Public House Menu Takeover

This Wednesday, February 3rd The Working Class Outlaws at Public House will be hosting a menu takeover. Chef Brandon Zarb will be putting together a special menu that will be served for one day only. From 12 p.m. 'til 11 p.m. they will be serving up a special menu that includes kumamoto oysters, smoked trout, duck fat fried chicken, and brûléed bananas. They are also hosting a beer collaboration featuring Jolly Pumpkin, Evil Twin, and Mikkeller. You can see the full menu here.

~S

Zeke's Rock & Roll BBQ Celebrates its First Birthday with Time Barry and John Speck

It's been a year since Zeke's Rock and Roll BBQ opened its doors. It has quickly become one of my favorite places to eat. I have a weakness for smoked salmon and they know how to cook it up right! The best part about the place is that at night it stays true to its roots. The lights get turned down and the music gets turned up. The restaurant also hosts local and national acts after the dinner rush.

For their one year anniversary Tim Barry (Avail) will be playing alongside Detroit's own John Speck (The Fags/HiFi Handgrenades). Doors for the show will open at 9 p.m. this Friday, February 5th. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, you can buy them in person at Zeke's or UHF Records in Royal Oak (cash only).

To keep up with a list of upcoming events at Zeke's click here.

~S 

89X Awards Some of the Best in Detroit Music

This Saturday, January 30th Detroit's New Rock Alternative - 89X will be honoring some of Detroit's best at The Crofoot in Pontiac. We're sure most of you are familiar with the station and probably with their show, The Homeboy Show, featuring local music. Well this year the fine folks at 89X and PK are hosting an awards show that will highlight bands, records, videos, and people that are furthering Detroit and its music scene. Here are the categories and nominees.

Best Live Band

Battlecross

Flint Eastwood

George Morris And The Gypsy Chorus

JR JR

Mike Mains and The Branches

WILSON

Best Video

Colyer - Out For You

Five Hundredth Year - Talking Body

I Prevail - Crossroads

Sycamour - Calm Down Juliet (What a Drama Queen)

WILSON - Right To Rise

Best Record

Ana - American Noise Army pt.1

Electric 6 - Bitch, Don’t Let Me Die

Flint Eastwood - Small Victories

Jamaican Queens - Downers

WILSON - Right To Rise

Beacon Award

Chris Johnston - for his work with DIY Fest and Pig and Whiskey

Garrett Koehler - for his work with ASSEMBLE SOUND

Harrison Diskin - for his work with Curated Music

Joe Gall - for his work in raising awareness of Detroit culture

Raymond Hayosh - for his work with Found Sound

The awards party is open to the public and there will be live performances from Battlecross, Shapes and Colors, IAMDYNAMITE and Ghosts of August. Tickets are only $10 in advance or $12 at the door. 

Before the event kicks off there is also a super awesome pre-party that every band or musician should attend. 89X has gathered some of the biggest figure heads in Detroit music to talk about how to further your band. The panel includes. Matt Dalton (37 Studios), Nick Trentacost (Uppercut Management), Justin Pidruzny (The Crofoot), Nate Dorough (Fusion Shows), Josh Hanford (Photographer and Media Maker), Ramona Caldwell (Atomic Music Group and Black Iris Booking),
Rick Smith (Wild Justice Management), Dana Haddad (Wild Justice Management), Kevin Nixon (DIME: The Detroit Institute of Music Education) and Jon Diener (The Swellers, Baggage, Freelance Journalist - Alternative Press). These are some people that really know what they are talking about and can help your band immensely. So if you're looking to get to the next level, this is a do not miss event!

For more information on this panel and the Homie Awards click here. 

~C

An Afternoon of Winter Fun at Palmer Park

This Sunday take a few hours to enjoy winter at Palmer Park. The park will be hosting their annual Winter Fest with fun events for all ages. The fest features activities like snow shoeing, ice skating, horse and carriage rides, hayrides, crafts, live music, and a doggie fashion parade! Most of those activities are pretty self explanatory, but here are the details on the doggie fashion parade. People can bring their dogs to the event, dressed in their best winter attire, and the dogs will parade around the fest starting at 3 p.m. There will be awards given out to the pups with the most creative costumes, good behavior and best fur coats. It costs $5 to register your pet for the parade. For more details on that, click here.

Admission to the rest of the festival is FREE, but there is a charge for the horse and carriage rides and hayrides. There will also be hot chocolate and other treats available for purchase in a warm-up tent. So bring a few bucks with you, but this will be a relatively cheap day out full of fun! The event starts at 1 p.m. and goes until 4. For more information, head over to the Facebook event page here or PeopleForPalmerPark.org.

~C

Spend Your Sunday Eating and Drinking Cider

If you drive north an hour outside of the city of Detroit you will find one of my favorite places on earth, Blake Cider Mill. It's my favorite place to take a date, the best place to handpick your own apples, and these days it hosts one of the hippest middle of no where bars in Michigan, Blake's Hard Cider House. If you haven't visited Blake's, you need to make a plan to do so ASAP. If you have, they are having an interesting event this Sunday that might strike your fancy.

