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

Friday, February 14th - Heavy Metal BBQ w/ Heavy & Beyond @ Small's: Want to do a dinner date this Valentine's Day, but you don't want to make reservations? Small's is your place! Renegade Kitchen will be cooking up some delicious BBQ and the guys from Heavy & Beyond will be DJing. That means your favorite heavy metal tunes will be the soundtrack for the evening. Sounds like a great date night! Doors will open at 8 p.m. and there's no cover for this event.

Friday, February 14th - Valentine's Day Bingo @ Bagley Central: Blackout Bingo comes to Bagley Central this Valentine's Day! It's free to play and there will be fun prizes for the winners (no cash prizes). The games begin at 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 15th - "Grease" @ The Senate Theater: "You're the one that I want, you are the one I want"! Watch Grease on the big screen at The Senate Theater this Saturday night! Costumes, such as poodle skirts and bomber jackets, are encouraged and there will even be prizes for best dressed. Don't have a great outfit to wear? Flamingo Vintage and other vendors will be on site with a 1950's pop-up shop! The shopping starts at 6 p.m., the organ starts at 7:30 p.m. and the movie will begin at 8. Tickets are only $5 for this event, get yours here.

Saturday, February 15th - DIY Winter Semi-Formal Dance @ Outer Limits Lounge: Get all dolled up and head to Outer Limits for a great show this Saturday night! The lineup includes Cheapshow, Tears of a Martian, and Carmel Liburdi & Friends. There will be a photo "booth", a Valentine station, a kissing booth, and more. Cover is only $7, 21+ are welcome, and things kick off a 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 15th - Foreplay Formal @ New Dodge Lounge: There's a group around town that you may or may not have heard of, but we guarantee you know at least a few of the girls involved. They are called No Good Girls Allowed and they are hosting their Foreplay Formal this Saturday night at New Dodge Lounge. Dress to impress and grab a corsage at the door. The night will include burlesque, a free dinner buffet, a selfie station, a spanking booth, and more! Cover is $8 for one person or $10 for a couple. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Saturday, February 15th - The Muggs @ Cadieux Cafe: If you missed The Muggs' big release show last month, here's your chance to hear the new tunes at a smaller venue. The show is celebrating Cadieux Records, that released The Muggs new album Slave to Sound on vinyl. Cover for this show is only $5, 21+ are welcome, and Asphalt Flowers is also on the bill. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music starts at 9.

Sweetheart Swap Meet @ Bagley Central

Got some cool stuff laying around your house collecting dust? Take it to Bagley Central this Thursday night for their Sweetheart Swap Meet! There will be stuff for sale, stuff there to swap, and just free stuff up for grabs. Plus, once the event is over, the fine folks at Bagley Central will clean everything up and take it to the Purple Heart to donate. So, you can get rid of the clutter, and make someone's day at the bar or at Purple Heart!

This event is free to attend and there will be great drink specials all night. Things will kick off at 7 p.m., and since it's Valentine's Eve, there will be romantic comedies playing on the big screen.

Bagley Central is located at 2545 Bagley Street. If you want to make a night of it, grab dinner at Peso nextdoor before or after. Sounds like a great night out to us!

~C

Win Tickets to See Chelsea Cutler @ Royal Oak Music Theatre

Chelsea Cutler is celebrating the new year with new music. She recently released her first full-length album called How to Be Human on Republic Records. It's her first full-length album so she's going on a huge tour to promote it. She will be making a stop at Royal Oak Music Theatre to perform alongside  Alexander 23 and X Lovers on February 21. Tickets to attend the set are $26 in advance and they can be purchased here. You can also email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject #Human to be entered to win a pair of tickets to the show. We will draw one lucky person and they will get to take a friend to see Chelsea for free. Check out this set from Seth Meyers to get a taste of what you will see.

~S

The Detroit Public Theatre Brings Hedwig And the Angry Inch to Ant Hall Every Weekend in February

Photos: Chuk Nowak Photography

In 1998, John Cameron Mitchell released an off-off-Broadway play called Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The hour and a half production told the story of Hedwig Schmidt, a genderqueer East German singer of a fictional rock and roll band. The show became so big it moved to the West End and was eventually turned into a feature film starring Mitchell as Hedwig in 2001. The movie became an instant classic and Hedwig became a touring show that has been recreated on stages all over the world. This year the Detroit Public Theatre decided to bring Hedwig to Detroit.

