Win Tickets to See Claude VonStroke!

Photo by Gourmandj

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend in Detroit and for almost the last two decades that has meant one very important thing, Movement aka DEMF is taking over Detroit! Movement has become one of the biggest electronic festivals in the world and this Sunday the official Movement after party at The Fillmore will bring one of the genre's biggest names to one of Detroit's most beautiful stages.

Veteran electronic arts Claude VonStroke will be closing out the weekend alongside Justin Martin, J. Phlip, Will Clarke and Walker & Royce. This will be your last chance to party it up before the big holiday. Tickets to attend the bash range from $25 to $65 and they can be purchased here. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of Live Nation Detroit. If you would like to enter to win please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #party.  We will draw one lucky winner on Saturday and we will email them all the details that they need to claim their tickets on Sunday!

~S

Win Tickets to Get Naughty at The Suicide Girls Blackout Burlesque

📷- Damon Martin

The Suicide Girls website was started in 2001. It was a place where alternative women of all different shapes and sizes could show off their Bettie Page style modeling skills. It was also one of the first places to celebrate alternative lifestyles and ideas of beauty.  As the internet grew so did the website and its reach. It has become the go to place for alternative fun and fantasy.  It is a website that is devoted for celebrating all different kinds of beauty and sexuality and it is also a live touring burlesque show that is coming to the El Club in Detroit this Thursday, May 25th!   

The SG have a special brand of kitsch themed burlesque that references pop culture, movies, and all sorts of nerdy things like comics and super heroes. Their performance is a full blown show that you won't be able to take your eyes off of. Tickets to attend the show are $25 in advance, you can also purchase tables for groups starting at $350. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show courtesy of Party Store Productions and El Club Detroit. If you would like to enter to win, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #SG. We will draw one lucky winner and they will get to attend the sinfully delightful performance with a friend for free. In the meantime, check out this video to learn more about what you can expect at the show! 

~S

ESP Wants to Make Sure Your Band Can Screen Print Some Merch

When your starting a band or a company it can be hard to get things going. Putting out merchandise to promote your band or company is almost essential to making it grow, but the initial investment can be difficult to make. A lot of bands/brands need to order some starter merch to fund more merchandise and a lot of the bigger companies that have lower prices have huge minimums that most bands simply cant meet. Plus, when you go low cost and outsource, it seems like you get what you pay for. We have been looking for a small local place that can create something special for a reasonable price without asking us to make an unreasonable amount, and we finally found it!

Local screen printing company ESP has been making merchandise for a lot of our favorite people, bands and companies, like Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Planned Parenthood, and Valley Hush.v They can screen print on almost everything and they specialize in making sure you see every detail. We reached out to the local company to learn more about them and how all of us can take advantage of shopping local and making new merch for a reason able cost. Check out what they had to say and shoot them an email when you're ready to make something!

HID- When and how was ESP started?

Owner Scott Michalski- "ESP originated as a one man show! I got my start early on, working in a couple other shops before opening my own company. Overall, I have 25 years of print experience behind me. I got started when I was printing for bands in my basement. ESP (Essential Screen Printing) “officially” started in 2012, with a handful of clients, as well as a “bootleg” rock shirt line. Fast forward to now, and it’s coming up on five years that ESP has been a screen printing company! We couldn’t be more thrilled!"

HID- Why did you choose to set up shop in the Eastern Market district of Detroit?
Owner Scott Michalski- "After spending our first two years in the Corktown area, (off Rosa Parks Blvd.) we needed space to expand our operation! I did some searching around, and found a home in the packing district of the Market place. We love it here, and look forward to what’s yet to come!"

HID- What kind of items can you screen print on?
Client Relations Manager Anna Thomas- "We’re able to print on all kinds of items! Our predominate print specialty is on apparel, so garments like: tees/tanks, hoodies, pants, leggings etc. We’re also able to decorate aprons, jerseys (with custom names/numbers), limited professional wear (lab coats/jackets), concert posters, and art prints! No, we do NOT print business cards, or promotional items. Those are different methods of decoration."

