This past December, Glassjaw released their first full-length album in 15 years! The post-hardcore band was huge in the music scene back in the early to mid 2000s, despite only having two other studio releases, Worship & Tribute in 2002 and Coloring Book, an EP released in 2011. After all of these years, fans are super excited to have this band back and this summer Glassjaw fans around the world will get a chance to see this awesome band on stage once again.
Glassjaw is kicking off their summer US tour at The Crofoot in Pontiac on Saturday, July 7th. They will be joined by Quicksand for their entire tour, which will stop in cities from the East Coast to the West Coast. Also on the bill is Spotlights from Brooklyn. Tickets to see this highly anticipated show live are $35 and can be purchased in advance here. The day of the show (if it isn't sold out), cover will be $40 at the door. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show by sending your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #glassjaw in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner the morning of the show and will send them details on how to claim their prize.
Check out Glassjaw's new album Material Control and pick up your copy here. While you're at it, hit play on the music video for "shira" off the new album below.
The hip duo the Rogue Satellites are gearing up to release their third album. It's been around four years since they out out some new tunes so it's exciting that the time has finally come. Their new album is going to be called Black Wings and it will officially be released on Friday, July 13th, but they let us have a track to preview to our readers before the big drop. The new track is called "Know You Well" and was our personal favorite when the duo sent over the album. The entire 11 track album has a hauntingly dark feel, but this track really spoke to our personal tastes and they were cool enough to let us preview it for all of you!
You can check out another track from their album here and pre-order the record here. You also need to mark your calendar for their album release party on August 4th at a new bar called Deluxx Fluxx downtown on Library Street. Sisters Of Your Sunshine Vapor and Minihorse will be opening the show. We also had a chance to chat with the duo, so make sure you click play and give our interview a read!
HID-Where did you record your new album "Black Wings"?
Jaye Thomas- "Black Wings was recorded at Space Camp Studios, mostly. But, Eric, who recorded and mixed the album, had to leave to tour with his band in Europe, so Lisa and I finished tracking the album at the House of Satellites."
HID-Whats your favorite track off the new album and why?
Jaye Thomas- "It's always changing but currently, it's "We are Apparitions". I like the strange, drawn-out intro and Lisa's Beatles-flavored bass riff. Lyrically, it's representative of an understated theme on the album: Not taking anymore shit from people who treat us badly. That idea resonates with me right now."
Lisa Poszywak- "They're all our babies, so it's hard to choose a favorite. I think each song represents something different for me. But right now, I'm enjoying "Cancel Our Lives". It's super fun to sing because it was a departure for me. I get to try to be a little more aggressive than normal- but in a fun, pop way."
HID- Where did your band name come from?
Jaye Thomas- "The name was conjured as a metaphor for hipsters. I saw us as a bunch of hip, rebel communicators on parade: floating around like satellites."
HID- Do you write together or do you write alone and bring your ideas to each other?
Lisa Poszywak- "Most of time, Jaye writes and brings the ideas to me. We work on them together after that point. Mostly, I try to edit out the bad ones. Although, I do contribute my own writing on occasion."
HID- When and where will the album release show be?
Lisa Poszywak- "The album release party will be at Deluxx Fluxx, on August 4th. We'll be joined by our friends, Sisters of your Sunshine Vapor and Minihorse. Deluxx Fluxx is a new venue in town and we're super excited to play there."
HID- Do you plan to tour after the release?
Jaye Thomas- "We're planning a short Midwestern run, scheduled between the record release and the release party. We'll be hitting up Dayton, Columbus, Fort Wayne, Chicago, and Grand Rapids...possibly a couple more cities."
HID- What are you listening to right now?
Jaye Thomas- "I've been listening to God Break Down the Door a lot, I think it's the freshest and most inspired output from NIN in awhile."
Lisa Poszywak- "Mostly just our album."
HID- Is there anything else you would like us to know?
Jaye Thomas- "I think it's noteworthy that the record is actually dropping on Friday the 13th, lucky you."
This Thursday night, saajtak will be taking over El Club for their Hectic EP Release Show! This is the second release for the band, with their debut EP Spokes dropping last year. For those that aren't familiar with this band, saajtak is a Detroit based avant-rock band featuring Alex Koi on vocals, Simon Alexander-Adams on keys, Jonathan Taylor on drums, and Ben Willis on bass. They have a very unique sound, with elements of jazz, electronic music, and rock, paired with Alex's female vocals that are at times operatic. Give saajtak a listen for yourself below.
