says the new decriminalization law doesn’t mean the plants and substances can be sold.

About six weeks ago, after months of back and forth with the city, Pizzimenti says he reluctantly signed a consent agreement, which requires him to admit to illegal activity, waive his right to sue the city, and submit to random inspections.

But instead of easing the situation, Pizzimenti says the city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED) red-tagged the building again, citing additional violations.

“They’re fining me, bullying me. They aren’t even following the law,” Pizzimenti insists. “I tell them I’m a healing center. They don’t like that. They want me to be more specific.”

In a statement to Metro Times, Detroit Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett Jr. defended the city’s actions, saying the agreement was designed to help Pizzimenti legally reopen.

“The purpose of the consent agreement was to provide a structure and timeline for Mr. Pizzimenti to take actions that would allow for the reopening of his business,” Mallett said. “Those requirements include obtaining proper permitting, licensing and certificate of occupancy, as well as paying overdue BSEED fees. To date, he has not completed any of these. As part of the consent agreement he acknowledged that his marijuana and psilocybin sales were, in fact, illegal.”

Despite repeated clashes with the city, Pizzimenti says he’s not trying to cause trouble.

“I’ve been in the healing arts for 40 years,” he says. “Nature is the perfect

science. None of us is going to truly heal until we align with nature and take care of her like we’re supposed to.”

Located at 18700 Woodward Ave. on a high-traffic stretch just south of Ferndale, the Healing Shack was known for its eclectic spiritual offerings, wellness services, and community drum circles.

Pizzimenti says he’s poured more than $300,000 in repairs and upgrades to the property, including a pond and an added room. While he’s received offers as low as $200,000, he says he wants at least $600,000.

“I don’t really want to sell,” Pizzimenti says. “But at $600,000, I would.”

If he sells, Pizzimenti is considering relocating the healing center a few blocks away, where he has a home that is surrounded by 13 empty lots. He says the land could be used for farming, education, and self-sufficiency.

If the city cared more about farming and self-sustainability, he says, fewer residents would be unemployed and unhoused.

“We could feed all the people with the amount of vacant lots,” Pizzimenti says. “We could employ people. We could educate people.”

Pizzimenti says he moved to Detroit for the freedom it affords and still holds hope for the city.

“I’m grateful. I’m not mad at the city,” he says. “But I try to have reasonable conversations from the heart, and I just don’t get it.”

—Steve Neavling

Think tank urges reversing shrinking middle class

As Detroit prepares for a new mayoral election, Detroit Future City is calling on the next administration to prioritize building a stronger middle class, warning that the city’s long-term stability depends on it.

The think tank, which develops strategies for a more equitable city, published a new report that outlines a strategy aimed at three key areas: expanding middle-class neighborhoods, helping Detroiters gain wealth, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.

The stakes are high. More than $820 million in federal COVIDrelief funding is running out, and the city faces looming debt obligations and economic uncertainty.

“Without significant new revenue, it will struggle to meet these commitments while sustaining the vital programs that drive its prosperity,” the report states.

Detroit Future City (DFC) defines middle-class households as those earning between 80% and 200% of the national median income, or between $62,000 and $155,000 in 2023. Only about 26% of Detroit households meet that threshold, compared to 39% across the region.

To reverse that trend, the report calls on city leaders to “commit to being a middle-class city.” That includes expanding access to affordable homeownership, improving rental housing, investing in neighborhood amenities, and increasing safety.

The report was released as Mayor Mike Duggan plans to depart at the end of the year after three terms and run for governor as an independent. Numerous candidates have lined up for the mayoral primary election on Aug. 5.

The report stresses that the city and its new mayor must “work in close partnership” with community groups, nonprofits, and state and federal agencies to reach these goals. It also emphasizes the importance of grounding policy decisions in “data, research, and the lived experience of residents.”

On wealth generation, DFC recommends targeting investments in industries with high

The Psychedelic Healing Shack is located at 18700 Woodward Ave., Detroit.

LEE DEVITO

concentrations of middle-class jobs, especially those with strong representation of Black workers. The report calls for better alignment between education and job opportunities, more pathways to good jobs for residents without four-year degrees, and increased support for small businesses.

The report also highlights barriers to wealth building, such as heirs’

property issues that prevent families from securing tax exemptions and home repair funds. It encourages expanded estate-planning programs and legal aid to protect generational wealth.

Infrastructure is another critical focus. DFC calls for continued investment in stormwater systems to reduce neighborhood flooding, policies to support community solar projects,

and upgrades to the power grid.

The report also calls for better transit access, more walkable neighborhoods, and the reuse of the city’s 18 square miles of vacant land to create parks, greenways, and urban forests.

For the first time in more than six decades, Detroit saw a slight increase in population in 2023, but has lost nearly 59,000 residents since 2013,

State confirms first measles outbreak since 2019

Michigan health officials

confirmed a measles outbreak in Montcalm County, marking the state’s first such outbreak since 2019.

Three related cases of measles have been identified in Montcalm County, meeting the threshold for an outbreak, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD).

Michigan has seen a total of seven measles cases so far this year.

“This outbreak underscores how contagious measles is and how quickly it can spread,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive. “The MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine remains our best defense, and two doses of MMR offer 97% protection against measles. We

urge all Michigan residents to check their vaccination records to ensure they are up to date with the MMR vaccine.”

Officials urged Michigan residents to check their vaccination records to ensure they are current with the MMR vaccine, emphasizing its critical role in preventing further spread.

The outbreak in Montcalm County has been linked to an ongoing, larger outbreak in Ontario, Canada.

Authorities confirmed there are currently no additional public exposure sites identified in Michigan related to this outbreak. The cases in Montcalm County are unrelated to other confirmed measles cases elsewhere in Michigan.

No further details about the individuals involved have been released

UMS announces 2025-26 season

The University Musical Society (UMS) at the University of Michigan has announced its 147th season, featuring more than 50 eclectic performances across 2025 and 2026.

Those include Rhiannon Giddens, an accomplished folk musician and composer from North Carolina who was appointed as U-M’s inaugural artist-inresidence earlier this year.

The artist has earned numerous accolades including a Grammy, the Pulitzer Prize, and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. She also recently collaborated with Beyoncé, contributing her banjo playing to “Texas Hold ‘Em” from last year’s acclaimed Cowboy Carter In her work Giddens has sought to highlight the often-overlooked contributions of Black Americans to the country’s musical history, the focus of her U-M residency. Giddens’s research is set to be compiled into a book, When the World’s on Fire: How a Powerless Underclass Made the Powerful Music that Made America

“I would love to take readers on a trip through American music, guiding them through the discoveries that I have made that bring so many interesting layers to the American story,” Giddens told U-M. “And ultimately what these stories lead to, is that when you start peeling back the wrapper — despite what the people in charge or the people in power want to tell us — is that we are not actually separate. We are always coming together.”

Giddens is set to perform as part of the UMS season on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium. Tickets are available from ums.org with season tickets available starting on Thursday, May 1, and tickets to individual events available on Tuesday, July 29.

The UMS 2025-26 season kicks off on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025 with Verdi’s Requiem performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS Choral Union. Events run through April 22, 2026.

due to privacy concerns.

Measles, which spreads through airborne droplets and direct person-toperson contact, is highly contagious. Symptoms usually appear seven to 14 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, spots inside the mouth, and a distinctive rash beginning on the face and spreading downward.

Health officials recommend anyone who suspects exposure or who develops symptoms to contact their health care provider immediately before visiting to prevent exposing others.

In 2019, several dozen measles cases broke out in Oakland County. Michigan’s Patient Zero at the time traveled from Brooklyn, New York, to Oakland County in early March 2019 to raise money for charity in the Orthodox

including 72,000 residents. To match the region, Detroit would need to add roughly 34,000 middle-class households.

“The future as a thriving, resilient, and economically vibrant city will depend on the ability to grow the middle class and attract new highgrowth businesses to the city,” the report states.

