Metro Times 01/22/2025

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VOL. 45 | NO. 13 | JANUARY 22-28, 2025

EDITORIAL

News & Views

Editor in Chief - Lee DeVito

Feedback ............................... 8 News .................................... 11 Lapointe............................... 14

Investigative Reporter - Steve Neavling

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher - Jim Cohen Regional Sales Director - Danielle Smith-Elliott Advertising Account Executive - Jeff Nutter

Cover Story

Sales Administration - Kathy Johnson

Winter Guide........................ 16

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BUSINESS/OPERATIONS Business Support Specialist - Josh Cohen

What’s Going On Things to do this week ........ 24

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Food

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NEWS & VIEWS Feedback We received lots of comments in response to news that sadly, the Detroit Lions lost against the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the Super Bowl tournament on Saturday, 45-31.

Just like normal...of course.

—David Picklesimer, Facebook Finding new and interesting ways to break hearts since 1957.

—Jessica Musinski, Facebook We said that last year....

—Jerry Calhoun, Facebook “Wait til next year!” The Lions mantra

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since 1957.

— Glenn Poorman, Facebook It was an incredible season! When’s the last time we had so much pride in our team????

—Holly Knight, Facebook TY Lions!

—Sue Sandtveit, Facebook My Dad took me to my first game in 1959. These last three Lions seasons have been the best I’ve seen. Get over it people. It’s football. Thank you, Lions, for a great season. I look forward to next year.

—Wendy Kobylarz, Facebook Have an opinion? Of course you do!

Sound off: letters@metrotimes.com

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Detroit techno exhibit coming to MSU

NEWS & VIEWS

The thumping sounds of

Director Lawrence Lamont.

KAHN SANTORI DAVISON

Detroiter Lawrence Lamont on One of Them Days, his new buddy comedy starring SZA and Keke Palmer There’s a subtle but poignant

moment in One of Them Days where Dreux (Keke Palmer) is preparing for a job interview and her best friend Alyssa (SZA) is emptying out her mental drawer of supportive phrases in efforts to fill Dreux with confidence. The moment is cute, playful, and a microcosm of the charming sisterhood that carries the movie. The film’s director Lawrence Lamont says it’s his favorite scene. “It’s just encouraging,” he says. “We all need someone that’s going to be our cheerleader during the toughest times.”

Lamont is a Detroit native and a 2007 graduate of Southfield High School. He says he’s been infatuated with movies for as long as he can remember — even in grade school he was using his imagination to change endings on the films he watched. “I had an aunt that used to record everything on VHS, so I would lock myself in a room and watch so many movies,” he says.

In high school, he got involved in all aspects of theater and in 2011 he was a co-writer for the independent movie CornerStore with Joseph Doughrity and Dwight Patillo. This was before Tubi became a haven for indie Black filmmakers, when DVD was still the dominant format and a cinematic video camera could cost you more than a Honda Civic.

CornerStore became a Detroit favorite and a stepping stone for Lamont. “It did good! Once it got bootlegged, I knew we made it,” he says with a laugh.

Lamont went on to direct nearly a dozen music videos for platinumselling emcees Big Sean (most notable “IDFWU” and “I Know”) and J. Cole’s “G.O.M.D.” “I would approach my videos like mini movies,” he says. “I never wanted to be typecasted. You think John Singleton, Spike Jonze, [the] ‘Remember the Time’ video, stuff that felt a way. So I really approached them cinematically.”

In 2021 he signed to Color Creative, a management company owned by Insecure co-creator and star Issa Rae. The signing placed him in a space where he could pitch ideas, one of them being One of Them Days and another future project. “You know Detroiters, we’re going to seize the opportunity,” Lamont adds.

Directed by Lamont and written by Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days takes viewers through the comical and sometimes chaotic journey of Dreux and Alyssa; two struggling Los Angeles roommates who have nine hours to come up with enough money to avoid eviction and other forms of impending doom. The duo has chemistry reminiscent of Chris Tucker and Ice Cube in

Friday (1995), as Alyssa is a free spirit like Smokey while Druex is reminiscent of Craig, someone who prefers to plan things out.

“They’re the complete opposites, the problem being the solution,” Lamont adds.

Their quest to get the money is where all the fun is. There is a wild trip to the blood bank, advice from a homeless savant played by Katt Williams, a masked fast-food bandit, a twerking bully, and a WWE-style beatdown. But even with enough humor to fill up the Comedy Castle, it’s the sisterhood and the sense of community that ties everything together. SZA (who’s more known as an R&B singer with platinum hits) is exceptional in her film debut and making the ups and downs of Alyssa’s and Druex’s sistership feel authentic.

“It was all intentional,” Lamont says.

“Their friendship, their community, being hopeful, that was something we wanted to shine bright.”

When asked how he wants the audience to feel when closing credits start rolling down the screen, Lamont pauses and smiles. “I want them to leave hopeful,” he says. “Because even when your back is against the wall during crazy circumstances, things will work out.”

—Kahn Santori Davison

Detroit techno are the subject of a new exhibition hosted by the Michigan State University Museum.

Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music will offer attendees “an innovative exploration of Detroit’s role as the birthplace of Techno music and its connection to Afrofuturism,” a cultural movement that explores the Black diaspora through the lens of science fiction (and made popular in recent years thanks to Marvel’s Black Panther films).

“Techno is more than music; it’s a cultural movement that captures Detroit’s resilience and creativity,” Julian Chambliss said in a statement. “This exhibition invites visitors to explore how music influences identity and inspires visions of the future.”

For the exhibition, MSU tapped Detroit techno collective Underground Resistance to create a 45-minute sound installation, paired with a video installation by Andrew Charles Edman.

“Underground Resistance has always been about pushing beyond the expected, about showing Detroit youth that technology isn’t just something that replaces jobs — it’s a tool for creating new futures,” said John Collins of Underground Resistance. “This exhibition captures that spirit of possibility, showing how Detroit’s techno pioneers turned machines into voices of hope and transformation.”

The exhibition also includes artifacts like speaker systems from Detroit’s former Club Heaven, album covers, and instruments used by techno artists like the Roland 303 and TR-808 drum machines. The space will also be modeled to resemble Detroit techno venues.

(The exhibition’s graphic design even resembles old-school rave fliers.)

Auxiliary events are planned for the duration of the exhibition, including panels discussions and special DJ sets

by Carl Craig, and Stacey “Hotwaxx” Hale.

According to the museum, the exhibit “uncovers stories of identity, place, and community while celebrating the innovative spirit of Black Detroit.”

Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music opens from Feb. 4 through April 30 at the MSU Museum’s temporary location at 311 Abbot Rd. in downtown East Lansing. (The Museum’s main location at 409 W. Circle Dr. is closed for an 18-month renovation project launched during the summer.)

Admission is free. More information is available at museum.msu.edu.

—Lee DeVito

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 11

Little Caesars franchise violates child labor laws

Cannabis market hits $3B milestone as growth slows, prices drop

A Little Caesars restau-

another record-breaking milestone, as recreational sales surpassed $3 billion for the first time.

But as the state’s market matures, its rapid growth is finally slowing.

Licensed retailers brought in $3.27 billion in recreational cannabis sales in 2024, a 9.9% increase from the $2.98 billion recorded in 2023, according to the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) and reporting from Cannabis Business Times. The December numbers alone accounted for $264.7 million, pushing Michigan’s total recreational sales since adult-use legalization in December 2019 past $10.2 billion.

There are more than 2,255 recreational cannabis licenses in Michigan, compared to 1,189 in 2021, 1,876 in 2022, and 2,170 in 2023.

Only California, Colorado, and Washington have crossed that $10-billion mark in cumulative recreational use sales.

Still, Michigan’s growth is slowing down compared to its earlier years.

After surging by 55% in 2022 and 46% in 2023, the 9.9% year-over-year increase in 2024 signals a shift in the market. The reason? Prices continue to plummet.

In December, the average price of recreational flower hit a record low of $69.20 per ounce. For the entire year, the average was $82.50 — down 10.3% from 2023 and a staggering 35% from 2022’s $128 per ounce.

By comparison, the average price for an ounce of recreational flower reached $512 in January 2020, when legal sales began.

But falling prices haven’t dampened demand. Michigan retailers sold more than 1.1 million pounds of adult-use flower in 2024, a 17% increase over 2023 and more than double the volume sold in 2022. Flower remains the dominant product, followed by vape cartridges and edibles.

A new study by LeafLink ranks Michigan second in the nation for marijuana sales per resident, trailing only Alaska, where tourism has boosted sales.

The state’s best sales month on record came in August 2024, with $294.1 million in recreational revenue. Mean-

rant in Farmington Hills is under fire for hiring minors to operate hazardous equipment and work beyond the legally permitted hours in violation of federal child labor laws, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division.

JMP Pizza Inc., the franchise operator, is accused of instructing a minor under the age of 16 of using a pizza dough mixer and an oven between 500 and 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Federal law prohibits workers under the age of 16 from performing baking activities.

Federal investigators also alleges that three 15-year-old workers were allowed to work beyond 7 p.m. on school nights, which exceeds the hours permitted by child labor laws.

JMP Pizza paid $26,341 in civil penalties for violating child labor provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. “Learning new skills in the workforce is an important part of growing up — but we must protect children and ensure their first jobs are safe jobs and do not interfere with their education or well-being,” Tim Mitchell, Wage and Hour Division District director, said.

“The Fair Labor Standards Act allows for safe work experiences but restricts the employment of young workers in certain jobs and during certain hours, and provides for penalties when employers do not follow the law.”

Under federal regulations, minors between the ages of 14 and 15 may only perform limited cooking tasks. They are also restricted in the hours they work, with no shifts exceeding three hours on a school day or 18 hours in a school week.

Between the day after Labor Day and May 31, children under the age of 16 cannot work beyond 7 p.m.

People can file a complaint with the Wage and Hour Division at dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/ complaints.

—Steve Neavling

Michigan’s cannabis market capped off 2024 with

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The Michigan Science Center in Detroit.