If you would like to see saajtak perform live, don't miss their release show where they will be joined by Onyx Ashanti, River Spirit, DJ Greg Baise, and Video7's Sad Mandala. Cover for this show is only $10 the day of the show. You can purchase tickets in advance here. The new Hectic EP is only being released digitally, but at the release show, the band will have a limited run of art booklets to accompany your download.
We wanted to get to know saajtak and find out more about their new EP and the release show, so we caught up with them before the show. Check out what they had to say, then head to El Club Thursday night!
HID - In one sentence, how would you describe saajtak to someone that has never heard you before?saajtak - "We’re one big sonic jigsaw puzzle of our various influences: electronic music, free-jazz, trip-hop, punk rock, contemporary classical, and so on and so forth."
HID - How did you come up with the band's name?saajtak - "The name had no particular meaning when we came up with it—saajtak was a sound that resonated with us. As we continue to develop as a band the name becomes a vessel for the meaning created by our music."
HID - Your music is very complex and has a unique style. Who writes most of your songs? Or is it a group effort?
saajtak - "While we each craft our own individual parts, our writing process is very much collaborative. Our rehearsals involve a lot of free improvisation that we use to generate new ideas. We take our favorite ideas, improvise some more, and through copious discussion and trial and error, mold them into complete songs."
HID - So, tell us about the new EP! Where did you record it? What can listeners expect?saajtak - "Hectic EP features two new songs, “Hectic,” and “If You Ask” that explore some of our favorite territories: dense textures, insistent grooves, haunting ambience, and catchy melodies. We recorded it with Adam Cox (of great Detroit bands Wasabi Dream and The Octopus), who we worked with for last year’s Spokes EP. We’re very excited to release these songs alongside a limited-run booklet featuring artwork from Simon and Ben. We hope the listener can use this as a companion to the songs and experience the music with their eyes as well as their ears."
HID - You guys just got back from your "Hectic" tour. How was it? What was your favorite show along the way?
saajtak - "We had a great little east coast swing, playing with friends old and new in DC, Richmond, Baltimore, Brooklyn, and Providence. We had an amazing time in particular at Secret Project Robot in Brooklyn, where we were joined by guitar virtuoso Brandon Seabrook and the incredible electroacoustic beat driven duo Peptalk. Outside of Detroit, New York is probably where we have the the heaviest concentration of friends, so it felt like a big group hug playing there. The energy of the crowd was truly incredible."
HID - Why should everyone come out to your release show Thursday night?saajtak - "Well for one, we’re only printing 100 copies of the booklet, so this may be one of your only chances to get a copy. More importantly, though, we’re being joined by some of our favorite and most impactful artists in Detroit: River Spirit is one of the best most original bands on the scene, Sad Mandala is the songwriting and production project of LEXI from monolithic collective Video7—he’s joined by other members of the collective to craft distinct futuristic worlds. Lastly, Onyx Ashanti is simply mind blowing. We’ll be joined on our set by multi-reedist Marcus Elliot, marking the first time we augment our sound with a 5th instrumentalist. We can’t wait to see what he brings to the table. "
HID - Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know?saajtak - "We’ve got big plans for the fall and beyond, including more touring and new releases, so follow us at https://saajtak.com/, Facebook and instagram."
The Skip AKA Deluxx Fluxx Detroit is hosting lots of really cool shows all summer. The events they host usually feature some of Detroit's best pop and hip hop acts and they are always fun. But, this Saturday they are bring three very interesting acts into Detroit from out of town to tear up one of our
new favorite outdoor spaces.
The Body from Portland, B I G | B R A V E from Montreal, Québec, and Lingua Ignota from Rhode Island will all be performing right here in Detroit for free. All three acts are loud, aggressive, and can even be considered metal at times. So it'll be interesting to see how the regular Saturday night crowd reacts to this show.
So, if your looking for something fun and free to do this Saturday June 30th, go check out The Skip. The alley way is covered in cool art, including some from Shepard Fairey and it's supposed to be gorgeous Saturday Night!
Capitol Park used to be an unused plot of land in-between Midtown and Downtown, but now, after years of being an eyesore, it has become a bustling outdoor market in the heart of the city. Today, the space features a dog park, a variety of shops, food, and chairs to lounge in. It will also become home to Clementina, a taco and drink Cantina that is opening this Thursday!
