Hip in Detroit's Guide to 4th of July 2017

The 4th of July is almost here! Since the holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, we wanted to make sure to have you covered whether you're celebrating on the weekend or on the actual 4th. Here's a list of some of the best Independence Day festivities that we could find!

We'll start things off with probably the best 4th of July bash around, Nancy Whiskey's Rock & Roll BBQ. It's in its 7th year and there is a full lineup of awesome bands playing all day long. A couple of the highlights include The Cheetahs and Outrageous Cherry. $12 gets you in and the party starts at 3 p.m. For a full list of who's playing and all of the details, click here.





If you're up for a bit of a drive and/or you love the '90s, you'll want to make your way to Stars & Stripes. The festival moved all the way to Novi to the Suburban Collection Showcase, but there are some acts on the bill that might make you want to make that drive. The festival runs thru July 2nd and some of the bands playing include Rick Springfield, the Spin Doctors and Smash Mouth. There will also be a big fireworks display on Sunday night. For more info, click here.





This one isn't quite as patriotic, but it will be a ton of fun! Corktown Strut is going on all weekend long and thru July 3rd. Bands, food, what more could you want? Get the low down on this event here. 

If you're in the mood for some BBQ, but you don't feel like firing up the grill, Royal Oak has you covered. Michigan Rib Fest is taking over Downtown Royal Oak June 30 - July 2nd. There will be over a dozen restaurants on site and there are some great bands playing too! Highlights include The Messenger Birds, Ryan Dillaha and Honeybabe. For all of the details head to MichiganRibFest.com.






Not only is it America's birthday, but it's also Broke's birthday! The band is celebrating 2 years with a big 4th of July bash. They'll be playing alongside their friends in Undesirable People and Come Out Fighting. Get more info on this one on the Facebook event here.

Keep the party going after the 4th with two of the funniest people around! Ray and Laura will be hosting their July Comedy Showcase on Thursday, July 6th at Small's in Hamtramck. They will be joined by a long list of hilarious comics from the area. And they claim that they might shoot bottle rockets out of their butt. Will they? You'll have to show up to find out! Click here for more details.

The Henry Ford will be saluting America all weekend long along with the DSO! Head to Greenfield Village now thru the 3rd to watch an amazing Fireworks Display while listening to patriotic tunes played by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz Ambassadors of the United States Army Field Band. You'll want to purchase tickets in advance for this one. You can do that by clicking right here.

Let's be honest, you mostly just want to see stuff blow up in the night's sky! So, here are some of the best fireworks displays coming up this weekend and into the week.
Friday, June 30th - Hazel Park Raceway
Friday, June 30th - St. Clair Shores Fireworks Extravaganza
Saturday, July 1st - Grosse Pointe Farms Regatta & Fireworks
Monday, July 3rd - Ford Field in Shelby Township
Tuesday, July 4th - Clawson Fireworks



We hope you all have a blast this weekend! (Get it? Fireworks, blast.) Happy 4th of July and Happy Birthday to the good old US of A!

~C

Her Dark Host Releases the "Crimson Queen" 7" Tonight at Small's

This Friday night don't miss Her Dark Host's record release show at Small's in Hamtramck. The new Crimson Queen 7" is being released by Hold Fast Vinyl and everyone will receive a copy with paid admission to the show. The record will be hand numbered and features art by the amazing Legerdemain, as well as a little of front man Justin Felix's blood. Yes, you read that right, the sleeve of the record features the Her Dark Host logo, screen printed by Hype Ignition and there's some blood mixed in that ink.

Her Dark Host has an amazing night of music lined up for their release show, with Snakewing, The Highborn, and The Lucid Furs all on the bill. This is a show that you will want to see from start to finish, so make sure you get there when doors open at 8 p.m. $11 will get you in the door and will get you the record.  For more info on this show, head over to the Facebook event here. 

Her Dark Host - Crimson Queen Promo from Hold Fast on Vimeo.

