TonightWhite Shag is taking over The Magic Bag in Ferndale for their big record release show! The band is celebrating the release of their new self titled album, which is actually the first full length from the band. That's pretty shocking since you've heard their name a thousand times and have seen them playing around town for years. The album is being put out by Jett Plastic Recordings. You can get a little preview of the album by listening to their song "I Want You" on Rob Reinhart's Essential Music on WDET here. (The song starts at about 1:30:00.) The band has also been doing a lot of podcasts and appearances to get ready for this big release. So make sure you head over to their Facebook here to check those out.
Since White Shag is such a kick ass band, they had to come up with a pretty kick ass lineup to share the stage with them for this big release. They have invited The Beggars and DIRTWOLF to come out and party with them, making for one of the best lineups we've seen in a while! The party is set to start at 8 p.m. Friday night and it's only $10 to get in the door. For more details on this show, head over to the Facebook event page here.
This Sunday night poet and activist Malcolm London will be making an appearance at El Club in Detroit! You may have seen this Chicago based artist on the TED Talks on PBS or on Verses & Flow. Well now you have the chance to see him in person. Check out the music video for his song "Charlie" below.
Tickets for this show are only $10 in advance or $12 at the door. You can purchase your tickets here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to this show courtesy of Hip in Detroit and Party Store Productions. If you would like to enter to win, send your name over to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #malcolm in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Sunday morning and they will get into the show that night, with a friend, for free.
Mother Cyborg has already made a name for herself as one of Detroit's best DJs, but this Saturday, April 29th she will be taking it to the next level by releasing her first full length album called Pressure Systems at El Club. Mother Cyborg is community builder, an activist and one hell of a singer. She works really hard to blend different forms of music together to create a very unique sound. She also worked really hard to put together one hell of a album release show. This Saturday's party will feature performances by MPeach, DJ Ripley, Britney Stoney and Techno Poetics. She also recruited Tunde Olaniran to host the event! If you're hoping to dance your ass off this weekend, this is the place to be.
Tickets to attend this one are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. You can purchase advance passes to the show here. Or, you can take your chances and enter to win a pair of tickets to attend the party with a friend for free. To enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #mother. We will draw one lucky winner and email them details on how to claim their prize this Saturday.
The Damned released their first album in 1977. Since then they have released 9 other full length albums and they have toured all over the world. The band formed in London, England in 1976 and became known as one of the first punk bands to embrace goth, something that set them apart from other bands at the time. They are known as one of the first punk bands to break up and get back together, to go through a ton of lineup changes, to release a single, to release a full length album and to still be kicking ass and playing live 40 years later.
The band is currently on a worldwide tour with The BellRays and they will be making a stop in Detroit to play St. Andrew's Hall this Saturday, April 29th. Tickets to attend the event are $23 to $115 in advance and they can be purchased here. We also have a pair of tickets to give away to see these punk rock legends in side Detroit's legendary St. Andrew's Hall. If you would like to win a pair of tickets to the show, please email hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #damned. We will draw one lucky person this Saturday morning and they will get to attend the show with a friend for free.
Coming up on Monday, May 1st, the one and only Acid Mothers Temple will be making their way to Detroit. They will be hitting the stage at Marble Bar alongside Babylon and Chatoyant. This Japanese band doesn't make their way to Detroit very often, so you do not want to miss this show. Check out this video of Acid Mothers Temple performing live so you know what you can expect to see and hear on Monday night.
Tickets for this show are only $13 in advance or $15 at the door. You can pick yours up in advance here. Thanks to Party Store Productions we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. If you would like to enter to win those tickets, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #AMT in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Monday morning and they will get into Marble Bar that night with a friend for free.
Supersuckers just kicked off a North American tour and they're making their way to Detroit this weekend! The band will be hitting the stage at Small's this Friday, April 28th. Joining this kick ass band on the bill for the evening are Dear John Tractor and Dirty Copper. Get ready for this awesome show by rocking out to Supersuckers' song "Born with a Tail".
Tickets for this show are $16 in advance or $18 at the door. You can pick yours up in advance here. Thanks to Ramona at Black Iris Booking, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show to one lucky winner! If you would like to enter to win those tickets, send your name over to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #supersuckers in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.
Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and 18+ are welcome to attend this show.
At the beginning of the year Travis Wright announced that he would be leaving WDET. The radio host began his time at WDET as the host of "All Things Considered" in 2011 and was currently co-hosting the show "Cultural Shift". During his time with the station he established himself as the go to person for all things arts, culture, politics, and music that Detroit has to offer. Whenever I would catch one of his broadcasts, I was always impressed by his ability to interview a variety of different types of guests. It was truly a shock to hear that he was leaving the station. So many of us were asking, what's next and we finally have the answer.