The current collection of daily vendors includes hand dyed indigo goods from Dale and Blue, handmade pottery and decor from Pewabic Pottery, shirts, ties and Detroit swag from Well Done Goods, macaroons from Le Detroit Macaroon, and screen printed items from Merit Detroit. These small shops are open 6 days a week from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
In addition to the daily "permanent" pop-ups that are housed inside the little glass house, Capitol Park is hosting a weekly Farmers Market on Tuesdays through September that will give city dwellers the chance to pick up fresh food and veggies right outside their apartment or office! The market includes fresh Michigan grown flowers from Blumz by JRDesigns, snack bars from Mitten Bites, bread from Max Bread, jams from Gus and Grey, pies from Jeff's Crisp Crust, and fresh Michigan grown fruits and veggies.
It's been a year since Alley Taco expanded their menu and moved to Midtown, and after stopping by for lunch again this week, I relized that we had never shared our love for these tasty tacos with our readers.
This unique taco joint has a fine tuned menu that offers all of the basics, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos. They have all of the basic meaty staples like chicken, fish, pork, beef, steak and shrimp, but they also offer some unique vegan/vegetarian options, including curry cauliflower and BBQ sweet potato. Plus, they offer impossible tacos upon request! They offer a few sides, including fries, corn, and of course their own house made chips and salsa. All of the items on their menu are very reasonably priced, with meals for under $10 and individuals tacos for just over $2 a pop. Their food is fresh and can be order to to be eaten in house or take home.
Alley Taco is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 7 days a week. You can also find them on Grubhub where you can order Alley Taco right to the door!
The next time you need a solid meal at an affordable price stop by Alley Taco in Midtown and try the curry tacos. We promise that you wont regret it!
When I try to describe the pure magic that is Jax Anderson aka Flint Eastwood to others, I find myself talking about her ability to connect with people. If you have ever seen her perform live, you know what I am talking about. Through music, Jax is able to unite the crowd to create something real, something that everyone in the room can feel.
We have been watching her journey closely and have been documenting each step along her path. First, she helped create a small artist collective in the heart of Corktown called Assemble Sound. Then, she invited all of us all to celebrate the "Small Victories" that lead her to become "Broke Royalty" in Detroit, which helped her find a path to celebrate her sexuality and her truth, a place where she found "Real Love".
"Real Love" is an anthem to freedom, to reclaiming your identity, and to becoming the honest person that we all want to be. It is a rejection of the rules and the shoulds that plague all of us. It is a fierce dismissal of a repressive rhetoric that ostracizes those that don't play by the rules. It is the moment that Jax Anderson gets even more real and shares her truth as a gay identifying female artist with no shame. And, in case your haven't heard it, it's one hell of a banger. You can listen to the full track here.
You can also catch Flint Eastwood live this Friday when she hits the stage at MOCAD. This is the first time she has returned home to perform since her legendary show at The Fisher a little over a year ago. This show will most likely be the only time she takes a stage in Michigan this year because right after this show, she takes off to embark on her first headlining tour!
Jax will be opening the night for fellow feminist Princess Nokia. Tickets to attend the show are $25 in advance and they can be purchased here. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of El Club, the sponsors of the event. If you would like to enter to win tickets to the event, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #reallove. We will draw one lucky person this Friday and they will get to attend the show with a friend for free. And like we said at the start, it will be unlike any live show you have seen before! Plus, what better way to celebrate PRIDE!
This summer, Mo Pop will return to West Riverfront Park! The festival will take place on July 28th and 29th and will bring big names like Bon Iver and Portugal. The Man to the stage. But first, the folks behind Mo Pop will be partying at The Loving Touch this Wednesday night!
This Wednesday, the Loving Touch is hosting another installment of their epic tribute nights, but this time around they are paying tribute to the entire Mo Pop Festival, instead of one particular artist. They are bring some great locals out to perform songs from Mo Pop artists of the past and present. Some of the bands on the bill include JUNGLEFOWL as St. Vincent, Jerry Dreams as alt-J, Boys as Mac DeMarco, Marrow Streep as a combo of St. Vincent, Phantogram and Modest Mouse, and Throwaway + goodmorrow will be playing tunes from Run The Jewels and Vince Staples. It should be an awesome night and a great way to get you in the mood for Mo Pop next month!