~C

Don't Miss DUDE on Stage at Cadieux Cafe

DUDE is officially headed back to the stage this Friday night! It has been a bit since you've had a chance to see this band live, but the band is revamped and ready to play some tunes for you. For those that don't know, DUDE is a project headed by Tony DeNardo (also of The Muggs) and they play 60's & 70's style pop rock. Give the album Kid Gloves a listen below. 

This Friday night you can see DUDE at Cadieux Cafe along with The My Ways. Cover is only $5 and doors are set to open at 9 p.m. DUDE is set to kick things off around 10 p.m. 21+ are welcome to attend. For more details on Friday's show, head over to the Facebook event page here. 

Cadieux Cafe is located on the east side of Detroit at 4300 Cadieux. 

~C

Win Tickets to See (Sandy) Alex G with Japanese Breakfast and Cende

This Saturday night Japanese Breakfast is headed back to Detroit to play at El Club along with (Sandy) Alex G. He just released a new album Rocket last month and now the two are out on tour together. Japanese Breakfast also just released some new music. Their new single is called "Boyish" and you can give it a listen here. Also joining these two on the road is Cende. You can listen to their latest album #1 Hit Single here.

This lineup has been selling out shows throughout the US, so you don't want to miss them when they head to Detroit this weekend! Tickets for the show are $14 in advance or $17 at the door. You can purchase advance tickets here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to this one courtesy of Hip in Detroit and Party Store Productions. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #sandy in the subject.

~C

Next Time You Are in The Eastern Market Grab A Sandwhich and a Strong Drink at The Stache!

If you're in the Eastern Market and you're looking for a great place to have a unique meal we highly suggest making a stop into The Stache International. This cool bar and eatery opened its doors in January of 2016 and flew under our radar until we were looking for a cool place in the market to have a gathering with friends. We went in for the drinks and atmosphere and came back a few weeks later to try the food; both were great and left us wanting more!

The first thing you will notice when you walk into the space is how well it is decorated. The walls are all boldly painted black and white and the decor reminds us of a cool carnival, they even have giant carousel horses at the end of the bar. Our favorite feature is the light up Eat Em Up sign behind the bar. The restaurant/bar features a small kitchen where they prepare an assortment of one of a kind sandwiches and sides and a bar that serves up some really tasty drinks and cocktails.  Their menu features an assortment of sandwiches including bologna, turkey breast, lamb. and pork shoulder. It also features assorted side items like a seasonal salad, chicken wings, and deep fried bread pudding. Every sandwich they serve also comes with house made deep fried potato chips. To accompany the food they have an assortment of original specialty drinks. This includes a drink that features melted cotton candy!


For our first meal we decided to try out the southern bell and the veggie balboa, both came with housemade chips. The turkey sandwich featured a thick piece of turkey alongside an even thicker cut of bacon and swiss cheese. It was seasoned with tomato, collard greens, and Cajun ranch on a pressed onion biscuit roll. I was only able to eat half of the sandwich as it was the size of my head, but I loved every bite of it.



My dining partner ordered the vegetarian option and let me have a few bites so I could see what it was like. This sandwich features smoked portabella slices, grilled bell pepper & onions, melted house cheese blend & rosemary aioli on a grilled hoagie bun. It was hot, spicy and DELIGHTFUL. It was a very hearty sandwich, something you rarely say about the vegetarian option.

We finished up our meal with a midday drink. I decided to try The Staches version of a White Russian upon the recommendation of the staff. I have never enjoyed a White Russian before, but they assured me I would love it. Turns out that they were right! It was one of the most enjoyable drinks that I have ever had.  It was strong, but not too strong. Sweet, but not too sweet and it was nice and cold which really hit the spot on a warm afternoon. The coolest part about everything I just described is that this is all unique to The Stache.  Their menu and drink selection is special, you cant get what they have anywhere else.

The restaurant bar is open at am 11 am every day for lunch and it stays open until midnight everyday of the week except Sundays when it closes at 11 p.m..  They also deliver to their local area if you are not able to make it into the dining room!