Travis has decided to take an entirely new approach to covering the City of Detroit. He wants to try something that no one else has ever done before, but he needs your help to do it. Basically, Travis wants to create a DIY Pop-Up Talk Show that can take place anywhere in Detroit. This broadcast will feature a variety of guests, including people who happen to be in the area when he decides to film the show. He will be exercising his interviewing chops to the max by interviewing anyone that at comes his way. By doing so, he hopes to showcase an unknown and unseen side of Detroit that no one has had the ability to capture to date. We have to say, if anyone can do this, it is him. He has the skills and the knowledge to explore our city and learn more in an interesting and honest way. Here's the pitch:
We know that we would love to see this project get funded! If you agree, you can help! Just click here to vote for this project to be considered for a grant that would fund the start of this project. You can also vote once a day, so if you really want to help make a pledge, log on and give Travis a vote every day until the campaign is closed. We think that this is a really cool idea and a a step in the right direction for Travis, plus we miss hearing him talk about the city that we love. We can't wait until we can once again get the scoop from Mr. Wright!
It's been just under a year since El Club opened its doors in SW Detroit. The large open space has been the host to a number of wonderful events since it opened its doors and it has quickly distinguished itself as one of the coolest places to perform in the City of Detroit. They have invited a ton of different acts to play through their superior sound system and we have personally seen some memorable shows, including Valley Hush's album release party, Tunde Olaniran opening for Sleigh Bells and Chelsea Wolfe. We even hosted our five year anniversary party there this past January. It has become a sought after place to play for local and national acts alike.
So, naturally they want to expand the space. Have you ever noticed the empty building that looks like it might catch on fire that is next to El Club? That's the building that owner Graeme Flegenheimer wants to turn into what he calls a "community space". Ideally this space would be the host for a variety of things, including a coffee house with performance and retail space, three rentable band practice spaces, a silkscreen studio, a classroom and gallery space, and a rooftop patio. To raise money to create this space, El Club has started a Kickstarter to raise $50,000 to get the project off the ground. The launch of the campaign came with the usual cheers and jeers that come with doing anything in Detroit. Many people were excited by the idea of having a community space like this in SW Detroit and others were angry that a business would ask for money to start another business. Personally, we love the impact that El Club has had on the musical community of Detroit and we like the idea of seeing it expand into more. So, we reached out to Graeme and got answers from the man behind the big plan. Check out what he has to say and click the link to donate below if you are so inclined, they have some solid rewards!
HID- Who currently owns the building that you are hoping to turn into the new community space? Graeme Flegenheimer- "We own the building."
HID- If you get the backing for this project when would the facility realistically open? Graeme Flegenheimer- "Spring 2018"
HID- You are calling it a community space, does that mean that it will feature free events? Graeme Flegenheimer- "Yes, we will feature free art classes to students in Southwest Detroit, ranging from graphic design, filmmaking, visual arts & music lessons. I have already done these free art classes in my previous space, The Church on York, and it was amazing. We had members of Hole, Maroon 5 & Urge Overkill teaching kids how to play. We'll host AA meetings, NA meetings...The basement will have affordable practice spaces for artists to rent...Finally, a free silk screen studio for folks to use. So yes, free events & tools."
HID- Why did you decide to do a kickstarter for this project? Graeme Flegenheimer- "Because a business loan was not possible for us. We are also applying to some grant programs. This Kickstarter is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of raising the money needed."
HID- When you say 2500 to throw your own event, is that any event I want? Graeme Flegenheimer- "Yes" HID- This campaign has been met with some negativity by people who are wondering why you decided to use a Kickstarter to fund a for profit business, but this isn't the first time this has been done in Detroit and similar campaigns did not receive this kind of backlash. Would you like to address this?
Graeme Flegenheimer- "Yes, the business will turn a small profit, by serving coffee & snacks throughout the day. That income will go to pay the staff, keep the lights on & pay taxes. The buildings primarily purpose to provide free education & creative spaces...So, we can't afford to incur a massive debt from the build out. People like to project their own narrative & make assumptions, so if they wanna hate, that's cool, don't support the cause. I know where my heart & intentions are. I am always open to having a dialogue."
