It's the Freakin' Weekend!

This weekend is one of those weekends where there is so much going on that it can be difficult to decide what to do. So we thought we would give you a rundown of what we think looks the best!
 
Friday:
 
Woodbridge Records Presents: The Anonymous/Noman/The Summer Pledge @ The Shack 1520 Merrick, Detroit, MI
$5 gets you in the door with a copy of "The Roshambo Sessions" - $8 gets you that and a copy of "Why am I Grinding my Teeth". Get more info here!
Check out our interview with The Summer Pledge here!

Jon Wilson's Farewell at The American Legion Hall, Rochester Hills, MI - $10 - Go Go Gizmo/SpringBreak/Rival Summers/What Happened in Vegas/Call it Karma/Undesirable People/Live it Out. Check out our previous interview with SpringBreak here!

Glossies & Child Bite at The Old Miami - $10 Gets you in AND gets you a copy of the record "Monomania" - a limited edition toxic green 10" record being released by Joyful Noise Recordings (of Montreal, Dinosaur Jr, Deerhoof). It features 6 songs written and recorded by Child Bite while in between permanent drummers.Get more info here!

Detroit Critical Mass - March Ride
6:30 p.m. gather, ride starts at Trumble and Warren at 7. Ride goes for about 3 hours. Skateboards, Roller Skates, and Uni-cycles are welcome!

Decibilt with The A-Gang at Small's Bar Hamtramck - Small's will always be the best place to see a show and they have the best drinks period.

Funk Night - The Last Friday of every month at the Majestic Theatre, Detroit 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. $5 for 21+, $10 for 18-20. Our boy EastSide Jon is always there - check out our interview with him here!

The HandGrenades CD/Video Release Party at The Magic Stick- see our article here!

The Hogans at Luna Royal Oak - This is one of Michigan's best "cover" bands. They're playing two sets - one starting at 10:30! This is where Sadie and Christie will be this Friday! Please come dance and drink with us! P.S. $2 You-Call-Its 'til 11 p.m.!

Saturday :

Michigan Fashion Symposium - Great place to meet others, learn more about branding, and have fun . Check out our interview with designer, Sarah Lapinski, for more info!
 
The Swellers at Woobie's in Flint - It might be a little bit of a drive for some of you, but this is a FREE show with a great band! Get more info here! And, check out our interview with The Swellers here!

Sunday:

Comeback Kid, Foundation, Such Gold, and Living With Lions @ The Magic Stick - $12 at the door, $10 if you bought them early! Brought to you by our favorite, Black Iris Booking! Also, there is a show at the Garden Bowl after with Written With Blood and Not Ok.! (This after show is FREE!!!!) Head here for more info!


Have a great weekend! Cheers!

~SC

Coney's in LA?

I may be in Los Angeles right now, but I am keeping up with my Detroit roots. I read about a coney dog place opening on Sunset Boulevard last year, and when I found out I was coming to LA, I decided I had to try it.

First off, it's much cleaner than any Michigan Coney Island, which makes it a bit weird, but it was pretty good! Since I'm not originally from Michigan, I wasn't brought up with coneys and the chili and everything, and am not the biggest fan of them, but these coneys were not bad at all. I will admit that I had the turkey coney with vegan chili (I know it's not the same), but it looks the same and was pretty tasty!

They really Detroit it up in there. They have big t.v.'s where they play all the Detroit sports games, pictures of Fox Theatre and different landmarks around Detroit, sell Faygo pop, you name it. They also serve beer, but not a single one was a Detroit beer! Come on, if you can get Faygo shipped in, why not some Bell's?
If you are ever in Hollywood, you should stop in and check it out.

~B

Thursday Night = Tunde Night!!!

Hey Detroiters! It's Thursday, which means we're close enough to Friday to start to begin to visualize  the  light at the end of the tunnel that we call the 5 day work week.  Sometimes I like to kick the weekend off early and go out on a Thursday, after all you have all weekend to catch up on sleep anyways!

Tonight Tunde, one of my favorite local artists, is playing at UDetroit Cafe.  We first discovered Tunde when he opened for the another local favorite, FLASHCLASH.  He blew the minds of everyone at the show and made HipInDetroit his instant disciples.

I hate to compare one artist to another artist because Tunde is a true original, but if I was forced to make a comparison I would say he would be the love child of an orgy between Lady Gaga, Marilyn Manson, Kanye West, and  Robyn (all four of those artist are favorites for me so whether you like them or not, I mean the comparison as praise).  He makes me want to dance and sing and have a good time, but he also is quite good and dancing and signing and having a good time on stage. He draws you into his world.

The show tonight starts at 9 p.m. and it should be a good time.

Here's the video from the last time we saw him, to give you a taste of what he's all about.

 

  Video Courtesy of Matt Moy!

We love you TUNDE! 

~S 

The Shape of Punk to Come to Detroit!!!!

Now that I have secured my tickets I can finally say, REFUSED is coming to Detroit!!!!

A few months ago they announced they would be doing a couple of shows including Coachella and back to back dates in N.Y.C. I immediately started making plans to travel to the New York show and turn this reunion into a celebration. Part of this venture included being part of my first four way. That's right, me and three friends had a four way call as we clicked refresh on the Interweb trying to get tickets to one of the N.Y.C. shows. We eventually got what we needed (after about a hour and a half) and we promptly booked flights and hotel rooms to go on a vacation. I have spent every minute since that day looking forward to this trip. Refused in N.Y.C. with my man, my two oldest friends and a nice assortment of Detroiters who are also making the pilgrimage! Good times right?!?
 
The only thing that would make this show better would be for it to be in Detroit....but that is just a dream right...
 
Flash forward to Wednesday morning when I got one of the first sets of pre-sale tickets to the show, announced only two days ago. Refused with Off at The Royal Oak Music Theatre, July 25, 2012.. I am so excited for this reunion, for this tour, for these shows, and for punk rock in general. REFUSED has always been one of Christie’s favorite bands. She even followed the members onto their future projects and she vowed that no matter where they played, she was going to go! She definitely got the rest of us on board and planning for N.Y.C. The best part is, HipInDetroit.com will be bringing you all the coverage we can from the NYC show to get you pumped for the DETROIT show. It's like a little gift from us, we will take you on vacation with us!
 
