Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: June 14-16

Friday, June 14th - James Linck @ The Old Miami: You know that if James Linck is playing a show, we're going to tell you about it. He will playing at The Old Miami this Friday night along with Goldzilla, Duane, and Jaws That Bite. Cover to see these four acts live is only $5, 21+ are welcome, and doors open at 9 p.m.






Friday, June 14th - Miz Korona @ PJ's Lager House: The legend herself, Miz Korona, will be returning to the stage to perform at PJ's Lager House this Friday night. She will be joined by the Korona Effect, along with Finale, Dssense, and Nix. $15 will get you in the door. 18+ are welcome and doors open at 8 p.m.






Saturday, June 15th - Bathroom of the Future @ The Sanctuary: Bathroom of the Future is releasing a new album and they're celebrating the release at The Sanctuary this Saturday night. Joining them for the night are The Dewtons, Young Hunger, and Labour Day Weekend. Cover is only $5 and all ages are welcome. Get a sneak peek of the new album by checking out the first song released off of it, "Star Wars 2".




Saturday, June 15th - A Fundraiser for Girls Rock Detroit @ Small's: Girls Rock Detroit is an awesome organization helping to train the next generation of musicians right here in Detroit. This Saturday night, Black Iris Booking and Small's have teamed up to have a fundraiser for the group. Wiccans, Immaculate Conception, Dark Serenity and Seritas will all be performing and they are asking for a $10 minimum donation at the door. 18+ are welcome and doors open at 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 15th - Free Moon Taxi Concert @ Beacon Park: Throughout last summer, Beacon Park hosted some great events, with some of the most popular being their free summer concert series. Well, this Saturday night they will bring another great free concert to their stage. This time around, Moon Taxi will be hitting the stage along with The War & Treaty and Empty Houses. There will also be market vendors, and food and drinks available for purchase. Things kick off at 6:30 p.m.



Sunday, June 16th - Teenage Bottlerocket @ Small's: The weekend isn't over until your alarm goes off on Monday morning! Black Iris Booking will bring Teenage Bottlerocket to town to play Small's on Sunday night along with Ramona USA, S.U.B., and Smash The Jukebox. Tickets are $14 and can be purchased in advance here or cover will be $16 at the door. All ages are welcome and doors open at 7 p.m.

Win Tickets to See Corktown Popes and The Firewalkers

This Saturday night, Corktown Popes will be playing two full sets at The Loving Touch, a big treat for any of Popes' fans. During those sets, the band will also be recording a video at the venue. And, if those reasons aren't enough to entice you, opening up for the Corktown Popes will be The Firewalkers. For those that aren't familiar, The Firewalkers is the new project from Laura Mendoza, along with Rudy Varner, Loney Charles, and David James. Give both bands a listen below to get a feel for what you can expect at Saturday's show.

Video by Richard Blondy

Tickets to see these two bands live are $10 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to our friends at The Loving Touch, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to the show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #popes in the subject line. We will draw our winner on Saturday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize. 

All ages are welcome to attend this one and things are set to kick off at 8 p.m.

~C

Come Hangout at Bagley Central While We Record Our Next Podcast with Sara Aldridge

Detroit has changed a lot over the last 8 years and so has hipindetroit.com. We are constantly trying to find new ways to document the people, places, and music that make Detroit so magical and along the way we realized that we really liked podcasting. Then, after years of being cooped up in a studio, we decided to switch it up and take our podcast on the road. Instead of staying in the same place, we purchased all the things we needed to pop-up and podcast on our own terms. This means that we can record our chats anywhere, anytime with anyone that we want. This also means that we have the time that we need to get in-depth and truly document the people that are making this city move.

This month we will be talking to Sara Aldridge, 1/2 of Nothing Elegant and one of the most well respected DJs in Detroit. Sara is a culture creator and a positivity ambassador that uses her voice to highlight injustice and spread joy by creating safe spaces for people to dance. She has also been deeply involved with the Detroit art and music scene for two decades and she has a lot of knowledge to share.

