See Shock Narcotic LIVE on a Screen Near You Friday Night

This Friday night, Shock Narcotic will be coming to you live from the internet! Shock Narcotic is a grind band from Detroit, featuring ex-Dillinger Escape Plan, ex-Black Dahlia Murder, Battlecross, Child Bite members. They will be playing a livestream show along with Scour (featuring Members Of Down, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, And More). The show is being called Live From The Lair and it won't be one of those livestreams from an iPad propped up in the corner of a basement. It's a full on production, with Shock Narcotic's portion shot at The Crofoot in Pontiac. So, even though you can't go to The Crofoot for a show right now, it will kind of be like you are there. 

The show starts at 7 p.m. on Friday night, and will also be available as a video on demand until midnight on Sunday. You do have to purchase tickets in order to view the show, but they are only $9. You can pick yours up here. Once you purchase your tickets, you will get a link to the show three hours before it starts. If you purchase your tickets once the show has already started, you'll get a link within 5 minutes. To even further the experience and make it feel like you actually went to a show, there is merch available for this livestream! You can check that out here. 

Give Shock Narcotic's album I've Seen The Future and It Doesn't Work a listen below or by heading over to their Bandcamp. 

~C

Join the Redford Theatre's Watch Party this Thursday Night

This Thursday night, watch a classic flick from the comfort of your home, while watching online with dozens of other people. It isn't quite the same as going to a movie theatre, but it's as close as it comes without leaving your house! The Redford Theatre has been hosting Facebook watch parties featuring great movies that happen to be in the public domain. During the movie, the Redford Theatre and fellow watchers sometimes comment on the movie or throw out fun facts in the comments section, so it makes the experience a little more exciting than just watching a movie alone. The watch parties are free to attend, although you can show your support by making a donation to the Motor City Theatre Organ Society, which runs the theatre. Usually you can even make a donation right through Facebook during the movie. 

The Redford Theatre's weekly watch parties take place on Thursday evenings. This week's film is The Man with the Golden Arm, starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, and Eleanor Parker. The story follows illegal card dealer and recovering heroin addict Frankie Machine (Frank Sinatra) who gets out of prison and decides to straighten up. "Armed with nothing but an old drum set, Frankie tries to get honest work as a drummer. But when his former employer, small-time con man Schwiefka (Robert Strauss), and Frankie's old drug dealer, Louis (Darren McGavin), re-enter his life, Frankie finds it hard to stay clean." Check out the trailer for the movie below:

 

Thursday's Facebook watch party begins at 9:06 p.m. To watch, just head to the Redford Theatre's Facebook page here. To make a donation to the theatre and the Motor City Theatre Organ Society and help ensure that you can return to this historic theatre to watch a movie someday, click here. 

~C

Frame Wants To Craft A Unique Experience For You

What do you miss most about life before COVID? For us, it's experiences. We have learned that there is no amount of money that can replace the excitement that you get when you are looking forward to a new experience and it's harder than ever before to get that feeling because we can't gather or go out to share new experiences. But, this doesn't mean that all hope is lost. There have been some seriously smart businesses that have found new ways to offer people an experience that they haven't had before without having to put their health and safety at risk. 

Frame in Hazel Park understands that experiences are hard to come by so they have carefully crafted an entire month of experiences that you can purchase and enjoy in the comfort of your own home. This includes an interesting collection of Valentine's Day experiences and a week-long Mardi Gras party. 

Their Valentine's Day parties range from a celebrate yourself at home self-care package with a hand-crafted Sea Salt + Orchid Candle from Hazel Park’s very own Maxlow Candle Co., Antica’s Prosecco Bubble Bath, and champagne picked by Frame’s sommelier Bryan Lamorena to ignite your self-love, to a smelling and tasting package that was created in collaboration with Sfumato Fragrances that would be perfect for the quarantining couple. To reserve an experience, all you have to do is book a spot. Then, you can a pick-up time you experience and bring it home to unpackage at your leisure. 

To learn more about what Frame is offering this February click here. Don't forget to add your name to their mailing list so you can be the first to know about everything that they do!

~S

Passalacqua is Back With a New Self Titled LP! (Video Interview)

It's been a while (10 years) since Passalacqua dropped their first EP Zebehazy Summer, but they are back with a new self titled full length album!