~S 

Thumbs Down for Axle Brewing Company

Last week we finally had the chance to check out Axle Brewing Company, the newest edition to Ferndale's eclectic dining landscape.  We were really excited about trying the place out and enjoying a meal on their beautiful patio but we regret to say that we did not enjoy the food or the atmosphere.

Our waiter greeted us and let us know that it was one of their first days on the job. Which in my eyes means that you have to give them a little slack. That being said, it wasn't their lack of experience that made my experience so horrible. We placed a drink and appetizer order upon arrival and put the order in for our main course when we reached our first round of drinks. We then waited over a hour and 15 minutes for our chips and cold dip to come out to us. In the meantime, we ran out of water, and drank our first round of drinks and were not offered a second round until our food finally came out an hour and a half after we ordered it. The staff was aware that we were waiting a long time and offered to send over a second round of chips for us so that we could finish off our dips, but then took over 30 minutes to bring those over to us, which actually made us more frustrated.  

Finally, when the food arrived I was everything but thrilled. I ordered the shawarma wings and they were the most blandly tasting wings I have ever eaten.  My dining mates ordered the taco salad and what appeared to be the brew house's version of a grilled cheese. We all ordered the dill cheese curds to share. None of the items were anything to write home about. In fact, the cheese curds were good, but they did not taste like dill and our fries were very burnt.  

Overall it was one of the worst experiences I have had at a restaurant in a long time.  The staff appeared to be doing their best, and it is a new space but waiting over a hour and fifteen minutes for chips and dip isn't acceptable. Next time someone suggests Axle for dinner we will probably take a pass. If you enjoy their beers it's worth a visit, but as a restaurant they have a long way to go.

~S 

Win Tickets to See Nothington at Small's

This Thursday night Nothington will be hitting the stage at Small's along with Make War, Joe McMahon and Detroit's own Reuther! Nothington first hit the scene back in 2006 and released their debut album All In back in 2007. Now, ten years later, the band just released their latest album In The End, their first full length in about 5 years. The new album has been receiving a ton of great reviews.

You can hear them play these new tunes along with your old favorites live this Thursday night. Tickets for the show are only $10 and can be purchased at SmallsBarDetroit.com. Thanks to Black Iris Booking we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. If you would like to enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #InTheEnd in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Thursday morning and they will get into the show that night with a friend for free.

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome.

~C

24 Hour Giveaway: CFM @ El Club

You may know Charles Moothart from FUZZ or from playing with Ty Segall. Well he also has his own band and they are coming to town this week. CFM will be hitting the stage at El Club this Wednesday. The band recently released a new album Dichotomy Desaturated and now they are out on the road. Give the song "Voyeurs" off the new record a listen below.

CFM will be joined by The Cairo Gang this Wednesday. Tickets for the show are $10 in advance or $12 the day of the show. You can purchase advance tickets online here. We are also giving away one pair of tickets to this show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #cfm in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Wednesday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize. 

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome. 

~C 

Strut Around Corktown All Week Long

Corktown has become one of the most lively places in the city. It has a healthy nightlife and is home to come of our favorite restaurants and bars including Gold Cash Gold, Bobcat Bonnie's, Bucharest Grill, Slows BBQ, and Sugar House.  Plus, it's the home of great spots like The Lager House and Assemble Sound. This week it will also play host to the second annual Corktown Strut, a now annual event that's purpose is to showcase the artistic community of Detroit while helping to bring new business to the district.

This year's event will feature over 50 musical acts on 8 stages across the neighborhood. This includes traditional venues like the UFO Factory and The Lager House and non traditional venues like Mudgies.

The musical lineup is very eclectic and features a vast array of Detroit talent. Some highlights include a Mega Powers album release party at UFO, and the return of two of our favorite Detroit artists, James Linck and Ancient Language, who are both performing Saturday on the Main Stage. Jungle Fowl, George Morris, Ritual Howls, Two Cheers, Prude Boys, The Dropout and Valley Hush will also all be performing during the two day event.