Cover for the Mo Pop Tribute night is 100% free and all ages are welcome to attend. This is also a great opportunity to pick up your tickets to Mo Pop, because there will be folks from the festival on site selling them fee free. They will also be giving away records and other goodies at the show! It all kicks off at 7 p.m. this Wednesday night. To check out a full lineup for the evening and get more info on this show, click here. To check out this year's lineup for Mo Pop, click here.
The Alley Deck a the Magic Stick has always been one of our favorite places to grab a drink in the city, but this summer the deck is even better than before. That’s because on Tuesday nights throughout the summer there will be tacos on the deck! This new weekly event is called Tacos, Turntables & Tequila Tuesdays and it’s just that. Every Tuesday night Grant Jackson will be joined by special guests on the turntables. Tacos will be available for $2 and there will be tequila on special. $3 will get you a shot of well tequila, while the better stuff will run $5.
This event takes place every Tuesday from 4 p.m. until Midnight. So it’s a great excuse to come by for dinner or come late for a drink. Or hell, come early for dinner and then stay late to drink! It is summer after all! To stay in the loop on this fun weekly event, make sure you RSVP to the Facebook event page here.
This Monday night, the night sky will light up over Detroit for the 60th Annual Ford Fireworks. The display is set to start at 9:55 p.m. and although you will be able to at least see some of the fireworks from all over Detroit, there are some places that have a better view than others. The Parade Company notes that some of the best viewing locations include Hart Plaza, Belle Isle, Mt. Elliott Park, Owens Park, and Erma Henderson Park. There have peen plenty of times that we have watched the fireworks from the middle of Woodward in front of the Magic Stick too though, and the view is pretty awesome! If you do plan to venture out to Belle Isle or Hart Plaza tonight entry will not be permitted until after 2 p.m. Also, keep in mind that you cannot watch the fireworks from the bridge leading to Belle Isle. Belle Isle will only allow 3,000 vehicles onto the island too, so if you want to watch from the island, get there early. One other important note is that alcohol will not be permitted on Belle Isle or at Hart Plaza, and bags and coolers will be searched. So plan accordingly!
For a full list of rules, details, and parking suggestions for the fireworks, click here. The festivities will start with a fly over by World War II bombers and other historic aircraft starting at 7:30 p.m. If you can't make it downtown tonight, tune into the fireworks live on WDIV Channel 4 starting at 8 p.m.
Earlier this month, Maps & Atlases released their latest album Lightlessness Is Nothing New. This is the band's first record in over 6 years, and the first for the band as a trio. The record "largely deals with frontman Dave Davison's grief over the loss of his father". Give the first single "Fall Apart" a listen below.
Maps & Atlases are currently on tour and will make their way to Detroit this Wednesday, June 27th. They're set to hit the stage at El Club along with Prism Tats and Mover Shaker. Tickets for this show are $15 and can be purchased in advance here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show by sending your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #m&a in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Wednesday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.
The patio and outdoor bar at El Club will open at 7 p.m. for this show and doors to the venue will open at 8. For more info, click here.
This weekend Big Sean will be giving back to his hometown with the Detroit's On Now Weekend. The Grammy nominated artist has a strong love for the City of Detroit and has been giving back to the community through his non-profit the Sean Anderson Foundation, since 2012. Through this foundation, he has made monetary donations to organizations like Detroit PAL and Wayne State University, he has held workshops and hosted outings for students, and he has even donated shoes and backpacks to classrooms full of kids. His impact has already been awesome for the City of Detroit and he is just getting started.
Big Sean's Detroit's On Now Weekend will bring the community together for fun, food, fashion and workshops. The events kicked off on Thursday, June 21st and will run through Monday the 25th. It is a "celebration of neighborhood and a tribute to the Detroiters, local business owners, activists, teachers and churches who are the backbone of the city." Highlights of the weekend include a Fashion Mogul Challenge, a Block Party, and L.I.T.E. Fest. The Fashion Mogul Challenge is being presented in conjunction with PUMA and will feature fashion entrepreneurs designing and pitching custom shoe and apparel concepts in hopes to win $25,000 in cash awards and prizes. This event is being held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Thursday and Friday. Next up is the Block Party on Saturday, which might be considered the main event. This is being held at the Ford Resource and Engagement Center at 15491 Maddelein in Detroit. There will be food trucks, a DJ, 3 on 3 basketball, STEAM labs and activities, a Q & A session with Big Sean, a Cinetopia viewing of Black Panther, and more. There will even be some free coneys at the party! The block party will run from noon until 10 p.m., is open to the public, and no registration is necessary. Then, on Monday, L.I.T.E. Fest will honor All Star Detroit Students while they enjoy carnival games, food, and live performances, leading up to a special viewing of the Detroit Fireworks at night. For a full listing of all of the events happening during DON Weekend click here.