—Steve Neavling

Jewish community, spreading the highly contagious virus.

The MDHHS and MMDHD strongly recommend that anyone of the age of one who has not yet received the MMR vaccine get vaccinated promptly. Individuals vaccinated before 1968 may have received a less effective vaccine and should consult their health care provider about receiving another dose.

Vaccinations are widely available at doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and local health departments. Eligible children can access no-cost vaccinations through the Vaccines for Children program.

More information about measles and vaccination locations is available at Michigan.gov/Measles.

—Steve Neavling

Rhiannon Giddens.

COURTESY PHOTO

El-Sayed joins U.S. Senate race with Bernie endorsement

Abdul El-Sayed — a former Wayne County public health official who came in second place against Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 Michigan gubernatorial primary — is returning to politics.

On Thursday, El-Sayed announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Gary Peters in 2026, earning the endorsement of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

Raised in Michigan as the son of Egyptian immigrants, El-Sayed touted his “all-American story” in a video announcement recounting his life as a high school football player, University of Michigan graduate, and doctor.

“As I’ve spoken to Michiganders, one thing’s become clear: It’s just too hard to get by,” El-Sayed said in a statement.

“But it doesn’t have to be. And to fix it, we need to break the chokehold that billionaires and oligarchs like Donald Trump and Elon Musk have on our politics and economy.”

In the video, El-Sayed emphasized his support for universal health care and denounced the influence of dark money in politics, which he says has enabled Trump and Musk.

“They’re not the disease, they’re just the worst symptom,” he said in the video. “The disease is the corruption of our politics by billionaires and corporations while the workers who built this country are forgotten.”

El-Sayed also called out the Trump administration’s targeting of immigrants, which he called “un-American.”

Since 2022, El-Sayed, 40, worked as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services. Before that, he co-authored the 2021 book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide and wrote Healing Politics: A Doctor’s Journey into Our Political Epidemic His writing has appeared in Metro Times

In 2020, he served on President Joe Biden’s Unity Task Force for Healthcare, helping craft policy to lower prescription drug prices.

In 2018, El-Sayed ran against Whitmer, losing by about 250,000 votes.

While El-Sayed previously embraced the “progressive” label, in an interview for journalist Sam Robinson’s Detroit one million he said he would rather have his policy proposals speak for themselves.

“One of the things you learn as a scientist pretty quickly, is that you should only use words that mean the same things to the person who’s saying them and the person who’s hearing them,” El-Sayed said. “The problem with these labels is they mean different things.”

Sanders, who identifies as a political independent, endorsed El-Sayed’s campaign in a statement, writing, in part, “I am very proud to support Abdul to become the next senator from the great state of Michigan.”

Earlier this month, state Senator Mallory McMorrow announced her campaign for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, becoming the first Democrat to do so.

—Lee DeVito

Downtown Free People store has opening date

Women’s clothing boutique Free People is getting ready to open its newest location in downtown Detroit.

Located in a Bedrock-owned building at 1425 Woodward Ave., the store has set an opening date for Friday.

The Philadelphia-based company describes itself as “the destination for bohemian fashion that features the latest trends and vintage collections for women who live free through fashion, art, music, and travel.”

The stores carry denim, dresses, jewelry, handbags, and more. They also offer personalized shopping experiences with stylists that can be booked by appointment.

“Welcoming Free People to down-

Metro Times seeking summer intern

town Detroit reflects the continued momentum and energy shaping the city’s retail landscape,” said Bedrock’s VP of Leasing Jennifer Skiba. “This opening is not just about a new store — it’s about bringing fresh style, creativity and vibrancy to Detroit and they are a fantastic addition to Woodward Avenue.”

The store will be open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday.

It’s not far from a stretch of other chain retailers downtown like Nike, H&M, Bonobos, and Warby Parker.

The company was founded in 1984 and also has Detroit-area stores at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi and the Somerset Collection in Troy.

—Lee DeVito

Are you an aspiring journalist with an interest in the entertainment offerings of the Detroit area?

If so, we could use your help this summer!

Metro Times is seeking a calendar intern to help us expand our event listings. The listings appear on our website as well as in the print edition of Metro Times, helping our readers find things to do each week.

The intern will manually enter event listings into our database, making sure a wide swath of local venues are represented. Organizational skills and focus are key.

Interns should also be ready to take the occasional reporting assignment, and we welcome your pitches for stories as well.

The internship is unpaid and lasts from May through August depending on your schedule. Interns eligible for college credit are recommended, but non-students are also welcome to apply. If this sounds interesting, please send a cover letter, resume, and any published clips to jobs@metrotinthed.com with the subject line “Metro Times summer calendar intern” to be considered.

—Lee DeVito

Abdul El-Sayed.

JACOB LEWKOW

NEWS & VIEWS

Opinion

This isn’t a ‘distraction’

By Lee DeVito

Every one of us should be outraged by the case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Maryland resident, construction worker, and father of three who was deported to El Salvador and sent to a maximum security prison in what the Trump administration admitted was “administrative error.”

Instead of correcting the mistake, however, President Donald Trump and his Republican allies are now doubling down and trying to alter reality — and some Democrats seem all too eager to help them by looking the other way.

But we should all be concerned about a wannabe U.S. dictator arbitrarily disappearing someone without due process to an unaccountable foreign black site.

These are the facts: Abrego Garcia fled El Salvador after a local gang started extorting his mother’s pupuseria by demanding cash payments and using threats of violence to coerce Garcia and his older brother to join their ranks. Fearing for their safety, the brothers fled to the U.S., and in 2012 Abrego Garcia illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. He was only 16. Eventually arriving in Maryland, Abrego Garcia began working construction and fell in love with a U.S. woman named Jennifer Vasquez Sura, helping her raise her children. While looking for work as a day laborer in a Home Depot parking lot in 2019, Abrego Garcia was arrested by police who claimed he was a member of the notorious gang MS-13, citing a confidential source.

The evidence linking him to the gang? According to legal proceedings, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) believed Abrego Garcia was a member of MS-13 because “he was wearing a Chicago Bulls hat” and a hoodie emblazoned with images of U.S. presidents “with rolls of money covering the eyes, ears, and mouth.” In fact, no credible evidence has been produced linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13, and he has no criminal record.

While he was awaiting his deportation hearings, Abrego Garcia and Vasquez Sura married in 2019. Also

that year, he applied for and was granted “withholding of removal” status by an immigration judge who explicitly barred Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador due to fears for his safety.

One fact that Trump and others have seized upon is that in 2021, Vasquez Sura filed a civil restraining order against Abrego Garcia, accusing him of “punching and scratching her, ripping her shirt, and leaving her bruised.”

Vasquez Sura, who said she was a survivor of domestic abuse from a previous relationship, stated she filed the restraining order “in case things escalated” but decided not to follow through with it.

“We were able to work through this situation privately as a family, including by going to counseling,” she said in a statement. “Our marriage only grew stronger in the years that followed. No one is perfect, and no marriage is perfect. That is not a justification for ICE’s action of abducting him and deporting him to a country where he was supposed to be protected from deportation. Kilmar has always been a loving partner and father, and I will continue to stand by him and demand justice for him.”

Following Abrego Garcia’s March 15 deportation, a federal judge ordered his return to the U.S. The decision was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court earlier this month.

Nevertheless, Trump has decided he is willing to die on this hill. Last week, he posted a photo on social media showing the tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s hand — a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull — which, according to Trump, symbolize the characters “MS-13.”

“They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles,” Trump alleged.

In other words, according to the Trump administration, Abrego Garcia looks like a gang member. Suffice it to say, this is not due process.

And Trump and his supporters will not stop here.

In an absurd White House press conference with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele last week, both lead-

ers basically shrugged, alleging there was nothing they could do to retrieve Abrego Garcia.