We will be recording this conversation at Bagley Central on June 18th at 7 p.m. and we would like to invite all of you to listen in while we chat. The new cocktail bar is one of our favorite places to kick back and have a drink, so we figured it was the perfect place to relax and record. So come hang out and do the same while we talk to Sara about all things hip in Detroit.

~S

Win Tickets to See Joe DeRosa at Small's

This Friday night, Ray and Laura's Comedy Showcase will bring funny man Joe DeRosa to the stage at Small's in Hamtramck! DeRosa is a comedian, writer, and actor. You may have seen him on shows like Better Call Saul or Inside Amy Schumer, or you probably have seen one of his specials on Comedy Central over the years. He has been on TV, on the radio, and on stage. He even has released several albums. Give his 2017 release You Let Me Down a listen here.

Tickets to see Joe DeRosa live are $20 and can be purchased in advance here. The night of the show, cover will be $25 at the door. Thanks to our friends at Small's, we are also giving away a free pair of tickets to one lucky reader. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #joe in the subject line. We will draw our winner on Friday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors are set to open at 8 p.m. on Friday and the show will start at 9 p.m. 21+ are welcome. For more info on this event and on Joe DeRosa, head over to the Facebook event page here.

~C

It's Time To Stop By and Check Out ZMC

If you're driving down main street from Royal Oak to Ferndale, you'll see a cute little pharmacy called ZMC on your left side. If you look a little closer, you see some killer window displays that will entice you to come in, and if you are smart enough to stop and take a look around you will be surprised by what you find.

ZMC is a family owned pharmacy and gift shop that is unlike any other. They can refill your birth control prescription while you browse around one of the best assortments of lotions, skincare, and well-being products around, mixed with an interesting collection of jewelry, gifts, and kids items. They also have the best card selection that we have ever seen. We make a point to stop in every once in a while to see what kind of new items they have in stock and we were pleased to find that they are stocked up on Spring and Summer skin care. We picked up some new SPF based products to get through the season and were blown away to see that they sold KEPT jewelry at the counter (if you need a last minute gift, we can't think of anything better). They also have some really cool candles, lots of green little plants, and some great affordable earrings.

If your in the area YOU MUST stop in and see what kind of cool things that you can find and if you are looking for a local pharmacy to fill your scripts, this is the kind of place that actually cares about the people that they serve. So stop letting CVS and Walgreens treat you poorly when going to the pharmacy could be a really cool experience.

Here are a few of the fun things we found during our latest visit. If you want to see more of the fun things that they have, you can follow them on Instagram here.

  

Win Tickets to See Ignite at El Club

Everyone knows that Detroit is known for great music, as are cities like Nashville and Seattle. Detroit has Motown, Nashville has country, and Seattle was the home of grunge. But, fans of punk rock and hardcore know that Orange County is home to some great bands too. Gwen Stefani of No Doubt sings about being an "Orange County girl, living in an extraordinary world". It's also home to Fu Manchu, Save Ferris, The Offspring, and US Bombs. The list of great bands from Orange County is quite lengthy and Ignite is one of those bands included on the list.

For those that aren't familiar, Ignite is a melodic hardcore band that has been playing music since 1993. You may recognize some of the members of the band from playing with other bands like Pennywise, Strife, and Into Another. Many of their songs address social and political issues, you can give most of their discography a listen here.

Ignite is kicking off an East Coast tour this Tuesday night in Chicago and they're headed to Detroit on Wednesday night. The band will hit the stage at El Club along with Detroit's own Young Hunger and Reuther. Tickets to see these three bands live are $16 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to our friends at El Club, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #ignite in the subject line. We will draw our winner on Wednesday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

All ages are welcome to attend this show and doors are set to open at 7 p.m.