This Sunday, January 31st they are are inviting 50 guests to attend a food and cider pairing that will feature a four course home cooked meal with ciders of the brewer's choosing. The menu features item like a mozzarella stuffed mini burger, apple kale slaw, and pork loin.

Tickets to attend are $60, they can be purchased here. The dinner party starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Blake's is located at 17895 Armada Center Road in Armada, MI. 

~S

Win a Pair of Tickets to See Kid Cudi at The Fillmore

Admit it, most artists only have an album or two that is worth listening to. You can give or take their other recordings. It's rare that I personally like someone so much that I go out of my way to collect everything in their catalog, but Kid Cudi is one of those artist that I just can't get enough of. I fell in love with Cudi in 2009 when he released his album Man on the Moon. It's a hip hop album, it's a pop album. It's got party bangers and some more reflective tunes. It is G.O.O.d music from start to finish. My obsession with this album lead to me branching out and getting everything he recorded before and everything he has recorded since. EVERYTHING is worth a listen. I have also had the pleasure of seeing him live and was pleasantly surprised by his show. To me, he's one of the best in the game.

He will be performing at The Fillmore in Detroit on Thursday, February 4th and I am happy to announce that we have one pair of tickets to give away thanks to the talented team over at Live Nation Detroit. I am so grateful that they are willing to help us get our readers into some of the best shows that come through town. If you would like to enter to win tickets to see Kid Cudi, you can send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #KC. We will draw one lucky winner on Monday and they will get to see the show for FREE. If you aren't into Cudi, I suggest you get hip. If you are, I suggest you make an effort to come out to the show, you will not be disappointed.

~S 

Help Hype Screen Print Open Up Shop in Detroit!

If you've seen a guy screen printing shirts on the spot at a show, bar, or even at the Hamtramck Labor Day festival, chances are that it was Scott Boyink of Hype Screen Print. Scott has printed shirts, patches and other merch for some of your favorite Detroit bands and even has come up with some pretty awesome designs of his own over the years. Until now, Scott and his company have mainly been doing their screen printing either in his home studio or on location, but he is ready to make the move and give Hype a home of its own.

Hype Screen Print is currently working on opening a shop in Southwest Detroit. The space will not only serve as a print shop, but will also host meetings and shows. To help renovate the space and get ready to open the doors, Scott has turned to the public to help him out. He has a crowd funding campaign going on now thru Sunday, January 31st. Crowd funding has become an increasingly more popular way to make a business idea a reality, without involving banks and having to jump through a million hoops. Plus, it helps the person behind the idea get a feel for how the public feels about the venture. In this case, the monetary goal set is pretty obtainable, $2,500. And, like most crowd funding campaigns, there are rewards for the people that contribute. For Hype, the rewards are pretty awesome! People can throw in as little as $2, with the first few rewards being kisses from Scott's adorable dog Mathilda, a coupon to get a garment of yours printed on, or tickets to the first show at the space. Although those rewards are pretty sweet, if you can pitch in $16 you can get a shirt featuring the face of a few of Detroit's most popular people, Bill Kozy, Andrea Bonaventura or Marcus Karcass. They are pretty amazing. Check them out for yourself below.

If those shirts aren't enough reason to head over and donate, there are some other great options like a taco buffet. To check out all of the available rewards, head over to the crowd funding page through Patronicity here. While you are there you can scroll through the photo gallery to see some of their more popular designs from over the years.

If all goes as planned and the goal is met, Hype is looking to open its doors on March 14th with their first show on March 20th. Some of the bands set to play that kickoff show are The Amino Acids, Shit Life and Steve Harvey Oswald. After that, they plan to also have alcohol and addiction meetings, flea markets, art shows, and more. But, this all only happens with your help! So if this sounds like an idea you can get behind, head over and give Hype a few bucks or if you can afford it, pick up one of those awesome shirts! Plus, in addition to helping a great local business, you will also be helping a great organization because Hype will be donating 10% of the funds raised to Suck It Suicide.

A great dude, a great business, and a great idea! Show your support by making a contribution here.

~C

Don't Miss the One Day Showing of Forward Detroit

Some people think that a city is just a place, but we know better. A city is a living and breathing entity whose pulse is created by the people who live, work and play in it. You can take a million pictures of the landmarks around Detroit, but they won't completely capture what makes this city special. You have to photograph the people that bring the city to life to get a clear picture of what makes Detroit special.

Photographer Eric Perry's latest work called Forward Detroit sought to do just that. Eric photographed Detroiters from all walks of life inside his pop up studio throughout the last year and put together what he feels is an accurate picture of the people of our city. It portrays Detroiters from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Each black and white still seems to tell a story without using a single word.

You can check out a little bit of his work here or you can stop by the gallery and see the collection in person for yourself this Friday, January 29th. Mr. Perry is opening up his doors for one night only and inviting the public in to view his gallery before it is taken down and relocated. The best part is, he isn't charging a dime to get in the door, he just wants you to come out and see the work for yourself! 