Hip in Detroit attended the opening night of the Detroit Public Theatre's Production of Hedwig at Ant Hall and we are proud to say that the cast and crew brought Hedwig's story to life. For this production, DPS rented out Plant Ant's hall and built out the stage to fit their needs. It is the most ambitious production that has even been done at The Ant, but they did not disappoint. For this run, Scott Anthony Joy plays Hedwig and Lily Talevski plays Yitzhaki. Both performers have amazing vocal range and with the assistance of a  live four-piece band they were able to effortlessly bring all the well-written music from the show to life. If you love Hedwig, theatre, or just want to support the arts, this is a must-see presentation of the show.

Hedwig will play every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday through the month of February. Tickets are $40 a piece and they can be purchased here. If you would like to learn more about Planet Ant click here and if you would like to learn more about Detroit Public Theatre click here. 

~S 

Win Tickets to See JASIAH + $NOT

Did you know that the team at The Crofoot Presents books shows all around Metro Detroit? They bring music, comedy, and festivals to spaces all over Metro Detroit. So, we reached out to make sure that we could give away tickets to as many of their shows as possible. This week they offered us a pair of tickets to see up and coming hip-hop artists JASIAH and $NOT at The Loving Touch on Wednesday, January 19th. $NOT is a Florida based artist whose songs are believed by the Tik Tok community and Jasiah is a genre-transcending artist from Ohio. Both are on their way to becoming household names in their industry, so it would be cool to catch them in a smaller venue while you still have the chance.

Tickets to attend the show are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the show, you can purchase them here. We also have one pair of tickets to give away. If you would like to enter to win them, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #crofootpresents. We will draw one lucky person the morning of the show and they will get to attend with a friend for free.

~S

Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: February 7 - 9

We already told you about Jax Anderson, New Year New Music, and Winter Blast! Here are some more fun events happening this weekend!

Friday & Saturday, February 7th & 8th - Hedwig and the Angry Inch @ Ant Hall: This play is a must see! We had a chance to see the preview on Thursday night and it was amazing. Hedwig and the Angry Inch is being presented by Detroit Public Theatre at Ant Hall in Hamtramck. You will be mesmerized by this two person show with a live band. Whether you've seen Hedwig before or you are new to this show, you will love it! The show will be on the Ant Hall stage Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights throughout February. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased here. 

Friday & Saturday, February 7th & 8th - The Dirty Show: Get in touch with your kinky side this weekend at The Dirty Show at The Russell. This is the 21st anniversary for the show that puts all kinds of erotic art on display. Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased online here. 21+ are welcome and the show runs from 7 p.m. - 2 a.m. both nights. Can't make it this weekend? Don't worry, it's going on next weekend too!

Saturday, February 8th - The Suicide Machines @ Trumbullplex: The Suicide Machines have a new song out and are about to drop a new album! Come sing along to your new favorite song and your old favorites at Trumbullplex Saturday night. This is a benefit for Food Not Class and cover is $10. The Suicide Machines will be joined by Fishgutzzz & His Stinkin' Orchestra, WOMB, and Pocket Sounds. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 8th - Signs Galore! at KO Studio Gallery: Chances are, if you have seen a hand painted sign that you love at a restaurant or store in the Detroit area, Kelly Golden probably painted it. Her work is amazing and this Saturday night, she has curated a show of her favorite signs from sign painters in the area. The show will take place at KO Studio Gallery in Hamtramck. The show opens at 7 p.m. and runs until 10 p.m.

Everything You Want to Know About Winter Blast

This weekend, Detroit will host it's 14th annual Winter Blast. This event was originally created to bring people downtown when the Super Bowl came to town, but everyone loved the family-friendly event so much that Quicken Loans decided to make it a tradition. The company closes down a huge section of downtown and hosts a variety of free and low cost events that everyone can enjoy. It's a great way to get out and do something during the slowest time of the year.