We're sure this will be an absolutely awesome event that you don't want to miss! Shout out to Big Sean for putting this great weekend together and for everything he does for Detroit. For more info on Big Sean and the Sean Anderson Foundation, click here.
Once upon a time, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the world. We were the car capital of the United States and during the war we became the backbone of our country. Unfortunately, we also became one of the most racially charged places in the US and we eventually became one of the most run down and abandoned cities in the world before the so called "rebirth" of the City of Detroit over the last ten years. We have had some high highs and some remarkable lows and somehow we have perservered. We are now at a turning point; the new stadium is up, Ford is moving in, and we have one of the fastest growing restaurant and art cultures in the world. We are a city on the upswing and everyone is ready to celebrate. But, every once in awhile when I step back and think about it, I remember that all of these changes might not be as great as they seem, at least not for everyone. To put it simply, we are displacing a lot of the people who called this city home for the last 50 years when no one else wanted to hang around. It makes you ask yourself, what negative effects is this growth having and who is it effecting.
These are two questions the documentary The Last Days of Chinatown seeks to explore. This Detroit made documentary that was created by Nicole Macdonald and Oren Goldenberg. takes a look at Chinatown, a subdivision of the Cass Corridor. The Corridor was formerly one of the richest neighborhoods in the city before it fell into squalor. This documentary explores the people who live there and how the "rebirth" of the city is affecting their lives. The Last Days of Chinatown will be playing at the MOCAD this Thursday . It's only $5 to get in and tickets will only be sold at the door. MOCAD members are welcome to attend the screening free of charge. This presentation of the film will be followed by a Q & A with the film's creators. So, if you are interested in learning more about one of the city's most historical spaces, head up to the MOCAD at 7 p.m. to see what Nicole and Oren have to say about it.
Did you know that you can now go shopping along the Dequindre Cut? The Dequindre Cut Freight Yard opened up shop earlier this spring. This new retail destination features shopping, entertainment, and more in re-purposed shipping containers that are placed along this popular path.
The Freight Yard is located between Wilkins and Division Street and features food trucks, Detroit area vendors, drinks, and even DJ's. On Friday nights, you can grab a drink or a bite to eat and listen to tunes from 4-10 p.m. Then, on Saturday or Sunday return to the yard to shop with some of your favorite local vendors, like Detroit Hustles Harder, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Although the shopping is only in the afternoon on these days, the bar is open from 11 a.m. 'til 10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 until 9 on Sunday. Food is also available from 11-10 on Saturday, but only from 11-3 on Sunday. And as if this doesn't all sound cool enough already, when you buy a drink at the freight yard, proceeds from that drink goes towards local non-profits!
The Dequindre Cut Freight Yard is open every weekend throughout the summer. The list of vendors will change every weekend, so make sure you follow the yard on Facebook here for updates on what you can find at the yard each weekend. Here's a list of vendors that will be at the market this Saturday and Sunday:
This Thursday marks the first day of summer, and we can't think of a better way to kick off the season than with great music and a few drinks on a patio in Detroit. Luckily, Party Store Productions has just that planned. PSP is bringing The Lagoons and Future Generations to Marble Bar in Detroit. The two bands are currently out on a co-headlining tour, hitting cities throughout the Midwest and up the East Coast. Both bands have new music out too! The Lagoons just released a new EP Escapeand Future Generations have a new single out and a new album on its way this fall. Give both of these bands a listen below.
Tickets to see these two bands live are only $10 and can be purchased in advance here. The night of the show, cover will be $12 at the door. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to this show by sending your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #summer in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Thursday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.
18 and over are welcome to attend this one and the night gets started at 8 p.m. For more info on this show, click here.
The Michigan Central Station abruptly opened it's doors in January of 1914 after the old station burned down on December, 26th 1913.The train depot and 18 story high office building were designed by the same team that created New York's Grand Central Station. In fact, the stations only opened around 6 months apart. The lobby was designed to look like a Roman bath house with features like marble walls and vaulted ceilings. The original building served as a train station and an Amtrack station until 1988 when the last train officially took off from the station.