The gallery is located at 567 Monroe Street in Detroit. The free showing will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday!

~S 

See "Fury Road" in a Theatre One More Time

It has been nominated for 10 Oscars and people have been talking about it for months now. Mad Max: Fury Road came out back in May of 2015 and instantly was the talk of the town. A movie that some thought would be a flop or would just have a cult following was being seen over and over again by movie goers and now it has been nominated for numerous awards, including Best Picture at the Oscars.

The first Mad Max film came out back in 1979 and starred Mel Gibson. This new movie stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron. It's the story of, "A woman [that] rebels against a tyrannical ruler in postapocalyptic Australia in search for her home-land with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max." Check out the trailer below.

This weekend you have the chance to see Fury Road on the silver screen at the Main Art Theatre as part of their Midnight Madness series. The Midnight Madness series normally just features classics or cult favorites. So the fact that they are showing this film after it has been out for less than a year, goes to show how big of a movie it is! Tickets for Mad Max are only $7 and can be purchased in advance here. The movie will be shown on both Friday, January 29th and Saturday, January 30th. For more information on this movie and other Midnight Madness showings, click here. 

The Main Art Theatre is located at 118 N. Main Street in Royal Oak. 

~C 

4 Times the Fun at The Loving Touch This Saturday

This Saturday, January 30th The Loving Touch is hosting four unique bands that are all worth checking out. Siamese, Fawnn, Odd Hours and Tart will all be performing for your listening pleasure.

Siamese is a New Wave rock band featuring Johanna Champagne, Steve Thoel, Angie Kaiser, Joe Sausser and Dustin McLaughlin. You can check out their latest cover of "Under the Milky Way" by Church here.

Fawnn is the musical brainchild of Alicia Gbur, Christian Doble, Matt Rickle and Mike Spence. They haven't played together in a while. If you need a reminder of how great they are, you can check out all of their past recordings here.

Odd Hours is the collaborative work of Natasha Beste, Time Jagielo, Clint Stuat and Randy Hanley.   They make great music and epic visual features. Check out their latest music video "SWTS" and you will see what I mean.

Finally, there is Tart. One of the best duos in town. Zee and Adam know how to get a room moving. You can check out some of their recorded music here. (If you cant make it out to this show you can check out Tart next month at our 4 Year Anniversary Bash).  

All four acts are worth checking out so make sure that you mark your calendars and head up to to The Loving Touch this weekend! They are only charging $5 to get in the door and the fun starts at 9 p.m.

~S

One Day Only: Eric Freitas' Growth & Decay at the Tangent Gallery

Saturday, February 6th the Tangent Gallery in Detroit will host a one time viewing of Eric Freitas' newest exhibit Growth and Decay. Freitas' work has been featured in galleries across the world, most notably Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Germany. This particular exhibit will feature Eric's largest and most detailed work to date, a 7 foot tall freestanding clockwork sculpture that consists of thousands of parts. After this one time viewing, the piece will be shipped to a private gallery in Wisconsin and you won't be able to see it again. The exhibit will also include a "collection of Freitas' earlier clocks, as well as sketches, technical drawings and finished concept renderings".

Doors for the one time only showing will open at 7 p.m. and the first 50 people in the door will get a complimentary print from the artist. It is free to attend and the show will run until 10 p.m. on Saturday. Cash bar, all are welcome.

~S

It's Time to Send Someone a Dick Pick

I am a sucker for a silly gift, especially when it's actually useful. For instance, have you ever read the reviews for the banana slicer on Amazon? After learning about it I had to order one as a stocking stuffer and I still giggle every time I use it because at the end of the day it was funny yet practical. I got the same giggle when I learned about Dick Picks, the safe way to send a "dick pic". When you send a dick pick instead of a dick pic you don't have to worry about cloud hacks or revenge nudes. The only thing you will have to worry about is laughing and making music.

Dick Picks are the brainchild of local rocker and registered bad ass Rachel May. Rachel is no stranger to rock and roll. She is one third of Detroit's own Broadzilla, one half of Hard Edge Radio, and one of the best guitar players and singers this town has ever seen. Dick Picks are her latest venture. Sure, they're practical, but they are also a really fun way to make someone laugh. Admit it, you would actually smile if you got a Dick Pick, you can't always say that about getting dick pics!

I had a chance to interview Rachel to learn more about the creation of Dick Picks. Check out what she had to say and visit the website to send a Dick Pick to someone special!

HID- How the hell did you come up with the idea for Dick Picks?
Rachel May- "Funny story. At a band rehearsal in September 2015, a handmade guitar pick was passed around with the word dick written in sharpie. After a few initial laughs, the light bulb went off. I knew right away that if someone hadn't already done this, I would have to make it a reality. I barely slept that night. My mind swirled with ideas.

It's obviously a play on what's become so common in today's dating world: man meets someone he likes, man gets phone number, man sends dick pick. It may not always be that black and white but essentially, plenty of people have been the recipient of a dickture at least once in their lives. Whether this horrifies you or excites you isn't for me to judge. I just think it's incredibly funny to put the word Dick on a guitar pick and hand it to someone."