 

The Winter Blast takes place in and around Campus Martius and Cadillac Square. This year's event will run from 5 p.m. - 11 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. on Sunday and there are lots of things that the whole family can enjoy. This includes free ice skating at the ice rink in Campus Martius ($5 to rent skates), an Ice Garden at Cadillac Square, live music on multiple stages (full lineup here), and a variety of food trucks, including A Taste of Nawlins, Baked Delicious, Mr. Deep Fried, Chick A D-Fried Chicken,Crepe De Twah-Sweet & Savory Crepes, Detroit Panzerotti, Imperial Ferndale, Mercurio Foods , Niko's Gyros, Soaring Eagle Cuisine Machine and The Lobster Truck. There will also be fire pits to warm your hands with and $3 s'more kits available for purchase. You can also purchase a pass to zip-line down Woodward Avenue for $10 a person or you can spend $3 to quickly drop down a pitch-black tube slide at 22 MPH on a 40-degree angle. You can even get fitted for ski or snowboard gear and go down a beginner-level slope with the help of Mt. Brighton Ski and Ride School instructors.

There are multiple parking garages in the area and some street parking if you are able to find it.  Make sure you download the parking app and pay to park, you do not need a $45 ticket to ruin your day. Follow Winter Blast here to keep up with future updates on the event.

~S

New Year, New Music

It can be really hard to find new music, especially local music. So, Outta This World Booking teamed up with a few local companies to find some new music for you. They held an open call for artists and had lots of different singers, songwriters, and bands submit their work. They sent the submitted work to me (Sadie Quagliotto from hipindetroit.com), Brendan Derey, President of Old Main Records, and Matthew Harmon, President of Empty Mug Records. We all gave the tracks a listen and voted on our favorites. Then, from the list of favorites, Out of This World Booking put together a lineup that showcases a variety of new music from the Metro Detroit area. This includes Lotus Hotel, Our Attic, Chronic Tan,No Fun Club, Ohly, Stefan James, Frankie, The Stereo Sound, Asphalt Flowers, and Andrea Doria. Each act will be performing 2 songs and those songs will be recorded live and released in the near future. The recording will take place at The Loving Touch this Sunday from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Tickets to attend the show are $5 at the door and all ages are welcome to come to hang out. You can find out more about the event here.

Congrats to all of the bands that are being showcased at the show and to Outta This World Booking for coming up with such a  cool event that brings Detroiters together.

~S

Win Tickets to See J Roddy Walston

This Friday night, get a double dose of J Roddy Walston at The Pike Room in Pontiac. J Roddy Walston will be headlining the show with his solo project, but he will also be playing with his new band Palm Palm. Also on the bill, is the one and only Parker Gispert. This is going to be a solid show from start to finish and things will probably get a little weird at least once through the night. After all, the tour is called A Single Dose of Strangeness.

Tickets for this show are only $20 and can be purchased online here. Thanks to our friends at The Crofoot, 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 #JRoddy 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. on Friday and all ages are welcome. 

~C

Here's the Scoop on Michigan & Trumbull

Detroit has its own style of pizza. We enjoy thick rectangular slices that are extra crispy everywhere that the crust touches the pan. If you ever left Metro Detroit and tried to get a slice, you would quickly realize that nothing compares to the way we make our pies. The owners of Detroit's newest pizzeria Michigan & Trumbull learned this lesson the hard way. They moved out of town for a few years and found that they were unable to find anything that tasted like the pizza they grew up eating, so they started making it on their own. Eventually, they perfected their recipe and decided that they wanted to share what they cooked up in their kitchen with Detroiters so they moved back to the city and found a temporary home at Fort Street Galley before making the move into their very own brick and mortar restaurant last week.

Michigan & Trumbull's menu features 14 unique Detroit style pizzas alongside a mix of salads and roasted and fried sides. Their pizza menu includes pies that feature baked ricotta, broccolini, and almond romesco, alongside pies that highlight traditional toppings like sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms. They also have vegan options, build your own options, and lots of Detroit style twists in their recipes. This includes fries that feature a BBQ style chip seasoning and carrots that are grilled and covered in hot honey. Plus, all of their pizzas can be made gluten-free upon request. They even have vegan Parmesan in-house so you can enjoy the charred broccolini exactly how it is supposed to be made. You can take the traditional route and have a pizza or have a nice salad with some sides if you are trying to keep it light. You can even get all of their pizzas rolled up into what they call a Boblo Boat a.k.a. a calzone. All of Michigan & Trumbull's pies have 6 hearty slices and range from $8 to $15 in price. All of their sides are $8 apiece and the portions are generous. We suggest that you try the Vernor Vegan and the Teader Fries when you visit, but we enjoyed everything that we sampled during our first meal so you can't go wrong. 