Trump also ominously suggested that he wants to send U.S. citizens to El Salvador — many more.

“The homegrowns are next, the homegrowns,” he said, telling Bukele, “You’ve got to build about five more places.”

In a social media post, Vice President JD Vance downplayed the entire incident, repeating the unproven claim that Abrego Garcia was a gang member.

“The entire American media and left wing industrial complex has decided the most important issue today is that the Trump admin deported an MS-13 gang member (and illegal alien),” he wrote.

And it’s not just Trump’s allies on the right who would rather Abrego Garcia be disappeared from public view.

When asked for comment at a recent press conference, California Governor Gavin Newsom dismissed the furor as “the distraction of the day,” adding that calls to free Abrego Garcia would only play into Trump’s hands and make Democrats look like they are “defending MS-13.”

One fellow Democrat disagrees.

“I don’t think it’s ever wrong to stand up for the Constitution,” U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland told NBC News on Sunday.

“I think Americans are tired of elected officials or politicians who are all finger to the wind,” Van Hollen

said, adding that “anyone who can’t stand up for the Constitution and the right of due process doesn’t deserve to lead.”

One might be reminded of Michigan’s own Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who was recently and embarrassingly photographed hiding her face behind folders in the Oval Office while Trump signed a series of bizarre executive orders attacking his critics.

Apparently sensing the shifting political winds, and only serving to prove Van Hollen’s point, Newsom eventually did a complete 180.

“Don’t be distracted,” Newsom wrote in a social media post. “The Trump Administration’s refusal to obey court rulings needs to be called out.”

Unfortunately, Newsom and Whitmer are widely regarded as the next potential leaders of the Democratic Party.

After initial resistance from the El Salvador government, Sen. Van Hollen managed to meet with Abrego Garcia last week, who said he was “traumitized” by his experience though he added he had been transferred to a lower-level facility.

“This case is not only about one man, as important as that is,” Van Hollen later said. “It is about protecting fundamental freedoms and the foundational principle of due process that the Constitution guarantees to everyone who resides in the United States.”

Without that, what do we have? Our leaders simply must do better.

If it can happen to Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, it can happen to you. PUBLIC DOMAIN

ANGELA YEE FALLS IN LOVE WITH DETROIT

A renovated apartment building isn’t the only thing the popular radio host has brewing in the Motor City

By Kahn Santori Davison

On a recent Saturday, Angela Yee is sitting inside of Cred Cafe in Detroit’s East Rivertown, trading smiles and laughs with friends and fans.

The cafe was opened by Detroit brothers and former NBA players Joe and Jordan Crawford in 2023 and has sourced Yee’s Coffee Uplifts People (CUP) brand since its inception.

“I love that it’s here because this is totally our vibe… the service here is amazing, I love the speakeasy in the back,” she says between sips of coffee. “It just speaks to everything I enjoy.”

Yee, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is known mostly to the world as the host of the syndicated radio show Way Up With Angela Yee and previously The Breakfast Club, the influential talk show where she sat alongside DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God for 13 years, discussing hip-hop, politics, and dating until she departed in 2022.

She’s also an honorary Detroiter. Yee says the more she visited the Motor City, the more she loved it here. And CUP is not Yee’s only endeavor in Detroit.

In 2023, Yee purchased a 30-unit apartment building on 667 W. Alexandrine St. in Midtown.

Dubbed The Alex, the apartment opened its doors on Friday.

For the project, Yee partnered Ladies of Hope Ministries founder Dr. Topeka K. Sam, who reserved 10 of the units for formerly incarcerated women.

“People deserve a second chance,” Yee says. “A lot of these women are non-violent offenders. … Being mission-driven was important to me because I’m moving into that space where I want to start doing things that mean something to me and that people are grateful to have.”

She says Detroit has become a second home, and adds that she’s fallen in love with the city and the residents here.

“I like seeing people that moved from Detroit and have moved back,” she says. “I think it’s amazing to see all the people that are coming back to Detroit. I understand gentrification so much because I’m from Brooklyn, and I know what that looks like in New York.”

Yee says her entrepreneurial and creative spirit came to life in recent years, when the world shut down during the pandemic in 2020.

“I’ve never had a lot of time to just walk around in my neighborhood, and so that was the best time to come up with ideas and things,” she says.

The result was CUP, a coffee brand in which Yee was not only financially motivated, but inspired by the role coffee has played within the Black diaspora.

“Coffee is the number two import in the United States after oil and it’s something that’s not going anywhere,” she says. “It’s also something that was started in Ethiopia — that’s where coffee comes from, and I feel like in the United States coffee doesn’t get the promotion with our people that it deserves.”

Initially Yee’s focus was to make CUP a coffee brand that would be sold online and in grocery stores. But she decided to open a cafe by the same name in 2022 in Brooklyn, and the coffee made its way to downtown Detroit’s Central Kitchen + Bar shortly after.

Yee is not just an investor or someone using her name to promote the coffee brand — she takes pride that she’s committed herself to the entire coffeemaking process and business.

“It’s a very high-quality coffee,” Yee

says. “We deal directly with the farms, we have our own importer, a woman named Phyllis Johnson. She’s a Black woman who’s been working in the coffee industry for 30 years. And we roast the beans ourselves in Brooklyn.”

The business has not been without challenges: most notably, the current political climate has affected the cost of production.

“The prices keep fluctuating,” she says. “You never want to pass that cost down to the consumer and I feel like it’s scary when things are happening that are out of our control when it comes to tariffs, when it comes to a lot of different things when you think about importing.”

Yee’s overall goal is to get CUP into more places of business and increase her retail reach. “We are trying to make sure we show up in places that we go to and that we enjoy,” she says.

Yee’s equally excited by both CUP and The Alex being woven into Detroit’s creative and commercial fabric. She says she doesn’t plan on starting another endeavor in Detroit until she gets a better grasp on the first two.

The Alex renovation took a bit longer than Yee expected as she’s experienced the same ups and downs that financing any major restoration project comes with. There have been broken windows and parts of the building needed more repairs than previously thought.

“I didn’t get any grants,” Yee says. “We fully renovated the building so everything is brand new — the flooring, the walls, the appliances. We want to make it some place where I’m not just trying to make money, but I want it to be nice.”

She adds, “My name is on it.”

Angela Yee has invested in The Alex, an apartment building located at 667 W. Alexandrine St., Detroit. KAHN SANTORI DAVISON

WHAT’S GOING ON

Overlord Scootch

Overlord Scooch is a west side native and an original member of the legendary hip-hop group Doughboyz Cashout. He’s penned eight solo albums that have become staples in Detroit’s street and club scenes along with his heavy contributions to Doughboyz Cashout’s lengthy discography. Scooch has also collaborated musically with some of his city’s brightest stars such as Boldy James, Babyface Ray, Payroll Giovanni, Mack Nickels, Allstar JR, and Peezy just to name a few. Above all, Scooch is known for being a true hip-hop head that can drop a hot 16 on any kind of beat. Last year he released two albums, one in which was a collaboration with Allstar JR and a solo project titled End Of The Summer . He brings this experience and history to El Club on Wednesday.

Starts at 8 p.m. on Wednesday; El Club, 4144 Vernor Hwy., Detroit; elclubdetroit.com. Tickets are $54.39.

Pure Spirits Cocktail Tasting 2025

The spirit industry’s biggest annual sampling event of the year goes down this Friday at Eastern Market. The party will feature dozens of industry suppliers showcasing samples of the finest brands any way you want them – neat, on the rocks, or mixed as an innovative or classic cocktail. There will be food trucks and a cover band on site to keep the vibes high. GA and VIP tickets are available.

VIP Entry at 6:30 p.m., GA at 7:30 p.m. on Friday; Eastern Market Shed #3, Detroit. eventbrite.com. Tickets

Overlord Scootch.