Mi-Sci planetarium theater gets $2.6M upgrade

SHUTTERSTOCK

Center planetarium theater is getting some big upgrades in 2025 thanks to a $2.6 million grant from Ballmer Group.

Dubbed the “Hyperspace Initiative,” the upgrades include inclined seats, an updated 5.1 audio system, 8K digital projection, and a seamless dome.

The project also includes the addition of educational outer spacerelated exhibits outside the theater that feature immersive, hands-on activities and interactive games.

All of the upgrades are all on the

interior of the building.

Construction started in November and is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

“Although the Universe is vast, it’s not empty,” Mi-Sci president and CEO Dr. Christian Greer said in a statement. “It’s filled with mysterious worlds, countless stars, and unimaginable beauty. Our new ‘Hyperspace’ planetarium initiative will take your curiosity about what’s out there to its limits.”

The Ballmer Group funds projects for children around the U.S. What was then called the Detroit Science Center opened in 1978, adding a new planetarium in 2001.

The Michigan Science Center is temporarily closed due to construction.

—Lee DeVito

while, Michigan’s medical cannabis market continued to shrink, ending 2024 with just $18 million in total sales — less than 1% of the state’s cannabis market. At its peak in 2021, the medical market generated $481 million, but adult-use pricing has steadily eroded its dominance.

The success of adult-use cannabis has also been a boon for local governments, schools, and infrastructure.

Unlike medical cannabis, which is taxexempt, adult-use sales are subject to a 10% excise tax and a 6% sales tax. This growing revenue source continues to provide a financial windfall for municipalities that have embraced cannabis businesses.

In early 2024, the state sent more than $87 million to 269 municipalities and counties as part of their share of excise taxes in 2023. That includes 99 cities, 69 townships, and 71 counties.

The communities and counties each

receive more than $59,000 annually for every licensed cannabis dispensary and microbusiness located within their jurisdictions.

For cities that have embraced the industry, the revenue turned into a windfall.

Michigan remains the nation’s second-largest cannabis market. Its $3.29 billion in combined adult-use and medical sales in 2024 represents a 7.6% overall increase from the previous year.

Since legalization, Michigan retailers have sold more than $11.5 billion in cannabis products, a testament to the enduring demand even as competition and price drops reshape the landscape.

As more communities opt into adultuse sales and neighboring states like Ohio ramp up their cannabis programs, Michigan’s market is poised for steady — if slower — expansion in the years to come.

—Steve Neavling

The Michigan Science

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NEWS & VIEWS

Avenge the bombardment of Detroit in the War of 1812!

SHUTTERSTOCK

Lapointe

Trump to drop the gloves with Canada

By Joe Lapointe

Long before Justin Trudeau

became Canada’s prime minister, his father held the same job. And Pierre Elliott Trudeau famously described the United States in 1969 in a speech to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “Living next to you is, in some ways, like sleeping with an elephant,” the elder Trudeau said that day. “No matter how friendly or even-tempered is the beast — if I can call it that — one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”

To mix animal metaphors, his son is now the lame duck leader of his nation, exiting just in time. Because with Donald Trump again capturing the White House, that orange-faced, yellow-haired GOP elephant will soon bounce on the mattress,

roll over without warning, and defecate on the sheets.

Who else but Trump would treat a good neighbor in this way, Trump’s way, his bully-boy way, by threatening, at best, an economic war or, at worst, an Anschluss. Approaching his second inauguration, Trump ridiculed Trudeau as governor of the 51st member of the United States.

Trump’s apologists insist it’s just his sense of humor. Heh-heh-heh. But when Trump jokes, there’s always a taunted victim. He also threatened economic tariffs because, well, that’s what Trump does. But if Trump really wants to hurt Canada, he can crack down at the border to hit them where it hurts.

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He can ban National Hockey League teams from crossing the border at Detroit or anywhere else. If Canadian teams hope to stay in the NHL, under Trump’s rule, they must move to Mexico. Imagine: the Tijuana Maple Leafs, the Mexico City Canucks, and the Monterrey Canadiens.

Oh, you want serious? Try this for serious. Right across our Detroit River, at the Francois Baby House museum on the west side of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, there is this website note about the War of 1812 between the Americans and the British, who then held what would become Canada.

“Did you know the initial invasion of Canada by the Americans happened right here?” the site says. “American

General Hull occupied the Francois Baby House (under General Isaac Brock) and Aboriginal allies (under Tecumseh) then captured Detroit.”

Tecumseh was an Indian chief in the region, allied with England. On a visit to the museum, you might see details on the walls, like “Major General Isaac Brock and Tecumseh set up gun batteries here and bombarded Detroit.”

The nerve of those Red Coats. One wall of the Baby House shows their battle flag, blood-red with their bloody Union Jack in the upper left corner. And if you dare to call the museum by telephone, you’ll discover the digits end in “...1812.”

How’s that for rubbing it in?

Historians contend that the war ended in a draw, sort of like a hockey game going into overtime. The Treaty of Ghent settled the question of who controlled what around the Great Lakes and what the borders would be.

Since then, until now, these two North American nations have lived harmoniously.

But if Trump wishes to escalate the new feud beyond petty insults and tariff threats, by gosh, the USA! USA! USA! is ready to fight-fight-fight!, especially on the battlefields along the Detroit River. You know that Joe Louis “Fist” monument on our downtown shore that weighs 8,000 pounds?

We can launch that sucker by catapult to Windsor, smash buildings, and then pull it back by a big rubber band for another assault. If we’re provoked, we will rebuild the Bob-Lo boat and use it as a troop transport and mount a naval campaign protecting Belle Isle, Grosse Isle, and Zug Island.

We shall defend our islands, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the Detroit River and Great Lakes. We shall fight on the beach at Dieppe Gardens.

We shall fight on the landing grounds of Casino Windsor. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets, like Ouellette.

We shall fight in the hills but, because they have none, we will instead win the battle of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, whenever it finally opens, and the Ambassador Bridge, too, for that matter.

We shall blockade the Tunnel. We shall never surrender. America first!

So, Canadians, please do the right thing, the polite and neighborly — or, should we say, “neighbourly?” — thing.

Just change your flag from a red maple leaf to pure white and then to a starspangled banner. Surrender to Trump and merge peacefully with us.

Instead of Canada becoming just one state out of 51, as Trump has threatened, we’ll take in at least nine of your 10 provinces and all three of your territories and make them all states. As for Quebec, they’re on their own unless they learn to speak American.

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W

hen fitness instructor Morgan Gardner-Catanese made a video praising Detroit as her new home, the 34-year-old transplant never thought the sweet moment would go viral. “I recorded that so randomly,” she says.

“And it’s funny because I spent all last year focusing on social media for my businesses, like doing all these tricks and trying to finesse the algorithm.

[The video] was just 10 seconds of gratitude and being happy about where I am in the world.”

Morgan Gardner-Catanese first moved to Michigan in 2021 to take a job as a bartender on Mackinac Island. She then decided to explore Detroit, moving to the city in 2022.

In Detroit, she continued tending bar and focused on building her fitness business, The Alt Fit Experience. The rock music fan named her business after The Jimi Hendrix Experience in homage to one of her favorite musicians. When she created her classes, she added his music along with Lenny Kravitz, Rage Against the Machine, and more. “I love music. I married a drummer,” she says with a laugh, adding that she recently started taking bass guitar lessons and her husband Sean plays with a band called Leaving Lifted.

A native of Illinois, Gardner-Catanese moved with her family to Georgia when she was young after her father was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

Despite coming from an athletic family, she struggled with her weight for years.

“I was very overweight,” she says, “To the point where the doctor told me, ‘If you don’t get your shit together, you’re gonna have Type 2 diabetes.’”

She added that at the time, she had no health insurance, so she had to take her health in her own hands. “I found dance fitness videos on YouTube, and I started doing those, and it worked for me. Like, I dropped 50 pounds. It was great.”

Gardner-Catanese said that the weight loss was “part of a bigger transformation.” Through fitness classes, she realized that while she enjoyed moving her body, she quickly tired of hearing the same music. “I love Pitbull and The Black Eyed Peas as much as anybody, but there is so much other music that makes me want to move, that makes me feel good, helps me emote, and like, get shit out of my body,” she says.

She founded her fitness business nine years ago, and she gives others the same advice that she took for herself. “Just move your body, take a walk, pick up something, and put it down,” she says.

“Like, it doesn’t even have to be a weight — it can be anything. Just start picking things up and putting them down.”

New Year, new you... too!

Fitness star shares why rocking out, weed, and coney dogs are all she needs to love her adopted hometown

By Biba Adams

Fitness instructor Morgan Gardner-Catanese has found a new welcoming home in Detroit.

16 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

JOE MAROON

The author rocks out with Morgan Gardner-Catanese during her Alt Fit Experience workout.

It’s the advice she gives me when we meet up for an interview and a miniworkout. Gardner-Catanese helps me warm up to “Them Changes” by Thundercat. The pace picks up with “Rich Girl” by Hall & Oates, and Gardner-Catanese promises that as soon as I start to hate her the workout will be over. I start to hate her about halfway through “Bulls on Parade” by Rage Against the Machine, which finds me headbanging in a way I never have. Finally, we cool down to “I Belong to You” by Lenny Kravitz.

As we cool off, I ask, “What would you say to readers who are intimidated by gym culture?”

“If you are nervous about a gym, look for alternatives,” she replies. “One thing about Detroit, there are so many independent fitness classes — including mine.”

We come back to talk about her viral video, which has garnered more than 13,000 views on her TikTok page and hundreds of shares and comments. In it, she espouses on the delightful benefits of living in Detroit. “This hot dog,” she says, flashing a coney dog, “and pot being legal is the reason the Universe relocated me to Detroit.” She adds, “You can talk shit about Detroit all you want to, the music scene is popping, we’ve got these, and pot is legal. That’s all I personally need. Mmkay?”

The hilarious short video got tons of comments including some from other people who have recently relocated to the city. “2 years in Detroit and baby this is HOMEEEE!!,” wrote one. “I moved to Detroit a year ago and I love it here!” added another.