HID- Can you actually use these to play guitar or are they just for laughs?
Rachel May- "Both, actually. They are playable heavy gauge (.96mm) celluloid guitar picks. I think that's what's interesting about them is that while they are playable guitar picks and a hoot to throw out to the crowd, there's also the angle where it's funny for women or men just to hand one to someone. It's a great way to break the ice."

HID- Who came up with the package design and where did you get the product made?
Rachel May- "The initial idea was just to make guitar picks with the word dick in a simple font. I didn't want anything phallic associated with it, I didn't want anything offensive associated with it, just the word dick. I thought that was the most provocative and professional way to do this. It stimulates conversation without being offensive.

As I began researching the packaging and manufacturing, the ideas started to flow and it made most sense to do a six pack of picks with different fonts like you see in my debut line. I don't consider myself a designer but I do have a very creative thought process. I could see in my own mind how I thought this should go soI figured I'd at least give the design a stab on my own. I researched and played around with a variety of fonts and colors before settling on the final designs.

My manufacturing research led me in many directions, as far as China. I looked at pick manufacturers, packaging supply companies, printing options, etc. but ultimately I settled on a Michigan-based manufacturer, which I couldn't be more thrilled about. I'm using a company based out of Southgate called Pick Guy."

HID- Have you ever come up with your own item to market and sell before? What inspired you to try this?
Rachel May- "The closest I can relate any of this to is the merchandising I've done for Broadzilla over the years. However, this is indeed my first venture with designing, manufacturing and branding for something other than my own band. I was inspired to try this first because I thought it was an incredibly clever idea and while sometimes clever ideas can take a lot of time and money to get off the ground, this was an idea that seemed relatively easy and cost effective to bring to life, so I went for it."

HID- Are more males or females trying to send dick picks so far?
Rachel May- "Great question. I've been monitoring this. So far it's mostly men but I have received requests from women who've suggested I should do a second series with more female-friendly colors (pinks, purples, etc.) so if I decide to expand the brand, that will probably be next in the series. It's really funny reading all the "you should do picks like this" emails. The product can go in a lot of directions, should the demand continue."

HID- Where will we be able to buy dick picks?
Rachel May- "You can buy them now online via my website: www.DickGuitarPicks.com. They retail for $5.99 plus shipping and are sold in packs of six, with a different design on each of the six picks. They're also available for purchase at UHF Records and Elphie Elora in Royal Oak and at Rock City Music in Livonia. I'm hoping to have a vendor booth at some of the local summer festivals."

HID- What is the appropriate way to respond if someone sends you a Dick Pick?
Rachel May- "Well, I'd hope that you would smile. After all, that's really what this is about. It's light-hearted fun, a great way to get a laugh out of someone and you know, today's dating world is tough so why not put some humor into your pickup line."

HID- Do you think that you will expand the brand at some point?
Rachel May- "I'd like to. There's so many directions that this can go: different pick gauges, different font designs, different colors, big dick picks, little dick picks, etc. I figured I'd start with one simple packaging design and see where it goes. You can never have too many dick picks ;)"

~S 

Bison Machine, Wild Savages and SLO Release New Music at Corktown Tavern this Saturday!

This Saturday, January 23rd head to Corktown Tavern for the Sweet Leaves release show. Sweet Leaves is a new split cassette tape being released by Bison Machine, Wild Savages, and SLO. The tape features 6 tracks total, 2 from each band. The Obelisk released a review and stream of the album last week that you can check out here.

Bison Machine, Wild Savages and SLO will all be playing the release show on Saturday, along with Bonehawk and Grand Mammoth. Admission is only $7 and doors are set to open at 9 p.m. For more info on this show, head over to the Facebook event page here.

~C

Titties for Pitties

I love boobs, I also love dogs, both can be described as fun to look at and fun to play with! This weekend a group of talented burlesque dancers will be showing off their titties to raise money for the pitties. Ten dancers have teamed up with 7+ great local vendors for a night of fun at The Tangent Gallery. The event will also feature raffle prizes, a beard competition, and a photo booth. Dancers include Dish Delish, Eden Ivy, Holly Hock, Leena Allure, Lolo Lomard, Magenta Demure, Mabel Syrup, Sadie Tate and Victoria Nightshade. Vendors include Crafty Darling, Holly Hock Vintage, Allison Eve, Sassmouth Ink, Detroit Beard Collective, Murder City Facial Hair Crew, Pretties for Pitties and more!

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Doors for the night open at 8 p.m. and you must register for the beard competition before 8:45, so make sure that you get there early. 21 and older are welcome to come out and play!

~S

Downtown Brown Says So Long to Detroit

This week Detroit is saying goodbye to another legend. No one is dying, and they may not be legendary on the same scale as Bowie or Lemmy, but this band has definitely made a lasting mark on Detroit's punk rock scene since they got their start back in 2001. Downtown Brown is packing up and heading across the country to Los Angeles. It's a sad day and unfortunately losing people to places like LA and New York isn't unfamiliar ground for Detroit. Still, DTB and their crazy antics will definitely be missed in venues throughout the city. But the time has come for them to try out a new city and the band is by no means calling it quits! DTB plans to continue working with John ‘Norwood’ Fisher of Fishbone and hopefully the whole world will be hearing more from this band soon!