One to One:

John & Yoko

John Lennon and Yoko Ono will always have an important place in Michigan history. In 1971, the musicians came to the aid of John Sinclair — the late Detroit activist and former manager of the rock band MC5 who had been sent to the slammer for marijuana possession — by performing as part of a “Freedom Rally” at the University of Michigan’s Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. They even immortalized the incident in song: “It ain’t fair, John Sinclair/ In the stir for breathin’ air/ Won’t you care for John Sinclair?” Sinclair, who died last year at 82, was freed the following March (and in 2018 Michigan voters legalized cannabis for adult use). The John Sinclair episode is featured prominently in the new documentary One to One: John & Yoko , so it only makes sense to give it a special screening in Ann Arbor. Friday’s screening includes a post-film discussion featuring fellow travelers Leni Sinclair, John’s ex-wife and a photographer and documentarian of the times, and poet-writer M.L. Liebler.

One to One: John & Yoko screens at 7 p.m. on Friday, The Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; marquee-arts.org. Tickets are $9.75-11.75.

Bridging Our Friendship Rally

As anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of interacting with our neighbors to the north knows, Canadians are nice people. The nicest. One time, while visiting a record store in Windsor, I overheard the clerk politely say, “Well, which Nickelback albums don’t you own?” This would

is that you have to fuck up pretty bad to piss Canadians off, and it seems President Donald Trump has done just that. His bizarre threats to make Canada the “51st state” or slap it with tariffs have riled our nation’s closest ally, with some Canadians even calling for a boycott of U.S.

and Canadians will set aside our differences for “Bridging Our Friendship,” an international gesture of solidarity. All across the U.S.-Canada border, people on both sides plan on gathering at 1 p.m. on Saturday to wave flags, sing each others’ national anthems (time to brush up on the

Spangled Banner” for that matter), and show the world some of that famous Canadian kindness. Hundreds of people showed up at the DetroitWindsor border for a similar protest last month. Let’s see if we can top it.

Starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday; Hart

John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

MAGNOLIA PICTURES

WHAT’S GOING ON CONTD

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, April 23

Live/Concert

CLASSIC LOUNGE SOUNDS w/ KESHTKAR & CO. 8-11 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Empire of the Sun, Roi Turbo 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $49.50-$99.50.

Foxy Shazam, The Number

Twelve Looks Like You, Lobby Boxer 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $27.50.

L.S. Dunes, From Indian Lakes, Night Sins 6 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $37.50.

Overlord Scooch (of Doughboyz Cashout) 8 p.m.; El Club, 4114 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; $54.39.

Matt Larusso Trio and guests 8-11 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Wild Rivers, Anna Graves 7 p.m.; Majestic Theatre, 4140 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $33.50.

DJ/Dance

Always Fresh, Never Frozen 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Line Dancing Lessons at Diamondback Music Hall! 6:30-10 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $10-$15.

Nightcap Detroit 11 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Planet Funk 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Thursday, April 24

Live/Concert

Chris Cain 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $15$120.

Denzel Curry, Kenny Mason, 454, CLIP 6 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $39.50$79.50.

Dueling Pianos: An Interactive Entertainment Experience 8 p.m.-midnight; AXIS Lounge, 1777 3rd

St., Detroit.

Gangstagrass 7:30 p.m.; Fisher Theatre - Detroit, 3011 West Grand & Fisher, Detroit.

Korine, Johnny Dynamite and The Bloodsuckers, The Johnstonsons 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; $12.

Magic Bag Presents: An evening with Noah Gundersen w/ Abby Gundersen 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $25.

THE BOUNCING SOULS, H2o, Dave Hause and The Mermaid, School Drugs 6 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $32.50.

DJ/Dance

Curated Cool 7-10 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Elixer: DJs John Ryan and GEO 8 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Groove Night 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

I Love Steppin’ 17th Year

Anniversary 7 p.m.; Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn.

The Juice 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.

Karaoke

Drag Queen Karaoke 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Woodward Avenue Brewers, 22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; no cover.

Friday, April 25

Live/Concert

Ben Kweller, Cheese Touch 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $25.

Clarinet Events Presents Abeer Nehme In USA 8 p.m.; The Music Hall, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; $70-$170.

Cocktail Shake, DJ Rock City

Ray 9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Genitorturers, Rorschach Test, Living Dead Girl, Black Season

Witch 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339 Conant St., Hamtramck; $20.

Greggie and the Jets (Elton John tribute) 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $24-$240.

Laila! 7 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $20.

Larry Fleet, Everette 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $29.

Laurel 7 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932

Caniff St., Hamtramck; $22-$94. LIVE HARDWARE ELECTRONICS

7:01 p.m.; Regal Beagle, 817 E. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; $5.

Magic Bus 8 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $15-$120.

Tales from the D: Dave McMurray 6-9 p.m.; Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $35, $20 Detroit Historical Society Members.

Tinn Parrow and his Clapfold Platune with the 11th Hour 7-10 p.m.; Entropy Studios, 25908 W. Six Mile Rd., Redford; $10-20 sliding scale.

We The Kingdom: Unplugged An Evening of Songs and Stories

7:30 p.m.; Flagstar Strand Theatre for the Performing Arts, 12 N. Saginaw St., Pontiac; $19.75-$149.75.

DJ/Dance

Christoph 7 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $15-$25.

I Love Steppin’ 17th Year Anniversary noon-2 a.m. and 12-5 pm; Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; Pay at the door.

Interface 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

The TP Quarterly 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.

Saturday, April 26

Live/Concert

AWOLNATION, Bryce Fox, Makua 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $45.

Black Bagged, Nuff Said, Brittle Bullet, Triflin, Clockface 6:30 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $12.

Captured Detroit (Journey tribute) 7-10:30 p.m.; The HUB Stadium, 44325 W 12 Mile Rd Unit H-160, Novi; 25-120.

DETROIT x DETROIT XIII 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $10.

High Vis, Militarie Gun, Age of Apocalypse 6:30 p.m.; The Lincoln Factory, 1331 Holden St., Detroit; $25.

Magic Bag Presents: Har Mar Superstar 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $22.

OK Go, L.A. Exes 7 p.m.; Majestic Theatre, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $37.50-$87.50.

Prison Affair 7 p.m.; Small’s, 10339

Conant St., Hamtramck; $22. Queen Flash (Queen tribute) 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $25-$240.

Saddle Up Country Dance Party! 8 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; Season Finale: Michael Maliakel & Sonya Balsara 6:30 .m. and 8:45 p.m.; Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, 3711 Woodward Avenue, Detroit; $60.

The Pink 50’s, Hillbilly Knife Fight, Failing as Humans, Plush Deathly, Ratmatia 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $12.

Wreking Crue (Mötley Crüe tribute), Slip-not (Slipknot tribute) 8 p.m.; Harpos, 14238 Harper Ave., Detroit; $25-$50.

DJ/Dance

Desert Hearts (360° Set): Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs, Porky 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $15-$30.

I Love Steppin’ 17th Year

Anniversary 7 p.m.-2 a.m., noon-2 a.m., and 12-5 p.m.; Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; pay at the door.

Movement Pre-Party 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Saturday Grind 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Vibrations 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Sunday, April 27

Live/Concert

Drake White, Justin Jeansonne 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $25.

Earthburner, Ran Thru 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15.

EXTC (XTC’s Terry Chambers and Friends) 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $20$120.

Magic Bag Presents: THE ARISTOCRATS THE DUCK TOUR 2025 7 p.m.; Magic Bag, 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $35.

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience 7 p.m.; Fisher Theatre - Detroit, 3011 West Grand & Fisher, Detroit; $39-$173.

Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings 5-8 p.m.; Zal Gaz Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; No Cover (tip jar for the band).

Steinway Piano Recital: For

Clara 3-4 p.m.; Cranbrook House & Gardens, 380 Lone Pine Rd, Bloomfield Hills; $20-$50.

Trivium, Bullet for My Valentine, August Burns Red, Bleed From Within 5:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $59.50-$69.50.