This band reigns from the St. Johns area as well as Hamtramck and features Aidan Pope, Abram McCluer and Ian Gleespen, along with other friends from time to time. They have one record under their belt, entitled Citizen Dance, and a second set to come out this summer. Give their debut album a listen below.
The headliner for the night is Taxon Clade, a feel good pop band from Detroit. Give them a listen below.
And last, but not least, is North by North from Chicago. Check out some of their tunes below.
Admission to this great show is only $5 and doors are set to open at 8 p.m. Lucky for you, we are also getting some people into this show for free! If you would like to enter to win a pair of tickets to this show, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #wednesday in the subject line. We will draw two lucky winners on Wednesday morning and they will get in the door that night with a friend for free! Good luck!
Last year we announced that we would be starting a monthly podcast. Every month we sit down with some of Detroit's most influential movers and shakers and spend over an hour chatting about all things Detroit. We have had the honor of talking to lots of different people over the last few months, including Camera Jesus, Virginia from Party Store Productions, local insta famous makeup artist Jess Haze, and The Queen of Detroit Miss Jax Anderson of Flint Eastwood. You can listen to our back log of interviews here and you can catch our next live broadcast on PodcasDetroit.com live at 6 p.m. this Sunday, April 30th.
This month, we will have two guests. First we will be sitting down with Jessica Hernandez from Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas. We will be taking to her about her career and her latest album. Then, we will be inviting Sagen Isham from Working Class Outlaws to chat with us about Jessica's big upcoming show at this year's Ooh La La Lucha, a great event that Sagen puts together every year. You can listen live at 6 p.m. this Sunday by logging onto PodcastDetroit.com. We are usually in Studio 2, but every once in awhile we are in 1, so please check our instagram or click around the channels to tune into the live show. If you miss that broadcast, follow us on social media to get the link to the rebroadcast when we put it out. We cannot wait to go into depth about Jessica's career, her new album and her big performance at the epic Ooh La La Lucha party at St. Andrew's this Cinco De Mayo!
When I heard Thursday was reuniting and doing a string of reunion shows, I got pretty exited. But, when I sat down to write this ticket giveaway and played songs from my two favorite albums, Waiting and Full Collapse, I went nuts. Somehow I forgot how much this band meant to me circa 2001 and I started having flashbacks of driving around blasting their albums and having all the feelings.
Thursday was by far my favorite emo band. They are heavily influenced by Joy Division and a lot of their best tracks center around a love lost. I remember crying my eyes out after more than one breakup to their music. I cannot wait to get into a room full of people that appreciate this band as much as I do. I hope that all of you plan on screaming your little hearts out and getting emo with me.
Tickets to attend this one are $22 to $33 in advance and they can be purchased here. You can also win a pair of tickets to attend the show and scream along with me by sending your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #thursday. We will draw one lucky winner tomorrow morning and they will be at the show with a friend having the time of their lives.
Don't miss Detroit's own Stef Churatonight at Trinosophes with R. Ring, Split Single and Casual Sweetheart. Stef recently released her latest album Messes and has been out on tour in support of this album. Before her hometown show tonight we had a chance to catch up with her via email. See what she had to say below.
HID-Tell us about the new album! Where did you record it? How long were you working on writing it?
Stef- "Messes is part a few much older songs brought in a "best of fashion" But much of the album was written between 2012-2015 when I first moved to Detroit. A bunch of the songs were written when I lived alone and was going to CCS. We recorded it in Ann Arbor with Fred Thomas at a studio he was working out of in 2015."
HID-You've been doing quite a bit of touring since the new album came out! How has that been going?
Stef- "Touring has been great! We have a lot more coming up. We just hopped on a couple of support tours that are not announced yet!"
HID- Any crazy stories from the road so far?
Stef- "People ask this question a lot and I'm not even sure anymore. I need to keep a diary so I can remember because I basically have no short term memory anymore!"
HID- What have you missed the most while you were away from home?
Stef- "My bed. Sleeping not in a car. Driving not every day."
HID- What musicians have you been most inspired by?
Stef- "I really love Kristen Hersh and Buffy Sainte Marie. I was definetly a Nirvana child and I'm not sure what my music would sound like if I was from a pre-Nirvana era. Probably folk. I remember being 13 and hearing that Cat Power song "Nude as the News" and it blew my mind. Also that song by Kristen Hersh called "Gazebo Tree"."
HID- What is your go to album to listen to lately?
Stef- I've been checking out that new Grandaddy album ~ it's really good. I like that Why? song "Fatalist Palmistry"
HID- Growing up, who were your favorite bands or artists?