Before Downtown Brown hits the road though, they are playing a farewell show this Saturday, January 23rd at The Loving Touch. Joining them for the night are The Amino Acids, Hillbilly Knife Fight, Carmel Liburdi, Matt Wixson's Flying Circus and The Farleys. An awesome lineup for what we're sure will be a great going away party!

We had a chat with the band's main man Neil "Neebo" Patterson before the farewell show and before he heads out west. Check out what he had to say below.

HID- Why are you leaving Detroit?
Neil- "We've been working with a management team and booking agent based out of Los Angeles and want to give our career a shot in their backyard instead of working remotely from Michigan. There are also a lot of opportunities for someone wanting to be involved in the entertainment industry out there. So we're gonna give it a shot, and see what happens."

HID- What are you going to miss most about Detroit?
Neil- "My family and friends. It's gonna be tough, but some of my oldest friends currently live in Los Angeles. I won't be totally alone. It'll just be WAY different ...and wayy more expensive."

HID- What are you absolutely not going to miss about Detroit?
Neil- "The winters."

HID- Tell us about this garage sale that you're having.
Neil- "We did a garage sale to raise money towards a new van. It just ended last night. We raised over $5,500! I'm very pleased with how well it turned out. It's nice to know that we have support from people all over the country ... and even people from the UK and Japan! It's kind of mind blowing. I'm feeling very blessed."

HID- Let's take a trip down memory lane. What's the first show that DTB every played?
Neil- "In the spring of 2001, DTB was already kind of a band ... but the rest of the guys quit on me. I look at the first actual show where Downtown Brown 'BECAME' DTB was playing in the College for Creative Studies Cafeteria... just weeks after I had dropped out of going to school there. I had a wireless unit on my guitar and was just being obnoxious to kids trying to eat lunch. We covered Trey Parker and Matt Stone songs as well as Dead Kennedys. It seems just like yesterday. We were barely 20 years old and ready to piss off the world."

HID- What was your favorite DTB show?
Neil- "It's really tough to say because each one has been so different. I could say that my favorite shows were the ones where we were touring with Dead Kennedys, The Adicts or Fishbone ...but some of the most memorable ones were in front of very small audiences. Some shows there will be 30 people there and I'll end up making fun of some drunk middle-aged woman for 30 minutes. We've played hundreds and hundreds of shows... so there are way too many memories for me to pick ONE specific show. We're talking 14 YEARS of memories."

HID- Tell us about the big show this weekend! What can fans look forward to? Why did you pick the other acts that are on the bill?
Neil- "It's our Detroit Farewell Show! We plan on coming back while on tour, but it may be a bit before Detroit sees DTB again. Every band on this bill I hand chose due to the history they have with us. Some of the performers we've known our WHOLE CAREER. Some of them are newer friends, but have toured with us. This is looking as though it will be our final show with our bassist since 2008, Ron. So it will be bittersweet. We are saying goodbye to an era. Our set list spans the entire history of the band ...plus some cool surprises. This will be an amazing show ...but I may cry ...A LOT."

HID- Here's your chance to leave your fans with a parting thought. Any last words?
Neil- "Thanks for all the support over the years. I'm excited to see what this new chapter in our lives will bring! Cheers to Detroit, the city that made us the freaks we are! SUP!!!!"


Doors for Saturday's show are set to open at 7 p.m. and all ages are welcome. Admission is $10 and tickets can be purchased in advance here. For more information head over to the Facebook event page here.

Don't miss this chance to party with DTB one last time! Good luck in LA, but we hope to see you back in Detroit from time to time! And just because...

~C

Vodka Vodka

Vodka has been one of the most popular libations since the middle ages. You can find thousands of brands of vodka ranging in price, taste and color. There are infused vodkas, potato vodkas, and vodkas made from grains. Vodka can be served straight up, on the rocks, or mixed with something special like cranberry or orange juice. There is no right way to enjoy vodka, but there is a great place to try all sorts of different kinds under one roof this Saturday, January 23rd.

This Saturday Vodka Vodka is taking over The Royal Oak Music Theater. The night will feature over 70 types of vodka, a hair and fashion show, and an appearance by 50 Cent! Yeah, no joke, G-Unit's ring leader will be in the house tossing back a couple!  

Tickets to attend the event are $45-$65 in advance and they can be purchased here. 21 and over are welcome to come out and play and doors open at 7:30 this weekend. Cheers! 

~S 

Celebrate 4 Years of Hip In Detroit

Poster by Christopher Jarvis

We must be crazy! Somehow we have been doing this thing called Hip In Detroit for 4 years now! We've spent countless nights writing, shooting videos, and covering the Detroit area. We've discovered some of our favorite bands, tried great restaurants, and met some amazing friends through this website and we are thrilled that there are people out there that enjoy what we are doing! Every hit we get on our page, share we get on social media, comment we receive, and thank you we hear still brings a smile to our faces.