DJ/Dance

Flavors 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit; $10.

Foggy Sundays 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

I Love Steppin’ 17th Year

Anniversary 7 p.m.-2 a.m., noon-2 a.m., and 12-5 p.m.; Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; Pay at the door.

SPKR BRNCH 11 .a.m-3 p.m.; Spkr Box, 200 Grand River, Detroit.

Karaoke

Sunday Karaoke in the Lounge 5-9 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Monday, April 28

Live/Concert

DJO, Post Animal 7 p.m.; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St, Detroit; $77.

Tribute to Nancy Wilson featuring Veronique Musique 7-10 p.m.; Aretha’s Jazz Cafe, 350 Madison St., Detroit; $35.

Turnover, Balance & Compsure, Tigers Jaw 6 p.m.; The Fillmore, 2115 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $39.50-$59.50.

YTB Fatt, Hoodtrophy Bino 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $30.

DJ/Dance

Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.

Tuesday, April 29

Live/Concert

BoyWithUke, Ethan Bortnick 7 pm; Detroit Masonic Temple Library, 500 Temple St, Detroit; $29-$35.

Kyle Mikolajczyk (Kyle313)

Acoustic 6-9 p.m.; Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Ypsilanti; no cover.

Sean Blackman’s In Transit 7-10 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

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.

THEATER Performance

The Fillmore Orchestra Noir; $51-$101; Friday, 7 p.m.

Fox Theatre The Addams Family (Touring); $30-$80; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The Inspired Acting Company A Doll’s House by Amy Herzog. A modern adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic play, bringing new life to its timeless themes in a concise and contemporary 110-minute production. The story follows Nora Helmer, a devoted wife and mother who believes she has a perfect life — until her husband’s impending promotion exposes the unforeseen consequences of a desperate choice she made years earlier. As Nora faces the truth about her marriage and her own identity, she is forced to make a lifealtering decision. This enduring classic explores freedom, individuality, and selffulfillment, offering a compelling and thought-provoking experience for today’s audiences. $30-$35; Fridays, Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. and Sundays, 2-4 p.m.

Theatre NOVA Eclipsed: The Sun, The Moon, and Gladys Atkinson Sweet by D.L. Patrick. On the night of September 9, 1925, Gladys Atkinson Sweet was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, along with her husband, Dr. Ossian Sweet, his two brothers and seven other African Americans following the attack on her home. They were well-educated, well-respected, talented people who would have been assets to any community. Although much has been written about Dr. Sweet and the two Sweet trials, litigated by Clarence Darrow, this play imagines the perspective of Gladys Sweet and the women who populated her life. It is about what women do, and have always done, in the shadows. $30; Fridays, 8 p.m., Saturdays, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays, 2 p.m.

Warren Woods Fine Arts

Auditorium 42ND STREET: A celebration of the glitz and glamour of Broadway. This not to be missed musical is full of toe tappin’ fun for all ages; concordtheatricals.com; $12-$17; Friday, 7:30-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7:30-10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-5 p.m.

ARTS

Habatat Galleries Matriarchs of Mastery – Women Shaping the Future of Glass Art; no cover.

Oakland County International Airport Fly High, take chances: A

24 April 23-29, 2025 | metrotimes.com

collection of impressionist Aviation works by local artist Greg Upshur. Runs through May. No cover.

Pizzo Studio Lulu Cameron: A Life’s Work Retrospective; no cover.

The Baker House Gallery at VITRINE Wanderlust: Art by MOD Market

Meadow Brook Theatre The Rat Pack Lounge. $39; Wednesday, 8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The Michigan Art Gallery A Midwest Perspective: An exhibition of Artwork by Leon Makielski. The Michigan Art Gallery at Schmidt’s Antiques is pleased to present an exhibition and sale of over fifty previously unseen paintings from Leon Makielski’s career in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana, drawn from the Makielski family private collection.

Planet Ant Theatre Jurassic Park: The Musical. A hilarious, high-energy parody of the beloved 1993 classic film. Featuring all the iconic characters and some dinosaurs too, this goofy reimagining promises an unforgettable night full of nostalgia, laughs, and just the right amount of existential dread. Sparing no expense on low budget effects, and showcasing a score of genrebending original songs, both fans and novices will find something to love. $30-$40; Fridays, Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. and Sunday, 3-5 p.m.

COMEDY

Embassy Suites Troy The Dinner

Detective Comedy Mystery Dinner Show; America’s largest interactive comedy murder dinner theatre show. Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. $69.95; Saturday, 6:30-9 p.m.

Go Comedy! Improv Theater Go Comedy! All-Star Showdown. 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.

Detroit House of Comedy Detroit

Roasts Everybody: See ten comedic competitors go head to head in an epic roast battle right in the heart of Detroit. $20; Thursday; 7:30-9 p.m.

Diamondback Music Hall UAW Comedy Jam featuring Joe Torry; $50$480, Sunday, 6 p.m.

Magic Bag Michael Yo: Issa Truuue! Tour; $29-$39; Friday, 6 p.m.

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Ian Bagg is a world-touring comedian

whose comedy was recently described as “dangerously flawless” on the JRE. But he is not just a comedian he is also the cohost of the weekly hockey podcast, “Enjoying Orange Slices with Jeff and Ian.” $30; Friday, 7:15-8:45 p.m. and 9:4511:15 p.m. and Saturday. 7-8:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m.; Syrian-American comedian Nasser Al-Rayess, popularly known as the “Shawarma King,” has rapidly risen as a dynamic force in the comedy world. Through his sharp wit and exploration of his Arab-American identity, Nasser offers a refreshing take on pop culture and current events. His keen observational humor, especially around identity and popular Arab music, has garnered him a million followers across social media. $30; Tuesday, 7:30-9 p.m.

WELLNESS

Beginners fitness bootcamp

Beginner friendly fast paced bootcamp fitness class with great trainers that keeps the class fun and simple. Mondays, 7:308:30 a.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Kratos Fit Gym, 9379 Telegraph, Redford; no cover; 313-870-7580; kratosfpg.fit.

Cook to Thrive (Cooking Class Hosted by a Chef and Nutritionist) Welcome to a hands-on, flavor-packed culinary experience where wellness meets world cuisine. Hosted by Chef Luisa Michelotti who studied and trained culinary arts in France, Italy, and Senegal alongside Seeneen Meroueh, a local Detroit-based nutritionist and cooking enthusiast. Join us for a vibrant class that blends elevated cooking with the healing power of whole foods. All skill levels welcome! Wednesday, 6:308:30 p.m.; Luisa’s Artisanal Street Food, 22851 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $130; 248-677-3331; eventbrite.com.

COMMUNITY

LGBTQ

Mezcal Mexican Bar & Kitchen Whitney’s Peeps Drag Brunch; $25; Sunday, noon-2 p.m.

Opening

The Deep End Gallery & Cafe - Detroit Clowns & Crowns: Drag Comedy Show; $15 advance, $20 at the door; Friday, 8-11 p.m.

The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant The Sh*t Show Open Mic: Every Friday & Saturday at The Independent A weekly open mic featuring both local amateurs and touring professionals. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and the show begins at 9 pm.. The evening always ends with karaoke in the attached Ghost Light Bar! Doors and Sign up 8:30 p.m. Show at 9 p.m.

FOOD

Drifter Coffee gets bigger building

Drifter Coffee is closing its popular shop after six years at 770 Woodward Heights, Ferndale — but relocating to a larger building across town.

The company says it’s moving to a two-story 4,500-square-foot space on Livernois.

“The new, larger space will allow Drifter to grow in really exciting ways,” the company says. “The new building will have a full bakery with an expanded menu and the capability to take on special orders. The coffee bar will be larger and more efficient with an expanded menu as well. There will be a large events space to accommodate community events all year round and lots of seating for customers to enjoy.”