The week kicks off with a show at PJ's on Tuesday, a show at Two James on Wednesday, a show at Corktown Farmers Market on Thursday and then the main event takes place on Friday and Saturday. For more information about the festival click here. You can see a list of restaurants that are participating in this year's festival here and you can purchase tickets for the event here. Venue passes range from $10 to $15 a piece. Day passes are $20 a piece and all access weekend passes are $30 a piece. There is also a Metro Times closing party that you can attend for $10. You can also purchase an all access pass for $55.

~S

Win Passes to Mo Pop Festival 2017!

Mo Pop Festival will be returning to the Detroit West Riverfront Park this Saturday and Sunday, July 29th and 30th. This is the fifth year that the fest will be hosted on the city's west riverfront and the lineup is better than ever! The two day event will feature a variety of musical acts including Foster The People, Run The Jewels, Alt-J, Solange, Tyler the Creator, Phantogram, Wavves, Stef Chura and more!

The festival also features a ton of cool things to keep you entertained throughout the day. This includes a food truck alley, a craft bazaar, a biergarten, an arcade, and a tech tent.  A few Detroit companies will also be at the festival to entertain and educate. This includes Citizen Yoga who will host open classes on Saturday and the Detroit Dart Club who will be serving up some serious game play throughout the weekend.

Tickets to attend the event range from $75 to $125 a piece depending on what days you want to attend and what kind of tickets that you want. Tickets are significantly cheaper if you purchase them in advance and there are special discounts if you buy a four pack or book a hotel with your passes. You can check out all the ticket options for the show here.

You can also enter to win a pair of passes to attend the entire show for free courtesy of AEG and hipindetroit.com. If you would like to enter to win please share this article on twitter, instagram, or Facebook and tag @hipindetroit. Don't forget, you have to add us or else we won't be able to see your tag and we won't be able to give you the tickets! We will draw one lucky person on Friday July 29th and they will win a pair of passes to check out the fest for free.

Doors for the show will open at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. No chairs or coolers are permitted, but you are allowed to bring refillable water bottles, which you can fill up for free throughout the day. For a list of local hotels that you can stay at over the weekend click here and for parking information click here. Bikes are welcome and there is a bike parking station located at the event courtesy of Detroit Bike Company.

There are also a few official after parties that you can attend during Mo Pop weekend, to learn more about those click here. 

~S

TONIGHT! The Detroit Ford Fireworks on Riverfront

The 59th Annual Ford Fireworks will take place on the Detroit Riverfront tonight. Hundreds of thousands of Detroiters will head downtown to watch the show live from a variety of places across the city while others will tune in on channel 4 to watch them from the comfort of their couch. The live broadcast will start at 8 p.m. tonight and the first firework is scheduled to go off at a new time of 9:50 p.m.

The Detroit Patch put together a great article that goes over the curfew, the street closings, the parking and pretty much everything you need to know about tonight's event, click here to read more about it.

The city is going to be full of life tonight, be careful, take care of each other, and celebrate together Detroit!

~S

Faile Opens at The Library Street Collective this Saturday!

This Saturday, June 24th the Library Street Collective will host the first gallery in Detroit from Faile a collaboration between two Brooklyn based artists named Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. The gallery is called The Size of the Fight, it was inspired by "the resilience, passion, and energy they see the Detroit community bringing to the city's infrastructure and art scene".  The artists will also be displaying 6 large silk screened works on large wooden panels at The Belt located near The Collective. The artist opening runs from 6 p.m. till 8 p.m, The Belt opening and after party runs from  6 p.m. till 11 p.m. To learn more about the collective click here.

~S

The Battle Starts at 8 pm at The Red Bull House of Art TONIGHT

Red Bull House of Art is hosting a Secret Walls exhibition in Detroit tonight. These street art fight club style battles bring 6 artists together, split them into two teams and gives them 90 minutes and a bunch of black markers or acrylic paint to go to town and create a wall together. Attendees will be able to watch the art be created live and in person over 90 minutes while enjoying a little Red Bull and conversation.