HID- What makes your screen printing services special?
Owner Scott Michalski- "Having worked in/with a number of local print shops over the years, ESP’s “niche” lies within the fine details, compared to other apparel decoration companies. We highlight specialty printing techniques and garments."

HID- What if you don't have a logo, how can you get help designing something to print?
Client Relations Manager Anna Thomas- "We have no problem assisting our clients in making their print vision come to life! ESP has a graphic designer that works in house, and has capabilities to create an image/logo based on conceptual instruction and input from the client. Our shop artist can also make modifications to an existent image that might not be ready to go, or screen print viable. “Custom” is the name of our game!"

HID- Sometimes it is hard for a smaller band or business to afford printing merchandise or swag, what are your minimums?
Client Relations Manager Anna Thomas- "ESP also offers the service of printing on customer provided goods! Our order minimum for apparel/soft goods are 12 garments per design to be printed. (BOTH: client provided & garments through ESP). Flatstock/poster printing, is a 50 piece minimum. We work with a wide array of clientele, and understand you have to start somewhere. To alleviate any budget concerns for those starting out, ESP works with a variety of vendors that offer several brands of garments (Gildan, Anvil, Next Level, Bella+Canvas, Alternative Apparel, etc.) This offers options at various price points to our clients that may have a particular aesthetic for their print needs.
We have an order minimum in place due to the setup processes that go behind each order. If it’s a multi color design, that requires more time to produce, as we print each color individually; one at a time."

HID- How many people work for ESP?
Client Relations Manager Anna Thomas- "Over the past year, we’ve significantly increased our staff, and have added on four members to the company. Those additions have included: front end Office Management/Marketing/Social Media (myself), then there’s Graphic design/art production, a production assistant, and a specialized flat stock printer. ESP is currently rocking with a crew of 7 full time employees. We’re all total dorks about art, and printing shirts. :)"

HID- Who do you currently print merchandise for, any cool clients or projects you want to tell us about?
Owner Scott Michalski- "ESP is all over Detroit! We print merchandise for a good portion of the “Cass Corridor” businesses: City Bird, Run Detroit, Third Man Records, Shinola, and Motor City Brewing Works. Other Detroiters we work with include: Green Dot Stables, select teams at Quicken Loans, Batch Brewing (amongst other breweries), and Live Nation Detroit! When it comes to the “band merch” world, we’ve printed for the likes of: Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Berserker Festival, SuperJoint, Adult., Child Bite, Tart, and more!"

Client Relations Manager Anna Thomas- "Over the past year of working at ESP, I’ve been pleasantly surprised for projects we take on. One major job we did was screen printing THOUSANDS of record sleeves for re-releases Third Man Records did. That was a few months ago, when the TMR record pressing plant just opened. Some of the covers pressed were the White Stripes, and Iggy & The Stooges. From processing the details of the order on the back end, to then attending a “VIP Pre-party” with ESP crew live screen printing on location was a pretty cool feeling, and something I’ll never forget."

Learn more about ESP here. 

~S

Win Tickets to See Whores at The Loving Touch

This Wednesday, May 24th Whores, Wrong and Bummer are playing The Loving Touch. The Whores are known for their live shows. They take over a stage, in fact they take over a room when they play in it. If you are a fan of their music you must catch their live show.

All ages are welcome to come out for the show and tickets to attend are $12 in advance and they can be purchased here. They will be $14 on the day of the show. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to one lucky fan. If you would like to enter to win a pair of tickets please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #whores in the subject line. We will draw a winner first thing this Wednesday morning! 

~S

Celebrate 20 Years of The WAB

Twenty years ago most people were ok with drinking Budweiser, Miller Lite, or any commercial beer. If you wanted to get fancy with your beverage choice, you went with a Corona with a lime, a Guinness or maybe even something like a Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade. That was the case until craft beer hit the scene. And one of the first breweries in Metro Detroit was Woodward Avenue Brewers.