~C

If You Don't Find Something You Like at Elaine B Jewelry She Can Make You Something Else

Jelwery has always confused me. I love wearing it, but I've never understood why so many people lusted after diamonds and heart-shaped pieces from Jared. Personally, I'm a lot more impressed by raw natural stones and simple classic designs made out of cool metals. Instead of splurging on one big piece that immediately loses its value, I would rather spend a modest amount and be able to switch it up every once in a while. Plus, when you find something that was handmade, it's usually one of a kind or at least artisan enough that your friend won't be wearing the same thing the next time you go out for drinks. Currently, I've been rocking a lot of unique necklaces from KEPT jewelry and some hammered stackables that I found at the last Detroit Urban Craft Fair (a great place to find jewelry every year!). I am always on the search for something new to upgrade my accessory game and I recently found something special in Ferndale.


Elaine B Jelwery is a small unassuming space about a block away from 9 Mile on Woodward in Ferndale, Michigan. The day I walked by it was decorated for PRIDE, but I imagine that it's one of the spaces that always has an overly well-done window that makes you want to walk inside the door. Once you step inside, you will find a very large space that features a showroom and a workshop. You can even meet Elaine and chat with her about her designs. It is really cool to see how she works on each piece and its even more fun to try them all on.
She sells a small selection of housewares and plant holders as well, but she mostly focuses on jewelry. Her designs are simple, beautiful, structural, light and airy at the same time. Her jewelry is incredibly wearable and different. My favorite piece was the concentric threaders, they are dramatic and understated and can be worn daily or for special occasions. I have been looking for something special like this for a long time and I am super happy that I was able to purchase it locally from a female owned and operated business.

 

Elaine also specializes in custom work and engagement rings. You can work with her every step of the way or let her create something special with a few bits of guidance. Elaine B Jelwery is open noon until 6 p.m. every day of the week, so make sure that you stop in and see all of the beautiful things that she has created for herself.

~S

Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: May 31 - June 2

Thursday, May 30-Sunday June 2nd - Detroit Women of Comedy Festival: Over the last few years, the comedy scene in Metro Detroit has exploded. There are several pop-up comedy nights throughout the area and it's safe to say that there are some pretty hilarious people living in this city. This weekend is all about the funny females at the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival. The event will be taking over Ant Hall all weekend, and actually kicked off on Thursday night. There will also be shows at The Independent and Black Box. Tickets for all shows are $7.50 in advance or $10 at the door. See the full schedule and purchase tickets online here.

Saturday, June 1 - Ferndale Pride: Pride will be taking over the streets of Ferndale this weekend! There will be live music, vendors, dancing, and so much more throughout the city. For a full list of events and details, head to the official Ferndale Pride website here. Show your pride and celebrate the LGBTQ community this weekend!






Saturday, June 1 - Sick Of It All @ Small's: New York Hardcore heroes Sick Of It All will hit the stage at Small's this Saturday night! The band is currently out on tour with La Armada and Detroit's own Negative Approach will also be joining the two bands for Saturday's show. Tickets to see these three great bands live are only $20 in advance and can be purchased online here. All ages are welcome, but those under 21 will not be allowed re-entry.




Saturday, June 1 - Tart @ Ghost Light: If you haven't seen Tart yet, then what are you waiting for!?!?!? We've told you time and time again that this is one of the best bands in Detroit right now! See for yourself this Saturday night at the Ghost Light in Hamtramck. Tart will be joined by GRLwood and this is the official DWCF after party. So if you go see those funny ladies during the festival, cover is free with your ticket stub. Cover for everyone else is $10 at the door.

~C

2 Dogs Hot Sauce has a Whole New Way to Make You Sweat!

Hot sauce has been one of the most popular condiments in the U.S. since its arrival in American culture around 1807. North American hot sauces commonly use cayenne, chipotle, habañero, and jalapeño peppers as the base and source of heat, but there are thousands of different ways to create a good sauce and the way that you cook it up varies on what your goal is for the sauce. You can make something extra spicy, super sweet, or infuse it with another flavor that adds to its magic. The type of pepper that you choose gives the sauce its color and its strength and the way your roast it and season it gives it its special flavor. Some sauces are mild and full of sweetness and others burn your tongue the moment that they hit your tastebuds. Everyone has a different preference, but most people can agree that adding a little hot sauce to something only makes it better. Which is why so many of us find ourselves on a constant quest to find the perfect sauce.

