Catch Live Music at The Cadieux this Saturday

How much do you miss live music? Are you itching to get out and see a show? Well you're in luck! A few great Detroit bands have decided that they are ready to take the stage to share a night of musical magic with you. Dear Darkness, Caveman & Bam Bam, and Womb Worm will be playing Cadieux Cafe this Saturday, October 3rd.

This show, as with all things post-COVID, will be a little different to make sure that everyone can have fun and stay safe. First of all, the band is playing outside so that everyone can spread out and give people their space. The band/venue are also requiring everyone to wear a mask. They want to make sure that you can laugh, sing, and talk as loud as you want without risking your health.  

Dear Darkness will also be celebrating the night with a new 7" that will available for purchase at the show. You can preview the tunes here and then pick up a copy after you watch their set!

It's only $5 to come out and hang and this one will start and end early, so pay attention to the time. Doors are at 7 p.m. and the night will end at 10 p.m.  Cadieux Cafe is located at 4300 Cadieux Rd., Detroit, MI 48224.

~S

Attend this Year's Virtual TEDXDetroit Talks for Free

If you've always wanted to go to a TED talk, but never could make it happen, here's your chance! This year, TEDXDetroit is all virtual and it's free! TEDXDetroit will take place this Wednesday, September 30th. The virtual event will feature talks from national speakers like  Al Jean (Emmy Award-winning producer/writer best known for his work on The Simpsons) and  LZ Granderson (journalist, host, announcer). It will also feature local speakers like PJ Jacokes (producer and co-owner of Go Comedy!) and Khary Kimani Turner (Executive Director for Coleman A. Young Foundation). Check out the full roster of this year's speakers here. 

Although it's free to attend this virtual event, you must register online here. The talks will take place in three sessions throughout the day on Wednesday, with Session 1 from 10-11:30 a.m., Session 2 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., and Session 3 from 8-9:30 p.m. For all of the details on this year's event, visit TEDXDetroit.com.

~C

The Truck Stops Here, Barbie and Hello Kitty are Coming to Town!

 

Are you a sucker for some good nostalgia? Were you into Barbie in the '90s? Did you rock an entire Hello Kitty pencil set on the first day of school? If hot pink is your color and trying something new is your kink we have something exciting for you to check out this weekend. The Hello Kitty and Barbie Throwback Trucks are coming to Twelve Oaks Mall this weekend. 

The Hello Kitty Cafe Truck has visited before and it was a big hit. They serve up a variety of desserts and snacks alongside some limited edition Hello Kitty Swag. This includes pin sets, lunch boxes, canvas totes, water bottles, and more. They even have a signature bottled water that is probably overpriced and way too cute to pass up! On the other hand, this will be Barbie's first time in town. Her truck promises awesome accessories, fly fashions, and sweet stuff.  Think lots of 90's era natasalagia splashed across every item you can think of.

Both trucks will be parked outside of Twelve Oaks Mall from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. this Saturday, September 26th. Please wear a mask, and keep 6 feet between yourself and others when you visit the truck!

~S

Outdoor Movie Night at the Redford Theatre with The Three Stooges

We could all use a good laugh right now with all of the craziness going on in the world. And since the weather is still nice, your friends at the Redford Theatre have decided to host a fun outdoor movie night this Friday night! They will be showing classic episodes from The Three Stooges as well as some cartoons out in their parking lot. The lineup for the evening includes "Disorder In The Court" (1936), "Sing a Song of Six Pants" (1947), "Brideless Groom" (1947), and "Malice In The Palace" (1949). 

Tickets are required for this event and are limited to allow for social distancing. You can pick yours up for just $10 here.  There are also some guidelines in place to make sure this is a safe and fun event for all. 

• We kindly ask that any guest who has a fever or is experiencing any Covid-19-like symptoms refrain from coming to our theatre.
• If a guest has knowingly been in contact with any individuals who have been diagnosed with Coronavirus, we ask that you self-quarantine and avoid the theatre.
• If a guest has purchased tickets and has experienced any symptoms related to Covid-19, you may request a refund.
• Redford Theatre volunteers will all wear masks, wash hands every 30-60 minutes, and undergo health and temperature screening before serving our patrons.
• All guests must wear a face mask whenever not seated that secures behind the ears and head. Valve masks and neck gaiters will not be allowed.
• Masks may be removed while seated to enjoy items from our concession stand, but please replace masks when done drinking/eating.
• Social distancing must be observed, and you must sit 8 feet from anyone who is not in your immediate party/household. Capacity will be reduced to ensure this is possible.
• No alcohol.