If I have not convinced you that this show is worth the $30 they are charging to get in the door , I implore you to read this statement released by the band. When I read it, I got goosebumps.

 
 
"We had a band once, in Umeå. We would pile in a van, like every other punkband, and thunder off in pursuit of friends and glory in some basement in front of 20 people, 50 people, in towns 4-5 hours away. Sometimes there would be more than a hundred people and we would later in the week refer to that as a “big show“. We were ambitious, but we didn’t think of it as a career. We never made any fiscal sense whatsoever during 7 years of touring. Like most punkbands, it never occured to us to even try. We had a scene, we had some politics and we had just a hint of artistic ambition. True to our swedish roots we got very serious very fast. And then suddenly we got good. It’s a delicate path to tread for precocious twentysomethings anywhere on the planet, but this particular bunch didn’t make it. And that was fine. Most enterprises in life are unrelated to incredibly violent rock music.
     It’s been a motley 14 years since our band came apart. We’ve all kept busy in our respective endeavors but we’ve all remained friends and kept in touch. There have been offers, and lots of jokes about these offers. We’ve sort of looked down from our high horses and made fun of people who’ve just wanted to share the psychopathic intensity that we would deliver on a nightly basis in our post-pubescent prime. A reunion has just seemed irrelevant to us. Too much other shit to do.
     But then Kristofer got his degree from the Swedish opera academy, Jons medical studies began drawing to a close and Dennis and David started a new hardcore band together. Finally, after a decade and a half hiatus, Kristofer picked up the guitar again. Which made David want to play the drums again. Which in turn led to all four of us suddenly making new music in assorted constellations. As all this was brewing, Coachella got in touch. There were a couple of phone-calls, lots of skepticism, some hesitant enthusiasm before one of us basically said: “–This is ridiculous. There are friends of ours who would murder close relatives just to go see bands there. Let’s just do it, one last time.” And with that, socialist fag-loving pc scumbags were on the road again.
     We never did “The shape of punk to come” justice back when it came out, too tangled up in petty internal bickering to really focus on the job. And suddenly there’s this possibility to do it like it was intended. We wanna do it over, do it right. For the people who’ve kept the music alive through the years, but also for our own sakes.
     We feel that you deserve it and we hope the feeling is mutual.

     See you in the pit.

//Refused"

Can't wait! Tickets are available through pre-sale now on ROMT's site or on Artist Arena. Tickets will be available officially on Friday at Noon!
 

~S

Get Ready for The HandGrenades to EXPLODE!!!

Corny title... I know. But, I had to. 

If you have seen The HandGrenades or even heard them at all, you will agree that this band isn't going to just be a 'local Detroit band' for long. They're talented musicians, they can sing, and they have catchy, fun tunes that anyone would enjoy.

This Friday, The HandGrenades are having their CD Release Party for their new full length "The Morning After". Every day leading up to the show, the band is releasing a track from their CD on their Facebook page. So make sure to head over there to get a little preview of what they have in store. In addition to this being their CD Release show, they will also be premiering their music video for "See You 'Round"  that night. Here are a couple of videos they have out to promote the show:

The last couple of weeks, the guys have been pretty busy traveling around to SXSW and Chicago. Luckily, we got a chance to catch up with them to get the scoop on the band, what they've been up to, and Friday's show!

HipInDetroit - You guys have been a band for a few years now. What's the back story on The HandGrenades? How did you guys meet? (Well, I think we know how Andrew and Tom met.) 

The HandGrenades - "Well Tom and Andrew have been brothers for a long time so they go way back. Nick and Andrew have been playing in bands together since they were around 16 years old, and then in fall of 2007 they asked Tom to be a part of their new band, and The HandGrenades were born. After going through a couple drummers, Joby ( a co-worker of Nick) joined the band in 2010." 


HipInDetroit - So, you guys are about to release your first full length album. How long have you been working on it? How does it feel to finally have it done and ready to release? 

The HandGrenades - "The new album was recorded at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit by Jim Diamond. We started the recording process in November of 2011, and finished in February 2012. The sessions were very spread out because everyone in the band has a full time job.

It feels great to finally be done with it and we are extremely happy with how it turned out. Working with Jim Diamond was a great time and we plan on hitting the studio again real soon and releasing something else this year." 


HipInDetroit - At your CD release show, you will also be premiering your new Music Video for "See You 'Round". Who did you work with on that project and where was it shot? How was it making a Music Video? 

The HandGrenades - "The music video for "See You 'Round" was directed and produced by Ryan Trautmann, who approached us last year at The Metro Times Blowout after seeing our set for the first time and asked if we could work together. Making the video was a lot of fun, and we had a lot of good looking actresses, so that was nice haha. We shot all the indoor scenes at Simon's Bar in Allen Park, and the driving scenes were shot at Willow Metro Park in New Boston." 


HipInDetroit - You just got back from SXSW, how was it? Was this your first time playing there? Did you play with any other Detroit bands? 

The HandGrenades - "SXSW was amazing. We had two shows (Friday at The Blind Pig, and Saturday at Pearl St. Co-op). It was definitely the biggest party I've ever seen. It was awesome to see bands that we listen to all the time, just playing in random bars for free. We didn't have a show together, but we hung out with The Hounds Below (from Detroit) most of the time. We also camped out in our pop-up camper the whole time we were down there. It was awesome because every morning we would just wake up to the sounds of the festival." 


HipInDetroit - How was Chicago? Which was better, Chicago or SXSW? 

The HandGrenades - "Chicago was wonderful as always. We go there quite a bit. We played two shows and they both went very well, we were amazed at the amount of fans we've made out there over the last couple years that came out to see us. Also thanks to The Future Laureates, we had a place to sleep. As great as it was, I think SXSW topped it. But I think SXSW topped anything we've ever done haha. 


HipInDetroit - What are your plans after releasing this album? 

The HandGrenades - "Shows and more shows." 


HipInDetroit - One thing that we like to ask everyone we interview is what are some of your favorite places in Detroit? Your favorite venue, restaurant, bar, store, etc.? 