To thank all of you for being fans of Hip In Detroit we have planned another bad ass party filled with great prizes and awesome music! The date is set for Saturday, February 27th at Zeke's Rock & Roll BBQ. When we thought about all of the venues in Metro Detroit that we have gone to shows at and hung out at over the last year, Zeke's stood out over them all. Since they opened their doors they have been our go to place for a drink, meal, or fun night out. Plus we absolutely love the owners and everyone that works there! Zeke's stage will be filled with five acts that we love and a lineup that has something for everybody. The lineup for the night includes Cheapshow, Young Hunger, DirtWolf, Tart and Ancient Language. If you haven't heard of these bands before, we urge you to check them out and we look forward to telling you more about them in upcoming weeks. And as we mentioned, we will be giving out a ton of prizes throughout the night! With paid admission to the show, everyone will receive a raffle ticket and a chance to win. We will have prizes from Black Iris Booking, The Crofoot, Royal Oak Music Theatre, AEG Live, Joe Gall a.k.a. Camera Jesus, B Nektar, AE Heating & Cooling, Suck it Suicide, Saffron, Incognito, BrightlyTwisted, Biker Bob’s Harley Davidson, Live Nation Detroit, Alley & Eye, Party Store Productions, 1592, J. Navarro & The Traitors, Gold Crayon, Blumz, Ironclad Tattoo Co., PRTY Crew Collective, Dick Picks, Schwartz Therapy + Wellness, P.C., Lost Highway, Jett Plastic Recordings  Dick Guitar Picks, Noir, Imperial, Public House, Zander Michigan, Elphie Elora, The Beggars, M1 Studios and Tequila Cabresto, some of the greatest companies and people throughout our area!

This is going to be an awesome night to say the least! We hope all of you can come out and join us! So mark your calendars and make sure you head over and RSVP to the Facebook event page here. We will be posting pictures of prizes, info on the bands playing, and all sorts of updates leading up to the night of the party, so it's a great way to stay in the loop! Thanks again for all of your support over the last 4 years! We can't wait to party with all of you on February 27th!

~C

Check Out Mango Lane with War War War and Porch Lights!

This Saturday, January 23rd head to The Painted Lady to check out a few bands you might not have heard about yet. The lineup includes War War War, Mango Lane and Porch Lights.

War War War is the brainchild of Samuel Boyhtari. So far he has been playing these tunes solo, but now he is ready to branch out and play them with a full band. Here's what Boyhtari had to say about this show, "I've been writing and performing as War War War for several years, but this show will be the first full-band appearance. I've spent the past few months arranging songs with some very close friends and talented musicians, and I'm very excited to begin performing with them. They have put in so much hard work to realize songs that have lived with me for a long time. We'll be making a record later this year, and you can hear some of the songs that will be on it on Saturday." To hear War War War, head over to their bandcamp here.

Mango Lane sites some of their influences as Herbie Hancock, David Bowie, John Coltrane and even The Jackson Five. That's quite the mix, but somehow it works! This band was started by childhood friends Austin Carpenter and Jack Engwall. They've released a few albums over the past year, their latest Liquid Love just came out last week. Head over and check it out here.

Last, but not least on the bill is Porch Lights. Made up of Joe Ragnone, Rob Gagne, Chris Johannes and Jeff Stuhrberg, this band classifies themselves as straight up rock. They definitely have a '60s feel to them, from the tunes we've heard. Head over and have a listen for yourself here.

Saturday's show is set to kick off at 9 p.m. Cover is only $5 and 18+ are welcome. We are also giving away 2 pairs of tickets to this show! If you would like to enter to win, please send your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with Mango Lane in the subject line. We will draw two lucky winners the morning of the show and will send them details on how to claim their prize. Good luck!

~C

A Good Old Fashioned Rock Swap

WCSX Radio is hosting their first good old fashioned rock swap at Oakland Mall this Saturday January 23rd! They have invited 45 vendors to set up shop in the middle of the mall to sell their wares, this includes two our favorite locals, Glass Action and Reware Vintage. The radio station will also be selling off a lot of their collectible classic records to raise money for Gleaners Community Food Bank.

The event will run from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. this Saturday and the whole thing will be broadcasted live by the “Doc of Rock” Doug Podell on WCSX. They will also have a booth where you can buy, sell, or trade some of your own albums!

Oakland Mall is located at at 412 W. 14 Mile Road in Troy.

~S

An Evening of Video Games & Drinks at the Michigan Science Center

This Thursday, January 21st the Michigan Science Center is hosting an awesome adults only event. Every third Thursday MiSci hosts an after hours "thinking person's happy hour", but this time around it will feature some of your favorite video games.

After Dark: Vintage Video Games at the Michigan Science Center will take place in the Toytopia exhibit at the center. There you will find vintage arcade games as well as some of your favorite games to play at home, like Duck Hunt and Super Smash Brothers. There will be talks on the technology of video games, drinks, and a lot of fun!