One of our favorite new finds is a small locally made brand called 2 Dogs Hot Sauce. They have perfected the art of making a good hot sauce that has tons of flavor and the perfect amount of punch. Their sauces are made with high-quality ingredients and bottled right here in Warren, Michigan. Their sauces are gluten free and vegan and only made with good stuff,  you can see the entire ingredients list here. They currently sell Black Pepper Habernero and Michigan Cherry Habernero online and in-stores across Michigan and will be adding a third flavor called The Green Mild to their lineup today!

2 Dogs will be celebrating the release of  The Green Mild tonight at The Outer Limits Lounge in Hamtramck. The free party will feature live music from Tin Foil, The Oscillating Fan Club, Some Uncoordinated Bastards, and Milk Bath, as well as a hot sauce sampling. The bartenders will be mixing up bloody marys with a little 2 Dogs kick and you can be one of the first people to purchase a bottle of the new flavor as well as restock up on the OG sauces.  If you can't make it out to tonight's release party, you can pick up 2 Dogs Hot Sauce in a store near you or order it online and have it delivered right to your door. Either way, make sure you get your hands on this sauce, it's as good as it gets and it's locally made so it's a win-win all around! 

(Pro Tip: 2 Dogs is frequently featured at The Valentine Distillery Bloody Mary Bar on weekends from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and is also available for purchase in-house!) 

~S

Win Tickets to See Grapetooth at Deluxx Fluxx

Chicago based duo Grapetooth are headed to town to play Deluxx Fluxx this Friday night. Featuring Clay Frankel and Chris Bailoni, Grapetooth concocts "a freshly strange blend of synth pop and damaged folk music". It's a sound you can hear by listening to their debut album that was released this past fall. Hit play below to hear it for yourself.

Grapetooth will be joined by James Swanberg for Friday's show. Tickets to see these two acts live are $13 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to Party Store Productions, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to the show. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #grape in the subject line. We will draw our winner on Friday morning and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

Doors are set to open at 7 p.m. for this show at 18+ are welcome.

~C

Get a Good Meal at FOLK Detroit

Photos from Folk Detroit

Walt Disney once said, “Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.” FOLK Detroit makes good food out of good things and they do it really well, so we wanted to tell you all about it.

This intimate space offers a scaled down all day brunch menu that features a limited selection of seasonally made from scratch comfort foods, including vegan and gluten-free options. Their menu is a good example of the principle that less is more, meaning it does not have a ton of items to choose from, but what they offer is well made, locally sourced, and special. This includes selections like breakfast quiche, make your own avocado toast, and a warm rice bowl. FOLK makes as many of their ingredients in house as possible and they change their menu seasonally. You can tell that they put a lot of thought and time into what they are making and because of that, everything that we ordered during our first visit was great! We personally recommend the hash plate made vegan style.  The mix of potatoes (sweet, red and Russet) alongside the tempeh and the side salad were to die for, delicious and full or original flavors that we haven't experienced before. We can't wait to go back because we can't get anything like that anywhere else in Detroit.

FOLK employees make a sustainable wage and they treat their guests like a million bucks. There is an 18% gratuity added to every bill and you need to bring cash if you want to add more onto that tip. FOLK is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The restaurant also features a full coffee, espresso, and tea bar that compliments their food selection. You can stop in for a coffee or sit down and stay for a meal.  They have community tables and they offer carry out anytime that they are open.

~S

Grace Jones is Coming to Town and We're Giving Away a Pair of Tickets

Grace Jones is a legend. She is a Jamaican-American supermodel, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She began her career in 1973 and has stayed on top of her game ever since the day she came on the scene. Grace is considered one of the top 100 women of Rock and Roll and her style is as legendary as her music. 

It will be an honor to see her perform live and in person at the historic Masonic Temple. Tickets to attend the show are $60 to $205 in advance and they can be purchased here. You can also win a pair of tickets to the July 1st show courtesy of AEG. If you would like to enter, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #Grace in the subject line. We will draw a winner at the end of June and they will get to attend the show with a friend for free.