For those of us who are from here,

JOE MAROON

it can seem surreal. Our city has had a diminishing population for more than half a century. Once a city of more than 2 million, according to the latest census, there are just over 600,000 of us remaining. In fact, according to new Census Bureau estimates, Detroit’s population grew in 2023, increasing to 633,218 from 631,366. The increase marks the first time since 1957 that more people are moving into the city than out of it.

As I prepare to head back out into a snowy Monday afternoon, I ask Gardner-Catanese why, during our workout, she encouraged me to release pent-up energy in my body and permit myself to even make noise as I breathe. “it opens the floodgates for all these other parts of your life where you’re not giving yourself permission, or maybe you’re

not showing up the way you should,” she says. “Or, like, maybe you are being ashamed or shy or held back.” She notes that fitness can re-form the mind-body connection. “It’s never going to be the trainer or the workout that keeps you showing up for yourself,” she says. “It’s going to be like results and the energy that you have and how you feel. So I’m like, yell if you need to yell, like, breathe if you need to breathe. This is the safe space for that.”

You can find your safe space with Morgan Gardner-Catanese at 8 p.m. on Monday nights at Studio One in Madison Heights; 28780 John R Rd., Madison Heights; studiooneyogadance.com.

You can also follow her at @thealtfitexperience on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 17

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By Metro Times staff

I

Ritter, Jobi Riccio, Adeem the Artist on Friday, and Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bruce Cockburn, and The Milk Carton Kids on Saturday, among others.

Starts at 7 p.m.; Hill Auditorium; 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; theark. org/folk-festival. Tickets are $47.50-$70.

The Rink at Campus Martius

Friday, Jan. 31Sunday, Feb. 2

t’s the coldest, darkest, grayest, and iciest time of year — but it doesn’t have to be boring. Mark these wintertime events in metro Detroit on your calendar to have something to look forward to all season long.

Through Sunday, March 2

The heart of downtown Detroit transforms into a winter wonderland with a picture-perfect ice rink, open seven days a week. New this year is Chalet 313, a two-story heated lounge designed

by Gardner White with cozy seating, a bar, and 360-degree views of Campus Martius Park.

The rink is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and noon-8 p.m. on Sunday. Campus Martius Park; 800 Woodward Ave., Detroit. More information is available at downtowndetroit.org. Tickets are $12 with discounts for children, seniors, active military, and first responders, with skate rentals $6.

Admission grants two hours of skate time.

Royal Oak Winter Blast

Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25

Thursday, Feb. 20

The 48th Annual Ann Arbor Folk Fest

This annual fundraiser for Ann Arbor music venue The Ark is held at the Hill Auditorium and features an eclectic lineup of artists in the worlds of folk, roots, and acoustic music. Highlights this year include Waxahatchee (see the feature story in this week’s issue), Josh

Held in Royal Oak since 2022, this event brings winter-themed activities and other festivities to Centennial Commons. Happenings include an ice rink (free, with ice skate rentals for $5), an ice sculpture competition, karaoke, a zip line ($15 or two for $25), live music with more than 40 acts, a Medieval Village attraction with jousting, archery, and immersive games (with a chance to win a weekend getaway at Soaring Eagle Waterpark), food trucks, and marshmallow roasting stations (with s’more kits available for $3).

From 4-11 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1; and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2; Centennial Commons; 221 E. 3rd St., Royal Oak; winterblast.com. No cover.

Detroit Polar Plunge

Freeze your ass off for a good cause.

Daredevils plunge into the frigid Detroit River to raise money for the Special Olympics. (Don’t worry, a dive team is on hand to help Polar Plungers get out of the water.) Those who raise $100 or more are treated to a post-plunge Chili Bar and receive a sweatshirt.

Check in and cash donation starts at

Let the renovated Belle Isle conservatory transport you.

SHUTTERSTOCK

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The Royal Oak Winter Blast will keep you toasty.

2 p.m., with plunges from 3-6:30 p.m.; Bayview Yacht Club; 100 Clairpointe St., Detroit. No cover.

Friday, Feb. 14Saturday, Feb. 15, and Friday, Feb. 21Saturday, Feb. 22 The Dirty Show 25

The filthiest art show in Detroit — and maybe beyond? — is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The show features dozens of works of art in a variety of mediums from artists from the world over, burlesque and drag shows, the Cinerotic Film Festival, and probably more skin than you are likely to see during this time of year otherwise.

From 7 p.m.-2 a.m.; Russell Industrial Center; 1600 Clay St., Detroit; dirtydetroit.com. Tickets are $50 general admission, $85 for weekend passes, and $110 for VIP with lounge access and a swag bag.

Sunday, Feb. 2 Lunar New Year Community Fair

In the Chinese Lunar Year, 2025 is said to be the Year of the Snake. While that might sound scary, in Chinese culture snakes are considered cunning and its

ability to shed its skin is seen as a symbol of growth and transformation. That sounds good to us! This family-friendly festival presented by the American Chinese Association celebrates various cultures with food, music, performances, and more.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Eastern Market Shed 5; 2810 Russell St., Detroit; acadetroit.org. No cover.

Friday, Feb. 28Sunday, March 2

72nd Annual Autorama

The Motor City’s other celebration of car culture ditches the slick corporate sheen of the Detroit Auto Show for the gritty, anything-goes spirit of hot rods and other custom rides.

Details have yet to be announced for this year’s event, but expect dozens of eye-popping, out-there creations from gearheads competing for the coveted Ridler Award, musical performances, celebrity guests, collectibles, and more.

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; autorama.com. Tickets are $28 and $10 for children 6-12; children 5 and under get free entry.

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COURTESY PHOTO

Through Sunday, Feb. 23 Winter Park

Launched in 2020 as an activity to do during the pandemic lockdowns, this event has become a local favorite and raises money for the Bowers School Farm, a local farm that offers learning activities to K-12 students in Bloomfield Hills Schools. The highlight is glow tubing, featuring inner tube sledding hills illuminated by LED arches. Guests can also look at the farm’s animals, shop, and warm up at bonfires.

From 4-10 p.m. on Fridays; noon-10 p.m. on Saturdays; and noon-9 p.m. on Sundays; 1219 E. Square Lake Rd., Bloomfield Hills; schoolfarm.org/ winter-activities. Tickets are $17 and advanced purchase online is advised as the time slots are limited.

All season long

Belle Isle Conservatory

After being closed for the past two years for renovations, Belle Isle’s Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory reopened to the public. The $10 million project saw the 120-year-old Albert Kahn-designed building get more than 1,500 panes of glass, the

installation of new concrete floors and planter walls, and the restoration of limestone panels. The greenhouse contains exotic and rare plants from all over the world, and is a great way to escape the winter. Just remember, summer at Detroit’s island park is just around the corner.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. WednesdaySunday; Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory; 4 Inselruhe Ave., Detroit; belleisleconservancy.org. No cover.

Saturday, Feb. 22 United We Brunch

Metro Times’s brunch tasting event is set to return to The Norwood. The annual event features bites from a variety of local restaurants, bloody Marys and mimosas, music, and more. Expect more details to be announced soon, including a list of participating restaurants. Tickets include all-you-can-eat brunch tastings and eight beverage tickets.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; The Norwood, 6531 Woodward Ave., Detroit; metrotimestickets.com. Early-bird tickets are available for $50 and VIP with early entry and a swag bag for $65.

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WHAT’S GOING ON 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, Jan. 22 Live/Concert CLASSIC LOUNGE SOUNDS with KESHTKAR & CO. 8-11 p.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Matt Lorusso Trio & Special Guests 8-11 p.m.; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

Thursday, Jan. 23 Live/Concert Savage Reaction 6:45 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $10-$75.

Lester, Vistor Pass, Soccer, DJ Zak Frieling 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Of the Trees, Detox Unit, Opiuo, Sylph 8 p.m.; Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; $24.50- $35.

Structurally Sound at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History 7-9 p.m.; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, 315 E. Warren Ave., Detroit; $30.

DJ/Dance Saddle Up Country Dance Party!

8 p.m.; Diamondback Music Hall, 49345 S. Interstate 94 Service Dr., Belleville; $0-$15.

Saturday, Jan. 25 Live/Concert Cosmic Sans, Lily Bones, Perfect Strangers, Drive Safe!, Hung Up 6 p.m.; Sanctuary Detroit, 2932 Caniff St., Hamtramck; $15.

Bert’s Music Cafe & The Preservation of Jazz 6-10 p.m.; Bert’s Music Cafe, 2458 Brush St., Detroit; $15.

Emo Night with All American Throwbacks (pop punk/emo party band) 8 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $15.

KC & the Sunshine Band 8 p.m.; Caesars Palace Windsor - Augustus Ballroom, 377 E. Riverside Dr., Windsor; $33-$78.

Lunar New Year Celebration 6-9 p.m.; Hawk Community Center, 29995 Twelve Mile Rd., Farmington Hills; $15 in advance $20 at the door.

Tycho, Bad Tuner 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $45.

No Quarter (international Led Zeppelin tribute) 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$69.

Karaoke DARE-U-OKE 9 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

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

Friday, Jan. 24 Live/Concert The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston starring Belinda Davids 8 p.m.; Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, 7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren; $35-$79.

Boy Band Review: Party songs from ’NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, One Direction, Jonas Brothers, and more 7 p.m.; District 142, 142 Maple St., Wyandotte; $18-$28.

Carl Thomas 8 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $44-$56. dhruv, Tara Lily 7 p.m.; The Shelter, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $25.

Rogue Satellites, Clear Fields, DJ BForeman 9 p.m.-1 a.m.; Bowlero Lanes & Lounge, 4209 Coolidge Hwy., Royal Oak; no cover.

Tattered & Torn (Slipknot tribute), Devil Church (Ghost tribute), Shadow’s Reflection 7:30 p.m.; The Token Lounge, 28949 Joy Rd., Westland; $15.

Turn to Stone (tribute to ELO) 8 p.m.; Emerald Theatre, 31 N. Walnut St., Mount Clemens; $16-$200.

DJ/Dance Exodus Entertainment presents: Sisto 9 p.m.; Pike Room, 1 S. Saginaw, Pontiac; $20-$30.

