Time for Food, Music & Fun at The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival!

Well, Labor Day Weekend is coming up at the end of this week and with it comes some good news and some bad news. Good news is that many of you hard workin' folks have a nice, long three day weekend. Bad news is that it is the unofficial end of summer and school starts again on Tuesday. (That last part could be good or bad depending on how you feel about kids.) But, the best news is that Labor Day Weekend means it is time for the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival!

The Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is one of our favorite festivals of the whole year. It takes place all weekend long throughout the streets of Hamtramack. There's great food, some awesome artists and vendors, and great music too! There are two stages set up at opposite ends of Joseph Campau, between Caniff and Casmere. The stages alternate back and forth with music going from the afternoon 'til night. Here is the lineup for this year's festival:

Saturday, August 30:
Sterling/Franklin Stage - South (Caniff & Jos Campau)
2 P.M. – The Kielbasa Kings 
4 P.M. – Del Brutto 
5 P.M. – Eastside Elvis & The Motor City Mafia
6 P.M. – Eric Villa & The Vista Marias
7 P.M. – The Polish Muslims

McClure's Stage - North (Casmere & Jos Campau)
1 P.M. - Big Daddy Lackowski
3:30 P.M. – Bill Bondsmen
4:30 P.M. – The Secrets
5:30 P.M. – Intergalactic Bounty Hunters
6:30 P.M. - Olympus Mons
7:30 P.M. – The Witches
8:30 P.M. – The Octopus

Sunday, August 31:
Sterling/Franklin Stage - South (Caniff & Jos Campau)
2 P.M. – The Codgers
4 P.M. – The Webbs
5 P.M. – Mike Hurtt & The Haunted Hearts
6 P.M. – Dennis Coffey
8 P.M. – Melvin Davis

McClure's Stage - North (Casmere & Jos Campau)
1 P.M. – DJ Richie Wohlfiel
2 P.M. – The MotorCity Troubadours
3:30 P.M.– The Potions
4:30 P.M. – Jimmy Ohio & The Ultimate Lovers
5:30 P.M. – The Volebeats
6:30 P.M. - Obnox
7:30 P.M. – Radio Burns
8:30 P.M. – Break Anchor

Monday, September 1:

Sterling/Franklin Stage - South (Caniff & Jos Campau)
12:30 P.M. - Polish Parade
2:30 P.M. – The Misty Blues Orchestra
4 P.M. – B-Free
5 P.M. – Deastro
6 P.M. – Tunde Olaniran
7 P.M. – Blaire Alise & The Bombshells
8 P.M. – George Morris & The Gypsy Chorus

McClure's Stage - North (Casmere & Jos Campau)
1 P.M. – Polish Parade
3:00 P.M. – Ara Topouzian
4:30 P.M. – Awesome Jarvis & the Whales
5:30 P.M. – Cosmic Light Shapes
6:30 P.M. - Bad Indians
7:30 P.M. – Mexican Knives
8:30 P.M. – Iron Stag

As you can see, whether you like Polka or you like Metal, there's something for everyone. In addition to the music there is also,  a 5K, parades, a boat race up and down the streets of HamTown, and a carnival with rides, games, and all the carny food you could want. So, you can have some pierogies and kraut at one end of the street and then head down the road for an elephant ear! 

Admission to the Hamtramck Labor Day Festival is free. The fun starts at Noon everyday and goes until 10 p.m. For all of the details on this event, visit HamTownFest.com. There is also a great after party at Small's on Saturday night, featuring The Muggs, Moon Walks and Demon Eye. For more details on that show, click here. 

~C

And The Beats Go On...

Once again, the National stage at Arts, Beats, and Eats features not-so classic rock bands and washed up artists from the '90s and '00s. As a Royal Oak resident and masochist, I'm always hopeful for a solid A, B, & E line-up. However, this year continues the streak (or should I say skid mark?) of disappointment. The only thing worse I can think of than Nickleback, is a band inspired by Mr. Avril Lavigne. Apparently, that was the logic behind booking Theory of a Deadman for Monday night’s headliner (and, yes, “Deadman” is all one word, and I feel dumber for having had to Google that).

The Spinners are the only featured act I am truly excited about. You can't go wrong with smooth jams on a hot summer night. The Motown group is probably best known for their hits, "I'll be around" and "Could it be I'm falling in love?" So bring some condoms and try to find a vomit-free tilt-a-whirl car to get your freak on in.

I plan on spending most of the weekend eating, watching hair shows and the Detroit Circus, and listening to local bands on the Alternative stage and Movement DJs in the Performance Pit. If you are a fan of bluegrass, country, folk, soul, or world music, then definitely check out the Americana, Cultural/Acoustic, and International stages.

Here's a taste of the rest of the main stage's musical buffet (you may want to keep Poison Control's number handy, though):

Friday
Night Ranger
Go rewatch the drug deal scene in Boogie Nights. That’s a better way to hear Night Ranger’s hit single, “Sister Christian”.