The event is free to attend the crowds will vote on who "wins" the battle.  Doors for the gallery open at at 7 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. The live painting will take place at 8 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend, 21+ to drink alcohol. To learn more about the Red Bull House of Art and their amazing live in residency program click here.

~S

Win Tickets to See 311 at The Fillmore

This Sunday night the one and only 311 will be performing at The Fillmore in Detroit. The band rose to fame in the '90s with their popular hits "Down" and "All Mixed Up". They've released 12 studio albums total, plus a number of compilations and live albums. This Friday the band is releasing their latest album Mosaic. Give their song "Too Late" off that new album a listen below.

Joining 311 on Sunday are New Politics and The Skints. Tickets for the show start at $24.75 and can be purchased online here. Thanks to our friends over at Live Nation Detroit we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #311 in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Saturday and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors are set to open at 6 p.m. on Sunday and all ages are welcome.

~C

24 Hour Ticket Giveaway: Blackout BBQ

This Friday night Black Iris Booking will be taking over The Magic Stick for one of the biggest parties of the summer, Blackout BBQ. If you've ever been to Black Christmas at The Majestic, you know that BIB knows how to throw one hell of a party. The BBQ is just a slightly scaled down version of that event, plus there's free BBQ!

This year's lineup for Blackout BBQ hosts a bunch of great bands from near and far. The bill includes The Creepshow, The Brains, Gallows Bound, Clownvis Presley, Bruiser Queen,
Fishgutzzz and Cash O'Riley. Ben Rose will also be DJing throughout the night and some great companies like Vile and Suck it Suicide will be on site.

Tickets for Friday's party are only $15 in advance or $20 the day of the show. You can pick yours up online here. All ages are welcome and doors are set to open at 7 p.m.


Thanks to Black Iris Booking we are also giving away a pair of tickets to the party! If you would like to enter to win those tickets, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #BBQ in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize!

~C

Win Tickets to Party with The Well, Bison Machine and more at Corktown Tavern

This Monday night, after the fireworks light up the sky in Detroit, head to Corktown Tavern for one of the most rockin' shows of the summer! The Well will be making their way to Detroit from Austin Texas to hit the stage along with Detroit's own Bison Machine, The Cheetahs and Red Stone Souls. To keep the party going all night long, Heavy & Beyond will be DJing downstairs throughout the night. And if you want to see what the rest of the summer has in store for you, GeminEye will be on site doing Tarot Readings.

Cover for this show is only $8 at the door and doors are set to open at 8 o'clock on Monday. If you're checking out the Eagles of Death Metal show down at El Club on Monday night, head to Corktown after and get in the door for just $5. You can also enter to win free entry to this one! We are getting one lucky person into this show with a friend for free. If you would like to enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #well in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Monday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

~C 

Detroit River Days Returns to The River Walk This Weekend

Detroit River Days will return to the River Walk this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The festival was started to celebrate the rebirth of the river walk and has continued on year by year to celebrate all the progress that the city has made.

The three day event features food, rides, live music and lots of cool activities for the whole family.  It ranges from $3- $5 a day to attend the fest and all day bracelets to ride all the rides are $20 a day. The weekend will feature multiple stages of music, this includes bigger acts like 112 and Ann Wilson of Heart alongside great local acts like Harlow, The Messenger Birds, Zander Michigan and more! For the full list of musical acts and a schedule of when everyone is playing cluck here.  No outside food or drinks are permitted inside the festivals. so make sure that you don't plan to being your own snacks inside the festival. Refillable water bottles are allowed and there are places to refill them.  For a full list of activities that you can attend throughout the weekend click here. If you need help finding a place to park click here and if you need to know the hours click here. Don't forget! Friday is free before 5 p.m.!