Let’s Dance! Contra Dance 7-10 p.m.; First United Methodist Church of Troy, 6363 Livernois Road, Troy; paywhat-you-can.

Level Up, Zeke Beats 8 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $19.99-$64.99.

OMNOM, Versace James, Gina

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Maria, Arcs 9 p.m.; Magic Stick, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $20-$25.

Sunday, Jan. 26 Live/Concert Phil Ogilvie’s Rhythm Kings 5-8 p.m.; Zal Gaz Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; no cover (tipjar for the band).

Stokley 7:30 p.m.; Sound Board, 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; $45-$60.

Tea and Treasures: Arias over Afternoon Tea with Detroit Opera 3-6 p.m.; The War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms; $130-$390.

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

Monday, Jan. 27 DJ/Dance Adult Skate Night 8:30-11 p.m.; Lexus Velodrome, 601 Mack Ave., Detroit; $5.

Tuesday, Jan. 28 Live/Concert 2hollis, nate sib 7 p.m.; Majestic Theatre, 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; $30.

Bay Ledges, future.exboyfriend 7 p.m.; The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; $20.

Frank Black, Gusher 7 p.m.; Saint Andrew’s Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; $39.

Global Sunsets, Blackman & Arnold Trio 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.

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 Birmingham Village Players Crossing Delancey; $30; Friday, 8-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8-10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

Fisher Theatre: Detroit Hadestown; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

They Say The Murder Mystery Co.’s Dinner Theater Show; $59; Friday, 7-9:30 p.m.

Tipping Point Theatre Halftime with Don; $25-$55; Wednesday, 2-3:30 p.m.; Thursday. 7:30-9 p.m.; Friday, 7:309 p.m.; Saturday, 6-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2-3:30 p.m.

Musical Detroit Opera House Lost in Ann Arbor: Detroit Edition; $60; Saturday, 6:30 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

Meadow Brook Theatre Footloose the Musical; $48; 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.

Planet Ant Theatre Nixon/King; $30; Friday, 8-10 p.m.; Saturday, 8-10 p.m.

COMEDY Improv Go Comedy! Improv Theater Pandemonia The Allstar Showdown; $20; Friday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Stand-up Diamondback Music Hall As seen on Kill Tony Presents: Heath Cordes, Ric Diez, and Enrique Chacon; $20-$560; Saturday, 8-11:30 p.m.

Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle Joe DeVito with Zach Stein and Smada Adams; $25; Thursday, 7:30-9 p.m.; Friday, 7:15-8:45 p.m. and 9:45-11:15 p.m.; Saturday, 7-8:30 p.m. and 9:30-11 p.m.

The Independent Comedy Club Live Stand-up Comedy Special Recording with Sam Rager & Friends; $10; Saturday, 7-8:45 p.m. and 9-10:45 p.m.

Continuing This Week Stand-up Blind Pig Blind Pig Comedy FREE Mondays, 8 p.m.

The Independent Comedy Club at Planet Ant The Sh*t Show Open Mic; $5 suggested donation; Fridays, Saturdays, 11 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

THEATER Artist talk Neha Vedpathak in Conversation with Prudence Peiffer and Laura Mott Featuring artist Neha Vedpathak with Prudence Peiffer, art historian, author, and Director of Content at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and Laura Mott, Chief Curator at Cranbrook Art Museum. Thursday, 6:30-8 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; no cover.

Public Lecture: Elena Kanagy-

Loux Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 N. Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills; no cover.

Art Exhibition ArtClvb Space/Newlab Detroit Shadow Works: Corine Vermeulen; Thursday, 5-7 p.m.

Mardigian Library Best Kept Secret: UMD Student, Faculty, and Alumni Art Show; no cover; Thursday, 5-7 p.m.

Continuing This Week Cranbrook Art Museum Constellations & Affinities: Selections from the Cranbrook Collection; with museum admission; Thursdays, WednesdaysSundays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Moondog Cafe The Straits: A photography exhibition by Andrew Petrov; through Feb. 1.

Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) Portal Fire: Shrine of the Torchbearer: new work by the Detroit-based artist Levon Kafafian.

Through Feb. 23.

Northville Art House Fields: Color & Fiber; no cover; Tuesdays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Fridays, Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

University of Michigan Museum of Art Unsettling Histories: Legacies of Slavery and Colonialism; no cover; Tuesdays-Sundays.

WELLNESS

Self-care

Public Healing Sundays, 7 p.m.-midnight; Northern Lights Lounge, 660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; no cover.

MISC. Gateway Classic Cars of Detroit Cruise in with your collectible or daily driver, enjoy free pastries and coffee (while supplies last); 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Jan. 25; Gateway Classic Cars of Detroit, 15011 Commerce Dr., Dearborn.

LITERARY EVENT

Books

The War Memorial Historic Book Talk: Jack Dempsey. Featuring the groundbreaking work Warriors for Liberty, a deeply researched volume brings to light the pivotal contributions of Michigan’s African Americans during the Civil War, both on the battlefield and beyond. From the heroic 1st Michigan Colored Infantry Regiment to unsung civilians who fought for freedom in countless ways, these stories highlight the courage, resilience, and patriotism of Michiganders of African descent in one of America’s most transformative eras. $0-$28; Thursday, 7-8 p.m.

Even the small roles in this production of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom shine.

COURTESY PHOTO

Critics’ Picks

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom If you’ve never read August

Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the title could fool you into thinking that Ma Rainey is the star of this show. You’d be wrong. Wilson’s writing puts Ma Rainey’s band as the characters that we spend the most time with, but the Detroit Repertory Theatre’s production allows each actor to have their moment.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom opened at the Detroit Repertory Theatre on Friday, Jan. 10 to a packed house.

The show is the second production of the theatre’s 68th season.

It’s the third play in Wilson’s American Century Cycle, which looks at the experiences of African Americans during each decade of the 1900s, and the Detroit Rep has already put on the first two — Gem of the Ocean and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom takes place in the 1920s during a recording session in Chicago where raucous blues singer Ma Rainey is late for her own gig.

Meanwhile, her backing band is at odds with each other as they combat themes of religion, surviving racial trauma, and dreams deferred.

Evan Lewis Smith is the embodiment of trumpet player and music composer Levee with a loud, defiant, and confident voice — so much so that T. Pharaoh Muhammad, who plays Toledo, is almost drowned out on stage by his performance. Heavy emphasis on

“almost.” Early on I found myself slightly annoyed by how small his voice was, wondering if the people in the back of the theatre could hear him. By the end, he proved to me that his quiet and level-headed performance was a smart choice to juxtapose Levee — a book-smart, grounded, and earthy spirit vs. the spirit of fire that will burn whatever unfortunate soul unfortunate enough to be nearby. Well played.

If this play were set in 2025 (or like 2015) Muhammad would play a hotep, preaching a bunch of nonsense about the Black community that feels like poignant commentary on the community’s role in its own suffering, but leaves the listener wondering what the fuck he is talking about. By the end of the play, we might find out how true his words were.

I’m used to seeing Will Bryson take center stage at the Detroit Repertory Theatre like his previous appearances in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and Topdog/Underdog. In Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Bryson takes a quieter role as Slow Drag, and unlike some actors with a big stage presence who don’t know how to tone it down, he doesn’t take the light away from the other actors.

Amongst all the wrenching, soulcrushing monologues delivered by Smith, Muhammad, and Antoine McKay (who plays Cutler), James Herriotte was the unexpected highlight of the show. His debut profes-

sional performance as Ma Rainey’s stuttering nephew Sylvester left me laughing so hard I cried until I was embarrassed at my rowdy cackling and had to settle down. Just thinking about the moment before he finally gets the introduction to the title song right, stutter-free, stills makes me giggle, while I’ve already forgotten some of the more serious beats in the play.

Ma Rainey’s reputation precedes her, setting her up as a diva long before she appears — and she takes a long time to finally come to the stage. Melanie Jones, who plays the boisterous singer, lives up to that reputation. Her fiery performance in insisting that Sylvester record the opening to Black Bottom no matter how many takes, stopping the session so she can get a Coke, knowing that the recording cannot happen without her, feels natural. With the entire cast onstage it feels like we are watching a live studio recording.

You done seen the rest. Now I’m gonna show you the best. Ma Rainey at the Detroit Repertory Theatre is going to show you how to cast and direct a production where all roles, no matter how small, shine.

—Randiah Camille Green Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom runs through Sunday, March 2 at the Detroit Repertory Theatre; 13103 Woodrow Wilson St., Detroit. For tickets and full schedule, see detroitreptheatre.com.

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MUSIC

Waxahatchee performs as part of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on Friday.

MOLLY MATALON

Folk yeah

Waxahatchee is a little bit country, a little bit indie rock

By Alan Sculley, Last Word Features

When Katie Crutchfield

(who performs under the name Waxahatchee) performs at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on Friday, fans shouldn’t expect to hear a show that encompasses all six of her studio albums.

Instead, she’s been focusing on her three most recent releases — 2020’s Saint Cloud, last year’s Tigers Blood, and Plains, a 2022 album she made with Jess Williamson.

“I realize it’s a little bit of a risky move,” Crutchfield says in a recent phone interview. “There are definitely gonna be people who have been with me for a long time and want to hear the old stuff.

“But I just feel so excited to play all the newer stuff, and so yeah, that’s basically the whole set,” she said. “So if you are a fan of those last three records you’re gonna probably hear what you wanna hear.”

The focus on the newest music makes sense considering Saint Cloud and Tigers Blood have seen Crutchfield, with the help of producer Brad Cook, reshape her sound, taking it in a more straightforward direction that leans further into her country and folk influences, while retaining some of the rock energy that characterized

her earlier work as Waxahatchee, especially on the albums Ivy Tripp (2015) and 2017’s Out in the Storm.

(Plains had a similar, if a bit folkier, feel.)

“I’ve always written songs that are very simple … the foundation of my songwriting is country music. It is even like ’90s pop country music,” Crutchfield says. “That’s the first music I connected with and it’s sort of imprinted on my DNA. But those first four albums, I was so concerned with scuffing that up a bit and making it weirder or more sort of in line with indie rock or punk rock, with my tastes at the time, which is great.