.38 Special
Apparently, you need no less than two drummers to play cheesy southern rock ballads like “Hold on loosely” and “Caught up in you”.

Saturday
Third Eye Blind
Grab your JNCOs, hemp necklace, and remember the days when Stephan Jenkins’ flat vocals used to dominate the airwaves. Now be thankful that those days are over and look at Paul Rudd’s beautiful face instead of his.

Sunday
The Village People
Despite being partial to whistles, jorts, and mustaches on men, I can’t get on board with “YMCA”, “Macho man”, or “In the Navy”.

Monday
Loverboy
Unless you’re Carl from Aqua Teen, you know that spending an evening waiting to hear “Working for the weekend” is an evening wasted. Get your Loverboy fix watching the chase scene from Wet Hot American Summer instead.

~KT

Michigan On Mute

Michigan On Mute Fest is taking place this weekend, August 29-31 at Rocky's Pub in Riverview, Michigan. It will feature over 50 acts on 2 stages. The festival includes a lot of great music including Golden Torso, Child Bite, The Worst Of, Undesirable People, SNAFU, Cold English, Passalaqua, and Seven Birds One Stone.

Tickets are $15 dollars a day or $30 dollars for a three day pass.  The festival features re-entry, and they will let you bring a non professional camera inside to capture the day. They will not let you come shoe-less, wear a big wallet chain, bring a skateboard, or take in any outside food or drinks.  For a full list of rules check out the Facebook invite here. Rocky's Pub is located at 12850 Sibley Rd., Riverview, Michigan.

There will also be a kickoff party on August 28th, this party will feature music by No Such Noise,
Da Bash Brotherz, CbJ, Aztek the Barfly, and Christopher Robin. Doors for the kick off party are at 10 p.m. and Rocky's will feature drink specials including $2 PBR drafts, $4 Jameson shots, and $3 Fireball shots.

~S

Blake's Hard Cider Takes Over Public House this Weekend!

We told you a few months ago about Blake's Hard Cider Co., a new product being made by one of Metro Detroit's favorite cider mills. Well, since we sat down with Andrew Blake and tasted their ciders for the first time, the brand has pretty much exploded. Blake's Hard Cider is everywhere. We've seen it on tap at "hip" bars like the Magic Stick and we've even seen it on shelves at corner liquor stores. It seems as though everyone feels the way we do, this stuff is amazing!

Although we still think everyone should head out to the Cider House to try all of the tasty flavors and take in the full experience right at the farm, we are super excited that the line is being carried at more and more venues. From the look of things, Blake's Hard Cider is taking over the town and this weekend they actually are taking over one popular bar.

Pubic House in Ferndale is hosting "Tap Takeovers" every weekend. Starting this Friday, August 29th, the bar's taps will be taken over by Blake's. That means everyone in Ferndale is going to have the chance to see just what it's like to get drunk off cider. It really is a different kind of tipsy, you'll see what we mean. To top things off, Public House just opened their brand new patio out back this past weekend. So, you can sit outside under the stars and sip away on your cider. There will be 8 different flavors available, which is more than you can usually try without heading out to Armada! The brews will all be dispensed from a super cute '58 trailer too. Super fun stuff!

Public House is located at 241 West Nine Mile in Ferndale. Make sure you try out some of their delicious treats to accompany your drink, I suggest the fried green onions or house made chips & dip. For more info on Blake's Hard Cider Co. head over to their website here or "like" them on Facebook. For details on Public House and their upcoming Tap Takeovers, "like" them on Facebook here.

~C

Weird & Rare Film Fest at The Garden Bowl

This Thursday night, the Garden Bowl will be hosting an event that is definitely out of the ordinary. It is being called the Weird & Rare Film Festival. It isn't very common for you to be able to watch a movie at this bar, let alone these movies.

The lineup for the evening consists of approximately 10 different films made from the 1930s to the '70s. The night's screenings include Disco Beaver From Outer Space, Alice & Wonderland (1931), Nothings Impossible, Peter in the Land of Toys, Captain America VS Zemo & the Masters of Evil, The Pretty Lady & the Electronic Musicians, The Twist, Koo Koo Korrespondance School, Sting of the Scorpion, and more. The films will all even be projected from 16mm & 8mm projectors, so you can hear all the pops and see these films the way they were meant to be seen.

This fun event is being put on by Party Store Productions and entry is free. The films are set to start at 10 p.m. For more details on this event, check out the Facebook event page here.

The Garden Bowl is located at 4140 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

~C

The Release of Being and Awesomeness: Get Rad and Stay Rad

When you discover something that you enjoy it's natural to want to share it with others. For instance, I am constantly sharing makeup, clothing, and musical recommendations with my friends and readers. This time around I have something to share that is even more important to your overall heath and well being. It's a book called Being and Awesomeness: Get Rad and Stay Rad. This "self help" book is not your mother's self help book by any means.