TheHandGrenades - "I think as a band we love playing at The Magic Stick, which is why we booked The Lounge for our release show. Our favorite place to eat is definitely Lafayette Coney Island, the actual picture on the disc of our new album is a plate of chili fries from there. And we can't forget Jesse Shepard-Bates' house on Trumbull, our favorite place to party."


Well there you have it. The HandGrenades CD release show is Friday, March 30th at The Magic Stick Lounge with The High Strung, Jesse and The Gnome and The Good Things. If you pick up a copy of their new CD at the show, you can get it for just $5. Show starts at 8 p.m. and cover is $5. 

For now head on over to their Facebook so you can get ready to sing along on Friday!

~C

"Most Metal Show I've Ever Been To!"

Bahamut's CD Release show Saturday night was intense, to say the least.

Although there were some shenanigans at first, overall the night was awesome. Bahamut played a great set. They were definitely pumped up for this release show, because they brought more energy to the stage than I have ever seen them have before. There was a full crew shooting their entire set, so keep an eye out for that footage! In the meantime, here is a clip of them playing on of my favorite songs of theirs "The Man You Were".

If you didn't make it out to the show, you definitely missed out. It was a great time! Awesome band, awesome dudes, and a pretty awesome crowd. 

Make sure to keep an eye on their Facebook to find out when Bahamut will be playing next. If you want to download their CD "The Process" head on over to their Bandcamp.

~C

Becca's Bored- Let The Wild Rumpus Start

I LOVE Christopher Walken...

~B

Friday Night Avalanche

I ended up having a free Friday night, so I went on the website and saw there was a Black Iris Booking Show at the Magic Stick. I discovered that they always book great acts and have good shows. So, without knowing much about the band, I went to check out I Am The Avalanche. They played for about an hour to a decent crowd in the lounge upstairs. I was super happy to see that the doors to the patio were finally open! I got a couple of fun pictures to share with you and I enjoyed the show. The music is upbeat and fun and there were lots of people singing along and having a great time. I Am The Avalanche is from New York and they were very happy to have such a good group of fans showing their love in Detroit. 

Check out a clip of them here:

Thanks for another fun Friday Black Iris Booking, its nice we know we can count on your for a good time!

~S

Not Your Average Fashionista

When we started this website I knew that I wanted to feature one of my favorite things about Detroit. We have an ever growing fashion community with its own unique style, vibe, and swagger. I wanted to make sure to feature some of the special artists that I admire and follow. Today I introduce you to WOUND Menswear and the creator and designer, Sarah Lapinski.

Sarah is a local designer that has been featured in many magazines including Real Detroit, Metro Times, Ready Made and Twist. She has a unique style of her own and always seems to have a smile on her face.  She has done everything from attend fashion week in Istanbul, to helping a charity that teaches women in Shelters how to sew on industrial machines. She truly is an inspiring person.

Sarah has a few upcoming Fashion events that I think any Detroiter who wants to break into the local scene should attend. First, she will be be vending with Angela McBride of Peace Love Spandex, Fotoula Lambros Design, Urban Pheasant Glass and Aptemal this weekend at The Detroit Bike City's First Annual Bicycle Show and Swap Meet. This show features 100+ vendors from all over the Midwest showing, selling and swapping bicycles, parts and everything bikes. Admission is $8 and is Free for kids under 12. Detroit Bike City will be held on March 24, 2012 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm in The Michigan Hall at COBO Center,1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226.

The next event she will be attending, is the Michigan Fashion Symposium, an event created to bring a fashion district to Detroit. The Symposium is a 2 weekend event with a mission to centralize information, resources and network for the Michigan Fashion Industry with relevant information regardless of your specialties and skills. This is a meeting of the mind’s, a place to network, and a place to learn more about how to brand yourself and what you do. Sarah describes this event as “a real gathering of the minds”.

Read ahead to learn a little more about Sarah, where she has been, what she has done, and where she is going. I warn you , she is very inspiring and witty, so this one is a good read.

HipInDetroit - When did you decide that you wanted to start making clothes?

Sarah - "It was a natural progression. I wanted more of a challenge so I sought out more complicated styles and constructions. I respect the craft immensely. There is so much to learn. It's basically architecture for the body, which involves accuracy and precision."


HipInDetroit - How did you get started? It says on your website, woundmenswear.com, that you are "self taught"? Explain?

Sarah - "I received my Grandmother's vintage Singer Sewing machine upon graduating college. It was beautiful. It only sewed forward and backwards just enough to get started. To learn the basics, I began with a simple project - a stuffed animal. I made piles of those suckers. I still have my first one perched on my desk. I sewed maniacally! I couldn't wait to get home to sew, I sewed until I had to leave each day.

To be honest, I was never into fashion. I didn't grow up dreaming to be a fashion designer, not that I don't love the act and art of getting dressed up or the amazing imagery created in the name of fashion. Frankly, I think I'm just too practical. I graduated with a degree in Urban and Labor Studies, I planned to travel the world developing economies. However, I did see sewing as a language and tool for doing just that!"


HipInDetroit - Why men's wear instead of women's clothing, being that you are a sexy women yourself?

Sarah - "Oh why thank you! Not that boobs get boring but like so many other things it happened fairly serendipitously. Pure Detroit opened a concept boutique - the Design Lab that sold the creations of local independent designers. It was there I met a community that I didn't know existed. It got my out of my attic. Thankfully, because I was going stir crazy.

Men would come into the boutique and figure out quickly that it served mainly women. While women are the top consumers of fashion, men represent an underserved market with plenty of disposable cash. So, it was a no-brainer. I rallied the director of the store, Sarah Lurtz, to join me and Wound was born. Believe me, we didn't know how to sew menswear much less pattern it! Hence the name. We began by altering, embellishing, deconstructing and reconstructing vintage clothes and screening tee's by hand using the artwork of our friends.

It's been great working with men! I think I would go crazy if I was surrounded by women all the time - balance, you know. Considering I'm not that big into fashion per se and we can talk more about the engineering of the thing." 

HipInDetroit - Your website describes your aesthetic as "wabi-sabi" from Japanese culture, what does that mean?
 