Construction is expected to start this month. Drifter says it plans to launch a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo to raise $50,000 for the project.

“The building needs work and we are a small business with no investors, so we are leaning on the community to help support creating a beautiful, lively, and welcoming space,” Drifter says on its crowdfunding page.

Ann Arbor’s Vanguard Hotel opens French spot

Ann Arbor’s new Vanguard Hotel will soon bring a new restaurant to the city.

The French-inspired La Serre is set to open its doors in the upscale hotel next month.

“La Serre is a restaurant built for Ann Arbor — elevated, yes, but never fussy,” said hotel general manager Jason Nelson. “It’s a place where you can linger over a morning espresso, meet friends for lunch, host a private wine dinner, or grab a seat at the bar late into the evening enjoying selections from the raw bar. The experience is both classic and fresh — like the best French cuisine.”

A promotional rendering of the new space showed a sleek interior with elegant blue-and-white design cues derived from fine china.

According to the hotel, the restaurant is named for the French word for “greenhouse” and “reflects the seasonality, simplicity, and abundance of classic French country cooking.”

“La Serre is all about depth of flavor and honest, beautiful food,” executive chef Michael Polsinelli said in a statement. “We’re honoring the simplicity of traditional French cuisine but bringing in the vibrancy of Michigan’s farms, lakes, and food artisans. You’ll see foie gras torchon

and steak Frites next to charred local carrots or BP Farms Chicken — all thoughtfully composed and served with warmth.”

The restaurant plans to offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, including a full bar menu and grab-and-go breakfast items.

It will serve breakfast and dinner starting on May 6, followed by lunch sometime in June. The hotel is set to open May 13.

The Vanguard Hotel is located at 213 Glen Avenue, Ann Arbor.

More information is available at vanguardannarbor.com.

—Lee DeVito

Slows Bar BQ expands to the ’burbs

Slows Bar BQ is celebrating its 20th anniversary with an expansion into the suburbs.

The popular Corktown restaurant announced its plans to open a new location in the former Berkley Common space at 3087 12 Mile Rd., which closed earlier this week after nearly eight years in business.

The new Slows Bar BQ location will offer full-service dining and carry-out, as well as a second-floor private event space and patio.

The move is personal, the company says.

“With strong roots in the community — co-owner Josh Keillor grew up in Royal Oak and attended Shrine High School alongside fellow co-owners Brian and Terry Perrone — this expansion truly feels like a homecoming,” according to the company.

The trio acquired the business in 2023; Brian is the restaurant’s founding chef.

Slows Bar BQ first opened at the cor-

ner of Michigan Avenue and 14th Street in 2005, adding a carry-out restaurant in Midtown five years later. It expanded with locations in Pontiac and Grand Rapids in the ensuing years, but those have since closed, leaving only the first two Detroit stores.

Slows Bar BQ says it plans to fully open in Berkley by late summer or early fall, but it is already offering catering service to local residents and businesses.

—Lee DeVito

The shop says it will continue to operate out of 770 Woodward Heights through the summer.

—Lee DeVito

Mediterranean chain Cava headed to Detroit

A growing fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant chain called Cava is getting ready to open its first Michigan location.

Dan Gilbert’s Bedrock real estate firm says the restaurant is expected to open this summer on the bottom floor of its headquarters at 636 Woodward Ave.

“The addition of Cava to downtown Detroit will bring a fresh, modern concept to the city,” Bedrock’s Senior Vice President of Leasing Naumann Idrees said in a statement. “Their commitment to bold, healthy food and vibrant community experiences aligns perfectly with the energy that defines Detroit. We’re delighted to introduce high-quality brands like Cava to the heart of the city.”

Cava was launched in 2006 by first-generation Greek Americans in Maryland. In 2018, Cava Group bought the Zoës Kitchen chain, becoming the largest Mediterranean restaurant operator in the U.S. with more than 350 locations.

The company also produces dips, spreads, and dressings that are sold in stores like Whole Foods.

—Lee DeVito

The interior of La Serre in Ann Arbor’s Vanguard Hotel.

COURTESY OF THE VANGUARD

Bites

CULTURE

Film A cynical cash grab... for kids!

A Minecraft Movie

Rated: PG

Run-time: 101 minutes

As someone who pays their bills by watching and then writing about movies, I don’t really get to differentiate between movies that are “for me” or aimed at a completely different demographic. I have to watch it all. And I take that seriously. I go into every movie genuinely hoping for the best and don’t critique the film based on what I would have done, but whether the filmmaker achieved his or her intention.

Every time I read a review where the critic says, “I would have done this,” or “They should have done that,” I’m embarrassed at what amounts to a blatant stab at public masturbation. Most people just want to know whether a critic thinks the movie is worth their time and money. They don’t care about our version of the movie.

So believe me when I say I went into A Minecraft Movie hoping for the best, but was also intensely aware

By Jared Rasic, Last Word Features

that the movie wasn’t going to be for me. I love video games, but have always been drawn to more narrativedriven stories like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us more than sandboxes like Minecraft or Fortnite That is to say, I’ve probably played an hour of Minecraft in my lifetime. Also, kids (teens?) all over the country have been following a new TikTok trend where they scream, cheer, and throw their popcorn around the theater during the movie, and that sounds like an absolute shitshow I want to avoid at all costs.

And while the screening I attended for A Minecraft Movie didn’t have screaming, popcorn-heaving kids, it still managed to be one of the worst movies I’ve sat through in a very long time. Just look at how cynical even the title is: A Minecraft Movie. I get that the point of Minecraft, for many people, represents the freedom to create anything they want and to build entire worlds where they are the architects of every little thing. The game is what the player makes it.

But for filmmaker Jared Hess and team to not even give the film the re -

and becomes the screechiest, most profoundly annoying character I’ve seen in years. Every moment Black is onscreen, he’s yelling, growling, or doing his patented schtick, and for the first time in my life, I found him to be completely insufferable. I’ve loved Jack Black since he showed up in 2000s High Fidelity, but A Minecraft Movie still managed to make me want to sell my copy of School of Rock. (Nacho Libre remains safe for now.)

I don’t like feeling cynical about film, but A Minecraft Movie inspires nothing but images of synergistic board meetings where corporate suits decide how to make a cash grab with mass appeal to kids, their parents, gamers, non-gamers, domesticated pets, and anyone else whose pockets are reachable. Minecraft is ostensibly a game about the limitless possibilities of creation, and, while I respect that A Minecraft Movie pays respect to the freedom our imaginations can gift us, the film remains ugly to look at while the FIVE credited writers fail to craft a single moment that authentically captures the wonder of making something exist in reality that wholly captures what you saw in your head.

spect of a definitive article (by calling it The Minecraft Movie), it feels like they were either so self-aware that they figured this would be the beginning of a massive franchise of movies (which it will be) or they wanted to pander to audiences that wouldn’t accept anyone telling them what “THE” Minecraft Movie would involve.

I’m not recounting the plot here because it makes my head hurt, but it involves Jack Black being Steve, the original default skin of your avatar in the game. He teams up with Jason Momoa, Danielle Brooks, and two precocious and annoying teenagers to protect the Overworld from Malgosha, a pig witch that rules Overworld’s Underworld, known as the Nether. That’s all I got. The story only exists to plop viewers into the Overworld and get them excited about making blocks of things into other blocks of things.

While Momoa manages to successfully tap into his bottomless well of charisma to play a genuinely goofy and endearing character, Black instead doubles down on his sing-songy, man-child persona

But also… A Minecraft Movie wasn’t made for me and that’s fine, I guess. If this is wholly just aimed at kids and Minecraft obsessives, then maybe it’s an unparalleled success. I have no idea. The movie doesn’t need to be for me. Barbie and The Lego Movie weren’t, either, but I was still deeply moved by both. Maybe kids deserve better than the bare minimum. But with so much of the movie focused on ’80s and ’90s nostalgia-porn video game culture, I found myself pandered to, anyway, while still feeling like an old man yelling at the Cloud.