Gates will open at 7 p.m. for this event. The pre-show starts at 7:30 and the movie begins at 8 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on because no seating will be provided. For more information on this fun event, click here.  

~C

Announcement: Hip in Detroit Now Has a Facebook Group - What's Hip in Detroit?

2020 has been a challenge for all of us. Many people are out of work, while others are tackling the new reality of working from home. Others are working on the frontlines, dealing with the realities of the pandemic, while many are staying home to keep themselves, their families, and their neighbors safe. Businesses are struggling, and we all miss seeing our loved ones and giving them hugs or a high five. We are all dealing with challenges in one way or another, and things are changing every day, sometimes in good ways, and sometimes in not so good ways. We miss the old ways of having fun and somehow we are finding new ways to have fun and enjoy life. 

Over the past six months, we have had a really hard time deciding what we should be doing with Hip in Detroit in order to best serve our community and followers. Sadie has been working her ass off to keep everyone informed and updated through our social media channels, but our normal content isn't being written and posted as often. There aren't many shows yet, and like many, we aren't going out as much as we used to. Somehow, there is a lot happening, and nothing happening at the same time. It's weird and it's hard to keep up with it all. 

This is why we have decided that now is the time to add another platform to Hip in Detroit. We will still be posting on our website, sharing our stories through our social media accounts, and eventually bringing back our podcast. However, we thought that at this time, something that would really benefit our followers, Detroit musicians, and local businesses is a Facebook Group. Yeah, we know, there are a lot of groups out there. However, this will be a platform for everyone to share all of the "hip" things going on in Detroit. Is your restaurant re-opening? Great, post about it in our group. Does your band have a new song out? Awesome! Post about it in our group! Are you doing a live stream this weekend? Post about it in our group! You get our point... We still post on the blog and our social media channels as much as possible, but we are only two people, and we can't always cover everything that we want to. This will help bridge the gap and will help people, bands, and businesses reach people that might not be following their specific social media pages. 

So, we hope that you will join us in this Facebook Group and hopefully we can all learn about the hip things that are still happening despite the weird times that we are living in. Click here to join in on the fun! Thanks for your continued support of Hip in Detroit and all things that are "hip in Detroit". 

~C&S

Planthropie

They say having a child changes everything about your life. But, they don't tell you that those changes might lead you to finding your passion and your place in the world. When Rua Francis Oshana found out that her son had a dairy allergy, she made a commitment to finding new ways to make healthy, nutritious, and delicious dairy-free foods for her family. This necessary life change sparked a passion for Rua that lead her to create her own artful approach to plant-based eating. In 2017 she launched Planthropie (“plant-thruh-pea") a vegan/plant-based, gluten-free, soy-free, refined sugar-free, organic, fair trade company that specializes in wholesome desserts and artisanal cheeses. By 2018 she held her first pop-up and in February of 2020, she opened her own brick and motor space at 135 Pierce Street, Birmingham, MI 48009.

Planthropie's cheese and dessert shop features a seasonal variety of cakes, mini cakes, cheeses, bliss balls, and truffles. They also have a small selection of nitro cold brews, kombuchas and teas.  Everything they make is 100% vegan and is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the mouth. Their menu offers cake selections, like Pistachio Delight- a delicious lightly toasted pistachio crust all garnished with extra toasted pistachio crumble, and Blueberry Lemon Cake- organic blueberry lemon cream puree, hints of white cacao with the subtle sweetness of toasted almond crust. Their cheese selection also changes seasonally. They currently have a yummy white truffle-cultured cashew cheese handcrafted in small batches with pure organic activated cashews and the aged dill-cultured cashew cheese handcrafted in small batches with pure organic activated cashews and organic fresh dill. You can see their full menu here.