Sarah - "Beauty in the imperfect, unfinished and natural."


HipInDetroit - What is WOUND Menswear's typical prospective client?
 
Sarah - "Design professionals, Musicians, Dandies, Wanderers, Robin Hoods and Poets. Hoteliers, Gallerists, Bicyclists."


HipInDetroit - Where do you create, at home, in a studio, in a space?
 
Sarah - "In studio."


HipInDetroit - You have quite a few collections on your website, do you also do custom orders? 

Sarah - "I have, I will."


HipInDetroit - What is The Empowerment Plan Project? What is your involvement with it?
 
Sarah - "I got to live part of my dream! I trained women in the shelter system to use industrial equipment. For her college design project, Veronika Scott designed coats that transformed into sleeping bags. It included the social element of breaking the cycle of homelessness. People helping each other, people helping themselves. Her work has been featured in Good Morning America, Forbes, the New York Times and so much more!"


HipInDetroit - What is the plan for the future? Any special projects in the works?
 
Sarah - "I have a few things up my sleeve. For the time being, I'm enjoying more art based projects and installations. Its a nice reprieve. The last year of my life was full of tumultuous change, good and bad. As I recover and grow from that, my focus is on self-discovery so I can put my best foot forward on the next 5-10 year journey.

Fashion design is ultimately manufacturing. I devoted ten years of my life and money to learning that. No school could have taught me what I now know. I have no debt, a solid history, network of vendors and business skills. Not to dis school, you can make great, long-lasting connections in that environment, while learning the craft. I was just following my inner voice and taking it to the limit. I have run the clothing label and its sister company, Motor City Sewing, solo for the last 5 years. Serious burnout loomed. I needed to step off the train for a minute and regroup, before it crashed with me on it. Now I can refine my vision and honor my values in consideration of how I want my life to play out, how I can live my purpose using past experiences as a launching pad.

I'm dedicated to finding more Eco-sustainable methods of doing business. Specifically the legalization of industrial hemp for growing and weaving in Michigan. I can't go on enough about the benefits of hemp!!!!

Also, I've found work in the Advertising industry on this hiatus. I truly believe there are no accidents. This is a creative business with a lot of powerful tools. Simply put, it's communications. Community building and opportunity creation are things I've always just done. That may play out here while finding ways to merge the two for the gain of both." 

HipInDetroit - You recently traveled to fashion shows in Istanbul, what was that like?
 
Sarah - "As a member of the recently formed Michigan Garment Industry Council, the offer to attend Istanbul's Fashion Week was extended to me. MGIC, though fledgling, is an amazing collection of people all across the spectrum. I have made incredible contacts through the work of the Prima Civitas Foundation that managed to put, not only MGIC together but coordinated this exploratory trip. Aside from members of the fashion industry there are many civic players, primarily in economic development. It is a very exciting time for fashion in Detroit! It is nearing critical mass.

We were guests of the Turkish government. They courted an international delegation. French journalists, Persian boutique owners, and Hungarian photographers traveled with us. It was quite the mix! They seek to champion and market their burgeoning fashion industry. They have always been players as straight manufacturers but not until recently have they focused on the creative and ideation side.

Turkey is a beautiful, fascinating country. I was fortunate to uncover this in person after I had researched and taught it for my History of Fashion class at CCS this past fall. It's interesting how much things change and ebb and flow over time. It was the center of power for many centuries. In the past 20 years it has embarked on an aggressive strategy to regain some of its influence.

Overall the fashion presentations were solid, very professionally choreographed and full of variety. It's not to the clip of a NYC or Paris fashion week but it is well attended, managed and regarded. We were also treated to studio visits. Among my favorites were Gunseli Turkey and Studio Karpol. There was a young menswear designer that blew my mind but he was part of another studio. Side note, Jermaine Jackson walked the runway and Turkish soap opera stars had their privileged front row seats. I'd love to know who else was there." 

HipInDetroit- What do you think Is unique about the Detroit Fashion scene as opposed to the bigger markets like L.A. And N.Y.C.?
 
Sarah - "Like Turkey we can serve the surrounding areas first and then advance. We are on an international border, we have affordable land for industry and housing, we are under-girded by our deep industrial mass production heritage which spawned and supported many creative disciplines, not to mention the ad world. We also have talented, experienced immigrant and native populations that could be paid a living wage.

The market has changed in a way that prefers fast, regular deliveries we call these immediates. The market demands constant change and mass customization. Having proximity to your supply chain is really the best system to compete. However, there is also a trend toward authenticity, humanity and locality. Boutique sized manufacturing can be adept at this."


HipInDetroit- Are there any other local talents that you think our readers should keep an eye out for?
 
Sarah - "My fashion besties are Angela McBride and Fotoula Lambros. Props to Emily Thornhill :)
I really don't know who the kids coming up are! There are a handful of very fashion forward kids running around that do a lot of clothing improv."


HipInDetroit - We always like to ask what are your favorite local bars, restaurants, bands, clubs, stores?
 
Sarah - "I love Atlas! It's had craft cocktails before The Sugar House and Oakland. They have a great collection of local art and a delicious always changing menu. El Barzon is always tops!
Best kept secret for Mexican food is Nuestra Famiglia. I don't like keeping these secrets because I want them to stay in business! Zen Center for raw yumminess and unique atmosphere. My fave bars I will keep secret but you can find me at the usual haunts too.
Can't wait for Rodin to open! Bands: Gardens, FlashClash, Detroit Party Marching Band, The Isles of ESP, Dark Red, Danny Brown, and Invincible."

~S

Bringing Back Scavenger Hunts- Detroit Style

We recently found out about something really cool in Detroit called Free Art Fridays, put on by Skidmore Studio. We talked with Sara from Skidmore Studio to get the low-down on the event. We'll let her explain it better! 

HipInDetroit - Can you give us a brief description of what exactly Free Art Fridays is for those who don't know yet?
Sara - Absolutely! Free Art Friday is a free art scavenger hunt in Detroit. Artists create art - anything from a painting or photograph to a screenprint or sculpture. They place it somewhere in the city for others to find and post a photo clue of where it is to Facebook and Twitter. Then the scavenger hunt begins! Those who find the art are free to take it home so long as they let the artist know it has been found. 