I’m so glad that that all exists as a snapshot of that moment. I feel like with Saint Cloud, it was a big realignment with my tastes and the actual type of songs that I was writing were aligned maybe for the first time. And I really credit Brad Cook … Brad was very much like, let’s take as much of this away as we can and really try and showcase your voice and the song.”

That shift in style connected, as Saint Cloud — created with Detroit’s Bonny Doon as the backing band — was universally hailed as the best Waxahatchee album to date. Crutch-

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field saw her audience double in size over the course of that album’s tour cycle.

“It came out right as the lockdown happened,” she says. “I think people were able to kind of take some of my words about my sobriety journey and apply it to what they were experiencing during COVID, and I think that, you know, people were just connecting with it in that way as well.”

Tigers Blood is not built around a central lyrical theme, but it continues down a similar stylistic path.

Crutchfield’s rock roots are especially apparent on tunes like “Ice Cold” and “Bold,” which have crisp tempos and bright and catchy guitar work to go with Crutchfield’s melodic vocals, while “Evil Spawn,” and “Crowbar” are more measured in their energy and rootsier in their overall feel.

“Burns Out at Midnight,” “Crimes of the Heart,” and “Right Back to It,” meanwhile, take things in an even more easygoing and folky direction, with the first two songs anchored by acoustic guitar while the latter tune incorporates touches of banjo and backing vocals from MJ “Jake” Lenderman.

Crutchfield and Cook initially

weren’t sure what shape the follow-up album to Saint Cloud should take.

They even toyed with incorporating some synthetic modern pop production — an experiment that was quickly abandoned. But things came together when Crutchfield and Cook brought in singer-songwriter Lenderman to play guitar and sing on “Right Back to It,” and everyone agreed he needed to play guitar in the studio band on the entire album.

“It’s funny, that song, when I wrote it, I couldn’t see it for myself. I don’t know why,” Crutchfield says. “There’s something about that melody that I was like ‘This feels outside of my zone,’ which is funny because I feel like the song on Saint Cloud that felt that way [was] ‘Fire,’ which ended up being the biggest song on that record.

And ‘Right Back To It’ is the biggest song on this record. So it’s something I might just track in the future, to go after the melodies that don’t quite feel like something I would normally do.”

It’s not just the music that has aligned in a good way for Crutchfield during the past five-plus years. Before making Saint Cloud, she decided to quit drinking.

“I really feel like everything in my life got better when I quit,” she says.

“I’m a lucky person in that I’ve gotten nothing but like good signals from the universe that that’s what was supposed to happen. If I just keep not drinking, good things are coming my way and happiness is coming my way, and … reaching these new creative milestones, that’s coming my way.”

Another turning point was a move from her adopted home of Philadelphia to the Kansas City area to live with fellow musician Kevin Morby in a committed relationship.

“It’s been great,” Crutchfield says.

“I think like Kevin, he challenges me in a way that I think is good and I think keeps me on my toes and keeps me present. He’s obviously a brilliant songwriter in his own right, so it’s really nice. I think we keep each other excited to keep working on stuff and yeah, I’m able to really be independent and enjoy my autonomy while still having the full love and support of a partner. It’s been great.”

Waxahatchee performs on Friday, Jan. 24 as part of the Ann Arbor Folk Festival along with Josh Ritter, Jobi Riccio, Adeem the Artist, and Afro Dominicano. The festival continues on Saturday with Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bruce Cockburn, The Milk Carton Kids, Joy Clark, and Willi Carlisle. Hill Auditorium; 825 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor; theark.org/folk-festival.

Tickets are $47.50-$70.

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FOOD Bites

Checker Bar damaged in fire, explosion reported A fire tore through the basement and first floor of the Checker Bar in downtown Detroit last week, fire officials say.

The damage “unfortunately sounds fairly significant,” Corey McIsaac, a spokesperson for the Detroit Fire Department, tells Metro Times.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters were on the scene less than five minutes after a 911 call was made at 4:13 a.m. last Tuesday “Our guys did a great job,” McIsaac says.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Witnesses say they heard an explosion around the time of the fire.

“Huuuge boom around 4am or so. It was shattering loud,” a resident said on Reddit.

Another neighbor agreed.

“I heard the explosion too! It was loud enough that it woke me up.”

Metro Times couldn’t reach Checker Bar for comment.

At 11 a.m., workers were boarding up windows that firefighters had smashed out on the first floor.

A fire broke out in the basement and first floor of the Checker Bar.

The fire broke out ahead of what would be a busy time for Checker Bar, a popular destination when the Lions play home games.

The Lions faced off against the Washington Commanders at home on Saturday for a playoff game.

Checker Bar launched a fundraising campaign for its employees.

“The impact of this fire reaches far beyond the building—our dedicated team of bartenders, servers, & cooks are facing financial hardships as the bar will be closed for an unknown period of time,” the GoFundMe campaign reads.

“For many of them, this job is not just

a paycheck—it’s their livelihood, their passion, and their community. While we work to rebuild, we’re asking for your support. Every dollar raised will go directly to our employees who are now facing unexpected financial strain due to the loss of income during this recovery period.”

The goal of the fundraising campaign is to reach $9,000. As of late Wednesday morning, the fundraising campaign had amassed $1,085 in donations.

In a Facebook post, the bar said the fire broke out in the electrical room in the basement “in what appears to have been a utilities explosion originating

The High Dive reopened under new owners Hamtramck’s High Dive

bar quietly reopened under new ownership after changing hands in September.

General manager Leonard Lopp says he and owner Dwayne Wickersham wanted to start things slow when they reopened in October instead of making a big splash.

“It was just me behind the bar. I didn’t really have a staff or anything like that. ... I figured we would just kind of float through the holidays,” Lopp tells Metro Times.

“We’re just two guys with a pretty fairly small budget,” he adds.

In September, former owner David Lew announced he had sold The High Dive, but did not reveal to whom. An artist from Los Angeles also known as Shark Toof, Lew opened the bar in 2018.

The new owners have built off of The High Dive’s vibe, described by Lew as inspired by a Victorian-era parlor room.

“We kind of left a lot of what David had done in place in terms of the decor,” Lopp says. “We just got some more seating and made it cozier overall. That was the big thing for us — we wanted to make it more of a spot where people in the community and the neighbors would come and hang out.”

And yes, Lopp says they will keep the signature red fiberglass shark head mounted on the front of the building, but it will be moved inside.

“It’s so goofy, I did not want to get rid of it,” Lopp says.

The new owners also inherited The High Dive’s sound system and plan to continue to host DJs, but they want to branch out from the mostly techno and

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electronic music the bar was known for under Lew. Aside from music, they will also host movie and game nights.

“From an attitude and programming standpoint, we’re operating more like a neighborhood bar with cool programming during the week,” Lopp says.

So far, the new owners have hosted WDET’s Ryan Patrick Hooper spinning records, a Jeopardy!-style trivia night, and offbeat horror movies presented by Doom City Cinema.

“Our sound system is so great that we also want to just take advantage of using [it] whenever we can,” Lopp says, adding, “I’ve always wanted to do a live music venue or a venue that could also do events and do other fun stuff.”

As far as the menu, Lopp says he is also trying a different approach from most bars with a core menu of

STEVE NEAVLING

outside of the building.”

DTE Energy crews were outside the bar Tuesday morning and afternoon.

On Facebook, Checker Bar called the fire “devastating.”

In the meantime, Checker Bar has no plans to close for good.

“This is an incredibly difficult moment for our team, but we want to reassure everyone that we are committed to rebuilding and coming back stronger,” the bar said on Facebook. “Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, we will emerge from this setback with renewed determination.”

—Steve Neavling

four non-alcoholic drinks made from all-natural ingredients, like a hibiscus tea made in-house. Spirits can then be added to the customers’ taste. “It’s almost like reverse-engineering how to build a cocktail,” he says.

“My whole deal is anything that I’m going to make or present to my customers, I’m going to try my best to make sure that it’s additive-free or as clean as possible,” Lopp adds. “A lot of those pre-packaged non-alcoholic beverages have propylene glycol or chemicals in it that I personally wouldn’t want to ingest.”

Lopp previously owned The Keep in downtown Detroit, which closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

People can follow The High Dive on its new Instagram page, @thehighdivehamtramck. It’s located at 11474 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck.

—Lee DeVito

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 29

CULTURE

Angélica Serech, “Sembrando palabras en mi segunda piel,” 2023.

JOSÉ OQUENDO, COURTESY OF LA GALERÍA REBELDE

Tension, textile, time, and technology Warp & Weft weaves history and culture at The Shepherd

By Chris Handyside

The Big Bang, the Jacquard

loom, indigenous traditions, Afrofuturism, dream logic, the Northern Migration, the Industrial Revolution, and Detroit techno. It takes a remarkable fabric to weave all these threads together in one vibrant tapestry.

But that deft narrative exploration is exactly what’s on offer at Warp & Weft: Technologies within Textiles, an exhibit opening this week at the Eastside Detroit art space, The Shepherd.

Indeed, the push and pull of technology and tradition on the creation of textile art is the tie that binds the works assembled at The Shepherd by curator Allison Glenn.

Of course, we live in a time when we take for granted the ways digital technology mediates our daily experience. So it is that over the span and scope of the exhibit’s 30-plus works Warp & Weft poses prismatic questions: What constitutes technology?

How do we understand its relationship to human creativity?

For her part, Glenn’s take on the exhibition’s themes emphasizes that technology exists on a spectrum rather than a binary. “When I think about technology, I’m constantly trying to understand what I mean by the term,” she says. “Simple technology typically refers to devices or systems that are easy to understand and maintain, but technology is really the application of knowledge.”

For Glenn, whether work is created with a TC2 digital loom or inherited ancestral knowledge, “they’re all valid forms of technological innovation.”

Closer to home, this exploration of technology’s applications is deeply rooted in Detroit’s industrial heritage. The exhibition draws parallels between the city’s automotive — and automated — past and the textile industries of Manchester, England.