~S 

Get Haute to Death at H2D Swim Club 2017

Haute to Death throws some of the best parties in town! Whenever they book an event we make sure to stop by and dance to a song or two because they are ALWAYS fun. During the summer they take it to the next level by throwing one of our all time favorite events, the Haute to Death Swim Club.

Last year we had the chance to attend a few of the pool parties and we can't say enough about how fun they were, in fact it was one of the best things we have ever experienced. Being in a bikini dancing, drinking, and celebrating life with some of Detroit's coolest and most creative people is one of the best ways we can think of to spend the day. But, there is a catch.

These things have super limited space, the pool is only so big after all. So, they usually sell out, sometimes in advance. If you want to attend this Saturday's Pool party, or any of the future pool parties that are coming up this summer, you might want to get your tickets now. You can purchase tickets to any of this years parties for $15 a piece or you can get a summer pass for $50. This Saturday's party will take place from noon till 8 p.m. To find out more about it click here.

~S

The Fisher Theatre to Screen its First Movie in 30 Years

The Fisher Theatre was constructed in 1928. it was designed by Albert Kahn and it is one of the oldest buildings in Detroit. It has been the host of all sorts of different events throughout the years, but these days it is mostly office spaces rented out by a variety of companies.

This Wednesday June 21st it will return to its roots and play host to the movie premiere of The United Stated of Detroit a film by Tylor Norwood. This film focuses on the people of Detroit. How do they keep going through the good times and the bad? Why do they love Detroit, why do they choose to live here?  This film looks that what it is going to take to bring Detroit back as well as how far we have already come.  

The premiere will take place at The Fisher Theatre this Wednesday, June 21st. from 5:30 till 8:30 p.m. This is the first time the theatre will host a screening in over 30 years. Tickets to attend the show are $10 and they can be purchased here. You can learn more about the film here.

Trailer - The United States of Detroit from Tylor Norwood on Vimeo.

~S 

Make Music Detroit

Music has the power to move millions. It unites people of all different ages, backgrounds, and nationalities and inspires people to move mountains and overcome obstacles in their lives. Personally, I have never loved anything more than watching someone play music live and in person. Detroit is a mecca for music lovers because there are great bands playing all around town every night of the week. But, this weekend Detroit will be teaming up with 700 other cities all around the world to celebrate our favorite form of self expression, music. 

Make Music Detroit is a city wide free event that features hundreds of musical acts in a variety of different venues. There are over 50 bands playing at over 30 venues across the city this Wednesday. None of the bands are charging money to perform and no one is paying to come out and listen. This event is meant to celebrate the magic that music brings to our city by showcasing it across Metro Detroit this Wednesday.

This year's lineup includes Adventures with Vultures, Audra Kubat, Greater Alexander,
and The Old Adage, For a full list of bands click here. Thereare also a ton of venues participating in this year's event, this includes Cass Cafe, DIME, PJ's Lager House and more. For a full list of venues click here. This is an all inclusive musical event that welcomes anyone who wants to attend. To learn more about the free event click here. 

~S

24 Hour Ticket Giveaway: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Get this week off to a great start by heading to El Club on Tuesday night! Black Iris Booking is bringing another great lineup to the stage, for the second night in a row. New York Based The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are headed to town along with fellow New Yorker Frankie Rose and Ablebody from L.A. They will also be joined by Detroit's own Palaces.

Tickets to see this great lineup are only $16 and can be purchased in advance here. The night of the show cover will be $18 at the door. Thanks to Black Iris Booking we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #pure in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Tuesday morning and they will get into the show that night with a friend for free.

~C

Win Tickets to See Planes Mistaken for Stars at El Club

This past fall Planes Mistaken for Stars released their fourth studio album, Prey. This was the first new release from the band in about 10 years. Now they're out on the road and they're heading to Detroit this weekend.

On Monday, June 19th Planes Mistaken for Stars will kick off a tour that will take them up the East Coast and into Canada. The show is happening at El Club in Southwest Detroit and Detroit's own Dirtwolf and Touch the Clouds will be opening up the show. Tickets for this one are only $12 in advance, you can pick yours up here. The night of the show, if this one isn't sold out, tickets will be $14 at the door.