For the next 30 years, the space has slowly deteriorated. Every few years you would hear whispers that someone was purchasing the station or making plans to restore it, but nothing ever happened. The owners eventually gated it and made sure that for the last ten years, no one got inside. They said it was too unsafe for people to be going inside anymore and the building was too far gone to be restored without some major money. So, it sat there, filling up with water and rotting in the center of Corktown until 2011 when they drained the basement and threw some windows on it. This major makeover restarted the rumors that someone was purchasing the station, but nothing happened until a few weeks ago. Turns out, that someone ended up being Ford Motor Company.
Ford Motor Company was created in 1903 by Henry Ford. He revolutionized the car industry by introducing the assembly line to American car making and by paying his workers a live-able $5 a day wage with benefits, including a shorter 8 hour workday and weekends off of work. He started the company inside the Piquette Avenue Plant, and quickly moved to the Highland ParkPlant, before opening the River Rouge plant in 1928. Ford opened the Willow Run plant in 1942 before they opened their World Headquarters in Dearborn in 1956. At that point, they started opening factories all over the world and expanding into territories that Henry Ford could have never imagined. He passed away in 1947, long before the company grew into the giant that it would become. Ford has made it through the Great Depression, World War I and II, and the crash of 2009 without borrowing money from the US taxpayers like two other local companies. They have outlasted many of their competitors and found some interesting ways to make things work in really rough times. These are all traits that will help them as they take their next step into the future and build their new home downtown in the heart of Corktown.
This historical announcement was made at a press conference on Tuesday, that featured speeches from CEO Jim Hackett and Chairman Bill Ford. Both innovators stressed the importance of moving their next development to the City of Detroit and what it meant to restore this historic building. They talked about embracing the future of driving and technology by working hard to find new ways to "make people's lives better". They also detailed their plans for the space which include a new Corktown campus that will focus on the future of mobility, including how to make transit easier, faster, safer, and cheaper in cities and in the suburbs that surround them. You can watch a full stream of the live event here. It includes a performance by Big Sean that is worth a watch.
The new Ford campus will be around 1.2 million square feet, it will include a mixed use space that will feature offices, retail, and housing. The new offices will likely host around 2,500 employees with the possibility to eventually host another 2,500 in the near future. The renovations will take an estimated four years to complete and the finished product may look something like this:
But, before they get to work to renovate the historical space, they are inviting the public to come in and legally tour the station for the first time in 30 years. Just under a year ago I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon inside the train station and it was one of the most magical days of my life. All of the photos in this post were taken on that magical day when I had the chance to walk the station privately with a few good friends. Make sure you stop by this weekend and have a memorable moment of your own, this will be the first and last time anyone sees the train station looking like this again!
Tours will take place from 1 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. You can click here to sign yourself up for a tour and you can find all the rules for the tours here. This is your last chance to see the building before it goes through a rebirth! Congrats to Ford and all the businesses that we love in Corktown that will hopefully benefit from this move. Think it was hard to get a table at Takoi before?
This Thursday night, the greatest rock & roll band in the world returns to Small's! Black Iris Booking is bringing Supersuckers to the stage along with Speedealer and The Strains. Eddie Spaghetti and the boys just finished up a Canadian tour and now they are rocking their way across the US. Before they play Small's this Thursday, Speedealer is doing a meet and greet at Village Vinyl in Warren at 4 p.m. and Supersuckers are playing a free acoustic set at Rock City Music Company in Livonia from 6-7:30 p.m. You can find out more about the meet and greet here and the acoustic set here.
Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. on Thursday and all ages are welcome. Tickets for the show are $16 in advance or $18 the day of the show. You can pick your tickets up in advance here. You can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show by sending your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #supersuckers in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Thursday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize. Good luck!
Detroit River Days is returning to the Detroit River Front this weekend for the 12th year in a row. The festival was started in 2007 and its purpose is to celebrate the continuously improving Detroit River Front. Their goal is to get people who wouldn't normally come down to the city to come down for the day/weekend and give it a chance. In order to get everyone's attention, they have put together a fun filled three day event that includes live music, a kids zone, yoga on the river, zip lines, an air show, a motorcycle bike night, river boat tours, a food court, sand sculptures, and a jet ski championship. Basically, there is a little something for everyone. Musical headliners include Kool & the Gang and Morris Day & the Time, but there will be lots of great local acts too, including Brother Son, Roots Vibrations and The Reefermen.