Stef- I had parents with really good taste and as a child. I had my mom's CD's - The Offspring "Smash", Lisa Loeb "Tails", Counting Crows "August and everything After, Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians "Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars" and my Dad's records - Patti Smith "Easter", Devo "We Are Not Men", Jim Carroll Band "Catholic Boy", Teenage Jesus and the Jerks "S/T"
HID- When did you first start playing music? When did you start writing your own music?
Stef- "I started playing guitar at 13 and writing songs at 14."
HID- Tell us about Friday's show! What can fans expect?
Stef- "We are playing with R.Ring which is Kelley Deals band from the Breeders. They are on tour with Split Single which is a supergroup of dudes from the Mountain Goats/Wilco/Superchunk."
HID-Give us 3 reasons everyone should come out on Friday.
Stef- "It's one of our only local shows we are playing and it's definetly the most intimate one we are playing this year probably. Trinosophes is an amazing venue/coffee shop with Peoples records attached."
HID- What are some of your favorite places to hit up while you're at home? Favorite restaurants, venues, bars, etc.?
Stef- "You can find me at Aladdin's in Hamtramck nearly every other day because I forgot how to cook. I really like this place in Ferndale called Green Space. I don't really drink so I mostly go to bars to play shows or see shows. El Club is a nice bar. Oh Bumbo's is a nice bar."
HID- Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know?
Saturday, May 13, 2017 - Saginaw, MI - Patchwork Art & Music Festival Sunday, May 14, 2017 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre with Mac DeMarco, Tonstartssbandht Sunday, July 30, 2017 - Detroit, MI - Mo Pop Festival
Admission to tonight's show is $12 and doors are set to open at 8 p.m. For more info on this event, click here.
There's a new record store in town just in time for Record Store Day! Village Vinyl just opened up shop in the small historic district of Warren. Located just east of Mound on Chicago Rd. (roughly 13 1/2 Mile) this new shop is an awesome addition to the area! People flock to this neighborhood for the delicious beer being brewed across the street at Kuhnhenn Brewery, but now they have another reason to head to Warren.
Although the shop is already open, its official Grand Opening is this Saturday, April 22nd on Record Store Day. We caught up with the shop owner, John Lehl, to get all of the details on this new store. Check out what he had to say, then go check out this awesome new shop!
HID- Why did you decide to open a record store?
John- "I like records."
HID- This isn't your first shop, right? Why did you decide to move to Warren of all places John- "Yes I had a small shop elsewhere that was just that, too small and too much drama.
I had my eye on this area in Warren for a few years saying if I ever opened a store it would be there. I think it's a cool little area that has a lot of potential. Not to mention that it's not too far from home as I'm also a Warren resident. And there has never been a record shop centrally located. You either have to go to the east side (Gratiot area) or west side (Woodward area). So now there's an in-between. It's right off Mound Rd, which is 50mph, so it's basically a few minutes from 696."
HID- Why should someone come to Village Vinyl on Record Store Day? John- "Well unfortunately we won't have any RSD titles because we were too late in the game but there will be snacks and beverages and you'll get to check out something completely new. Also rumor has it that John Brannon will be hanging around at some point."
HID- In your opinion, what are the best RSD releases this year? John- "The Cars, Ramones, Venom"
HID- What are your top 3 albums of all time? John- "I don't know, that's a tough one, too many to choose from."
HID- What's the first record or CD or tape you remember getting as a kid? John- "Kiss Destroyer. 4 years old in 1976."
HID- Do you guys plan on having special events at the shop at all? John- "Anything's possible, it would be great, we'll see what happens."
Give us three reasons people should come to your store any day, not just on Record Store Day. John- "Friendly. Records. Atmosphere."
HID- Is there anything else you would like our readers to know? John- "Village Vinyl is located at 5972 Chicago Rd just east of Mound across from Kuhnhenn's Brewery. We're on Facebook and also Instagram."
Webster's Dictionary defines science as "the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding". We use the scientific method "for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses". In other words the entire purpose of science is to test and re-test ideas to see if they are most likely true or false. The only purpose that science has is to find the truth and through science we have found ways to help us living longer healthier lives.
Many people feel that the new administration is failing science by denying many of the truths that they have discovered, tested, and retested over and over again. They are concerned that instead of moving forward we are moving a few steps backward and hurting all of us in ways that may be irreparable. The biggest concern for many of us is the administration denial of climate change, but there are a lot more issues that concern us. To learn more about the scientific communities concerns with the Trump administration you can visit this website.