You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to this show from Hip in Detroit and Black Iris Booking! To enter the contest, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #planes in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Monday morning and they will get into the show that night with a friend for free.

You're definitely not going to want to miss this show! Awesome lineup from start to finish! Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. on Monday and all ages are welcome.

~C 

Detroit Welcomes The First Comix Party at The Leland this Saturday!

Some people only listen to mainstream music and others want to go deeper so they find cool new genres and subgenres that they like. Some fashion lovers are comfortable wearing mass produced designer duds while others have to search for the perfect handmade piece that can't be found anywhere else. Wherever there is culture there is a subculture which, in my opinion, is generally more interesting.

In the world of comic books there is Marvel, there is DC and there are people who still write and distribute their own comics and zines to anyone that wants to read. There is a subculture that has nothing to do with tights or big budget films and this weekend The Detroit Comix Party is hoping to bring together the cool DIY underground writers and artists who still appreciate the art of hand drawn storytelling.

Two local Detroiters, Mike Burridge and Kevin Eckert, have teamed up to create Detroit Comix Party, the first underground comic book and zine gathering of its kind. The goal of the event is to bring together a community that until now could only find each other in chat rooms on the internet. But, instead of throwing the same old stuffy comic book convention, they have created a one of a kind Detroit specific party that will bring the community together in a new and interesting way.

The Detroit Comix Party will feature over 60 vendors from all over the US who write and draw their own stories. The artist will be in house to talk to like minded individuals and sell a few zines. Then, in the evening the venue will let loose and open up for a dance party that will go late into the night.

The party is being held at the historical Leland Club in Detroit, a space that is known for its cool underground goth and industrial parties. Their will be over 60 vendors showing off their work and a variety of DJs will take the party late into the night. The convention runs from noon to 8 p.m. this Saturday and the party will take place from 8 p.m. till 4 a.m. that night. If you are interested in learning more about the world of DIY comics and zines you need to check out this FREE event this Saturday. To learn more about The Detroit Comic Party check out their incredibly well produced show here.

Learn more about this event here.

~S

24 Hour Giveaway: Win Tickets to See Chastity Belt

Female rockers Chastity Belt just released a new album a couple of weeks ago. The new album, I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone, is the third studio album from the band. It was released by Hardly Art records, you can give it a listen below.

Now the band is on tour and Party Store Productions is bringing Chastity Belt to town to play the stage at Jumbo's in Detroit. The show is happening this Friday, June 16th and they will be joined for the evening by Sneaks and don't. Tickets to the show are only $12 in advance. 

You can pick yours up here. The night of the show cover will be $14. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to this show courtesy of Hip in Detroit and Party Store Productions. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #chastity in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday morning and will email them details on how to claim their prize. 

21+ are welcome to attend this show. Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. and the music will start at 9.

~C

Win Tickets to See Tigers Jaw at El Club

It had been a few year's since Tigers Jaw fans got to hear some new music from the band. They released their fourth studio album back in 2014, the first in awhile with all of the original members. Now they just released their fifth studio album about a month ago. The record is called Spin and it was released on a new record label, Black Cement. You can give the album a listen and pick up a copy here.

You'll want to give these new songs a play and get to know the lyrics before Tigers Jaw hits the stage at El Club this Saturday night! Also on the bill for the night are Saintseneca and Smidley. Tickets for this show are $16 in advance or $18 at the door. You can purchase your tickets in advance here. Thanks to Black Iris Booking and Party Store Productions, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner. To enter to win, shoot us an email with your name in the body and #tigers in the subject line. We will draw our winner on Saturday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

~C

Celebrate Mango Lane's Latest Album at The Loving Touch this Friday!