Being and Awesomeness was written by local psychologist Dr.Tiffany Tuttle. It is a guide to help us move forward and become the people that we want to be.  It has some no bullshit advice that really opened up my mind and helped me change some of negative thoughts and perspectives that I was harboring. It reaffirmed my belief that we can all find happiness if we are willing to work at it. I have read it cover to cover twice and hope to share it with everyone in my life. I plan to buy a copy for a few friends, but I can't buy a copy for everyone. Fortunatly, at $5 a book you should be able to afford to get one for yourself this weekend at the release party.

Friday, August 29th Being and Awesomeness will be released at The Loving Touch. The release party will feature music from The Thornbills, Touch the Clouds, and Jeff Tuttle's newest project Malo Konjche. The party starts at 8 p.m. and it is only $5 to get in the door. The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward in Ferndale. Dr. Tuttle is also running a ticket giveaway on her Facebook, click here for details on how to enter and win.

~S

Motor City Flows

If you live in or play in Detroit you are aware that the picture that others paint of our city is not a realistic one. I've always said that you can choose to see Detroit as a dying place or a place on the verge of a comeback. You can photograph the run down decaying parts of the city or the beautiful growing ones and decide which story you would like to tell. We have always chosen to focus on the rebirth of the city and all the great things that are happening instead of all the sad things that have happened. A new documentary called Motor City Flows plans to do the same thing.

This documentary was put together by Detroit local Jeff Tabb. It features a glimpse into some of the creative and talented people that call the city of Detroit their home, this includes features on Touch of North America band mates Jeremy Damaske, Shayne O’Keefe and Matt Conzett, DJs Joey Krueger and Ernie “Erno the Inferno” Guerra, and venues like Northern Lights, North End Studios, and The Crofoot. You can see the trailer for the movie here or check it out below.

MOTOR CITY FLOWS TRAILER from Jeff Tabb on Vimeo.

The film focuses on Detroit as a place where an artist can come to find themselves and flourish, something that we truly believe. Music, art, and culture never left the city, you just have to know where to find them.

The movie will premiere this Wednesday at its official release party taking place at The Whiskey Disco.  The event starts at 9 p.m. and it is only $5 dollars to get in the door. A portion of the proceeds raised will go to the Ruth Ellis Center. The Whiskey Disco is located at 2 John R St. in Detroit.

~S

Blackout BBQ - Another Bad Ass Event Brought to You by Black Iris Booking

This past weekend Black Iris Booking took over the Magic Stick for the first ever Blackout BBQ. Many of you are probably familiar with their annual even, Black Christmas. Well, just think of that, but on a slightly smaller scale.

The show featured close to 20 bands spread out across three stages, the Magic Stick, the Magic Stick Lounge and the Garden Bowl. The lineup included Detroit favorites like Downtown Brown and SNAFU, as well as bigger names like Fang and Iron Reagan. Although I missed the first few bands of the night, I was able to catch a handful of songs from nearly everyone on the lineup. The set times were arranged so there was always someone playing, but there was very little overlap, so you were always able to catch at least part of a band's set. Plus, one advantage to this fest versus Black Christmas was that you didn't have to go outside to head down to the Majestic Theatre at all. So that made it really easy to catch everyone you wanted to see.

All of the bands put on a great show, but throughout the night I kept thinking that Rebel Spies definitely stole the show. They played downstairs in the Garden Bowl and played one hell of a set! They definitely showed up a lot of the other bands. At least, that was the case until the Koffin Kats hit the stage. Now, I've always been a fan of this band's live show, but Saturday night they were even more awesome than I remember. Maybe it was all of the beers or maybe it was the fact that this was my first time seeing them with John Kay, but they were outstanding.


Other bands that stick out were Against the Grain (of course), The Goddamn Gallows (although the accordion player made me gag a few times), and Fang. Axe Ripper closed out the night, as this was also their CD release show. Even though I didn't get to catch their full set,I enjoyed what I did hear and the crowd was really into it.

Head over to our Facebook page to check out even more photos from the night. Congrats to the ladies at Black Iris Booking for putting on another stellar show. Hopefully this will become another annual event!

~C

Win Tickets to See the Afghan Whigs at St. Andrew's

The Afghan Whigs rose to stardom in the early 90s on Sub Pop Records. They were known for their meaningful lyrics and unique sound. Singer Greg Dulli frequently wrote about love, relationships, drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts, like many of the grunge bands of their time. But, he found a way to do it with just a little more R&B and a little more soul.  They were one of the few indie bands in the 90s that actually flourished on a major label. In 2005 they called it quits and swore that they would never reunite, until now.

This year they announced that they would not only reunite to tour, but they would be releasing a new album called Do To The Beast, this was their first release in almost 16 years. The new album has been critically acclaimed with  positive reviews from Pitchfork and Spin magazine, to name a few. It is clear that they are not here to rehash the fame of the 90s, but instead to prove that they are an ever changing entity that can keep growing and creating new things. This album is definitely different from any of their previous releases.