To show their opposition to the new approach to science that the Trump administration seems to be taking, the scientific community is calling for a National March for Science on Earth Day this Saturday, April 22nd. To help stand up for the rights of mother earth people will gather in cities across the US. They will gather in Washington and right here in Detroit. If you would like to be part of the march you can meet like minded citizens downtown at Hart Plaza at 1 p.m. this Saturday. There will be variety of speakers at the event, including U.S. Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence. To sign up for the march and learn more about the gathering in Detroit please visit their website here. This weekend's march is the next of many that have been taking place since President Trump took office in January. If you want to show the world that America's care about science and the impact that we are having on our environment join them in Hart Plaza this Saturday!
This Saturday is Record Store Day and UHF in Royal Oak has something a little special planned for all of you. In addition to stocking their shelves with the exclusive RSD releases, they try to have some in-store entertainment every year for this special day, and this year their lineup is stacked! They are bringing out Valley Hush, along with Handgrenades and The Idiot Kids. This would be an amazing show on its own and would pack any venue in town. So seeing these bands in the super intimate setting at UHF is going to be absolutely awesome! Plus you can pick up some new albums while you're there and do your civic duty of supporting a local record store!
Admission to this show is free and the bands are set to start around 1:30 p.m. If you plan on picking up some of those RSD releases (like the new one from Corey Feldman being dropped by Detroit's own Jett Plastic Recordings), we highly suggest that you get there early to get in line before the store opens at 9 a.m. Then grab some brunch and come back for an awesome show!
UHF Records is located at 512 S. Washington in Royal Oak, MI. For more info on this event, click here.
Local record label Fourth Line Records is releasing a compilation of Detroit artists to raise money for the ACLU. Owner and creator Jon Cendrowski said he was inspired to put together the album after President Trump took office this past January. He merged his love of local music with his passion for change and created a fun way for all of us to hear some new tunes for a good cause.
The label's first release Stronger Than Fear: A Compilation to Benefit the ACLU will be available for purchase this Saturday, April 22nd on the labels bandcamp, you can preorder a copy here. The comp will feature a variety of Detroit musical acts including Fred Thomas of Saturday Looks Good to Me; Korin Visocchi of The Hard Lessons; Timothy Monger of Great Lakes Myth Society; and Destroy This Place featuring members of Thunderbirds Are Now! and New Grenada. The album will be sold on a pay as you want basis and proceeds will be split between the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. It's a really cool to see a new album kick off their catalog by uniting a bunch of bands and giving back. We look forward to hearing more and seeing more from Fourth Line Records!
Portland based Moon Duo just released a new album Occult Architecture Vol. 1a couple of months ago and now they're getting ready to release Volume 2 in a couple of weeks. In support of these new albums, the duo is out on the road touring across the US and Canada. This week they will be making their way to Detroit to play El Club. Check out the music video for their track "Cold Fear" off the new album.
Moon Duo will be hitting the stage at El Club this Saturday, April 22nd. Joining them for the evening is Jackie Lynn. Tickets for the show are only $13 in advance or $15 the day of the show. You can pick your tickets up online here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets courtesy of Party Store Productions and Hip in Detroit. To enter to win, just send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #moonduo in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Saturday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.
Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. for this one and all ages are welcome.
This Saturday, April 22nd make your way to Trixie's in Hamtramck for an Earth Day Celebration! The event will feature a night of music with White Bee, Zula (from NYC), Mango Lane and Jemmi Hazeman. This is an extra special show for White Bee because front woman Shannon Barnes is also graduating from the Music Therapy program at Eastern Michigan that day. So make sure you congratulate her on this huge achievement. And if you're a White Bee fan, look forward to some new music and big moves from the band now that Shannon will have more free time.
Admission to see this great lineup on Saturday night is only $5. Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and the bands will start around 9. If you're feeling lucky, we're also giving away two pairs of tickets to this show! If you would like to get into this awesome show for free, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com wtih #trixies in the subject line. We will draw two lucky winners on Saturday morning and they will each get to go to the show with a friend for free.
This weekend metal took over The Crofoot for Berserker IV! Started by Shawn and Veronica Knight four short years ago, this festival has grown immensely over the years to what it is today. This year topped the past three, bringing out big names like Gwar and Eyehategod, alongside a ton of touring bands and some of Detroit's best local metal acts. The entire weekend and all of the bands were amazing, and every year we are blown away on how awesome this event is. Some highlights from the weekend included Horrible Earth talkin' shit and rockin' out in The Pike Room, Artillery Breath and SNAFU in the Vernors Room, and Against the Grain, Child Bite and Gwar on the ballroom stage. You can check out videos of a bunch of the bands that played over the weekend over on our Instagram (@hipindetroit).