Admission to this event is only $10, which also includes one specialty drink. There will be a cash bar too if you would like more than one beverage. The first round of tickets for this event did sell out, but the Science Center will be releasing another round of tickets on Tuesday, January 19th at 4 p.m. To purchase tickets, click here. Doors for this event will open at 5 p.m. and the fun goes until 8. For more information on this event and other events at the Michigan Science Center head over to Mi-Sci.org.

~C

Two More Chances to Celebrate the Life of David Bowie

Last week many of us woke up the news that cultural icon, musician, innovator, and visionary David Bowie had passed away. It was shocking at first, it was hard to believe that such a vibrant human could ever pass away. Our social media feeds were filled with photos, quotes and pictures of the the legend and we all took a minute to catch our breath. Slowly, details about his final days came to light. Mr. Bowie fought an 18 month battle with cancer while he wrote his 28th and final album Blackstar.

He remained an artist to the end, an inspiration for the rest of us that live to create. More importantly he reminded me the impact that music can have on your life. His music united people of all ages, races, and creeds. He held the attention of the public and shaped our culture in ways that are irreversible. He questioned sex, culture and race and he wrote songs that me and my father could sing along to together, a very rare occurrence. Bowie's music helped him achieve something that most people won't, immortality. Every time another person discovers Ziggy, or feels heart break for Major Tom, Bowie is reborn. He is part of our collective cultural memory. Every time you put on your red shoes and dance the blues Bowie comes back to life. Bowie cannot be taken down by cancer or anything else because Bowie is forever.

That being said, their are two ways to celebrate the life of David Bowie in style this weekend. The Loving Touch is hosting Bowie Night, a tribute to David Bowie. The event will feature performances by Air is the Arche, Augie Visocchi, BARS OF GOLD, Bastardous, Earth Engine, Eddie, Nicole & TJ, Flowers Bloom, Javelins, My Girlfriend Beru, Taxon Clade, The Kickstand Band, The Messenger Birds, and The Scrappers. It's FREE to get in and the party starts at 7 p.m. They will even be rocking all Bowie tunes between sets!

Small's New Wave dance party series Thirst Wave will also be paying tribute to Bowie this weekend. In honor of the legend, DJ Pleasure Kitten, DJ Aaron Hingst and special guest DJ Jamie James will be paying tribute to Bowie. 21 and over, no cover before 10 p.m., and only $3 after 10 p.m. Doors for the dance party open and 9 p.m. and tribute costumes are highly encouraged.

~S

You've Got the Right Stuff Baby: An Interview With Andrew Miller from The Right Brothers

A still from The Jamaican Queens video The Kids Get Away

Some might argue that population counts and shopping districts make a city. But, I would argue that it's the people and the artists that create the essence of the city and make it someplace special. Detroit is unique because of the people that live here, work here, and play here. People whose life experience is shaped by long winters, magical summers. the auto companies and of course, music. We have a rich history of staying strong and overcoming our struggles. We are people who have learned to make do with what we have and turn what we have into something spectacular. We might not be the richest city in the world, but we are rich with creative talent and drive. I think it is important to talk to all of the people who are shaping the creative and artistic renaissance in Detroit.

One of my favorite local creatives is a video/photo/artistic guru named Andrew Miller, one half of the video team The Right Brothers. Andrew is one of those people that you hope you run into. He always has a smile on his face, he is quick to give a hug, and he is always up to something interesting. He is someone who dreams big, but finds ways to make things happen with what he has. A hustler and a true artist. His work has inspired me over the last few years. He has worked on videos with all of my current musical favorites including James Linck, Doc Waffles, The Jamician Queens, Passalaqua/Flint Eastwood, Microphone Phelps, and Tunde Olaniran. My favorite video is a colaboration between Eddie Logix, James, and Doc called Lights on Rider, check that one out here.

Andrew also worked very hard to document Nick Cave's residency in Detroit. He is always one step ahead of the game working on something new and interesting. He is not only documenting the musical and visual talent of Detroit, he is shaping the culture around us.

I asked Andrew to reflect on how far they have come and to let us know what they have planned for the future. I am truly looking forward to seeing what he does next, in the meantime check out what Andrew has to say and take a second to look at some of the great things he has created so far.

HID- Tell us about your 2015. What inspired you to create the "What We Have Seen in 2015" video?
Andrew- "Looking back on it now 2015 was a great year but a tough year. A lot of really difficult times with some great memories too. Sometimes you need to look back to really appreciate what you’ve accomplished. Towards the end of the year things had slowed down and I had major doubts about everything. It happens whenever I’m not working on a project. So I decided to go back and make something to remind myself what The Right Brothers did the last 365 days. I was making it just for me without plans to ever put it out there, but about 10 seconds playback through the first edits I realized it might be nice for people we’ve worked with to remember as well. And, it also works as a nice show reel for The Right Brothers."

What We've Seen in 2015 from The Right Brothers on Vimeo.