The Afghan Whigs are currently on tour in support of the new album and are stopping in Detroit on Wednesday, September 10th to prove that they still have it. Hopefully they play  a few covers along with some of their old songs. We know a lot of you are going to want to be at this show so we asked Live Nation to give us a few sets of tickets to giveaway. We have two pairs that will be given to two lucky winners. To enter, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Afghan Whigs in the subject line. Tickets are $40 in advance and can be purchased here. Doors for this show are at 7 p.m. and St. Andrew's is located at 431 E. Congress in Detroit.

~S

Your Chance to See Dirty Dancing on the Big Screen Again!

This Friday and Saturday night, the Redford Theatre is playing one of my favorite movies of all time, Dirty Dancing. This movie might not be as "classic" as what you are used to seeing on the screen at the Redford, but I'm sure many of you out there will agree that it is a great movie.

If you're like me, you probably grew up watching this movie and can still watch it over and over again. It's actually kind of funny to think about the fact that our parents allowed us to watch movies like this as children, but now parents shelter their children from some cartoons. Oh how times have changed! Then again, I was too naive to know what really happened to Penny in her cabin that night; I grew up thinking that someone came in and stabbed her. It wasn't until I was a teenager that it clicked. Those dancers sure did get down and dirty that summer!

This is a great reason to watch an old favorite and relive the summer of Baby and Johnny. And the Redford Theatre is a wonderful place to do it. In case you have never been to this venue before, it is a beautiful historic theatre with ornate decor, a balcony, and even an organ. You can take a virtual tour of the theatre here.

Showtimes for Dirty Dancing are Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. and there is also a matinee Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased in advance here. The Redford Theatre is located at 17360 Lahser in Detroit.

~C

Tonight! Aggro or Die! CD Release Party!

Yesterday we told you about the biggest party of the summer, Blackout BBQ. Well tonight is the official pre-party for the BBQ!

Tonight, head out to Corktown Tavern for the Aggro or Die! CD Release Show. Aggro or Die! has been sharing their own style of punk rock with Detroit for almost a decade now. This marks the band's second full length album and third release to date. You can check out some of their past releases on ReverbNation here.

The lineup for tonight's release show is pretty epic. Joining Aggro or Die! on stage is St. Thomas Boys Academy and PT's Revenge. So if you weren't already convinced that you should be heading out to this show, now you know you have to since it's rare to see PT's Revenge on a bill anymore.

Entry is only $5 and doors are set to open at 9 p.m. Rock N Rummage will also be on hand, so make sure you bring some extra cash. Corktown Tavern is located at 1716 Michigan Ave. in Detroit. For more details on this show, click here.

~C

FREE Show Friday at The Loving Touch!

This Friday night head out to The Loving Touch for a great night of FREE music. The Loving Touch already is one of you favorite bars to drink at anyways. So when you get to check out some great bands for free to, it's a win win. This Friday night's lineup includes one of our favorites, Ancient Language, along with three other great acts that we've been wanting to check out and you should too; Nigel & The Dropout, Moon Lake and Remnose. Four great acts, all with a different sound than you might be used to.

First up, Remnose is normally a three piece featuring brothers Marlon Morton and Carson Morton along with Vince Bashi. Their folky grunge sound is just made up of vocals and strings, however this weekend they will be adding drums to the mix. You can check out some of Remnose's music on ReverbNation here.

Moon Lake might look a little familiar to you since this band features members of other Detroit favorites, like Citizen Smile, The Hounds Below and The Kodaks. The four piece (including Adam Fitzgerald, Mathew Hofman, Ricky Ruggero and Will Shattuck) describes themselves as "ambient indie". You can check out some of the band's tunes here.

Nigel & The Dropout has a slightly younger sound then some of the other bands we normally talk about, but that is not to take away from their musical abilities. The two piece (Nigel Hemmye and Andrew Ficker) uses electronic beats, samples, guitars and percussion to create awesome music with a new sound. Check them out for yourself on bandcamp.

Last, but not least, is Ancient Language featuring Christopher Jarvis. We have been big fans of Chris' music for awhile now and he never ceases to amaze us. With mixes of electronic, hip-hop and soul, he creates music that has a sound of its own. Make sure you head over and listen to him on Soundcloud or bandcamp.

Doors for Friday's show open at 9 p.m. 18 and up are welcome. For more details, check out the Facebook event page here.

~C

Win Tickets to Blackout BBQ!

Summer may be winding down, but the best party of the season is happening this Saturday. Black Iris Booking is bringing together a bunch of great bands, some great artists, cooking up some BBQ, and basically taking over the Majestic complex this weekend. They're calling the event Blackout BBQ and we guarantee it's going to be a blast. If you have ever been to Black Christmas before, we're expecting this to be along the same lines, except with food and half naked people since it's summer instead of December.

Blackout BBQ will be featuring 18 bands playing in the Magic Stick, Magic Stick Lounge, Majestic Cafe, Alley Deck and the Garden Bowl. The lineup includes headliners Koffin Kats and The Goddamn Gallows along with Iron Reagan, Fang, Downtown Brown, Against the Grain, Rebel Spies, Bastardous, S.N.A.F.U., Axe Ripper, CBJ, Cash O'Riley, The Worst Of, Trace The Veins, Hook N Krooks, Dead Church, The Ridgelands and Nightcap. Judging by Facebook, all of the bands are pretty stoked about this show and we are too. A lot of them are even doing giveaways of their own, getting you in the door or giving you some merch.