HipInDetroit - How did this awesome event get started in Detroit? And does it happen anywhere else?
Sara - Detroit's Free Art Friday was inspired by the visit of a couple of our staff members to Atlanta during their Free Art Friday. The idea of an art scavenger hunt was one that really appealed to us as a studio in that it celebrates creativity and our amazing city - two goals Skidmore set when we made the decision to move back to Detroit. (A little backstory about us: Skidmore began as an illustration house for the automotive industry in Detroit in 1959. Over the years, we added more services including marketing strategy and design and moved out to the suburbs. In the past couple years, we decided that we really wanted to be a part of the transformation happening in the city and last October, we made the move back downtown. Our new home is in the Madison Building on Grand Circus Park!)

Free Art Friday in particular is a fairly new movement that is happening across the United States and the UK. I'm not sure who deserves credit for organizing the First Free Art Friday, but I can tell you that it is currently happening in about 10 cities across the United States, including Atlanta, GA; Yellow Springs, OH; St. Petersburg, FL; Santa Cruz, CA and Washington D.C. as well as European cities including London and Dublin. 

HipInDetroit - How do you choose the artist? And how do you choose where to hide the artwork?
Sara - This is part of why Free Art Friday is so great - it is 100% open to anyone who wants to create or find art. And each artist makes their own decision about where to hide their art. At this point, we've had interest from quite a few artists, but we are ALWAYS looking for more. It's a great excuse for artists to express themselves and create something without restrictions, while also sharing their work with the public. Typically the art is left in a fairly well-travelled corner of the city. Some past drop locations have included the People Mover, Comerica Park, Library Park, Canine to Five, the YMCA, the Riverfront and the Rosa Parks Transit Center. 

HipInDetroit - Scavenger hunt's were always one of my favorite things to do when I was younger! I always got a bit competitive. Now you're using modern technology like Twitter and Facebook to give out clues. Do you think it helps you get more people to participate? About how many people usually participate? 
Sara - It has gotten pretty competitive! We've heard stories of people studying their phones, waiting for clues to come in and have seen others who have managed to swipe a piece of art within minutes of the clue going out. It's pretty exciting when that happens because it means the idea is catching on. Sometimes, clues are pretty hard to figure out and the art stays on the street a little bit longer. That might be even more exciting because it is often found by unsuspecting passers-by who become Free Art Friday fans. Just last Friday it was some urban disc golfers in Hart Plaza!

I think using Facebook and Twitter has certainly helped get more people involved because it makes everything so accessible. Anyone with internet access can see the clues posted at exactly the same time. You just have to make sure you "Like" the Free Art Friday Detroit page on Facebook and you're following a search for #FAFDET on Twitter for the latest clues.

Last week, there were about 10 pieces of art out there and about 9 people who found them. We do appreciate when our scavengers share :) 

HipInDetroit - How often does this happen?
Sara - Free Art Friday is happening in Detroit every Friday, though it happens worldwide only once a month. I guess we're overachievers! 

HipInDetroit - How would someone contact you if they were interested in creating artwork for this? Is there any other information you'd like people to know?
Sara - If anyone is interested in getting involved, I would direct them to the Info section of our Facebook page. There's a pretty good description of how it works and also instructions for how to tag your piece. We ask everyone to write their contact info (typically a Twitter handle) and the Free Art Friday Detroit info on the back:
@SkidmoreStudio (If they don't have Twitter, an email address can also work.)
#FAFDET
[ f ] Free Art Friday Detroit
We've also been including a note with each piece that essentially tells the finder that the art really is theirs to keep. The artists are free to make their own note, but our version is also available for download on our Facebook page or here.
If anyone has any other questions, they can post them to the Facebook page, ask them on Twitter with the #FAFDET hashtag or email me at sara@skidmorestudio.com
At this point, it's really important that artists and scavengers try to post to both Facebook and Twitter. We've had some issues where mobile apps aren't allowing photo postings to the Facebook page - a problem which doesn't happen if you are posting photos through a standard computer connection (Mobile Facebook glitch). We just like to make sure that everyone has access to the latest info and it makes it easier if photos are posted through a standard computer connection to Facebook or via Twitter. 

Well, there you have it! Head down to Detroit tomorrow in this beautiful weather, figure out the clues and find, or maybe even stumble upon, some awesome, locally made art! You can see past examples of some of the artwork people have created for this at their Facebook. If you do get some artwork, make sure to show them over at Skidmore Studios, but also send it to us at hipindetroit@gmail.com or our Facebook! We'd love to see what you find!

~B

Becca's Bored- I Need To Take Some Lessons From Him...

I'm really not a kid person (so don't expect to find many cutesy things on these posts), but this kid is pretty awesome. 
Is he singing along, too? I'm pretty sure he's just an 80-year old man in a 2-year old kid's body. If I ever decide to have kids, they'd have to do things like this.

~B

Spring Is Here!

Mother nature must be going through menopause because this year spring blasted into full effect with the debut of an 80 degree day today. Luckily in Michigan, you can bar-hop through a city and hike through the woods within a 30 mile radius. This means an outdoor experience in a great park or wooded area is never far away.  It can be just as fun to enjoy the outdoor activities as it can be to see a great band in the city.

For the first day of spring I called a friend and asked her to go for a hike on my favorite trail in Rochester, Bloomer Park. We walked on the Clinton River Trail to get into the wooded area where you can walk up and down the slow rolling hills. We also found what I like to call "death stairs" and made our way to the top huffing and puffing.  The greenery on the trail is just starting to bloom and there are small chipmunks and other animals coming out to play all around. I love to see the growth of all the fungus and moss on the ground and all over the fallen trees. It is  a place that is prettier than any picture I could paint.

Bloomer park is located on the Clinton River Trail which connects to The Paint Creek Trail and  the Orchard Lake Trail. This also turns into about 5 other trails whose names I never remember. The point is, you are able to ride a bike from Rochester to Lake Orion or to Romeo without having to get off trails, and it is pretty the entire way. Throughout this ride there are many different places like Bloomer Park to ride stunt courses or to go hiking. It really is an amazing creation built on the path of old train tracks.  