Rua's goal is to make plant-based eating easy, approachable and delicious. She also wants to make vegan desserts and cheeses a little more luxurious, so she puts as much into the presentation of the food as she does into the taste. On top of that, her small dessert shop is one of the most well decorated spaces that we have ever visited. It is the PERFECT place to meet a friend for a coffee and a treat. You can choose to eat inside the cafe (10 person limit ) or you can take your food outside and enjoy it on the street because Birmingham has pop-up seating all over the city.

Planthropie is currently open 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. Wed through Friday, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. on Sunday. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. You can preorder on their website or call them if you need a custom order, just make sure you give Rua a few days to get it together for you. Vegans and non-vegans NEED to stop by and give Planthropie a try, there is no other space like it in Metro Detroit.

~S

We Finally Tried Scooting Around the City of Detroit

Photo Crains Detroit

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ride an electric scooter around downtown Detroit? I never thought I would have any interest in riding one until the pandemic hit. Since lockdown, I have found myself eager to do all the things that I said I wouldn't, so I decided to go for it. I rented a scooter and spent around a half-hour riding around the city with a friend to see what it was all about. 

The first thing we had to do is decide where we wanted to ride. Being COVID conscience we wanted to make sure we could keep our space, but we also wanted to be in a somewhat populated area. After a little discussion, we decided that Cass Corridor would be the ideal place for us to give scooting a try. Once we decided what part of the city we were going to explore we needed to find 2 scooters to ride. It only took a few minutes to find a place to park and two scooters that were close to each other. There are packs of scooters at almost every corner in Downtown/Midtown/Cass Corridor so it's super easy to find one to ride if your in those areas. 

Signing in to use the scooters was as easy as scanning the barcode and adding my PayPal to the app for payment. Within seconds of entering my information, the scooter lit up to let me know that I was ready to go. Once my scooter was turned on I scanned my friend's and within 5 minutes from signing in for the first time, we were off. Scooting around town was a lot more fun than I thought it would be!

The scooters can go really fast, but once you get the hang of it, they are pretty easy to ride. It only took me a few blocks to start going full speed every time we turned onto an empty block. Every moment of our joyride was amazing. We loved getting a street-level view of the Corridor and having the wind blow through our hair. It is something that everyone should try at least once. 

The only drawbacks of these scooters are that they are not as practical as I thought they would be. I assumed that if you lived in the area you could use them to bop around town, but they are too dangerous, impractical, and expensive to use for regular transportation. You have to be very consicience of pedestrians walking in and out of the businesses around you and there are a lot of cracks in the sidewalk, which means you skip, hop, and jump curbs a lot. Our 30-minute scoot also cost around $8 a person, which means we could have taken a Uber to and from anywhere in the area and spent less than $16. So, when you see these, don't think about them as a way to get around town, they are more of an experience than a tool. 

This was also a good reminder that you should always try something new even when it scares you. I haven't been able to try many new things this year and I treasured the feeling of experiencing something I've never experienced before. I will officially never make fun of someone on a scooter again. I get it, it's fun. You should try it!

Scooter Companies to try:

Bird

Lime-S

Spin

~S

Find Something New for You and Your Home at Urbānum in New Center

Whether you're looking for a gift or something special for your home, Urbānum is the perfect place to shop! Located on Woodward Ave. in New Center, the store just celebrated its 2 Year Anniversary this past weekend. We've been following them on social media for a while so we thought that we should finally stop in to see what this business is all about. 

Urbānum considers themselves, "a curator of distinctly Detroit and city-driven design, with merchandise combining the familiarity of industry with the comfort of found objects." When you step into the store, you feel like you are in an upscale shop or entering a well put together home because the layout and decor is beautiful. Merchandise includes everything from home decor items, to greeting cards and jewelry. There are also lots of Detroit themed pieces, many of which we haven't seen in other shops, such as handmade pillows adorned with screen printings of Detroit buildings and Detroit vinyl floor mats. You can also browse through books, items for your bar, dishes, and lots of cool stuff for kids. This store truly has something for everyone. The best part is that even though everything looks luxurious, the prices were quite reasonable.