Speaking of giveaways, thanks to Ramona and Sarah at Black Iris Booking, we are giving away two pairs of tickets to this super awesome show. To enter to win, head over to our Facebook page and share the Blackout BBQ poster. Make sure you click "share" though so we can keep track of who has entered! We will draw two lucky winners the morning of the show and they will be on the guest list with a +1. If you don't want to wait to see if you won, head over and pick up tickets in advance here for $15. This will save you 5 bucks too, because the price at the door will be $20.

Doors for Blackout BBQ open at 5 p.m. and all ages are welcome. Make sure you get there early to check out some art from Signature Tattoo and Big Top Tattoo and to get in on the free BBQ too! To stay in the loop on set times, other giveaways, and all of the happenings going along with Blackout BBQ, RSVP to the event here.

~C

It's Time to Celebrate Ironclad Tattoo's 2nd Birthday

 

When I was 14 or 15 years old I thought it would be amazing to stretch my ears. To be fair, it was really in style at the time and it was something that I could do that didn't involve my parents having to sign a permission slip, sorry mom. I went to my local Hot Topic, bought some earrings that looked like long wedges and slowly stretched my ears in my parents bathroom over the next few months. It was a painful process to say the least. Over the next few years, I wore the same pair of earrings and never took them out. They were these sad little double zero gauged pieces of coconut shell that resembled leopard print, but they were the coolest thing I could find for years. I slowly began to regret my decision to stretch my ears, that is until I met a man named Mike Moore.

I met Mike a few weeks before he opened the doors of Ironclad Tattoo Co. He invited Hip in Detroit to come out and do an interview before they opened their doors to the public. After the interview, he talked to me about what kind of jewelry I liked and picked out a pair of earrings for me in my size. He unexpectedly gave me those earrings as a gift and at that moment he changed my life. For the first time in years I felt that my plugs were cool and pretty, and I felt good about my decision to stretch my ears.

Fortunately, if your interested in gauging your ears, the art of stretching has come a long way since the days of me bleeding in my parents bathroom. These days you can do it nearly painlessly with Mike's help and feel great rocking some of his beautiful jewelry.

This is just one of the many reasons that i love Ironclad. I also got my first and only tattoo there. I met with tattoo artist Mike Bagz, we clicked and I let him ink up my foot with one of  the coolest Michigan tattoos I have ever seen. I'd like to take credit for the design, but I have to admit that the lakes on my leg were all his idea. If you haven't noticed, the guys at Ironclad take a personal interest in working with their clients. They party when its time to party and are nothing, but professional when it come to business.

Ironclad has become family to hipindetroit.com. They have sponsored both of our anniversary shows and have always been supportive of the website and the Detroit music scene in general. We truly appreciate their friendship, support, and how great they are at what they do. Last year for their first birthday the theme was all gold everything, and I literally painted myself gold from head to toe to show them my support. This year it won't be as hard to join in on the fun. This Thursday, August 21st they will be celebrating their anniversary at Ronin Sushi in Royal Oak. The theme is Corporate Hoes and CEOs. In other words, dress up! They have rented out the space up stairs and 21 and over are welcome. Our friends over at InkAddict sponsored the event this year, so hopefully the InkAddict crew will all be present to party. Congratulations on two years,  we wish you many, many more!

~S

Detroit Dart Club Grand Opening

Detroit is full of people with good ideas, we are the home of Slow Roll and more D.I.Y. festivals then we can count. Detroiters are known for making new and interesting things happen. But, my latest discovery may prove to be one of the coolest ideas to date.

Last year Connor McGaffey came across a buy one get one free Nerf gun deal that he couldn't pass up. He picked up a few guns and had a few friends over for a Nerf war, like we did when we were kids. The difference is that his Nerf war escalated into weekly games, teams, and tournaments. He came up with some rules, set up some obstacle courses and started having all out wars inside his home. He found that he was having a blast with his friends and realized that others would enjoy this, he just couldn't fit them all into his house. Instead, he looked into renting a space inside The Russell Industrial Center and starting an official Detroit Dart Club.

His dream will become a reality this Saturday, August 23rd when the Detroit Dart Club opens its doors for the first official day of play. Connor has rented out a 4,000 square foot area within the Russell Industrial Center and constructed a space to take these games to a whole new level. The doors will be open form 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. this Saturday and it is only going to be $5 to play a few games. He wants you to get a feel for the sport and see if you can resist coming back for more.

The Jam and Jubilee at the Russell Industrial Center will also be going on at the same time. This event features music, food, and drinks and a special Slow Roll at 5 p.m. This event is FREE and gives you two great reasons to stop in.

We are looking forward to checking out the Detroit Dart Club space ourselves and participating in a game. We have a feeling this is going to be one of the hippest spaces in town in the next few months!