Detroit and Manchester are twinned cities in many ways, and here the focus is on their parallel industrialization and the massive ways they

30 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

both helped shape the modern world.

Many of the works in Warp & Weft dig into those connections while showcasing how contemporary artists are using both ancient and cuttingedge techniques to tell new stories.

Case in point: One of the exhibition’s most powerful pieces addressing this industrial legacy is Tiff Massey’s “White Out, you in red, black, and green.” The large-scale work examines the complex history of gingham fabric, which was used to identify enslaved people in the American South. The cotton for these textiles was picked and processed by Southern slaves and then shipped to Manchester’s mills for processing before being returned to America. Massey’s piece goes right at this brutal legacy. Her 12-foot-by-10foot red and blue gingham-derived work replaces the white checks from traditional gingham patterns and replaces them with mirrored surfaces.

The effect, says Glenn, “is to implicate

viewers in this historical narrative by literally reflecting them into the work.”

The exhibition’s scope extends beyond visual art into sound, with legendary Detroit techno collective Underground Resistance participating in a unique way. UR members Cornelius Harris and John Collins will explore connections between the Jacquard loom — considered a predecessor to modern computers — and the electronic music tools that enabled techno’s development.

On the night of the opening, Harris and Collins will lead a discussion and demonstration of these connections using UR records, tracks, and sonic elements to illustrate how layered sounds create texture within musical compositions, mirroring the structural interplay of warp and weft in textile construction.

This connection to Detroit’s musical heritage emerged organically during a conversation at Submerge,

Alisha P. Wormsley and Kite merge traditional craft and digital technology in their “cosmologyscapes.”

Underground Resistance’s headquarters. ‘I was sitting in the office talking to [Harris] and [Collins] about some projects I’m working on,” Glenn recalls, “and when I mentioned this project, they just started riffing.

When they began diving into warp and weft as it relates to machines and sound, I knew we had to get them involved.”

“It’s fascinating how these technologies speak to each other across time,” Glenn notes. “The relationship between the Jacquard loom and the first computer, and how that enables the creation of techno music — these connections are intrinsic to the fabric of our city.”

The exhibition also features work that pushes the boundaries between analog and digital creation. Kamau Amu Patton’s “Static Field” employs a multi-faceted technological process that results in a layered, nuanced piece that is as haunting as it is visually kinetic. Patton begins by pointing a camera at its own output, creating a feedback loop that generates visual static reminiscent of old CRT televisions. That static? It’s a remnant — the literal afterglow — of the Big Bang. Patton captures these patterns through a custom-modified printer that requires constant human

intervention, with assistants having to continuously wet the canvas during the printing process. Packed into the resulting large-format work is a layered meditation on the place where cosmic time, human touch and technological innovation… vibrate together.

“We often think about technology from a Western lens — making things quicker, faster, or removing the human element entirely,” reflects Glenn. “But when you look at textile traditions, you find different kinds of technologies — ways of reworking systems, materials, and forms that allow for the reconfiguration of ideologies themselves.”

This tweaking and reworking of systems isn’t always driven by hardware and software-based “technologies,” either. Angélica Serech’s gorgeous “Sembrando palabras en mi segunda piel” both embraces and departs from the rich tradition of narrative embroidery of her indigenous Guatemalan background. That tradition uses motifs, patterns, and knotwork to carry coded meanings.

For her piece, Serech and her sister developed an evolution of traditional systems with the resulting work highlighting both new formal territory as well as reverent connection.

COURTESY PHOTO

In another synthesis of the traditional and the modern, Nicholas Galanin, Maikoiyo Anabi AlleyBarnes, and Nep Sidhu create otherworldly garments (robes, headdresses, masks) that spring from their diverse ancestries in the lands now called North America, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, respectively.

The material reads as “metal” and, indeed, is partly re-purposed puffer jackets as well as newly crafted textiles. The effect is a striking marriage of organic and synthetic, traditional and futurist, referential and utterly new.

Perhaps the exhibition’s most ambitious merger of traditional craft and digital technology comes from artists Alisha P. Wormsley and Kite. Their installation transforms the building’s former church confessional booths into “dream chambers” — meditative spaces where visitors are invited to rest and record their dreams through a custom-built interface.

The software translates these dream narratives into digital quilt squares, incorporating symbols from both Lakota tradition and African American quilting patterns. These individual dream-inspired quilt squares will be digitally stitched together into what the artists call a “Detroit cosmology-

scape” — a sort of digital tapestry of the city’s collective unconscious.

The massive Shepherd space is ideal for an exhibit like this, where many pieces are massive, reward consideration, and benefit from space.

In fact, the dynamic of interpretation and storytelling is purposefully woven into the curatorial approach — and the labels and stories that will accompany the pieces, says Glenn. Warp & Weft is envisioned as a conversation — Across material, across time, across technology, and, crucially, across cultures.

“It’s an opportunity for people to learn, if they want to,” says Glenn.

“It is an opportunity for accessibility, you know? That’s the whole point.

It’s not to make it obtuse. It’s to make meaningful connections across and between objects and connect them to our lives. … They’re so layered, and there’s so many references that are very specific to these artists.”

Warp & Weft arrives at a moment when many artists are returning to tactile, hands-on practices — perhaps in response to our increasingly virtual lives. “There’s this return to the haptic, to evidence of life, proof of humanness,” Glenn reflects.

“When you can’t even get a human on the phone anymore, there’s something powerful about work that carries the direct imprint of human touch.”

This tension between human touch and technological mediation runs throughout the exhibition. Even as some works embrace digital tools and contemporary materials, they remain grounded in age-old questions about how we create meaning through material culture. The show suggests that technology isn’t simply about efficiency or automation — it’s about systems of knowledge that can be inherited, transformed, and reimagined.

In an age of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, Warp & Weft reminds us that some of humanity’s oldest technologies — the loom, the needle, the shuttle — remain powerful jumping off points for deep connection. By bringing together artists who are pushing the boundaries of textile traditions while remaining connected to their historical roots, the exhibition suggests that the future of technology might be found not in abandoning the human touch, but in finding new ways to amplify it.

Warp and Weft: Technologies within Textiles opens from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25 at The Shepherd, 1265 Parkview St., Detroit; lscgallery.com/ the-shepherd. Runs through May 3.

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 31

CULTURE

Better Man tells the story of U.K. singer Robbie Williams... if he was a chimp.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Film

Wait, this box-office bomb is actually kind of awesome

By Jared Rasic

Better Man Rated: R Run-time: 135 minutes

Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: So, you take the traditional musical biopic like A Complete Unknown or Walk the Line, but instead of casting some popular actor like Lil’ Timmy Chalamet or Joaq Phoenix to play the subject, you instead have the musician played by a computer-generated monkey. Yeah, me neither. But that’s what we have in Better Man, a musical biopic about British crooner Robbie Williams.

Wait, who?

If you walked up to me in a dark parking lot and threatened me with grievous and immediate bodily injury if I can’t name five Robbie Williams songs I’d be so screwed because I can’t name a single one. I guess I’ve heard that song “She’s the One” before, but I’m pretty sure I heard a cover of it or it was in a movie. Which is crazy because, by all accounts, Robbie Williams is massive.

He was in the boy band Take That from 1990 to 1995, which reached massive levels of cultural saturation in the United Kingdom, but had zero presence in the United States compared to the likes of the Backstreet Boys or ’N

Sync. But it was when Williams started a solo career in 1996 that he truly became a superstar.

Just a few factoids: He has seven No.1 singles, almost all of his albums have reached No. 1 in the U.K., six of those albums are in the top 100 bestselling albums in the U.K., and, in a single day, he sold 1.6 million tickets for a tour. Oh, and he was inducted into the U.K. music hall of fame 20 years ago after being voted the greatest artist of the 1990s. He’s also sold 75 million records worldwide, making him one of the all-time best selling musicians. So why the hell haven’t I heard of him? Have you?

Well, after watching Better Man and hearing what I would imagine is a good sampling of his music throughout the film, I think maybe he’s just not for me. He has a very smooth, nightclubcrooner voice like he’s desperately hoping to be in the same conversation as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin once he passes. He has talent as a songwriter, but I’m not sure he’s 75 million records talented. In fact, the soundtrack to this movie has already debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., so Williams isn’t some ’90s has-been. He’s a massive British institution.

Better Man as a film is a knockout.

Even though I didn’t love most of the

32 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

music, director Michael Gracey is astonishing in his work here, telling a deeply personal story of one man’s rise to fame, but putting that man in the middle of thousands of screaming fans at almost every turn. It’s massive in scale, while never once forgetting to see the toll that level of celebrity takes on the man. Williams’s struggles with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and addiction are prototypical for the rockstar experience, but the film doesn’t make him into some tortured genius desperate to quiet the demons. Instead, it lays Williams bare as a flawed and intermittently broken man who was still just a terrified little boy underneath the bravado.

But why a computer-generated anthropomorphized chimpanzee?

So many reasons. The one that Williams and the filmmakers mention in interviews is that Williams always “felt less evolved” than other people, which is a solid reason, but that’s not why it works in the movie. See, Williams is really good-looking and has an extremely punchable face. He has been rich and famous since he was 15, so empathy for this rich and handsome white guy might be hard to summon for a worldwide audience. But by putting his story of addiction and depression into that of an adorable CG chimpan-

zee with deeply expressive eyes, that’s creating a social experiment: Can you make millions of people feel sorry for someone’s circumstances if you make their appearance more appealing?

Now I want this to become a musical biopic trend. Let me pitch a few ideas at you and maybe Hollywood will start blowing up my landline.

• The early days of Janis Joplin but instead of Anya Taylor-Joy, she’s a big ol’ owl.

• A remake of The Doors, but “Lizard King” Jim Morrison is an actual lizard.

• The life of Dolly Parton played by an adorable kitten that grows into a majestic kitty.

• Prince…but played by a water-dancing grebe.

• A honey badger IS Kurt Cobain.

Look, these are million-dollar ideas and Robbie Williams shouldn’t be the only artist to get to be an animal.