We had the honor of chatting with Brent (The Blaksmith) and Bryan (Mister), check out what they had to say:

Here are links to everything we mentioned in the chat:

Passalacqua Bandcamp

Passalacqua Limited Edition Merch

Passalacqua Instagram

Brent Instagram

Bryan Instagram 

Living Art Detroit 

Hum & Glow of Winter Brings Art to Beacon Park

This week, Beacon Park welcomed back the art of Michael Polakowski for the season. The park showcased his art in the winter of 2020 as well, but now it is back on display with some fresh new pieces for 2021. The show is called "Hum & Glow of Winter" and it is presented by Playground Detroit along with DTE's Beacon Park. An illustrator and muralist, Polakowski's display depicts "various green-spaces and neighborhoods throughout Detroit through light and energy that can be felt throughout the winter season". You can get a sneak peek of the art that is on display here. 

"Hum & Glow of Winter" is on display now through the end of February. The installation is open to the public and free to view daily during park hours, which are 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Beacon Park is located at 1903 Grand River Ave. in Detroit. To see more art from Polakowski, give him a follow on Facebook and Instagram. 

~C

Drive-In Movies Come to Downtown Detroit

Drive-in movie theatres have definitely made a comeback during the pandemic, and one is about to make its way to Downtown Detroit. The Monroe Street Drive-In will make its debut this Friday night at the intersection of Monroe Street and Farmer Street. They will be kicking things off with an older favorite, the original Jurassic Park from 1993. Next on the lineup for Saturday night is Shrek, followed by Back to the Future on Sunday night. 

After this weekend, the plan is to have movies at the drive-in Thursday through Sunday night. The cost is $20 per vehicle and guests are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online here. There may be some tickets sold at the gate as well, but it's best to play it safe and buy yours in advance. Each night, the movie is set to start at 7 p.m. The gates will open at 6 p.m. and you have to be in the lot, parked in your assigned spot no later than 15 minutes before the movie starts. Then, tune your FM dial to the designated station, and kick back and watch your favorite flick. 

There will be concessions available at a tent on site during the movie. Or, if you want to make a night of it and do dinner and a movie, you can order delivery from one of your favorite nearby restaurants. Just place an order through Grub Hub, UberEats, DoorDash, or whatever your preferred delivery app is, then put the address as 815 Bates St., Detroit, MI 48226. Make sure you also put your parking stall number in the notes. Once your food arrives, one of the Come Play Detroit ambassadors will bring your delivery right to your vehicle. The theatre does ask that you please make sure to place your orders by 8 p.m. to make sure that you will get your food while the movie is still playing. Outside food is also permitted, but grills will not be allowed. 

The Monroe Street Drive-In expects patrons to practice social distancing while on site and wear a mask when outside of your vehicle. They also ask that if you do plan to visit the concession stand, just send one person from your party to buy your treats. There will also be restroom trailers on site if you need them, but please wear your mask and social distance while there as well. For a full list of rules and for more information on this new drive-in theatre, click here. 

Monroe Street Drive-In is a collaboration between Emagine Theatres and Bedrock Detroit.

~C

Take a Drive and See Some Art Without Getting Out of Your Car

In 2018, a non-profit called Capturing Belief partnered with SAY Detroit Play Center to contribute to their vision to be the premier training center for young people to improve their community and nurture their individual growth. In 2019, they worked with a new group of young people and continued their mission to "use visual storytelling to shatter stereotypes, dismantle biases, and create universal belonging for young people of color". In 2020, they planned to partner with Inside Southwest Detroit and Ford Motor Company to continue and expand their in-person training program, but thanks to COIVD-19 they had to completely rethink everything to pivot their plans for the 2020/21 session. To do this, they took everything 100% virtual and put a big focus on mental health throughout their 15-week program. 

They called this new version of the program the #remoteAllyProject. The goal of these sessions was to create visual art and to help youth to process what they were going through as their school year was abruptly interrupted and they were forced into isolation by the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 15 weeks, 19 students from Detroit, Kenya, France, and Italy were encouraged to maintain a positive focus while they worked with 8 different teachers to develop better communication and thinking skills while learning about the art of visual storytelling. 

The fruits of that effort are currently on display in front of the Michigan Central Station at Michigan Avenue and Vernor Hwy. in Corktown. You can drive through to see over 100 photos that the students captured for the project. It is an inside look at how the next generation is processing something that we are all still trying to work through in real-time. It is not only a powerful display, but a nice way to get out of the house to experience art in a year that has been relatively empty of artistic gatherings. 