HID- What was your favorite event that you photographed/filmed in 2015 and why?
Andrew- "It’s always the latest one. But if you’re holding my feet to the fire it might be the listening party/tape release for ‘Jellyfish on Cassette’ by BLKSHRK (Eddie Logix & Blair French). It was held at Assemble Sound and it was just a really great night. I created a projection of a bunch of jellyfish, sharks, manatees and fish that I filmed at an aquarium on a family vacation in Florida. Samantha Banks created like a dozen huge Jellyfish that hung from the ceiling and Al Casinelli designed a beautiful light performance that tied it all together. It was gorgeous and everyone just relaxed and connected. I just floated around and took photos of it all. It definitely had an dreamy underwater feel the whole night. I know it wasn’t just the Prahhs."

HID- What is your New Year's Resolution?

Andrew- "Not settling! When I plan out a video or project I’ve always restricted myself to using what I have and trying to make it work. Jamin is a magician when it comes to making a great look happen with whatever is around and available. And I credit a lot of our success to being scrappy like that. But it’s 2016 now, and if The Right Brothers are going to do anything we need to get every detail exactly the way we want it, then finding a way to make it better. It definitely means more planning. I’ve never really written anything down, no scripts, shot lists or anything like that. But I have a notepad that’s filling up now."

HID- Did we see a teaser for a project that you are working on with Bevlove? Can you tell us anything about that?
Andrew- "Yes you did see that, thanks for watching all the way through. We are currently filming ‘Do What I Say’ for Bev Love. The track was produced by Seth Anderson over at Assemble Sound. It’s a banger. And if we do what we’re setting out to do the video could be a great one as well."

HID- What projects do you already have planned for the New Year?Andrew- "Besides ‘Do What I Say’ there are 3 other projects with Detroit artists that are either in conception or are in the works. But I don’t want to jinx it so we’ll just keep it there."

HID- Where do you get the inspiration for your music videos? Do you come up with the concepts or do the artists?
Andrew- "It depends, sometimes we’ll approach someone with an idea for a track and they didn’t even plan on making a video for it. Sometimes they’ll have an idea or a style they are after but most of the time the track tells us where to go. I draw more inspiration form the music than the lyrics, but they definitely both influence the visual. Sometimes I really love the song but nothing comes from it. Either timing is off or we get busy on other things. Because, we also have to go to work sometimes."

HID- What is your favorite project that you have been part of so far and why?Andrew- "Either Nick Cave: HereHear project this summer or the ‘Dynamite’ video or Emily Kempf. HearHere started off as a small educational video we were making for Cranbrook Art Museum and grew into us working from April through October on a film that was on display in the actual exhibition. And eventually made it’s Detroit premiere at The Masonic Temple.

The ‘Dynamite’ video was just a magical experience. We had to stash a horse in my neighbor Kate’s backyard for like a week. And it’s always going to be memorable when there are 3 horses running at you while speeding down St. Aubin hanging out the back of a old Suburban."

Full video here.

HID- Have you ever thought about getting into movies?

Andrew- "Feature films yes, of course. But I haven’t found the right story yet. I know when the time is right and I come across the right story I’ll be ready for something like that. And people are consuming visual storytelling in tons of different ways now. There are people who put YouTube videos up and are pulling in a million dollars a year. Attention spans have been cut drastically. Vine is an app that only allows 6 second videos. And there’s SnapChat and Instgram. So if I’m going to make something that’s 2 hours long it better be something that I absolutely have to make. But I definitely consider a few of these music videos as bigger stories that are just cut down into 3 to 4 minutes. Like long trailers to films that don’t exist."

HID- What do you think makes the Detroit music and creative scene unique?
Andrew- "I’ve seen people answer this question before and it always puzzles me. Because I don’t live in any other city so this is all I know. I have no idea if it’s unique or it’s just like the Portland scene or the Baton Rouge music scene or the Boise, Idaho music scene. But I guess the one thing I can say for sure that makes this place different is that I know a lot of people making music I love and I get to hang out with them at parties. And if one of their songs jumps out at me I get to make a music video for it, sometimes."

Follow The Right Brothers online here so you can keep up with them and see that new Bevlove video when it comes out. It looks like it's going to be dope.

~S

Ourselves Record Release Show at New Way Bar

Back in December Detroit's own Ourselves released their debut 7". The record has been available at local record stores, like UHF, Flipside and Found Sound, for about a month now. But, now the time has come for the band to finally celebrate the release of this album.

This Friday, January 22nd Ourselves will be taking over the New Way Bar in Ferndale for their record release show. The band seems to be pretty excited about it and you should be too because the lineup is pretty great. It includes Shitty Roommate, Reuther and Cheapshow. Check out this promo video the band put out for the show.

3 weeks!

Posted by Ourselves on Friday, January 1, 2016

Doors are set to open at 9 p.m. and Shitty Roommate kicks things off right at 9:15. It will only cost you $5 to get in and that even gets you a copy of the new 7"! That's a pretty outstanding deal! So, make your plans for Friday now!

The New Way Bar is located at 23130 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. To get a preview of Ourselves' new album click here.

~C