The Detroit Dart Club is located at 1600 Clay St. Detroit, Michigan. For more details or to book your own game follow DDC on Facebook here.

~S

Win FREE Tickets to The Hope Revolution Tour featuring Hawthorne Heights and More!

Friday, September 5th The Hope Revolution Tour featuring Hawthorn Heights, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Senick, Famous Last Words, The Ongoing Concept, and Everybody Run will be stopping in Detroit to take over The Shelter. The Hope Revolution Tour is working in conjunction with To Write Love on Her Arms to bring hope, togetherness, and great music to cities across the U.S. You can watch a video that Red Jumpsuit Apparatus made to describe why they wanted to be part of this tour here.

Suicide prevention is an issue near and dear to the hearts of the ladies here at HipInDetroit.com. We have lost a couple of great friends over the years and and we know that not a day goes by without thinking about what could have been done differently to prevent depression from making them believe that there was no way for things to change or get any better. It is important for all of us to remember that there are places to turn when were losing the fight. There is another answer and there are a lot of people who love you and want you to stay around for as long as possible. To learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms click here.

This show promises to be a good time with positive vibes all around. If you would like to attend the show, you can purchase tickets in advance here or enter to win a pair courtesy of Live Nation and Hip In Detroit. To enter, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com. We will draw a winner a few days before the show and send them details on how to claim their prize. Doors for the show are at 6 p.m. and The Shelter is located at 431 E. Congress in Detroit.

~S

The Means EP Release Show at The Berkley Front

The Means have finished their latest EP and are ready to unleash it to the world this Saturday, August 23rd at The Berkley Front. They would like for all of you to join them to hear the new tunes and see how much the band has changed over the last few years. We had a chance to talk to them about the album and the release show and it is clear that they are passionate about what they do. Check out what they had to say about the new alum and head out to see them this weekend.

HID- How would you describe the music of The Means to someone who has never heard you before?
The Means- "That is always the most difficult question because I don't think we have a sound that's easily described. I've had people come up to me at shows and tell me that we sound like everything from Smashing Pumpkins to Jamiroquai, which are both super flattering but totally unexpected. Our songs can move between punk, alt-rock, pop, funk, you name it. But at our core we're a rock band with a healthy respect for the Motown sound. I think the easiest way to describe it would be to say that we play "soulful rock and roll"."

HID- Why did you name your latest album "Understand?"?
The Means- "We named the album "Understand?" for a couple reasons, actually.
First, the title track was something that came out of a jam-session with my Dad when he was visiting Detroit back in March. He still lives in Alaska, where I grew up, so anytime he's in town we make a point to sit down a jam together. I was playing the main chord progression for the song that became "Understand?" and he started singing this melody that he said he'd heard in a dream, which became the song's hook. The song got it's title because my Dad used to end his sentences with "understand?" anytime he explained something to me as a kid which was sort of a running joke in my house growing up. It's a nod to his contribution to the album and to the fact that he's my biggest influence, since his tutelage is the reason that I play music in the first place.
The second reason is that after completing the song "Understand?" everything for the EP fell into place. We felt like we'd finally found our sound after restructuring the band in 2013 and we wanted people to know that The Means of 2014 are not The Means they heard on our 2012 debut EP. We felt like the name was our way of acknowledging that by saying, "Forget what you've heard. WE are The Means, understand?"

HID- Why did you record this album at Little Elephant Recording in Ohio?
The Means- "We recorded with Little Elephant because they are great guys and they do fantastic work. I contacted them after I saw a live video they did for Undesirable People and got talking with Rob Courtney, the co-owner and engineer. We recorded one song in February to test the waters and had such a positive experience that we knew we'd becoming back to record the EP. Not only did we have a great time working on the album but we also had a great time just hanging out, playing Mario Kart and drinking beer after exhausting 12-hour recording sessions. By the end we'd all become great friends; to the point that they're actually driving up here for the release show. We're really happy to have them as collaborators and even happier to have them as friends. At this point I can't imagine going anywhere else to record."

HID- Why did you ask Five Pound Snap, Passage to India, and Go Tiger Go! to play your album release party with you?
The Means- "We chose those bands because they're some of our favorites and we wanted a show where each band brings something unique to the night. All the bands have their own distinct sound and are a good cross-section of different aspects of the Detroit music scene.
Passage to India are old friends that make great music. We've known them since we got started and they actually played our first EP in 2012. Plus, I think it's been over a year since we played with them and, quite frankly, we missed them.
Five Pound Snap was chosen because they've become one of our favorite bands to gig with. I think they've played almost every show that we've been on this year and it's been a blast playing and hanging with them. They're great people and on top of that, they've got this groovy, soulful pych-rock sound that sounds like the walls are melting. I love it.
Go Tiger Go! was chosen because I think they've got a great sound and we've been working to connect with them for awhile. They have a great reputation in our circle of friends and kept getting recommended to us for show but we just weren't able to make it work until this gig."