We are sorry that we slept on this shop for over two years. We are always happy to see new businesses moving into the empty storefronts in New Center, but we can't help but feel sad for the businesses that came before them that were forced to shutter due to the construction of Woodward Ave. and the Q Line. This sadness kept us from exploring all the great shops that have moved into Midtown. Urbānum addressed this in a Facebook post discussing their decision to open a shop in the once-thriving New Center area. 

They posted the following:

"We've lived and worked in Detroit for a long time and we deeply understood that our good fortune was caused by someone else's misfortune. We weighed the pros and cons for a long time and finally said we would take it. We live in Woodbridge, I was a DPS teacher - we hoped to be good stewards of the space and provide our community with some basics that weren't readily available in the city. We hope we're living up to that goal and more!"

It's nice to see that we all shared a similar sentiment. We think that Urbānum is a great addition to the city and we look forward to shopping there on the regular. We hope that you stop in and check it out, we think that you will like it as much as we do.

Urbānum is located at 6545 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Their current store hours are Thursday - Saturday from noon - 5 p.m. Make sure you follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates and sneak peeks of new merchandise available in the store. 

Happy Second Anniversary, Urbānum! We hope that you have many successful years ahead of you! 

~C

10+ Things To Do Over Labor Day Weekend in Metro Detroit

Labor Day weekend is usually considered the end of the Summer, one last chance to get outside and have some fun before the weather turns and the kids go back to school. So, we put together this list of everything fun that we could find to do around town this weekend. We suggest finding something that interests you and making a plan to make it happen. Take advantage of the nice weather and make sure to send summer out with a bang!

Friday, September 4th

Detroit Tribute in Light @ Beacon Park- 

This community-centric video and light event honors the courage Detroiters have shown and acknowledges the losses we have suffered in facing the two pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice. There will be a closing event on Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m. featuring music, storytelling, poetry, and performance art.

Fresh Donuts @ TV Bar

Friday at 5 p.m. - Midnight

Fridays are back in play with a fresh new vibe. Come check us out on our expansive and recently remodeled patio.Capacity will be limited to 75 people. Doors at 5 p.m.

Amelie on the Patio @ The Film Lab

2 showings this weekend

Friday at 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Sunday at 8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Revival: A Tribute To The Allman Brother @ Cadieux Cafe

Friday at 7 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Detroit’s A-list musicians paying tribute to The Allman Brothers Band!

DeutschTroit at B. Nektar

Friday at 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

German food pop-up and Mead

Saturday, September 5th

Love Club - Garden Grooves Series @ Tangent Ballroom

Masks required at all times.

12 p.m. - Midnight; Limited capacity

$5 Cash door (Please bring exact)

Happy hour brunch 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Food by Monster Foods & NOODL

Lineup:

Javonntte (live

Nuntheless (live)

Kind Of Animal (live)

Yukiko

Tiger Bros B2B

Michael Thomas

CoveLove

Art by Gino

FREE Outdoor Community Hatha Yoga

Brought to you by People For Palmer Park

Time: 9 - 10 a.m.

Place: Palmer Park - 910 Merrill Plaissance, Detroit, MI 48203

Only 20 people per class, so you need to register in advance!

Summer Sidewalk Saturdays on Canfield Street

12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Weekly socially distant summer sidewalk sale featuring Bon Bon Bon, City Bird, and Nest, Fleat Detroit, Frita Batidos, Little High Flyers, Monger's Provisions, Old Soul Vintage, Olive's Bloombox, RUNdetroit,  and Third Man Records.

Eastern Market Saturdays

Saturday at 6 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Fresh food, restaurants, businesses, art and culture!

Goodfellas on the Patio @ The Film Lab

Saturday at 8:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Sunday, September 6th

Sunday Market at Eastern Market

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sundays at Eastern Market are different than your normal Saturday at a Market. Instead of produce and plants, shop goods from local artisans and grab a bite from a food truck!

All Weekend

Detroit Jazz Festival 2020

Facebook Live Virtual Event

Sep 4th at 12 p.m. – Sep 7th at 11 p.m.

2020 Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Rocket Mortgage will be streamed and

broadcast “live” for free this Labor Day weekend. The Festival begins on Friday, September 4th, and runs through Monday, September 7th.