A Minecraft Movie isn’t funny or charming. And it treats human imagination more like a commodity to be exploited than as one of the most incandescently important things about being alive. I found myself amused by the irony of so much of the plot being centered around characters turning their wildest ideas and fantasies into nearly identical square blocks. It made me wonder whether, subliminally, the filmmakers were trying to say that no matter how potent or profound your imagination, someone will always be there to try and sand down the edges and make sure that your vision fits properly as another indistinguishable brick in an endless wall of identical content.

Grade: F

How could a movie about imagination be so ugly to look at?

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

MUSIC WEED

The Straight Dope

THC tablets offer more controlled high

By Steve Neavling

Welcome to The Straight Dope, our weekly series that explores the best cannabis products in Michigan.

For most of his adult life, Chris Emerson was on a clear path.

He earned a PhD in small molecule chemistry, completed a postdoc at Stanford, and seemed destined for a career in either pharmaceutical development or academia. But in 2012, frustrated with the rigid options in front of him, Emerson walked away from the lab and found himself in the majestic Redwoods of northern California.

He spent four months living in a tent on a medicinal cannabis farm, surrounded by thousands of plants. That unexpected detour would ultimately reshape his life and redefine his career.

Today, Emerson is the founder and CEO of LEVEL, a California-based cannabis company that formulates vegan, sugar-free tablets called Protab designed to deliver consistent, predictable effects.

“I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Emerson tells me. “But I never understood how I was gonna reconcile a traditional, hard science background that would be very capital-intensive and regulatory.”

He adds, “Then I ended up on a medicinal cannabis farm in the Redwoods.”

LEVEL’s Protab products are part of a growing shift in how people consume and think about cannabis. Rather than chasing the highest-THC flower or eating sugar-laden gummies, Emerson’s approach is grounded in precision, predictability, and functionality. Each tablet is formulated with a specific goal in mind: energy, sleep, focus, social ease, or stress relief.

The tablets are compact, discreet, and consistent. Each contains 20 milligrams of THC and is scored to be split into two 10-milligram servings. Several products also incorporate cannabinoids beyond THC, such as THCv, CBN, and CBG, to target specific effects.

“Everyone’s used to taking a tablet,” Emerson says. “Whether we have prescription medication or we take supplements — or, when we’re older, maybe recreational drugs — we trust the form

factor and we understand it.”

Among the most popular offerings is Boost, which contains 20 mg THC, 10 mg THCv, and 3 mg CBG. It’s designed to increase energy and focus without the fog or paranoia that can sometimes come with high-THC sativas. Emerson says the best feedback is when people say they didn’t realize they were high, but they just cleaned their car, did their laundry, or gardened for hours and had the best day.

For those seeking rest, Lights Out offers a mix of THC, CBN, and CBG to aid with relaxation and sleep. Other tablets include sativa, hybrid, and indica varieties of Protab, which deliver traditional cannabis effects in a smoke-free, sugarfree form.

The Protab tablets are inexpensive, too. With each package containing 10 tablets, they range in price from $3 for a two-pack to $16 for a 10-pack of the enhanced versions.

Product reviews

I tried LEVEL’s Lights Out tablet on a recent evening before bed, and within 30 minutes I could feel a noticeable shift. My body became calm and soothed, and I drifted off to sleep easily. I stayed asleep through the night and woke up without the dreaded grogginess or “weed hangover” that sometimes follows other cannabis products designed for sleep.

As someone who struggles with winding down, Lights Out provided a clean, calming experience that delivered exactly what it promised.

But Boost quickly became my favorite. Taking one tablet felt like drinking a long-lasting energy drink, but without the jittery edge or anxiety. There was definitely a noticeable buzz, but not in a way that felt overwhelming.

Boost kept me focused, energized, and creative for hours. It enhanced my productivity without slowing me down. It’s an ideal option for people who want to stay active and clear-headed while still enjoying the benefits of cannabis.

Nerding out on THC

Emerson says the company’s mission is rooted in the belief that cannabis can

and should be tailored to individual needs. The goal isn’t to get as high as possible; it’s to fine-tune experiences.

“We’re not trying to get everyone high so they’re just stupefied,” he says. “We want them to be in this amazing place where these cannabinoids are adding to the experience of their life, augmenting it in positive ways.”

That scientific rigor is a constant theme in Emerson’s story. Before cannabis, he worked in biotech and led research teams. At LEVEL, he serves as CEO and chief scientist, overseeing product formulation, manufacturing, and regulatory compliance.

“We look at all the peer-reviewed literature, legacy industry data, and our own empirical testing,” he says. “The sweet spot is where those three overlap. That’s how we feel confident we can give people the effect they’re looking for.”

But he doesn’t run the company alone. His wife Brie Emerson is LEVEL’s co-owner and chief operating officer. A former top-ranked national sales rep, she now manages the company’s sales, marketing, HR, and team management. Where Chris brings technical expertise, Brie brings operational knowledge and sales leadership.

“She was in-between jobs when we were starting to get traction in California,” Chris recalls. “She jumped in and said, ‘You guys need a lot of help. You’re not going to make it.’ And she just took it by the reins.”

Brie’s outgoing personality and people skills are a perfect complement to Chris’s more introverted, sciencefocused role. Together, they’ve built LEVEL into California’s top-selling cannabis tablet brand and expanded into seven states, including Michigan.

In Michigan, LEVEL partners with Pleasantrees, a local cannabis company,

to produce and distribute the tablets. Because LEVEL’s production requires specialized equipment and technical expertise, the company uses a mobile manufacturing model. They bring in a portable facility, produce tablets in bulk, and leave them with their local partners to package and distribute.

Opening minds

Even with LEVEL’s growth, Emerson says awareness is still a challenge. While gummies and pre-rolls are easy to understand, tablets require a shift in mindset, and that means education.

“Education is absolutely critical,” he says. “We need to help people understand that there are other modes of consumption that address specific needs.”

Looking ahead, Emerson believes LEVEL is just getting started. As cannabis research expands and more consumers seek out customizable options, he sees the potential for enormous growth.

“Cannabis isn’t a silver bullet. It’s not going to solve all your problems,” he says. “But it can take the edge off and help you make changes in your life. Then your body can go through that process to heal or grow.”

It’s part of a holistic approach, he says.

For Emerson, the road from chemistry labs to cannabis tablets wasn’t part of the original plan, but it was exactly what he needed.

“It was one of those shocking, orthogonal episodes in life,” he says. “You’re headed one direction, and suddenly, you’re moving in a completely different one. And that’s where the magic happens.”

If you want us to sample your cannabis products, send us an email at steve@ metrointhed.com.

LEVEL’s Protab products are part of a growing shift in how people consume and think about weed.

CULTURE

Savage Love Defaulting

By Dan Savage

: Q My wife and I are socially monogamous but have a DADT arrangement that applies if we’re not in our home city. While my wife would prefer that I divulge details to her, I don’t want to hear her details, so we defaulted to DADT based on my preferences. Because we aren’t out to friends about being open and I can’t share this with my wife, I don’t have anyone I can talk to about this, so I am writing to you.

I just had an outstanding weekend getaway with a new friend. Nothing in particular was over the top about our itinerary saunas and cold plunges followed by fancy meals — but time flew by while also seeming to stand still. The sex was WOW and our conversations about serious subjects were spiced with tongue-incheek teasing about this fantasy world we were playing in. She is poly and can share details with her partners, but she enjoys the “secrecy” aspect of my arrangement. We’ve been messaging each other about just how hot our getaway was and have already scheduled our next trip together in a few months. Messaging someone else from “home base” may constitute a rules violation.

Here is my question: How do I sustain the erotic tension with this new friend with so much time between now and our next date? We are planning to introduce Shibari into our play next time, with me tying her, so I was thinking sending some self-tie photos or photos of the ties I plan on doing would sustain the erotic tension. But taking photos at “home base” would obviously count as another possible rules violation.