Bloomer park also features one of the most aggressive Velodromes in the states. They have their own web page that you can check out here.  That kind of riding is a little to intense for me, but it is fun to go watch. The schedule is also up on their website.  

We encourage you to get outside, get active, and have fun. If you know of any other great trails to walk or ride please email us at hipindetroit@gmail.com. We are always looking for a new place to explore!

~S

Becca's Bored- #1

This is the first installment of a new series entitled, 'Becca's Bored.'

Warning: You can easily get lost in Youtube land after watching this...

Make sure to check back daily to see what funny, random, weird thing Becca finds next!

~B

Looking For A REALLY Good Cup Of Coffee?

Thanks to one of my friends, I recently discovered an AWESOME new cafe. If you like coffee and espresso, you really need to check out Chazzano Coffee Roasters. They are on 9 Mile in Ferndale, but they are not downtown, so if you don't know about them, they'd be a bit hard to just stumble upon. Totally worth the trek, though. 

The owners are a super sweet couple and you can tell that they truly love brewing coffee for you. I believe the husband said he makes at least 40 different blends of espresso or coffee, but he is always making new ones so it is impossible to try them all! They grind everything daily so everything is as fresh as possible. Everything is also fair-trade and organic. 

You can go in for an espresso or cup of coffee or you can buy beans to take home. And, if you need a part for your own coffee press, they have that as well! 

Sadly, I was too excited to try the espresso and coffee after talking to the owners and seeing how excited they were, to remember to take pictures. The inside is really nice. It's a funny location since it's right in the middle of all the factories and old businesses on 9 Mile, but once you step inside you forget that. 

So head down to Ferndale and try it. I highly recommend Chazzano Coffee. If nothing else, you can learn more about coffee brewing than you would have thought was possible. For example, I learned that coffee has more flavor notes than wine does! Who would have thought!

In the meantime check them out on Fox 2 News:

Happy first day of spring! Get a delicious iced coffee to enjoy in this crazy, warm weather!

~B

The Master of the Beast Speaks - Get the Low Down on Bahamut from Terry Peake!

 Bahamut Logo by — Michael Bielenda; Cover Art & Layout by — Matt Manning 

A little over a month ago, we clued you in on your new favorite metal band, Bahamut. Hopefully by now you have either checked out their Bandcamp or read the article. If not, let us take a minute to fill you in... again.

Bahamut is a Progressive Metal/Hardcore band from the Metro Detroit area. The band is made up of Evan Mattson (Guitar), Matt Moy (Drums), Matthew Lorne Clark (Vocals) and Terry Peake (Guitar, Bass & Backing Vocals). Last month the band released their first full length, "The Process". The album is a summation of the masterful composition skills of Terry, the extreme musical talent of the entire band, and years of hard work and dedication.

Although "The Process" has been available in digital form for a little while now, the band is having their official CD Release Show this Saturday at The Berkley Front (one of our FAVORITE places). Cover for the show is $10. However, if you are one of the first 100 people at the show, you will also get a FREE CD. The digital download is $10 on Bandcamp. So getting in to see this band live AND getting a hard copy of the album for just $10 is pretty amazing. As if this isn't reason enough to go, Snakewing and Porygon Mind Fortress are also playing this show! Our favorite Detroit metal band AND one of our favorite bars, with a couple other bad ass metal bands thrown in there too! Needless to say, this is going to be awesome.

In preparation for Saturday's show, we caught up with Terry Peake to get some insight into Bahamut:


HipInDetroit - Explain Bahamut in one word?
Terry Peake - "Devastation"

HipInDetroit - Tell us a little bit about the concept and formation of the band?
Terry Peake - "Bahamut was originally formed in 2004 out of a love for the band Meshuggah and the post-tonal writings of composers like Anton Webern and Bela Bartok. My goal was to combine these things and cut it with catchy riffs and sing-along style hardcore vocals. The result would be a high-energy assault of putrid bliss."

HipInDetroit - Bahamut is some of the most detailed music I have ever heard. How do you compose such intricate songs? How do you learn to play them? Does it take a long time to perfect them?
Terry Peake - "The compositional process varies greatly! Although there is a lot of music theory involved, I still write by intuition and feeling. I may start with a riff that I stumbled upon, and then expand on it; or I may carefully calculate an intricate rhythm, one that requires us to read it on paper until we get it down. My formal training in composition makes a huge impact on the way I expand on things and structure the songs.
Learning them is indeed difficult, and sometimes requires us to practice passages at half tempo, slowly increasing speed over time. Back in 2004 it took us a lot longer to get the stuff down just because the concepts were new to the other guys, but now we are much faster at learning songs."

HipInDetroit - You have finally made it to you album release show! Can you tell us a little bit about what it took to get it done?
Terry Peake - "We definitely went through nine layers of hell making this record. I was continually blown away that any band could possibly have that many set-backs doing anything. These are small set-backs, mind you; like a broken part of a kick pedal that we have to order, computer/software problems, needing to borrow equipment, and then a whole slew of set-backs in mixing even when it was out of our hands. We literally went through TWO YEARS of these small set-backs. Needless to say I wondered if we would ever finish, and when we did I was beyond excited."

HipInDetroit - What does the future hold for Bahamut once the masses hear your new album?
Terry Peake - "Anything is possible here. Similar bands gain huge followings worldwide, release several albums and tour the world. Similar bands also get passed over and don't get to enjoy the same success. Success in this industry is very fluky, so you can't really count on anything. If my main objective was money and fame, I definitely wouldn't have chose progressive metal as my outlet, let alone the dissonant, abrasive, complex, and putrid style we play. One thing is for sure though, I have personally invested in being a composer for the rest of my life, and if my outlet isn't Bahamut, it will be something else. I currently have another project called Junecast that is much different, I am starting to get into film scoring, and I still have interest in returning to write academic works for orchestral ensembles. At the moment, though, Bahamut is simply the most fun, so that's what I choose!"



So remember... This  Saturday. The Berkley Front. 9 p.m. 21+. $10 gets you in the door and gets you a CD. Get Ready...