Better Man is a great movie and a thousand times more illuminating than A Complete Unknown and most other biopics. It’s definitely going to flop in the U.S. because no one knows or cares about Robbie Williams here.

Gracey is one hell of a director, crafting a dozen moments throughout the film that actually took my breath away and put tears to my eyes. Also, the computer-generated chimp is astonishing, generating more human emotion in his eyes than some real actors I won’t name (*cough* Taylor Lautner). Go see Better Man because it’s a better movie than you probably think.

Grade: A-

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 33

WEED

Pop Rocks, Jealousy, Permanent Cherries, and Permanent Marker snow caps — and all were potent, flavorful, and well-grown.

Permanent Cherries From the jar to the smoke, Permanent Cherries is a standout strain. With dark purple hues and frosty trichomes, the buds are dense and burst with flavor. A cross between Permanent Marker and Cherry Gelato, this hybrid has a unique smell that is true to its lineage — a permanent marker and ripe cherries.

It produces a potent, balanced high that is uplifting and long-lasting. If you’re looking for a hard-hitting strain that won’t knock you out, this is the one.

LA Pop Rocks In addition to growing its own flower, Green Dolphin also cultivates for other brands. LA Pop Rocks, a combination of TKBx2, Z Animal, and Purple Push Pop, is one of them.

Grown for GuuRock, LA Pop Rocks is an indica-dominant hybrid that tastes like sweet candy and sour apples. Flavor enthusiasts will enjoy this strain.

The high is soothing and euphoric, with a strong body buzz. It’s perfect for relaxing after a long day.

Jealousy LA Pop Rocks is an indica-dominant hybrid grown for GuuRock.

STEVE NEAVLING

The Straight Dope

Green Dolphin in Hazel Park shows why small-craft cannabis matters

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

With more than 550 licensed growers in Michigan, the recreational cannabis market is overflowing with choices.

Some are gems, others not so much.

While massive corporate growers tend to get the most attention, small-batch cultivators are often lost in the sea of green.

That’s unfortunate because passionate small-scale growers are not only turning out some of the best weed in the legal market, they are empowering the community by reinvesting profits locally and partnering with other small cannabis business owners.

While finding these gems isn’t easy, it’s very rewarding.

I recently came across Green Dolphin Craft Cannabis, a small-batch, Black-

owned cultivator in Hazel Park that produces potent, terpene-rich flower. Besides checking all the boxes for high-quality cannabis, Green Dolphin also partners with other local brands and small businesses to reinvest in the community.

“We have white label partnerships with a few legacy brands that have operated in the Detroit market for years,” Nick Schrock, owner of Green Dolphin, tells me. “Our goal is to create a space for brands like these to compete in the legal market. Brands like GuuRock have helped shape the cannabis culture in the city, so it only makes sense that these brands can benefit from legalization. Corporate weed has its place, but we can’t forget about the people and brands that actually built this industry.”

When I toured Green Dolphin’s 8,000-square-foot facility earlier this week, Schrock was growing 1,600 plants and nine strains — LA Pop Rocks, Jealousy, Permanent Marker, Permanent

34 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

Cherries, Runtz, Blue Runtz, Red Runtz, Detroit Muscle, and Strawberry Bon Bon. Schrock scooped up a gloveful of pungent, chunky Permanent Cherries buds that were carefully hand-trimmed and coated in trichomes. I couldn’t wait to roll up a joint of this.

Green Dolphin’s flower, which includes prerolls and snow caps, sells at more than 50 dispensaries, including 14 in metro Detroit — West Coast Meds, Remedy 313 Detroit, Backpack Boyz, Love Cannabis, Supergood, DACUT, Inhale Detroit, and all Flower Bowl and Stiiizy locations.

In a few months, Green Dolphin plans to begin producing gummies.

In a market saturated with growers, it’s not easy building a popular brand.

“The market is very competitive so you have to have great product and effective marketing,” Schrock says.

No doubt, Green Dolphin produces some high-quality buds.

I smoked four of their strains — LA

One of my favorite strains for melting away anxiety, Jealousy a well-balanced hybrid that combines the genetics of Sherbert Bx1 and Gelato #41.

Green Dolphin knocked it out of the park with this one. The purple-hued buds are shimmering with trichomes and smell like a funky combination of creamy candy and fuel.

This strain’s primary terpene, caryophyllene, is well-regarded for promoting relaxation and easing stress.

Jealousy delivers a soothing, blissful high that starts off uplifting before it morphs into a stress-melting body high.

If you’re looking to unwind, Jealousy is a great choice.

Permanent Marker snow caps For an extra euphoric boost, Green Dolphin produces Permanent Marker snow caps, which are lavishly coated with THCA. I’m not usually drawn to infused flower, but this made me a believer.

The frosty buds are packed with flavor — a soapy, sweet, gassy funk.

I was surprised by the robust potency and long-lasting high, which started off uplifting and cerebral before giving way to a deep relaxation.

If you like strong, flavorful flower, give this one a try.

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

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 35

CULTURE Savage Love

Trump and Dump

By Dan Savage

Q: I’m a lesbian in a big city. My partner

of five years is the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met, and we are deeply in love, and plan to spend the rest of our lives together.

She has a son from an early-in-life marriage to a man. He is eighteen years old, a senior in high school, and living at home with his mother. (My partner and I do not live together.) About two years ago he got swept up in MAGA hate, toxic masculinity, and virulent homophobia. He is incredibly verbally abusive to my partner and increasingly to me. He has threatened her physically a couple of times. He has called me a pedophile and refers to me as “that piece of shit.” He has said that Trump is going to “take care of people like” me and his mother! All his friends are MAGA bros, but he is too embarrassed by his gay mother to bring them around. My sister says it’s past time for this young man [to] find his own place to live but my partner doesn’t want to throw him out because that’s what’s been done to so many queer young people and of course she loves him. She has a lot of justifications for why he turned out this way. I am hesitant to keep weighing in because he’s her kid, but it affects me and our relationship. He is the angriest and most hateful person, and he thinks I am preventing his mother from living a “normal life.” I don’t know what boundaries I should set but I’m not willing to give up this woman who I love with all my heart. I would welcome any advice you might have.

—This Relationship Under Mounting Pressure

A:

I agree with you and your sister: your girlfriend should give her adult child a reasonable amount of time to find someplace else to live — perhaps he might be happier living with his father — and then make an appointment with a locksmith to have the locks on her house changed on a set date.

Your girlfriend also needs to stop making false equivalencies: yes, hateful parents have thrown out kids because they disapproved of their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But your partner wouldn’t be throwing her son out (read: politely asking him to move out) because she disapproves of his political identity. The problem here isn’t this kid’s loathsome political beliefs — it’s not that he’s a MAGA bro — but his unacceptable behavior: he’s threatened his mother with violence and verbally abused his mother’s partner. Queer adult children who threaten their loving parents with violence and are towering assholes to their parents’ opposite-sex partners deserve to get tossed out on their asses too.

Worried my reaction might be too harsh — and conscious of the fact that I don’t have much expertise in this area — I shared your letter with Joanna Schroeder, the feminist writer and media critic whose work focuses on raising healthy boys. In addition to writing a newsletter (“Zooming Out”) about parenting, relationships, and family equity, Schroeder is the co-author (with Christopher Pepper) of the forthcoming book Talk To Your Boys: 27 Crucial Conversations Parents Need to Have With Boys (And How to Have Them). Instead of quoting from her long, thoughtful, and far more than-mine response, TRUMP, I’m gonna share it in its entirety.

There are two issues I see at work here, and while they may feel like one big problem, they need to be kept separate while making a plan for what to do next.

My first concern, and most pressing, is that this young man is threatening violence toward his mother. Regardless of any other concerns — his politics, his homophobia, the way he expresses his masculinity — this is a potentially dangerous situation, not just for your partner, but also for her son. At his age, assuming he is intellectually and developmentally typical, threats like this can indicate something is wrong and that it’s time to enlist the help of a licensed mental health professional. This should be the first order of business: family therapy and/or arranging for him to meet with a licensed therapist who is experienced working with adolescents.

One caveat: As tempting as it may be, this offer or nudge toward professional help should come from a place of compassion (if safe and possible) and should be pursued by his mom or both parents, without mention of his politics — focusing on the threats and other objectively unsafe behavior. As dangerous as the extreme wings of MAGA culture can be to so many of us, bringing up his politics will only push him further away and give his mom less influence in his life… and that’s the last thing we want.

It’s important to remember that rage and angry outbursts can be red flags for major depression — especially in boys and men. While I have no doubt that his mom is a fantastic parent and tried to raise him in a loving, accepting environment, it can be hard for boys and young men to escape the more oppressive aspects of masculinity that tell boys to push down their pain or externalize it into rage. He may also have something in his history that caused him to feel shame, and shame is very easily catalyzed into rage when it’s not addressed.

While it’s hard to have compassion for someone who is so cruel to you, when we’re talking about a child — and a senior in high school is still a child — I’d guess his possible mental health issues started before he discovered this radical, hate-based sect of MAGA. Based on patterns I’ve observed with boys in similar situations, I’d bet he was having a tough time and they flooded him with acceptance — which is so affirming for teenage boys who often feel awkward

36 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

and unwanted — and gave him an outlet for his rage in the form of people he could blame for his uncomfortable feelings. In other words, I’d guess that these extremist opinions are a symptom of the problem rather than the origin of it, and that his community is inflaming and exacerbating the situation rather than helping him address and heal it.

That brings me to my second concern: how his politics are being discussed in their home. If the message he’s hearing from his extremist bros is, “They’ll never accept us,” and, “They don’t care about us,” and, “They want to dominate us and take away our identity,” the last thing we want to do with our kids is confirm that the extremists are correct. This happens when we refuse to accept that their opinions are different from ours, push them away from us because of their politics, or try to force them to become like us or believe what we believe through guilt, coercion or ultimatums.

For now, while your partner attempts to address the possible mental health aspects of her son’s behavior, I would suggest pushing “pause” on any discussions about Trump, MAGA, or politics in general. That doesn’t mean she cannot have boundaries for her (and your) safety. For instance, he is not allowed to threaten her, to insult her or say homophobic things that make anyone feel unsafe in her home. Beyond that, don’t engage with him on these issues. Instead, opt out of conversations like this and, should he start to escalate, remind him that everyone should feel safe in their home.