~S

Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: May 24-26

We already told you all about Movement and the parties that go along with it. Here are few other fun events happening this weekend. 

Friday, May 24th - A Very May Pop Up: Comedy & Dance Party @ AWOL Theatre: What is more fun than laughing and dancing? The folks at AWOL Theatre have a super fun night planned for you that includes both of these things! AWOL Theatre is a new comedy group in Detroit that is hosting monthly events. This month's pop-up will take place at Spread Art and will feature stand-up from Samantha Rager and Robert Jenkins, and improv from Nibblin City featuring Lauren Bickers and Scott Sanford. After the comedy, the dance party starts with DJ Scott Sanford. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Saturday, May 25th - Church of Misery, Against the Grain, and more @ The Sanctuary: This is a show that you don't want to miss! Church of Misery are making a stop in Hamtramck on their US tour and they will be joined by Mondo Generator, Toke, and Detroit's own Against the Grain. This is a solid lineup from start to finish! Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance here. 

Saturday, May 25th - Happy Endings @ New Way Bar: DJs Mike Trombley, Slofu and Udenjoe want to get you on the dance floor at New Way Bar this Saturday night! The monthly dance party features music from acts like The Smiths, New Order, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Cure, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, and more! Cover at New Way Bar is always free, 21+ are welcome, and the party starts at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 26th - Caveman & Bam Bam @ Outer Limits Lounge: It is a 3 day weekend for many of us, so why not keep the party going on Sunday night!?!? Caveman & Bam Bam will be playing at Outer Limits along with Wooly Bushmen from Florida and The Q. The fun starts at 8 p.m.





Don't forget to always check the event listing over to your right for a list of other fun things happening this weekend! Make sure you head to our home page and scroll down too, for more info on events that we talked about earlier in the week! 

BLED Fest - The Final Year

Have you ever come up with an idea that you somehow managed to turn into reality? Whether it's an event, a band, a fundraiser, or any other kind of project, there is an awesome sense of satisfaction achieved when you create something from the ground up. If you're lucky enough to have that thing be accepted by others and become successful, there's a whole other level of satisfaction that comes along with it. In some cases, you might be lucky enough to benefit monetarily from that project. In other cases, you just feel rewarded every time someone attends your event, or hits "like", or even tells a friend about what you're doing. If there's one thing we can relate to, it is putting your heart and soul into a project for years.

BLED Fest is an idea that was turned into reality 15 years ago. What started out as a house party and fundraiser, has grown into one of the biggest music festivals in the area. This fest has brought big name acts like Andrew W.K. and Every Time I Die to the stage, and has helped local bands like Flint Eastwood and Wilson make a name for themselves. Hundreds of bands have played this festival and thousands of fans have gathered together over the years to see some of their favorite bands, and to discover their new favorite bands. But now, after 15 years, BLED Fest has decided that this year will be its last.

This Saturday, May 25th you have a chance to attend BLED Fest for the last time ever. The fest will once again take over the Heartland Performing Arts Center in Howell and although this is the last year, Fusion Shows has yet again booked a solid lineup. It includes The Wonder Years, CAMP COPE, illuminati hotties, Hawthorne Heights, Free Throw, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, Bad Bad Hats, For the Fallen Dreams, RIVALS, Kississippi, Iron Chic, awakebutstillinbed, Worriers, Prince Daddy & The Hyena, The End Of The Ocean, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Koji, Small Talks, Boys Of Fall, Monte, The Sonder Bombs, Shortly, HALA, Hollow Earth, Narco Debut, and more. You can check out the full lineup here.

Tickets to attend BLED Fest are $35 and can be purchased in advance here. Thanks to our friends at Fusion Shows, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky reader. To enter to win, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #bledfest in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Friday night and will send them details on how to claim their prize.

All ages are welcome to attend BLED Fest and doors open early at 11:30 a.m. Don't miss your chance to attend this awesome festival one last time!

~C