Context for the two “rule violations” I’ve cited: there is an implied agreement between my wife and I to suspend engagement with play partners while at “home base.” This is probably more my rule than my wife’s rule.

—Bending Rules In Erotic Frenzy

A: Let’s get the question you asked out of the way first: Will sending your new friend photos of Shibari knots sustain the erotic tension in the long run-up to your next meeting? Maybe. Maybe not. What works for one person — what cranks one person up — doesn’t necessarily work for another person. Hearing about your sexual adventures turns your wife on, apparently, while hearing about hers turns you off. That’s why you defaulted to “don’t ask, don’t tell.” So yeah, sending knotty photos is obviously gonna work for you

— that’s why you wanna do it — but only your new friend knows whether they’re gonna work for her.

So, ask her. Dirty pics? Dirty texts? Dirty stories? Or would she prefer to reconnect, via text, shortly before your next planned meeting? She could be busy with other partners and, as much as she’s looking forward to connecting with you again, texting with you on a daily or even weekly basis might be too distracting. Or it could be a welcome distraction again, you’re gonna to communicate with her about this, BRIEF, not me. (But even if she wants to swap sexts for the next three months, BRIEF, show a little restraint; you wanna build erotic tension, not burn through it.)

And speaking of communication… The DADT agreement you have with your wife is way too vague. You mentioned one basic rule in addition to no asking and no telling: no engaging with other partners from home base. But that rule seems to have been implied or inferred somehow, not agreed upon. So, are you allowed to text a play partner when you’re back in your home city? Are sext messages worse than casual check-ins? Is complete radio silence required between visits, or just physical no-contact? And here’s the biggie: Are these “rules” actually rules, or are they just your preferences that your wife is honoring (or mirroring) without question… because that’s what you needed? And if these unwritten/ unverbalized rules were defaulted into for your comfort, BRIEF, and they’re not working for you anymore, why haven’t you talked to your wife about changing them?

If it’s because you have a hard time talking about this — if opening your marriage was fraught — that’s understandable. If it’s because you want to be free to sext up a storm with your side pieces but don’t want your wife doing the same, that’s not an “arrangement,” BRIEF, that’s a shitty and manipulative double standard. Non-monogamous relationships require more communication, not less — well, at least the ethically nonmonogamous relationships do. While it’s great that you found someone you click with and you’re excited to see again, you owe it to your wife to have a real conversation about the terms of your DADT agreement. You need settings, not default settings; you need agreements, not assumptions. And if you’re allowed to

do something — if you’ve already given yourself permission to do something — your wife should be allowed to do that same thing.

: Q I’m a cis woman in my mid-thirties in an open relationship with my long-term partner, who is a trans man. Because I don’t frequently have sex with people other than him, I haven’t been on any kind of contraception since pretty early on in our relationship. It was SUCH a relief to be done with IUDs and birth control pills! Within our open relationship, our rule has been to always use condoms when having sex with people with penises. This goes for both of us, even though my partner can’t get pregnant — it has just been our rule for safety.

As I have gotten back out there, there are more dicks entering my life and I’m noticing that cis men, while respectful of my request for condom use, clearly prefer not to use them. I’m beginning to question this as a hard rule. What if a potential partner has no other sex partners and has been tested for STIs? What if they do have other sex partners but have been tested? What if they’ve had a vasectomy? What if they haven’t? What if we are careful with the pull-out method AND maybe take extra precautions using the Fertility Awareness Method? I’d like to hear your take on condoms for PIV sex, which might also help me to talk about it with my primary partner. Help a girl out who wants to raw dog it sometime soon?

—Wants A Penis

A: You and your partner agreed to one very explicit rule — good on you both for making the rules clear — and now you want to renegotiate that rule. It’s going to be a complicated conversation, WAP, and you may not get the answer you want right away (or at all), but renegotiating the rules shouldn’t be against the rules. Here are my thoughts on condoms and PIV sex: Seeing as abortion has been banned or heavily restricted in more than half the states, and seeing as Republicans are right now working to roll back access to both medication abortion and birth control, anyone with a working flesh-andblood dick who wants to raw dog a casual sex partner — straight guys, bi guys, pan guys, non-binary theys, homoflexible gays, whatever — should get a vasectomy before those are banned. Now more than ever, men and other dick-having AMABs need to ejaculate responsibly, in the immortal (and viral) words of Gabrielle Stanley Blair, aka “Design Mom.”

In fairness to the men and other penishaving people you’ve been with, WAP, it doesn’t sound like you’re being pressured into ditching condoms by selfish or inconsiderate dicks. You’re the one who wants a raw dogging — for your own reasons, for your own pleasure — and you’re

reassessing the risks for your own sake. So, it’s time to reopen negotiations with your partner about the condom-on-everydick rule you agreed to when you first opened your relationship. You don’t want to ditch condoms entirely — that would be nuts — but you would like to be able to make exceptions for trusted, regular partners who’ve been tested recently and maybe aren’t sleeping with anyone else right now.

Now, a negative STI test result doesn’t confer immunity. Someone could pick up an STI after testing, WAP, and if they slept with you before they started showing symptoms, you could wind up infected too. That might be an unacceptable risk in your partner’s eyes… but it might not be. If your partner is having sex with cis men, he’s probably encountered guys who don’t want to use condoms or refuse to use condoms — because they’re on PrEP and DoxyPEP. For all you know, WAP, your partner may want to renegotiate the condom rule just as badly as you do.

P.S. Gay guys? They’re coming for our PrEP too.

: Q I’m a lesbian in my early twenties who just started experimenting with anal with my girlfriend. It’s been great fun! However, I have discovered that my ass gets wet, producing sizeable quantities of slightly yellow slippery discharge enough that a bit sometimes squirts out when I fart! Everything I have read says that the rectum should be fairly dry. What could be the root of my self-lubing asshole?!?

—We’re Exploring This Anal Stuff Seriously

A: Oh, I love a good, ol’ fashioned sex question: If you’re using as much lube as you should as an anal newbie — and you should be using a lot and then adding more — some of that lube is gonna get so far up inside you, WETASS, that you’re not gonna be able to crap it all out when you’re done. Which means some residual/ leftover lube is gonna work its way down and out over the next twelve hours or so. So, if you’ve only noticed your ass producing slightly yellow slippery discharge (technical term: santorum) on the days you’ve done butt stuff, that’s probably just lube leaking out of you. But if you’re noticing discharge even on days when your girlfriend hasn’t been plowing your ass, that could be a sign of a sexually transmitted infection, WETASS, and you’re gonna need to talk to a doctor about that, not an advice columnist.

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage. love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns, and more at Savage.Love.

CULTURE Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny

ARIES: March 21 – April 19

Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds, or precipitation to create the ideal ambiance. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life›s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20

You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source. It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by

transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20

The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful life form. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, like us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

CANCER: June 21 – July 22

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22

The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for over 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation, and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself!

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22

are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves — or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19

Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18

Once again, my young or new drinkers: when ordering a Miller light you should say ‘Miller light’ otherwise Miller = Highlife or when ordering a Coors light, say ‘Coors light’ otherwise we’re thinking Coors with flavor, when you order a Jack and Coke, or the like, you don’t have to ask for Ice, however; if you don’t want ice, that should be clarified. Shots…Rocks=Ice, Neat, sanz Ice. Cheers, and thank you for stopping in.

From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers, and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host, or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO: July 23 – August 22

Harriet Tubman (1822–1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions — what she called divine guidance — to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo!

What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention. You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21:

I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds, and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21

Sagittarian anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn›t study other cultures from a distance with a detached perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do, and what they say they do

Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment. These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, Biblical texts, and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20

White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors. That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

Homework: Look in the mirror and praise yourself.

JAMES NOELLERT

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