Video Courtesy of Adam Burgess

~CS

Wheeling Into Detroit

Since the movie Whip It came out, it seems like roller derby is getting really popular. And Detroit is no exception. I finally got to see a Detroit Derby Girls bout yesterday on St. Patrick's Day....and it was awesome! I must admit I expected a bit more pushing and shoving, but it's definitely a pretty exciting sport to watch.
There is a lot to the game, though. They have 2 periods with jams during them, and the scorers are called jammers, it gets a little confusing. It helps to have someone there to explain it to you like I did. Although they do give you a sort of play-by-play of the rules as it happens. 

I think one of the best parts to roller derby are all the funny names. The teams last night, the Detroit Pistoffs and the Devils Night Dames, had some good ones. My favorites were 'Feta-Sleeze' and 'Cookie Rumble.' They get very creative with them and it's pretty funny hearing the announcer trying to say all the names.
The Detroit Derby Girls have 5 teams and all of their bouts are at the Masonic Temple, which is another pretty awesome thing. I'd never been there before and it is a pretty cool building! They do tend to sell out, so if you want to go, make sure you get your tickets, which are $15, before just in case.
If you're interested in becoming a derby girl, there are a couple things to do. There are boot camps to attend and you will have to take a skills and rules test. Recruitment is in June, so hurry up!
So, if you're looking for something different to do that is fun and exciting, you should definitely go watch the next Detroit Derby Girls bout on April 7 where the D-Funk Allstars will take on the Grand Prix Madonnas.

~B

Top o' the Mornin' to Ya!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! As you know, every bar will be packed today and everyone will have specials on Green Beer and Guiness. So we put together a list of some of the best things we found going on around town for St. Patty's Day!

Kuhnhenn Brewery (5919 Chicago Road, Warren)

FREE Breakfast 7 a.m. - Noon - featuring Blueberry Pancakes, Biscuits & Gravy, Breakfast Quesadillas and Cornbeef Hash

Breakfast Beers such as Apple Jack Ale, Lucky Charms Ale, Creme Brulee Java Stout, Firkin of Fun - Export Stout,  Orange Juice Wit, Kaptain Krunch Ale, Bacon Bock, Count Chocula Stout, Blueberry Pancake Ale and Banana French Toast Mead

Duggans Irish Pub (31501 Woodward Ave, Royal Oak)

Open at 7 a.m.

10 a.m. - 3 p.m. WOMC 104.3 will be broadcasting LIVE upstairs with Jim Johnson (J.J.)

4 p.m. -8 p.m. The Kopy Kats will be playing LIVE upstairs

8 p.m. - 12 a.m. The Atomics playing LIVE

Favorite IRISH food specials like Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherd's Pie, Corned Beef & Swiss on an Onion Roll, Irish Lamb Stew in a bread bowl, and plenty more!


Rosie O'grady's Irish Pub (36759 Mound Rd, Sterling Heights)
Open at 8 a.m.

Complimentary Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Live DJ, Bagpipers and Irish Dancers,

O'Connor's Public House a.k.a. Gus O'Connors (324 Main Street, Rochester)

Free Breakfast Until 10 a.m.

Live Irish Music 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. with The Green Men & Kildare Stouts, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. with Elisia G. and 4th Street, 9 p.m. - Close with Space Cat 

Live with Mojo in the Morning from Channel 955 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Red Bull MXT D.J. 2 p.m. - 3 p.m., 3 Sheets Live 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. and D.J. X 7 p.m. - Close

Malones Tavern (32350 Van Dyke, Warren)

Open at 7 a.m.

Complimentary Breakfast Buffet

Live Irish music @ 9 a.m.

93.9 broadcasting Live at 1 p.m.

Costume Contest with a chance to win a Lover's Lane pleasure gift basket!

Great food & drink specials all day long!

The Loving Touch (22634 Woodward Ave, Ferndale)

$3 Pints of Guinness

$3 Shots of Irish whiskey

$6 Irish Car Bombs

Old Shillelagh (349 Monroe, Detroit)

Doors Open at 7 a.m.

Tent Opens at 8 a.m.

$10 cover.

Live Entertainment ALL Day and ALL Night!

Mr. B's Food & Spirits Rochester (423 S. Main Street, Rochester)

No cover

Live Music - Check out Dan Tillery from 3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m

The Deck will be OPEN!!!

Mr. B's Royal Oak (215 S. Main Street, Royal Oak)

$4 Green Pints

$4.50 BRIK Irish Red Pints

$5 Guiness Draught

$6 Irish Car Bombs & Irish Coffee

Irish Menu

The Town Pump Tavern (100 West Montcalm, Detroit)

Town Pump's 16th Birthday!!!

Open at 11 a.m.

Traditional Irish Food & Music ALL Day!

The Sights LIVE at 9 p.m.

PJ's Lager House (1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit)

Live Music starting at 9 p.m. w/Alison Lewis & String of Ponies, Glenmont Popes and Pat V & The Detroit 3

Saint Andrew's Hall (431 E Congress St., Detroit)

Live Music w/ The Eeks, The A-Gang, SpringBreak, Crack Jaw and Cities & Years

$3 Green Beers



Well, that's our list. Of course there are all of the "Irish Pub" standards that will be packed, such as Danny's, The Shamrock, Rosie's, etc. But, we wanted to make sure you knew where you could get some free eats, cheap drinks and see some great music (whether it's Irish or Punk Rock). So, have fun, be safe and call a cab, take the bus or crash on someone's front lawn!


P.S. Watch out for those Leprechauns! 

Thank you Nick Candela for showing me this video. 

Apparently I have been living under a rock. 

~C

Help Our Friend Play Against The Red Wings!!!

Bud Light and The Detroit Red Wings have teamed up for an awesome contest called the Bud Light Face Off! They are rewarding one recreational hockey team with the chance to play against The Detroit Red Wings Alumni Team. All the teams had to do was make an awesome video that included their team, Bud Light, and The Red Wings. The top 5 videos were posted the other day and one of our friend's teams made it in to the finals! Check out their video:

So help our friend Adam Yarbrough out for a chance to win this once in a lifetime prize! Head on over and Vote for Team Rosati!