 

Michigan & Trumbull is already open and serving food, but they won't have their official opening party until this Friday, February 6th because they are still waiting on a few of their spirits to arrive.  You can find their hours and their full menu here. Michigan & Trumbull is located in Corktown at 1441 W. Elizabeth St. and they will have a beautiful roof top patio that will also be open as soon as the season hits. We think that this will quickly become one of or favorite spots!

~S

Hip in Detroit's Picks for the Weekend: January 31 - February 2

Saturday, February 1st - Friends of Dennis Wilson Record Release Show @ Outer Limits Lounge: Friends of Dennis Wilson will be taking over Outer Limits Lounge this Saturday night to celebrate the release of Space Maintainer on vinyl. The band will be joined by Oblisk and Dizzy Hotel for this one. Cover is only $5 and doors are set to open at 8 p.m.

Sunday, February 2nd - Pop Up Brunch Sundays @ Bagley Central with Faniz Bitez: For once, there's a lot happening on Sunday! So start your day off right with brunch at our favorite bar, Bagley Central. They will be hosting a pop up with Faniz Bitez. There will also be a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas on special for $5 by the glass or $20 by the bottle. Keep an eye on the Facebook event page for the menu and information on other drink specials. Brunch runs from noon until 4 p.m.

Sunday, February 2nd - VMKT 2020 @ The Majestic: If you're a fan of the Detroit Urban Craft Fair, this is the next best thing! The crew from Handmade Detroit presents VMKT, a 35 maker-market curated for seasonal shopping. In addition to the great makers, there will also be a DJ, make & take stations, door prizes, and much more. Admission is $15 if you want to do the make it take its, or $1 if you just want to shop. The fun runs from noon until 5 p.m.

Sunday, February 2nd - Super Sunday Big Game Bash @ Small's: If you want to watch the big game this Sunday, there's no better place to watch than our other favorite bar, Small's. While the Super Bowl plays on the big screen, there will be a free nacho bar for you to snack on, and all drinks are $1 off. This party is free to attend and it kicks off at 5 p.m.

Sunday, February 2nd - Twilight Zone Marathon - No Super Bowl Sunday @ Lost River: If you're not into the Super Bowl, Lost River is the bar to be at on Sunday night. Instead of having the game on, they will be hosting a Twilight Zone marathon. Get weird, drink rum, and eat some dumplings. This party also starts at 5 p.m.

Win Tickets to See HIDE at Small's

Chicago based dark industrial duo HIDE will be coming to Hamtramck to play Small's on Thursday, February 6th. The group is headed over to Europe on tour with Boy Harsher this spring, but first they are playing eleven shows across the US and Canada. And that tour kicks off with the show at Small's with Cloud Rat.

Tickets to see HIDE and Cloud Rat are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. You can purchase your tickets in advance here. Thanks to our friends at Black Iris Booking, you can also enter to win a pair of tickets to the show. Just send your name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with #HIDE in the subject line. We will draw our winner the morning of the show 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 8 p.m.

~C

Win Tickets to See Jax Anderson at El Club

2019 was a big year for Jax Anderson. She gave up her former stage name (Flint Eastwood) and started writing and recording music under her real name. She also started sending out emails to check in with her fans and making really cool videos every time she released a new song. We personally love the video for "Scared to Death".

She hasn't played a big show in Detroit since she changed her name, but she is about to change that! She will be performing at El Club alongside Shortly and Who Boy on Saturday, February 8th. Tickets to attend the show are $20 in advance and $22 the day of the show. We also have one pair of tickets to give away to the show. If you would like to enter to win a pair of passes, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #jax. We will draw one lucky winner on the morning of the show and that winner will be able to attend the set with a friend for free.

~S 

Win Tickets to Too Many Zooz at El Club

In 2014, two musical school students were filmed jamming in a subway station. That video went viral and those students became Too Many Zooz. Since then, they have released 6 EPs and an LP, this includes their latest release ZombiEP that came out last September. They are one of those bands that you have to see live at least once. They are so fun to watch and to dance to. If you haven't seen them before watch this video for a sample of what we are talking about.

Too Many Zooz is coming to Detroit to play at El Club on February 4th. They would-be worth going to see on their own, but Birocratic and Detroit Party Marching Band are also performing. Tickets to attend the event are $20 in advance and $22 the day of the show, you can purchase them here. We also have a pair of tickets to give away to the show. If you would like to enter, please email your full name to hipindetroit@gmail.com with the subject line #zooz. We will draw one lucky person on the morning of the show and they will get a pair of tickets to attend the show with a friend.

~S