We were honored to have the chance to chat with a few of the bands that played this year's Berserker! Check out interviews with two of our local favorites, Sweat and Against the Grain below, as well as mother fucking GWAR! That's right, we had a chance to chat with GWAR before they sprayed the crowd with blood and guts. Check out what they had to say below.
We'd like to give a huge shout out to all of the awesome bands that played this weekend. We'd also like to give huge props to Shawn, Veronica, everyone at The Crofoot, and everyone that made this Berserker happen. Thank you for putting together such an awesome event year after year. It seriously is amazing what you guys have created and we can't wait to see what you have in store for Detroit next year!
If you missed this year's Berserker, make sure you head over and like the Facebook page here so you don't miss out next year!
This Friday, April 22nd the legendary Descendents will be playing The Fillmore Detroit. They have asked Detroit legends The Suicide Machines to support them for the night and Missouri born three piece Radkey to open up the night. We have been reaching out and interviewing a lot of the more interesting opening acts lately because who wants to keep talking about the same bands we have been covering for years! So, we reached out to Radkey to learn a little but more about them before the show. Check out what they had to say and read below to find out how to win tickets to the event.
HID- How did you get your hands on your first instrument? Radkey- "Our dad bought us our first Epiphone SG after we saw the movie School of Rock for the first time. It was pretty much a must have after that."
HID- What age were all of you when you started creating music together? Radkey- "Solomon was 12, I was 14 and Dee was 16"
HID- What is the most annoying part about being in a band with your brothers? Radkey- "We actually got along really well. We were home schooled so we were super close, and being in a band is super easy."
HID- Your Instagram leads us to believe that you are big video gamers. What's your current favorite game to play? Radkey- "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild!! It's the best game that we've played in years. We can't even believe how amazing it is. We've sank a stupid amount of hours into it."
HID- What's the best part about opening for a big iconic band like Descedents? Radkey- "It's really cool because if you can win over an audience for such a cool band, that means that you put on a worthy show. And that's a really fun challenge to have."
HID- When is the last time you washed your jeans? Be honest! Radkey- "It's been about 3 weeks actually."
HID- Anything else you want Detroiters to know about Radkey? Radkey- "We love anime! Our song Romance Dawn is about one called 'One Piece'."
You can check out some tunes from this three piece biological brothers here. Tickets to attend this show this Friday are $25 to $45 in advance and they can be purchased here. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of Live Nation Detroit. If you would like to enter to win these tickets please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #rad. We will draw one lucky person and they will get to attend the show for free this Friday, just make sure to get there early so that you can check out Radkey!
On April 7th, 2017 Father John Misty released his third album Pure Comedy. Two days before the new album was released FJM announced that he would be going on a world tour. He will be on the road for the rest of the year and he will be making a stop to perform at The Royal Oak Music Theatre on September 19th, 2017. His latest music video for "Nancy From Now On" off the album can be viewed below.
Tickets for the show are $35 - $75 in advance and $45 to $75 at the door the day of the show (if this doesn't sell out, which would be weird). We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of AEG. If you would like to roll the dice and see if you can win a pair of tickets to this upcoming show, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #FJM. We will draw one lucky name a week from today and they will be on the gust list the night of the big show!
Every year Det X Det brings an eclectic group of Detroit bands together to play the songs of the Detroit bands that inspire us all. This year's lineup offers up a wide variety of local talent of all ages and backgrounds playing tunes from yesterday and today. This year's event will be held at The Loving Touch in Ferndale. There will be two stages featuring back to back sets by 15+ bands. Each group will perform three songs before the next act takes a turn at one of their favorite bands with Michigan ties. The best part is as always, we are MCing the event! This year's lineup includes:
The Messenger Birds and Friends as Andrew W.K.
Hello Human as The Raconteurs
Two Cheers as The Supremes
Zander Michigan as Smokey Robinson
The Social Bandits as Vulfpeck
Foster Muldoon as John Lee Hooker
Jerry Dreams as Bob Seger
Mike Galbraith as The Four Tops
Wolf and The Crane as Rare Earth
Chrissy Morgan as Brendan Benson
A Year in New York as Mike Posner
The Bruised Reed as Citizen Smile
Six and The Sevens as The Romantics
Kubat and Finlay as Blair
School of Rock as Parliament Funkadelic
All ages are welcome to come check out the show this Saturday, April 22nd. Tickets are $10 and you can purchase them here. The team behind the event has also put together a playlist for everyone to check out before the show, you can check that out here. The fun kicks off at 8 p.m. this Saturday and all proceeds from the event will once again be donated to The School of Rock to help more students have access to musical education.