The three day festival kicks off on Friday and is free from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and then it is a $3 admission fee for anyone from 3 until 65 years of age. This does not include the cost of carnival rides, which range from $1.50 to $2.50 a piece. The event will take place from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. all three days and each day will require a different wristband. Dogs are welcome to attend, but they must be on a leash. No outside food, drinks, chairs, or large backpacks will be permitted inside the festival, but there is a food court where attendees can enjoy some bites. Click here for a guide to parking and make your trip down to the city even more enjoyable!
Pop-ups have become common place in cities like New York and LA, but they are still a special event when they happen in and around Detroit. After decades of watching commerce leave the city, it's fun to see small businesses coming back to Detroit in a big way. It's also interesting to see what kind of amazing experiences can be created when spaces open themselves up for pop-ups. Some pop-ups feature food and others feature clothing and goods, but all of them bring a new element of commerce to the city that helps shine a spotlight on up and coming small businesses that will shape the future of the Motor City.
Beacon Park will be joining in on the trend by hosting a pop up market everyday Saturday night this summer. The weekly event starts at 7 p.m. and runs through 11 p.m. every Saturday and each week features a different collection of vendors that you can check out. The vendors will be showcasing a variety of items, including handmade jewelry, t-shirts, and much more! The market runs through August and each week will feature different vendors. Each week they will also have some live music, to keep up with everything that they have at the market this summer. Add them on Facebook here to stay in the loop.
The park also hosts a free yoga session every week and hosts food trucks throughout the week. To find out more about the other events at Beacon Park this summer, click here.
Ferndale is a fabulous place that is always pushing boundaries, but this weekend they are truly taking local music and DIY to the next level. A small festival called Front Porch Fest will be returning for the second year in a row and we honestly believe that Ferndale is the only place that would let something this cool happen throughout their community. After last year's initial fest, they happily invited the organizers back to plan a second year that is bigger and better than the first.
The idea is simple. The organizers of the festival connect great local bands with porches around the city that are willing to let them set up and play a few songs in the middle of a day on Saturday. This means that you could be sitting inside your house this weekend and you might hear a band off in the distance. This also means that you might be sitting in the house and hear a band playing right outside your space!
Organizers are encouraging attendees to use bikes to ride around the city from set to set instead of using a car, but if you do use a car they want to remind you to drive carefully, obey all parking signs, and respect everyone's spaces! They have created a guide to the festival with links to lead you right to the front porch, you can find that list here. This year's fest will feature pop-ups from 40 different acts including Anthony Retka, Electric Honey, JD Wright, Kimball, Ryan Dillaha & The Miracle Men, Sami Mei, and The Whiskey Charmers.
Pop-up sets will be taking place from noon until 6 p.m. this Saturday, June 23rd. If you have to use the restroom while you're running around and you don't want to buy something, you can use the porta potties set up on the median of Livernois south of 9 Mile at Albany and north of 9 Mile at W. Breckenridge.
Last summer, a new park hit the streets in Detroit, called Beacon Park. This park sits at the intersection of Grand River & 1st street and offers a patch of attractive green space in the heart of the city. Throughout last summer, the park hosted pop-up shops and concerts, and was a great gathering place for friends and family to come together to play games, enjoy a picnic, or have some fun on the see-saws. The park even transformed into an arcade just months ago.
Well, summer is here and Beacon Park has some awesome events planned for the season, including bigger and better concerts! This Saturday, June 16th the park will kick off its summer concert series with Detroit's own JR JR (formerly Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.). Wild Belle will be joining JR JR and Inohs Sivad will be opening the show. The concert is FREE to attend and there will even be an awesome light show happening on the nearby G.A.R. Building during the show. Food trucks will also be on site, craft beers and cocktails will be available, and there will even be shops set up around the park.
Saturday's concert is part of a three concert series, with the next taking place on July 21st with St. Motel. The third show will happen on August 18th, but the headliner has not been announced yet. In addition to these concerts there are a ton of other great events happening at Beacon Park, like markets, yoga, volleyball, and family fun Sundays! You check out the current list of events here.
The music is set to start at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and the fun will go until midnight. For more information on this awesome free event and to see a full list of shops and food trucks that will be on site, click here.