HID- Why did you choose The Berkley Front?
The Means- "We chose The Berkley Front for a couple reasons. First, it seems like everyone we know has heard of it and loves the place. It has a great atmosphere and people seem to get excited about seeing a show there.
The biggest reason though is that we've done a ton of shows there, including our last EP release, and they always treat us incredibly well. We've worked really hard to cultivate a reputation with the Berkley Front as a band that they WANT to come play because we're reliable, we treat the venue with respect, we aren't prima donnas and we pack the place with people that want to spend money at the bar. That attitude has definitely paid off because we've developed a great working relationship with the venue."

HID- You are having your album release at The Berkley Front, a bar that is known for its wide beer selection. What will you be drinking throughout the night?
The Means- "Great question! We are definitely a band the loves to drink.
I know Alex, our drummer always goes straight for the Atwater Vanilla Java Porter or a Two-Hearted Ale from Bell's.
Dan spent a semester in Kalamazoo so he has a special love of Oberon, although ever since we met and I introduced him to bourbon he's developed a taste for Jim Beam.
As for me, I am a whiskey man to my core. I do enjoy a nice, dark porter or stout with a meal but a stomach full of 36 ounces of beer tends to make me a little sluggish on stage. When I'm performing I'm usually drinking Jim Beam at the beginning of the night and Wild Turkey 101 by the end. Also water. Lots of water."

HID- Any other upcoming shows or performances in the works?
The Means- "Right now we're in the process of booking for October and November. I'm getting married the first week of September; just two weekends after the release show. Between planning a wedding and releasing an EP I will need some serious relaxation time after it's all over. When October and November come people can expect to see us in Metro Detroit at least once or twice a month but we're also going to be spiraling out from the area and hitting places like Lansing, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Marine City, Saginaw, etc. We also plan to get out to Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania over the next year."

HID- Anything else that you would like our readers to know?
The Means- "We are not the band you heard in 2013."

The show starts at 8 p.m. and it is only $5 to get in the door. The Berkley Front is located at 3087 12 Mile Road in Berkley, Michigan. Copies of the new EP will also be available for purchase for only $5 at the show. To keep up with details and get updates on the show add the event on Facebook here.

~S

Win Tickets to The Soil and The Sun at The Loving Touch

The Soil and the Sun are heading out on tour in support of their 3rd album The Meridian which is being released on August 19th, 2 days before they make their stop here. The album's first single "Samyaza" is available to stream or purchase here.

The Soil and the Sun are from Grand Rapids Michigan and are self described as "corn-fed, Michigan-made, Experiential Spiritual Orchestral Rock". The band originally began as a two piece and has since expanded into a 7 piece. The lineup includes oboe, violin, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, keys and vocals.

The band will be hitting the stage at The Loving Touch on Thursday, August 21st. Tickets for this show are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. You can purchase advance tickets here. We also have one set of tickets to give away to one lucky reader. To enter, you must add @hipindetroit on either Instagram or Twitter and send us a message letting us know that you want to go to the show with your full name within the message. We will contact one lucky winner a few days before the show and they will be guest listed plus one.

Doors for this show open at 9 p.m. and The Loving Touch is located at 22634 Woodward in Ferndale.

~S  

Help Third Wave Detroit's Business Idea Become a Reality

For the fourth year Hatch Detroit is giving one local entrepreneur the opportunity to win $50,000 to open up a storefront within the Detroit City limits to push forward their business idea. The four finalists for the public to vote on were announced this week and voting will end this Wednesday.

One of the businesses in the running is Third Wave Music, whose intent is to open the first musical supply store in Detroit since the city's decline. There is literally no place to get a drum stick if you break it before a show, or to pick up some new strings without driving into the suburbs. This is not practical for a lot of the working musicians in the city, especially when these issues come up last minute. Third Wave Detroit wants to change this and made an awesome video to better explain their idea and vision. Watch the video below for details on their business plan. I already believed in this business, but watching the video sealed the deal for me.

If you would love to see this idea come to fruition head over to HatchDetroit.com and vote once every 24 hours before the deadline this Wednesday, August 20th. Popular online vote is only half of the battle. The business still has to get up in front of a crowd and sell their idea to the judges on the 20th, but the popular vote gives them the competitive advantage that they may need to win. If you would like to attend the final ceremony click here for tickets to the event. In addition to the money, which comes by way of Comerica Bank, the winner will also get legal, marketing, accounting and IT support from the non-profit, Hatch Detroit.

We wish Third Wave Detroit the best of luck and hope to see them come out victorious. Take a moment and throw a vote their way!

~S

Win Tickets to Two Great Shows This Weekend!

Party Store Productions has been bringing some really great shows to town lately. Virginia Benson is really making a name for herself in the booking world. And PSP has your weekend all planned out for you with two great shows at Jumbo's and the Lager House.



First up, on Friday night head to Jumbo's for Spider Bags with Brothels and Junk Food Junkies. Spider Bags recently released their fourth full length album Frozen Letter and they just started touring in support of the album. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance here.