The most anticipated band on this year's Berserker is GWAR! This band truly is out of this world and is the act that everyone is the most excited about, including us. Their live show is full of blood, guts, and body parts. They have been legends in the rock world for years, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon.
GWAR will be headlining Berserker and hitting the stage in The Crofoot Ballroom on Saturday night at 11:30. The fact that this band is playing this event is fucking amazing and shows how bad ass this fest is. In four short years, Shawn and Veronica have built this DIY underground fest up to what it is today and have one of the biggest metal bands in the entire universe headlining. We're pretty fucking stoked to say the least, and we're pretty sure that the rest of Detroit and Berserker goers are right there with us. Check out a couple GWAR videos to get you ready for this weekend, then read ahead to see what Pustulus Maximus had to say in response to our Berserker questions.
HID- What two words best describe your band? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "Fucking sweet"
HID- Why should people check out your set at Berserker? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "What else would you do? We're the only ones that will make people die during our show."
HID- What’s the best part about playing a fest like this? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "Walking into other bands' dressing rooms to throw their snacks away and drink their beer."
HID- Are you looking forward to checking out any of the other bands on the fest? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "Against the Grain. Not concerned with any others."
HID- For those Berserker goers that might not have heard your band before, name one of your songs that they should definitely check out. Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "Master of Puppets"
HID- The lineup for this year’s Berserker is pretty epic. If you could have any four bands headline a fest, who would you pick? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "The corpses of the Ramones, Judas Priest and that's it."
HID- When you’re out on tour, what are three things that you must have with you? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "A jar of dirt, a Les Paul, a water bottle full of urine."
HID- What else should people know before they check out your band at Berserker? Pustulus Maximus of GWAR- "Violence and beer are best served domestic."
There you have it! Our final Berserker preview interview! Berserker kicks off Friday night at 7 p.m. Doors are set to open at 6 p.m. and Euphoria kicks it all off at 7 in The Pike Rom. Once again, tickets for Berserker are available for $60 for the whole weekend or $40 per day in advance here. Single day passes will be $50 a night at the door. Check out the full schedule of bands playing Berserker IV and set times below.
We'd like to give a special shout out and huge thank you to Shawn and Veronica for putting on a kick ass event like this every year and bringing so many awesome bands to town. Also a huge thank you for continuing to allow us to cover this fest as it gets bigger and better every year. Another huge shout out goes to everyone at The Crofoot for hosting this event, supporting it and giving it a home. And last, but certainly not least, we'd like to thank Jon & Katy for setting us up with so many awesome interviews over the last week and a huge thanks to all of the bands that responded. All of these interviews definitely got both of us even more stoked for the weekend ahead, and we hope it did the same for all of you reading this! See you at Berserker!
Wrapping things up on The Pike Room stage Friday night is Rochester, New York's Blurring. This band features a bassist that a few of you probably know, Dan Lilker (Brutal Truth, SOD, Nuclear Assault, Anthrax). They have a new album entitled Cloud Burnercoming out later this month. Check out the song "Empty Heaven" off that new album below, then head over and check out their past releases on bandcamp here.
HID- What two words best describe your band? Blurring- "really fast"
HID- Why should people check out your set at Berserker? Blurring- "People will be amazed that old men can still play as fast as we do and look dapper while doing it."
HID- What’s the best part about playing a fest like this? Blurring- "Playing in front of people who would never get to hear us...and the free beer."
HID- Are you looking forward to checking out any of the other bands on the fest Blurring- "Sure are"
HID- For those Berserker goers that might not have heard your band before, name one of your songs that they should definitely check out. Blurring- "Empty Heaven" off our new EPCloud Burner. It's on YouTube or Bandcamp if anyone cares."
HID- The lineup for this year’s Berserker is pretty epic. If you could have any four bands headline a fest, who would you pick? Blurring- "Death, Metallica in 1984, Slayer in 1986, Captain and Tennille"
HID- When you’re out on tour, what are three things that you must have with you? Blurring- "Beer, Weed and Vagisil"
HID- What else should people know before they check out your band at Berserker Blurring- "Dan Lilker keeps his hair shiny and luxurious by using Pantene shampoo and conditioner exclusively."