The WAB first hit the scene back in 1997 and this week they are celebrating their 20th WABiversary. For two decades now the brewery has been known for its great beers and delicious food. It was one of the first "cool" bars in Ferndale, putting the town back on the map. Since, a ton of great bars and restaurants have opened their doors in Ferndale, including the adjacent sister bars, The Emory and The Loving Touch. The owners of these great bars have curated some of our favorite festivals, like the DIY Street Fair and Pig & Whiskey. They've brought a ton of great shows through their first floor as well as The Loving Touch. Through all of the changes and growth, they continued to stick to their roots and make great craft beer.

In celebration of this anniversary the WAB will be having great specials and events all week long. They will feature throwback pricing, food specials, raffles and more. Check out the full list of events below.

The WAB is located at 22646 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. To stay in the loop on all of the happenings this week, RSVP to the Facebook event here. 

Happy Anniversary, WAB! We're looking forward to the next 20 years!

~C

24 Hour Giveaway: Win Tickets to The Murder City Devils @ El Club

This Tuesday night The Murder City Devils will be taking the stage at El Club in Detroit. The band is currently on a short mid-west tour and Detroit is lucky enough to be one of the stops along the way! Joining them for this short tour are Buildings and Corey J Brewer. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased here. If this one doesn't sell out, tickets will be $30 at the door.

Thanks to Party Store Productions, we are also giving away a pair of tickets to this show! If you would like to enter to win those tickets, send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #devils in the subject line. We will draw one lucky winner on Tuesday morning and they will get into El Club that night with a friend for free.

~C

Have You Tried Otus Supply Yet?

Photo borrowed from Otus Supply's Facebook page

Last year an awesome new spot opened up in Ferndale and somehow we are just now telling you about it! Otus Supply is a restaurant located on 9 Mile just east of Woodward in Downtown Ferndale. It's that giant awesome building that you've drove by a ton of times, just past Blumz. The building is split into several different areas, with dining rooms, a waiting area, a smaller bar, and a giant bar called the Parliament Room that features live music.

First we'll start off with the dining and drinks. Otus Supply features amazing craft cocktails along with a variety of small plates, pizzas, and bigger plates. They change their menu seasonally and their plates feature fresh ingredients expertly crafted. It's a great place to go with friends and order several different menu items to share. Plus, with multiple options on your table, you won't be so reluctant to experiment a bit and order something that you've never tried before.


For instance, on my latest trip to Otus Supply, my friend and I ordered Beets, Bone Marrow and a pizza with potatoes and onions on it. It was plenty of food, allowed us to be adventurous with our choices, and was absolutely delicious.



We couldn't agree on one dessert to share, so we each got our own. I went with the S'mores Thingy, which is basically a deconstructed s'more with salted chocolate macaroons, toasted meringue and graham crackers. It was amazing!

In addition to the great food at Otus Supply, this is also an excellent place to grab a drink or two! They have a long list of specialty drinks, great beers, and some nights they even have live bands. You can stay up to date on the shows happening at Otus Supply on their Facebook here. On top of everything, Otus Supply is one of the coolest venues we have been to in a long time. The decor is absolutely awesome and makes for an awesome setting whether you're there for dinner or just to hang out. They also have a great patio that is open now that the nice weather is here!

If you would like to give Otus Supply a try, they are open from 5 p.m. - Midnight Monday thru Wednesday, 5 - 2 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, 4 p.m.- 2 a.m. on Saturday, and they're closed on Sunday. To see the latest menu, upcoming events in the Parliament Room, or to make reservations, head over to OtusSupply.com. Make sure you also follow them on Facebook to stay in the loop!

Otus Supply is located at 345 E. 9 Mile in Ferndale.