Ronin Sushi

Once a month me and three of my lady friends try to get together and share a meal. Sometimes we all meet up and cook and sometimes we venture out to a restaurant. Last night we went to one of our favorite Royal Oak spots Ronin. 

Ronin is located right next to the Royal Oak Music Theatre in Downtown Royal Oak. The restaurant is always busy, but we are usually able to be seated pretty quickly. There are different types of seating to choose from including tables, booths, chairs, a bar, a sushi bar and a couch/lounge area. The lighting is very serene and on nice days they open up all of the walls/windows so that the whole restaurant has sun and a breeze coming through.
  
The restaurant features a full sushi menu, a full bar menu, and many items on their kitchen menu including shoe string and waffle fries! They are always running specials and have a happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. with even more selections. I usually get sushi and some sides, but I have ordered some of their entrees before too. No matter what I have gotten, I have been pleased.

We took pictures of our meal to share with you. I went for a side salad, salmon avocado sushi and another side called a vegetable bowl. My dining partners ordered miso soup, shoe string fries, different kids of sushi including eel and mountain dew rolls. We all had beer, wine, and a great margarita made with a spicy salt that the waitress suggested.

At the end of the meal we even order 2 different desserts for the ladies to split. One was cookies topped with peanut butter ice cream and the other was some jam thing in a jar. I am not a dessert person so I didn't have any, but from the quickness that the dessert was eaten, I think my friends loved it!

Ronin is open 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to Midnight on Friday and Saturday. The bar is open from 5 p.m. until last call.

I highly suggest giving this place a try if you are looking for a great meal and great service. They also have a private lounge if you are looking for a place to book your next event!

~S

A Look Inside the Coolest Jewelry Company to Ever Come Out of Detroit

Last year when I attended the Ferndale D.I.Y. Fest I had 2 goals in mind. First was to buy a ticket to Theatre Bizarre (that's a story for another time) and second was getting a Michigan necklace from a company called Glass Action!.  My friend, Channing Pierce, was Miss Michigan USA 2011.  When she won the title, she began wearing her friends "Michigan" necklace to promote her love for her home state.  Every time she wore it, I could not take my eyes off of it. I love Michigan and couldn't get over how cute it was to wear two necklaces that were in the shape of the upper and lower peninsulas.

Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Costantini

I have received so many compliments on this necklace and have wrote out "Go to Etsy page Glass Action!" more times than I would like to count. This is why I decided to contact the owner, designer and creator of Glass Action!, Carey Gustafson. She was kind enough to answer a lot of questions about her company and how we can get more of what she's selling.

The most interesting thing I learned during this interview was that this lady can literally make you anything your mind can imagine. In fact she made a night light of Conan O'Brien's face and had her friends in Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. take it to the host on their recent guest appearance. I loved seeing that picture on my Facebook feed!

So without further ado here is the scoop on my favorite necklace and the amazing lady who started it all.

 Photo Courtesy of Jen Jeffery

HipInDetroit - When did you start your company Glass Action! and what was the inspiration?
Carey - "I named Glass Action! in 2005 - I was selling at the original Baar Bazaar in the Garden Bowl almost every week - but I'd been a full time stained glass designer and fabricator for a few different shops for about 15 years at that point!"


HipInDetroit - What made you decide to work with glass instead of many of the other traditional "necklace materials"?
Carey - "I really like that stained glass projects have a beginning and an end. There's no question when you're done because of all the steps. And you can stop at almost any stage of making to walk away either for a few hours or months!"


HipInDetroit - Your website describes your jewelry as traditional "Tiffany" style jewelry. What does that mean?
Carey - "It was a big part of Louis Comfort Tiffany's method - wrapping pre-cut pieces of glass with a copper tape, then soldering everything together. I work exclusively in foil, no lead came or zinc, except for the occasional trim around panels."

HipInDetroit - How did you come up with idea for the Michigan necklace?
Carey - "Believe it or not, when I first started making them, there wasn't Michigan Making Madness quite yet! I started with the mitten but quickly incorporated the U.P. after a few stern requests from some show-goers! That's why they've always had their own chains, so you can wear one or the other or both at the same time."

HipInDetroit - I loved the mirrored tooth I saw you wearing when we met at The Metro Times Blowout. What jewelry designs are you currently featuring? 
Carey - "I've been steering myself into the indie wedding market, and have had a few commissions for bridesmaids jewelry! I've been making bangle and leaf necklaces that have been doing very well at Naka (Ferndale) for over a year now. I cut the glass, use a lot of mixed chain draping and found items - like the silver "leaves" on the necklaces are highly polished fishing lures!"

Photo Courtesy of Emily Gustafson

HipInDetroit - I know that you make nightlights and many other glass pieces, what other things besides jewelry are you constructing these days?
Carey - "The custom portrait night lights are doing really well! I love doing these. People send me jpgs of their friends, family or usually couples getting married and I make them into night lights. The rock star night lights I take out to shows with me are some characters I hope people will like, but working on civilians likenesses is my favorite."

Photo Courtesy of Carey Gustafson

HipInDetroit - Tell us a little about how the customs orders work? Can you make anything?
Carey - "THANK YOU for asking me that! That's been the "hardest" part of my business to convey. People I don't think would hesitate thinking "could you paint my parents portrait?", but with my work I get that question all the time, and it's not much different - just different materials. And I actually DO paint the faces, the glass is the canvas. With the basis of artistic license in mind, People, pets, homes, cars - send it my way!"

HipInDetroit - I have seen you featured at many of the local events around the city, including the D.I.Y. fest in Ferndale. Are there any events in the near future where someone could come to check out your wears?
Carey - "I'm working with my partners in Handmade Detroit right now, working on the details for our Spring craft show called "Craft Revival". It's at The Loving Touch in Ferndale on Saturday, May 12th."

HipInDetroit - Where can someone find your stuff for sale online?
Carey - "You can shop Glass Action at my Etsy store:
 www.etsy.com/shop/GlassAction and I always encourage people to write me with project ideas! Quotes are always free. glass_action@yahoo.com "

~S