The photos will be on display through January 31st, so you only have a couple more weeks to take a drive through the display. To learn more about Capturing Belief click here. To learn more about #remoteallyproject and to follow them on Instagram click here.

~S

Hoe Army Wants to Sell You Some Sweets

This Saturday afternoon, head to Outer Limits Lounge in Hamtramck to show your support for Hoe Army! They will be taking over the pop-up window on the patio for a bake sale to raise funds for their organization and their mission. Hoe Army (or 304 Army) is "a group of radical sex positives working to support a culture which advocates for grassroots campaigns and pertinent calls to action." The group will be selling pastries, cake, and all sorts of sweet treats, as well as Hoe Army merch and masks. The sale will take place on Saturday afternoon from 1-4 p.m. outside at OLL. 

If you can't make it out this Saturday, they will also be holding a bake sale on January 30th at Senate Theater. This sale will also take place from 1-4 p.m. and will be held in the concessions area of the theatre. In addition to selling baked goods to-go, you can also purchase Senate Theatre merch while you're there, to help support the historic theatre during these difficult times. 

If you want to show your support for Hoe Army Detroit, but can't make it out to either of these events, you can also make a donation via PayPal at PayPal.me/304Armydetroit. Unfortunately, donations to this organization are not tax deductible.

To learn more about Hoe Army and their initiatives, and to stay in the know about their upcoming events, follow them on Instagram @304armydetroit.

~C

Lost River Celebrates Bowie Month with Bowie Themed Cocktails and Pierogi

On January 8th, the legendary David Bowie would have been 74 years old. Sadly, he passed away five years ago, as of January 10th. In honor of this iconic man, Lost River has declared the entire month of January Bowie Month. The tiki bar is celebrating by offering Bowie themed cocktails to-go all month long. The menu includes:

The Jean Genie
Cynar, Arak, Papas Pilar Blonde, Falernum, Fresh Squeezed Lime, Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit, Hibiscus Cinnamon Syrup

and

Space Oddity
Butterfly pea flower infused Caña Brava, Rum Fire, Fresh Squeezed Lime, Banana Simple Syrup, House Made Coconut Cream and Bitters

These cocktails are served in a sealed 6.8 oz. recyclable glass bottle and are $14 each.

If you want something tasty to eat along with those cocktails, they are also offering the "Life on Mushrooms Pierogi", featuring mushrooms, spinach, Bulgarian cheese, and potato. The pierogi come frozen along with instructions on how to cook them at home, because frozen pierogi wouldn't be very good. (At least we don't think they would be, but who knows?) The Life on Mushrooms Pierogi are available as part of a Bowie Month Pierogi + Cocktail Package, which includes a pierogi dinner and 2 cocktails of your choice. Other than the Bowie Month special cocktails, there are a lot of other cocktails and drinks to-go available, including some specials created by Shannon Mustipher. Check out the full menu here.

Lost River is located at 15421 Mack Ave. in Detroit. The bar is open for to-go orders on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Remember, the Bowie specials are only available during Bowie Month, a.k.a. January. So, don't wait! Place your order online by visiting LostRiverTiki.com. 

~C

Get Out of Your House and Have Some Safe, Free Fun by Visiting the DIA

Photo from the DIA's Facebook Page

By now, we are all getting a little tired of staying at home. For most of us, it has been months of being in our homes, working from home, and only seeing a few select people from time to time. Sure, jigsaw puzzles, binging shows on Netflix, and going for walks is fun, but we are all itching for something different to do. 

Well, did you know that you can spice up your routine by going to the DIA? The Detroit Institute of Arts is in fact open to the public. Plus, if you are low on cash, it is still free to get in, as long as you live in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb County. Although it is free, reservations are currently required to visit the museum. Capacity is limited, so some days, reservations fill up in advance, especially for the weekend. So, if you're planning to attend, go online ahead of time, pick the date that you are interested in visiting, and make your reservations. If you plan to go during the week, chances are you will be able to make a reservation the day of, but those weekends fill up quickly! 

The DIA is currently open from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesday and Friday, the 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. time slot is reserved for high-risk patrons. Face masks are required at all times while visiting the DIA, and your temperature will be checked at the door. Also, the café and coat check are currently closed, no large bags are permitted, and only credit and debit cards are accepted for any purchases that you make. And of course, everyone is expected to practice social distancing while at the DIA. 

To go over the DIA's full COVID-19 protocol, click here. To make your reservation to visit the DIA, click here. Make sure you also head over and follow the DIA on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop on updates and virtual experiences. 

~C