~C

Motor City Comic Con Brings Big Stars to Town

This Friday, Motor City Comic Con 2017 kicks things off at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi! This time around the convention is bringing out a ton of big names to join in on the fun. The event runs Friday, May 19th thru Sunday, May 21st. During those three days, some of the stars that you will have a chance to meet include Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Marky Ramone (Ramones), Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie), LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow), Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie), Rob Schneider (come on, you know Rob Schneider), Ron Perlman (Hellboy), Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie,Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back), Sean Astin (Goonies, Lord of the Rings), Will Wheaton, and many more! For a full list of all of the media stars that will be appearing at his year's event, click here. In addition to media guests, there will be a long list of comic creators and artists, as well as craftsman at the convention. There will also be gaming, cosplay, panels and a ton of other fun activities.

Tickets to Motor City Comic Con are $25 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, $30 for Sunday or $75 for the whole weekend. You can purchase yours in advance here. Don't forget, in addition to entry, most of the special guests charge an additional fee for photo ops and autographs. So plan on bringing some extra money with you. Once you're in the midst of it all, we're sure you will want to meet as many stars as you can!

The convention opens its doors this Friday at 12:30 p.m. and goes until 7 p.m. On Saturday the event runs from 10:30 a.m. 'til 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.  The Suburban Collection Showplace is located at 46100 Grand River Ave. in Novi. For more details on the Comic Con, head over to MotorCityComicCon.com.

~C

Happy Fucking Birthday Joey Ramone

Joey Ramone was born on May 19th, 1951 and he passed away just over 15 years ago on April 15th, 2001. During his time on this earth he changed punk rock as we know it with his band the Ramones. The band's first album was famously only 29 minutes long but critics and music fans alike loved it! The band had a signature style like no other, both musically and visually. The Ramones never had the commercial success that you would expect from a band that made such a huge impact, but they are still celebrated by musicians across genres to this day. That's why a few Detroit bands are coming together to play some original tunes and some good old fashioned Ramones' covers at The New Way Bar this Friday, May 19th.

In honor of what would be Joey's 66th birthday, Smash the Jukebox, Bastardous, Reuther, and

Pancho Villa’s Skull will be playing at The New Way this Friday. Each band will perform a few originals and a few covers from throughout Joey's career. Doors for the birthday party at 9 p.m. this Friday and cover is only $5. If you are 21 and over and want to hear some god old fashioned punk performed by some great locals, head up to the New Way Bar this Friday! 

~S 

Spring into Corktown Detroit

Erin Gavle, owner of Eldorado General Store teamed up with The Corktown Business Association to bring a new event called Spring into Corktown to the city this Saturday, May 20th. The day long event will feature an array of activities including some fun ways to give back to the city and to get a free workout.

The day will kick off at 9 a.m. with Motor City Makeover clean up of Roosevelt park. Volunteers that come out to help beautiful the space will be treated to complimentary bagels from Detroit Institute of Bagels and they will be entered to win a raffle prize. Then at 11 a.m. everyone is invited to 14th Street and Michigan Ave. for the unveiling of a new statue that will honor the spirit of Michigan Veterans and become a permanent part of Corktown. Next up, everyone is invited to experience free fitness classes at Dean Savage Memorial Park. There will be a series of class from noon to 3 p.m., Each class is a hour log and the lineup for the day will be Citizen Yoga from noon to one pm, True Body Fitness from 1 p.m. till 2 p.m. and Detroit’s Morning Beats Dance from 2 p.m. till 3 p.m. There will also be a kids' center at Bagley and Trumbull next to The Farmer’s Hand that will run from 1 p.m. till 5 p.m. The kid center will have a variety of activities face painting, crafts, and food!

Detroiters are also encouraged to come out at shop Corktown Detroit. A shuttle will be running throughout the neighborhood giving complimentary tours and making stops at a bunch of local businesses including Dean Savage Park, Detroit Artifactry, Detroit Athletic Company, Eldorado General Store, The Farmer's Hand, Hello Records . Mama Coo's Boutique, Metropolis Cycles and Roosevelt Park. The complimentary shuttle will run from noon till 5 p.m. This is a fun way to check out all the cool new things happening in Corktown, to do some volunteer work, and to get some shopping in! To learn more about the event visit here!

~S