As for you, I know you love your partner, but you don’t deserve to be threatened or insulted by anybody. You get to set the terms for how you will be treated by this young man, and seeing as you don’t live with them, this can be as simple as setting a boundary and making clear that if he cannot refrain from threats, insults, or degrading language, you will simply leave the house. You do not have to go back there if it feels unsafe, but you also do not get to tell your partner that her high school-aged son should be kicked out of the house.

As a mom of sons around the age of her son, I can tell you that asking a person to choose between a romantic partner and their own kid won’t end well for anyone.

Instead, I’d suggest supporting your partner on her journey to help her son become stable while establishing your own boundaries around safety and comfort, and drawing lines there. That may mean only seeing your partner away from her home or while her son is out. It may also, unfortunately, mean taking space in the relationship to keep yourself safe.

—Joanna Schroeder OK, back to Dan here: I wanna thank Joanna Schroeder for being so generous with her time and sharing such great advice — advice I sadly suspect will be relevant to other readers — before adding two quick things.

First quick thing: if your partner’s son refuses to see a therapist and continues making threats — if those reminders that everyone should feel safe in their own home don’t have the desired effect — out on his ass he goes. (Or should go; again, this is your partner’s decision to make, not

yours or mine.)

Second quick thing: I wanna emphasize one of the points Schroeder made in her response. You’re allowed to set your own boundaries. Refusing to be around this kid while your partner gets him the help he needs to address his rage issues — including the work of getting him to accept that help in the first place — may mean spending less time with your partner in the near term. But seeing as her son is old enough to feed and bathe himself (and old enough to vote, unfortunately), this “kid” doesn’t need a full-time parent anymore. So, your partner should be free to retreat to your place for days or even weeks at a time while her son is 1. still living at home and 2. still being a towering asshole.

P.S. If this kid’s father isn’t in the picture — if he can’t go live with dad — you would think this kid would be grateful to the parent who’s there for him. But angry teenagers are notorious for directing their rage at the parent whose love, support, and presence they take for granted. I’m old enough to know people who had terrible relationships with their kids when they were teenagers who now have great relationships with their adult children. It doesn’t make a stage like this any less unpleasant, and it doesn’t happen overnight, but happens regularly enough that hope for a better relationship with this kid in the future isn’t irrational. So, your partner — and you — shouldn’t give up hope or right this kid off. Your job if and when this kid comes around emotionally and/ or politically will be not to hold the angry teenager he once was against the reasonable adult he eventually became.

P.P.S. If you and your partner’s lesbianism is the reason this kid isn’t bringing his shitty MAGA friends around right now… and making himself scarce… thank God for your lesbianism. If that worked on all MAGA bros and being a lesbian was a choice, I’d choose to be a lesbian myself.

Who wouldn’t want a forcefield like that?

P.P.P.S. The next four years are gonna suck. But they’ll suck worse if we let the news cycle — and the man who dominates it — drain the joy from our lives. We need to pay attention and we need to stay in the fight. But we should spend as much time as we possibly can over the next four years with friends and lovers doing things that bring us joy. Anyone who tells you that making time for joy — however you experience or define it — is a distraction or a betrayal has no idea what they’re talking about. During the darkest days of the AIDS Crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced all fucking night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.

Follow Joanna Schroeder on Instagram and Threads @JFSchroeder1 and on Twitter @IProposeThis. Subscribe to Zooming Out on Substack. Talk To Your Boys to be published by Workman in April. For updates and presales, go to TalkToYourBoys.com.

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.

metrotimes.com | January 22-28, 2025 37

CULTURE Free Will Astrology

By Rob Brezsny ARIES: March 21 – April 19 Author Anais Nin wrote, “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” I bring this to your attention because you Aries folks now have a mandate to expand your life through courageous acts, thoughts, and feelings. I suggest we make the Arctic fox your power symbol. This intrepid creature undertakes epic migrations, journeying over 2,000 miles across sea ice, using starlight and magnetic fields to navigate. Let’s dare to speculate that you have something in common with it; let’s propose that you are equipped with an inner guidance system that gives you a keen intuitive sense of how to maneuver in unfamiliar territory. P.S.: Anais Nin has another tip: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 Taurus archeologist Howard Carter made a spectacular discovery in 1922: the intact tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, more than 3,300 years

Hey all you Lion fans, both true and fair weather, it was a good run.

The moral of the story is, you can’t win a football game when you have more turnovers than Hermann‘s bakery. Time to drink…

WATER-

W INTER WONDERLAN D !!

after his death. It was filled with over 5,000 artifacts, became a global sensation, and to this day remains the most famous find from ancient Egypt. A short time before he succeeded at his five-year quest, Howard Carter nearly gave up.

But then his sponsor agreed to provide funds for a few more months, and he continued. In this spirit, Taurus, I urge you to keep pushing to fulfill your own dream. Renew your faith. Boost your devotion. Remember why you feel so strongly.

GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest telescope in space. Recently, it discovered hundreds of galaxies that no humans had ever before beheld. They are very old, too — far more ancient than our own Milky Way Galaxy. I propose we make this marvelous perception-enhancing tool a symbol of power for you.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you now have a robust potential to see things that have always been invisible, secret, or off-limits to you. Some of these wonders could motivate you to reinterpret your life story and reshape your future plans.

CANCER: June 21 – July 22 One theory says that humans evolved to be afraid of reptiles because our early ancestors were frequently threatened by them. Among the most commonly feared creatures in modern culture are snakes. And yet, as anyone knows if they’ve studied mythology, snakes have also been symbols of fertility and healing in many cultures. Because they periodically shed their skin, they also represent regeneration and rebirth.

I’m hoping you don’t harbor an instinctual aversion to snakes, Cancerian. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to call on and benefit from their iconic powers.

LEO: July 23 – August 22 In the coming months, be extra creative as you enhance your network of connections and support. Encourage your allies to provide you with tips about opportunities and possibilities that you would not otherwise know about. Ask them to serve as links to novel resources that will nurture your long-term dreams.

Here’s an idea to energize your efforts: Get a vivid sense of how trees use vast underground fungal webs to communicate with each other (learn more here: bit.ly/TheWoodWideWeb). Knowing about this natural magic may impregnate your subconscious mind with

38 January 22-28, 2025 | metrotimes.com

JAMES NOELLERT

evocative suggestions about how to be ingenious in weaving the kind of community you want.

VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 I love my job as a horoscope writer.

What could be more fun than analyzing cosmic signs to generate inspirational counsel for my readers? It’s a big responsibility, though. I am intensely aware of how crucial it is that I craft my messages with utmost care and compassion.

Having been scarred as a young adult by reckless, fear-mongering fortune-tellers, I’m rigorous about nurturing your free will, not undermining it. I want you to be uplifted, not confused or demoralized as I was. With these thoughts in mind, I invite you to take a vigorous inventory of the effects that your work and play have on the world. Are they aligned with your intentions? Are your ambitions moored in impeccable integrity?

LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 Why are diamonds considered so valuable? I’m skeptical. High-grade diamonds are not as rare as public perception would lead us to believe. Yes, they are extraordinarily hard and scratch-resistant, but is that a reason to regard them as a sublime treasure? I acknowledge they are pretty in a bland way. But other gems are more intriguingly beautiful. Maybe the most important reason they are so prized is that diamond sellers have done effective marketing campaigns to promote them as symbols of love and luxury.

All this is a prelude to my main message: Now is an excellent time to think and feel deeply about what is truly beautiful to you — and take steps to bring more of it into your life. For you Libras, beauty is an essential ingredient in your life’s purpose.

SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21: The way that ancient Romans made concrete was more ingenious than modern methods. Their manufacturing materials included “lime clasts,” which gave the concrete self-healing qualities.

When cracks arose, they fixed themselves. That’s why Roman aqueducts built 2,000 years ago can still convey water today. Metaphorically speaking, I hope you will work on building similar structures in the coming weeks. It’s time to create strong foundations that will last for a very long time.

SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 Do you harbor a yearning to learn a new language, new skill, or new trick? The coming weeks will be a favorable phase to get serious about doing it. Have you fantasized about embarking on an adventure that would expand your understanding of how the world works? The time is right.

Have you wished you could attract an inspirational prod to unleash more creativity and experiment freely? The astrological omens suggest that inspirational prod is imminent. Have you wondered whether you could enhance and fine-tune your receptivity — and thereby open up surprising sources of fresh teaching? Do it now!

CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 Bristlecone pine trees grow very slowly, but they are hardy and long-lived.

Their wood is so dense and strong that it’s virtually immune to disease, insects, and erosion. They grow in places that are inhospitable for many other trees, flourishing in cold, windy environments where the soil is not particularly rich in nutrients. For the bristlecone pine, apparent obstacles stimulate their resilience. I don’t want to exaggerate the ways they remind me of you Capricorns, but you and they certainly have affinities. I believe these shared qualities will be especially useful for you in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 In old Hawaii, it was forbidden for ordinary people to touch objects that belonged to the chiefs or to anyone with spiritual powers. Other taboos: Never walk across the shadow of an important person and never wear red and yellow feathers.

Our modern taboos are different, but often equally rigid. For example, you are probably hesitant to ask people how much money they make or what their relationship status is. What are other taboos you observe? I won’t outrightly advise you to brazenly break them, but now is a good time to re-evaluate them — and consider changing your relationship with them.

PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 As winter progresses, each day is longer and each night shorter. Most humans feel an undercurrent of joy that the amount of light in the world is growing. But as an astrologer who appreciates cycles, I like to honor the beauty and powers of darkness. That’s where everything new gets born! It’s where the future comes from! In ancient Hawaiian religion, the word kumulipo meant “beginningin-deep-darkness.” It was also the name of a prayer describing the creation of the world. In the coming weeks, I believe you will be wise to tap into the rich offerings of darkness.

Homework: Is your ego more advanced than your soul? If so, help your soul catch up.

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