Mango Lane is one of Detroit's hidden gems. They are a young up and coming band that everyone will be talking about soon. The band is able to seamlessly blend the rawness of rock and roll with electronic music to create a laid back, beachy, futuristic vibe. The first single off their new album is called "Sex". The band released the tune and a music video for it in anticipation of the album's release, which will take place this Friday at The Loving Touch.

Mango Lane has asked Montclair and HALA to open the show as well as The Dropout who will be performing his first DJ set. This will be a celebration of new music and the kick off of a tour that will take the band on the road for the summer. Copies of the new album will be available for purchase at the show and you will have money to purchase one because the album release party won't cost you anything to get into! So, if you're looking for someplace to hear some good music for FREE hit up The Loving Touch in Ferndale this Friday and get hip to this awesome band! 

~S

Win Tickets to See !!! (Chk Chk Chk) X Haute to Death

Chk Chk Chk is a dance punk band from Cali that has been shaking dance floors since 1996. They are well known for bringing the party to any venue that they grace, but here in Detroit they have teamed up with the king and queen of the party to make sure that everyone dances their heart out at UFO Factory this Friday! Haute to Death has teamed up with !!! to make the floors shake in Detroit this weekend.  

Chk Chk Chk released a new album called Shake the Shudder which was released just about a month ago. You can stream it for free here if you have Amazon Prime. This album is about the one thing that the boys know best, dancing it out and having a good time! 

Tickets to attend the show are $16 in advance and $18 at the door. If you would like to purchase your tickets in advance to guarantee a spot and save a few dollars you can buy them here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show by emailing your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #!!!.  We will draw one lucky person on Friday morning and they will get to attend the show with a friend and dance their problems away this Friday!

~S

Hip's Local Guide to Last Minute Father's Day Shopping

Father's Day is right around the corner so we wanted to put together a list of great local places to pick up something special for dad before this Sunday, June 18th!

Hugh- This cool boutique in midtown caters to the classic bachelor pad style. They have a very unique curated collection of men's gifts in a variety of price points.








Downtown Detroit Bike Shop (also in Ferndale) - This bike shop has a bike for everyone from the beginner to the most advanced rider. They are also super friendly and helpful which makes bike shopping for dad a whole lot easier!

Third Wave Music- There's finally a music store in the city! Third Wave carries a wide selection of new and used instruments, and they repair the broken stuff!

Shinola- Shinola made a name for themselves by making watches that were constructed right here in Detroit, but they have expanded their brand and become a luxury line that offered lots of cool gift ideas like leather belts, journals, bicycles and more. You can check out their merchandise in person in Midtown Detroit, or cop something from their outlet store at Great Lakes Crossing, They also have a great online store that can express ship something anywhere you need it to go!



The Detroit Mercantile Company-
The DMC features a large collection of new and vintage items that are curated by owners of the shop. They have a wide selection of vintage memorabilia as well as new Michigan made items. This is the perfect place to browse around for something for inspiration. There is something for everyone in the shop so you won't go home empty handed!



NOJO Kicks-
Want to impress a sneaker lover? Take them to NOJO in Downtown Detroit. NOJO is known around the world for its unique sneaker collection. If there is a unique pair of kicks that you have had your heart set on, there is a good chance they can help you get your hands on them!

City Bird/ Nest- City Bird and Nest are located next door to each other in Midtown and they are both owned by the same set of siblings. Both stores feature a curated collection of locally made items and small gifts. There are 1,000s of handmade cards to help you correctly express your feelings and lots of cool items that celebrate living in the mitten state.






Found Sound (Ferndale)/ UHF Records (Royal Oak)-
Pick up a new or used record for dad to rock out to!

Peninsulas- This little hidden gem houses the biggest collection of Michigan merchandise that we have ever seen.  If your dad has Mitten State pride, you will find something special that celebrates Michigan!

Eldorado General Store- This cool shop on Michigan Avenue offers up vintage finds and a curated selection of locally made goods.

Henry the Hatter-This place has the perfect hat for every head. It has been a Detroit institution
intuition since 1893!

~S