Stay Safe and Have Some Fun at a Drive-In Movie this Summer

It's been over four months since COVID-19 changed the way that we live. We are wearing masks, keeping our distance, and finding new ways to get together and share experiences without risking each other's health. Instead of dining in, we are eating outside on patios or ordering take-out. Instead of gyms, we are going on long bike rides and walks. And instead of movie theatres, we are revisiting the magic of drive-in movies.

Drive-in movies were created in the1930s. The idea was that you could drive-in and watch a movie in the privacy of your own car using a speaker that was mounted by the window. Their attendance spiked after World War II and they were the most popular form of entertainment in the 1950s and 1960s. Their sales finally started to decline in the 1970s and '80s with the expansion of home entertainment. This included color television, cable tv, and movie rentals. In fact, most drive-ins had disappeared by the turn of the century. Sitting in your car wasn't as ideal as sitting on your couch until your couch became the only place you could sit and watch a movie.  

COVID-19 has refocused people's attention on drive-in movies as a great way to get out without putting yourself at risk. Plus, if you pick the right film, it can be a good time for everyone in the car, including the kids. There are currently three Metro Detroit drive-ins that are showing films this summer. One is located in Flint, one in Dearborn, and another in Plymouth. All three theatres have adapted to make sure that they are extra safe during COVID-19. This includes using a radio frequency to hear the movie instead of sharing speakers and requiring all visitors to wear a face mask if they use the restrooms or stop by the concession stands. Tickets are selling out fast, especially because they are only letting people park in every other spot to make things extra safe. So, if you need to get out without risking your safety, get your tickets for a movie in advance to ensure that they save a spot for you.

Here are links to all three theatres;

US 23 Digital Drive-In Theatre in Flint

The Summer Drive-In in Plymouth

Ford Drive-In in Dearborn

In addition to these drive-in theatres, there are also some pop-up drive-in theatres around town. These venues will have limited showings.

Macomb County Drive-In Movies at Freedom Hill

Canterbury Drive-In Movies

~S

Play a Song with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Music brings people together. A great party song helps us celebrate the good times and a sad ballad helps us cope with the hardest moments in life. You can appreciate a good tune in any language and a great beat will get anyone dancing. Music is so transcendent it is often used as a way to get people to connect to create something. It is especially useful during difficult times like the ones that we are going through right now.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra understands the power of music and they want to use it to create something beautiful during a time of so much stress and unsureness. To do this they are asking musicians of all skill levels from all over the world to take the time to record themselves performing an arrangement of the central theme in Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter” from The Planets — put together by composer and DSO cellist Jeremy Crosmer with lyrics by Meaghan Heinrich. To do this, you can download the music, film yourself recording your own version of the song, and submit it. You can find everything you need to do that here. They even have some helpful tips to help you film a good video. All videos must be submitted by July 3rd. Please watch the powerful video they recorded to explain the project. It is nice to see so the DSO proudly saying that Black Lives Matter. It is also cool to think that your music might end up in a video with the world-famous DSO!

~S 

New Music from Dude

Last week, Detroit's own Dude released a brand new single. "Red Coat for Sale" is the third single off Dude's upcoming second full length Autobiograffitti. The band doesn't have an official release date yet for the new album, but this song will leaving fans wanting more. Hit play below to give it a listen or head over and listen to it on Spotify here.

If you want to give the other two singles "Blue Canary" and "Own The Day" a listen, click here. To learn more about Dude, check out our podcast with front man Tony DeNardo here. 

~C

Tony Rave Presents Family Matters this Sunday

Looking at art can start a flow of thoughts and open up a conversation. The feelings that arise within us can tell us a lot about ourselves. When we are open to observing, we may discover that all sorts of new thoughts and ideas arise that make us view our own world differently. Tony Rave is the type of artist that wants to challenge you to think, to see something, and to have a conversation.

This Sunday, June 28th Tony wants to start a conversation about nostalgia and race propaganda. His installation called Family Matters will only be on display for one day and all the proceeds from the show will help fund the 48HR Complex, an artist-owned space that he is helping curate and grow. The show will take place at 225 Connecticut, Highland Park MI, 48223 from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. and it will feature music from Juuni (Joo-Nee) a local artist that uses analog and digital instruments to create the soundscape.

Come check it out and let's see what kind of conversation it starts within you.

~S

We Chatted with 2 Great Small Businesses That Need Your Support

Two weeks ago the world was 100% focused on COVID-19. Many of us were posted up in our houses worried about our jobs, our kids, our health, and how we were going to get through a few more weeks of lockdown. As a website, we were focused on how we could support the small businesses that have supported us throughout the last 8 years. We were also worried about how we would find the funds to keep hip going without the generous support of our sponsors. So, we built a new merch store and reached out to some of those sponsors to have a zoom chat about what they were doing and how we could help them keep afloat during these uncertain times.

As we were rolling out our first set of interviews and sharing the new merch we watched a revolution take place right in front of our eyes. On May 25th, 2020 George Floyd was murdered by 4 police officers in Minneapolis while a bystander filmed the last 8 minutes and 46 seconds of his life.  On May 26th the people took to the streets of Minneapolis, on May 29th Detroiters did the same. These protests have continued every day since then and will continue until the people are heard. We want change and we want it now. Because of this, we have redirected our social media focus to support Black Lives Matter, to cover the protests and to share ways to support black-owned businesses in Metro Detroit.

But, we didn't want to throw away the great chats we had with Brightly Twisted and Rouge Hair and Makeup. Both businesses have shifted their focus/ business structure because of COVID-19 and are not planning to reopen until they know they can keep everyone safe so they could really use your support. Please check out these chats to learn more about these two wonderful local companies and keep following us on social media to stay up to date on what is happening in and around Metro Detroit. We are proud to see Detroiters standing up for what they believe in. Keep marching, keep learning, keep unlearning, and keep the pressure on.

~S