Tickets for Berserker are available for $60 for the whole weekend or $40 per day. You can pick yours up in advance here. Single day passes will be $50 a night at the door. Check out the full schedule of bands playing Berserker IV and set times below.
If you like it fast, make sure you check out Artillery Breath when they hit the stage Friday night in the Vernors Room. The band is headed to Berserker from Columbus, Ohio. They're currently working on a new album, but you can check out a couple of their past releases on Bandcamp here. Check out the promo that the guys made for Berserker then read ahead to see what they said in response to our Berserker preview questions.
HID- What two words best describe your band?
Artillery Breath- "Sweaty/Scummy"
HID- Why should people check out your set at Berserker?
Artillery Breath- "We always have a ton of fun on stage, and from my perspective anyway, people seem to have a lot of fun when they watch us play. If you’re trying to hear some fast heavy metal and have a good time while you do it, come check us out."
HID- What’s the best part about playing a fest like this?
Artillery Breath- "Getting to see and hangout with old friends, and also meeting cool new people and making new friends. Getting to see some killer bands is a plus, too."
HID- Are you looking forward to checking out any of the other bands on the fest?
Artillery Breath- "I don’t think any of us have seen GWAR since Oderus passed, so that should be pretty fun. I have some friends in Immortal Bird from Chicago, so I’m looking forward to hanging with them and catching their set, because they rip. Negative Approach will be awesome. But most of all we’re super stoked to see/party with Cemetery Piss." HID- For those Berserker goers that might not have heard your band before, name one of your songs that they should definitely check out.
Artillery Breath- "Ice Picked and Dicked usually grabs people’s attention. You can find it on our Bandcamp page."
HID- The lineup for this year’s Berserker is pretty epic. If you could have any four bands headline a fest, who would you pick?
Artillery Breath- "There is only one answer to this question. Toadies, Blink 182, Queen and Crucial Taunt."
HID- When you’re out on tour, what are three things that you must have with you?
Artillery Breath- "Fresh socks, bananas, and weed."
HID- What else should people know before they check out your band at Berserker?
Artillery Breath- "Heavy metal is for everyone. If you come see us play and you’re too cool to let yourself and the people around you have a good time, you probably won’t like us and we probably won’t like you."
Tickets for Berserker are available for $60 for the whole weekend or $40 per day. You can pick yours up in advance here. Single day passes will be $50 a night at the door. Check out the full schedule of bands playing Berserker IV and set times below.
Brain Tentacles just released their debut self titled album last fall, but these guys aren't new to the music scene. The trio is made up of Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Bloodiest), Dave Witte (Discordance Axis, Municipal Waste) and Aaron Dallison (Keelhaul). This band has a different take on metal, using horns and synth paired with bass and drums, creating an outrageously awesome sound. Check out their music video for the song "Fruitcake", then listen to their full album here.
HID- What two words best describe your band?
Dave Witte of Brain Tentacles- "Horny and Heavy"
HID- Why should people check out your set at Berserker?
Dave Witte- "We use a Saxophone in place of a guitar and it's just as heavy."
HID- What’s the best part about playing a fest like this?
Dave Witte- "Going to Michigan, getting to see all the great bands and for me personally, I'm a White Castle fanatic. We don't have em in Virginia, so the crave is real."
HID- Are you looking forward to checking out any of the other bands on the fest?
Dave Witte- "Yeah, as many as I can."
HID- For those Berserker goers that might not have heard your band before, name one of your songs that they should definitely check out.
Dave Witte- "Check out "Fruitcake", we have a video for it. It's one side of our band. "King Da Ka" is another and its a wild ride. (Named after the roller coaster)"
HID- The lineup for this year’s Berserker is pretty epic. If you could have any four bands headline a fest, who would you pick?
Dave Witte- "In my dream world it would be Spazz, Melt Banana, Clutch and High on Fire."
HID- When you’re out on tour, what are three things that you must have with you?
Dave Witte- "My iPod, chocolate and coffee!"
HID- What else should people know before they check out your band at Berserker?
Dave Witte- "We have a guest Tentacle each night. It's someone different each night, not sure who will be at the fest. It's always fun to watch though. Thanks for watching and listening! We can't wait to play."
We definitely can't wait to see this band live! If you feel the same way, make sure you make your way up to The Pike Room on Saturday night when Brain Tentacles hits the stage at 11 p.m. Tickets for Berserker are available for $60 for the whole weekend or $40 per day. You can pick yours up in advance here. Single day passes will be $50 a night at the door. Check out the full schedule of bands playing Berserker IV and set times below.