Then on Saturday night make your way to PJ's Lager House for Hooray for Earth with special guests Grooms and the debut of Village Wives. Hooray for Earth also has a new album out entitled Racy that you can check out here or pick up on iTunes here. Tickets for this one are $8 and can be picked up here.

Lucky for you, we are giving away two pairs of tickets to both of these shows! All you have to do to enter is email your first and last name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Spider Bags or Hooray for Earth in the subject, depending on which show you want to go to. You can even enter for both if you want! We will announce the winners the day of the show around 6 p.m. Good luck and Happy Friday!

~C

Dirt Fest 2014 was Bigger and Better Than Ever!

Last Saturday a crowd of people from all over Michigan took over the Expo Center at Birch Run for Dirt Fest 2014. This was by all accounts the best year yet.

Dirt Fest 2014 was bigger than ever before, literally. The festival was set up differently and we loved the new layout. There were more stages than ever, more merch booths, more food vendors, and a lot more fun things to do. There was even a dunk tank, a free photo booth with props. and a blow up sword fighting area. The weather was also perfect throughout the day, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

We spent the day interviewing bands and fans, we wanted to know what makes Dirt Fest special and why they decided to come out to the show. We ran into a lot of first timers and a lot of people who said that they come every year no matter what the lineup was. Everyone seemed to agree that Dirt Fest is a one of a kind experience because of the crowd that attends it. The people that come out to this fest are there to have fun. They show up and party before the doors are even open and hang out until the last note is played. Everyone is friendly and smiling. There were no fights, no crazy drunks, no crazy bathroom lines, and basically no issues.

We really enjoyed watching all of the bands, but especially the hometown heroes that were on the lineup. This included Aim Your Arrows, Battlecross, Ana, BraidedVeins and Beast In The Field. We think that it is wonderful that so many local Michigan acts play at Dirt Fest. It shows the commitment that the Dalton Brothers have to the music of Detroit and its surrounding areas. There was more than one band that said that they have worked with Matt Dalton or recorded at 37 Studios, it's like one big freaky family and we love it.

The fans also get a chance to get up close and personal with all the bands that are playing on the festival. Some of the musicians walk around and say hello and some of them visited the Ink Addict tent to do official signings and formally meet their fans before they took to the stage.

It was by far the best Dirt Fest yet, although I feel that we say the same thing every year after the show. Cheers to the Dalton Brothers, the bands, and all of the people that put this day together and make it run so smoothly. My only regret is that I didn't get to steal a golf cart and ride it around the place. I just couldn't find one that was unattended and had keys in the ignition. I'll have to plan my golf cart joy ride out a little better next year I guess.

~S

Passalacqua Presents ‘The Baptism’ a short film created by The Right Brothers Featuring SYBLYNG & Hygienic Dress League

Passalacqua, The Right Brother, and Syblyng (a.k.a. Jax and Seth from Flint Eastwood) are three groups of people that have been blowing my mind lately. They are some of the most talented, creative, passionate, and hardworking people that I have ever met. They are reinventing how I think about music, art, community, and Detroit.

They released a new video this week for the song "Baptism" off of Passalaqua's upcoming album Church. The video was shot here in Detroit and features real live footage of the water protest that took place in the city on July 10th. The video is very powerful for so many reason. You have to see it for yourself to understand what I mean.

Passalacqua 'THE BAPTISM' featuring SYBLYNG & Hygienic Dress League [Official] from The Right Brothers on Vimeo.

The punk rocker and activist in me almost cried when I finally watched the finished product. I don't want to comment on the video too much because I think that it is one of those pieces of art that we all need to interpret for ourselves. Kudos to everyone who worked on this project, you are the future of music, art, and Detroit.

If you liked what you saw, you should check out a few other videos that The Right Brothers put out this year, including "Get This Money" by my favorite artist James Linck and "Lights On Rider Anthem" featuring Doc Waffles, Eddie Logix, James and more. That song gets stuck in my head for days every time I hear it.  

~S

Love is in the Air at the Detroit Zoo!

If you're looking for a great idea for a date night, head to the Detroit Zoo on Thursday, August 21st. The zoo will be hosting an event called Summer Zoomance. This is a rare chance for adults to take over the zoo. From 6-9 p.m. the gates will be open for those 21+. There will even be adult beverages available for purchase. Then, you and your sweetie can sip and stroll throughout the zoo. Since this is an evening event, that means the animals will be more active than you might be used to, too!

Tickets to this event are only $12 each if you pick yours up before 5 p.m. on Friday, August 15th. After that they will go up to $14. However, those fees will not only get you access to the zoo, but also complimentary tram tours, animal enrichment and zookeeper talks, and live music at Rackham Fountain. To purchase tickets in advance, click here.

If you would like more info on Summer Zoomance, click here. To stay in the loop on all of the happenings at the Detroit Zoo, including other 21+ events, follow the zoo on Facebook. Remember, this event isn't just for couples! If you're single you can still go too, and maybe you will meet someone special at the zoo!

~C